Religion About this tyme in the moneth of May appered a blasyng starre and shortly after departed Isabel wyfe to Charles the Emperour for whome the Frenche kyng so sone as he heard therof kepte a solempne funerall at Paris as the maner of kynges is I shewed you before of the counsell of Uicence whiche the byshop of Rome had proroged tyll Easter of this yeare But seyng than that none would come he publisheth his letters the tenth of Iune wherin he prorogeth the counsell no more but suspendeth it at his owne pleasure and senate of his Cardinalles The kyng of Englande had certen monethes before set forth another wryttyng touching this Synode of Uicence and declareth howe the Byshop deludeth the whole worlde For where he excused hym selfe by the Duke of Mantua it was a playne mockery For seing he taketh vppon hym so great anothoritie why did he not compelle hym If he coulde not wherfore shoulde he commaunde men to come to a place vncerten and the whiche is not in his power Nowe albeit he hathe chosen Uicence for the same pourpose yet is there no doubt but the 〈…〉 enetians men of so great wysdome wyll no more suffer their citie to be pestred with suche a multitude without garmsons of Souldiours than woulde the Duke of Mantua and that in fyne there wylbe as small resorte thether as was to Mantua There fore it is but delusion what so euer he doeth neyther oughte he to be permitted in this dissolute lybertie any longer There is nothynge in dede better nor more commodious than a lawfull counsell But whan they are applied vnto priuate lucre and commoditie and to the establyshynge of certen mens aucthoritie they brynge a wonderfull destruction to the common wealth Whan the name of the counsell and of the churche was nowe common in euery mans mouthe Luther setteth forth a booke of either of them in the vulgare speache And fyrst he treatefh of the assemblie of the Apostles at Hierusalem whiche is mentioned in the .xv. of the actes After he reciteth the contrary opinions of the Doctours especially Austen and Ciprian concernyng baptisme by the same occasion he maketh mention of those lawes that are called the Canons of the Apostles and proueth by manifest reasons that thei be false and countrefeated and those that geue them that tytle to deserue death Than doeth he recite in ordre those foure counselles which were of chiefe authoritie the counsell of Nyce Constantinople Ephesus and Calcedonie And declareth for what causes they assēbled ther and what they decreed in euery of them After he commeth to the principall question and sheweth what is the aucthoritie of a. counsell Wherfore he sayeth howe a counsel maye not confirme any newe doctryne nor commaunde any newe worke neyther bynde mens myndes with newe ceremonies not to intermedle with ciuile gouernementes nor to make any decrees to establysh the authoritie of a few But the dutie therof to be to abolyshe and condemne newe opinions contrary to holy Scripture and newe ceremonies whether they be superstitious or vnprofitable for the churche And suche thynges as are brought in controuersie to examine and determine after the written text of Gods worde After this he diffineth the churche sheweth by what tokens it ought to be knowen and by a comparyson made declaring what Christe and his Apostles taught he sayeth howe the Byshop of Rome whiche hath brought into the churche a farre cōtrary doctrine and by wicked meanes hath pylled the whole world with intollerable exactions ought to be condempned and dryuen to make restitution Amonges diuerse other thynges wherby in the same boke he declareth what blyndenes men were led into vnder the Byshop of Rome and howe shameful and vyle was the Religion he sayeth how it was come thus farre that a monke or a freers wede was thought to be sufficient to bryng a man to eternall lyfe And manye not onlye meane folkes but also great Prynces would be buried in a freers garment Those that shall come after peraduenture wyl not beleue it but yet is it true and wont to be commonly done in Italy And in our me mory Fraunces Marques of Mantua the seconde of that name put into his last wylle that he myght be buried in a gray freers cote The same did Albertus Pius Prynce of Carpes in Paris And Christopher Longelie a Bourgonnion buried at Padwey a man excellently learned and a great Ciceronian who also wrote an Oration against the Lutherians in lyke case as Alberte did diuers against Erasmus of Roterdame Immediatly after the death of Duke George Henry the Duke of Brunswycke rydeth to the Emperour into Spayne thorowe Fraunce About the same tyme Henry the eyght kyng of Englande calleth a Parliament wherein amōges other thinges were enacted certen decrees for Religiō called the syxe Articles as followeth that vnder the four me of bread and wyne was the true and natural body and bloud of Christe and that after the wordes of consecration there remayned no more substaunce of bread and wyne that the receiuing of the whole supper of the Lorde was not necessary to saluation and that Christ is wholy cōteyned vnder both kyndes How it is not lawful for priestes to marry That the vowes of chastitie ought to be perfourmed That priuate masses were to be reteyned That auricular confession is good and necessary To suche as thought and did otherwyse was appoynted punyshement dewe for heretikes And the same tyme the kynge stoode in termes to marry the Lady Anne of Cleue a mayde of an excellent beautie which after she was affianced within a few monthes was sent to Caleis whether the kyng had sent the Lorde Admirall others with his shyppes to receyue her and transporte her into Englande But he hymselfe accompanied with all the Nobles and Gentlemen of the Realme receiued her vpō blacke Heath and brought her to Grenewitche where shortly after they were married by the Archebyshop of Canturbury Some saye howe the Bishoppes had perswaded the kyng to cōsent to the syxe Articles to the intent they myght bring the Archebyshop of Cantorburye and the Lorde Crumwell whiche were great fauourers of Religion out of aucthoritie creditie This yeare in the mōth of August Barbarousse the Turkes Lieutenaunt taketh by assiege Castelneufe a towne in Slauonie borderinge vpon the Goulfe of Uenise and sleying all the Souldiours leadeth awaye many captiue A yere before in the moneth of October the Emperour and the Uenetians beyng of one confederacie had wonne it And the Emperour in dede put in a garrison of foure thousand Spanyardes and made captayne Fraunces Sarmiento Whiche chaunced to the Uenetians contrary to their expectation for that they sayde the town standing in that coaste ought rather to be theirs Therfore not longe after when they more more mislyked this societie and sawe it wold be very daungerours for them aske truce of the Turke and obteyne it In maner at the same tyme arose
same should be longer wanting so many learned men not only of Germany but also of foreine nations instantly requiringe me that I wold gratify them herein There be comming doubtlesse moste greuous commotions and wonderful alterations Which thing also the holy Scripture dothe nether doubtfullye nor daroklye Prognosticate and the present state of thinges doth plainly signify so that such as will applye theyr minde here vnto shall not want matter to wryte of but the same cause that moued me to wryte that is publicke vtility the self same perswadeth me nowe also that some thinges as I haue written and be comprised in these xxvi bookes I shoulde suffer to come abrode into others mens handes And this my labor and all my pains taken I wil dedicate whole vnto you moosie excelient Prince whiche are descended of that noble house and familie whiche fyrsto gaue harborow and refuge to thys Religion whose father did earnestly imbrace the same whose brother for the education of youth in true Religion and learning imploied a wonderful substaunce whose father in law for the self same cause hath a famous name among kinges And for so much as you also walke in these theyr fotesteps to your great commendation this worke which I hope wil profite many I trust will be to you also not vnpleasaunt The liuing God preserue your highnes safe and healthful Geuen the .x. Kalends of April in the yeare of our Lord. 1555. The first Boke ⧠The firste Booke of Sleidans Commentaries concerning the state of Religion and the common wale during the reigne of the Emperour Charles the fyfte The argument of the fyrst Booke THe Pardon 's graunted by Byshop Leo Luther reproueth by preachyng and wryting of proposicions and Letters sent to Tharchbishoppe of Ments the which are fyrst unpugned by Frete Tckell and Eckins and after by Siluester Prier as Hogestrate Upō this the Pope sendeth Cardinal Caietane taduertise Thēperour Maximilian to cite Luther to Rome but Fridericke Duke of Saxon founde the meanes that Luther aunswered Caietane at Auspurge The Cardinal what with threatenynges and what with thalligations of decrees mainteyneth thauthoritie and supremacie of the Pope Luther at his depertynge thence set by an Appellation Caietane solliciteth by letters the Duke of Saxon but in vaine whiche the Pope perceyuing publisheth a new remission of synnes by pardons And to wynne Duke Fridericke sendeth him a goldē Rose In the meane tyme dieth Maximilian and great suite and meane was made taspire vnto thempire whiche in fine Charles of Austriche atchieued and word was sent him into Spaine The golden bulle lawes of Thempire are here recited Erasmus commendeth Luther And at the same time that the disputacion was at Lipsia Zwinglius preached at Zuricke and as Luther had don resisteth a perdoner there one Samson agraye Frere THE Bishoppe of Rome Leo the tenth of that name a Florentine borne after the vsurped auethoritie of his predecessours which he pretēded to haue ouer all Churches had sent forth into al realmes vnder his Bulles of Lead indulgēces pardōs wherein he promysed cleane remissyon of synnes and euerlastynge saluation to all suche as would gyue money for the same for the leuiyng wherof he sent his Collectours into all Prouinces who gathered together and heaped vp great treasures in all places but speciallye in in Germanie And affirmed their doynges to be good bothe in wordes and writyng which pardons the Papistes call by an olde accustomed terme indulgences Grauntyng moreouer for money licences to eate whitmeat and fleshe on daies prohibited The same time was Martin Luther an Augustine Frere and professed diuinitie in the Uniuersitie of Wittemberge who beynge not a little tickled with the preachinges fonde bokes of these collectours for that he sawe howe the simple people beleued the thinges to be true that they bragged of began to admonishe men to be more ware and circumspecte and not to bie their marchaundise so dere For that the same which they bestowed vpon such trifles might be much better emploied This was in the yeare of our lorde a thousande fiue hondreth and seuentene And to thintent he might woorke the thynge to more effect he wrote also to the Archebyshop of Mentz the firste of Nouembre signifying both what they taught and also lamenting that the ignoraunt people should be so far abused as to put the whole trust of their saluation in pardons and to thinke that what wickednes so euer they had committed it should by them be forgeuen And that the soules of them that were tormented in Purgatory so soone as the mony were cast into their boxe should straight wayes flie vp into heauen and fele no more payne he sheweth him how Christ cōmaunded that the Gospell should be taught and that it is the propre office of a Byshop to see that the people be rightly instructed Wherfore he putteth him in remēbraunce of his dutie and prayeth him that for the authoritie whiche he beareth he would eyther put those prattelinge pardoners to silence or els prescribe them a better order in teachinge lest a further inconuenience might growe vpon the same as doubtles there wil doo vnlesse they be inhibited The cause why he wrote vnto him was that for so muche as he was also Byshop of Maydenburg the care of al such matters belonged vnto him And with these letters he sent certen questiōs whiche he had lately set vp at Wittenberg there to be disputed to the nombre of foure score and fiftene In the whiche he reasoneth muche of purgatory of true penaunce of the dutie of charitie and of their indulgences and pardōs at large and inueigheth against their out rageouse preachinges only of a certen desyre to boulte trie out the truth For he prouoked all men to come to that disputation that hadde anye thinge to saye and such as could not be there present he desyred to send their myndes in wrytinge protesting that he would affirme nothing but submitte him selfe and the whole matter to the iudgement of holy churche Neuerthelesse he sayd how he woulde not admitte Thomas of Aquine and suche other lyke writers but so farre foorth as they be consonaunt to holy Scripture and decrees of the auncient fathers To this the byshop aunswered not a woords But shortly after Iohn Tecela Frere Dominick set vp other conclusions at Franckford quite contrary to those of Luthers wherin he extolleth the supremacie of the Byshop of Rome with the frute of his pardōs and other lyke thinges in so muche as he compareth him with Peter the Apostle the crosse whiche he commaundeth to be set vp in churches with the crosse that Christ suffered vpon But where as no man of the cōtrary parte wold repeare to the disputacion at Wittenberge the questions were suche as many were destrous to reade Luther wrote a longe exposition of the same and sent them first to Hierome byshop of Braundenburge and to one Stupice Prouinciall of
that he whiche is a Germain him selfe wil naturally for the coūtrie sake in so honest a matter be helpfull to an other Germaine that is in a maner oppressed and in daunger of his lyfe Besydes this intercession of his frendes Duke Fredericke deuised so with the Cardinall at Auspurge that Luther should not nede to trauayle to Rome but should come and pleed his cause before Caietane there Who comming thether in the begynnyng of October remayned there thre dayes before he spake with the Cardinall For after Duke Friderick was gone homewarde he was aduised by his frendes not to come in the Cardinalles fyght before the Emperour Maximilian had graunted him a saufe conduicte whiche obtayned he was gently receyued of the Cardinal who sayd that he would not contende with him in disputacion but frendly appease the controuersy And according to the Byshops of Roomes commaundemente he propoundeth two thinges first that he should come to amēdement and reuoke suche errours as he had published secondlye that from henceforth he abstayne from suche wrytinges as disturbe the trā quillitie of the churche Hereunto doeth Luther make aunswer that he is priuie to no errour but if he hath erred in any thyng he desyreth it maye be shewed him wherein There the Cardinall chargeth hym that he affirmeth in his questions howe the merites of oure sauioure Christe consiste not in the treasures of pardons whiche sentence saith he is against the decree of Clemēt the syxte Moreouer that vnto those that come to receiue the Sacramēt faith should be necessary wherby they myght be assured that their synnes were forgeuen neyther is this true sayeth the Cardinall Luther aunswered how he had read that decree of the Byshop shewed what his mynde is touching the same and where as mention was made of Thomas of Aquine he affirmeth that the authoritie of Scripture is to be preferred farre aboue hym Than the Cardinall extolling the Byshop of Romes authoritie preferreth him aboue all Scriptures and counselles recityng howe the coūsell whiche had determined the contrary was abrogated he condemneth also Gerson of Paris and the fauourers of his opinion Contrariwyse Luther denieth the authoritie of the byshop to be aboue the coūsell alledging emonges others the diuines of Paris to be of his opiniō After long disputacion where as they could not agree Luther asketh some deliberation The next day he retourneth And in the presence of the Secretary and certain other witnesses and foure also of the Emperours counsell he protesteth that he beareth all dew reuerence to the holy churche of Rome And if he haue spoken any thyng against the same he wyll not haue it ratified Howbeit for as much as he is admonished and commaundeth to forsake his errours and to abstayne from henceforth he supposeth that he hath spoken nothing that swarueth either from holy Scripture or the opinions of the auncient fathers the decrees of the byshoppes or also from ryght reason Yet will he not denye but that he may erre and be disceiued for so may euery man And therfore he committeth the hearing to the lawfull and holy churche referryng the whole matter to the iudgement of the same And not that only but he wil also rendre a reason of his doctrine in any place If this may not suffise he wil make aunswere in wryting to such argumentes as may be brought against him and will not refuse to stande in iudgement herein of the vniuersities of Germany and Paris The Cardinal charged him againe as he had done the daye before with the decree of Clement as though it made muche for him In fine he permitteth hym to deliuer vp a wryting theffect wherof was this What time he set vp his questions and after wrote an exposition of the same 〈…〉 had red the decree of Clement before but his mynde was not therewith satisfied For although it be established that the decrees of the Byshop of Rome should be aswell receiued as the voyce of Peter the Apostle Yet ought this so to be taken in as muche as thei be consonaunt to holy scripture and agreable to the decrees of the auncient fathers There is no doubt but the voyce of Peter is sacred and holy yet was he soore rebuked of Paule neyther coulde his doctrine be receiued tofore the consente of the Churche whiche was than at Hierusalem hadde establyshed it The wordes of all men may be hearde but all thinges must be referred to the wordes of Christ who only can not be disceaued That decrees is against sondrye places of Scripture and that was the cause whiche he at that tyme brought in the same question and afterwarde was not affraied to make an exposition to the same Euer synce that tyme he was fully resolued to stire vp no further disputation concernyng that matter but rather to heare the opinion of others but now albeit he had leuer be instructed of others especially of the Byshop of Roome Yet for as muche as he is constrained of necessitie to defende his owne he wyl proue and do the best he can to make the same decree and his questions to accorde Whan he had made this preface before him he goeth to the matter if selfe and by a certain expositiō made sheweth howe that decree maketh for his purpose but yet so as he would neither that the Bishoppes authoritie nor his owne estimation should be therby infringed After this he commeth to the seconde parte of hys accusation and alledging for his purpose many places of Scripture declareth playnly howe it is faith that maketh vs iust before GOD. Wherfore he desyreth him to deale fauourably with him shewe hym his errour For the force of thinges whiche he had alledged out of the scriptures was so muche that he beleueth them to be sufficiently groūded vpon their owne truthe whiche he can not forsake for so much as we ought rather to obey God then mē And therfore he requireth that may be released of the harde burthen of recantynge for he came not in to this contencion vpon any arrogancie or desyre of vayn glorie Yea he would wyshe for nothing more than that the truthe might be opened and that any man els myght bryng that were moore learned and godly her of he beseched him that he may not be cōpelled to hurt his own conscience The Cardinall receiued this wryting offered vnto him by Luther and whan he had red it estemed it lyghtly yet he promysed to sende it to the Byshop of Rome Than he vrged him muche to recant And vnlesse he so doe he threateneth him with the punishment appointed already by the byshop And also commaundeth him out of his sight and vnlesse he amende his maners to come no more in his presence After this threatening whiche was the .xvij. day of Octobre Luther wrote vnto him gentle letters ful of good wil and dutie For Caietane after he had thus chidden Luther sent him away wrought secretly with Iohn Stupice Prouincial of the Augustine
of the Gospel who being apprehended by the cōmaundemēt of the byshop of Passauie defendeth these opinions that faythe onlye doth iustifie that there be only two Sacramentes Baptisme and the Lordes supper the Masse to be no sacrifice not to profite the quicke nor the dead The confession of Syns to depende of counsell and not of commaundement that Christe only hath made satisfaction for synnes That the vowe of chastitie byndeth not That the scripture maketh no mention of Purgatory That there is no difference of dayes That the dead be not intercessours for vs That in diuine thinges mā hath not free wyll When he was examined he woulde haue declared these thynges to the people more at large but he coulde not be suffered Emonges other there was Eckius who reasoned altogether in Latin that the people should not vnderstand but the other answered him in the vulgare tongue neither yet coulde he cause him to doe the lyke In fyne being condempned by the byshops owne mouthe for an heretyke he was burnt the .xvj. of August by the commaundement of William Duke of Bauar vnto whose iurisdiction he was cōmitted after his condempnation for the byshop lest he shoulde in deede defile the sacred thynges and become prophane and irregular gyueth not sentence of lyfe and death What tyme Ferdinando who was the Emperours depute in Germany was after the death of kyng Lewis created kyng of Boheme and contended with Uaynode of transiluania for the kyngdome of Hongary Philip of Baden substituted in his place appointed a counsell of the Empyre in Cesars name cōmaunding them to be at Regēsburg at the beginning of Marche in the yeare followyng to consulte of Religion and the Turkyshe warre The senate and people of Bernes whiche are of moste fame and power emōges the Swycers cōsydering howe the dissention about religion encreased daily and that the Ministers of the churche not at all one doctrine doe assigne an other disputation within their Citie at the .xvij. of Decembre And settyng it forth in wryting called vnto the same all the byshops nere about them as the byshoppes of Constance Basyll Sedune and Losanna Warnyng them to come them selues and brynge their diuines with them or els to lose all their possessions that they haue with in the precincte of their lymites After this they nombre the clergie with in their iurisdiction appoyntyng that the Scripture onely of the olde and newe Testament shoulde be of force and authoritie To all that wyll come thether they graunt saufe conduicte And make this lawe that all thynge be done quietlye wythout chydynge and brawlynge that euery man shoulde speake his mynde frelye and pronounce it in suche sorte as euerye mans sayinges myght be written And what so euer shold there be agreed vpō that the same shold be ratified obserued through out al their domions And to thintent men myght know what thynges shoulde be decided and comme thether all prepared they propounded ten conclusiōs which the ministers of their church Fraunces Colbe and Bertholde Haller dyd professe and sayde they would proue by the Scriptures Whiche are these that the trewe churche wherof Christe is the only head procedeth of Gods word perseuereth in the same and heareth none other mans voyce that this self same church maketh no lawes without Gods worde therfore are we not otherwyse bounden to mens traditions bearyng the name of the churche but in as muche as they be consonant to Gods worde that Christe only hath made satisfactiō for the synnes of the whole worlde Therfore if any man say that there is any other waye of saluation or meane to put away synne the same dothe denye Christe howe it can not be proued by the testimonie of Scripture that the body and bloud of Christ is really and corporally receiued that the vse of Masse wherin Christ is presented and offered to his heauenly father for the quicke and the dead is against the Scripture and a contumelie to the sacrifice which Christ offered vp for vs that only Christ is to be called vpō as the mediatour and aduocate of mankynde to God the father that there should be any place after this lyfe wherin soules should be pourged is not to be founde in the Scriptures wherfore all those prayers and ceremonies yearely Diriges and Obites whiche are bestowed vpon the dead also Lampes Tapers and suche other thynges profite nothyng at all That any image or lykenes should be set vp to be worshypped is against the holy Scriptures therfore if they be errected in churches for that intent they ought to be taken downe That matrimony is to no kynde of men prohybited but for to auoyde fornication is commaunded and permitted vnto all men by holy wrytte Where as euery whoremonger is euen by the testimony of Scripture sequestred from the communiō of the churche That the syngle life vnchast and fylthy is moste vnsemely for the order of priesthode What tyme the men of Bernes had wrytten their letters concernynge these matters vnto all the Heluetians exhortyng them both to sende their learned men and to suffer all others to passe saufelye through their countreis the Lucernates Uranites Unterualdians Engianes Glareōs Soloturnians and they of Friburg exhorte them with long letters to leaue their enterpryse sayinge that it is not lawfull for any nation or prouince to alter the state of religion but the same to belonge to a generall counsell wherfore they desyre them that they wold attempte no suche wycked acte but contine we in the religion whiche their parentes and elders haue obserued Fynally they saye that neyther they wyll sende nor suffer any of their men to come nor graunt saufecōduit to any others to passe through their countrey All this not with standyng the men of Bernesse procede in this matter and at the daye prescribed whiche was the .vij. of Ianuary begynne their disputation There came none of the byshops before named They of Basyll Zuricke Abbecell also the Shafusiās Sangallians Mullusiās their neighbours of Rhetia sent theirs moreouer thei of Strausborough Ulmes Auspurg Lindaue Constance and Isne dyd lykewyse The doctours of the same citie before named began the disputation their conclusions defended Zwynglius Oecolampadius Bucer Capito Blanrer and diuers others And there impugned them emonges others Conrade treger an Austen freer of great fame who at the laste what tyme he sought for helpe besydes the Scriptures and the maisters of the disputation would not permitte hym so to doe for that it was forbydden by the lawe he departed out of the place The disputation ended the .xxvj. of Ianuary and the forsayde conclusions approued by the common assente of the moste parte were ratified and obserued not only at Bernes but also proclaimed by the magistrates in sondry places there aboutes Masses Aultars Images abolyshed in all places They of Constance had chaunged certen thynges before And when they had made a lawe against whoredome adultrye and dishonest or
