hindred For these great and weightie causes must we take good hede what we conclude in this matter We striue not of our owne frowardnesse heeddynesse or pryde as some men laye to our charges God whiche knoweth all mennes hertes wotteth howe gladlye we woulde se and haue peace oureselues with all our hertes But this earnest and strong coÌ„maundement that we shall not forsake nor persecute the knowen learning of the trueth driueth and thrusâ—heth vs to the defence of the true learnyng whiche is preached in our Churhes And as for the perill we will put commit to God AND in asmuche as we nowe se and fele by the very dede it selfe that the Bushoppes and their partakers wyll receaue no agreemeÌ„t and that the discord of the learning and certen ceremonies will neuerthelesse abyde and that they wyll make or ordre no priestes for vs it were better that we in dede kepe caulmnesse quietnesse and peace in oure churches and begyn not vnquietnesse discorde debate and offfence among our selues For this * booke wyll surelye not be receaued in manye Countreyes and Cyties But for as muche as the articles in the Boke be diuers some be right and some be vnrighte some speake of the chiefe articles of the belefe which all men muste knowe and vnderstand and some of other matters whiche are not so nedeful to be knowen we will orderly declare our obedient meaning and that that is right wyll we not casuÌ„niose sophistice striue against but plainely and singely acknowlege it and agayne that that is vnright wyll we not allowe THE begynning of the boke as touchyng the creacion and fall of man the originall or byrthsinne and the redempcion or raunsoming through Christe is righte and vnfautye But afterwarde in the fourth leafe in the title of Justificacion or rightwessemakyng is this faute that the Booke plainly saith that we be iustified or made rightwesse through loue and the same meaning is also afterward reherced and declared that it maye suerly be vnderstanded therby that that booke is not agreable with the true learnig which is through gods grace preached in our Churches y t a man is made rightwesse before God and pleaseth him for ourlorde Christes sake through belefe And althoughe the boke saye in some places that a man cometh to rightwesenes through belefe yet is this the meaning of the boke that the belefe is but a makyng readye before and that afterwarde a man is made rightwesse throughe loue as the boke also playnely sayeth y t a man is afterwarde verely made rightwesse throughe loue And to declare it selfe playnelyer it saithe that there is yet a true belefe in a maÌ„ although he liue with an euell coÌ„science and haue not loue And also that a man is an inheriter of euerlasting life throughe loue So that this is in very dede the whol meaning y t a maÌ„ is rightwesse that is pleaseth God throughe loue and worckes as the monckes and freers taught longe a gone And the neadfull learnyng of belefe is not spoken of whiche is this althoughe loue and a good conscience muste be in vs yet are we before God rightwesse y t is we please hym throughe our Sauiour christ and for his sake through y e trust y t we haue in him not because of our purenesse or cleannes This Article is throughe Gods grace so declared expounded and set out in our churches that we doubte not but there are very many men whiche vnderstand it right well and can also well iudge the boke We acknowledge and teache also and that diligently and truly that repentaunce sorowfulnes or grefe of herte conuersion or turning again to God loue a good purpose to amend and a good conscience muste be in the hert and that this saying muste abyde true Qui non diligit manet in morte He that loueth not abideth in death There must many neadefull vertues be together belefe loue hope a good conscience a good purpose c as thys thyng is throughe Gods grace plenteously preached in our churches But yet ouer aboue these vertues must the trust in y e soÌ„ne of God be there as is afore saied it must alwaise ouershadow thother vertues for almaner of vertues be weake in vs there abideth yet much vncleaÌ„nes in mannes herte in this lyfe Therefore muste we cleaue and sticke to the mediatour and seke grace and fauour through him for so speaketh the psalme Before the is no man liuing rightwes And Da. 9. saieth heare vs not because of our rightwesnes but because of thy mercy for the Lordes sake And so shall we come before God and bryng thys truste in the sonne of God with vs and knowe that althoughe loue and other vertues be and muste be in vs that they yet be to weake and that the truste in to and vpon the sonne of God muste stande suer vnstirrable and vnouerthrowable and do that that is done to our rightwesmakyng And if we speake of the rightwesnes poured into vs of God as they calle it we maye not leaue out this belefe and liuing trust for it is one of the highe and neadfull vertues Yee this truste wakeneth vp counforth loue prayer or callyng vpon God and life in the herte as is written Gall. 2. That I nowe liue I lyue