Councell of Trent to all Protestants both of Germany and other places the tenor of which is as followeth Salvus conductus concessus Germanica Nationi In the generall Congregation the fourth day of March MDLXII Sacro sancta oecumenica generalic Tridentina Synodus c. THe most Sacred oecumenicall and generall Councell of Trent most lawfully gathered together in the holy Ghost the Legates of the holy Sea Apostolike president in the same doth make knowne vnto all men that it doth graunt vnto all and euery one Priests Electors Princes Dukes Marquesses Counts Barons Nobles Knights Commons and to all other whatsoeuer of whatsoeuer state and condition or qualitie they bee of the Prouince and Nation of Germany to all Cities and other places thereof and to all other Ecclesiastical and Secular persons especially those of the Confession of Augusta who shall come or any who together with them shall come or be sent or whosoeuer haue hitherto come vnto this Generall Councell of Trâ—nt by what name soeuer they bee called or may be called by the tenour of these presents doth grant by publike promise a most full true security which is called A safe Conduct freely to come vnto the Citie of Trent and there to remaine stay abide propose speake treate examine together with the Councell and discourse of what businesse soeuer and freely to offer vp and publish whatsoeuer it shall please them and whatsoeuer Articles as well in writing as by word of mouth and to declare maintaine confirme and proue the same by the holy Scriptures and by the words and sentences of holy Fathers and by reasons and if need require euen to answere vnto the objections of the Generall Councel and to dispute with those who shall be appointed by the Councell or peaceably to conferre without any impediment all approbrious speeches reuilings and contumelies wholly laid aside and in particular that the matters in controuersie shall be handled in the foresaid Councell according to the holy Scriptures and traditions of the Apostles approued Councels the consent of the Catholike Church and the Authoritie of the holy Fathers adding this moreouer that it doth yeeld and absolutely grant that they shall not be punished vnder the pretext of Religion or of any offences committed or to be committed against the same so as by reason of their presence none shall in any case need to cease from performing the diuine seruice either in journey or in going abiding or returning from any place noe not in the Citie of Trent it selfe that these businesses being finished or not finished whensoeuer they shal please or by commaÌ„dment consent of their Superiors they shal desire or any one of theÌ„ shal desire to returne to their owne dwellings presently without any let hinderance or delay their goods their honour likewise and persons preserued they may freely and securely returne at their pleasure as often as they will with the knowledge notwithstanding of such as shall bee appointed by the Councell to the end that prouision may bee made in due time for their securitie without fraud or deceit Moreouer the holy Councell will that in this publike promise and Safe-Conduct bee included and contained and to be held for included all clauses whatsoeuer which shall bee necessarie and conuenient for their full effectuall and sufficient securitie in their going staying and returning expressing this moreouer for their greater securitie and for the good of peace and agreement that if any of them either in jorney comming vnto Trent or whilest they abide there or in returning theÌ„ce should doe or commit which God forbid any enormous crime whereby the benefit of this publike fidelity and assecuration might bee annullated or made voide that it is the Councels will and it doth grant that such as are found to haue committed such offence be presently punished by those of the Confession of Augusta themselues only and not by any other with such condigne penaltie and sufficient satisfaction as may bee well liked of and approued by some part of the Councel the forme conditions and manner of their assecuration or securitie remaining still vnuiolated In like manner also the Councels pleasure is that if one or more of the Councell shall either in their jorney or abiding or returning doe or commit which God forbid any enormous crime whereby the benefite of this publike fidelity and assecuration might be violated or in any sort broken they who are taken in such offence are to bee punished by the Councell it selfe alone and not by any other with such condigne penaltie sufficient amendment as may rightly be well liked of by the Lords of Germany of the Confession of Augusta being at the same time heere present the forme conditions and manner of their assecuration or securitie remaining still vnuiolated It is moreouer the will of the Councell that it may be lawfull for the Embassadors all and euery one to goe abroad out of the Citie of Trent so often as they shall thinke fit or needfull to take the ayre and to returne into the same as also freely to appoint or send their messenger or messengers as also to receiue messengers or any messenger sent as often as they shall think expedient so that some one or more of such as are deputed and appointed by the Councell doe accompany them who may prouide for their securitie Which Safe-Conduct and securitie ought to stand and continue from the time and during the time that it shall happen they be receiued into the care of the protection of the Councel and Officers thereof and