her And what can be more contrary to Natural Equity than to condemn unheard It is forbidden by the Canons and Decrees of Councils and there is a noble example of this in Ammianus Marcellinus where Pope Liberius being urged by Constantius to condemn Athanasius chose rather to be banished than to sentence him without hearing And in the Judgment against Sixtus the Third who was accused of Incest Valentinian the Emperor observed the same method and made him appear and answer in a Synod before Fifty Bishops For the same reason the Sentence of Nicholas the First against Lotharius the Son of St. Lewis for having two Wives was thought void and null Nor was this Sentence against the Queen of Navarr of better force because she was absent and unheard That the Popes have always shewn that respect to Crown'd heads as to admonish them by their Legates before they decreed ought against them So Alexander the Third sent two Cardinals to Henry the Second into England when he was accused of the Death of Thomas a Becket A. B. of Canterbury That he might purge himself before them of this crime So of late Clement the Seventh did the like in the case of Henry the Eighth to whom he sent Cardinal Campeius And if it were granted that the Judgment were rightly passed how could the Dominions of the Queen be exposed for a prey and given to the first Invader they belonging to the King as Lord of the Fee Therefore the King believes that the Pope is deceived by false reports and instigated by the craft of his Ministers who not regarding the publick peace have drawn him from his natural goodness to Counsels which are dishonourable to his Holiness and destructive to his Authority and to that of the See of Rome tending to the alienating of the hearts of his friends from him and the disturbing of the Peace of Christendom And his Majesty is the more perswaded of the truth of this because his Holiness so earnestly espoused the Interest of Anthony the Husband of this Queen in his life-time and endeavoured to perswade King Philip to restore to him the Kingdom of Navarr or at least to give him the Island of Sardinia as an Equivalent But then there is nothing more offends the King than the considering that whereas so many Kings Princes and Free States above Forty years since have defected from the See of Rome and committed the offence charged upon the Queen and so by the rule of Justice ought to be first punished as first offending yet the Pope has not proceeded in the same way or with equal severity against any of them so that from hence it is clear that an occasion is sought by her enemies to oppress and ruin her by surprize whilest she is a Widow her Children Orphans the King of France who ought to protect her being a Minor and disturbed by Civil Wars and for this reason the King is the more obliged to defend her from injury and himself from contempt seeing without acquainting him with it they have begun this Process against a Queen so nearly related to him That if this Accusation had been made on the account of Religion and for the Glory of God the Pope ought in the first place to have shewn his care of her soul and from the Word of God to have administred fitting Remedies and not to have proscribed her Kingdoms and Dominions and given them for a prey to the first Invader The Pope has a Supremacy given him That he may consult the Salvation of Souls and the repose of Christendom and not that he may deprive Princes of their Kingdoms and dispose of their possessions at his pleasure which the former Popes have never been able to do in Germany and other places without bringing great reproach and dishonour on the Church and disturbances upon the World. That therefore the King desired with the greatest humility that he could or ought that the Sentence against the Q. of Navarr should be revok'd and all the Pope's Ministers should be inhibited from proceeding in this cause by a publick Act and if this were not done the King should be forced against his will to make use of the same remedies his Ancestors had imployed in the like cases according to the Laws and Rights of his Kingdom But before all things he protested he should do this unwillingly and therefore they only should bear the blame who by their rashness had forced him to use the power God had given him in so just a cause and to implore the assistance of his friends against them There was at the same time distinct Memorials and larger Instructions sent to the French Ambassador for the Defence of the Bishops and D'Oysel who was an active Minister prevail'd upon the Pope to have the Proceedings against the Bishops stopt and the Sentence against the Queen of Navarr revok'd and abolished So that at this day it is not to be found amongst the Constitutions of Pope Pius the Fourth The 18th of May there having been no consideration had of the XXXIII Articles put into the Council the 4th of January the Queen wrote to Lanssac her Ambassador complaining very bitterly of the delays and shifts which had been made in this business and said that the hope good men had hitherto had of the success of this Council and the opinion of their sincerity who met in it would both vanish without any fruit and their dissimulation and connivance would more and more inflame the wrath of God against us who had now made it manifest unto all men that the affairs of the Church needed a Reformation and a severe correction and to that purpose had invited and brought together from all parts of the Earth so many men famous for their Piety and Learning to this Council and if after all this he shall see us still stubbornly resist his will he will be necessitated to punish those men who have hindred so good a work and so necessary to the peace of the Church That therefore the King had wrote to the Cardinal of Lorrain to assemble a Congregation of the French Clergy and after a mature deliberation had amongst themselves to demand earnestly of the Fathers of the Council that these things might be considered and determin'd as soon as was possible But the Cardinal was by this time won over to the Pope's side and was willing to sacrifice the safety of France and the King's Will to the Interest of the former In order to this he delayed the Execution of his Orders from day to day and at last that he might totally disappoint them asked leave of the King to go to Rome believing the Kings Ambassadors would do nothing in his absence And not long after Lanssac obtained leave to return into France The Cardinal of Lorrain went from Trent towards Rome the 18th of September and with him five of the French Bishops But the other French Ambassadors did nevertheless insist stoutly
to be allowed to any multitude of Men Or if it be granted to them is it to be born with also in Private Persons Now if in your own Assembly matters should come to that Licentiousness that every private Man did revenge his own Quarrel pray what would you do certainly they would be made to answer for it before a Publick Judicature appointed by you What Excuse have you then who contemn Judicatures and reject the Magistrates whom God hath set over you This Law we now speak of is imprinted on the Minds of all Men and observed by the most Barbarous For else all things would be in the greatest Confusion imaginable which though you carefully observed yet in that you would be no better than very Turks or any such other People that know not our Religion For to submit to the Publick Judicatures and to obey the Magistrate maketh not a Man a Christian since Necessity obliges Men to that even against their Wills. Wherefore when you root out that very Law which is grafted in the Minds and common to all Men ye are a great deal worse than Heathens so little do ye deserve the Name of Christians which Title because you arrogate to your selves and do injury to the Name of God not deserving to be called Turks for your Violation of the Law of Nature how will you stand before the Face of Christ when he shall come to Judge us all for our Actions Take heed therefore again and again what sort of Men your Preachers are for I am afraid that bloody minded Men have crept in among you who by their Sermons inflame you that relying on your Assistance they may invade Dominion and Rule and never mind your Welfare neither here nor hereafter God reserves all Revenge to himself and the Scripture commands us to obey the Magistrate though he be wicked You ought therefore to he obedient for otherwise you will raise a Storm that will break upon your own Heads Think not that God will suffer your licentiousness to go unpunished and while you seek after Liberty you will procure to your selves the loss of Body Goods and Soul also The Wrath of God is waxed hot against you and the Devil the Enemy of Man's Salvation hath sent false Teachers into your Assemblies Follow therefore my Council beware and amend in time Now will I speak of the Christian or Evangelical Law for since ye take to your selves that Name it is but reasonable that we should examine what your Right is And in the first place Christ commandeth us not to resist evil but when Men smite us on one Cheek to turn to them the other also if one take our Coat from us he bids us also give him our Cloak He enjoyns us to do good to our Enemies and pray for thems To which purpose there are many places in Holy Scripture Now look you to it how that Enterprize of yours agrees with the Command of Christ Consider whither your Teachers have led you It is indeed the duty of Christians to suffer and bear the cross not to resist revenge nor smite with the Sword But does there any such thing appear among you The Profession of a Christian is a very hard task and but very few perform what they really ought For the better understanding whereof I will give you an Instance of this Law we are speaking of St. Peter to defend his Lord and Master smote a Servant of the High-Priest's Had he not a just Cause since they not only sought after the Life of Christ but took also from his Disciples the Doctrin of the Gospel wherein their Salvation consisted by putting to death their Master Christ Now you have not as yet suffered such a heinous Injury But what did Christ in the mean time He commanded Peter to desist pronouncing a severe Sentence against those who smote with the Sword that is who in contempt of the Magistrate practised private Revenge What did he do himself when nailed to the Cross when he was forbidden to discharge the Office of Teaching committed to him by God the Father He even bore all patiently committed his Cause to God the Father and prayed and made Intercession for his Persecutors This Example you must imitate or lay aside so specious a Name Now if you followed the steps of Christ God would make known his Power and as after the ignominious Death of his only Son he propagated the Gospel far and near in spight of all Opposition so also without doubt would he look down upon you and abundantly supply you with his saving Doctrin But now that you will carry on the work by force of Arms you shall never obtain what you would have and your Arms shall be beat out of your Hands Now will I say somewhat of my self also The whole World conspired and bent their utmost force against me and nevertheless the more violently they proceeded the greater progress did my Doctrin make Why so I used no Force raised no Commotion neither was I desirous of Revenge but reverently submitted to the Civil Magistrate and as far as I was able wrote in his Behalf and what was the chief thing of all committing the Cause to God I wholly rested on his Protection So that I am preserved alive to this very day though the Pope and my Adversaries vex and fret thereat and my Doctrin at the same time hath been preached to many People But ye rush on head-long and while you think you further the work perceive not how great a hindrance you are unto it What I hereby drive at is that in this cause you would lay aside that Title and Name of Christians for though it were never so just yet as I said before it is not lawful for a Christian to fight nor resist evil and therefore I cannot allow you that Denomination Not that I would by this justifie the Magistrates for they do many unjust things I acknowledge but nevertheless this your proceeding is altogether inconsistent with the Character of Christians insomuch that if you obstinately retain that Name and gild your bad Cause with that specious colour I declare my self your Enemy because under the pretext of the Gospel ye act quite contrary to the Doctrin of Christ Therefore will I make it my Prayer to God that he would look upon you from a far and disappoint your Designs for I perceive clearly enough that the Devil who hath not been hitherto able to oppress me by means of the Pope of Rome now goeth about to undo me by those blood-thirsty Preachers Therefore I will pray as I have said though I had rather you would so behave your selves that I might not have cause to make my Prayers against you For though I be a Sinner yet the Cause of my Prayer is just and I make no doubt but it will be heard for God will have his Name to be sanctified and hath taught us so to pray Wherefore I exhort and beseech you that you would not
