THE SECOND PART

Treats of the Articles which Refer to
the Office and Work of Jesus Christ,
or Our Redemption.

The first and chief article is this,

That Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins, and
was raised again for our justification, Rom. 4, 25. 

And He alone is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of
the world, John 1, 29; and God has laid upon Him the
iniquities of us all, Is. 53, 6.

Likewise: All have sinned and are justified without merit
[freely, and without their own works or merits] by His grace,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood,
Rom. 3, 23 f.

Now, since it is necessary to believe this, and it cannot be
otherwise acquired or apprehended by any work, law, or merit,
it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us as
St. Paul says, Rom. 3, 28: For we conclude that a man is
justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law. Likewise v.
26: That He might be just, and the Justifier of him which
believeth in Christ. 

Of this article nothing can be yielded or surrendered [nor can
anything be granted or permitted contrary to the same], even
though heaven and earth, and whatever will not abide, should
sink to ruin. For there is none other name under heaven, given
among men whereby we must be saved, says Peter, Acts 4, 12.
And with His stripes we are healed, Is. 53, 5. And upon this
article all things depend which we teach and practice in
opposition to the Pope, the devil, and the [whole] world.
Therefore, we must be sure concerning this doctrine, and not
doubt; for otherwise all is lost, and the Pope and devil and
all things gain the victory and suit over us.

Article II: Of the Mass. 

That the Mass in the Papacy must be the greatest and most
horrible abomination, as it directly and powerfully conflicts
with this chief article, and yet above and before all other
popish idolatries it has been the chief and most specious. For
it has been held that this sacrifice or work of the Mass, even
though it be rendered by a wicked [and abandoned] scoundrel,
frees men from sins, both in this life and also in purgatory,
while only the Lamb of God shall and must do this, as has been
said above. Of this article nothing is to be surrendered or
conceded, because the first article does not allow it. 

If, perchance, there were reasonable Papists we might speak
moderately and in a friendly way, thus: first, why they so
rigidly uphold the Mass. For it is but a pure invention of
men, and has not been commanded by God; and every invention of
man we may [safely] discard, as Christ declares, Matt. 15, 9:
In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men. 

Secondly. It is an unnecessary thing, which can be omitted
without sin and danger. 

Thirdly. The Sacrament can be received in a better and more
blessed way [more acceptable to God], (yea, the only blessed
way), according to the institution of Christ. Why, then, do
they drive the world to woe and [extreme] misery on account of
a fictitious, unnecessary matter, which can be well obtained
in another and more blessed way? 

Let [care be taken that] it be publicly preached to the people
that the Mass as men's twaddle [commentitious affair or human
figment] can be omitted without sin, and that no one will be
condemned who does not observe it, but that he can be saved in
a better way without the Mass. I wager [Thus it will come to
pass] that the Mass will then collapse of itself, not only
among the insane [rude] common people, but also among all
pious, Christian, reasonable, God-fearing hearts; and that the
more, when they would hear that the Mass is a [very] dangerous
thing, fabricated and invented without the will and Word of
God. 

Fourthly. Since such innumerable and unspeakable abuses have
arisen in the whole world from the buying and selling of
masses, the Mass should by right be relinquished, if for no
other purpose than to prevent abuses, even though in itself it
had something advantageous and good. How much more ought we to
relinquish it, so as to prevent [escape] forever these
horrible abuses, since it is altogether unnecessary, useless,
and dangerous, and we can obtain everything by a more
necessary, profitable, and certain way without the Mass. 

Fifthly. But since the Mass is nothing else and can be nothing
else (as the Canon and all books declare), than a work of men
(even of wicked scoundrels), by which one attempts to
reconcile himself and others to God, and to obtain and merit
the remission of sins and grace (for thus the Mass is observed
when it is observed at the very best; otherwise what purpose
would it serve ?), for this very reason it must and should
[certainly] be condemned and rejected. For this directly
conflicts with the chief article, which says that it is not a
wicked or a godly hireling of the Mass with his own work, but
the Lamb of God and the Son of God, that taketh away our sins. 

devotion he wishes to administer the Sacrament, or Communion,
to himself, he is not in earnest [he would commit a great
mistake, and would not be speaking seriously and sincerely].
For if he wishes to commune in sincerity, the surest and best
way for him is in the Sacrament administered according to
Christ's institution. But that one administer communion to
himself is a human notion, uncertain, unnecessary, yea, even
prohibited. And he does not know what he is doing, because
without the Word of God he obeys a false human opinion and
invention. So, too, it is not right (even though the matter
were otherwise correct) for one to use the common Sacrament of
[belonging to] the Church according to his own private
devotion, and without God s Word and apart from the communion
of the Church to trifle therewith. 

