in vayne nor vntrewlye for God threateneth a punyshemente whiche remayneth dewe vnto you also if you handle not this busines ryghtly he that drowned the whole worlde with a flud he that swallowed vp Sodome with a fyrie shoure the same can easely destroye you also what power someuer you haue But it is to be proued easely that you take the name of God in your doinges falsely Wherfore it is not very harde to coniecture what the ende will be For he disceaueth not that sayed they shoulde dye of the sworde whiche toke vnto them selues the sworde that is which by their boldnes vsurped the aucthritie of correctyng others Where as Paule not withstanding commaundeth all men generally tobey the Magistrate with reuerence and feare What wyl you aunswere vnto this whiche will seme to followe the prescript of gods lawe and yet laye holde on the sworde and resiste the Magistrate whome God hathe ordeyned is not this to take the name of God in vayne But you wyll saye the Magistrate is suche as is vntollerable for they take from vs the doctrine of the Gospell in all other thinges they oppresse vs vnreasonably I admitte it be so yet maye not you therfore styre vp commotions and seditions for it is not euery mans pacte to punishe malefactours but this appertayneth to him only vnto whome is geuen the right and power of the sworde as the Scripture planely teacheth Againe not onely the lawes wrytten but also the lawe of nature printed in mennes myndes sheweth that no man ought to be iudge in his owne cause For we be all faulty and blinded with the loue of oure selues Neither can it be denied but that this tumult and sedition of yours is a priuate reuengement for you take vpō you the determination of matters the iniuries that you thinke are done vnto you you seke to reuēge by your own aucthoriti but the same is against Gods lawe the lawe of nature finally against equitie and iustice And seing it is so you are by no meanes able to defend this fact of yours or if you haue any commaundemēt of God concerning your doinges the same of necessitie must be declared by some notable myracle But it taketh place in you that Christe spake you can see manifestly that is to be rebuked in others but you consider not what wyekednes is in your owne cause The Magistrate doeth naught but you doe muche worse whiche contempnyng Gods commaundement doe entre in to an other mans iurisdiction whiche leaue vnto the Magistrate nothing for what remayneth whan you haue taken a waye his power and authoritie the hygher powers take your goodes or possessions they doe wrong But you take away their iurisdiction in the whiche thynge consisteth all their state both of body and goodes Nowe whether is he more wicked that taketh some parte of your goodes and spareth your lyfe or he that taketh lyfe and goodes also Waye well what is sayde and you shal be founde more wicked But we desyre not their lyfe nor their goodes you wyll saye let hym beleue you that lyst I wyl not Who so taketh awaye the chiefest thyng wyll not be afrayde to take the rest also whiche dependeth vpon the same but let it be as you saye let them enioye their goodes and their lyfe in safitie That whiche you haue done already exceadeth all measure whan you takyng from them all their authoritie wyll be Lordes and Rulers your selues Waye it with youre selues I beseche you in case your enterpryse should be commended and take place there should be no place for iudgement no Magistrate at all eche man myght vse an other as he thought good and what wold followe therof but robbyng and murtherynge one of an other for so sone as one shall thynke hym selfe to haue receyued wrong of another he wyll couet to reuenge hym selfe at his pleasure Whiche if it be amysse and not to be suffered in any man muche lesse should it be permytted to any vnlawfull assemblye or if it maye be suffered it is also to be borne with in all others But what say you if in your assemblye the cause should requyre that euery man woulde pryuatlye auenge his owne cause tell me what woulde you doe Doubtlesse he should be constrayned to stand to the publique iudgement appoynted by you What thyng doth than excuse you that contempne lawes iudgementes and reiecte the Magistrate whom God hym selfe hath appoynted ouer you This lawe wherof we speake nowe is impryuted in all mens hartes and is obserued also of the moste barbarous people for els should ther be a wonderfull confusion in all thynges whiche lawe all beit you did obserue neuer so dilygently yet shoulde you be nothynge better than Turkes or suche other lyke people that knowe not our religion For to be ruled by lawe and Magistrates maketh not a man a good christian for necessitie byndeth them to it maugre their heades Wherfore seing that you do breake this lawe whiche is ingryft in the mynde and common to all men ye are a great deale worse then the Heathen people and farre vnworthy of the name of Christians Whiche tytle because you doe vsurpe to your selues and doe iniury to Goddes name beynge not worthy in deede to be called Turkes for breakyng of the lawe of nature howe shall you stande before the face of Christe what tyme he shal iudge vs al For see therfore agayne and agayne what maner of men your preachers be for I feare lest some blouddy butchers be crept in amonges you whiche perswade you to this in their Sermons to the intēt that they may through your ayde beare Rule and reigne being carclesse for your saluation God cōmaundeth that all vengeaunce be lefte vnto him the scripture teacheth vs to obeye the Magistrate though he be frowarde you ought therfore to be obedient otherwyse you shall Reyse a cōmotion in dede but the same shall lyght in your owne neckes for GOD wil not permytte youre lycencious outrage to be vnpunyshed And whylest you seke your lybertie you shall procure to your selfe the losse of lyfe goodes and soule also For the wrath of GOD is kyndled agaynst you And the deuyll ennemye of almens saluations hath sent into your felloweshyp false teachers followyng therfore my counsell beware and amende in tyme. Nowe wyll I speake of the Christian lawe or the lawe of the gospell For as muche as you chalenge to your selues that surname is mete it shold be tryed and knowen what your lawe is in this behalf And first Christ cōmaundeth vs not to resist harme but when we are stryken on the one cheke to offer also the other and to hym that taketh awaye your coote he byddeth you to delyuer also your cloke he commaundeth vs both to praye and doe for our enemyes And in the same sense are also many other places of Scripture Nowe consyder with me howe this your enterpryse agreeth with Christes commaundement see howe farre youre
we leaue them in the Breres hath Themperour Maxilimilian deserued thus of vs and of the Empire And if those countreis be ouer runne howe longe thinke you shall our libertie continewe We maye not truste their fayre promises for oftentimes couetousnesses and ambition cary awaye men headlonge from doyng theyr dewtie In times paste there were many noble houses in Fraunce Which nowe be but fewe in nombre for the kinge in maner hathe all in his owne handes They say he is a stouce prince the more like to brynge all to a Monarchie but we seke to maintaine this present state of nobilitie he promiseth great aide agaīst the Turke which in dede is a thinge to be wished for that Germany mighte ioyne wyth Fraunce and Italy but first he wil bend his power againste the house of Burgundy and warre vppon Flaunders and Naples and shall we aide him in these enterprises And least any mā should say I prophecied of dreames and doubtfull matters he is now in leuying his armye Forasmuche therfore as we are letted by oure lawes othe and loue of our natiue country I protest and iudge him vnmete to be elected And nowe to the rest of the parties I suppose that some of you thyncke it vnmete that Charles shoulde be chosen because Spaine is so farre of and that through his absence it should not go well with Germany either for the Turkishe warre or for ciuile dissentions Which thinges I do not onlye graunte to be true but also when I consider depelye I am so moued that in maner I quake for feare for I waye this also If the emperour at any time come into Germany in displesure and bring with him the Spaniardes we shal be in daunger to lose our liberty I consider moreouer that it may be that the Spaniards wil hardly at any time restore vnto vs again this dignitie of thempire And if by their force and power they recouer Millan they will kepe it hereafter to them selues So that almost it semeth better to create one of our owne nation that is fit for it after the example of our elders whiche passinge ouer foreine Princes haue chosen an inhabiter of the contrie This wil not I deny but the state of that tyme was thē farre otherwise and the worlde a great deale better But nowe if the Emperour be of small power thinke you that Austriche and other countries will obey him Or if the Frenche kinge warre vpon Charles as without doubte he wyll do eyther in the lowe countrey or in Italie shall he geue them the lokyng on or shal our new Emperour suffer straunge nations to spoile a great parte of the Empire Yea and as the world goeth now a daies it is to be thought that the Princes of Germany contemnynge theyr Emperour will ioyne them selues some with the house of Austriche and some with the Frenchemen When Fridericke the third was Emperour Charles the Duke of Burgundie warred in Germany And Philip Maria Duke of Millan in Italy and no mā did represse them but the same was to our dishonour Moreouer a greater shame whan the Emperour was beseged in Austriche Yea and driuen then oute of his owne countrey by the Hungarians And yet at the same time dyd the lande of Boheme take his parte and so did also my graundefather Albert Marques of Brādēburge the Duke of Saxonie of the same name If it chaunce so thē you see what is like to ensew at these daies when some princes are addicted to others for stipendes I leaue of to speake howe many incidente causes maye chaunce for the whiche the Princes and Cities maye refuse to shewe their obeidience Moreouer now we are like to haue great tumultes troubles for religiō For ther are spronge vp disputations of indulgences the authoritie of the Byshoppe of Rome and of the Ecclesiasticall lawes whiche seme as yet curable but or euer it be longe they will cause a great Ruine and alteration of the Churche For manye do subcribe and myghtye Nations maynteine the cause the Saxons and the Heluetians neither can this mischief be holpen but by a generall counsell And howe shall an Emperour of small power eyther call a counsell or defende the same especially if other kinges be agaynst it there remayneth the Turkish warre the which we must not onely defende but make also to recouer that is lost and restore Grece vnto libertie for the doynge whereof we haue nede of the aide of many and sundry nations which if the Emperour haue but small power and litle authoritie howe shall he gather greate Armies of mē For which causes I iudge it mete to chose some mightie Prince and Charles of Austriche to be preferred before all other Princes of Germanie And if any incommoditie should put you in feare so to do I thinke it is a great deale lesse then that will be which shall ensew in case the gouernement be committed to anye other For he is bothe a Germayne borne and hath many countries holdynge of the Empire and will not see his owne countrey brought in bondage besydes that he shall sweare neither to alienate nor diminish thempire nor to break or infringe our liberties And albeit these be great causes which I haue here mentioned yet should they not moue me one whit vnlesse his towardnes were wel knowen For he loueth Religion Justice and chastitie he hateth all crueltie and hath a good witte which vertues shall euer admonishe him to mainteine the comonwealth They that know him throughly do muche commende him And if we consyder well hys father Philippe and his graundfather Maximilian we can not doubt of him He is of no great age but yet fitte and ripe to gouerne He shall haue his graundefathers counsellours and certeine Princes of Germany chosen for the purpose And whereas I said before that the worst were if he shoulde be longe oute of Germany we shall condition with him for that matter and for asmuche as he hathe greate possessions in Germany it can not be but that some time he will come see them So shall the Turke be driuen out of Hungary and the Frenchemen oute of Italy the Church shal be refourmed and established and many others holpen which thynges when I cōsyder I care the lesse for his absens for his owne naturall courage the loue of his countrey and the verye necessitie of thinges shall prouoke him to come ofte amonge vs. When the Archebyshop had ended his Oration and had exhorted the rest to speake their myndes the others after they had talked a litle together desired the Archebishoppe of Treuers to succede Who for his syngular witte and experience was of muche estimation And he began his tale of a prophete that sayd Maximilian should be the last Germaine Emperour Nowe saieth he me thinketh it is almost comen to passe forasmuche as my Lorde of Mentz who hath spoken many thinges wittely hath gon aboute to perswade vs to commit the gouernement of the Empire to a
vnto the Emperour the men at Armes of Naples to the numbre of fiue hundreth at the leading of Iohn Baptiste Spinello After this the Emperour goeth marching to Hale a towne of Sweuia vnto him lately reconciled Thether came vnto hym Fridericke the Paulsgraue Prince Electour he had ayded the Protestaūtes with foure hondreth horsemen whiche came vnto them at Ingolstad Wherfore he goeth vnto the Emperour and sheweth hym that this was not done to resist him but to fulfyll a league wherby he was bounde to the Duke of Wyrtemberge Themperour taketh him vp sharply accompting how much he had done for him blameth him sore Neuerthelesse he remitteth the offence and warneth him that hereafter he do recompence this fault and errour with a more trusty fidelitie Alitle before the warres whan the Paulsgraue intended to haue set an ordre in his churches he had sent for Paulus Fagius a mā learned and eloquent to come to him from Strasburg to Hedelberg that he might be a guide in the doctrine of the Gospel and shew the way vnto others But in this successe of the Emperour all that was there begonne was quite dasshed A fewe daies after came to him Ambassadours from Ulme who after they had made their submission and craued pardon were reconciled This citie was of chiefest force and authoritie in al Sueuia Wherfore their breaking of frō their felowes was a great matter but they writing their letters to their frēdes at th ende of December signifie how the cause why they so did was that the Emperour was prest to haue beseged their city roūd about and they were vtterly forsaken of their fellowes and sawe no mans helpe that was able to defende them against so great a power Moreouer for that certen of the chiefest of the confederates sued vnto the Emperour priuatly to be reconciled The Emperour condempneth thē in a hondreth thousand crownes and twelue pieces of ordenaunce and put into their citie ten enseignes of fotemen In this meane whyle the Erle of Bure inuadeth the Lantgraues dominion liyng aboue Franckfurt and the towne and castell of Darmestat he wynneth partly by force partly by surendrie he fireth the castell and spareth the people For none defended it but the inhabitauntes and a company taken out of the coūtrey After he passeth by Franckfurt And where as he was out of hope to wynne the same by violence especially that tyme of the yeare and his soldiours in so euyl plyght he sendeth away parte of his army before to passe ouer the Rhyne and willeth them to tary him at Mentz And whan he thought nothing lesse and was now returning home behold they of Franckfurt sending Ambassadours offer to render and say they wil be at commaundement He without any tariyng turneth backward with them and entryng the town with his armie bringeth them in subiectiō to the Emperour And as he was a Gentleman of a plain nature whan the Senate gaue him a supper he iested with them as it is reported for rendryng so lightly and timourously saiyng howe they of Darmstat are worthy to inhabite Franckfurt and they to be remoued and dwell at Darmstat Which towne in comparison of Franckefurte is but a village Howbeit the cause why they did so amonges others was for that they sawe howe Ulme and the Duke of Wirtemberg should be reconciled And again fearing lest the marte should be taken from them for all their welth standeth by the same Neither were thei ignoraunt that they of Mentz and wormes laboured for it to the Emperour either citie for them selues to haue it frō them After sending Ambassadours they are receiued againe into the Emperours fauour paying him foure score thousand crownes Whan the Duke of Saxon was come with his armie to his own frōtiers the .xxii. day of December sending his letters to the states of Duke Maurice where as I made no aunswere sayeth he to your letters bearing date the .xi. daye of October I did it purposely and would tary to se the ende but what hath ben done in the meane tyme it is openly knowen Howbeit by reason of the Cosynage league and amitie that is amonges vs and for my benefites toward your Prince certenly I loked for no suche thing either of him or yet of you Nor I woulde neuer haue thought that euer he would haue vsed me and my people in suche sorte as hs hath done Much lesse that you wold geue him suche counsell as shoulde tende to the destruction of the whole countrey and your owne dommage also But I thinke this tyme semeth vnto you conuenient wherin should be vttered the craftie deuises and counselles of certen of you contriued many yeares since but of God alwayes repressed For consider with your selues what an acte of yours was this whan you counselled Duke George to disherite his brother and hys brothers chyldren because of their contrary Religion and to make the Emperour king Ferdinando his heires vnles they would professe and restore the byshops Religion And where as the wyl and legacie toke no place but the whole inheritaunce was reduced to his brother Henry and the doctrine of the Gospell reteyned that was chiefly wrought through the meanes and industrie of me and my league frendes And albeit that he professing our Religion entred into our league also and wrytynges made of the same and sygned aswell in his owne as also in his sonnes name yet did you for as muche as your fyrste hope was frustrate moue him as much as you might to swarue from this his couenaunt And whan he was departed hys sonnes also followed the steppes of their father vndoubtedly through your counsell And like as that inheritaunce against your willes descended vnto Henry and his sonnes so did also the frendshyp that I had with Henry not a litle greue you full ofte haue assayed that the same might be vntwyned Neyther was your enterpryse altogether frustrate and that which you could not bryng to passe whylest he liued you haue now at the last obteined of his sonnes especially of Maurice of whom I had conceiued in my mynde moste hope of vertue and frendshyp For fiue yeares synce not long after he was made a Magistrate you styred him vp against me whiche had not deserued that at his handes and that in suche wyse as the matter wanted not great daunger And albeit that the tempest was blowē ouer through the mediation of the Lantgraue and a bonde made that no suche thyng should be attempted hereafter but that the matter should be ordered on both parties according to thaunciēt league yet haue you in my absēce perswaded hym his brother Augustus to sease vpō my prouince Which thing assuredly greueth me so muche the more for that he both wryting and receiuing again ryght frendly letters did signifie no suche thinge Againe that he would do nothyng herein at the request of the Lantgraue and his fellowes The calamitie of the innocent people and of my subiectes
iust cause of grief when they being of you clerely destitute ar made subiect to foreine power But herein a great deale more inconuenience shal be when all their goodes lyfe health dignitie shall be at their pleasure the helpe of appealing being taken away For verely appellation is the refuge and sanctuary of innocencie And you are the protectour and defendour both of the appellation and also of innocentes yea besides you no man hath any right ouer the people But and if the lawe and iudgement be nowe committed to the Inquisitours and Byshops officers appellation taken away this were to set open a wyndowe and to make a waye that euen innocentes might be condemned and lose both body and goodes For they being indewed with so great power to witte the kinges ful authoritie will forget their dutie and will kepe no measure what tyme they shall see euery degree to them subiecte and not only common persones but also Noble men Princes to stande in their hande Howbeit yet this meane waye may you take that your iudges shuld heare the cause and geue sentence And if there be any obscure opinion that the same be determined by the clergie Let thē also that be with in orders be iudged of their owne men Concerning appellations let a wrytyng be obteined of the Pope wherby this may be permitted to your iudges And when the matter shall come to this issue that iudgement must be made of suche as haue appealed let there be present certen of your chosen counsellers of the ecclesiasticall order or if suche wante other tried and fit men In the inquisition let this be obserued that the Popes Inquisitour doe substitute and place vnder him in prouinces men of vpright fame and good men that the Byshop doe beare the whole charges and not the defendaunt yet so that the matter being determined the costes be required of whome it behoueth These thinges tende to this ende verely that suche maner of controuersies may be restreyned within certen boundes and limites Notwithstanding for as muche as it appeareth by the punishement of Heretickes al though it be necessary that this hath hitherto bene thereby brought to passe that their facte should be detested rather than that they should be amended Moreouer for bicause it is much better to remedy the disease in time than to geue it space whilest it may increase and after to lay to a medicine it shal be law full for you moste mercifull kyng herein to followe the maner and steppes of the olde primatiue churche For the same was not established either by fyre or sworde but the diligence of the Bishops did euer resiste Heretickes whylest they both preached to them oftentymes Gods worde and shone before them in example of good lyfe Since it was therfore in tymes past by this meane firste confirmed it may nowe by the same also be reteyned and kept so that you would only execute that whiche lieth rather in your power to do This verely that Byshoppes Pastours of shepe should them selues gouerne their churches presently Let also the inferiour ministers do the same Againe that from henceforth suche be made Byshops as are able them selues to teache the people and not to substitute deputies in their steade This is the rote that must be tilled vpon this foūdation must we builde for so may we hope well that heresies wyll by litle and litle vanishe away But in case this waye be neglected it is to be feared least thei wil increase more more what proclamatiōs so euer be finally made or what remedies so euer be vsed This was the .xvi. daye of October when they signified these thinges to the king by Ambassadours letters Then also the Princes that were vmperes for the controuersie of the gouernemēt of Chattes mete againe as was appointed First at Bacherach afterwarde for the sickenes of the Paulsgraue at Wormes The matter in dede was ended and a certen somme of money agreed vpon whiche the Lantgraue shoulde paye to the Erle and abyde styll in possession But where the Erle vnlesse the mony were payd at a certen time would haue this compact to be vaine and his action to remayne to hym whole And the Lantgraue whiche had sent his sonne thither as before reiected this condition they departed the matter not finished In this same moneth the Emperour calleth before him at Brusselles the rulers of all states and speaking of his sicknes sheweth them amongest other thinges that he would goe into Spayne and geueth ouer his gouernement his right and all his power to Philip his sonne and exhorteth them to their dutie These newes were spred abroade ouer al Europe far nere and a nauie was prepared and the day appointed for his iourney at the Ides of Nouember But by litle and litle this brute waxed colde and because wynter was at hande they sayde his nauigation was differred to the next sommer Nowe must we come to the counsell of the Empire of what matters they should treate kyng Ferdinando the fifte daye of February had propounded as is sayde in the ende of the laste booke But where many came very slowly they began not before the nonas of Marche Than at the laste the Ambassadours of the Princes Electours doe consulte of what matter they should first treate And although there were many against it yet doe all consente at the laste to treate fyrste of Religion The same also was thought mete in the Senate of the other Prynces and Cities After muche debatynge they agreed to geue peace to Religion But this thynge came chiefly in controuersie that the Protestauntes woulde haue it lawefull for all men indifferently to followe theyr doctrine But their aduersaries with muche contention did resiste them and sayde that the same was not to be permitted either to the cities that had receiued the decree of Auspurge made seuen yeare before concerning Religion or yet to the whole state of the clergie And yf any Byshoppe or Abbot woulde chaunge hys Religion they woulde haue hym remoued and an other to be substitute in his place Therfore the contention was sharpe and the Protestauntes alledged this cause for their purpose that the promesses of God as well of the olde as of the newe Testament whiche conteine our saluation doe apperteine generally vnto all men And therfore not to be lawfull for them to include the same within any certen limites or brynge them to any restreinte least that they should shutte bothe them selues and others out of the kyngdome of heauen That there is neither Turke nor Iewe of any zeale at all that would not bee glad to bringe all men to his owne Religion Howe muche more than ought we to doe the same whome God hath so earnestly and straightly charged Wherfore they are able to proue that all men in this case oughte to haue libertie graunted them bothe by the holy Scriptures and also by the decrees of the fathers and counselles
same should be longer wanting so many learned men not only of Germany but also of foreine nations instantly requiringe me that I wold gratify them herein There be comming doubtlesse moste greuous commotions and wonderful alterations Which thing also the holy Scripture dothe nether doubtfullye nor daroklye Prognosticate and the present state of thinges doth plainly signify so that such as will applye theyr minde here vnto shall not want matter to wryte of but the same cause that moued me to wryte that is publicke vtility the self same perswadeth me nowe also that some thinges as I haue written and be comprised in these xxvi bookes I shoulde suffer to come abrode into others mens handes And this my labor and all my pains taken I wil dedicate whole vnto you moosie excelient Prince whiche are descended of that noble house and familie whiche fyrsto gaue harborow and refuge to thys Religion whose father did earnestly imbrace the same whose brother for the education of youth in true Religion and learning imploied a wonderful substaunce whose father in law for the self same cause hath a famous name among kinges And for so much as you also walke in these theyr fotesteps to your great commendation this worke which I hope wil profite many I trust will be to you also not vnpleasaunt The liuing God preserue your highnes safe and healthful Geuen the .x. Kalends of April in the yeare of our Lord. 1555. The first Boke ⧠The firste Booke of Sleidans Commentaries concerning the state of Religion and the common wale during the reigne of the Emperour Charles the fyfte The argument of the fyrst Booke THe Pardon 's graunted by Byshop Leo Luther reproueth by preachyng and wryting of proposicions and Letters sent to Tharchbishoppe of Ments the which are fyrst unpugned by Frete Tckell and Eckins and after by Siluester Prier as Hogestrate Upō this the Pope sendeth Cardinal Caietane taduertise Thēperour Maximilian to cite Luther to Rome but Fridericke Duke of Saxon founde the meanes that Luther aunswered Caietane at Auspurge The Cardinal what with threatenynges and what with thalligations of decrees mainteyneth thauthoritie and supremacie of the Pope Luther at his depertynge thence set by an Appellation Caietane solliciteth by letters the Duke of Saxon but in vaine whiche the Pope perceyuing publisheth a new remission of synnes by pardons And to wynne Duke Fridericke sendeth him a goldē Rose In the meane tyme dieth Maximilian and great suite and meane was made taspire vnto thempire whiche in fine Charles of Austriche atchieued and word was sent him into Spaine The golden bulle lawes of Thempire are here recited Erasmus commendeth Luther And at the same time that the disputacion was at Lipsia Zwinglius preached at Zuricke and as Luther had don resisteth a perdoner there one Samson agraye Frere THE Bishoppe of Rome Leo the tenth of that name a Florentine borne after the vsurped auethoritie of his predecessours which he pretēded to haue ouer all Churches had sent forth into al realmes vnder his Bulles of Lead indulgēces pardōs wherein he promysed cleane remissyon of synnes and euerlastynge saluation to all suche as would gyue money for the same for the leuiyng wherof he sent his Collectours into all Prouinces who gathered together and heaped vp great treasures in all places but speciallye in in Germanie And affirmed their doynges to be good bothe in wordes and writyng which pardons the Papistes call by an olde accustomed terme indulgences Grauntyng moreouer for money licences to eate whitmeat and fleshe on daies prohibited The same time was Martin Luther an Augustine Frere and professed diuinitie in the Uniuersitie of Wittemberge who beynge not a little tickled with the preachinges fonde bokes of these collectours for that he sawe howe the simple people beleued the thinges to be true that they bragged of began to admonishe men to be more ware and circumspecte and not to bie their marchaundise so dere For that the same which they bestowed vpon such trifles might be much better emploied This was in the yeare of our lorde a thousande fiue hondreth and seuentene And to thintent he might woorke the thynge to more effect he wrote also to the Archebyshop of Mentz the firste of Nouembre signifying both what they taught and also lamenting that the ignoraunt people should be so far abused as to put the whole trust of their saluation in pardons and to thinke that what wickednes so euer they had committed it should by them be forgeuen And that the soules of them that were tormented in Purgatory so soone as the mony were cast into their boxe should straight wayes flie vp into heauen and fele no more payne he sheweth him how Christ cōmaunded that the Gospell should be taught and that it is the propre office of a Byshop to see that the people be rightly instructed Wherfore he putteth him in remēbraunce of his dutie and prayeth him that for the authoritie whiche he beareth he would eyther put those prattelinge pardoners to silence or els prescribe them a better order in teachinge lest a further inconuenience might growe vpon the same as doubtles there wil doo vnlesse they be inhibited The cause why he wrote vnto him was that for so muche as he was also Byshop of Maydenburg the care of al such matters belonged vnto him And with these letters he sent certen questiōs whiche he had lately set vp at Wittenberg there to be disputed to the nombre of foure score and fiftene In the whiche he reasoneth muche of purgatory of true penaunce of the dutie of charitie and of their indulgences and pardōs at large and inueigheth against their out rageouse preachinges only of a certen desyre to boulte trie out the truth For he prouoked all men to come to that disputation that hadde anye thinge to saye and such as could not be there present he desyred to send their myndes in wrytinge protesting that he would affirme nothing but submitte him selfe and the whole matter to the iudgement of holy churche Neuerthelesse he sayd how he woulde not admitte Thomas of Aquine and suche other lyke writers but so farre foorth as they be consonaunt to holy Scripture and decrees of the auncient fathers To this the byshop aunswered not a woords But shortly after Iohn Tecela Frere Dominick set vp other conclusions at Franckford quite contrary to those of Luthers wherin he extolleth the supremacie of the Byshop of Rome with the frute of his pardōs and other lyke thinges in so muche as he compareth him with Peter the Apostle the crosse whiche he commaundeth to be set vp in churches with the crosse that Christ suffered vpon But where as no man of the cōtrary parte wold repeare to the disputacion at Wittenberge the questions were suche as many were destrous to reade Luther wrote a longe exposition of the same and sent them first to Hierome byshop of Braundenburge and to one Stupice Prouinciall of
