The Necessity of Reforming the Church

IN THE NAME OF ALL WHO WISH CHRIST TO REIGN,

NECESSITY OF REFORME^G THE CHURCH.

TO THE MOST mVLNCIBLE EMPEROR CHARLES V.,

AND THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCES AND OTHER ORDERS, NOW HOLDING

A DIET OF THE EMPIRE AT SPIRES,

SEEIOUSLY TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK OF RESTOEING THE CHURCH.

PRESENTED IN THE NAME OF ALL THOSE WHO WISH CHRIST TO REIGN.

You have summoned this Diet, that, in concert with the Most Illustrious Princes and other Orders of the Empire, you may at length dehberate and decide upon the means of amehorating the present condition of the Church, which we all see to be very miserable, and almost desperate. Now, therefore, while you are seated at this consultation, I humbly beg and implore, first of your Imperial Majesty, and at the same time of you also, Most Illustrious Princes, and distinguished Personages, that you will not decline to read, and diligently ponder, what I have to lay before you. The magnitude and weightiness of the cause may well excite in you an eagerness to hear, and I will set the matter so plainly in yom' view, that you can have no difficulty in determining

what course to adopt. Whoever I am, I here profess to plead in defence, both of sound doctrine and of the Church. In this character I seem at all events entitled to expect, that you will not deny me audience untU such time as it may appear whether I falsely usurp the character, or whether I faithfully perform its duties, and make good what I profess. But though I feel that I am by no means equal to so great a task, I am not at aU afraid, that after you have heard the natm*e of my office, I shall be accused either of foUy or presumption in having ventured thus to appear before you. There are two cu'cumstances by which men are wont to recommend, or at least to justify, their conduct. If a thing is done honestly, and from pious zeal, we deem it worthy of praise ; if it is done under the pressure of public necessity, we at least deem it not unworthy of excuse. Since both of these apply here, I am confident, from your equity, that I shall easily obtain your approval of my design. For where can I exert myself to better purpose or more honestly, where, too, in a matter at this time more necessary, than in attempting, according to my ability, to aid the Church of Christ, whose claims it is unlawftil in any instance to deny, and which is now in grievous distress, and in extreme danger ? But there is no occasion for a long preface concerning myself. Receive what I say as you would do if it were pronounced by the united voice of all those who either have already taken care to restore the Church, or are desirous that it should be restored to true order. In this situation are several Princes, of not the humblest class, and not a few distinguished communities. For all these I speak, though as an individual, yet so that it is more truly they who at once, and with one mouth, speak through me. To these add the countless multitude of pious men, who, scattered over the various regions of the Christian world, still unanimously concur with me in this pleading. In short, regard this as the common address of all who so earnestly deplore the present corruption of the Church, that they are unable to bear it longer, and are determined not to rest till they see some amendment. I am aware of the odious names with Avhich we are branded ; but, meanwhile, whatever be the name by which it is thought proper to designate us, hear our cause, and, after you have heard, judge what the place is which we are entitled to hold.

First, then, the question is not. Whether the Church labours under diseases both numerous and grievous, (this is admitted even by aU moderate judges,) but whether the diseases are of a kind the cure of which admits not of longer delay, and as to which, therefore, it is neither useful nor becoming to await the result of slow remedies. We are accused of rash and unpious innovation, for having ventured to propose any change at aU on the former state of the Chm-ch. What ! Even if it has not been done either ^^ithout cause or hnperfectly? I hear there are persons who, even in this case, do not hesitate to condemn us ; their opinion being, that we were indeed right in desmng amendment, but not right in attempting it. From such persons, aU I would ask at present is, that they wiU for a little suspend their judgment until I shall have sho^\Ti from fact that we have not been prematiu'ely hasty — have not attempted any thing rashly, any thing ahen from our duty — have, in fine, done nothing until compelled by the highest necessity. To enable me to prove this, it is necessary to attend to the matters in dispute.

We maintain, then, that at the commencement, when God raised up Luther and others, who held forth a torch to light us into the way of salvation, and who, by their ministry, founded and reared our chm'ches, those heads of doctrine in which the truth of our religion, those in which the pure and legitimate worship of God, and those in which the salvation of men are comprehended, were in a great measure obsolete. We maintain that the use of the sacraments was in many ways vitiated and polluted. And we maintain that the government of the Church was converted into a species of foul and insufferable tyranny. But, perhaps these averments have not force enough to move certain individuals until they are better explained. This, therefore, I wiU do, not as the subject demands, but as far as my ability wiU permit. Here, however, I have no intention to review and discuss all our controversies ; that would require a long discourse, and this is not the place for it. I wish only to show how just and necessary the causes were which forced us to the changes for which we are blamed. To accompUsh this, I must take up together the three following points.