throughe the belefe in the sonne of God And loue and counforth caÌ„not be or abyde in the hert yf this belefe and this truste go not before So that this is spoken without coÌ„sideracion in the boke y e we befirst made ryghtwesse indede throughe loue wheras yet this rightwesnes y t God is merciful vnto vs for y e mediatours sake and that the mediatoure couereth hideth our weaknes ought moche more and highlyet to be loked to and esteamed then our owne loue And when we be in nede and in earnest prayer or callyng vpon God we seke not loue and oure owne cleannes but be muche more affearde and shrynke for our wretchednesse and synnes and muste seke coumforte at the onely peace-maker whiche God of his greate mercy and wonderfull wisedome hath apoynted vs. Thereof speaketh Paule Justificati fide pacem habemus after we be made rightwesse throughe belefe we haue peace or are at peace And that this is the vnchaungeable voyce meanyng of the gospell in the Churche of god from Adams tyme hitherto that is plaine in the holy Scripture and s. Paule setteth Abrahams example before our eies and declareth this saying Abraham beleued God and that was counted vnto hym for rightwesnes That is although Abraham had great and highe vertues yet was this his rightwesnesse before God and he pleased him because he beleued that God woulde be graciouse and fauourable to him according as his promes sounded And althoughe this vnderstanding of the promes be ofte at all ages and tymes darkened yet hath it abyden and abydeth among the vnderstandyng and perceauyng christen alwayes as euery godlye christen mannes owne experience that hath
A waying and considering of the INTERIM by the honourworthy and highly learned PHILLIP MELANCTHON Trāslated into Englyshe by John Rogers 1548. To the Reader BEcause I with great griefe haue nowe often heard most dere Reader that y e highly learned and no lesse godly ientle and louing man Phillip Melancthon is highlye belyed in that a great sorte openlye saye that he hath denyed the trueth or that I maye vse their owne wordes recanted whiche thyng they saye onelye to hyndre the furtheraunce of Gods trueth I coulde do no lesse but turne into our Englyshe speache and also put out this litle treatise of his not so muche for the defence of his moste named and knowen fames sake which he hath yet hitherto kepte vndefiled so that euen the greatest enemyes of the gospell neither coulde nor haue saied otherwise of hym as for the coūfortyng of many godly and christen hertes whiche haue bene not alytell dismayed and discouraged thorow suche lyes And verely not without a cause for his denying would do more harme to the trueth in these last and most perelouse tymes than any tongue or penne can expresse And God of his goodnesse bountefull mercye and great power graunt that that neuer chaunce At this tyme also thākes be to god therfore he hath not onely not denyed the trueth but also after his olde accustomed christē manier plainelye confessed and acknowledged it whiche thyng this his answere to the Interim ynough witnesseth And although this his writing be shorte and answere not to al the poyntes of the Interim for that would aske great labour and long tyme yet it playnely answereth to the greatest misuses and to the very senowes of the Rome bushops moste tryannouse kyngdome contayned in that boke He also sheweth tokens ynoughe in the booke that he will at leasure largelier write vpon manye poyntes therof I receiued also a letter with this treatise from a nother godly and learned man wherin is writen that other and diuers learned men in Dutchlande be in hand to shewe their meaning in writing as touchyng the same so that we maye be of muche better comforte then our papistes would gladly se yea then manye of the good and faithfull christen be that that Interim will be w tstanded not so sone and easely receaued as y e papistes hope many christen feare This I saie chiefelye caused me to putte out this litle boke at this time But for that there be haply many that know not what that Interim meaneth for some haue not seen it and some haue not harde of it ye and the moste vnderstande not the worde as they that vnderstand no Latine or not very well neede dryueth me to shewe bothe what it is and also the meanyng of the worde Interim is a booke whiche was at y e Emperoures Maiesties commaūdemet prynted and put forth about the begynnyng of June in this yere of our Sauiours birthe 1548. wherein is commaunded that al the Cities in Dutchlande that haue receaued the worde of God and made a chaunge of Ceremonyes accordyng to the word shal reforme their Churches agayne and turne to the olde popishe ordinaunces as a dog dothe to that he hathe spued out or a washen swyne to the myre Thus haue ye harde what it is Now heare what the worde signifyeth or betokeneth Interim is as muche to saye as in the meane season or in the meane while And therfore haue they christened the childe and geuen him this name because they wyll y t we kepe all the thynges commaunded and