relieve the Poor That in the chief Church the Mass of the Holy Ghost be said every Thursday and in time of Oblation all be intent upon the Priest and refrain from talking That the Bishops also live soberly use no luxury in their Tables and avoid all vain and idle Discourse accustoming their Families to do the like that in Speech Apparel and all their Actions they may appear honest and decent and that because it is the chief design of the Council that the darkness of Errour and Heresie which for so many Years have over-spread the World being dispersed the light of Truth may shine out all Men but especially the learned are admonished to consider with themselves what way chiefly that may be done That in giving their Opinions they should observe the Decree of the Council of Toledo act modestly not with clamour and noise not be contentious nor obstinate but speak what they have to say calmly and sedately The next Session was on the fourth of February In it nothing was done but that they made a Profession of their Faith and appointed the eighth of April for the next Session for many more were said to be upon their way to come to the Council they thought it fit then to stay for them that the Authority of the Decrees might be of the greater force Whilest these things were acting at Trent Luther being invited goes to the Counts of Mansfield to take up a difference that was betwixt them concerning their Bounds and Inheritance It was not indeed his custome to meddle in affairs of that nature having spent his whole Life in studies but seeing he was born at Isleben a Town within the Territories of Mansfield he could not refuse that Service to the Counts and his Native Country Before he arrived at Isleben which was about the end of January he was indisposed in health nevertheless he dispatched the Affair he was sent for and sometimes preached in the Church where he also took the Sacrament But on the seventeenth of February he began to be downright sick in his Stomach He had three Sons with him John Martin and Paul besides some Friends and amongst these Justus Jonas Minister of the Church of Hall and though he was grown now weak yet he dined and supped with the rest Discoursing of several things at Supper amongst other things he put the Question Whether in the Life to come we should know one another and when they desired to know his Opinion as to that What was the case said he with Adam He had never seen Eve but when God made her lay fast asleep but seeing her when he awake he asks not who she was or whence she came but says this is flesh of my flesh and bones of my bones Now how came he to know that but that being full of the Holy Ghost and endued with the true Knowledge of God he spake so after the same manner we also shall be renewed by Christ in the other World and shall know our Parents Wives Children and every thing else much more perfectly than Adam knew Eve. After Supper having withdrawn to Pray as his custom was the pain in his Stomach began to encrease Then by the advice of some he took a little Unicorns-horn in Wine and for an Hour or two slept very sweetly upon a Couch in the Stove when he awoke he retired into his Chamber and again disposed himself to rest after he had taken leave of his Friends that were present and bid them Pray to God said he that he would preserve to us the pure Doctrine of the Gospel for the Pope and Council of Trent are hatching Mischief All being hush'd he slept a pretty while but his Distemper increasing upon him he awoke after Midnight complaining of the stoppage of his Stomach and perceiving his end drawing nigh in these words he addressed himself to God. O God my heavenly Father and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ God of all Consolation I give thee thanks that thou hast revealed unto me thy Son JESUS CHRIST in whom I have believed whom I have confessed whom I have loved whom I have declared and preached whom the Pope of Rome and the multitude of the Vngodly do persecute and dishonour I beseech thee my Lord Jesus Christ receive my Soul O heavenly Father though I be snatched out of this Life though I must now lay down this Body yet know I assuredly that I shall abide with thee for ever and that no man can pluck me out of thy hands Not long after he had made an end of that Prayer having once and again commended his Spirit into the Hands of God he in a manner gently slept out of this Life without any bodily Pain or Agony that could be perceived And so Luther to the great grief of many died in his own Countrey which for many Years he had not seen the eighteenth of February The Counts of Mansfield desired indeed to have buried him within their Territories because there he had his Birth but by Orders from the Prince Elector he was carried to Wittemberg and five days after honourably buried there He was about Sixty three Years of Age for he was born the Tenth of November 1483. of honest and well-respected Parents John and Margaret His first Rudiments of Learning he had at home afterwards being sent to Magdeburg and Isenach he far outstript all of his Age. Next he came to Erfurdt and applied himself wholly to Logick and Philosophy and having stayed there some time without acquainting his Parents and Relations he put himself into a Monastery of Augustine Friers and bent his whole studies to Divinity abandoning the study of the Law to which he had addicted himself before Now there was a new University established at Wittemberg wherefore Stupitius whom we mentioned in the first Book being Rector thereof invited Luther that he might come and profess Divinity there He was afterwards sent to Rome by those of his Order that he might sollicite a Suit of Law that they had depending there and that was in the Year One thousand five hundred and ten Being returned home at the instigation of his Friends he took his Doctor 's Degree Duke Frederick being at the Charge of it How eloquent and fluent in Language he was his Works sufficiently testifie The German Language his own Mother-Tongue he much beautified and enriched and in it he merited greatest applause for he turned out of Latine into Dutch things that were thought could not be translated using most significant and proper words and in one single Diction sometimes expressing the emphasis of a whole Sentence In one place writing of the Pope how he had prophaned the Lord's Supper and caused Mass to be said also for the Dead he saith that with his Mass he had not only pierced into all the corners of the Christian World but even into Purgatory itself but he useth a Dutch word which represents a
generous Answer immediately departed and because of the Saxon-War went to Nordlingen Whilst the Duke of Wirtemberg performed this Ceremony of Submission there was a vast Crowd of People got together who being told of it before flocked thither to see the Shew In those three Places we named before of the Dutchy of Wirtemberg the Emperour had already placed Garrisons and chiefly Spaniards THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XIX The CONTENTS The Seventh Session of the Council of Trent is held When the City of Strasbourg had captitulated and made Peace with the Emperour he orders his Army to advance Shortly after the Death of the King of England Francis King of France dies The Fathers that were at Trent go to Bolonia The Duke of Saxony is taken in Battel and though he was condemned to die yet with undaunted Courage he professed the Reformed Religion Wirtemberg being surrendred the University is dissolved Duke Maurice and the Elector of Brandenburg earnestly intercede for the Landgrave who being come to wait on the Emperour is detained Prisoner King Ferdinand by Letters to those of Prague appoints a Convention of States A great Commotion raised at Naples because of the Spanish Inquisition as they call it Henry King of France is Crowned and the Solemnity of the Coronation described The Emperour by Proclamation puts the City of Magdenburg to the Ban of the Empire He sollicits the Suitzers to enter into a new League A Diet is held at Ausburg Petro Aloisio the Pope's Son is assassinated in his own House The English overcome the Scots in a great Battel The Protestant Electors are prevailed with and the Free Towns terrified A Contention ariseth about the Imprisonment of the Landgrave Means are used for recalling the Fathers to Trent but they who had removed to Bolonia firmly persist in their Opinion and Resolution so that there is nothing but Confusion in the Council of Trent THE Seventh Session of the Council of Trent was held the third day of March. In it were condemned all who maintain either that the Sacraments of the Church were fewer than Seven or that they were not all instituted by Christ who deny that one is of more Dignity than another who affirm that they are only outward Signs of Grace or Righteousness received by Christ who deny that they confer Grace who hold that no spiritual and indelible Character or Mark is by Baptism Confirmation and Orders stamped upon the Soul and that all have like power to administer them or that the usual Ceremonies of the Church may be omitted or altered in the Administration of the same who say that the Doctrine of the Church of Rome the Mother and Mistress of all others concerning Baptism is not sincere That Vows made after Baptism are of no force and derogate from the Faith they have professed who assert That Confirmation is but an idle Ceremony and was no more in ancient Times but an Instruction of Youth who deny the Virtue and Influence of the Holy Ghost to be conferred in Confirmation and who assign the Office of Confirmation not to Bishops solely but indifferently also to any Priest Then they make Decrees concerning Ecclesiastical Benefices That Bishops and other Rulers of the Church be lawfully begotten of due Age and conspicuous for Good Manners and Learning That no Man of what Quality he be do by any Title whatsoever possess more than one Bishoprick and that such as have Pluralities keep which of them they please and resign the others within a Year That those who have the Cure of Souls reside upon the Place and substitute no others to officiate for them unless for a time and so as that they have made appear to their Bishop that they had a lawful cause of Absence which is to be allowed of by him who is to take care that the People be not neglected that the Faults of Priests be punished and what is amiss amongst them reformed And then the one and twentieth of April is appointed for the Day of the next Session King Ferdinand being at Dresden with Duke Maurice on the eighth day of March writes to the Bohemians acquainting them That Duke John Frederick was resolved to invade them That therefore they should be upon their Guard and obey Sebastian Weittemull whom he had appointed to be his Vicegerent in his absence The Deputies of Strasbourg who as we told you went to Ulm being come back with the Conditions prescribed by the Emperour which the Senate did not dislike are sent back again to transact and make a final Conclusion Setting out upon their Journey then they find the Emperour at Nordlingen taken ill of the Gout and having March the one and twentieth made their Submission are received into Favour They had pretty tolerable Conditions for the Emperour put no Garrison upon them was satisfied with Thirty thousand Florins and did not exact above twelve Pieces of Ordnance of them The Elector of Brandenburg in the mean time bestirred himself affectionately in behalf of the Landgrave and applied himself also to King Ferdinand But very hard Conditions were proposed which were these That he approve without exception all the future Decrees of the Diet of the Empire That he give one of his Sons in Hostage That he dismiss Duke Henry of Brunswick and his Son and submit to the Emperour's Decision as to the Difference betwixt them That he send the Emperour a Supply of some Troops of Horse and eight Companies of Foot against the Elector of Saxony and the Confederates and that he pay them for six Months That he submit himself to the Emperour and openly confess his Crimes But he rejected the Conditions and acquainted his Friends by Letters That unless they were mitigated he had rather seeing he could not in Honour condescend to them undergo the worst of Fortunes The day the Emperour transacted with the Strasburgers he parted from Nordlingen to go to Norimberg And next day upon the Road having dispatched Letters to the States of Duke Maurice he tells them That forasmuch as that Outlaw John Frederick flying to his own Home had not only regained what the Prince Elector Maurice had by his Orders taken from him but those Places also which King Ferdinand his Brother possessed in that Country as Dependents on Bohemia he was now upon the march to come and repress his Boldness Wherefore he charged them in the first place that they should take care that in those Places through which he was to march with his Army nothing might be wanting that was necessary and that the Soldiers might be kindly used In the next place That they should despise the Threats of John Frederick and shew all Love and Duty to their Prince as they had hitherto done since the main Design of the present War was to daunt his insolent Fierceness and to settle Peace and Quietness amongst them The very same day he wrote to the Council and Magistrates
mouth of his Chancellor The Landgrave rises from off his knees unbidden The Landgrave's Captivity The Remonstrance of Duke Maurice and Brandenburg's Counsellors to the Emperour The number of great Guns taken from the Protestants Ebleben dies for grief The City of Magdeburg alone did not satisfie the Emperour Sebastian Vogelsberg raising Men in Germany King Ferdinand calls before him the Citizens of Prague in the Castle of Prague and there severely expostulates with them The Bohemians subdued and fined by King Ferdinand Caspar Pflug condemned of High-treason A Sedition at Naples because of the Spanish Inquisition The Reason of the first Institution of the Spanish Inquisition The Pope's Legat in France grants many things Charles of Guise made Cardinal The Pope and King of France make a Match between their Bastards A Diet at Ausburg Some Towns of Saxony are reconciled to the Emperor The Emperour publishes his Pacification with the Landgrave Duke Maurice graciously receives the Divines of Wittemberg The manner of the French King's Coronation Twelve Peers of France The Emperour squeezes Money from the States of the Empire The Sum of Money which the Emperour got Counts whom the Emperour would not pardon Magdenburg proscribed King Ferdinand and the Cardinal of Ausburg obtain vast Sums of Money from the Free Towns. The Emperour sollicits the Suitzers into a League An Armed Diet at Ausburg A Truce between the Emperour and Turk The Expiation of Churches Michael Sidonius a Champion for the Mass The Opening of the Diet at Ausburg Pietro Aloisio the Pope's Son is assassinated at Piacenza Jerome Palavicini turned out of House and Lands Pope Paul III. an Astrologer and Necromancer Those of Piacenza submit to the Emperour The detestable wickedness of Aloisio the Pope's Bastard The Council of Trent divided The German Bishops Letter to the Pope A Victory of the English over the Scots The Opinions of the Catholicks and Protestants differ about the Council of Trent The Protestants are sollicited to submit to the Council Some Protestants drawn in or over-awed assent to the Council The Free Towns scrupulous to assent to the Council The Emperour's Answer to the Speech of the low Towns. The Emperour's Embassie to the Pope for the continuation of the Council Letters to the States in behalf of the Landgrave The Emperour's Excuse to the States concerning the Captivity of the Landgrave The States acquaint Maurice and Brandenburg with the Emperour's Relation The Emperour is not wrought upon by Intercessions De Lire sent to the Landgrave desires up all Obligatory Letters that he had Peter Martyr goes into England The Reformation of the Church in England The Cardinal of Trent's Speech to the Pope in the Consistory of Cardinals The Speech of the Emperour's Embassador to the Pope The Cardinal of Lorrain's Harangue to the Pope The French King hunts after a fit occasion The Pope's Answer to the Cardinal of Trent and Mendoza The Pope's Letter to his Legate in the Council The Legat's Answer to the Pope The Pope's Answer to the Emperour's Embassadour Mendoza sends the Pope's Answer to the Emperour 1548. The Pope's Answer to the Bishops of Germany The Emperour's Embassadours sent to Bolonia The Pope's Legate to the Emperour's Embassadour De Vargas the Emperour's Embassadour his Speech to the Fathers The sawciness of the Cardinal de Monte. The form of the Protestation against the Council The King of Polands Embassy in behalf of Albert of Brandenburg The Harangue of the Polish Ambassador in the Diet of Ausburg The Institution of the Teutonick Order Casimire King of Poland subdues the Teutonicks Albert of Brandenburg refuses to do Homage to the King of Poland Albert makes Peace with the King of Poland The Master of Prussia's Answer to the Speech of the Polish Ambassador The Original of the Tuetenick Order Conrade Duke of Muscovy afflicted by the Prussians Prussia converted to the Christian Religion A Pacification betwixt the King of Poland and Matter of Prussia The King of Poland takes 70 Towns from the Master of Prussia The Articles of the Peace betwixt Casimire King of Poland and the Master of Prussia How long Prussia continued under the Empire The death of Sigismund King of Poland The Popes haughty Speech to the Emperours Ambassador The Pope taxes Mendoza as having transgressed his Commission The Popes Expressions concerning his perpetual resolution of calling a Council His comparing himself with the Emperour The singular purpose of the Pope The Emperour's Report to the States The Interim is made Bucer being sent for by the Elector of Brandenburg comes to Ausburg The English Declaration to the Scots Sebastian Vogelsberg is condemned to die and two Captains with him A Persecution in France The Ceâ—emony of Investing Duke Mâ—â—rice into the Electorship Bucer rejects the Interim Brandenburg angry with Bucer The Archbiship of Cologne's first Mass The King of Tâ—nis comes to Ausburg The Heads of the Book called the Interim The Interim often reviewed and corrected before it could pass The Interim sent to Rome The Popes Animadversions upon it The Elector's opinions about the Interim vary The Archbishop of Mentzs his craft in approving the Interim and giving thanks to the Empeâ—â—â— The Emperour desires Money to be raised and put into a publick Treasury King Ferdinand craves Money from the States Maximilian marries his own Cousin german The Naapolitan Horse are a great burden to the people about Strasburg Marquess John of Brandenburg approves not the Interim The Electors of Brandenburg and Palatine receive the Interim The constancy of the Duke of Deux-Ponts Musculus went from Ausburg to Bern. The labours and dangers of Brentius Brentius his Judgment of the Interim The ingratitude of the People of Hall who banish Brentius and his Family The Duke of Wirtemberg secretly received Brentius The Preachers are forced to fly Wirtemberg receives the Interim The constancy of Saxony the Prisoner Severity towards captive Saxony Letters spread abroad in the Landgrave's Name Whil'st the Mass triumphs in Germany it is run down in England The Bishop of Winchester is committed to Prison The Emperours Ecclesiastical Reformation The Bishops approve this Regulation Those of Strasburg are urged to receive the Interim The Answer of those of Strasburg Granvell's Speech to the Strasburghers The Strasburghâ—â—s Answer to Granvell Granvell's Reply The Strasburghers insist The other Cities are also urged The Emperours Answer to the States about the disbanding of the Soldiers The States consent to the Constitution of the Imperial Chamber A Decree of the Dyet of Ausburg concerning a free Council The Composers of the Interim are bountifully rewarded The Emperours Letters to the Princes about the receiving of the Interim The Veneratians Proclamation The Popes Legats in the Courts of Princes The prudence of the Venetians in the business of Religion The Venetian Inquisition against Sorcerers and those that have commerce with the Devil French Auxiliaries sent to the Scots They who served in the Protestant Arms Proscribed by the Emperour The Duke of Vendâ—smâ—s Marriage The
the Disciples of Mahomet and who with his prophane and poysonous breath thought at once to blast and overturn the whole Disciplin of the Church who bewails the Punishments inflicted on Hereticks and in short who strove to turn all things topsie-turvie and is arrived at that degree of pride and madness as to despise the Authority both of Popes and Councils and has the confidence to prefer before them all his own single Judgment That he therefore had shewed himself a true Son of the Church in that he had nothing to do with that pernicious Rascal nor embraced any of his erroneous Opinions but in all things imitated the Vertues of his Fore-fathers That this made so many grave and understanding Men outvie each other in his Commendations And that he could not but think himself bound to return his most hearty Thanks to God who had bestowed on him so many rich endowments of Mind He says he had long borne with Luther's Sauciness and Temerity hoping he would in time grow ashamed of his Folly but now when he saw him deaf to all his Admonitions and that he was only hardned by the gentleness which he used towards him he was forc'd at last as in a desperate Disease to have recourse to a desperate Remedy to prevent if possible the farther spreading of the Contagion That having summoned therefor the Conclave and had the Advice of several learned Men in the matter after much serious deliberation he had signed the Decree being guided by that holy Spirit whose aids can never be wanting to an Infallible Church In it were recited some of his Tenets which were picked from among a great many more part of which were downright Heretical others directly contrary to the Precepts of the Gospel and some were destructive of Morality and even common Honesty it self and were such as by degrees would debauch Men into all manner of Wickedness That he had sent him a Copy of this Bull to let him see what monstrous Errors that Agent of Hell did maintain But now his Request to him was That he would admonish him not to persist in his Pride and Obstinacy but publickly and solemnly to recant all his former Writings which if he refused to do within a prefixed day then to take care to have him seized and committed to Prison by this means he would wipe off the Reproach of his own House and of Germany too and get himself immortal Honour by putting a timely stop to that flame which would else not have ended but in the ruin of his Country and it would be a Service also very acceptable even to God himself The Bull it self was very long and was published on the Fifteenth of June the substance of it was this After a Quotation of some Texts of Scripture which were applied to his present purpose his Holiness Pope Leo having called upon Christ St. Peter and St. Paul and the rest of that glorified Society to avert those dangers which at this time threatned the Church complains that there was now started up a Doctrin which not only revived all those Opinions which had been formerly condemned as Heretical but also contained in it several new Errours never before broached in the World and such as would justle out all sense of God and Religion That he was troubled that this Heresie should have its rise in Germany a Country always very Loyal to the Church of Rome and which to uphold the Dignity of that See had fought even to the last drop of Blood and never refused to undertake any the most difficult Enterprizes That it was yet fresh in memory with what Heroick Spirits and with what Zeal they maintained the Catholick Cause against the Bohemians and the Followers of Husse That some of their Universities had lately given Instances of a Vertue and Courage equal to what inspired the first Planters of Christianity But because he was Christ's Vicar here on Earth and the Care of the Universal Church was committed to him he could no longer neglect the discharge of his Duty After this he repeats Luther's Tenets which he says were repugnant to that Christian Love and Reverence which all Men owe to the Church of Rome That he had therefore summoned together the whole College of Cardinals and several other learned Men who after a long Debate all declared That these Points ought to be rejected as derogating from the Authority of Councils Fathers and even the Church it self Therefore with their advice and consent he condemns this whole summ of Doctrins and by virtue of his Supremacy commands all Persons under the severest Penalties to yield Obedience to this his Decree by renouncing those Opinions which are censured in it and he enjoyns all Magistrates especially those of Germany to use their endeavours to hinder the farther progress and growth of this Heresie He orders also Luther's Books to be every where brought forth and burnt Then he relates how Lovingly and Fatherly he had dealt with him in hopes to reclaim his by those gentle methods how he had admonish'd him by his Legates and cited him to come and make his Purgation at Rome not only granting him a safe Conduct but promising to furnish him with all Necessaries for his Journey but that he slighting this Summons had appealed from him to a General Council contrary to the Decrees of Pope Pius and Julius II by which it is enacted That whosoever shall make any such Appeal shall from that time be adjudged an Heretick and be obnoxious to the same Punishments That therefore it was in his power to have prosecuted him at first with the utmost rigour of the Law but that out of meer pity he had forborn so long if perhaps as the Prodigal Son his Calamities might bring him to a sense of his Errours and he would at last be willing to return into the bosom of the Chuâ—ch That he had still the same tender Affections towards him and that he most passionately intreated him and all his Followers that they would cease to disturb the Peace of Christendom and if they yield to this his request he promises to shew them all the kindness imaginable In the mean time he forbids Luther to Preach and prefixes Threescore days within which time he should amend burn his own Books and publickly Recant If he did not he condemns him as an Heretick and orders him to be punish'd according to Law he Excommunicates him and commands all Persons to avoid his Company under the like Penalty ordering this Decree to be read in all Churches upon certain days As to what he says of Pius and Julius the matter stands thus In the Year of our Lord 1359 Pius II on account of the War with the Turks holds a Council at Mantua and there among others makes a Decree That no Person should Appeal from the Pope to a Council because he said there could be no Power on Earth Superior to that of Christ's Vicar Therefore he
sufficiently weiged the greatness of the Matter and the troubles that this Doctrin hath occasion'd Nay truly I am exceedingly rejoyced to see that the Doctrin I profess hath given occasion to these Troubles and Offences for Christ himself tells us That it is the property of the Gospel to raise grievous Strife and Contentions where-ever it is taught and that among those very Persons too who are most closely linked together by the Bonds of Nature and Blood. It ought seriously then to be consider'd and maturely thought on most Noble Patriots what is fit to be decreed and care had lest by condemning the Doctrin which by the Blessing of God is now offered unto you you yourselves be the cause of the greatest Calamities to Germany Regard should likewise be had that the Government which the young Emperour who here presides hath lately taken upon him be not reckoned inauspicious and fatal by Posterity through any bad Act or Precedent that may entail its Inconveniences upon them For it may be proved by many places of Scripture that Governments have then been in greatest danger when the Affairs of the Publick were managed only by Human Prudence and mere Secular Councils Nevertheless I design not by what I say most Illustrious and Prudent Princes to prescribe or point out to you what you are to do but only to declare the Duty which I shall always be ready to perform to Germany our native Country which ought to be dearer unto us than our very Lives After all I most earnestly beseech you to take me into your Protection and to defend me against the Violence of mine Enemies When he had made an end of Speaking Eckius looking upon him with a stern Countenance You answer not to the Purpose said he nor is it your part to call again into question or doubt of what hath been heretofore determined by the Authority of Councils It is a plain and easie Answer that is demanded of you Do you approve and will you defend your Writings To which Luther made answer Since it is your Command said he most mighty Emperour and most Illustrious Princes that I should give a plain Answer I 'le obey and this therefore is my Answer That unless I be convinced by Testimonies of Holy Scripture and evident Reason I cannot retract any thing of what I have written or taught for I will never do that which may wound my own Conscience neither do I believe the Pope of Rome and Councils alone nor admit of their Authority for they have often erred and contradicted one another and may still err and be deceived The Princes having considered this Answer Eckius again told him You answer said he Luther somewhat more irreverently than becomes you and not sufficiently to the purpose neither when you make a distinction among your Books But if you would retract those which contain a great part of your Errours the Emperour would not suffer any Injury to be done to such others as are Orthodox and right You despise the Decrees of the Council of Constance where many Germans famous both for Learning and Virtue were present and revive Errours that were condemned therein requiring to be convinced by Holy Scripture you do not well and are very far out of the way for what the Church hath once condemned is not to be brought under Dispute again nor must every private Person be allowed to demand a Reason for every thing for should that once be granted that he who opposes and contradicts the Church and Councils must be convinced by Texts of Scripture there would never be any end of Controversies For that Reason therefore the Emperour expects to hear from you in plain Terms What you will do with your Books I beseech you said Luther that by your leave I may preserve a Sound and upright Conscience I have answered plainly and have nothing else to say for unless my Adversaries convince me of my Errour by true Arguments taken from Scripture it is impossible I can be quiet in mind Nay I can demonstrate that they have erred very often and grosly too and for me to recede from the Scripture which is both clear and cannot err would be an Act of greatest Impiety Eckius muttered something to the contrary That it could not be proved that ever a General Council had erred But Luther declared That he could and would prove it and so the matter concluded at that time Next Day the Emperour wrote to the Princes assembled in Council That his Predecessors had professed the Christian Religion and always obeyed the Church of Rome So that since Luther opposed the same and persisted obstinately in his Opinion his Duty required that following the Steps of his Ancestors he should both defend the Christian Religion and also succour the Church of Rome That therefore he would put Luther and his Adherents to the Ban of the Empire and make use of other proper Remedies for the extinguishing that Fire However that he would make good the Safe-Conduct he had granted him and that he might return Home with Safety This Letter of the Emperours was long and much debated in the Assembly of the Princes and some there were as it was reported who following the Decree and Pattern of the Council of Constance thought that the Publick Faith was not to be observed to him But Lewis the Elector Palatine and others also were said to have vigourously withstood that Resolution affirming That such a thing would lye as an eternal Stain and Disgrace upon Germany Wherefore most were of Opinion that not only the Publick Faith and Promise should be kept to him but also that he should not be rashly condemned because it was a Matter of great moment whatever should be decreed by the Emperour whom at that Age they perceived to be incited and exasperated against Luther by the Agents and Ministers of Rome Some Days after the Bishop of Treves appointed Luther to come to him the 24 of April There were present at that Congress Joachim Elector of Brandenburg George Duke of Saxony the Bishop of Ausburg and some other great Men And when Luther came conducted by the Emperour's Herald and was introduced by the Bishop's Chaplain Vey a Lawer of Baden spake to him to this Purpose These noble Princes have sent for you Martin Luther said he not to enter into any Dispute but to treat friendly with you and to admonish you privately of those Things which seem chiefly to concern your self for they have obtained leave from the Emperour to do so And in the first place as to Councils it is possible that at some Times they have decreed things different but never contrary and granting they had err'd yet their Authority is not therefore so fallen that it should be lawful for every Private Man to trample upon it Your Books if Care be not taken will be the cause of great Troubles and many interpret that which you have published of
called that he promised them this upon his Royal Word but on this Condition still That in the mean time they should follow the same Religion which he and the rest of the Princes professed For that to procure the calling of a Council and yet to suffer things to continue at such uncertainties and not to put a stop to those Innovations all men did see how prejudicial that must needs prove both to himself and others They having consulted returned this Answer That they had not caused any new Sect nor separated from the Christian Church That they heartily thanked his Majesty for that he was not against a Council and begg'd that with the first opportunity an Holy and Free Council might be called in Germany as it had been decreed both in the last and former Dyet of Spire but that to receive the Rites and Doctrins of the Church of Rome which were now abolished they could not do it with a safe Conscience After long Deliberation the Emperour caused Truchses to tell them That he had carefully read over and perused the Memoires of the Conference and found that they dissented very much from the Christian Church That he wondred also at the Condescension of the Commissioners who had granted so many things and at their stiffness in not accepting what had been offered That whereas they grounded their demanding of a Council upon the Decrees of the Empire they had no Right to do so since they rejected the last Decree of Spire against which they had protested and appealed from it though he looked upon their Appeal as void and null since it was but reasonable that the smaller number should be determined by the greater and what an inconsiderable Party were they if compared with the Pope with himself and the rest of the Princes That therefore he desired to know of them if they were willing to enter into any further Treaty and Conference for that he would spare no pains nor trouble that he might by any means make way for Concord and Agreement but that if they refused a Treaty and would needs pursue their designs then he must do as became the Protector of the Church And that because it was drawing towards Night he gave them till next morning to consider on the matter Next day when all the States were met at the hour appointed Pontane a Lawyer made answer in Name of the Duke of Saxony and his Associates to this effect That if the Emperour understood the whole Affair as it was acted he would then believe their former Relation Nor did they doubt but their Doctrin would be judged consonant to the Word of God in the Judgment of an Holy and Free Council And that so it was the less to be wondred at that they did not accept of what had been lately granted and offered That that Appeal was for necessary Causes made only against that part of the Decree which struck at the Doctrin of the Gospel and the Custom of the Primitive Church That in all things else they obeyed it That besides at the very opening of that Dyet and long before the Decree was made a Council had been promised them by his Deputies Nor so only neither but in all the Dyets of the Empire that had constantly been the Opinion of all That since then they had appealed to his Imperial Majesty and a free Council they were in hopes that he would not derogate from their Appeal until a lawful Sentence should pass thereupon That it was not a place to dispute whether or not in this Controversie the smaller number should be concluded by the greater That that had indeed been the chief Reason which had obliged them to appeal and that they would in Council give their Reasons more fully for what they had done That therefore since all former Dyets had decreed a Council without any limitation or condition they earnestly desired that he would not rescind those Decrees but therein condescend to the Will and Resolution of the rest of the States That they rendred his Majesty most hearty Thanks That he was pleased to offer them a farther Conference and Treaty but that seeing it easily appeared by the Acts of the last Conference that they had condescended as far as possibly they could and that he himself wondred at the Papists for granting so much it might with small Difficulty be gathered what his Majesty's Judgment was in the case so that it would be in vain to appoint any other Treaty because it would bring a Delay and hindrance to other Affairs But that they were very willing to consult of any way that might preserve the Peace of the Empire until the meeting of a Council as they had said at first and that in the mean time they would do nothing but what they should think pleasing both to God and to a lawful Council also After they had been commanded to withdraw they were at length called in again and because it was a weighty affair the Emperour said he would consider of it and withal desired the Duke of Saxony as being the chief of the Party not to depart from the Dyet George Truchses and Veh a Lawyer of Baden propounded some things privately concerning the Mass and Vows in order to a Reconciliation but that was in vain And therefore the Emperour commanded a Committee to be chosen for framing a Decree The Parties chosen were the Archbishop of Mentz the Elector of Brandenburg the Bishops of Saltsburg Strasburg and Spire George Duke of Saxony William Duke of Bavaria and Henry Duke of Brunswick When the Duke of Saxony was thinking of returning home the Emperour September the eighteenth desired of him that he would stay but four Days longer In the mean time the Princes of the Committee drew up the Form of a Decree and September the two and twentieth the Emperour sent for the Duke of Saxony and his Associates to come to Court and in a full Assembly of the Princes caused that to be read which concerned Religion which was That the Duke of Saxony and his Associates had exhibited a Confession of their Faith which had afterwards been refuted by Testimonies of Scripture and that through the Pains that he himself and the rest of the States had been at things were after brought to this pass that they had received some Doctrins of the Church and rejected others which being so that therefore to shew how desirous he was of Peace and how far from acting any thing unadvisedly or out of Private Interest he was graciously pleased to grant them time to consult until the fifteenth Day of April that in the mean time they might consider with them selves and come to a Resolution if in the remaining Points of Doctrin they would acquiesce to what the Pope he himself and the whole Christian World besides professed That in the mean while it was his Will and Pleasure that all Men throughout the Empire should live in Peace that the Duke of