do one for another we shoulde also comforte the sicke therfore he which for so many causes was so greatly bouÌ„den vnto him had for his sake gathered this litle boke beyng not otherwise able to comfort him signifiyng that like as in mans body if the head do ake it greueth the rest of the membres taking the same to apperteine priuatly to euery of them so nowe that he lieth sicke the people not with oute iuste cause are all in teares and mournyng For the greatest part of Germany doth depeÌ„de vpon him and reuerence him as their chiefe ornament and refuge Afterwarde he maketh a booke of confession where he teacheth that we ought not to leane to the trust of confessioÌ„ but to the promise of God whiche forgeueth oure sinnes And that firste of all we muste confesse vs vnto God that who so confesseth him muste hate sinne and couet to amend his life That therehersall of euery sinne particularly is not necessary nor possible to be performed with diuers other things and last of vowes wherof he wrote a seueral work afterwardes In an other certaine boke he had said that he thought it expedient if by the authority of the counsel it might be permitted that all men shuld receiue the whole supper or as they vse to speke vnder both kindes Which saying for that it was contrary to the decrees of the last counsel of Laterane did offend many and among others Ihonbishop of Misene who coÌ„maunded to be taught throughoute his dioces that the whole supper was comprised vnder one kinde and condemned Luthers boke whiche thing he vnderstanding maketh answer in such sort that he layeth not the fault thereof in the bishop but in certaine other vnlearned and troublesome persons vnto whome he saith that this wishe of his that such a decre might be made by the counsell deserued no iust reprehension no more then if he had wisshed that by a decree of the counsell it might be lawfull for pristes to haue wiues whiche Pius the seconde Bishoppe of Rome saide and wished Wherefore he oughte not to be blamed for wishyng the same He graunteth this to be a Decree of the counsell of Laterane But yet neuertheles the same to be contrarye to the fyrst and eldest counselles and the aunciente maner of the churche Agayne we dispraise the men of Boheme because they receaue vnder bothe kyndes wheras we kepe vs to the one halfe onely and yet haue they to make for them the institution of Christe and the maner obserued in the churche from the Apostels time til it was now of late daies And we haue nothing to aledge against them but the counsels of Laterane whiche is a lighte and verye weake reason for what maner of couÌ„sel that was it is wel knowen euen laughed at of the Romanes theÌ„ selues And thoughe it were of neuer so greate aucthoritie Yet for as muche as they can not proue the thinge by any reason of more antiquitie it is but a very mockery But concernyng the counsell of Laterane thus it was Iulius the seconde when he was elected Byshoppe promysed by a solemne othe with in two yeares space to holde a generall counsell this was in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundreth and three But whilest he made warre one while against the Frenche kynge another while against the Uenetians and nowe with the duke of Farrare and nowe with others and troubled all Italy Nine Cardinalles departed from him and came to Millan and called a general counsell at the Citie of Pisa the .xix. day of May the yere of our Lorde a thousande fiue hundreth and eleuen to begynne at the kalendes of September folowyng the chiefest of these was Bernardinus Cruceius William of Preneste Fraunces Cossentine wyth whome were annexed the Ambassadours of the Emperor Maximilian and of Lewes the Frenche king which intended by the same counsell to depose him from his bishopprike which he had got by briberye And nowe for as muche as he had broken his othe in that he had bene Bishoppe so many yeres and called no counsel nor pourposed to do they could suffer the christian common weale to be no lenger deluded And because these letters coulde not saufly be conueighed vnto him they set them vp in all his Townes in Italy admonishinge him to appeare there in parson at the daye appoynted Iulius vnderstandynge the matter maketh answere the fyrst of August That what time he was Cardinall he desyred nothing more than a generall counsell whiche is well knowen to kinges and princes to the whole College of Cardinals For euen for this cause was AlexaÌ„der the syxt sore offended with him And that he is still of the same minde also Howe be it that the state of Italy hath of late yeres bene so troublesome and was so lefte by Byshoppe Alexander that there coulde be no counsell called in suche aduersitie of time After he coÌ„futeth their appoyntment for the shortnesse of time and the discommoditie of the place For Pise was a Towne torne and defaced with the warres of former yeres and all the countrie aboute layde waste Neyther that men can safely repayre thither by reason of the warres betwixte the Florentines and them of Seue Moreouer howe they haue none Authoritie to call it and that theyr causes alledged be most vntrewe Wherefore he commaundeth vnder the paine of excommunicatynge that no man obeye them Then called he a Counsell agaynste the nexte yeare to begynne at Rome vpon the ninetenth daye of Aprill in the Churche Laterane Where vnto subscribed one and twentie Cardynalles For this they saye is euer the Byshoppes policie when they are afrayde of a Counsell to appoyncte an other in some place mete for theyr purpose After this he warneth the Cardinalles that were agaynste hym to leaue of theyr enterprise and come to Rome offerynge them pardon but after they would not come he bannished them the xxiiij of Octobre and namely those thre which I spake of as Heretykes scisinatykes and traitours sendynge the copie of theyr prescription to Maximilian and alother kinges And because many Byshoppes of Fraunce had ioyned them selues with these Cardinalles he bannisheth them also vnlesse they forsake them and within a certeine tyme make their pâ—â—gation Againe when the cardinals had diuerse times rised him to the counsell in vaine and had sytten eyght tymes they suspends him from al as well ciuill as Ecclestasticall iurisdiction commaunding all meÌ„ ingenerall that hereafter they obey hym not Thys was in the yeare of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundred and twelue the one twentye of Aprill The same tyme at Pauie was Philippe Decius a Euntian excellently well learned who set forthe a Booke in the defence of the Cardinalles cause againste the Byshoppe of Rome Afterwardes Maximilian forsakyng the Cardinals made a league with Iulius and with Fardinando kinge of Spaine and sent to the Counsell at Rome Mathew Lang Byshoppe of Gurce which at the sametime was
Religion that excepte their Bybles all other Bookes shoulde be burned This was in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fiue hundred and ten Reuchline which was both a lawier and right skilful in the Hebrewe tongue when he had receiued the Archbishoppes letters he wrote againe his mynde and said how the Hebrewes bokes were of three sortes there were Histories Bookes of Phisicke and of Prophecies and these laste to also of dyuers sortes in the whiche albeit there were many fonde and supersticiouse thinges yet are they for this purpose profytable for that they will serue well to confute their Errours and their dotages This his opinion he sente to the Archebyshoppe sealed After that Phefercorne knewe this he made not a lytell a doe but set oute a Booke agaynste him callinge hym the fautoure and defendour of the Iewes Reuchline in the defence of his estimation aunswereth him with another by the which he offended certein vniuersities but especially Collen in the which were then of moste reputation Iames Hogostrate and Arnolde Tōgre who wrot an Inuectiue against him in like case as Phefercorne had done dedicating the same to thēperor Maximiliā And after that they wente to the lawe with him before the Archebyshoppe of Mentz and Hogostrate was plaintife whome Reuchline as his ennemy resused And first aunswered the vlatter by attourney and in fine came him self to Mentz accompanied with diuers gentlemen and other learned men whiche Ulriche Duke of wirtemberge had sent with him but after they had soughte meanes to haue quieted the matter and coulde not he appealeth vnto Rome The Bysshoppe of Rome committeth the hearyng therof to George Palatine Bishop of Spires commaunding that no mā els shoulde medle with all This notwithstandyng they of Colon condēned Reuchlines boke and burned it in the moneth of February in the yere M.D.xiiij This did the Bishoppe of Spires take in maruelous euil part And because the Plaintife beynge called at seuerall tymes as the maner is appered not he geueth sentence with Reucline approuynge his Booke to be good and condemneth this Hogostrate in costes and domage But he to the intent to make this sentence frustrate trauayleth to Rome In the meane time his fellowes at home labored and wrot to Paris and to Lewis the Frenche kinge by the mediation of Erarde Marchiaue Byshoppe of Liege who was at the same tyme greate with Lewis the twelfeth Wherofore the Uniuersitie of Paris after longe debatynge of the matter condempned the booke also as worthye to be burnte and the author to be dryuen to recant and those Hebrews bokes to be brent in like maner as they haue bene in times past This was in Auguste followynge The Duke of Wirtemberge had intreated them by his letters And Reucline him selfe wrote vnto them gentely for that he had bene there studiēt and sent them the Copie of the Sentence pronounced by the Bishoppe of Spires but all was in vaine When this Hogostrate had sued at Rome three yeres and could not preuaile he retourneth home againe as he wente For diuers of the Cardinalles vnto whome Leo committed the hearynge of the matter loued Reuchline intierlye for hys excellente learnynge and amonges others Adrianus that wrote a booke of the Latin tounge He was also commended vnto them by Erasmus of Roterodame whose Epistles in hys behalfe do yet remaine Before the menne of Louaine hadde publyshed theyr sentence of Luther they tooke theyr aduise of Adriane Cardinall of Derthuse in Spayne a Hollander borne and brought vp amonges them at Louaine by whome they were boldned to do it Wherefore when Luther had so manye and so greate ennomyes he wrote an Epistle to the newlye created Emperoure Charles the fifte and fyrste crauynge pardone that beinge a manne of so lowe degree he shoulde attempt to write to so highe a Prince he saithe the matter is weightye that causeth him to doe it and altogether suche as appertaineth to the glory of Christ signifying how he had written certaine bokes whiche had procured him the displeasure of manye through no desert of his for he was broughte into this contention by his aduersaries agaiust his wikhe had muche rather haue setten still but this hath bene his chief and only studye that the pure doctrine of the go spell might appere against the false traditions of men and that many good and excellent learned men can beare witnes of the same And this to be the cause of all the hatred disdaine reproches pearils and displesures that he hath bene in these thre yeres that he had done as much as lay in him that the matter might be taken vp But the oftner that he sought quietnes the more were his aduersaries offended and where he hath oftentimes required them to shew him wherin he had erred and to teach better thinges hitherto they haue aunswered in maner nothing but by railing wordes and cruell iniuries sekinge only how to quench both him and the doctrine of the Gospell For the which causes he is now constrained to vse the last remedy and after the ensamples of Athanasius to flie vnto him for succour besechynge him to take vpon him the tuition of the christian doctrine and to defende him againste all violence and iniurie till the matter be further knowen that he will desyre no defence in case he be proued to maynteyne an euill cause but desyreth onely that the thing may be tried and knowen and nothing to be determined before That this apperteineth to his office and for this cause hath he this highe power geuen him of God to minister Iustice and to mainteine right and equitie And to defende the pore and weake agaynst the iniuries of the stronger In like effect he writeth after that to all the states of the Empire reciting in fewe wordes howe vnwillynge he was to fall into this contention howe desyrous he hathe bene to haue it taken vp what conditions he hath offered and yet doeth the same Not longe after he writeth to the Archebishop of Mentz Cardinall with greate submission beynge sory as he saieth that he is complained vpon to him by suche as were wont to praise his doinges But he admonisheth him to gyue no credit to talebearers and to beware of Flatterers by the example of kynge Dauid disceaued by the flatteter Siba that he would set a part all sinistrall suspicion of him and of his workes vntill suche time as he had leasure to reade them him selfe for there were two kindes of men that condemned his writinge one was of them that neuer red them another of suche as read them in dede but with a malicious minde these did depraue his doynges wherin if any man coulde fynde any errour and teache him that were better he woulde be glad to folowe it and hathe oftentymes so protested And for asmuche as he trusted well in his great humanitie and was borne and brought vp in the same prouince that he hath cure of he coulde not but write thus vnto hym The
Lordes Supper vnto whome it shall be gyuen from aboue Furthermore that Colledges were fyrst instituted not for Masses but that youth myght there be vertuousely brought vp in learnynge And the landes gyuen to fynde some to teach and some to learne and the reste to the vse of the pore And this vse to haue continewed in maner to the time of Barnarde But aboute foure hundreth yeares syns this Marchaundise of Masses began whiche is vtterly to be taken awaye And albeit the originall thereof were yet more auncient yet is not so great a wickednes to be suffered And in case any busynes shold come therof the same ought not to be ascribed to the doctrine but to the wickednes of them which for their owne lucre will impugne the truthe against their conscience And that we ought not to regard such inconueniences but to procede constantlye what trouble so euer shall come therof for all these thinges were shewed before of Christ Thys yeare Themperours brother Farnando Archduke of Austriche marieth the lady Anne sister to Lewes the kinge of Hongary Emonges so many aduersaries as Luther had Henry the eyghte Kynge of Englande wrote soore agaynst him And fyrst he confuteth his iudgement touching Indulgences and defendeth the Bishops authoritie After he reproueth all his disputations concerning the Sacramentes of the Churche taking the occasion of writing out of his boke intitiled of the captiuitie of Babylon Whan Luther knewe therof he answered most vehemently shewynge that in the defence of this cause he did not one whit respecte the highnes or dignitie of any parson For this cause the Bishop Leo gaue the kynge an honorable title callyng him the defendour of the faith Howe kynge Charles was chosen Emperour it is here to fore declared And wheras euer syns certen priuate dyspleasures did growe betwixte hym and the Frenche kynge it brake out into warres But fyrst in the borders of Spaine and of Flaunders The same tyme the Frenchmen kept Parma and Placence in Italy which the Bishoppe Leo was right sory for And when they had also of late attēpted Rhegium he vtterly forsoke them and entred into league with the Emperour wherof the chief condicions were these That the dignitie of the Churche of Rome should be defended that suche Townes as the Frenchemen of late had taken from him should be recouered that Frances Sfortia that time a banished man should be restored to his fathers seat and to the dukedome of Millan Thus ioyning their powers together they recouered of the frenchmen Parma and Placence and by force toke the citye of Millan and droue the French king out of Lumbardy which he had kept in quiet possession fullye .vi. yeares and afterwardes restored Sfortia by the conduit of prosper Columne Fernando Daualle marques of Piscare And not lōg after these newes wer brought Leo departed not without the suspicion of poysening He was sōne vnto Laurens Medices and had to his great grandfather Cosmus that was that great honor of that house Leo was made Cardinall when he was but .xiii. yeares old he liued not past seuen and forty his successor was Adriane the sixt a Hollāder who had bene tutor to the emperour About the same time Soliman lately created Emperour of Turkes moued warre vpon Lewes king of Boheme and Hungary which had maried the Lady Marye themperours sister and besides many other townes and Castels he tooke Belgrade the chief fortresse of Hungary and placed therin a garrison Whilest Cesar maketh his abode in Flaunders and Germany greate seditions arose in Spaine Wherfore to the intent he might remedye the thing in time hauing first appoynted a coūsel to minister the law and to see to the affaires of thempire he saileth againe into Spaine But before he toke his iorney the states of Thempire were all readye assembled at Norinberge concerninge diuers matters but chieflye the Turkyshe warre And Cesar sending forth his proclamation at the later ende of Marche warneth chiefly all ecclesiasticall parsons to pray and make theyr supplications vnto God Afterwardes the fyrste of Maye was aide graunted to kynge Lewes Themperour in his retourne goeth agayne to see the kynge of Englande whom to haue his assured frende agaynst the Frenche kynge he promyseth to geue hym yerely a hundreth and three and thyrtie thousande Duckates For so muche did the Frenchkynge paye yearely to the kynge of Englande and to his syster Mary the French quene Wherfore vnlesse he mighte be saued harmeles he would attempt nothing against him This treatie was made the thirtene day of Iune in the Castell of Wyndsore .xx. myles from Lōdon And for a more entiere loue and frendship it was agreed that the Emperour shoulde take to wyfe the lady Mary the kynges daughter by his aunte Quene Kataryne and marry her whē time should serue for she was then but seuen yeares of age Whethersoeuer brake of to pay to the other foure hundred thousande crownes The Frenche kynge bendeth all his force towardes Italy to recouer that he had lost you haue heard before of Zuinglius and now Hugh Byshoppe of Constance within whose prouince Zuricke is aduertised the Senate what complaintes he heard of Zuinglius and what a kynde of newe doctrine he had broughte in he defendeth hys cause before the Senate whome he satisfied After the Byshoppe wrote his letters to the College of Canons wherof Zuinglius was one speakyng muche of new doctours that troubled the Churche he exhorteth them to take hede and beware of them And for so muche as Leo the Bishop of Rome and the Emperour also haue by most streigth proclamations condemned thys doctrine he warneth them that they obey the same and neyther alter nor chaunge any thinge till they that haue Authoritie should decree some thinge by a generall counsell this was in the moneth of Maye When this Epistle was read in the Colledge Zuinglius whome it concerned wryteth agayne to the Byshop that he vnderstondeth right well by whose motiou he doeth this He admonisheth him not to folow theyr counsell for the trueth is inuincible and can not be resysted Afterwardes with a longer letter he answereth those whiche styrred vp the Bishoppe to write Then Zuinglius and certein others intreate the Bishop by their letters that he would not hynder the doctrine of the Gospell nor suffer any longer that filthy and sklaunderous life of pristes but permitte them to marrye And of the same effecte he writeth to all the Heluetians admonishyng thē not to stop the course of the trewe doctrine nor to worke any displeasure agaynste maryed priestes for of the single life the Deuill him selfe was author In many of theyr Townes it is the maner that whan they receyue a newe minister of the churche they bidde him take a Leman lest he attempt to defyle honest women whiche custome althoughe it be laughed at of many yet was it wittelye diuised as the tyme serued and in so greate darkenes of doctrine
eschewe the present daunger that hangeth ouer their owne heades Furthermore if there be any that say howe Luther was condemned before his matter was heard or that it were reason the thing shold be debated before he were executed they thinke not well for Christ hath taught vs the rule of faith Religion whose authoritie we must folowe and not reason of the articles of our faith nor inquire the cause of this or that precept He is in dede to be hearde when he is examined whether he spake this thinge or that in hys sermon whether he setforth this boke or that but touching faith and the Sacramentes we may not permit him to reason or defend those thinges whiche he hathe written thereof for in this we muste folowe the vse and custome of the Church and in no wise swarue from the same Againe sith hys doctrine is suche as hath bene heretofore condemned by generall counsels there is none accompt to be made therof Moreouer there should be no ende of cōtention if it might be lawfull for euery priuate man to call in question those thinges which wittie and great learned men haue with muche deliberation established wheresoeuer is any assēblie or felowship of mē there be certein lawes which all they are bounden to obserue howe muche more oughte the same to be done what time anye thynge is openlye establisshed in the churche But seyng these men do not onely contempne the lawes and decrees of counsels and auncient fathers but also burne them they ought suerly to be punished as breakers of the common peace quietnes Neuertheles he confesseth howe that God which is the reuenger of all wronge doeth thus plage his churche for the synnes of the ministers therof as the Scripture saieth The iniquitie of the people procedeth from the priestes and elders for certenlye saieth he they haue synned at Rome these many yeres full greuously by sundry wayes euen from the highe Bishoppe to the lowest Ecclestasticall parson and not one to be excused for the which cause callynge mekely to God for pardon He wyll endeuour to redresse the thing and see that the court of Rome which perchaunce hath bene the occasion of all this mischief be fyrst sharpely refourmed And that as it hathe bene the example of vice so it may be the begynning of amendement and Patron of vertu which he saieth he must do by lytell and litell for that al sodayne mutations be daungerous and as the common prouerbe is He that bloweth his nose ouermuche shall wringe out bloude This writing dyd Luther translate in to the vulgare toungue and set to his notes in the margente and where he sayeth by lytell and lytell Luther affyrmeth that to be the space of many mens liues But in that he so frankely bewrayed the vicious lyuyng of the court at Rome he gote no great loue of the Cardinals as it is reported Neuertheles this they say is euer the bishop of romes policie when he wil deferre the coūsel or delay the hearynge of the matter he will promise largely that whilest men trust vpon his promyse he maye fynde the meanes what by the fauoure of Princes and what by force of Armes to mainteine hys power dignitie which is like to fall in some daunger by fyre and generall counsels Whilest the Byshoppes Ambassador declared thus the Princes complained that the leagues which they had made in times past with Byshoppes of Rome were broken there diuerse wayes Whereof the Byshoppe beyng certifyed by the letters of his Ambassadour answereth them by the same that suche thynges as his predecessours dyd it lieth not in him to helpe but he misliked the handelyng of the matters at Rome when he was but a priuate man and purposed no lesse but to refourme the same thoughe no man had spoken therin and to suffer no man to susteine any wronge muche lesse them whom for the common countrey sake he coueteth chiefly to gratifie And where they desyre that their actions commenced might be retourned in to Germany so soone as the Iudges and aduocates whiche are fled oute of Rome for the Plage shall retourne he will inquire of the case and do therin that which shall seme resonable He commaunded moreouer his Ambassadour to require an aunswere of the Princes what in theyr opinion were the best way to destroy this pestiferous secte that he maye vnderstande in time what shall be his part to do therin These thinges beyng declared to the counsel the Princes and other states make aunswere Fyrste in recityng briefly his demaundes they say they are ryght glad that it hath pleased God to place him in the gouernement of the church which in this perilous time had nede of such a Pastour who beareth suche a zeale to the common wealthe and taketh suche paynes to set kynges at quietnes and emploieth hys treasure to the repressing of the Turkes violence whiche thynges they reioyse to heare of for by these ciuill warres thempire is decaied and the Turkes power increased where no man prepareth any Armye to resist him Here be the Ambassadours of the kyng and Princes of Hungary which not without great lamentation haue recited what cruell thinges they haue suffered and what daunger they stande in dayely Wherfore they desyre him which is the father Pastour of all others that he will perseuer in this most holy purpose and trauaile that eyther a suer peace or els a long treuce may be taken that in the meane time they may make preparation to withstande the Turkes violence and recouer the countreis of the Empire which are loste Whereunto they promise their aide bothe of men and money As concernyng Luther if any displeasure be growen in Germany by the meanes of his doctrine they are right hartely sory therefore as it becommeth them no lesse and desyre also to remedy the euyll knowyng it to be theyr duetie to obey both him and themperour nother wil they degenerat from their progenitours herein where he complaineth that he is not already punished according to the Emperours decree it is vpon no lyght consyderation omitted for all degrees do complayne most heinously of the courte of Rome And in maner al men are so wel instructed by the preachinges and bokes of Luther that in case the decree should be put in execution it would doubtles styre vp great sedition and many would so coustre it to be done for this intent that the trueth should be oppressed and the lyght of the Ghospell extinguisshed for the mayntenaunce of suche open crymes as were not to be borne withall which perswasion most certeinly would styrre vp a rebellion of the people against the Magistrates for it tan not be denied and he himselfe graunteth also that they lyue dissolutely vitiously at Rome to the great decay of Religion Wherefore in that he dyssembleth nothing nor clooketh the disorder of the court at Rome but promyseth a reformation it deseruith muche praise especially if he performe
shoote al at this marke to haue all equalle and of one state and condition whiche is fonde and absurde For this ciuile lyfe and gouernment of the publyque wealth can not endure vnlesse there be a difference of persones that theremaye be some free and some bounde some to rule and some to obeye The rest concerning wylde beates wooddes waters pastures paymentes of money and suche other lyke I leaue to be disputed of Lawyers for they touche not my dutie whiche is to instructe the myndes of men in Godlynesse And nowe ye men and brethren this is my mynde and counsell whiche you desyred to knowe Nowe shall it be your partes for as muche as you saye ye wyll obeye the Testimonies of Scrypture to hearken vnto the same And not by and by so soone as it shall comme to your handes to make an outcrye as though I flattered the Magistrates and taught you not ryghtly but ponder the whole matter and waye all my reasons dylygentlye For certenly the cause is your owne And aboue althinges be ware of those preachers that pricke you forwarde I knowe that sorte of men ryght well they leade you head longe into daungers that they myght get preferment and ryches through your peryll The cause why Luther doeth so muche caste in their tethe the false tytle that they bragged of was this for that in all their lettres that they wrote to prouoke and allure others to their felloweshyppe they made their boaste that they toke armure vppon them for Gods commaundement and for a certen loue and zeale to the common wealth to the intent the doctrine of the Gospell myght be set forth augmented and mayntayned that truthe equitie and honest lyuyng myght reingne and floryshe and that they myght so prouyde for thē and theirs that hereafter they be not oppressed with any violence and whan thei had thus at fewe woordes declared the cause of their enterpryse they woulde than commaunde their neighbours by and by to put on Armure and come vnto them immediatly and helpe them if not than would they threaten to come vpon them withall their power What tyme Luter had thus aunswered the commotioners admonyshyng also the Princes and the nobilitie by wrytynge sayeth vnto them All the trouble and busynes that is at this daye is altogether longe of you chieflye that beareth the Tytle of the Churche whiche cease not yet at this daye for all my preachynge to persecute the doctrine of the Gospel and that again your conscience secondarely you that are Prynces and cyuyl Magistrates beyng wholly addicted to exacte and gather vp money you care not by what meanes so that the poore people are no longer hable to beare the burthen and al to mainteyne your ryot pryde and voluptuousnes Wherfore there hangeth assuredly a wounderfull daunger ouer you as a sworde dependynge ouer your neckes by a twhyne threde And yet are you in the meane tyme so carelesse as though no man were hable to displace you but this securitie wyll doubtles hurte you one daye for God powreth out some tyme his indignation vpon Prynces as it is read in the Psalmes I haue oftentymes admonyshed you to beware therof but no warning wyll serue Wherfore Gods whrath wil fall upō your heads vnlesse you amende your lyues The signes and wounders that are seene in all places doe pretende no good We maye easely coniecture that Gods anger boyleth against vs for that he permitteth false doctours to be so muche estemed amongst vs to the intent we beinge lead by them into errours and darkenes myght be plaged worthely Moreouer this rebellion of the people whiche wyll vtterlly destroye Germany vnlesse God moued with our Prayers send some remedy And your gouernment is at this daye after suche a sorte that men neyther can nor wyl nother ought in dede to suffer it any longer You must be cleane altered and gyue place vnto Goddes worde And if the people bryng it not to passe at this tyme others shal succede for albeit you kyl vp these yet God wil reise new which worketh this warreth against you and seketh to plage your wickednes Dyuers of you haue made your boaste that you would spende al the goodes and lādes you haue vpon condicion that Luthers doctrine myght cleane be taken away And what is not the thing brought no we to the effect God forbydde I should ieste in these weyghty matters The Iewes in tymes paste sayde how they had no kyng but at the last the state of their common wealth came vnto that passe that they want a kyng for euer for many of you not content with your former faultes woorke a newe iniury to the Gospell affirmyng that all this hurly burlye is the fruicte that spryngeth of my doctrine Well go to rayle on styll hardely you wyll not knowe what my doctrine is nor vnderstand the voyce of the Gospell whiche is the signe of an obstinate and a malicious minde I haue euer from the beginnyng taught quietly and haue abhorred all sedicion I haue earnestly exhorteth the people to be obediēt to the hygher powers nay rather I haue admonyshed thē to beare with your Tyranny and wicked gouernment And hereof you your selues can beare witnes Therfore hath not this sedition proceaded of me but those bloudy Prophetes no lesse ennemies to me than to you haue brought in this mischief seducing the people haue ben about this thre yeares and more and no man hath resisted them so muche as I alone If god hath now for your synne permitted sathā by those bluddy prophets to styrre vp the rage and fury of the people against you and that it shall not lye in me to let or appease the storme say I pray you what faulte can be layde in me or the Gospell whan this doctrine whiche I professe hath not only borne with your crueltie hitherto but also prayed vnto God for you hath commended your authoritie and state to the people and maynteined the same with high commendacion But and if I coueted nowe to auenge the iniuries that you haue done me I myght laughe in my slyue and be a loker on this cruel tragedy or assist the furious people and as the common saiyng is increase the flamme with oyle and be as sharpe nayle in the sore wherfore noble Princes I require you earnestly that you despyse not myne admonition nor set lyght by this same sediton Not for that I feare left they shoulde be able to destroye you for I would not you should dreade that but that the Ire of God should be be fearfull vnto you For if he intede to plage you worthely whiche thynge I feare you shall not escape the daunger although the power of your ennemies be neuer so small Therfore if any place as yet remayne for counsell I pray you gyue place vnto fury and appease this matter wittely And for so much as the end is vncerten and Gods wyll vnknowen it shall be mete for you firste to trie