sufficiently weiged the greatness of the Matter and the troubles that this Doctrin hath occasion'd Nay truly I am exceedingly rejoyced to see that the Doctrin I profess hath given occasion to these Troubles and Offences for Christ himself tells us That it is the property of the Gospel to raise grievous Strife and Contentions where-ever it is taught and that among those very Persons too who are most closely linked together by the Bonds of Nature and Blood. It ought seriously then to be consider'd and maturely thought on most Noble Patriots what is fit to be decreed and care had lest by condemning the Doctrin which by the Blessing of God is now offered unto you you yourselves be the cause of the greatest Calamities to Germany Regard should likewise be had that the Government which the young Emperour who here presides hath lately taken upon him be not reckoned inauspicious and fatal by Posterity through any bad Act or Precedent that may entail its Inconveniences upon them For it may be proved by many places of Scripture that Governments have then been in greatest danger when the Affairs of the Publick were managed only by Human Prudence and mere Secular Councils Nevertheless I design not by what I say most Illustrious and Prudent Princes to prescribe or point out to you what you are to do but only to declare the Duty which I shall always be ready to perform to Germany our native Country which ought to be dearer unto us than our very Lives After all I most earnestly beseech you to take me into your Protection and to defend me against the Violence of mine Enemies When he had made an end of Speaking Eckius looking upon him with a stern Countenance You answer not to the Purpose said he nor is it your part to call again into question or doubt of what hath been heretofore determined by the Authority of Councils It is a plain and easie Answer that is demanded of you Do you approve and will you defend your Writings To which Luther made answer Since it is your Command said he most mighty Emperour and most Illustrious Princes that I should give a plain Answer I 'le obey and this therefore is my Answer That unless I be convinced by Testimonies of Holy Scripture and evident Reason I cannot retract any thing of what I have written or taught for I will never do that which may wound my own Conscience neither do I believe the Pope of Rome and Councils alone nor admit of their Authority for they have often erred and contradicted one another and may still err and be deceived The Princes having considered this Answer Eckius again told him You answer said he Luther somewhat more irreverently than becomes you and not sufficiently to the purpose neither when you make a distinction among your Books But if you would retract those which contain a great part of your Errours the Emperour would not suffer any Injury to be done to such others as are Orthodox and right You despise the Decrees of the Council of Constance where many Germans famous both for Learning and Virtue were present and revive Errours that were condemned therein requiring to be convinced by Holy Scripture you do not well and are very far out of the way for what the Church hath once condemned is not to be brought under Dispute again nor must every private Person be allowed to demand a Reason for every thing for should that once be granted that he who opposes and contradicts the Church and Councils must be convinced by Texts of Scripture there would never be any end of Controversies For that Reason therefore the Emperour expects to hear from you in plain Terms What you will do with your Books I beseech you said Luther that by your leave I may preserve a Sound and upright Conscience I have answered plainly and have nothing else to say for unless my Adversaries convince me of my Errour by true Arguments taken from Scripture it is impossible I can be quiet in mind Nay I can demonstrate that they have erred very often and grosly too and for me to recede from the Scripture which is both clear and cannot err would be an Act of greatest Impiety Eckius muttered something to the contrary That it could not be proved that ever a General Council had erred But Luther declared That he could and would prove it and so the matter concluded at that time Next Day the Emperour wrote to the Princes assembled in Council That his Predecessors had professed the Christian Religion and always obeyed the Church of Rome So that since Luther opposed the same and persisted obstinately in his Opinion his Duty required that following the Steps of his Ancestors he should both defend the Christian Religion and also succour the Church of Rome That therefore he would put Luther and his Adherents to the Ban of the Empire and make use of other proper Remedies for the extinguishing that Fire However that he would make good the Safe-Conduct he had granted him and that he might return Home with Safety This Letter of the Emperours was long and much debated in the Assembly of the Princes and some there were as it was reported who following the Decree and Pattern of the Council of Constance thought that the Publick Faith was not to be observed to him But Lewis the Elector Palatine and others also were said to have vigourously withstood that Resolution affirming That such a thing would lye as an eternal Stain and Disgrace upon Germany Wherefore most were of Opinion that not only the Publick Faith and Promise should be kept to him but also that he should not be rashly condemned because it was a Matter of great moment whatever should be decreed by the Emperour whom at that Age they perceived to be incited and exasperated against Luther by the Agents and Ministers of Rome Some Days after the Bishop of Treves appointed Luther to come to him the 24 of April There were present at that Congress Joachim Elector of Brandenburg George Duke of Saxony the Bishop of Ausburg and some other great Men And when Luther came conducted by the Emperour's Herald and was introduced by the Bishop's Chaplain Vey a Lawer of Baden spake to him to this Purpose These noble Princes have sent for you Martin Luther said he not to enter into any Dispute but to treat friendly with you and to admonish you privately of those Things which seem chiefly to concern your self for they have obtained leave from the Emperour to do so And in the first place as to Councils it is possible that at some Times they have decreed things different but never contrary and granting they had err'd yet their Authority is not therefore so fallen that it should be lawful for every Private Man to trample upon it Your Books if Care be not taken will be the cause of great Troubles and many interpret that which you have published of
the Popes Bull was not sufficient nor authentick She answer'd that it was too late to complain of the Bull now since they had approv'd it so long before And when the Dispute began to grow warm the Pope's assistance was desir'd to determine the Matter The Queen had miscarried several times neither did any of her Children live excepting the Princess Mary The Pope therefore undertook the Cause and delegated the hearing of it to the Cardinals Campegio and York And after a long debate when the King had hopes given him from Rome that things should go on his side Campegio by the Pope's Order when he was just upon the Point of the Sentence began to draw back and to throw in delays This Turn they say was occasioned by the death of General Lautrech and the loss of the French Army before Naples Andrew Auria likewise happening to revolt from Francis at the same time which made the Pope conclude that the Emperor Catharines Nephew by her Sister who was now so prosperous in Italy ought not in prudence to be disoblig'd Campegio therefore at last leaves England without bringing the Affair to any point at which the King was extreamly dissatisfied But that he might not seem to do any thing rashly he dispatch'd away several Agents into France Italy and Germany to Collect the sense of the Divines concerning his Marriage The Parisians and most of the rest seemed to declare for the unlawfulness of it though they were suspected to be bribed into their opinion Now there was one Anne Bolen in the Queens Service an incomparable handsome Maiden-Lady This Person the King began to set his Affections upon and discover'd intelligibly enough that he had a mind to marry her As soon as Cardinal Woolsey who was most intimate with the King and as they say moved first for the Divorce understood this design he changed his Resolution and writing to the Pope advised him not to null the Marriage for if he did another Woman infected with Lutheranism would succeed Catharine When the King was acquainted with the Cardinals proceedings by his Embassador at Rome he was very much offended with him and not long after removed him from his Office of Lord Chancellor and deprived him of two of the three Bishopricks which he held At last being reduc'd to a private Life and letting fall some passionate indecent Expressions importing a desire of revenge The King commanded him to dismiss the greatest part of his Servants and to come to Court with a small Retinue The Cardinal not being able to avoid it sets forward but before he reached the King he fell into an acute Distemper contracted by the dissatisfaction of his mind and died upon the way Now the Pope that Campegio might have some pretence for coming away revokes the Cause to himself at Rome And foreseeing the Marriage with Anne Bolen would be of very ill consequence to himself he plies the King with Admonitions and sometimes with Threatnings to give over his design But not being able to prevail there upon the 24th of March this year to oblige the Emperor he gave Judgment on the Queens side When the King was already divorc'd from her had declar'd his Daughter Mary Illegitimate and married the other Lady above a year since As soon as the King understood that Sentence was pronounced against him he began to hate the Pope mortally and immediately passeth an Act in which he declares himself Head of the Church of England next after Christ denies all manner of Obedience to the See of Rome and makes it death for any one to maintain the Pope's Supremacy He likewise refuseth to pay the yearly Tax which the Pope's Collector used to receive and forbids the Conveyance of any Mony to Rome