be propagated to posterity It is manifest then that Covetousness and desire of Lucre is not to be Objected to us when besides Trouble and Dangers there comes nothing to our share and our Adversaries in the mean time without any regard to the Pope whom they usually magnifie so much make what booty they please of the Church Revenues and besides bestow great Rewards and Gifts upon some that they may obstinately Persecute the true Religion That we also submit the rest of Church-Possessions to the Determination of a Council we hope will be sufficient to justifie us in the Opinions of all Good Men. But that it should be imputed to us by our Adversaries That we do but dissemble and play the Hypocrites as often as we speak of Reconciliation and as if that were only done that we may put a stop to the Emperor's Designs pervert the matters and hinder a lawful Trial as a thing that does very much trouble and afflict us for what can be more wicked and base than to make a blind pretext of Piety and Religion We therefore desire seeing that is a very heinous Accusation that the Emperor would patiently and attentively examine those things which we are to say in our own defence When Ten Years ago our Enemies made a great complaint to the Emperor in the Diet of Ausburg concerning our Churches and that we were enjoined to give an account of our Doctrine Religion and Ceremonies we acted nothing craftily nor in hugger-mugger but in plain Terms gave an open profession of our Doctrine that all might be convinced that it agreed with the Doctrines of the Apostles and we make no doubt but that was a means of bringing many to embrace our Religion when they saw that we taught nothing contrary to the From of the Ancient Church but only shewed and detected the Errors which had slipp'd into the Church For it cannot be denied but that many and grievous Errors had crope in the Doctrine of Repentance was frigid and perplexed not a word preached of Grace received by Christ and the Remission of Sins the Lord's Supper was in a horrid manner and wholly corrupted and contaminated by the Popish Mass for it is known that private Mass is but a new thing introduced partly through Ignorance and partly out of Covetousness because Marriage was denied to Priests there was nothing to be heard but Instances of the foulest Incontinence the Doctrine of the Keys and Power of the Church was altogether slighted and the Pope arrogated all that Power to himself only for the Confirmation of his own Dominion and Rule and loaded the minds of Men with almost infinite numbers of Precepts and Laws which learned and judicious Men often bewailed but no care was had of setting able Men over the Churches What our Opinion was of those many and necessary matters we declared before the Emperor at Ausburg and Books on that Subject written by Men of our Profession are publickly extant Many learned Men also of other Nations confess That they had the Knowledge of the true Doctrine from these Books so that then we shun not the Light. And when a Reconciliation was attempted at Ausburg we acted not Fraudulently nor Craftily but shewed our selves to be desirous of agreement and that if our Adversaries would have received the Principal Doctrines we should not have been very scrupulous nor contentious about indifferent Things And though the Ways then propos'd by us were moderate yet our Treatment was neither too Friendly nor Impartial Nay would to God the Emperor knew how our Adversaries that were Commissionated then behaved themselves for they often protested in the beginning of all Treaties that they would not depart a Hairs breadth from their own Opinion and Doctrine but that all they did was only to bring us over to their Judgment Wherefore they began to speak of Doctrines of the Invocation of Saints of Private Mass and Satisfaction affirming that there was no Error in them That was not then a Conference wherein the Truth was sifted by solid Arguments and testimonies of Scripture but it was a kind of haughty and pompous Confirmation of manifest Errors And because we did not then acquiesce to them they now construe that as if we had only made a shew of Treating about Accommodation not with any real and sincere design of Success but only to shuffle with the Emperor and elude a Trial For so they understand the word Reconciliation as if we should abandon the Truth and approve their Cause But after the Conference at Ausburg these things were no more debated which nevertheless was not our fault for it is our chief desire that good and learned Men may conferr of all these matters and freely give their Judgment concerning them Wherefore we pray all Men not to give credit to this their Accusation for if we shunned the Light or were ashamed of our Cause we might easily forsake it and ingratiate our selves with them but seeing we are convinced that of all Causes this is the most pious and necessary therefore we undergo all this Labour submit to all Losses and Dangers and profess the Doctrine of Christ which we desire to retain and propagate longing for a Reformation of the Church with Peace and Concord and what a Year since we protested at Francfort we now also profess that we will not decline a Conference nor treaty of Reconciliation Which that no Man may be mistaken we so understand that following the Scripture as our Guide Truth may be sought after Error abolished and true Doctrine take place in Churches For otherwise all Labour and Pains will be in vain Christ the Son of God made known to us his Will and Doctrine from the Bosom of the Father He is to be heard and only to acknowledged for our Judge Now all the Emperor's Edicts and Proclamations sufficiently show also that this Affair ought to be orderly and lawfully debated but we do not think that our Adversaries method of proceeding at the Diet of Ausburg has been made known unto him But now what our mind is and upon what Grounds we proceed may be seen in the publick and printed Confession of our Faith which we are certain does agree with Holy Scripture and therefore we cannot forsake it Besides this Doctrine which is the chief and Foundation of all the rest there are some other mean and as it were indifferent things as concerning Ceremonies Ordination of Priests Jurisdiction Visiters Church-Goods matrimonial Causes c. all Controversies as to these may in our Judgment be reconciled if first there were an Agreement about those necessary Points For so long as our Adversaries impugn the chief Matters and go on in a way of Cruelty the difference cannot be removed How in that some endeavour to perswade the Emperor that our Doctrine is blended with many Heresies and Errors they do us an Injury for if they have any thing of that nature to Object unto us they may do it publickly and
occasioned so much Labour and Toil might be in some part lessen'd and the rest which were not as yet adjusted the more easily handled afterwards For that he intended to go streight to the Pope that he might know for a certain what was to be expected and as soon as he could afterwards come back into Germany and mind the Affairs of the Government That in the mean time all these things were to be understood without prejudice to the Decree of Ausburg When the Protestant Divines had read Contarim's Two Papers before mentioned with unanimous consent they published an Answer wherein they complained that they had injury done unto them declaring withal that considering his Learning they had expected far better things at his Hands And whereas he excited the Princes to severe and cruel Courses they extreamly blamed him for it assuring him that he needed not to imagine that they would ever approve those Errors which they then condemned or ever return to that Church which defended such notorious Vices Contarini in the mean time hearing that that Answer of his we mentioned was variously taken by the perswasion of some sent a third Paper to the States telling them that he did not at all assent that some Doctrines should be look'd upon as accorded and be tolerated until the sitting of the Council but that all indifferently should be referred to the Pope July the Fourteenth the Princes Electors in Answer to that which the Emperor had desired their Judgment of told his Majesty That they were content that the Articles agreed upon should be received until the time of the Council for that it would be a means to prevent Quarrellings for the future and contribute very much to a farther Reconciliation That if there were any Hopes that the rest also might be accommodated in the same Diet they prayed him graciously to promote it But that if the exigency of the time would not allow of that that then he would be pleased according to his own voluntary promise to deal with the Pope and other Kings that a General Council might with all Expedition be called and meet in some convenient place within Germany or else a National Council to which his Holiness should consent and send his Legate And that if neither of the two could be obtained according to their Hopes that he himself would return into Germany and shew the same care for the Country which till then he had done by settling Peace and Quietness therein But the Protestants Petitioned the Emperor that he would confirm the Heads of Doctrine already accorded by a Law and command them to be taught for that so Truth would be more and more discovered and a way made to the healing of the Wounds of the Church That he would also utterly abolish or at least supersede the Decree of Ausburg as not at all conducing to Concord That they had formerly declared their thoughts as to the Council how it ought to be constituted and that neither the Pope nor any that depended on him should have the Power of judging therein and that they persisted in the same Opinion still But that if such a Council could not be had and that he ordered a Convention of States to be held in Germany they would therein propose and maintain their Doctrine The rest of the Princes amongst whom the Bishops held the chief Rank and with them the Brothers Dukes of Bavaria and Henry Duke of Brimswick gave the Emperor their Opinion separately to wit that there was so great an inundation of Vices Sects Heresies and Dissentions not only over all Germany but in other places also and in a manner all over Christendom that there was no redressing of them but by a General Council But that they could not give their consent that any Change or Alteration should be now made in the Religion and Ceremonies which had been in use for so many Years or had been instituted of old especially seeing the Pope by his Legate promised a Council and that his Majesty intended in person to sollicite his Holiness thereunto That it was their earnest desire the Pope would make that his Care that so Errors being at length rooted out the Wrath of God might be appeased and Mankind kept in the right way of Salvation That if a General Council could not be had the next course must be a National Synod or a Diet of the States of the Empire That they however for their parts were resolved to persevere in the Ancient Religion the Councils and Doctrine of the Fathers handed down from the Apostles to the present Age and to obey the Decrees of the Empire but especially that of Ausburg hoping also that they who had commended the Decree that was made at Ausburg would not recede from it especially since it had been lately resolved on at Haguenaw that if any thing were acted contrary thereunto they should stand to the defence of it and that his Majesty himself had always excepted the same in all Treaties Now that the Reconciled Doctrines should be received for a time they did not approve on 't for that some of them were superfluous and not controverted to wit the First Second and Third and that that of Original Sin had been handled in a different manner at Wormes That besides the thing it self required that there should be a new Conference appointed for that there were some words used in the Writings contrary to the common Acceptation of the Church and Fathers That some Sentences also were thrust in which ought to be qualified and corrected That lastly the things which were accorded were of no great moment but that since the chief Points were not agreed upon that 's to say The Lord's Supper The Adoration of the Hoast Transubstantiation The Mass The Marriage of the Clergy The receiving of the Sacrament in both Kinds Confession Penance Satisfaction and other Points of that Nature which were so impugned by the Protestants that there had been no Hopes of Agreement Besides since the Catholick Conferrers went too far so that their Opinions deserved a Censure And that lastly since it tended to the Contempt of the Pope his Majesty himself and the rest of the States of the Empire Upon all these Considerations it seemed most expedient to them that the whole Affair of Religion should be deferred till the meeting of a Council especially since the Pope's Legate was of the same Opinion The other free Cities which were not of the Number of the Protestants as Cologne Metz Spire Wormes Toul Haguenaw Ratisbone Schweinfurt Colmar Gemund Rotenburg and many others finding themselves excluded from Deliberation and that the Princes did not communicate to them a Copy of the Answer complained of it to the Emperor as they had done several times before beseeching his Majesty that they might not be baulked in their Right and assuring him that most of them were willing to receive the Doctrines agreed upon The Emperor having heard
Holy Tribunal and here he shewed a very great severity bringing not only Men suspected of Heresie but of some other Crimes within their Jurisdiction Then commanding all Monks and Nuns to their several Houses he Imprison'd some and sent others to the Gallies for not presently obeying him His Rigour was so great in this last that many left his State and went and setled in the State of Venice He spent Fifty thousand Crowns in Corn to relieve the Poor in a time of Scarcity and setled Bishops at Malacha and Cochin two Cities belonging to the Portuguese in the East-Indies and made the Bishop of Goa an Archbishop exempting him from the Jurisdiction of the Bishoprick of Lisbon He also erected many new Sees in the Low-Countries at the request of Philip King of Spain to the Diminution of the Jurisdiction and Diocesses of many French and German Bishops These Sees were setled at Mechlen Antwerp Harlem Daventrie Leewarden Groningen Midleburg Bosleduc Namur St. Omers Ipress Gant and Bruges and were put under the Archbishops of Cambray Mechlin and Vtrecht This change gave great offence to the Low-Countries who esteem'd itrather an Inslaving than an Honouring of their Country to have so many New Sees setled among them and the more because among other Reasons assigned by the Pope one was That these Countries were on all sides encompass'd with Nations which had cast off the See of Rome so that the Salvation of the Souls of this People was much endanger'd by Schism which rendred this Settlement hateful to all those who favour'd the Reformation so that this was one of the principal Causes of the War which followed which in the end proved fatal to many of these New Bishopricks In the interim this Consideration had that effect upon the Spirit of King Philip that it greatly disposed him above all others to enter into a Treaty of Peace with France He saw that not only the Licence which attended a War but the vast number of Germans which he was forced to employ by their conversing with his Subjects in the Netherlands begat in them a good Opinion of Luther and the Reformation Henry II of France imprudently communicated to William of Nassaw Prince of Orange when he was Embassador for Philip in France when they were one day Hunting together That King Philip and he had agreed first to extirpate all the Sects which were then rising in the Netherlands and after that they would joyn their Arms and do the like in all other places which being discovered by that Prince to the Netherlanders they entred into Consultation for the preserving themselves from the Pride of the Spanish Government and made those insolent Demands of King Philp when he was going into Spain This Counsel was then generally attributed to the Cardinal of Lorain and Perrenot Bishop of Arras and all concluded That under the pretence of suppressing Heresie King Philip and Henry of France had laid a Design of Ruining the Civil Liberties of France and the Netherlands When the Commissioners met for the concluding the Treaty of Peace between these Princes they found themselves delivered from one difficulty the Restitution of Calais by the Death of Queen Mary of England but then Thionville Verdun and Toul three Imperial Cities had been taken in this War by the French and King Philip thought he was bound in Honour and by his Interest too to see them restored to the Empire and yet he saw the French were as well resolved to keep them Nor was indeed his Interest in the Restitution so great as that of the French was to keep them he having very effectually provided for his own Security and Benefit by the gaining other Places Hereupon these Princes by mutual consent sent Embassadors to the Dyet of Germany began this Year the Twenty fifth of February at Ausburg The first thing that was done in them was the celebrating the Funeral of Charles V with great Solemnity His Encomium was pronounced by Lewis Madruse then Bishop of Trent the afterwards a Cardinal After this Ceremony an Account was given of the Conference at Wormes for the Reconciling the Differences of Religion and there appearing no hope of an Accommdation Ferdinand the Emperor promised he would take care to have the General Council renewed and that all should obey its Decrees and Determinations But the Deputies of the Duke of Saxony and of several other Princes of the Empire opposed this affriming that there being no hopes of restoring the Peace of the Church by a Popish Council the Edicts of Passaw and Ansburg were religiously to be observed But the Emperor persisting in his former Opinion they said they were not against a Free and General Council in Germany so be it were legally assembled by the Emperor and not by the Pope and in which the Pope should appear as a Party subject to the Council and not as President and Judge of all others and provided the Bishops and Clergy might be freed from the Oath they had taken to the Pope that they might freely speak their Thoughts That the sacred Scriptures might be the only Rule by which they should judge and determin these Controversies rejecting all humane Traditions and Customs that were contrary to the Word of God If the Divines who had embraced the Augustane Confession might not only be heard but admitted to give their votes in the Decision of these Controversies and have good Security given them for their going thither and that they should enjoy the Liberty granted them by the Decree of Ausburg without any fraud or violence That the Points in Dispute should not be determin'd as is usual in Civil Affairs by the plurality of Votes but by the Rule and Prescription of the Word of God That in the first place the Decrees of the Council of Trent already made should be cancell'd as vitious and not legally assembled and that these things should be debated a new And lastly That if these things could not be obtain'd of the Pope the Emperor should maintain the Peace of Religion and the Edict of Passaw These were the Conditions the Protestants proposed for the holding of a Council The Emperor who despaired of reconciling the differences of Religion on these Terms and having no other way left him for preserving the Peace of Germany Confirm'd the Peace of Passaw After this they took into Consideration the Reduction of the Monies of Germany to their ancient value and purity and heard the Complaints of William of Furstemberg Great Master of the Knights of Livonia who obtain'd a Grant of an Hundred thousand Crowns for the Levying of an Army for their Protection against the Russ But this Sum seeming less than the necessity of their Affaris and of the Times required the Livonians neglected it and betook themselves to the Protection of Sigismund Augustus King of Poland to whom they assign'd Nine of their strongest Places upon condition that they might at any time redeem them by
the publick Inns That they should deliver in all the Books written or printed by David George and not keep any by them in the Dutch Tongue and that they should send their Children to the School of Basil to be instructed That they should pay a Pecuniary Mulct if required and that they their Wives and Children should appear in the Church and make Profession of the True Faith and-Renounce that of David George Two days after his Body was sentenc'd to be taken up and burnt together with his Books and Effigies by the Hands of the Common Hang-man in the place where they usally executed Malefactors and all his Goods they sez'd to the Publick Treasure adding That if any Person presum'd to blame this their Decree he should be liable to the same Punishment His Body was found very perfect so that it might be known by his yellow Bâ—ard from another Man's though he had been buried two Years and six Months and was accordingly burnt in a vast concourse of Men. In the beginning of February the Ambassadours met again at the Castle of Cambray to conclude the Treaty which was broke up upon the Death of Mary Queen of England Queen Elizabeth who succeeded her Sister Mary a Princes of a Masculine Soul and of a Prudence above her Sex fearing if she relied upon the Spaniard she might either be deserted or dishonoured by his Protection had in the mean time made a separate Peace with France After which she changed the Religion of England in her first Parliament abolishing all the Laws made by her Sister Mary and reviving those made by her Brother Edward VI and rejecting all Obedience to the Pope of Rome This Peace with France did much facilitate the Treaty of Cambray In which among other things these Princes promised to do their utmost that a General Council should be held as soon as was possible to the Glory of God and the pacifying Men's Consciences This last Clause by the perverse Counsels of these Princes in a short time raised a War in the Low-Countries and France which was more lasting and more fatal than any former Wars This Treaty was signed at Cambray April 3. These two Kings having thus regained their Peace and disburthened themselves of the Cares which the War brought upon them they betook themselves solely to the Care of Religion which in France had been under consideration the two foregoing Years and was then omitted on account of the War and Treaty but was now reassumed in the heat of a Marriage-Feast There was one Diana Dutchess of Valentinois a Court-Lady and one of the King's Mistresses who used to beg the Estates of all such as suffered for any Crime And the Duke of Guise who were the Promoters of this Persecution the latter aiming at nothing but Popular Applause These two insinuated this Belief into the King That the Venome of Heresie was much spread in France and that in truth he was not King of those Provinces in which that prevailed That the Impudence of those who imbraced it was so great that they did not whisper it as heretofore in the Ear but preached it openly and boldly throughout the Kingdom by which the name of God was blasphemed and his Majesties Royal Authority was endangered for when the Law of God was once confounded who can Question say they but that all Human Laws will soon be subverted And that they might the more easily prevail they employed Giles Maistre president of the Parliament Jean de S. Andre Anthony Minart and Giles Bourdin the King's Attorney and principally the first of these who was a Man of a fierce Disposition and Temper to incense the King's Mind against the Sectaries he being no way inclined to such Severities To this end they tell him That there would little be gained by the Peace of a more cruel War was fomented and carried on at Home For that the Disease had already got such Strength that if his Majesty dissembled a little longer the Sword of the Magistrate and the Laws of the Land would not be able to suppress it but he must levy Armies and himself take the Field against them as had been done in the case of the Albingenses That what had hitherto been done had not had its desired effect because all the severity had been spent upon the populace and the mean people the hatred and detestation of which had affected all Men but very few had taken example by it That now it was fit to begin with the Judges many of which had imbraced their Doctrin secretly or favoured them on other accounts and by their connivance nourished the Distemper suffering this Offence either to go unpunished or very lightly corrected This they said was the very Root of the Evil and that all labour was in vain tâ—ll it were pulled up Not long after this the King was prevailed upon to come into the Parliament in Person whilst the Members were debating about the Punishment of the Sectaries June 14. He seemed rather to labour to conceal his Anger than to have come with a calm Mind Among other things he told the Parliament That having made a Peace he hoped it would turn to the general Good but he was much concerned that the business of Religion which was one of the principal Cares of a good Prince had been during the War tumultuously and seditiously treated by some That therefore he desired for the future more care might be taken of the Christian Religion And because he heard that affair was this Day to be debated by them he was come thither and he admonished them to proceed in it with Freedom saying It was God's Cause who knew all our Hearts and Thoughts Tho' the Members of the Parliament knew the King was brought thither to deprive them of their Liberty yet there were some who resolved to retain their ancient Freedom at the price of their Lives and having declaimed against the Manners of the Court of Rome and its ill Customes which had degenerated into most pernicious Errors and given occasion to the rise of many Sects they thence inferred That the Penalties of Heresie were to be mitigated and the Severities of the Law abated till the differences of Religion were composed by the Authority of a General Council and the Discipline of the Church reformed And this was the Opinion of all the good Men in the Parliament Arnold du Ferrier President of the Criminal Court an honest and a wise Person and the best Lawyer in France was the first who proposed this Method and was followed by many others among which was Lewis du Faur a Man of great Sense and of a generous Temper who added That all were agreed that the Differences in Religion had occasioned great Disturbances but then said he we ought carefully to enquire Who caused these Disorders lest as Elijah answered Ahab when he reproached him as the Troubler of Israel it might be said to us It is thou that hast
was by the late King's Order and would explain the Mystery no further About twelve Days after he went to the Castle of Hane in Picardy and there attended the Orders of the new King. Francis the Second was buried with small State and less Expence to the great hatred of the Guises who in the mean time were very busie to revive the Differences between Queen Catharine and the King of Navarr who wisely prevented their Design by offering the first Place to the Queen and reserving the second to himself as President of the Kingdom This passed into a Decree the twenty first of December The Protestant Religion which had got such footing in France that it seemed not possible to root it out without the Ruine of that Kingdom began this Year to shew it self more openly in Flanders and the Netherlands the Nobility espousing it in great numbers together with the rest of the States Nor could Margaret their Governess under King Philip obtain the continuance of the Taxes for the maintenance of the Spanish Forces Nor would they of Zealand acquiesce tho the Pay was sent from other Places till these Troops were sent into Spain Nor would they grant any Supplies to be disposed of by the Governess but reserved that to themselves that the Soldiers in the Frontier Towns might be certainly and regularly paid This was vigorously opposed by the new Bishops instituted by Paul IV as tending to the remitting the Reins of the Ecclesiastical Government as well as the Civil Bartholomeo Caranza Archbishop of Toledo in Spain was also suspected to incline to the Protestant Religion and on that account was imprisoned by the Inquisition and his Revenues were brought into the King's Treasure By an Appeal to Rome he saved his Life but was never able to recover his See again but died many Years after at Rome in a Private State. Thuanus saith He knew him and that his Learning Integrity and the Holiness of his Conversation was such as made him worthy of that Dignity The great Progress of the Protestant Religion in all Places made all Good Men saith Thuanus desire that the General Council which had been intermitted might be reassumed and carried on but Pope Pius IV had the same Fears of it his Predecessors had lest his own Power should be abated And therefore though he judged this the only means to root out Heresies and very necessary yet he delayed it and unless he were compelled by Force or some present Danger it was apparent he would never admit it But having resolved on the other side right or wrong by Force or Fraud to accomplish his own Desires and hoping to reap great Advantages from the Ruine of the Caraffa's though he had been much assisted by them in the obtaining of the Papacy he applied himself to this with great Application and Industry and under the Mask of Friendship And having laid his Plot he committed Charles Caraffa the Cardinal and his Kinsman the Cardinal of Naples to the Castle of S. Angelo But Anthony Marquess de Monte Bello being then not at Rome though cited also escaped the Danger and fled for his Life Though daily Accounts came to Rome of the Tumults and Disorders of France the Pope took no notice of them Though the Duke of Florence who was great with him for he pretended to be descended of that Family did very much urge his Holiness to consider the State of Affairs in France and Scotland And told him It was Uncharitable to see so many thousands of Souls Lost and Impolitick to necessitate Princes by the despair of a General Council to betake themselves to National Synods This was much inforced by the Noise the Speech of the Chancellor of France had made in the late Assembly which was then very hot in Italy He had among other things assured the French Clergy That if the Pope would not hold a General there should very speedily be a National Council assembled in France and had exhorted all the Bishops to prepare themselves for it To this the Pope answered with great anxiety seeking Pretences of Delay and pretending he was going to Ancona and that by the way he would speak with the Duke of Florence who was a wise Prince and his Kinsman and regulate that Affair by his Advice Cosâ—â—us Duke of Florence perceiving that this Journey of the Pope to Ancona was a Sham and being invited by the Pope to Rome resolved to go thither to promote this and some other Private Business he had with the Pope Before this King Philip having heard of the National Council designed in France had sent Anthony de Toledo to advise the King and Council in this and lay before them the inevitable Danger of a Schism which would follow upon it On the other side Ferdinand the Emperour insisted That seeing the Council was begun on the account of the Germans it should be renewed in Germany and all that was already determined should be re-debated anew Others thought it reasonable That seeing the French were now equally concerned with the Germans the Council should be assembled in some City in the Confines of France and the Empire as at Constance or if the Germans would agree to it at Besanzon The Pope was rather inclined to have it at Trent or rather to bring it deeper into Italy and had some Thoughts of Vercelli a City in the Borders of France though he could not yet resolve certainly to hold it any where for he good Man was more desirous that Geneva which had much infected France and Germany should be reduced by a War than that the Controversies of Religion should be committed to the peaceable Determination of a Council And to that end he had persuaded the Duke of Savoy to make a War upon the Vaudois his Subjects Whilst the Pope was in this incertainty in October the Duke of Florence came to Rome and persuaded the Pope by his Arguments to resolve on the calling of a Council the next Year that he might provide a General Remedy for a General Disease He shewed him That there was no Danger such a Council would pass any severe Sentence on the Manners and Abuses of the Court of Rome And that it was fit he should desire the Discipline and Corrupt Manners of the Church of Rome should be reformed That he ought sincerely to promote it and cause select Divines to be assembled out of all Christian Kingdoms and to hear them favourably that so the Peace of Christendom might be restored which was now torn in Pieces by Diversity of Opinions About the same time the Death of Francis II the Advancement of the King of Navarr and the great Kindness Queen Catharine on his account shewed to the Protestants very much terrified the Pope and compelled him to entertain the Thoughts of a Council in good earnest which till then had been talked of with no great sincerity The Pope thereupon sent Lawrence Lenzi Bishop of Firmo
