The Account Reckoning and Confession of Faith, Article 12
¶The .xii. Artitle.
Twelfte. I beleue that that forged fable of the fyre of Purgatorie is as blaſphemouſe a thynge agaynſt the free redēpcion purchaſed by Chriſtes bloude, as it hath ben gaynful to the authors, inuentours and mayntayners therof. For yf it be neceſſary wyth paynes and tormētes to waſhe away the deſeruinges of our ſynnes, than ſhal Chriſte be deade in vayne, and than is grace of none effecte. Thā whych thyng, what can be thought more wicked in the chriſten commone welthe, ſtate and condicion? Or what maner of Chriſt hauehave they, whiche wyl themſelues to be called chriſtianes, and yet are afrayed of this fyre, naye, no fyre nowe, but a ſmoke?
Holl.But as towchinge hell, wher with Ixion & Tantalus the vnfaythfull, diſobedient and ſtubburne enemyes of God are euerlaſtingly punyſſhed, I do not only beleue that it is, but I verely knowe it. For when the truthe it ſelfe ſpeaketh of the vniuerſall iudgemēte, he ſheweth yt after that iudgemēt certayn ſhal go into euerlaſtyng fyre.Iohn. 5. Thā after ye vniuerſal iudgemēt ther ſhalbe an euerlaſtīg fyre. So yt ye Anabaptiſtes cā not colorably cloke their erroure, wherby they teache,
The Anabaptiſtes erroure is confuted.That Euerlaſtinge ſhall not continue after the generall iudgemente. For here Chriſte ſpeaketh of an euerlaſtynge fyre after the iudgemente, whych ſhal burne and tormente the deuell with his aungels, with the wicked that deſpiſe God, with the Tyraū tes which with lyes oppreſſe ye truth, and with the vnmercifull, whyche of tender compaſſyon and fayth releue not ye neceſſytie of theyr neyghbour. Theſe aforſayd artycles I ſtedfaſtlye beleue, teache & defende, not with myne owne wordes, but wyth the notable ſentences of Goddes holy worde.
And I promyſe and profeſſe (God ſo wyllyng) to do the ſame ſo longe as I lyue. Excepte any man by the decrees of the very holye ſcriptures ryghtlye vnderſtanded can as plainly and opē ly (as we hauehave done theſe) declare, proue and confirme the contrarie. VntoUnto vsus doutleſſe it is no leſſe pleaſaunt & acceptable than ryght and lawful to ſubmitte our wrytynges and aſſercions to the holy ſcriptures, and to the Churche by the ſpirite iudginge the ſame. We myght hauehave declared all theſe articles more plenteouſlye and at length, but ſeynge the tyme wolde not ſuffer vsus, we ar cōtent with theſe. Whiche we thynke to be ſuche, as mē maye eaſely pynche at (for ſo is the faciō now a dayes) but no man cā be able worthelye to confute and auoyde them. Neuertheles yf any wyl aſſaye he ſhall (by Goddes grace) not eſcape vnanſwered. For than perchaūce we ſhall brynge forth the reſydue of oure artillarie and ordenaūce, wherof we hauehave good ſtore and plentye behynde but theſe are ſufficient for this tyme.
Wherfore moſte prudent Emperour, and ye other princes, lordes of great power, and nobles of hyghe eſtate, and fynally ye learned Embaſſadoures and heades of cōmon wealthes, I praye and beſeche you all, for Chriſte Ieſus ſake the Lorde and our brother: for his mercy and righteouſnes ſake: for his iudgement ſake: (before whyche, wil ye nyl ye you muſte al come and gyue a rekening of your procedynges) wherin he ſhall rendre vntounto eueryevery one accordyng to theyr deſertes: from whome no coūſel is hyd: whyche by the Prophete threatneth woo to them that ſaye,Eſa. 10.5. good is euell and euell good: and to the makers of wycked lawes: whych ſubuerteth and ouerthroweth the deuiſes and counſels of princes wickedly deliberating and vngodly decreyng,Pſal. 33. enacting, pronouncyng, eſtablyſhyng and cōmaū dynge any thynge agaynſt Goddes wyll, yea (I ſaye once againe) I moſt humbly deſyre you all for hys cauſe, that aduaunceth the humble and caſteth downe the proude, deſpyſe not the ſympleneſſe and baceneſſe of me admonyſhynge you ſo wyſe and learned men in the begynnynge. For fooles, Idiotes and ſymple men hauehave often ſpoken many thynges in due ſeaſon.1. Cor. 1. And the truth it ſelfe hath choſen to be publyſhed and preached of men of rude, ſymple and lowe eſtate.
Agayne, remembre that ye your ſelues are men alſo, whyche both maye diſceaue and be diſceaued.Pſal. 116. For eueryevery man is a lyer, and vnleſſe he be otherwiſe taught by ye inſpiracion of God, than he hym ſelfe other knoweth or deſireth, ther is nothynge to be loked for of hym, but by hys owne crafte & counſel to hurle downe hym ſelfe.