under severe Penalties all which Injunctions were confirmed by the States of the Realm which they call a Parliament Francis the French King is thought to have struck a Considerable stroak in this Divorce that he might make an irreconcilable Breach between Henry and the Emperor As concerning the Tax which I mention'd the Case stands thus Ine King of England in the year 740. out of a sense of Piety made his Kingdom Tributary to the Pope as the History of those times informs us and charged every house with the payment of a peny From that time the Popes sent their Collectors thither yearly to receive this Duty which was commonly call'd Peter-pence This payment having been made by the English without any Interruption from the first Grant this Henry was the first who forbad the Continuance of it any longer I have given an account in the Fourth Book how Luther and Erasmus wrote against each other concerning the Subject of Free Will. This year the Pique between them broke out again For Luther in a Letter to a Friend takes occasion to charge Erasmus very high as if he ridiculed the Christian Religion and expos'd it to question and contempt and cites several places in his Writings to make good his Accusation He also objected that the other had an equivocal two-handed way in expressing himself and made a Tyrannical use of his Elocution And in regard he takes the liberty to play with religious Arguments at that ambiguous rate when he both can and is obliged to be more clear he ought always to be construed in the worst sense This Letter was afterwards answer'd by Erasmus and smartly too who was more sensibly concern'd for nothing than to keep up the Reputation of his own Writings About this time the Franciscans made a strange tragical piece of Work of it at Orleans in France The thing was thus The Provost's Wife of that Town had order'd in her Will to be buried without any Ceremony or noise For when any one dies in France it 's the Custom for Funeral Cryers who are hired for this purpose to go about the principal Streets in the City and call the common people together with their hand-Bells When they have done this they tell the Name and Quality of the Person deceas'd and exhorting the Company to pray to God for his Soul they let them know when and where he is to be buried When the Corps goes to the Grave the Mendicant Friers are usually invited to attend it and a great many Torches are carried before the Hearse In these Solemnities people commonly strive to out-do one another for the more expensive the Funeral is the greater Crowd there is to see and admire it But this Woman I spoke of would have none of all this Her Husband therefore who loved her entirely perform'd this part of her Will and burying her by her Father and Grandfather in the Franciscans Church presented these Gentlemen with no more than six Crowns whereas they expected a much greater Sum. Afterwards when he felled a Wood and sold it they desired him to give them some Timber but were denied They took this very heinously which with their former Disgust made them resolve to
State and how much it will be expos'd to Misunderstandings and Tumults of the truth of this Allegation the Emperor's Edict which was then publish'd is a sufficient proof It was never their intention to plead in bar to the Jurisdiction of the Chamber in any Causes but those of Religion and they believ'd that Court could not prove the contrary upon them But they were very much troubl'd to hear from his Excellency that the Emperor had given the Chamber Authority to determine the quality of the Cause for they did believe all those Causes to be of a religious Nature and they were really such which could not be decided till the Extent of the word Religion was defin'd in a lawful Council which thing both by Letter and their Embassadors they had several times acquainted the Emperor and King Ferdinand with For this Dispute concerning the meaning and latitude of Religion is a preliminary Question and ought to be setled by the Council before other matters which relate to it are determin'd And in regard Benefices ought to be bestowed in consideration of Merit and Function They said they could not allow that those in their Dominions who were of a different Religion from themselves should enjoy the Revenues of the Church to which they had no manner of right because they were either unwilling to discharge their Office or wanted abilities to do it and since Conscience is more than ordinarily concern'd in the present case the usual Pleas of Law founded upon the right of Possession or Restitution ought not to be urg'd Moreover when the Treaty of Nuremburgh was on foot they particularly mention'd all those Suits and Difference which were then depending in the Chamber and in other Courts and represented them under the notion of Ecclesiastical Causes to the Princes of the Mediation who promis'd that they would endeavour to perswade the Emperor that they should be all exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Courts which was also promis'd by King Ferdinand at the Convention at Cadan besides it 's plain from that Clause in the Emperor's Edict which stops all Prosecutions of this nature that the Chamber of Spire has no Authority to determine the Quality of Causes And to say nothing more severe they could not choose but observe that the apparent Inclination of that Court to give Judgment against them had made a great many Persons much bolder and more contentious than they had formerly been which they were able to prove more than one way For when those of their Party moved that Court in any Cause their Suit was not only rejected but they were sent away with reproachful Language And lately the Hamburghers were commanded by them not only to restore the Clergy of their City their Goods and Estates but also to return them their old Religion and Jurisdiction back again and because they could not do this with a good Conscience they were amerced in a great Sum of Mony and therefore there needs no more Instances to let the Emperor understand what the Design of that Court is for if any Cause relates to Religion this certainly does But if the Judges are allowed to proceed in this manner the Truce serves to no purpose If the Rites and Ceremonies which were abolish'd may be lawfully restor'd by such Methods as these there will be no need of Council and yet the Emperor is pleas'd to grant that all Differences of this nature ought to be determin'd there and since their Exceptions against the Proceedings of the Court were not consider'd they were forc'd to decline the Jurisdiction of it As concerning the Persons of the Chamber there was not above one or two of the whole Bench of their Religion what Provision was made at Ratisbone for this Affair was well known it being apparent that those who were most violent against the Reformed were most acceptable to the Chamber nay a man may plainly discover how they stand affected by observing the air of their Countenances when they are trying of Causes and therefore they hope his Imperial Majesty will send them a positive Order to desist As for the Penalty which his Excellency mention'd was decreed at Ratisbone against Mal-administration that was no advantage to them Indeed if the Cause had related to Property and secular Affairs they might have had a compensation this way but matters of Religion were too weighty to be satisfied with Costs and Damages However if the Emperor is of opinion that they have intermix'd any civil Causes in their request they are willing this matter should be tried provided there may be a stop put to the Proceedings of the Chamber in the mean time Now as concerning those who came over to their Religion since the Pacification of Nuremburgh they confess'd that some few years since the Princes of the Mediation did insist at Schweenfurt that no more might be admitted into their Association which Proposition they then rejected and afterwards at the Convention at Nuremburgh they persisted in the same Opinion As to what his Excellency objects in reference to the Promises and Articles by which several of the States had engag'd themselves not to make any alteration in Religion To this the parties answer That some of them promis'd nothing others in private Treaties reserv'd this Liberty for themselves a third sort it 's true did engage themselves but it was upon the assurance which the Emperor gave them that a Council should be intimated within six Months and opened the year after But since this Assembly was delayed beyond their expectation and God had been pleas'd to give them a fuller apprehension of the true Religion they could not defer so good a Work any longer but thought it their Duty to make an open profession of that Doctrin which they were assur'd had both Truth and Piety to recommend it This the Canon-Law it self would justifie them in for from thence they had learn'd that if any Person had sworn to do a wicked Action this Oath did not oblige Besides as their Adversaries would not refuse any one who offer'd himself for a Convert so neither did they think it lawful to bar any person from coming over to themselves Therefore their earnest request to the Emperor was That the Judges might be check'd and that not only themselves but those who joyn'd them afterwards might be comprehended in the Peace For if matters should be otherwise carried and any violence should be offer'd they could not desert those they were allied to both by Vertue of their League and Religion This had been already declar'd to King Ferdinand at Vienna and that with a great deal of reason for the Cause of these later Confederates no less than their own belongs to the Cognizance of the Council But if the Judges of the Chamber will fore-stall the Hearing and hale in the business of the Council to their Court this is no less than down-right Force and Injustice against which by the Laws of Nature they are bound to defend themselves
one or two Towns left him to retreat to He was always a zealous Roman Catholick and punished those who professed the Reformed Religion Paul the Third in the beginning of his Popedom made two of his Grandchildren Cardinals and being sensible that he had lost some Reputation upon this account he promoted several others who were eminent for their Quality and Learning to this Honour partly that he might make the promotion of his young Relations less invidious and disobliging partly that he might be furnished with Friends able to defend his Cause with their Rhetorick and Writings Those who were created were Gasper Contareno Reginald Poole John Bellay Frederick Fregosi to which were afterwards added Sadolet Alexander Bembo Besides Erasmus was also thought on as he himself relates in a Letter of his to a Friend There are extant likewise several Letters of Sadolets to Erasmus in which he tells him in a great many words what a singular esteem the Pope had for him and that he intended to raise him very shortly to the highest Dignity Contareno was of a noble Family and a Senator of Venice a Man of great Reputation for his Learning and was said to be preferr'd to this eminent Station altogether beyond his expectation and when he made no manner of Interest for it THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XII The CONTENTS Pope Paul strictly charges his Commissioners for the Reformation diligently to enquire into the numerous Corruptions of the Church and provide â—ffectual Remedies Erasmus his Colloquies are prohibited The Protestants meet at Brunswick and receive the King of Denmark into their League The Persecution of Lutheranism revived in France The Pope goes on Progress to Nice de Provence Whither the Emperor and the French King also come The French King and several of his Nobility