her Heart she had a kindness for the Protestant Party and that underhand she and Navarre had one and the same design And thereupon he deserted her and joyned with the Guises his till then Mortal Enemies the Duchess de Valentois procuring the Reconciliation Magdalen of Savoy Wife to Montmorency was also an implacable enemy to the Reformation and hated Coligni the Admiral for that and other causes and therefore she perpetually stimulated him against the Protestants Francis Montmorency Son of the Constable was a person of great Prudence and he wisely advised his Father not to lose the least of his friends in so necessary a time for he foresaw a Tempest would arise in France of what Religion soever they were that it did not become a wise Man to endeavour to gain new friends with the loss of his old ones and to prefer the uncertain friendship of reconciled enemies before the tried affections of his old Acquaintances That if he rejected Conde Coligni and Rochefoucault on the Account of Religion he would deprive his Family of the assistance of three great Men and perhaps the Queen would think never the better of him therefore his advice to his Father was to sit still and let Coligni and the Guises fight it out without taking part on either side and in all probability Guise would be worsted and he would become the Arbitrator of the two contending Religions And in the mean time it was most certain there were many great Errors by length of time crept into the Church which he ought not to defend because they were injurious to the Majesty of God. The good old Gentleman was much moved at this Advice from his Son but made no other answer to it than That he certainly knew that if the Religion were changed the Civil Government would be changed too That he cared not what became of him if his little Masters did well and the Actions of Henry II. might not be called in question who was a wise Prince and his good Master So he perished in his first resolves believing he was obliged to defend the Cause of Religion against his best and most ancient and tried friends The Pope seeing his Jurisdiction and Authority decline so fast in Germany England and France greedily embraced a pretended Overture made by one Abraham a Syrian Impostor who pretended he was sent by the Cophthites an Eastern Sect of Christians to make a submission to the Holy See whereupon he sent Christopher Roderick and John Baptista Elianus two Jesuits to them who gained nothing by this Mission but an exact Account of the Opinions of these Cophthites and a certainty of the Frauds of this pretended Ambassador Abraham who had feign'd this Mission to the Pope for his own Ends. This Mortification was soon after attended by another not less afflictive to his Holiness for Gothard Ketler Master of the Teutonick Order in Libonia intirely submitted to Sigismond King of Poland which put an end to that Order when it had flourished there 357 years He was thereupon made Duke of Gurland and Semigallen and Governor of Livonia and Marrying a Wise withdrew himself and his Subjects from the See of Rome The Archbishoprick of Riga was also about the same time changed into a Dukedom John Kothewick the last Archbishop of that See embracing the Augustane Confession put himself under the Protection of the Crown of Poland and was by Sigismond made Duke of Lithuania This Archbishoprick was founded in the year 1215 by the procurement of the Knights of the Teutonick Order the City being then and a long time after the Seat of the Master of it who divided the Sovereignty and Administration of Justice with the Archbishop After this short Digression which the Reader is desired to Pardon I shall now return to the prosecution of the French Affairs The new Friendship between Montmorency and the Guises was a very frightful thing to the Queen Regent who sought all the way she could possible to divide their Affections for the preserving her own Authority and therefore she was very Anxioâ—sly inquisitive to find whether this new Kindness between two such Ancient Enemies tended The Prince of Conde in the mean time was declared Innocent by the Parliament of Paris the Thirteenth of June and his Discharge Recorded The Differences in Religion not only disquieted the Court but the Provinces also the two Parties reproaching each other with the Names Papist and Huguenot There were frequent Tumults raised also by the Roman Cabolicks to shew that Coligni was out when he said The Protestant Religion might be divulged throughout all the Provinces without any Disturbance And at Amiens and Pont-Oise things came to a Sedition the Catholick Artificers beginning the Quarrel and falling upon some of the Houses of some of the Protestants and they slew one Hadrian Fourre a Priest because he was reported to savour the Reformation and afterwards burnt his Body publickly for which only two were hanged This necessitated the Council to forbid all Reviling Expressions and all Tumults on the Accounts of Religion And by it all that had been banished for Religion in the Reign of Francis II. were invited to return and promised they should enjoy their Goods and Estates if they would live like good Catholicks for the future or otherwise might sell them and retire elsewhere which was after opposed by the Parliament at Paris but yet many returned on that account and many that were in Prison were discharged so that the Protestant Party appeared numerous The Cardinal of Lorrain was Alarm'd at this and represented to the King and Queen That the whole Kingdom was fill'd with Conventicles That the meaner sort ran to the Sermons out of curiosity and were easily corrupted That the Ancient Ceremonies were little frequented or regarded and that they were already derided and scorn'd by many That great numbers every day forsook the Church and went over to the Protestants So he would needs have had a new Edict forthwith published to prevent these Inconveniences This being Debated in the Council in the Month of July there was another Edict published That all should live peaceably and without any furry each to other or reproaching one the other That there be no Listing or Inrolling Men on either side That the Preachers should use no Seditious or Turbulent Expressions upon pain of Death and the Presidents of the Provâ—ces should determine of these Affairs and execute the Ediâ—t That no Sermons should be frequented by Men Armed or Unarmed in publick or in private nor any Sacraments Administred but according to the Rites of the Church of Rome And That if any Man was Convicted of Heresie and delivered to the Secular Power he should only be Banished and this was to stand till a General or a National Council should determine otherwise This was called the Edict of July The Cardinal of Lorrain had so good an opinion of his own Abilities that he was
Council which he had rather promised than desigued before The Conference was to be begun the First of August at Poissy and the Bishops and Divines were already arrived there and had entered into a Debate what Points were to be Disputed where they spent the time to no great purpose disputing amongst themselves concering the Office of a Bishop the Dignity of Cathedral Churches of Colleges and their Exemptions of the Ordination of Curates and Priests concerning allowing them Competent Pensions abating their number reforming the Discipline of the Monasteries of Commendam's and Benesices of cutting off the Pleasures and Luxuries of the Clergy and of Censures And they thought the Answering such like Queries was of great use to the Church in these confused times There appeared for the Protestants Augustin Marlorat Francis de S. Pol Jean Remond Merlin J. Malo Francis de Mureaux N. Tobie Theodore Beza Claud Brisson J. Bouquin J. Viret J. de la Tour Nich. de Crallas and John De l'Espine who abjuring the Dominican Order did then first openly prosess the Protestant Religion Soon after Peter Martyr came to Zurich These Asked four things 1st That the Bishops should be Parties and not Judge 2d That the King and Council should Preside 3d. That all things might be determin'd only by the Word of God 4th That whatever was agreed should be set down by Notaries The Queen yielded all these but would have one of the Secretaries of State be the only Notary and she would not consent that the King should Preside in the Conference The Cardinal of Lorraine had before objected against Beza That he should say that Christ was no more present in the Sacrament than in a Muddy Ditch This Expression is said to have been urged by Melanchthon against Oecolampadius as the Consequence of his Doctrine and was by a mistake of the Cardinal wrongfully charged on Beza who denied and detested it as Blasphemous The First of September the Conference began the King the Queen his Younger Brother and Sister and about Eleven Bishops being present and the Cardinals of Bourbon Tournon Chastillon Lorrain Armagnac and Guise The King opened it with a short Speech which was seconded by the Chancellor with a longer In which he preferr'd a National Council before a General and shewed that the Errours of many General Councils had been corrected by National Synods particularly the Arrian General Council of Ariminium was condemn'd by a Private Council held by St. Hillary Bishop of Poictiers and banished out of France He said they neithe needed much Learning nor many Books the Bible alone being sufficient by which Religion was to be Tried and Examined That the Protestants were their Brethren and to be treated as such if out of Ambition or Avarice they did otherwise God would judge and condemn them and their Decrees would be rejected That they ought to Amend and give God Thanks for any Errour that was discovered and if they did not God would Punish them After him the Cardinal of Tournon spoke and Thanked the King Queen and Princes for being present and approved highly of what the Chancellor had said but desired a Copy of it which the Chancellor refused though it was seconded by the Cardinal of Lorrain because he perceived they craftily designed to mischief him by it Theodore Beza being next commanded to speak fell upon his Knees and after a Prayer and reciting his Faith complained to God that they had been injuriously treated as Enemies of the Publick Peace Then he shewed wherein they agreed with the Church of Rome and wherein they differed and discoursed of the way of attaining Salvation of Faith Good Works the Word of God the Authority of the Councils and Fathers of the Sacraments and of their use and true Interpretation of Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation and lastly of the Ecclesiastical Order and Discipline and obedience to Princes he was so long and so sharp in some of these things that they had scarce patience to hear him out and the Cardinal of Tournon presently replied with a Voice trembling for Rage That he and the other Prelates had done violence to their Consciences by condescending to this Conference in compliance with his Majesties Commands by hearing these new Evangelists That he foresaw if they were heard many things would be spoken by them injurious to the Majesty of God which would offend the Ears of the King and of all good Men. And therefore he beseeched his Majesty not to believe what was said That if he could have prevented it the King should not have been present but however he desired he would not suffer his Mind to be pre-ingaged in their false Opinions but to suspend till the Bishops had Answered it and the King and the rest there present should know the difference between Falsehood and Truth He Asked a Day to Answer in and prayed the King that he would persevere in the Religion of his Ancestors Lastly he added that but for the respect they bore to the King the Bishops would have arisen and put a stop to those horrible and abominable Words The Queen calmly said she had done the thing without the Advice of the Parliament of Paris the Princes and Privy-Council That no change was designed but that the Disturbances of France might be appeased and Men friendly brought from their Errors into the Old Way which belonged to them to effect The first Dispute was about the Lords Supper The second which was the 17th of August was about the Church which the Cardinal of Lorrain said could not Err That if any particular Church did Recourse was to be had to the Head the Church of Rome and the Decrees of a General Council and the Concurrent Opinions of the Ancient Fathers and before all to the Sacred Scriptures explain'd by the Right Sense and Interpretation of the Church As to the Lord's Supper in effect he said That if the Protestants would not embrace their Opinions there was no hope of an Agreement The Cardinal of Tournon thereupon applauded his Harangue and said he was ready to lay down his Life for this Faith intreating the King to continue stedfast in it and was contented Good Man that if the Protestants would subscribe these two Points they should be admitted to dispute all the rest but if they refused this all hearing was to be denied them and they were to be expell'd out of his Dominions Beza desired to Answer him Extempore but the King delayed the Answer to the next day Upon a Petition the Ministers were heard at last again the 24th of September before the Queen only when Beza discoursed of the Church and its Notes which he said were the Preaching of the Word and a Pure Administration of the Sacraments As for the Succession of Persons and Doctrines it had been often interrupted He discoursed of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Vocation of the Universal Church and her Authority of Councils which he affirm'd
Council sends it back to the Pope Oh the stupid Patience of these Men When Lanssac gave the King of France an Account of what had been done he said in his Answer That he liked what had been done as yet at Trent but could not but observe that they went very slowly about the Reforming of the Ecclesiastical Discipline and the Manners of the Clergy and in the mean time were in great haste to Establish the Points of Doctrine That therefore it was suspected when this was with Levity enough perform'd there would be an end put to the Council and no care be taken for the former that so this procedure would afford no Benefit to the Church in this distracted State of Christendom and especially to France That about Thirty Years since when Fire and Sword had so unsuccessfully been imployed to Cure the Disease all Men looked upon a General Council as the Sheet-Anchor That he wished nothing had been done in the beginning of this Council for the Alienating the Minds of the Churches Enemies but rather that they had by all means been allured and invited to it and if any had been prevail'd upon to come that they should have been treated by the Fathers of the Council with Kindness and Humanity as Children For to what end were all these careful and diligent Disquisitions and Disputations concerning the Doctrine seeing there was no debate but between the Catholick and Protestant in these Points And as to the Protestants their Definitions signified nothing but only gave them Occasion to say their Opinions were condemned by the Council without hearing what they had to say for them That therefore it seemed more advisable to have endeavoured to have brought them into the Council for fear they should in time withdraw all those who adhere to the Church For it was a vain surmise that the Protestants would ever submit to those Decrees which were made when they were absent That therefore he was of Opinion That the Reforming the Manners of the Church-men and the Discipline ought to be their first and greatest Care and the other to be for a time suspended for this would be acceptable to all Men. And lastly Lanssac was ordered to get the next Session Prorogued to the latter end of October 1563. that the French Clergy might be present at it or at least that the publishing of the Canons might be deferred till then When Lanssac had represented all this to the Council he desired in the King's Name That seeing in the former Sessions some things had been decreed to the prejudice of the Liberties of the Gallicane Church it being an ancient Priilege belonging to them to represent by their Kings or their Ambassadors what they thought useful or necessary for them that this Liberty should for the future be preserved and that if any thing were Acted to the contrary of it it might be recalled In the mean time the Thirteenth of November the Cardinal of Lorrain and about Forty of the French Bishops came to Trent with some Divines who were met without that City by the Pope's Legates and some of the other Bishops and of the Ambassadors In this Journey the Cardinal of Lorrain went to Inspruck to meet the Emperor before he went to the Diet at Francfort where he had some Conferences in private with that Prince about the Affairs of Religion The Pope and the Cardinals at Rome were alarm'd at this coming of the French Clergy as if so many Enemies had invaded them and all things were in an Hurry to make Preparations against them There were new Legates and a new Squadron of Italian Bishops who might out number the French presenly to be sent to Trent And the Pope wrote to King Philip to Order the Bishops of his Dominions to unite their Counsels and Votes with the Italian Bishops that neither the Reasons nor the Votes of the Vltramontane Bishops might prevail against them And in his private Audience with L' Isle the French Resident at Rome he ridicul'd the Cardinal of Lorrain by calling him The other Pope who had Three hundred thousand Pounds the Year Revene out of several Ecclesiastical Benefices when he good Man was content with the single Bishoprick of Rome and it is an easie thing saith he for the Cardinal with his belly full to praise Fasting and admonish others to be content with one Benefice The French King had sent Francis de Bolliers Sieur de Manes to dissipate and remove this Jealousie of the Pope's at the approach of the French Bishops and to acquaint his Holiness with his Intentions For that it was commonly said That the Cardinal was sent to get the Transactions in the Conference of Poisey last Year confirm'd by the Synod That the Cup might be granted to the Laity That the Clergy might be allowed Matrimony That the Liturgy might be in the Vulgar Torigue That the Bishops might have but one Diocess and that none should be Elected to that Dignity who could not Preach to the People As to the first Manes excused the Conference of Poisey and said It was appointed by the Queen and the Cardinal for the gaining time and the retarding or keeping back those intestine Commotions they foresaw and for the stopping the Mouths of the Sectaries who complained every where that their Reasons had never been heard That they designed in the Interim to levy Forces so that if they could not convince the Sectaries by Reason they might by force reduce them to their Duty That nothing was done in that Conference And as to the other Points the Cardinal and France Clergy had no other Instructions then what had been sent to the Ambassadors of France and that they brought no prejudged Opinions with them to the Council The Pope was much concern'd upon the Account of a Report that the Bishops of France had moved their King to stop the Payment of First Fruits by the Clergy of France to the See of Rome And he said this was contrary to their Pacts and Agreements with him which was That this Affair should be transacted with the Pope only in a friendly way But then after all nothing so much startled the holy Man as a Report that a Peace was treating secretly with the Protestants and that they would have Liberty given them to Preach and he foresaw that if France were once quieted the Council could not be hurried to a Conclusion but things would be well considered and perhaps the Protestants must be heard in it and amongst them Queen Elizabeth of England which he feared beyond Expression For he thought the Cardinals of Lorrain and Ferrara were so Useful and Necessary to the King of France that he could never have spared them to attend the Council where there was no need of them if he had not had some such pestilent Designs to promote Whereupon he mustered up all the Prelates he could possibly not admitting any Excuse and sent many also who had resigned their Benefices to
the Council together with the Coadjutors of other Bishops that so he might have the more Votes believing he was now in the utmost degree of Danger and as if he had not had enough of his own he borrowed some Prelates of his Friends too And amongst them he got leave of the Duke of Savoy that Anthony Bobba Bishop of Cassale who was then that Princes Ambassador in the Court of Rome and Lewis Vanini de Teodolis Bishop de Bertinoro a Person of great Learning and Eloquence who had excused his Attendance in the Council upon his want of Health should now forthwith be dispatched to Trent When this last was going thither he is said to have consolated and strengthened the good Pope in his Anxiety and Fears of the Event with an Assurance That he would certainly get the Victory over the Council which was a very Acceptable Saying to the Pope and that he for that good News Kiss'd the Bishop of Bertinoro when he took his Leave to go to Trent bidding him be careful to get the Victory he had promised him And when after this some flying Reports came to Rome that some Questions were moved in the Council to the prejudice of the Papal Authority by the Bishops he was so moved at it that in the Consistory before all the Cardinals he cried out he and the Romans were betrayed whilest he maintained an Army of Enemies at Trent with great expence By which expression he aimed at the Italian Bishops who were his Pensioners and kept there by him in great numbers And Jo. Baptista Adriani writes He was just upon the Point of inhibiting the Council and had done it if Cosmus Duke of Florence had not averted him from that dangerous and shameful project The 8th day of September Maximilian the Eldest Son of Ferdinand the Emperor was chosen King of the Romans at Francfort upon the Maine in a Diet there assembled for that purpose Stroschen a Polander by birth who was then Ambassador for Solyman the Emperor of the Turks was present at Francfort and saw this Ceremony being sent to settle a Truce for eight years between those Princes which had been a long time sought by Busbequius at Constantinople The Emperor was by this League to pay Thirty Miliions of Hungarian Duckets for a Tribute by the year In this Diet the Princes of the Augustane Confession and their Allies gave in their opinion concerning the Council in Writing as they promised they would in the Convention at Naumburg They said they could not come to this Impious Council which was Indicted by Pope Pius the Fourth because not so assembled as was prescribed in their Appeals to a pious free and lawful Council given in heretofore in several Diets of Germany This Diet ended about the end of December and the Emperor went by Wormes Spire Weissemburg Strasburg Schlestat and Basil to Friburg in Brisgow being in all places received with great Honour and in the last of these places he held a Diet for Alsatia and then by Constance he went in February to Inspruck where he staid some time on the account of the Council of Trent which he hoped might be ended in the less time if he were near it The French Ambassadors when they came to the Council of Trent were furnished with certain Instructions what they were to ask but had Orders to suppress them till they had conferr'd with the Emperors Ambassadors which happened to have much what the same demands But by this time the Court of France seeing there was no care taken to satisfie the Emperor and that things were carried with great slowness ordered their Ambassador to open their Grievances which were contain'd in Thirty four Articles and were accordingly unfolded to the Council the 4th of January as they may be seen at large in Polano his History Pag. 609. I shall not here trouble the Reader with them The 10th of January the King of France ordered his Ambassador to assure the Pope that the Annals which were taken away in the Assembly of the States of France lately held at Orleans should for the future be paid to the Pope he hoping by this means to have him more ready to grant his desires tending to the peace of the Church which the Pope's Ambassador largely promised On the 14th of February a Decree was made concerning the Residence of Bishops and Pastors with great difficulty and opposition which all tended to the obtaining the Judgment of the Council That the Pope has full power to feed and govern the Universal Church The French who hold that a Council is above the Pope were contented to conceal their opinion in this point for fear the Pope should take that opportunity to dissolve the Council without any good done by it But then they were resolved to defend their said opinion if it were opposed whatever happened and upon no terms to lose or yield it King Philip also laboured very hard that the power of the Bishops should be raised and that of the Pope and the Conclave brought lower which they of the Pope's party interpreted as a design to diminish the Spanish Liberties because the Bishops and Chapters of Spain would be more subjected to the will of the King than the Court of Rome would By which means they at last prevailed so far upon that jealous Nation that the power of the Bishops in the end was very much abated and that of the Pope was enlarged and exalted and the Bishops were contented to act as the Popes Delegates and by his Authority and in his Name to exercise their Functions About this time it was that the Cardinal of Lorrain went again to the Emperor to Inspruck which caused a great fear in the Pope's party in the Council for that they suspected he went to adjust with that Prince the ways to bring the Papal power under In the beginning of March the Emperor wrote a Letter to the Pope after he had consulted the Bishops of Quinque Ecclesiae who went to Inspruck to him wherein he signified to his Holiness That after his Son in the last Diet was Elected King of the Romans and Crown'd and that he had visited his Cities upon the Rhine he was come to Inspruck to promote the Affairs of the Church in the Council as became the Supreme Advocate and procurator of the Church but that to his great grief he understood that things were so far from going as was to be desired and as the publick State of Affairs required that it was to be feared if speedy remedies were not applied the Council would be ended in such manner as it would give offence to all Christendom and become ridiculous to all those who had made a defection from the Church of Rome and fix them more obstinately in those opinions they had embraced tho' very differing from the Orthodox Faith. That there had not been any Session celebrated for a long time and that it was commonly given out the Fathers and Doctors in
Accommodation 132. Very much disconsolate 140. Comforted by Luther ibid. Comes to Cologne 310. Defends Bucer 311. His Opinion about Indifferent Things 481. He draws up a Confession of Faith for the Saxon Divines 515. Congratulates John Frederick's safe Return home 574. Sends Letters of Comfort to the Banished Bohemian Preachers 613. Mendoza sent by the Emperor to the Council of Trent 360. Ambassador to Strasbourg 419. His Speech to the Pope about the Council from the Emperor 443. Sends the Pope's Answer to the Emperor 445. Mentz the Seat of the Elector four German miles from Francfort 13. Elector of Mentz vide Albert. The Elector approves the Interim craftily in the Diet 460. Sends the Pope's Indult into the Landgraviate 483. Denies to Register Maurice's Protestation against a Council 499. He leaves Trent 543. He flies from Albert of Brandenbourg 567. He dies 614. Mersburgh Bishops Answer to Luther 33. Milan the Council removed thither from Pisa 27. Miltitz Charles Bedchamber man to Pope Leo vide Wittemberg Miltitz sent by Leo to Frederick against Luther 12. Treats with Luther 23. And the Augustine Friars concerning him ibid. Minden proscribed by the Imperial Chamber 245. Mirandula Joannes Picus his Books Censured 28. Monte Cardinal de the Pope's Legate at Bononia His Answer to the Pope's Letter 444. His Insolent Vsage of Vargas the Emperor's Ambassador at Bononia 446 447. made Pope and called Julius III. 492. Montmorency Anne made Constable of France 239. Is in disgrace 277. Gains Favour with Henry II. King of France Takes Metz for the French King 555. His Treaty with the Deputies of Strasbourg 557. More Sir Thomas Chancellor of England 180. Beheaded for not denying the Pope's Supremacy Ibid. Morin John under-Provost of Paris prosecutes the Protestants severely 175. Morone John Legate to P. Paul III. at Spire 291. Muleasses K. of Tunis outed of his Country comes to Augsbourg 457. Muncer Thomas begins to Preach in Franconia 52. An account of his Enthusiasm 83. Settles at Mulhansen 84. Turns out by the Rabbles help all the Magistrates ibid. Joyns with the Boors of Swabia and Franconia Ibid. Is routed by Count Mansfield Ibid. Retires with his Gang to Franck-hausen Ibid. His Speech to the Rabble 85. His men frighted 86. Routed by the Princes Army Ibid. 5000. of them taken Ibid. Muncer taken at Franck-hausen Ibid. Racked to confess his accomplices Ibid. Beheaded Ibid. Munster a City in Westphalia possessed by the Anabaptists 174. The Senate Estabilsh the Reformed Religion there 191. They make a treaty with the Bishop 192. Banish the Anabaptists Ibid. They are Tumultuous there 193. It is besieged by its Bishop Ibid. Who is assisted by the Neighbouring Princes 194. A great Famine in the City 198. The Princes threaten to send the Force of the Empire upon them 197. Murner Thomas a Franciscan Friar complains to Campegio against the Senate of Strasbourg 73. Musculus Wolfgangus flies from Augsbourg to Bern for not subscribing the Interim 461. N. NAples a sedition there because of the Inquisition 434. Nassaw Count of desires the Elector of Saxony to come to the Diet at Spire 152. Henry of Nassaw Charles V's General in Picardy 208. Unsuccessful there Ibid. William Son to Count Nassaw succeeds the Prince of Orange 327. Naves discourses with Count Solmes about the War designed against the Protestants 357. Speaks to the Landgrave at Spire in the Emperors name 368. Dies 419. Naumbourg the Chapter choose Phlugius for their Bishop 288. Netherlands Reformation gets footing there 341. Northumberland John D. of Marries his Son Guilford Dudley to the Lady Jane Gray 580. Is siezed on at Cambridge 589. And beheaded by Q. Mary Ibid. Nuremberg a Diet convened thither 51. Their Ministers accused to the Popes Legate 62. The Acts of the Diet Published 63. The treaty of Pacification removed hither from Schurnfurt 160. A Peace is there concluded Ibid. A Holy League there drawn up amongst the Popish Princes 245. Another Diet there 298. The decree of that Diet 299. The Netherlands Ambassadors accuse theâ—â— of Cleve in the Diet 306. The Decree of the Diet 307. Their quarrels with Albert of Brandenbourg 561. Vide Albert their Answer to Albert's Remonstrance 599. O OBersteyn Ulrick Count made General of the Army against the Munster mad Men 197. His Soldiers are tumultuous for want of Pay 200. He carries the Town at last 201. Ockham William Condemned by the University of Paris 28. What his Doctrine 29. Oecolampadius John Preaches at Basil 76. He embraces the Doctrine of Zuinglius 97. Disputes at Bern 111. Meets Luther at Marpurg 121. Dies 156. Orleans vide Franciscan Friars D. of Orleans dies 352. Osiander comes to Marpurg to the Conference betwixt Luther and Zuinglius 121. Sets up a new Sect about Justification in Prussia 511. Rails against Melancthon and the Saxon Divines 512. Dies at Coningsberg 575. His Sect in Prussia promise to submit to the Augustane Confession 632. Otho Prince Palatine Embraces the Protestant Religion 300. Recovers his Country and Joyns with the Confederate Princes 556. Oxford a dispute there concerning the Lord's Supper 483. Oxline John a Minister carried by force from his House by the Governour of Turegie 76. This Occasions the Canton of Zurich to remonstrate 77. P. PAlatine George vide Spires Palatine Prince vide Lewis vide Otho Palaeologus John Emperor of Constantinople comes to the Council of Ferrara 10. Pall the excessive charge of it 273. The Ceremony of its consecration 274. Passaw a Treaty there 563. The Princes Mediators there answer Maurice's Grievances 564. And they answer the French Ambassadors Speech 565. They exhort the Emperor to a Peace by Letters 566. They answer the Emperors Letters 568. The heads of the Pacification 572. Paris Doctors of that University appealed against P. Leo for Abrogating the Pragmatick Sanction 10. Censure the Books of Reuchlin 30. And condemn Luther's Books 47. An Account of the Faculty of Divinity at Paris 48. A Young Gentleman of Thoulouse burnt there for Religion 239. They are severe upon the Lutherans 296. The manner of Proceedings upon him 297. Their Divines at Melun draw up Articles against the Reformation 342. The Parliament answers the K. of France's Edict 619. Paul III. Farnese chosen Pope 174. Instructs Vergerius how to stave off a Council 175. Issues out Bulls to call a Council 206. And others to reform the Vices of Rome 209. Prorogues the Council called at Mantua 230. Is Sollicitous to reconcile the Emperor and the King of France 232. Appoints a Committe of Cardinals to Examine the Corruptions of the Church of Rome 233. Nominates Vicenza for the Session of the Council 238. Returns to Rome 241. Prorogues the Council without Limitation 250. Sends his Legate to the Emperor 264. Makes War upon Perugia 266. The Speech of his Legate at the Diet of Spire 291. Allows a Council to be held at Trent 292. Sends Cardinals to mediate between the French K. and the Emperor 303. Commends the Chapter of Cologne in a Letter to
write again 110. Write from Spire to the Senate at Strasburg 116. Princes of the Reformed Religion Protest against the Decree of Spire 119. Deliberate about a League amongst all Protestants in Germany 122. They answer the Emperors Proposals at Augsbourg 133. Several of the Princes declare upon what Terms they allow a King of the Romans 157. Protestant Princes refuse a league with Francis against the Emperor 187. Those assembled at Coblentz write severly to the Anabaptists at Munster 197. Catholick Princes Opinion at Ratisbon 281. They answer the Legates Letter 283. They Interceed for the D. of Cleve Ibid. Some of them writes to the Pope 320. The Popish Princes separate answer at the Diet at Wormes 344. They write to the Bremers 501. They meet at Noremberg 512. Several Princes send Ambassadors to the Emperor to interceed for the Landgrave's Liberty 533. Others desire the French King to desist from his in roads into Germany 558. A Convention of them meet at Francfort 579. They write to the Emperor about the Peace 616. Protestant Princes vide Princes vide Protestant Protestants the Original of the Name 120. their Ambassadors had audience of Charles at Piacenza 123. They appeal to his Answer 125. They consult of a League at Smalcald ibid. And quarrel about Religion ibid. Break up without a final Resolution ibid. The Protestant Deputies meet at Noremberg 126. Resolve that Religion should be debated at Augsbourg 129. Present a Confession of Faith to the Emperor ibid. Press to have it read ibid. The Protestants defend the Augustane Confession in writing 131. Answer Truchses's Speech 134. They debate with the Emperor about Religion 135. They leave the Diet 137. The Deputies of the Associate Princes demand liberty of Conscience from the Diet at Augsbourg 139. The Protestant Princes write to the Kings of France and England to wipe of those Calumnies which had been thrown upon them 145. They summon all the Protestant Confederates to Smalcald 147. They sollicite the Dane and Northern Princes and Free Cities to join with them ib. Their Answer to the Emperor's Summons 149. the Protestant Princes refuse to acknowledge Ferdinand K. of the Romans 151. They answer the Ambassadors of the Elector of Mentz and the Palatine at Smalcald 153. Both parties of the Protestants have a good understanding about the Lords Supper 159 Their Conditions of Pacification ibid. They give in a full answer 164. Their decrees in order to a Council 167. They give in their Answer to Vergerius's Proposals for a Council 181. They meet at Smalcald ibid. Their answer to the French Ambassador at Smalcald 185. Their answer to the English Ambassador 188. They protest against the Proceedings of the Imperial Chamber which shall be contrary to Charles and Ferdinand's Decrees 189. They draw up Articles of a League with Henry VIII 204. They meet at Francfort 206. And receive several Cities into the League ibid. They break off Correspondence with Henry VIII Ibid. They send Complaints to the Emperor against the Prosecutions of the Imperial Chamber 208. They answer the Emperors Letter 209. They meet at Smalcald 212. Their answer to Eldo the Emperors Ambassador 215. Their rejoynder upon Eldo's reply 221. Their Decrees at Smalcald 226. Their Reasons why they refuse to Meet at Mantua whither P. Paul III. had conven'd them Ibid. They send Reasons of their Actions to K. Francis 230. The Protestant Princes meet at Brunswick 239. Their Answer at Eysenach 244. They call a Convention at Arnstadt 251. They send Ambassadors to the Emperor into Flanders 253. They write to the French King 254. They meet at Smalcald 255. They answer the Ambassadors sent by Granvel to procure a Pacification 257. They answer King Henry's Propositions 262. Make a Decree to interceed with the French King for the Protestants if he would not take it ill Ibid. And resolve to oppose the Proceedings of the Imperial Chamber ibid. Their answer to King Ferdinand's Proposals at Haguenaw 268. Their Answers to the Emperors Proposals 276. They interceed with the French King for the Protestants 277. They address to the Emperor in the Diet 279. Their answer to Contarini's Papers 280. They Petition the Emperor 281. They answer Contarini's Letter against a National Council 283. They absolutely decline the Jurisdiction of the Imperial Chamber 304. They Petition Ferdinand at the Diet of Noremberg 306. They oppose the decree of the Diet 307. They meet at Smalcald 312. Send Ambassadors to the Emperor at Spire ibid. They meet at Francfort 317. They protest against the Duke of Brunswick's voting at the Diet 319. They â—ccuse the Duke of Brunswick publickly in the Diet 322. They persist in their Accusation 323. Their answer to Ferdinand at Wormes 344. Their Petition to him 345. The Protestants meet at Francfort 356. Reports are spread of a War against them ibid. Another meeting at Francfort 357. They send Deputies to interceed for the Elector of Cologne ibid. They are accused of a Conspiracy ibid. They are accused of a Conspiracy ibid. They still urge the business of Cologne 360. The Protestants Deputies meet at Wormes 373. They complain at Ratisbon that Diazi's Murder was unrevenged 374. Their Opinion of the Council of Trent 375. They are apprehensive of War ibid. They demand the reason of the Preparations 376. Their Deputies return home from Ratisbon 380. The first of their Commanders ibid. Their Deputies meet at Ulm 381. They send to the Venetians and Grisons ibid. They send Ambassadors to the Switzers 383. They Petition the Emperor 384. They send Ambassadors to France and England 385. They write to the Marquess of Brandenbourg to disswade him from assisting the Emperor 387. They publish a Manifesto against him Ibid. Their first exploits in the War 388. They write to the D. of Bavaria 392. Their demands of the Switzers 393. They declare War against the Emperor ibid. They dispute what Title to give the Emperor 394. They march â—o Ratisbon ibid. The names of the principal Confederates 395. The Spaniards break into their Camp ibid. Their oversight in not taking the Landgrave's advice 397. Their address to the Bohemians 399. Their Declaration concerning Incendiaries sent out by the Pope ibid. Their answer to the Instrument of Proscription ibid. They raise their Camp from Ingolstadt 403. They write to the reformed Switzers 404. They lose an opportunity of taking the Emperor at Grienghen 407. Their Council of War writes to Maurice 408. They write to several Imperial Cities and Princes to joyn with them ibid. The Confederates Deputies meet at Ulm 409. Answer the Elector of Saxony's demands ibid. They send an Embassy into France and England 411. They are in danger and withdraw their Camp ibid. In the retreat they run a risque 412. They differ from the Catholicks at Augsbourg about the Council of Trent 440. They are Sollicited to submit to the Council ibid. Their Ambassors at Trent insist upon such a safe conduct for their Divines as was granted at the Council of Basil 539.