be brought vnto Trent and all the time of their abode there and againe when they shall haue had sufficient audience then after the space of twentie dayes when they shall require it or the Councell after such audience had shall giue order vnto them to depart they shall bee conducted from Trent vntill they be God willing restored vnto that secure place where euery one shal choose vnto himselfe and this without all fraud and deceit All which the Councell doth promise and with assured fidelitie doth professe shall bee inuiolately obserued and kept for and in the name of euery faithfull Christian all Princes whatsoeuer as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall and all other Ecclesiasticall and Secular persons of what degree or condition soeuer they be of or by what name soeuer they be called Moreouer without all fraud and deceit it doth truely and faithfully promise that the Councel will neither openly nor couertly seek any occasion or in any sort vse or permit any to vse any authoritie power right ordinance or priuiledge of the Lawes or Canons or of any Councel whatsoeuer especially of Constance and Seenes in what forme of words soeuer expressed vnto any prejudice of this publike fidelitie and ful assecuration publike and free audience graunted vnto them by the Councell all which authority power c. it doth abrogate in this behalfe and for this time And if the Holy
and Confessors 1. other men women Martyrs 393. other men and women Confessors 53. These were of diuers sects and opinions and contrary in many points the one to the other as for example Waldensians and Albegensians 13. Lollards and Wickliffians 36. Hussites and Lutherans 78. Zuinglians and Caluinifts 268. Anabaptists Puritans and doubtfull of what sect 59. Againe of those were Husbandmen Weauers Sawyers Shoo-makers Curriers Smithes and other such like occupations 282. Poore women and Spinsters 64. Apostata Monks and Friers 25. Apostata Priests 38. Ministers 10. Publike Malefactors and condemned by the Lawes for such 19. The greatest Disputers of this ranke against the Catholike Bishops and learned men were George Tankerfield a Cooke August 13. Iohn Mandrell a Cowheard March 27. Richard Chrashfield a yong Artificer March 28. Raph Allerton a Tayler September 19. Iohn Fortunea Black-smith September 30. Richard Woodman an Iron maker Iune 23. Ellen Erwing a Millers wife August 23. loane Lashford a maried maide Ianuary 18. Isabell Foster a Cutlers wife Ianuary 17. Anne Alebright a poore woman of Canterbury Ianuary 19. Alice Potkins Spinster Nouember 15. Alice driuer a famous Doctrice Nouember 22. And to giue you some particular taste of this roauing spirit which raigned in some of Master Fox his principall Protestant Martyrs Master Iohn Bradford whom Fox most highly extolleth in many leaues and stileth him Preacher-Martyr was accustomed much to bragge of his singuler assurance that he had of the right course hee was in which he said was so cleare and euident to him that there could be no more doubt thereof then whether the Sunne did shine vpon a faire day and when the Bishops asked him How he came to so great a certainty he answered I am certaine of my saluation and religion by the Scriptures but when they posed him further how hee could bee sure of Scriptures themselues and of their true meaning without the testimony of the Church hee had no other shift but to runne to the assurance of his owne spirit telling them that albeit he receiued the knowledge of the Scriptures by the testimonie of the Church as those of the Citie of Sychar did the notice of Christ by the woman from the Well yet that when he once had them then could he vse them well enough for vnderstanding them and for shew hereof when a little after hee had occasion to interpret some peeces of Scriptures he did it so absurdly as a man might well see how much might be builded vpon the assurance of that his particular and priuate spirit as for example among other places hee tooke vpon him to proue by Scripture that the Pope was Antichrist and cited for it onely those words of the Apostle to the Thessalonians That Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God c. which though it proue nothing as you see for that wee deny not but that Antichrist when hee commeth shall sit in the Temple of God yea and pretend to be God himselfe which no Popes euer did or shal doe yet to Bradford the allegation of this place seemed much to the purpose and to Iohn Fox that admireth all which the other vttered it appeareth so full a proofe as he maketh this note in the margent The Pope proued to bee Antichrist by Scriptures But this proofe as you see standeth only vpon Bradfords interpretation which interpretation is not onely not conforme to any ancient Fathers exposition whatsoeuer but is manifestly also contrary to the text it selfe where immediatly before the words alledged That he shall sit in the Temple of God are these words Extolletur supra omne quod dicitur Deus aut qued colitur That Antichrist when he commeth shall bee extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped for God so as he shall not call him Gods seruant as the Pope doth nor the seruant of his seruants but chiefe God himselfe which no Pope as is said euer did or will and consequently these words cannot possibly agree to the Pope and yet forsooth the spirit of Bradford that cannot erre or be deceiued doth expound it so and thereby you see the certaintie of his spirit After this againe he went about to perswade