noble and prudent lords, gentlemen of both laudable estates, of lords and knighthood, of the Augsburg Confession in Austria, below and above the river Ens etc.
To my gracious, generous and commanding lords,
I wish from God the Father right constant
faith, gracious comfort and protection in body and soul,
through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Wellborn, noble, prudent, gracious and most favorable lords. This last hour in which we live is truly the end of the world, and is such as our Head and only Savior Jesus Christ has foretold, that so much confusion and apostasy will take place that, if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived. I will not speak of other sectarians, of devilish revolters, of Sacramentarians and Zwinglians, who lead many thousands of souls astray and away from the true faith, but only of the new whitewashers and builders of the invaded and overthrown papacy. Everyone knows with what incessant endeavors, with what incessant thinking, they have undertaken to bring about their false doctrine from time to time, but to dampen, eradicate and extinguish our apostolic doctrine: Not only with treachery, deceit, with secret practices, with public violence, but with books, with tracts, with sermons, which are of such a nature that only their opinions are expressed therein, but many lies are introduced to us and the eyes of the simple are blurred. In particular, they use these tricks to pretend that: 1. our doctrine is new, barely 80 years old, but theirs is old and many hundreds of years older than ours. 2. They persuade the people that one must not only go to the saving Word of God, to the voice of the Arch-Shepherd of Jesus Christ, to the prophetic and apostolic books, because they are too imperfect, too dark and too obscure to correctly indicate or discuss the articles of faith. Instead, one should let the Church, namely the Roman Church, or, as they said at the Colloquy at Regensburg, let the Roman Pope make the pronouncement and stick to his decrees, words and statutes, and not think anything against them, speak nothing, hear nothing, much less doubt their certainty. So if Christians are quick to believe everything they say as a gospel book, it is no wonder that so many souls are deceived and led astray. But if some people would think about it properly and seek advice from others as to whether it is true, as the opponents claim, they would undoubtedly receive a better report and be saved from Apostasia (apostasy).
For first of all they would learn how it is nothing new that the right, pure doctrine has been proclaimed as new, but that this imposition was also
encountered by the people of God in the Old Testament and by the apostles in the New Testament. In the book of Esther, chapter 3, Haman comes to Ahasuerus and says: The people of God have another law than the law of all other nations: they are a new sectarian rabble, since it is obvious that they [Haman’s people] had the oldest word of God. Since St. Paul preached at Athens about the crucified Jesus, whom we also preach with one accord and to all, knowing nothing but Jesus Christ the crucified, the scholars were quick to say: "It seems as if he wanted to proclaim new gods, yes, he drove him to a place of execution and said: Can we also know what new doctrine you are teaching, for you are bringing something new to our ears? St. Paul must be teaching a new doctrine, since he neither spoke nor preached anything except what was written in the prophets. And as it is with us today, that we are cried out in Rome as new damned heretics, so it was with St. Paul in Rome, where the Jews, who wanted to be far from the catholic Church, boasted of their antiquity, their succession, their fathers, the miracles that had happened among them, called his teaching such a sect, haeresin, heresy, which was contradicted at all ends. So it was with the right ancient Christian faith at Caesarea, where the preaching of the Lord Jesus, a sect of the Nazarenes and a shameful heresy for the governor Felice himself, had to be blasphemed. And in sum, it was so mean that, as Eusebius writes, for a long time the Christian faith was called nothing other than novam & peregrinam, a new and strange faith. But as little as such blasphemy does not harm the doctrine of St. Paul, so little does it harm our confession if it is proclaimed as a new doctrine. The devil will not let go of his ways, as he did in the days of the apostles: what would he not do now? Let us beware of the deed, the lies will be well advised. For by the grace of God we are always ready and willing to demonstrate to everyone that our doctrine is precisely that which is written in the ancient prophetic and apostolic writings. We have also proved it in this booklet with sound reason. Therefore the Holy Spirit, when he pointed out the highly enlightened holy man of God, LUTHER, and gave an account of his teaching, called it an eternal gospel and intituliret (designated it) in the fourteenth chapter of the Revelation of John. [Rev. 14:6]
And it is not enough that the opposition party glosses their doctrine with antiquity and age, since not the old, but the very oldest faith is right, and that what has been for a long time or has lasted a long time is not immediately considered good, otherwise the golden calves of Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel would also have been good, which have lasted for a long time. Likewise the worship of Baal with its camarim and priests. The other pagan idols Astaroth, Chamos, Moloch, Gad, Meni, etc., all of which lasted a long time. And the Jewish Talmud would be much better than the Council of Trent, because the former [Talmud] is now more than a thousand and five and a half hundred years old, while the latter has been in existence for barely fifty years. Thus one would as soon be a Jew as a pope, if he would only look at mere age.
