The present translation is based on the Latin original Synopsis trium confessionum evangelicarum in Hungaria septemtrionali, Pentapolitanae, Heptapolitanae et Scepusianae, edited by Zoltán Csepregi (Budapest, 2003). We have also consulted two Slovak translations: Škoviera (2013), which situates Stöckel’s work within the context of Reformation humanism and the Bardejovský katechizmus of 1581, and Hajduk (1999), who provides further insights into Stöckel’s life and contributions to the Reformation in Slovakia.

Presented to the Most Illustrious King Ferdinand of Glorious Memory in the Year 1549. Printed in three languages—Latin, German, and Hungarian. Cassovia, by Ioannes Fischer. In the year MDCXIII.[1]

1 Corinthians 3:11: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ."

Christ’s Command with a Promise:

"Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven and before all the angels; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Luke 12:8). Followed by a dreadful threat.

To the Benevolent Reader:

If only today we could employ the memorable words of the once eloquent theologian, John Chrysostom (on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans): "Now the word of the Lord God dwells among us richly in all wisdom."

For although the sound doctrine of the apostles has gone out into the whole world, and even amidst the enemies of God's Church "the word of the Lord, the word of the Lord" resounds abundantly, yet it does not truly dwell with all wisdom. Some, indeed, give off the rancid and detestable odor of the heresy of Arius, Samosatenus, Photinus, and their ilk. Others sell Manichaeism as a salvific doctrine. Some imitate Flacius, while many force Pharisaism under the guise of truth with all their might. Worse still, with iron, prisons, fire, and tyranny more dreadful than that of Phalaris, they torture consciences.

Beyond all these, even among those whose God is one, whose faith is one, and whose baptism is one, there are grave controversies regarding the chief articles of Christian doctrine. Hence arise so many dissensions and internal hatreds, by which nearly the whole world is infected, provoking the wrath of God to vengeance.

It would surely be desirable if that Platonic dream of the cycle of time contained even a morsel of reality, so that the age of Chrysostom might return—an age when the rulers of that time, zealous for true piety, Theodosius, Arcadius, and Honorius, would arise again to defend the orthodox profession in harmony with the Word of God concerning the articles of faith, just as they did then with piety, constancy, and strength. If not that age, then at least the happy age from just 84 years ago might reappear—the age of the most illustrious king and emperor Ferdinand I, who, in order that the true worship of God, which the enemies of truth were then fiercely persecuting, might not be obscured by darkness and shadows, decreed that the articles of Christian faith be examined by the one, simple rule of the divine Word.

In the course of this examination, lest the five royal and free cities in Upper Hungary—Cassovia, Leutschovia, Bartpha, Eperiesinum, and Cibinium—be convicted of heresy, as they were accused of, they presented a confession, in brief form, on the chief articles of Christian doctrine: on God the Trinity, on creation, on sin, on the incarnation of Christ, on justification, on faith, on good works, on the Church, on baptism, on the Lord’s Supper, etc. This confession was approved by the judgment of the most wise and excellent monarch, the aforementioned Ferdinand I. These are the articles, free from any foreign gloss, which our most noble and honorable magistrate had published twenty years ago, printed in three languages—Latin, German, and Hungarian—for all to read.

But after nearly all copies were exhausted and our most noble and honorable magistrate understood that many were diligently seeking them, he ordered a reprinting.

May God, whose glory is proclaimed by all creation, hear the prayers and sighs of His Church. May He reveal to all the light of the Gospel, grant to each person the mind to understand the divine mysteries, so that, despising and neglecting human superstitions devised beyond and outside the Word of God, one Catholic faith may reign throughout the whole world. Amen.

We teach that there is one single, indivisible, eternal, good, just, wise, infinite, and so forth, divine being, according to Deuteronomy, chapter 6: "The Lord is our God, the Lord alone" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Yet, we confess three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power, glory, eternity, and so forth, in accordance with the Lord's distinction in the final chapter of Matthew: "Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).

We teach and believe that the same God, who is one in being and threefold in persons, created all things and still creates and sustains whatever He is the source of, and that all was originally good at creation, as it is written in the first chapter of Genesis: "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). However, Satan, along with his companions, fell away from God and dragged humanity into the same disobedience. From this comes all the evil that exists. For God, because of sin, cursed the earth, and just as death entered the world through sin—Romans, chapter 5—so too all calamities are punishments for sins.