into his handes The Frenche kyng whiche was retourned home leauing his children for pledges in Spayne sayde the conditiōs of peace were vnreasonable Wherfore sendyng Ambassadours to and fro the byshop of Rome and the Uenetians enter into league with hym the effect wherof is this That for the defence and quietnes of Italy they shall fynde an armye of .xxx. thousand fotemen of men at armes and lyghthorse men syxe thousande They shall also prouide an Nauie of two and thirtye galleys with Shippes of bourthen that what tyme they shall haue vanquyshed the enemy in Lumbardye and Italye they shall muade the kingdome of Nayles both by sea and lande which beyng ones wōne to remayne in the power of the churche of Rome yet so as .lxxv. thousande duckates be payde yerely to the Frenche kyng which claymeth a tytle in it That the dignitie of the house of medicees be maynteyned in the citie of Florence The Frenche kyng leaueth the Duckdome of Myllan to Fraunces Sfortia whome the Emperours men besegyng in the Castell of Millan constrayned to rendre and promiseth him his owne ayde and the Swycers to helpe hym also a wyfe in Fraunce of the bloud royall yet vpon this condition that he shal paye vnto him therfore yeare fyfty thousande crownes and fynde his brother Maximilian whiche is prysoner in Fraunce After this the byshop of Rome wrytyng his letters to the Emperour recyteth his benofites towards hym what goodly offers he refused at the Frenche kynges handes for his sake howe that when the kynge was taken he gaue a hondreth thousande Duckates to his captaynes vpon certayne conditiōs that he hath vttered vnto hym oftentymes the coūsels of his enemies that what time his men dyd besege Frances Sfortia in the Castel of Millan and certen men of great power moued hym to ioyne in league against hym he would not heare them For all the whiche thynges he is full euyll recompensed For his souldiours haue wrought suche iniuries shame and mysery to hym and the churche of Rome as hathe not bene hearde moreouer that neyther the condicions are fulfylled nor his money restored how it appeareth what good wyll he beareth hym whiche woulde not make hym prinie vpon what conditions he concluded with the Frenche kynge that he vtterly reiected his suite intercession made for Sfortia howe he sent the Duke of Burbon frō the siege at Marseilles to reyse vp a newe kynde of warre in Italye for the whiche causes he is of necessitie constrayned to make a league with suche as loue the quiet and wealth of Italy Wherfore if he wyl also be content to embrace peace well and good if not he shal not wāt force and power to defende Italy and the common wealth of Rome In this league was comprysed the kyng of England and with great promyses was desyred to be the protectour therof Unto this epystle Cesar aunsweryng at Granato the .xviii. of September reaccompteth his desertes and benefites done vnto hym Howe that by his sute and meanes he was made byshop of Rome howe before that tyme he gaue hym an yerely pension of ten thousande duckates out of the reuenewes of the Archebyshop of Toledo when he was legate to byshop Leo notwithstandyng that he had conspyred against hym with Albert prince of Carpes to haue dispossessed hym of Naples and Sicily When the Frenche men were dryuen out of Italy by the conducte of Bourbon he could not deny him but that he myght warre in Fraūce or els where to recouer of the Frenche kyng his owne he graunteth the kyngdome of Naples to be holden of hym not withstandynge in case sayeth he you should make any warre there you shoulde thereby lose all your right and tytle for euen for the same causes that the Cliente loseth the benefite graunted for the selfe same also doth the Patrone lose his prerogatiue Before the kyng was taken you entreated of a peace but it was to the intent you might haue inioyed the Dukedome of Millan And therfore the Uenetians and Florentines withdrewe their ayde through your motion from my captaynes against their league For the Frenche kyng confesseth openly howe throughe your prouocation he entred into a newe league before he went out of Spayne And I knowe by certayne reporte that you haue dispensed with him for his othe wherby he is bounden to me Furthermore you haue moued warre before the letters wherein it was proclaymed were vnto me deliuered seking not only to dryue me out of all Italy but also to depose me from the dignitie of the Empyre For all this am I able to proue by the letters of Ferdinando Daualle Marques of Pistare whome you would haue entysed in to your league promising hym the kyngdome of Naples I haue tytle to Millan by mo wayes than one yet for the quiet of Italye I suffered Sfortia to enioye it And whan he was greuously syck I would haue placed in his steade the Duke of Bourbon for that I sawe it pleased you well and dyuers others in Italy And the cause why Sfortia was besieged in the Castel of Millan was that he had committed treason against me by ioynyng in league with you wherof beyng detected he would not delyuer to my captaynes the Castelles of Cremone and Millan neyther make his pourgation nor come to any talke in the matter Your request was that I should forgyue hym altogether whiche I neyther coulde nor in deede ought to doe lest by an euyll example I shoulde gyue an occasiō vnto Clientes to offende against their patrones Touchyng the peace concluded with the Frenche kyng I kept nothing secret from your Ambassadours for the condicions be suche as I would not haue concealed for they tende to a publique peace and to the resistaūce of Christes ennemies But se the vnworthines of that thing Ther commeth more money yearely to Rome out of my Realmes and prouinces than doth from all other nations That is to be proued by the requestes of the Prynces of Germany what tyme they complaynyng greuously of the court of Rome desyred a reformation Whose cōplaint at that tyme I neglected for the zeale I bare to the churche of Rome Whiche thynge considered and for as muche as I haue geuen you none occasion of offence I do instantly requyre you to lay down your armies And I wyll doe lykewyse And seynge we are bothe appoynted of God as two great lyghtes let vs endeuour our selues so as the whole worlde maye be lyghtened through vs and not that by reason of dissention there should aryse an Eclypse Let vs regarde the publique weale and attempt to dryue out the Turkes to quenche the secte and errours of Luther For this appertayneth vnto Gods glorye and hereof ought we to begynne and after to debate other controuersies you shall haue me ready vnto all these thynges which if I can not obtaine but that you wil nedes perseuer to play the man of warre I do proteste here that I
be first heard to make their purgatiō especially seyng they make alwayes offer that if they maye be more ryght instructed by the scriptures they wil do nothyng obstinatly or against their dewty Wherfore they desyre hym to accepte thē in to his defence and protection and as shortly as may be to aunswer them mercyfully and louyngly by wrytyng And because the whole matter can not be declared by mouthe as he hath also commaunded therfore haue they comprehended in wrytyng what thynge so euer is nedefull for the further knowledge of the matter whiche they delyuer vnto him the Emperour aunswereth them by an interpretour that he hath heard what their sute is and lyketh well also the obsequiens seruyce that they offer in theyr Prynces behalfe wherfore whan he hath talked with his counsell he wyll make them an aunswer reasonable Fynally the twelth of Octobre he gaue them an aunswere in writing as their request was That he vnderstode by kyng Ferdinādo his brother and the residue in commission with hym of the decree made at Spyres before thei came to him and howe he is ryght sory for the dissention that is amongest them And for as muche as it is his dewtie to forsee that suche thynges happen not or at the leste whan they are chanced to see them refourmed therfore after longe delyberation had with priuie counsell of the whole matter he findeth howe the same decree was made to the intent nothyng hereafter should be altered that there should be no place for any newe secte from henceforth as there be many al ready euyll fauoured enough and that peace and concorde myght be had throughout the Empyre Therfore the Duke of Saxon and his fellowes ought of ryght to haue consented to al these thinges for both he and other Prynces set as muche by the healthe of theyr soules and tranquillitie of their consciences as they doe And he for his parte no lesse desyreth a generall counsell for a staye to the common wealth than they do whiche not withstandyng were not all together so nedefull if the lawes and decres as that of Woormes and others whiche are made by comon assente of all states myght be obserued as they them selues wyll graunte that suche decrees oughte to be fyrme and stable Whiche thynge considered and seyng that the vse and custome is that loke what the more parte of the states of the Empyre do decree the same may not be disolued by a fewe persones therfore hath he in his letters to the Duke and his fellowes commaunded them that they doe accepte this decree as ratisfied and attempte nothyng against it but obeye the same vpon theyr allegeaunce that they owe vnto hym and the Empyre If not it wyll come to passe that for aucthoritie and examples sake he must punyshe them extremely but he supposeth that his letters be already delyuered vnto them or wylbe shortelye and that they wyll obey his cōmaundemēt wherof he wold be ryght glad especialy at this tyme wherin he is credibly infourmed howe the great Turke the common ennemy of christendom is at this present marchynge through Hongarye with all his power into Germanye Wherfore it were now requysite to haue domestical concorde to the intēt this myghty and cruell ennemy myght be repulsed against whome he intendeth so sone as he shal haue stayed all thynges in Italy to bende all his force and power wherfore he trusteth that they consyderyng well the daunger wyll doe that whiche they are bounden of dutie What tyme the Ambassadours had red this aunswere they delyuered an appellation whiche was ready made to Alexander Schneissie callyng wytnes to the thyng as the maner is Who at the fyrst would not receyue it but in fyne he was content to take it and caried it to the Emperoure and the same daye at after none he retourneth and hauyng ended his other talke he sayeth howe the Emperour commaundeth them not to styre one foote out of their Inue that they wryte nothing home nor sende any of their men til he bring them further newes in payne of for fayting life goodes if they should do other wyse Why left this charge was geuen it fortuned that Michaell Cadene was not within his lodging and being hereof immediatlye certified by a seruant he wryteth the whole matter to the Senate of Norinberge and dispatcheth awaye his letters with great expedition for he was not bounde vpon fidelitie as his fellowes were At the length the last daye sauyng one of Octobre at Parma whether they were cōmaūded to folowe Nicolais Granuellane who executed the office of Cardinall Mercurine lieng sicke she weth them that all be it The Emperour taketh in euyll parte the appellation that was sent hym yet doth he neuerthelesse permytte them to retourne home in to their countrey But he commaundeth Michaell Cadene to remayne styll vnder payne of death if he disobeye the cause wherof is this The Lantgraue when he came forth had geuen hym a booke fayre garnyshed whiche conteyned briefly the somme of the Christiane doctryne to the intent he should delyuer it to the Emperour He vpon an occasion when Cesar went to Masse did present it and the Emperour agayne delyuered it to a certen Spanyshe Byshop to vnderstande what it was He fortuned to lyght on the same place where as Christ warneth his Disciples that they desyre not soueraignitie for the same is not theyr profession but the kynges of the gentyls doe vsurpe vnto them such authoritie that place had the authour emōges other things expounded declaryng the dutie of suche as be ministers of the church but he lokyng vpon it superficially when the Emperour asked hym what it was he made aunswere as though the booke toke away the authoritie of the sworde from the Christian Magistrate and permitteted only the Gentyls to vse it whiche were farre from the Christian Religion And for this cause was he stayed Granuellan sayde this moreouer howe the Emperoures pleasure was that he shoulde delyuer the lyke booke to the Byshop of Rome And where he sought to excuse his doynges and receyued no pleasaunt aunswer perceyuyng by the wordes of Granuclane what dannger he was in he tooke his horse priuely and roode to Farrare in poste and from thence goyng to Uenyse retourned home When the Senate of Norenbergh had receyued Cadenes letters before mentioned immediatly they certified the Duke of Saxon the Lantgraue theyr fellowes therof the. xxiiij of Octobre the matter being debated they agreed to mete at Smalcaldia about the ende of Nouēbre Thyther came the Duke of Saxon and Iohn Frederick his sonne Erneste and Frances brethren Dukes of Lunenburgh Philip the Lantgraue and certen counsellers of George Markes of Brandenburgh moreouer these cities Strausborough Norinberge Heilprune Rutelynge Constance Menynge Campodune Ulmes and Lindaue It is mentioned before how the Prynces and certen of these Cities differed in opinion touchynge the Lordes supper wherfore they of Strausborough had already made
hande The next day after they were gone the Emperour calleth before hym all the states and first he commaūdeth the Ambassadours of the cities by Truckesse that they shuld not departe before the end of the Assemblie after that declareth what had bene done with the Duke of Saxon and his fellowes and because the cities of Strausborough Constance Memmyng and Lyndaue had exhibited a seuerall byll by them selues he sheweth howe he wyll treate with them in lyke case After are debated other matters of the Empyre chiefly of the Turkyshe warre This tyme at Rome the Ryuer of Tiber ouerflowed exceadingly to the great terrour of the citie by reason that the wynde blewe sore against the streame droue backe the course of the water from the sea wherfore it did much hurte A lyke deluge and more cruell was in Hollande and Zelande where the Sea brake in ouer the walles that are made to kepe it out in those parties and drowned al the countrey farre and nere Finally the xiiij daye of Octobre whan al the states besydes the Protestauntes were called and assembled in the courte the decree was red to the Ambassadours of the Cities who requyryng a Copye were sayde naye but it was repeted ones or twyse When al for the moste parte had allowed it they of Auspurge Ulmes Hales and Franckeforth desyred further delyberation the eight day after the deputes of the Duke of Saxon his fellowes declare vnto the Archebishop of Mentz whiche is chief emonge the Prynces that if they maye haue their Religion quiet vntill the counsell they are also contented to become cōtributaries with them for money and ayde towardes the Turkyshe warre wherfore the next daye beyng called into the courte there was red before them a certen tenure of the peace wherin they only were comprised whiche had consented vnto the decree made where about rose a contention the Ambassadours affirming that it concerned them nothynge at all or if it did howe it ought to be vttered with playner wordes to take awaye all ambiguitie They said how they would moue it to the Emperour After two dayes the Emperour sent for home to his house thē of Strausborough and their fellowes and before all the states commaundeth the confutation of their doctryne to be red openly a wrytyng long and tedious and also where it touched the Lordes supper ful bytter and sower The authors therof were John Faber and Eckius And for because the argument was odiouse they left out no kind of excusation wherby to kyndle the Emperour and Prynces agaynst them the ende was this For as muche as in their Religion they professed an opinion contrary to al the reste and allowed that moste heynous errour of the Sacramēt had also cast their Images our of their churches abolyshed the Masse and plucked downe Colleges builded in tymes past through the lyberalitie of kynges Emperours maynteyned sondry sectes and dispersed their bookes wrytten of suche matters throughout Germany therfore he requyreth them eftsones to come to amendement and receyue agayne the auncient Religion for otherwise wyll not he fayle to do the thing which his office requireth They aunwer not long after that in this confutation they were charged with many thinges that were vntrue for in ther cities is nothyng done out of ordre but the same is extremely punyshed wherfore seing thei be clere in cōscience the cause weightie the cōfutation ouerlong can not be aunswered before they make certificat home to their cities they desyre fyrst therfore to haue a copie secondarely that credite be not geuen to this accusation before suche tyme as their pourgation be heard and examined In all other matters they wyll do any thyng for his sake The Emperour sayeth he wyll take aduisement and the fyst daye after she weth them by the Marques of Brandēburge how they can haue no copie For that was for weightie causes denied of the Duke of Saxony and all disputatiō of fayth is nowe prohibited But if they desyre to be reconciled and retourne agayne to the churche he is content that they shall heare the confutation red agayne ones or twyse but he chargeth them to professe the same kynde of doctrine that al other Prynces and states do and to gyue ayde against the Turke for vnlesse they forsake theyr stubburnes he wyll worke by the counsell of the byshop of Rome and other kynges as shal become hym After this they make a further sute to obtayne a copie and the same not graunted to haue peace and quietnes in their Religion tyll the begynnynge of the counsell and therin to haue their cause decided and they wyl in the meane time geue theyr ayde against the Turke so farforth as their power wyll extende or els could they graunte nothing The Maques promysed them to be a petitioner for them to the Emperour At after noone was red vnto them a graunt of peace wherein were only conteyned suche as receiued the decree as was rehearsed before to the deputes of the Dukes of Saxon and his fellowes wherunto they aunswered in lyke case that the same touched them nothyng and desyred to knowe further of the Emperours pleasure herein In this meane whyle had they of Ulmes Auspurge Franckeforth and Halles forsaken the decree made as concerning Religion and vrged sore to haue a cousel But Faber and Eckius craue a great rewarde of the Princes for makyng the confutations and had it And promyse from hēceforth to bestowe theyr trauayle in the defence of the Romyshe Religion For they and dyuerse others sought preferment by the meanes of Luther and in dede Faber was afterwardes by kyng Ferdinando made byshop of Uienne Wherupon Erasinus of Roterdame was wont to say merely howe poore Luther made many ryche In the meane ceason the Saxons and their fellowes put vp a supplication to the Emperour intreating hym to establyshe a peace throughout the Empyre that no man be put in trouble or daunger for Religiō But where this coulde not be obtayned they wryte an Epistle to all states makyng a brief rehearsall what thinge hath bene done desyryng that the names of their Prynces be not put in to the later ende of the decree emonges the reste And for as muche as they haue sued for peace in vayne they saye howe they can graunte none ayde to the Turkyshe warre More ouer where it is prouided in the decree that they only shall haue place in iudgement and counsell chamber whiche allowe the decree made they requyre that the same may be chaunged and amended for els can they beare no parte of the charges whiche the chambre requyreth What tyme they had thus denounced they departed the next daye beyng the .xij. of Nouembre I shewed you in the fyft booke howe Marques Albert of Brandenburge was by the kyng of Pole made Duke of Pruselande But the Emperour beyng sued vnto by Walter Cronberge disallowed all that treatie or cōpacte as made to the dammage of the Empyre and
of Rome woulde abolyshe all his kyngdome If they condempne our doctryne whye seeke we an vniformitie If they do allowe it why do they mainteyne their olde errours But they condemyne it openly Wherfore it is dissimulation and falshode whatsoeuer they go about they labour sore as it appereth about their ceremonies but let them fyrst restore the doctryne of fayth and workes Let them suffer the churche to haue Ministers that wyll doe their dutie They requyre that Monkes maye be set agayne in possession let them restore to vs agayne so manye innocent Godly men as they haue murthered let them restore so many soules destroied through their wicked doctrine let thē restore those great rychesse gotten by fraude disceiptfully let thē restore Gods glory with so many contumelies dishonored Whan they shall haue made satisfactiō for these thynges we shall than talke with them vnto whome the possession belongeth Where as Luther and certen others differed only in opinion touching the Lordes supper whiche the catholykes reioysed at and the rest muche lamented Bucer by the Duke of Saxons procurement went from Auspurge to Luther for an agrement and receyued suche aunswere as he mislyked not in so much as he went thēce to Zwynglius and the Zwycers to the intent they might be ioyned nerer in mynde and opinion When the state of thynges stoode thus all was full of displeasure The Lantgraue maketh a league for syxe yeares with the cities of Zuricke Basill and Strausborough that if any be attempted with force for Religion they shoulde ayde one an other This was concluded in Nouembre The same tyme the Emperour addresseth his letters to the Duke of Saxon commaunding him to be with him at Collon the .xxi. of Decembre for certen weightie affayres of the common wealth Whiche after he had receiued the same the .xxviii. of Nouembre the same daye came a messenger with letters from the Archebishop of Mentz wherein was wrytten how the Emperour had required hym to cal to an assemblie to Princes Electours to create a kyng of Romaynes Wherfore he cited him to appeare at Collon the .xxix. of Decembre for this appertaineth to the byshops office as before hath bene declared Whiche thinge ones knowen the Duke of Saxon dispatchyng his letters to the Lantgraue and to all other Prynces and cities that were Protestantes prayeth and exhorteth them to mete at Smalcalde at the .xxii. of Decembre Neuerthelesse in the meane tyme he sendeth spedely to Collon Iohn Frederick his sonne and with hym certen of his priuie counsell to be there at the daye appoynted by the Emperour By whome he declareth how this citation of the archebishop of Mentz is not rightly nor orderly done how by this creation of the king of Romaines the right and libertie of the Empyre is infrynged and also the lawe of Charles the fourth broken wherfore he wyl not allowe nor ratifie their enterprise After that all were assembled at Smalcalde they deuise a league not offensiuely but defensiuely Unto this subscribed immediatly all the Princes and moreouer Albert and Gebart Erles of Manssteld Maidenborough and Bremen But Strausborough Ulmes Cōstance Lindaue Mēming Cāpedowne Heilbrune Ruteling Biberack Isne do receiue it in such sorte as first to infourme their cities therof within syx wekes to make an directe answere what they wil do herein It was furthermore decreed to follicite by their Ambassadours the king of Denmarke the Dukes of Pomerane Megelbourg the cities of Embeck Northēme Franckfourth Brunswick Gotinge Minda Hannobria Hildesseme Lubecke Stetine other hauon townes When the byshop of Rome vnderstode what was that end of the assemblie at Auspurg he wrote his letters to the kyng of Pole others how he had trusted assuredly that the authoritie presence of the Emperour should either haue quenched or quieted Luthers heresie for vpō this hope for this cause chiefly he came to mete the Emperour at Bononie to the intent he might encourage him forward who notwithstanding of his owne accorde was wel willing for if this thing had ben brought to passe religiō had bene staied many mens soules saued which through this heresie are nowe in daūger then might remedy haue ben foūd against the Turkish fury but where as he vnderstādeth al well by thēperours as also by the letters of his legate how they can not only be in no wise reformed but are waxed also more obdurate he which through that wyll of God gouerneth the shyp of Peter in a time so tēpestuouse susteyneth the greatest part of the whole care for the same consultinge with his Cardinals cāfinde no better remedy thā the which his predecessours haue vsed that is a general coūsel wherfore he doth admonish hym synce the matter is brought to this issue that either hym selfe presentlye or els by hys Deputes woulde further so holye a cause For he entendeth so shortly as may be to appoynte one in Italy in some place conuenient These letters were dated the first daye of December The xxiiii daye of Decembre the Prynces confederated at Smalcalde wryte vnto the Emperour howe they heare it commonly bruted that he pourposeth to create his brother Ferdinando kynge of Romaynes who maketh great sute for the same But what authoritie and ryght the Princes Electours haue herein by the lawe of Charles the fourth howe when the Emperour is dead an other is to be chosen in the name of the whole Empyre it is knowen to all men Notwithstandinge he being alyue and in helth and no suche chaunce happened howe the Archebyshop hath cited them to Collon against the prescripte of the lawe and agaynst the custome of the Empyre They heare moreouer howe the residue of the Electours wyll come thyther at his requeste to accomplyshe the sute of Ferdinando as it were by conuenaunt and promyse for this report is spread farre and neare Wherfore they haue thought good to admonishe hym of certen thynges And al be it they had leuer abstayne from suche kynde of talke yet for as muche as they loue both hym and theyr conntrey and especiallye the lybertie therof which they haue receyued of their auncesters agayne for because now in this later ende of the worlde many thinges are done captiously and crastely they can not otherwyse doe Fyrst therfore he knoweth ryght well how circumspectly howe depely with what wordes and bondes he bounde hym selfe to the Empyre how he gaue his fayth by an othe that he woulde obserue the lawe Carolyne whereupon the lybertie of the Empyre chiefly dependeth howe he promysed cōfirmeth by an othe that he would neither him self do any thing against it nor suffer any other to do And certenly these conuenauntes may not be infrynged broken or chaunged without the consent and aduyse of all states But nowe in case during his lyfe and prosperitie a kyng of Romanes shuld be chosen and that his naturall brother makynge suite and labour for it
of Romaynes in cases of the Prynces of the Empyre take vpon them any authoritie of determining but suffer the same to be lawfully decided in place where they ought to be That suche thinges as shal apperteine to the honour welth and preseruation of the Princes and of the Empyre and suche as the Emperour hath promysed vpon his fidelitie to obserue he doe maynteyne and in case any thynge be otherwyse done to refourme it and bynde the kynge of Romaynes by a lawe to obserue the same And if the Emperour woulde after this sorte expounde and confyrme the lawe of Charles the fourth the Duke of Saxon woulde not faile to doe his dutie when so euer the common wealth should requyre any suche consultation But in case the intercessours coulde not obtayne these thynges of the Emperour that they woulde not refuse any lawfull hearyng of the matter Yet so that in the meane tyme king Ferdinando should neyther take vpon him nor vsurpe any gouernement of matters of the Empyre nor authoritie namely ouer thē ouer Williā and Lewys brethren Dukes of Bauier And if this wyl not be graūted them that then the Emperour would heare thē openly in the coūsayle of the Princes and other states where they wyll declare vpon how weightie and iuste causes they disalowe this election And for so muche as for the refusall of the same they perceyue how they incurre not only with the Emperour but also with foreine kinges and natiōs in to the suspicion of rebellion they desyre muche that the Emperoure would not take it displeasaūtly that they should make theyr purgatiō as well within Germany as also without the lymites of the Empyre for this must they do of necessitie Where amonges other thynges it is sayde that the Electours should sweare after the ordre prescribed in the Caroline thus it standeth What tyme they be comen to Franckeforth when masse is done they go vp to the Aultar and there lay their handes vpon the holy boke as they call it and certen wordes beynge spoken take a solempne othe by the fayth that they owe to God and to the Empyre that they wyll chose a newe and hyghe Magistrate suche a one as they shall thynke moste worthy mete and necessary for that office so farreforth as thei can coniecture by their wytte and iudgement without any compacte bribe rewarde or promyse Where they accompte the Dukes of Bauier to be of their numbre this is the consideration They also misliked the election of kyng Ferdinando takynge their counsell herein entred into league with the Duke of Saxon the Lantgraue and the Frenche kynge to defende the lybertie of Germanie And indede the kyng of Fraunce delyuered into cucustody of the two brethren Dukes of Bauer an hondreth thousande crownes to be alwayes in a readines if nede requyred The Prynces that were intercessours make aunswere hereunto the .xx. day of April Howe they treate of these matters for a concorde neyther had they thoughte that they woulde haue propounded these thynges For in that they haue chosen a kynge of Romaynes the Emperour yet lyuyng they haue moste weightie causes whiche were at the same tyme declared to Iohn Fredericke his fathers deputie there and if nede requyre may be yet more playnely expounded but synce this matter cōcerneth not them only but the Emperour also and the kyng and residue of their fellowe Prynces they wyll not make many wordes therof but leaue it alone to the intent they may come more easelye to the reconciliation of the rest Neuerthelesse if they be constrayned to make aunswere for their doinge they wyll not refuse iudgement herein and doubt not to approue their doynges in suche sorte that nothinge can iustly be layde to their charge But in case these thynges should be reported to the Emperour they feare muche that it should not only take no place but also let and hynder the whole treatie of peace Wherfore that both truce may be taken and a reconcilement may be had as wel for Religion as for the Election and that neyther be separated from that other they ernestly beseche bothe the father and the sonne Dukes of Saxon that they would consyder the thyng and forsake their opiniō And in so doing they doubte not but that the Emperour and the king woul put them in good assuraunce that this election shoulde not be hurtfull to them nor to their heyres and woulde shewe them besydes all the pleasure they coulde as well in matters of Religion as otherwyse For that Religion shoulde haue peace graunted and the matter of election remayne vndertermined they feare muche that this coulde not be obtayned Thus verely doe they frendly counsell them and requyre them to take it in that parte and so vse thē selues that they may perceyue their aduise is regarded and their diligence well imployed Hereunto aunswereth Duke Iohn Fridericke the fourth daye after that he loked for no suche aunswere of them For where they sayed lately amonges other thinges that the kyng of Romaines was elected for the welth and dignitie of the Empyre they oughte of necessitie to to aunswere to this poinct for the satisfiynge as well of his father as his fellowes who are perswaded that this electiō is not good nor profitable to the Empyre And where as they susteyne the persones of intercessours he had thought certenly that they woulde neuer haue defended the matter but haue left the same doubtful and vndetermined for such thinges as they haue spoken do not concerne them that be intercessours but ought to be referre dvnto that time whā these things shall come in comon consultation In dede at Collon what tyme the Emperour desyred to ioyne with hym his brother Ferdinando in the fellowship of the Empyre he adledged certen causes why it ought so to be But those semed not to be so great as therfore the lawe Caroline the ryght and libertie of the Empyre ought to be infringed At what tyme he and other of his fathers Ambassadours did aunswere them why it ought not so to be done Wherfore the thynge that was spoken in the last place nowe they repete agayne also that in case the Emperour wyll not admitte theyr requestes that then the matter determined in lawfull iudgement where the reasons of theyr refusall may be heard And seyng they treate of equitie he supposed they wold also in this case haue founde out some way and honest meane and profitable for the Empyre But in as muche as it is not so done in this cōtrouersie he wyll no further moleste them herein But vndoubtedlye his father and his fellowes wyll declare yet to the iniury of no man howe the lawe of libertie of the the Empyre are by this meane infringed he trusteth also that for so much as these thynges concerne the honour and preseruation of the common wealth the Emperour wyl not take them displeasauntly In the reste of theyr demaundes that same first poinct whiche is touching the