Landgrave The Landgrave again speaks to the Emperour The ignorance of the Archbishop of Cologne observed by the Emperour The Emperour to the Landgrave The Conferences of some Princes Granvell speaks The Landgrave answers Granvell's words Divines are awkward and obstinate The Landgrave's words The Opinion of Paphnutius about the Lord's Supper and marriage of Priests Granvell speaks after the Landgrave The Landgrav's Answer The Elector Palatine's Opinion in this Conference Granvell's Answer The Landgrav's Speech The Landgrave Arbitrator betwixt the Dukes of Saxony The Emperour advises the Landgrave to come to the Diet. The Emperour thanks the Landgrave The Landgrave's Answer to the Emperour The Emperour to the Landgrave The Landgrave to the Emperour The Emperour to the Landgrave The Landgrave's Answer Spede's soppishness The Landgrave takes leave of the Emperour An Assembly of the Protestant Deputies at Wormes They of Ravensbourg enter into the Protestant League The third Session of the Council of Trent and the Acts of it The Speech of Don Francisco de Toledo in the Council The Pope's Letters to the Bishops of Switzerland The Switzers highly commended The Archbishop of Cologne excommunicated by the Pope The Emperour 's coming to Ratisbonne Diazi's murder unrevenged The Emperour's Speech at Ratisbonne Truce with the Turk by the mediation of the French King. A Division amongst the Electors The Protestants opinion of the Council of Trent A constant report of a War against the Protestants The Cardinal of Trent is sent to Rome to sollicit the promised assistance The Preparations of War. Albert and John of Brandenbourg take charge under the Emperour The Landgrave's Segacity The Protestants ask the Emperour the warlike preparations The Emperour answers the Protestants The Emperour's Letter to the Protestant Cities The Emperour writes to the Duke of Wirtemberg Granvell and Naves discourse the Deputies of the Protestants Cities A Decree of the Council of Trent The Office of Pastors Decrees concerning Original Sin. The Decree of Sixtus IV. concerning the Virgin Mary The Speech of the French Embassador He means the King of England The Demands of the French King. The Answer of those of Strasbourg to the Emperour Duke Maurice had a private Conference with the Emperour The Protestant Deputies return home The Emperour's Embassie to the Suizers The Duke of Wirtemberg and the Towns of Vpper Germany rise in Arms. The first of the Protestant Commanders Balthazar Gutling's Speech to the Soldiers A Meeting of the Protestant Deputies at Vlme Their Letters to the Venetians the Nobility of Germany the Grisons and those of Tyrol The Emperour's League with the Pope against the Reformed The Church Revenues in Spain given for maintaining a War against the Lutherans Peace betwixt France and England Henry the Dauphin of France has a Daughter The Cardinal of Scotland killed The Pope's Letter to the Suizers The Embassadours of the Protestants to the Suizzers Wolffembottel is demolished The Prince Palatine enquires after the cause of the War. The Elector Palatine desires to reconcile the Protestants to the Emperour Saxony and the Landgrave arm The Protestants Letters to the Emperour The Authors of the War against the Protestants The Emperour's Letter to the Archbishop of Cologne The Protestants send Ambassadors to the Kings of England and France Saxony and Landgrave publish a Declaration concerning the War. The Bishop of Ausbourg a great Incendiary The Protestants Letters to the Marquess of Brandenbourg Brandenbourgs Answer A Manifesto against Brandenbourg The Forces of the Landgrave The Landgrave sends his Son to Strasbourg The Duke of Brunswick offers to betray the Papists Councels against the Protestants The first Exploit of the Protestants Fiessen taken Erenberg is taken by Scherteline Francis Castlealto Dilinghen and Donawert taken by the Protestants These of Ausbourg furnish the Emperour with Money The Emperour's Forces at Ratisbonne The Duke of Saxony and the Landgrave Outlawed by the Emperour The Marriages of Bavaria and Cleves amidst the noise of War. The Session of the Council is put off The number of the Fathers of the Council of Trent Titular Archbishops Olaus Magnus of Vpsale and Venant a Scot. The King of Sweden reforms Religion The Archbishop reduced to poverty dies Duke Maurice his Progress to King Ferdinand The Emperour's Letters to Duke Maurice and to his Brother Augustus wherein he desires them to take possession of the Inheritances of the Duke of Saxony and Landgrave and so prevent others The Protestants Letters to the Duke of Bavaria A great Misfortune occasioned by Lightning at Mechelin The Suitzers Answer to the Protestants The Protestants Demand of the Suitzers The Protestants declare War against the Emperour The Emperour refuses to receive the Protestants Letters The Emperour's Answer to the Protestants Messenger A Dispute about what Title should be given to the Emperour The Protestants march to Ratisbonne The Pope's Forces come to the Emperour The Officers of the Pope's Army The Horse of the Duke of Florence and Ferrara A bloody Saying of Farnese The Commanders of the Emperour's Army German Princes in the Emperour's Camp. The Princes in the Protestants Camp. The Emperour marches to Ratisbonne A Skirmish betwixt the Landgrave's Men and the Spanish Garrison The Spaniards break into the Protestants Camp. The Count of Buren marches with his Forces to joyn the Emperour The Landgrave's bold and good Advice The oversight of the Protestants in not laying hold on their oppertunity was the beginning of their miscarriage in the War. The Emperour 's great Courage The Answer of the Suitzers to the Emperour The Pope and Emperour pretended not the same Cause for the War of Germany The Emperour's Letter to the Protestant Suitzers The Protestant Cantons Answer to the Emperour The Protestants Address to the Bohemians The Protestants Declaration concerning Incendiaries and Poysoners sent out by the Pope The Protestants Answer to the Instrument of Proscription The Emperour's Expression about the subduing of Germany * Who had refused the Empire when it was offered unto him The Protestants raise their Camp. The Count of Buren joyns the Emperor The French King refused to send the Protestants Assistance The Protestants grosly deceived by Stroza an Italian The Protestants write to the Reformed Suitzers The Suitzers Answer The Catholick and Protestant Camps near one another The River Egra Albert of Brunswick dies of his wounds Donawert surrendered to the Emperor The Duke of Alva insults over the Landgrave A change of affairs in Saxony Duke Maurice consults against the Protestants The Letters of Duke Maurice's Friends to the Protestants Duke Maurice writes to the Landgrave to the same purpose The Embassie of John William of Saxony to Duke Maurice Scherteline leaves the Protestant Camp. The Emperor Master of the Danube The Protestants lose an opportunity of taking the Emperour A Stratagem A Skirmish betwixt the Landgrave and Prince of Sulmona Another Stratagem used by the Emperor The Plague in the Emperors Camp. Farnese with some Troops returns home The Landgrave's Answer to the Mauricians The Landgrave's
the Pragmatical Sanction The Pragmatical Sanction in danger A Transaction about it The pragmatick Sanction a curb to the Popes Twelve Archbishopricks in France And ninety six Bishopricks The order of Sessions in a Council Subjects allotted to the Divines Who chiefly examined all Points The way of making Articles of Faith. The way of making Canons The Holy Ghost in the Pope's hands The French King's Edict against the Pope A most severe Edict of the French King's against the Lutherans The Emperour's Declaration against the King of France The French King's Justification The cause of the difference betwixt the Emperour and the Pope For making Peace with Magdeburg Duke Maurice holds a Convention of States He also desires a safe Conduct from the Council for his Divines The Decree of the Council concerning the Lord's Supper Four Heads left undecided to be disputed about The form of the safe conduct from the Council Brandeburg's Ambassador claws the Fathers of the Council Frederick of Brandeburg elected Archbishop of Mâ—gdâ—burg The end of the War of Magdeburg Duke Maurice makes the Hessians swear Aâ—legiance to him The Protector of England again made Prisoner Martinhausen made Cardinal The Council's Letter to the French King. The French King frightens the Switzers from the Council Vergerio's Book about avoiding the Council The Bishop of Coyre recalled from the Council The Duchy of Wirtemberg rid of the Spaniards Hasen's Exploits in Schwabia The Duke of Wirtemberg's Ambassadors at the Council The Pacification of Magdeburg The Conditions of Peace The Magdeburgers having received Duke Maurice swear to be true to the Emperour Duke Maurice's Complaint to the Preachers of Magdeburg The Preacherâ— Answer The constancy and renown of the Magdeburgers Duke Maurice hatches a War against the Emperour An Ambassadour from the French King Duke Maurice Maximilian comes from Spain His Ships plundered by the French. Sâ—eidan sent Deputy from Strasburg to the Council Thirteen Cardinals created The Decree of the Council concerning Penance The Decree concerning Extreme Unction Wirtemburgs Ambassadours apply themselves to the Cardinal of Trent And are gulled The Deputy of Strasburg applies himself to the Emperours Ambassadour The Ambassadours of Duke Maurice and the Elector of Brandeburg solicited the Emperour about the Landgrave The names of the Princes that interceded for the Landgrave The Speech of their Ambassadouâ— The Danish Ambassadour intercedes for the Landgrave The Emperours Answer to the Mediators The Conference of Duke Maurice and Prince William the Landgrave's Son. 1552. Maximilian honourably received at Trent Groppers immodesty in the Council The Bishop of Waradin murdered in Hungary King Ferdinand gets Transilvania Huberine an Interimist The Soldiers of Magdeburg create trouble to the Elector of Mentz The Letters of the Spiritual Electors to the Emperour The Emperours Answer The Wirtemberg Ambassadours desires to Count Montfort The Ambassadours of Duke Maurice come to the Council And declare their Instructions The diligence of the Protestant Ambassadors in the Council The Protector of England beheaded The Discourse of the Emperour's Ambassadors with those of Duke Maurice A draught of the safe Conduct given to the Ambassadors of Duke Maurice The safe Conduct of Basil perverted and altered The form of the safe Conduct of Basil Upon examination of the Council's safe Conduct a new form of one is drawn up according to the Decree of Basil The Speech of the Wirtemberg Ambassadors to the Fathers at Trent and the Exhibition of the Confession of Doctrine The Confession of Wirtemberg given in to the Fathers The Ambassadours of Saxony sent for by the Fathers The Confession of Faith written by Melanchton is not produced Another Session of the Council The safe Conduct is delivered without any alteration Poictiere's Discourse as to the Ambassadours Demands The Answer made to the Demands of the Ambassadours The Ambassadours of Wirtemberg depart from the Council The Divines of Saxony come to Norimberg on their way to the Council The bitter Reflection of Ambrose Pelarg upon the Protestants The Ambassadour of Duke Maurice his Complaint of the sawciness of Pelarg. Pelarg Justifies himself before the Cardinal of Trent Duke Maurice's Letters to his Ambassadours The Elector of Treves returns home A Rumour of a War with the Emperour Indulgences published by the Popes Legate The Electors of Mentz and Cologne return home New Ambassadours from Wirtemberg to the Council Duke Maurice's Ambassadours depart secretly from Trent Divines of Wirtemberg and Strasburg come to Trent The Confession of the Duke of Wirtemberg The Protestation of the Ambassadours of Wirtemberg The Deputy of Strasburg's Discourse with the Ambassadour Poctieres The Deputy of Strasburg being upon his return home is stopt Divisions amongst the Fathers of the Council The French King negotiates a Peace with the Pope The Demands of the Protestant Divines to the Council Duke Maurice takes Ausburg upon surrender The Ambassadour Poictieres Conference with those of Wirtemberg and Strasburg The flight of the Fathers at Trent The Writing of the Wirtemberg Ambassadours given to the Imperialists The different Opinions and Intentions of the Fathers of the Council The last Session of the Council of Trent at this time Peace betwixt France and the Pope The death of the Popes Legate The number of Bishops and Divines in the Council of Trent The cause of the Sickness of the Popes Legate The care Duke Maurice took for the Landgrave his Father-in-Law His League with the French King. Duke Maurice's Declaration to the States of the Empire The Declaration of Albert of Brandenburg against the Emperor The French King's Declaration against the Emperor Germany the Bulwark of Christendom The badge of Liberty The French King calls himself the Defender of the Liberty of Germany and of the Captive Princes The out-lawed Men who served the King of France Duke Maurice taketh the Field Albert of Brandenburg joyns Duke Maurice and the Landgrave's Son. Ausburg surrendred to the Princes The Cities are summoned to come to Ausburg The Prince of Salerno revolts from the Emperor The French King takes Toul Verdun and Metz. Lenencour Bishop of Metz. The French King takes an Oath of Allegiance of the Senate and People of Metz. The Princes go to Ulm and besiege it The German and French Hostages are set at Liberty Albert of Brandenburg wastes the Country about Ulm. Conditions of Peace propounded by Duke Maurice to King Ferdinand King Ferdinand's Demands Duke Maurice his Answer Otho Henry Prince Palatine recovers his own Province The Emperor raises Soldiers The Judges of the Imperial Chamber fly from Spire The French King's demands from the Strasburgers The answer of the Senate of Strasburg The Constable chides the Strasburgers They address themselves to the King. The King's Speech to the Deputies Strasburg provides a Garrison against the French. The demands of some Princes made to the French King. Duke Maurice's Letters to the French King. The French King's answer to the Ambassadors of the Princes The reasons of the French King 's leaving Germany The French King's Answer
Grief of his Heart he daily heard many and grievous Complaints of Luther a profligate Wretch who forgetting his own Order and Profession acted many things sawcily and with great Confidence against the Church of God bragging That being supported by the Favour and Protection of the Prince he stood in awe of the Authority of no Man That he made no doubt but that was falsey given out by him but that nevertheless he was willing to write these few things unto his Highness and to advise him That being always mindful of the Splendour and Dignity of himself and his Ancestors he would not only avoid giving any Offence but even all Suspicion of offending That he knew for a certain That Luther taught most impious and Heretical Doctrines which both he and the Master of his Palace had carefully observed and marked down That that was the Reason why he had both Cited him to Appear and also sent his Instructions to Cardinal Cajetane his Legat as to what further he would have done in the Matter and that seeing this was an Affair of Religion and that it properly belonged to the Church of Rome to enquire into the Faith and Belief of all Men he exhorted and charged his Highness That being thereunto required by his Legate he would use his best Endeavours to have Luther delivered up into his Hands which would be both acceptable Service to God and very Honourable to himself and Family that if upon Tryal he were found Innocent at Rome he should return Home Safe and Sound but that if he proved Guilty then would his Highness be Blameless in no longer protecting a Criminal and that he himself was so mercifully inclined as that neither he would oppress an Innocent Man nor deny a Penitent his Pardon And thus he left no Way unessayed that he might undo Luther The same Year also he wrote to Gabriel Venize the Provincial of the Augustine Fryers exhorting him That by the Authority of his Charge he would put a stop to Luther a Fryer of his Order who attempted Innovations and taught new Doctrins in Germany and solicitously ply him both by Letters and Learned Agents But that Expedition was to be used in the Matter for so it would not be difficult to quench the Flame newly broken out since things in their Infancy and Commencement could not resist Attempts that were any thing brisk but should it be deferred till the Evil had gathered Strength it was to be feared that the Conflagration might afterwards carry all before it for that it was a Contagion that spread more and more daily so that nothing seemed more to be feared than Delay That therefore he should set about the Affair with all Pains Diligence and Industry seeing he had Authority over him When Luther perceived that he was cited to appear at Rome he was very solicitous to have his Cause tryed before Competent and Unsuspected Judges in some Place of Germany secure from Violence But when that could not be obtained the University of Wittemberg sent a Letter to Pope Leo dated September 25 wherein they gave Luther an ample Testimony both of a Pious Life and Learning that seeing he was for some Positions proposed Cited to Rome and could not being a Sickly Man without endangering his Life make an Appearance they prayed his Holiness not to think otherwise of him than of an Honest Man that he had only for Disputation sake offered some things to be argued which were misinterpreted and highly exaggerated by his Adversaries that for their parts they would not suffer any thing to be asserted in Opposition to the Church and that at Luther's Request they could not but give him this Testimony which they earnestly entreated his Holiness to give Credit to With this Letter they sent another to Charles Miltitz a German and Bedchamber Man to Pope Leo Wherein they represent to him That Luther was undeservedly exposed to the Anger and Hatred of the Pope insomuch that being Cited to appear at Rome he could not as yet obtain That his Cause might be tryed somewhere in Germany That for their own Parts they were so zealous not only for Religion but also for the Holy Church of Rome That if Luther were guilty of any Impious Crime or Errour they would not bear with him But that he was a Man so Learned of so upright a Life and Conversation and had deserved so well of the whole University that as Affairs stood they could not but stand by him That Duke Frederick also so Religious and Prudent a Prince would not so long have suffered him to go unpunished if he had not thought him to be a good Man That therefore he would use his Interest and Familiarity he had with the Pope that Impartial Judges might he assigned him not at Rome but in Germany That they did not doubt but that he would act as became a Christian and Divine and make it appear that he did not Wantonly and without a Cause hunt after an Occasion of Contention That they begged this the more earnestly of him in that they had the greater Hopes that he who was himself a German would not in so just a Cause be wanting to a Country-Man who was born down by Calumnies and in danger of his Life Besides the Intercession of these Friends Frederick Prince Elector spoke also to Cardinal Cajetane at Ausburg and so far prevailed that Luther being excused from going to Rome should plead his Cause before the Emperour at Ausburg Being come thither in the Month of October it was three Days before he was admitted to the Speech of Cajetane for they to whom Duke Frederick who upon dissolution of the Diet was gone Home had recommended him forbad him to go to him before he had obtained a Safe Conduct from the Emperour Maximilian but that being at length granted he came and the Cardinal having civilly received him told him That he would not enter into any Dispute with him but end the Controversie amicably and at the same Time proposed to him two Commands in Name of the Pope First That he would repent what he had done and retract the Errours which he had published And next That for the Future he would abstain from such Writings as disturbed the Peace and Tranquility of the Church Luther makes Answer That he was not Conscious to himself of any Errour and desires That if he had erred it might be proved against him With that Cajetane objects That in his Theses he had affirmed That the Merits of our Saviour Christ were not the Treasure of Indulgences which Opinion was repugnant to the Decretal of Pope Clement VI. Again That it was necessary that they who come to receive the Sacrament should have a firm Belief that their Sins were forgiven them Luther replies That that was not so telling him withal That he had read the Pope's Decree and gave his Judgment of it but mention being made of S. Thomas he said The Authority of
Holy Scripture was to be preferred far before his The Cardinal then extolling the Dignity of the Pope prefers him before all Scriptures and Councils and quotes the abrogation of the Council of Basil which had decreed otherwise condemning also Gerson the Parisian Doctor and the rest who approved that Opinion On the other hand Luther denies the Authority of the Pope to be greater than that of a Council and quotes the Parisian Divines as the Approvers of his Judgment When after much Debate they could not agree Luther desired Time to consider and coming again next Day in presence of Notary and Witnesses and some of the Emperours Counsellers also he professed That he Reverenced and Submitted to the Holy Church of Rome that if he had said any thing to the contrary he disowned it but that since he was admonished and commanded To Renounce his Errour and meddle no more for the future he was of the Opinion that he had asserted nothing that disagreed with the Scripture the Judgment of the Fathers the Decretals of the Popes or right Reason it self that he did not deny indeed but that he might err and be deceived that being incident to Man and that therefore he submitted to the Judgment of a Lawful and Holy Church and referred his Cause to be tryed thereby Nay more That he was ready in any Place to give an account of his Doctrin that if he was not pleased with this he would answer his Arguments in Writing and submit to the Judgment of the Universities of Germany and Paris Cajetane urged again as he had done the Day before that Decretal of Clement as making for him and at length allowed him to exhibit his Mind in Writing which was to this purpose That at the Time he published his Theses and when after he wrote the Explication of them he had read the Decretal of Clement but that it had not satisfied him for that though it be made a Rule That the Decretals of the Pope of Rome are no less to be received than the Words of the Apostle S. Peter yet that ought so to be understood provided they agree with Holy Scripture and deviate not from the Decretals of the Ancients that S. Peter's Voice was indeed Sacred and Holy and yet he had been sharply rebuked by St. Paul and his Doctrin not received till the Church which then was at Jerusalem consented to it That the Sayings of Men were to be heard but that every thing should be referred to the Voice of Christ who alone could not be deceived That that Decretal was repugnant to many places of Holy Scripture which was the Reason that at that time he Published his Position and afterwards Commented upon the same That from that time forward he had resolved to dispute no more about it and rather to listen to the Opinions of others but that now though he had rather be instructed by others and especially the Pope of Rome yet since there lay a necessity upon him of defending his own Assertion he would essay and use his endeavours to reconcile his Positions to that Decretal if by any means it could be done Having thus addressed to the Cardinal in a Preface he falls to the handling of the matter it self and explaining the Decretal affirms That it made for him yet so that he did not thereby derogate from the dignity either of the Pope or him Then he comes to the other branch of the Accusation and by many Texts of Scripture fully proves That it is Faith which Justifies us before God And therefore he prays him to deal kindly with him and shew him his Errour for that the Texts of Scripture which he had alledged were of so great force that he believed them to be Self-evident wherefore he could not forsake that Truth since it was better to Obey God than Men. That therefore he desired to be excused from that over-hard condition of Retracting and to be Reconciled to the Pope That it was not out of Arrogance or any desire of Vain-glory that he had entred the Lists and that he wished for nothing more than that the Truth might be discovered by any more Learned and Pious than himself so that he beg'd he might not be compell'd to wound his own Conscience Cajetane took this Writing from him and upon reading made slight of it but promised however to send it to the Pope In the mean time he urged him to retract else he threatned him with the Punishment appointed by the Pope and with that bid him be gone and see his face no more unless he changed his mind Three days after Luther had been thus threatned October the Seventeenth he wrote a very humble and submissive Letter to the Legate for after that the Legate had chid him as we said and sent him away he had dealt privately with John Stupitz Provincial of the Augustine Fryars that he might incline him to make a voluntary Recantation Now in that Letter Luther gives him an account of what pass'd betwixt Stupitz and him who had omitted nothing that could be expected from an honest Man and faithful Friend He thanked him for his Good-will and Kindness towards him which he had understood from Stupit's discourse whereby he had been so much comforted that there was no Man-living he would more willingly gratifie than His Eminence He confesses that he had been too sharp and had not behaved himself with the respect and reverence that was due to the Papal Dignity but that all that was to be attribuâ—ed to the impertinence of the Collectors He begs Pardon for what he had done and promises greater modesty for the future and that he would hereafter do his Holiness Right in his Sermons That he would not mention the Indulgences in time to come provided his Adversaries were enjoyned to do the like but that he should retract the Opinions which he had divulged and hitherto defended he could not with a safe Conscience so long as he was not convinced of Errour by clear Testimonies of Scripture He therefore craves that the Tryal of the Cause might be referred to the Pope for that nothing would be more pleasant to him than to hear the Voice of the Church about such Controversies Since Cardinal Cajetane made no Answer to this Letter and had uttered some threatning Words he took his Friends counsel and two days after departed leaving behind him a certain Appeal which should afterwards be publickly affixed and about the time of his departure he wrote again to the Legate That he had omitted nothing which was his duty to do That being a weak sickly Man he had made a long Journey on Foot and come to Ausburg that he might manifest his Submission to the Pope but now that his Money was almost spent and that he would not be any longer troublesome to the Carmelite Fryers who had lodged and entertained him in their Convent he would return home especially seeing His Eminence had discharged him to come any more into
his presence That generally all his Friends had advised him to appeal from him to the Pope That he would not indeed have done it of his own accord as not thinking it to be very necessary but that he could not but respect their Admonitions and the rather that he beleived Duke Frederick inclined more to have that Appeal made than that he should rashly and unadvisedly make any Retractation The Appeal was conceived in Words much to this effect That the Question about Indulgences which had been variously handled by many was never clearly determined and that about such dubious Questions it was lawful especially for Divines to dispute that he had also done so at that time when some Preachers not only Wrote and Taught rashly and unadvifedly but also used strange ways and Tricks to draw Money from the People and that he did it not as affirming any thing positively but only that he might discover the Truth that he had in like manner submitted the whole Debate to the Determination of the Learned and also of Pope Leo but that these Men had devised many Calumnies against him abused him grievously to the Pope and at length prevailed so far that the Cause was committed to the Bishop of Ascoli and Silvester Prierias that by them he had been cited to appear at Rome but that because both of them were suspected and one of them unfit to judge in such a Matter Again because no Man doubted of the unavoidable Danger he would have been exposed to if he had gone to Rome and that he had been commanded by his own Magistrate not to go Upon these Considerations and in such an Apprehension also which might affect the Stoutest and most resolute Man he had prayed Frederick Elector of Saxony That he would procure his Cause to be Tryed by some fit and competent Persons in a Place secure from Violence in Germany that so the Pope had referr'd the whole Matter to his Legate Cardinal Cajetane which doubtless was brought about by the Instigation of his Adversaries who knew the Mind and Intentions of the Cardinal And though the Legate himself might have justly been Suspected yet he had obeyed That the Cardinal had at first Meeting commanded him instantly to retract what he had written to which he then made Answer That he would give an account of what he had done either in a Personal Disputation or by Writing and refer the whole Matter not only to Universities but also to the Decision of the Church of Rome but that the Legate being wrought upon by none of these Things had still enjoyned him a Retractation and when he could not extort it had threatned severe Punishments both to him and others also that were of his Opinion That since then he found himself lyable to such unjust Prejudications he Appealed from the Pope not rightly informed in the Cause to the Pope to be better informed and that he publickly protested Now that Decretal of Pope Clement which hath been mentioned is extant in that Part of the Canon-Law which they call the Extravagants There Pope Clement reduces that Time they call the Jubilee from an hundred Years as it was appointed by Boniface VIII to fifty and speaking of the Blessing of our Saviour Christ affirms That one Drop of the Blood of Christ was sufficient for the Redemption of all Mankind but that seeing he shed so much Blood that there was no sound Part left in his Body nothing more Lamentable to be seen he had left all that was over and above as a vast Treasure for the use of the Church and commanded S. Peter who keeps the Keys of Heaven's Gates and after him his Successors to distribute that Treasure like good Stewards amongst Men who were truly Penitent and confessed their Sins pardoning the Temporal Punishment that was due unto them for their Trespasses Besides he says That the Merits of the Virgin Mary and all the Saints were put into the same Treasure so that there was an inexhaustible Stock for Indulgences This was the Decretal then upon which Cajetane grounded the Efficacy and Validity of Indulgences But Luther affirmed That there was nothing committed to S. Peter and his Successours but the Keys and Ministry of the Word whereby Christ impowers them to declare to Penitent Believers who trust in him the Remission of their Sins that that was the true and genuine Sense of the Scripture That if that was the Meaning of Pope Clement's Decretal he liked it but if not he could not approve the same That what moreover it said of the Merits of Saints was wholly repugnant to Scripture for that the best of Men were so far from doing more that they could not do what they ought and that we were not saved by their Merits but only by the Mercy of God since it ought to be our daily Prayer That God would pardon our Sins and Trespasses and not enter into Judgment with us lest we should be condemned As to what Cajetane alledged of the Pope's Power the Case is this It was decreed in the fourth and fifth Sessions of the Council of Constance That the Pope himself should be subject to the Decrees of a Council The same was also renewed and again Decreed in the third and eighteenth Sessions of the Council of Basil But Eugenius IV refusing to go to that of Basil though he had been often warned and cited to come declared it null and appointed another to meet at Ferrara whither also came John Paleologue the last Emperour of the Greeks save one with Joseph Patriarch of Constantinople and a great many Bishops and that was in the Year 1438. From Ferrara afterwards they all removed to Florence and there a Decree past with consent of the Greeks That the Church of Rome was the Chief of all Churches and the Pope of Rome the Successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles the true Vicar of Christ the Head of the Universal Church the Father and Teacher of all Christians and that full Power was given to him from Christ of Feeding and Governing the Catholick Church This Decree Cajetane now insisted upon when he preferred the Pope before a Council Nay and six Years before also when he was not as yet Cardinal but only General of the Dominicans he made a Speech in the Second Session of the Council of Lateran of which more hereafter and having spoken many things against some Cardinals who had made a Separation he had a glance by the by at the Councils of Constance and Basil because the Fathers at that time had taken upon them Power and Authority over the Pope that therefore it was well done by Eugenius when he curbed that Faction and suffered not his Power to be diminished Pope Julius II in whose Favour this Speech was made commanded it afterwards to be entred amongst the Acts and Records of the Council though Cajetane obtained not the Cardinals Cap before the Pontificat of Pope Leo. Gerson whom
might severely punish so great a Negligence both by publick and private Calamities That Luther's way was not unlike to the Sect of Mahomet which allows Men to marry several Wives and afterwards to put them away by which Law that villanous Juggler bewitched Men and drew the greatest part of the World over to his Religion That Luther did not indeed expresly allow that but that he absolved all those who had made to God Vows of Chastity from the obligation of the Law exhorted them to Marriage and let loose the Reins to Men's Lusts that so he might allure more People into that Association and Confederacy which he was hatching to the Ruine of Christendom and particularly of Germany That therefore it was their Parts punctually to put into execution the Sentences of the Pope and Emperour that they might avenge the Glory of God wipe off the Reproach that stuck to their Country and remove from themselves an infectious Pestilence That nevertheless such of them as should retract and return into the right way might be pardoned and received again into Favour but that they who obstinately maintained their Errors ought to be punished with the utmost severity that the rest being terrified by such an Example might learn to persevere in the true Faith and Religion That if it should be objected by some That Luther was condemned before he had been heard and that it was Reasonable that he should be tryed before he suffered such men reasoned amiss for that Christ himself had laid down a Rule of Faith and Religion whose Authority we ought to submit unto and not dispute about Articles of Faith nor enquire into the Reasons of this or that Precept That he was to be heard indeed when he was examined Whether in his Sermons he had said so or so or whether he had published this or that Book but that he ought not to be admitted to defend those things which he had broached concerning the Faith and Sacraments for here the Custom and Doctrin of the Church was to be observed and not to be deviated from And since most of his Opinions were already condemned by the Authority of Councils no regard ought to be had unto them That there could not be a greater Injury done to Ecclesiastical Assemblies than to cavil at or reject their Decrees nor could there be any End of Controversies if what Learned and Wise Men had after long and serious Deliberation determined should by every Private Person be questioned and examined That all Societies of Men had certain and fixed Laws which they were bound to observe how much more then ought not that to be done when any thing is established by Publick Authority in the Church That seeing then these Men did not only reject but even burn the Decrees of the Councils and Fathers they ought certainly to be punished as Disturbers of the Publick Peace That in the mean time it was not to be dissembled nor past over in Silence that God who is the Revenger of all Iniquity did in this manner afflict his Church for the Sins of the People but chiefly of the Rulers and Ministers of the Church since the Scripture saith That the iniquity of the people proceeded from the priests For that in Truth for these many Years past the Sins of Rome had been manifold and grievous and that even from the Head down to the inferior Clergy that Evil and Contagion had been propagated that no Man did his Duty all had gone astray and that none were free from Guilt no not one So that all Glory was to be given unto God alone from whom Pardon and Remission was humbly to be implored That since things were then in such a State he would take care That the Court of Rome which perhaps had given occasion to so great Evils should first of all be strictly reformed that so the Cure might begin at the Root and Cause of the Distemper which he thought himself the more obliged to do in that it was most earnestly desired by most Men That for his own part he was against his Will and with Reluctancy promoted to the Chair and would have been far better pleased with a Private Life But that being moved by the Fear of God and present State of Affairs he could not at length decline that burthensome Care That indeed no desire of Dominion and Rule had been a Motive to him to accept of that Charge but only that he might have an Opportunity of consulting and doing what he could for the Publick Good and Welfare of Christendom Now that he did not instantly reform the Vices and Abuses which he plainly saw the Reason was because the Disease which he designed to cure was very inveterate and Complicate also so that he must proceed gently and by degrees lest by attempting too sudden and speedy a Cure he should increase the Distemper For that all sudden Changes were dangerous and it was an old Proverb That he who blowed his Nose too hard would squeeze out Blood. This Writing Luther translated afterwards into High Dutch and illustrated with Marginal Notes wherein he observes That what the Pope said of Proceeding in the Reformation gradually and by little and little ought so to be understood as that for the space of every Step an interval of some Ages ought to be allowed However it was said That his Holiness had but little Thanks from the Cardinals for that he so plainly acknowledged the Corruptions of the Court of Rome Although this be reported to be a common Fetch of the Popes when they would delay or break the Measures of calling a Council or bringing Matters to a Hearing to make fair and large Promises that they may have time to ingratiate themselves with Kings and Princes till an Opportunity offer of Deciding the matter by the Sword for by Promises they raise Hopes and Expectations in Mens Minds and in the mean time take Measures for retaining their Power and Dignity which they know to be indangered by General Councils In the mean time whilst the Legate proceeded in this manner the Princes complained That the Compacts and Agreements which they had heretofore made with the Popes were many ways violated at Rome The Pope being acquainted with this by Letters from his Legate ordered him to tell them That he could not help what had been done by his Predecessors But that he had ever been even whilst he was a Private Man much displeased with that usual way of Proceeding of the Court of Rome and that he had already resolved of himself though no Application had been made to him about it to reform all these things and not to suffer any Man to be wronged far less them whom for Countrys sakehe desired chiefly to gratfie That as to what they demanded That all Law-Suits commenced at Rome might be remitted to Germany he told them That most of the Judges and Advocates had left the City because of the Plague but that so soon as they
grievous and scandalous Crimes That they nevertheless who were satisfied with the Punishment enjoyned by the Canon Law were much to be recommended for that Moderation but that they who clapt up in Prison and in Chains Rack'd Tormented and put Priests to Death for contracting Marriage or forsaking their Order were greatly to be detested Wherefore he besought the Princes that seeing their Adversaries did not obey the Decree they had made but boldly and licentiously opposed it they would also pardon those who through frailty of Nature that they might not wound their own Consciences or run into manifest Sin should not exactly observe that last Clause of the same for that it was very unreasonable that their potent Adversaries should have liberty to violate those things which they ought and might most easily observe and that other poor Men should be punished for transgressing a Law which it was not in their power to observe since all had not the Gift of Continence and that Vows of Chastity were not only foolish but contrary also to good Manners and honest living Afterwards he published a Book at the desire of some about the Ordaining of Ministers and dedicated it to the Magistrates of Prague to which he annexed a Treatise wherein he proved that the Church had the Right and Power of judging all Doctrins and of appointing Ministers In the first place he defined the Church to be where-ever the purity of the Gospel was taught but that Bishops and such other Prelates were Images and Heads without Brains that none of them did their duty in any Nation or among any People and especially in Germany Not long after he wrote about avoiding the Doctrins of Men affirming nevertheless in the Preface to his Book that he did not at all justifie those who boldly despised all Human Laws and Traditions and in the mean time did nothing that belonged to the duty of a true Christian Afterwards he prescribed a Form how Mass and the Communion should be celebrated in the Church of Wittemberg saying That hitherto he had proceeded leisurely because of the infirmity of many and being satisfied only with Doctrin had made it his aim to root out Errours and pernicious Opinions of Mens minds But that now when many were confirmed it was time not to suffer ungodly Rites and Ceremonies any longer in the Church but that the purity of Doctrin should be accompanied with sincerity of Worship without Hypocrisie or Superstition To this Piece he subjoyned another Treatise concerning decent and pious Ceremonies to be observed in the Church and another of the Abomination of Private Mass which they call the Canon in the Preface to which he mentions how that in his Books and Sermons having often exhorted Men to the Abrogation of the Popish Mass he had been therefore called Seditious but that it was an injury done unto him for that he had never taught the People publickly to abolish false Worship by their own authority nor had he indeed allowed that to the Magistrate unless the Rulers of the Church should obstinately maintain Errours and because that was a horrid Profanation of the Lord's Supper as the more learned now acknowledged he had therefore been at the pains to write that Piece that the People might also understand and that they might avoid those usual Sacrifices of the Mass as they would the Devil himself and to confirm what he said he set down the whole Canon of the Mass and shewed it to be full of Blasphemies against God. Among the other learmed Men of Germany that favoured Luther Vlrick Hutton a Nobleman of Franconia was one who about the latter end of August this year died in the Territory of Zurich There are some Pieces of his extant which shew him to have been a Man of an excellent and sharp Wit. In the former Book we mentioned how Luther answered Henry King of England which when the King had read he wrote to the Princes of the House of Saxony Duke Frederick his Brother John and to his Cousin George and having made a heavy complaint of Luther he represented to them the great dangers that his Doctrin was like to bring upon them and all Germany and that they were not to be slighted and neglected for that the prodigious success of the Turks whose Cruelty spread now so far owed its Rise to one or two profligate Wretches and that the neighbouring Bohemia was a warning unto them how much it concerned them to prevent an Evil in the beginning He also admonished them not to suffer Luther to publish the New Testament in the Vulgar Tongue for that his Artifices were now so well known that there was no doubt to be made but that by a bad Translation he would corrupt and pervert the purest Orignals To that Letter Duke George wrote a very kind Answer bitterly inveighing against Luther also whose Books he said as the most pernicious of Enemies he had prohibited in all his Territories for that ever since he had allowed him to Dispute at Leipsick he well perceived what he would come to at last That it heartily grieved him also that he had writ so bitterly against his Majesty which Libel he had prohibited to be Sold or Read within his Dominion having punished the Bookseller who first brought the Copy of it into his Country In the former Diet of Norimberg besides Matters of Religion the Princes took also into deliberation how they might settle Peace and establish Judicatures what Punishments were to be inflicted on those who obeyed not the Laws of the Empire and how they might raise present and constant Aids against the Turk But as to these two last Points nothing could be concluded wherefore they were put off to another time and Diet And because some things were enacted in that Diet which the Cities of the Empire perceived would redound to their prejudice they all sent Embassadors upon that account to the Emperor in Spain These arriving at Valladolid August the Sixth and having Audience three days after the Emperor gave them a very Gracious and Princely Answer within a few days but withal told them That the Pope had complained to him by Letters of Strasburg Norimber and Ausburg as if they favoured the Doctrin of Luther That he expected better things of them but that however he could not pass it by in silence that they might have a care to obey his and the Pope's Edicts which he was consident they would do They justified themselves assuring his Majesty that their Cities were no ways wanting in readiness to fulfil his Will and Pleasure In the mean time September the Thirteenth Pope Adrian dies to whom succeeded Clement VII of the Family of Medices Of all the Switzers none but the People of Zurich followed the Doctrin of Zuinglius most of the other Cantons vexed and murmured at it And therefore in a Convention of States held for that purpose at Berne there were some who grievously accused Zuinglius and to