Therefore, we do not deny that the papal doctrine is ancient, but we are content to know that it is not the most
ancient, that it is not the ancient prophetic and apostolic doctrine. For this antiquity (antiquitas) is right and valid before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, when we say: Lord, thus did the prophets, thus did the apostles, yes, thus did you preach from earth in paradise and after you became man: that through your name all who believe in you will receive forgiveness of sins. In this way we follow the commandment which our Lord God has given us in Jeremiah the prophet, when he says: "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” But what are these old and good ways? They are the refined words of the Lord, the word and testimony of God. For God has shown us the right way and the right path. Just as the enemies themselves, convinced in their conscience, must confess.
Otherwise, if people wanted to follow the old ways of their fathers, which were not good even if they were of the same age, God said: In praeceptis meis ambulate, non in praeceptis Patrum vestrorum. Walk in my commandments and not in the commandments of your fathers. Let the old one come out of your mouth. And Christ opposed his teaching to the teaching of the elders, Matthew 5 [Matt. 5:21-22], saying, “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill… But I say unto you…”. Matthew 15 is a particularly good example of such a disputation. For there came to Jesus the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem, who were the most noble, no different than when the Popes and Cardinals come today, and say to Christ, "Why do your disciples transgress the ordinances of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread”. Jesus answers them: “Why then do you transgress God's commandment for the sake of your own ordinances?” It is clear then that the Lord Jesus considers the commandments of God to be the right way to go, rather than the rulings of the elders. Just as He soon afterward makes the statement in vain: "In vain do they serve me, because they teach such doctrines as are nothing but commandments of men. All plants that my heavenly Father has not planted will be cut down. Let them go, they are blind and blind leaders.” For this reason the Jesuits should not only make great claims that their doctrine is old, but prove that it is such an old doctrine, which the Antiquus dierum, the Eternal God in Paradise, planted through the patriarchs, prophets and apostles. But it should be difficult for them to do so. I believe it shall remain until the Last Day. That would be one thing.
Secondly, whether we Christians do right in basing our faith on the Word of the Most High is not much of a question. I know what St. Paul says: faith comes from hearing, but hearing comes from the Word of God. Neither the Pope nor the Roman Church is the basis of faith, but the Word of God. Oh, we should grasp it with our hands that we can and should believe God's infallible Word more than the word of men. Who is the Pope? Is he not a man? Now all men are liars, Psalm 116, and especially the popes, as their histories testify.
Where do we have our eyes and our minds? We see and know that the popes have fabricated abominable heresies, that they have denied the resurrection of the dead, that they have committed terrible incest, that they have painted pictures, that they have trampled on the heads of the high authorities,
persecuted them, sought their life and limb, robbed them of their honor and dignity by force, took most of the money from the Roman empire by means of simony (symoney) and incessant avarice, as the histories all testify and the laudable Roman emperors themselves have complained about them: Nevertheless we will believe them, we will trust them, we will accept their word and decree. What will God say to us on that Day? Who has pointed us to his Son Jesus and commanded us to listen to him, not the pope? What will Jesus Christ say, who pointed us to the Word and the Scriptures in the same way, John 5, when He said: “Search the Scriptures.” And commanded His disciples to teach what He commanded them, Matt. 28. Let us think of the words of God in Isaiah 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” And in Deuteronomy in the 4th and 12th chapters [Deut. 12:32]: “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” These words should always ring and resound in our ears. For if the adversaries say that the Scriptures are not perfect for the study of the faith, the Pope and the Church must also add to them. So I ask them for God's sake. You answer this question: Did not the first pope and the first church take their faith from Scripture? If they say yes, the question is, why do they not stick to the Scriptures now? And if then the Scriptures were sufficiently clear and perfect for them to take faith from them, why should the Scriptures not be so clear and perfect now? Give this as your reply to the Jesuits. But it is blasphemous to hear that the Word of the Most High God is not perfect, not good enough, unless the pope adds something to it.
