The confessyon of the fayth of the Germaynes exhibited to the moste victorious Emperour Charles the. v. in the Councell or assemble holden at Augusta the yere of our Lorde. 1530. To which is added the apologie of Melancthon who defendeth with reasons inuincible the aforesayde confesyon translated by Rycharde Tauerner at the commaundeme[n]t of his master Thomas Cromwel chefe Secretarie to the kynges grace.

❧ Of the Masse.

THis protestation we must make here again in y^• beginnyng that we do not abrogate nor take a∣way the masse, but we do religi∣ously & reuerently reteyne, and defende it. For there be masses done amonge vs euery sonday, and other holy dayes. At whiche Masses the sacrament is ministred to them that desy••e to

receyue it, after that they haue ben examined and haue receyued absolution. And the pu∣blyke vsuall ceremonies be obserued styl with vs, as the ordre of the lessons, of the prayers, the apparayle, and other lyke thynges. Oure aduersaries make a longe declamation concernyng the vse of the latine tonge in the masse / in whiche declamation full pleasauntly they do playe the fooles, disputynge howe it doth profite the vnlearned hearer in the faith of the churche, to heare the masse, whiche he vnderstandeth not. For they fayne, that the very worke of hearyng is an honour & seruice to god, and also is auayllable without any vn¦derstandyng. These matters we wyll not odi¦ouslye debate ne discusse, but we leaue them to the iudgement of the reders. And we do ther¦fore here recite them, to gyue men knowledge by the way, that the latine lessons and orisōs be reteined and vsed styl amonge vs. But for asmoche as ceremonies ought to be obserued partly to thentent that men shulde learne the scripture, and partelye that men beinge put in remembraunce by the worde shulde conceyue and gather faythe, and feare, & so shulde pray also (for these be thendes of ceremonies) we kepe styll the latine tonge for them, which do learne and vnderstāde latine. And we mengle and ioyne therunto some song{is} in the douche tonge, to thentent that the people also myght haue somwhat to learne, & wherwith to sty••re vp faythe and feare. This hath ben the ma∣ner and custome alwayes in the churches and cōgregations. For albeit some congregatiōs haue added songes in the douche tonge more often, and other some more seldome: yet well

nere in euery place the people songe somwhat in theyr owne natyue langage. But this was neuer writen ne paynted in any place, that the worke of hearyng the lessons, whiche they vn¦derstande not, is auayllable to men / and that ceremonies be {pro}fitable, not because they tea∣che or put vs in remembraunce, but by the ver¦tue of the work that is wrought, because they be so or so done / and because they be looked vpon. Let all suche pharisaical opinions go to the myschiefe. And thoughe there is done with vs, only one comen masse: yet do we no∣thyng agaynst the catholyke churche.* 1.1 For in the parysshes throughout Grecelande, there be not any priuate masses doone, not euen in these days, but ther is one comen masse done, and that only on the sondayes & holy dayes. In monasteries there is a masse done daylye / but it is onelye a comen masse. These be the steppes and leauynges of the olde customes. For none of all the olde wryters before Gre∣gorie maketh mention of priuate masses. In what maner they came vp at the begynnynge, we nowe let passe. But this is vndoubtedlye knowen,* 1.2 that syns the beggynge freers began to rayne, through moste false {per}suations, and for loue of lucre, they haue ben so encreased, that all good men haue a lōge season thought that the thynge farre excedethe measure. Howe be it saynt Frauncis entended ful well to prouide for this thyng,* 1.3 whiche dyd consti∣tute and ordeyne, that euery monasterie shuld be content with one comen masse dayly. This afterward{is} was chaūged either thrugh superstition, or elles because of lucre. Thus whā they se their tyme, them selfes do chaūge