the two Bishops who examined him that he agreed with them and with their Church in substance of Faith and beleefe and consequently might bee saued with them notwithstanding this deniall of two articles for which only he said he was condemned to wit Transubstantiation and that the euill men doe not receiue the body of Christ when they communicate which two articles Bradford affirmed not to appertaine to the substance of faith or foundation of Christ and consequently that he was vnjustly cast our of the Church for them for so much as hee firmely beleeued all the articles of the Creede with them whereunto when the Bishops smiling replied saying Yen Is this your Diuinitie BRADFORD answered Noe it is PAVLS which saith That if men hold the foundation Christ though they build vpon him straw and stubble yet they shall be saued So he whereby you see that this great learned Cleake would proue by Saint Paul that both Protestants and all other Sectaries that in words doe professe to beleeue all the Articles of the Creede though each one in seuerall sense to himselfe shall be saued together with Catholikes and that all these our contentions with them and other Sectaries are but straw and stubble and touch not the foundation of Christ at all This was his spirit and doe you thinke that this spirit could be deceiued or will our English Protestants at this day allow this spirit or joyne with Bradford in this paradox I know they will not and would bee ashamed to interpret the place of Saint Paul in that sense for so much as it is euident that he meaneth of the straw and stubble of workes and not doctrine or at least such principall points of doctrine as those are which Bradford did professe contrary to the Catholique truth Notwithstanding there bee some principall Protestant Doctors who howsoeuer they interpret the foresaid place of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3. and vpon what other place soeuer of Scripture they pretend to builde yet doe they holde and maintaine the same Paradox in Christian Religion as I may call it and the same exorbitant grosse errour which the phanaticall spirit of Iohn Bradford suggested vnto him for an assured truth to wit that all euen Heretikes as well as Catholikes may bee saued so long as they hold the foundation Christ. For so Master Doctor Morton now called a Bishop saith Wheresoeuer a company of men doe ioyntly and publikely by worshipping the true God in Christ professe the substance of Christian Religion which is Faith in lesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world that there is a true Church notwithstanding any corruption whatsoeuer And giuing this title to one section in his booke That Heretikes are members of the
Catholike Church In proofe hereof he saith further Who professe IESVS CHRIST to bee the Sauiour of the world c. although they doe indirectly by wickednesse of life or heresie in doctrine deny their owne profession yet are they to be accounted Christians and true members of the Church by whose account you see all Heretikes whatsoeuer are to be accounted for true members of the Church seeing all doe confesse Iesus Christ to bee the Sauiour of the world and therefore hee holdeth the Arrians who deny the God-head of Christ to bee also of the Church of God The like doth Doctor Field concerning the Greeke Churches though they erre against the holy Ghost saying in his Treatise of the Church Wee cannot condemne the Grecians as Heretikes And againe before that pag. 70. It no way appeareth that the Churches of Greece are hereticall or in damnable Schisme Which opinion and judgement of these principall new Ministers in our Protestant Kingdome of Israel if it were sound and good and proceeded from the true Spirit wee might easily grant and beleeue that all sort of Heretikes whatsoeuer are or euer haue been may be saued notwithstanding their abominable and blasphemous heresies which they haue taught and beleeued concerning God the blessed Trinitie the Incarnation of our Sauiour or in a word against any or almost all the Articles of our Creede which strange paradox how contrary it is vnto the whole current of holy Scripture which saith expressely That an hereticall man is damned let any indifferent man consider and judge surely the whole streame of all Antiquitie the graue holy and wise judgement of holy men that haue liued in Gods Church throughout all ages were of another beleefe and opinion and of a quite contrary spirit to this of Protestant Doctors you shall heare one or two speake for the rest Saint Cyprian saith Whosoeuer is seperated from the Church and ioyneth himselfe to an adulteresse conuenticle which euery Heretike doth is seperated also from the promises of the Church nor euer shall hee come to enioy the rewards thereof if hee leaue her he is an alien a prophane person an enemie he cannot haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother yea though hee should bee slaine for the confessing of Christs name yet can he not be saued Macula ista nec sanguinae abluitur this crime of seperating himselfe from the Church cannot bee washed away with bloud Inexpiabilis culpa nec passione purgatur It is a fault vnexpiable supposing one continue in it nor can it be purged by death it selfe Saint Augustine also Neither is Baptisme saith he profitable to an Heretike being out of the Church nor yet if for the confession of Christ he should be put to death for that hee is conuinced to want charitie where of the Apostle saith Though I should