both in his Letters and by his Embassadors to call a Council as soon as was possible in a safe and convenient place Therefore he would have them be of good chear and not despair of an Accommodation in Religion for he was resolv'd not to spare any pains and desired only to know what they would have him do for them with the Pope Afterwards he proceeds to take off the other Objection where he owneth that contrary to his custom and temper he had been forc'd upon rigorous Methods by some bold and flagitious Persons who under a colour of Religion endeavour'd the ruine of the Kingdom Therefore to stop this Plague of disloyalty from spreading he had punish'd them severely as his Ancestors had also had done in the like cases And if any Germans had been taken among them they should have been served all alike For if any of his own Subjects had committed the like Crimes in their Dominions he should not have been against their punishing of them with the utmost severity But to his great satisfaction there was never a German engaged with this wicked Cabal and therefore that Nation should be as welcome to his Kingdom and to his Court too as the French-men themselves But he is sensible what the Authors of these Calumnies drive at they misrepresent him on purpose that they may break off the Correspondence there is between France and Germany which is a very politick design without question for by creating such Misunderstandings they have a better opportunity to compass their own Ends and make themselves Masters of both In the beginning of the Spring the Lantgrave went to King Ferdinand to compleat the Reconciliation according to agreement the last year Peter Paul Vergerius was then lately return'd from the Pope to Ferdinand and took this occasion to acquaint the Lantgrave with his Instructions concerning the Council in the manner above mention'd To which he received no other answer than that his Proposals should be consider'd within such a time After this Vergerius went as he was order'd to the rest of the Princes and negotiated with them Now some few months after the Lantgrave had been with King Ferdinand Duke Vlrick made his appearance before him too And because they were not both of them there at the same time Ferdinand excused them the condition by which they were oblig'd to ask his Pardon in a petitioning way But Vlrick stomach'd that Article extremely which made him a Homager to the House of Austria and was very angry with the Lantgrave and with the Elector of Saxony who interceded for complying with it insomuch that he was in suspence a great while whether he should ratifie the Peace or not At last being perswaded by his Friends he took a Journey to King Ferdinand as the Treaty oblig'd him In April the Emperor set Sail from Barcelona and landed an Army in Africk where after he had taken Tunis and the Fort of Gouletta he restor'd Muley Hazem a Mahumetan who was King of that Country and had been dispossess'd by Barbarossa the Turkish Admiral And having put this Prince under Contribution and fortify'd Gouletta with a strong Garrison he sailed back into Sicily Pope Paul fitted out several Gallies for the Emperor towards this War under the Command of Virginius Vrsinus and likewise gave him the liberty to demand the Tenths of all the Clergy in Spain Barbarossa by the negligence and ill Conduct of the Christians stole away to Bone and from thence to Argiers where he rigg'd out his Fleet and sailed for Constantinople There was at this time in England two very eminent and learned Men John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More The Bishop has several Books now Extant against Luther And More when he was Lord Chancellor which is the highest Office in that Kindom was very severe upon those whom he suspected to be Lutheans These Persons did not approve the King's Divorce and much less that Act of Parliament in which he threw off the Pope's Supremacy and delcared himself Head of the Church of England Being committed therefore and persisting in their opinion they were beheaded this year in July The Pope made Rochester a Cardinal when he was in the Tower which it's thought did but provoke the King the more against him About the end of October Francis Sforza Duke of Milan died leaving no Issue behind him This accident was the occasion of a new War as will appear afterwards In the mean time the Emperor left Sicily and arriv'd at Naples and from thence wrote to the Protestants upon the last of November acquainting them that he was resolv'd to stand to the Pacification at Nuremburg but he was inform'd that they had seiz'd upon the Fortunes of the Roman Catholicks and when they were sued upon this account they pleaded the Nuremburg Treaty in their excuse and refus'd to return the right Owners their Estates again Now this he thought was unreasonable and could not choose but take it ill at their hands Much about this time the Elector of Saxony went into Austria to King Ferdinand and after he had dispatch'd his business he came to Prague the Capital of Bohemia in his return home where he was accosted by Peter Paul Vergerius whom the Pope sent Nuncio into Germany to settle the Affairs about the Council as hath been mention'd already Vergerius relates his Commission to the Duke and tells him That now the time was come for the celebrating a Council which had so often been wished for in regard his present Holiness the Emperor and King Ferdinand made it their principal Concern to consider how the Glory of our Saviour and the Salvation of Men might be most effectually promoted and the same pious disposition was apparent in other Princes The Pope likewise had sent his Embassadors into all parts not for a colour but in good earnest For it was not his way to make large Promises as some had done and then act quite contrary to what was pretended but he was solicitous about nothing so much as that they might come to the Point as soon as was possible that a religious Council might be held and free for all People to come to As to the place the Pope for very good reasons thinks none proper but Mantua concerning the Form and Method of proceeding that may be better adjudg'd when they are conven'd than now The Protestant Princes have always hitherto desir'd a lawful Council and had lately publish'd some Papers about it which he was glad to see And now the Pope comes up to their Proposals and offers them what they would have and the Emperor and King Ferdinand will omit nothing which may expedite the Affair Now if his Electoral Highness should be the only Person who refuses to comply most people would conclude that no sort of Method could please him Clement the Seventh charg'd his Offer with some Conditions which his present Holiness hath not done and therefore there is