many Noble and Excellent Virtues in him and especially that he was Devout in his Religion and a most obedient Son of the Catholick and Apostolick Church So that he would not trust the Judgments of others nor have the former good Opinion he had of him before he understood the Matter from himself That within these few Years Germany indeed was in a manner transformed and had taken to it self new Rites but that he very well knew what difference to put betwixt the Mobile and the Nobility and Princes the Dispencers of Laws among whom he had the Preheminence both for his own Virtue atd Desert and the Merits of his Ancestors who had always much honoured the Church of Rome That therefore it was the Desire and Wish of his Holiness That in these troublesome Times he would imitate the Examples of his Fore-fathers and by his Carriage and Conduct make that Virtue more Illustrious and Conspicuous For that since Seditions and dangerous Commotions followed the Heels of one another there was a Necessity of Fortitude and Resolution in the Magistrate not only in disliking the Licentiousness of the People but also in severely punishing the same That this Severity of Discipline was the rather and the more exactly to be practised in his Country that a greater Combustion might arise there if not timely prevented For it was obvious enough to be understood what they themselves were to expect if the Reformation of the Laws and Ceremonies of the Church were left to the Discretion of the People and that Bohemia and Hungary were sad Instances of that in which Places the Troubles and Seditions that were heretofore raised for the like Causes were not to this very present quieted as they ought to be That the States of Germany would be much the same if the Rashness and Boldness rather than Liberty of the People were not repressed That they who wantonly contemned the Laws and Constitutions of the Church and Church Men would without doubt at length attempt upon the Civil Magistrates also whom otherwise they had no great Kindness for That some took delight to see the Prelates of the Church and the Court of Rome so tossed and despised But in the mean time considered not in how great Danger they were themselves But that the Pope who as the Pilot of a Ship sat aloft to watch and look carefully out foresaw this approaching Storm and had therefore sent him as his Legate to forewarn all the Princes and himself in particular of their Danger and to stir them up to the suppressing of those Disorders which threatned not so much the City of Rome as Germany it self with Ruine That for the same Cause he had received Letters from him and Injunctions to treat with his Highness about all these things that so Peace and Tranquility might be restored to Germany For that he was sent for this Purpose that he might raise up those that were fallen and receive Penitents again into Favour and that though he was not altogether so fit for these things yet trusting to his Highnesses Favour he resolved to set about them with all Diligence That since then he had undertaken so painful and tedious a Journey wholly upon that Design he prayed his Highness That he would be pleased to favour and assist him and send him a speedy Answer what he thought best to be done and that for his own part he would be ready to do any thing for his Highnesses sake He made afterwards a Speech in the Colledge of the Princes and having premised some Apologies for himself told them That no Man could be found at Rome who was willing to undertake that Legation but that at length he had been charged therewith who owed all his Fortune and Promotion to the Germans That he had Instructions to treat of two things chiefly to wit of Religion and the Turkish War And that in the first place he did indeed very much wonder That so many great and honourable Princes should bear with this Change of Doctrine and suffer the Religion Rites and Ceremonies wherein they were born and bred and their Fathers and Progenitors died to be thus abolished and trampled upon at the Humour and Persuasion of a few Men without considering with themselves What would be the End and Event of such an Innovation which certainly if it were not timely prevented could not but produce most dreadful Troubles and the Rebellion of Subjects against their Magistrates That his Holiness having ground to fear these things had sent him as his Legate to joyn with them in devising of Means to Remedy this Evil not that he would prescribe to them or demand any thing of them but only assist with his Counsel and apply some healing Medicine to the publick Sore That if they refused the good Offices of the Pope who as a kind Father and dutiful Pastor wished well to his Children and Flock the Blame could not be hereafter laid at his Door That as to the Turk he did not deny but that all the Money which had been raised and carried to Rome for these Wars had not been employed that way but that therefore the Publick ought not to be neglected in these Calamitous Times That no Man was ignorant of the Mischiefs that most cruel Enemy had done that the thing it self spoke and it was plain to be seen by all Men how that through the Security and Slothfulness of the Christians he had lately taken Rhodes and the chief Strength of Hungary and had now opened to himself a Way to advance whithersoever he pleased That the Knights of Rhodes had indeed endured a long Siege till being destitute of all things necessary and no Relief sent them they had been fored to surrender That the like was the Fortune of Hungary which if wholly subdued and brought under Subjection to him it was to be feared would become a more terrible Enemy to Christendom than the Turks themselves were But that after all it was his Opinion That unless the Differences about Religion were once removed the Affairs of State could never prosper To these things the Princes made Answer That they thanked him for the Good-will he bore towards Germany and were very glad that the Pope had employed him in that Legation That they would chuse some of their Number with whom he might treat and communicate his Thoughts to That however they supposed he had Instructions and Orders of Proceeding prescribed to him by his Holiness and the Colledge of Cardinals who were acquainted with the whole State of Affairs wherefore it was their Desire to hear what Counsel he had to give them That they very well understood and saw the Danger which that Change of Religion threatned them with and that therefore when the Year before there was another Legate from the Pope there they had proposed a Way and Method for Accommodating the Affair That they had also given to the same Legate their Demands to the Pope in Writing to be by
abide within his Territories But after the suppression of that popular Insurrection when in all Places many were dragg'd to Execution Carolostadius being in great Straits wrote a Book wherein he took a great deal of Pains to justifie himself against those who reckoned him among the Authors of the Rebellion affirming it to be an Injury done unto him and writing to Luther he earnestly prayed him That he would both publish that Book and also defend his Cause lest an innocent Man as he was might be in danger of losing Life and Goods without being heard Luther published a Letter to this purpose That though Carolostadius differed very much in Opinion from him yet because in his straits he betook himself to him rather than to others who had stirred him up against him he would not disappoint his Hope and Confidence especially since that was properly the Duty of a Christian He therefore desired the Magistrates and all in General That seeing he both denyed the Crime that was laid to his charge and refused not to come to a fair Tryal and submit to Judgment the same might be granted him as being most consonant to Equity and Justice Afterwards Carolostadius sent another little Book to Luther wherein he protested That what he had written concerning the Lord's Supper was not to define or determine any thing but rather by way of Argument and Disputation to sift out the Truth Luther admits of the Excuse yet admonishes Men That seeing he himself confessed he doubted and defined nothing positively to beware of his Opinion Or if they themselves perhaps doubted to suspend their Judgment so long till it should appear what they might safely follow For that in matters of Faith we ought not to waver and doubt but to acquire such a certain and steddy Knowledge as rather to suffer a thousand Deaths than to forsake our Opinion Much about this time Luther married a Nun whereby his Adversaries were excited to load him with more Reproaches for now he was down-right mad they cried and had sold himself a Slave to the Devil At the very same time Vlrich Zuinglius Minister of the Church at Zurich who almost in all other things agreed with Luther dissented from him also about the Lord's Supper For Luther understood these Words of Christ This is my Body literally and properly admitting no Figurative Interpretation and affirming the Body and Blood of Christ to be really in the Bread and Wine and to be so received and eaten by Believers But Zuinglius maintained it was a Figure that many such were to be found in Scripture and the former Words he so expounded This signifies my Body With him agreed John Oecolampadius Minister of the Church at Basil and he so interprets them This is the Sign of my Body The matter was contentiously debated on both sides and much was written upon the Subject The Saxons imbraced the Opinion of Luther and the Switzers that of Zuinglius others come after who explained the Words in another manner but all agree in this Opinion That the Body and Blood of Christ are taken Spiritually not Corporally with the Heart not with the Mouth This debate lasted three Years and more but at length a Conference was procured at Marpurg chiefly by means of the Landgrave as shall be said in its proper place The Dyet also which at this time was held at Ausburg because very few resorted to it by reason of the Popular Insurrection beforementioned was dissolved and all matters put off till the first of May the Year following against which time Ferdinand gave Hopes That the Emperour his Brother would be there in person from Spain and Spire was appointed to be the place of the Dyet It was decreed though among other things That the Magistrates should take special care That the Preachers did interpret and expound God's Word to the People according to the Sense of Doctors approved by the Christian Church and that they should not preach Seditious Doctrin but so that God's Name might be glorified and the People live in Peace and Quietness Whilst Francis King of France was Prisoner in Spain his Mother Aloisia had the Administration of the Government who to keep in with the Pope acquainted him among other things How zealously she stood affected towards the Church of Rome Whereupon Pope Clement VII writing to the Parliament of Paris told them How he understood from her That the Contagion of Wicked Heresies began also to infect France and they had wisely and providently chosen some persons to enquire into and punish those who laboured to oppose the Faith and Ancient Religion That he also by his Authority approved the Commissioners whom they had chosen for that in so great and grievous a Disorder of Affairs raised by the Malice of Satan and the Rage and Impiety of his Ministers every one ought to bestir themselves to preserve and maintain the common Safety of all Men since that Rage and Madness tended not only to the Subversion of Religion but also to the confounding of all Principality Nobility Law and Order That for his part he spared no Care Labour nor Pains that he might remedy the Evil And that they also whose Virtue and Prudence was every where celebrated should make it their chief Business that not only the true Faith but also the Welfare of the Kingdom and their own Dignity should be secured against Domestick Dangers and Calamities which that pernicious and pestilent Heresie carried with it into all places That they needed not indeed to be exhorted having already given Proofs of their own Wisdom But that nevertheless in discharge of his own Duty and as a token of his Favour and Good-will he had been willing to make this Address unto them for that he was exceeding well pleased with what they had already done and exhorted them That for the future they would with the like Zeal and Virtue bestir themselves for the Glory of God and the Welfare of the whole Kingdom that by so doing they would render most acceptable Service to God and merit the Praises and Applause of Men and that therein they might expect all sort of Assistance from him This Brief dated at Rome May the twentieth was delivered to the Parliament at Paris on the seventeenth Day of June During the absence also of the Captive King the Divines of Paris so persecuted James le Fevre d'Estaples who hath published many Books both in Philosophy and Divinity that he was fain to leave France and flie into another Country The King being informed of this by the means chiefly of his Sister Margaret who had a kindness for Le Fevre because of his Probity and Virtue wrote to the Parliament of Paris That he heard that there was a Process brought before them against James le Fevre and some other Learned Men at the Instigation of the Divines who particularly hated le Fevre for that before his Expedition out of France he had been
of any thing that is acted contrary to the Customs and Liberty of the Empire and therefore cannot confer upon him the Title of King of the Romans But the Duke of Saxony adds this in his Letters to the Emperor That if the matter be carry'd on in a legal way he will not shew himself unlike his Ancestors Concerning the admittance of the Helvetians into the League which the Cities very much desire the Duke gives in this Answer by his Embassadors that he cannot enter into any Society with them because they entertain a different Opinion concerning the Lord's Supper He is not indeed ignorant of how great consequence their Accession would be upon the account of their Strength and Power but this is what he least of all regards lest the event thereof should prove as dismal as is recorded in Scripture to have faln upon them who for the strengthning of themselves had recourse to any sort of unlawful Assistances During this Assembly there were Letters brought from the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgrave to the Embassadors of the other Princes and Cities the Contents of which were to this effect That the Emperor had permitted the Bishop of Mentz and Lewis the Prince Palatine to be Mediators of a Peace who by their Letters had desir'd that they likewise on their parts would give them the same permission and that then they would appoint a day for a Meeting After some deliberation the Embassadors do return their consent and then the Lantgrave and the Duke of Saxony make the Mediators this Answer That they are not against the Expedient provided the Exchequer will be quiet in the mean time this therefore being obtain'd of the Emperor they appoint the 30th of August for the day of Meeting The Cities which had their Embassadors in this Convention were these Strasburg Vlm Lubesk Nuremburg Constance Rutelingen Memmingen Lindaw Bibrach Isenach Kempen Hailbrun Magdeburg Bremen Brunswick and Gottingen Wigand Bishop of Bamburg had some years before made a Complaint to his Associates of the Schwaben Confederacy against George Duke of Brandenburg the substance of which was this That he had disturb'd him in his Ecclesiastical Rights that he had very much sunk his Customs that he had converted the Revenues of the Church to other uses and forc'd the Priests into this Novel and false Religion or else ejected them for their non-compliance All which things are not only a Violation of the Pope's and Emperor's Edicts but also of common Equity and the Laws of the Country and since he highly suffers by them he desires that they would either by their Interest and Authority reduce him to his Duty or else afford him such Assistance as they are oblig'd to by the League whereby he may be inabled for the time to come to defend his own and recover what he had lost But when after various Disputes a day was appointed for the hearing of this Cause at Nordlingen the Embassadors of the Protestants at the Brandenburger's entreaty came thither in the month of July With the Bishop of Bamburg were the Bishops of Auspurg Wurtzburg and Aichstadt as his Assistants and Counsellors The Plaintiff puts in his Charge wherein he sets forth how great Injury and Damage he had sustain'd and withal declares that notwithstanding the Associates of the League had under a penalty commanded the Defendant to desist from his Undertaking and to restore the Plaintiff to his own yet nothing as yet had been effected He therefore prays that he may be proceeded against according to the Prescript of the League The Defendant on the other side demurs to that part of the Charge which properly belongs to Religion and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Appeals from their Edicts and Decrees to a Council But they after some days intermission reply that they very much wonder he should put in such an Appeal as this because it is unusual and against the Prescript of the League which takes care that the Plaintiff and Defendant shall be both concluded by the Determination of select Judges That in this they had all agreed to defend the Ecclesiastical Liberties and therefore the Cognizance of this Cause does properly belong to them And since He himself had hitherto without any exception acknowledged their Jurisdiction with what reason could he now reject it As for a Council they are not by any means to be superseded by that nor ought the Preference to be giv'n unto it in this matter for these reasons therefore they do not accept his Appeal but proceed to confirm their former Edicts and if he will not yield Obedience they declare that they must proceed against him according to the Stipulation The Defendant on the contrary protests that he will stick to his Appeal in what relates to the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction nor will he take any notice of their Sentence This Cause was managed by the Duke of Brandenburg both in his own Name and upon the account of his Nephew Albert Son to his Brother Casimire whose Guardian he was In the mean time the Emperor appoints a Diet of the Empire to convene at Spiers upon the Sixth of September for the composing of Religious Differences But upon the 21th of August there came to the Duke of Saxony the Counts of Nassaw and the Count de Newenar Men of great Reputation for their Vertue and being permitted by the Emperor to treat of a Reconciliation they to that end lay down five Propositions relating to the Supper of our Lord Ecclesiastical Rites the Goods of the Church Assistance against the Turk and the Election of King Ferdinand But when it appear'd from their Discourse that the Emperor lay under a perswasion as if the Duke was a Favourer both of Zuinglius his Doctrin and of the Anabaptists His answer was That 't is sufficiently known from the Augustine Confession what kind of Doctrin it is which he professes and which the Ministers within his Dominions do Preach in the Churches That 't is farther plain that while he was at the Diet of Auspurg he had held no Correspondence with those who are reputed Zuinglians nor yet afterwards till they had giv'n him an explication of their Opinion That he still continues in the same mind and shall by the Grace of God till his last breath persist in that Doctrin of which he made profession at Auspurg he therefore prays that as to that point they will vindicate him to the Emperor They tell him that as for their parts they were before very well satisfied of his Innocence and will therefore do him justice to the Emperor to whom they doubt not but this will prove very pleasing and acceptable News As to the other Propositions they were pleas'd to refer them to the next Imperial Diet. However they intreated him that he would either come himself in Person to that Diet or at least send thither his Son. His Answer was that truly he was desirous in all things to oblige the Emperor
both in his Letters and by his Embassadors to call a Council as soon as was possible in a safe and convenient place Therefore he would have them be of good chear and not despair of an Accommodation in Religion for he was resolv'd not to spare any pains and desired only to know what they would have him do for them with the Pope Afterwards he proceeds to take off the other Objection where he owneth that contrary to his custom and temper he had been forc'd upon rigorous Methods by some bold and flagitious Persons who under a colour of Religion endeavour'd the ruine of the Kingdom Therefore to stop this Plague of disloyalty from spreading he had punish'd them severely as his Ancestors had also had done in the like cases And if any Germans had been taken among them they should have been served all alike For if any of his own Subjects had committed the like Crimes in their Dominions he should not have been against their punishing of them with the utmost severity But to his great satisfaction there was never a German engaged with this wicked Cabal and therefore that Nation should be as welcome to his Kingdom and to his Court too as the French-men themselves But he is sensible what the Authors of these Calumnies drive at they misrepresent him on purpose that they may break off the Correspondence there is between France and Germany which is a very politick design without question for by creating such Misunderstandings they have a better opportunity to compass their own Ends and make themselves Masters of both In the beginning of the Spring the Lantgrave went to King Ferdinand to compleat the Reconciliation according to agreement the last year Peter Paul Vergerius was then lately return'd from the Pope to Ferdinand and took this occasion to acquaint the Lantgrave with his Instructions concerning the Council in the manner above mention'd To which he received no other answer than that his Proposals should be consider'd within such a time After this Vergerius went as he was order'd to the rest of the Princes and negotiated with them Now some few months after the Lantgrave had been with King Ferdinand Duke Vlrick made his appearance before him too And because they were not both of them there at the same time Ferdinand excused them the condition by which they were oblig'd to ask his Pardon in a petitioning way But Vlrick stomach'd that Article extremely which made him a Homager to the House of Austria and was very angry with the Lantgrave and with the Elector of Saxony who interceded for complying with it insomuch that he was in suspence a great while whether he should ratifie the Peace or not At last being perswaded by his Friends he took a Journey to King Ferdinand as the Treaty oblig'd him In April the Emperor set Sail from Barcelona and landed an Army in Africk where after he had taken Tunis and the Fort of Gouletta he restor'd Muley Hazem a Mahumetan who was King of that Country and had been dispossess'd by Barbarossa the Turkish Admiral And having put this Prince under Contribution and fortify'd Gouletta with a strong Garrison he sailed back into Sicily Pope Paul fitted out several Gallies for the Emperor towards this War under the Command of Virginius Vrsinus and likewise gave him the liberty to demand the Tenths of all the Clergy in Spain Barbarossa by the negligence and ill Conduct of the Christians stole away to Bone and from thence to Argiers where he rigg'd out his Fleet and sailed for Constantinople There was at this time in England two very eminent and learned Men John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More The Bishop has several Books now Extant against Luther And More when he was Lord Chancellor which is the highest Office in that Kindom was very severe upon those whom he suspected to be Lutheans These Persons did not approve the King's Divorce and much less that Act of Parliament in which he threw off the Pope's Supremacy and delcared himself Head of the Church of England Being committed therefore and persisting in their opinion they were beheaded this year in July The Pope made Rochester a Cardinal when he was in the Tower which it's thought did but provoke the King the more against him About the end of October Francis Sforza Duke of Milan died leaving no Issue behind him This accident was the occasion of a new War as will appear afterwards In the mean time the Emperor left Sicily and arriv'd at Naples and from thence wrote to the Protestants upon the last of November acquainting them that he was resolv'd to stand to the Pacification at Nuremburg but he was inform'd that they had seiz'd upon the Fortunes of the Roman Catholicks and when they were sued upon this account they pleaded the Nuremburg Treaty in their excuse and refus'd to return the right Owners their Estates again Now this he thought was unreasonable and could not choose but take it ill at their hands Much about this time the Elector of Saxony went into Austria to King Ferdinand and after he had dispatch'd his business he came to Prague the Capital of Bohemia in his return home where he was accosted by Peter Paul Vergerius whom the Pope sent Nuncio into Germany to settle the Affairs about the Council as hath been mention'd already Vergerius relates his Commission to the Duke and tells him That now the time was come for the celebrating a Council which had so often been wished for in regard his present Holiness the Emperor and King Ferdinand made it their principal Concern to consider how the Glory of our Saviour and the Salvation of Men might be most effectually promoted and the same pious disposition was apparent in other Princes The Pope likewise had sent his Embassadors into all parts not for a colour but in good earnest For it was not his way to make large Promises as some had done and then act quite contrary to what was pretended but he was solicitous about nothing so much as that they might come to the Point as soon as was possible that a religious Council might be held and free for all People to come to As to the place the Pope for very good reasons thinks none proper but Mantua concerning the Form and Method of proceeding that may be better adjudg'd when they are conven'd than now The Protestant Princes have always hitherto desir'd a lawful Council and had lately publish'd some Papers about it which he was glad to see And now the Pope comes up to their Proposals and offers them what they would have and the Emperor and King Ferdinand will omit nothing which may expedite the Affair Now if his Electoral Highness should be the only Person who refuses to comply most people would conclude that no sort of Method could please him Clement the Seventh charg'd his Offer with some Conditions which his present Holiness hath not done and therefore there is
far that they may not have a servile and obnoxious Council conven'd in a dangerous place but that things of that weight and importance in which the peace and welfare of the Church in general and every Person in particular is so much concern'd may be examin'd with Freedom and Security By appearing in this manner not only the present Age but all future Posterity will be mightily oblig'd to his Majesty and return him immortal Thanks for so great a Favour As to what his Excellency mov'd concerning a Conference of learned Men it deserves to be consider'd throughly and at leisure Besides being not aware of such a Proposal most of their Convention had no Commission to treat about it But as soon as they come to a determination in the Case they would write his Majesty an account of it for they desir'd nothing more than that Truth might be propagated as far as was possible Lastly they were very glad to hear his Majesty promise not to furnish out any Supplies against them and therefore neither would they assist his Enemies in any case where the Emperor and the Empire were unconcern'd This Embassador had private Conferences with Pontanus Melanchton with the Lantgraves Divines and James Sturmius concerning several Controversal Points where he told them what the King and the French Clergy especially those of Paris thought of each of them Particularly what their sense was concerning the Pope's Primacy the Eucharist the Mass and Invocation of departed Saints and Images what Notions they had about Purgatory Justification Monastick Vows and the Celibacy of the Clergy In most of these Controversies he said the King was inclinable to Melanchton's opinion in his Book Of Common Places Concerning the Pope he told them that the King and Philip were agreed for his Majesty did not believe his Holiness's Primacy was founded on Divine Right but Ecclesiastical Constitutions but the King of England would allow him neither one Right nor the other And truly the Pope hath pretended to more than his share in deposing Kings and Emperors at his Pleasure And they say he is about that Business now with the King of England notwithstanding the King his Master and several Cardinals had interceded with him to forbear Indeed the Divines say He is Head of the Church jure Divino but they fail'd in their proof when the King put them upon it They likewise defend the common Opinion concerning a fire in Purgatory For this Doctrin keeps up their Masses their Obits and Legacies and all the Trade they have upon those accounts But if the Mass was once put down their Authority would be sapp'd and the Vitals of their Grandeur wounded Now when the King had given these Gentlemen several months time to prove their Opinion about Purgatory by Scripture at last they gave him this Answer That it was not prudential to furnish their Adversaries with Arguments lest they should turn them upon themselves As to Monastery-Vows his Majesty believes he can prevail so far with this present Pope that young people shall not be engaged to that sort of life till they have reach'd their full age and that they may go off when they please and Marry But his Majesty does by no means think it convenient that those Societies should be dissolv'd but continu'd as Nurseries of Piety and Learning The Divines likewise press the Celibacy of the Clergy and here the King hath found out a middle Expedient That those who have Wives shall keep them but that others shall not have the liberty to Marry under pain of Suspension For to that which is usually urg'd concerning Paphnutius his perswading the Nicene Fathers that Priests might be married The Divines answer That it could not be prov'd that Matrimony was ever allow'd to Priests 'T is true before their Ordination they did not deny but that they were sometimes married Concerning the receiving the Lords Supper in both kinds the King had some discourse with Clement the Seventh about it and he hoped this Pope might be perswaded to make a Decree that every one might have the liberty to do as they thought fit Moreover his Majesty observ'd that within the memory of our Fathers the whole Communion was given in France to all persons without distinction indeed this was not done in the Bodies of the Church but in Chappels and Oratories This relation the King had from some very old Persons who affirm'd that this was the custom in France about 120 years ago Besides the French Kings receive in both kinds which practice when his Majesty objected to the Divines in Disputation they told him that Kings were anointed as well as Priests and that the Scripture mention'd A Royal Priesthood and that others who had none of these peculiar Reasons to plead could not have this liberty The King likewise owned that many passages in the publick Service of the Church ought to be corrected and some quite struck out That Clement the Seventh committed this affair to the care of Cardinal de la Cruz a Spaniard who printed a Book about it which the Parisian Divines condemn'd as Heretical For there is a sort of people among them who are not contented to cry out upon the Germans as Heterodox and wicked but let the same Censurers fly at the Cardinals and Popes themselves upon occasion And since the present Affair is so momentous and difficult in all the parts of it his Majesty is wholly intent upon it that the Peace of the Church may be recover'd He had likewise conferr'd with the Dukes of Bavaria to the same purpose who seem'd to him to be more rigid than the Divines of Paris though afterwards one of their Counsellors of State said that they were grown more moderate and the same thing was told him by Julius Phlugius concerning George Duke of Saxony and the Elector of Mentz The King therefore was of opinion that a publick Consultation was altogether necessary before the beginning of which if they pleas'd to send some few of their eminent Divines into France to confer with the Sorbonists his Majesty would take it very kindly and so order the Conference that some violent high-flying Men should be mixt with others of more temper and moderation that by this means the Truth might be wrought out and come to light When he had said this he desir'd that the Protestants would not accept of any place for a Council without his Majesties advice and the King of England's who would both of them return them the same Civility 'T is not many years ago since Lewis the Twefth of France insisted that the Pope could not call a Council without the consent of the Emperor and other Princes This was also the Opinion of the King of Navarre and when they were both Excommunicated by Julius Ferdinand of Spain seiz'd upon Navarre as Executioner of the Pope's Sentence Now the King his Master was of these Princes mind neither could he approve any Council unless it was held in a
promise and follow whatever Religion he hath a mind to what can be expected less than that the Peace must be broken the securing of which was the principal Aim of the Treaty at Nuremburgh Therefore the Emperor as soon as he was better acquainted with the Intentions of the rest of the States would do that which he conceiv'd reasonable In the mean time he desires that they would keep the Truce themselves and take care that it might not be broken by others which he was confident they would not fail to perform especially now the Council drew near in which it was to be hoped all sorts of Controversies would be ended Now they themselves had written to the Emperor concerning a Council which was the fourth Head of his Instructions he was to acquaint them with that after they understood the Emperors mind in this point they might the more easily come to a Resolution First They very well knew what pains the Emperor and his Embassadors had taken in several Diets of the Empire to find out an Expedient to compose the Differences in Religion and at last there was a Decree passed for the holding of a Council After which the Emperor never gave over his pursuit till he had procured the Intimation of it indeed he came out of Africk on purpose that he might reside in some part of the Empire till all Differences were decided by the Council and therefore he was very much troubled that he was oblig'd to sail into Spain the last Winter Notwithstanding he was resolv'd to be in Italy at the beginning of the Spring neither should any business hinder him from being present at the Council unless a more formidable War should break out upon him and require the conjunction of all his Forces and supposing the War should prevent his being present yet he would take care that nothing should be wanting on his part in this Affair And though the French King had broke his Faith from point to point and brought him under the necessity of War yet he would omit nothing which was reasonable to be done in order to the making a Peace with him And since they have always appear'd very desirous of an Agreement for the procuring of which a Council seems to be the most proper method and to which themselves have appeal'd the Emperor is willing to believe that they will not desert the Common-wealth nor change their resolution at the suggestion of any Persons nor give any occasion to greater Distractions especially in regard other Nations bend their Inclinations and Endeavours to promote this Expedient there being great hopes not only that all Disputes and Misunderstanding will be taken up and remov'd but also that the Churches will be reformed into a well regulated Constitution Therefore the Emperor desires they would plainly declare what their Intentions are in this matter for if they refuse to be govern'd by these Measures and throw in Exceptions and delays the Emperor is of opinion that it must cause a disappointment of a most excellent Design after so fair an advance and which is more Foreigners would grow suspicious of them as if they rather lov'd to embroil than to promote the Peace and Tranquility of Christendom And since the Emperor had no other Aim but to promote the Glory of God and provide for the Salvation of Mens Souls he does earnestly exhort and entreat them that they would comply with that which himself and the Common-wealth requested of them Besides he told them he had Instructions to accommodate all Differences that should happen to arise about this matter That he was very ready to perform his Duty in so good an Office and likewise if they were desirous he should explain himself upon any part of his Speech he was willing to do it The next day after he had a private Conference with the Elector of Saxony whom he acquaints That the Emperor had a very great respect for him and that he had been hindred hitherto from shewing it by reason of the difference in Religion which is between them And now since the Intimation of the Council gave him great hopes that this whole Affair might be adjusted His earnest request to him was That he would either be present at the Council himself or send his Ambassadors thither that so all Differences being reconciled it might be in his Power to give him unexceptionable Testimonies of his good Affection but if he demurr'd and made Objections he might easily fore-see what inconvenience would follow Farther in regard the Turk was now making great Preparations for War to invade Germany he desires that he would send him in those Supplies against the Turk which were decreed for him at Ratisbone and if it shall so happen that the Turk does not make an Impression upon Germany that then the same Forces may be employed under him against the French King who hath seiz'd upon Savoy which is a Province of the Empire Lastly because the Emperor had for some time defray'd the whole Charge of the Chamber of Spire and had spent a vast Sum of Mony upon the War he desires that according to the ancient custom of the Empire he would supply him with some Mony for this Occasion which was no more than the rest of the Princes had promis'd The Elector told him These Propositions related to his Allies as well as himself and therefore he must have time to deliver in his opinion Now upon the the 24th of February all the Confederates return'd their answer together where after some Preliminaries of respect and wishing the Emperor all happiness they acquaint his Excellency that as to what relateth to the Ausburghers they had receiv'd a full account of that Affair from their Agents which was so far satisfactory that they could not disengage themselves from the interest of that Town They were very sorry to hear that the War between the Emperor and the French King continued because they saw the Turk their common Enemy would make a great advantage of it But the Emperor receiving their Apology and shewing himself inclinable to maintain the Pacification at Nuremburgh was matter of great Satisfaction to them and they return'd his Majesty thanks for it As to what he mention'd concerning the Jurisdiction of the Chamber of Spire and how much the Emperor was dissatisfied that the course of Justice should be stopp'd the difficulty of adjusting this Affair they told him was perceiv'd when the Elector of Mentz and the Palsgrave interceded for a Reconciliation and when the matter was debated at length it was concluded that the most likely way to settle the Commonwealth was to give no Person any disturbance about Religion or for any thing relating to it till a general Council of Europe or a Provincial one of Germany was call'd and unless such a Liberty be allow'd and all Causes depending upon Religion comprehended in it it was then fore-seen and may be easily understood at present what a little matter will unhinge the