deliuer my body so that I burn and haue not charity it aoth profit me nothing The same hath S. Austen in many places of his Workes and the same is the constant and common opinion of all holy Fathers and therefore whether these holy ancient Fathers or our late moderne Protestant Doctors are most likely to be guided by the true spirit of God as well in this as in many most important points of our Christian beleefe wherein they differ as much as light from darknesse truth from falsehood I leaue vnto euery Christian man who hath a true and earnest care of his eternall saluation seriously and diligently to weigh and consider ANOTHER DIFFERENCE worthy of obseruation betweene the Catholike and Protestant spirit consisting in the willingnes of the one and vnwillingnesse of the other to admit publike and indifferent triall of their Doctrine WHEREAS one principal mark by which a good Spirit may be discerned from a bad is that the good Spirit loueth light and willingly commeth to the light admitting any reasonable and indifferent meanes of triall But the bad Spirit hateth light and commeth not to the light but flyeth all publike and indifferent meanes by which it may be examined I wish the gentle Reader duely to consider how this propertie of the good spirit agreeth to the Catholike Church and the propertie of the bad spirit agreeth to the Protestants Congregation On the one side it may easily bee seene how much the Catholike Church loueth light in that the Doctors thereof in théir publike writings ordinarily vse to explicate and set downe clearely and sincerely the state of the question in controuersie Secondly They truly set downe the opinions and arguments of their Aduersaries and this sometimes more fully then is done by their Aduersaries themselues Thirdly They explicate the Catholike doctrine confirming it with cleare testimonies of holy Scriptures Councels Fathers and Reasons and answering fully all or the strongest Obiections Fourthly They are ready both in their publike Schools and in their Prouinciall and Generall Councels to admit yea inuite their greatest Aduersaries to speake freely whatsoeuer they thinke good for triall of the truth in all matters of Controuersie This to be true appeareth partly by the learned and methodicall books of our Catholike Authors namely Bellarmine Stapleton Valentia and others partly by the practise of our publike Schooles where any may freely make whatsoeuer arguments they will for disputation sake partly by some especiall examples of free disputation permitted to be made in Catholike Countries euen by knowne Heretikes as for ancient times wee reade how the Councell of Carthage inuited the Donatists to a publike and free Conference or disputation saying Eligatis exvobis ipsis c. Choose some among your selues who may vndergoe this businesse to proue your cause that we also may do the like and that some from among this Councell may be appointed who may at the same time and place agree vpon examine or trie together with those which shal be chosen among you whatsoeuer controuersie it is which hindereth vs from communicating with you c. For if you doe brotherly admit thereof to wit of this conference the truth will easily appeare But if you refuse to accept of this your infidelitie or false faith will presently be made knowne Thus this ancient Councell did inuite Heretikes to a triall also in latter times in our owne Countrey to wit in the raigne of Queene Mary there were permitted seuerall open disputations once in Pauls Church in London for sixe daies and after at Oxford and again secondly at Oxford with liberty to make election of Notaries vpon their part and with offer of books and libertie of further time to amend their answeres all which is affirmed and granted by Fox in his booke of Actes and Monuments and clearely conuinceth the Catholike Spirit to bee a good Spirit which admitteth so willingly and offereth so freely such publike triall of the truth But chiefely this which I said appeareth to be true by the most ample free offer and Inuitement and safe conduct made and granted by the holy generall
Councell or any one thereof or of their adherents of whatsoeuer condition or state or dignitie they be shal in any point or cause violate which neuerthelesse wee beseech God forbid the forme and manner of the aboue written assecuration and Safe Conduct and that sufficient amendment be not presently made yea and such as in the judgements of those of the Cōfession of Augusta shall rightly be approued and well liked of let them account and it shall be lawful for them to account the Councell it selfe to haue incurred al the penalties which either of the Law of the Law of God and man or custome the violators of such Safe-conducts can incurre this without all excuse or any gain-saying in this behalfe The extenting of the former Safe-conduct vnto all other Nations THe same most sacred Synod being most lawfully gathered together in the holy Ghost the said Legates delatere so called of the Sea Apostolike presiding doth grant the publike fidelity or Safe-conduct vnder the same forme and with the same words wherwith it is granted vnto the Germans vnto all and euery one who doe not participate with vs in matters belonging to Faith of whatsoeuer Kingdom Nation Prouince Citie or place where is publikely freely preached or taught or beleeued contrary vnto that which the holy Church of Rome doth teach A SPEECH OF CARDInall BARONIVS placed in the beginning of the second Tome of his Annals I thinke