contayned in that booke in y e meane while from this highedutche parlament holden at Auszburg till there be a generall councell holden There they thynke but God sitteth aboue in heauen and thynketh happly otherwyse to make y e matter worsse For because it had been an hastye worcke to haue chaunged all thynges at once they of their great I had almoste sayed greuouse and mercilesse mercy haue borne with vs in two thynges y t is to saye in y ◠▪ Maryage of priestes receiuing of the communion in both the kindes But how lōg Forsoth Interim that is in the meane while till the Generall Councell come And thynke then to beare no longer with vs no nor with Christe himselfe for then they thynke to be so strong that neyther Christe himselfe nor all that wyll abyde by hym shall be able to withstande them This is the meanyng of the worde in Englyshe Unto this Interim and the meaning thereof hathe thaboue named Phil. Melancthon answered and written this present treatise sheweth to what thinges a christen man maye agre whiche thynges may be chaunged whiche not in which treatise y e reader shall well perceaue that he nether hath denied the trueth that he hathe thus longe taught and acknowledged nor yet thinketh to doe whiche vertu and high gyfte of God the almighti father of our lord Jesus Christ increase in him and all the christen to the honour glory of his holy name increase of his knoweledge and sauing of many soules Amen At London in Edward whitchurch house by John Rogers 1. Augusti 1548 The answere of Ph. Me. to the Interim THe Prologe newly made to the boke Interim was not brought vnto vs therefore can we make no mencyon thereof at this time but we perceiue that it is a very greuous heuy and perlouse wrytyng yf this be the meanyng thereof that they condempne our Churches and that the receauing of this booke shoulde be an acknoweledgyng as it were y t our churches haue hitherto taught wrongfully and begonne a selfwilly dissencion and deuision Therfore is it nedefull that all the men of vnderstandyng in our Churches answere therto for if we should now oure selues denye the knowen and acknowledged trueth bynde our selues to the persecucion of the same trueth that were a blaspheming of God whiche shoulde neuer be forgeuen from which God graciousely defende vs. And although warre and destruccion be thretned vs yet must we set more by Gods worde and not denie the knowen trueth SECONDARELy the learning of the sōne of God and of the forgeuenes of sinnes is also the specyall Counsel of God whiche God of his vnspeakable mercy hathe declared and opened and wyll that all men helpe to vpholde the same learning to thintent that they may pray vnto him aright obtaine saluaciō Now hath the deuell alwayes sought many craftes and wyles frō Adams time hitherto to quenche out this learning or to darcken it as thensamples fearefully declare Therefore ought we dylygently to take hede that we be not drawen from true right learning as God often warneth and exorteth vs. THIRDLy let men also consider if false learnyng and Idolalatrye shoulde be agayne brought in and be gonne in oure Churches how greate an offence and sclaunder should be occasioned therin for there would many Godly men and wemen fall into great heauynes griefe and the true prayer and callyng vpon God should be
our Churches with a good exposicion therof that the absolucion shall be sought therin for we iudge that the priuy absolucion is nedefull to be kept for great and weyghtye causes in asmuche as it is a witnesse that there is forgeuenes of sinnes in the Churche and that they that be fallen after theyr Christenyng maye be agayne receaued It is also very good that ther be some certeyne acknowledgyng and pullyng downe or lowlines of the herte so that they that desyre absolucion shewe themselues repentaunt and sorowful and acknowledge that they be synners and trespacers before God But yet we wyl not loade the conscyences with this perlouse and vnneadful burthen that they should thynke it were nedefull to tell all and euery of the synnes that they haue done And forasmuche as this Article belongeth to al mennes cōsciences we counsell not that all men agre to this poynt OF satisfaccion OF Satisfaccionis muche easlyer and Jentlyer spoken in the boke then before tymes in the learnyng of the Monckes and Freers But the sayinges contayne many thinges in them whiche haue neade of much declaryng Therfore we also comit this Artycle to euery mans owne declaracyon and acknowledgyng OF THE SACRAment of christes body and bloudde In this matter are not oure Churches agaynste the boke But yf ther be any further declaracyon demaūded of any man as touching this Article him we suffer to speake thereof through his owne confessyon and acknowledgyng OF makyng or annoynting of prystes It displeaseth not vs that this is reckened in the noumbre of the Sacramentes if it be ryghte and Chrystenly kepte and holden And we wyshe that it might be so kepte in all maner of landes countreyes with great dylygence that it were not onely