to deal more severely with him than either his custom nature or inclination led him to do But that he would by no means let it be thought that he had neglected his duty having always before his eyes that instance of divine severity against Eli the High-Priest That hitherto he had indeed used the clemency of a Father but that if he obtained nothing now by that means he must needs take another course That he would therefore consider what it became him to do and whether it would conduce more to his own honour and interest to assist his old age in recovering the peace of the Church or to favour those rather who aimed at nothing else but the rending of her into pieces It was thought that the Pope was put upon it by the French King on whom he relyed to write in this manner to the Emperour for it is credible that that King had put odious interpretations and constructions upon the English League that he might whet the edge of the Pope Hence that insinuation in the Letter mentioned before of contracting friendship with ill men for both of them are wont by Letters and Embassadours sollicitously to court the friendship of the King of England especially in time of War and severally strive which can make himself most acceptable unto him About this time Stephen Bishop of Winchester published a very reproachful and bitter Book against Bucer wherein amongst other things he defended the single life This year the Pope created Cardinals Christopher Madruce Bishop of Trent Otho Truchses Bishop of Ausburg Germans George d'Armagnac James Annebaud Kinsman to the Admiral of France French-men Francis Mendoza Bartholomew de la Cueva Spaniards and that to gratifie the Emperour Ferdinand and King of France About the same time also he again summons the Council which had been hindered by the Wars to meet on the 15th of March of the following year and because the Emperour and French King were now at peace he makes a great shew of gladness beginning his Bull of Indiction of the Council with that place of Scripture Rejoyce O Jerusalem At this time also Luther's Book about the Lords Supper came abroad wherein he renews the old Controversie and falls foul upon Zuinglius and his Adherents but it was afterwards answered by those of Zurich and that smartly too We mentioned before how vigorously the Clergy and Colledge of Cologne had resisted the Archbishop in his intended Reformation But he still persisting in the same by Deputies and Letters again sent to him they repeat their former sute telling him That they had earnestly desired two things of him some time ago First that he would desist from his purpose and expect the Decree of the Council and then that he would discharge all new Preachers but that he proceeded and would not condescend to their Supplications which must needs prove very prejudicial to the whole Province That therefore they again besought him by all that was sacred that being mindful of his own Duty and the obligation that lay upon him to the Church of Cologne the Pope of Rome and the Emperour he would remove those Preachers and defer the whole matter until it should come to a publick hearing That unless he did do so they must implore the protection of higher Powers and take such courses as might discharge their Consciences and avert the anger of God. That they were unwilling to proceed so far but that if he persisted they must of necessity do so When by this means they could not prevail neither October the ninth they meet in the chief Church of Cologne and there read over a Writing containing amongst other things what was acted at Wormes three and twenty years before when Luther with consent of all the Princes was condemned by the Emperour what had been done at Ausbourg Ratisbonne and what was lately decreed at Spire That since Archbishop Hermon had taken a new course and setting light by all these things had sent for Bucer an Apostate Monk twice polluted by incestuous Marriages and an Assertor of the Sacramentarian Doctrine whom he employed in the Ministry as he every-where also appointed lewd and profligate Wretches to be new Teachers of the people That by the same hands a new Model of Reformation had been drawn up and published by command of the Prince That they had indeed vigorously protested against all these Innovations and often but in vain besought the Archbishop that he would expect the meeting of the Council or at least delay till the Diet of the Empire That now the Province being in a deplorable condition and all things tending to confusion without any hopes of condescension on his part they were necessitated to betake themselves to the last Remedy and to appeal to the Pope and to the Emperour the chief Advocate and Protector of the Church of God and to commit themselves and all their concerns to their protection George of Brunswick the Brother of Duke Henry and Provost of the Colledge presided in that Assembly When this came to the knowledge of the Archbishop by a publick Writing he denied that they had any cause for an Appeal that he had done nothing but what was his duty and therefore that he rejected the Appeal hoping that they would let it fall of themselves but if not that he would proceed in those things that concerned the glory of God and the Reformation of the Church In another writing afterwards he refutes their Accusations alledging That he had no private Engagement neither with Luther nor Bucer but that he looked upon their Doctrine as being consonant to Scripture to be truly Apostolical and worthy to be embraced by all That Luther was indeed condemned by the Church of Rome but in a violent tyrannical manner without being heard That he knew nothing of that Edict of Wormes whereby they affirm that Luther was condemned before it was printed and published That whereas then they affirm it to be made with consent of the Princes that did not at all concern him to whom nothing of the matter was ever communicated That he never liked that Decree of Ausbourg concerning Religion And that when some Princes promised the Emperour great matters at that time and offered their lives and fortunes for maintenance of the Popish Religion he sent Orders to his Deputies that they should promise no such thing nay that in express terms they should declare the contrary But that they acted not according to their Orders and that the cause of their silence was known to some who now held the chief Rank amongst his Adversaries Which being so he was no ways obliged by that Edict and that though he might have been sometimes obliged yet upon discovery of the truth he was no longer bound seeing no Covenant or Oath that derogates from the honour of God can have any force or obligation That the Decree of Ratisbonne not only permitted but also enjoyned him and some other