and moue his fellowes also to be carefull for the same he would be glad moreouer to make a present aunswer but there be many others of the same religion who with his father Duke Iohn professed the same doctrine in the assemblie at Auspurge before the Emperour so that he can not aunswere of him selfe alone without making them priuie neither is it expedient for the cause so to doe For better it is that the same be done by comon assent And for as much as the Emperour the byshop the last wynter in their letters wrytten to the states of the Empire from Bononie put them in hope of a counsell therfore did he his fellowes appoint a day the .xxiiij. of Iune to mete at Smalcalde to consult of the whole matter wherfore he desireth thē not to be offended with this differment of time for so sone as his fellowes mete at their day prescribed they shal haue answer either by Ambassadours or by letters shortly after And he wold through Gods grace so demeane him self that not only this present age but also the time to come shold perceiue right wel that he wyshed for nothing more thā that the pure religion doctrine peace not only of Germany but of the whole comon wealth of Christendom might also floriche and that the Emperour his chiefe souereigne might haue his due honour dignitie Afterwarde whan his fellowes were come with good deliberation they framed an answere by commō assent in their letters the last of Iune Howe they gaue great thankes to the Emperour whiche for Gods glory preseruation of the cōmon wealth had taken so muche paynes of a good zeale they doubted not And therfore pray God so to confirme direct his mynde to that ende that the truthe may be set forth and embraced And false doctrine wicked worshipinge rites abolyshed and that all errours being cleane weded out of mens myndes Gods true seruice other godly vertues may agayne take place For they chiefly desire a counsel wherin the matter that is in controuersie may duely and orderly be decided Suche a counsell also the Emperour hath promysed long synce and that in all assemblies of the Empyre with great deberation hath bene decreed to be kepte in Germanye For all this dissention sprange vp fyrste of that welle that certen impudent persones ouermuche extolled indulgences and pardons At whiche tyme also other errours were perceyued and detected And all be it that byshop Leo condempned this doctryne whiche brought those errours to lyghte yet haue they hetherto impugned that condempnatiō with the testimonies of the Prophetes and Apostles And therfore hath a counsell ben alwaye thought moste nedefull as well of other Prynces and states of them wherin the cause myght be examined and openly tryed what is true and what is false for that they sawe howe many thynges were crept into Religion whiche were to be refourmed And therfore in the assemblies of the Empyre it was decreed that there should be a free and a christian counsell eyther of all nations or els of the prouince of Germany by those especiall wordes lest that eyther the sentēce of the byshop or the force and power of any other man should be preiudiciall to the cause Agayne that in all this cause iudgement should be geuen not after the byshoppes decrees and opinions of Scholemen but accordyng vnto holy Scripture For yf any mans power should be of more force than the Scriptures than due examination who doubteth But that he that shoulde contende againste the byshop shoulde lose his labour and stryue agaynste the streame Wherfore not without great considerations it hath been decreed that the counsell should be holden in Germany And the Emperour also content it shoulde so be but nowe these requestes of the bysshop to be vtterly against the decrees of the Empyre confyrmed by the seales of the Emperour and the other Prynces For all be it he speaketh of a free councel yet doubtles he intendeth an other thynge whā he goeth about to haue kynges and Prynces bounden to hym For in case he woulde haue it free what shoulde this obligation nede But nowe seyng that he is wholy bent this waye certenly this is his purpose that vnder the name of a counsell he maye maynteyne his power and aucthoritie that no man shall reprehende his faultes and errours or if any doe atttempte it that he shall not escape vnpunyshed They knowe not what other men wyll doe but surelye this demaunde of his is wrytten in suche sorte that it rather maketh them afrayde of a counsell than prouoketh them to it for who woulde bynde hym selfe after this sorte especially beynge not yet knowen what shall be the ordre of the counsell the fourme and maner whether the byshop wyll haue his adherentes to beare there moste aucthoritie or whether the controuersies shall be determined accordyng to the holy Scriptures or after the traditions and lawes of men grounded vpon no Scripture at all The lybertie of the Counsell is also restrayned in that he wyll haue it kept after the olde accustomed maner They doe not refuse the former counselles that are consonant to the Scryptures but suche as haue bene in our tyme or a lyttle before whiche haue attributed more than reason wold to the byshop of Rome and decrees of men farre differing from the auncient counselles therfore where he sayeth it shall be after the olde accustomed maner this is his crafte and policie that there shall not be that lybertye of speache and geuinge of sentences as they both desyre and also the cause requireth but that iudgement shall be geuen accordynge vnto his lawes and vsurped power whiche he taketh vppon hym as by certen of the last coūselles it is manifest but by this vsage and hadling of matters can neither the churches be pacified nor the troubled conscience quieted but are brought into further darkenes bondage wherfore seing that the bishop hath not as yet satisfied the requestes of the Emperour and states of the Empyre they ernestly desyre that Cesar considering the weightines of the cause whiche concerneth the vniuersall cōmon wealth and all nations would see that the matter might be handled indifferently For this is his office and dutie this may he doe by the lawes When in dede the byshop impugneth the truthe for it is to be forseen and prouided that the plaintife or defendaūt be not also iudge in the cause For all nations haue great hope in this counsell and doe both wyshe and pray that at the laste mens consciences troubled and sore afflicted with doubtfull dissentiō may be made free set at libertie and taught the way of saluatiō For these many hondreth yeares hath not bene so muche contention about so weighty matters as is at thys present And this stryfe aryseth of sondry errours and vices whiche haue spronge longe before our tyme But and if men be disceaued of theyr expectation and shall
sayeth howe he wil go to kyng Ferdinando abiding there for their aunswere He had been before in Saxony and had spokē with Luther at wyttemberge And in his retourne to kyng Ferdinando he met with the Duke comming from thence homewarde The Protestauntes were appointed before to mete at Smalcalde the sixte of December for other matters Wherfore the .xxi. of the same they framed an aunswere for the byshops of Romes Ambassadour whiche they saye is not so exacte as the thynges requyreth yet for as muche as he desyred to haue the same with expedition playne manifest And first howe they haue declared their myndes concerning a counsell both in diuerse assemblies and also two yeare synce to the Emperours and byshop Clementes Ambassadours For they also wyshe to haue a lawfull counsel for the preseruation of the cōmon wealth and common saluation of all men and haue required this of the Emperour ioyntly with other Princes who also thought it nedefull hym selfe doubting not but all good men do desyre suche a counsell as may helpe and profite the common wealth For it greueth many good men that the true and holsome doctrine is through the wicked crueltie of certen men euery where oppressed the members of the churche tone a sondre and open crymes mainteined but suche crueltie becommeth not the Rulers of the churche Wherfore if euer there were any nowe is moste nede of a counsell that bothe the olde accustmed vyces maye be roted out and also vniuste violence and crueltie be restrayned and the churche from henceforth set in due ordre They therfore wyll not fayle the common wealth herein but wyll ryght gladlye come vnto suche a counsell as in sondrye assemblies of the Empyre hath bene agreed vpon Besechyng God that all the doinges there may redounde vnto his glory and the saluation of men And wher as the bishop hath chosen Mantua to be the place they truste assuredly that the Emperour wyll not in this poynte swarue from the decrees of the Empyre and his owne promyse also in as muche as it was prouyded that the counsell should be holden in Germany For where he sayeth it is daungerous keping of the same there the truthe is farre other wyse for what peryll can be there where all the Prynces and Cyties are obedient to the Emperoure onlye Where the Cyties be so ordered that they defende straungers from iniuries and saue them from all peryll Therfore oughte it chieflye to be kepte there to the intent that matters in controuersie might duely be debated that men might frankely speake and iudge vpryghtly and feare no force nor faction but saye theyr myndes freely Two yeares paste Clement the seuenth promysed a counsell with conditions verye captions And nowe the chiefest point is craftely left out touchyng the lybertie of the counsell and more of the treatie and partlye referred to the Byshop of Rome whose office they saye it is to call and ordre the counsell Nowe is the byshop whiche hath so ofte condempned theyr religion and doctrine their opē enemie But in case they should permitte theyr aduersary to geue iudgement than coulde not the counsell be free wherein by the aduyse of the Emperour and other Prynces Mete men should be chosen out of the whole numbre whiche accordyng vnto Gods worde might heare and determine the cause For a counsell is the iudiciall seate not only of the byshop of Rome but of all other states also for it is to be proued by the examples of the primatiue churche and also by holy scripture that Prynces and other states haue in tymes paste been admitted in counselles for the hearyng of matters But wheresome woulde haue the byshoppes power to be aboue the authoritie of the whole churche it is agaynst all reason and full of tyrannye For it belongeth as well to the Emperour and other ciuile states to set in foote in counselles and to chose experte men especiallye in suche causes where the byshoppes errours be impugned that is to wytte false doctrine and Idolatry for this thynge is permitted also by the byshop of Romes lawe And feinge that this is the vniuersall cause of all men and concerneth the whole common wealth it is the Emperours parte and other Prynces to forsee that vpryght iudgement be had For both other byshops of their owne people and also byshoppes of Rome haue in times paste bene condempned for Heresy and obstinacie of the Emperoure and the churche together And at this tyme there is contention of manie weightie matters whiche the byshop doth defende not in wordes only but also by wycked and cruell decrees punishyng most sharpely suche as obey not the same For as muche therfore as he is an aduersary and susteineth the one halfe of the sute the thinge it selfe requireth that the whole church the Emperour other kinges take in hande to prescribe an ordre for the deciding of the matter wherfore as they haue done euer so they requyre nowe also that the matter maye be handled vpryghtlye accordynge to the examples of holye wrytte and the olde primatiue churche And if it so maye be they wyll not be behynde with theyr partes trustynge that truthe shall come to lyghte and the glorye of our Sauioure Christe be aduaunced and tranquillitie be restored to the Churche but if it be otherwyse there is no doubte but greater commotions wyll arryse therof than hytherto hath bene seen for their partes they wil at no tyme neglecte the common wealth And as they can not forsake nor shrynke from the true doctrine so lykewyse in all other matters they will do all thynges for peace and concorde The kyng of Fraūce whiche was fully determined to make warre in Italy sent Ambassadour Williā Bellaye to this assemblie at Smal calde Who the .xix. daye of Decembre had there an eloquent oration And first he excuseth the kynges seueritie in punyshynge certen of his owne subiectes whiche not withstanding was nothing preiudicial or hurtfull to their cause of Religion though some euill tongues dyd reporte so no more than it was displeasure to him what tyme they with all their force did suppresse the rebellion of their commons and punyshed the Anabaptistes doing yet nothing without iust cause wherfore he distrusteth not but they be men of such wysdome and grauitie that they wyll of no lyght reporte conceaue any euill opinion of so noble a kynge that is their frende who was nowe for vrgent causes not here to be spoken of constrayned against his nature to vse extreme punishment lest hauing so large a Realme he should through ouermuche lenitie set open the wyndowe of wickednes to the temeritie of manye And touching their religion and doctrine the kyng wyll not take vpō him the persone of the iudge but in dede lyketh many thinges well the rest he leaueth vndiscussed After this he goeth about to wynne theyr fauour and confuteth theyr opinion whiche had warned them to be ware of forayne
Ambassades For he proueth that the same doth tende to theyr owne hynderaunce and bondage sayinge that there is no people so stronge that can long prosper and floryshe vnlesse they be mainteined by the league and amitie of theyr neyghbours But the frendshyp of the kynges of Fraunce and the Prynces of Germanye hath bene of suche auncientie and both nations procedinge of one originall and lye so borderynge together that they maye be not onlye an ayde and strengthe but also an honour and beautie the one vnto the other Therfore whan the kynge hearde saye howe the Germaynes dyd hardely agree amonge them selues he was ryght sorye and as muche as in hym lyeth wysheth a reconcilement fearyng lest this dissention in Religion should come to some sorowfull ende Wherfore vnderstandinge that for theyr owne preseruation they were nowe here assembled the kynge had sent hym to declare vnto them his aduise to be thus That for as muche as a free and general counsel could not as yet be obtained the Germains within thē selues shold assemble altogether come to some vnitie concord for the furtheraūce of the which cause in case they be so contented he will chose out certen well learned men and experte diuines in Fraunce and sende them into Germany to be at the same reconcilement or els if they woulde sende some of theirs in to Fraunce for the lyke purpose they should do him a maruelous great pleasure In the meane tyme he doth exhorte them to be at peace amonges them selues knitte their mindes with mutual consent brotherly loue and the king wyl neuer ayde their ennemies neyther with his helpe nor counsell in case they continue their good wyll towardes hym as they haue done alwayes hitherto In the beginnyng of this booke I shewed you howe the iudges of the imperiall chamber contrary to the Emperours decree made out proces against the Protestauntes For the iudges in dede wer of the Romish religiō and what tyme the Emperour was retourned from the warre of Austriche into Italy they at the suite of the clergie whiche had complayned on the Protestauntes attempted the lawe against them And albeit the Emperours proclamation were to the contrary yet did they proceede against them The protestauntes wrote herein to the Emperour And the Duke of Saxon him selfe traueled to kynge Ferdinando who cōmaunded the lawe to cease and ratifieth the peace made by the Emperour but that would not staye them Than did the Protestauntes vtterly refuse their iudgement as suspected and their enemies declaryng the causes wherfore But that would not be admitted for they were encouraged by the Emperours letters whereby he gaue them authoritie to iudge whiche were matters of Religion and which not so that after that they proceaded not onlye in doubtfull causes but in suche also as concerned religion and nothyng els After this the Duke of Saxon obtayneth a newe commaundement from the kyng Ferdinando but all was in vayne Finally after muche adoe Ferdinando consented that he would fynde the meanes to staye all matters in the lawe whiche the Duke and his fellowes had touchyng Religion cōprysed in the peace of Norinberge Unto suche thynges as the French Ambassadour had spoken this answere was made Albeit that of the execution done reportes went diuersly yet for that he sayeth how thei went about sedicion they can not be muche offended with the kynges doynges herein whiche in deede woulde suffer no suche thynge them selues in their owne countrey Neuerthelesse they woulde wyshe the kynge should haue a respecte vnto suche as do professe the pure doctrine of the Gospell whiche they protested in the assemblye at Auspurge and not to punyshe them with the rest for it can not be denied but many false and wicked opinions are crept into the churche which vnlearned and malicious persones do defende with great crueltie to maynteyne their lucre and Authoritie and they through a maruelous polycie do forge oftentimes great crymes vpon the good and innocēt persones to exasperate the kynges mynde agaynst them But seyng that it is the propre office of kynges and Princes to seeke Gods glorye to pourge the churche of crrours and to inhibite vniuste crueltie they desyre instantly that the same moste mightie kyng would wholy applye him selfe hereunto for if he so doe than wyll they suppose that he beareth a frendly and louyng mynde towardes them which they wyshe to be lucky and fortunate to his highnes to the churche Touchinge the auncient alliaunce and frendshyp betwixt the kynges of Fraunce and the Prynces of Almaygne all his talke was to them ryght pleasaunt and they wyll to their powers endeuour that the same mutuall loue and amitie may long continue And as concernyng the reconcilement of opinions in religion they desyre nothyng els but that the matter may be heard indifferently and determined by a lawfull counsell And for as muche as it is not the office of the byshop of Rome only to appointe the counsell but that the same thynge also concerneth other kynges and Princes they desyre the kynge to forsee that there be no violent counsell called in a place suspect perillous to the intent that vnder the name of a counsel the true doctrine be not extinguished but that in so weyghty matters as concerne the preseruation and peace of the vniuersall churche and euery particular persone free disputations and vpright iudgement be had accordingly Whiche thinge should get the kyng immortal fame and thankes not only in this present age but also in tyme to come so longe as the worlde should endure As for the conferens to be had betwene the learned mē of Fraunce and Germany it requireth a long deliberation and diuerse cōmissions extende not to suche matters But so sone as any thyng may be determined herein they wyll aduertyse the kyng by their letters For they desyre nothyng more than that holsome doctrine myght be set forth and auaunced last of all where he sayde howe the kynge would geue none ayde against them they were very glad to heare thereof wherfore in all thynges that concerne not the Emperour and the Empyre they also wyll assist no man against hym The Ambassadour had also priuate talke with Pontane with Melancthon with the Lantgraues learned men and with Iames Sturmins of sondry doctrines and declared what was the kynges opinion in euery article and the myndes also of other learned men in Fraunce especially of Paris Of the byshop of Romes supremacie of the Lordes supper of masse of the inuocation of sainctes of Images of free wyl of purgatory of iustification of monastical vowes of marriage of priestes And that in moste of these thynges the kyng agreeth with the booke that Melancthon hath wrytten of common places touchyng the byshop of Rome the kynge is wholy of Philippus opinon that he is not chief supreme by Gods lawe but by mans lawe as he affirmeth but the kyng of England denieth both And certenly the
warre against them as other wycked Prynces doe for they are holy men and good people The Lantgraue readinge ouer their booke and their letters noted what he thought blame worthy and cōmaunded his learned mē to aunswer it And for as muche as they had in fewe wordes and those abscure written that their king was not so muche of theirs as of Gods appointment he demaundeth of thē wherfore they did not expresse those places of Scripture wherby they thought it lawefull thus to doe And why they dyd not confirme the thynge before with signes and wonders For of the cōminge of Christe God had declared longe before by all the Prophetes so euidently that it was well knowen not only of what house or familie but also whan and where he should be borne They had also requested that the matter might be heard wherunto the Lantgraue answered that the same might not now take place For so much as they had takē vpon them the aucthoritie of the sworde and had bene the workers of so muche mischiefe For all men see what marke they shoute at certēly to subuerte all lawes and common wealth And lyke as their intente is wicked and detestable so is nowe their requeste to haue their cause heard fayned and dissembled He doubtles sent vnto thē faythful preachers and ministers of the churche of whome they were ryghtlye instructed And where as they nowe contēpning their doctrine do resist the magistrate take other mens goodes mary sondrye wyues haue chosen them a newe kynge Where also they denye that Christe toke the humane nature of the virgyn Mary where they affirme that man hath free wyll where they compell men to make their goodes cōmon where they saye there is no remission for a sinner that falleth all these thynges are against the lawes both of God and man Whan this answer was brought vnto thē they wryte agayne and sende a booke with all compyled in the vulgare tōgue of the misteries of Scripture And againe in an Epistle they amplefie their cause and defende their opinions And in this booke they deuide the course and tyme of the whole worlde into thre partes the fyrst age from Adam to Noe they saye was destroyed with the Deluge of water the secōd wherein we are nowe at this daye shal be consumed with fyre but the thyrde shall be cleane a newe worlde wherein iustice shall reigne neuerthelesse before this last tyme shall appeare this present age must be pourged by fyre but that shall not be tofore that Antichriste shall be reuealed and his power vtterly abolyshed Thā shall it come to passe that the scate of Dauid whiche is decayed shal be newly erected and Christe shall possesse his kyngdome here in earth and the wrytinges of the Prophetes shall be accomplyshed And that this present worlde now is lyke the tyme of Esaw For iustice kepeth silence and the Godly are persecuted But as after the captiuitie of Babylon so nowe also the tyme of restauration is at hande to delyuer vs from all these myseries and to rendre vnto the wycked aboundantly after their demerites as in the Apocalipse is declared And that in this same Restauration goeth before the worlde to come to the intent that all the vngodlye beynge destroyed the house and seate of iustice myght be prepared and beautified Whan the Lantgraue had red this booke he set in hande the Ministers of his churche to wryte against it The residue of the states imperial assembled at Essinge do mislyke the doinges of them that were at cōffuence affirming that they had no authoritie to impose or charge them with any burthen vnlesse it had bene by the consent of the Emperour and all states In the moneth of February Corne within the citie waxed very scarse in so muche that some also died for honger and wante of meate It fortuned that one of the Quenes pitieng the people had sayde to the rest howe she supposed that God woulde not that men should peryshe thus with famine The kyng whiche had his stoore houses furnyshed at home not only for necessitie but also for riot and voluptuousnes after he knewe it brought her forthe in to the Market place and all the reste with her and commaundynge her to knele downe stroke of her heade and whan she was dead vttered her to haue played the whore This done the residewe syng and gyue thankes to God the heauēlye father After that the kynge daunceth wyth them and exhorteth the rest of the multitude whiche had nothynge lefte them but breade and salte to dauncynge and mery pastymes Whan Easter came and no deliueraunce appered at all the kyng whiche had promysed so stoutely to inucnte some excuse fayned him selfe sicke for the space of syxe dayes After he commeth abroade amonges the people and telleth thē howe he hath ryden on a blynde Asse and that God the father hathe layde vpon his backe the synnes of the people Wherfore they are now made cleane and delyuered from euery spotte And this to be the deliueraunce whiche he promysed wherwith they ought to holde them cōtented Luther amonges other thynges whiche he set forth in the vulgar tongue about this tyme wrote also of this tragedye of Munster Alas sayeth he howe should I complayne or lamente those wretched men for the thynge it selfe declareth that there dwell deuylles thycke and threfolde but yet ought we to praye the infinite mercy of God herein and haue good cause so to doe For albeit that for the contempt of the Gospell the reproche of Goddes holy name and the shedyng of innocent bloud Germany hath iustly deserued to be plaged yet hathe God hetherto restrayned the force and violence of Sathan and hath not permitted him to haue the reignes at libertie but mercifully admonysheth vs and by this tragedye of Munster nothinge at all artificious calleth vs to the amendement of lyfe For vnlesse God had brydeled hym and holden hym backe I doubte not but that moste subtille fynde and wylie artificer would haue handled the matter farre other wyse But nowe that God hathe made a restraynte he rageth and tourmoyleth not so muche as he woulde but so much as he is permitted For the wycked spirite that seketh the subuersion of the Christian fayth goeth not this way to worke to perswade the marriage of many wyues For seyng both the vnlawfulnes and the fylthye beastlynes of the thynge is apparent in the syght of all men he perceiueth well enough that men woulde abhorre it In dede the politicke and ciuile gouernemēt may through this meane be disturbed but the kingdom of Christ must be attempted with other weapons and Ingines He that would circumuente and deceaue men maye not affectate rule and gouernment and playe the tyraunt For all men disalowe this and see playnely what his intente is But he must attayne thereunto by secrete meanes as it were by certen bypathes To goe in olde and euyll fauoured apparell to
the crime And for asmuche as the Bishop signifieth plainly that this counsell is instituted to confirme his Authoritie we besech al men that they wold not impute this refusal to vs as a fault blame worthy Finally the very place of the counsell we can not like for diuerse causes For it is fitte to offer iniurie and altogether such as should let the libertie of speche And besydes there is muche hatred conceaued againste vs in foreine nations through the sclaunders of our aduersaries as though Religion and honest liuing were exiled from among vs which perswasion when mennes mindes be thus prepared is not without great perill Wherfore it were very expedient for this cause onely that the counsell should be holden in Germany to the entent that straungers might see the order and maner of oure Churches and Cities And not throughe false sclauÌ„ders to hate the trew doctrine The weightines of the cause also requireth that many of vs should come to the couÌ„sell oure selues but to forsake our own limites is no maner way for vs expedient And seyng that for most weightie causes it was decreed that the counsel should be holden in Germany we se not wherfore we should depart froÌ„ the same Considering therfore that this case coÌ„cerneth the preseruation of al Christendome we beseche al kinges princes to geue no credit vnto oure aduersaries but herunto rather to applie theÌ„ selues that the trew knowledge of God might be restored For they caÌ„do nothing that shal more redound to theyr honor The Bishop laboreth to this ende that he mighte perswade theÌ„ to practise crueltie the which thei ought moste chiefly to abhorre For eueÌ„ for this cause are they placed in this degre of dignitie that they shold honor Gods holy name be a light vnto the rest through their good ensample to defende innoceÌ„t persons froÌ„ wroÌ„g violeÌ„ce And if there shal euer at any time be any lawfull counsell thaÌ„ shal we so defende our matter there that all men shall vnderstande how that our endeuours haue bene euer annexed with the preseruation of the common wealth In this assemblie were these The Duke of Saxon Ernestus FrauÌ„ces bretherne Dukes of Luneburge Ulriche Duke of Wirtemberge the Lantzgraue Philip prince of Pomerane the three Erles of Anhalde Albert Counte Mansfelde besides many Ambassadors of the cities with most large ample coÌ„mission For they were admonished what thinges should there be treated Before they departed thence which was the vj. day of March they addresse their letters to the French king wherin first they excused the matter that they had not satisfied his Ambassadoure in the former assemblie and shewe the cause also whie they sende no Ambassadours as nowe vnto him ThaÌ„ they desyre him to continew his frendshippe and seynge they haue set open to him all waies to come to a concorde in religion and yet haue nothing preuailed that he would recompence this theirendeuor with his fauor and beneuolence Fynally they declare what their mynde is touchyng the Counsell and desyre to knowe what he hathe also determined to do herein The kinge afterwardes maketh Aunswere at the tenth kalendes of Iune he accepteth theyr satisfaction and promiseth largely concernynge hys continuall amitie towardes them confutyng the sclaunders of his aduersaries in a wrytynge the whiche he sent with all and saieth that this is his opinion of the counsell and euer hath bene that vnlesse it be lawefull and in a sure place he wyll neuer allowe the same neyther doubteth he but the kynge of Scotlande his some inlawe will also folowe his mynde herin He a lytle before at the beginning of Maye was retorned home with his wyfe which after aboute Midsomer ended her life there In the meane time the Bishoppe of Rome deferreth the Counsell till the kalendes of Nouember and the cause thereof he saieth is for that Friderick the Duke of Mantua mindeth to fortifie his citie with garnisons of souldiours and to employe cost therupon which thinge hath happened contrary to his expectation and saith he is sore affraid lest many folowyng his decree are already commen to Mantua and happely beyng excluded are dryuen to retourne home againe for the which chaunce he is in dede very sory but yet taketh the matter lesse greifefully forasmuche as the thinge hath fortuned throughe another mans faulte and not his And not longe after the king of Englande in his owne name and the nobles of his Realme publisheth a writing That there is a Counsell called by the Bishoppe of Rome which he hath none authoritie to do and called at suche a time whan mortall warre is betwene themperour and the Frenche kynge and the place appointed at Mantua whither it is neyther saufe nor commodious for all men to come He in dede desyreth a Christian Counsell wyth all his harte but vnto the Byshoppes Counsell he wyll nether come him selfe nor yet sende hys Ambassadours For this is alwayes theyr facion that for theyr own lâ—cre sake they wyll in suche maner of assemblies oppresse Christ and his veritie And for his parte he will haue nothynge to do with the Bishoppe of Rome nor regardeth no more his Decree than the wrytynge of anye other Byshoppe Addynge that Counselles were wont to be called by the authoritie of the Emperour and kynges which maner ought to be restored especially at this tyme whan the Byshoppe hath so many graue personages to accuse him Yet neuerthelesse can he neither be reprehended without the daunger of a mans life nor accused presently but in a lawfull Counsel nether is there any prouision made for him or his by saufconduicte and thoughe there were yet manifest daungers shoulde let hym that he coulde not come for it is no newes to the Bishoppes to falsefie theyr faith and to sprincle and desile them selues with innocent bloude And albeit it should be lawfull for others to repaire thither yet were it no saftie for him whome the Bishop hath laide waite for whoÌ„ he hateth deadly whom he seketh to bring in hatred with other kinges for none other cause assuredly than for that his Tyrranny is exiled out of his realme and his yerely reuenewes taken away which thinge in very dede he taketh in most euill part and so much the worse for that he feareth lest other kinges warned throughe his example will hereafter do the like And nowe also is the counsell proroged vntyll the kalendes of NoueÌ„bre And yet not the place appointed where it should be holdeÌ„ and the faulte is imputed to the Duke of Mantua Is not this to delude the whole worlde The Duke of Mantua is surely blameles which wyll not receiue so great a multitude into his citie being vnfurnyshed of a garrison but all the blame is to be ascribed to him alone who doeth nothing syncerely but worketh al thinges by craft and collusion And now in case he shall assigne an other place for the purpose he wyll eyther appointe it in some citie of his
fore any communication be had or the waye prepared wherfore that whiche pleased all men at Franckefurte semeth nowe best vnto them also that in case a conuocation of Germany can not be had a communication myght be appointed For in their iudgement there can no better way be founde as they declared also of late to Counte Nuenar wherein they truste that holy Scripture euen by his commaundement shall occupie the chief place and that whan their aduersaries shall swarue from the same they maye be called agayne into the waye And albeit they maye not go thether without makinge their fellowes priuie to it and the tyme is so shorte that they can not assemble before yet whan the thing shal be cōmenced and that there shal be any hope to do any good there they wyll not let to come thether in persone Requiring hym that he would graunte the saue conduicte whiche he promysed not onlye to their Ambassadours but to their deuines also For as muche as they shal haue moste to doe in this matter laste they desyre to vnderstande his pleasure herein I tolde you before of Cardinall Farnesius he went with the Emperour from Paris in to flaunders scarsely yet come to mans state In so muche that the Emperour toke it in very euill part that the Byshop had not sent some man of rype yeares and counsell What tyme therfore they did consulte of Religion and the Turkish warre and Granuellan had spoken his mynde at the laste the young Cardinall in the presence of the Emperour and king Ferdinando said his fantasie inueighing chiefly againste the Lutherianes throughout his whole oration And amonges many other thinges he sayd it could not well be discerued whether were more against Christe the Protestantes or the Turkes For the one of them shewe their crueltie onlye against the body but the others drawe the soules also into euerlasting perdition Farnesius had ioyned with hym Marcellus Ceruinus byshop of Nicastre as gouernour of all his counselles who in the same legacie was made Cardinall This Oration of Farnesius coming abroade a fewe monethes after was set forth in prynte and Iohn Caluine made a comentary to it leste any man should mistake it At this tyme the Duke of Cleaue came to the Emperour to be at a point with him for the possession of Gelderlande but it woulde not be And therfore returnyng home agayne he began to consulte with the Frenche kynge For whan he was out of hope to recouer Millan the Emperour offering hym suche condicions as he woulde lyttle haue thought he tourned his mynde wholly from his frendshyp yet couertly and complayned that he was so farre abused And than began to mislyke the Constable whiche had put hym in this great hope was the cause that the Emperour passed through Fraunce and could neuer abyde hym after where before he did all thynges When he therfore sought all meanes priuelye howe to moleste the Emperour and the Duke of Cleaue was not able to susteyne so great a sute and displeasure alone they beganne to entre into mutuall bandes of amitie The Frenche kyng had a nece the lady Iane daughter to his syster Margarete Quene of Nauarre of eleuen yeares of age the greatest inheriter in all Fraunce both of an excellent beaultie and well brought vp vnto whose frendes the kyng made sute especially to the Quene his sister that she myght be maried to the Duke of Cleaue brought it to passe as shal be recited in his place At this tyme dyd the Byshop of Rome warre vpon the Perusians for that they refused to pay a certen custome for salte and other thynges that he had reysed vpon them And so brought the citie vnder his iurisdiction And for a like cause expulsed Ascanius a man of great power of the house of Columnois out of all his dominions The Cardinall Farnesius hauing done his commission seyng the peace did not take effecte betwixt the Emperour the Frenche kyng And also vnknowen to hym a daye was assigned at Hagenaw for the Protestauntes to decide their cause in he departed out of Flaūders came to Paris about the Ides of May. And at the feaste of Pentecoste in the Cathedral churche there he consecrated Anthony Uncle to madame Destampes the kynges darlinge Cardinall of Medone setting vpon his head a purple hatte latelye brought from Rome And salutyng the kyng by the waye he goeth with great spede to Rome Afterwarde kyng Ferdinando toke his iourney from Brusselles to goe to the assemblie at Hagenaw for it could not be holden at Spyres by reason of the plague Unto this assemblie the Frēche kyng also sente Lazarus Baysius by the aduyse of the Emperour for eyther of them dissembled theyr grief and the matter was hetherto handled with flatteryng wordes And the first daye of Iune the kyng of Fraunce set forth a sore proclamation against the sowers abroade of Heresie and the false doctrine of Luther and his companions And the twelfthe daye after the same was imprinted and proclaimed at Paris Aboute this tyme the kynge of Englande beheaded the Lorde Cromwell whome he had from lowe degree auaunced to hyghe dignitie and a little before made Erle of Essex he forsaketh the lady Anne of Cleaue and marrieth Catherine Hawarde Nece to the Duke of Norfolke The Lord Cromwell was the maker of the marriage with the house of Cleaue And where after the kynge loued Hawarde he was thought to be perswaded by hir that Cromwel whom she iudged be a lette vnto her matters might be dispatched out of the waye He was a man also not wellbeloued of the Nobilitie and was suspected as though he should seke the distruction of the Papistes In the meane tyme the Duke of Brunswicke accused moste heinously boeth the other Protestantes and chiefly Henry the Duke of Saxony that contrary to the wyl of his Brother George and condition expressed in his Testament he had altered the state of Religion that he molesteth the Byshoppes of Merseburge and Misene in their iurisdiction And that he kept to hym selfe the money that his brother lefte to the vse of the league to the some of .lx. thousande crownes Wherfore he admonyshed the Emperour to compell hym to doe his dutie whiche if he shall refuse to dispossesse hym of the inheritaunce after the fourme of the wyll And he wrought not this alone albeit he was principal but certen others also of the same confederacie Nowe wyll I speake of the assemblie at Hagenaw whiche began the fyue and twenty daye of Iune When kynge Ferdinando was come thether a moneth before A fewe dayes before the cōmencement the Protestauntes had spoken to the Palsgraue to the Archebyshops of Collon and Treuers to Ericus Duke of Brunswick and to the byshops of Ausburge and of Spyres euerye man seuerallye at his owne house that they would entreate the peace Ferdinando therfore at the forsayde daye callyng the Protestauntes before hym declareth
