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
vs geueth to the same substaūce this honour that it knoweth and can iudge all mennes hertes and al their thoughtes and sighes This honour belongeth onely to the substaunce of God wherfore the praying to Saynctes is not right nor lawfull And although they haue fayned here agaynst that god geueth them a seuerall reuelacyon of suche praier as is made vnto them that is spoken without the booke And we set theragainst this highe saying Thou shalt cal vpō or praie vnto thy lord God serue hym alone And where as they also saye that they be prayed vnto as seruauntes and aduocates This answere also is not ynough For the praying vnto them is of it selfe a wytnesse and token that they that be not seen are made almightye the whyle the propertie whiche belongeth to god almyghty is geuen vnto them Secondarily we maye not haue other mediatours annexed sette vnto Christ to be in iointer w t him Thirdly it is also openly knowē to all the world that men haue not onely sought to make the Saintes mediatours but y t they haue also sought a sondry helpe by euery one of them This great Idolatrie shoulde be strēgthened if that beginnyng and praier to them of which the booke speaketh be kept and holden Fourthly There maye no godsseruice be brought into the churche which god hath not ordened in his word and as for prayig to saintes hath no commaundement of God as is openly knowen Fyfthly Mans herte may not nor cannot praye when it knoweth not whether suche a forme of prayer please god or not And there is no word of god that teacheth vs so to praye Yee there be theragaynst strong commaundementes which teache that onely the one godly substaunce ought to be prayed vnto y t thorowe the mediatour And this saying must abide fast suer what souer ye aske of the Father in my name he will geue it you This onely begotten sonne is sette before vs for our Mediatour peacemaker and speaker for Hereagaynst sayeth the Booke not onelye of the speakyng for vs but also of the deseruinges of the Saynctes whiche is yet more to be rebuked And this is a shamefull lye that it saith that Jacob taught his children to praye vnto Abraham to Isaac and to him and expoundeth the saying Gene. 48. They shall be called myne and Abrahams and Jsaacs chyldren that is I wytnesse that the promyses whiche be promysed me and Abraham Isaac shall inheret vpon them as vpon our aftercomers that is to saye y t they shall suerly haue one churche and ordre and that many of them shalbe inheritoures of euerlastyng lyfe This true vnderstanding of the texte leaueth the boke out and fayneth a false of praying to Saynetes There be also other mo sayinges in the Booke that are wrong expounded Hereby it is playne y t no manne maye agree or consent to these Articles of the boke in which the prayer to Saynctes is commaunded and strengthened Howbeit it is profitable for many thinges to know the whole story of the churche frō the beginning to the ending to take witnesse therof that god vpholdeth his churche alwaies and that god be thanked that he hath opened and shewed himself in the Saynctes And also that we teache and strengthen our selues with thinsāple of the Saynctes The true storyes of the Saynctes are also often alleged of vs in Sermons and shewed to y e people whiche thyng we wyll also from henceforth do OF Souse Masses THese Masses are almoste the moste commen Ceremonies in Abbayes and in other churches in maner in all Countreyes and lādes for they bryng moneye And there be many erroures comen into the world through Soulemasses wherof it is to long to speake at this tyme. But it is also a peruertig of y e Sacrament y e it is applyed for y e deed For y e Sacramēt was instituted to stirre vp strēgthen y e belefe of the liuing and also for a remēbraunce Now are not the dead presēt at it And it is saide without any groūd that the priest deserueth them anye thyng through these Ceremonyes Therefore maye not this Article in the boke be consēted vnto in anywyse and the saying of S. Denise whiche is alleged as touchyng the burying speaketh no whit of the Masse Where as some also haue praied for the dead y t maketh nothyng at all for the Masse Let this also be ynough therof at this tyme. Of Ceremonyes IN our Churches are the chiefe Ceremonyes belonging to good ordre as Sondaye holy dayes with vsed and accustomed synging and readyng not muche chaunged We wyll also kepe and hold the same with diligence And if any mā shall ymagyn anye thyng in suche meane and indifferēt thynges with the good Counsell of them that ought to rule the Churche whiche shoulde serue for more vnyformitie and good and manerly ordre we will gladly helpe to vpholde it For we wyll not stryue or braule for suche meane thynges so ferre as the christen vse therof stretcheth We care not also whether men eate fleshe or fishe And yet we maie not let the learnyng of the difference of meates and of the true godsseruyce in suche meane vnneady thynges be quenched out as they were almoste before these dayes cleane quenched out As S. Austen at his tyme and an C. yeare agone Gerson yee and fyftye yeare agone Wessasus at Bastil Wesell and Meyntz and certen other haue sore complayned For although ther be alwaies great heapes of errours in the Churche from the begynnyng to the ending yet abydeth there in some the true knowledge of God true prayer and better vnderstanding of the Godly learnyng then in the great muititude and it is Gods wyll that euery manne be instructed and taughte truely and rightly of the true seruice of God But as touchyng the songes belonging to the Saynctes therof haue I sayde that the praying to them is not to be receaued Item in asmuche as we deuyde the Sacrament in our Churches must those Processions be lefte out wherin the one parte is caryed aboute It is also true and suer that the Sacramentes in their vse as they be ordened in gods worde are right Sacramentes not when they be turned to other straunge workes to which they be not ordened or institute Therfore is that spectacle in y e Procession vnright and ought not to be strengthened or set vp againe Moreouer This is well knowen to the withstanders that the preuy Masse prayig to sainctes soule-masses and the Procession and certein other suche vses although they might be excused be yet neadelesse and ieopardouse And that that example of settyng them vp agayne strengtheneth the great erroures and misuses among the other bryngeth them in agayne into these Churches They knowe also that that offence wyll sore greue manye godly men and that muche persecucion wyll be sought and manye priestes and other persons banisshed prysoned and happely kylled And these Countreyes are now through gods grace furnished
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