it namely because most of that Court were Roman Catholicks who are bound by Oath in giving of Sentence to observe the Canon-Law as well as the Constitutions of the Empire and that the Methods of these Judges were very singular was known to many others in Germany besides themselves To say they are tied up by Oaths does not clear them from suspicion notwithstanding this Allegation they may be lawfully refus'd which themselves were under a necessity of doing For what could they expect from those of a contrary Perswasion who condemn the Protestant Religion as impious Neither is it at all material that some few of them are delegated by his Majesty and most of them chosen out of the Provinces of the Empire for the main stress of the Cause lies in the Question of their Religion but how they ought to be qualifi'd in these respects the Decree made in the Diet at Ratisbone sufficiently shews Besides most of them are made by the Bishops or by others of their way and Interest Now when these Clergymen call all those Ecclesiastical Causes which relate to Rites and Ceremonies to the Pastoral Office and the Revenues of the Church why does not the Chamber put all those Debates which are of the same kind under the same denomination Therefore what they told him before was no more than truth that if they submit themselves to the Jurisdiction of the Chamber there will be no occasion for a Council and yet the Points contested ought to be decided there For those Gentlemen make no distinction of Causes but try all which are brought before them and are willing that their Ecclesiasticks should have not only their pretended Estates but their wicked Ceremonies restor'd them Now if such proceedings as these stand good all the Protestant Doctrin must be condemn'd They said likewise that their Lawyers were so much overaw'd and apprehensive of danger that they durst not defend their Right much less make any Exception against the Judges who if they were challeng'd kept the Bench notwithstanding and had lately sent back the Hamburgers their Letters of Recusation The reason why they instanced in the Monks and such sort of People was to let his Excellency understand that the Goods and Estates which he mention'd did not belong them but to the Ministers of the Church and were partly to be spent upon pious Uses Therefore in charging them with Rapine and detaining other Mens Goods he did them wrong neither was any thing of this nature ever objected to them before not only by one of his Quality but not by the Emperor himself They wonder he should say it was Violence to take away the Revenues of the Church from the Monks and Priests who contemn the true Religion and obstinately defend plain and notorious Errors For to these Estates which were most of them given by their Ancestors the Clergy had no other right than as they were formerly Ministers of the Church in their Dominions Now when they understood the true Doctrin and their Apprehensions were better inform'd they could not with a safe Conscience tolerate known Errors any longer and being oblig'd to remove these Corruptions they did not think it fit to let those Men enjoy the Profits of the Church who positively refus'd to reform their Religion Now if any are of opinion that they ought notwithstanding to have been tolerated in their Perswasion they are mistaken for they could not grant them such an Indulgence without being involv'd in their guilt for we may deny Christ and the Truth not only in our words but in our actions therefore his Excellency had charg'd them wrongfully in this Point For what a strange piece of imprudence would it be to endanger all their Fortunes their Reputation their Lives their Wives and Children and whatever was dear to them for the gaining such little and invidious Advantages They did not desire to possess other Mens Estates and which were not under their own Jurisdiction and if they were put upon it they could demonstrate by the Canon-Law that the Revenues of the Church did not belong to those who broached and maintain'd false Doctrin neither was worldly Interest propos'd by them in this case but their principal and only aim was That God might not be dishonour'd in their Territories and therefore those who profess'd the true Religion had been depriv'd of nothing Neither did they question but that they should give a better account of what they had taken from the Ecclesiasticks than those who assume the name of the Church to themselves and possess the Revenues of it without any right and spend them without any reason Now if they insist upon the right of Possession that is nothing to the purpose for to go no farther than the Canon-Law when Truth begins to display its light all Claims by vertue of Possession Prescription and Custom are to disappear and give place like so many shadows Therefore their Practices are contrary neither to Law nor Equity but are honest pious and consonant to the holy Scriptures That Objection likewise which his Excellency urgeth that he cannot approve that Men should be outed of their Estates is properly applicable to their Adversaries for when any of their Flock happens to turn to the true Religion he hath not only his Fortune but his life too taken from him That this is no Calumny they appeal to his Excellency who very well knows what Cruelties have been exercis'd and how much Blood hath been shed upon this one account for banishment and the ruine of their whole Families is the gentlest punishment such Converts are favour'd with And whereas he insists farther that an Accommodation would be very feasible if the point of Property was waved they grant the truth of this Allegation but then the strength of it ought to be turn'd upon their Adversaries who unless they valu'd their Wealth their Honour and their Luxury that dissolute and scandalous Life which they lead above any regard to Truth all Differences might be easily reconcil'd but though they are sensible of the Excesses and Prodigality of their Expences yet they will not endure a Reformation which is of so absolute necessity Now what truth there is in the Gentlemen of the Chambers Affirmation where they say they have done nothing contrary to their Office his Excellency may understand by what they have deliver'd to him already For their parts they desire nothing more than a legal Trial and have formerly moved that the reasons of their demurring to the Jurisdiction of the Chamber might be examin'd by Referees Now that the Causes which the Chamber have unjustly decided should be brought about again by the Emperor as his Excellency suggesteth this will be a very difficult matter to effect neither will the Parties who have had Judgment given on their side allow it And because he is desirous to know their Resolution in the present case They declare that they value nothing more than Peace that they have not done any thing
upon which they refus'd the Council they thought it convenient to set them down in writing which Paper they afterwards publish'd in Print where they address themselves to foreign Princes and Nations to this effect Paul the Third say they hath lately publish'd a Bull in which he hath intimated a Council at Mantua which will be opened upon the 23th of May and hath offer'd some Reasons why these Measures were pitch'd upon Besides he hath dispatch'd his Nuncios to foreign Kings and Princes both Germans and others to acquaint them with the Council and invite them either to come thither themselves or send their Embassadors and in regard we have been solicited by him and by the Emperor upon this account we think our selves oblig'd to demonstrate how dangerous and disadvantageous a Compliance with him in this Point will be not only to us but to all Christendom And though we proceed upon none but justifiable grounds yet when we consider the temper of our Adversaries we have reason to believe they will censure our actions and interpret them in the worst sense For it 's likely in order to the bringing us and the whole Cause under their Jurisdiction they will not stick to affirm that we will not abide by any Trial nor submit to any Judge That we contemn other Nations which have been often remarkable for a great many Men of Learning They will say also that it 's a wicked thing to refuse Submission to the determinations of a Council which is the highest Tribunal of the Church and ought to be obeyed by all Persons They will likewise pretend as if we were asham'd of our Tenents and durst not bring them into view or that we watched an opportunity to make an unnecessary Breach and could not reconcile our selves to the Peace of Christendom Now if this Charge against us were true it were not only wicked in it self but it would be a kind of a Calamity to hear it For these reasons we are under a necessity of publishing our own Justification and we hope the consequence of it will be that all honest Men both in Germany and other places will not only forbear believing any thing of this nature of us but that they will make it their business that this most important Affair may be rightly manag'd and that it may not be in the Pope's Power to Tyrannize over apparent Truth and suppress it under the pretended and venerable Authority of a Council For we will not only make it appear that we hold no Opinions in Religion but what are sound and Orthodox but likewise that we aim at nothing but the Glory of God and the good of the Commonwealth and that no Man can justly charge us with obstinancy and perverseness And in the first place how far we are from contemning the Judgment of other Nations and of the Church is evident by our endeavouring to prevent the Pope and his Party from setting up for Judges and that all things may be debated by proper and unsuspected Persons which they believe is the unanimous desire of all good Men For in regard in some Countries there are now extant several ancient Books complaining of false Doctrin Immorality wicked Ceremonies and Practices which were then crept into the Church they do not question but that in those very places there are at this day several Persons of Learning and Piety who understand the true Doctrin though at present they are brow-beaten and overaw'd into silence by the Pope's Tyranny Now these are the Men who ought to appear in Councils that they may speak their mind freely for that is not to be accounted a lawful Council which is govern'd by the Pope and his Party who maintain their unorthodox Tenents by dint of Violence and Power and according to their old custom make Canons contrary to the Word of God. For our Saviour when he erected his Supream Tribunal upon Earth ordered That whatever required Reformation should be brought before the Church in which very words all manner of Tyranny and Dominion is excluded Farther they asperse us falsely if they say we are afraid to make our publick Appearance and will not endure the Light. For in the Diet at Ausburgh we made an open Profession of our Doctrin in the Presence of the Emperor and all the States of the Empire Besides this very Religion is publickly taught in our Dominions several of our Subjects have written Books of it and own'd it in Print and many of our Adversaries confess that our Writers have recover'd a great number of ancient Tenents which before were quite smother'd and suppress'd For now the true Doctrin is come to Light again which gives us the right notion of Repentance of Faith in Christ of Remission of Sins of good Works Religious Worship the use of the Sacraments the Power of the Keys of Magistracy Humane Traditions and such like Neither to speak in St. Paul's Language are we asham'd of the Gospel but wish above all things that we had an opportunity to declare our sense of these Points in the most publick Audience And whereas it 's objected to our Party as if they had reviv'd old condemn'd Heresies and therefore there is no need of any farther Dispute or Examination of the Cause this Suggestion is false and those who have read our Confession and the Defence annex'd to it will not require much Apology from us For the Doctrin which we Profess is no new one but was approv'd by the Primitive Church as may be made good to a demonstration Neither have we receiv'd any Heresie or wicked Opinion but on the contrary our Divines have regain'd the Doctrin of the Ancients in several Points which the Popes and Monks had suppress'd It is another Calumny to say that we are pleas'd with publick Animosities and Divisions for we are sorry at our very Souls that Christendom is so miserably distracted and earnestly desire a Council in order to a Reconciliation And since the Pope and his Adherents have condemn'd that Doctrin which is both true and necessary to be believ'd since they punish and persecute the Professors of it and excite others to follow their Example we could do no less than reprove them for their Cruelty and Insolence For God requireth us to Honour him by an open Confession and to hold any farther Correspondence with the Pope when he rages at such a barbarous rate would be a very wicked Alliance Besides it cannot be deni'd but we perform all Offices and undergo all Burthens which the Commonwealth requires as well as the rest of the States from whence it appeareth that we would willingly comply with others in Religion too if our Consciences would give us leave especially when we understand what danger hangeth over our Heads upon this account For the Popes for many years last past have told us pretty plainly what they would be at and how busie they have been in exasperating the Passions of Princes against us Now to run all these
hazards and be at all this Expence to no purpose is perfect distraction But we are convin'd this is a Duty which God requires of us whose Commands ought to be preferr'd to all Secular Interest and we protest before God Almighty That we design nothing but his Service And now having confuted thier Accusations we shall proceed to another branch of our Apology Possibly most People of foreign Countries may think that we have been too nice in quarrelling with those things which have no great malignity in them and which might have passed without notice for Peace-sake especially when the nature of Humane Affairs in such that there will always be some Imperfections in Church and State which must be conniv'd at But the case is quite otherwise for first we are not to conceal our dislike of Errors and wrong Opinions in Religion being commanded by Christ to beware of false Teachers Besides the Contest is not about little Mistakes but concerning the Doctrin of Faith and right Apprehensions of God upon which the due performance of a Christians Duty and of Divine Worship does principally depend now these are points which cannot be passed over in silence but are to be maintain'd in their Purity and diligently taught in the Church But that this part of Truth was perfectly extinct cannot be denied and a new Doctrin introduc'd in its room to the great dishonour of our Saviour We likewise disapprove many other Errors and ungodly Practices in their Worship which some Persons who liv'd long before our time have discover'd and thereupon wish'd for a Council that those things which were amiss might be rectified and the Peace of the Church establish'd But now there is more need of a Council than ever because the same Corruptions remain and have spread their Infection further because they have occasion'd Broils and Divisions in Christendom insomuch that many innocent Persons run the hazard of losing their Lives upon this account For these weighty reasons not only our selves but the Emperor and the rest of the States and Bishops of the Empire voted a Council very necessary for the preservation of the true Religion in the Church for unless such an Expedient was made use of they foresaw the Distractions of Christendom would encrease And while we were big with the expectation of such a Council as this out comes the Pope's Bull with Contents directly contrary to the Decrees of the Empire And because we are not concern'd alone but the whole Christian Church is interessed in it we thought it necessary to set forth a publick Declaration of our Reasons in this Paper why we refuse this Council of the Pope's calling For the right of Voting does not belong solely to the Pope and Bishops but to the Church in which signification Kings and other degrees of Men and Secular Magistrates are included Therefore though the Pope was no Party in the present Debate yet there was no reason to allow him and his Adherents the whole Power of Determining and exclude the other Ministers of the Church But since he is apparently one of the Litigants himself the yielding him such a Priviledge is still more unaccountable and no less than a contradiction to the Laws of God and Nature Now we do not accuse the Pope of small Misdemeanors neither do we quarrel with him only for his Luxury and Lording it over the Church but the main of our charge lieth against his Doctrin his Canons and abominable Worship that is we arraign him for Idolatry and Heresie and when he is impeached of such Crimes as these the Church and not himself is to examine and give Sentence in the Cause according to the Provision which the old Canon-Law it self hath made for this purpose Besides the Pope hath made himself the more suspected not only by being a Party but because he hath condemn'd our Doctrin long beforehand now the case standing thus it 's easie to imagine what sort of Censure will be past upon our Doctrin in a Council of his own packing For we are not to suppose that he will give a liberty of Voting to any Persons contrary to the old customs of his Church And in regard the Bull does not mention in what order and method Debates are to be managed we have reason to suspect every thing For he only summoneth and Mustereth those who are engag'd to him upon many accounts and of whose Trustiness he is sufficiently assur'd He likewise professeth that the reason of his calling a Council is That those Heresies which have lately sprung up may be extirpated And notwithstanding these words will bear a large signification yet there is no doubt but that he meant them of our Doctrin for we have no reason to believe that he would tax his own Errors Nay afterwards he publish'd another Bull concerning the Reformation of the Court of Rome where he owneth in express words That the Council was call'd that the pestilent Lutheran Heresie might be suppress'd At first it 's true he cunningly dissembled his Intentions that he might make the Bull appear plausible but afterwards he discover'd himself It 's plain therefore that he aims only at the subversion of our Religion Now what a madness would it be for us to approve of such a Design as this For this is the thing which he driveth at namely to draw a Confession from those who admit his Bull that our Doctrin is wicked and heretical and when Kings and Princes have own'd this they may be oblig'd to contribute their good wishes and endeavours to the Cause And because the common Interest of Christendom is concern'd in this Affair we intreat all People that they would seriously consider the designing subtilty of this Man for his couching the Bull in such Terms is somewhat admirable and it is a question Whether he intended to fright us from the Council this way or else to ensnare us by approving the Instrument That the Emperor intends the welfare and security of the Commonwealth we do not in the least question and believe that his Majesty does not approve the form of the Bull. But as for the Pope he hath not so much intimated a Council as publickly given Sentence against us Neither will he allow the Scriptures to determine the Dispute but his own Canons and Customs and the Opinions of some modern Councils must overrule all other Pleas whereas it 's one of our principal Assertions That Humane Traditions are to be rejected when they are repugnant to the Word of God. That which is really the Doctrin of the Church we willingly receive but then the Errors and Tyranny of the Pope ought not to be flourish'd over with that reverend Name For first the ancient Church never admitted of any Constitutions which were contrary to Scripture nor yet gave the Pope that unlimited power which he now assumes to himself And secondly These Men who condemn and persecute the Doctrin of the Gospel are none of the Church but Parricides and Sons
one or two Towns left him to retreat to He was always a zealous Roman Catholick and punished those who professed the Reformed Religion Paul the Third in the beginning of his Popedom made two of his Grandchildren Cardinals and being sensible that he had lost some Reputation upon this account he promoted several others who were eminent for their Quality and Learning to this Honour partly that he might make the promotion of his young Relations less invidious and disobliging partly that he might be furnished with Friends able to defend his Cause with their Rhetorick and Writings Those who were created were Gasper Contareno Reginald Poole John Bellay Frederick Fregosi to which were afterwards added Sadolet Alexander Bembo Besides Erasmus was also thought on as he himself relates in a Letter of his to a Friend There are extant likewise several Letters of Sadolets to Erasmus in which he tells him in a great many words what a singular esteem the Pope had for him and that he intended to raise him very shortly to the highest Dignity Contareno was of a noble Family and a Senator of Venice a Man of great Reputation for his Learning and was said to be preferr'd to this eminent Station altogether beyond his expectation and when he made no manner of Interest for it THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XII The CONTENTS Pope Paul strictly charges his Commissioners for the Reformation diligently to enquire into the numerous Corruptions of the Church and provide â—ffectual Remedies Erasmus his Colloquies are prohibited The Protestants meet at Brunswick and receive the King of Denmark into their League The Persecution of Lutheranism revived in France The Pope goes on Progress to Nice de Provence Whither the Emperor and the French King also come The French King and several of his Nobility kiss the Pope's Right-foot The French of the Reformed Religion have a Church assigned them at Strasburg The King of England burns Thomas of Canterbury's Bones The Elector of Brandenburg gives the Elector of Saxony notice of the Preparation which the Turks made for a War. The Rise of the Antinomians Eldo's and the Duke of Brunswick's Designs discovered by the Lantgrave's intercepting the Duke's Letters A Convention is held at Frankfort where at last a Conference is decreed in order to an Accommodation which Henry Duke of Brunswick endeavours to prevent and raiseth Forces for hat Purpose George Duke of Saxony a most violent Enemy to the Reformation dies and Henry his Brother succeeds him The King of England publisheth another Paper against the Council appointed at Vicenza and makes several Laws touching Religion An Insurrection at Ghent to suppress which the Emperor takes a Journey thâ—â—her through France The Venetians make a Peace with the Turk who had secret Intelligence what their Senate had decreed touching this Matter I Have already mentioned the Prorogueing of the Council till November which was still delay'd after that Term was expired However that the Pope might keep up the Expectation of the World and seem to do something he had some time since pitched upon a select Number out of the whole Body of his Clergy whom he strictly charged to make a diligent Enquiry into the Abuses of the Church and lay them before him impartially without any manner of Flattery He likewise discharged them from their Oath that they might speak their Minds freely and ordered them to manage the Affair with great Secrecy The Delegates were Jaspar Contarino Peter Theatino James Sadolet Reginald Poole Cardinals Frederick Archbishop of Salerno Hierome Alâ—ander Archbishop of Brindisi John Matthew Bishop of Verona George Vener Abbot and Thomas Master of the Holy Palace These Persons after they had debated the Point among themselves set down their Reformation in Writing and addressing themselves to the Pope they begin with a high Commendation of his Zeal for the promoting of Truth which was not prevalent enough to gain the Ears of several of his Predecessors indeed the Fault was chiefly in their Flatterers who stretched their Prerogative too far and told their Holinesses That they were absolute Lords of all things and might do whatever they pleased From this Fountain it was that so many Disorders flowed in upon the Church which had brought her into that very ill Condition she was in at present Therefore his beginning his Cure in the first Principles and Original of the Distemper was an Argument of great Prudence and Vertue in his Holiness who according to St. Paul's Doctrine Chose rather to be a Minister and Steward than a Lord. And since he was pleased to lay this Task upon them they in obedience to his Commands had according to the best of their Understandings digested the Matter into several distinct Heads relating to himself the Bishops and the Church Now because he bore a double Character being not only Bishop of the Universal Church but a Monarch of divers Towns and Countries they would only consider the Ecclesiastical part of his Jurisdiction for the State was well already and governed very prudently and unexceptionably by him And first May it please your Holiness say they We are of Aristotle's Opinion That the Laws of a Country ought not to be changed upon a slight Occasion and apply his Maxim to the Canons of the Church which ought to be strictly kept up and not dispensed with but when the Case is very weighty and important For there can no greater Mischief happen to the Commonwealth than the weakening the Force and Authority of the Laws which were esteemed Sacred and almost Divine by our Forefathers The next Expedient is That the Pope of Rome who is the Vicar of Christ should refuse to receive Money for the granting any spiritual Privilege by virtue of the Power derived to him from Christ For since all these Advantages were freely bestowed upon him our Saviour expects he should communicate them in the same manner This Foundation of Regularity being once laid there must be a Provision made that your Holiness may be always furnished with a considerable Number of Clergy-men well qualified to take care of the Church Among these the Bishops are the chief But there is a great Miscarriage in this Point for all Persons are admitted into this Order without any Distinction or Difficulty when they have neither Learning nor Probity to recommend them and oftentimes when they are Boys Hence it is that so much Scandal ariseth that such Disrespect and Contempt is shown to Religion We therefore believe it most advisable for your Holiness to appoint in the first place some Persons at Rome to examine those who offer themselves to Holy Orders and then enjoin the Bishops the same Diligence in their respective Diocesses And that you would take care that none should be received without the Approbation of his Triers or Bishop and let those young People who are designed for Church-men have a Master set over them by particular Order that so their Learning and Morals may be fit
they began to treat of a Marriage and though the Parents at that time were not altogether for it and that the Young Lady was more averse not so much of her own Judgment or that she slighted the Person of the Man as through the Whispers and Tattles of some who despised Germany as a wild and rude Country in respect of the Pleasantness and Deliciousness of France yet being over-ruled by the King's Authority who look'd on that affinity as very advantageous to him they yielded Wherefore on the Fifteenth of June the Marriage was solemnized the King leading the Bride his Neece to Church The Cardinal of Tournon said Mass and the King gave a most magnificent Wedding Feast whereat were present the Pope's Nuncio the Ambassadors of England Portugal Venice and Saxony for the Emperor's Ambassador had excused himself Some Days after the Duke of Cleve returned home leaving his Young Wife in France whom her Mother would have to be with her until she were grown up to maturity Before the Duke of Cleve came into France the King ordered the Admiral whom we mentioned before to be set at Liberty to go Home and then in the Month of May to come to his Majesty who most graciously received him and restored him to his former Honour and Dignity raised him as it were from Death to Life and by a new and unprecedented Example annulled the Sentence pass'd against him by the Select and Chief Judges of the Kingdom partly in spight of the Constable as it was believed and partly at the intercession of Madam d'Estampes who had contracted a new Relation by Affinity with the Admiral Wherefore the Constable Montmorency who loved not the Admiral his equal and was fallen much in the King's Favour because of the Emperor's Passage through France as hath been said being besides altogether slighted and despised at Court went Home and in an uncertain Condition led a private Life whereas before he had had the King wholly to himself The End of the Thirteenth Book THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XIV The CONTENTS In the Conference of Ratisbone they treat of reforming the Ecclesiastical State and Means are proposed for accomplishing of that Diverse Opinions and Answers are here related Eckius loathing the Book offered by the Protestants accuses his Collegues Vpon the Report of the Approach of the Turk the Emperor commands the Conference to be put off till the meeting of the Council Fregoso and Rink the Ambassadors sent from the French King to the Turk are taken and slain and therefore the Bastard Son of Maximilian is arrested at Lyons and committed to Prison The Turk makes his Entry into Buda The Emperor comes to Algiers The Plague rages in Germany Austria sorely afflicted The Peers of Austria desire Leave to profess and exercise the Protestant Religion and are eluded by King Ferdinand The Christians being worsted in Hungary the Emperor calls a Diet of the States of the Empire to meet at Spire where Oliver the French King's Ambassador made a long Speech The King of England cuts off his Queens Head and marries a Sixth Wife Morono the Pope's Legate being sent to Spire declares the calling of a Council at Trent Luther publishes a little Book a Military or Camp-Sermon wherein he compares the Papacy with the Turks War breaking out again betwixt the Emperor and French King. Longueville and Martin van Rossem invade Brabant Perpignon is besieged Edicts against the Lutherans are published at Paris Farel preacheth at Metz. Locusts overspread Germany and Italy An Imperial Diet held at Nurimberg Poiet apprehended in the Night time and committed to Prison Otho Prince Palatine embraces the Protestant Religion THE Conference commenced about the end of April as we said before But Eckius grew impatient and morose for he was sick of the Book disliked his Collegues and not long after fell into a Fever so that he could not be present However his Associates went and consulted him about all Matters Some Places of the Book indeed were by common Consent corrected in the Conference and some others they could not agree upon as about the Church and the Power thereof the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the Confession of Sins Satisfaction the Unity and Order of the Ministers of the Church Saints the Mass the Sacrament to be received in both Kinds and the single Life of the Clergy So the Book as it was corrected was delivered to the Emperor and therewith the Sentiments of the Protestant Divines in Writing concerning the controverted Points of Doctrine now mentioned this was on the last Day of May. The Emperor commended their Zeal and took it kindly entreating them to shew the like Diligence and good Inclination if at any time after the Case did so require On the Eighth of June after he made a Report of what was done and how far they had proceeded in the Session of the Princes and States That the Conferrers had carefully handled the Matter and reconciled many weighty Points of Doctrine and that the Protestant Divines had declared their Thoughts touching the rest which were not as yet accommodated Then he shewed them both the Writings desiring they would take them speedily into Consideration give their Judgment of the same and think of a way how both Church and State might be reformed That for his part he would not omit anything that might contribute thereunto and doubted not but that the Pope's Legate inclined that way too The Senate of Princes consists for most part of Bishops and therefore they who were for rejecting the Book offered by the Emperor and all proceeding by Conference carried it by majority of Voices and gave their Resolution accordingly in Writing though in Terms somewhat too harsh But seeing the Electors and some other Princes who tendered the Wellfare of the Publick did not consent to it there was another Writing drawn up and on the Second of July presented to the Emperor whom therein they advised that as Advocate and Defender of the Church he would communicate the whole Affair to the Pope's Legate according to the Decree of Haguenaw but particularly those Heads which the Conferrers had agreed upon that they might be carefully weighed if there were any thing to be found in them in Sense or Words inconsistent either with the Doctrine of Holy Interpreters or the Custom and Practice of the Church That in the next place what was said more obscurely might be explained and that he himself would be pleased afterwards to acquaint the States with his Thoughts and Resolution as to the whole and to deal with the Protestants that they would suffer themselves to be instructed in the remaining Points in Controversie or if that could not be obtained that then a General or National Council of Germany should be called to determine all Matters in debate Among the States there were some who made it their Business to obstruct the Reformation of Religion
the Opinions of all made a new Proposition and recapitulating what had been represented before that the Cause could not be finally determined then that there was present Danger threatned from the Turk in more Places than one and that much Time was already spent told them That he would referr the Matter wholly to the Council which both the Legate had put him in certain Hopes of and he himself would sollicite the Pope about He also promised to return into Germany and desired the Protestants that in the mean time they would not attempt any thing more than what had been agreed upon by the Divines Next he advised the Bishops and other Prelates to take such Courses in rectifying the Abuses of their several Churches as might prepare the Way for a publick Reformation All generally praised the Emperor's good Intentions and were of Opinion that the Pope's Legate also should seriously enjoin the Bishops to purge and reform their Churches The Protestants promised to behave themselves both as to the reconciled Doctrines and every thing else according to their Duty desiring that other Princes might have free Leave to propound those Doctrines in their own Churches also We have already told you that Eckius was sick both of the Book produced by the Emperor and of the Collocutors also When therefore after the Conference it was returned to the Emperor as has been mentioned and the Matter brought into Debate in the Assembly of the Princes He being ill of a Fever sent a Letter to the Princes to this effect That he had never liked that insipid Book wherein he found so many Errors and therefore ought not to be admitted for that the Use and Custom of the Fathers was therein slighted and the Phrase and Cant of Melancthon to be found in it all over That he had not seen the Book as it was corrected by his Collegues and afterwards delivered back to the Emperor but that only some of the Lutheran Doctrines had been read over to him as he lay sick That far less had he approved that Writing which was presented to the Emperor with the Book nor indeed had he ever seen it When this came to the Knowledge of Julius Pflug and John Gropper who thought their Reputation therein concerned they prayed the Presidents and Auditors of the Conference as being Witnesses of all the Proceedings that they would do them right and defend their good Name against the Calumnies of Eckius These inform the Emperor of the Matter who afterwards in a publick Paper gave a fair and honourable Character of both declaring that they had acted as it became good and honest Men. The Cause of Religion we told you before was referred to a general or provincial Council of Germany But when this came to the Knowledge of Contarini he sent a Letter to all the States dated the Twenty sixth of July desiring that the last might be dashed out and cancelled for that Controversies about Religion ought not to be determined by such Councils but that they belonged to the Decision of the universal Church That whatsoever also was determined privately by any one Nation in Matters of that nature was void and of no effect That so they would much gratify the Pope the Head of the Church and Council if they would omit that whereas it would be very troublesom unto him if they did otherwise for that it would give Occasion to more and far greater Scandals as well in other Provinces as chiefly in Germany And that this was the thing he had to acquaint them with from the Pope and in discharge of his own Duty The Princes made Answer the same Day That it lay in the Pope's Power to prevent any Scandals or Troubles upon that Account by calling of a Council which had now for so many Years been promised That if he did not call it and that speedily too the State of Germany was such that there was an absolute Necessity of taking some other Course to make up the Breaches of the Publick which could not subsist longer with Safety in so inveterate a Dissention That therefore they earnestly desired the Pope would apply some Remedy and that he himself according to his Prudence and Candor would promote the Matter The Protestant Divines also in a long Writing refute the Letter of Contarini proving it to belong to every particular Province to establish the true Religion and Worship of God. These Things done the Emperor made a Decree and caused it to be read on the Eight and twentieth of July wherein he referrs the Conference of the Doctors and the whole Affair to a Council to an Assembly either of all Germany or of the States of the Empire In his Progress into Italy he promises to intercede earnestly with the Pope for a Council and that if neither a general nor national Council could be obtained he assured them of an imperial Diet to be called within Eighteen Months for settling the Differences about Religion and that he would use his Endeavours to perswade the Pope to send a Legate to it The Protestants he commanded not to attempt any new thing besides the Articles accommodated and the Bishops also to reform the Vices and Abuses of their Churches There were other Heads in the Decree as Of not demolishing Religious Houses Of not misapplying Church Revenues Of not tampering with one another to make them change their Religion and Of the Jurisdiction and Members of the Imperial Chamber But the Protestants being somewhat dissatisfied with these things the Emperor in a private Paper told them separately what his Intentions therein were That he prescribed no Rule to them in the Points not as yet reconciled That he would not indeed have Religious Houses demolished but that the Monks and Friars should be brought to a pious Reformation That Church-men should in all Places be allowed to enjoy their yearly Revenues without any Respect to the Diversity of Religion That no Person of another Jurisdiction should be allured over to their Religion and much less be defended upon that account but that still they might admit of any Person who should willingly come over unto them Moreover that for Peace and Quietness Sake he suspended the Decree of Ausburg as far as it concerned Religion and all Processes that were doubtful whether they related to Religion or not in like manner all Proscriptions and namely that of Goslar until the Matter should be determined in some Council or Diet That no Man should be excluded from the Imperial Chamber for differing in Religion but that Justice should be indifferently administred to all When they had obtained this Grant from the Emperor under Hand and Seal they promised Assistance against the Turk of whose Approach there was fresh News daily brought besides there were Ambassadors come both from Hungary and Austria who earnestly begged for Aid wherefore there was a present Supply of Germans sent into Hungary under the Command of
offered a yearly Tribute for procuring it That nevertheless the Amity he had with the Turk was so far from being prejudicial that it would be extreamly useful to Christendom if not prevented by the Emperor 's insatiable Ambition for that the Title of most Christian had been given to the Kings his Predecessors in whose Steps by God's Grace he intended to tread and never do any thing that might make him seem unworthy of so glorious a Name That it was an outragious Injury then to disperse such a Calumny of him amongst all People for what a Madness nay Fury would it be to assist the Enterprises and encrease the Power of him who in a very short time after would ruin himself That neither was the Council of Trent retarded or hindered by him since he could reap no Benefit from so doing and that it was a thing very inconsistent with the Examples and Customs of his Ancestors who had many times promoted Councils and done them all the good Offices they could but that the Emperor was so transported with Malice and Hatred against him that he made all even his best Actions Criminal and was of that Temper himself that nothing would serve him but to rule over and make Slaves of all People cloaking this his Ambitions in the mean time with such specious Words and Pretexts that he would be thought forsooth to be a very virtuous and pious Prince That therefore since things were so he prayed his Holiness not to give Credit to Slanders but to think so of him as that there was nothing but what he would do for the Publick for him and for the Church of Rome A little before this died William du Bellay of Langey often mentioned before a Man of great Honour and Virtue and the Ornament of the French Nobility for his extraordinary Learning Eloquence Experience and singular Dexterity in management of all Affairs Very unlike to most Courtiers whose chief Care is to enrich themselves But he a Man of an Heroick Disposition had no other Prospect but by solid and true Virtue to purchase to himself lasting Glory and faithfully to serve his Prince though with Prejudice to his own private Fortune We told you before of the Parisian Preacher Francis de Landre who having made an ambiguous Answer to the Heads of Doctrine proposed to him and persisting still in his way of Teaching was sent to Prison some Days before Easter This was done at the Instigation of the Sorbonn Doctors who had accused him to the Lieutenant Criminal Some Days after the King came to St. Germins and being informed of the whole Matter sent for Landre to appear before him He came according to Command but being terrified by some Mens Words who told him That the King was exceedingly incensed against him he did not shew that Constancy which many expected from him and being ordered to return to Paris he was on the Twenty ninth Day of April forced to condemn what before he had taught For that Day there assembled in the Cathedral Church the Judges and Counsellors of Parliament the Provost de Merchands with the rest of the Magistrates and a great number of Divines Then the Church Doors were shut and Guards in Arms set to keep off the People When all had taken their Places his Opinions were read to him and being asked his Judgment as to every Particular he answered as they would have him confessed he had erred promised Obedience for the future and then acknowledged the Heads of Doctrine which the Divines first and then the King's Counsellors propounded to him to be true and Holy. The same thing was done though with less Solemnity a little after with de Pensier another Teacher of the People Who at first having flattered and not made his Recantation plainly enough he was forced another Day after to make a Sermon to the People wherein he explained openly and distinctly all the Points of Doctrine he had taught to the Satisfaction of the Divines who were present There lived then in France one Clement Marot who in the vulgar Tongue far surpassed all the Poets of that or the former Ages He was not so well acquainted with the Latin however he had much improved himself by the Conversation of the Learned Nor was there any thing in the Books of the Poets but he was so much Master of it as to translate and apply it to his Purpose Thus he borrowed some things in his Elegies but not professedly from Tibullus Propertius and Ovid And out of Catullus he took his Epithalamium on the Marriage of Hercules Duke of Ferrara and Renate of Bretagne Daughter of Lowis XII of France He translated also most elegantly the First Book of Ovid's Metamorphosis Now in his latter Years he employed the Talent he had that way on Holy Scripture and intended to have turn'd all the Psalms of David into French Metre but he lived only to finish Fifty of them which are now extant and read not without great Esteem of his excellent Wit. For nothing can be more taking more neat and clear nor more quaint and proper than his Stile He published them this Year at Geneva whither he had fled because he was not safe in France as being suspected of Lutheranism He had Two Years before published Thirty Psalms at Paris but with a great deal of Trouble and could not have it done till the Doctors of the Sorbonne had given a Licence That the Book contained nothing contrary to the Christian Faith. This perhaps is wide of our Purpose but I thought it not amiss to commend the Name of so excellent an Artist to other Nations also For in France helives to all Posterity and most are of Opinion that hardly any Man will ever be able to match him in that kind of Writing and that as Cicero says of Caesar He makes wise Men afraid to write Others and more learned Men too than he have handled the same Subject but came far short of the Beauty and Elegancy of his Poems It has been mentioned in the Tenth Book that the Archbishop of Cologne had a great mind to reform his Church and approved not of that Synod of his Province though a Book on that Subject was published in his Name Now after that it was decreed in the Diet of Ratisbone and Injunctions laid upon the Bishops both by the Emperor and the Popes Legate that they should in their several Provinces and Diocesses set about a Holy Reformation He called a Convention of his States which consist of the Clergy of the Cathedral Church Earls Nobility and the Deputies of Cities After some Deliberation it was agreed upon by all that so holy and wholsom a Work should be taken in hand wherefore he employed some to draw up in Writing a Form of future Reformation and look out for good and able Ministers of the Church This Writing he sent to the Divines of Cologne desiring them to examine it and give their Judgment