bounden ar not to be receyued To haue Images in the churches is a thing full of daunger for Idolatrie Baptisme is a signe of the league that god hath made with vs wherby he testifieth that he forgeueth our sīnes It is a signe also of cōtinuall mortifying and of a new lyfe which ought to folow Baptisme That thys Sacrament ought to be receiued of al men and not somuche as little chyldren to be kept frō the same which are also partakers of the godly promission There ought no vow to be made that is eyther besides Goddes worde or els cannot bee perfourmed by man Howe euerye man ought daily to confesse hys sinnes vnto God and craue his mercy moreouer yf any scrupulositie trouble hys conscience to axe counsell of the minister of the church for hys comfort and consolation But that Auricular confessinge of Synnes hathe neyther testimonye of Scripture nor yet can bee perfourmed but is a tormentynge of the mynde ryghte peryllous Of the perpetuall virgynitye of our Ladie he nothynge doubteth Concernynge all these thynges a fewe dayes before he stode foorthe he wrote vnto hys wyfe and to others of hys frendes that requyred thys of him vsing the seruyce of hys syster And whan he was condemned to dye he aduertiseth hys wyfe in an other letter with what kynd of punnishmenthe should end his life the next daye and also comforteth her shewyng her that the condicyō of a disciple ought not to be better than hys masters and geueth her certen instructions preceptes of lyuing The diuines of Paris had made decrees of relygion two yeares past as before is recyted And now by the kinges cōmaundement they mete at Mellon which is a Towne in an Iland of Seine ten myles aboue Paris The kyng was therby in the Castell of Fountayne blewe and had commaunded them to assemble that forasmoche as peace was concluded and the counsell shoulde shortely ensewe they myghte after consultatyon had resolue vpon suche artycles for the Churche expediente as myght be thought mete to bee defended in the counsel and publycke Showe place of al Chrystendome The ende of whyche consultatyon was thys that allbeit the altercation amonges them was greate yet wolde they alter no iote of those thynges whyche they had before setfoorth at Parys After the example of the Parisiās the Diuines of Louaine also draw out articles and after by Themperoures permission set them foorth to the nomber of .xxxii. of the same secte for all the worlde as bee the Parysyans before rehearsed Those doeth the Emperour by hys proclamatyon confyrme and ratyfye publyshynge hys letters therof the day beefore the Ides of Marche The Diuines wrytte howe they tooke thys payne the more wyllyngly for that they knewe the same shoulde be well accepted of Themperour who had hertofore requyred of thē a moche lyke thynge In the composytion of the pease it was agreed that Themperour and the Frenche Kynge shoulde to the vttermoste of theyr power restore the olde Relygyon as they terme it And those thynges that wee haue nowe recyted seme to tende to the same ende And the Cardinall of Tournon which went with the Duke of Orleans into Flaūders is thought to haue furthered much that matter But Luther aunswereth them of Louain with cōtrary theames and calleth them heretickes and bludsuckers who teaching wicked thynges that can neyther be defended by reason nor scripture doe ad to vyolence and persecute with fyre and sworde For bothe they and also the Parysians propounde onlye bare propositions and prescribe what they wyll haue followed but alledge no place of Scripture to proue it and incense the magistrate to persecution The assemblie of Thempire was than at Woormes Themperoure beynge diseased of the goute was longe or euer he came He had they re hys deputes the Cardinall of Auspurge and Fridericke Countē of Furstemberg The xxiiii day of Marche kyng Fernando in Themperours absence propoundeth Wherfore thys conuention is called verely for the establyshyng of relygion the lawe and peace and for the Turkisshe warre He sheweth howe Themperoure wysshed to haue ben here in person but hathe ben letted hitherto by reason of syckenes and yet intendeth to come so soone as he hathe recouered healthe And because he wyll not longer hynder the common consultation therfore hathe he requyred hym to commence the thynge chieflye concernynge the Turkishe warre for the which cause Themperoure made peace with the Frēch kynge to thentente that all thynges beyng pacyfyed relygyon maye be quyeted and refourmed and after all force and power bee prepared agaynste the Turke And after he hathe declared what trauell Themperour hathe euer taken to procure a counsell fyrste wyth Clement the .vii. at Bononie after with Paule the. iii at Roome Genes Nice Luke and now lately at Busset And because it is now brought to passe and already in hande at Trente Themperours aduise is not to treate of Relygyon in thys Conuention but to attende vpon the procedynge of the counsell or yf there shal be none than before th ende of thys assemblye to appoynt an other conuocatyon of Th empyre for the same pourpos But now requyreth them especially to cōsult of the Turkishe warre For he is aduertysed by sondry letters messengers that the Turke is comming into Hongary with a greater power thā euer he did to thentente he may after inuade Germany Let them cōsulte therfore whether they thynke it mete to mooue warre agaynste hym or defende onlye and what they shall determyne to signifye the same to themperoure who hath perswaded the bisshop of Rome the French king to the Societie of this war trusteth also the others will not be behynd Wherunto the protestantes with them also the archbishop of Collon the Palsgraue electour the third day of April make this aunswer How this cōuentiō was appoynted chiefly for religiō and how that in fourmer conuētions an entrie accesse hath bē made to come vnto an agrement And therfore is there more hope now that they should wholy accord Wherfore they wolde right gladly begin first with that matter the state of Germany doeth require it should be so who yf the feare of God be before theyr eies they doubte not to haue good successe Howbeit if either the weightines of the thing or the shortnes of tyme or els the presēt daunger of the Turke wil not permit it yet shall it be nedefull that the decree concerning peace be further declared For peace is in dede graunted to religion vntill the counsell but they do not acknowledg this counsell of Trent for a lawful counsell such as hath ben promised in the coūselles of thempire And why they doe not accept it they haue oft times heretofore declared Therefore haue they nede of peace who doe not depende of the popishe counsell which may take place til the matter be godly christiāly determined And because a firme peace can not bee had except the execution of
relygion lyke as you haue hearde before After those places of scripture which the Bisshop doeth vsurpe to establyshe hys supremacie he confuteth moste aboundantly and applyeth them to make agaynst hym Before the booke he set a picture whych by and by declareth the sōme of the argumente The Bysshop sytteth in an hyghe chayre with hys handes ioyned and stretched out in solemne apparel but he hathe asse eares And aboute hym are many deuelles of diuers shapes wherof some set a triple crowne vpon hys head with a tourde in the toppe of it others let hym downe by cordes into hell vnder neth hym hortyble to be holde some bryng wood and colle others as ryght seruyceable staye his feete that he may descend rightly and softely Not longe after came foorthe certene theames of hys whyche he had heretofore disputed of the three gouermentes Ecclesiasticall politycke and Oeconomike Whiche he sayeth God hathe ordeyned agaynste the furye of the Deuill but he vtterlye excludeth the Bysshop from all these for that he condemneth and oppresseth the Gospell for that he bryngeth vnder hys subiection all lawes and euen the ciuile lawe And in asmoche as he forbiddeth matrymony to whom it pleaseth hym Therfore he calleth him the beast which is named in Germany of the beare and the wolfe together There is nothynge sayeth he more fierce and cruell then she Wherfore when a token is geuen and that she is once hearde of streyghte wayes all men get them to theyr weapons to the intent they maye kyll her And yf hapely she should take a caue or anye inclosure and gouernour or Iudges of the soyle wolde exempte her or also defende her she shoulde be persecuted notwithstanding and he that should let or disturbe the hunters myght be slayne lawefully After the selfe same sorte must the Bisshop be resysted if he doe attempte and moue warre lyke a wyld and a rauenyng beast with what aide someuer he is mayneteyned For they that wil serue or helpe a theefe ought to looke for the rewarde of the thynge which they deserue Thā did he also sende foorth an other picture very fonde in dede but yet as it were a prophesye of the thyng to come The Bisshop in hys prelates apparell sitteth vpon a greate sowe with manye dugges whyche he diggeth in with his spurres hauyng two fyngers of hys ryght hand nexte hys thume stretched ryghte vp as the maner is he blesseth suche he chaunceth to mete with In hys lefte hande he holdeth a new smokinge tourde at the smell wherof the sowe lyfteth vp her snowte and with her wyde mouthe and nose thirlles catcheth after her praye but he in derysion blamyng the beast full bytterly I shall ryde thee saieth he with my spurres whether thou wylt or noe Thou haste troubled me longe aboute a counsell that thowe myghtest rayle on me at thy pleasure and accuse me franckelye Beholde nowe thys same is that counsell that thou so greatlye desyrest by the sowe he sygnifyeth Germany These tryfles of hys many mentaunted as vnsemely for hym and not verey modest But he had hys reasons whye he did so was thought to haue had a greater foresyghte in thynges And certenly in hys bookes are diuerse and sondry prophecyes wherof the ende prooved some trewe the residew as yet are in the hande of God In the meane season Themperoure taketh order with Granuellan and Nauius to be in hand with the protestantes touching the counsel and the Turkish warre but after longe decision nothyng could be concluded Grinian the french Ambassadour for because he vnderstode not the latyn tounge conprysed hys matter in wrytyng and vttered it by an interpretour the .xx. daye of Iune the somme of thys oration was to exhort them al to the counsell This Grinian was a nere frende to the Cardinall of Tournon who is thought to haue ben the occasyoner of thys Ambassade for he had ben with Themperoure at Brusselles as I sayde before and had treated of matters concernynge the counsell And than was it thus agreed that the kinge should sende an Ambassadour to exhorte them to the counsell whych Themperoure and he had already approued for thys was thought to bee a meane to make the Protestantes affraid At this tyme dyeth Fraunces Duke of Lorayne leauing behynde hym a yonge sonne Charles a chylde of two yeres olde The Duke had a brother called Niclas Bisshop of Mentz betwene him and the childes mother Christien Themperours Nece arrose a contention aboute the wardeshyp Al the Nobilitie fauoured hym more and lothed the womans gouernement but through Thēperours mediation they were bothe appointed gardins yet so as the mothers authorytie was chiefest In those dayes also departeth the Daughter of Ferdinādo which was maried two yeres before to the son of Sigismunde king of Polle But out of Spayne was brought glad tydinges of the birth of Charles Themperoures Nephewe the sonne of kynge Philip for the whyche cause the Spaniardes made greate Ioye at wormes But a few dayes after came worde that the mother of the childe was dead To Themperoure being at Wormes came the Marques of Piscare and broughte with hym certen of the chiefe inhabiters of Millan It was thought how Themperour was than determined to marye the Daughter of Kynge Fernando to the Duke of Orleans and therfore had sent for these men to vnderstande the state of Lumbardie whiche he had promised to geue hym for her dowarye Whylest Themperoure helde this assemblie the Duke of Brunsewicke goeth to the Frenche kinge That time did Fridericke Rifeberge leuie a certen power of footemen in the Borders of Saxonie for the king of England Henry of Brunswicke espying that occasion promyseth and perswadeth the frenche kyng that incase he wyll geue him monie he shall easely fynde the meanes to scatter thē again And so getteth of hym certen thousandes of Crownes but he neyther letted Rifeberge and cōuerted the monye receyued to warre against the Protestantes as shal be declared herafter Unto this conuentyon came no Princes as I sayde before but after Thēperoure was there the Paulsgraue Electoure came also and at the request of the Protestantes maketh intercession But whan Themperour saw how they wold graunt nothyng to the Turkisshe warre vnlesse they obteyned theyr requeste concerning the counsell and the chamber he sendeth an Ambassadoure to the Turke for trewes Gerarde Ueltuniche a man verye well learned and experte in toungues Duryng thys conuention the Senate of Mentz maketh inquirye after suche as by the olde custome had not receyued at Easter and banisshed them the Towne that were founde herein culpable I shewed you before howe the clergie and Uniuersitie of Collon had appealed to Themperoure and bisshop that they myght hereby hynder thenterprises of theyr Archebisshop but where he stil proceded and wolde not displace the preachers and ministers of the church whyche thyng they chiefly requyred they renewe theyr sute to Themperoure making of hym a greuous
may leuye there alwaies force and power at hys pleasure and maye assemble greate armyes in Germany where others maye not doe the lyke how muche is thys to be estemed Our aduersaryes are more clamorous than we yet wyll they not follow good coūsell For we bothe allowed the decree of Spierand the articles accorded fyue yeres synce at Regenspurge we desired to haue enrolled for matter of recorde and admitted also al reasonable condicions of the laste conference contrary wyse they did none of al these neyther wolde they be brought to any cōformitie but with open protestation at Wormes refused the communication Now can not I go to Regenspurge the charge will be so greate There is also a matter in controuersye betwene the Electour of Saxonye Duke Moris which because theyr counsellours can not determyne it is put to my arbitrement Neuerthelesse I wyll sende Ambassadours to the assemblye with large commission Thus departing a fewe houres after commeth Nauius agayne to the Lantzgraue he telleth him how this daies talke hath pleased Themperour and solliciteth him again to come hymselfe to Regenspurge also he enquireth of hym whether he wolde talke agayne with Themperoure the same daye in the euenyng he refuseth not and whan he came Themperoure geueth hym thankes by Nauius fyrste that he came thyther secondely for that he seeth that the Paulsegraue and he are bothe desyrous of a concorde Howebeit he supposeth the Collocutours wil retourne againe to Regenspurge yf they doe not he wyll sende for them agayne but in the meane tyme he requireth him that he wolde come hym selfe to the assemblie though not at the begynnyng yet towardes the later ende He hym selfe hath verely all other affaires layde a parte taryed these three yeres in Germany to th entent he myght quyet the same Wherunto the Lantzgraue aunswered that of the departure of the Colloquitours he hearde not before thys daye he hath also recyted the causes wherfore he thinketh it was done But yf it be his desyre and that his fellowes be content that the same Diuines of the contrary parte doe retourne agayne hys also shall not tary from thence But for him selfe he may not goo thyther for that he hath ben at great charges in the warre of Brunswicke and hath lately maryed a daughter and is chosen vmpere betwene the Dukes of Saxon and for that he can not goe thyther with out a great company and because that through hys absence hys countrey might be in daunger by the confederates of the Duke of Brunswicke his prisoner Than sayeth Thēperour that hys intent is not to burthen hym with vnnecessarye charges but he desireth hym ernestlye to come for that he supposeth howe hys presence wolde further the whole consultation and that the Saxons and others myght be so in couraged And there is no cause that he shoulde be any thing affraide of Duke Heuries fellowes For neyther is their power so greate and thoughe they shoulde attempte any thynge yet wolde he let it and not suffer that any man shal disturbe the publycke quyetnes The Lantzgraue agayne recytyng the causes saieth he can promise nothyng neuerthelesse he wyll sende Ambassadours whiche shall trauell for peace whych yf they can not in all thynges obeye and gratifye hym he desyreth hym not to take it displeasauntelye neyther thynke it to be don of any obstinacie or mallice but for feare of godes displeasure For thys lyfe tyme is verey shorte and vncerten therefore must they thinke of an euerlastingnes Themperour againe speaking of hys owne paines taken sayeth the matter of Saxon maye be differred therfore let hym come and set all lettes a parte for he hym selfe beyng present myght bothe counsell and cause hys league frendes to shewe themselues tractable and be a meane that the beginning of the treaty maye be reasonable After this the Lantzgraue complayninge of dyuers that had ayded the Duke of Brunswicke maketh a briefe rehersall of the whole matter and howe he was taken and sayeth how Duke Morys he doe susteyne by them great iniurye For they are light persons and borne to styre vp trouble amonges whom Friderick Spedius tolde him yesterdaye that yf he wolde heare hym he wold open certen secret and priuie deuises that are nowe a working but in asmuche as he trusted not to the man he refused to talke with hym and wylled hym to sygnyfye vnto hym by wryting such thinges as he wold haue tolde hym presētly Whan the Lantzgraue had this declared Thēperour was maruelous angrie with Spedius wherfore after thys communication had amonges them the Lantzgraue takyng hys leaue of Themperoure was bad farewel ryght frendely And went from thence to Hedelberge and after home And Themperoure went streyght to Regenspurge And the selfe same time that is to saye at the kalendes of Aprill the Ambassadours of the Protestantes assemble at wormes to consult of the whole matter But because Themperoure sent awaye the Lantzgraue so gently they receiuing letters from hym of the same who in the meane tyme had reported the matter to the Duke of Saxon the .xxiii. daye of Aprill depart that they myght consulte of the same matters at Regenspurge whyther they must go to the imperiall assemblie In thys conuention they of Rauēspurge entred into league with the Protestantes The eight daye of Aprill was the thirde sytting of the fathers in the Counsell at Trent There are recited the bokes of the olde and new Testament and are cōmaunded to be taken for sacred and holy no parte nor iote of them omitted And the olde and common translation of the Bibell is only commaunded to be vsed in churches and Scooles It is also decreed that no man interpret the holy scripture after his owne sēce vnderstanding but that al mē follow herin the cōsent of the church and of the aunciente fathers Moreouer Printers are commaunded that they prynte or set foorth nothing but by consent of their ordinary Bysshop Furthermore it is forbidden the any man shal vse the termes or testimonyes of scripture to triflyng thynges or vayne fables about superstition inchauntmente or witchecrafte or also in ralyng slaunderous libelles and a daye was appointed for the next syttyng at the seuententhe daye of June Themperours Ambassadour there at the same tyme was Fraunces Toletane and when he had spoken much in Themperours prayse and had declared moreouer howe ioyefull that daye was to Themperoure wherin the bishop of Rome cōmenced the counsel he sheweth that he is ioyned in commission with Didaco Mendoza who hauing caught an ague is retourned to Uenise to his olde Ambassade and promysing hys seruice he sayeth we must praye to God that he wold long continew this consent of myndes in the Bisshop and Themperoure that is so godlye and holsome for the publycke weale to the intent that vices refourmed and euill weedes plucked vp by the rootes the Lordes felde maye receiue the auncient tillage In the eleuenth daye of Aprill the Bisshop
intelligence he had out of sondry places admonished them that the bandes of horsemen whiche for the suspicion of warre they had hyred before shuld be styl reteyned newe taken vp and prouyded but they for asmuch as thēperours demaundes pretēded no likelynes of warre but Lenitie and desire of peace thoughte verely there shuld haue ben no warre that yeare But what tyme the thing it self declared that the brute was not vayne whan nowe not only in Germany but also in Italy powers were leuied and moreouer the force of Spaniardes did approche the .xvi. daye of Iune they goe to Themperoure and for because all places are full of warlycke motions they inquyre of hym whether these thynges be don through hys commaundemente For in asmuche as the reporte goeth that he myndeth no warre agaynst the Turke nor other foreine Prince they maruell to what ende all thys preparatyon tendeth And with them were the Ambassadours of Collō and Palatine hereunto had themperoure appoynted Nauius to make them aunswer With what loue he hath imbraced Germany euer synce he fyrst was Emperoure it is no nede to recyte And is nowe of the same wyll also neyther hath he any other pourpos but that peace and iustice maye be obserued in th ēpyre and that all states may be reconcyled herein such as shall obeye hym he commaunded them to looke for all good wil of hym against those that shall doe otherwyse he sayeth howe he must procede accordyng to hys ryght and authorytie The nexte daye addressyng his letters to dyuerse Cities that were in league with the Protestantes especyally to Strasburge Norinberge Auspurge and Ulmes I doubt not sayeth he but you know well enough howe derely beloued Germany the common countrie of vs al hathe ben to me alwayes what trauell and paynes I haue taken and what charges I haue been at not with out the great dammage of my realmes and kyngdomes to thintent that weightie daungerous dissention of religion might be appeased Wherin doubtles I haue not sought myne owne priuat cōmoditie but alwayes don my indeuoure that offences taken a waie Germany might be in quiet For this the decrees doe testifye so oft by me renewed albeit that certen doe enterprete these thynges otherwyse and doe falsely ascribe vnto me the contrary Moreouer in thys my gouernemente of the common welth I haue had euermore an especyall care for the preseruation of the free Cities that they shulde not be oppressed by certen whyche yf they myghte fynde an occasyon to brynge theyr pourpose to passe wolde not fayle to do it Which thing I suppose you as you be wyse mē haue marked by former actes don Nowe though certen men haue oftentymes attēpted diuerse thinges to the hynderaunce boothe of you and of other states and of me also yet in asmuche as I could not without a greate sturre redresse them I haue suffered hytherto in good hope surelye that I shoulde at the lengthe reape the fruyte of thys my pacyence and lenitye to the profyt of the publycke weale whiche doubtles had so commen to passe had not some men by secrete and wonderfull polycyes letted thys agremente certes not for thys cause that eyther they loue Relyon or respect gods glory but that vnder a certen pretence of holynes wherwith they myghte cloke theyr wickednes they myght oppresse other states and bryng theyr goodes and landes into theyr owne handes For the reuenewes of some they haue vsurped already and violently deteyne the same to the greate iniurye of many And nowe that they haue brought the matter to thys passe that iustyce set asyde they now feare nothyng they shoute now at my office by moe wayes than one and raseshely demynisshe the same for thys intente certenly that they maye subdewe the states of Th empyre and especyallye the Cytyes partely by force and partely by craftie meanes Whose talke maketh me to beleue the thynge to be certenly trewe whan they bragge as I am credebly infourmed and threatē also that they wil attempt force and warre agaynste me The same thyng is wytnessed by so many of theyr forged sedytions and famous lybelles and pictures which they setforthe to reyse sedition and inflame the people againste me Therfore can I haue no hope that euer they shulde through my lenitie and pacience waxe the better amend or leaue these insolent facciōs For certenly hitherto I haue so littell profyted by this meane these many yeres now that they are not only become nothing at al the better but also worse then themselues more obstinate more rebelles and desperate Whiche thing certenly tendeth to the distruction of the publycke weale and vnlesse a remedy be found it wyll come to passe that Germany shall fall from hys auncyent lybertye into a moste greuous bōdage and tyranny but that maye I neyther beare nor suffer anye longer neither cā it by any meane be excused though I wold Wherfore to thintent my dygnytie may be preserued that peace and iustice maie consist in their vertu and strength that the iminent daunger may be repulsed from the Empyre and from youre heades I haue prefixed to bring those disturbers of the common welth to theyr dutye and to restore Germany to her olde beautie and lybertie Which intēt of myne I thought good to sygnifye vnto you that you shuld geue no credite vnto such as haply shal brute a broade that my pourpose is otherwise For I doe assure you vpō my honour that I doe it for none other respect thē for the same that I haue now declared Therfore I trust also that you will not faile me herein that bothe their boldnes may be repressed that youre dignitie may also be recouered If you shall thus doe I bed you looke for all goodwill at my handes which I wil further declare incase you send me an Ambassadoure touching the same the like thing in effect he wrote also to the Duke of Wirtēberge The same daye wherein these letters were in dited Granuellan and Nauius calle vnto them the ambassadours of the cities beforesaide and speaking to euerie of them seuerally in maner after one sort saye how this warre is not ment nor prepared against the Cyties but againste certen rebelles that haue committed treason and infringed themperours authoritye which haue taken the possessions of certen Princes and bishops whiche in dede by occasyon wil not spare the cities neyther Wherfore looke they shewe theyr fayth and allegeaunce to Thēperoure and ayde not his enemies that Themperoure haue no cause of displeasure agaynste them vnto whom he wissheth well◠let them wryte thys whome with spede and exhorte theyr cyties to remayne in theyr de wtye Themperoure will also wryte vnto them like wise sende ambassadours The same daye at Trent it is ordeyned that in the Abbeies of Monkes Chanons there be some learned man appointed to reade a lecture of diuinitie herunto some benefyce assigened out in steade of a pension And that no
they we made our purgation to you by letters Emperour Charles of suche thynges as we are accused of And albeit reason wold that eyther you shuld haue layde a side your warlike furniture or at the least haue declared the cause of the warre and hearing vs speake lykewise shuld haue don accordyng to the custome of Th empyre and your fayth promised by an othe yet forasmuche as you doe neuerthelesse procede we are also compelled to put on armure to beare of thys vniust violence muche vnworthy your personne For that you nowe seke to extinguishe the doctryne of the Gospel and lybertie of th empyre by sondry of your actes it may be proued For you knowe youre selfe what maner of consultations you haue had nowe many yeres with that Roomish Antichryst and foreyne kynges that you myght eyther ioyne them with you or incense them agaynst vs. And agayne without the aduise of the Princes and states of Th empyre you haue taken trewes with the Turke contrary quite to youre promesse For what tyme Germany gaue you ayde two yeres paste agaynst the Frenche kyng you affirmed that the same warre beynge finished you wold goe your selfe with an armye agaynst the Turke But nowe haue you made a composition with hym verely to thintēt you myght the better accomplish the thyng which you haue intended agaynst vs. And nowe in thys conuention at Regenspurge you haue set a newe collour face of the matter speakyng much of youre owne industrie and zeale to the cōmon wealthe and countrey of Germanie and of the contumacie of certen others Whice doubtles was done of you for this intent that you might seuer vs one from another that ar confederated for relygion For you are not able to charge vs with any faulte of neglectyng our dewtie distrusting your cause you haue not sommoned vs to appere and come to our aunswer before the Senate of thempire yea you did not somuche as once name the parties and yet in the meane season wryting your letters to dyuers Princes and Cities you dissembled ful craftely as though you attempted not warre against religion but to punnishe certen rebelles But it is manifest enough that you shoote at relygion and appereth herof sufficyently in that you sollicited the Bishop for a counsell wherin besydes his clientes and adherentes no man maye haue place nor libertye to speake There were a very fewe that were somwhat franke in speakyng but a meane was founde that they were called awaye worse placed in theyr steade What maner of decrees also the fathers at Trēt haue made now it is knowen to al men wherfore this is not the coūsell that hath ben so often promised in the assemblies of Th empyre as we shewed you the laste yere at Wormes And the same thinges we sayde than we will shuld be nowe repeted Moreouer that it is your pourpos to cōpell vs to approue the counsell it is to be proued by the Bishops letters lately sent to the Heluetians wherin he complaineth sore of diuerse in Germany which reiect the authoritie of this counsel and sayeth how this is the cause for the which he attempteth warre And because you were also prefixed to warre for the same matter he sayeth howe it chaunced to hym luckely and therefore wold imploye therupon all the force and treasure of the churche of Roome and hys owne also Wherefore seeing the Bishop hathe vttered that pretensed pourpose of youres which you wold haue cloked by an other coloure who can doubt any longer but that you pricke at relygion Certenly we knowe oure selues faulty in nothyng which eyther we wold not shuld be heard openly or that we can wel aunswer but it had concerned your office after the example of your predecessours to haue called vs before the Senate of Prynces and lykewyse to haue hearde oure reasons Neyther did it become you thus to vse vs to call vs to the assemblie to propound of the common wealth to axe our aduise counsell and in the meane whyle to prepare warre agaynste vs. For what kynde of thing is thys to leaue the Turke and to bend all the furye rage of warre againste vs as thoughe we were a greate deale worse than he But we truste assuredly that God will impeche and hynder thys so vnworthy a facte For if there were any grudge or displeasure betwene you youre brother Fernando and vs the same was wholye forgeuen at Cadame Uienna Regēspurg and Spier Therfore you maye paynte and set out the matter as muche as you lyste yet knowe we for certentie that there is no other cause but that trewe relygyon shuld be oppressed and Germany lose her lybertye You wryte in dede to diuerse and go aboute to perswade as though you desiered greatly that the doctryne of the Gospell myght be auaunced but the opinions of the vniuersitie of Louayne confyrmed by your iudgement agayne the execution of Godly men within your Realmes and dominions And this confideracie made with that Romish Antichrist declare and shew well enoughe what your intente is verely euen this that you myght recouer and establysh agayne all kynde of Papistrie quenching the trew doctryne that we professed at Auspurge And seing the case is thus and that we made our league for this pourpos that we myght perseuer in thys Relygion and defende it ioyntely together although any man els shuld pretēd some other cause of displesure agaynst any of vs we were dryuen of necessitie to stande to oure owne defence whyche bothe Gods lawe and also the lawe of nature doeth permitte and graunt vs. And albeit that by reason of this your enterprise we are in nothing bounden to you and therfore neded not to declare vnto you any part of our mynd yet for a further assurance we renounce the allegeaunce and dewetye wherby we were boundē to you not that we wold deminishe the ryght and commoditie of th ēpyre but rather preserue and mainteyne the same This therefore we protest openly and that in solemuwyse that we are of this mynd that we purpose to repulse from vs thys warre of you and your fellowes For in so godly and honest a cause we ought to refuse no perill They sent these letters by a yong gentelman and a Trumpeter as the maner is to themperoure in hys campe before Landshut Whiche he did not only refuse to receyue but also cummaunded in paine of theyr life to cary it agayne where they had it And added this moreouer that if any man from hencefoorth came vnto hym from them he shoulde insteade of a chayne of golde be rewarded with an haulter Then deliuereth he vnto them the Table of prescription before saied and geueth them a most streight charge to delyuer the same to theyr princes Before they sent thys epistel it was debated howe themperoure shulde be termed or spoken to And the Duke of Saxon wolde not haue geuen hym the name of Themperoure for otherwyse it is not lawfull