they were not able to do what they were very willing to have done The Bodies of the Dead were not so used as they affirm But when for our defence we demolished some Churches near the Town what Bodies were found not as yet consumed were removed to another place and buried deeper in the ground Again all had leave to carry the dead Bodies of their Relations that were found there whithersoever they pleased What they say of the Emperour Otho is a most false and impudent lie of their own devising For we are not ignorant what Honour is due to the chief Magistrate of all but especially to him of whom they speak the Emperour Otho who did many great Actions and was a most valiant Asserter and Defender of the Liberty of Germany That Worship which they call Holy and Divine Service which they complain we disturbed in their Churches is nothing less than Holy but rather a reproach to God in the highest degree The Vestments Chalices and other Ornaments were long before carried out of the Town by them But the Writings and publick Records are in our keeping and are not cancelled as they falsly accuse us Nor were the Priests beaten but they themselves robbed the Churches and carried the prey elsewhere We assaulted the Monastery of Hamerslebe which nevertheless belongs not to them because it was a refuge to our Enemies where they divided the spoil that they took from us and our Associates What they add of the many insolencies and saucy tricks that our Men did there it is a mere Fiction of the Monks as to the injuries which they say were done them in the City the story is this About five and twenty years since when on Palm-Sunday they were performing their apish and ridiculous Ceremonies the Rabble ftocking thither laughed at them for it But they whose rashness and boldness proceeded so far as to break the Windows were by us severely punished and banished For other injuries we know none nor did they themselves ever complain to us of any Wherefore we have done nothing against our Engagements or Transactions and so have given our Adversaries no cause of War. These things then considered we beseech all men not to give credit to their Calumnies but that they would pity our case who are constrained to a defensive War that we may be permitted to preserve the pure Doctrine of the Gospel and the Liberty which we received from our Forefathers for which the godly Kings and Magistrates of former times and those Valiant Macchabees thought no danger too great to be undergone Peace is the thing we most wish for But it is deny'd us So that being long and much infested by the Incursions of our Neighbours we cannot but resist unjust violence And this makes us the more confident that such as have never been provoked by any injury from us will not concern themselves in this War but stand in awe of the great God the Avenger of all unrighteousness For the same cause that hath raised this trouble against us will within a short time involve themselves also in streights and difficulties if they are desirous to preserve and maintain the true Religion January the fifth the Emperour commanded the Popes Bull of Indiction of the Council to be read in the Dyet of the Princes and States and warned them to prepare against its sitting The same day King Ferdinand informed the States that in time of Truce the Turks began to stir in Hungary and to build a Castle within his Dominions as they had endeavoured to surprize his Castle of Zolnock and put a Garison into it That they had also made an inrode into Transylvania That for his part he had given no cause of any Quarrel and was wholly inclined to observe the Truce But that if the Turk refused to do so he moved that supplies might be given him We told you in the twentieth Book that Stephen Bishop of Winchester was made Prisoner in England Now seeing he persisted in his opinion and would not allow the Laws made or to be made concerning Religion during the Kings minority he was this year in the Month of January turned out of his Bishoprick and sent again to Prison Andrew Osiander who went as we said into Prussia broached at this time a new Opinion affirming That man is not justified by Faith but by the righteousness of Christ dwelling in us and he maintained that Luther was of his Judgment also But the rest of the Divines his Collegues vigorously opposed him declaring what he said of Luther to be false who not many Months before his death had given an ample and fair testimony of Philip Melanchtons Book concerning common places of Scripture in the Preface to the first Tome of it That in falling foul then upon Melanchton he made Luther also his Enemy because both were of one mind Then having compared places they plainly demonstrated that Luther taught quite contrary to him in this Matter and affirmed his Doctrine to be pestiferous since he asserted that the Righteousness of Faith did not consist in the Blood and Death of Christ And this Matter was declared to and fro with great heat He pretended as I said that Luther and he were of the same Judgment But in the mean time he boasted amongst his Friends as it is written that Luther and Melanchton had framed a certain Aristotelian Divinity that savoured more of the Flesh than Spirit At first Duke Albert desired that the Matter might have been taken up by Mediators But after much tampering being persuaded by Osiander he came over to his Opinion and commanded the Adversaries of it to depart his Country Amongst these was Joachim Merlin and he must pack off too though not only the Citizens but Women and Children also petitioned the Prince that he would not deprive them of such a Pastor Now Osiander had taught many years at Norimberg and with applause too started no Innovations then and seemed in all things to follow the Doctrine of Luther so long as he lived but when after the Emperours Edict about Religion came out he left Norimberg and went into Prussia he broached this Opinion which as most think he would hardly have done had Luther been still alive He challenged chiefly the Divines of Wittemberg to refute these things if they could and he declared he would defend them whoever should offer to impugne the same not sparing Melanchton whom he sharply pinched All Learned Men generally especially in Saxony condemned his Opinion in Books they published for that effect and censured him for disturbing the Church at a most unseasonable time but every body grumbled that he should so unworthily treat Melanchton a Man of so much Mildness and Learning In another Book he maintained that though Mankind had not been lost by the Sin of Adam yet Christ was to have been born in the World. February the Thirteenth the Dyet of the Empire was dissolved