Savoy to all that he had taken from him That the French King should also keep Hesdin And that the Emperor should use all his Endeavours to procure a Peace betwixt England and France That as to the Duke of Cleve since the King and Queen of Navarre did affirm that their Daughter never consented to that Marriage but on the contrary had protested against it in the solemn and usual manner the French King should within Six Weeks send that Protestation to the Emperor that he might consider what was to be done In this Peace were comprehended the Pope King Ferdinand the Kings of Portugal Poland and Denmark the Venetians and Switzers the Dukes of Savoy Lorrain Florence Ferrara Mantua and Vrbin the States of Genoa Luca and Siena the Princes Electors and States of the Empire that were obedient to the Emperor The Peace being concluded the Emperor dismissed his Forces and returned home from Soissons All Men wondered at this Pacification for the Emperors familiar Friends promised themselves certain Victory before the Emperor took the Field and bragg'd that within a few Months France should be their own or at least the King become Tributary having Three such powerful Enemies against him the Emperor the Empire and the King of England The End of the Fifteenth Book THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XVI The CONTENTS The Pope writes to the Emperour admonishing and expostulating with him sharply threatens his first-begotten Son and the same year promotes a great many new Cardinals A Council is again called The Clergy and Colledge of Cologne once more vigorously withstand their Archbishop Peter Bruly having preached the Reformed Religion at Tournay is therefore burnt alive The Divines of Paris assemble at Melun During the Diet at Wormes wherein many things are handled they of Merindolle and Cabrieres commonly called the Waldeneses are miserably harassed and at length turn'd out of all Though the Pope had called a Council yet he is wholly bent upon a War against the Protestants Luther publishes a little Book wherein he sets him off in his colours Grignian is sent Embassadour to the Protestants that he may perswade them to approve the Council The Emperour cites the Archbishop of Cologne to appear before him A hot War between the Kings of England and France The Duke of Orleans dies A War breaks out betwixt Henry Duke of Brunswick and the Landgrave wherein the latter prevails The Elector Palatine embraces the Reformed Religion Rumour of War against the Protestants is spread abroad A Conference appointed at Ratisbonne about matters of Religion This being broken up a Council is called at Trent and the Sessions begin Luther in the mean time dies IN the heat of War the Pope sends Letters to the Emperour bearing date August 23. acquainting him that he had an account of what nature the Decrees were which he had lately made at Spire but that in discharge of his own Duty and for the love he bore to him he could not dissemble his thoughts concerning them and that the Example of Eli the High-Priest was a warning to him to do so whom God severely punished for his too great indulgence to his Sons That in the same manner since these Decrees tended to the danger of his own Soul and great disturbance of the Church he could not but give him this Admonition First then that he should not leave the uniform practice of the Church nor customs of his Forefathers but carefully observe the same Discipline Method and Rule which Method is that when any Debate happens about Religion the whole Decision ought to be referred to the Church of Rome Whereas he lately in appointing a General and National Council and a Diet of the Empire had had no regard to him who by Divine and Humane Right hath alone power of calling Councils and determining matters of Religion Nor was that all he was to be blamed for but also that he allowed not only private men but even the Asserters of damned Heresies to judge of Religion that he gave judgment concerning Ecclesiastical Possessions and the Controversies that arose about them that he restored to Honours and Dignity such as were out of the Communion of the Church and long ago condemned by his own Edicts without the consent of those who persevered in their ancient Allegiance and Religion Did these things agree with the sacred Laws and Ordinances Nay rather did they not overturn all Discipline and Order That it was his opinion however that these things proceeded not from himself but that ill affected persons out of the hatred they bore to the Church of Rome had counselled and sollicited him to give some signe of his aversion to the same but that it grieved him the more to see that he should be drawn in and perswaded by them in that he clearly perceived the prejudice it carried along with it would be greater both to himself and the Church unless he repented That this his fear also grew greater and greater when he considered who the persons were with whom he had contracted friendship for that as ill company corrupts good manners so also it was very dangerous to make Alliances with wicked and vicious men That he made no doubt but they had used specious pretext to him since there is no counsel so bad but may be varnished over with some plausible colour but that in truth he who searches the Scriptures will meet with many and famous instances of the wrath and vengeance of God against those who had usurped to themselves the Offices of the High-Priest That Adversaries object Negligence to Priests as an odious crime and make use of that as a Spur to incite Princes whilst they exhort them to undertake the care and conduct of Religion a thing indeed that seems fair and laudable but which has no foundation in reason to support it That as in private houses the Master of the Family allotted to every one their several businesses and would not suffer any to set about the work of another lest Order might thereby be disturbed so also in the Church which is the house of God every one had his duty assigned to him which he was to discharge so that it was undecent that Inferiours should take upon them the Offices of Superiours and that that was so much the more to be observed by how much the Church surpasses any other house in greatness and glory That seeing then the chief Office of the Church is by God recommended to Priests it was a great injury in him to act their parts and take upon him their honour That it was known what happened to Uza who put his hand to hold up the Cart wherein the Ark of God was which was tottering and ready to fall That no man but would think he had done right when in the absence of the Levites he lent a hand to support the Cart which was in danger of falling Nevertheless that God's striking of him with a sudden death was
live quietly and allowed their Churches apart in your Dominions I should be content for my own part to allow the same liberty to those of your Perswasion throughout all my Territories but because you will by no means grant that we also are willing that there should be an equality in those matters what then I said before of the Decree of Spire and a Council of Germany I say again that I look upon it as the best course that can be taken There is no man living a greater lover of Religion than the Emperour said Granvell nor will he for fear or favour of the Pope step the least out of the way of Equity and Justice nay he hath also observed the Decree of Spire notwithstanding the other Party and the Pope too were highly offended thereat for which reason also the Hier Naves and I lie under envy and ill will enough But now in a National Council I cannot see who is like to be the Judge for all men do not understand the Scripture in the same sence and because there seems to be but little hopes in a Conference other ways certainly are to be thought on some Points are setled indeed already but again many are still under controversie and then Bucer gives a larger interpretation to the Points adjusted than the thing it self will bear Now if men go on at that rate it may be easily judged what state Germany will be reduced to You tell very acceptable News said the Landgrave when you say that the Emperour is not at all influenced by the Pope and would to God he might bring the Pope to know his duty Heretofore the Bishops of Rome honoured the Emperour as their chief Magistrate but now Emperours are bound to them by an Oath of Obedience In all Controversies the Word of God ought chiefly to be the Judge which is not obscure provided the mind of man would submit to it For it lays Sin open before us invites us to Repentance and Amendment of Life and offers to us Christ who took away the Sins of the World in whose Name also we are to pray to God the Father that he would bestow his holy Spirit upon us This is the Faith and Doctrine which hath always continued in the Church as the Lord's Prayer the Apostles Creed and several Hymns and Songs about the Benefits of Christ that are used in Churches do sufficiently demonstrate Nor is it to be minded here what the Opinion of the greatest part is but what is true For when at Jerusalem most of the Apostles and Disciples would have had the Gentiles to whom the Gospel was preached circumcised Peter only and Paul James and Barnabas were of a contrary opinion and having convinced the rest of their error abolished that yoke of the Law at which time the greatest part of the Assembly was over-ruled by and yielded to the judgment of a few that were in the right We do not indeed give Rules to other People but heartily wish that the Germans at least might agree amongst themselves I should not truly be against the finding out and laying down of some middle ways but so that the Decree of Spire should still be in force in so far as concerns the Peace and the Administration of Justice Now in other things it is to be considered what may lawfully according to the Word of God be established and what not But I wish the Prince Elector my Kinsman and Friend who has been present at several Diets and knows what has pass'd would now be pleased to speak what he thinks fit to the purpose Then he having spoken somewhat as to the Emperour 's good intentions declared his opinion to be that the Conference at Ratisbonne was well begun and that if it were renewed and the Points already agreed upon brought no more under debate he thought matters might be brought to a tolerable accommodation The Emperour answered Granvell is very much for an accommodation as hath been oftener than once said before for he-knows that unless that can be accomplished the Publick must needs suffer and though the Emperour reap not the least profit from the Empire and be besides indisposed in health yet for the sake of Germany he hath undertaken this Progress He entertains no secret Designs with the French King or any else nor is he come to ask Supplies but to do all the publick good he can The Kings of England and France are both raising Forces which is a thing much to be suspected besides the death of the Emperour's Daughter-in-law hath cut him out work enough to do in Spain Nevertheless he hath laid aside the care of all these things that he may repair to the Diet but if none of the Princes meet there what can he do alone He is much called upon and implored to interpose his authority and reform things and yet no body comes to the place appointed for publick deliberation It would do very well then my Lords speaking to the Elector Palatine and Landgrave if you who make the chiefest Figure amongst the rest would go thither and be present at the Diet. Though perhaps said the Landgrave the Emperour have no great Revenues from the Empire yet is it to be reckoned nothing that he hath aid and assistance given him against the Turk the King of France and others that the Dignity of the Empire procures him great Authority with all other Kings that he can always levy Forces and raise vast Armies in Germany which is not allowed to others Our Adversaries are more clamorous than we and yet acquiesce not to safe and sound Councils On our parts we have approved the Decree of Spire and demanded that the Points which five Years since were agreed upon at Ratisbonne should be confirmed and entred upon record and admitted also all the just and reasonable Conditions of the last Conference they on the contrary have accepted none of these things nor will they condescend to any terms nay and at Wormes they openly protested against the Conference Now for my own part it is not possible that I should go to Ratisbonne the Charges will be so great Besides there is a difference depending betwixt the Elector of Saxony and Duke Maurice which as it is referred to me because it could not be taken up by Commissioners appointed on both sides it is of great concern to be adjusted nevertheless I shall send Deputies with ample Instructions to the Diet. The Conference thus breaking up some hours after Naves came back to the Landgrave to assure him that the Emperour was pleased with that days Conference he again pressed him that he would come to Ratisbonne in person and asked him if he was willing to wait upon the Emperour again towards the Evening He declined not the proposal and so soon as he was come the Emperour gave him thanks by the mouth of Naves first for his coming thither and then because he perceived that the
it was a great argument of God's goodness towards them that in this dissension about Religion they lived in peace together whereas upon that occasion grievous commotions were raised in other places for the quieting whereof he had from the very beginning of his Pontificate applied all Remedies and made use of greatest lenity that he had lately betaken himself to the last refuge by calling a General Council and appointing it to be held at Trent a Town of Germany where that vicious Seed of Hereticks most encreased to which Town they might safely come and there if they pleased maintain their own interests That he had hoped that that being so august an Assembly to which Christian Kings and People had always payed a great deference and the Congregation of so many Bishops who under the conduct of the Holy Ghost treated of Matters of Religion no man would be so wicked as not to submit to so great an Authority and presently forsaking all erroneous Doctrines yield to the judgment and decision of the Catholick Church That he entertained still the same opinion of them and hoped that by reason of their domestick peace those of them who had continued faithful and constant would obey the Council and that the rest who not deliberately but by too much credulity had been led away into errour would not slight the Authority of the Assembly which that they would do and repair to the Council as unto a Celestial Congregation wherein God himself presided he now again earnestly exhorted them as he had done before But that it was a great grief unto him that there were not a few in Germany and of the number of those also who were reckoned Princes that not only with pride and insolence despised the Council but reproached and reviled it also declaring that they would not submit to its Decrees that it chiefly therefore grieved him to see himself necessitated by the stubbornness and obstinacy of those desperate men to seek a remedy by Arms. For that he could no longer suffer neither the loss of so many Souls which perished daily through Heresies nor this oppression of the Christian Religion the one whereof belonged to his Pastoral Office and the other concerned the Dignity of his Place and Character And that whil'st he was often casting about in his thoughts for a remedy and making his Prayers to God that he would discover to him a way it happened most opportunely that the Emperour a most religious Prince being provoked by the same Crimes in a manner of wicked men as he himself was had resolved to revenge the cause of Religion by Arms for when by his means and at his intercession a Council was granted to Germany it seemed to him that they who refused and slighted it despised also what he had done and set light by his authority that therefore he had willingly embraced this occasion as offered by Heaven and was resolved with all his own and the Revenues of the Roman Church to further and assist the Emperour 's laudable inclinations for that should he do otherwise should he act negligently and remissly there was no doubt to be made but that God would require at his hands as at the hands of a Father the Souls of so many Children corrupted and undone by the treachery of Hereticks that therefore he made known to them this his purpose and resolution that they might both see the anxiety that overburdened him and joyn their Wishes and Prayers with him that is with God and Religion That they were famous for many noble Exploits but that a more honourable Name they could not procure to themselves than by entertaining their ancient Amity with God according to the example of their Forefathers by paying their wonted Love and Obedience to the Church of Rome which had always gratified and obliged them and lastly by contributing their Aid and Assistance which he earnestly begg'd of them in this so just and religious a Cause The Embassadours of the Protestants of Upper Germany on the fifth of July came to Baden from Ulme to a Convention of the Suizers and having delivered their Message were put off to the Month of August Their Demands were That they would not grant a Passage to foreign Soldiers through their Countrey And that if there was occasion they would permit their Subjects to serve them in the War. The Men of Brunswick Goslar Hildesseim and Hannover by orders from the Duke of Saxony and Landgrave demolished Wolffembottle the chief Fort of Henry Duke of Brunswick which to this time he had kept by a good Garrison In these stirs and commotions the Elector Palatine by his Embassadour Sir Wolff Affensteyn made application to the Emperour at Ratisbonne and desired to be informed what the Cause of the War was and against whom these Preparations were making he disswaded him also from hostility and begg'd that he might have leave to mediate Some days after the Emperour sent him this Answer by Granvell and Naves That it was no difficult thing for him to know both what the cause of the War was and against whom it was designed Afterwards he objected the same things almost that he had before alledged in his Letters to the Free Towns That they would not obey him that not only in Germany but in foreign Parts also some had contrived and plotted many things against him under a colour of Religion that they would be bound by no Laws that they had invaded other mens Possessions and especially Church-Lands disposing of them in a tyrannical manner with no other intent certainly than that by a kind of hereditary right they might transmit Bishopricks and other Ecclesiastical Dignities and Possessions to their Children and Off-spring was it credible that they who committed such things would abide by any fair and lawful tryal and was it not rather their intention by raising Broils and Troubles to baffle all Justice and Censure that there was not the least hopes of amendment and that he himself knew what lenity he had used and how many faults he had pardoned them that nevertheless all he had got thereby was that growing more insolent they tampered with the rest of the States and stirred them up to Rebellion That he knew not by what Arts they did do so but that it might be easily perceived by any how unworthy a thing it was and how justly to be lamented by him That since they without any regard to Law or Justice acted arbitarily and by violence trampling upon the Decrees of the Empire there was no other way now to be essayed but that which was familiar and common to themselves that 's to say Force and Arms that therefore it was his purpose by this War not only to settle Religion but also to compose all other differences restore the Peace and Liberty of Germany and to secure those under his protection who did their duty but severely punish all disturbers of the publick peace and oppressours of liberty according
this Sacrifice wherein we commemorate the Death of Christ the memory of the Saints is to be celebrated that they may intercede with God the Father for us and help us by their Merits That we must also remember the Dead and pray to God for them In the next place it is enjoyned that all the antient Ceremonies which are commonly used in Baptism Exorcism Abrenunciation Confession of Faith and Chrism be retained and that nothing be changed neither in the Ceremonies used at Mass That in every Town and every Church two Masses a day at least be said but in Country Parishes and Villages one especially on Holy-days That nothing at all be altered in the Canon of the Mass and that all the rest be observed according to antient command but that if any thing have crept in which may give occasion to Superstition it be taken away That Vestments Ornaments Vessels Crosses Altars Candles and Images be still kept as certain Monuments That the usual Prayers and that holy singing of Psalms be not taken away and where they are taken away that they be restored That the Obsequies and Funerals of the Dead be performed after the manner of the antient Church and that the Saints Holy-Days and those others also wherein Prayers are appointed to be said be observed That on Easter Eve and Whitsunday Eve the Water in the Font be Consecrated That for subduing Lusts and exhorting the Mind to the duties of Piety on certain days men abstain from eating of Flesh and fast That lastly though it were to be wished that there might be found many Ministers of the Church who would live chastly nevertheless since many up and down have Wives whom they would not turn away And that that cannot without great troubles now be altered a Decree of Council concerning that be expected That the same course be held with those who receive the Sacrament in both kinds yet so still as that they censure not those who do otherwis for that the whole Body and Blood of Christ is contained under either kind After this manner the Book was indeed published as you shall hear hereafter but it was not so compiled at first For it was often Reviewed and Corrected as has been said and the Copy which was shew'd to Bucer was somewhat foster After it had been for a long time then tossed to and again amongst the States privately it was also sent to Rome For though all the Points of Popery in a manner were established in it yet because some things were granted to their Adversaries it was thought fit first to consult the Pope about it His Holiness afterward sent the Emperour by Cardinal Sfondrato some Animadversions thereupon which were these That a Priest in Orders should marry a Wife and still execute his Priestly Office was never heard of That the Custom of receiving the Sacrament in both kinds was abrogated and in those two things no man had power to dispense but the Pope and Council That the Followers of the Old Religion were not to be astricted to these Positions but that if there were any Lutherans that would forsake their new Opinions they were not to be rejected That the singing of Psalms ought to be restored in all places that on Holy-days the Commemoration of the Patron of every Church was to be Celebrated That they who are now or shall hereafter be Priests must abstain from Marriage That a speedy restitution must be made of Church-goods and Jurisdictions for seeing the Robbery and Invasion was manifest the usual forms of Process were not to be observed but as in a self-evident Case it was to be done by an high Hand and Imperial Authority This Censure being interposed the Electors of Mentz Treves and Cologne to whom it was communicated answer the Emperour in the very same manner urge chiefly Restitution and conclude it to be absolutely necessary if the Christian Religion ought to be preserved and recovered again in those places where it was abolished and that peace also could no other ways be setled That therefore care was to be taken in the first place that Churches and Religious Houses should be compleatly restored And that because the Usurpation and Robbery was manifest it was to be done brevi manu that the Worship of God might with all expedition be restored Finally they prayed his Majesty to take these things in good part and defend the Members of the Church by his Power and Protection But the other three Electors were not of that Opinion chiefly the Prince Palatine and Duke Maurice However they had both very good cause not to stand too stifly to it with the Emperour The rest of the Princes who were for the most part Bishops answered in the same manner as the Elector of Mentz and his Colleagues had done and as for the free Towns no great account was made of them Wherefore on the fifteenth of May the Emperour called all the States before him and having premised a few Things of his Love and Affection towards Germany I have found by manifest and clear Arguments said he and the thing it self speaks it that no Peace can be had nor Justice done before an end be made of that Controversie about Religion which now for many years hath caused various Quarrels and Animosities much Hatred Dissension and War in the Empire This hath been the cause why in frequent Dyets and by several Conferences I often sought for a Cure But in the mean time the Contagion not only over-spread all Germany but infected also other Christian People so that no presenter remedy could be thought on than the calling of a General Council This at your earnest solicitation I procured after much ado to be called at Trent and in like manner advised you at the opening of this Dyet that you would submit to the Authority thereof and leave it to my care in the mean time to find out some pious Expedient whereby Germany might live in peace and indeed your compliance therein and confidence in me was then and is still very acceptable unto me Being then wholly intent upon so necessary a Design and having demanded your Opinions to my great grief and sorrow I found that difference in Religion had not only been the cause all our past Evils but unless prevented would be so also for the future And therefore I thought it not good to leave things in that troublesome state until a Decree should be past in Council but to bring them to some moderation and the rather for that new Sects did here and there spring up Whilst I was pondering these things some Persons of eminent Rank and Quality Friends to Peace and Lovers of the Publick presented to me their thoughts of Religion drawn up in writing and promised to observe them Now so soon as that Writing was put into my Hands I referred it to some good and learned Divines to peruse it diligently and examine the Contents thereof When they had consider'd it they
against Vergerio And not content with that neither he published also a Libel wherein through hatred to the reformed Religion he most slanderously traduces Germany When Grisonio came to Pola and Justinopolis he rushed into the Citizens Houses and searched for prohibited Books Next he went to the Pulpit and amongst many other Terrours denounced he excommunicated all who did not inform against those that were suspected of Lutheranism Promising however easier Penance to those that did repent and of their own accord asked Pardon from him But threatning such as did not openly confess their Crime and were afterwards accused by others that they should be burnt for the same and thus he went from house to house scaring the people out of their wits So that some came in and acused themselves and for fear did as they were bid The richer sort were forced to acknowledge their Errour privately but the poor publickly Such as confessed that they had read the New Testament in the Vulgar Tongue were strictly charged to do so no more for the future This wrought so upon the common People who were struck with a panick fear that they strove who should inform most without any regard to Relation Friendship or Obligation the Son not sparing the Father the Wife the Husband nor the Tenant his Lord and Master Now the Informations were most commonly about frivolous Matters such as superstition made them take for scandalous sins Besides they had frequent Sermons against the Doctrine of Vergerio And on a certain day when there was a great confluence of People in the Cathedral Church of Justinopolis Grisonio who then publickly said Mass in very rich Vestments steps up into the Pulpit and amonst other things that he might drive the Nail to the Head Now said he and for some years past you have been visited by many Judgments and Calamities that fell sometimes upon your Olives and sometimes on your Corn sometimes upon your Vines and sometimes again on your Cattle or other Goods And the cause of all these evils has been your Bishop and the rest of that heretical Rout nor are ye to expect any relief before they be restrained and the best way to do that is to fall upon them and stone them Vergerio being thus baited by their violents courses was forced to step aside to Mantua to Cardinal Hercules Gonzaga who his familiar acquaintance But since some at Rome and John Caso the Popes Legat at Venice urged Gonzaga by Letters and Messengers that he should no longer harbour such a man He went to Trent where the Council then sate that he might purge himself When this came to the Popes Ears though he could rather have wished to have had him Prisoner yet to avoid all suspition especially in Germany as if it had not been a free Council he wrote to his Legats that they should not allow him any place amongst the Fathers but command him to be gone some where else Being in this manner turned out he went to Venice There Caso the Legat persuaded him by all means to go to Rome But he knowing his own danger refused it Then some days after another charges him in the Popes Name not to return again to Justinopolis and therefore he went to Padua during his abode there he was a Spectator of the sad Example we mentioned and being moved thereat and an eye-witness of Gods heavy wrath which persued that poor wretch for denying of the Truth he began to be confirmed more and more and then fully resolved to leave his Native Country and all that ever he had and take upon himself a voluntary Banishment that he might go live in some place where he might freely profess the Doctrine of Christ This he did some Months after for leaving the Country of Bergamo he went and setled amongst the Grisons who were the next Neighbours And having for some years preached the Gospel there and in the Valteline he was by Christopher Duke of Wittemburg invited to Tubingen His Brother the Bishop of Pola died before he left Italy and was suspected to have been poysoned Many other Great Men besides Vergerio had seen Spira in that State and amongst these Matthew Gribaldo a Lawyer of Padua who published a relation of all that he himself had seen and heard as also did Vergerio himself Sigismund Gelou Polonus and Henry Scot. The Archbishop of Benevento whom we mentioned wrote a Book of Sodomy than which nothing can be imagined more filthy and obscene Nor was he ashamed to extol and praise the foulest of Crimes which nevertheless is too well known over Italy and Greece In the mean time the Archbishops of Germany especially those of Mentz Cologne and Treves call Synods in their several Provinces to reform the Church according to the formulary prescribed by the Emperour Bucer as we told you before had preached in the Province of Cologne and there were some Ministers in it that had married Wives Now though it was by the Emperours Decree allowed that married Priests might retain their Wives until the Council determined the Matter yet the Archbishop of Cologne pretended that that was only indulged to the Lutherans but not to Roman Catholicks wherefore he made a Decree annulling Marriages contracted pronouncing them to be incestuous and declaring the Children begot in them to be illegitimate The Archbishop of Treves hath but a small Province and only three Suffragan Bishops Metz Toul and Verdun There was no need of such a Law amongst them For the Church-men in those places liked Concubines better than Wives But in this Archbishoprick where he perceived the danger to be greater he made the same Decree as his Colleagues did The Jurisdiction of Mentz is of a vast extent for he hath twelve Suffragan Bishops and all Hesse in a manner is subject to him in Spirituals He therefore began to urge and press the Observation of the Emperours Decree and of the Doctrine contained in the Interim The same did the Archbishop of Treves who also had some Jurisdiction there But the Landgrave's Sons and the rest of the Governours and Counsellors were deaf to these things The Archbishop sent also Michael Sidonius his Vicar General to Franckfurt where having first consecrated the Churches he preacht and taught after his own manner And the Bishop of Ausburg made some inconstant Priests that wavered in their Opinions abjure their Doctrine We spoke before of the French who in the Summer time went to the assistance of the Scots Now these at length carry over into France Mary the Kings only Daughter and Heir a young Lady of six years of age that so they might put the English out of all hopes of obtaining her This year the Pope made Charles of Vendosme a French man Cardinal After that Maximilian of Austria arrived in Spain and had married the Lady Mary the Emperour's Daughter Philip the Emperour's Son a Prince of one and twenty years of
they were not able to do what they were very willing to have done The Bodies of the Dead were not so used as they affirm But when for our defence we demolished some Churches near the Town what Bodies were found not as yet consumed were removed to another place and buried deeper in the ground Again all had leave to carry the dead Bodies of their Relations that were found there whithersoever they pleased What they say of the Emperour Otho is a most false and impudent lie of their own devising For we are not ignorant what Honour is due to the chief Magistrate of all but especially to him of whom they speak the Emperour Otho who did many great Actions and was a most valiant Asserter and Defender of the Liberty of Germany That Worship which they call Holy and Divine Service which they complain we disturbed in their Churches is nothing less than Holy but rather a reproach to God in the highest degree The Vestments Chalices and other Ornaments were long before carried out of the Town by them But the Writings and publick Records are in our keeping and are not cancelled as they falsly accuse us Nor were the Priests beaten but they themselves robbed the Churches and carried the prey elsewhere We assaulted the Monastery of Hamerslebe which nevertheless belongs not to them because it was a refuge to our Enemies where they divided the spoil that they took from us and our Associates What they add of the many insolencies and saucy tricks that our Men did there it is a mere Fiction of the Monks as to the injuries which they say were done them in the City the story is this About five and twenty years since when on Palm-Sunday they were performing their apish and ridiculous Ceremonies the Rabble ftocking thither laughed at them for it But they whose rashness and boldness proceeded so far as to break the Windows were by us severely punished and banished For other injuries we know none nor did they themselves ever complain to us of any Wherefore we have done nothing against our Engagements or Transactions and so have given our Adversaries no cause of War. These things then considered we beseech all men not to give credit to their Calumnies but that they would pity our case who are constrained to a defensive War that we may be permitted to preserve the pure Doctrine of the Gospel and the Liberty which we received from our Forefathers for which the godly Kings and Magistrates of former times and those Valiant Macchabees thought no danger too great to be undergone Peace is the thing we most wish for But it is deny'd us So that being long and much infested by the Incursions of our Neighbours we cannot but resist unjust violence And this makes us the more confident that such as have never been provoked by any injury from us will not concern themselves in this War but stand in awe of the great God the Avenger of all unrighteousness For the same cause that hath raised this trouble against us will within a short time involve themselves also in streights and difficulties if they are desirous to preserve and maintain the true Religion January the fifth the Emperour commanded the Popes Bull of Indiction of the Council to be read in the Dyet of the Princes and States and warned them to prepare against its sitting The same day King Ferdinand informed the States that in time of Truce the Turks began to stir in Hungary and to build a Castle within his Dominions as they had endeavoured to surprize his Castle of Zolnock and put a Garison into it That they had also made an inrode into Transylvania That for his part he had given no cause of any Quarrel and was wholly inclined to observe the Truce But that if the Turk refused to do so he moved that supplies might be given him We told you in the twentieth Book that Stephen Bishop of Winchester was made Prisoner in England Now seeing he persisted in his opinion and would not allow the Laws made or to be made concerning Religion during the Kings minority he was this year in the Month of January turned out of his Bishoprick and sent again to Prison Andrew Osiander who went as we said into Prussia broached at this time a new Opinion affirming That man is not justified by Faith but by the righteousness of Christ dwelling in us and he maintained that Luther was of his Judgment also But the rest of the Divines his Collegues vigorously opposed him declaring what he said of Luther to be false who not many Months before his death had given an ample and fair testimony of Philip Melanchtons Book concerning common places of Scripture in the Preface to the first Tome of it That in falling foul then upon Melanchton he made Luther also his Enemy because both were of one mind Then having compared places they plainly demonstrated that Luther taught quite contrary to him in this Matter and affirmed his Doctrine to be pestiferous since he asserted that the Righteousness of Faith did not consist in the Blood and Death of Christ And this Matter was declared to and fro with great heat He pretended as I said that Luther and he were of the same Judgment But in the mean time he boasted amongst his Friends as it is written that Luther and Melanchton had framed a certain Aristotelian Divinity that savoured more of the Flesh than Spirit At first Duke Albert desired that the Matter might have been taken up by Mediators But after much tampering being persuaded by Osiander he came over to his Opinion and commanded the Adversaries of it to depart his Country Amongst these was Joachim Merlin and he must pack off too though not only the Citizens but Women and Children also petitioned the Prince that he would not deprive them of such a Pastor Now Osiander had taught many years at Norimberg and with applause too started no Innovations then and seemed in all things to follow the Doctrine of Luther so long as he lived but when after the Emperours Edict about Religion came out he left Norimberg and went into Prussia he broached this Opinion which as most think he would hardly have done had Luther been still alive He challenged chiefly the Divines of Wittemberg to refute these things if they could and he declared he would defend them whoever should offer to impugne the same not sparing Melanchton whom he sharply pinched All Learned Men generally especially in Saxony condemned his Opinion in Books they published for that effect and censured him for disturbing the Church at a most unseasonable time but every body grumbled that he should so unworthily treat Melanchton a Man of so much Mildness and Learning In another Book he maintained that though Mankind had not been lost by the Sin of Adam yet Christ was to have been born in the World. February the Thirteenth the Dyet of the Empire was dissolved
up in the Market-place and there and about the Church keep Guard 'till the Council break up These are for the most part sent for out of the Country to be ready against the day of the Session though the Town also supply a good many When they are come into the Church Mass is said that being over the Decrees of the Council are read and then a day appointed for the next Session Then also if any Ambassador have ought to say he is heard But by reason of the many various and most cumbersom Ceremonies that are used in every thing the day is far spent before their Business is over and then the Legate returns home in the same Pomp as he came The Pope's Legate takes the first place in the Council next to him the Cardinal of Trent then the Legates Collegues and after them the Electoral Archbishops On the left hand sit the Ambassadors of the Emperour and other Princes And the middle Benches are filled by the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates taking place according to the Seniority of their Consecration September the second Subjects were given to the Divines to be discussed and that they might give their Opinions of them that so they might be decided in the next Session Now in giving their Opinions this method was prescribed That they should insist upon the Holy Scriptures Apostolical Traditions received and approved Councils and the Authorities of the Fathers that they should use Brevity abstain from unnecessary and superfluous Questions and avoid all Jangling and Contention As to the Order it was thought fit that the Pope's Divines should speak first and then the Emperours and so of the rest The Pope's Legate also for the finding out of the Truth and the confuting of false Opinions as they said gave them leave to read all sorts of Books There were a great many Divines present Spanish Italians and Germans whom the Pope Emperour and his Sister Queen Mary the Governess of the Low Countries had sent besides those whom the Electors of Cologne and Treves and some Spanish and Italian Bishops also brought with them All things were to be examined by them and no Man who had not the Title of Doctor as they call it was permitted to speak But in favour to the Bishops of Cologne and Treves John Gropper a Civilian and John Delph a Divine but under Doctors Degree were admitted And because in some former Sessions in Anno 1546 and the year following new Canons were made concerning Original Sin Justification Free-will and the Seven Sacraments in general and particular Decrees made concerning Baptism and Confirmation it was resolved That all these standing in force they should proceed to other things and in the first place to the Sacrament of the Eucharist Then Points were assigned to the Divines with these Instructions that they should search and try if they were Heretical and to be condemned by the holy Council And these Points were gathered out of the Books of Luther Zuinglius Bucer and other Protestant Writers Now in this manner do the Divines handle the matter They all meet daily in the Legate's Lodgings and there for several hours and in the order we mentioned every one discourses of a Point without any interruption yet so that they still submit all they say to the Judgment of the Church of Rome for none of the Protestants were present This place is open indifferently to all Men. The Pope's Legate and generally all the Fathers are there but none speak except the Divines and their several Sayings and Opinions are marked down by Clerks When they have all discoursed which then was done commonly in a Months time the Bishops meet at the Legate's Lodgings and examine the Opinions of the Divines registred by the Clerks Then some of every Nation are chosen out of the whole number that then are present who having weighed all the Opinions out of them frame that which they call a Doctrine what ought to be determined and believed in every point Afterwards they Condemn in few words but with a severe Censure the contrary Doctrine and Errors as they call them And at length all these things are reported to the whole Assembly When they are fully agreed a publick Session is held as we said before where the Decrees are read aloud and then the Bishops are asked if they approve them To which they severally answer with a Placet And so then some Divines tell their Opinions of the several Points but the Bishops only and with them a few Mitred Prelates have the power of Determining What is so decreed they command to be reverenced as Sacred and Holy and call them Canons These things indeed are acted publickly but they who are more intimately acquainted with the Affairs of Rome say That all the Decrees are already framed at Rome by the Pope's order and sent in due time to the Legate that the Divines in their Reasonings may follow that Form and Prescript for the Pope maintains several of them and many Bishops also there And it is a jocose Proverb used by some That the Holy Ghost comes ever now and then from Rome to Trent in a Cloak-bag because the Pope sent Letters with his Orders and Instructions by Post from Rome September the fourth Count Heideck came to Magdâ—burg and Duke Maurice sent by him the Conditions of Peace formerly proposed so moderated that they resolved to proceed in the Treaty In the mean time there was a Cessation of Arms which was afterward also prolonged for many days as shall be said hereafter The French King now at variance with the Pope published an Edict wherein having enlarged much upon the injury done him by the Pope upon the cause of the War of Parma and why he had taken Octavio into his protection he commands under a most severe penalty That no more Money be for the future carried to Rome for since Money was the Sinews of War what madness would it be with his and his Subjects Treasure to maintain and strengthen the power of his Enemy That it was the proper Office of the Popes to take up the differences of Princes and that did Paul III. who being almost worn out by Age made a long progress to Nizza to make the Emperour and his Father friends but that Julius took a quite different course who having lately called a Council which was indeed very necessary to the publick had stirred up a War against him on purpose that he might exclude all the Church of France which was one of the chief and that so no lawful Council might be had wherein the Errors and Faults both of the Head and Members might be reformed This Edict of the King 's was published at Paris the seventh of September when a few days before another Edict of his and a most severe one too was published against the Lutherans which partly confirmed the former Decrees of that nature and partly where they seemed not smartly
