Whatever in this article is stated concerning the most holy office
of the mass that agrees with the Holy Roman and Apostolic Church is
approved, but whatever is added that is contrary to the observance
of the general and universal orthodox Church is rejected, because
it grievously offends God, injures Christian unity, and occasions
dissensions, tumults and seditions in the Holy Roman Empire. Now, as to
these things which they state in the article: First, it is displeasing
that, in opposition to the usage of the entire Roman Church, they
perform ecclesiastical rites not in the Roman but in the German
language, and this they pretend that they do upon the authority of St.
Paul, who taught that in the Church a language should be used which is
understood by the people, 1 Cor. 14:19. But if this were the meaning of
the words of St. Paul, it would compel them to perform the entire mass
in German, which even they do not do. But since the priest is a person
belonging to the entire Church, and not only to his surroundings, it is
not wonderful that the priest celebrates the mass in the Latin language
in a Latin Church. It is profitable to the hearer, however, if he hear
the mass in faith of the Church; and experience teaches that among the
Germans there has been greater devotion at mass in Christ's believers who
do not understand the Latin language than in those who today hear the
mass in German. And if the words of the apostle be pondered, it is
sufficient that the one replying occupy the place of the unlearned
to say Amen, the very thing that the canons prescribe. Neither is it
necessary that he hear or understand all the words of the mass, and even
attend to it intelligently; for it is better to understand and to attend
to its end, because the mass is celebrated in order that the Eucharist
may be offered in memory of Christ's passion. And it is an argument in
favor of this that, according to the general opinion of the fathers,
the apostles and their successors until the times of the Emperor Hadrian
celebrated the mass in the Hebrew language alone, which was indeed
unknown to the Christians, especially the converted heathen. But even
if the mass had been celebrated in the primitive Church in a tongue
understood by the people, nevertheless this would not be necessary now,
for many were daily converted who were ignorant of the ceremonies and
unacquainted with the mysteries; and hence it was of advantage for them
to understand the words of the office; but now Catholics imbibe from
their cradles the manners and customs of the Church, whence they readily
know what should be done at every time in the Church. Moreover, as to
their complaints concerning the abuse of masses, there is none of
those who think aright but does not earnestly desire that the abuses be
corrected. __But that they who wait at the altar live of the altar is
not an abuse, but pertains equally to both divine and human law.__ "Who
goeth a warfare any time at his own charge?" says Paul. "Do ye not know
that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the
temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?"
1 Cor 9:7,13. Christ says: "The laborer is worthy of his hire." Luke
10:7. But worthy of censure, above all things, is the discontinuance
of the private mass in certain places, as though those having fixed and
prescribed returns are sought no less than the public masses on
account of gain. But by this abrogation of masses the worship of God is
diminished, honor is withdrawn from the saints, the ultimate will of the
founder is overthrown and defeated, the dead deprived of the rights due
them, and the devotion of the living withdrawn and chilled. Therefore
the abrogation of private masses cannot be conceded and tolerated.
Neither can their assumption be sufficiently understood that Christ by
his passion has made satisfaction for original sin, and has instituted
the mass for actual sin; for this has never been heard by Catholics,
and very many who are now asked most constantly deny that they have
so taught. For the mass does not abolish sins, which are destroyed by
repentance as their peculiar medicine, but abolishes the punishment due
sin, supplies satisfactions, and confers increase of grace and salutary
protection of the living, and, lastly, brings the hope of divine
consolation and aid to all our wants and necessities. Again, their
insinuations that in the mass Christ is not offered must be altogether
rejected, as condemned of old and excluded by the faithful. For
Augustine says this was a very ancient heresy of the Arians, who denied
that in the mass an oblation was made for the living and the dead. For
this is opposed both to the Holy Scriptures and the entire Church. For
through Malachi the Lord predicted the rejection of the Jews, the call
of the Gentiles and the sacrifice of the evangelical law: "I have no
pleasure in you, he saith, neither will I accept an offering at your
hand. For from the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the
same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place
incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering." Mal 1:10,
11. But no pure offering has already been offered to God in every place,
except in the sacrifice of the altar of the most pure Eucharist. This
authority St. Augustine and other Catholics have used in favor of the
mass against faithless Jews, and certainly with Catholic princes it
should have greater influence than all objections of the adversaries.