the ordenaunces of theyr forefathers, and af∣terwardes do alledge vnto vs the auctoritie of the forefathers.* 1.4 Epiphanius wryteth, that in Asia thryse euery weke they dyd cōsecrate, and that there were no dayly masses. And he saythe, that the apostles taughte this maner and custome▪ whose word{is} writen in the greke tongue be thus moche to saye in englysshe. Consecratiōs were ordeyned of the apostles, to be done the wenesday, frydaye, and sonday. Nowe albeit our aduersaries in this place do heape many thynges together, to proue that the masse is a sacrifice: yet neuertheles that greate crye of wordes shall ceasse and be put to silence, if onely this one answere be made / that all that grea••e and longe heape of aucto¦rities, of reasons, of testimonies, dothe not proue that the masse dothe gyue grace by ver∣tue of the worke wroughte, or that the masse being applied for others, doth merite to them remission of venial and deadely synnes, of the cryme, and of the payne. This one answere ouerthroweth all thynges what soeuer our ad¦uersaries do obiecte not onely in this confu∣tation, but also in all the workes, whiche they haue made concernynge the masse. And this is the state, the standynge, & principall poynt of this matter or cause, wherof the reders are so to be admonyshed of vs,* 1.5 as Eschines mo∣nyshed the iudges, that lyke as wrestelers or champions do stryue aboute theyr stondynge amōge them selues: so they shuld stryue with theyr aduersarie of y^• state of the cōtrouersie, & suffre hym not to straye oute of the matter or cause. After the same maner oure aduersaries must be compelled to speake of the matier pur¦posed

/ and whan the very poynte, and state of the cōtrouersy is knowen: it shalbe no mastry to iudge betwixte the argumentes of bothe sydes. For we in our confession haue shewed that our opiniō is, that the souper of the lord dothe nat cōferre ne gyue grace by the vertue of the worke that is wrought / neyther when it is applyed for other men eyther quicke or deade dothe deserue forgyuenes of synnes / neyther a culpa (as they saye) neyther yet a pena. And the cleare and stronge probation of thys state is thys, because it is impossible to obteyne remissiō of sīnes for our owne worke by the vertue of the worke wrought / but by fayth must the terrours of synne and of death be ouercomen, when we comforte our hartes with the knowledge of Christe, and thynke▪ that we be forgyuen for Christ{is} sake, and that the merites and iustice of Christe be giuen vn¦to vs as Paule to the Romaynes sayth.* 1.6 Iusti∣ficati ex fide pacem habemus. that is to say. Being iustified by saythe we haue peace▪ These thin∣ges be so vndoubted, and so stronge and sure, that they be able to stande agaynste al the ga∣tes of hell. If we ought to haue sayde asmuch as nede is: thā is our cause alredy at an ende. For no mā onles he be madde can allowe that pharisaicall & hethen parsuasion of the worke wrought. And yet this persuasion contynueth and stycketh faste among the people / and this persuasion hathe encreased masses, to infinite nombre. For masses be hyred to appease the wrathe of god, and by this worke they wyl ob∣teyne remission a culpa et pena / they wyll ob∣teyne whatsoeuer they nede in all thys lyfe. They wyl also delyuer deade men. This pha∣risaicall

opinion haue freers and sophisters taught in the churche.

Albeit we haue sufficiently declared our cause alredy, yet that natwistādyng because our ad∣uersaries do wreste many scriptures folyshely to the defense of theyr errours, we shal adde a fewe thynges to this place. They haue spokē many thynges of sacrifice in the confutation, where as we in our confession purposely dyd eschue that name because of ambiguitie / and doubtfull takyng of the worde. We haue decla¦red the thyng what these men do meane nowe by sacrifice, whose abuses we do repreue and speake agaynste. But nowe to the entent we may declare the scriptures wrōgfully wrested, it is necessary fyrste at the begynnynge to ex∣poune what sacrifice is. All these hole tenne yeres our aduersaries haue made almost infi∣nite volumes of sacrifice. And yet hathe none of them all hytherto put the diffinition of sa∣crifice. All only they take the name of sacri∣fice eyther out of the scriptures, ••rels out of the workes of the fathers. That done they putte dreames of theyr owne ymagination as though sacrifice dyd betokē, what∣soeuer pleaseth them. ❧

Notes

• * 1.1

  The v∣sage of the gre∣ke chur¦ches.
• * 1.2

  Freers.
• * 1.3

  The or¦dinance of saint Fraūc{is}
• * 1.4

  Epipha¦nius. In Asia y^• masse was do¦ne but th••yse a weeke.
• * 1.5

  Eschi∣nes.
• * 1.6

  Ro. 5.