kiss the Pope's Right-foot The French of the Reformed Religion have a Church assigned them at Strasburg The King of England burns Thomas of Canterbury's Bones The Elector of Brandenburg gives the Elector of Saxony notice of the Preparation which the Turks made for a War. The Rise of the Antinomians Eldo's and the Duke of Brunswick's Designs discovered by the Lantgrave's intercepting the Duke's Letters A Convention is held at Frankfort where at last a Conference is decreed in order to an Accommodation which Henry Duke of Brunswick endeavours to prevent and raiseth Forces for hat Purpose George Duke of Saxony a most violent Enemy to the Reformation dies and Henry his Brother succeeds him The King of England publisheth another Paper against the Council appointed at Vicenza and makes several Laws touching Religion An Insurrection at Ghent to suppress which the Emperor takes a Journey thâ—â—her through France The Venetians make a Peace with the Turk who had secret Intelligence what their Senate had decreed touching this Matter I Have already mentioned the Prorogueing of the Council till November which was still delay'd after that Term was expired However that the Pope might keep up the Expectation of the World and seem to do something he had some time since pitched upon a select Number out of the whole Body of his Clergy whom he strictly charged to make a diligent Enquiry into the Abuses of the Church and lay them before him impartially without any manner of Flattery He likewise discharged them from their Oath that they might speak their Minds freely and ordered them to manage the Affair with great Secrecy The Delegates were Jaspar Contarino Peter Theatino James Sadolet Reginald Poole Cardinals Frederick Archbishop of Salerno Hierome Alâ—ander Archbishop of Brindisi John Matthew Bishop of Verona George Vener Abbot and Thomas Master of the Holy Palace These Persons after they had debated the Point among themselves set down their Reformation in Writing and addressing themselves to the Pope they begin with a high Commendation of his Zeal for the promoting of Truth which was not prevalent enough to gain the Ears of several of his Predecessors indeed the Fault was chiefly in their Flatterers who stretched their Prerogative too far and told their Holinesses That they were absolute Lords of all things and might do whatever they pleased From this Fountain it was that so many Disorders flowed in upon the Church which had brought her into that very ill Condition she was in at present Therefore his beginning his Cure in the first Principles and Original of the Distemper was an Argument of great Prudence and Vertue in his Holiness who according to St. Paul's Doctrine Chose rather to be a Minister and Steward than a Lord. And since he was pleased to lay this Task upon them they in obedience to his Commands had according to the best of their Understandings digested the Matter into several distinct Heads relating to himself the Bishops and the Church Now because he bore a double Character being not only Bishop of the Universal Church but a Monarch of divers Towns and Countries they would only consider the Ecclesiastical part of his Jurisdiction for the State was well already and governed very prudently and unexceptionably by him And first May it please your Holiness say they We are of Aristotle's Opinion That the Laws of a Country ought not to be changed upon a slight Occasion and apply his Maxim to the Canons of the Church which ought to be strictly kept up and not dispensed with but when the Case is very weighty and important For there can no greater Mischief happen to the Commonwealth than the weakening the Force and Authority of the Laws which were esteemed Sacred and almost Divine by our Forefathers The next Expedient is That the Pope of Rome who is the Vicar of Christ should refuse to receive Money for the granting any spiritual Privilege by virtue of the Power derived to him from Christ For since all these Advantages were freely bestowed upon him our Saviour expects he should communicate them in the same manner This Foundation of Regularity being once laid there must be a Provision made that your Holiness may be always furnished with a considerable Number of Clergy-men well qualified to take care of the Church Among these the Bishops are the chief But there is a great Miscarriage in this Point for all Persons are admitted into this Order without any Distinction or Difficulty when they have neither Learning nor Probity to recommend them and oftentimes when they are Boys Hence it is that so much Scandal ariseth that such Disrespect and Contempt is shown to Religion We therefore believe it most advisable for your Holiness to appoint in the first place some Persons at Rome to examine those who offer themselves to Holy Orders and then enjoin the Bishops the same Diligence in their respective Diocesses And that you would take care that none should be received without the Approbation of his Triers or Bishop and let those young People who are designed for Church-men have a Master set over them by particular Order that so their Learning and Morals may be fit
pleased to enlighten this Age in a particular manner with the Knowledge of his Gospel they were bound to submit to the Discovery which they did not with an Intention of disobliging him or any other Mortal whatever but only that they might go to Heaven and be made Happy for ever For in all other things they had de facto shown themselves obedient to his Majesty and now their Inclinations are still the same as is evident from the last Treaty at Francfort But about a Year since the Secretary of Henry of Brunswick happening to fall into the Lantgrave's Company near Cassell and being detained by him upon a violent Suspicion was the Occasion of discovering some Mens Intrigues whose Business it is to provoke their own Party to take up Arms by perswading them that the Protestants are preparing to begin with them already Now this Report being brought to his Majesty was without question the reason of his suffering the Counter-League to be made And after their Adversaries had concerted this League they fell to raising of Forces which at last themselves were likewise obliged to do in their own Defence insomuch that a great deal of Danger would have followed if the Secretary had not been taken up by chance and unless the Palsgrave and the Elector of Brandenburg had interposed with singular Integrity and Application And now since the Disloyalty and Odium of this Disturbance is laid upon them without any manner of Ground and that they abundantly justified themselves in Print from such Calumnies as these they conceive if his Majesty had been throughly acquainted with the whole Matter he would not have engaged in this new League which is so much talked of at present Therefore they humbly entreat his Majesty not to give any Credit to those Complaints which have been preferr'd against them and if they happen to be accused of any Misdemeanor for the future that he would please to let them know it that they may answer for themselves They also entreat his Majesty to enquire into the Designs and Actions of Henry Duke of Brunswick and to concern himself so far as to secure them from all such Apprehensions for the future And whereas they are represented as if they were not sollicitous about Religion and a just Reformation this is nothing but Aspersion and Untruth for Religion is the main thing which they appear for neither have they ever refused to referr their Cause to a fair Hearing Of this reasonable Proposal they are able to make good proof particularly it appears from the last Treaty at Francfort and from the Lantgrave's Letter to King Ferdinand after that Diet was ended In this Letter his Imperial Majesty was desired to order a Conference of Learned Men. This request they now humbly renew to his Majesty desiring him not to deal any otherwise with them than with those who are affectionately desirous of Unity and Agreement in Religion and of the Welfare of the Empire and are likewise willing to serve his Majesty in every thing as far as Conscience and Equity will give them leave About Four Years ago his Majesty was pleased to declare when he wrote from Italy that he would not make use of Arms and Violence but of Arguments and Truth to compose the Differences in Religion His Majesty had likewise lately expressed himself to the same Sence in his Letters to the Palsgrave and the Elector of Brandenburg in which he gave his Reasons why he could not then attend to the Affairs of Religion this account was extreamly satisfactory to them and their Prayers to God were That he would fortifie his Majesty in this Resolution Now at the late Diet at Francfort there were a great many things agreed upon and a Truce concluded provided his Majesty approved it within Six Months this he had not been pleas'd to do as yet though the half Year had been expired a great while since and besides the Judges of the Chamber gave Sentence against them in Causes which were purely Spiritual and executed the Proscription of Minden perfectly contrary to his own and King Ferdinand's Order Now how prejudicial this is to the Empire his Majesty is certainly very sensible therefore they beseech him that he would interpose his Authority for otherwise the measures for prosecuting the Turkish War cannot be adjusted nor the Conference of Learned Men begun which hath been so often wished for for in order to the right fettlement of the Government a firm and lasting Peace ratified by all the States of the Empire is absolutely necessary This Undertaking will be both very Honourable for his Majesty who hath already gained the Title of a Pacifick Emperor and also mightily for the Interest of all Germany They had their Audience of the Emperor upon the Twenty-fourth of February at Ghent Granvell being present where his Majesty told them He would take some time to consider and then give them an Answer Much about the same time that the Protestants sent an Ambassy to the Emperor they wrote likewise to the French King acquainting him That for some Years last past his Majesty had declared his good Affection to them both in his Letters and by his Ambassadors and had also a right Notion of a Council namely That Controversies in Religion are not to be determined by Blows and Fighting but by Reason and Truth This his Majesty's Inclination and Sence of things was extreamly satisfactory to them because they saw he was in Love with Equity and resolved to protect it And therefore by way of return they have always to their power endeavoured to show their gratitude and respect which makes them believe that he still continues his kind Intentions and Opinion of them Moreover that Friendship and good Understanding which was now between his Majesty and their Emperor was a blessing they were exceeding glad of and congratulated the good Fortune of Christendom upon several accounts but more especially because they hoped it would be remarkably instrumental in reconciling the Differences in the Church Indeed the Death of the Empress has hitherto prevented his Imperial Majesty from executing the Decree which was made the last Year at Francfort But now since both their Majesties are upon such good Terms they conceive the matter may be easily adjusted if he pleaseth to second the Emperor's Endeavours in it and lendeth as it were his helping hand to the Cause which they earnestly desire he would be pleas'd to do that so the Church may have the advantage of those Expedients which were agreed upon at Francfort They confessed they were fully satisfied concerning the Emperor's Intentions and excellent Temper and had also sent an Ambassy to him of which they hoped to be able to give a good account But their Adversaries are almost always contriving one Design or other to hinder these publick Measures from taking effect for the distrust they have of their Cause makes them that they will not endure to have the Merits of it examined in a