We teach and believe that the first parents were originally righteous, but through their fall, they lost righteousness, and thus all people are born into original injustice and sin, deserving eternal death, and they cannot free themselves by their own strength. This is according to the statement in Psalm 51: "Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5), as well as Genesis, chapters 6 and 8: "Every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21).

We teach and believe that the middle person of the Godhead, who is called in Scripture sometimes the Word and other times the Son of God, took upon Himself true human flesh from the life of the pure Virgin, and that God and man in one person was truly born of the Virgin, according to the prophecy in Isaiah, chapter 7: "Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14), and as described in Luke, chapters 1 and 2. He became the sacrifice that made atonement for the sins of the entire world. According to Isaiah, chapter 53: "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). According to John, chapter 1: "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). According to 2 Corinthians, chapter 5: "He died for all" (2 Corinthians 5:15). Furthermore, "on the third day he rose from the dead and brought righteousness, which is credited to us before God." According to Romans, chapter 4: "He was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). Moreover, "He ascended into heaven and will return to judge both the living and the dead," as per the Apostles' Creed and the testimony of the angels. This is affirmed in Acts, chapter 1: "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Since it was necessary for the Son of God to be handed over and wounded for the sins of the entire world, we teach and believe that people can by no means reconcile themselves to God by their own strength or deeds, nor can they attain righteousness that would stand at God’s judgment. Instead, they are justified freely, without their own merit, if they turn away from sin and believe in Christ. For thanks to that one sacrifice, which took place on the cross, the Father is reconciled with all those who, trusting in this Mediator, seek His mercy. Therefore, those who have this faith also have forgiveness of sins and are counted among the righteous. As stated in Romans, chapter 3: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).

The faith by which we acquire such great blessings is not some human work or knowledge, which can also occur among the impious and demons, but is a gift of the Holy Spirit. To attain this, an institution has been established in which the pure teaching of the Gospel is proclaimed and the sacraments are administered, for through this institution the Holy Spirit is effective in those listeners who do not resist the service of this institution but are obedient to it, according to Paul's statement in Romans, chapter 10: "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

Nevertheless, concerning faith, we do not teach in such a way as to imply that good works should not be done. It is indeed necessary that those who believe have a good conscience. However, there is no place for a good conscience in those who deliberately allow themselves to act against God's command and do not fight against their desires. For we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, as it is written in Romans, chapter 8, but we have been delivered from the realm of the devil and transferred into the kingdom of God, so that from now on we may serve this Lord. This means that we are obligated to obey His will. Yet, we teach that we should not rely on this new obedience as if by it we merit the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life before God. For the Lord's statement is clear: "When you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" (Luke 17:10). And in Ephesians, chapter 2: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Furthermore, we teach and believe that from the beginning of the world there has been one single Catholic, that is, universal, Church, which has always existed and will exist forever, although it is sometimes overshadowed by various heresies. We also confess that it is not bound to any place, persons, or ceremonies instituted by human will, but solely to God's Word and the sacraments, according to John, chapter 10: "My sheep hear my voice" (John 10:27). For thus the Father commanded in Psalm 2: "Kiss the Son" (Psalm 2:12), and in Matthew, chapter 17: "Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5). In John, chapter 14: "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them" (John 14:23).

Though the Church is subject to civil authority in its external matters, in spiritual matters it acknowledges Christ alone as its head. This is as written in Ephesians, chapter 1, and in Colossians, chapter 1. For God has established within the Church not masters and lords, but servants who serve Him with the Word and sacraments. It is sufficient, then, that the Church everywhere has pure teaching and rightly administers the sacraments, even if there is some diversity in human ceremonies. Ultimately, the true Church is, of course, those who are genuinely holy and righteous, led by the Holy Spirit through the Word. Yet, within this assembly, there are also the wicked, who agree with the teaching and the use of the sacraments, and they are outward members of the Church. According to 2 Timothy, chapter 2: "In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay" (2 Timothy 2:20). The Holy Spirit, therefore, works even through the ministry of unreliable servants, as long as they do not corrupt the Word and the sacraments; in this way, even Judas's ministry was beneficial to many.