O Lord God, have you been so incomprehensible or so merciless that you have not been able or willing to indicate what belongs to the perfection of Scripture until the Pope, the Antichrist, comes? Or have you become so changeable that you declare in your Word that no one should do anything about your word, and yet the pope should have power to do much about it, much of it? Far be it from us that we should think you so incomprehensible, unmerciful and changeable. With what conscience can we listen to the pope apart from and without the clear and bright Word of God? That can be compared neither with God's wisdom, nor his mercy, nor his truth.
That is why we stick to the Word of God as the best foundation and reason. We hear Moses and the prophets, Christ Jesus, the apostles, we follow no stranger, but cling firmly to the voice of our arch-shepherd Jesus Christ, the comforting certain hope: Whoever hears him (even if he does not hear the pope) shall not be put to shame.
Now if many of them would ponder these things in the fear of the Lord, and search carefully what doctrine agrees with the Word of God, some would not fall away as quickly and recklessly as the ripe fruit of trees, denying the recognized truth, swaying and blowing with every wind.
But so that those in particular who live in the papacy may have a guide to examine and recognize our doctrine and that of the popes, I have, out of Christian love, not omitted but
wanted to share this little book with them, in which, with clear reasons from Holy Scripture, our pure doctrine is confirmed and the errors to the contrary are refuted. I have also humbly invoked the Holy Spirit to grant grace that this work may flourish in His honor and for the good of many Christians. No doubt He will hear and answer my prayer that this work will not be in vain in the Lord. If only we do not plug our ears and harden our hearts, then the Word of the Lord can bear fruit and bring benefit.
However, Your Gracious and Dutiful Sirs, I humbly wish to attribute and dedicate such my minor work in public print for the following reasons:
For first of all, as a child of Austria, I recognize myself a debtor to serving the Austrian country to the utmost of my ability, in which I was born and educated, since I also have my (without glory to report) honest, respectable friendship, of which many are distinguished members, both in the laudable gentleman's and knight's estate, especially in Lower Austria.
Although the most high and the highest authorities, the most gracious Roman Emperor and the most gracious Archdukes, I well remember what was said by their Roman imperial Majesty and Princes, Highnesses have shown me friendship in many ways, for which reason their Roman Imperial Majesty and Most Gracious Archdukes have also shown me great favor. I am the most humble debtor for the rest of my life. And even though I am otherwise able to render little service to the most exalted and most gracious of my most gracious masters, I am nevertheless in the habit of praying with diligence and, without glorying, with the most humble humility for their temporal and eternal welfare, asking Almighty God to rule these high sovereigns with his Holy Spirit, to grace them with all temporal and eternal, bodily and spiritual welfare, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Most gracious lords, but, even if I may be of little use otherwise, nevertheless, since I am aware that my Most gracious lords take gracious pleasure in such little books, from which they see reasons for their catholic faith, as their zeal in the pure unadulterated Augsburg Confession is richly known, so I have, as it were, herewith endeavored to be of some use to my lords., since my lords are also reasonably regarded as patres patriae, as fathers of the fatherland. G. and G. to be useful and agreeable to a certain extent, especially since E. Gn. and G. are also fairly regarded as patres patriae, fathers of the fatherland, to whom I also owe my obedience and gratitude.
The wise pagan Cicero said: Si contentio quedam & comparatio fiat, quibus, plurimum tribuendum sit officii, Principes sunt Patria & parentes, quorum beneficiis obligati sumus. That is: If one wants to think rightly, to whom one should render the most service, it will certainly be found that such is due primarily and above all to the fatherland and the parents, to whom we are justly obliged to serve because of good deeds received.
In order to fulfill this duty to a certain extent, I have herewith obediently offered and inscribed this booklet to Your Grace and Your Grace, requesting that Your Grace and Your Grace will make a note of it in your grace and favor, and let me be at your command.
May the almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve the praiseworthy land of Austria for a long time, granting it peace, unity,
spiritual and physical welfare. May He protect our most gracious lord the Roman Emperor, our most gracious princes the archdukes, so that the praiseworthy estates among them may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and honor. May the pious God stand by E. G. and G. with his mercy, and may he restrain and ward off all heresies, sects and loose doctrines of the Antichrist, the Zwinglians, the Anabaptists, the Flaccians and others, and keep us all in the truth, for his word is the truth. And let him do this for the sake of his dear Son Jesus Christ, our only atoning sinner and Savior, amen, amen, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Written at Dresden, August 12, 1603.
Venerable Grace,
Your diligent servant
at all times,
Matthias Höe.
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