We will cite a single passage, out of many that might be
adduced:--
"It, is therefore not rejected, nor regarded as wrong, that the
(Protestant) princes and cities (according to Article XXIV. of their
Confession, on which they are commenting,) celebrate one common (or
public) mass in their churches; if they only performed it properly,
according to the holy rule and canonical regulations, as all Catholics
perform it. But that they (the Protestants) reject all _other_ masses,
can neither be tolerated nor suffered by the Christian faith and
Catholic profession;" (that is, cannot be allowed by us who profess the
Roman Catholic religion. [Note 35]) As this Romish Refutation is rarely
met with, we add the exact original: "_Wird demnach nicht verworfen
noch fuer unrecht erkannt, dasz die Fuersten und Staedt halten ein
gemeine Mess in der Kirchen, wann sie solche nur ordentlich und richtig
nach der heiligen Richtschnur und canonischen Regel hielten und
thaeten, we es alle Catholischen halten: Dieweil sie aber alle andere
Messen abschaffen, das kann der Christlich glaub und Catholische
Profession und Bekaentnisz weder dulden noch leiden_."
6. The same fact is confirmed still further by _the Apology to the
Augsburg Confession_, written by Melancthon, in reply to the Romish
Refutation, from which we have just presented an extract. From this it
is evident that the Papists had correctly understood the Augsburg
Confession as speaking of the mass properly so called; and that we have
therefore also not misunderstood or misrepresented it.
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