Emperor's Lieutenant was marching towards them with his Forces and that it would be very difficult to defend it they Plundered the Place and in good time marched away laden with the Spoils of it Not long after this an account was given from Venice and other places that Solyman Emperor of the Turks had caused Mustapha his eldest Son to be Strangled upon a suspition of Treason and Disloyalty towards him The report was very strong that a second Wife of Solyman's had put him upon this Murther in order to the advancement of her own Son which she desired might succeed his Father in the Empire I have already given an account of the Commitment of the Archbishop of Canterbury he and the Lady Jane with three Sons of the Duke of Northumberland were brought to Tryal in the Month of November for Rebellion and Treason and found Guilty But according to the custom of that Kingdom they were remanded to Prison and upon the Intercession of some on their behalf they were reprieved Sebastian Schertilingen whom I have often mentioned upon whose Head and Life the Emperor had set a Price as I have said in my twenty fourth Book was about this time reconciled to the Emperor and Ferdinand his Brother and recovered his Estate again At the Sollicitation of the Bishops and their Confederates the Judges of the Imperial Chamber in the usual form Proscribed Albert of Brandenburg the first of December as a disturber of the publick Peace and of the Empire and sending their Letters to all Parts to be publickly affixed exposed his Life and Fortunes to the will of any Man that would make a Prey of them In the Interim Henry Duke of Brunswick having left Count Plaw to carry on the Siege of Blasseburg he marched the sixth of December with his Forces to Schweinfurt which is a City of Franconia seated upon the Mayn which Albert then held with a strong Garrison The Forerunners of Henry's Army was a reinforcement of Soldiers sent from Norimberg and Forcheim But Albert foreseeing this Siege had before-hand carried into the City whatever Victuals could be found in the Neighbourhood and then had burnt down all Houses near it that he might make it impossible to carry on a Siege against it in that dead time of the Year So not being able to effect any thing and having also lost some of his Men in a Sally which Albert made out of the City this General was soon forced to retire and marching with a small Retinue he passed through the Territories of John Frederick Duke of Saxony without doing him any Dammage in his return Home When Albert heard that he was Proscribed he appealed to the Emperor and beseeched him to reverse the Sentence But the Emperor said he ought not to hinder the Execution or Administration of Justice Whereupon Albert refused to submit to their Judgment pretending it was obtained by Purchase and Bribery and soon after published a Protestation or Remonstrance against it The Chamber in the mean time commanded the neighbouring Provinces of the Empire to put this Decree in Execution The tenth of October a Parliament was begun in England which sate till the sixth of December and then was dissolved in which all the Laws of Edward the sixth concerning the Lord's Supper the Ceremonies of the Church and the Administration of the Sacraments the Marriage of the Clergy the Election of Bishops the Ordination of Ministers and the publick Liturgy and all other things of that Nature were repeal'd and all things pertaining to Religion were reduced to the same State they were left in when King Henry the eighth died That no disturbance should be given to those Priests and Ministers of the Church which should hereafter be Licensed the Divorce of Catherine the Mother of Queen Mary was declared Illegal There was also a Proposition of the Marriage of the Queen to Prince Philip the eldest Son of the Emperor made to the Lords of the upper House for the obtaining their Approbation There had before been a Fame spread that he was to Marry his Cousin-German the Daughter of Emmanuel King of Portugal and of Elenora his Queen This Marriage with Queen Mary of England being at last agreed after the rising of the Parliament which opposed it the Emperor sent for Cardinal Pool to him out of Germany where till then he he had detained him as I said before This Procedure caused a Report That Pool being descended of the Royal Family and much esteemed by the English Nation It was suspected he might have possibly put some stop to this Marriage There were also other Bishops ordained in the Sees of those whom I have mentioned to be Imprisoned about this time The Emperor also sent a very splendid Embassie into England for the Solemnization of the Marriage between Prince Philip who was absent and Queen Mary the principal Person in which was Count Egmondt They arriving in London in the beginning of January after a Treaty of some few days Continuance concluded this Affair The People were much enraged against this Match and some of the Nobility having Communicated their Counsels to each other broke out into a Rebellion the Principal Leader in which was one Sir Thomas Wiat he raising an Insurrection in Kent caused grievous and sharp Sermons to be Preached against the Queen and her Council as designing by this forreign Match to involve England in a perpetual and most wretched Slavery and also that she had extinguished the true Religion and restored the Roman-Catholick again Kent is one of the most Eastern Counties of England ennobled by the City of Canterbury and lying upon the Streights of Calais over against France The report of this Commotion coming to London the twenty fifth day of January there came soon after News that Henry Duke of Suffolk was raising Men in