freers that he shuld induce him to recant of his own accorde Wherfore Luther in the same letters maketh mention what Stupice did with him verely omitting nothing that becōmeth a faithfull and frendly man to dooe he geueth him thankes for his beneuolence towardes him whiche he perceiueth well by the talke of Stupicious wherby doubtles he was much comforted so that nowe he would gratifie no man more rather than hym he graunteth that he was ouer quicke and had to little regarde to the Byshop of Rome his authoritie Howe be it the same is to be imputed to the importunitie of the Collectours he desyreth to be forgeuen this fault and promyseth to be more modeste hereafter and affirmeth also that he wyll in his sermons satisfie the Byshops request And as cōcerning indulgences he wil speake no more therof so that his aduersaries may be lykewyse commaunded to silence How be it to reuoke his sentence already taught and defended he can not with a safe conseience tyll suche tyme as by the testimonies of holy scripture he be cōdemned of errour He therfore requyreth that the hearing of the matter may be referred to the Byshop of Rome for there is nothing ran dooe hym more pleasure than to heare the voyce of the churche Whan the Cardinall would make none aunswere to these letters and had manased him in wordes through the counsell of his frendes he departed thence two dayes after leauing behind him an Appellation to be openlye set vp about the tyme of his departure And or euer he went he wrote agayne to the Cardinall that he hath done what he was able howe he came on foote being sickly a longe iournaye to Auspurg to the intent he might declare his dutie towardes the Byshop of Rome And nowe hauing litle monye left and being lothe to be longer chargeable to the house of the white freres his host he is dryuen to retourne and the rather for that he can not abyde his sight and hath forboden him his presens Wherefore all his freindes in a maner had counsailed him to appeale from him to the Bishoppe him selfe whiche he woulde not haue done but by the aduise of his freindes And chifely because that he supposeth that Duke Friderick had also rather that some appellatiō were made than that any thinge should be rashely or vnaduisedly reuoked The appellation was made muche after this sort How that same question touching Indulgences hath bene diuersely handled of many but neuer throughly determined And that in suche doubtefull questions it hath bene alwayes lawfull namely for Diuines to reason which thing also he did at the selfe same time whan certein clamorous Pardoners did not onely write and teache rashely and vncircumspectlye but also polled the people exceadingly and yet did he this not to affirme anye thinge but to trie out the trueth he committed also the whole controuersie to the iudgemente of learned men and euen to the Bishoppe of Rome but his Pardonars haue inuented such sclaunders against him and haue complayned so sore to the Byshoppe and brought the matter to suche passe at the last that the matter was committed to the Bishop of Ascula Syluester Prierias by whō he was cited to Rome but for so much as both these wer suspected the one of thē also vnfit to be iudge in such a matter Moreouer if he shold haue gone to Rome no mā douted but he shold haue ben in great daūger of his lif And last for that he was cōmaūded by his prince to remain at home for these causes also for such feare as may come vpō the most cōstant mā liuing he had desyred duke Friderick to bring to passe that the hearyng of the matter might be referred to some skilful and fitte men in Germany in a place not suspected nor subiect to iniurie Wherfore the Bishop of Rome hath committed the whole matter to his Ambassador Cardinal Caietane whiche doubtles was done at the instaunce of his aduersaries whiche knewe alreadye the mynde and wyll of the Cardinall And all thoughe he myghte not wythoute iuste cause be suspected yet dyd he obey but the Cardinall by and by at the fyrste metynge commaunded him to reuoke his workes whereunto he aunswered that he woulde iustifye that that he had done eyther in present disputation or by writinge And yet would submit the whole matter not onely to the vniuersities but also to the iudgement of the churche of Rome But he with al these thynges beynge nothing satisfied commaunded him styll to recante And where he coulde not bringe on the same he threatened with greuous punishment bothe him and others also that were of his opinion Therfore where as he findeth him selfe sore greued with suche preiudices he doeth appeale from the Byshoppe of Rome not well infourmed in this matter to the Bishop that shal be better instructed in the same And this he protesteth openlye Furthermore that same decree of Clement is to be founde in that parte of the Cannon lawe that is called extrauagaunte There Clemente appoynteth the yere of Iubile which Boniface the eight had ordained euery hundreth yeare to be nowe euerye fiftithe yeare and speakinge of the benefite of our sauioure Christe he sayeth howe that one droppe of Christes bloud had bene sufficient to haue redemed all man kynde wherefore the ouerplus he hathe left as a treasure wyth Peter and his successours to dyspose and distribute vpon penitente personnes that confesse theyr synnes lyke good Stewardes and so to releue them from Temporall punisshemente dewe vnto them for theyr synnes Moreouer and besyde the merittes of the Uirgin Marie and of all Sainctes belonge vnto thys place saieth he so that the matter and power of remyttynge synnes is vnmeasurable Wherefore vpon this decree Caietaine groundeth the authoritie of pardons But Luther sayth howe that there was nothyng committed to Peter and hys successours besydes the keyes and ministration of the worde wherein Christ commaundeth that through the trust in him the remissiō of sinnes shold be shewed to the beleuers And this to be the true sence meanyng of Scripture And if the decree of Clement meane thus he can be content otherwise he can not alow the same And that whiche is spoken moreouer of the merites of Saintes is wholy agaynst the holy Scriptures For men what soeuer they be can not onely not do more than they oughte but also not so muche as they are bounden neither are they saued by their owne merites but by the sole and mere mercy of God for all men must pray dayly that God the father will forgeue vs our offences and that he stand not in iudgement agaynst vs lest we be damned Touchynge that whiche the Cardinall inferreth for the authoritie of the Byshoppe of Rome thus standeth the case It was enacted in the fourth and fifte syttyng of the coūsell of Constaunce that the Bishop of Rome him selfe should obey the decrees of the Synode The same was afterwarde established and repeted
not to enter into any disputation with thee but to treate frēdly with thee and priuatly to admonishe thee touching thine owne profyt For the Emperour hath geuen them leaue so to do And fyrst it may be that counsels haue taught dyuerse thinges but not contrary And albeit they haue erred yet is not theyr authoritie so decaied herby that euery man may treade it vnder foote Thy bokes if it be not well loked to wyll styrre vp greate trouble For many interprete the same which thou hast written of Christen libertie after theyr owne affections to the entent they maye do what they lyste This worlde is nowe more corrupte than it hath bene here tofore And therfore men must worke more warely There be some of thy workes that can not be reproued but it is to be feared lest the Deuill in the meane tyme petswade thee to set forth others agaynste Religion and godlines that so thy bokes may be altogether condemned For those that thou hast set forth last declare ryght well how the tree is to be knowen by the fruites and not by the blosome Thou art not ignoraunt how diligently the Scripture warneth vs to beware of the noone Deuill and the fliynge Arrowe that enemye of mankynde ceaseth not to lye in waite for vs and many times vnder a Godly pretence intrappeth and leadeth vs awaye into errour Therefore thou oughtest to consider bothe thine owne saluation and other mens and it would become thee to foresee lest suche as Christ hath through hys death redemed from death euerlastynge beyng through thy faulte bokes and prechinges seduced from the Churche perishe againe the dignitie of the which Church all men ought to acknowledge reuerently For in all the world is there nothing better thā the obseruation of the lawes And lyke as no cōmō weale consisteth wtout lawes euen so vnlesse the moste holy decrees of our forefathers be reuerently kept there shall be nothing more troublesome than the state of the Church which should be most quiet and stable These noble and vertuouse Princes here present for the singular zeale they beare to the commō weale and for thy cause and wealth also thoughte good to admonisshe thee of all these thinges For doubtles if thou wylte perseuer thus obstinatlye in thine opinion and not relent the Emperour wyll bannishe thee out of the Empire and wyll forbyd thee to haue anye restynge place of Germany to the ende thou maiest the better consyder thine owne state Wherunto Luther replied For this your great good will and gentlenes most noble Princes shewed vnto me I gyue you most hertye thankes for certenlye I am a man of a baser sorte than that it shoulde beseme so noble men to take suche paines for me But as concernynge the Counsels I do not reprehende all but chiefly that of Constaunce and haue iuste cause so to do For Husse defyned the Churche to be the fellowshippe of Gods electe bothe this and that saying of his he beleued the holy Churche they condemned also more worthy them selues to be condemned for he spake bothe truely and like a Christen man Therfore I will suffer any punishement yea spend my life sooner than I will swarue from the manifest worde of God for we muste rather obey God then men touching the offence that connneth by my bookes I neyther can nor ought to eschewe For the offences of Charitie and of faythe differ much wherof that which consisteth in life and maners must in anye wyse be auoyded but thother whiche cleaueth to Godes worde is not to be regarded for the trewth will and commaundemēt of the heauenly father must be accomplished though the whole world should be offended The Scripture calleth Christ himselfe the stone of offence And the same appertayneth also likewise to all suche as preach the Gospell I knowe that we ought to obey lawes and Magistrates and so haue I euermore taught the people also my writinges do sufficiently beare witnes howe muche I do ascribe to the dignitie of the lawes But as touchyng the decrees of the churche there is an other consideration to be had For if Gods word were taught sincerely if the Bishops pastours of the church did their dewtie like as Christ his apostles haue ordeined it nede not to impose vnto mēs mindes consciēces that heauie intollerable burthē of mens traditiōs Moreouer I am ignorāt not how the scripture admonisheth vs to refrain our own affectiōs which thīg is truely spoken I wil be glad to perfourme it neither will I do any thinge obstinately so that I may onely professe the doctrine of the gospel Whan he had sayd thus he was cōmaunded to depart Whan they had consulted of the matter Ueus amonges other thinges began to perswade him to submitte his writynges to the knowledge of the Emperour and the princes content saith he I wil neuer seme to refuse the iudgemēt of Cesar and the states of thempire so it maye be done by Scripture and Gods worde whiche maketh so much for me that vnlesse the same do reproue my errour I can not forsake mine opinion For Paule commaundeth not to beleue an Aungel comming from heauen if he bringe an other doctrine Wherfore he besecheth the Princes that he might kepe a saufe conscience which if by theyr mediation to the Emperour he mighte obtayne he was content to do any thing Then said the Marques of Brādenburge Wilt thou not geue place except thou be conuict by Scripture No in dede saieth Luther or els by manyfest reasons Wherfore when the counsell was broken vp the Archbishoppe of Treuers toke him a parte and began to admonishe him againe but it might not preuaile The next day also he moued him to commit the iudgement vnto Cesar and to the senate of Princes without conditiō But it was in vaine At the after noone the Bishoppe and certeine others required him at the lest to submitte his workes to the nexte generall counsell He agreeth therunto so that the matter be handled by the Aucthoritie of Scripture After this the Archbishop in priuate talke with him alone demaunded of him what remedy would helpe this greuous disease He sayde the best counsell is that Gamaliel in tymes past gaue to the Scribes and Phariseis and not to contende with God In fyne when he coulde not preuaile he letteth him depart gently and sayd he would deuise for him that he should retourne home by saufeconduicte And not longe after commeth Eckius the Lawier and saieth vnto him For asmuche as thou hast refused the admonishmentes of Cesar and the Princes the Emperour from hence forth will do as to his office apperteineth and now commaūdeth thee to depart hence immediatly graunting thee one and twentie dayes for thy retourne looke what promise he made thee the same wil he kepe vnbroken charginge thee moreouer that in thy retourne home thou styrre vp no people by the way neither by word nor writing On this wise beyng suffered to depart
but no man can shewe it they haue often times required herin the Bishoppe of Constaunce of Basill and of Courtes certeine Uniuersities and them also but vnto this day ther is nothing done Therfore their Ministers gyue none occasion of diffention in the commō wealth but the Bishoppes and suche as for their owne profit teache that which is contrary to Godes worde For they deceiue the people offende God greuously which feare to lose any of theyr commodities and wer loth to forsake theyr pride and auarice As touchyng the eatyng of Egges and Fleshe Albeit it be free and not forbidden by Christ yet haue they made a lawe to auoide offence and rashenes God is the Aucthour of Matrimony and hath ordeined it for almen S. Paule also commaūdeth that the minister of the church should be the husband of one wife And sins that Bishoppes do permit priestes for money to kepe Concubines and Harlots by a filthy example And they neither can nor wyll be without women they thinke it not good to resist God who ordeyned holy wedlocke sufferyng them that haue not the gifte of Chastitie to marrie rather than in singlenes to lyue a fylthy lyfe Colledges and such other places were fyrst founded for the pore but now for the most part they possesse them which haue enough besides And often times it is sene that one hath as much as wold find many Wherfore they think it reasonable that suche goods were againe conuerted to the vse of the poore wherin notwithstandyng to vse this moderation that suche as be in possession already be permitted to enioye the rente during theyr liues leste any man shoulde haue cause to complaine That the Iewels of the Churche apperteine not to the trewe worshipping of God But this to be more acceptable vnto God what time the pore and nedye are releued The order of Priesthode is not of them dispised but muche set by in case they do their dewtie and teach syncerely But as for the rest of the rabble that doeth no good but harme If it be by litell and litel diminished without offence and theyr possessions put to some godly vse there is no doubte but the same woulde be vnto God most acceptable For whether that God do accept their singing and seruice in Latin it is muche to be doubted of For many of them vnderstande not what they say and yet are they hired to do the same The order of Monkes is the inuention of man and not the ordinaunce of God Howe muche Auricular confession is of valewe that numbreth the sinnes they wil leaue vndiscussed but that wherby trewe penitentes haue accesse vnto Christe theyr mediator they iudge not onely profitable but also necessary for consciences troubled and pressed down with the burthen of sinne And this to be trewly to repent when a mā doeth amende his life The Sacraments which were instituted of God are not of them contemned but had in great reuerence notwithstandyng they must be vsed accordyng vnto Gods worde and the Lordes supper not to so applied as if it were an oblation or a sacrifice And if the Clergie that thus complaineth can fynde out any error amonges thē or prone that they be hindred or empeched by thē they will make them amendes if not it were reason that they should be commaunded to do theyr dewtie that is to teache the treuth and to abstaine from sklaūdering of others Where as they desyre to be deliuered from the pillage and vsurped aucthoritie of the Bishoppe of Rome and his clientes they are exceadyng glad to heare it whiche thinge can be done by no meanes better than if Godes worde may be throughly receiued for so longe as theyr lawes and decrees shall take place let vs looke for no deliueraūce For it is onely the preaching of Gods word that shaketh theyr power and dignitie For the force of the Gospell and veritie is suche that they distrusting theyr owne strength seeke forthe aide of kynges Wherefore if they should in this case vse the helpe of Scripture it is requisite that the same be done lyke wise in all other thinges that all that God is offended with may be abolished for the reformation whereof they wyll be glad to bestowe not onely theyr trauaile counsel but their goods also for this would haue bene done longe syns Wherefore they desyre them to accept this in good part and to weighe it diligently They conet nothing more than peace and quiotnesse and will do nothing contrary to theyr league But in this case which concerneth theyr euerlastyng saluation they can not otherwise do vnlesse theyr errour can be detected they desyre them therfore that if they thinke theyr doctrine to be against the Scriptures it maye be shewed them before the ende of Maye For so longe will they tary for an answere from them and frō the Byshoppes and also from the Universitie of Basill In the meane while the Bishoppe of Constaunce calling a conuotion made a boke to answere them of Zuricke the ende wherof was to declare that where the Scripture speaketh againste Images it is to be vnderstand onely of the Idoles that were amonges the Iewes and Gentiles And that the Images receyued of the churche are to be kept styll Then treateth he of the Masse the which he proueth by many testimonies of Bishoppes of Rome and theyr coūsels to be an oblation and a sacrifice This boke sendeth he to Zuricke the fyrst daye of Iune exhortynge the Senate with many weightie wordes that they neither take downe theyr Images nor abrogate the Masse nor suffer the people to be taught otherwise The Senate make the answere the eighteneth day of Auguste howe that they are glad that he hathe setforth this booke for now it shall appere whether partie defendeth the iuster quarell After they declared the mindes of theyr learned menne teaching the contrary by the Scriptures But before they wrote an aunswer the Senate had commaunded throughout theyr incisdiction all Images to betaken downe brent Yet without any trouble this was in the moneth of Iune and within a fewe monethes after the Canons of Zuricke make a compact with the Senate and order was taken how the landes and goods of their Colledge should be imploied The Emperor sent to the Counsel at Norinberge Iohn Hawnart and complainyng that the decree made at Worines by their common assent and counsell was broken to the great losse of Germany he commaunded that from hence forth it should be diligentlye obserued The Princes answer that they wyll do herein what they can Finally the .xviij. of Aprill it was there decreed that by the assent of the Emperour the Bishop of Rome so shortly as might be shoulde all a free counsel in Germanye in some place conueniente That the estates of the Empire do assemble at Spires the xi of Nouember there to consult what they shall folowe vntill the begynninge of the counsell That the Princes shall assigne
alwayes and to take hede that there be not such a flamme kyndled that shall set all Germany on a fyre For certainly our offences wherewith we haue styrred gods wrath agaist vs are so manifest that we ought to be afrayde of euery lyttle sturre muche more whan so great a number of ennemies are assembled to offer battell Lenytie and gentlenes can tourne you to no losse and if it should yet after it wyll restore you the same with the aduauntage but if you go to it by force it shal peraduenture be in great hasarde And where as you may preuayle more by other meanes why wyll you venter with so great daunger Their requestes be twelue wherof some be so agreable to reason and equitie that you maye haue good cause to be ashamed They demaūde first of all that the minister of the churche may be ordeyned lawfully suche as can preache gods worde And albeit they haue a respect herein to their owne priuate commoditie in asmuche as they would pay hym his stipende of other mens tythes Yet is it against reason it shold be denied for it is lawefull for no magistrate to keepe their people from the doctrine of the Gospell Others that concerne seruices droictes and such lyke thinges are grounded also vpon reason For it is not the parte of a Magistrate to vexe orpille the people but rather to maynteine and preserue their wealth and substaunce But now there is no ende of pillage and howe should this continue Certainly ye ought to leaue this exaction and refraine your prodigalitie and riot that the poore maye haue some thyng more to releue their great mysery When he had thus admonyshed eyther parte seuerally he wryteth an epistle common to both And for so muche as eyther partie maynteyneth an euyll quarel he aduyseth them to laye downe their weapons and put it to arbitrement declaryng vnto the Magistrates howe cruell euer and howe bloudy the ende of Tyrauntes hath ben and agayne to the people how vnfortunate and myserable hath bene the successe and wyndyng vp of commotioners whiche haue taken armure and standen in a defence with the hyghe powers One thynge he lamenteth exceadyng that seing they warre on eyther syde with an euyll conscience the Princes to establyshe their Tyranny the others sediciously to accomplyshe their wycked desyre they should lose their owne soules so many as peryshe in this warre After he bewaileth the state of germany which through this ciuile warre should vtterly be destroyed for to begyn warre is an easy matter but we can not so wel ende the same when we wolde He admonysheth them therfore to absteyne and not to leaue to their poste ritie the state of the common wealth so full of trouble bloudshed by force of armes can nothing be done to continewe by the amendemēt of lyfe very much he exhorteth them to committe the whole matter to the hearyng and determening of certayn good mē chosen for the same purpose That the Princes would remitte somewhat of their ryght that the people againe should followe good coūsell and leaue out some of their demaundes This to be his aduise and counsell whiche vnlesse they woulde folowe he would gyue them the lokyng on for to be on eyther syde were vnlawfull seyng the people moue warre agaynst their Prynces as the oppressours of their wealth and ryches And the Princes agayne with the people as with theues and murtherers that do also iniury vnto the name of Christ In this ther obstinate fiercenes he wyll praye vnto God that eyther he would shewe some waye to accorde them or els to subuerte their counsell and all their enterpryses Howe be it after all these wonders he feareth that the wrath of God shall no we no more be mitigated than what tyme he declared by Ieremy that his wrath and displeasure should not be aswaged no not at the instaunt prayers of moste holy men but that he woulde plage the Iewyshe nation wherefore he would wyshe for nothyng more than that they would amende and serue God in feare and tremblyng that at the lest wyse the plage hangyng ouer vs myghte be differred and aswaged Whylest he endeuoured thus to appease the tumulte they that were in Franckony and indiuers other places marchynge forewarde sodainly warred not only against the papistes but against the nobilitie also and did muche mischief as is she wed before Then Luther in an other wrytyng exhorteth all men that they would come to destroye these wycked theues and paracides in lyke case as they woulde come to quenche a commen fyre who haue moste shamefully broken their fayth to their Princes taken other mens goodes by force and cloke al this abomination wickednes with the couer of Christianitie which is the vylest and moste vnworthiest thing that can be imagined And after that he hath confuted their reasons as is before rehersed he byddeth the Princes not doubte nor feare to set vpon and destroye that seditious Rabble for it apertayneth chiefly to their dutie and not they only but also euery pryuate mā may kylle a seditious persone by what meanes he can for that there can be no more pestilent thyng in the publique wealth than sedition so long as they protested not to be obstinate but to be reformed by the testimonies of Scrypture or by them that coulde instructe them with better thynges he durst not be bolde to condempne them but nowe sythe the thinge it selfe declareth that they dyd nothyng but dissemble he must also chaunge his style And therfore he ryngeth a larme and admonysheth all men to set vpon thē and destroye as if they were so many wylde beastes This booke dyd many discommende in all places as to earnest and cruell but he aunswereth in the defence therof maintaining his opiniō that none of them ought to be pardoned no not they whiche were cōstrayned by others if they haue done any thynge sediciously sauynge those only whiche beyng ones admonyshed were content to rendre yelde them selues I tolde you before howe the Emperour by his letters sent out of Spayne did inhibite the assemblye of the Empyre that shoulde haue bene the laste yeare in Nouembre at Spyres but nowe hearyng of the trouble some state of Germany and of the great preparation that the Turke made to inuade Hongary he sent his letters agayne from Toleto appoynting a counsell of the whole Empire at Auspurge to begynne the first daye of October for the causes aboue mentioned but chiefly for ayde agaynst the great Turke sygnifyinge that in case he can not be there present hym self he wyll appoint others to supplye his place whiche letters beyng wrytten the .xxiiij. of May were not delyuered in Germany tyll the .xiij. of August wherfore by the aduyse of Ferdinando and others it was differred tyl saint Martyns daye the .xj. of Nouembre that suche as dwelt farre of might prepare them selues to come in dew reason Carolostadius dissenting frō Luther and