Likewise, we teach and are convinced that through baptism—whether one is baptized as an infant or as an adult—people are incorporated into the body of the Church and receive the forgiveness of sins, truly becoming clean. However, this does not mean that no sin remains in the baptized, but rather that sin is not counted against them, provided there is resistance to sin and faith in Christ. This is according to the promise: "The one who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).

Regarding the Lord’s Supper, we teach and believe that in it the Church receives the true body and blood of the Lord, which was born of the Virgin and suffered on the cross. For the Lord says: "This is my body, which is given for you" (Luke 22:19), and so forth. We celebrate one common supper or mass for all, as it is called, on every holy day, and we administer it either to individuals or to multiple persons who confess their faith before the priest, promise to amend their lives, and ask for comfort, absolution, and the reception of the holy sacrament to strengthen their faith. For the Lord of heaven and earth commands the full use of the sacrament, and He gives this mandate to all. Paul also instructs the whole Church in Corinth to use the sacrament fully.

We fully maintain private confession for three reasons. First, to be able to examine and instruct the uneducated. Second, so that those who feel particular distress in their conscience may also seek particular comfort from God's Word. Third, to ensure that each person individually receives the sacrament of absolution.

We continuously emphasize the teaching of repentance, without which no one can enter the Church, nor remain within it after entering. As for repentance, it consists first of contrition of the heart, when the heart is touched by God's wrath and feels eternal death because the law of God reveals sin to them. Second, it consists of faith, when the heart, considering that the Gospel offers Christ's merit and His atonement, rises from fear and anxiety with trust in the Father's mercy, which Christ has obtained for all who repent and believe in His name.

We are convinced that Christ instituted the sacraments not only to mark the distinction between Christians and non-Christians but also to be a seal of God's will towards us. Moreover, He presented them so that through these divine covenants, faith would be strengthened and confirmed in each individual. Therefore, if faith is lacking in the reception of the covenant and God's promise, the use of the sacraments is in vain; indeed, according to Paul's testimony, such people walk towards judgment.

We are convinced that no one in the Church should hold a public office involving teaching and administering the sacraments unless the Church has lawfully called them, after being examined by faithful, knowledgeable, and duly confirmed ministers of God's Word, and ordained according to the rite of the ancient Church, as prescribed in Acts, chapter 1, and in the fourth letter from the first book of Cyprian's Epistles.

We not only observe the ceremonies of the Church, but we are also convinced that those that adorn the priestly service and can be maintained with a good conscience must be preserved. These include certain festivals, hymns, sacred readings, and prayers added to the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Furthermore, this includes special vestments for priests and many other things, which, while they could be omitted without sin in well-ordered and adequately organized churches, we nevertheless zealously maintain because they adorn the priestly service.

We approve offices, courts, property ownership, legal agreements, and other matters that are in accordance with right thinking as good ordinances of God. The Gospel not only does not reject these, but confirms them and commands us to hold them in high regard, according to God's will.

We are firmly convinced that marriage is also an ordinance of God. Therefore, condemning disordered lustful desires, we teach that marriage should be entered into by those who are fit for it, if they do not have the gift of virgin purity. For, as Scripture says, fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We firmly declare that on the Day of Judgment, the resurrection of the dead will certainly take place—both of the righteous and the unrighteous—and that in it, the godly will receive eternal reward, while the ungodly will suffer eternal punishment.

We assert that in the first parents before their fall, free will existed in the same way that it still exists among the angels who did not fall. However, after the fall, they lost their freedom, as well as other gifts of uncorrupted nature. Thus, in the most basic external matters, we have some freedom of choice—for example, we can choose to wear one color or another, to eat one type of food or another, to live honorably, avoid scandals, and govern our public life according to the standards of the Ten Commandments—though even this will often encounters various obstacles.

However, to exhibit true fear, faith, and love of God, or to believe in the Gospel, is not within our own power. This aligns with the statement: "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Matthew 11:27). Furthermore: "No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me" (John 6:44).

We teach that the saints who have passed away are certainly worthy of all praise, as they shine for us by their learning and many outstanding examples. On the other hand, when it comes to their invocation, we are prevented not only by the fact that there is no command from God nor any testimony from the holy Church on this matter, but also by the First and Second Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3) and "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:7). For invocation, like other acts of worship included in the first tablet of the Ten Commandments, is a duty owed solely to God and to no one else.