Devonshire whereupon the Queen levied what Forces she could get together and made Thomas Duke of Norfolk whom she had lately discharged out of the Tower her General who marching towards Rochester Bridge was deserted by his Soldiers who went over to Wiat so that he got back to London with great Difficulty For the appeasing these Tumults and avoiding of the Dangers that threatned them the Emperor's Ambassadors took Ship in the beginning of February and returned into Flanders The same day the Queen went into the City of London and in the Guild-Hall made a sharp Speech against Wiat saying she knew all his Projects and expressing the tender Love she bore to her People and saying she had done nothing in it without the Advice of her Council That she had now lived a considerable part of her Life in Virginity and that even now it was none of her Desires to Marry but would willingly have continued Single if the States had thought it convenient That she was very much afflicted to see her Kingdom endangered and filled with Slaughter and Bloodshed on the Account of her Marriage She desired
first on the Frontiers of Spain and in Flanders The French held at that time Parma and Piacenza in Italy which Pope Leo was much troubled at But when more lately they had attempted Regio he fell quite off from them and made a League with the Emperour whereof the chief Conditions were That the Dignity of the Church of Rome should be defended That what the French had lately taken from it should be recovered That Francis Sforza who was then a banished Man should be restored to his Inheritance and the Dukedom of Milan Having therefore joyned their Forces under the Command of Prospero Colonna and Ferdinand d'Aval Marquess of Pesoara they recovered Parma and Piacenza from the French took the City of Milan and beat the Enemy quite out of Lombardy after they had been six whole years Masters of it Not long after Pope Leo had the News of this Overthrough he Died not without the Suspicion of Poyson He was the Son of Laurence de Medices and had to his Great-Grandfather Cosmo who raised that Family to its Splendour At Thirteen years of age Leo was made Cardinal by Innocent VIII He lived not above Seven and forty years and had for Successor Adrian VI a Hollander who had been the Emperor's Tutor LEO X. PAPA ANTEA IOANNES MEDICES FLORENTINVS Natus Ao. 1474. XIII An Adolescens Alectus fuit in Ordinem Cardinalium Electus XIo Martij Ano. 1513. Obijt 1o. Decemb 1521. Sedit An. 8 Men. 8. D. 21 While the Emperor spent his time in Germany and the Netherlands there happened great Seditions in Spain Therefore to prevent the growing evil in time having first setled a Council and Supreme Court of Judicature to administer Justice and in his absence to order the Affairs of the Empire he returned into Spain by Sea But before his departure the States of the Empire had met at Norimberg among other things to consult about the Turkish War and the Emperor having emitted a Proclamation towards the end of March enjoyned chiefly the Church-men to pray to God say Masses and make Processions for the Publick Safety and for atoning the Sins of Men. Now the grand result of this Diet was that on the First of May after they granted Aid to King Lewis against the Turk The Emperor upon his return home visited once more the King of England and to secure him for a firm Friend against the French King he promised to pay him yearly an Hundred and Thirty three Thousand Ducats For the French King by Agreement paid so much yearly to the King of England and his Sister Mary Queen Dowager of France so that unless he might be saved harmless the King of England would attempt nothing against him This Treaty was concluded betwixt them June the Thirteenth at Windsor For a greater Confirmation of their Friendship also it was agreed that the Emperor should Marry his own Cousin-german Mary the King of England's Daughter a young Lady then of Seven years of age when she should come to Maturity And that he who failed in performance of this should pay the other Four hundred thousand Crowns In the mean time the French King bends all his Force to the recovery of what he had lost in Italy Of Zuinglius you have heard before Now Hugh Bishop of Constance to whose Spiritual Jurisdiction Zurich belonged addressed himself to the Senate acquainting them with what Complaints he heard of Zuinglius who had started a new kind of Religion But Zuinglius being called before the Senate defended his own Cause and satisfied them Afterwards the Bishop wrote to the College of Canons of whom Zuinglius was one and having said many things of new Teachers who disturbed the Peace of the Church he entreats them to take heed and beware of such And because Pope Leo and then the Emperor had by most severe Bulls and Decrees condemned that Doctrin he admonishes them to obey the same and not to make any Changes or Innovations till they whom it concerned should by common advice and consent determin what was to be done This was in the Month of May. After this Letter had been read in the Convocation Zuinglius against whom it was written wrote an Answer to the Bishop That he knew very well who they were that put him upon these things and advised him not to follow their Counsels for that Truth was invincible and could not be resisted But he wrote a longer Letter afterwards to those whom he supposed to be the Authors of that Epistle After this Zuinglius and some others there joyned with him wrote a Letter to the Bishop wherein they prayed him not to act any thing against the Doctrin of the Gospel nor to suffer any longer that filthy and scandalous life of the Priests but allow them Marriage To the same purpose Zuinglius wrote to all the Switzers and counselled them not to obstruct the course of the Reformed Religion nor any ways molest the Married Priests for that the Devil was the Author of that single Life of theirs That it was a Custom in some of their own Cantons when they received any new Curate to enjoyn him to keep a Concubine lest he should attempt upon the Chastity of other Mens Wives That the Custom was laugh'd at by many but that it was prudently established at that time and in that darkness and depravation of Religion And that what they did then as to Concubines ought now to be put in practice as to lawful Wives Luther in the mean time having absconded as we said for some Months returned to Wittemberg and because he had not been recalled by Duke Frederick fearing that he might take