it fitte to adioyne in this place a Speech of that worthily renowned and learned Cardinal Baronius directed vnto all Heretikes shewing how assured the faithfull children of Gods Church are and euer haue been concerning the vndoubted truth of their holy Catholike and Apostolike Roman Religion how prompt and ready they haue euer been to admitte of any indifferent triall of the same The Speech or Admonition he entituleth thus An Appendix or Addition vnto the Reader who is out of the catholike church AT nec te dispiscimus c. We contemne not thee I speake to the Reader much auerted from the Catholike Faith nor set vpon thee with rebukes prouoke thee with reproaches loade thee with contumelies because we are not moued with any perturbation of mind against the persons when we reprehend mens errours wee deale most kindly with thee to the end thou mayest vnderstand that the Truth it selfe rather then the Patron thereof fighteth against thee yea we will bee most liberall to thee so farre forth as that we will not feare with all lenitie and submission of minde to allow thy selfe perusing diligently these our workes and desiring to finde forth the truth as a just arbitrator We hauing a confidence in the goodnesse of our cause will yeeld so much vnto thee as not to disdaine to vndergoe thy judgement concerning the truth of those things we speake of prouided that thy reason as it were equally ballanced be placed betweene but aboue both parties that is supposing thee to be of a sound and sincere judgement voyd of all perturbation wanting particular affections and so inclining to neither partie If thou bee ready to shew thy selfe such a judge I appeale from thy selfe when at other times thou haddest thy minde troubled vnto thine owne selfe now examining things more exactly with the cleared eye of thy vnderstanding the which power of mans soule is most vigorous if being vnchained and free it bee suffered freely to discourse This consideration enforced our Auncestors relying vpon the truth of their doctrine when they had occasion to deale with most obstinate Heretikes refusing and contemning the Church her judgement to condescend so much vnto them as to permit their cause to the arbitrement of Heathens and demand their sentence in the same These being Iudges the Iews after much contention ouercame the Samaritans In like manner Origen choosing by consent of his aduersaries a Gentile for Vmpire ouerthrew fiue most peruerse Heretikes and conuerted him who sate as Vmpire in their dispute Likewise the holy Mesopotanian Bishop Archelaus confuted the most impious Arch-heretike Manes by the arbitrement of Gentiles chosen to decide by common consent of both disputants There are many other like examples by which it appears the professors of the truth to haue refused no mans judgement or sentence no not so much as of those who seeme to be condemned by our Lord himselfe saying Hee that beleeueth not is alreadie iudged All these we seeme to ouer go in our maner of free dealing with thee because wee seeke no other arbitrator then thy selfe if thou follow the rules of reason most certainly assuring our selues that thou wilt giue sentence for and agree with vs if thy reason of it owne nature most affecting equitie do willingly heare the truth One thing wee expect as the sole reward for our labours that is to see thee at length so condemned by thy selfe judging most justly as that thou mayest be quitte of thy errours God grant we may once joyfully meete thee rectified in judgement embrace and kisse thee as our brother sucking the brests of our Mother at this present although it be vnlawful for vs because of the prohibition of the Apostle we speake it not without a most hearty sorrow to salute thee or to say so much as all haile vnto thee notwithstanding there is none that will forbid vs to beg of almightie God by earnest prayer thy saluation which wee most earnestly desire By this it appeareth how much the Catholike Spirit loueth light wisheth to haue a full and free triall of the truth Contrariwise the Protestants Spirit sheweth it selfe to hate light first in that ordinarily their professors write confusedly of Controuersies seldome setting downe sincerely and clearely the state of the question but often peruerting it making that seeme to be the question which is not also ordinarily wronging the Catholike sentence in making it seeme to say what it sayeth not also vsually concealing or not fully vrging the arguments of Scriptures Fathers Councels Reasons brought by Catholikes in their publike writings Their owne sentence and opinion also they set downe so darkely and obscurely as that often times they scarse vnderstand themselues and much lesse is it vnderstood by others what they hold or would say The arguments also which they bring for confirmation of their opinion as likewise their answers to our objections are so light and vnsound yea sometimes so farre fetched and ill framed as it is wonder that men of witte and learning can suffer such stuffe to passe from them I omit to speake of their falsification and corruption of Scriptures and Fathers where of a taste may be taken by that which is set downe in M. Walsingham his Search into matters of Religion I omit also their flying the judgement of ancient Fathers and Councels and their retiring themselues into the mist of their owne priuat fantasies couered with the spacious titles of onely Scripture and Gods Spirit That which chiefly sheweth Protestants Spirit to loue darknes is that by