dangerous, and we can obtain everything by a more
necessary, profitable, and certain way without the Mass.

Fifthly. But since the Mass is nothing else and can be nothing
else (as the Canon and all books declare), than a work of men
(even of wicked scoundrels), by which one attempts to
reconcile himself and others to God, and to obtain and merit
the remission of sins and grace (for thus the Mass is observed
when it is observed at the very best; otherwise what purpose
would it serve?), for this very reason it must and should
[certainly] be condemned and rejected. For this directly
conflicts with the chief article, which says that it is not a
wicked or a godly hireling of the Mass with his own work, but
the Lamb of God and the Son of God, that taketh away our sins.

But if any one should advance the pretext that as an act of
devotion he wishes to administer the Sacrament, or Communion,
to himself, he is not in earnest [he would commit a great
mistake, and would not be speaking seriously and sincerely].
For if he wishes to commune in sincerity, the surest and best
way for him is in the Sacrament administered according to
Christ's institution. But that one administer communion to
himself is a human notion, uncertain, unnecessary, yea, even
prohibited. And he does not know what he is doing, because
without the Word of God he obeys a false human opinion and
invention. So, too, it is not right (even though the matter
were otherwise correct) for one to use the common Sacrament of
[belonging to] the Church according to his own private
devotion, and without God's Word and apart from the communion
of the Church to trifle therewith.

This article concerning the Mass will be the whole business of
the Council. [The Council will perspire most over, and be
occupied with this article concerning the Mass.] For if it
were [although it would be] possible for them to concede to us
all the other articles, yet they could not concede this. As
Campegius said at Augsburg that he would be torn to pieces
before he would relinquish the Mass, so, by the help of God,
I, too, would suffer myself to be reduced to ashes before I
would allow a hireling of the Mass, be he good or bad, to be
made equal to Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior, or to be
exalted above Him. Thus we are and remain eternally separated
and opposed to one another. They feel well enough that when
the Mass falls, the Papacy lies in ruins. Before they will
permit this to occur, th