the Swycers Zuricke and Bernes agreed in one Religion the Lucernaites Urites Swites Unternaldians and Engians whiche abhorred moste this doctrine make a league with kyng Ferdinando Clement byshop of Rome the .xiij. day of Aprill sendeth Iohn Thomase of Mirandula to exhorte the prynces to warre against the Turke And al be it that he hath susteyned great losses of late yeares yet promyseth he to assiste them with ayde and to doe his endeuoure that the Emperour and the Frenche king being accorded the counsell may begynne immediatly to the intent that Germanye may embrace again the same religion that other countreis do In this assemblye the Senate of the Empire woulde not permitte Daniel Miege Ambassadour for the citie of Strasborough to sitte in counsel for by cause the Masse was abrogated before this counsell imperiall not withstanding that they were intreated to the contrary wherfore Iames Sturmius Ambassadour for the same citie sayed vnto them that in case they were thus displaced contrary to the lawe custome of the Empire let them not loke from henceforth that they wyll beare any part of charges But all might not preuayl and Ferdinando hym self aunswering the intercessours bad that any other citie that obserued the Emperours decrees should be substituted in the place of the other After a longe dispute of Religion the fourmer actes of Spires were repeted and a new decree made on this wyse They which haue hitherto obserued the Emperours decree let thē obserue the same styl vntyll the generall counsell and bynde the people to do lykewyse but suche as haue altered their Religion and can not nowe departe from the same for feare of sedition let them staye from henceforth and alter nothynge besydes vntyll the tyme of the counsell Furthermore that their doctrine whiche teache otherwyse of the Lordes Supper than the churche doth be not receyued nor the Masse abolyshed nor that in suche places where this newe kynde of doctryne is anye man be letted to go to Masse that wyll The Anabaptistes also such as defende their opinion obstinately shall suffer death the ministers of the churche are commaunded to teache according to the interpretaciō receiued by the church referring al disputable questions to be in the coūsell decided Moreouer that all states kepe the common peace none to hurte other for the cause of Religion neither one to take the defence of an others subiecte they that shall do otherwyse to be accompted in the numbre of outlawes This decree resisted the Prince electour of Saxony George Marques of Brandenborge Ernest and Frances Dukes of Lunenborough the Lātgraue counte Anhald who the .xix. of April recite openly in wryting the causes why they doe not consent thereunto And firste they doe repete the decree of the former assemblie whereby euery man hathe his Religion permitted him frely vntyll the counsell from this maye they not departe nor infrynge those thynges whiche after great delyberation were for a common quiet establyshed and with their sygnetes and othes also confirmed They woulde in deede be glad after the example of their progenitours to do all thynge that myght content the Emperour and as for their goodes and lyues also they wyll spende them wyllinglye in his hyghnes seruice but this present cause coucerneth the euerlastyng saluation of all men Wherfore they desire them not to be offended with them for that thei herein dissente from them for like as the former decree was made by the common assent of all so can not the same be broken with out all their consentes They wyll not be against that they shall in their own countrey establysh what religion shal seme good vnto them beseching God to illuminate the hartes of all men with the light knowledge of his truthe And where as there hath bene dissention and controuersie about religion certen yeares it was declared in the counsel at Norinberge who haue bene the authours and causers therof as well by the confession of the byshop of Rome hym self as also by the requestes of Prynces and states of the Empyre which were delyuered to the byshoppes legate to the numbre of foure score wherof notwithstanding as yet no redresse is made And that of al consultations this hath euer bene the ende that for the debating of controuersies and refourmyng of vices there is nothyng better than a generall counsell And where as the same left a parte they haue nowe decreed that suche as haue chaunged their Religion and can not nowe without muche trouble forsake the same shal alter nothyng from henceforth that can they neither cōmende nor allowe vnlesse they should discredite the doctrine whiche they haue professed hitherto as both true and Godly graunt moreouer that they ought to leaue the same if thei might with any tumulte or vprores And what thynges els were that thā to denye gods worde whiche is taught them purely and syncerely whiche were the moste heynous offence that coulde be committed For they must confesse it not in wordes only but in very deede also Moreouer what an hynderaunce this abnegation would be and howe muche preiudiciall to the fauourers of the Gospell it is easy to coniecture As cōcernyng the Masse it is ryght well knowen with howe strong and inuincible testimonies of holy Scripture the preachers within their dominiōs haue confuted the Popishe Masse and in steade therof instituted the Lordes supper according to the institution of Christe and the maner by the Apostles obserued wherfore they can neither admitte this part of the decree neyther permitte their subiectes to heare Masse whiche is abolyshed For though the byshop of Romes Masse were neuer so good and godly yet if they should haue in their churches two cōtrary Masses al mē may wel perceiue what grudge dissentiō would there vpon ensewe Moreouer where they do prescribe what they shal commaunde their owne subiectes and what lawes they shall make with in their owne dominions they can not a lytle maruell consyderynge that they them selues would not suffer any man to doe the lyke with them Furthermore what thyng is taught in their churches touchyng the presence of the body and bloud of Christe is so euydent to all men that it nedeth no further declaratiō Notwithstandyng as they haue sayde oftentymes so thynke they it good now also not as yet to make any decree against thē that teache otherwise for that the Emperours commissiōs teach the Latin beneth maketh no mentiō therof And agayne for as muche as the maynteners of that doctrine are nother called nor hearde whiche in so weyghty matters is muche to be considered that nothyng be determyned at any tyme and they not hearde speake whome the matter doth chiefly concerne And where as they saye that the Gospell must be taught after the interpretations approued by the churche that is very well but all the stryfe is which is the trewe church But seyng there is no doctrine more certen than Gods worde and besydes that
the .xiiij. daye of Nouembre pronounceth it to be of none effecte The fyft daye after in the Emperours presence was the decree recited before all the states and after a long discourse of the handlyng of all matters the Emperour decreeth that they shuld no longer be suffered that teache otherwyse of the Lordes supper than hath bene obserued hytherto that in the Masse eyther common or priuate nothyng be altered that chyldren be confyrmed with chresme sycke folkes annoynted with oyle consecrated that no Images be remoued and where they be taken awaye to be restored that the opiniō of them that denye man to haue fre wyll be not receyued for that it is beastly and also contumeliouse against God that nothyng be taughte any where agaynst the authoritie of the magistrate that the opynion that fayth only iustifieth take no place that the Sacramentes of the church be in numbre and place accustomed that the ceremonies of the churche rites obsequies for the dead and suche other be obserued that benefices vacant be imployed vpon mete persones that suche priestes and men of clergie whiche haue maried before this tyme be depriued of their benefices whiche immediatly after this assembly shal be geuen to others But suche as forsakyng theyr wyues wyll retourne to their olde profession and be absolued the byshop may restore by the consent of the byshop of Rome or his legate But the others to haue no refuge in any place but banyshed or extremely punyshed that the priestes be of honest conuersation their apparell decent and commonly that they auoyde all sclaunder That the preachers exhorte the people to heare Masse to praye to the virgyn Mary and other sainctes to kepe their holy dayes and fasting dayes to abstayne from meates forbodene to releue the poore to tell the Monkes howe they may not forsake theyr profession and ordre briefly that nothyng be altered in Religion they that shall do otherwyse to lose bodye and goodes that where as Abbeys be pulled downe they be reedified and what soeuer hath bene taken awaye from the clergie to be restored that the wonted ceremonies and rites may be accomplyshed And suche as be followers of the olde Religion dwellyng within the lymites of the cōtrary parte and allowe this decree shall be receyued in to the protectiō of the Empire and shall flitte whether they lyste without any hynderaunce that the byshop of Rome shal be called vpon to apoynte a counsell in some place conuenient within syxe monethes that afterwarde the same may begynne as shortly as may be and at the furthest within a yeares space that all these thynges be ratified and establyshed Al exceptions or appellations made to the contrary to be voyde and of none effect And to the intent this decree may take place and be obserued as cōcerning religion the force and power that God hath geuē them shal be wholy applied hereunto and their lyfe and bloude also spent in the same quarell Duryng this Parliament Luther by the commaundement of his Prynce was at Coburge in the borders of Frankony to the intent he myght be nerer Auspurge in case the matter requyred his aduyse or counsell And though he were absent yet to the intent he myght some what further the commō benefit he wrote a booke to the byshoppes Prelates in that assemblye wherein he sheweth what the state of the churche hath bene vnder the byshop of Rome what wicked doctrine what shamefull errours And with moste weightye wordes admonisheth thē of their dutie chargeth them to be of cruell bloudy mindes and agayne exhorteth them not to let slippe the occasion nowe to redresse their euyll He sheweth them howe his doctrine is agreable to the bookes of the Prophetes Apostles and proueth that is in vaine what soeuer they consulte or imagine against God In this malyce threatheninge of the Emperour and Byshops Melancthon was discouraged and careful in his mynde not for his owne cause but for posterities sake and gaue hym selfe wholy to pensiuenes wepynge and mournynge But when Luther knewe therof he comforteth hym with sondrye letters And for as muche as it is no mennes matter but the cause of almyghtie GGD he admonyshed hym that layinge al thought and care a parte he caste the whole burthen vpon hym And why sayeth he doest thou thus afflicte and tourment thy selfe If God hath geuen his sonne for vs why do we tremble and feare why doe we syghe and lamente Is Sath an stronger than he Wil he that hath geuen vs so great a benefite forsake vs in lyghter matters Whye shoulde we feare the worlde whiche Christe hath vanquyshed If we defende an euyll matter why doe we not chaunge or pourpose If the cause be iust and Godlye why truste we not to Gods promyses Certenly the Deuyll can take no more from vs but our lyfe But Christ liueth and reigneth for euer in whose protection consisteth the veritie He wyll not cease to be with vs vnto the Worldes ende If he be wyth vs. I beseche you where shall he be founde If we be not of his churche doe you thynke that the byshop of Rome and our other aduersaries be of it We be synners in dede dynerse wayes but yet for all that Christe is no lyer whose cause we haue in hande Let kynges and nations fret and fume as muche as euer they lyste He that dwelleth in heauen shall laughe them to skorne God hathe gouerned and maynteined this cause hetherto without our counsell the same shall also from henceforth bryng it to the ende wyshed for Touchyng lawes and traditions of men that you wryte of the aunswere is not harde For both the fyrst cōmaundement and al the Prophetes also doe cōdempne suche maner of workes They may be a bodely exercyse but if they come ones to worshyppyng it is idolatry As for any agremēt it is in vayne loked for for neyther can we depose the byshop of Rome neyther can the true doctrine be in safetie so longe as Popery shall endure In that you wyll haue the Lordes supper to be communicated wholy and geue no place to your aduersaries whiche holde it to be indifferent you doe well For it is not in our arbitremēt to decree or suffer any thynge to be vsed in the churche whiche hathe not Gods worde to beare it They crye out that we condempne the whole churche but we saye how the churche was violently taken and oppressed with tyrannye when the communion was deuided in the middes and therfore to be holden excused as the whole Synagoge was excused that in the captiuitie of Babylon it kepte not the lawe of Moses other ceremonies beyng by force prohibited that they coulde not doe it Take hede in any wyse that you graunt not to the byshops ouer muche iurisdiction lest more trouble ensue there of hereafter All this treaty of a concorde in doctryne is cleane agaynst my mynde For the labour is spent in vayne vnlesse the byshop
their league the Duke of Saxon answered by his Ambassadours that for as muche as they were of a contrary opinion touchyng the Lordes supper he myght haue no fellowshyp with them Howe muche they were to be estemed for their strengthe and power he was not ignoraunt but he myght haue no respect vnto that lest it shoulde come to an euyll ende as the Scripture witnesseth to haue chaunced vnto those whiche for their defence haue not cared what ayde they haue sought Durynge this assemblie letters were brought from the Duke and Lantgraue to the Ambassadours of the other Princes and cities pourportyng howe the Archebishop of Mentz and Lewys the Palsgraue had leaue of the Emperour to treate of a peace and had requested them by letters to graunte also to the same For then woulde they appoynte a tyme to mete After deliberation had the Ambassadours aunswere that they be contended Wherfore when the Duke the Lantgraue had made reporte agayne howe they misliked not the so that the processe in the lawe myght cease in meane tyme They hauing first obteyned this of the Emperour appointed the daye the last sauing one of the moneth of Auguste Wigande byshop of Bamberge had certen yeares before complayned to his fellowes of the Sweuicall league of George Marques of Brandenburge for certen wrōges and iniuries whiche he had done vnto hym as hynderynge his ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and lyuing and compellinge the priestes to thys false kynde of doctrine and if they refused erpulsynge them and imployinge the churche goodes to prophane vses And for as muche as this was contrary to equitie and iustice and against the decrees both of the bishop of Rome and the Emperour he requyreth that according to the league they would ayde and assiste hym herein Wherfore this yeare in the moneth of Iulye a daye was appoynted at Norlinge for the hearynge of this matter whether came at the request of the Marques the Ambassadours of the Protestantes And of the byshops side were the byshops of Auspurge Wircinburg and Aester as his coadiutours and counsellours When the plantife had propounded charged him with iniuries requiring the iudges to procede and gyue sentence after the prescripte of the league The defendaunt in thinges cōcerning religion and iurisdiction ecclesiasticall put in an appellation wherein he appealed from their decrees and iudgement to a generall counsell The iudges sayde howe they would not admitte theyr sentence geuen This cause did not concerne the Marques George only but also his nephewe Albert whiche was his worde In the meane tyme the Emperour calleth a counsell imperiall at Spyres at the Ides of Septembre for the appeasyng of the controuersie in Religion But the eleuenth kalendes of Septembre came vnto the Duke of Saxon the Erles of Nassowe and Nuenar men of great authoritie nobilitie and vertue and by the Emperours priuitie moue a reconciliation and to treate with hym of fyue thynges the Lordes Supper the cerimonies of the churche the churche goodes the ayde nedeful against the Turke the Election of king Ferdinādo And where it appered by their wordes how the Emperour was perswaded that he allowed the doctrine of Zwinglius the opinion of the Anabaptistes he aunswereth that what kynde of doctrine his is and what his ministers doe preache and teache is ryght well knowen by his confessiō exhibited at Auspurg in the which he pourposeth through Gods grace to remayne duryng his lyfe and that he had neuer to do with Anabaptistes nor greatly with the Zwinglians And desired thē to pourge him herein to the Emperour They sayd how they knew it before this to be so neuerthelesse they woulde declare it so to the Emperour who no doubt would be glad and ioyfull to heare it For the reste of theyr demaundes they were agreed they should be differred vntyl the next assemblie of the Empyre whether they desyre hym eyther to come him selfe or to sende his sonne He sayeth howe he woulde be glad to gratifie the Emperour in all thynges but he is now aged and vnhable to trauayle and besydes that there be certen weyghtie causes for the whiche he can neyther come hym selfe nor sende his sonne vnlesse the Emperour wyll graunte a saufe conduicte for hym and his trayne Agayne where so euer he shall become he can not want the preaching of Gods worde nor haue prescribed hym a certen kinde of meate furthermore if the disputation shall be touchyng Religion it is requysite that he bryng with hym Luther and others whiche muste also haue saufecouduicte Fynally howe he hathe oftentymes made suite to the Emperour to be inuested in his owne Dukedome after the custome of the Empyre and for other thynges whiche he coulde neuer obtayn all be it he made many fayre promyses And nowe in this laste assemblie at Auspurge Fridericke Palsgraue aunswered him so in his name as it did easely appeare that the Emperour is sore offended with hym vpon whiche consyderations he can not come vnlesse he maye through their mediation obtayne the Emperours saufe conduicte in dewe season And than he wyll come without fayle About the later ende of Auguste the Ambassadours of the Archebyshop of Mentz and the Palsgraue mette with the Ambassadours of the Protestauntes at Smalcalde speakynge muche of the loue and zeale that theyr Princes bare to theyr countrey who seynge that they coulde not agree at Auspurge and consyderynge the great daunger that myght ensue of that dissention would neuer reste tyll the Emperour had graunted them leaue to treate of peace Wherfore they thought it good to call agayne in question suche thynges as coulde not be agreed vpon at Auspurge and to begynne where they lefte there The others saye agayne howe the Protestauntes knewe not what thynges should be propounded and therfore gaue them no certen commission to determyne any thyng but wylled them to sende home in wrytinge sealed that whiche shoulde be propounded and so they must do and none otherwyse And whan after much altercation in wordes they could not otherwyse cōclude at the last it was agreed that they should mete at Spyres at a daye whiche the intercessours should assigne after that the pleasure of the Duke and the Lantgraue herein were knowen who ought in dede so shortly as myght be in the name of them selues and their fellowes to signifie their mynde therin This was decreed the seconde daye of Septembre And in the beginnyng of Octobre the Duke and the Lantgraue wrote to the Archbyshop to the Palsgraue repetinge the treaties of the Ambassadours before sayde they declare howe there coulde be no good done therein without diuines And howe they continewe iin the same Religion styll whiche they professed at Auspurge And where as in all assemblies both when the Emperour was absent and nowe also of late being present a counsell was promysed whiche shoulde forthwith be called and commenced they trusted that the Emperour would shortly procure one in Germany wherein
they and their fellowes will open their doctrine more at large In the meane tyme they beseche them to be meanes to the Emperour that there be no extremitie wrought within the Empyre but that suche as nowe do or hereafter shall professe the Gospell may lyue in quiet vntyll suche tyme as the decree authoritie of a lawfull counsell may determine the matter And if they shall thynke good to treate howe to conclude the peace and appointe a daye for it they wyll sende theyr Ambassadours thither And if in theyr doctrine exhibited at Auspurg any man shall thynke to fynde an errour and wyll shewe it or if he cannot proue it to stande to the testimony of Scripture that would they and all their fellowes be glad of And if it shall please the Emperour to assigne a daye for it at Spires graunting a saufe conduicte for them their fellowes and for Luther whome they intende to bryng with them amonges other ministers of their churche and wyll permitte them to haue free and open preachinges of Gods worde and the vse of the Lordes Supper according vnto Christes institution prescribyng no difference or choyce of meates than wyll they either come themselues or els sende theyr deputes with large commission and make declaration of their doctryne vnto all men And if at the same metyng theyr doctryne can not by the Scriptures be confuted than truste they that the Emperoure wyll no further moleste them but that they may styll perseuer in the same Religion And for as muche as they haue appealed to a lawfull general counsell and as yet nothyng is founde in theyr doctrine that is agaynst Gods worde where also by the order of the lawe and equitie duryng the appellation no extremitie ought to be shewed vnto the partie that appealleto their trust is that the Emperour wyll the rather at theyr requestes suffor Germany to haue peace and quietnes I shewed you before of an assemblye that should haue bene in Septembre at Spyres But the Emperour being aduertised by sondry letters and messengers of the Turkyshe preparation prorogeth the same to the moneth of Ianuary followynge appoyntynge the place at Regenspurge that he myghte be so muche the nearer Austriche where he perceyued the warre woulde be I shewed you before in the syrt booke howe the warre whiche they of Zurycke and Bernes would haue made vppon the fyue townes was pacifyed by the intercession of other Cities But this yeare the Sore brake out agayne and those two Cities steppynge all streightes and passages woulde permitte no victuall to be brought vnto them This was when the dayes were at the longest And where as great trouble was lyke to ensue therof the Frenche kyng and certen other cyties of the Suysses laboured to take vp the matter and drewe certen conditions of peace but all was in vaine Than did they of Zuricke and Bernes declare by wryting with what great wronges and iniuries they were coÌ„streyned to stop their victualles And now for as muche as they refuse the coÌ„dicions of peace whiche the intercessours haue deuised and propounded they declare their malicious hartes against them and howe they haue brokeÌ„ the fourmer conuenauntes made betwene them wherfore it is lawefull for them to cut oâ— theyr victualles And if any hurte come therof it ought to be ascribed vnto them whiche seeke nothyng elles but dissention this was the nynth daye of Septembre And what tyme these fyue townes were in great want and penury the nynth of Octobre they armed them selues secretly and marched forwarde And before any man was ware of them come vnto the borders of Zurick where as laye a garrison of a thousand men or more Which sent diuerse messengers into the citie to warne their men to come to them with spede but their ennemies approched so faste that they coulde hardely come to their reskewe For when they were come to the toppe of the Hylle whereby they must nedes passe they sawe theyr men in great dauÌ„ger in the next valley Than exhorting incouraginge one an other they ranne downe the hyll who myght go foremoste but the nature of the hylle was suche as there coulde but one go downe at ones whiche was the cause that where as they coulde not marche in ordre of battell they were of a greater multitude vanquyshed and put to flyghte This was the eleuent daye of Octobre Amonges the nombre of them that were slayne was Zwynglius For it is the maner of Zuricke that when they go forth in warfaye the chief minister of theyr churche goeth with them Zwynglius also of hym selfe beynge a man of a stoute and bolde courage consyderyng that if he shoulde rary at home and they shoulde go by the worse what displeasare he should susteyne as one that in his Sermons woulde encourage others and hym selfe faynte whan any daunger was would nedes take such â—â—te as other did They shewed great crueltie vpon his dead corps and their hatred towardes him was so muche that theyr malice was not satisfied with his death He was fourty and foure yeares olde foure yeares yonger than Luther At the same moneth of August before was seen a blasyng Starre at the same tyme died Lewys the Frenche kynges mother syster vnto Charles Duke of Sauvy The citie of Bernes hearyng of this ouerthrowe comforted them of Zuricke promysing to sende them ayde to come with their whole power to auenge them of their ennemies Whan they were all commen together whiche was aboute the eight daye after the battell and they of Bernes whiche before desyred to take the matter in hande alone were than nothyng hasty the citie of Zuricke whiche had ayde sent them from the Schaffusians Mullusians and also from Sangall and Basill of the whole numbre chose out certen enseignes whiche settynge foorth in the nyghte laye in the Hylle besydes Mencinge pourposynge whan the Moue rose to take the towne of Tugie thereby vpon the sodayne But theyr ennemies whiche had encamped them selues not farre from thence knowynge of this by espeiall went thether spedely and set vpon them beynge a slepe the .xxiiij. daye of October And to put them in the greater feare they made a wonderfull clamourous outcrye Many were slayne on both partes And all be it the fyue Townes had the vpperhande yet woulde they of Zuricke nothyng relent in their Religion At the last through mediation a peace was concluded whereunto was added that they of Zuricke Bernes and Basill should forsake the league whiche they had latelye made with the cytie of Strausborough and the Lantgraue lykewyse shoulde the fyue townes breake of their league with kyng Ferdinando And hereof were obligations made and sealed in the later ende of Nouember Oecolampadius departed out of this presente lyfe as it was supposed for the inwarde sorowe and thought he conceaued for the death of Swynglius whome he loued intierly he wanted but one yeare of fifty there be of his workes
any thyng determyned wherwith the kyng toke excedyng muche displeasure Neuerthelesse lest it should appeare that he should do anythyng vniustly the kynge sent into Fraunce Italy and Germany to enquyre the opinions of all vniuersities And the moste part consented to the kyng and emonges other the diuines of Paris approued the kynge by the vniuersitie Seale and as it was thoughte were lyberally rewarded therfore But amōges others of the quenes maydes there was one of an excellent beautie called Anne Bolen whome the kyng began to fantasy in so muche as men myght easelye perceyue that he entended to marrie her to his wyfe Whan the Cardinall of Yorke perceyued this whiche was chief about the kyng and as they saye authour of the diuorsement he chaunged his purpose admonyshyng the byshop of Rome by his letters that he should not approue the diuorsement For than shoulde an other succede Quene Katherine whiche was infected with Luthers opinions Whiche thyng whan the kyng vnderstode by his Ambassadour that was ledger at Rome he was sore offended And not longe after for this and other thinges whiche he had practised in 〈…〉 e where he was Chauncelour of the Realme and had thre of the beste byshop 〈…〉 hes York Duresme and Wynchester first he displaced hym from his office and after taketh away two of his byshoprikes And in conclusion what time he leading a priuate lyfe at home had spooken certen wordes that were arrogant and importing a desire of reuengement the kyng sent Syr William kingstone Captaine of the garde to discharge his house and brynge hym to London but fallyng in to a vehement 〈…〉 ixe by the way he dyed and was buried at Lecester But the byshop of Rome to the intent Campegius myght haue some excuse to departe reuoked the sute into his own handes And perceiuing that the marriage of quene Anne would be to hym preiudiciall he warneth the kyng full ofte and goeth about also to feare him with threateninges that he should leaue of his enterpryse But whan he could not preuayle to please the Emperour he gaue sentence with his a 〈…〉 t Katherine this yeare the .xxiij. of Marche where as the kynge had a yeare before married an other forsakynge Katherine proclaiming his daughter Marie a bastarde But after he perceiued that sentence was geuen against hym he conceaued a mortall hatred against the byshop And immediatly maketh a lawe whereby he declareth him self to be head of the church through out Englande abolishyng the byshop vtterly and commaundeth vnder payne of death and maketh it treason if any man ascribe vnto the byshop of Rome the supremacie he denieth also the yearely pension whiche was wont to be geuen to the bishoppes Collectour And with moste weightie wordes enacteth that from henceforth no monye be conueyed to Rome and this did he by the consent of the whole nobilitie and commons of the Realme by ordre of the hyghe courte of parliament Fraunces the Frenche kynge was thoughte to haue furthered very muche this diuorcement to the intent he myght thus cleane with drawe him from the frendshyp of the Emperour concerning the trybute payed to Rome thus it standeth Inas kyng of Britane aboute the yeare of our Lorde fiue hundreth and forty for the opinion of Religion and deuotion made the Realme tributory to the byshop of Rome as it is leaft in memory in ioynyng euery house to paye a penny Wherfore the byshoppes had their Collectours cōtinually there to gather this annuall stypende called of the common people Peter pence The byshoppes collectour at this tyme was Peter Uan who retourned not to Rome but remayned styll in Englande And where as this money had bene continually payed frō that time vnto these our daies kynge Henry firste of all men made a restrainte therof and an inhibitiō that it should be payed no more You haue heard how Erasmus and Luther wrote one againste the other of free wyll in the fourthe booke And this yeare their contention began a freshe And Luther takyng an occasiō by one of his frendes epistles chargeth Erasmus sore as though he should call the christian Religion in doubt mocke it and condempne it And also alledgyng certen places of his owne workes goeth about to proue the same and sheweth that in his wrytyng he is ambiguous and with his eloquence practyseth a kynde of Tyraunye And for as muche as in Godly thynges he trifleth dalieth thus with doubtfull wordes where as he coulde oughte to speake more playnly he aduoucheth that all thynges ought to be construed agaynst him Wherunto Erasmus afterwarde aunswered and that ryght sharpely for he feared most of al other thynges left his workes should lose their grace and authoritie About this tyme in Fraunce the Grey freers of Orleaunce wrought a terrible and a bloudy enterpryse And thus the thinge was The Mayers wyfe of the citie prouided in her wyll that she would be buried without any pompe or noyse For whan any departeth in Fraunce the Belmen are hyred to goe about the Citie and in places moste frequented to assemble the people with the sounde of the bell and than to declare the name and title of the partie deceased also wher and whan they shal be butied and last to exhorte the people to praye for the dead And whan the coarse is caried forth for the moste parte these beggyng freers go with it all to the churche and many torches are borne before it and the more pompe and solempnitie is vsed the more is the concourse and gasyng of people but this woman wold haue none of all this gere done for her Wherfore her husbande which loueth her well followed her mynde herein and gaue vnto the Graye freers in whose churche she was buried besydes her father and her grandfather syxe crownes only for a rewarde where as they looked for a great deale more And afterwardes whā he cut down a wood folde it the freers craued to haue part therof without money and he sayde them nay This toke they in maruelous euyll parte And where as they loued hym not before they deuise now a waye to be reuenged saying that his wyfe was damned euerlastingly The workers of this tragedy were Coliman and Stephen of Arras both doctours of diuinitie and the first in dede was a coniurer and had all his trynkettes and furniture concerning suche matters in a redinesse And they vsed the matter thus They set a yoūg man that was a Nouice aboue ouer the vaulte of the churche And when they came to mumble vp their mattyns at mydnyght after their accustomed maner he made a wonderfull noyse and shryking a lofte than goeth this Colman to crossynge coniuring but the other aboue woulde not speake beynge charged to make a signe to declare if it were a dume spirit he rustleth maketh a noyce agayne that was the signe and token Whan they had layd this foundation they go to
