A Weighing and Considering of the Interim, Title page – To the reader

A Weighing and Considering of the Interim · Title page – To the reader

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 hauehave 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 hauehave saied otherwise of hym) as for the coūfortyng of many godly and christen hertes, whiche hauehave, 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, thā kes be to god therfore, he hath not onelyonly 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 vponupon 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. hauehave not seen it, and some hauehave 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 commaū demet, 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave chaunged all thynges at once, they of their great (I had almoste sayed) greuouse and mercilesse mercy hauehave borne with vsus 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 vsus, 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 vntounto vsus, & 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 hauehave 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 vsus. And although warre and destruccion be thretned vsus, 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 vntounto 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 vsus.

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 vponupon God should be 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 hauehave peace oureselues with all our hertes:

But this earnest and strong cō maundement, that we shall not forsake nor persecute the knowen learning of the trueth, driueth and thrus…heth vsus 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 agreemēt: and that the discord of the learning and certen ceremonies will neuerthelesse abyde, and that they wyll make or ordre no priestes for vsus: 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 …nder…, Inte…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 casū 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 louelove, 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 louelove, as the boke also playnely sayeth, y^t a man is afterwarde verely made rightwesse throughe louelove.

And to declare it selfe playnelyer it saithe, that there is yet a true belefe in a mā, although he liue with an euell cōscience, and hauehave not louelove: And also that a man is an inheriter of euerlasting life, throughe louelove.

So that this is in very dede the whol meaning, y^t a mā is rightwesse, that is, pleaseth God, throughe louelove 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 louelove and a good conscience muste be in vsus, 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 hauehave 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; louelove, 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, louelove, 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 sōne of God be there, as is afore saied, & it must alwaise ouershadow thother vertues for almaner of vertues be weake in vsus, & there abideth yet much vncleā 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 vsus 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 vsus, and knowe, that althoughe louelove and other vertues be, and muste be in vsus: that they yet be to weake, and that the truste in, to, and vponupon 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 vsus 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, louelove, prayer or callyng vponupon 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 louelove and counforth cānot be or abyde in the hert, yf this belefe and this truste go not before.

So that this is spoken without cōsideracion in the boke, y^e we befirst made ryghtwesse indede throughe louelove, wheras yet this rightwesnes, y^t God is merciful vntounto vsus 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 louelove.

And when we be in nede, and in earnest prayer or callyng vponupon God, we seke not louelove and oure owne cleannes, but be muche more affearde and shrynke for our wretchednesse and synnes: and muste seke coumforte at the onelyonly peacemaker, whiche God of his greate mercy and wonderfull wisedome hath apoynted vsus. Thereof speaketh Paule. Justificati fide pacem habemus, after we be made rightwesse throughe belefe, we hauehave 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 vntounto 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 eueryevery godlye christen mannes owne experience that hath vnderstanding, sheweth.

Therfore is this one fawte in the Booke, that it sayeth, louelove is true rightwesnes, and fayneth y^t belefe is but a knowledge, suche a one as is in the deuels.

And saith further, that a man is an inheritour of euerlastyng life, because he hath louelove, and so sedeth vsus to our owne workes and speaketh nothyng of this comfort, that we shall beleue, that God suerly receaueth all those to euerlastyng lyfe that turne agayne and amend, and trust vponupon the sōne of god, through suche belefe.

But that some saie, that we vnderstand not the boke, this we lette them iudge, that wyll hereafter largelier write thervpon, if it come abroade and shewe his head.

And althoughe menne woulde suttely and wylily excuse it, and gether the poyntes therin contayned here and there together, so is it yet agaynst it selfe.

For as muche then as this Article, howe a man is rightwes before god and pleaseth god, must be knowen to all men, that the righte honour maye be geuen to the sonne of God, and that men maye hauehave right true coumforte, must all men both the learned and the vnlearned helpe to kepe the godly learnyng of the gospell pure cleane and vndarkned. Therfore can we not councell that anye man receaue the booke in this poynte.

And in asmuche as it is playne that no creature neither in heauen or earth oughte to chaunge the vnchaungeable councell of God opened in the gospell: we will through Gods grace, also from henceforthe truly teache the learnyng of belefe & good workes, as we hauehave nowe many yeres preached and taught it in these churches, for it is so set out in the scripture of God.