Lower Saxony and forced them of Meckelburg Lunenburg Anbalt and Mansfeld to pay it Another part of his and the Bishop's Forces having beat Albert and taken Schweinfurt as I have said they Treated Rotenburg an Imperial City and the County of Henneburg very severely and seemed resolved that if they did not contribute to the Expences of this War which they pretend did belong to all they would levy it by Force but by the Interposition of others this difference was Composed and no Force was made use of About this time Charles Duke of Savoy who as I have related above was stript of the greatest part of his Territories died leaving as his Heir Philibert his Son who had served many Years as a Soldier undr the Emperor Ferdinand King of the Romans published an Edict commanding his Subjects not to change any thing in the Celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and that according to the old Custom they that received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper should content themselves with one of the Spectes the Bread only But the Princes the Nobility and Cities having often before Petitioned him in this Business did now by a Letter very humbly desire that according to Christ's Command and Institution and the custom of the ancient Church which they backed also with many Reasons they might be allowed the partaking of the whole and entire Eucharist The King answering this Letter the twenty third of June from Vienna said he did not in the least suppose when he published that Edict that it should be made by them the Subject of a Dispute and Cavil For said he my only design was that the People in my Dominions should remain in the ancient and true Religion and in the Obedience of the Catholick Church out of the Communion of which none can be Saved and that they might receive this most excellent Sacrament according to the Laws and Customs of the Church and that they might not be perverted from that duty they owe both to the Civil Magistrate and the Church either by the perverse Opinions of some Men or by a certain over great Curiosity or Pride He said this was the only intention and design of that Edict and that he had not in it commanded any new thing but had required only the continuance of an ancient Institution which has been brought down to me from hand to hand by my Ancestors the Emperors Kings and Dukes of Austria and which has to this Day been diligently observed by me as becomes a Christian Prince and which I have heretofore frequently commanded my Subjects to continue in And therefore I did not in the least suspect that you would attempt any thing against the tenor of this Edict who so earnestly contend that in all other things no change may be made and that you may enjoy your Laws and Rights without Violation For certainly this is a new thing and of late taken up by you upon some Opinion which you argue so largely for as if it befitted you to judge of my Commands who am your principal and highest Magistrate and as if that ought of right to be allowed you which some of you of late years have of their own Authority privately assumed to themselves and usurped contrary to the Canons of the Church and against my Will. But then it being as you say a grave and difficult question as you your selves aver I will think further of it and in due time I will return such an answer to it as shall shew that I am very much concern'd for the Salvation of my People But in the mean time I expect all manner of submission from you and that you should not in the least act any thing contrary to my Edict To this Letter the States made a reply in Writing also to this Effect What we have so often said most serene Prince concerning the Command of our Saviour we now again repeat for he instituted his Supper in clear and perspicuous Words that it might be received by all in the self same manner as he prescribed And it is not lawful for any mortal Man to change or alter his Institution and Prescription This was also the ancient custom of the Church and that which is now used crept in by insensible degrees as we can demonstrate For the Council of Constance confesseth that it was so instituted by Christ Seeing therefore this pertains to the Salvation of our Souls certainly neither Curiosity nor Pride have put us upon it And upon this very score we the rather hope that you will direct your future deliberation by the Commands of Christ and his Apostles and the practice of the ancient Church and in no wise oppress our Consciences which just request we make to your Majesty by all that is sacred by the Glory of God and by the Salvation of our Souls We acknowledge that by the Will of God you are our Supream Magistrate and we do this with the utmost willingness and we say that there is nothing which you may not or ought not to expect from us but in this one thing we desire you would spare us In the Diocess of Wurtzburg in Franconia there is a Monastery called Nenstadt the Abbot of which John Frisius falling into the suspicion of Lutheranism was cited the fifth day of May to appear within six days after at Wurtzburg and answer to such things as should be then enquired of him The Interrogatories then administred to him were Whether it be lawful to Swear Whether a Man is bound by his Vow Whether it be lawful to make a Vow of Poverty Chastity and Obedience Whether such Vows oblige Whether Matrimony or Celibacy doth best become the Ministers of the Church Whether there is one true and Apostolical Church Whether she is perpetually governed as the Spouse of Christ by the Holy-Ghost Whether she does always decree what is true and Salutary Whether the Church is to be deserted for the Vices and Errors of some Men in it Whether she upon the account of the Head the Vicar of Christ may rightly be called the Roman-Church Whether all the Books of both Testaments which the Canon has are lawful and true Whether the Sacred Scriptures are to be interpreted according to the Sentence of the Holy Fathers the Doctors of the Church and the Councils or according to that of Luther and such others Whether besides the sacred Scriptures there be not need of other Traditions such as those of the Apostles and others of the same Nature Whether the same Faith Authority and Obedience is due to these Traditions which is due to the sacred Scriptures Whether the civil Magistrate is to be obeyed in Politick or Civil Affairs and the Ecclesiastick in Sacred or Holy things Whether the Sacraments of the Church are Seven Whether Children are to be Baptized Whether Baptism ought to be administred in the Latin Tongue Whether Salt Oil Water Characters and Exorcisms ought to be made use of in
except ye are resolved to feel the greatest of all Calamities and Miseries I will not be larger now and I trust you will in this do what the necessity of Affairs and the consideration of your Duty shall require But they on the contrary urged the same things over again and said they could not desist and if they obtained nothing the consideration of the Supplies would thereby be obstructed and hindred because they had no Command to promise any thing till they had obtained a sufficient Security for the freedom of Preaching their Religion their Ministers and Schoolmasters In this Month of February Henry Duke of Brunswick Married the Sister of Sigismond King of Poland and about the same time John Isemburg Archbishop of Trier Died and was succeeded by John Ley. The twenty sixth of the same Month the Elector Palatine Frederick died at Alzem in a great old Age and Otto Henry his Brother's Son succeeded him who had before imbraced the Reformation and had thereby run the hazard of being deprived of all his Fortunes He having taken the Oath of Allegiance of his People presently put out an Edict that no Man should say Mass or use the other Ceremonies of the Church in his Dominions In our twenty second Book we have given an account of the disturbances raised in Prussia by Osiander who had brought in a new Doctrine concerning Justification but the greatest part of the Learned Men disliking his Opinion Albert Duke of Prussia by a publick Declaration set forth that he was resolved to follow the Doctrine of the Augustan Confession and therefore he Commanded the Ministers of the Churches to Teach according to it and promised them to pass by what was past if they obeyed thiâ— Edict for the future That therefore this Controversy might be truly composed and not break out afresh John Albert Duke of Meckelburg the Son-in-Law of the Duke of Prussia a Prince of very great Learning went thither and calling in the Assistance of some other Learned Men he reduced John Funcius the principal Man of the Osiandrians to an open acknowledgment of his Error and obtained a Promise from him that he would for the future Teach according to the Augustan Confession and this being done by the other Divines of that Province too there was a Reconciliation made between the Parties and that Church was setled in Peace The fourth day of March a Comet appeared and was seen for twelve days together and in the same Month the Deputies of the German Princes and Cities met at Ratisbon and began with the consideration of the Case of Albert Marquess of Brandenburg because his Adversaries in the last Diet had desired the Assistance of the Princes against him But his Kindred interposing on his behalf it was at last decreed that he should have the publick Faith for his Security and that this Cause should be determined by Arbitrators and upon his return into Germany out of France in the Month of February there was accordingly a Treaty begun which was now assumed by the Diet the affairs of the Empire being delayed to the Month of April Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury had been long since condemned and after the Death of Ridley and Hooper was returned back to his Prison as I have said but now the twenty first of March he was burnt at Oxford Some few days before upon promise of Life and at the urgent Perswasion of some that were sent to him he had recanted most of his former Doctrines and appeared unconstant but when he saw he must die he made an Exhortation to the People wherein he spoke much of Repentance and amendment of Life the People being very attentive to him then he said how much he had offended God by denying the Truth and recapitulating the principal Points of Doctrine he shortly explain'd his Belief as to each of them and proved that the Papacy was the Kingdom of Antichrist Here he was interrupted and after many Reproaches he was hurried to the Place of Execution When he was tied to the Stake and the Fire was kindled about him he stretched forth his Right Hand saying This has Sinned by subscribing those wicked Doctrines which the Enemies of the Truth proposed to me and therefore it shall first be Punished he thereupon thrust it into the Flames as far as he could that it might first be Tormented Thus was the Primate of England Burnt a Person of great Learning and Authority At the time the Papal Character was taken from him by what they call a Degradation which is attended with many Ceremonies he was forced to wear mean Cloaths made of Canvas and he was now brought out in this Habit that he might be scorned but it had a contrary Effect for that the greatest part of the Spectators commiserating his Condition could not forbear weeping over him though they did not doubt but he was changing this miserable Life for an Immortal one and passing into his Heavenly Country Cardinal Pool soon after was enriched with his Spoils and made Archbishop of Canterbury having the Winter before been made a Priest for he was only a Cardinal-Deacon when he came over As the Inhabitants of the Lower Austria sollicited King Ferdinand to grant them the free Exercise of the Lutheron Religion so the Subjects of the Duke of Bavaria about the same time became very troublesom to Albert their Duke upon the same account This Prince observing that King Ferdinand his Father-in-law had yielded something he also having then need of Money did for a time comply with his Subjects and granted them liberty to take the Sacrament of the Lord 's Supperin both Kinds and to eat Flesh on the days prohibited in case of great necessity Yet at the same time he made a long Protestation That he would not desert the Religion of his Ancestors nor suffer any thing to be changed in the Ceremonies and Rites of the Church which he said was not lawful for him to do without the consent of the Supreme both Civil and Ecclesiastical Magistrate And that he granted these two things for so long time only as till there was a publick Order made to the contrary or a Reconciliation between the contending Parties for that it was his will that all his former Orders concerning Religion should be exactly observed in all other Points but these Two and that in these he would take all the care he could that the Metropolitans and Bishops should confirm these his Concessions and should not on these accounts trouble any of them This Edict was dated the last day of the month of March. About this time some of the Nobility of Transylvania revolted from King For dinand whereupon he commanded the Dyet to be prorogu'd to an uncertain day and began to levy Forces which were afterwards sent down the Dâ—â—ube towards Hungary There is a Town call'd Oberen seated in Alsatia three miles from Strasburg an Inhabitant of this place who was a Vine-Dresser being then in
a Vindication of himself wherein he denied the matter charged upon him and thereupon the Author of this Calumny being discovered he was deservedly executed And I hope this here will have the same event and that God who is the just Avenger of such ill Practices will discover the Authors of this pernitious Invention In the mean time I offer up my Prayers to God That he would give them a better mind and disappoint their wicked Counsels that they may not prevail to the Destruction of our Country For seeing this slander is of the same nature with the former it may easily be concluded the Authors of this had the same Design with the former or rather that it was made by it that what was discover'd and prevented then may now have its effect Now the main design of this Calumniator is to create a belief that the Pope and the Emperour have resolved to rescind the Decree made for the Peace of Religion by a War and that the King of England and the Bishops of Germany are to lend their assistances to it Now I say this feigned and false Invention is designed for the exasperating the minds of Men that their Prejudices and Disaffections being increased a Civil War may be stirr'd up amongst us to overwhelm our Country with the Blood of its Inhabitants And although I do not doubt but the Emperour and the othe Princes who are injur'd by this Seditious and Infamous Libel will take care to defend themselves and to right their own Cause yet at the same time I believe it is a part of my own Duty to clear the Reputation of our Supreme Magistrate And I protest whil'st I was at Rome in my presence or to my knowledge there was not one word spoken concerning the Peace of Religion and therefore it is very falsly laid to the Pope's charge that his main design is to persuade the Emperour and other Kings to destroy that Decree by Force and Arms I say this is false and can never be proved and by consequence what is charged upon the Emperour is false too for seeing there has been no Treaty between them how can a War be agreed and the recovering the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and the Conquest of Germany be resolv'd on This Slander pretends That the Truce is made between the Emperour and the King of France to the intent that the Souldiers which are disbanded on both sides may be employ'd in in this War Now the causes of that Truce are sufficiently set forth in the printed Copies of the Treaty and the Souldiers which were thereupon disbanded are not entertain'd by any Prince except what Forces King Ferdinand has order'd to be levy'd and sent into Hungary against the Turk and some few which have been taken into Pay by the Bishops of Ausburg Norimburg Bamberg and Wurtsburg that they may not be taken altogether unprovided So that all this Invention as it relates to the Pope the Emperour and the Bishops is false in all its parts Now as to what concerns my self I have hitherto followed the Ancient True and Catholick Religion as becomes a German pursuing the footsteps of my Ancestors and continuing in the Communion of that Church in which I had my Education as I have already declared by a Letter I sent to the last Diet and by my Deputies which I sent thither and I intend by the blessing of God to continue in this Opinion nor will I do any thing which is contrary to Honesty and my Duty and yet after all I desire to live peaceably with all men And whereas I am said to have entred into a secret Treaty with the Pope the Emperour the King of England some Princes of the Empire and some private persons to stir up a War this is most false and that also which concerns the Elector Palotine and the Duke of Wirtemberg and the Marquess of Brandenburg is most false and can never be proved and those who spread such Reports of me by Word or Writing are Slanderers and the Enemies of our Country That which relates to the Elector Palatine stands thus The Office and Dignity I enjoy requires me to endeavour the preservation of the Rights of my Bishoprick and that I should preserve the People committed to my Charge in the Ancient and Catholick Religion being therefore inform'd that Otto Henry Elector Palatine endeavorued to gain over to his Religion some Towns that were in my Diocess and that he had placed Preachers in them I could not but take this ill and I had just cause given me to defend my self against him by a Suit at Law and thereupon I being absent my Councel by my Order commenced a Suit against him in the Chamber of Spire where it is still depending nor have I in any thing else so much as in Word hurt or injur'd his Honour so far have I been from designing any thing against his Countries and if it had lain in my power to have served him his Countries or People I would not have omitted it and for this I believe his People would be my Witnesses because they know I have kept my Faith to them and have assisted them sometimes when they were in great distresses To which I may add That I have ever had particular affection for the Palatine Family and I have ever been ready to do it all the good I could nor is that Disposition at all changed in me and I have the same kindness for Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg who is a Good Wise Politick Prince and a great lover of Peace upon the account of these rare qualities I have had a great propension for him ever since I first knew him and have study'd to make this appear in my actions But then as to the driving Him or the Elector Palatine out of their Countries it never entred into my thoughts and if I had known of any Design which had tended to the damage of their Reputations or Estates I should certainly have been very much grieved and have done what was in my power to prevent it I have hitherto so behav'd my self at all times that I believe no man can find any thing in my actions which is contrary to my Profession and for the future I will ever carry my self so that I will raise a greater belief than I now have in the minds of men out of an hope that as I have given no just cause of offence to them so they at last will be prevail'd upon to remunerate me with an equal degree of kindness And as to the Case of Albert Marquess of Brandenburg he himself knows how greatly I am concern'd for his misfortunes for what is it which I have not done and tried in order to restore the Peace of the Empire and to put a stop to that Quarrel In truth I took so much pains and care in that Affair that tho' I aim'd at the Publick Good by it yet at last I was suspected by some as one that favoured his Interest
much improved but he was then very dissolute nor was Henry of England any better And after all the Judgments God has sent from Heaven upon us we have not repented or amended and therefore there is no wonder that this sad difference of Religion cannot be composed and the Peace of the Church restored No on the contrary it is now apparent that our Enemies are become so numerous that they are almost able to oppress us As to those who pretend that we have encreased them by our Connivance I can answer That during the minority of the King they are bolder and I would have them consider too that for our Sins God has set a Child over us There are some who would have the King arm one part of his Subjects against the other which I think is neither Christian nor Human. After very much to the same purpose he told them the Thing proposed by the King to their Consideration was Whether it was the best way for the King to Suppress the Meetings or to Tolerate them Thereupon followed a very great Debate between these Deputies of the several Parliaments of France but at last they came to a Resolution to remit something of the Severity of the Edict of July and to allow the Protestants the liberty of Publick Sermons and accordingly a new Edict was made which was called The Edict of January the principal Heads of which were these That the Protestants should restore the Ecclesiasticks to their Churches Houses Lands Tithes and other goods whatsoever which they had taken from them forthwith and suffer them peaceably to enjoy their Images Crosses and Statues without any molestation or endeavouring to destroy them or doing any other thing that may disturb the publick Peace upon pain of Death without any hope of Mercy That the Protestants should have no publick Meetings Sermons and Prayers or administer any Sacraments publickly or privately by Night or by Day within any City in any manner whatsoever Yet in the mean time till the Controversies of Religon shall be composed by a General Council or the King shall otherwise order it Those who shall go to or frequent their Sermons shall not be molested provided they be had without the Cities And the Magistrates were accordingly commanded not to disquiet but to protect and preserve them from all Injury That all Seditious Persons of what Religion soever they were should be severely punished and all should be bound to discover and deliver them up to Justice a thousand Crowns being imposed upon any person who should receive abet or conceal such Riotous Offender and the Offender to be whipp'd if not able to pay the Penalty That the said Meetings should be without Arms and that no person should Reproach another on the account of Religion or use any Factious Names That the Protestants Ministers should admit none into their Number till they had diligently examined their Lives Conversations and Doctrines That the Magistrates might freely go to their Meetings to see what was done or to apprehend any Criminal who should be treated according to their Dignity and obeyed That the Protestants should hold no Synods Conferences or Consistories but in the presence of a Magistrate That they should create no new Magistrates or make any Laws or Statutes And if they desire any thing by way of Discipline it should be referred to their Authority or if need be be confirmed by them There shall be no Levies of Men or Monies made by them nor any Leagues entered into for their private Defence And as to Alms they shall only take them of such as are willing to give The Civil Laws especially those concerning Holy Days and the Degrees of Consanguinity and Affinity in Marriages shall be observed That their Pastors shall give Security to the Magistrates for the Observing this Edict and promise That they will not preach any Doctrine contrary to the Nicence or Apostles Creeds or the Books of the Old or New Testament nor use any Reproaches against the Catholicks in their Sermons And the same is injoyned the Catholicks in relation to the Protestants No man shall publish any Libels to desame another or sell or cause them to be sold Lastly the Magistrates are hereby commanded to be very diligent in case any Sedition happens to search out the Offenders and punish them without any Appeal to be allowed to such Offenders A Debate being made concerning the Worship of Images these Propositions were published by the Queen by the Advice of the Bishops of Valence and Seez and Monsieur Bouthillier d' Espence and Picherel That seeing Errors are according to St. Augustin rather to be rooted out of the Mind of Men than out of Churches and other places the Bishops should take order with the Curates to have the People well Instructed and diligently Admonished concerning the right use of them that all Offence or Scandal might be prevented both by the Royal Authority and that of the Church and that if any opposed this he should be treated as a Violater of the Royal Edicts and of the publick Peace That all Figures of the Holy Trinity should be immediately removed out of all Churches and all other publick and private Places as being forbidden by the Holy Scriptures the Councils and Testimonies of the Fathers and only Dissembled or Tolerated by the Sloth of the Bishops and Pastors That the Picutres of all prophane Persons and others who were not to be found in the Authentick Martyrologies of the Church all lascivious and dishonest Pictures and those of Brutes shall be abolished That no Crowns Garlands or Vestments shall be put upon any Images nor Incense nor Candles burnt before them nor shall they be carried in Processions nor any Prayers or Oblations be made to them nor shall they be worshipped with bended Knees because all these things are parts of Worship That all Images but that of the Venerable Holy Cross shall be taken from the Altars and either placed on the Valves or Walls of the Churches so that from henceforth they may neither be saluted kissed prayed to or presented with Gifts That all Images which were wont to be carried on the Shoulders of Men in the Churches and Streets should according to the late Canon of Sens be for ever abolished Beza opposed the retention of the Cross as brought into use by Constantine the Great and one N. Mallard Dean of the Sorbonne in Paris tho' he confessed some ill things had crept into the Church yet he was of opinion that all this Worship of Images ought stoutly to be defended and retained and put out a Book to that purpose so the Thing fell This Order was made the 14th of February The same Month but some few days before it the King of Navar wrote a Letter to the Elector Palatine in which he testified his great desire to promote a Reformation and that he hoped to have found a way to reconcile Differences by the Conference of
Poissi But that this Affair had not succeeded according to his wish and that even in the Dispute about Images which seemed to have less of Difficulty they had yet not been able to agree But that whatever Men pretended he would by the help of God endeavour that the Confession of Faith which could not be destroyed without the Ruin of the Peace of the Nation should insensibly be established as far as the Infancy of the King and the present State of Things would permit He wrote also to the same purpose to the Duke of Wirtemberg and to Philip Landtgrave of Hesse The Elector Palatine wrote an Answer dated the 20th of April from Heidelburg wherein he said he was sorry to see the Affections of the Protestants cool in this Affair and therefore he exhorted him to go on in this commendable Design of Reforming Religion When the Edict of January came to be published the Guises and Montmorancy who were now reconciled and were absent at the time of making it employed all their Industry to prevent its having its effect alledging it was not made as it ought and would prove destructive to the Kingdome of France and having brought over Navar to their Party tho' they foresaw they should meet with great and almost insuperable Difficulties yet they thought they should at last gain their Ends. The Duke of Guise went therefore to his Country House and his Brother Charles the Cardinal soon after followed him thither So they both went to Zaberen a Town belonging to the Bishop of Strasburg where Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg met him on pretence he came to visit a Lady that was his Kinswoman bringing with him John Brent and James Andrea two eager defenders of the Augustane Confession against the Zuinglians whose Doctrine was generally followed by the Protestants in France here they conferred together three days The Cardinal of Lorrain pretended to have a great affection for the Duke of Wirtemberg and the rest of the German Princes he said also That since the Conference of Poissi he had a good opinion of the Augustane Confession and that he had often persuaded the Protestants to subscribe it and they had ever refused it because they did not so much desire the Reformation of Religion and of the Church Discipline as the spreading lewd and monstrous Opinions which tended to the filling France and Germany with new Tumults That the King of Denmark wisely foresaw this who congratulating by his Ambassador the attempt to reform the Church expressed at the same times his fear that they should embrace the Zuinglian and Geneva Confession instead of the Augustane and thereupon carefully advised the King of Navar to consider this That the Duke of Wirtemberg and the other Princes of Germany ought to fear the same thing if they desired the Peace of Germany or that of the Church For that as Germany and France were near each other so their Interests were so interwoven that the Good or Evil would be common to them That as they were derived from one of the Illustrious Families of Germany and enjoyed one of the principal Stations in France so they had left that Kingdom to confer with him the Duke of Wirtemburg and to settle by mutual Consent what might be useful and salutary to both these States and that they might conjointly oppose the Endeavours of the Zuinglians and their Doctrine They pretended they did not do this with intention to hinder the Reformation of Religion and the Worship of God For that they desired above all things but that they sought to prevent that Tempest which these Sectaries were raising both in France and Germany And therefore they desired the Duke to interpose his Authority with the Princes of Germany and to induce them to have a good Opinion of their Designs The Duke of Wirtemburg having consulted with Brent and Andrea his two Divines who were very desirous the Helvetian Confession should not be entertained in France commended the Cardinals affections towards himself and the Empire and said he approved of his Counsel for the hindering the Reception of that Confession in France which without doubt would cause great Commotions But then he said this was upon condition that the Reformation should be carried on in France in the mean time and that no Severities or Proscriptions should be employed against those who had made defection from the See of Rome The Cardinal was thought to have said this to the intent to dispose the German Protestant Princes to send Supplies against the French Protestants when it should come to a War or at least to make them less apt to succour the Prince of Condé and the Protestants Thus that Conference ended The Duke of Guise and the Cardinal returned to Joinville in Champaigne where soon after he received a Letter from the King of Navar that he should come to Court as fast as was possible whither he forthwith went. In the Borders of Champaigne there is a Town called Vassy which has high Walls and is the Capital of a Presecture The Protestants had a Meeting-place in this Town able to contain twelve Hundred persons in which at times they preached and administred Sacraments after their way because they had as yet no setled Minister but procured one from Troyes The Bishop of which place was a favourer of them But now there was one Leonard Morel come from Geneva to settle there which was ill taken by Claude de Sainctes the Governour of the Town and by the Prior Curate and Neighbours who had frequently complained of it to Jerome de Burgos Bishop of Chaalon sur Marne in Champaigne under whom the place was The year before the Bishop came thither and had a disorderly Dispute with the Minister about imposition of Hands managed by one of his Divines which he brought with him before the People Governour and Bishop which had no good effect Antonia de Bourbon the Mother of the Guises a zealous Roman Catholick was also much offended with the nearness of this place and desired very much to be rid of it and she reproached her Son for his over-great patience in a thing wherein the Glory of God her own Honour and the Religion of his Ancestors was concerned Hereupon the first of March he went to Vassy with Lewis the Cardinal his Brother Du Brossay and his Son and a great Retinue designing rather to suppress and dissipate this Conventicle by his Presence than to offer Violence to any private person As he went he heard a Bell ring at an unusual time and asking the reason of it was told It was to call the Protestants to their Meeting Hereupon his Foot-men began to make a Noise as if there had been a Military Enterprize but the Duke went on and entred Vassy where there were 60 Horse ready to receive him and he was to dine that day at Sclaron The Curate and Prior were very earnest with him to go by the Conventicle but whilst he delayed them
courses I many times admonished him friendly of his Duty both by Messengers and by the intervention of his Brother the Cardinal Alexander and because he answered somewhat suspiciously then I directed a Brief to him with severe Threatnings if he offered to do otherwise Being afterwards fully assured that he kept not his Promises I was indeed as I ought to be extreamly troubled to receive such an injury from him on whom I had heaped so many Honours and Favours Wherefore now though in a thing so manifest and notorious I might presently proceed to sentence yet to make him sensible of our goodness I charge and command him that within thirty days he make his Personal Appearance at Rome to answer to the Accusations that are brought against him and give sufficient security for his good behaviour in time to come wherein if he fail I declare him now as then and then as now guilty of High Treason Perjury and other most heinous Crimes and Offences and all his Lands Goods and Chattels to be confiscated to the Publick and in punishing him I crave the Emperours Assistance as I strictly command and charge that no Man do aid or help him When May Day was come the Council commenced again but because there were but very few as yet present and that the War of Parma had intervened the Session was put off to the first of September The Deputies of the Princes who Assembled at Norimberg in the Month of April resolved that more Money should be contributed for carrying on the Siege of Magdeburg And though by a Posterior Edict the Emperour commanded the same thing yet there was much difficulty in the accomplishment of it and all were unwilling to pay their Money for that the Siege was long and not like to be brought soon to an end Wherefore also Duke Maurice Treated often with the Towns People about a Peace and when on the Fifth of May they came out to the Camp upon a safe Conduct given the Matter was long and much debated in his presence Some Months before Duke Maurice had taken into his Service Count Heideck who was Outlaw'd by the Emperour and made him Governour of Leipsick He for the love he had to the Reformed Religion and the hatred he bore the Emperour wished well to the Magdeburgers and was a Counsellor to Peace that when that War was over Duke Maurice might attempt greater matters For even then the War was projected which Duke Maurice had afterward with the Emperour as shall be said in its proper place Nevertheless they could not then agree upon a Peace because too hard Conditions were proposed and that purposely too as many thought that Duke Maurice might protract the time and wait an opportunity of acting which offered not till the French King made War against the Emperour as shall be said hereafter But in the mean time there happened a great Mutiny in the Camp before Magdeburg for the want of some Months pay Farnese though cited did not appear at Rome but being strengthened by French Supplies undertook the defence of Parma Wherefore May the Thirteenth the Emperour emitted a Proclamation to this effect For as much saith he as in compliance with the Duty and good will we bear to the Pope and Church of Rome we are desirous to perform those things we ought and to take care lest upon this occasion greater stirs arise in Italy and afterwards in other places also Again when we consider upon how just grounds the Pope is offended and how he hath omitted nothing that was fit to keep Octavio in his Duty We have commissioned and appointed Ferrande Gonzaga in our Name to aid and assist his Holiness because we cannot do it in Person Wherefore we command all our Subjects within the Dutchy of Milan that during this War they pay him the same obedience as they would our self in Person and endeavour to do the Enemy all the hurt and damage that possibly they can So then Gonzaga began the War and having wasted the Country laid Siege to Parma as the Pope did to Mirandula For the Prince of Mirandula was on the French side and unless he had been diverted might have been very useful to Octavio and those of Parma May the Two and twentieth the Pope wrote a very kind Letter to the Switzers telling them that as he had taken the Name of Julius the Second who entertained great kindness for them so also had he proposed to follow his Example and footsteps in loving of them That hitherto indeed he had been so taken up about various and weighty Affairs relating to the Publick that he had no time to give them a Declaration of his good Intentions towards them but that yet he had had them constantly in his thoughts as might be seen by two Instances chiefly First in that for the security of his Person he had chosen in the City a Guard of their Country-men and then that he had done the same at Bolonia as trusting to their fidelity and diligence That now an occasion of Writing to them offered by the calling of the Council which on the First of May was begun at Trent That therefore since their conjunction with the rest would be of great moment for carrying on so pious and necessary a Work he earnestly entreated them that the Prelates within their Territories would not fail to be present at the next Session to be held the First of September That what else he had to say to them they might know from Sir Jerome Franco his Nuncio of whose integrity and diligence they themselves had now many years experience and that besides since he concerned himself much in that Affair he would within a short time send one of his Confidents a Bishop to treat with them more at large concerning the Council About the end of May Prince Philip the Emperours Son leaving Ausburg took his Journy through Italy into Spain With him went Maximilian his Cousin and Brother in Law that he might bring home his Wife now the Mother of two Children In the mean time the French King to appease the Pope and Colledge of Cardinals by his Ambassadour Monsieur de Termes makes his Apology at Rome for taking Octavio into his protection alledging that he ought not to be blamed for that since it belonged properly to Kings to succour the afflicted Again that he proposed to himself no private advantage by the matter but that what he had done was for the sake of the Church of Rome in imitation of his Ancestors who had more than any others enriched her with Lands and many times protected her by their Arms For since that Parma belonged to the Patrimony of the Church it was his chief care that it should not fall into the hands of Strangers and that it was for that end only that he was at such vast charges daily That therefore he earnestly desired that he would so interpret what he did
and put away the opinion he conceived of him for that that would much redound to the benefit of the Publick But that if he was not satisfied with this Excuse and would prefer War before Peace he himself must see how prejudicial and dangerous that would prove to all Italy and Europe also and be the cause in like manner that no firm nor lasting Treaty could be set on foot about matters of Religion That therefore if sad Commotions should thereupon ensue if the Council now called could not meet or if it did assemble should be dispersed if in that state of affairs he could not send any of his Bishops to Trent the fault was not to be imputed to him who was willing not only to offer but to receive Conditions of Peace as he did publickly protest But the Pope relying upon the Aid and Promises of the Emperour was nothing softened by that Embassy On the Seventeenth of June Duke Maurice again granted a safe Conduct to the Magdeburgers for Deputies to be sent to Treat with him about a Peace who being dispatched and conducted by Marquess Albert of Brandeburg found Duke Maurice at Pirn a Town of Misnia for he was gone home and seemed to act remisly So soon as they came he propounded these Conditions to them in the Emperours Name That they shall make no League against the Emperour King Ferdinand Austria nor the Netherlands That they shall observe all the Decrees of the Empire That they shall stand Tryals at Law and satisfie the Clergy for the damage they have received of them That they shall demolish their Works and Fortifications That they shall admit of a Garison of Twelve hundred Soldiers That they shall receive the Emperour King Ferdinand and their Generals at all times and with as many Men as they please That they deliver up twelve great Guns pay down an hundred thousand Florins and ratifie and confirm all these Conditions upon Oath Though they were not in a condition to perform these Articles yet did they not wholly reject them and at Count Heidecks intercession they were by little and little qualified The Emperour had before sent Letters of safe Conduct to Germany especially to the States of the Augustane Confession requiring them to repair to Trent by the First of May. But because by reason of the War of Parma the Council was put off till the beginning of December as has been said before he again warns them by any means to come and promises them all imaginable Justice and fair dealing Though there were a great many of that persuasion nevertheless what ought chiefly to have been done they did not confer Counsels together either that they despaired of any success in the matter or that they were afraid to offend the Emperour or again that they grew faint-hearted when they saw the danger at hand Of all the Free Towns none but Strasburg sent Messengers to enquire both what their Neighbours and those more remote were resolved to do And Duke Maurice had ordered Philip Melanchton to draw up the heads of their Doctrine which might afterwards be publickly produced That being finished and perused by all the Divines and Ministers who by the Princes command met at Leipsick on the Eighth of July it was by them all unanimously approved Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg took the like course also and caused Brentius to compose a Book of the same nature And though both Writings agreed in the very same points yet Duke Maurice would exhibit his own a-part lest if many together should propound the same thing in common the Emperour might take Umbrage at it and suspect some Association However having mutually communicated the Books to one another the Divines of Wirtemberg approved the Saxons Book and the Saxons that of Wirtemberg as the Divines of Strasburg did both And so it was agreed upon that when time served some should be sent to the Council to propose and defend that Doctrine The Duke of Wirtemberg after his Fathers example made much of John Brentzen for his Excellent Learning using his assistance in the restauration of the Reformed Religion he also restored him again to the Ministery and gave him the Living of Sutgart July the Five and twentieth Marquess Albert of Brandeburg in the absence of Duke Maurice by a Trumpeter rejects the answer that the Magdeburgers made to the Conditions of Peace proposed by Duke Maurice at Pirn He had got a small Ruffle the day before for they had engaged with greater Forces than ever they had done hitherto On the Thirteenth of August there had like to have been a great Mutiny within the Town For a Letter was brought to the Soldiers which mentioned that there were some of the Senate who would betray the Town and named Henry Alman for one Whereupon the Soldiers flocking together demand him He appeared and protested that it was an injury done unto him that it was a trick of the Enemy that by cunning and treachery they might bring about what they could not accomplish by force and fair â—ighting and that if the thing could be proved against him he did not refuse to submit to any punishment so that the whole Senate having engaged for his fidelity the matter was quieted and some Citizens and Soldiers were chosen to view the Letters that should be sent to and again for the future Fight days after Duke Maurice wrote to the Emperour acquainting him that for his own part he was satisfied with the safe Conduct he gave and could not find any great fault in it but that he was informed there was a Decree made in the Council of Constance that Hereticks or such as were suspected of Heresie should be brought into Inquisition if they came to the Council and sentence pronounced against them for their Crime although the Emperour had given them safe Conduct That that Decree was extant amongst the Acts of the Council and actually put in execution upon John Huss who had been put to death notwithstanding the safe Conduct of the Emperour Sigismund upon the security whereof he came That since it was so he could not send any of his Divines to Trent unless the Prelates assembled there should in the Name of the whole Council grant also their safe Conduct as it had been done in the Council of Basil which immediately succeeded that of Constance That the Bohemians being moved by the forementioned instance would not then go thither till first they had a safe Conduct from the whole Council that therefore he intreated his Majesty that either by his Authority or Interest he would obtain that from them for that unless a safe Conduct were granted in the same form as heretofore at Basil it ought not to be prejudicial to him or any else of the same profession if they suffered none of theirs to repair to the Council Now of the Bohemians and John Huss who was burnt at Constance and of the War that followed