Pictures not to be Worshiped, To the reader
¶ The tranſlatoure of this lytell treatyſe oute of Latyne into Englyſſhe to the indyfferent reder.
SYth it is chaunſed vntounto me (good indyfferent reder) ye ſame thīge that happeneth / & abydeth eueryevery man / whiche of a good zele endeuoureth hī ſelf to ꝓmoue / further / & ſet forth ye goſpel / to the honour & glorie of god / & edifyēge of his churche / beit by ſyncere and true prechynge or otherwyſe tranſlatyng or compylyng of any / beit neuer ſo frutefull a treatyſe / euen to be myſtaken and myſreported. And yet I dyd but only the offyce of a faithful tranſlatour / interpretyng the wordes & ſentences of thē which did fyrſt make ye boke / whiche authours ſyth they be of no les leenynge than iugemēt / & ſo many gathered togyther in one conſente confyrmed with ſcryptures eueryevery where / & by their aduerſaryes yet neuer impugned ne cōfuted / & the boke both in latin & alſo in Duch frely red & ſolde by the ſpace of .v. yeres nowe fully paſſed in eueryevery churche where the execrable rytes and tradicyons of the byſſhop of Rome be expulſed & put out / & the goſpell brought in purely & ſyncerely to be preached. I thoughte it might well & worthely be tranſlated. yea / & ſo moche the more was I animated & encouraged the ſame to do: bycauſe I dyd here our cheife preachers / men nat onelyonly of good learnynge & pure iugemēt / but alſo of eſtimation & auctoritie in their ſermons dayly preach frely agaynſt the ſame abuſes & vtterly condempne them. And if an indyfferent reder with iudgement / wolde conferre the places / & expende the mynde of the authours / he ſhulde ſee theym ſpeke / neither againſt the maſſe / ne yet agaīſt the bleſſed ſacrament that Chriſt inſtituted: but onelyonly againſt the abuſe of the maſſe / & ſacrament brought in of the byſſhop of Rome / & his adherentes / to ſatiſfye their inſaciable belyes / to fede their auarice and to ſupporte & maynteyne their falſe vſurped dignyte and power. Neuertheles to ſatiſfye ſome men I am nowe compelled agayne to printe this lytell treatyſe defenſed with this buckler / that is to ſaye / that wher they reporte me to hauehave diſpyſed the maſſe or the ſupper of the lorde as ſcripture calleth it / thā the whiche thynge (I take god to wytneſſe) I thought nothing leſſe but I ſay to them & afferme it conſtantly / that I do but onelyonly ſpeke agaynſt the abuſes thereof / & that maſſe onelyonly is there ſpoken of (as eueryevery reaſonable man may ꝑceiue and ſee) which is inſtytuted & abuſed by the byſſhops of Rome / their popyſſhe complyces / and counſellours / which they bye & ſel as Iudas dyd / & offre vp Chriſt agayne for money / whan it ſtandeth playnly in the .ix. chap. to the Hebrues / that Chriſt therfore is nat entred into heuen bycauſe that he wolde many tymes & often offre vp hīſelf for ſo muſt he hauehave oftentymes ſuffered / from the tyme that he went vp. But he ſuffred but ones: yea / & that nowe in the ende of ye worlde. Wherefore he muſt be but ones offred vp / which to conferme yet more certaynly / he addeth in the next chap. theſe wordes: Vnica enim oblatione. &c. That is to ſaye: by onelyonly one oblacyon he hath effectuouſely for euermore made thē perfect / which ar his holy elect / agaīſt which abuſes only that place in ye later ende of this lytell treatiſe ſpeketh / which maner of maſſes thus bought & ſolde / and in the whiche they ſo oft for money offre vp criſt crucifyenge him agayne: it were better that th… … than dayly thi… … holye a ſacrame… … holyer entent inſ… … and executed in th… … mityue churche / in t… … appoſtles / wherfore I … by a fewe moo wordes … that place / that ſo hathe ofte… … ſome men more playnly expreſ… and declared the myndes of the authours. So that frome henſeforth I truſt no man wyll be offended with this lytell treatyſe / but onelyonly they / in whoſe breſtes the popyſſhe tradicyons do yet ſtycke faſt / whoſe conſcyences ar yet marked with his whote yron / and out of whoſe hertes his abuſes are ſo loth to be extirped and drawē out. But god almighty whiche of his mercyfull goodneſſe of the vngodly maketh a rightwyſe man / and of … …oure of his … …e faruēt prea… … breth his holy … to the hertes of … they maye rede all … better iudgemente … to their owne edify… … …wlege and vnderſtan…ynge of the truth of goddes worde.
AMEN.
¶ Printed for W. Marſhall.
End of the text · Martin Bucer, Pictures not to be Worshiped (1535)