Irksomness of their Condition But that they should always have in their Thoughts what St. Peter and St. Paul wrote of the Duty of Bondmen That however when they make War against Christians they should rather hazard their Lives than serve them for that they were Robbers made War against the Saints as Daniel saith and shed innocent Blood That therefore it should be their chief Care not to be partakers with them in so great a Crime and Wickedness Unto this Discourse he subjoins a Form of Prayer against the Fury of the Turks and towards the end enlarging upon the Vices of the Times which reigned amongst all Ranks and Degrees of Men he concluded that Germany which was so wholly corrupted and defiled could not continue long in Safety Now this is the Form of Prayer which he prescribes O Eternal Father we have indeed deserved to be punished but do thou thy self punish us not in thy Wrath and Displeasure but according to thy great Mercy seeing it is far better for us to fall into thy Hands than into the Hands of Men and Enemies for thy Mercy is infinite and above all thy Works We have sinned against thee O Lord and broken thy Commandements yet thou knowest O Heavenly Father that the Devil the Pope and the Turk have no Right nor Cause to afflict us for we have not wronged them but thou usest them as a Rod to correct us with who have many Ways provoked thee all our Life time They I say have nothing to charge us with but would rather that after their Example we should for ever grievously offend thee that we should sin against thy Divine Majesty by Idolatry and false Doctrine by Lying and Deceiving by theft Robbery and Rapine and by Adultery Fornication and Sorcery That 's the thing they most desire But because we worship thee God the Father and thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord with thy Holy Spirit one God everlasting that is our Crime and Wickedness for which they so hate and persecute us Should we make Defection from thee and renounce this Faith we needed not to expect any Hurt from them Look graciously towards us then O Father and help us for they are more thine Enemies than ours when they smite us they smite thee for the Doctrine we profess is not ours but thine The Devil indeed cannot endure it but would be worshipped in thy place and force Lyes upon us instead of thy Word And the Turk also would place his Mahomet in the room of thy Son Jesus Christ Now if it be a Sin to profess thee Father Son and Holy Ghost to be the only true God then certainly thou art a Sinner who teachest us so to do and requirest this Duty at our Hands And when for this Cause they persecute us they hate and afflict thee Awake then O my God and avenge thy Holy Name which they pollute and profane suffer not this Injury at their Hands who punish us not for our Sins and Trespasses but endeavour to extinguish the Light of thy Word amongst us and to destroy thy Kingdom that thou shouldest not have a People to worship and adore thy Name Now as to the Origin and Growth of the Turks since so many have writen of it it is no purpose to discourse here Their Rise hath been as great as their Beginning was small and the first of their Emperors is reckoned Ottoman who reigned about the Year of our Lord 1300. After him succeeded in order Orchanes Amurath who first crossed the Hellespont and brought an Army into Europe invading Thrace Bajazet Cyriscelebes Moses Mahomet Amurath Mahomet Bajazet Selim Solyman Much about this time Alfonso Davalo Marquess of Pescara whom we mentioned before published a Declaration addressed to the Princes of Germany wherein he Accuses and Blames the French King that in such troublesome Times he should plot and contrive new designs on purpose to frustrate and hinder the honest Endeavours of the Emperor and all the States pretending a very slight and trivial Reason for it to wit the intercepting of Anthony Rink and Caesar Fregoso after whom he had made most diligent Inquiry but could not learn what was become of them This coming to the French King's Knowledge he declared that he had a great Injury done him in that his Ambassadors had been so barbarously used That he had several times complained of it both to the Pope and Emperor and desired Satisfaction but all in vain And that therefore if he should let so unworthy an Act pass it would be to his dishonour and the greatest stain imaginable to his Reputation Afterwards on the Second of May he wrote to the Parliament of Paris to this Effect To the end said he that God may illuminate our Hearts and grant us Constancy in our Faith bring those that go astray if any such be into the right Way of Salvation again and send us Peace by means of Satisfaction for the Injuries we have received by Usurpation of our Right and Violence done to our Ambassadors or if in dispair of Peace there be a necessity of going to War that he may grant us Victory our Will is that Processions be made and Prayers in all Churches and that able Preachers be employed to give the People an account of the Cause hereof Moreover we Charge and Command that if there be any who entertain sinistrous Thoughts of our Faith and Religion and do not promise amendment that they be publickly punished for their Crime Not long after he sent the Duke of Longueville to the Duke of Cleve who having raised Men against the Summer under the Conduct of Martin Van Rossem waited for an opportunity of Action The Pope in the mean time on the First of June calls a Council and by way of preamble gives a large account how he had often before called a Council and last of all suspended its sitting till a more convenient time wherefore he clears himself of all the Blame and professes he could delay no longer though the Affairs of Christendom were still in a doubtful State. So then he appointed it to be held at Trent on the First of November whither he Summoned to appear all Patriarchs Bishops Abbots and others who had Right and Privilege to sit and Vote in Councils He exhorted also the Emperor and French King that they would either come themselves or send Ambassadors and command their Bishops to repair to it But before all others he invited the German Bishops because for their cause and at their desire chiefly all that pains was taken In the Month of July the French King declared War against the Emperor in a very cutting Stile of Language giving his Subjects free Liberty by publick Proclamation to use all manner of Hostilities against him and his Countries both by Sea and Land. Longueville and Van Rossem had a little before made an Incursion into Brabant where they put the People who were unprovided into great Terror
with the Turk quite contrary to your Promise for when two years since Germany gave you Assistance against the King of France you pass'd your Word that so soon as that War were ended you would go in Person with an Army against the Turk but now have you patch'd up a Truce with him to the end only that you might more conventently accomplish what you had designed against us And now in the Diet of Ratisbonne you have put a colour and new face upon the matter having enlarged much upon your Affection and good Intentions towards Germany our common Country and upon the Contumacy of some Persons which you did with a design of dividing us who were Confederated upon the Account of Religion For you are not able to make out against us any Crime of Undutifulness or Disobedience and distrusting your Cause you cited not the Accused to answer before the Diet of the Empire nor indeed did so much as name them Whereas in the mean time by Letters to several Princes and Free Towns you cunningly pretended that the War you designed was not for Religion but for repressing the Contumacy and Stubbornness of some Men Nevertheless that Religion is the thing you strike at it is even apparent from this that you have procured a Council from the Pope wherein none but his Vassals and Creatures have any place Some there were indeed in that Assembly a little more free in their Speech but ways were found out that they should be recalled and turned out and worse Men put into their places It is also well known to all what sort of Decrees they are which the Fathers at Trent have already made in some Sessions It is not then the Council so often promised in the Diets as we declared unto you a year ago at Wormes and what we then alledged we would have now again here repeated That it is your Design also to compel us to approve the Council will easily appear from the Pope's Letters sent lately to the Suitzers wherein he heavily complains of many in Germany who slight the Dignity of the Council and that he says is the reason why he was willing to undertake a War And because you also had resolved for the same reason to try the Effect of your Arms he says that that had happened very luckily for his purpose and that therefore he would employ not only his own but also all the Force and Treasure of the Roman Church Since then the Pope hath discovered that Purpose of yours which you would have cloaked under another Disguise who can any longer doubt but that our Religion is struck at For we indeed are conscious to our selves of no Fact for which we should either refuse a Publick Trial or that we cannot justifie our selves in But it was your Duty to have brought us before the College of the Princes according to ancient Custom and heard our Reasons and Defences Nor did it become you thus to use us to call us to a Diet to propound Publick Affairs to ask our Counsel and Advice and in the mean time to be projecting a War against us For what indeed can be the meaning of this to leave the Turk and turn all the Rage of the War against us as if we were a great deal worse than he But our Hope and Confidence is in God that he will hinder and put a stop to so base an Undertaking For if you and King Ferdinand your Brother entertained any Grudge or Dispeasure against us that was wholly removed at Cadam Vienna Ratisbonne and Spire so that you may gloss and varnish the Matter as you please we are still certain that there is no other Cause for this War but that with the suppression of the true Religion Germany may lose its Liberty You write indeed to several Persons and endeavour to perswade them that you are very desirous the Doctrine of the Gospel should be propagated but the Decisions of the University of Louvaine confirmed by you the Punishments inflicted upon good and pious Men within your Dominions and that Confederacy made with the Roman Antichrist sufficiently declare that it is your intention to restore Popery in its full extent and to extirpate the Religion which we professed at Ausbourg And since it is so and that we made a League to live and die in this Religion and with united Forces to defend it whatsoever Quarrel or Provocation may be by any pretended against any of us it necessarily behoved us to undertake our own Defence which the Law both of God and Nature allows us And although by reason of this your Design against us we are freed from all Obligation unto you so that we needed not to have declared to you our Resolutions in the Matter yet for the greater security we hereby renounce all Allegiance Homage and Duty that we were any ways bound to perform to you not as if thereby we impeached the Rights and Prerogatives of the Empire but rather that we may assert and defend the same Wherefore we openly and solemnly declare That it is our Purpose and Resolution to defend our selves by way of Arms against the Hostilities of you and your Confederates For the Cause is too good and just that we should be afraid of any Danger This Letter they send by a young Gentleman and a Trumpeter as the Custom is to the Emperour in his Camp at Landishut But he was so far from receiving it that upon pain of Death he commands them to carry it back to their Masters adding withal That if any Man should for the future come from them to him in stead of a Present and Gold Chain he should have the Reward of a Halter Then he gave them the Instrument of Proscription above-mentioned and strictly charges them to deliver it to their Princes Before this Letter was sent it was debated what Title was to be given to the Emperour and the Duke of Saxony was of opinion that he was not to be called Emperour for that then it was not lawful to make War against him But the Landgrave was of another mind and both had those that approved them At length they hit upon this Expedient that they should call him The Pretended Emperour Then they consult whither they should march Some were for going streight to Landishut where the Emperour was but when they were told by those who knew the Country That they had Fens to pass where the Ways were so narrow that for a Mile or two a pair of Horses could not go abreast they change their mind and resolve to march to Ratisbonne where the Emperour had left both a Garrison and Artillery for that there they might chuse a convenient Ground to encamp in and if the Emperour came to the Relief of the Besieged they might hazard a Battel Having then removed their Camp they advance but with a very slow March and about the same time to wit the thirteenth of August the Italian or