sayeth howe he wil go to kyng Ferdinando abiding there for their aunswere He had been before in Saxony and had spokē with Luther at wyttemberge And in his retourne to kyng Ferdinando he met with the Duke comming from thence homewarde The Protestauntes were appointed before to mete at Smalcalde the sixte of December for other matters Wherfore the .xxi. of the same they framed an aunswere for the byshops of Romes Ambassadour whiche they saye is not so exacte as the thynges requyreth yet for as muche as he desyred to haue the same with expedition playne manifest And first howe they haue declared their myndes concerning a counsell both in diuerse assemblies and also two yeare synce to the Emperours and byshop Clementes Ambassadours For they also wyshe to haue a lawfull counsel for the preseruation of the cōmon wealth and common saluation of all men and haue required this of the Emperour ioyntly with other Princes who also thought it nedefull hym selfe doubting not but all good men do desyre suche a counsell as may helpe and profite the common wealth For it greueth many good men that the true and holsome doctrine is through the wicked crueltie of certen men euery where oppressed the members of the churche tone a sondre and open crymes mainteined but suche crueltie becommeth not the Rulers of the churche Wherfore if euer there were any nowe is moste nede of a counsell that bothe the olde accustmed vyces maye be roted out and also vniuste violence and crueltie be restrayned and the churche from henceforth set in due ordre They therfore wyll not fayle the common wealth herein but wyll ryght gladlye come vnto suche a counsell as in sondrye assemblies of the Empyre hath bene agreed vpon Besechyng God that all the doinges there may redounde vnto his glory and the saluation of men And wher as the bishop hath chosen Mantua to be the place they truste assuredly that the Emperour wyll not in this poynte swarue from the decrees of the Empyre and his owne promyse also in as muche as it was prouyded that the counsell should be holden in Germany For where he sayeth it is daungerous keping of the same there the truthe is farre other wyse for what peryll can be there where all the Prynces and Cyties are obedient to the Emperoure onlye Where the Cyties be so ordered that they defende straungers from iniuries and saue them from all peryll Therfore oughte it chieflye to be kepte there to the intent that matters in controuersie might duely be debated that men might frankely speake and iudge vpryghtly and feare no force nor faction but saye theyr myndes freely Two yeares paste Clement the seuenth promysed a counsell with conditions verye captions And nowe the chiefest point is craftely left out touchyng the lybertie of the counsell and more of the treatie and partlye referred to the Byshop of Rome whose office they saye it is to call and ordre the counsell Nowe is the byshop whiche hath so ofte condempned theyr religion and doctrine their opē enemie But in case they should permitte theyr aduersary to geue iudgement than coulde not the counsell be free wherein by the aduyse of the Emperour and other Prynces Mete men should be chosen out of the whole numbre whiche accordyng vnto Gods worde might heare and determine the cause For a counsell is the iudiciall seate not only of the byshop of Rome but of all other states also for it is to be proued by the examples of the primatiue churche and also by holy scripture that Prynces and other states haue in tymes paste been admitted in counselles for the hearyng of matters But wheresome woulde haue the byshoppes power to be aboue the authoritie of the whole churche it is agaynst all reason and full of tyrannye For it belongeth as well to the Emperour and other ciuile states to set in foote in counselles and to chose experte men especiallye in suche causes where the byshoppes errours be impugned that is to wytte false doctrine and Idolatry for this thynge is permitted also by the byshop of Romes lawe And feinge that this is the vniuersall cause of all men and concerneth the whole common wealth it is the Emperours parte and other Prynces to forsee that vpryght iudgement be had For both other byshops of their owne people and also byshoppes of Rome haue in times paste bene condempned for Heresy and obstinacie of the Emperoure and the churche together And at this tyme there is contention of manie weightie matters whiche the byshop doth defende not in wordes only but also by wycked and cruell decrees punishyng most sharpely suche as obey not the same For as muche therfore as he is an aduersary and susteineth the one halfe of the sute the thinge it selfe requireth that the whole church the Emperour other kinges take in hande to prescribe an ordre for the deciding of the matter wherfore as they haue done euer so they requyre nowe also that the matter maye be handled vpryghtlye accordynge to the examples of holye wrytte and the olde primatiue churche And if it so maye be they wyll not be behynde with theyr partes trustynge that truthe shall come to lyghte and the glorye of our Sauioure Christe be aduaunced and tranquillitie be restored to the Churche but if it be otherwyse there is no doubte but greater commotions wyll arryse therof than hytherto hath bene seen for their partes they wil at no tyme neglecte the common wealth And as they can not forsake nor shrynke from the true doctrine so lykewyse in all other matters they will do all thynges for peace and concorde The kyng of Fraūce whiche was fully determined to make warre in Italy sent Ambassadour Williā Bellaye to this assemblie at Smal calde Who the .xix. daye of Decembre had there an eloquent oration And first he excuseth the kynges seueritie in punyshynge certen of his owne subiectes whiche not withstanding was nothing preiudicial or hurtfull to their cause of Religion though some euill tongues dyd reporte so no more than it was displeasure to him what tyme they with all their force did suppresse the rebellion of their commons and punyshed the Anabaptistes doing yet nothing without iust cause wherfore he distrusteth not but they be men of such wysdome and grauitie that they wyll of no lyght reporte conceaue any euill opinion of so noble a kynge that is their frende who was nowe for vrgent causes not here to be spoken of constrayned against his nature to vse extreme punishment lest hauing so large a Realme he should through ouermuche lenitie set open the wyndowe of wickednes to the temeritie of manye And touching their religion and doctrine the kyng wyll not take vpō him the persone of the iudge but in dede lyketh many thinges well the rest he leaueth vndiscussed After this he goeth about to wynne theyr fauour and confuteth theyr opinion whiche had warned them to be ware of forayne
is how it ought not to be graūted thē themperour doubtles other kings in their opiniō can iudge For that the byshop of Rome hath brought errours into the churche a doctrine cleane cōtrary not only to Gods worde but also to the auncient toūselles doctours mainteineth the same that he hath also made exceading many lawes against Gods cōmaundemēt wherby the true knowledge is vtterly oppressed defaced the same vereli haue their diuines through Gods gift declared And therfore do they intēde to accuse the byshop his fellowes in any lawfull counsell of these so great matters to coudēpne thē of the same How also through euil craftes and dishonest meanes yea through force guyle they achiefe their dignities how filthie a life they leade what euil examples thei geue how they do no part of their dutie how thei neglect such as are cōmitted to their charge wallowe in all wickednes of lyfe it is so wel knowen tried that it nedeth no further declaratiō For the which causes also it is not lawfull for the bishop euen by the testimony of his owne lawe to appoint there coūsel muche lesse to be iudge in the same Neither may his sworne clientes vsurpe the persone of the iudge seing they may not in dede be any part of a lawful coūsel moreouer the place of the coūsel is appointed in Italy cleane cōtrary to the decrees of themperour states of thempire which he scornefully dispiseth Thei know not more ouer as yet whether other princes of Christendom wil allowe that place that there be weighty causes for the which it shold be daūgerous for them theirs to come thither For albeit they should haue a saufe conduicte yet for so muche as the byshop hath there his clientes euerye where which hate this doctrine most bitterly ther is great daūger of lieng in wayte priuie cōspiracies which in those parties are much to be feared Furthermore since this matter is most weighti such as vnder the sonne can arrise no greater which doubtles cōcerneth either euer lasting saluatiō or dānatiō And seing that the greatnes of the matter requireth that they should in great nūbre with the ministers of their churche preachers be there present not to cōmit so weighty a matter to their deputes proetours alone it should be a great griefe vnto thē to passe out of the limites of thempire go into Italy leauing their coūtrey people in suche grudge of mindes as is now in Germany wtout garde and their churches any long time without preachers Wherfore they moste humbly beseche that the Emperour would way with hym selfe all these poinctes diligently and seing he is the high and supreme magistrate vnto whom chiefly belongeth the setting forth of the trew doctrine that he wold applie him self wholy that the true knowledge of God might be aduaunced for they doe embrace no wicked kynde of doctrine nor seke any other thyng than the glory of Gods holy name And this aunswere concerning the counsell agreed vnto also the Ambassadours of George Marques of Brandenburge and of the cities of Norinberge Halles and Hailbrune in other thinges they medled not because they were not of the league What time the Protestantes had thus spoken Heldus the Ambassadour aunswereth by and by speaking many thinges againe of the great good will of the Emperour of the Frenche kyng whiche had conspired with the Turkes to the distruction of the cōmon wealth he cometh to that matter touching the iudgement of the imperial chambre and sayeth in deede that peace is graunted for matters of Religion no man to say the cōtrary but all the strife to consiste in this which be matters of religion which not And where as they take suche for cases of religion as others do accōpte for ciuile prophane how farre against reason is it that the thyng should not be debated the causes obiectiōs of either part be heard so procedeth further to the meaning of that same matter And as touching such as are lately receiued into their league that Emperour thiketh thus that they that be not cōprised within the peace of Norinberg are bounde al to the decrees of thempire ought to yelde to the authoritie of the coūsel And for asmuch as themperours minde is wholy addicte to peace cōcorde he requireth estsones that they wyl ayde him with men mony for the Turkish warre nedeful charges of the imperial chābre And if the Turke inuade not that thā they wold a few monthes assiste themperour with like ayde against the French king whiche if they wil doe it shall not repēt thē of that seruice wherin he desireth to know a direct answer that he may aduertise themperour therof And as concerning the coūsel they thē selues knowe what labour trauayle themperour had to bring it to passe And how his trust is that in the same shal be appeased all cōtrouersie that is in religion with quietnes the state of the cōmō wealth be reformed to the glory of God preseruatiō of men Wherfore them perour trusteth assuredly that they should make none exceptions nor swarue from the rest of men for if they should persiste herein it would be grieffull for him to heare And after he had againe vsed sondrye perswasions amonges other that the Emperour would through saufeconduicte saue them harmelesse he requyred to haue a determinate aunswere herein and besydes the names of them which are come vnto them synce the peace of Norinberge Wherein was wrytten that Marques George the cities of Norinberge Weysenburg Hailbrine Winsem and Hales were of the same Religion but not of the league Wherefore in the Emperours name he desyred to knowe what their league was and the condition of the same The selfe same daye came thether the Romyshe legate the byshop Aques with letters from the byshop of Rome to the Duke of Saxon exhorting him to come to the counsell whome the byshop of Rome sent into Germany in the place of Peter Paule Uerger hopinge well that the newe Ambassadour should some thing haue brought to passe but he also loste his labour was as little regarded in so muche that on a certen day whan he desired to speake with the Lātgraue he tolde him he was at no leasure and in maner at the same instant went to see howe Luther did who at the same tyme laye sore sycke of the stone Which thyng the Ambassadour myght see out of his lodging Uergerius had geuen this Ambassadour instructions of the whole state of Germany and how euery man in the byshops behalfe must be enterteined and vsed The fourth daye after whiche was the last of February the Protestauntes aunswer Heldus That for the Emperour him self they neuer doubted but that he woulde obserue the peace made whiche he hath also promised both in publique and priuate letters but the imperiall chamber contrary to
of our determination is iust and reasonable yet is there no doubte but our aduersaries be of suche nature that they wyll blame our doyng constrewe it to the worste parte For to the entent they may bryng vs and our cause into hatred they wyll affyrme doubtlesse that we can abyde no examination nor iudgement and that we despyse al other nations amonges whome there haue often bene many excellent learned men This wyll they saye moreouer that it is wickednes to refuse the decrees of the counsell for that it is the hyghe iudicial seate of the churche whiche all men are bound to obey They wyl forge also as though we were ashamed of our doctrine or afraid to come to light or els that we sought contentioÌ„ where no nede is and can not endure â—n vniuersall quiet Nowe if this myght be verefied of vs in dede it were not only wicked but also detestable be heard of Wherfore we must of necessitie shewe the reason of our doynge and we truste than that all good men whether they be in Germany or other places wyll not only credit no suche thynge of vs but wyll also doe their endeuour that this moste weyghty cause of all others may be handled vprightly and that the byshop of Rome be not permitted vnder the forged and coloured name of a counsell to oppresse the manifest truthe by a kynde of tyranny For we shal declare that we do not only professe the pure doctrine but also respecte nothyng els but Gods glory and the preseruation of the common wealth and that there can be no obstinacie or frowardnes obiected vnto vs. And fyrst to proue that we do not contemne the iudgement of other nations or of the churche hereby it appereth manyfestly that al our care is lest the byshop and his clientes should take vpon them the authoritie and iudgement and that all thynges myght be decided by mete and no suspected persones Whiche thyng we trust that all Godly men would lykewyse wyshe for For where as in dyuerse countreis there remayne certen olde wrytinges and complayntes of the false doctrine vices and idolatrie that were than crept into the churche we doubte not but in the same places at this daye there be some Godly and learned men also whiche vnderstande the sounde doctrine although being oppressed with the byshoppes tyrannye they are constrayned to holde their peace These in dede of iuste deserte ought to be present at the couÌ„sel that they myght speake their myndes frely For it is not to be accompted a free counsell that is gouerned by the byshop and his fellowes whiche defende false doctrine by power and violence and of an olde custome make decrees contrary to Gods worde For Christe what tyme he instituted this highe iudiciall seate commaunded that all matters should be referred to the churche that requyred a reformation By the whiche selfe wordes he excludeth all tyranny and lordshyp It is also a sclaunder where they saye perhaps that we are a feard to come abroade and can not abyde the opeÌ„ light For in the assemblie imperial at Auspurg we professed our doctrine openly before the Emperoure and all the states of the Empyre Againe this selfe same doctrine is preached openly in our dominions and our learned men haue set forth bookes of the same and diuerse of our aduersaries do confesse that through our mens wrytinges sondrye articles are called agayne to lyght whiche laye before hidde in darkenes For nowe the true doctrine shyneth agayne of penaunce of faythe in Christe of the remissioÌ„ of synnes of good workes of true worshipping of the vse of SacrameÌ„tes of the authoritie of the keyes of Magistrates of the traditions of men and suche other lyke thinges Neither are we ashamed of the Gospell as Paule sayth but haue an especiall desyre that we myght declare our mynde in these thinges before al men And where it is also obiected to our preachers that they shoulde haue reysed vp agayne the heresies before time condempned neither should nede therfore further disputation or hearing it is false may be easlye excused before them that haue red our confession and the defence annexed to the same For the doctrine that we confesse is not newe but the verey consent of the primatiue churche as moste clerely doth appere Neyther haue we admitted any heresy or wycked opinion but our men haue restored the doctrine of the auncieÌ„t fathers which was oppressed by bishops and monkes It is vntrue also that is reported of vs that we shoulde delight in dissention for we are sory from the botome of our hartes that the ChristeÌ„ commoÌ„ wealth is thus deuided to haue a concorde desyre a lawfull counsell But for as muche as the byshop and his fellowes do coÌ„dempne the true and necessary doctrine and do tormente and persecute the professers thereof exhorting others to do the same we can not but mislike their cruel tiranny For God wil be honored through the confession of his name and it is wickednes for any man to ioyne hym selfe to the byshops tyranny whiche so rageth Moreouer it is manifest that we beare and susteine all maner of charges of the common wealth as the residue of the states do Whereby it is to be seene that we woulde also gladly accorde with others in relygion in case it were lawful Besydes this we vnderstande what dauÌ„ger hangeth ouer vs for the same For the byshoppes haue nowe these many yeares declared manifestly what they go about and how they incense kynges myndes against vs. And were it not extreme madnes to abide all these so great dauÌ„gers and to be at so great charges with out iust cause But we knowe assuredly that we owe this dewtie vnto God And that there is nothing to be so much respected as his commaundement and take God to wytnes that we seke for nothing els Nowe that we haue confuted theyr sklaunders we will come to the seconde part Emonges straungers many parauenture suppose that we of a certen curiositie haue impugned some light faultes which for kepinge of a quiet mighte better haue bene dissembled especiallye consydering that the state of worldly thinges is suche that in a common wealth be euer remaining some thinges whiche must be wincked at But the matter standeth farre otherwise For fyrst in dede errours and false opinions may not be dissembled with For Christ commaundeth vs to beware of false teachers Againe the controuersie is not about light errours but touching the doctrine of faith and the true knowledge of God which is the principall pointe of the Christian life and sincere worshipping of God which ought not to be passed ouer in silence but to be obserued purely and diligentlye taught in the Churche And it can not be denied but this doctrine was wholy extinguished and a newe brought in for it to the greate contuinelie of Christ Moreouer we do reprehende diuerse and sundrye errours and wickednes which others also haue espied longe before
nor yet of mind whom Luther also him selfe whom he maketh his god doth laughe at and contemne Luther thinking the same to concerne his estemation answereth sharpely and saieth it is a sclaunder And for asmuch as the aduersaryes take vpon them the title of the Churche by diuers and sundry argumentes brought in he proueth that they haue cleane forsaken the trew Church by a comparison made he sheweth that the Bishoprike of Rome which hathe altogether defyled and corrupted the trew doctryne of Chryst to be Antechrist of whom so manye yeares synce Daniell and the Apostles haue prophecyed After he obiecteth vnto them that they flye from the lyght though they speake muche of a lawfull counsell yet dare they not abyde it but yf youre church be holy sayth he why is it afearde of a counsell or what nedeth it any reformation or yf it nedeth why cal ye it holy will ye also redresse youre holynes We neuer desyred a counsell to refourme our churche For God hathe already sanctified it with his worde pourged it from all the Romishe fylthynes and restored the trew doctrine howbeit our life doeth not answere to this profession neither do we perfourme in dede so muche as both we are bounden and wishe to do but this was also the complaint of the Prophetes and Apostles whilest they liued And that felicitie shal than happen vnto vs what timr we being deliuered out of this synfull body as out of a prison shall obtaine the like condition with Angels We desyre a counsell to th entēt our churches might be openly heard and that your doctrine contrary to the doctrine of Christe might be condemned that men beyng called agayne from it mighte knowe and folow the trewe Religion of Christ Nowe where ye obiecte vntd vs rebelliō and disobedience it is false euen by the testimonie of the states imperiall who know that our Princes are obeidient to themperour in all thinges For beyng called to any Assemblie or to go a warfare they haue bene euermore ready But if ye raile thus on vs because we obey not thēperours decres that condēne our doctrin We are glad and geue God thankes for shewing no obeidience that way For the thing that is dew vnto god only ought not to be giuen to themperor which should be Gods Client God hath giuen him gouernement ouer realmes and nations but he alone will gouerne his church with his worde neyther doeth he admit any man into the societie of this honor Themperor hath more than ynough to do concernyng thadministration of the common weale For vnto this office hath God appointed him and prescribed him these limites But if he procede any further than doeth he inuade and vsurpe vpon Gods iurisdiction The Duke of Brunswike had written in his inuectiues amonges other thinges that Luther had reised vp this Tragedye of Religion at the motion of Duke Friderik for enuy that Albert Arch bishop of Mentz had the Bishoprike of Madenburge Wherunto Luther answerynge this sclaunder saieth he commeth to the Duke of Brunswicke by the suggestion of Mentz And where he dissembleth to know whan he knoweth best of all I shall declare the cause original of al this busines In the seuentēth yere of grace aboue a thousande and fyue hundreth Iohn Tecell a Dominicke Frere caried about pardons to sell in Germany This Tecel themperor Maximiliā had once condemned to die and had commaunded to be drowned in the riuer at Inspruck but through the intercession of duke Friderick whose chaunce was to be there at that time he escaped the daunger He I say amonges other thinges taught howe he had so great authoritie of that bishop of Rome that although a mā had deflowred that virgin Mary had gottē hir with child he had power to forgeue hī for money Moreouer he did not onely forgeue synnes past but also what so euer a man listed to commit herafter And within a while after that came forth a Boke with the armes and title of Bishop Albert wherein the Pardoners wer cōmaunded most diligently to setforth to the people the vertu of those iudulgences Wherfore it was knowen that Tecell was hired by the said Bishoppe to make those outrageous sermons For Albert was lately than created Archbishop of Mentz vpon condicion that he shoulde redeme his Palle from Rome of his owne costes and charges For thre Bishoppes of that citie wer deceased within short space Bertolde Iames and Uriell and it was ouer chargeable for the Colledge to beare so great a burthen and so often times For that Palle stoode them in as good as xxx thousande crownes or euer it came at home So dere coulde the Bishoppe of Rome sell a sory piece of clothe This money had the Marchantes of Auspurge disbursed wherfore to pay them Albert deuised this kinde of gaine And the Bishop did graunt it him yet so as the one halfe shold be brought to Rome to the buildyng of S. Peters Church But that time knew I none of all this gere therfore wrot I to the Bishoppe of Mentz in humble wyse exhorting him that he woulde inhibite those criers but he answered not one worde The Bishoppe of Brandenburge beyng also moued admonished me to cease and not to bring my selfe in danger After this I propounded certen Theames contrary to those of Tecels which within a fewe dayes were caried ouer all Germany and were gredely red of many For all men complained of Pardons especially of those that Tecell taught And because there was neuer a Bishoppe nor yet doctor that durst gainesay them for that Tecel feared all men with the Bishoppes thunderbolt My name began to be spoken of that there was founde one at the length in all the worlde that did resist But that vaine glory was not to me verye pleasaunte For I scarsely vnderstode than what the name of Indulgences mēt This is the fyrst originall and cause of this motion whiche came not of duke Friderick but proceded of the Bishop of Mentz by the practise of his collector and briber Frere Tecell Wherfore if there be anye thing nowe that nippeth him let him thanke himselfe therfore An other cause of this trouble gaue that moste holye father Leo the tenth what time he cursed me and excommunicated me and manye in all places did triumphe ouer me neyther was there anye man so vnlearned that did not practise his style to write against me I thought assuredly at the fyrst that the Bishoppe would assoile me and condemne Tecell for that the Canon lawe maketh for me whiche teacheth plainely that Iudulgences can not deliuer soules out of Purgatory But lo whilest I loke for a ioyfull sentence from Rome I am striken with the thonderbolt and condemned for the most wicked mā aliue Than began I to defende my doynges settinge forth many bokes of the same insomuche that the matter was brought at the laste into the assemblie of thempire Thus did the wollen threde wherof the
