ey will put us all to death if they
can.

In addition to all this, this dragon's tail, [I mean] the
Mass, has begotten a numerous vermin-brood of manifold
idolatries.

First, purgatory. Here they carried their trade into purgatory
by masses for souls, and vigils, and weekly, monthly, and
yearly celebrations of obsequies, and finally by the Common
Week and All Souls Day, by soul-baths so that the Mass is used
almost alone for the dead, although Christ has instituted the
Sacrament alone for the living. Therefore purgatory, and every
solemnity, rite, and commerce connected with it, is to be
regarded as nothing but a specter of the devil. For it
conflicts with the chief article [which teaches] that only
Christ, and not the works of men, are to help [set free]
souls. Not to mention the fact that nothing has been
[divinely] commanded or enjoined upon us concerning the dead.
Therefore all this may be safely omitted, even if it were no
error and idolatry.

The Papists quote here Augustine and some of the Fathers who
are said to have written concerning purgatory, and they think
that we do not understand for what purpose and to what end
they spoke as they did. St. Augustine does not write that
there is a purgatory nor has he a testimony of Scripture to
constrain him thereto, but he leaves it in doubt whether there
is one, and says that his mother asked to be remembered at the
altar or Sacrament. Now, all this is indeed nothing but the
devotion of men, and that, too, of individuals, and does not
establish an article of faith, which is the prerogative of God
alone.

Our Papists, however, cite such statements [opinions] of men
in order that men should believe in their horrible,
blasphemous, and cursed traffic in masses for souls in
purgatory [or in sacrifices for the dead and oblations], etc.
But they will never prove these things from Augustine. Now,
when they have abolished the traffic in masses for purgatory,
of which Augustine never dreamt, we will then discuss with
them whether the expressions of Augustine without Scripture
[being without the warrant of the Word] are to be admitted,
and whether the dead should be remembered at the Eucharist.
For it will not do to frame articles of faith from the works
or words of the holy Fathers; otherwise their kind of fare, of
garments, of house, etc., would have to become an article of
faith, as was done with relies. [We have, however, another
rule, namely] The rule is: The Word