Being a Constitution Prescribing the Mode in Which the States of the Holy Roman Empire Should Mutually Conduct Themselves and Treat Each Other Until The Decision of a General Council.
Published By His Imperial Majesty in the Diet Held at Augsburg 15th May, and Accepted By the States of the Empire, A. D. 1548.
HIS SACRED IMPERIAL MAJESTY, our most clement Lord, to the Electors, Princes, and other States of The Holy Roman Empire, and the Deputies of those absent, orders the following Intimation to be made.
Although his Sacred Imperial Majesty, from the commencement of his reign, had nothing more at heart than to consider and promote whatever might in any way be conducive throughout the whole world, and especially The Holy Empire of the Germanic Nation as his beloved country, to the honor, advantage, and prosperity of said Nation, and to preserve under the wings and happy administration of His Majesty the peace, concord, and tranquillity of all ranks: yet His Majesty perceived long ago, by clear enough signs and experience in fact, that without the Christian settlement, or lawful determination of this most pernicious dissension on the subject of Religion, from which all the discord, rancor, wars, difficulties, and grievances of the States have hitherto proceeded, no hope of such firm peace, justice, and concord remained: Therefore His Majesty, after holding various Conferences and Negotiations on the subject, has left no stone unturned in order that this fatal dissension might be brought to a Christian concord, or a sounder understanding.
But when, in the prosecution of this work, the case itself declared, that that dissension had struck its roots so deep that it now affected not only the Germanic but also many other nations, and has begun to be common to
them all, so that it appeared that to this so grievous disease no more convenient remedy could be applied than by the way of an Universal Catholic Council: His Majesty, on the prayer of The States, at length obtained, after many negotiations held on the subject, that a General Council was convened, and was begun to be held at Trent in the Germanic territory. Wherefore, also, at the commencement of these Diets, he so dealt with The States, and persuaded them that, following in the footsteps of our holy fathers and ancestors, who in matters of faith were ever wont to recur to Sacred Councils, and obey the same, they agreed in common to adhere and submit to this Council, and further left it free to His Majesty to devise Christian and convenient means by which, in the interval, until the end and determination of the Council, all The States might live and dwell together piously and peacefully, so that none should be aggrieved contrary to right and equity. And as His Majesty at that time received such consent and submission of The States with most clement mind, so he now also no less receives it.
On the subject of said Submission, as in itself most weighty, His Majesty has hitherto, in paternal affection, deliberated faithfully and with the utmost care, and has earnestly sought the sentiments of the States, (as they themselves know;) and after thoroughly weighing the matter, has with heartfelt sorrow perceived what immense inconveniences this illustrious Nation has suffered hitherto from foresaid dissension; what calamity and destruction are threatened by the same, so that inevitable necessity demands, for the establishment and preservation of firm peace, justice, and unity, and for removing the seeds of discord, that we do not leave this matter even till the progress and determination of the General Council, as it were suspended in its present state and confusion, but rather bring it back to Christian concord, moderation, and a sounder and closer understanding, and no more connive at the various contrary opinions coming in, or allow that by them the public peace be any more disturbed or impeded.
While, then, His Imperial Majesty was wholly occupied with this matter, it happened very opportunely that certain persons of high rank and name, no doubt from right zeal for Christian concord, peace, and tranquility, and true love toward their country, laid before His Majesty this Counsel, and
opinion of theirs here added, delivered it to be more thoroughly discussed, and promised that they would diligently observe it.
This Counsel His Majesty submitted to the inspection of some excellent Doctors skilled in the Sacred Scriptures, and approved, from whose Report it has been observed, that if it is understood in a right Christian sense, it is not at variance with our true Catholic Religion and
Ecclesiastical Doctrines, Statutes, and Ordinances, except in two Articles concerning Communion under both kinds, and the Marriage of Priests; but tends to promote and obtain a fuller concord on controverted points of the Christian religion, and preserve public peace and tranquillity in The Holy Empire, as it also so appears to His Majesty, the nature of these times considered: And he has nothing more at heart than that all orders under his Imperial Government as is incumbent from this office on His Majesty, should live and meet together in religious peace and concord.
Therefore, His Majesty of his clemency requires the Common States, who have hitherto observed the Ordinances and Statutes of the Universal Church, to continue to observe them in future, steadfastly remain and persevere in them, and not deviate from them, or change them in any respect, as they have constantly declared they would do. The other States, who have begun innovation, His Majesty, in like manner, clemently and earnestly requires that they either again connect themselves with the Common States, and agree with them in the observance of the Statutes and Ceremonies of the Universal Catholic Church, or at least conform
themselves entirely, in their Doctrine and Ecclesiastical Ordinances, to the foresaid Counsel, and neither institute nor attempt anything beyond it; and that in case they have gone farther, they conform in all things to the
foresaid Counsel and Confession, and firmly abide therein; and that all the States, for the furtherance of public peace, quiet, and union, tolerate the foresaid writing for the present, and not impugn it. or teach, write, or preach against it; but that all the States wait patiently and studiously for the Declaration and Determination of The Universal Council.