it pleased him then But when our Saviour Christ Jesus that Sun of Righteousness shone forth dispelling the Mists and Shadows of Legal Ceremonies he would be Adored in all places You introduce then a new Bondage when you insist so much upon one place But seeing Germany is to be healed it is necessary that the Council be kept there What then if the Danes Goths and Britans were sick of the same Diseases Must every one of them have a General Council held within their own Countries No not so and in calling of Councils regard is had not so much to those for whom Laws are made as to them who make and prescribe them which are the Bishops and other Fathers whose convenience is most minded It may be made out by many instances that Councils have been often held without those Provinces where Heresies were broached Would it not be a very unjust thing that the Germans should take upon them to appoint a place for a publick Council wherever they pleased and rob all other Nations of the right and priviledge of election And this is enough to shew and convince you that there was no need of that pert Protestation of yours But now I proceed to the rest The Answer you say which we gave to the Emperour was unlawful full of Lies and grounded neither upon Right nor Reason Modester words would not have been so injurious but because you give no Reasons to back what you say I cannot distinctly answer you Nevertheless it troubles you I doubt that we demand that the Decrees may be ratified that fit security may be given to those who come to the Council that the same order and method of proceeding be observed which from the Age of the Apostles downwards to this very time has been always retained in the Church And lastly that nothing may be wanting in the safe Conduct Now there is nothing new or unreasonable in these Demands and they are matters commonly provided for not only in the Canon but Civil Law. But what you further say That whatsoever damage or inconvenience ensue hereafter the Emperour will impute it to me and at the same time whil'st I am negligent take the care of the Church upon himself Really so far as I am able by the Grace of God I will give no just cause to any Man to think me negligent in the concerns of the Church Nevertheless if it should prove so as all Men are frail I shall not take it ill if my negligence can stir up and put an edge upon the Emperours diligence to succour the Church still provided he keep within the limits you have staked out to him to wit that therein he follow the Rule of Right the Canons of the Church and the consent of the Christian World. Which if he do I make no doubt but that both our Functions though different and distinct will prove profitable to the Church Lastly As to that part of your Protestation where you alledge that the translation of the Council is unlawful because the stress of the Controversie rests there according to the power I am invested with I take upon my self the decision of that Point committing the examination thereof to their Eminencies the Cardinals Parisio Burgos Pool and Crescentio and in the mean time whil'st they are taken up in bringing the Matter to an issue I charge all Men not to attempt any thing to the contrary In like manner I command the Fathers as well those that are at Bolonia as at Trent that if they have any thing to say in this Matter they do it within a Month. And that I may not any way seem to slight the Interests of Germany I shall not refuse to send Legats thither to cure the infirmities of that People when I am satisfied that it will not be ungrateful to the Emperour and them After all if it appear upon tryal that it was not well done to remove the Council to Bolonia I shall by all means take care that it be continued at Trent And in few words I 'll omit nothing that can be done for restoring the ancient Religion of Germany The Cardinal of Trent was before this returned to Ausburg as we said when the Emperour then from his Discourse and Mendoza's Letters dated at Rome about the end of December perceived there was but small hopes of a Council January the Fourteenth he acquaints the States with the whole Affair telling them That he had sent Orders to his Ambassadour Mendoza to protest against the Translation of the Council at Rome that so soon as it is done he will give them a Copy of it to be transcribed and that although all hopes of a Council are not to be laid aside yet because it is like to be delayed somewhat too long it seemed to him very requisite that in the mean time some course should be taken that might contribute to the Peace of Germany that it was true the care of that Matter was committed to him but that he thought it expedient that some few good and Learned Men should be chosen out of the whole Body of the Dyet to manage that Affair That he would also appoint some to consult with them That therefore he required them that they would seriously apply themselves to this and laying aside all prejudices consider how much it concerned the Publick and every Mans private Interest that some Reconciliation were made That they would consider that before that unhappy Dissension Germany was one of the most flourishing Countrys in the World and as a Pattern that attracted the Eyes of all People That they would consider moreover that all the pains and trouble he had taken to get the Council continued at Trent had been to discharge himself of his Duty and to shew the singular Affection he bore to his Country Some Commissioners were therefore chosen to Treat of the Matter but they not agreeing among themselves the whole Cause was referred to the Emperour Wherefore he appointed some Persons to draw up Heads of Doctrine Ceremonies and of the Reformation of the Clergy These were Julius Pflug Bishop of Naumburg Michael Sidonius and John Islebius Agricola who Eighteen years before had with Melancthon and Brentius defended the Confession of the Protestant Doctrine as we mentioned in the Seventh Book They therefore Compile a Book of Doctrines but very secretly and when they had spent much time about it and viewed and reviewed it many times they at length present it to the Emperour Joachim Elector of Brandenburg who was very desirous of a Reconciliation having consulted with James Sturmey wrote to the Senate of Strasburg entreating them that for the sake of Religion they would send Bucer unto him for that the Pope declining the Council the Emperour had taken another course and that therefore there was great hopes of Reformation Bucer is therefore sent who taking his Journey privately about the end of Janaury stopt not far from Ausburg to stay there till the
there present were the Electors of Mentz and Treves for the other Electors had sent their Ambassadours Wolfgang Master of Prussia the Bishop of Wirtzburg Aichstadt Constance Trent Cambray and Mersburgh None of the rest of the Princes appeared except the Duke of Bavaria and at length Henry Duke of Brunswick Upon debating of the matter the greater part were for continuing the Council But Duke Maurice's Representatives declare in their Masters Name that he no otherwise approved it than that all Matters should be reviewed and handled again of new from the very beginning That the Divines of the Augustane Confession should not only be heard but also have Deliberative and Decisive Voices That the Pope should submit to the Council and not preside therein and release the Bishops from their Oaths that they might speak with greater freedom When this Protestation was publickly read the Ambassadour desired it might be entered upon Record as the custom was but it was deny'd by the Archbishop of Mentz who as Chancellor of the Empire had the sole power of doing it and so the Emperour afterward moved the Pope for a Council On the Seventh of August the Cardinal of Ausburg made an invective and bitter Sermon against the Lutherans and a few days after some Spaniards in contempt and derision of the Citizens who were then at a Protestant Sermon played some tricks in the Church so that it was like to have occasioned some great disturbance had not the Burgmaster or chief Magistrate of the City come in in time and with much dexterity appeased and quieted the Tumult About the later end of August Granvell who came lately from Besanson in the French Conte to Ausburg died to the Emperours great grief as it was reported He had succeeded to Cardinal Mercurino Catinario as we mentioned in the Seventh Book and now for the space of twenty years had been chief Minister of State and the only Person in a manner whom the Emperour trusted with his secret Counsels and Designs His Son Anthony Bishop of Arras succeeded to his Place and Office a Man of great Learning who had been already accustomed in his Fathers absence to manage Affairs of State and was very familiar with the Emperour In the mean time Henry Duke of Brunswick besieged the Town of Brunswick a place that upon account of Religion and some other Reasons for many Years he had born a grudge to But after he had harassed and spoiled their Lands by burning and plundering and yet was not able to take the Town at the mediation of some persons the Emperour commanded both to lay down their Arms and plead their Cause before him This happened in the Month of September The Emperour's Army at that time besieged Tripoly in Barbary It was then in the possession of Dragut a famous Pirate who had lately joyned with the Turk and the Emperour's Army was commanded by the Viceroy of Sicily who after he had for some time battered the Town with great Guns being informed that Dragut was coming with fresh Forces to the Relief of the place perceived that there was need of Expedition Therefore September the tenth he made a general Assault both by Sea and Land and so took it by Storm The Knights of Rhodes who fought by Sea did the Emperour good Service that day but the Spaniards who were more numerous and made the Assault by Land got most of the Booty and Plunder Many Prisoners were taken to the number of about eight Thousand who being put on board of Ships were carried to Sicily Sardinia and other places The Situation of the Town is said to be very pleasant