The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-12 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 12, 1849.

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD JOHN RUSSELL,
ONE OF HER MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SE-
CRETARIES OF STATE.

My Lord,—As the Minister of a great country
cannot have much time fir the exhuming of autho-
rities, I have taken the liberty of addressing to you
correct extracts of the original Latin and contem-
porary translation of the Confession of Augsburg,
from the copiekin the Library of the British 'A luieum ;
containing the protest of the early leaders of Protes-
tantism against the enforced observance of a Seventh
Day.
An extract is further appended from the Church of
England's Catechism, presenting the part in which
that Church, in obedience to the direction of the
Apostle, refuses to recognize the Fourth Jewish
Commandment as binding upon Christians. And there
is finally added the original Greek of the Apostle's
prohibition ; with a translation more exact than, from
want of access to references, may hare appeared in some
preceding parts of this discu=sion.
I'o/. 29. If byshops haue auctoritie to onerate and lade
churches with infynite traditions and to snare the consciences,
why doth scrypture so often prohibete to make and to hears
traditions? Why dothe it call them doctrynes of deuyls
[devils 1? Dyd the holy ghost warne those thynges before
in vayne? Wherfore it muste nedes consequently ensue,
that ayth ordenaunces instituted as thynges necessary, or
with an opinion to deserue remission of rynne, be contrary to
the gospell : that it is not lawfull for any byshop to institute
or require such honours [observances]. For it is necessary
that the doctryne of Chrysten [Christian] libertie be kepte
styli in the churches, whiche is that the bondage of the laws
is not necessary to iustification, as it is wryten in the epistle
to the Galathians Be not subiecte agayne to the yoke of
bondage. The cbyef place of the gospell musts nedes be
kepte styli, whiche is, that we optayne remission cf synnes,
and iustification freely by fayth in Chryste, and not for cer-
tayne obseruations of honours devysed by men.
What shat we thynke than of the Sonday and lyke rytes
of the temples? To this our lerned men sue, that it is law-
full to byshops or to pastors to make ordynaunces, that
thinges be ordrelye done in the Churche not that we shulde
purchase by them remyssion of sinnes, or that we can satiafie
for sinnes, or that consciences be bounde to iudge them ne-
cessary honours, or to thynke that they sinne, whan without
offence of other they breake them. So Paule doth ordeyne
that in the congregation that women shulde couer theyr
heeddes, and that interpreters and teachers be herde after an
ordre in the Churche.

It is conuenient that the Churches shulde kepe suche or-
dinaunses for charitie and tranquilite se farre forth that one
offendeth not another that all thynges be done in the
churches in ordre, and without busynes and trouble, but yet
so that the conscience be not charged, as to thynke that
they be necessary to saluacion, or to judge that they synne
whan they breake them without hurtynge of others. As no
man wyll saye that a woman doth synne which gothe forthe
abrode bare heded offendynge no body ther with.
Euen suche is the obseruation and kepyng of the Sonday,
of Easter, of l'enthecoste, and lyke holydayes and rytes.
For they that judge that by the auctorite of the churche the
obseruynge of the Sondaye in stede of the Sabbat day was
ordeyned as a thyng necessary do greatly erre. The scryp-
ture permitteth and graunteth that the kepynge of the Sab-
bat daye is nowe free, for it teacheth that the ceremonies of
Moyses laws after the reuelation and shewynge abrode of the
gospell are not necessarye. And yet because it was nedefull
to ordeyne a certayne daye, that the people myght know
whan they ought to come together it appereth that the
Church dyd apoynt the Sonday, whiche day (as it semeth)
pleased them rather than the Sabbat daye, euen for this
cause, that men myght haue an example of Chrysten
libertie, and myght knowe that the kepynge and the obser-
vation neyther of the saturday nor of any other day is ne-
cessary.
Prodygyous, monstruous, and wonderful disputations are
set forth of the chaungynge of the la*e, of the ceremonies of
the new lawe, of the chaungyng of the Sabbat day, which all
bane spronge forth of a false persuation and beleue of men,
whiche thought that there muste nedes be in the churche an
honouryng of God, lyke to the leuiticall, and that Chryst
commytted, to the apostles and to byshops auctorytie to in-
uent and to fynde out ceremonies, whiche be necessary to
saluation. These erronrs crepte in to the church whan the
ryghtuousnes of faythe was not clearely ynough taught.
Some dispute that the kepynge of the Sondaye is not merely
and fully goddes lawe, but in a maner, as it were of the law
of god. LThe literal translation accords best with modern
use ; " is not of divine right, but of quasi divine right." I They
prescrybe of holy dayes, howe far forth it is lawful' to works.
Suche maner of disputations, what other thynges be they
but snares of consciences. For all though they busy them
selues to modefye, qualifie, and fynde an epikee in thevr tra-
dycions, 'For however they may try to make out their tra-
ditions to be Eaietxeias, epieikeias," conventional proprieties,"
—in allusion to a preceding place where the Greek word is
introduced as employed by the opponents.] temperynge the
rygour of them with fauourable declarations, yet notwith-
standynge as longe as the opinion that they are necessary
doth remayne (whiche must nedes remayne where ryghtu-
ousnes of faythe, and Chrysten libertie are not knowen) this
epikee equitye I conventional propriety] and fauour can neuer
be perceyued ne knowen.

