folow, stoppeth the soule departyng out of the body from entraunce into heauen.

MarginaliaAunswere of M. Luther to the third Article.As touchyng this matter I neuer defined any thyng hetherto, but largely and probably I haue disputed hereof, neither yet to this day am I fully certeine what is done with such a soule. But our Papistes more blynd thē bussardes, whē they are nothing able to perceiue what cause this article hath worthely to be condemned, yet dare they take vpon them to pronounce that whiche the whole vniuersall Churche is ignoraunt of. I yet notwithstandyng contemnyng this foolish and fonde condemnatiō aforesayd, do hold this Article probably to bee true. For seyng this originall roote whiche I speake of, is truly sinne, as I haue proued Rom. 7. and Gal. 5. and seyng that sinne letteth a man from entryng into heauē, as it is written: No polluted thyng shall enter: MarginaliaSap. 7.I suppose therfore that originall sinne withholdeth a man frō entryng into heauen. Neither do I any thyng at all esteme the phantasticall dreames of thē, wherby they extenuatyng originall sinne, do call it onely the payne of sinne and imperfections, playnely agaynst the manifest Scriptures, whiche call it sinne and teache the same to be cured by grace, whiche is the medicine of true and not of fayned sinne.

MarginaliaThe fourth Article.The imperfect charity of a man departing, necessarily caryeth with it great feare, which of it selfe is enoughe to make the payne of Pugatory, and letteth the entrance into the kingdome of heauen.

MarginaliaAunswere of M. Luther to the fourth Article.This foloweth of the other goyng before, whiche in lyke maner I dyd not determinatly affirme, although very probably I do yet hold the same, askyng before a dispensation after myne owne arbitrement, euen in defiaunce of the Bull, whiche is not hable to bryng forth any other probation but this: We are the hyest powers in the Church: yea, we are the Churche it selfe. Ergo, we are the best learned, most holyest, full of the holy Ghost, whiche can not erre, although we styncke lyke a filthy puddle to the whole world, polluted with all kynd of sinnes, and drowned in ignoraunce. But all these reasons preuayle nothyng with me: MarginaliaThe Popes doctrine gainfull to the purse.peraduenture they may with them, which feare least if my sentence should preuayle, then Pugatory should bee taken out of the Popes handes, and thē Priestes and religious men hauyng lost theyr gaynfull offices of vexyng (of releasing I would haue sayd) of the dead, should be pynched by the bellyes and brought to penury. It was tyme therfore for their greedy auarice here to wake and looke about, and not to suffer these their friuolous opinions, but yet very gaynfull, to bee ouercome with truth and so to be ouerthrowen.

MarginaliaThe 5. Article.Where they say that penaunce standeth of three partes, to witte, contrition, confeßiō, & satisfactiō: it is not founded in holy Scripture, nor in auncient, holy, & Christiā Doctors.

MarginaliaAunswere of M. Luther to the fift Article.This Article, in what respect it is condemned, I do ryght well perceyue: For the respect thereof is to gredy couetousnes, and therfore I know that the probation therof hath the lyke respect, whiche is this: If this Article were true, then mē would gyue nothyng for satisfaction and indulgences, neither should we haue any more wherwith to vexe thē with cōfessions, cases reserued, restricted, or ampliated for our gayne, and so should we become beggers, and Gods seruice should bee minished in Vigilles and Masses. But it is wicked that Gods seruice should be minished: therfore Luther is an hereticke. This consequent holdeth, a respectu Bulla ad Papistas. 1. From the Bull to the Papistes, and contrarywyse.

I besech thee by the Lord Iesus, what soeuer graue & learned reader shalt read these thynges, that thou wilt pardon this my leuitie and (as it may seme) my childishnes. For thou seest how I haue to do with such men as bee twise children, and yet do bragge them selues to bee peeres and principall pillers of all men. I assure you, I know it most certeynly to be true, that there bee many and great gouerners of people, whiche this so ridiculous and foolishe reason aboue recited, hath moued to the condemnation of my bookes. Vnlesse I perceyued (with teares I speake it) the anger of God sharpe and fearce agaynst vs, in bringing vs vnder subiection of such effeminate children, and such dregges of the earth, and vile refuse of all other people of the whole world, it would make me to burst for very grief and sorrow.