it ill at his hands he wrote to him in the Month of March assuring him that it was out of no Ill-will or Contempt of his Authority that he was returned without his Command That he was sensible enough some would not fail to represent it as a dangerous thing to his Highness in regard that he stood Outlawed and Condemned both by the Pope and Emperor whose Power was not to be slighted That he had indeed seriously reflected on these things before hand but that for three chief Reasons he had been moved to do what he did First That he had been earnestly solicited by several Letters from the Church of Wittemberg to turn and that they were a People whom God had committed to his Charge and therefore could not be neglected That many without doubt spoke bitterly and reproachfully against this Reformation of Religion but that he was certainly convinced that this his Profession was most acceptable unto God That in the next place through the craft and subtilty of the Devil who could not endure this Light of the Gospel many troubles in his absence had been raised in his Church which unless he were there to teach them in Person could not be composed And that that was to him so weighty a Cause that it
French King giving the Reasons why he did not observe the Pacification of Madrid To this Apology a long and copious Answer was made in behalf of the Emperour Now that Buda was taken with a great part of Hungary and that the People were in a most distressed Condition there some Princes chosen by the rest met at Esling where the Council of the Empire then sate There upon deliberation it was resolved That the Embassie lately agreed upon should be omitted and Letters sent to the Emperour to beseech him That by reason of the greatness of the Danger he would hasten his return into Germany In this Letter which bore date December 19 they inform his Imperial Majesty That they had resolved to send Ambassadours unto him who being to pass through France they had addressed themselves to the French King for a Safe-Conduct which he had granted but for four Months only That one Month was already expired and that before the Ambassadours could meet there would not be much time remaining That therefore to save them from Danger they had changed their Purpose and put off that Embassie till the next Dyet of the Empire for that perhaps they might in the mean time have either a more convenient Occasion of sending or his Majesty be informed of their Business by other means Having so ordered these Affairs they appoint a Dyet to meet at Ratisbonne April 1 in the Year following to take the Turkish War into consideration Though the Emperour wrote to the Pope and Colledge of Cardinals in the manner before expressed yet his Letters wrought no effect And the Confederates having sent Ambassadours unto him as it had been agreed upon demanded That he would lay down Arms that they might take Measures for setling a Publick Peace That he would restore Francis Sforza Duke of Milan take the French King's Ransome and dismiss his Sons who were Hostages and pay the Money which he had borrowed of the King of England To these Demands the Emperour made answer at Valladolid February 12 That he could not for some short time lay down Arms but that he did not refuse to make a Truce for three Years or more That all their Forces in conjunction might be sent against the common Enemy of Christendom and that in the mean time a Treaty of Peace might go on That Sforza was a Vassal of the Empire and stood accused of High Treason and therefore could not be restored unless he were first tryed wherefore he should give an Appearance at Law and answer the Accusation brought against him before unsuspected Judges whom he should appoint That he could not take Money and restore the King's Children for that it was contrary to the King's Faith and Oath That it seemed strange to him that they should put it to him To pay the Money due to the King of England since they had no Warrant from him to do so For that he had so great Friendship with the King of England as could not be broken for a Money business That therefore since their Demands were out of the way he desired them to propose others That he was not resolved to be obstinate and would pass by many things for the Publick Good. So then the Ambassadours departed without Success great Preparations for War were made on both sides Much about this time John Frederick Son to the Elector of Saxony married the Lady Sibylla Daughter to John Duke of Cleve The Infanta Catharine the Emperour 's eldest Sister had been betrothed unto him and the Contract of Marriage thereupon signed and sealed but upon the Change of Religion that happened in Saxony the Match was broken off and Hawnart who was then the Emperour's Ambassadour in Germany stuck not to say publickly That Faith was not to be kept with Hereticks herein I suppose treading in the Steps of the Council of Constance as the Duke of Saxony himself took notice afterwards in a publick Paper Charles Duke of Bourbonne was one of the Emperors Generals who some years before had revolted from the King of France as we said already He upon his march with an Army to Naples appeared before Rome and next day after which was the sixth of May took it by Assault and plundered it Pope Clement with the Cardinals and other Prelats having with much ado escaped to the Castle of St. Angelo were there block'd up for seven months and at length delivered by the Emperors command It is not to be expressed with what cruelty and insolence the German and Spanish Soldiers behaved themselves in Rome for besides their horrid Butcheries Plunderings Ravishings and Devastations they vented all sorts of Reproaches and contumelious Scoffs against the Pope Cardinals and the rest of the Clergy The Emperor took a great deal of pains to excuse that Action alledging that they had no orders from him to do it and he wrote about it particularly to the King of England telling him that though he believed it to be a just Judgment of God who revenged the injury and violence that had been done unto him yet he would make it his endeavour that this very calamity should be an occasion and beginning of the welfare of Christendom When the news of this was brought to the Emperor in Spain he presently commanded all publick Playes and Shows to cease which were then made for the birth of his Son Philip. The King of England made an Answer to that Letter of the Emperors but the Pope being now Prisoner whom he