people and pardon his offence so that he obserue conuenauntes and from henceforth omitte not to do his dutie After them came the Ambassadours of Memming Bibrach Rauensburg Kempten Isnen and making their humble supplication desyre pardon of their fault and that they haue offended him they saye it is to be imputed partly to their owne errour partly to the occasion of others And that they flie now vnto him for refuge as vnto the welspring of mercy and beseche him that he woulde forgeue them and restore them to their olde estate and to deminishe nothing of their priuileges and fredome The Emperour than byndeth them by an othe that they be faithful vnto him from henceforth that they obeye the same lawes that other states doe that they forsake the league of the Duke of Saxon and the Lantgraue and ayde them with no kynde of thinge nor make no league against him from henceforth This done he taketh them to mercy and condēpneth the citie of Meming in fifty thousand crownes Before they came into the Emperours presence they desired to be assured not to haue their Religion chasiged But Nauius whom the Emperour vsed chiefly for interpretour in suche matters warned them in any wise to make no mention therof For incase they did the Emperour would surely ascribe it to a certen distruste they had in hym For at the beginning of the warre he declared his mynde here in sufficiently Therfore let them holde them content and requyre no further assuraunce And this was thought to be done for this intent lest if they should haue had a nay it might appere that an other thing were intended than the Emperour had published in his letters before But and if it shold be graūted them by expresse wordes the same shold offende the Byshop of Rome whose purpose was that by this warre the doctrine of the Protestauntes might vtterly be extinguished In these daies arose a rebellion at Gene against the house of Aurie the Prince wherof at the same tyme was Androwe the most expert man on the Sea that than liued and through the Emperours auauncemēt the chiefest of that cōmon welth The chief captaine and ringleader of this vprore was Counte Fliscane and in the same amonges others was murthered the Cosin of Androwe Iohannine Aurie a mā of a great courage And if the Erle of Flisca had not chaunced to slippe into the Sea and drowned it is thought that there would haue bene a blacke daye and muche euyll done But whan he was gone the fellowes of that conspiracie shranke away immediatly streightwayes after that Tempest followed a great Caulme The Emperour affirmeth the Farnesians to be the authours of this enterprise especially the Byshops sonne Peter Aloisse Duke of Placence as shal be declared in his place The sitting of the fathers at Trent whiche shuld haue ben at the ende of Iuly was adiourned vntill this tyme and the xiii day of Ianuary what tyme the fathers were assembled in the Cathedrall churche as their maner is they make a decree of the iustification of man and there are they condēned which affirme that since the fall of Adam man hath not had fre wyl that man is iustified by fayth only in that Christe imputeth rightuousnes and say that iustification is nothing els but a confidence in Gods mercie who forgiueth sinnes for Christes sake or saye it is necessary that a man beleue assuredly and doubte not but his synnes are forgeuen and that he is of the nombre of Gods elect and suche agayne as saye that a man is not able to kepe the commaundementes of God no though he be iustified whiche saye that iustification receiued is not kept and increased thorowe good workes whiche after baptisme affirme that iustifications lost is recouered by fayth only with out the sacrament of penaunce and saye that a penitent synner hath his offence wholy forgeuē and that there remayneth no punishement for the same neyther in this worlde nor in the lyfe to come through purgatory finally whiche affirme that these decrees are a derogation to Gods glory to the merites of Christe Whan the Duke of Saxō was coming with his Armie Duke Maurice fortifieth Lipsia with a garnison burneth the suburbes The same tyme came the ther aboue a thousand horsemen of the Hongarians The .xiii. daye of Ianuary began the siege but the townes men defending them selues moste valiauntly about the ende of the same moneth the enemy departeth without his purpose Howbeit the towne with the nomber of shot that went of as thicke as hayle was wonderfully rent and torne vtterly defaced The Duke of Saxon departing from thēce did not only recouer shortly after al that he had lost in the countreys of Thuring and Meyssen but also wan all Duke Maurice townes sauing only Lipsia Dresda He bringeth also into his possession the Byshoprike of Magdeburg and Halberstat making a composition with the Byshop Iohn Albert. The daye before he assayled Lipsia kyng Ferdinando commaunded the Bohemers that they shoulde take armure and goe ayde Duke Maurice They obeyed him in dede but after they retourned home without cōmaundement Wherfore the king at the ende of Ianuary cōmaundeth them again likewyse There did the commons of Prage whiche citie is of moste authoritie in those parties desire the Senate to sue to the king that he wold stay that cōmaundement which is both against their libertie suche as they can not honestly obey For there is no cause why they shuld haue warre with the Prince Electour of Saxon. And in moste thinges their religion is all one with his Moreouer he hath always shewed him selfe lyke a noble Prince and aided them against the Turkes Wherunto Ferdinando made aunswer amonges other thinges howe the warre was attempted against him not for religion but for rebellion And where they say howe he hath geuen great aide against the Turke the matter is far otherwyse For he sent messengers to the Turke a few monethes past which might procure him to moue war to Hongary and Boheme and that he shuld take no longer truce that he should infringe the same which he had graūted And to the intēt the thing might haue the better successe he would not fayle to inuade on the contrary syde Whan themperour vnderstode how the matter went in Saxony and was aduertised by sondry letters of Duke Maurice he sendeth certen bandes of horsmen and fotemen to ayde him at the leading of Marques Albert than cōmaundeth the forces of Spaniardes Italiās to follow wherof Sandey Marignane wer captains Marques Albert departeth frō Hailbrune with his cōpany the .ix. day of Ianuary Themperour also remoueth frō thēce to Ulmes by the way they of Liudaue Esling were recōciled to him Of the byshop of Rome it is told before how he gaue sentēce depriued tharchbishop of Collō of his ecclesiastical fūction Whā he thus did he gaue away al his right
not to heare you yet vpon condition that this pleading do neither hinder vs nor profite you and that it shal be free for vs neuerthelesse to continew and procede in the counsell and to appointe suche punishment against al disobedient rebelles as by holy lawes and constitutions is determined After this the Emperours Ambassadour Uargas desyreth to haue this recorded in the common recordes that he was impeched and letted that he could not speake first Afterwarde in as much saith he as you haue already sene the Emperours letters of credit now wyll I declare what our commission is We appeare here before you to treat of a matter most weighty and not only we but also the whole common wealth of Christendome with earnest prayers do beseche you that you would shew equitie in the same For all men iudge this certenly that in case you wyll obstinatly perseuer in the opinion whiche very vncircumspectly you haue ones embraced it wyll tourne to a maruelous calamitie of the common wealth But if you will surceaâ—e and be ordered by themperour all thinges shal luckely succede Which thing that all men the better may vnderstande we shall repete the whole matter more depely For so shal it appeare how fowly you shall erre vnlesse you alter your pourpose And how gret good wil the Emperour beareth to the commoÌ„ wealth And herein wil adde no word of our own but wil treade in the fotesteps of the commaundement we haue receiued There agayne Cardinall Mountane I am here also sayeth he president of this sacred counsell and deputed Legate of Paule the third Bishop of Rome the successour of Peter and Uicar of Christ in earth Here be also these most reuerende fathers to procede in the couÌ„sell lawfully remoued from Trent vnto Gods glory and saluation of mankynde Wherfore we desire the Emperour to alter his sentence and assiste vs in this matter and commaunde the disturbers of the counsell vnto silence For he is not ignoraunt that who so euer they be that are any let or impediment to holy counselles do deserue moste greuouse punishemeÌ„t by the prescript of the lawes But how so euer the matter falleth and what terrours so euer be threatened yet wyll we cleaue fast to the libertie and dignite both of the churche and counsel and of our own also After whan Uargas had openly recited the letters of their commission his fellowe Uelascus readeth the protestation In the beginning is raccomted how oftentymes the Emperour hath desired a counsell of Leo Adriane Clement last of Paule the third what time the Germaines were erneste suters to him for the same Again how Paule the third first at Mantua after at Uicence finally whan it could not be kepte in those places appointed the same at Trent by the assent of the Emperour and the other states for so muche as the same place was commodious for Italians and Spaniardes French men and Germaines and wanted not thinges nedefull Therfore what time this seate was chosen for the Synode The Byshop sent thether Cardinals Parise Morone and Poole And in the Emperours name also came the Byshop of Arras his Father Granuellan and Iames Mendoza But where as that tyme semed not to the Byshop conuenient enough the matter being differred againe there came newe Legates from Rome Mountane Crucei and Poole Cardinalles And from the Emperour thesame Mendoza and Fraunces Toletane The Ambassadours of other Princes came also and others out of all partes repared to Trent in great noÌ„ber And at the same time the Emperour had warre in Germany chiefly for the defence maintenaunce of Religion that suche as he could not rule by reason he might compelle by force of armes And what time he hauing lucky successe in his warres had in a maner vaÌ„quished all and had called into the way againe such as contemned the counsell before tyme beholde you whiche vsurpe vnto you the name of the Legates of the See of Rome sodenly without making the Byshop priuie as you say your selues faining a cause I can not tell what do propounde of remouing the counsell geuing scarsely any tyme to consulte in departe from Trent in great haste where as many worthy and vertuous fathers did not assent but sayd how the cause of this flitting was not reasonable and protested that they would remaine at Trent In the meane season the Emperour going into Saxony vanquisheth the ennemy at Albis and taketh both the Captaines of the warre in battell and by submission and neuerthelesse both before and after the warre was finished he desired the Byshop oft by letters and messengers sent that he woulde commaunde the Fathers to retourne from Boloigne to Trent For otherwyse would the matter be daungerous After he called a conuention at Auspurge wherin at the Emperours request the Prynces and all states with whole coÌ„sent did approue the couÌ„sell of Trent and promised that they wold obeie the same with out any condition Whan he had this obtained he sent forth with the Cardinall of Trent to Rome whiche might declare these thinges to the Byshop and Senate of Cardinalles and in the name of the whole Empyre myght require the continuaunce of the counsel at Trent He commaunded the same thing also to Iames Mendoza his Ambassadour But the Byshop toke delay in aunsweryng and thought mete first to consulte with you and receiued an answer from you ful craftie subtile and captious and eftsones did aunswer the Emperour vnsittingly and by his starting holes backsteppes declareth well enough how little he careth for the common wealth For to proue the cause of remouing ther had neded witnesses worthy of credite The Emperour kyng Ferdinando and the Prynces sending their letters and a moste honorable Ambassadour declared what the opinion of all States was coÌ„cerning the couÌ„sell But omitting their testimony the Byshop would rather geue credit to vile and abiecte persones Howe many tedious and painful iourneis hath the Emperour taken for this counsell And what costes charges hath he bene at And shall all these thinges be lost Upon moste weightie and necessarie causes at the request of the Emperour through the suite of the Germaines and by the assent of other Christian Princes was the counsell both called also coÌ„menced at Trent Wherfore with out the publique authoritie of al states coÌ„sented therto it may not be holden els where For there was no cause of remouynge the same but some thing was inuented for an excuse Uerely certeâ— agues and infection of the ayre And herein they followed the aduise of certen PhisicioÌ„s but chiefly of their maydes and cookes But howe trifelyng and vaine a cause that was the thinge it selfe and ende declared You saye that you departed not making the Byshop priuie But his letters wrytten vnto you and aunswer sent to the Emperour do testifie farre another thing Certenly you ought not to haue remoued or chauÌ„ged the place without the consent of the Emperour vnto whoÌ„ is
of her husband But whan Ulrich Duke of Wirtemberge hard of the misery of Brentius all be it he him selfe was in great daunger yet gaue he relief secreatly to him and his family Furthermore the Cities of Sweuia following all for the moste parte the Emperoures authority promised to accomplish his commaundement Wherfore the preachers euery where remoued out of diuers places least they should commit any thing vnworthy their profession Andreas Osiander for this cause leauinge Norinberge wente into the lande of Prusse Spire and Woormez had but ether of them one which fled also to saue them selues William the Earle of Nassowe suffred Erasmus Sarcerius to depart for the same cause Moreouer the Duke of Wirtemberge in whose country were garrisons of Spaniardes euery where as hath bene saied whan the commaundement came from the Emperour caused the Boke setforthe to be recited in the Pulpit and commaundeth that no man do any thing to the contrary and if any man wil say Masse he geueth them liberty and chargeth his subiectes that they disturbe no Priest and putteth awaye those Ministers of the Church which would not allow the boke Amonges whome was Erardus Schueffius The Emperoure by Granuellane and the bishop of Arras moued the Duke of Saxon captiue to obey the decree and followe the doctrine of the Boke setforth And albeit they assaid him with fair promises and shewed him some hope of deliueraunce yet he perseuered constante in his opinion And the laste yere saithe he amōges the condicions whiche the Emperoure propounded this was wrytten also that I shoulde approue the decrees that shoulde be made by him and by the Counsell concerning Religion but whan he perceiued that I coulde not be induced through the terroure or feare of any pearill to assent he released the same condicion and after that neuer moued any thing to me concerning religion Whiche certenlye I toke than in steade of a great benefite and being cased hereof as of a most waighty burthē al the other conditions which the Emperoure at his pleasure determined on my parson and all my goodes I suffered the more easelye and with the better wil trusting that from henceforth I shoulde be permitted to kepe my Religion free but now for so muche as he vrgeth me againe and commaundeth me to subscribe I do heare protest that I was so brought vp in my youth and after by the reading of holye scripture so confyrmed that I do beleue this doctrine to agree throughly with the wrytinges of the Prophetes and Apostles neyther can it be conuicted of any erroure For the whiche cause verelye bothe my father I and certaine other Princes exhibited in times past a confession of the same doctrine comprised in wrytinge and referred it to a lawful counsel considering therfore that God hathe illuminated me with the knowledge of his word it is not lawfull for me to forsake the truthe knowne vnlesse I woulde purchase to my self euerlasting dampnation Wherfore if I should nowe admit thys decree forasmuch as the same dothe in manye and moste waightye places dissent from the holy scripture I should condempne the doctrine of Iesu Christ which I haue professed hitherto And in word and speach should allowe that I know to be naughte and wicked But what thinge els were this than with painted and glosynge wordes to delude the deuine Maiesty and the Emperoure also Than the which thing what more wickednes can be committed For this is that same sinne against the holy ghost wherof Christe hath so diligently warned vs which shall neuer at any time be forgeuen And seinge it is so and that my conscience is tied with these bondes I most earnestly and for the mercy of God which he gaue vnto mankinde through the oblation of his sōne pray and beseche that the Emperoure would not take in displeasure this my refusal For where as I do reteine the doctrine professed at Auspurge I do it for my soules health and setting all other thinges a parte do imagine howe after this miserable life I may be made partaker of the life and ioy euerlasting I heare say moreouer howe it is reported to the Emperour by diuers as though I nothing regarded religion but sought for a vaine glory and what thing els I know not I beseche you what thing coulde happen to me in this worlde more to be wished for especially being thus grose of bodye then liberty then to retourne to my wife and children than quiet and rest at home And I take God to witnes and than will also what time he shall take an accompt of vs all for our doinges that I respected nothinge els than that throughe the true worshippinge of God I might enioy the inheritance of the heauenly kingdōe Which thing I hartely desire that the Emperour would certainly beleue and be fully perswaded of me In all other thinges my will hath bene alwaies ready to gratify him and euer shal be and the infidelity and promesse which I haue made him that will I kepe as becommeth a iuste man and borne of noble parentage Furthermore I beseche him to remit all displeasure and at the lengthe to deliuer me from this continuall captiuity That I be not reported the first of all other Princes that should lead his life with him prisoner Where he perseuered thus constant and immouable they began to hādle him somwhat more hardly and toke from him his bokes of Scripture and was commaunded on daies forbidden to abstaine from fleshe The same preacher also whome by the Emperours licence he kept vntil this time whan he sawe present daunger hanginge ouer his head he chaunged his apparel and conueied him self awaye priuely At the same time came abrode out of the Emperoures court letters which the Lantzgraue was saide to haue wrytten to the Emperoure In those he saieth he hath commaunded his wife and coūselloures that they should fulfil all the reast of the conditions and satisfy such as complaine for the warre past Againe he saieth how he hathe the boke wrytten of Religion And albeit there be manye thinges which he doth not wel vnderstand and the which he cānot affirme by the scriptures yet for somuch as they ground their thinges of antiquitie and authoritye of holy fathers he will not make him self wiser then they and doth both allow that wryting and wil deuise also that his subiectes shall obserue the same After this he offereth him his faith and seruice whether he shall warre with the Turke or with the Bishop of Rome or any forain kinges or with the Swishes or els wil vse him in Germany but he besecheth him for the loue of Christ and all saintes that he would lay awaye all displeafure and set him at liberty For now hath he bene deteyned prisoner a whole yeare and suffred punishmente inoughe and is brought to extreme misery Moreouer for a further assuraunce he will geue his two sonnes pledges vntill he be fullye satisfied And whatsoeuer way
the Lutherians by conuenasit promesse or othe from all those bondes to absolue monkes that be fallē into heresie and haue forsaken their houses and to permitte them chaunging their coates to serue in an other vocation of the churche Moreouer to geue pardon to eate milke butter chese egges and fleshe hauing a respect to the place and persone Finally to permit thē to receiue the whole Supper of the Lorde who laying asyde all other errours shall allowe the decree of the counsel of Constance whiche will openly confesse that there is as muche receiued vnder one kynde as vnder both and that the churche erred not for making that decre of one kynde only And that this may be graunted them for a certen tyme as shal be thought mete yet so as they them selues doe this seuerally at an other tyme and place and not at the same tyme whan others doe receiue vnder one kynde only Lastly they haue authoritie to compounde with the possessioners of churche landes for the fruictes receiued and spent so as they wyll departe from the possession from hencesorth Furthermore to punishe obstinate persones by the censure of the churche and herein to craue assistaunce of the Magistrates And lykewyse to chouse and substitute Byshoppes throughout Germany whiche shall put the thing in execution These Ambassadours of Rome followynge this commission in such places as they thought moste nedefull did substitute Byshops wherof the Byshop of Strasburg was one whome they commaunded to execute thinges before rehersed And so finally to receiue into fauour ecclesiastical persons if they first would forsake and put away their wyues And mē saye howe they went to the Emperour to haue cōference with hym touchyng the measure and maner of execution And after they vnderstode that it was not possible for them to go vnto al places whiche had nede of remedy of necessitie they suborned others This graunte or indulgence as they terme it of the byshoppe of Rome the Emperour sendeth immediatly to the byshoppes of Germany and warneth thē all seuerally to handle the matter gently and peaseably and that they first trye and and assay al wayes by fayre speach exhortations and praiers before they come to excommunication and cursyng Wherfore the Archebyshop of Mētz addressing his letters both to diuerse others also to the gouernours counsellours of that Lātgraue And speakyng many thynges of his cure and charge pastorall and of the Emperours fayth and dilygence requyreth them to exhibite this order sent from the Byshop of Rome to the ministers of the churche commaunding them to obeye the same The preachers being moued herein saye how their doctrine is consonant to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles the lyfe it selfe in dede doeth not aunwere to the profession but yet do thei acknowledge no errour in their doctrine Wherfore thei haue no nede of the Byshops indulgence They haue preferred mariage before the filthie sengle lyfe accordinge vnto Gods worde neither can they forsake their children wyues whome Christ him self commaundeth to embrace with all loue fidelitie and beneuolence Where ther churches do receyue the Lordes supper wholy the same is done by the commaundement of Christe and after the custome of the primatiue churche And they wyll admit no alteration herein In the moneth of May was an open disputatiō at Oxforde betwene Peter Martyr the Diuines of the same vniuersitie cōcerning the Lordes supper and the presence of Christ his body These conclusions dyd Martyr set vp and defende That the substaunce of bread and wyne is not chaunged That the body and bloud of Christe is not carnally or corporally in the bread and wyne but to be vnited to them sacramentally Afterwarde there was set forthe a boke of the same wherin the presidentes of the disputation appointed by the kynges commaundemēt do sufficiently declare that Martyr had the maistrie in that contention The tenth day of the moneth of Iune the Quene of Fraūce was crowned at Sainct Denis as is accustomed by the Cardinalles of Bolon Gwise Chattilion Uandome and Bourbon for al the rest were at Rome The .vi. daye after the kyng with a maruelous goodly trayne and richely apparrelled entreth into Paris the head citie of his Realme where he had not bene yet sene opēly synce the death of his father two days after him the Quene Whyles he soiourned there diuers were put to executiō for Lutheranisme whiche as it is sayde he behelde him selfe After that the fourth day of Iuly he cōmaundeth to go on procession in euery church The next day after he publisheth a wryting in prynte declaring this to be the cause therof that he might geue God thankes for his manifold benefites imployed vpō him And that he might praye to God for the preseruation of hym selfe his wyfe and his children and of the whole Realme and commō wealth and cōmende vnto him the soules of godly mē but chiefly the kinges of Fraūce his progenitours his father lately departed after whose example he was fully prefixed to vndertake the defence and tuition of the catholique fayth Religion the authoritie and liberties of the See Apostolique ministers of the churche amōgest the causes this also to be one principall that it mygh be openly knowen howe muche he abhorreth them whiche contrary to Christes commaundement contrary to the traditions of the Apostles and consent of al antiquitie denie the presence of the body and bloude of Christe whiche take away all vertue and strength from Baptisme penaunce good workes and Sacramentes whiche do vtterly cōtemne the authoritie of the churche and order archepreistship whiche reiecte the praying adoration and reliques of saintes Moreouer that by that deuoute supplication he might testifie what his opinion and mynde is verely that after the example of his progenitours and by a certen imitation of inheritaūce he doeth so thinke and beleue of all opinions as doeth the Catholique churche the Crede of the Apostles the first counsell of Nice and many other counselles of the holy fathers Further more that he is fully determined to bannish out of his realme and dominions the heresies long since condemned but in this tyme partely reuined and partly inuented by Luther Carolostadius Zwinglius Oecolampadius Melanchthon Bucer Caluine and suche other Archeheretikes monstrouse and pestiferous persones and to punishe moste extremely suche as shall offende herein This wryting setforth in the vulgare tōgue he sendeth abroade into all partes of Fraunce commaunding thē to go a procession in all places and declare the same vnto the people Not long after he beheaded Monsour Ueruine for rendring the towne and castel of Boloigne to the king of Englād as is spoken in the .xv. boke And his father in lawe Mouns Dubees an aged mā which was gouernour of al Boloignois and one of the foure Mreschalles of Fraunce he cōdemneth to perpetuall prison He had diuerse monethes past sollicited the Swisses to renewe the league whiche they had
is reported that through his aide they might auenge thē selues but this do they deny as shall be declared hereafter And their archbishop Ihō Alberte was lately departed wherfore they promised him the gouernment of the hole prouince in case he could subdue it by wrytings laid to pledge to him iii. principal castels Thus he marching first through the coūtry of Halberstat cam after into the prouince of Maidenburge ther practising slaughter spoyling burning surpriseth the towne of Wancelebe spoyleth setteth it on fire and whan he had there attēpted the castel in vain lost diuers of his mē he marcheth forward which way so euer he wēt did exceding much harm Wherfore the people of the country villages whē they saw their goodes cattel taken and driuen away come to the Senate of Maidēburge crauing their aid succor and declare how they wyll refuse no peryl nor coste herein The Senate therfore assigned them a daye wherin they shoulde be all in a redines That was the .xxi. daye of September Than went out of Maydenburg together with the husband men the citezens iointly and the soldiours of the garrysons with thre bandes of horsemen with field pieces and other furniture and reste that night two myles from the citie In the mornyng before daye lyght auauncing their campe they marche streightwaye towardes their ennemie and when they came into his syght put them selues in order of battell In the forewarde where was thought moste daunger stode the citezens and soldiours After them were placed the countrie people The Duke of Megelburge perceyuing this order sodenly tournyng about his rankes inuadeth the husbandmen a kynde of people neyther well armed nor exercised in feates of warre and that vpō suche a soden that he gaue the charge before the others coulde tourne them selues with their ordenaunce or be able to rescewe them So therfore they casting awaye their weapons fled who myght runne fastest and breaking the rankes of their fellowes make the waye open for the ennemy to get the victory The moste part of thē all what at the geuing of the charge and what after in the chase were slayne Of the citezens and soldiours were not many loste but dyuers taken The gunnes carriage and al warlyke furniture came into the handes of the ennemies In the meane season the Emperour was very instant that both decrees made at Auspurge should be obserued and maketh a greuous complaynt of the cities of Maydēburg and Breme For they only of all the cities remayned constant albeit the Bremers were not outlawed But the Princes make intercession and require that they myght haue the hearyng of the matter And whan the Emperour had cōsented they adresse their letters to eyther citie the .xxii. daye of September and cite them to appere at Auspurge the second day of Nouember and by saufe conduicte to come aunswere in their cause sendyng their Ambassadours with full power and authoritie to conclude There was a certen woman at Auspurge a citezen of the towne who seing the priest passe by who caried the hoste to a sycke man with lyght borne before him as the maner is maruelyng therat demaunded of hym why he caried that lyght at noooe dayes For so saying she was apprehended and in great daunger of her lyfe but through the great intreaty of women and finally at the intercession of the Emperours syster beyng pardoned of her lyfe was bannyshed For Mary Quene of Hungary Regent of Flaunders was come thither boeth for other matters and also for this cause chiefly that the proclamation lately set forth in Flaūders and those parties myght be mitigated For vnlesse it were so she sayde it would come to passe that Andwarpe whiche is nowe the beste frequented marte towne in the whole worlde shoulde fall in decaye and lose her former beautie Moreouer that ther was great daunger in all places of an iusurrection in case the thinge should be put in execution The Emperour very hardly acconsented at the laste and altering those thinges that concerned marchauntes straungers taketh away the name of inquisitione abhorred of all men the residue he commaundeth to take place to be obserued Whylest the letters were cōueyed to the Bremers thē of Maidēburg the Princes states inquire of the Emperour vpon what condicions he will accorde with them Wherfore he propoundeth for the Bremers these that they submit them selues vnto his power humbly craue pardō forsake al leagues make no cōfederacy wherin he his whole familie be not comprised That they obey the chāber imperial and be contributaries to the charges therof for their portion That they agre with their Archbishop if they can not to stand to the arbitrement of suche Umperes as he shal appoint That they accorde also with the whole clergie That they restore the munition taken from Duke Erricke and recompence hym for the harmes done That none within their iurisdiction serue in the warres against him That they paie vnto him an hondreth and fiftie thousand crownes and deliuer .xxiiii. pieces of ordenaunce furnished That they obeye the decree of the former cōuention and suche as shal be now decreed And to them of May denburg he imposeth in maner the same lawes This was added moreouer that they should aunswere all men to the lawe and obeye the sentence geuen That from the tyme of theyr rebellion they commence no action against any man That they Rase their fortifications and bulwarkes That they receyue into their citie hym and his Lieftenauntes at any tyme with what power someuer they brynge without any condicion That they paye two hondreth thousande crownes That the publication of theyr goodes be ratified and the Possessours thereof not disturbed The reporte of the battell of Maydenburge was immediatly sowen abroade farre and nere and within syxe dayes was brought to the Emperour at Auspurg And where as many men thought they had now bene almoste vndone beholde they publyshe a wrytynge the fyrste daye of October wherin they recite the whole matter and saye that they haue not lost aboue two hondreth of their Citezens and souldiours And they whiche appered to nede comfort do them selues confirme others For God say thei would by this meane trie our constancie And of his infinite goodnes towardes vs we doubt nothing And albeit it be his will that we shal thus wholy perish be oppressed yet can there be no euil therin For how much better were it to abide thextreme peril than forsaking the profession of the truth to reuolte to the Romish Antichrist For such as either for feare or for a certen couetousnes ambition do relent submit them selues to the coūsel of Trēt and do admit allowe that wicked decree made at Auspurge there is no doubt but that they both in this life in the life euerlasting shall suffer most greuous tourmentes except they retourne to amendemēt We know also that God hath appointed our aduersaries boundes