Nevertheless, His Majesty will use all diligence, and leave nothing untried, in order that an Universal Council, according to the Requisition of The States, may be held as soon as possible, and the Germanic nation be entirely delivered from the present Schism.
In like manner, also, His Majesty is now wholly occupied in considering how some Catholic Reformation may be framed, to be published by The States themselves during the present diets; of which (Reformation) it may be hoped that it will not a little contribute, until the determination of the said Council, to the removal of abuses and scandals, and the plantation and preservation of Catholic Discipline, regularity of life, and virtue.
And seeing that, in the often-named Counsel, under the rubric of Ceremonies, it is contained, inter alia, that if anything has grown up among them which might give rise to Superstition, it be taken away, etc., His Majesty reserves to himself, in regard to it and the other Articles, when and so far as shall be necessary, now or hereafter, at all times the power of conveniently statuting and arranging. For whatever His Majesty, to promote the glory of God, to settle Religious Controversy, to maintain firm peace, justice, and tranquillity in The Holy Germanic Empire, in short, for the advantage of and convenience of the States, will be able to undertake, institute, effect, and promote, he therein declares himself with all clemency, according to his imperial office, to be most ready.
This much, to declare the will of His Imperial Majesty, we deemed it right clemently and benignly to intimate to the common States of the Empire.
THE ADULTERO-GERMAN INTERIM.
CHAPTER 1. — OF THE CONDITION OF MAN BEFORE THE FALL.
1. God at first created man after his own image and likeness,
(<010101>Genesis 1,) and adorned him with grace, and by means of original
righteousness made him to be right in all the powers of his body as well as his soul, and not actuated by any turbulent and depraved notions, but in him the flesh obeyed the spirit, and the inferior powers of the soul the superior powers which so strongly invited him to God.
2. Seeing then that the soul of man was so well constituted, God left him so far in the hand of his own counsel, (<211501>Ecclesiastics 15,) that he had no less power to choose good than evil.
3. Had he used this his freedom rightly, and obeyed the commands which God had given him, he would have preserved the blessings which he had received, and righteousness for himself and all his posterity, and nothing would have been wanting to him and his posterity for living well and happily: no hunger, nor thirst, nor cold, nor heat, nor pain, nor disease, nor death would have afflicted him: in short, he would have avoided all vice and sin, nor from them as the wages of sin would any danger have been brought to him and his posterity.
CHAPTER 2. — OF THE CONDITION OF FALLEN MAN.
1. But after our first parent did contrary to what God had commanded,
(<450501>Romans 5) he incurred the penalty appointed by God, and lost the
most fair gift of original righteousness. Hence there was a want of this righteousness, (<490201>Ephesians 2,) together with a vicious habit of concupiscence, which is perpetually at war with the spirit and the higher powers of the soul. This sin, (i.e., the privation of that righteousness by which it rendered the reason subject to God,) together with concupiscence, he propagated to all his posterity, so that all men whatsoever that come into this world (<182501>
Job 25.) are born with it, and none is free from it, not even the child of one day, according to the Scriptures.
2. Hence that wound of our nature, that the animal man perceives not the things which are spirit, (<460201>1 Corinthians 2,) nor before grace desires and freely chooses the same, seeing that the concupiscence and affection of the flesh which rule in him are enmity against God, and abhorrent from the law of God, (<450801>
Romans 8,) and impede him the more in good, the more they impel him to evil.
3. And though such a man retains freedom of will, though weak and injured, and from it as from a fountain both the moral virtues of the heathen, and the actings of these (virtues) flow, yet before the grace of God and renovation he cannot aspire to a righteousness which is valid before God, but is rather the slave of sin, the bondman of Satan, the enemy of God, and liable to the evils of this world: for he is pressed by hunger, thirst, cold, heat, pain, disease, and is at last overcome by death itself. For by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. (<450501>Romans 5.) But then punishments of that first transgression are common to the
regenerate as well as sinners;. In the case of the former, however, they are employed by God for discipline, whereas they are inflicted as punishment on the unrighteous and ungodly.
4. And that in man thus depraved by original sin, so long as nature only continues and is not renewed by grace, along with depraved concupiscence Satan also reigns, who holds him bound with the chains of his slavery, and works in him so that he corresponds in his desires, doing the will and mind of the flesh, and crowns the original sin which he drew from his parents with actual sins, and is, as the Apostle says, (<490201>Ephesians 2,) a child of wrath, so that if he dies in this his most wretched condition, being at length thrown into hell by the just judgment of God, he there suffers eternal punishments, so that, as it is written by Isaiah, neither is his fire extinguished nor does his worm die. (<236601>Isaiah 66.)