Palle was made breede matter of contention And nowe is the same so fast wrought and of suche strength that the Bishoppe of Rome is in daūger to be strangled withall And seyng it is so let thē impute the fault to them selues which so impudently and excessiuely handled the matter I maye well laughe in my sleue For he that dwelleth in heauen hath strikē them and would not suffer so great wickednes to raigne any longer and hath brought his people out of that darkenes of Egipte into the most cleare light and pleasant syght of the sonne This Palle so often here mentioned is geuen onely to Archbishops and as a syngular benefite to a fewe other Bishoppes of the whiche numbre the Bishop of Bamberge in Germany is one And it is made with thys Ceremonie In the Feast of S. Agnes the Uirgyn whiche is the xxi day of Ianuary what time they come to Agnus dei in the Messe two white Lambes are laide vpon the Aultar which afterwarde are deliuered to the Subdeacon of S. Peters churche And they put them forth to pasture and whan shering time commeth do clippe them of the which Woll mingled with other woll whan it is sponne into fine threde are made these Palles which are not past three fingers brode and hange downe from the shoulders to the midde breast and to the Reines of the backe like a stoale and at eche ende are thinne plats of leade of the same breadth Beyng thus wouen and wrought they are caried to the bodies of Peter and Paule and there certen prayers beyng said ouer them they are left there al that night The next day the subdeacons receaue them againe and keps them diligently vntil such time as some Archbishoppe that hathe nede of one or his Proctor do sue for it And than it is deliuered with many ceremonies they that haue the cariage therof are inioyned that they remaine not aboue one night in a place This ware whiche is neither costely nor curiouslye wrought do the Archebishoppes redeme of the Bishoppe of Rome for a wonderfull some of money For it is not lawefull for him to weare the same that his predecessor did but euery one of them is bounden to purchase a newe for him selfe at Rome Againe in case he become Patriache or Metropolitan of another churche throughe promutation or any other meane althoughe he had bought one before yet must he of necessitie bie another againe Of suche kinde of pillage greate complaintes haue bene often made of all nations as I shewed you in the fourth boke but chiefly in Germany And in the yeare of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundreth xviii what tyme Leo the tenth in the assemblie of Auspurge by Cardinall Caietan exhorted Maximilian and the Princes to the Turkish war and went about that all states should pay money and the Cleargye for theyr partes the tenthes Answer was made him that there was no hope to obteine that of thecclesiasticall persons who were so manye waies and by newe policies pilled and poled by the courte of Rome And the people if anye thinge shoulde be imposed woulde make great exclamations that they haue so oft geuen theyr money for thys purpose and maruell how it is consumed or whither that money goeth that is gathered yearly in Germany I tolde you before of sundry fyers that were kindled of late in Saxonie Whan diuerse of the malefactours were apprehended and taken in sundry places and examination had they testified howe they were hired for money by the captaines and officers of Henry duke of Brunswike and set on by them to do it And this they affirmed to the last breth For this cause therefore and for other matters the Lantzgraue and thambassadours of Saxonie accuse the duke of Brunswicke to the Emperor at Regenspurge and exhibite in writyng the seuerall confession of euery one of these make fyers And ioinetly with them did William of Brunswik accuse his brother Henry sore who had kept him many yeares in pryson Whan all the most part were commen together they began to sit the fyft day of Aprill And in thēperours name as the maner is was propounded what trauaile and paine he had alwayes takē that the publike weale might be well established And after a longe discourse of all that he had done aswell for the appeasynge of the controuersye that is in Religion and reformation of the churche as also for the defence of th empyre against the cruell inuasions of the Turkes In fine themperor demaunded of them all but chiefly of the Protestauntes that they would geue him leaue to chose out certeine to conferre and herein to trust him who will do nothing that shall not concerne the preseruation of the countrey Whan they had this graunted him the xiij day of Aprill he appointeth by Friderike the Paulsgraue to thys talke Iulius Pflugius Iohn Eckius Iohn Gropper Philippe Me lanchton Martin Bucer Iohn Pistor that they should treate of the oppinions that be in controuersie and after make reporte and bringe them to him and the princes Againe the two and twentie daye of Aprill he calleth them vnto him and gyueth them a great charge that in the handling of this matter they should giue nothing to affections but that all pertialitie set apart they should onely haue respecte vnto Gods glory They full modestly do excuse themselues and require al that other more mete might be appointed sauing Eckius For he said he was well prepared and fournished but where themperor dyd instant them to take it vpon them they were content and also intreate him that he would assigne some to be as presidentes of the disputation others to bee as witnesses and hearers of the matter And so he commaundeth Fridericke Palatine and Granuellan to bee as governours and willeth Theodorycke Countie Manderschit Eberhart Ruden Henry Hasie Fraunces Burcarte Iohn Figius Iames Sturmins to be there to beare witnes And when all these came together the xxvii day of April Fridericke the Palsgraue admonisheth the Collocutours that they should seriously go to the matter and conferre together frendly After Granuellan exhibiteth a booke written which he sayd was delyuered to themperour of certayne good well learned men as fit for a reconcilement and that themperour woulde to th entent they might haue a lawful argument and matter to treat of that they shoulde reade ouer the same booke also and waye it and looke what they shoulde all allow therein to commende and the rest to correcte This booke contayned these articles following of the creation of man and before the fall of the integritie of nature of freewill of the cause of synne of originall synne of the iustification of man of the church and of the tokens and authoritie of the same of the notise of the woorde of repentaunce after the fal of the authoritie of the churche in discerning and interpretyng the scripture of the sacramentes of order baptesme
as well ciuile as ecclesiasticall maye or ought to be reformed he for hys parte will leaue nothyng vndone herein doubtyng not but the bishops legate is also inclyned to the same The Senate of Princes consisteth for the moste parte of Bisshops Therefore the nomber of them preuayled whyche bothe reiected the booke exibited by themperoure and also the whole treaty of the collocutours and the reason therof was cōprised in writing somewhat extremely but what tyme the Electours and certain other prynces that loued the common wealth would not assent therto another wryting was framed and delyuered to themperoure the second day of Iuly wherin they doo admonyshe hym that as the advocate and defendour of the churche he doe communicate the whole matter with the Bysshops Legate accordyng to the decree of Hagenaw especially those articles which the collocutours haue agreed vpon and that they bee wayghed dilligentlye whether there bee anye thynge in them that eyther in sence or in woordes is agaynst the doctryne of the godly exposytours or also the custom of the church moreouer incase any thyng be darkely spoken that it may be declared and that after that done he hymself do make reporte to the states of their opinion and what his mynde is touching the same and that he wold be in hande with the Protestantes that they woulde be contented to be instructed in the resydewe of the articles that be in controuersie or yf that can not be obtayned that than the matter be referred either to a generall counsell or els to a prouinciall Sinode of Germanye Amonges the states wer sertayne that hyndred the reformation of Relygion and it is thought that by their motion the whole treaty was referred to the Bisshops legate Themperoure aunswered to the same the .vii. day of Iuly How he had supposed that the collocutours wold haue vttered theyr myndes more playnly especially consyderyng that they had the booke so long by them but for asmoche as they stick herein he wyll follow theyr counsell and will know the legates mynd in euery poynte to th entent he will omit nothynge that conserneth hys dewtie The Protestantes also declare vnto themperour by wryting what theyr mynde is and open more at full the doctryne reconsyled and shew that it is not harde to accord the reste in lyke case and saie that they kepe thē selues to their confession at Auspurge Than touching the third request of the Emperour cōcerning the ciuil gouernment of the cōmen wealth they say howe the lawes that were made .xi. yere since at Auspurge must be put in vre execution and shew how thecclesiastical function may be restored if the gospel be taught sincerely if according to the aunciēt lawes the ministers of churches may be chosen by the cōsent of the people if the bishops doe retaine styll in their own hādes the ciuile ministration for asmuch as of an old custome they them selues neither wil nor can do it they appoint others to execute their spiritual office finde them of their reuenewes if the ministers of the churche may be frely permitted to mary If that foule bying sellyng whiche is of sondry sortes of Simon Magus is called Simony may be vtterly taken away if the goodes may be so distributed as the law made long since prescribe if chyldrē be brought vp invertue in their yougth learne the first principles of the christiā doctrine if notable offēdours be expulsed out of the cōmuniō of the church til they come again to amēdement that the Magistrate do his duty herein abolishe al idolatrie if thecclesiastical iudgemētes might be had as it were censours or maisters of maners apointed to enquire diligētli of the behauiour of the ministers people of their faultes vices Themperour as I told you before doth cōmunicate the whole matter with the bishops legate nd requireth him instantly that the state of the cōmon wealth but chiefly of the church myght be refourmed Wherunto the legate answered for as muche as the protestātes in certen opinions do swarue from the cōmon consent of the churche and yet there is some hope that in fine they wil come into the way againe he after diligent cōsideration of the whole cause thinketh mete that there be no further determinatiō made touching any matter but that the whole treaty be referred to the byshop who assuredly wyl either by a generall counsell or by some other meane fitte for the tyme deuyse that thing in this controuersie that shal profit the whole common wealth but chiefly of Germanye Afterwarde to the intent he might seme to be desirous of a refourmation he calleth home to hym al the byshops there geueth them lessons how they should demeane thē selues in al things gouerne their families haue care of the flock cōmitted to their charge how they should beware of errours appoint learned preachers to resiste them bestow their benefices vpon mete persones how they ought to imploy the churche goodes to the vse of the poore and not to spende thē in riot or in any superfluous vse howe they should se yougth brought vp in good litterature knowledge of tongues which thing the protestantes do exceadingly by that meanes allure all yougth vnto them infecte them with their doctrine how it is the dutie of the bishops to warne the parētes that thei sēde not their children to suche places where there is daunger of heresie with diuers other lyke thinges which after he delyuered in wryting to bysshops that desyred it and also themperoure Who the .xii. day of Iuly reporteth to all the states what aunswere he had made And for by cause it appeareth that there can be nomore determined in this assēbly concernynge relygion and the Turke maketh great preparation both by sea and lande to inuade Christendome he thinketh it chieflly requisite that the treaty be brought to an ende and that decrees bee made concernyng religion peace and ayde against the Turke wherfore he requireth to know theyr mindes whether they thinke it expedient that those articles of doctrine which the collocutours haue accorded shal be receyued till a generall or an other imperyall counsel to th entent the controuersy of Religion for the whiche they haue so many yeares bene tourmoyled may be somewhat abated that the residue not as yet agreed vpon may hereafter more easelye be brought to an vniformitie For he wyll go streight way to the Byshop that he may certenly knowe what to trust to as shortly as he can wyll retourne into Germany to se to the common wealth prouided always that these thinges be nothing preiudiciall to the decree of Auspurge Whan the diuines of the Protestantes had red the two forsayd wrytinges of Contarene they aunswer with one accorde and shewe that he doth them wrong and say that considering his learning they loked for much better things at his hande where also he exhorteth the Princes to punishment and
haue his good will and fauoure they offer all that they haue to maynteine hys prosperous estate and dignitie After they lament the vnfortunate state of the comune weale and theyr owne condition whiche haue so nere vnto them the Turke a most cruell enemie and also of late a conquerour wherfore they saye howe they muste looke for remedies chiefly that the wrath of God may be appeased who offended with mens synfullnes sendeth this great calamitie For in the whole body of the common welth is no parte cleane nor sounde al honeste discipline is cast a syde aswell priuate as common which is the welsprynge of all enilles but yet is the contempte of gods worde the chiefe cause why God doeth so scourg and plage vs. For it is to be seene they saye and proueâ—â—othe by sacred and prophane histories that God hathe often times greuously plaged great and most florisshing kingdoms not for these lighter sinnes that be graffed in vs naturally but for idolatrie contempt of hys word The people of Iewes wer led awaye captiue into Assiria and Babilon for contemnyng the prophetes for a newe Religion and worsshipping which they themselues had deuysed and at the length was vtterly distroyed Hierusalem quite ouerthrowne for crucifying the sonne of God The most triumphante Empires of the world in time past of Babilon Persia and Grece being now subdewed by the Turkes haue so cleane lost theyr religion lawes comoÌ„welth and all theyr dignitie for the selfe same causes that there is at this day in maner no tokeÌ„ of christianitie there remayning and wher partly they forsoke and partlilothed gods benefites they fel into horrible darknes and most filthy bondage Whether was this any sodeÌ„ alteration for the Turkes maintened warre sixe hondreth yeres and aboue beefore they conquered Grece Whiche happened than at the lengthe what tyme they beyng so ofte prouoked and warned wolde neuer amend but heaped vp sinne vpon synne Now yf a man should compare those kingdomes that wer of such power dignitie wherein florisshed so many excellente wittes with this very rude and beastly common welth of the Turkes he shall fynde that syns Noes floud there neuer chaunced a greater calamitie And yf they so stronge and mightye nations were not able to resiste so weake a people as the Turkes wer at the beginnyng god thus auengyng the synnes of the people what maye we looke for which in dede are gyltye of the same fault but in so much the worse case for that we be matched with anenemie that is strong out of measure we see how God doeth plage vs chiefly in these parties wyth warre famyne and pestilence The most cruell enemie hathe taken of late Offen the chiefe citie of the Realme he hathe brent spoyled the land of Bohema And what miserie haue we not suffered these sixtene yeres howe moche blod hathe bene spilte how many thousand peopele led a waye in to most miserable captyuitie for certenly now is the Turkes power so increased that he is far exalted aboue all other kinges And for by cause he obteyneth at oure handes in a maner contynuall victories he perceyueth him self to bee the scourge of God and that no man is able to escape his vengeaunce Seing therfore that our synnes be so great and many what haue we to truste vnto or howe shall we defende our selues agaynste him Assuredly there is but one only remedy All thinges are in the handes of god it is god that geueth and taketh awaye empires whiche woundeth and healeth who prouoketh vs to repeÌ„taunce by offering vs the knowledg of his word which thing in dede he doth euer before he plageth So sent he Ionas the prophet to the Niniuites and forgaue theÌ„ for that they repeÌ„ted So loked he mercyfully vpon Nabuchodonosor the kyng of Assirians followyng the counsell of Daniel And certenly moste myghty kyng we knowe none other meane or remedye than that Gods worde may be purely taught and the people exhorted to amendement of life to the entent that being ful of confidence they may boldely withstande the Turkishe violence for herein consisteth oure saluation that we serue God ryghtly Wherfore seing that manye errours are crept into the churche whiche in this our tyme are disclosed and that lately in the counsel of the Empyre diverse opinioÌ„s wer agreed vpon and for a certen tyme peace graunted for Religion and the Byshop commaunded to refonrme their churches We beseche your hyghnes to geue commaundement that the Gospell be preached sincerely especially that article of iustification whiche teacheth that our synnes are forgeuen through Christ only Agayne that men be excited vnto loue and charitable workes whiche are the true fruictes tokens of fayth Moreouer let them be made afrayd to synne and accustome them selues to geue God thaÌ„kes that of his mere mercy we are delyuered through Christ from synne death and hell and made inheritours of the heaueÌ„ly kingdome that such as desyre may receiue the Lordes supper after the maner of the primatiue church And that also the Byshoppes be coÌ„maunded according to the decree of the Empyre newly made to redresse that is amisse in the churche that they appoincte mete ministers to instructe the people and reiecte not the true preachers as they haue euer done heretofore And let not your grace thinke that we make this sute vnto you for that we either seke for any more libertie or intende at any tyme to disobey for we coÌ„fesse that our whole saluation consisteth in Christe only and that the knoweledge of the Gospell must be adourned with godly liuing acknowledge it our bounden dutie to shewe vnto you all obedience as farre forth as our goodes and lyfe wyll extende And seing it is so we doe humbly beseche you to suffer vs to enioye the benefite of this last decree and that suche as shall followe the fourme of Religion of vs before rehearsed be not indaungered therfore For so shal you haue faith full ministers of your churches whiche are nowe many vacant and boyde of any and men shall with more hardines warre against that moste terrible ennemy vnto whome for our ingratitude and wickednes God hath geuen so many victories and conquestes hitherto The nobles and states of Austriche that put vp this supplication were foure and tweÌ„ty men of honour and ten cities wherof Uienne was one and their next neighbours the Stirians Carnites Ferdinando hetherto aunswered that for calamities by them mentioned he is ryght hartely sory and doubteth not but these are plages sent for the synnes of the people and therfore hath oftener than once admonished the ministers of the churche that they should exhorte the people to amendement of lyfe Moreouer sayeth howe he was neuer against that Gods worde should be ryghtly taught according to the traditioÌ„ and settyng forth of the Apostles and such other interpretours as the churche hath receiued and allowed neuerthelesse he chargeth them that in
complainte Therfore aboute th ende of this conuention Themperoure by hys letters published at Wormes receyueth them into hys tuitiō and chargeth al men vnder the paine of outlawyng that no man disturbe thē in their religiō right or possession Againe in other letters he citeth the archebisshop that within .xxx. dayes he come hym selfe or send his proctour to aunswer to the accusations And in the meane time commaundeth that he intermeddle not nor alter any thynge yf he haue chaunged ought to restore it to hys olde place The same commaundemente also geueth he to the Townesemen of Andernake Bonna Lyntz and Campene for in these places chyefly had the Archebisshop appoynted Preachers to instructe the people Agayne the .xviij. daye of Iulye Paule the .iii. citeth hym after the same maner that within two monethes he appere before hym at Roome he cyteth also Henrye Stolberge Dean of the Cathedrall Churche in Collon and hys Colleges whyche were all of noble houses Iames Ringraue Fryderycke Weden Chrystopher Oldenburge Rychard Rauier and Phylyp Obersten For these bothe loued the Archebishop and allowed not the suite of the rest The Bysshop of Roome had dyuerse yeres paste mislyked muche the Archebisshop whyche was chiefly longe of Uergeryus Bysshop of Instinople who beyng Ambassadour in Germany and comming on a time to Collon whan he heard that he was aboute the reformation of hys churche he rebuked hym sore bothe by wordes and letters and accused hym whan he came at home After longe disceptation concernyng peace the Chamber and the Turkish warre Themperoure the fourthe daye of August maketh an ende of pleadynge And because manye thynges coulde not be here determyned vnlesse the Prynces had been presente themselues he prorogeth the whole treaty vntill the moneth of Ianuarye next followyng and than commaundeth all the Prynces to come to Regenspurge vnlesse they be letted by syckenes and sayeth he wyll be there hym selfe And forsomuche as he desyreth that the controuersye in relygion myghte once bee accorded he appoynteth an other conference of learned men and foure collocutours on eyther side and two auditours commaundynge them to bee at Regenspurge at the kalendes of December and to begynne the matter before the assemblye of Prynces shall repayre thyther Then he recyteth the decrees of peace of the fourmer yeres and confirmeth them commaunding that no man attempt any thing to the contrarye After he taketh order howe the money graunted in the yeare before to the Turkysshe warre shoulde be leuyed and reserued the reformation of the Chamber he differreth tyll the nexte conuention That parte concernynge the conference of Learned men the Catholyckes refuse neyther wold they assent to Themperoure herein the reste they doe not refuse But the Protestantes doe repete the fourmer treatye and saye that the faulte is not in them that they had not treated of Relygyon and that they had sayed beefore touchynge the refusall of the Counsell and the Chamber they inferre agayue and vrge the decree of Spyer made the laste yere and where as this decree of Themperoures dissenteth from that they proteste that they doe not admit the same How the ambassadours of the protestantes followed themperoures campe the yeare past how themperour differred it tyll an other tyme I shewed you before Whersore in this assemblie the matter was throughly determyned vpon condicions before mentioned And whē the duchie of Brunswicke was by sequestration permitted to themperour he by by cōmaundeth Henry the duke to trye the matter by the law abstaine frō force of armes but he wyll not assente thereunto hereof maketh protestation And what tyme themperoure againe chargeth hym extremelye vnder the paine of outlawing that he shold obey thorder taken he not only disobeyed it but also wrote agayne bitterly raileth vppon his counsellours especyally Granuellan and Nauius and not content herewith secretly began to gather men that he myght recouer that he had lost as a lyttell after you shall heare Themperoure goeth downe the Ryuer of Rhine from Wormes to Collon And from thence retourneth to Brusselles The Bysshop of Collon beynge cyted to appere before Themperoure where soeuer he were or to sende hys Proctour within .xxx. dayes Albeit that for the olde custome of Germany and by the priuelege of the Princes Electours he was not bounden to seke thēperoure withoute the limites of thempire yet sent he thither his proctour which should defende hym That time was the warre hote betwirte Fraunce and England And was mayneteyned aswell by sea as by lande And the Frenche king with moche a doe builded a forte nere vnto Bologne vpon the Sea coast intending to cut of theyr vitayle And was driueu to fynde an Armye there tyll the woorke was finisshed which neuerthelesse was at the fyrst discōsited with a great deale lesse power of the Englissh men through the cōduite of the Erle of Herforde and lost theyr tentes caryage And it greued the protestātes to see these two kynges at such mortal warre together which so many yeres before had been at peace Wherefore knowynge that it shoulde not be displeasaunte to neyther partye They sende Ambassadours into Fraūce Christopher Ueninger Iohn Bruno of Nidepōt Iohn Sturmius Into Englād Lewis Bambache Iohn Sleidan Who coming to Amiens the tenth day of Septēber heare there of the death of the Duke of Orleans which was departed the day before He should haue ben eyther son inlaw or allied to thēperour as before is declared as it wer a most sure bonde of perpetuall frendship But what tyme the maryage was in maner appointed to be kept he died of a short sickenes being a yong man of .xxiii. yeres of age At the selfe same tyme Duke Henrye of Brunswicke beinge furnisshed with the French golde as before is sayde hyreth bandes of soldiours as secretly as he can Which after they were assēbled besides Uerded aboute a thousande and fyue hundreth horsemen and eyght thousande footemen He goeth to Rotburge a Towne belōging to the citie of Breme that he myghte ioyne the munition of hys brother Archebisshop of Breme hys owne to gether but that labour was lost For the Senate of Breme had sente thyther before men to defende the place Marchynge therfore through the countrey of Luneburge where he did moche hurte by the waye he commeth into hys owne prouince taketh the Castel Stēbrucke by composition after he worketh moche mischief in the coūtrie spoylyng and fyreyng the houses And sendeth worde to the Cities nexte hym as Brunswicke Hanobrye Minden Breme Hamburge that they shoulde recompence hym for the iniutyes done and forsake the conspiracie of Smallcald for so it was his pleasure to cal it or els he threateneth thē with vtter distruction And other force of his aboute eyght hundreth horsemen and thre thousand fotmen whau they had spoyled burned the coūtrie of Countie Deckelburge a fellow of the Protestātes done moch harme they passed ouer