The paragraphs are divided as in the original
Latin ; which is not done in the book. After two
more paragraphs, and a brief but impressive " Con-
clusion of the Boke," the signatures of the princely
fathers of Protestantism are given as follow :

To the imperiall maiestie of Cesr the fyfte, his faythfull and

true subiectes.

JOIINN DUKE OF SAXON ELECTOR.
GEORGE MARQUES OF BRANDENBRUGH.
ERNEST DUKE OF LUNEBRUGH.
PHILIP LANDGRAUE OF lIESSE.
JOHNN FRIDERIKE DUKE OF SAXON.
FRAUNCES DUKE OF LUNEBRUGH.
WOLFGANGE PRINCE OF ANHALTE.
TIIE SENATE AND COUNSELL OF NURENBERGE.
THE SENATE REUTLINGE.
[From the copy in the Library of the British Museum.
The title is] The confessyon of the faythe of the Garmaynes
exibited to the mouste victorious Emperour Charles the v.
in the Councell or Assemble holden at Augusta, the yore of
our Lorde 1530. Imprynted at London in Fletestrete,
by me Robert Redman, dwellynge at the sygne of the
George nexte to Saynt Millstones Churche. Cum Privilegio
Regali. [Black letter. No date; but is dedicated to ‘' the
ryght honorable Lord Thomas Crumwell Lord Preuy scale
and chyefe Secretarie to the kynges grace." Who was be-
headed on Tower-Hill, 28 July, 1540.]

Here follows tho original Latin ; which is often
;he easiest of the two.

Si jus habent Episcopi onerandi Ecclesias infinitis tradi-
tionibus, et illaqueandi conscientias, cur toties prohibet
scripture condere et audiro traditiones? cur vocat eas doc-
trines dremoniorum, Num frustri Nee prsemonuit Spiritus
Sanctus? Relinquitur igitur, emu ordinationes institutes
tanquam necessaries, ant cum opinione promerendw remis-
sionis peccatorum, pugnent cum Evangelio, qubd non liceat
ullis Episcopis tales cultus instituere aut exigere. Necesse
eat enim in Ecclesiis retineri doctrinam, de libertate Christi.
ana, quo(' non sit necessaria servitus legis ad justificationem,
sicut in Galatis scriptum est, nolite Aaiun Lugo servitutis
subjici. Necesse est retineri prtecipuum Evangelii locum,
quitd remissionem peccatorum et justificationem per fidem in
Christ= gratis consequamur, non propter certas obsorva-
tiones, aut propter cultu§ ab hominibus institutes.
Quid igitur sentienduin est de dio Dominic°, et similibus
ritibus templorum? Ad lute respondent, quod liceat Epis•
copis sen pastoribus facere ordinationes, ut rem ordine geran-
tur in EcclesA, non ut per illas mereamur remissionem pec-
catorum, aut satisfaciamus pro peccatis, aut obligentur
=scientists, ut judicent esse necessarios cultus, ac sentient se
peccare cum sine offensione aliorum violent. Sic Paulus
ordinat, ut in congregatione mulieres velent capita, ut ordine
audiantur in Ecclesia interpretes, &c.
Tales ordinationes convenit Ecclesias propter caritatem et
tranquillitatem servare eatenus, ne alias alium offendat, ut
ordine et sine tumultu omnia fiant in Ecclesiis. Veriun ita,
ne conscientia3 onerentur, ut ducant res ease necessaries ad
salutem, ac judiceut se peccare cum violent eas sine aliorum
offensione, sicut nemo dixerit peccare mulierern, qute iu pub-
licum non velato capite procedit, sine offensione hominum.
Talis est observatio diei Gominici, Paschatis, Pentecostes,
et similiutn feriarum, et rituum. Nam qui judicant Ecclesias
autoritate, pro sabbato institutam ease diei Dominici obser-
vationem, tanquam necessariam, longi: errant. Scripture
concedit, ut observatio sablsati nunc sit libera. Docet enim
ceremonies Mosaicas post revelatum Evangelium non neces-
saries esse. Et tamen quia opus erat constituere certum
diem, ut sciret populus quando convenire deberet, apparet
Ecclesiam ei rei destinasse diem Dominicum, qui ob hanc
quoque causatn videtur magic placuisse, ut haberent hornines
exemplum Christiana) libertatis, et scirent nec sabbati nec
alterius diet observationem necessariam esse.