because of the neighbouring Fields and Hills covered with Olive and Palm Trees and the fair Springs of Water that are about it They talk of a Country not far from thence that is exceeding fruitful in Corn and yieldeth the Husband-man a plentiful encrease for his labour In this War Cosmo Duke of Florence assisted the Emperour with Forces commanded by Jordano Ursini and Astori Balio But seeing Winter was now approaching and Provisions could not be had the Viceroy leaving there a Garison of Spaniards brings the Army back to Sicily After this Dragut sled to the Turk to Constantinople and there fomented a new War which the Turk undertook not only against the Emperour but King Ferdinand also Upon the Emperour's Command to the Duke and Senate of Brunswick to lay down their Arms both Parties disbanded their Forces But afterwards George Duke of Meckleburg the Son of Albert a Youth who had served under Duke Henry wheadled them all into his Service The Report was that the Clergy of Magdeburg and Dignitaries of the Cathedral Church most of them of Noble Extraction who were enraged against the City had by great Promises and Rewards engaged him to take upon him the conduct of them and their Forces and assist them in taking their Revenge But that they deny'd as shall be said hereafter Their Archbishop John Albert died lately before wherefore they were said to have made over the Dominion and Property of the whole Province if he did subdue it and to have morgaged to him three Castles for his Security So that he began his march through the Country of Halberstadt and came afterwards into the Province of Magdeburg plundering burning and spoiling wherever he past there he surprised the Town of Wansleben which he burnt and razed and having attacked the Castle that stood hard by but in vain and lost some of his men he marched forward doing a great deal of mischief in all places Wherefore when the Country people perceived that their Goods Cattle and all they had were taken from them they beg help from the Senate of Magdeburg offering to expose themselves to any Danger or Cost in their own just Defence The Senate therefore ordered them to Muster and be in Town by a certain day which was the one and twentieth of September at which time a mixed Body of Garison Soldiers Citizens and Boors marched out of Magdeburg with three Troops of Horse Field-pieces and Ammunition and rested that night two miles from the City Next morning before break of day they decamped and marching streight towards the Enemy so soon as they came in view drew up their Men and offered him battel In the Front were the Citizens and Soldiers where the danger was thought to be greatest and after them the rest of the Country rout were posted But the Duke of Meckleburg observing their order suddenly faced about and besetting the Boors in the Reer who were a sort of ill-armed and unexperienced Soldiers he charged them before the rest could face about and come in to their assistance So that they immediately threw down their Arms and ran for it as fast as they could disordering their Companions Ranks and so making way for the Enemy's Victory Most of them were killed at the first
Souldiers and to others when speaking of the Pacification of Passaw you call'd it a betraying of Germany reflecting more particularly upon Me and Plaw the Chancellor of Bohemia my good Friend Nor am I ignorant of what you attempted the last Winter when I was in Hungary to ruine me and my Countries by the Forces of the Earl of Mansfield which then quartered in the Dukedom of Brunswick And after you were reconciled to the Emperor it is well known to those who were present in the Camp how frequently sharply and injuriously and sometimes how threatningly you spoke of me and my Provinces during the Siege of Metz And when that Siege was ended and you were returned home being desired by me in a Letter to acquaint me with the Truth of these things and to let me know how you were affected towards me you proudly replied That you well remembred what you had spoken of me or others and would not deny it and as to your Affections your Answer was such as I could not certainly tell what you meant And after that writing to me from Heidelberg and dissembling my former Enquiry you suggested some things concerning some of the Nobility which I suppose was done that you might bring me to suspect and distrust them But on the other side I took no great notice of these things but advised and perswaded you not to break the Peace and desired you to let me know what I must expect from you But then in your Letters to the Elector of Brandenburg though you spoke with some Moderation of me yet where you mentioned the Pacification of Passaw you did not obscurely hint how you stood affected to me and within a short time after you more plainly declared your Mind for in some of your latter Letters you desired I would recal those Forces which I had in Franconia in the Service of my Allies or otherwise you should have just cause of a War against me And after this you passed through mine and my Brother's Territories when you had not before acquainted us with it which is directly contrary to the ancient and received Custom of Germany You pretend indeed that you did me no Injury in this Passage but I have received other accounts from my Subjects and yet if this were true I should not attribute it so much to your good Disposition towards me as to the necessity of your Affairs It is well known how fast you Marched and how weary your Soldiers were not were you ignorant how easy it was for me in case you had used any Forces against my Country to resist it considering the weariness and weakness of your Men and the nearness of my Forces which were then in Franconia and might in a short time have been recalled no your Intentions were to fall upon me in your Return nor did your Soldiers dissemble it And in your March through Thuringe you Plundered some Villages belonging to Erfurdt which City is under our Protection and this you could not deny in your Letters to me from Brunswick And in your March through my Brothers Territories your Soldiers slew some of his Subjects near Bickling and beat and took Prisoners two Gentlemen who appealed to me Yet all these Injuries could not provoke me to take Arms against you but I rather chose to write to you and to exhort you to Peace which was then to be Treated of at Franckfurt by Mediators desiring also you would inform me how you stood affected towards me and my Allies But then how Injuriously and Passionately you replied may be seen by your Letter for you would neither discover your Intentions as to the one and as to the other you pretended to suspect the Treaty of Franckfurt so that all that I could gather from that Letter was that you were resolved to prosecute the War in Franconia and that I and my Allies were to expect no great Favour from you as occasion served which appeared more clearly in the Treatment those of Erfurt and others received from you For you levied great Sums of Money on the Bishoprick of Halberstad and over and besides you plundered their Colleges in the open Country and damnified them otherwise though you knew that Diocess was put under my Protection by the Emperor You did the same by the Archbishoprick of Magdeburg and you extorted Money also from the Cities of Northausen and Mulhausen which are under my Protection You Prosecuted also Henry Duke of Brunswick with Fire and Sword so soon as ever you knew there was a League between him and me though it was very just and agreeable to the Treaty of Passaw and after the same manner have you Treated all my other Allies which actions are very contrary to the Tenor of your late Letters Now therefore tho' King Ferdinand I and my Allies do earnestly desire to preserve the Peace of Germany and ever since the Treaty of Passaw have made it our greatest Care to keep the Empire in Tranquillity and especially this Part of it which many of the Nobility of Brunswick who are now in your Camp can testifie yet seeing you have brought the War into these Parts and by your Invading my Allies have not obscurely discovered your Intentions toward me and forasmuch as there is a common Fame that you are raising greater Forces under hand and in anothers Name which you can enver maintain except you suffer them to Rob Spoil and commit all manner of Injustice so that not only Franconia but the rest of the Neighbour Provinces are in danger of being ruin'd by you which you have not been able to dissemble neither but have given out Words that your Condition should not be inferiour to that of others for these Causes I say and for that you have left us no other way open of preserving the Peace King Ferdinand I and my Alies being near Neighbours to the Danger are resolved to take up Arms for our defence to the Intent we may repel your Force and unjust Violence offered to us defend our Country and restore the publick Peace For this is not only allowed but commanded by the Laws of Germany and we are also enjoyned by the Supream Authority of the Imperial Chamber to assist and defend our Neighbours in Franconia And although now you are Levying Forces you pretend to do it in the Name of the Emperor and give out that you have his Order for it yet we are certain this is a meer empty Pretence for the Emperor has not discovered his Mind to you only but to us and others also and in a short time you shall have a further Account of it And whereas our Enterprise tends to the Publick Good and therefore we were not strictly obliged to make any Previous Declaration of our Intentions yet lest you should pretend Ignorance we have thought fit to let you know that we are resolved to put a stop to your Lawless and Tyrannical Cruelty as the necessity of Affairs requires we should and we And our Allies
as Honourable Terms as he could get The 28th of July the Articles were Signed the next day there came sixty Ships and 1800 men to the Relief of the place but it was too late so the English that remain'd were sent on Board the Fleet who had the misfortune to carry this Plague with them into England and within one year there died in London only 21530 persons of this Disease There was so much joy in France for the recovery of this small place that the Chancellor of France said openly That now the most malicious must needs confess That the granting Liberty of Conscience had at once delivered France from a most destructive Civil War united the Princes of the Blood Royal and enabled them to recover too what had been seized by their Enemies during the War and that chiefly by the help of the Protestants who before were so dreadful to them whilest they fought for their Religion The Queen to cut off all pretences to the Guardianship of the King by the advice of the Chancellor resolved to have him declared out of his Minority by the Parliament of Roan pursuant to a Constitution of Charles the Fifth King of France made in the year 1373 tho' he had then entered only into the Fourteenth year of his age which was accordingly done the 19th of August when he declared again That he was resolved not to suffer his Edicts to be disputed by his Subjects as had been done during his Minority and especially the last for the peace of Religion which he was resolved to make all his Subjects obey till it was otherwise setled by a Council This Decree met with some opposition from the Parliament of Paris which pretends to be the Supreme Court of that Kingdom and said they ought to have had the honour of declaring the King of Age and no other which was soon over-rul'd The desire I had to prosecute the Affairs of France and the Story of the Council of Trent has kept me from mentioning Scotland and its Affairs so that I am behind hand with that Kingdom two