deserued to thintente we maye haue libertie by them afterwarde to establish the common wealth and doe suche thynges as properly concern our office therfore we straytly charge and commaunde that no man ayde thē in any case neither take theyr parte they that shall doe other wyse shall in curre the daunger both of lyfe and goodes And let such as are happely gon already to serue them retourne as soone as they possible can But let all men geue theyr ayde vnto vs and fynde no let or cauillation throughe any league or priuate conuenauntes For we make all these thinges frustrate Moreour we release all the Nobilitie and commons of theyr dominions of theyr allegeaunce othe wherby they are bounden to them and assure them to be in saftye yf they doe obeye But suche as shall refuse to be punnyshed in lyke sort as they The .xxii. daye of Iuly Gerarde Uelduuiche is sente agayne from Regenspurg to Cōstantinople frō whence he was but lately retourned Thēperour whan nothing could here be determined prorogeth the conuentiō of thēpire vntil the kalends of February in the next yere following of the bishop of Romes letters sent to the Heluetiās I haue shewed you before whiche after the Bishops legate Hierome Franch had receiued he sent them from Lucers and writeth to them also hym selfe the .xxv. daye of Iuly That thre dayes synce were deliuered vnto hym the letters of the Bishop Senate of Cardinalles And albeit they are in a maner of the same effecte as wer hys former letters yet for that they conteyne somewhat more he sendeth them nowe a copie of the same with spede and at the nexte conuention he will shew them the principal And forasmuche as in the same league whyche lately nowe at the ende of Iune the Bishop and Themperoure made there is leafte also aspace for others that will come into the same confederacye moreouer because it was couuenaunted that Themperoure shoulde trye whether that hys aduersaryes and enemyes to the Churche of Roome myghte haply with out warre be reduced to theyr dewetye and amendement the Bishop doeth ernestlye require of them that they wolde pronounce with expresse wordes whether they wil be of thys league and whether they wyll obey the decrees of the Counsell of Trente And where they haue appoynted hym a daye at the nexte assemblie at Baden wherein they will make hym an aunswer to hys former demaundes therefore he hathe nowe wrytten to them also to the entente they maye consulte in the meane season Therefore he dooeth beseche them in the blud of our sauioure Chryste that they wolde dilygently consyder with themselues what a noble and famous acte thys wylbe and howe profytable for them and theyr ofsprynge yf they wolde bothe helpe to quenche this fyre in Germany and approue also the decrees of the Generall counsell Where the bishop vttered the cause of the league summe men suppose it to bee donne of hym for a craftie polycie that he myghte by thys meanes put Themperoure to his narrowe shyftes For it is most certen that he tooke it verey displeasauntely that Themperoure pretended an other cause of warre as shal be declared herafter At thys time Alberte sonne to the Duke of Bauer maryeth the Ladie Anne the daughter of Kyng Fernando and the Duke of Cleaue the lady Marye and other of hys Daughters For when the Duke of Cleaue had longe looked for the Daughter of Nauaire out of Fraunce in vayne as before is sayde the Byshop of Roome graunted hym a lycence to marye an other Wherefore he maryeth these same and bothe mariages were solemnised at Regenspurge in the myddes of the vprores tumultes of warre eyther Maryage did concerne a newe bonde of amitie A daye of syttyng was appoynted for the fathers at Trent as before you haue hearde at the end of Iuly but the matter was defferred till the begynnynge of the nexte yere as in hys place shal be declared There were at Trent besides the Cardinalles the Bisshoppes legate and the Cardinalles of Trent and Pacher a Spaniard foure Archebishops .xxxiii. bishops of them two Frenche fyue Spanishe and one Slauonishe the residew were all Italyans Doctours of diuinitie relygious .xxxv. of others that had not professed religion twelue for the most parte all Spaniardes But amonges those foure Archebishops two of thē bare but the name only Olans Magnus of Upsalya and Robert Uenaut a Scotte And that chaunced thus Whā Gustaue kynge of Swecia nere vnto Denmarke altered relygion which was in the yere of our lord about a M.D.xxxvii Iohn Magnus Archebishop of Upsalya who mislyked that alteration forsaking the countrey fled vnto Roome and came thyther with a meane company Afterward going to Uenyse he became Suffragan to the Patriarche of that Citie But in fyne waxing werye of that state he retourneth to Roome and beyng broughte to an exigente and a verey lowe ebbe what tyme he had solde hys horses and in a maner putte awaye all hys seruauntes the Bishop of Roome placed hym in the Hospytall of the holy ghoste wherin he ended hys lyfe full poorelye there was with hym hys brother Olans Unto whom the Bysshop gaue that Archebishopricke of Gothlande thoughe it were out of the precincte of the Church of Roome and commaunded hym to be at the counsell and geueth hym .xv. crownes a moneth to paye for hys bord the other a Scotte whan he had infourmed the Bishop of the Archbishopricke of Armacane in Irelande he obtayned of hym the name and title therof This Scotte was blynde and yet did not only saye masse but also wold ryde in Post Wherfore the Bishop wolde haue these two in the counsel for ostentation only as though those two nations so farre of the Gothes and Iryshemen did acknowledge hys Authorytie where they in verey dede had nothyng but the Shadow and bare name of the thing It is mentioned before how Duke Moris after priuate talke had with Themperour departed from Regēspurge whan he was cōmen home king Fernando followyng shortly after he goeth vnto hym to Prage After the fyrst daye of Auguste Themperour sendeth to Duke of Moris From Regenspurge a copie of the proscription before rehearsed and writing his letters commen to him to his people he reporteth in a maner the same thynges that are comprised in the table of on Lawerie And because he is allied vnto the outlawes by kinred affinitie so nere that he may haply claime som ryght in theyr landes possessions he chargeth him most ernestly that he assist hym with all his force to wynne theyr countries yea that he get all him self so soone as he can and holde it for his owneryght for els wil it come to passe that all shal be his that can catche it who so euer he be neyther shall the ryght of consinage or compactes profet hym any thynge And agayne for contemnynge hys Emperours commaundemente he shall incurre the same penaltie that the others doe
neither suffer bodyly punishement nor be deteined in perpetual prison or further punished in his goodes than was in the composition of peace prescribed This was the thing only in none other hope did he put them as they can beare witnesse And after declareth howe he came to Hale 〈…〉 and submitted hym selfe vnto hym And howe he hath bene synce intreated nothyng against promesse This tale of the Emperour the same daye the states do reporte to Duke Maurice and the Marques The next daye they make suche aunswer as they neither blame themperour greatly herein neither wyll much contende whether the fault were in the counsellours or how the matter was mistakē But how someuer the matter was for a common quiet and peace of Germany they did perswade the Lātgraue whan they suspected nothing at all of imprisonment or captiuitie to come vnto Hale desyre pardon and not to refuse the conditions of peace and that he hath lost his libertie is kepte prisoner hitherto not without the great peril of his health how much that is against their honour estimatiō euery mā seeth wel enough Therfore they require thē to be petitioners with thē intreate themperour that he would rather haue consideration of thē which haue done faithful seruice to the Empire than of the Lantgraues offence and not to suffer them to runne in obloquie and sclaunder but restore him vnto libertie especially synce the conditiōs are all in a maner fulfylled and the Emperour put in ryght good assuraunce for the rest Thus therfore with one voyce and assente they made intercession The Lantgraues wyfe had intreated the Lady Regent the Emperours sister to be a meane for him But it auailed nothing And because Duke Maurice and the Marques of Brandenburg sayd how they were bound to the Lantgraues sonnes by dede obligatorie so longe as he was deteined the Emperour sendeth Iohn Lirane to the Lātgraue at Norling whether as the Spaniardes had caried him And willeth him to deliuer all the wrytinges of assurasice and dedes obligatory He saieth that they are not in his custody but kept by his sonnes and counsellours Albeit he shuld write yet were it in vain For thei told him when he came away that they would not departe from them vnlesse he were first deliuered Neuerthelesse if he might knowe of the Emperour any certen tyme of his deliueraunce he would do what he coulde that they should be deliuered The Emperour not contented with this aunswer taketh from him all his seruauntes except one or two at the moste About the ende of Nouember Peter Martyr a Florētine leauing Strasburg where he had taught fiue yeares to his great commendation hauing leaue of the Senate goeth into Englande being sent for by the Archebyshop of Canturbury at the kinges commaundement and is appointed to reade the diuinitie lectour in Oxforde He had a compaignion of this iourney Barnardine Ochine of Sene. Who beyng had in great estimation amonges the Italians for his eloquence vertue forsaking the monasticall kinde of lyfe gaue him selue to the doctrine of the Gospell And coming first to Geneua and after to Auspurge set forth certen Sermons in print And muche about the same tyme were the syxe articles made in the life of king Henry as is sayd in the .xii. boke disanulled by acte of parliament And Images and pictures remoued out of the churches This was the beginning of reformation there The .ix. day of December the Cardinall of Trent in the presence of the byshop and a great Senate of Cardinalles propoundeth his matter as he was commaunded and with many weighty wordes declareth what perils and paynes the Emperour hath taken for the counsell and now is the matter brought vnto that passe as he sayeth through his industrie authoritie that all states wyll obeye the counsell Wherfore he requireth for Goddes loue in the name of the Emperour kyng Ferdinando and the whole Empire that he will cōmaunde the fathers that are at Bononie to retourne to Trent to finish vp their worli begon ryght necessary for the cōmon wealth More ouer that he send an Ambassadour or two into Germany that by their aduise some meane howe to lyue well may be establyshed till the ende of the counsell and that there may be a reformation of the olergie Finally let him consider also and decree that if the Byshop chaunce to departe during the tyme of the counsell whether the authoritie of Election shal be in the Fathers of the counsell or in the Cardinalles leste happely if the matter shall so come to passe it may styre vp newe commotiōs The fift day after that the Cardinall of Trent had thus playd the oratour Iames Mendoza by the Emperours commaūdement in the same audience speaketh to lyke effect And sayeth that if the Byshop make any delay or excuse he hath in commaundement that calling to hym the Ambassadours of other kynges and Prynces he shuld openly proteste that the counsell is corrupted The same daye being the .xiiii. daie of December the Archbyshop of Rains that was made Cardinall the sōmer before sent by the Frenche kyng to Rome made a long and a flattering Oration to the Byshop and the Cardinalles in the prayse of kyng Fraunces and other kynges of Fraūce but chiefly in the commendation of Henry the newe kyng who as he sayeth nothing degenerating from his moste noble progenitours beareth such a zelous affection to the churche of Rome that he maketh not only his submission and as a most louing and obedient childe offereth hym selfe in to the bosome of the same but also as the first begotten sonne of the churche chief captaine of the Christian nation promiseth in the defence and maintenaūce of the dignitie hereof to imploye al the force and power of his Realme his owne treasure and person Roialle with many suche other thinges full of great assentation The Frenche kyng vnderstāding well what rancour and malice the Byshop bare in mynde for the slaughter of Peter Aloise saw that through the remouing of the counsell from Trent the displeasure was increased he iudged this a tyme cōuenient wherin he might frame all thinges to his commoditie and purpose Wherfore sending oftentimes Ambassadours to the Byshop he promised him assistaūce and incouraged and strengthened his mynde Whan the Byshop had heard the requestes of the Cardinall of Trente and of Mendoza he sayeth he wyl consult with the fathers that be at Boloigne and also make relation of the thing vnto other Christen Princes Wherfore whan the Cardinall of Trente could get none other aunswere he retourneth home leauing there Mendoza whome the Emperour had commaunded to finishe vp the rest And the .xvi. day of December the Byshop wryting to his chief Legate in the counsell Iohn Mary Mountane Cardinal signifieth both what the Cardinal of Trent and also Iames Mendoza had demaunded in the Emperours name and how he after conference had with his
tyll I knowe it to be otherwise by contrary probations especially sythe the moste parte of the Byshops are gone with our Legates thether For not the lesse parte as thou affirmest but the greater ought to preuayle in doubtfull matters And it is euident that the Counsell hath power to remoue els where But whether it were lawfully remoued wherin is al the cōtrouersie I reserue vnto my self the iudgement of that thyng whiche is offered me And in the meane tyme doe attribute vnto that congregation the name of the Counsell But thou affirmest those that were causers of the remouing to be vnto me addicted Thynkest thou this thynge worthy of reprehension Than thou praysest suche as remayned at Trente for bycause they fauour me not But consider what daunger herein is For of this thing are wonte to arryse dissentions and scismes vnto the churche moste perillouse what tyme the Byshoppes withdrawe them selues from the obedience of their hygh Prelate But if you vnderstande by addicted suche as be factiouse that wyll take my parte whether it be right or wrong verely I knowe none suche For I haue none other partakyng than that which is the part of a father towardes his children or of the pastour to ward his flocke Neither hath there chaunced as yet any suche controuersie in the Counsell that I neded any suche addicted and vowed men But this I requyre of the Byshoppes chifly that they prouide for the libertie of conscience and gaue an especiall charge to my Legates whan they went vnto the counsel that thei shuld se in any wyse that the byshops shuld haue no cause to cōplain of taking away from them their libertie in geuing of voices You finde much fault also that I can not be perswaded by no requestes of thēperour nor of king Ferdinādo nor al the states of th ēpyre gatherest hereby the I take no care for Germany especially whan thēperour hath through his great labour pains brought to passe that suche as were lately swarued from the church do not now refuse the decrees of the coūsel so it might be continued at Trent Certes I neuer refused by determinate wordes but that they myght retourne to Trente so that the same may be lawfully done and without offence of other nations But how desirous I am of the health of Germany hereof it is euident that twyse I haue called a counsel thither twise sent my Legates whiche after they had at the first tyme by the space of seuen monethes loked chiefly for the commynge of the Germanes Parise Morone and Poole Cardinalles thou knowest thy selfe howe there came none at that tyme. Thither came in the Emperours name Granuellan the Byshop of Arras and you your selfe Mendoza and you can all witnes how great was the patience of our men in abyding for the rest But what was the ende therof Not so muche as you your selues would tary And albeit my Legates intreated you that at the last one of the thre myght remayne for an example to others yet alledging a certen excuse you departed not many dayes after Agayne two yeares after in a tyme more commodious thei met there againe And I sent Legates thither Mountane Crucei and Poole Cardinalles Thyther came you also and Fraunces Toletane And you remembre howe longe was the expectation and how many monthes were consumed in vaine tofore they could begynne And after they were come to the matter and many holsome decrees were made you know how fewe of them came the ther that chiefly neded that remedy Of the Byshoppes came none at al A fewe of them sent their proctours Briefly there appeared no signes nor tokens that they would come to amendement And whan many resorted thether out of Spayne Fraunce Italy and further Prouinces out of Germany whiche was next of all others hardely came there any one But nowe you saye that the state of Germany is otherwyse and that the Emperour whose power and authoritie is nowe augmented doth vndertake that in case they retourne to Trente all the Germaines wyll followe the decres of the counsell I beleue Mendoza if it be true thou sayest But if the Germaynes be of that mynde why doe they not playnely submitte them selues to the counsell where so euer it be And yet I woulde not that this should be so taken as though I passed greatly in what place the Synode be holden But you so sticke vnto Trente that vnlesse it be finished there where it firste began you wyll saye that Germany is vndonne But take hede what you doe For whylest you bynde vs to the walles of one Citie you doe iniurie to the holy Ghoste In olde tyme God ordeined Hierusalem as a peculiar place wherin he wold be worshipped for it pleased him thā but whā the ceremonies shaddowes of the lawe were abolyshed After that our sauiour Christ the sunne of rightuousnes shone forth he would be serued in all places Therfore you bryng in a newe bondage whan you would compell vs to a place But seyng that Germany should be cured it is nedefull that the counsell he kept there why than if the Danes Gothians or Britans be vexed with lyke diseases should euery of them haue a generall counsell kept in their owne countreys No not so For in assembling of counselles there is not so much consideration had of them for whom the lawes are made as of those whiche doe make and prescribe the same They be Byshoppes and other fathers whose commodities are chiefly respected For it is to be proued by sondry examples that counsels haue oftentymes bene holden out of the countreis where the heresies sprange vp what whether were not this an vnreasonable thing that 〈◊〉 Germaynes only should take vpon them to appointe the place of the counsell and the Election and libertie be taken away from all other nations This is to declare that this bitter protestation of yours neded not But nowe to the rest of the same you saye howe the auswere we made vnto the Emperour was vnsitting and full of lyes and grounded neither vppon ryght nor reason These thynges are vnreuerently spoken and herein thou doest vs wrong but because thou bryngest no reason I can not aunswere thee distinctely Howe be it I suppose it greueth you that we desyre the decrees may be ratified and they well assured that shall repare to the counsel that the same maner and order of pleading be styll reteyned whiche hath remayned in the churche from the Apostles tyme vnto this daye finally that the saufe conduicte be ready But in these demaūdes is nothing straunge or vnreasonable and are wont to be prouided for as wel by lawes of the Byshops as also of Emperours Nowe where you saye that whatsoeuer incommoditie shall arryse in tyme to come the Emperour wyll ascribe it vnto me And also in this my negligence wyll take vpon hym the charge of the church Uerely so far forth as God wyll geue me grace I wyll so demeane my selfe that I
Sueuia whā his wife had eftsones ben an hūble suter for hym and put them in suerall boates There is by the Ryuer of Rhine a towne of the Lantgraues called Sanguner and a Castell set vpon the toppe of a stepe hyl Whan the Emperour came hither he was benighted and rode at Ancker and setting a lande the watchemen only commaundeth al the reste to remaine within borde The Senathe of Strasburge was commaunded as is sayd before to aunswere within a moneth Whan themperour therfore was come to Spire Ambassadours were sent vnto him the second day of September Iames Sturmius Matthew Giger Lewys Grempe Finding him not at Spire followed after vnto Mentz And what time thei had geuē knowledge to thēperour of their cōming the Germain coūsellours were out of the way which serued Thēpe in those affaires thei were byd follow to Collō In that mean time that bishop of Strasburg sēding letters to that clergie wtin the citie that of September willeth them to obey the decree of th empyre ordeyne the thyng after the fourme prescribed And with al sendeth themperours letters touching the same matter which I sayde were writtē the tenth day of Iuly Moreouer he writeth to the Senate also that they would not impeche them Thambassadours of Strasburg after thei were come to Collon ye. viii day of September exhibite to themperour from the Senate an other epistle wrytten in Frenche of this importaunce Al be it moste triumphant Emperour what time we were recōciled vnto you We made no promise to obserue such things as shuld be decreed Albeit we neuer assented that the cause of Religion should be handled on this wyse yet in al thinges that we possible may we are ready to gratifie your Maiestie not only in ciuile but also in diuine matters We perceiue wel enough that your highnes the rest of the Princes will haue no consideration of our doinges that it is reason that we shuld folow your fotesteppes Yet this notwithstanding we beseche you eftsones to consider that for so muche as euery mā must render vnto God an accōpt of his own doing we haue iust cause to be careful for our saluation to forsee that we do nothing at any tyme against our conscience for which cause also we were in very good hope that after you had heard our diuines you would haue mitigated the decree But considering that you referre vs to the counsel say how the matter shall there be debated according vnto holy scripture we are thus contented And least we shuld seme contentious or obstinate do not refuse but that the Byshop of our citie may set forth that order of yours in certen churches with vs by men of his facultie And we shal deuise with hym for the churches neither wil we disturbe him in any thing neither for bid the citezens to repare thither but that it may be fre for euery man to followe suche religion as he shal thinke good hym self yet vnder this condicion that we may haue again a few churches in the which Gods worde may be purely taught the sacramēts ministred as it is decēt that in the vulgare tongue We wil prouide also that the people shal be kept in order that nothing be otherwise done than is semely Againe we shal cōmaund that holy daies fasting daies be kept wil suffer nothing to be done either in sermōs or other places that may be any offēce vnto others And for so much as this doctrine hath now these many yeares ben so depely roted in mens mindes that it can not without that hurt of cōscience be taken away so sodenly And againe for so much as by this meane which we haue shewed you your highnes decre may take place amōgst vs we besech you in the hartiest maner that we can to graunt our requestes to suffer vs in this religiō vntil the tyme of the counsel Which shal be both a most thākeful duty vnto God make chiefly for that peace of our citie and whole Prouince After themperour had heard this letters And besides such thinges as Iames Sturmius with his great eloquence declared at large he made answer by Seldie speaking many thinges of his zeale towards Germany after long debating at that length he sendeth thē away after this sorte that they should go through with their bishop yet vpon this condition that if they can not agre they should stande to his arbitrement Whan themperour was come into Brabant it was his pleasure to haue the Duke of Saxon with him but the Lantgraue he sent to Audenarde a towne in Flaūders On the borders of Brabāt he dischargeth all those forces that he brought with him from Auspurg I haue spoken before of the iudgemēt of the chāber imperial how the states permitted themperour that he shuld establish the same The first day therfore of October as before was enacted it is renewed thre Aduocates are displaced for suspicion of Lutheranisme al the rest amongest other thinges were cōmaūded that they shuld perseuer in the doctrine of the catholike church or els to be remoued frō that place There began Henry the Duke of Brūswicke to cōmence suite against the Protestātes for the former war what time he was expulsed He had in dede conditioned whā he was deliuered out of prison and that by an othe also that he would attempt nothing But he went from that conuenaunt not he only but also tharchbyshop of Mentz the maister of Prussia the Erle of Nassow Reuart counte of Solmen with others moued suit against that Lātgraue The mē of Cōstānce lately outlawed wher as they were in great perplexitie sawe no way how to saue thē selues flee vnto that last refuge and geue thē selues to the house of Austriche for euer Wherupon kyng Ferdinando receiueth them into his tuition sendeth thither immediatly a noble man to be their gouernour Who about the middes of October propoūdeth vnto them these conditions That they shall acknowledge Ferdinando and his children and heyres for their Lordes from hence forth and shewe vnto them al faith and dew obedience shall not reuolte from them at any tyme neyther make any league or confederacie Suche lawes and statutes as Ferdinando and his deputes shall make concerning Religion and other matters they shal throwly obeye In warre and other affaires thei shall be ready at all tymes to ayde and serue kyng Ferdinando his children and heyres obediently as the rest of his subiectes The same conditions afterwarde they receiue by an othe two daies after the gouernour calleth the Senate and demaūdeth of them what is the somme of their cōmon treasure that their gunnes with al their fourniture be brought into an accompt He cōmaundeth also that no townes man do weare any longe sworde that no man presume to come to the fortifications nor where the watche is That their names whiche during the war admonyshed the citie of daunger