For ful truly ſayd Ieremye the Prophete: Loo, they hauehave refuſed the Lordes worde, what wyſedome than can remayne in them ſelfus? Wherfore, foraſmuche as youre ſelues are the prelates and ryngleaders of ryghteouſneſſe, no men oughte ſo muche as you to hauehave the ſure and certayne knowledge of the wyl of God. which, from whence can it be fetched and requyred, than out of hys holy ſcriptures? Abhorre not therfore theyr myndes which lean holly to goddes word. For cōmonly we ſe it happē, that the more the aduerſaries ſtryue agaynſt it, ſo muche the more a great deale it floryſheth and cōmeth to lyght, and errour and falſhed is caſt oute of the dores. But yf amonge you ther be any (as I knowe ther is) that wyl ſtoutlye deminiſhe and diffame oure learnynge vntounto you, and wyll ſaye: that we are ygnoraunt and lacke knowlege, yea and that we are maliciouſe alſo, yet thinke this with your ſelues: Fyrſt, whether we whych folow this maner of preachynge the goſpel, and the ryght vſe of miniſtracion of the ſacrament of thankes gyuyng, hauehave at any tyme ſo ordered our lyues, that any good man hathe douted, whether we ought to be reputed and taken as good, honeſt and faythfull men? And agayne, whether euen from our cradels we hauehave ben ſo eſtraunged from wytte and erudicion, that all hope of learnynge ſhulde vtterlye be caſte awaye from vsus? vndoutedly we glorie of nother of theſe, ſeynge that Paule hymſelfe ſayeth: that what ſo euer he was, it was al of the gyft of God. Neuertheleſſe, yf our lyfe hauehave happened ſometyme (by the benefyte of God) to be ſomewhat proſperous and pleaſaunt, yet wholly was it neuer giuen to riote, exceſſe and fylthynes at any tyme, neither yet (God be praiſed therfore) hath degenerated into cruelnes, pryde, and obſtinacie, ſo that the wytnes of our lyfe (through Goddes benefite) hath many tymes ſtayed the deuiſes of our aduerſaries, and made them ſo aſtonyed, that they hauehave retyred backe againe. And as for our learnynge, albeit it is greater then oure aduerſaries other can beare, withſtand, or without conſcience deſpiſe, yet is it farre leſſe than they that tenderly louelove vsus, iudge it to be. But yet to comme to oure purpoſe, we hauehave ſo not a fewe yeres bene ſowldiars & ſtudentes both in holy ſcripture and in mannes learnynge, that there is no cauſe why yt we ſhuld nowe teache any thynge raſſhly. We maye lawfully prayſe the grace and free gyftes of God ſo lyberaly diſtributed to our congregations. For owt of al dowte ſo hauehave oure congregacions (whyche here the Lord God by our miniſterie) receaued ye word of truth,The frutes of the true doctrine of Goddes words. ye lyeng & vntruth are ſhroncken: pryde, ryote and exceſſe are broken: reuilynge, ſlaūderynge, chydynge and diſſencion are trudged awaye from amonge vsus, whyche doutleſſe, yf they be not the frutes of ye holy ſpirite, what are they els? Conſyder wyth your ſelues, O moſte myghtye Emperoure and all ye princes & nobles,The frutes of mānes traditions what good frute thys vyſar of mannes doctrine hathe brought to you. The Maſſes that are bought and ſolde, as they hauehave increaſed the outragious luſte and wantonneſſe as well of princes as of the people, ſo hauehave they brought in and enlarged the fylthy luſte & exceſſiue pryde of Popes, cardinalles, and byſhoppes and the vnſaciable couetouſnes and gluttony of mercyleſſe Maſſemōgers What myſcheue is it, that thys maſſe marte, with choppinge, chaunginge, byinge and ſellinge therof hath not procured and ſet forwarde? who is able to waſt and ſcatter abrode the excedyng rycheſſe that is heaped together by maſſynge, except they be ſtopped and ſtrāgled euen in the vaynes & that in tyme? God therfore muche better refourme theſe thynges than you all, whome we gladly bothe cal & beleue to be the chefe and moſt myghtye here in earth, & graunt you grace to cut awaye the rootes of that wycked Maſſe and of al other errours in the churche, and that you may bring o paſſe, that Proude Rome wyth all her dirtie dregges, whyche ſhe hathe thruſted into al chriſtendome, and ſpecially into your Germany, may be vtterly forſaken and lefte. And as you tender your owne ſaluacions, what power ſo euer you hauehave hytherto executed agaynſt the puritie of Chriſtes Goſpell, that you maye hauehave grace nowe at the laſte wholly to bende the ſame agaynſt the wycked inforcemē tes of the vngodly Papiſtes, that true ryghteouſneſſe whych thorowe your negligences is banyſhed, and innocency, whych is obſcured with fained and counterfeated coloures, maye be brought agayne vntounto vsus.
Ther is enough and to muche crueltie executed already, except without a cauſe and contrary to ryght to commaunde, to condempne, to torment, yea to ſpoyle, bannyſhe, and kyl be not tyrannouſe or cruell.
Therfore, ſeyng it goeth not wel forward wyth youre thys waye, you muſt ſurely go an other waye to worke. Yf this counſel be of God,Act. 5. ſtryue not agaynſt God. If it be any otherwyſe, it wyl dowtleſſe fal in the own folyſſhneſſe. Wherfore O ſonnes of men who ſo euer ye be, ſuffer the worde of God freely to be ſpred abrode & to ſpring furth. Remember yt it lyeth not in your power (if God wyl hauehave it growe) to forbydde and let the graſſe yt it growe not. Ye ſee ye this frut of ye goſpel is abōdaūtly watered with ye heauenly ſhowers, neyther with any heate of mē cā it be īforced to wyther and fade awaye. Conſyder not what ye moſt deſyre, but what in the matter of the Goſpel the worlde requyreth. what ſo euer thys is, take it in good worth, & by your counſels, deuiſes and determinacyons, ſhewe your ſelues to be the chyldren of God.
At Zuryk the 3. daye of Iuly, in the yere of our Lord. 1530. VntoUnto your noble Maieſtie and vntounto al faythful men, your moſt obedient ſubiecte Huldryk Zwinglius by the grace, callyng and ſendyng of God, flockfeeder of the congregacion of Zuryk.