This article concerning the Mass will be the whole business of
the Council. [The Council will perspire most over, and be
occupied with this article concerning the Mass.] For if it
were [although it would be] possible for them to concede to us
all the other articles, yet they could not concede this. As
Campegius said at Augsburg that he would be torn to pieces
before he would relinquish the Mass, so, by the help of God,
I, too, would suffer myself to be reduced to ashes before I
would allow a hireling of the Mass, be he good or bad, to be
made equal to Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior, or to be
exalted above Him. Thus we are and remain eternally separated
and opposed to one another. They feel well enough that when
the Mass falls, the Papacy lies in ruins. Before they will
permit this to occur, they will put us all to death if they
can. 

In addition to all this, this dragon's tail, [I mean] the
Mass, has begotten a numerous vermin-brood of manifold
idolatries. 

First, purgatory. Here they carried their trade into purgatory
by masses for souls, and vigils, and weekly, monthly, and
yearly celebrations of obsequies, and finally by the Common
Week and All Souls Day, by soul-baths so that the Mass is used
almost alone for the dead, although Christ has instituted the
Sacrament alone for the living. Therefore purgatory, and every
solemnity, rite, and commerce connected with it, is to be
regarded as nothing but a specter of the devil. For it
conflicts with the chief article [which teaches] that only
Christ, and not the works of men, are to help [set free]
souls. Not to mention the fact that nothing has been
[divinely] commanded or enjoined upon us concerning the dead.
Therefore all this may be safely omitted, even if it were no
error and idolatry. 

The Papists quote here Augustine and some of the Fathers who
are said to have written concerning purgatory, and they think
that we do not understand for what purpose and to what end
they spoke as they did. St. Augustine does not write that
there is a purgatory nor has he a testimony of Scripture to
constrain him thereto, but he leaves it in doubt whether there
is one, and says that his mother asked to be remembered at the
altar or Sacrament. Now, all this is indeed nothing but the
devotion of men, and that, too, of individuals, and does not
establish an article of faith, which is the prerogative of God
alone. 

Our Papists, however, cite such statements [opinions] of men
in order that men should believe in their horrible,
blasphemous, and cursed traffic in masses for souls in
purgatory [or in sacrifices for the dead and oblations], etc.
But they will never prove these things from Augustine. Now,
when they have abolished the traffic in masses for purgatory,
of which Augustine never dreamt, we will then discuss with
them whether the expressions of Augustine without Scripture
[being without the warrant of the Word] are to be admitted,
and whether the dead should be remembered at the Eucharist.
For it will not do to frame articles of faith from the works
or words of the holy Fathers; otherwise their kind of fare, of
garments, of house, etc., would have to become an article of
faith, as was done with relies. [We have, however, another
rule, namely] The rule is: The Word of God shall establish
articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel. 

Secondly. From this it has followed that evil spirits have
perpetrated much knavery [exercised their malice] by appearing
as the souls of the departed, and with unspeakable [horrible]
lies and tricks demanded masses, vigils, pilgrimages, and
other alms. All of which we had to receive as articles of
faith, and to live accordingly; and the Pope confirmed these
things, as also the Mass and all other abominations. Here,
too, there is no [cannot and must not be any] yielding or
surrendering. 

Thirdly. [Hence arose] the pilgrimages. Here, too, masses, the
remission of sins and the grace of God were sought, for the
Mass controlled everything. Now it is indeed certain that such
pilgrimages, without the Word of God, have not been commanded
us, neither are they necessary, since we can have these things