heafter shal be sayde The Bishop whiche was euer accompted to be of a mylde and a quiet nature was not thought to haue done this so muche of his owne accorde as through the instigation of others that were about hym whiche affirmed that this occasion of recoueryng his iurisdictiō was not to be neglected sayd moreouer that vnlesse he were earnest in that matter he might feare thēperours displea He vsed for his chief doer in these cases Christofer Welsinger a Ciuilian who sometime was student in the vniuersitie of Wittemberge Againe the clergie of the head church of Strasburg had for their aduocate Iohn Tischel a doctour of that ciuile lawe In the last boke is mention made of Wuolfgange Prince of Bipounte how after the decre of Religiō was enacted he was sent for to Auspurg Whome the Emperour had pressed with sō dry letters that he should obeye the decree And for so muche as he had referred the matter to the Byshoppes the Emperour demaundeth of hym whether he wyll ratifie the decree And whether he wyll displace the ministers of the churche that wil not obeye the same Wherupon he writing his letters to themperour in Frenche repeteth in fewe wordes what was done in the somer before at Auspurg And saieth howe at his retourne home he set forth vnto the people that part of the decree that concerned holy daies and fasting daies cōmaunding the same to be obserued Howe he hath also red ouer diligently oftener than once the decree of Religiō and graunteth that therin are many thinges which are consonant to his faith by the which he loketh for eternal saluation And that ther be many things also which differ much from the same Neuerthelesse he hath charged the preachers ministers of the churche to way euery thing diligently after to declare vnto him how they suppose the thing may be instituted But where al they with one voice affirme that they can not allowe the same in al thinges with a quiet conscience he thought it not his part to compell them to worke against their conscience Wherfore he required the byshops that they them selues wold take some order in it But what thing they haue aunswered he hath certified heretofore being in good hope that nothing more of him shuld be required But now saith he in as much as you wil haue a direct answer most mightie Emperour I wyl say what myne opiniō is And first as concerning the religiō rites ceremonies which haue bene certen yeres obserued within my dominiō verely I was borne brought vp in the fame as I haue also shewed you before Cesar euē vntil this day neuer heard any other kind of doctrine moreouer I haue bestowed my study paines therin so farre forth as my wyt is able to cōceaue it appereth plainly to be agreable vnto Gods worde For this must I nedes confesse seing I am asked the question least I should both hurt myne own cōscience litle regarde my saluatiō This is the cōsideratiō also why I can not approue y◠decre otherwise most willing ready after that maner exāple of mine auncestours to do any thing for Howebeit your highnes whiche is the supreme Magistrate maye determine herein what shall seme good vnto you It is wholy at your pleasure This only I beseche you that I be not constrayned to doe against myne owne iudgement nor yet the people that be vnder my dominion As touching the ministers of the churche I desyred you in my last letters that they might tary through your licence for the christening of chyldren and visityng of the sicke chiefly tyll others were substitute in their place Notwithstanding if you shall commaunde them to departe immediatly not abydyng tyll others come albeit thesame shal be a great grief and hynderaunce to the people yet shal it be done accordingly For many of them are gone already and in those thinges that may or ought to be perfourmed I know that all loialtie obeysaunce must be shewed you What time in the dominions of Duke Maurice there was a great apparence that Religion should be altered the ministers and preachers of Lubeck Luneburge and Hamburge compiled a boke wherin they confuted at the full the booke and decree of Auspurge Wherof the chief authour was Iohn Epine Moreouer the doctours of Maydenburg Nicolas Amstorfe and especially Matthie Flacie borne in the citie of Albone in Slauonie Nicolas Ganles bende them selues earnestly against the diuines of Wittemberge and of Lipsia and in many little bookes set forth do reprehende them as though they should deale dissemblyngly and shoulde through their indifferent or meane thynges set open a waye to the Romish Religion Finally they place this as a generall Rule that all rites and ceremonies al though they be of their owne nature indifferent be no longer meane thynges whan force an opinion of holines and necessitie byndeth men and whan occasion of wickednes therby is geuen This Flacie had bene certen yeares Phillippe Melanchthons schollar but in this contentiō he went to Magdēburg setting forth a boke afterwarde wherin he declareth the cause of his so doing Furthermore they of Hamburge addressinge their letters to them of Wittemberge especially to Melanchthon doe recite what they call indifferent or meane thynges and declare in what cases they ought to be admitted desyryng them also to wryte what thynge they would haue comprysed vnder that name to the intente men maye haue some certen thynge to followe and not to wauer in theyr myndes and least that name of indifferent thynges geue occasion to sondrye errours whiche may crepe in by lyttle and lyttle Unto the which epistle Melanchthō maketh answer amōgst other thinges sayeth how some bōdage is to be borne withall so it be not annexed to wickednes The Archebyshop of Mentz in the beginning of May holdeth a counsell prouinciall The decrees wherof he setteth forth in a boke afterward Lykewyse do the Archebyshoppes of Treuers and Collon who hath also a large prouince That booke amonges other thynges establysheth for confession that no mā be admitted to the Lordes supper vnlesse he be first confessed Of the hallowyng of Salt water and other thynges which through exorcismes and praiers are prepared as they say for the vse of faithful men Of the Reliques of the inuocation and adoration of Saincts of Pilgrimages of prayers for the dead of pourgatory of fasting and choyse of meates of the canonical houres as they terme them of the tremblable misteries of the Masse Unto this Synode came Maurice Byshop of Eistet The residue sente Ambassadours But that ordynaunce of hallowyng and consecratyng aparteineth to many matters Euery seuenth daye whiche is called the Sonday whan there be many people in the churche the priest exorciseth as they terme it first Salte after Water And whan he hath mixed the salte and the water together he sprincleth the people withall And this sprinklyng is thought to geue health
them did inhabite the citie And if we had bene disposed to haue wrought any violēce against them it was not harde to be done But we attempted nothing And whan the state of our thinges was such that we were constraimed to feare the power of our ennemie we called together the fellowes of the cathedral church And for so much as the light of the Gospel is reuealed and God also requireth the profession of the same we requyred them dilligently as we had doue many tymes before that they them selues woulde choyse some experte Diuine whiche myght teache Goddes worde in the Cathedrall churche For the same were boeth of it selfe very Godly and wold also helpe greatly to increase mutuall loue and beneuolence betwene them and the citezens And where as they refused we our selues prouided the thyng And because the ennemie was at hande and had already inuaded our limites we requyred of them that they would paye vs a certen somme of mony that they should sende no letters out of the citie that they should remayne with vs and inioye their owne possessions But they not long after departed out of the citie and beyng after requyred of vs to sende theyr Ambassadours at a certen day to Salsie with whome we might treate they proudely reiected the talke Wherfore whan they vttered their malice and spitefull hatred against vs we were also constreyned to requite them with the lyke For in case they had remayned with vs all this trouble myght haue bene auopded But they burned in malice against vs and many times to our distruction forged new diuises so must we of necessitie take armure for our own defence For vnlesse we had taken their townes villages there had bene a place of refuge left for the enne my And seing they be the reuenewes of the church of Mayden burg not theirs which persecute the church they may be rightly imployed to the defence of religion against false doctrine idolatrie Neither doeth the thing want examples of fourmer tyme. Themperour hath in dede outlawed vs but by no desert of ours as we haue heretofore oftener than once declared And this fortune or state is common to vs with the Prophes Apostles finally with Christe him selfe who for the profession of that truthe were afflicted as seditiouse rebelles and moste hurt full men of all others We haue intreated the Emperour cōcerning our religion liberties but hitherto we labour in vayne to what ende belonge all their deuises in our former wrytinges we haue sufficiently declared verely the thing it self speaketh that this is ment only how wicked papistrie may be restored This controuersie hath oftentimes bene brought to a cōmunication and certen conuētions haue ben had for the same cause but in the principall pointes we neuer were satisfied for that thambassadours sayd how their cōmission stretched not so far Assuredly it greueth vs that exceadingly if any man shuld susteyne any dāmage for our cause But yet such as are godlymē we doubt not but they will thinke as we doe will iudge all thinges to be suffered rather than the confession of the truthe shuld be forsakn For seing Christ hath so lōg before prophecied of the incōmodities that insue vpō this profession hath also appointed euerlasting rewardes for them that leaue their wyues chyldren and possessions for his sake why do we not truste to these certen and large promesses Certenly they that relent for feare of their owne daunger and feare displeasures those procure vnto them selues euerlastyng damnation vnlesse they repente That thing whiche our aduersaries impute vnto vs may be rightly ascribed vnto them For they lyue a fylthie shamefull and a beastly lyfe and which places as thei beare rule there can the citezens very hardly desende from them the chastitie of their wyues and daughters We toke of the commons a litle monie and not with suche an extremitie as they fayne we dyd Unto that whiche they speake of the custome aunswere myght be made yf they had spoken more playnly The Rampare wherof they make mention whiche yet belongeth nothyng to them we cut a sonder for a commune commoditie For through the meanes therof many tymes hath hurte bene done in our countrey and whan thei had taken their botie the spoylers were wont to escape that waye and to retyre them selues out of daunger Theycrie out that we haue intreated euill the Gentlemen that are our neighbours But what so euer we haue done in that behalfe we haue bene constreyned to doe it whan we had a yeare and more suffered the iniuries of many That whiche they saye concerning women and maydens we vtterlye denie such of the Nobilitie as were taken prysoners we released with their seruaunts without raunsome and the matter was quieted emongest vs by cōposition They enlarge exceadinglye the accoumpte of the harmes done and name it to be eight hondreth thousand crownes What if we shuld shew againe into how much mysery thei haue brought vs Pictures suche other thinges haue bene set forth priuely in mo places then one but al the blame is layd on vs. Where as for certentie we haue straightly commaunded by setting vp letters openly that no man should attempte to do any thyng presumptuously against the Emperour or any other Prince And certen also haue therfore bene punished There haue bene other bookes also set forth amongest vs we denie not wherin both Idolatrie is impugned and many mens consciences erected We confesse that we had an ouerthrowe the good wyll of God being so not vtterly to distroye vs but to alure vs to the amendemēt of life Certenly thei died honestly and Godly for the glory of Gods holy name and preseruation of the common wealth And we doubt not but God when he seeth tyme will mercifully loke vpon our affliction and also punishe our aduersaries Neither chaunced this thing by fortune as they pretende For they intised hereunto George Duke of Megelburg with large giftes and promesses And yet in the meane tyme through a crafty policie they called the other states of the byshopryke to Stasfort as it were to consulte by what meanes they might driue those robbers as they themselues than called them out of their cositrie For it is to be proued by their own letters that they hired soldiours yea they boaste and glory that they care not greatly for common hurte and dammage For beit that they susteyne some losse and hinderaunce yet saye they howe the lande and grounde remaineth in their possessiō What time therfore word was brought vs that the towne Wanslebe was by them sodenly taken spoyled and brent a great nomber also of villages distroyed in so muche that there came rūning vnto vs out of the countrey husband men women and maidens with plentie of teares desiring our aids we could not assuredly fayle thē And although the thing had no good successe yet doubt we not but that we did God thanckfull seruice And now where they saye
his Nobles and states at Paris and reciting the wronges of Boniface whan both all the Bishops Princes and Nobilitie being demaunded had confessed that they held al their landes and reuenues through his liberality benefit he commaundeth that from henceforth ther be no mony conueid to Rome and causeth alwaies and passages to be watched diligētly But wheras the Senate of Paris made thaccompt how much the bishopprickes and abbotships vacant do pay as before is said this say they is to be vnderstand of former time for now is the paimēt dubled and exceadeth the yearely reuenues in so much that many beneficed men by reason of the great exaction do leaue their buls in the handes of the Banckers And within the realme of Fraunce be xii Archbishopprickes Aygnes Uienne Lions Narbony Tolouse Burdieux Auxi Burges Tours Roan Rains and Sens and Bishopprickes aboute lxxxxvi by the vacations whereof as they terme it is caried to Rome a wonderful some of gold and out of tharchbishopprickes verily about thre score thousand crownes and thre hondreth as thaccompte was made in the time of Lewes the twelfth What time these letters were red the fathers say howe they shal be answered at the next session in case the king wil acknowledge the counsel to be at Trent But such thinges as are nowe in treaty they do not admit but in as much as they may do lawfully and therfore can not graunte him any testimonye or instruction of this action After whan the day of the next session was appoynted the .xi. of Octobre euery man returneth home which was about ii a clock at after none And here semeth a mete place to declare what is the manner and ordre of the publicke session whan the same day came the fathers as they vse to speake assemble in the house of the bishops Legate And stil from the cathedral church vnto his lodging stand souldioures on either side the way about foure hundred and fifty horsmen or mo At ix of the clocke commeth forth the Legate with his Crosier before him and the cardinall of Trent goeth on his lefthand After follow those that are in commission with him and tharchbishops that are Princes electors Than the Ambassadors of themperor and kinge Ferdinando ioyned together afterwarde the residue of the bishoppes euerye man in ordre Whan the last of them are come to the church the Souldiours by and by discharge their pieces and after repair to the market place and there and about the Temple kepe warde till the counsell breake vp All they for the moost part are taken vp in the country that they maye be prest and ready at the same day and the Towne it self also doth kepe many whan they be come into the church they heare Masse that done the decrees of the counsel are recited and the day also assigned for the next session to come Than also if any ambassadours haue ought to say they are hard But by reason of diuers sondry many busy ceremonies that are vsed in all matters thaction is delated til it be far in the day which at the lengthe beinge finished the legate retourneth home with the same pompe In sittinge the Bishops Legate hath the chief place next him the Cardinal of Trent than the Legates copartners after tharchbishops electors on the lefthand sate thambassadors of themperor and other Princes On the middle fourmes sit Archbishops Bishops and other prelates euery man in order as he came The second day of Septembre the the deuines had Themes geuen them to discusse and reason vpon wherof euery man may speake his mind to thintent at the next sitting they may be determined And in pronouncing of sentences of this meane was prescribed that they should cleue to the holy scripture to the traditions of the Apostles to the receiued and approued counsels and authorities of the holye fathers that they vse a breuitie that they abstain from superfluous and vnprofitable questions that they eschue all frowardnes and contention But as cōcerning the ordre it was agreed that those deuines shoulde speake first which the bishop of Rome sent secondly whome the Emperor sent and so forth Moreouer the bishops Legate permitteth them that for the searching out of the truthe and as they saye to confute false opinions they might read ouer all maner of bokes And there were deuines a great nombre Spaniards Italians Germanes whome both the bishop of Rome and themperour and also his sister Mary had sente whome also tharchbishops of Collon Treuers and the bishops of Spaine and of Italy had broughte wyth them Unto whome was referred the knowledge of al matters nether was it lawfull for others than for suche as were of the same profession and that had taken the degre of doctorship to speake any thing Yet for the fauor of the Archbishops of Colon and Treuers was admitted Ihon Gropper a lawyer and Ihon Delphe a batchelor of diuinity but no doctor And for so much as in certaine former sittinges of the yere a M D. xlvi and the yeare following they had made a determination of original sinne iustification and frewil of the vii Sacraments of the new law as they terme it in general and also of baptisme and confirmation particularely they condescended that al those standing in force of the decre they shuld procede to the rest and first in dede to the Sacrament of thanckes geuing Wherfore certain Theames wer deliuered to the deuines with these self same words that they shuld search and try whether they were heretical and mete to be condēned by the holy Senode which Theames they had collected oute of the bokes of Luther Zwinglius Bucer and such others And the deuines vse the matter after this sort They assemble all daily in the house of the Byshops Legate by the space of many hours obseruing thordre be foresaid euery of them reasoneth of the said Theames without any interruption yet so as they submit al their sayings to the iudgment of the church of Rome For none of the protestāts wer ther. This place is open indifferently for all men and the Bishops Legate and the residue of all the fathers are many times ther presēt but the deuines only speake and the wordes and sentences of euery man are registred by the Scribes What time all men had done reasoning which was than accustomed to be done in a Monethes space the bishops resorte to the bishop of Romes Legate and examine the sentences of the deuines whiche the Scribes had noted after out of euery nōbre natiō wer chosē certen which perusing ouer al their opinions might therof make a doctrine what thinge should be determined and beleued in euery poynt after this they cōdemne the contrary doctrin and errours as they call them wyth a greuous sensure yet not with many words al these thinges are in fine related to the whole assemble When they be throughly agreed they come vnto open sessions as I said before
Whiche thinges considered they them selues deuise a new fourme following the fotesteppes of the decree of Basil But in the meane tyme Toletane sent his seruaūt once or twyse for the paper fearing as it appered ouermuch diligēce But they neuertheles procede at the last whā the thing was finished Duke Maurice Ambassadours come againe vnto Toletane comparing th one with thother shewe him what lack they find therin Than began he to stomack the matter was right sore offended For why should they not be content with the whiche they with great labour dilligence had obtained For suche as should come were assured sufficiently For the chiefest point is wherby it is prouided that they may safely come safely goe All other thinges serue nothing to that purpose but only concerne the maner of treatie in the coūsell Which thing might a great deale better be determined what time the Diuines be present than now They make aunswer how they may not passe the bōdes of their cōmission which is that they may not receiue a saufeconduicte contrary to that of Basill Two dayes after the fathers assemble all in the house of the byshops legate and with them themperours Ambassadours Who call before them there thambassadours of the Duke of Wirtēberge which the day before they had sayd they would doe Whan they were brought in they are cōmaunded to declare their message Who after they had shewed their cōmission made a brief preface bring forth the confession of doctrine written deliuer it to the scribe of the counsel as the maner is And said also that Diuines should come from their Prince whiche should treate of all things more aboundantly howbeit vpō these cōditions First that by cōsent of both parties conueniēt iudges shuld be chosen which shuld heare the diuines reason iudge vprightly of matters that be in cōtrouersie For in asmuch as the Prince perceiueth that the doctrine of his diuines doth for the most part disagre with the doctrine of the bishop of Rome of other bishops whiche ar many wayes boūd to him he thinketh it very vnreasonable against al right that they which susteine the parsone either of plaintife or defendāt shuld chalenge to thē selues thauthoritie of iudgement Secondly that it was decreed in thassembles of thempire at Auspurg that the counsel shuld be continued althinges Godly rightly done And this was euermore so takē of their Prince that such thinges as were decreed in the counsel in fourmer yeares ought not to haue the force of a law but that all thinges should be repeted frō the beginning For what right or reason were it whan two men go to the lawe that the thing whiche is decreed whan the one hath iust cause to be absent should be taken for ferme and stable Moreouer seing many dcerees were made not only in the fourmer but also in this same counsell contrary to the holy Scriptures and also many olde errours established their Prince requireth that the same be of none authoritie but the al thinges may come to a dew examinatiō Those same articles cōprised in writīg they exhibited together with the cōfessiō of doctrine Whā this was done answer made them that the fathers whā they sawe time should shew them their opinion thus were they dimissed Thesame daye in the euening they sent like wise for thambassadours of Duke Maurice They whan they came recite with a long oration the demaundes of their Prince in like sorte as they did of late to the Emperours Ambassadours sauing that the ende was more pithie Wher this was said moreouer that the same seruice order that is vsed in the popish churches was not the true religion but a countrefeated thing as it were a shadowe of religion Whan they had made an end of thoration they were answered with the selfsame wordes as before were the Ambassadours of Wirtemberg Amongst other thinges this greued thē moste that their religion was described by so vile contēptuouse a name Which was afterward well knowen Thambassadours had intended to haue vttered their message openly in the publique assize But to auoyde this which they knew certenly they wolde do they were heard priuatly For either must thei nedes do this or els leaue al to the cōmon treatie They had brought with thē a confession of doctrine written by Philip Melanchthon as I showed you before but where as they had no cōmaundemēt of this thing I know not for what cause thei did not present the same The next day which was the .xxv. of Ianuary was thopensassions the bishops legate was brought to the church with the pompe before rehersed Than was the nōber of soldiours much augmēted also a greater resort of people out of sōdry places for that they supposed that the treatie of thesame day shuld be very notable Whan the masse all other ceremonies were fully finished it was recited in the pulpit how for the protestātes cause the whole matter should be differred till the .xix. daye of Marche before the whiche day they will be here in good time to propound their matters And this to be frendly graūted thē for that the counsel trusteth that they wil come not obūinatly to impugne the catholique faithe but for a zeale to knowe the truth that they will in fine admitte obeie the decrees of the churche schole of correction How they haue more ouer a larger saufeconduicte so that no lack can be founde Furthermore that in the next sitting the treatie shal be of the Sacramēt of Matrimonie The third daye after whan nothing came forthe at al the Ambassadours of Duke Maurice their fellowes demaunded of Fraunces Toletane with whom they chaunced to dine that day a copie of thesame saufecōduict which was spoken of openly Who made them a gentle answer but whā other thre daies were past thambassadour of Strasburg at the request of the residue goeth vnto Pictaue He cōplaineth that this is the sixt daye wherin they can heare nothing And that before was a longer delay for that the saufeconduicte was not sufficient nowe is the time tracted again And certenly the diuines wil not come before suche time as the magistrates be contented with their saufeconduicte He saide howe there was no faulte in him marueiled why Toletane thus differred them who had the chiefest place amongest them He would go talke with him doubted not but the matter should be dispatched the same day That thing whiche he should learne by him he wolde she we him And thus went to him This was the last daye sauing one of Ianuary Within a fewe houres after al thambassadours were commaunded to come to the house of Toletane who deliuered to euery of them a copie of the saufecōduicte signed vnderneth by the scribes of the counsell There was also the Earle Monfort Pictaue beginneth the talke first in dede he excuseth the delay made and than speaking much of their own zeale and
againe into talke of the manner of the treaty that should be And he affirmed verely that to procede after thordre by them lately prescribed it might not be conueniently For now they were in hand with the Masse which thinge should be next discussed which matter semed vnto him mete first to be discided and after to come vnto all the rest How be it this he saith he speaketh of him selfe priuately not that his fellowes haue so willed him Thother inferreth againe howe like as their deuines haue accustomed to debate thinges from the very beginning in ordre Of the creation Of the fall of man Of originall sinne as they terme it Of iustification Of faith Of workes and finally of the Sacraments so ought they nowe also to be permitted to vse the same ordre Moreouer the same daye wherein they deliuered them the safeconduite at the end of Ianuary theyr promise was that the deuines should be hard in all matters wher in they ought to perseuer and not to subuert and altare the nature of thinges for vnlesse the former thinges be well determined all disceptation of the last that depend of the firste is to no purpose And after they could not agre of this thinge betwene them selues he answereth touching his iourney that this may not be graunted him for themperor hath commaunded them that they suffer no mā to depart After much talcke where he alledgeth that he hathe no more to do and whatsoeuer also remaineth shoulde be done by the diuines which had commission in wryting for the same he biddeth him go to thearle Monfort and shew him the letters of commission After verye gently he biddeth him farewell and wisheth him wel to retourne Whan thearle Montfort had sene the commission he said in dede that he would his businesse so required that he might longer remain but for so much as the time must be serued he will not be against it and so letteth him frendly depart The next daye whan he was ready to depart themperors ambassadours send for him Pictaue beginneth to speake Wher yesterday they wer agreed that he might depart now they haue more diligently considered the thing and conferred their heades together they can not geue him leaue to depart for nowe is the matter brought to that passe that the frute of the time spent is to be loked for and thaction to be commenced so that if the bishops Legate were not sickly some thinge might be determined this self same day therefore muste he still remain for if he should now depart at this instaunt the fathers wold be offended which know that he hath ben certain Monethes here present Themperours commaundement also is suche as no man at all may depart and if his magistrate haue so commaunded him he ought to exhibite the letters of the same to thintent they mighte excuse it to themperor Than said he how it was not the commaūdement of the Senate but that his owne matters so required and alledging certain causes vnlesse it wer for the same he said he wold not stirre one fote for that both thauthority of the Senate whych would haue him to remain ther longer and also their honours that request him hereunto and the cause it self moreouer whiche he loueth of reason ought to obtain this of him Howbeit since that the deuines be commen he may now much better be absent especially seing this thing remaineth only that they be admitted to thaction Here be also thambassadors of Wirtemberge to assist the deuines and the cause is common to both as lately it was declared and if it so be that the matter be earnestly and constantlye handled it is possible that the Senate will substitute an other in his place whō he hath all ready aduertised of his departure hence Ther replieth he againe willing him at the least to abide so long till thaction be commenced which should be out of hand and if perchance the Legate Crescentius recouer not his health they will yet so folow the cause that his felowes in commission shal execute the thing Whan he could neither by excusing nor intreating preuaile any thing he fleeth to the last remeady which vntill that time he had purposelye reserued and said how both he and all others that wer protestants might lawfully by theyr safeconduit depart thence at any time Than at the last saith Toletane that is so in dede neither can they let or be against it but that he may depart howbeit they could not but declare what themperor hath commaunded and what also they them selues would haue done Thus therfore he departing commendeth vnto them the cause and deuines also Than were the fathers at dissention amonges them selues and not bent al one way For the Spaniards Neapolitans and Siciliās and whosoeuer wer of themperors part but chiefly the Spaniardes and themperors ambassadors wer importune that thaction might be continued but the bishop of Romes clients for that they supposed that the Spaniards wēt about a reformation of the court of Rome sought to find some let and delay and for so much as the chiefest Bishops of Germany by reason of ciuill tumults wer departed all ready They loked also for the same occasion and so much the rather for that by daily letters and Messagers it was reported how Duke Moris and his confederats were already in armure The French kinge also by the Cardinall Tournon treated diligentlye with the Bishop of Rome for peace which if it toke effect for as much as that French king had war that time with themperor No man doubted but that for his sake also the counsel should be dissolued Wherfore themperors ambassadors which knew and feared all these things laboured this chiefly that the thing which they most coueted they might bring to passe by thambassadors of the Protestantes Thys was little perceiued than but afterward certenly knowen About th end of March a certaine graye Frier expounded the Epistle of Paule to the Romaines before a great audience and oftētimes by octasion he railed bitterlly against Luther and his felowes waded so far that he said such as had no knowledge of Christ and yet liued honestly haue obteined saluatiō and that this also is the very meaning of Saint Paule in the second chapiter of the foresaid Epistle Whan certain deuines of the Protestants had heard him speke this opēly after deliberatiō takē by cōmon assent they write to themperors ambassadors the last day of Marche declaring for what intent they were sent verely to expound and defend the confession of the doctrine exhibited they complain that ther is none action commenced and that the decrees of the counsel already made haue in manner nothing els but a bitter reproch and detestinge of that doctrin which they do professe and that also this other daye a gray Frier spake not only many absurd things openly and contrary to the consent of the Church and exposition of thold doctors but also poured out great aboundaunce of railing words against their