Besides, in speaking of the advent of the Messiah the same prophet
says: "And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and
silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the
Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years," Mal. 3:3, 4. Here
in the spirit the prophet foresaw the sons of Levi--i.e. evangelical
priests, says Jerome--about to offer sacrifices, not in the blood of
goats, but in righteousness, as in the days of old. Hence these words
are repeated by the Church in the canon of the mass under the influence
of the same Spirit under whose influence they were written by the
prophet. The angel also said to Daniel: "Many shall be purified and
made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the
wicked shall understand." And again: "The wise shall understand; and
from the time that the daily sacrifices shall be taken away, and the
abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two
hundred and ninety days," Dan. 12:10, 11. Christ testifies that this
prophecy is to be fulfilled, but that it has not been as yet fulfilled,
Matt. 24:15. Therefore the daily sacrifice of Christ will cease
universally at the advent of the abomination--i.e. of Antichrist--just
as it has already ceased, particularly in some churches, and thus will
be unemployed in the place of desolation--viz. when the churches will
be desolated, in which the canonical hours will not be chanted or the
masses celebrated or the sacraments administered, and there will be no
altars, no images of saints, no candles, no furniture. Therefore all
princes and faithful subjects of the Roman Empire ought to be encouraged
never to admit or pass over anything that may aid the preparers
of Antichrist in attaining such a degree of wickedness, when the
woman--i.e. the Catholic Church--as St. John saw in the Spirit, will
flee into the wilderness, where she will have a place prepared of God,
that she may be nourished there twelve hundred and sixty days, Rev.
12:6. Finally, St. Paul says, Heb. 5:1: "Every high priest taken from
among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he
may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." But since the external
priesthood has not ceased in the new law, but has been changed to a
better, therefore even today the high priest and the entire priesthood
offer in the Church an external sacrifice, which is only one, the
Eucharist. To this topic that also is applicable which is read,
according to the new translation, in Acts 13:1, 2: Barnabas, Simeon,
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul sacrificed--i.e. they offered an
oblation, which can and ought justly to be understood not of an oblation
made to idols, but of the mass, since it is called by the Greeks
liturgy. And that in the primitive Church the mass was a sacrifice
the holy fathers copiously testify, and they support this opinion. For
Ignatius, a pupil of St. John the Apostle, says: "It is not allowable
without a bishop either to offer a sacrifice or to celebrate masses."
And Irenaeus, a pupil of John, clearly testifies that "Christ taught the
new oblation of the New Testament, which the Church, receiving from
the apostles, offers to God throughout the entire world." This bishop,
bordering upon the times of the apostles, testifies that the new
evangelical sacrifice was offered throughout the entire world. Origin,
Cyprian, Jerome, Chrysostom, Augustine, Basil, Hilary, etc., teach and
testify the same, whose words for brevity's sake are omitted. Since,
therefore, the Catholic Church throughout the entire Christian world
has always taught, held and observed as it today holds and observes, the
same ought today to be held and observed inviolably. Nor does St. Paul
in Hebrews oppose the oblation of the mass when he says that by one
offering we have once been justified through Christ. For St. Paul is
speaking of the offering of a victim--i.e. of a bloody sacrifice, of
a lamb slain, viz. upon the cross--which offering was indeed once made
whereby all sacraments, and even the sacrifice of the mass, have
their efficacy. Therefore he was offered but once with the shedding of
blood--viz. upon the cross; today he is offered in the mass as a peace
making and sacramental victim. Then he was offered in a visible
form capable of suffering; today he is offered in the mass veiled in
mysteries, incapable of suffering, just as in the Old Testament he was
sacrificed typically and under a figure. Finally, the force of the
word shows that the mass is a sacrifice, since "mass" is nothing but
"oblation," and has received its name from the Hebrew word misbeach,
altar--in Greek thysiasterion, on account of the oblation. It has been
sufficiently declared above that we are justified not properly by faith,
but by love. But if any such statement be found in the Holy Scriptures,
Catholics know that it is declared concerning fides formata, which works
by love (Gal. 5), and because justification is begun by faith, because
it is the substance of things hoped for. Heb. 11:1. Neither is it denied
that the mass is a memorial of Christ's passion and God's benefits,
since this is approved b the figure of the paschal lamb, that was at the
same time a victim and a memorial, Ex. 12:13, 14, and is represented not
only by the Word and sacraments, but also by holy postures and vestments
in the Catholic Church; but to the memory of the victim the Church
offers anew the Eucharist in the mysteries to God the Father Almighty.
Therefore the princes and cities are not censured for retaining one
common mass in the Church, provided they do this according to the sacred
canon, as observed by all Catholics. But in abrogating all other masses
they have done what the Christian profession does not allow. Nor
does any one censure the declaration that of old all who were present
communed. Would that all were so disposed as to be prepared to
partake of this bread worthily every day! But if they regard one mass
advantageous, how much more advantageous would be a number of masses, of
which they nevertheless have unjustly disapproved. When all these
things are properly considered we must ask them to altogether annul and
repudiate this new form of celebrating the mass that has been devised,
and has been already so frequently changed, and to resume the primitive
form for celebrating it according to the ancient rite and custom of the
churches of Germany and all Christendom, and to restore the abrogated
masses according to the ultimate will of their founders; whereby they
would gain advantage and honor for themselves and peace and tranquility
for all Germany.