years In the beginning of the year 1562 Mary Queen of the Scots took her Progress towards the North At Sterling she was Petition'd by certain Commissioners of the Church for the Abolishing of the Mass and other Superstitious Rites of the Roman Religion the punishing Blasphemy the contempt of the Word of God the Profanation of the Sacraments the Violation of the Sabbath Adultery Fornication and other like Vices condemn'd by the Word of God but not punishable by the Laws of Scotland That all Suits for Divorce should be remitted to the Judgment of the Church or at least trusted to men of good knowledge and conversation and that Popish Church-men might be excluded from places in the Session and Council This Petition being read by the Queen she replied That she would do nothing to the prejudice of the Religion she professed and that she hoped before a year was expired to have the Mass and Catholick Profession restored through the whole Kingdom And so in a rage turn'd her back and left them In January 1563. John Hamilton Archbishop of St. Andrews was committed to the Castle of Edinburgh for saying and hearing Mass the Abbot also of Corsragnal and Prior of Withern had the same treatment and divers Priests and Monks were censured for the same cause The Scots thought by these Severities to terrifie the Queen into a compliance with their Religion And it is certain that in a Parliament held at Edinburgh in May this year she passed many Acts in favour of the Reformation However certain it is some of the Protestants made her an ill requital For in August following certain of the Queens Family remaining in the Palace of Edinburgh call'd Holy-Rood House and having a Priest to attend them and perform the Romish Service in the Chapel divers of the Inhabitants of Edinburgh out of curiosity or devotion resorting thither great offence was taken at it and the Preacher began to complain of it as a disorder Whereupon some of the Citizens went thither to see if it were so these being denied Admittance they forced the Gates of the Queens Palace took several of those who were there assembled and carried them to prison the Priest and some few others escaping by a Postern or Back-door This Uproar was very great and yet it was related to the best advantage to the Queen who was then out of Town she was very much incensed as she had good reason against these Zealots and swore she would shortly make them Examples of her Royal Indignation The Earls of Murray and Glencarne however wisely interposed and appeased her anger for the present Soon after John Knox was call'd before the Council and charged as the only Author of this Insolent Sedition and likewise for stirring up the people by his Circular Letters to Tumults whenever he thought fit He answered That he was never a Preacher of Rebellion nor loved to stir up Tumults contrariwise he always taught the People to obey their Magistrates and Princes in God. As to the Convocation of the Subjects he had received from the Church a Command to advertise his Brethren when he saw a necessity of their Meeting especially if he saw Religion to be in peril And had often desired to be discharged of that burthen but stil was refused Then speaking to the Queen with wonderful boldness He charged her in the name of Almighty God as she desired to escape his heavy wrath and indignation to forsake that Idolatrous Religion which she profess'd and by her power maintain'd against all the Statues of the Realm He was going on when the Earl of Morton then Chancellor of Scotland fearing the Queen might be yet more exasperated against all the Protestants of her Kingdom by his indiscreet zeal commanded him to hold his peace and go away After this things were carried more peaceably between the Queen and the Church the Earl of Murray making it his business to propound their Petitions to her and to return her Answers to them FINIS A TABLE OF THE Principal Matters Contained in this HISTORY A. ADiaphorists who Pag. 478 481. Adolph Count Schawenburg is made Archbishop of Cologne by the Pope 417. Enters upon the Resignation of the Archbishop 418. His first Mass 457. Makes his publick Entry into Cologne 499. He leaves Trent 543. He makes a League with the House of Burgundy 560. Adrian succeeds Leo X. 50. Sends a Legate to the Diet of Nuremberg 54. And a Breve to Frederick Ibid. Writes a long Letter to the States assembled at Nuremberg 55. And to Private Persons against Luther 56. As also to the Senate of Strasburg Ibid. An account of his Life Ibid. He is chosen Pope 57. Writes to the College of Cardinals Ibid. And to the People of Rome Ibid. Goes to Rome Ibid. His Instructions to the Diet at Nuremberg 58. Desires an Answer to them 60. Dies
an Embassador to the Switzers The Protestants Embassy to the Emperor The Emperor writes to the Protestants Perone is besieged Francis the Dolphin dies A Provincial Council at Cologne Erasmus dies A rising in England The Protestants answer the Emperors Letter The Bull for Reformation of the City of Rome The King of Scotland is married 1537. The Duke of Florence is murther'd The French King complains of the Emperor Cardinal Poole sent Nuncio to the French King. The Ausburghers publish a Book against the Ecclesiasticks A Convention of the Protestants at Smalcalde Eldo his Speech The Confederates Answer to the Emperor's Embassador Eldo his answer to the Protestants The Pope sendeth to Embassador to the Elector of Saxony The Protestants answer to Eldo The Decrees of the Protestants at Smalcalde A Paper containing the Protestants Reasons for their refusal of the Council The Pope prorogeth the Council The King of England publisheth a Paper against the Council which was called by the Pope The Imperialists take St. Paul by storm They besiege Therouenne without effect They carry Quiers by assault Turin is supplied with Provisions Ferdinand his Army beaten by the Turks Edward the Sixth of England is born The reason why the Pope would reconcile the Emperor and French King. Christiana of Denmark returns into Flanders The Gelderlanders rebel A Draught of the Reformation of the Church 1538. The Pope prorogues the Council again Luther writes a Book against the Reformation of the Papists Montmorency made Constable of France The Protestants meet at Brunswick A young Gentleman of Tholouse is burnt at Paris An Enterview of the Emperor and the French King at Aigues Mortes The Pope prorogues the Council Charles Count Egmond dies Erard Bishop of Leige his Death Thomas of Canterbury The Elector of Brandenburg sends an Ambassador to the Elector of Saxony The Answer of the Elector of Saxony and the Lantgrave to the Elector of Brandenburg A Convention at Eysenach The Rise of the Antinomians The Papists Holy League 1539. An Interview between the French King and Mary Regent of Flanders Minden is proscribed by the Chamber The Lantgrave intercepts the Duke of Brunswick's Letters The Duke of Brunswick and the Elector of Saxony write against one another A Diet held at Frankford The Elector of Saxony and the Lantgrave write to the French King. The Death of George Duke of Saxony Luther preaches at Leipsick The Death of Isabella the Empress The King of England publishes another Paper about the Council of Vicenza Luther writes a Book about Councils A Parliament in England The Turk takes Castle-novo An Insurrection at Ghent A Convention at Arnstet The Emperor passeth through France 1540. The Turk makes a Peace with the Venetians The Protestants send Ambassadors to the Emperor The Protestants write to the French King. A Convention at Smalcald The Emperor's Answer to the Protestant Ambassadors Eldo is removed from his Places and retires from Court. Ambassadors sent to Smalcald to mediate a Peace The Protestants answer the Commissioners for Pacification What besides was done in the Assembly of Smalcald The Emperor punishes the Rebels of Ghent The Emperor's Letters to the Duke of Saxony and Lantgrave The Diet of Spire called Saxony and the Lantgrave's Answer to the Emperor Cardinal Farnese's Speech against the Protestants before the Emperor The French King secretly displeased The Duke of Cleve's Alliance with the French King. The Pope's War with those of Perugia The Diet of Haguenaw The French King's Edict against the Lutherans Cromwell Earl of Essex beheaded The King of England having put away Ann of Cleve marries the Lady Catharine Howard The Duke of Brunswick Accuses the Protestants The Acts of the Assembly of Haguenaw King Ferdinand's Proposals to the Protestants The Protestants Answer A Convention appointed to be at Wormes The Decree of Haguenaw Vayvode King of Hungary dies leaving a young Son Stephen Robert Barnes burnt at London Papists and Protestants burnt at the same time William Budey dies A most Hot and Dry Year The French King commands Prayers and Supplications to be made The Emperor confirms the Decree of Haguenaw and exhorts the Protestants to come to the Assembly at Wormes A Diet of the Empire called at Ratisbone Granvell's Speech in the Assembly at Wormes The Son of the Vayvode is put under the Protection of the Turk Ferdinand prepares to Invade Hungary Alaski committed to Prison by Solyman The Speech of the Legate Campeggio in the Assembly of Wormes The Conditions of the Conference at Wormes 1541. The Emperor dissolves the Conference Vergerius's Speech concerning the unity of the Church The Admiral of France condemned Duke Maurice's Marriage with the Lantgrave's Daughter The Diet of Ratisbone Luther's Book against the Duke of Brunswick The first Cause of the Troubles in Germany The Price of the Pall of the Archbishop of Mentz For what end the Indulgences granted The Way and Ceremony of making the Archiepiscopal Pall. Incendiaries hired by the Party of the Duke of Brunswick Who is accused thereof before Emperor The Acts of the Diet at Ratisbone The Protestants Answer to the Emperor's Proposals Persons chosen by the Emperor for the Conference His Exhortation to them The Presidents and Witnesses of the Conference at Ratisbone The Protestants write to the French King and intercede for their Suffering Brethren in Provence The Duke of Cleve's Treaty with the French King. The Marriage of the Duke of Cleve with the Daughter of Navarre The Admiral restored The Constable of France in disgrace The Acts of the Conference at Ratisbone Some of the States who disliked a Reformation procured all to be referred to the Pope's Legate The Protestants Address to the Emperor The Answer of the Pope's Legate His Exhortation to the Bishops The Legate's Speech being given to the Emperor was afterwards communicated to the States The Answer of the Protestant Divines to the Papers of Contarini The Legate's Third Paper to the States The Elector's Answer to the Emperor The Protestants Answer The Opinion of the Catholick Princes The Complaint of the Catholick Cities that they were excluded from the Deliberation of the Princes The Emperor refers the matter of Religion to the Council Eckius's Letter to the Princes Pflug and Gropper justify themselves from his Aspersions Contarini's Letter to the States against a National Council The Princes Answer to the Popes Legate And the Protestants also refute it The Decree of the Diet of Ratisbone A private Grant made by the Emperor to the Protestants Aid promised against the Turks The Emperors complaint against the Duke of Cleve French Ambassador's to the Turk slain A Complaint thereof made by the French King to the Emperor Francis of Lorrain married to the Dowager of Sforza Buda besieged by King Ferdinand Who received a great Overthrow By what means Buda fell into the Hands of the Turks Transilvania given to the Vayvode and his Mother The Emperors Expedition into Barbary His Fleet spoil'd and dispersed by the Storm A Plague in Germany