Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/147

 Course of the Protestant Revolt in Germany 109 Most Invincible Emperor, Ccesar Augustus, Most Clemefit Master: Preface, addressed to Charles V. Inasmuch as your Imperial Majesty has summoned a diet of the empire at Augsburg to deliberate in regard to (Condensed.) resistance to the Turk, the most atrocious hereditary and ancient enemy of the Christian name and religion ; and moreover to treat of the dissensions in the matter of our holy religion and Christian faith, and in order that, in this matter of religion, the opinions and judgments of the vari- ous parties may be considered in each other's presence, in mutual charity, meekness, and gentleness, so that those things which in the writings of either side have been under- stood amiss, being corrected, all things may be harmonized and brought back to the ore simple truth and Christian concord, and that hereafter the one unfeigned and true reli- gion may be embraced and preserved by us, so that, as we are subjects and soldiers of the one Christ, so also, in unity and concord, we may live in the one Christian Church ;. . . therefore, in order that we may do homage to the will of your Imperial Majesty, we now offer in the matter of reli- gion the " Confession " of our preachers and of ourselves, the doctrine of which, derived from the Holy Scriptures, and the pure word of God, they have hitherto set forth in our lands, dukedoms, domains, and cities, and have taught in the churches. In the first part of the Confession the Protestants seek to prove that there is nothing in their doctrines at variance with those of the universal Church, "or even of the Roman Church, so far as that church is known in the writings of the fathers." In the second part they justify themselves for not including in the Confession certain beliefs and practices which they hold to be abuses that had crept into the Church by the fault of the times, as, for example, the monastic vows. What is taught amongst us touching the vows of monks Of perpetual monastic will be better understood if one call to mind what has been vows.