highly reverenced and the Emperors power increasing he began to think of War and for that end sent the Cardinal of York Embassador into France None of the Princes came to the Dyet at Ratisbonne but sent only their Deputies so that nothing was done except only that May the eighteenth they wrote to the Emperor to give him an account why nothing could be done and tell him That it would conduce much to the interest of Christendom that Civil Wars should be composed and that above all things his Presence was necessary in Germany At this time there was a new kind of Doctrin broached by those whom they call Anabaptists These are against Infant Baptism are themselves re-baptized and teach that all goods should be in common Both Luther Zuinglius and many others wrote against them and the Magistrates punished them in all places They bragg'd also of Visions and Dreams and at San-Gall a Town of Switzerland one of them cut off his brothers head in presence of his father and mother whom he persuaded that God had commanded him to do so but being apprehended by the Magistrate he suffered the same kind of death himself How they afterwards increased and what troubles they raised in Germany you shall hear hereafter This year it was ordered by the Senate of Strasburg that the dead should no longer be buried within the City and they appointed some burying places without the Town When the French King heard
for in the first Year of the Reign of Henry VII of England which was in the Year of our Lord 1486 the same Plague infested that Country And because there was no Remedy known for such a new Distemper it swept away a vast number of People At this time also there was a great Scarcity of Corn and Wine so that all the Judgments wherewith God in his Anger uses to punish an unthankful people as the Sword Pestilence and Famine fell upon Germany at one and the same time At this time also were Prisoners at Cologne Peter Flisted and Adolph Clarebacke two learned Men because they differed in Judgment from the Papists concerning the Lord's Supper and other Points of Doctrin The Senate of that Town hath Right and Power to imprison Offenders but the Archbishop alone hath the Power of Life and Death and it may fall out that whom the Senate hath condemned to Death the Bishop's Judge may acquit Now these two having lain in Prison a Year and an half and more were at length condemned by both Judicatures and burnt to the great Grief and Commiseration of many Most People blamed the Preachers for that who cryed that the Wrath of God who afflicted us with a new kind of Disease was to be appeased by the Execution of the Wicked and Ungodly Adolph was a handsome Man Eloquent and Learned and when they were led to the place of Execution they made profession and gave the Reasons of their Belief confirming and encouraging one another with Texts of Scripture so that all People fixed their Eyes and Thoughts upon them We told you before of the Difference betwixt Luther and Zuinglius about the Lord's Supper when this had been tossed to and fro for above three Years with much Contention many who were troubled that this single Controversie should hinder an Uniformity in Doctrin earnestly wished that some Remedy might be thereunto applyed therefore the Landgrave having communicated the matter to his Associates and prevailed also with the Switzers appointed a Day when Learned Men of both Parties should meet at Marpurg and calmly discourse the Point From Saxony came Luther Melanchthon and Jonas from Switzerland Zuinglius and Oecolampadius from Strasburg Bucer and Hedio and from Norimberg Osiander many Grave and Learned Men were present besides though none but Luther and Zuinglius reasoned the Point But the Sweating Disease infecting that Town also the Conference was broken up by the Landgrave's order and this concluded upon That since they all agreed about the chief Points of Doctrin they should for the future refrain from all Contention and pray to God that he would also enlighten them in this Controversie and put them in the way of Concord And so they friendly parted in the beginning of October It hath been said already That at the Dyet of Spire which was held three Years before the Elector of Saxony and Landgrave made mention of entring into a League this matter was several times brought into deliberation afterwards and especially now that this Decree was made they began to think of it more seriously so that after the Dyet was over a certain Draught of it was made at Norimberg and afterwards more fully debated And when in the Month of October the Deputies of the Princes and States met at Swaback it was propounded in the Names of the Elector of Saxony and George Marquess of Brandenburg That seeing the Defence of the True Religion was the Ground and Cause of this League it behoved first that all should be unanimous in the same wherefore the summ of their Doctrin comprehended in some Chapters was read and approved by all only the Deputies of Strasburg and Vlm alledged That no mention had been made thereof in the former Assembly nor had they any Instructions concerning it They were not all of the same Opinion about the Point of the Lord's Supper as we told you before and this was the only Scruple Seeing therefore nothing could be concluded because of that another Meeting was appointed to be at Smalcalde the thirteenth of December When the Emperour was now come into Italy Erasmus of Roterdam who having left Basil because of the Change of Religion and to avoid Suspicion was come to Friburg a Town belonging to King Ferdinand in the Month of November published a little Book entituled Against some who falsly called themselves Gospel-Teachers but in reality he has a Touch at all the Reformed for among many other things he says he never knew any of them who appeared not to be a worse Man than he was before This Book was afterwards answered by the Divines of Strasburg because they and those of Basil were chiefly aimed at but above all others Bucer When the Emperour was coming to Bolonia Francis Sforza who had been before in League with the Pope and French King went to meet him and having pleaded his own Cause at the Intercession of Clement VII at length recovered the Dutchy of Milan from the Emperour but upon this among other Conditions That he should pay him nine hundred thousand Crowns one half the same Year and the rest within ten Years successively by equal Portions and as a Pledge the Emperour was to keep in his Hands