to pike a thanke that our intent was to oppresse the nobilitie and states of this Byshoprike it is a starhe lie and can not be proued For we haue euerntore honoured the Nobilitie But if we haue indammaged suche as haue done violēce toward our men as they haue passed by to and fro who is so vnreasonable a iudge that will impute that thing vnto vs as a crime blame worthy Touching that they reporte of the swordes founde after the battell is a fained thing As for the haltars collars we denie not For the vse of thē was right necessary for our wagons and other cariage as it is manifest The condicions of peace that were offered by Duke Maurice the Marques of Brandenburg we could not admit for causes moste weightie For in case we had yelded receiued a power it is easy to vnderstande what should haue bene the state both of Religiō and the common wealth also God of his infinite mercy hath opened vnto vs the knowledge of his Gospel Whom we befeche to graunt vnto vs this so great a benefite perpetually but those whiche promise vs assistaunce herein howe it is credible that they can or also wyll perfourme the same whan they them selues be of wauering myndes in Religion and study to please men that our aduersaries may recouer their goodes and that dāmage done on both parties may be egally borne we refuse not But that they should retourne in the citie agayne set vp their idolatrie that can we by no meanes suffer Thei say how they were no impediment to vs in religion but certenly they wanted no wil therunto But we haue cause to geue God thākes that sent shrewed cowes short hornes The bodies of dead men were not so intreated as thei report But where as for our own defence we plucked down certē churches nere vnto the citie so many bodies as were founde not wholy cōsumed were cōueied to an other place buried deper Again it was permitted vnto al men that such of their kinred as they foūd there they might transporte whether they would That same of thēperour Otto the first is moste false a shameful lie by them deuised For we are not ignorant what honour is due to that chief magistrate especially to him of whom they speake thēperour Otto who did many worthy actes was a moste earnest defendour protectour of that libertie of Germany That seruice which they call holy Godly which they complaine that we haue disturbed in their churches is nothing lesse than holy but cōcerneth the high reproche of God They thēselues had lōg before caried out of the citie their vestimentes chalices other ornamētes But their wrytinges publique monumētes we kepe safely haue not abolished as they falsly accuse vs. Moreouer their priestes wer not whipped but they thēselues spoiled the churches caried the pray els where The college or monastery of Hamerslebie which neuerthelesse belōgeth not to thē therfore did we assaile at the last for that our ennemies had a place of refuge therin there deuided the boties takē frō our felowes vs. Wher they adde moreouer that our men did many thinges there insolētly outrageously that same was forged by the monkes As cōcerning the iniuries which they say were done vnto thē in the citie thus standeth the matter About .xxv. yeres since whā they on the eight day before Easter whiche is called Palm sondaye were in hand with their fond trifling ceremonies they were laughed at by the cōmon people that thether resorted but whose rashnes boldnes proceded further such as brake glasse wyndowes they were suerly punished of vs banished for other iniuries we knowe none neither haue they euer brought thē before vs. Wherfore we haue done nothing contrary to our promesse or cōposition neither haue we geuē our aduersaries any cause of warre And seing the matter is thus we desire all mē that they geue no credite to their sclaundrous reportes but to lament our chaunce which are cōstreined to defend the warre that is attēpted against vs to thintent we might mainteine the pure doctrine of the Gospel the liberties receiued of our elders for the which thinges also godly kinges magistrates of fourmer times the Machabeis men of most stoute courage haue refused no perill or daunger We wishe for peace moste chiefly aboue al thinges But that is denied vs hetherto Wherfore being lōg sore afflicted with the inuasions of our nere neighbours we could not repulse frō vs vniust violēce Wherby we haue also the better confidence that suche as we haue prouoked with no iniury wil iudge this war to cōcerne thē nothing stande in the awe feare of God the reuenger of al vnrighteousnes For the self same cause that hath stired vp this trouble against vs wyl shortly after wrap vp thē also in great distresse perils so many as couet to retein maintein the pure doctrine The letters wherwith the byshop of Rome had called the coūsell Themperour the fifth day of Ianuary cōmaundeth to be red in the Senate of states Princes exhorting thē that they wold prepare thēselues The same day king Ferdinādo informeth the states how in that truce time the Turks waxe busy in Hongary build a castel within his dominion went about to surprise his castel of Zolnock fortifie theirs with a garrison how also they haue made an inrode into Transsyluania Wherof verely he hath geuen them none occasion doth al that he can that the truce taken may be obserued but in case the Turke shal refuse he desired to haue aide geuen him I told you in the xx boke of Stephen byshop of Winchester for what cause he was apprehēded in Englād And where he perseuered in his opinion wold neither allowe the statutes already made nor suche as shuld be made hereafter cōcerning religion during the kinges nonage he was depriueth of his byshoprike this yeare in the moneth of Ianuary cōmitted again to warde Andrew Osiāder whom I sayd went into Prusse set forth this time a new opiniō affirming the man is not iustified by faith but by the rightuousnes of Christ dwelling in vs saith that Luther was also of his opinion But the rest of the diuines his fellowes did stoutly impugne it affirming that he said of Luther to be false who not many monthes before his death left a most ample goodly testimony in the preface of the first Tome of Melāchthons boke wherin are treated the cōmon places of holy scripture Where therfore he inueieth against Melanchthon he maketh also Luther his aduersary for that they were both of one opiniō Moreouer by a conference made they proued manifestly that Luther taught cleane cōtrary to him in this matter and say that his doctrine is pestiferous which saith that the iustification of fayth cōsisteth not in the bloud death of Christ wherby we are redemed
treated of penaunce and extreame vnction Than also the electoure of Brandenburge Ioachim sending his ambassadour Christopher Strasie a doctour of the ciuill law offered his duety and obeisance And certainly thāmbassadour spake manye thinges at large of the great good wil of his Prince They answer again how they haue taken much pleasure to hear his whole Oration especially that part wher the Prince submitteth him self wholy to the counsell and saith that he will obserue the decrees of the same For their truste is that the thing which he hath nowe presently spoken that same will he perfourme in dede After the deathe of Ihon Albert whiche had the Archbishoppricke of Maidenburge both wealthy and large the gouernement was committed to Fridericke sonne to thelectour of Brandenburge whome the Colledge had desired for their archbishop but the matter was impeached and could not be broughte to passe at Rome And because thelectour Ioachim was before of the Protestantes religion as it was openly knowen that same was a great let Wherfore to auoid the suspicion this ambassadoure was sent who fawning vpon the Prelates omitted no poynt of exquisit diligence Ther was peace concluded at Wittenberge And all beit the siege was not leuied immediatelye yet were there frendly metinges betwene them the xii day of Octobre And the self same time Duke Moris constraineth the Chats a people in the countrye of Hesse which wer iii. yeres past by themperours sentence taken frō the Lantz graue being prisoner to be sworne vnto him by the consent of the Lātzgraues sonne by reason of the league of inheritāce as he saith which is betwene the house of Hesse and Saxon so that for default of heirs males the one house should succede thother And no man doubted but this concerned the iniury of themperor that had geuen the sentence and some new commotion and all mē marueled what would be th end therof but in the Emperors court was in a manner no talcke of it and made as they knew not therof At this time was the Duke of Somerset vncle to the kinge of Englande apprehended the seconde time and with him the Lorde Paget the Lord Gray and certain others Than had Ihon the Duke of Northumberlande the chiefe rule and gouernemente The cause of his apprehension was as it is reported that the Duke of Northumberland said howe the other laid wait for his life For this by a law newly made was deathe amonges them About the eight day of Octobre the Bishop of Rome created Cardinall George Martinuse bishop of Wardin of high authority in Hongary the common people named him Monke because he was of thordre of Paule the first Hermit How the French ambassadour was commaunded to attend for an answer at the xi daye of Octobre so that the king would acknowledge the counsell I haue tould you before Certes he came not but yet in the Counsels name was setforth a wryting to the king First they recken vp how they loked for most ample things at his hands and that for sondry causes but at the comminge of this messenger and after they had red his letters they conceiued an inward sorow for that they are fallen from their expectation and yet forsomuch as they are neither touched with the gilt of conscience nor haue geuen none any occasion of displeasure they haue not yet laid aside thold hope they had of him wherfore thopinion which he hath conceiued as though this counsel were called for the priuate profit of a few can least of all take place in so worthy a Sinode For the causes of calling this Counsell were propounded not only of this Bishop but also of Paule the thirde verelye that heresies mighte be roted oute the schole of Discipline amended and peace be restored to the Church is not this plaine inoughecan ther be any more godly or Christianlike thing be done For now are heresies spredde not only throughout Germany but in manner in all Countries which great calamity the counsell is in will to redresse This is the very cause and this is also the end of all theyr doyng and all thinges are referred to this poynt Let him therfore permit the Bishoppes of his realme to further so godly a busines For he neaded not to feare least they might not be suffred to speake frely that they thought For lately was his ambassadoure bothe quietly and patiently heard whan he told no ioyfull newes Than seing a priuate man was heardwith such a lei tie why should any man beleue that the same shuld be denied vnto publike parsons such as are placed in so high dignity how be it though he send no man yet shall the counsell neuertheles haue bothe his dignitye and authoritye for that it was lawfullye summoned and now for iust causes restored And where he signified that he would vse the remedies that his progenitoures had done before they supposed he would neuer procede so farre as to reuoke those thinges which were taken away abolished in times past to the great commodity of the kinges of Fraunce and seing that god hath so highly auaunced him and indued him with so great benefites they truste verely that he wil do nothing wherby he shuld seme vnthankeful ether towards God or to our mother holy church let him only haue a respect to his progenitors to that same title and surname of most christen king Finally to his father king Fraunces who honoured the former Sinode by sending thither his bishoppes and ambassadors Men of most excellent learning he oughte to walcke in these fotesteps which are both fresh and domestical and follow this exāple and remit priuate displeasures for the common wealthes sake Themperor and the Bishop had exhorted the Swisses that they shuld be at the counsel but it was in vaine and the Bishop in dede treated with them by Hierome Francke as before is saied but the French king gaue charge vnto Morlet that was his ambassador there that he shuld indeuor to perswade them all that they send no man thither Morlet fineding some difficultye herein sendeth for Uergerius an expert man in such affaires out of Rhoetia and axeth his counsel He both furnished him of argumentes and shortly after setforth a boke of eschuing the counsell Morlet beinge thus instructed came vnto thassemble of Baden and there alledgynge his reasons perswaded not only them which had longe sence forsaken Papistry but also all the residue of the Swisses euen as he desired Wherfore none of them came to Trent Out of Rhetia cam thither at the Bishop of Romes commaundement Thomas Plāt bishop of Chur but whan the Rhetians vnderstode by the aduertisement of Uergerius what the bishop of Rome intended howe he would by him recouer his authority amonges them he was called home againe The Spaniardes which wer in the land of Wirtemberge were sent for about this time by themperor and sent into Italy to serue in the warre of Parma By theyr departure
the Lantgraue doubtles aboue al other things Agayne for that in the pacification are many things contayned that cannot be perfourmed of a captiue Prince but onely of him that is at libertie After when he had made his submission you pardoned his offence promysed to abolysh the prescription and to geue him letters of reconcilement moreouer for that ye were content with their suertyship wherby it was prouided that in case he obserued not cōuenauntes the people should present him to you captiue and the suerties by force of armes shoulde compell him to his dutye Certeinely all these things were to no purpose and al together superfluous if ther had supposed that he should haue suffred punishment with his owne body But where as they neuer thought of any such matter nor yet your own coūsellours had made any mention therof vpon this truste and cōfidence they sent for him and if any thing shoulde chaunce vnto him besyde they promysed were bound to his sonnes to abyde the lyke fortune that he shoulde This was their minde and opinion which was also cōfirmed what time after the submission the Duke of Alba badde them and the Lantgraue to supper Which bedding hospitalitie they for the maner of Princes and custume of Germany could not so interprete the thing that he shoulde goe to the Duke of Alba his house as vnto prison they shoulde accompany him and bring him thyther For if they had conceaued the leaste susspection in the world of that matter who shoulde beleue that euer they wolde haue done it For seing they be Princes of the Empyre and that electours borne of moste noble houses they wolde neuer haue imployed their seruyce in that sorte as to in tyse a noble Prince being their nere friend and kynsman into such distresse and themselues as it were bring him to prison But they neither knew any thing therof till it was after supper For then ded the Duke of Alba fyrste say vnto them howe he muste remaine in the Castell as in custodie But howsoeuer it be they ded it of a very good mynde as we sayd at the begenning And for so moch as they be bounden to him of their fidelitie you may easely perceiue that in case after so great long suite and suerties put in he shoulde be longer detayned howe greuous and harmefull the same wolde be to them their chyldren and kynsfolkes You se also most mightye Emperour cōsydering you are come of the Germaynes race for asmoch as the Lantgraues sonnes poursue theyr ryght vrge them to yelde them selues captyue after the fourme of the obligation what is mete for them to doe to maintayne ther honour and estimation according to the auntient and accustumed manner of the Nobilitie of Germany and how they can haue none excuse vnto other Princes although eyther the power to sue them or dede of obligation which they haue should be taken a waye And if peraduenture the Lantgraue which neither by cōpositiō nor geuyng his faith but by the same occasion as we haue shewed you is deteyned prisoner for a certeyne wearynes and impacience of long imprisōment hath sought som meanes to obteine liberty and that perchaūce his ministers haue attempted any thing against his kepers the Princes doe besech you that the same be not to them preiudicial But for somoch as by reason of ther obligatiō they ar in a great perplexitie out of the which you only nexte after almighty God may delyuer them For so moch as it is not vnknowē vnto you how they stroke vpō these rocks for so moch as you haue certen inteligence of their good will fidelitie and duty what time in your aduersitie they employed all their lands and goods lyfe and bloude for your commoditie followyng herein the fotesteppes of their auncesters they moste hartely and earnestly require you that you would in releasing your captiue succour them and haue respect herein not so much to the Lantgraues doinges as vnto thē which honour you exceadingly Especially since that a fewe of their families haue for your progenitours and for the house of Austriche and Burgundy spared neither coste nor perill And in case you feare least he being set at libertie should not kepe conuenaunt your highnes knoweth well enough whan the matter shal come to that issue what the nobilitie people of Hesse haue promised you by an othe what the Princes haue done likewyse by suertishyp But and if you require a further assuraunce they haue both made you the offer diuerse tymes heretofore and nowe do also and haue geuē vs authoritie to treate of the same matter Moreouer concerning the conditions for suche as might streight wayes be accomplished they suppose there can no lack be founde And where as the castels were not so sodainly rased if you knewe wel the cause they doubted not but for that matter you would holde the Lantgraues sonnes excused Furthermore if any lacke be founde they wyll do their whole indeuour that you may be cōtented and satisfied Wherfore if thei themselues haue at any time or their fathers and grandfathers done any thing that hath bene acceptable either to you or to the Emperour Maximilian and the rest of your progenitours or if you thinke that they may doe or perfourme any thing in tyme to come that to you may be pleasāt and ioyfull they desire you moste effectually that you woulde suffer them nowe to receiue some fruicte of the same and that you would cause that hope promesse to appeare whiche first you made them at Hale after at Numburge last also at Auspurg to the intent verely they maye honor you from hēceforth with so muche the more industrie courage and may reioyce that their sidelitie and seruice which thei haue done you hath bene well imployed and largely rewarded For if it should be otherwyse and should nowe obteyne nothing you may coniecture moste puissaunt Emperour what discommodities wyl in sue what tyme they shal be enforced to answer the matter and to declare their innocēcie but they hope vndoubtedly that you will graunt their requestes Whiche verely they will accept for an high benefite and not they only but also the Lantgraue with his sonnes and all his frendes shall euermore endeuoure that they may requite this your benefite And for bycause the same thing doeth so muche concerne their estimatiō they haue also intreated other Princes to make intercession with them whose Ambassadours you se here And this haue they done for this intent that the thynge whiche they could not yet obteine of you by prayers messēgers and letters that same myght they bryng to passe through their commendation and fauour and praye you to take it in that parte What tyme they had thus spoken they deliuer vnto hym the letters of Ferdinando kyng of Romaines of Albert Duke of Bauier of the brethrē Dukes of Luneburge wrytten in the behalfe of the Lantgraue And the Princes that sent Ambassadours were these
leasure to se vnto other cōmodities of the cōmon wealth And because Duke Maurice hath demaunded of him in what sorte he would be accorded this is his opinion that he sayth howe the Emperour moued warre against him without any iust cause And the kinges of Fraunce be not wont to desire peace of their ennemy especially of suche one as neither in power nor other thing they be inferiours to Now to propounde any thing vnlesse there were certen hope to obteine that same he seeth no cause why And as touching them selues he supposeth that they wil require nothing of him but that may stande with his honour and dignitie And he so loueth them againe and so estemeth them that in case he may se them treate the cōmō peace of the whole worlde he would for their sakes geue ouer a great parte of his right And is contented also that they shall bothe heare and determine his requestes so that the Emperour refuse not to doe likewyse and wysheth greatly that for the same cause there might some conuention be had as sone as might be And if it may so be than shall all men vnderstande both how much he loueth the common wealth and also howe farre from the truthe are those thinges whiche are bruted of him by his aduersaries cōcerning the Turkishe league But if these thinges can take no place and that all consultations be referred only to his discretion neither can obteine that league of amitie with the Germaines whiche by good deserte he loked for the blame ought not to be imputed to him if there chaūce further trouble to arise These letters were red before the Princes the first day of Iuly Whan Duke Maurice was come to Passawe at the day on the morowe was brought the Emperours aunswere to king Ferdinando Than he whan the Princes were set sayd howe the Emperour in dede had written his mynde but did not assente to many thinges And for so muche as it is so it is not nedefull to declare expressely what thing he hath aunswered to the rest Neuerthelesse to thintent it may appere how greatly he himselfe desireth peace and howe well he wysheth vnto Germany he wyll go with great expedition to the Emperour doubting not but that he shall perswade him Wherfore he desireth ernestly that Duke Maurice woulde be content to expect so long as he may goe and come whiche shall not passe eight daies at the moste Whiche thing when he refused immediatly the king was very importune But that was in vayne and Duke Maurice calling vnto him the Princes and Ambassadours saith how they them selues know right well whiche haue bene present and priuie to all doinges for the space of a moneth that he hath lefte nothing vndone that he might eyther by study or trauel worke to conclude a peace And doubted not but that they wolde assuredly witnesse with him the same Wher fore he requireth them that they would still beare him their good will helpe to further the cōmō cause of Germany for he may graunte no further respite for this long treatie is had in suspition of his fellowes already Wherunto whan they had made a gentle aunswer cōmending his good will they desire king Ferdinando that he in themperours name would make a playne determination For they suppose that what soeuer he did the Emperour would confirme and ratifie Unto this Ferdinando answered that his brother had geuen him no such authoritie For than would he not take so muche paines to trauell to and fro For he might in no wyse passe the bōdes by him prescribed I shewed you before how the Princes that were intercessours by their letters wrytten the .xvi. day of Iune exhorted themperour to peace Unto the whiche letters the last of Iune thempe rour answereth from Uillace How from the time he first receiued the crowne imperiall he hath euer desired peace yea and now wisheth for nothing els Wherfore there is no cause that they should cōmend the same so greatly to him but vnto them whiche be thauthours of these cōmotions And that thei wold so do he requireth thē by the faith they owe vnto him As touching his owne priuate affaires he will for their sakes graunt very muche And concerning the whole pacification he hathe wrytten his minde to his brother king Ferdinando of whome they shall heare al thinges Unto the which letters they write againe the fift day of Iuly what time king Ferdinando returned to the Emperour Howe thei at his request and desire came first vnto this treatie and so muche the rather for that he promised to doe any thing for the commō wealthes sake And how they haue through their exceading great labour carefulnes diligence founde out the way of peace Wherfore they beseche him eftsones that moste intierly that he would haue some respect to the cōmon countrie Many and the chiefest states of thempire keping their faith vnto him haue already susteined great calamitie and nowe the condicion of thinges is suche the occasion of deliberation to be had so brief that the other Princes states especially suche as are nere the fire although they would neuer so faine perfourme vnto him al faith and loialtie yet can they not so do no they are constreined to consult by what meanes they may spedely esche we the present calamitie and distructiō And in case he refuse peace intēding to make warre there wyll doubtles moste greuouse and perillous alterations arrise therof in Germany whiche afterwarde wyll redounde to his prouinces also Wherfore ther were nothing better than that he would content him selfe with the conditions of peace whiche they wyth so great trauell haue procured especially since the chiefest pointes were first approued at Lintz the fourme and fotesteppes of the whiche treatie they haue followed herein Againe for as muche as all suche thinges whiche properly concerne his dignitie are pourposly referred to the cōuention of thempire to the ende they may there more gently quietly be treated The same day wherin this was done Duke Maurice departeth thence and whan he was come to his fellowes the .xi. day of Iuly which that tyme incamped at Mergetheme he sheweth them what is done and saith howe kyng Ferdinando is ryden in poste to the Emperour and supposeth that very shortly he will sende of his counsellours whiche shal bring a full and determinate aunswer And in this doubtfull state of thinges least they should sit stil and do nothing and bycause there was at Franckefurt a garrison of the Emperours of .xvii. enseignes of fotemen and a thousand horsemen at the leading of Conrade Hansteyne so that they of Hessebye were in no small daunder they condescended to goe thither Wherfore whan they had done much harme to Woulfgange Maister of Prusse by burning and spoiling his countrie where they were at the same time marching forwarde through the lande of the Archebyshop of Mentz the .xvii. day of Iuly they come to Frācfurt But the Princes
Rome homewarde The Pope allowed well enough al other thinges that they had retourned to repentaunce and craued pardon But that the churche goodes should not be restored he saide it was in no wyse to be suffered Amōgest the Ambassadours was the Byshop of Ely The king of Denmarke had a nauie at that time which sailing towardes the North made men to talke diuersly For some said it was done by the Emperours counsell who mynded to put the kinges sonne or his brother in to the possession of Scotlande Others sayde it was prepared for the vse of the Frenche kyng others for this cause only that if the Emperour or king Philip his sonne whose power was waxed great by reason of Englande should straye any further they might be restrayned And therfore were the cities of the Sea coaste thought also to haue borne the charges of the same nauie After lōg and great expectation all this rumour vanished away and all this preparation was found to be made against Pirates Than was the state of Rome troublesome For that Pope hauing cōceiued a suspicion of certen nobles prouided him garrisons and placing soldiours here and there in the Citie committed Ssortia Cardinall of Sanflorian and Camillus of the house of Columnois to prison And for as muche as they were of the Emperours part many men thought he went about a greater matter And that suspicion was increased what tyme he required of the Duke of Florēce the Emperours client a wonderous great summe of mony whiche both Clement the seuenth lent Alexander Medices and lately Iuly the third lent him at the siege of Sene. The captiue Cardinalles at the length putting in suerties are inlarged The Spanishe flete that tyme came towardes Flaunders laden with all kynde of Marchaundise And when it came vpō the coastes of Normandie the Frenchemen whiche knewe it long before set vpon them with a great force And the fight conflicte was terrible the shippes being sunke and burnte on either parte and very many loste wherof some with weapon others with fire many swallowed vp of the billowes did perishe The Frenche men caried away certen shippes that they toke into Depe hauon from whence they came This was in the monthe of August whereas about the end of the same moneth kyng Philip sayling out of Englande into Flaunders came to the Emperour his father at Brusselles accompanied with the Nobles of Englande Truckesins Cardinall of Auspurge had a fewe yeares past founded an Uniuersitie at Dillinge a towne situated vpon the Riuer of Danubius by the wyll and permission of Pope Iuly the thirde who had graunted for the same a publique bull with exceading great fredoms priuileges as a wryting set forth in print declareth Hither therfore amonges other came he whome themperour of many yeares had vsed for his ghostly father or confessour as they terme him Peter Asot a Spaniarde a blacke freer He this yeare began with a contrary wryting to impugne the booke conteyning the sōme of the christen doctrine the which boke Christopher Duke of Wirtemberge sent by his Ambassadours to the fathers of the counsell of Trent as before is sayde whiche also he was not afrayde to dedicate to the same Duke But Iohn Brentius about this time aunswereth it at large and confuteth his sophisticall reasons Whiche boke of Brentius Uergerius afterwarde translated into Italian to the ende that men of his owne nation might vnderstande both what thing came in to controuersie and whether parte handled the scriptures more purely and sincerely About the Ides of September George Counte of Mountpelicarte vncle to the Duke of Wirtemberge maried the Lady Barbara the Lantgraues daughter After the arriuall of the Duke of Alba in Lumbardie the king of Fraunce also sendeth thither new ayde and many warlike captaines which ioyned them selues to Monsour Brissake as companions of his perils and fortune There is a towne wherof we haue spoken before called Uulpian which fortified with a garrison of Spaniards was a great annoyaunce to Frenche matters seing that from thence roades were made as farre as Taurin and further To the intent therfore that this only let might be taken away that they might haue victualle the Frenchemen towarde the ende of August besiege it with al their force and batter it with muche harme done and receiued At the length the .xxii. day of September they take it by surrendry and rase the walles both of the towne and Castell and make it in shape of a Uillage And a fewe dayes after they take also the Towne and Castell of Mountcalue betwixt Aste and Casale The dissention that hath bene nowe these .xxx. yeares betwixt learned men aboute the Lordes supper and of the presence of Christes body began at this time to be renewed and bokes were set forth by the ministers of the churches of Breme and Hamborough namely againste Caluine Iohn Alascus Caluine afterward aunswereth sharpely and defendeth the cause Thesame doeth Bullinger and Iohn Alascus also For setting forthe a booke to the Kyng of Poole he complayneth and bewayleth that there is no examination had or made by talke or cōference of the sentences but that the opinion is only condemned by preiudice verely after the maner of the Papistes whiche also procede not by argumentes and scripture but only by wyll and violence About the end of September Augustus Duke of Saxony had a sonne borne called Magnus his Godfathers at the fōtstone were amongest others Henry Duke of Brunswicke and Iohn Fridericke the Lantgraues sonne in lawe I haue spoken before of the Archebyshop of Cantorbury of Ridley Byshop of London and Hughe Latimer howe they being caried to Oxforde and reasoning with the diuines there were of them condemned being therfore kept in prison vnto this tyme nowe at the last in the moneth of October Ridley and olde father Latimer were burnt The Archebyshop was also brought forth with them and at the place of execution did openly call vpon God for mercy with them but he was lead againe to pryson In this same moneth the Cardinalles of Lorayne and Tournon went to Rome Then also the Senate of Paris whiche they cal the Parliament aunswering the king to that whiche the Cardinall of Loraine requested them to as before is mentioned By that proclamation of yours say they whiche came forth foure yeares since moste mighty kyng you reserued to your selfe and to your iudges the examination and punishment of Luthers heresie Neither in it was any thinge exceptep vnlesse it were what time it required any declaration of heresie or that sentence were to be pronounced of suche as had taken orders But this proclamation of yours that is now set forth doth plainly establish the contrary For it submitteth the people of your Realme to the ecclesiasticall iudgement and to the Inquisitours and by this meane it diminished your dignitie wherby you excelle all men and geueth to your subiectes a