iust cause of grief when they being of you clerely destitute ar made subiect to foreine power But herein a great deale more inconuenience shal be when all their goodes lyfe health dignitie shall be at their pleasure the helpe of appealing being taken away For verely appellation is the refuge and sanctuary of innocencie And you are the protectour and defendour both of the appellation and also of innocentes yea besides you no man hath any right ouer the people But and if the lawe and iudgement be nowe committed to the Inquisitours and Byshops officers appellation taken away this were to set open a wyndowe and to make a waye that euen innocentes might be condemned and lose both body and goodes For they being indewed with so great power to witte the kinges ful authoritie will forget their dutie and will kepe no measure what tyme they shall see euery degree to them subiecte and not only common persones but also Noble men Princes to stande in their hande Howbeit yet this meane waye may you take that your iudges shuld heare the cause and geue sentence And if there be any obscure opinion that the same be determined by the clergie Let thē also that be with in orders be iudged of their owne men Concerning appellations let a wrytyng be obteined of the Pope wherby this may be permitted to your iudges And when the matter shall come to this issue that iudgement must be made of suche as haue appealed let there be present certen of your chosen counsellers of the ecclesiasticall order or if suche wante other tried and fit men In the inquisition let this be obserued that the Popes Inquisitour doe substitute and place vnder him in prouinces men of vpright fame and good men that the Byshop doe beare the whole charges and not the defendaunt yet so that the matter being determined the costes be required of whome it behoueth These thinges tende to this ende verely that suche maner of controuersies may be restreyned within certen boundes and limites Notwithstanding for as muche as it appeareth by the punishement of Heretickes al though it be necessary that this hath hitherto bene thereby brought to passe that their facte should be detested rather than that they should be amended Moreouer for bicause it is much better to remedy the disease in time than to geue it space whilest it may increase and after to lay to a medicine it shal be law full for you moste mercifull kyng herein to followe the maner and steppes of the olde primatiue churche For the same was not established either by fyre or sworde but the diligence of the Bishops did euer resiste Heretickes whylest they both preached to them oftentymes Gods worde and shone before them in example of good lyfe Since it was therfore in tymes past by this meane firste confirmed it may nowe by the same also be reteyned and kept so that you would only execute that whiche lieth rather in your power to do This verely that Byshoppes Pastours of shepe should them selues gouerne their churches presently Let also the inferiour ministers do the same Againe that from henceforth suche be made Byshops as are able them selues to teache the people and not to substitute deputies in their steade This is the rote that must be tilled vpon this foūdation must we builde for so may we hope well that heresies wyll by litle and litle vanishe away But in case this waye be neglected it is to be feared least thei wil increase more more what proclamatiōs so euer be finally made or what remedies so euer be vsed This was the .xvi. daye of October when they signified these thinges to the king by Ambassadours letters Then also the Princes that were vmperes for the controuersie of the gouernemēt of Chattes mete againe as was appointed First at Bacherach afterwarde for the sickenes of the Paulsgraue at Wormes The matter in dede was ended and a certen somme of money agreed vpon whiche the Lantgraue shoulde paye to the Erle and abyde styll in possession But where the Erle vnlesse the mony were payd at a certen time would haue this compact to be vaine and his action to remayne to hym whole And the Lantgraue whiche had sent his sonne thither as before reiected this condition they departed the matter not finished In this same moneth the Emperour calleth before him at Brusselles the rulers of all states and speaking of his sicknes sheweth them amongest other thinges that he would goe into Spayne and geueth ouer his gouernement his right and all his power to Philip his sonne and exhorteth them to their dutie These newes were spred abroade ouer al Europe far nere and a nauie was prepared and the day appointed for his iourney at the Ides of Nouember But by litle and litle this brute waxed colde and because wynter was at hande they sayde his nauigation was differred to the next sommer Nowe must we come to the counsell of the Empire of what matters they should treate kyng Ferdinando the fifte daye of February had propounded as is sayde in the ende of the laste booke But where many came very slowly they began not before the nonas of Marche Than at the laste the Ambassadours of the Princes Electours doe consulte of what matter they should first treate And although there were many against it yet doe all consente at the laste to treate fyrste of Religion The same also was thought mete in the Senate of the other Prynces and Cities After muche debatynge they agreed to geue peace to Religion But this thynge came chiefly in controuersie that the Protestauntes woulde haue it lawefull for all men indifferently to followe theyr doctrine But their aduersaries with muche contention did resiste them and sayde that the same was not to be permitted either to the cities that had receiued the decree of Auspurge made seuen yeare before concerning Religion or yet to the whole state of the clergie And yf any Byshoppe or Abbot woulde chaunge hys Religion they woulde haue hym remoued and an other to be substitute in his place Therfore the contention was sharpe and the Protestauntes alledged this cause for their purpose that the promesses of God as well of the olde as of the newe Testament whiche conteine our saluation doe apperteine generally vnto all men And therfore not to be lawfull for them to include the same within any certen limites or brynge them to any restreinte least that they should shutte bothe them selues and others out of the kyngdome of heauen That there is neither Turke nor Iewe of any zeale at all that would not bee glad to bringe all men to his owne Religion Howe muche more than ought we to doe the same whome God hath so earnestly and straightly charged Wherfore they are able to proue that all men in this case oughte to haue libertie graunted them bothe by the holy Scriptures and also by the decrees of the fathers and counselles
howe those whiche take vpon them the title of olde and Catholique Religion not without the great dishonour of God handle Religion and abuse the churche goodes Neuerthelesse to establishe a peace they do permitte that they may kepe styll their lawes Rites and ceremonies and inioye all their goodes landes and possessions customes rightes and priuileges tyll suche tyme as the dissention in Religion be accorded Wherfore they can not allowe that they shoulde prescribe that condition to the Byshoppes For so should it come to passe that they them selues shoulde be bounde to impugne the approuers and felowes of their owne Religion And to theyr great dishonour they shoulde condemne their owne cause For this were saye they to graunte our Religion and doctryne not to be worthy of the Churche goodes and that the same goodes haue bene hetherto applied amisse to our Churches and Ministeries We should also confesse theyr wicked doctrine and ministerie to be grounded vpon Goddes worde and that the Churche goodes are consecrated to this fylthie lyfe of theyrs Lawes and Ceremonies But howe greate an assence woulde this thynge ingender yf we shoulde maynteyne the cause and lyuynges of them whyche doe perfourme no profitable nor necessary dutie to the Churche And shoulde betraye them who for the same Religion oughte of vs to bee moste set by The aduersaryes amonges other thinges saide this if the Clergie should be permitted to alter their Religion it would come to passe that Byshoprikes and suche other like colleges should be made prophane and by litle and litle being plucked away from the churche should come into the handes of Princes and be made their inheritaunce But they affirme that this was neuer their intēt But to haue had a respect to this only that being called again to their olde foundation they might be imployed to the true vses and that the same goodes might be annexed to the same churches for euer And to take awaye all doubtes they promise to put in good assuraunce that in what Byshoprikes or Colleges soeuer Religion shall be altered no part of their goodes to be alienated and that after the death or resignation of the byshop free election and administration should be permitted to the College But where after muche reasoning they could not agree they exhibite on both partes to kyng Ferdinando their reasons comprised in wrytinge and requeste hym that he wold fynde some waye This was after the Ides of Iune For they proceded very slowly The cause wherof many thought to be that the conclusion of peace betwene the Emperour and the Frenche kyng was loked for For that the same was thought to make not a litle for either parte But the Papistes made as it were an extraordinary wryting vehement and byting to the intent they myght the more set forth their matter And firste saye they the protestauntes haue propounded fiue conditions First that the catholiques should allowe that doctrine which many yeares past in this our time also by by so sone as it sprāg vp of the ordinary magistrate hath bene alwayes condēned Secondly that the sacrileges which they by the space of these .xxx. whole yeres haue cōmitted should be ratified allowed that neither by law nor by other godly lawful meanes the church may recouer that same goodes But they wold also haue peace to be made with them where notwithstāding it is forboden to haue any cōpany with them Moreouer that thei might place in the colleges churches of archbishops of other prelates wicked ministers to set forth dotestable condēned doctrine to abolish the true seruice ceremonies of the church to bring in new wicked in their place that they may norish those false preachers of the churche goodes directly against tholde lawes custome of the churche Further more that it should be lawefull for all persones as well ecclesiastical as ciuile which as yet followe the catholique religiō to reuolt frō their true religion to come and followe their lore Finally when any of the Princes or Byshops do reuolt to their syde that it shall not concerne the same persone only but must apperteine to the people also that are subiecte to his gouernement and to the goodes and the whole ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Nowe although these thinges do striue with the lawes of God and man albeit thei be contrary to the othe both of themperour and of the king and of al the Prelates in so muche that the catholiques may not conueniently receiue them vnlesse they would breake both their fayeth and promesse yet for as much as they sticke obstinatly to their pourpose and threaten force also the catholiques at the length are contented so farre forth as they ought to do by the pacification of Passawe and haue declared the same sufficiently in the Senate of the Empire shewyng how they can not graunt that libertie of chaunging religion indifferently to all men For so should it come to passe that the Empire shoulde be broughte to desolation and that hyghe top of dignitie taken away from Germany For it is the dutie of Archebyshops and other Prelates that not only they do not permitte any Religion condemned but also that they should admonishe and put in feare Byshoppes and suche others yea the vnlearned that are ready to reuolte and suche as continue in their errour to present to the Catholique and Romishe churche For this maner hath euer since the tyme of the Apostels bene obserued as it is to be proued by sondry testimonies of counselles but chiefly by that of Calcedonie Neyther ought any man to thinke that suche as do reuolte should be left to their owne conscience For in thinges that concerne our fayth euery man ought not to be permitted to haue his cōscience free But when any departeth from the commō consent of the churche he ought to be punished and restreyned And in case he obeie not he must be excommunicated after the example of those counselles whiche are accompted the chief whiche condemned Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches And in dede the counsell of Calcedonie deposed Dioscorides the maynteyner of Eutyches from his Byshoprike For where it is sayde that euery man ought to haue his iudgement and conscience free And that neyther Christe nor his Apostles did euer compelle any to beleue yea when many went awaye from Christe there was none holden against his wyll this same verely is grounded vpon no foundation And is confuted by Saint Augustine at large in the two hondreth and fourth Epistle For if it should be free for Byshoppes forsaking the catholique Religion to reuolte to an other they wyll not relinquishe theyr Byshoprike for they wyll saye that they can nōt doe it with a saufe conscience but they wyll desyre ayde of the Protestaūtes that they wyll assiste them in mainteining their state and keping of the people in their Religion If this be done there is no doubt but these wyl take in hande to defende them
not be repressed but also his violence hath so farre proceded that hauing taken in Hongary and Slauonie many townes Castels Fortes he hangeth now ouer that neckes of vs it is doubtles to be thought that this is the manifest vengeaunce of God whiche plageth vs for sinne and afflicteth vs for that we amende not our life and so in dede afflicteth vs that vnlesse his worde be receiued the amendement of life followe the losse not only of lyfe and goodes but also of eternall saluation is like to insue For although the whole worlde toke armure against that ennemie yet so long as it shall remayne in that state of lyfe there is no hope of victory but rather of destruction and slaughter as it is euident to haue chaunced some tyme to moste florishynge kyngdomes We treated of the same matter also in the laste assemblee and prayed you that we myght not be compelled to do any thyng against our conscience But you referred the matter to the counsell of Regenspurg How be it you may cōsider most mightie king howe greuouse it is to them whiche thyrste for the health of their soules to be differred to a tyme vncertē For in the meane time the mynde is in angwishe and in this angwyshe and perplexitie many thousandes of mē ende their life Doubtles the worde of God whiche through our Sauiour Iesus Christe is opened to vs should be the only rule whiche the church ought to followe And in case any thing cōtrary to gods worde haue crept in although it be grounded of great antiquitie it must be reiected For God wil be honored worshipped as he him selfe prescribeth cōmaundeth not as men wene and fayne But with how horrible greuous plages he reuengeth the neglecting of his cōmaundemēt the obseruation of mēs traditions both the Empires of fourmer time do shewe also the freshe and domesticall calamities of people next vs declare Therfore after moste diligēt searche there appereth to vs none other remedy than that those manifest errours and deprauations brought long since into the churche being caste away the pure doctrine may be receiued and frely preached to gether with suche administration of the Sacramentes as Christ him selfe did institute for to departe tourne away from the worde of God so manifest and so plaine we may not as we haue ofte shewed you at other tymes For firste we must seke for the kingdome of God Whiche being done God assisteth vs with his spirite and gouerneth our counselles and doinges To the ende therfore that he would deliuer vs from al these daungers that he would be the counseller of the warre and enseigne bearer that he may assiste vs in battel discomfite thennemies force in moste humble and earnest wyse we beseche your highnes euen for the death of Christe for our saluation and for the last iudgement that we shall abyde for as muche as this thing apperteineth to the perpetuall felicitie of you and your children and al your Realme that we which are spotted with no secte may by your leaue and permission remaine in the pure and sincere Religion vntyll a free generall counsell and that we may inioye the same benefite of peace whiche in the laste assemblee of the Empyre you haue made with the fellowes of the confession of Auspurge For seyng we be all Baptized in Christe we beseche you that our State and condicion be not worse than theirs nother that you woulde denye vs the thynge whiche you haue graunted to diuerse other of your Prouinces but that you woulde call in those Proclamations of yours sette forth concerning Religion and woulde delyuer vs from thys carefulnes wherwith we are bounde Moreouer we beseche you that you woulde set forth by proclamation that the ministers of the church that teache after the wrytinges of the Prophetes Apostels after the same maner as before is said doe minister the Sacramentes be not molested nor yet suche schomaisters Neither that they be imprisoned nor banished before they shall pleade their cause before a lawful iudge If you thus do as we trust you wil in this extreame daunger there is no doubt but God will rewarde the same moste aboundantly also the states of the Empire will sende you more ayde than they haue done hitherto And we likewise will not be behinde with our dutie but with moste willing mindes will bestowe geue what so euer shall apperteine to the cōmon defence preseruation of our coūtrie and wil throughly satisfie your demaūdes so muche as shall lie in our power and habilitie to do At the selfsame time the Ambassadours of themperour and the Frenche king had met And where the controuersie coulde not be finished by a peace the fift day of the moneth of February they take truce for fiue yeares by Sea and lande as well in Flaunders and those partes as also for Italy and all other places Euery one kepeth the possession of those thinges whiche he hath gotten in the tyme of the war Themperour excepteth the exiles of Naples Scicilie He compriseth the Pope in the first place as doth also the Frenche king afterward euery mā his frendes allies as the maner is The same truce not long after the king caused to be proclamed both throughout Fraunce and at Metz also but the Emperour somwhat later in his coūtries A brute went that the Pope toke it in snuffe that this truce was made and went about afterwarde to perswade the Frenche king to breake the same Others thought cōtrariwise that it was made chiefly through his aduise that he might make warre against the Lutherians Touching prisoners nothinge could be concluded in this truce amongest whome the chiefest were the Duke of Arescot a Bourgunnion and Monmoraūce the Conestables eldest sonne takē thre yeres before at Terwin When they of Austriche as I sayde before had on this wise the day before the Kalendes of February put vp their supplication to king Ferdinando in wryting the king the eight day after aunswereth and speaking first of his good wyll towardes the common wealth and of the common calamitie and miserie of times and of Gods wrath whilest I consider saieth he and way mine owne state and place diligently whilest I thinke howe I haue euer from my yought hitherto followed the preceptes of the christen and catholique churche after the maner of my progenitours of whome I haue receiued this Religion and discipline as it were deliuered by hand I do surely finde that I may not assent to you in that whiche you require Not that I would not gladly gratifie my people but for that I see it is not lawful that I should be preiudiciall to the Christe church shoulde alter the lawes of the same and the holsome decrees at my pleasure where I must rather heare it as Christ cōmaūdeth How beit for as much as I know by long experiēce what occasion of great euils this bitter contention about Religion
Transiluania do reuolte from kinge Ferdinand Ferdinando also prorogeth the counsel of the Empire to a time vncerten and leuieth an army whiche he sendeth downe the riuer of Danubius into Hōgary There is a town of Alsatia called Obereyne thre leages from Strasburg A certen citezen of that towne being a labourer about vines for penury want when his wyfe was absent the tenth daye of Aprill sleeth his thre children a daughter of seuē yeares a sonne of foure yeares olde and a sucking babe in the cradell not fully halfe a yeare olde That tyme there was a brute and reporte went of the secret conspiracie of the Pope his adherentes against the Protestauntes It increased this opinion for that there was no doubte but that the Pope toke moste displeasauntly the decre of the last yeare made at Auspurge wherby peace and libertie was graunted to Religiō It is thought also that he sollicited the Emperour to make it frustrate For he sawe how many reuolted daily from his kingdome and vnderstande what they of Austriche and what the Bauarians went about Moreouer the Archebyshops of Mentz Treuers and Collon by occasion of the bathes met that tyme together Whiche was thought to be done not without cause King Ferdinando breaking vp his assemblees in Austriche goeth into Boheme and calling the countries there about to Prage against this iminent daunger demaundeth mony and hath it graunted Than sending letters to them whiche had bene now certen monethes at Regenspurg he excuseth his absence and bicause he must retourne to Uienna he appointeth the assemblee of the Empire the first of Iune After the departure of king Ferdinando the Lantgraue came in to Meissen was a certen tyme with Auguste Duke of Saxony The tenth day of May the Duke of Arescot being prisoner in castel Uincent not far from Paris escaped and came home safe The Cardinall of Auspurge who had taried a whole yeare at Rome when he being lately retourned frō thence had heard how sinistrally and many euill men spake and thought of him as though he should practise with the Pope priuie and perniciouse counselles for Germany he pourgeth him by an open wryting set forth in the vulgar tongue about th ende of May. And where as the last yeare sayth he after the death of Iulius the third I went to Rome as my dutie was to do and was present at the Election of him that now ruleth I had pourposed doubtles to haue retourned home into Germany with expedition but I was deteined of the Pope who went about than a reformation of the churche And chosing certen excellent men of all nations for the same purpose chose me also although vnmete for so weightie a matter bycause I was a Germane to be of that nomber But where the charge of my Byshoprike required my presence askyng leaue of the Byshop the day before the Ides of Aprill I retourned home Neuerthelesse although I haue so vsed my self both alwayes before and after also that I came to this kynde of lyfe that I now am in whiche I wold should be spoken without boasting that no shamefull matter can be truly obiected to me although I haue bene oft the coūsellour and authour of peace not without my great losse and hinderaunce although the welth and dignitie of my countrie hath bene to me alwayes dere yet so sone as I came againe in to Germany I heard of great mē and worthy credit that were my frendes how in myne absence certen wrytynges were caste abroade whiche sounded to my dishonour as though I should not only at Rome with the Pope but also euery where through out Italy with secret diuises practise this that Germany namely the league fellowes of the confession of Auspurg shuld againe be vexed with a moste greuous warre And in the same wrytinges they alledged this to be the cause of this enterprise and fecret working that the Pope did greatly mislike the decre made the last yeare at Auspurg cōcerning religion in so much that he perswaded the Emperour that he woulde abolishe the same that he had dispensed with him for his faith promesse herein that he had promysed him all the ayde and power that he could make to subdue Germany so that themperour againe would not fayle hym in recouering the ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in Germany that therfore he had made truce betwixt the Emperour and the Frenche kynge that bothe their Armies might be conuerted to this vse Thei added moreouer that this was written in the same libelle that no foreyne Soldiours should be leuied but only of Germaynes that the thing might the better be hidde Moreouer that the kyng of England wold hire eight thousande horsemen and be gouernour of the whole warre and that mounsters shoulde be take in sondry places Briefly that the whole matter shoulde be handled so circumspectly that all these powers should set forwarde together at one tyme and should inuade the Protestauntes vppon the soden than when many shall be from home at the counsel at Regenspurge Furthermore that both the Pope and the kyng of Englande sending Ambassadours to certen Prynces in Germany doe promyse them largely and that the Pope in dede prepareth a greate army of horsemen and fotemen to sende for ayde Furthermore that I should sclaunder Otto Henrick the Paulsgraue Christopher Duke of Wirtemberge and Albert Marques of Brandenburge as Heretickes and seditiouse and worthie to be driuen out of their countrie And should hyghly commende the Lantgraue in the Senate of Cardinalles for that he had forsaken his Religion and that Titell man one of the Ministers of his churche had reuoked his doctrine at Rome both by worde and wryting Now for as muche as this sclaunder toucheth not only the Pope and the Emperour but hurteth also my name and estimation And bycause it is the part of an honest man to defende both his owne and also the honour and innocencie of his Magistrate I must nedes aunswere to the same And to begynne with all it was surely very greuous and paynefull for me to heare that any were yet remayning and to be founde whiche contrary to the auncient vertue of Germany faythe and constancie doe geue their myndes to suche sclaundering and here to applie them selues that through moste wicked libelles and lewde talke they myght styre vp the Prynces of the Empyre against their hyghe Magistrate and set the Prynces together by the eares in a wycked warre How cruel troublesome and full of perill was the sclaunder diuised .xxviii. yeares past I suppose full many doe remember When kyng Ferdinando the Byshoppes of Mentz Salisburg Bamberge and Wirseburge the Prynce Electour of Brandenburge Lewys and William brethren Dukes of Bauier and George Duke of Saxony were sayd to haue conspired against Iohn Duke and Electour of Saxony and the Lantgraue where the matter was brought to that poinct that al thinges tended to a moste cruell ciuile warre Doubtles Princes ought to