Extant prodigiosx disputationes de mutatione legis, de
ceremoniis novas legis, de mutatione eabbati, guys ornues ortso
sunt ex falsa persuasione, (pod oportet in Ecclesia cultum
esse similem Levitico. Et qui)d Christus commiserit Apos-
tolic et Episcopis excogitare novas ceremonial, qua sint ad
salutem necessarife. Ili errores serpserunt in Ecclesiam,
cum justicia fidei non satis dare doceretur. Aliqui disputant
diei Dominici observationem non quidem juris divini esse,
sed quasi juris divini, prrescribunt de feriis, quatenus liceat
operari. llujusmodi disputationea quid aunt aliud nisi laquei
conseientiarum? Quanquam enim conentur epikeizare tra-
ditiones, tamen nunquarn potent zequitas deprehendi, donee
manet opinio necessitatis, quam manerenecesse est, übi igno-
rantur justicia fidei, et libertas Christiana.
[From the Latin copy of the Confession of Augsburg,
with the Apology or ocience of it by Philip Melanchthon,
in the Library of the British Museum. The title is Confessio
fidei e.zhibita Invietiss. Imp. Carolo V., frc. Anno 1530. Im-
pressum Vitebeigm per Georgium Blum, 1531. The pages are
not numbered in the part extracted from, but the extracts
begin in the 64th page.]
'!he Church of England in her Catechism, in the
answers to the question " What doat thou chiefly
learn by these Commandments ?" lays down as
follows:

" My duty towards God, is to believe in him, to fear him,
and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with
all my soul, and with all my strength ; to worship him, to
give him thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon
him, to honour his: holy Name and his Word, and to serve
him truly all the days of my life."
In which it is plain the Church of England has no
more idea of deriving the obligation of a Seventh
Day from the Fourth Commandment, than the obliga-
tion of honouring the Pope from the Fifth.
The passage in which the Apostle prohibits the
observation of sabbaths, is as follows, with an exact
translation.

MilOvvTlS tp.as tcptvive Ev 13priret ?v ITOCTEI, ?v tapt,
vov,unvias, crasod.rwv. Culoss. ii. 16.

" Let not therefore anybody judge you in meat or in drink,
or in respect of feast or new moon or sabbaths."

'The serious consideration for one who has charge
of the deck as your Lordship has, is what is to be
the effect on public order, when the numerous classes
of the community come to the knowledge that their
paid spiritual guides, or so many of them, have acted
as impostors and deceivers in this matter.
ONE WHO BELIEVES SABBATICAL OBSER-
VANCE PROHIBITED TO CHRISTIANS.

FASUION.—The outre and at best mere. fancy
sketches in books of fashion, too often wholly useless in
a practical sense, may have suggested to the Messrs.
Jay, of Regent-street, the production of the work of art
forwarded by them gratuitously to the most remote
distances, pourtra)ing tastefully-executed designs of
mourning cloaks, dresses, &C., delineated from their
actual stock, thus combining a beneficial employment to
many artists with the advancement of commerce, and
giving the recipient a faithful notion of the general efftct
and elegance of their various gannents.—Evening Paper.
Viscount Anson has left town for Shugborough
Park, Staffordshire, where the Earl and Countess of
Lichfield and family are passing the season.