the power of the counselles and churche to propounde or commaunde any newe doctrine besides the same whiche is left vs by the Prophetes of Christ and his Apostles That they speake of the consecrating of ministers to be fonde and worthy to be laughed at For that folishe and histrionicall annointing maketh nothing for the purpose Finally their wryting to be full of rayling opprobrious wordes but this they committe to God and would only aunswer the thynge in fewe wordes When this was the state of thinges king Ferdinādo whom both partes had requested that he would shewe some waye as before is sayde about the beginning of Auguste sendeth Ambassadours to the Electours certen other Princes with this message howe to obeye the Emperour his brother and to further the common wealth he came to Auspurge the third Kalēdes of Ianuary not without the losse and hinderaunce of his owne affaires Againe when he was come thither how he was driuen to tary long because fewe or none were come before he could propounde any thing For the matter was differred tyll the nonas of February Than firste he declared the causes of sommoning the sayde assemblee But in consultations to haue had wonderfull delayes and not before the tenth Kalendes of Iuly was there any aunswere made hym and that but of one only point of the deliberation that is to witte of the peace in Religion and that selfe same aunswere not of one mynde but diuerse and contrary He verely fearyng this longe before had admonished them diligently that they woulde haue bene present at the counsell them selues If they followed his aduise herein the matter in his opinion might haue bene brought to an ende wyshed for Upon the other parte whiche concerneth the publique peace they doe nowe consulte but because it is to be thought that it can not be dispatched in a short tyme. Againe for bicause the state of his countries requyred his presence for as muche as the Turkes semed to attempte new matters and threaten sore notwithstanding that he treateth with them for peace Moreouer for as muche as nothing can be done or determined to any pourpose vnlesse they be present them selues therfore he thinketh good that the counsell be differred tyll an other tyme and that nowe a decree be made after this maner For as muche as through the absence of the Prynces nothynge can be determined they are agreed that all treatie be differed tyll the nexte assemblee the begynnynge whereof to be made at Regensburge aboute the Kalendes of Marche of the yeare followyng There the Princes them selues to bee present that they may together with the Emperour or with hym determine and ordeine those thynges wherof they haue nowe consulted and hereafter shall doe In the meane season the pacification of Passawe to remayne in full strength And for as muche as it conteyneth this fyrst that in the counsell of the Empyre should be treated whether that by a generall or by a prouinciall counsell of Germany or els by the conferrence of learned men the cause of Religion ought to be appeased Secondly that the thynge be done by the common coūsel of al states not without the ordinary power of themperour Therfore he whiche loueth peace and concorde hath determined at the next assemblee to exhibitie a certen booke compiled for the reconciling of suche matters as are in controuersie but in it to be none intrapping and to be made only for this ende that the discorde shuld growe no further and that the offences might be mitigated Moreouer to thintent that they them selues may the better determine whether by the meane declared in the boke the dissention may be taken vp or whether that an other way must be sought for Therfore he requireth them to take this proroging in good part and that to the next counsell they would come them selues after his example who for the cōmon welthe sake hath bene nowe so longe tyme out of his prouinces And that he hath chosen the place at Regenspurge for bicause for the iminēt daūger of the Turke he may not depart far out of his owne countrie Let them aduertise him therfore what they wil do herein to the ende he may be certen that the matter shall not be forslowed that with vaine expectation the better part of the time do not passe away as it hath heretofore oftener than ones These requestes hearde the most part of the Princes thought it not good that he should departe before the peace confirmed For al Germany to be in great expectation of this matter And since they agree nowe better in voyces than euer they did before this time they beseche him that he woulde make an ende before his departure To the intent verely that in the next assemblee they might with so muche more expedicion take order and determine of Turkishe matters which yet remained As touching the boke which he wold exhibite many of them sayde howe the like would come of that as chaunced to the other boke whiche seuen yeares paste was wrytten also of Religion and set forth For yet it is freshe in memory with what rayling wordes it was taunted For where it was set forth and priuileged by the Emperour to haue made a cōcorde there arose occasions therof of many offences and dissentions When Ferdinando had heard these of his Ambassadours about the eight Kalendes of September the daye before the kalendes of the same moneth he declareth what his opinion is of the wrytinges of both partes to him exhibited and amongest other matters that chief poinct that concerneth byshops that in case they chaunge their Religion they should forgo their office and goodes also by his wyll and with many wordes moueth the Protestauntes that they would assente to the same For this cōdition sayth he taketh from you nothing but doth this only that when a byshop forsaketh his order and departeth from the olde Religion his benefices and promotiōs may neuerthelesse remaine in the same state wherin they were instituted whiche thinge is both agreable to the ciuile lawe and also to the lawes of the Empire and to the pacification of Passawe Whiche sayeth by playne wordes that those whiche followe the olde Religion as well of the state ecclesiasticall as ciuile not to be molested in their Religion Ceremonies goodes possessions rightes priuileges but that they should inioye all these thinges quietly without the interruption of any man I can not se therfore how this condition can be denied them whiche apperteineth to the ende that we spake of that is that they may inioye their thinges quietly Whiche in dede can not be if they should release this condition For so should it come to passe that suche as happely forsake and relinquishe the holy order and auncient Religion would kepe styll neuerthelesse their office goodes and possessions neyther should it be lawefull for their colleges in the meane time to trie the lawe with them in this case And this inconuenience wil come also
carefulnes I haue suppressed the parte of the proclamation touching the Lordes supper promysing hereafter all diligence that a reconcilement may be had For what causes I can not reuolte from the lawes and ceremonies of the churche I haue shewed For both Christ sayeth that the church must be heard and also the thing it selfe teacheth the fourmer age whiche renewyng nothing abode in the Religion of their forefathers to haue bene muche more quiet and fortunate in all thinges than this is nowe where all thinges are tourmoyled with sectes and dissentions and many men rauished toste hither and thither with euery wynde of doctrine Wherby I would the rather haue thought that you would not haue answered in this sorte And nowe albeit that this aunswere of yours may be throughly confuted yet for as much as we must treate of contributions and subsidies and therof shortly determine vnlesse you be determined to suffer extreme miserie I wyll not be ouer longe trusting also that you wyl doe both as the matter it selfe and also as the consideration of your dutie requyreth They agayne solicite the same thing and saye howe they can not leaue it And in case they can obteyne nothinge they saye it wyll be the cause that the same consultation of geuing him ayde wyl surely be hindered and letted For that they haue no commission to promyse any thing herein vnlesse they haue first good assuraunce for Religion and Ministers of the churche and for Scholemaisters that they may be authorised to teache frely In the moneth of February Henry Duke of Brunswick taketh to wyfe the sister of Sigismunde king of Poole About this tyme dieth Iohn Isemburg Byshop of Treuers and hath Iohn Ley his successour The .xxvi. daye also of the same moneth departeth at Alzeme Fredericke the Pausgraue Prince Electour a man of great yeares Whome Otto Henrick his brothers sonne succedeth who had lōg since receiued the doctrine of the Gospell and was in daunger therfore to haue lost al his possessions Taking an othe of his people he commaundeth by and by that no man within his dominion should say Masse or vse any other ceremonies Of the trouble that Osiander styred vp in Prusse who had brought in a newe doctrine of iustificatiō is spoken in the xxii boke But where as the moste part of learned men reprehended that opinion Albert Duke of Prusse by open wryting professeth that he wyll followe the doctrine of the confession of Auspurg He commaundeth therfore the ministers of the churche that they teache according to the same and promyseth to saue them harmeles in case they obeye And to the ende the matter might be throughly appeased Iohn Albert Duke of Megelburge sonne in lawe to the Duke of Pruse a Prince excellently learned going thither and hauing learned men about hym brought Iohn Funccius who was chief of the secte of Osiander to that poinct that both he acknowledged his errour and affirmed that he would confesse it openly and would hereafter teache after the confession of Auspurg Where as others would do the same they were agreed with the other diuines and the state of the churche was appeased The fourth daye of Marche began to shine a blasing starre and is sene by the space of twelue dayes In this moneth the Ambassadours of Princes and cities mete at Regēspurge and treate the cause of Marques Albert of Brandenburge For his aduersaries in the counsell of the last yeare had againe required the ayde of Princes against him but through the mediatiō of his frendes and that the matter should be heard by intercessours Where he therfore in the moneth of February of this yere came out of Fraūce into Germany his matter was heard the causes of thempire differred till the moneth of Aprill The Archebishop of Cantorbury already condēned after the death of Ryddley Latimer retourned to prison as before is said the .xxi. of this moneth is burnt at Oxforde Certen daies before being put in some hope of life through the perswasion of certen he had reuoked diuerse articles of doctrine neither shewed he constancie And when he sawe he must die he made an oration to the people and speaking many thinges of the amendement of life of maners to the ende he might haue his audience attētiue at the lēgth sheweth how greuously he had offended God by denying of the truthe reciting the chief articles of doctrine declareth briefly what he thought and confirmeth Papistrie to be the kingdome of Antichriste He had no so ner said so but he was had thence not without moste bitter railyng wordes to the place of execution And when he came thither stretching forth his right hand this hād saith he hath wickedly offended in subscribing to the wicked opinions which the ennemies of the truthe had propounded to me Wherfore it shall first suffer punishment Thus being tied to the stake so sone as the fire began to burne he stretched forth his hande into if as far as he coulde reache that it might first fele the torment And so was burnt the primate of Englande a man of greatest learning authoritie From the time that the Popishe marke was taken from him they call it degrading whiche is wont to be done with many cerimonies they put vpon him a most vile garmēt so brought him forth amonges the people to be laughed at But many hauing cōpassion of his vnworthy chaūce could not kepe thē frō sheding of teares although thei doubted nothing but that he should flitte out of this miserable lyfe in to the heauenly countrie and life euerlasting His promotions got Cardinall Poole made Archebyshop when he had Massed before And like as they of Austriche so also the Bauariās sollicited Albert their Duke cōcerning religiō in maner at the same time The Duke seing that kyng Ferdinando his father in lawe had permitted some thing to his subiectes he also when he exacted mony graunted some thing for a time that they might receiue the Lordes supper whole and on daies prohibited when necessitie requireth to eate flesh Howbeit he prosesseth with many wordes that he wyll not departe from the Religion of his auncesters nor alter any thing in ceremonies such other thinges for the same not to be lawfull for him to doe without the consent of his supreme Magistrate both spirituall and temporall And where he permitteth these two to be for a tyme only tyll some thing be established by publique authoritie or a reconcilement made For he wyll that his proclamations of fourmer tyme concerning Religion be exactely and stryghtly kept these two thinges only excepted He wyll procure also as muche as in him lieth that the Metropolitane and Byshops shall confirme this graunte and that they shall not for this cause seke to moleste any man This proclamation was written the daye before the Kalendes of Aprill The Metropolitan of whome he speaketh is the Archebyshop of Salisburg At this time certen noble men of
Who were outlawed by the Emperour 320 Who impugned the Interim 322 Uergecius vanquished with the truth 328 Uergecius repaireth to Mantua and is put out of the Counsell 329 Uergecius Preacheth the Gospell in Rhetia eodem What thynges offende many 353 Why the Clergie forsake the citee 356 Wonders in Saxonie 360 Wilie begiled 379 Warre in Italie 48 Winchester made Chaunceler 425 Warres renued betwixte the Duke of Brunswick marques Albert. 426 Uercelles surprised 429 Wiat taken and committed to pri 431 Uulpian victualed 452 Uulpian taken raced by the Frenche kyng 453 Whether peace should be giuen to the religion or no. 455 Unconstancie of Clement 53 Uictorie of themperialles eodem Winnyng of Munster 136 Warres of Geneua against the Duke of Sauoy 137 Uenecians league with the Emperour 138 Uenecians Ambassadour to the Turk 169 FINIS ✚ Imprinted at London by Ihon Daie for Nicholas Englande M D. LX. The. 26. daie of September Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Luthers letter to the B. of Mentz B. of MaydeÌ„burgs charge Luthers 95 questions at Wittenberge Luthers exception The B. of Mentz clence Ihon Tecell ft. do concl at frankford Luters letters to Pope Leo. Duke Fredericks wisdom Echins booke against Luth. Siluester priers dialogue Silue priers Themes Luth. answer to Sil. priers Scriptur and choldewriters only to be also wed Iudulgences to be vsed after the Canon lawe The CiuiliaÌ„s vse of citing Silut prier seconde aunswer to Luth. Thomas of Aquine Albertus magnus scollar Thomas of Aquine a salt Thomas of Aquin geueth authoritie to the Pope 1274. Thom. of Aq. died Luth. seconde answer to Siluester prier Rome the seat of Antechrist Grece and Bohemes happines Lut. his forsakiÌ„g of Rome The caus whâ— the By. of Rome is extold Princes of necessitie must reforme Ro. The bishop of Rome bounde as other to Gods commaundement Iames Hogestrate wrote against Luther Thassembly at Ausputge by Maximilian The treaty of warre against the Turke Albert archb of Mentz mabe Cardinall The cause of his Cardinalship Maximilians lettre to Pope Leo coÌ„cerning Luther Luther is cited to Rome The Popes letters to the duke of SaxoÌ„ The Popes letters to Gabriel veneius The vniuersitie of Wittenberg writeth for Luther Luther is called to Auspurg His conferens with Cardinal Caietane Luther appeleth The welspring of Pardons The pope vnder the Coun. Gerson of Paris Pope Iohn is deposed Caietan writeth to the duke of Saxonie The dukes letters to the Cardinall The Uniuersitie of Wittenberge writeth for Lut. New pardoÌ„n Luther appealeth from the Pope to the Counsell The Pope sendeth a golden Rose to the duke of Saxonie The death of Maximilian The swisses banquished Kinges of Naples paye tribute to Rome An oration of the Archebyshop of MeÌ„iz The oration of the Archbi of Treuers Fraunce and Germani wer 〈…〉 ted Themperour Raffe The duke of Saxo. refuseth to be Emperour Charles is declared Emperour Friderick the Paulsgraue sent into Spaine 1500 The byrth of the Emperor The manes of chosing â—he Emperour Erasmus iudgement of Luther The disputatis at Lypsia 1520 Luters letters to the Pope The court of Rome is vnturable Conditions propounded by Luther Flatterats must be eschewed The part of a true frende Luth. boke to the duke of Saronie Confession of synnes The supper vnder bothe kindes The wishe of Pope Pius The counsell of Latherane The counsel of Pisa The Popes Shifie Fraunce is offered to the spoile At Rome they doubt of the immortalitie of the Soule Luth. Bookes condemned at Louaine Capnio Rewcline Ockam Picus mirandula Lawrence Ualla Aristotle WilliaÌ„ OckaÌ„ The story of Reuchliue Hebrew bokes of thre sortes Luthers letters to the emperor Luth. letters to the archbishop of MeÌ„tz His annswere to Luther How scripture must be hadled Luth. letters to the Bish oy Merseburge His aunswers to Luther The pope curseth Luther The Bulle of Leo. The decree of Pius Iuliê° Aeneas Siluius Honors chaÌ„ge maners Luth. impugneth the popes censure Luth. booke of the captiuitie of Babilou Thre Sacrases Which are properly called Sacrament The maner of the CoronatioÌ„ Themperor calleth a couÌ„sel imperial The Pope was subiecte to themperor The lawe of Clement The courte of Rome in Fraunce The duke of Saro incensed againste Luther The answer of duke Friderike Luthers bokes are brâ—â— Luther burneth the Canon laws Booke burners Catarinus writeth against Lut. The Emperour sent for Luther to Wormes The Empe. writeth to Luther The Bul of cursyng The constaÌ„cie of Luth. Lut. coÌ„meth to Wormes Eckius to Luther Lu. pleadeth his cause before themperour and the whole Empire Iohn .xviii. Pope Cost sell may erre Treuers other Princes threateneth Luther Luthers answer to the Princes The offenca of Faith and maners Actes .v. Luth. sent awaye scom Wormes Iohn Wiclâ—ffe an Englishe man Iohn Husse a Bohemer Husse appealeth from the Pope The CouÌ„sel of CoÌ„stauÌ„ce Iohn Husse Hierome of Praga burned Thre Popes deposed The Diuines of Paris condempne Luth. bokes Thauthoritie of the Diuines of Paris The Swysses make a league wyth the Frenche kynge Thirtene townes of Swysses The libertie of the Swysses Luib is ontlawed by the Emperour Luth. is conuetghed out of daunger Sunday bokes of Luth. Of themasse to be abolisshed The best thiges please fewest men Henry kyng of Englande writeth against Luth. Themperor hath warre with FrauÌ„ce The death of Leo the .x. Adrian succedeth Leo. The Turke taketh Belgrade Commotfôs in Spaine The lady Mart assured to theÌ„peror Who is author of single life Lut. rotaurneth to Wittenberge Luther foreseeth the teni pest coÌ„myng Luther writeth to the Bohemers Many sectes in the popish kingdome Three sectes of the Bohemers Lu. writeth againste the Bishoppes Adrian writeth to the duke of Sa. Reucline dieth The Pope writeth letters to at the princes of Germany 1. Corin. 〈◊〉 Luthers Frere The warre of Treuers The Popes letters to Strasburge The stocke of Aorian Dissention betwixt Leo and his Cardinals A disputatioÌ„ at Zuricke The questions of Zuinglius The request of Adrian to dispatch Lu. Luth. compared with Bahomet Iniquitie procedeth froÌ„ the Priestes The synne of Rome spred ouer al the worlde Lut. expoundeth the Popes saiynge The meane to let couÌ„sels The answer of the prices Why Luth. was not punished The maner of a free couÌ„sell An alteratiû in Denmark The king of Denmarke flecth Cornelles Scepper The beginnyng of the first fruictes and tenthes A Romishe Palle Two freres brent at Brusels The Ceremonies of disgratyng Luth. interpreteth the 〈◊〉 of the Princes The Bible to be preferred before all others Lut. wrot to the Senate of Prage Luther wrot of eschewing the doctrine of men The death workes of Hutten The king of Englande writeth to the princes of Saxonie The answer of duke George Adrian the Pope dyeth Clement succedeth Zuinglius is broughtin hatred The eatyng of Fleshe A new disputatioÌ„ at Zu Priestes maried wiues Pope ClemeÌ„t sendeth Campegius to duke Fri. A decree of the Suyses
they wold or not The horsmen of Hongary are commonly called Hussares an exceadyng rauenous and cruell kynde of men Wherfore leuing their force also whan they were now passing out of their owne limites Sebastian Weittemulle general of the armie sending his letters the .xx. day of October proclameth warre to the Duke of Sarons people For that certen yeares past their Prince seased into his handes the Abbeye of Dobrilug and that he renoūced lately his fidelitie to the Emperour and his confederates breaking the league that was betwene the Bohemers and the house of Saxon. And albeit the thing requireth no declaratiō for as muche as he is outlawed by the Emperour yet lest any thing might appeare to be omitted he would for his discharge geue them this aduertisement About this tyme the Ambassadours of the Protestauntes assemblie at Ulmes for common cōsultation to be had And wher as out of Saxonie came diuerse messages of the state of things there the Electour sending his letters the .xxvii. day of October chargeth his Ambassadours that were at Ulme to declare the whole matter to their Fellowes and require them to consider his case for asmuche as he hath spared no peryll nor paine that he might defende this higher part of Germany from distruction The counsellours of the warre a few daies past sent worde to the cities of Saxony that they should helpe hym But what they wil do he is vncerten and though they would yet feareth he greatly that they shall not be able to resist so great a multitude of enemies and that there is daunger lest or euer they be ready the enemy wyl haue inuaded his countrey These thinges therfore let them require of their fellowes first in asmuche as it should be a great grief and discommoditie for him in this extremitie to leaue any longer destitute his wyfe children people that they wold geue him counsell herein Moreouer that they would graunte him more ayde wherof the Lantgraue and the counsellours of the warre haue put him in hope already Finally that they do make no peace with the ennemy before he haue recouered that he hath lost Hereunto the Ambassadours aunswere franckly chiefly they intreate him that he would tary with the armie tyll the Emperour shall haue broke vp his campe for this wynter and shewe what daunger it should be if he now departed And if Ferdinando and Maurice doe him any wrong they promyse him ayde and say how ther is no doubt but his fellowes both Princes states wyll according to their league be faithfull and helpfull to hym and wyll conclude no peace before he haue recouered his owne And in case he thought good they would also in lyke maner as the Lantgraue and counsellours of the warre haue done signifie so much to Duke Maurice They trust also vndoubtedly that suche states as be of their cōfederacie in Saxony wyll doe their dutie herein The forsayd .xxvii. day of October Duke Maurice wryteth his letters from Dresda to the Prince Electour that what the Emperour hath commaunded hym to doe and in what peryll the matter consisteth he hath heard lately by the letters of the states of his countrey And now for so muche as the Emperour hath assured him and his people concerning Religion therfore is he determined to the intent that both the Emperour may be satisfied and that his ryght also may remayne vnto hym whole through the aduise of his counsel to fynde the meanes that his lande and prouince doe not come into the handes of straungers and this doth he both in his owne and also in his brother Augustus name denounce to hym And if in tyme to come he shall be agayne reconciled to the Emperour and kyng Ferdinando he wyll not refuse if they wyll suffer it that the states of his iurisdiction shall treate betwyxt them both for an order in the whole matter The selfe same wordes he writeth also to Iohn William the Electours sonne and warneth hym to see the letters adressed to his father conueyed to him In the meane whyle the Bohemers and Nussars make inuasion into Uoetiande the next cositrey of the Electours sleying spoyling burning and rauishing out of measure But the Bohemers taried not long for because as I sayd before they serued vnwyllyngly and at the eleuenth day of Nouember forsakyng their enseignes slyppe home euery man But the Hongarians such others as Ferdinando had hyred ioyne them selues vnto Duke Maurice who taketh by rendring first Swiccauie after Ecne berg and Aldeburg and for the moste parte all the Electours townes and sweareth them vnto hym sauing Gothe Isenack and Wittemberg The newes therof being brought into themperous campe styred vp great ioy and gladnes which the Emperour declared by a great peale of ordenaunce as is accustomed In these dayes the Emperour chaungeth his Campe againe for lyke causes as he did before and chouseth a more commodious and drye ground that he myght somwhat refresh the poore souldiours and releue them also with vitaile All others for the moste part counselled him that the souldiours might retire vnto places where they should wynter But he him selfe was of opinion to continew the armie in the field and maintaine warre All men for the moste part cried out vpon Duke Maurice whiche serued him so sknekyshely whome he oughte to haue honoured as his father who was in a maner the only authour of all that he had he to requite him with such vnthākfulnes And ther came forth in his reproche and dispraise both libelles and verses moste bitter whiche charged him with falsefying his fayth with treason and moste ingratitude and so muche the more that he wold do nothing herein at the intreaty of neyther his wyfe nor his father in lawe That thing knowen he publisheth a wryting to purge him selfe and sheweth what maner of Religion is in his countrey what he hath promised the people and how for the furtheraūce of Religion he hath founded certen Scholes After he saith how the Emperour hath assured him and his people and not hym only but other Princes also concerning Religiō and preseruation of the lybertie of Germany neyther is he of wyll that any thyng be done violently but that the cause maye in lawfull wyse be appeased accordyng vnto many decrees of the Empyre already enacted Wherfore he geueth credit to his promesse and letters by the ensample of those Princes whiche do now serue hym and doe not only at home but in the campe also and a warfare professe this Religion For suche as be familiar with hym and are dayly in his sight may easely knowe his mynde and in case they perceiued any such thyng without all doubt they would not tary with hym And where as the bishop aydeth him that is done for bicause the warre is attempted against thē that are the chiefest aduersaries of his errours and authoritie neither is it so muche to be considered what moueth him as what
is the Emperours minde which maketh the warre Wherfore seing that Religion is assured he seeth no cause why he should not obey themperour in al other thinges For Christ commaundeth to geue both to God and also to the Emperour that whiche is his What trauell and payn he hath taken that this matter might without ciuile warre haue ben pacified it is not vnknowen to the Emperour to kyng Ferdinando and to diuerse others But where as no peace could be graunted and the Emperour sent out streight cōmaundement to sease vpon the landes of Iohn Friderick and that also kyng Ferdinando hauing leuied the forces of Hongary Boheme and Austriche was ready to inuade and would not be intreated but sent in his armie and had taken already certen syluer mynes whiche were common betwene his cosin and hym he was dryuen of necessitie to prouide that they got not the resydue or inuaded further And what his purpose was he first declared boeth to the Lantgraue to the Duke his Cosyn and also to his Sonne And seing it is so he desyreth that no man mistake his doyng nor credit suche thynges as shall haply be reported by hym For in mainteyning of Religion he wylbe constant and hath none other respecte in this thinge than that the landes and dignities of the house of Saxon shuld not come into straungers handes About this tyme began again persecutiō in Fraunce There is a town in those parties called Melda ten miles from Paris the byshop therof in former yeares was Williā Brissonet Who being desirous of purer doctrine appointed good preachers instructours of the people excluding al freers And what tyme for the same cause the diuines of Sorbone procured him some daunger he shewed no constancie but refused his enterpryse Notwithstanding the remnaunt of that doctrine remayned in the mindes of many and this yeare about thre score townes men consulting of the matter chouse them selues a preacher of the worde and assembling in priuate houses whan the Sermon was ended on certen dayes they receiue the Lordes supper after the order of the Gospell and Christes institution This thing could not long be kepte secret especially sythe that dyuerse also came to them out of the countrey Wherfore beyng taken whan they were all together they are put in pryson and after their examination caried to Paris in cartes There receyuing sentence of death and caried home agayne fourtene of them bounden to seuerall stakes were burnte quicke all at one tyme the residewe were whypped and bannished As they were retournyng home warde from Paris one commeth runnyng to them out of the next village and exhorteth them to perseuer to the ende Wherfore beyng apprehended he suffered lyke punyshement as the others did Before ther were brent they were put on the torture to the intent they should vtter the fellowes and followers of theyr doctrine but they could extorte nothyng out of them Many supposed this to be done of pourpose to breake the amitie that was than in knitting betwene the kynge and the Protestauntes Duke Maurice letters of defiaunce to the Duke of Saxon were delyuered in the Campe the syxt daye of Nouember In the fourmer booke I haue shewed you howe the Byshop the .xvi. daye of Apryll gyuing sentence agaynst the Archbyshop of Collon depriued hym of al his ecclesiasticall offices Nowe where he heard fyrst therof for any certentie the fourth daye of Nouember as he hymselfe mentioneth a fewe dayes after settyng forthe a wryting and declaryng the causes why he can not acknowledge the Byshop for hys iudge who is accused already both of heresy and idolatrie he appealeth from that sentence vnto a lawfull counsell of Germany and whan the same shall begynne he sayeth he wyll persecute his suite against the Byshop The Protestauntes Ambassadours whiche I shewed you before were assembled at Ulme aboute the ende of October whan they could not agree in sentences in the moneth of Nouember they went to the Campe at Gienge that the consultation might be the easier There is propounded for so muche as some fellowes of their religiō geue no ayde of their cōfederates they of Luneburg Pomerane certen others and again the rest of the States and cities in Saxonie helpe not muche and nothyng is brought out of Fraunce and by reason that the soldiours doe dayly slippe awaye for the tyme of the yeare and other discommodities the armie is deminished they must chouse one of these thre thynges eyther to geue the battell or departe the field retyring the soldiours into places where they may wynter or els make peace and truce The matter being debated they condescended to make mention of peace and they assigned Adam Trotte who through the cause of the Electour of Brandenburg had accesse to Marques Iohn his brother to breake the matter But where as the Emperour whiche by espiall knewe throughly before all their case and discommoditie and had lately receyued glad tydiuges out of Saxony propounded verey harde conditions it is determined that all the reste of their force beyng led into Saxonie a thousande horsemen and eight thousande fotemen should wynter there in certen places at the coste and charges of the Duke of Wirtemberge and the cities of the vpper partes of Germany After the thre and twenty day of Nouember they retyre makyng fyrst a decree that an other Ambassade should be sent into Fraunce and Englande And at the two and twenty daye of Ianuarye to mere agayne at Frankefurte And thus was the warre gouerned nothyng luckely of the whiche misfortune this was thought to be the the principal cause that the matter was not wrought by the order and wyll of one For where the Duke of Saxon and the Lantgraue were in authoritie egall it chaunced that many goodly oportunities through disceptation were omitted The same whiche was also decreed of placyng their Soldiours came to none effecte whan many refused to be contributaries any longer After the Emperour had intelligence of theyr departure he maketh forth horsemen immediatly to vnderstande of their iourney And shortly after commaundeth the Duke of Alba and the Erle of Bure to followe and he him selfe also goeth forth with the Horsemen of Germany leauing the fotemen and cōmaunding them to remayne The moste part of the protestātes were already in their campe where they should reste al nyght But the Lantgraue albeit he led the forwarde the same day yet he taried with the Duke of Saxon and either of thē had ten guidons of horsemen only and about fiue hondreth gūners With these they stayed vpon an hill and plāted redy such field pieces as they had with thē And thus abiding their ennemies whan it was almost darke night the Emperour calleth his mē back and than went they also softely forwarde tyll they came to their Campe be besydes Heydenem in the lande of Wirtemberg escapyng moste present daūger For if the Emperour had geuen the charge they whiche were so fewe