APPENDIX TO THE SMALCALD ARTICLES

WRITTEN BY

THE THEOLOGIANS ASSEMBLED AT SMALCALD, A. D. 1537.

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OF THE POWER AND PRIMACY OF THE POPE.

First, the Pope arrogates to himself, that he is, according to divine right, supreme over all other bishops and pastors in the whole Christian world.

Second, he adds that, according to divine right, he has both swords, that is, he has authority to enthrone and dethrone kings, to regulate civil kingdoms, &c.

Thirdly, he says that we are under obligation to believe this, at the hazard of everlasting salvation. And these are the reasons for which the Pope calls and presumes himself to be the vicar of Christ on earth.

These three articles, we hold and know to be false, impious, tyrannical, and pernicious in the extreme, to the Christian church. In order, then, that our position and views may be more clearly understood, we shall first show what his assumtion [sic] is, in which he boasts that he is supreme according to divine right. For they thus understand that the Pope is the common bishop of the universal Christian church, and that he is Oecumenicus Episcopus, as they call it, that is, the one by whom all bishops throughout the world should be ordained and confirmed, and that he alone has authority to choose, to ordain, to confirm, and to depose all bishops and pastors.

He moreover assumes to himself authority to enact various laws concerning divine services, the alteration of sacraments and doctrine, desiring us to regard his statutes and ordinances as equal to articles of Christian faith and to the holy Scripture, and as not to be neglected without sin. For he wishes to base this power on divine right and the holy Scripture; yea, he wishes us to prefer it to the holy Scriptures and commandments of God; and what is still more atrocious, he adds further, that all this shall and must be believed at the hazard of everlasting salvation.