My sentēce is & hath bene this, that that satisfactiō which the keyes are hable to dispense withall, standeth not by the law of God. For if it did, then could it not be dispensed withall by the keyes. If these Bull founders do charge me with any other thyng besides in this Article, they doe nothyng els but as they are wont to do. For what matter or maruell is it if Antichrist do lye?

MarginaliaThe vj. Article.Contrition whiche is gotten by examinyng, remembryng, & detestyng our sinnes, whereby a man calleth to mynde hys yeres past in the bytternes of his soule, in pōderyng the greatnes, the multitude and filthynes of his sinnes, the losing of eternall blisse, and purchasing of eternall dānation: this cōtritiō maketh an hypocrite, yea rather a mā to be more a sinner.

MarginaliaAunswer of Luther to the vj. Article.O the incredible blyndnes and brutishnes of these Romishe Bulles. This Article is truly myne, and very Christian, whiche I will not suffer to bee wrested from me for all the Popes and Papistes in the world. For this I ment by that doctrine, that repentaunce is of no force vnlesse it bee done in fayth and charitie, whiche thing they also teach them selues, but that they do not know nor teach, neither what fayth nor charitie is. And therfore in condemnyng my doctrine, they condemne also their own, foolishely repugnyng agaynst thē selues in their owne contradiction. I say therfore that hee whiche teacheth repentaunce in such wise and maner, that he hath not a greater regard to the promised mercy of God and fayth in the same, then to this afflictyng and vexyng of the mynde, hee teacheth the repentaunce of Iudas Iscarioth, he is pestilent, a deuill to mens soules, & a tormentor of consciences. Read the bookes of those Sophisters, where they write of repentaunce, and thou shalt see there no mention made either of promise or fayth. For these liuely partes of repentaunce they cleane omitte, and onely do vexe men with these dead contritions. But here of we haue, and will hereafter entreate more at large.

But what should I here stand vpon euery Article, seyng my bokes be abroad wherin I haue gyuē a reason of all sufficiently, and more would haue done, if myne aduersaries also had brought to lyght theirs. For what foolishnes is this, that they thinke to aunswere me with thys one saying, that they count all my sayings as dāned, wheras I did write to this end onely, that they shoulde acknowledge theyr errours, wherewith they haue so long bewitched the people of God. Neither dyd I loke that I should be condemned, which vnderstandyng and knowyng the same ryght well, haue iustified those thynges whiche they haue condemned before, with sufficient authoritie both of Scripture and reason. MarginaliaThe purpose of Luther in setting forth hys Articles.Neither looked I that they should tell me what they thought (for I knew all that well enough) but that I sought of them was to know whether they thought ryght therin, or not. Here looked I to be taught, & behold none of them all durst once put forth his head. Wherfore I see these Asses nothyng to vnderstand either the thynges that I say, or yet them selues. But they be such blynd bussardes, that they perceiue not what it is that I seeke in my bookes. For they dreame that I haue such an opinion of them, as though they had the truth of theyr side, when there is nothyng that I lesse thinke to be true. For I foreseyng that they had condemned all these thynges before, came forth and shewed my selfe, as one not to be condemned, but as already condemned of them, to accuse theyr condemnation to be wicked, hereticall and blasphemous, and so openly to denounce them as heretickes and erroneous, vnlesse they shewed some better reason & groūd of theyr doynges and doctrine: where as they on the other side, lyke foolishe minstrells harpyng still on one stryng, haue nothyng els in their mouthes, but we cōdemne that we haue condemned, prouing after a new kynde of Logicke, the same thyng by it selfe. O most idiote huddypeakes and blockishe condemners, where is the saying of Peter: Be alvvayes ready to render a count of that fayth and hope vvhich is in you.Marginalia1. Pet. 3.

Wherfore seyng these ignoraunt Papistes, beyng thus confoūded, do so flye away from the face of the manifest verity, that they dare not once opē their mouthes in defence of thē selues or of theyr cause, and haue blasted out with much ado this tymerous Bull of theirs: I beyng comforted with the flight of these myne aduersaryes, do accompt this their dastardly damnation in stede of full allowyng and iustifiyng of my cause, and so rebounde agayne their owne damnation vpon their owne heades. For how could they more condēne them selues, then whiles they, (fearyng to be found them selues culpable of heresie, if they should bee driuen to gyue a