a ceremonye or a dysguysyng playe but that they that be ordeyned be well heard and instruct or taught and that there were an erneste commaundement geuen with y e ceremony and also that there wer afterwarde diligent heede taken to the learnyng and to the maners of the priestes OF MARIAGE This Artycle is neadfull that in the dyuorcyng of the fautelesse person the second maryage be graunted Therefore is that poynt in the boke as touchyng this matter that there maye no further dyuorcemente be made then from bedde and bourde not to be agreed vnto OF THE MASSE The booke acknoweledgeth that the Masse deserueth not forgeuenesse of synnes That is true But that they afterward further alleage sayinges out of the olde new teachers as touchyng the oblacion offeryng to strēgthen theyr preuy Masse those be sayinges that cōtain many thynges in them and it were very easy to shew good suer groūd out of S. Austen and other theragaynst that the same sayinges belong not to theyr preuy Masse and oblacion or offeryng for althoughe they call it an offeryng yet declare they them selues thus that it deseruethe not forgeuenes of Synnes And also that they them selues offer not the Sonne to God the father for that is the owne onely worcke of the onely begotten sonne that he offereth himselfe as the texte speaketh Heb 9 He is gone into the holy place throughe his owne bloude he standeth before the father as a peacemaker for euer and prayeth for vs in the same moste preuy coūcel whiche is the holy place But of the offeryng that men offer they say it is a thancksgeuing and a rememberaunce that is therwith we throughe belefe praye for and receaue the forgeuenesse that is obtayned and gotten for the sonnes sake And this prayer and thankesgeuyng shall be made in the dealing out and in the vse of the sacramēt as it is commaunded and instituted And the ceremony of it selfe withoute this worck in the herte in belefe prayer and thankesgeuyng is no offeryng And let this be ynough spoken of the olde teachers whereof we offer oure selues to geue furher declaracyon at all tymes And because ther lyeth muche of this matter in that that it belongeth to all chrystendome and for that that the Masse is through many erroures comen in to great misuse for whiche God vndoutedly punysheth the worlde as it is wrytten whoso vnworthely vseth the Sacrament maketh hymselfe gylty of the Body and bloud of Chryste ought men with great earnest to seke and helpe to kepe mayntayne and vpholde the trueth of this Artycle to the honoure of God and saluacyon of menne And this is also one of thartycles whiche belongeth in generall to all menue bothe learned and vnlearned Wherefore thortely to aunswere to this question Whether the preuy Masse or the Masse without a companye takyng it to gether be to be set vp agayne This is oure answere That we with true meanyng counsel that we sette not vp the Masse agayne that is done without a company receanyng it together And the piayne reason why is this There shall no Gods seruyce be ordened or done in the Churche that is not ordeyned and commaunded in the worde of God And the vse of the Sacramente is so ordeyned and not otherwyse that the dealyng oute and the vse be kepte and done as the sonne of God sayeth Take it and eate it c. And drynke all thereof c. And doe this in my remembraunce And it was also thus holden many hundreth yeares in the fyrste churche Therefore is this fyrst vse agreyng with the wordes of Chryste suerly the ryght and true vse and shalbe mayntened vpholden and kepte and there shall no other worckes be set vp therein whiche are not commaunded There haue not been also alwayes in tymes paste dayly Masses But at Alexaundria whiche was a great cytye was the Cōmunion holden three tymes a weke on sonday wensdaye and fridaye and in many other Cities onely vpon the Sondaye and holy daye This olde goodly and godly custome is throughe goddes grace with all reuerence with sermons Leassons commaundementes and thanckesgeuynges orderly holden in our Churches And yf there be any other worck sette vp in the stede of these that offence wyll wounde many hertes and feare them wholly from the communyon There are also mo burthens hāgyng vpon this artycle of the Masse as to saye of the Canon prayer to Saynctes and Soull Masses The Canon sayth playnly that this worke is holden for the redēpcion raunsoming of the soules c. Whereby all the vnlearned haue vnderstanded that this worke deserueth forgeuenes of sines which meanyng is also against the booke There be also other vnmete sayinges in the Canon as when the priest prayeth that God will take in good worth that offeryng as he did Abels offeryng where they yet vnderstand the offeryng of the sone of God To be shorte there be so manye horrible misuses in the popishe custome and facyon that we shrynke and quake for feare whē we speake of them and praye therfore that no man may be loadē with the setting vp of suche thynges Of the praying to Sayntes THe praying to a substaunce y t cannot be seen which is not by