CHAPTER 3. — OF REDEMPTION BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
1. God, therefore, who is rich in mercy, (<430301>
John 3,) being unwilling that those whom he had created should perish, sent his Son into the world, that when it was impossible for man to deliver himself he might have redemption in our Lord and Savior through his blood, as is written by the Apostle. (<450301>
Romans 3.)
2. For God laid our iniquities upon him that he might bear our sins in his own body, nailing them to the tree. (<235301>
Isaiah 53) He, as he suffered in innocence, and satisfied for our sins, hath indeed redeemed us, and so appeased God the Father. (<600201>
1 Peter 2.) But the same Father, because of his blood, acquitted us, miserable and polluted by sins, and reconciled us to himself. For Paul says truly,
“God was in Christ; reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (<470501>
2 Corinthians 5.)
3. And though God is propitious to us freely, (<450301>Romans 3,) and for his name’s sake, and wipes away our iniquities for his own sake, yet that he might not remit sins without any price of sanctification, he, for the display of his righteousness, of his incomprehensible wisdom and boundless goodness, mingled righteousness with mercy, and was pleased
that a price for redeeming us should be paid by the blood of his own Son, that the punishments which we sinners ought to have suffered, the same that most innocent Lamb should endure on the cross, and we might be able to borrow from his wounds the price of redemption, which we miserable could not pay, and use it for our deliverance and salvation, that while our most gracious Father pities us freely, he does not, however, pity without the intervention of the blood of his own Son, that what is here bestowed on us freely we ought to ascribe to the merit and righteousness of Christ, that whosoever glories; may glory in the Lord our Redeemer and Savior.
(<240901>
Jeremiah 9: <460101>
1 Corinthians 1.)
CHAPTER 4 — OF JUSTIFICATION.
1. Now he who is redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and to whom the merits of Christ’s passion are applied, is forthwith justified, that is, finds forgiveness of his sins, is immediately acquitted from liability to eternal damnation, and raised up by the Holy Spirit, and so from being unrighteous is made righteous. For God when he justifies acts not with man only after the manner of man, merely pardoning him, forgiving his sin, and absolving his guilt, but he makes him better; a thing which men are not wont and not able to give. For he communicates ‘Lo him of his Holy Spirit who purifies his heart, and by love shed abroad in his heart, incites him to seek after what is good and just, and follow out and act what is thus sought.
2. This is that true method of inherent righteousness which David longed for when he uttered the wish — “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my bowels.” (<190401>Psalm 4.) Of this the Apostle writes, —
“Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified;”
(<460601>
1 Corinthians 6;) and when he says,
“That God of his own mercy has saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he hath Shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being
justified by his grace, we may be heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (<560501>
Titus 5.)
3. And though this righteousness, which flows from the fountain of the law of the Spirit, is far more abundant than was the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, (<400501>Matthew 5; <480501>Galatians 5,) yet in those who are endued with it, concupiscence nevertheless wars with the Spirit, so long as we live here. Hence it is that the same with their mind, indeed, serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin, and live not without sin. (<620101>1 John 1.)
4. Seeing, then, that man, while he lives in this life, does not obtain the full perfection of inherent righteousness, Christ of a truth, who was made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, most kindly succors us in this respect, inasmuch as he, both by the
communication of his own righteousness, renders the righteousness of the man partaking of it inherent, and so augments it, that it is renewed from day to day, till it is fully perfected in the eternal home, and by the merit of his precious blood, and by the most perfect righteousness which he
establishes, he obtains indulgence for man, so that what man because of his weakness could not do, is recovered and pardoned through the perfection of Christ. (Aug. Cont. Faust. lib. 19 c. 7.) Hence the comforting words of John, — “Little children, I write these things unto you that ye sin not; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.” (<620201>1 John 2.) 5. The merit of Christ, and the inherent righteousness to which we are renewed by the gift of charity, indeed concur — the inherent
righteousness, that by it we may live soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this world, waiting for the blessed hope and advent of the great God and our Savior. But the merit of Christ, that it may become the cause of our inherent righteousness, and as in many things we all offend, and because of our weakness and imperfection many things occur to disturb our minds, and urge us to despair, we breathe again in the same merit and precious blood of Jesus Christ, and find what may enable us to struggle most
resolutely in hope of salvation. For in Christ Jesus the Lord, our Redeemer and Savior, whom the pious put on, and with whom all things are given unto them, the Apostle says that all things are most firm, and solid, and