Como and the Castle of Milan until the first Years Payment should be made THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK VII The CONTENTS The Protestant Ambassadors sent to the Emperor appeal from the Answer they received at Piacenza where they were stopt which the Protestants understanding appoint a meeting at Smalcalde The City of Strasburg makes a League with Three of the Switz Cantons The Emperor being Crowned by the Pope at Bolonia calls a Diet of the States of the Empire at Ausburg where the Protestants exhibit a Confession of their Faith which in a contrary writing is Answered and Confuted by their Adversaries Some are appointed to accommodate the matter amicably and to find out some means of Concord The Emperor sollicites the Protestants who notwithstanding all the Exhortations that were made unto them the Objections and Calumnies wherewith they were charged stedfastly persevered in their Confession and having given in their last Answer depart The Tyber overflows at Rome Eckius and Faber demand and obtain an honourable Reward for the Refutations they wrote against those of Strasburg and other Cities The Transaction of Prusia is rescinded The Decree of Ausburg is related Luther who was come nearer to Ausburg comforts Melanchthon then in Anxiety because of that Decree Bucer goes to him that he might reconcile him with Zuinglius The creation of Ferdinand King of the Romans comes into Agitation and is withstood by the Elector of Saxony and other Princes but nevertheless he is created King and installed in the Kingdom WE told you before that the Protestants resolved upon sending Ambassadors to the Emperour These were John Ekinger Alexius Fraventrute and Michael Caden of Norimberg who being advanced as far as
the Popes Bull was not sufficient nor authentick She answer'd that it was too late to complain of the Bull now since they had approv'd it so long before And when the Dispute began to grow warm the Pope's assistance was desir'd to determine the Matter The Queen had miscarried several times neither did any of her Children live excepting the Princess Mary The Pope therefore undertook the Cause and delegated the hearing of it to the Cardinals Campegio and York And after a long debate when the King had hopes given him from Rome that things should go on his side Campegio by the Pope's Order when he was just upon the Point of the Sentence began to draw back and to throw in delays This Turn they say was occasioned by the death of General Lautrech and the loss of the French Army before Naples Andrew Auria likewise happening to revolt from Francis at the same time which made the Pope conclude that the Emperor Catharines Nephew by her Sister who was now so prosperous in Italy ought not in prudence to be disoblig'd Campegio therefore at last leaves England without bringing the Affair to any point at which the King was extreamly dissatisfied But that he might not seem to do any thing rashly he dispatch'd away several Agents into France Italy and Germany to Collect the sense of the Divines concerning his Marriage The Parisians and most of the rest seemed to declare for the unlawfulness of it though they were suspected to be bribed into their opinion Now there was one Anne Bolen in the Queens Service an incomparable handsome Maiden-Lady This Person the King began to set his Affections upon and discover'd intelligibly enough that he had a mind to marry her As soon as Cardinal Woolsey who was most intimate with the King and as they say moved first for the Divorce understood this design he changed his Resolution and writing to the Pope advised him not to null the Marriage for if he did another Woman infected with Lutheranism would succeed Catharine When the King was acquainted with the Cardinals proceedings by his Embassador at Rome he was very much offended with him and not long after removed him from his Office of Lord Chancellor and deprived him of two of the three Bishopricks which he held At last being reduc'd to a private Life and letting fall some passionate indecent Expressions importing a desire of revenge The King commanded him to dismiss the greatest part of his Servants and to come to Court with a small Retinue The Cardinal not being able to avoid it sets forward but before he reached the King he fell into an acute Distemper contracted by the dissatisfaction of his mind and died upon the way Now the Pope that Campegio might have some pretence for coming away revokes the Cause to himself at Rome And foreseeing the Marriage with Anne Bolen would be of very ill consequence to himself he plies the King with Admonitions and sometimes with Threatnings to give over his design But not being able to prevail there upon the 24th of March this year to oblige the Emperor he gave Judgment on the Queens side When the King was already divorc'd from her had declar'd his Daughter Mary Illegitimate and married the other Lady above a year since As soon as the King understood that Sentence was pronounced against him he began to hate the Pope mortally and immediately passeth an Act in which he declares himself Head of the Church of England next after Christ denies all manner of Obedience to the See of Rome and makes it death for any one to maintain the Pope's Supremacy He likewise refuseth to pay the yearly Tax which the Pope's Collector used to receive and forbids the Conveyance of any Mony to Rome under severe Penalties all which Injunctions were confirmed by the States of the Realm which they call a Parliament Francis the French King is thought to have struck a Considerable stroak in this Divorce that he might make an irreconcilable Breach between Henry and the Emperor As concerning the Tax which I mention'd the Case stands thus Ine King of England in the year 740. out of a sense of Piety made his Kingdom Tributary to the Pope as the History of those times informs us and charged every house with the payment of a peny From that time the Popes sent their Collectors thither yearly to receive this Duty which was commonly call'd Peter-pence This payment having been made by the English without any Interruption from the first Grant this Henry was the first who forbad the Continuance of it any longer I have given an account in the Fourth Book how Luther and Erasmus wrote against each other concerning the Subject of Free Will. This year the Pique between them broke out again For Luther in a Letter to a Friend takes occasion to charge Erasmus very high as if he ridiculed the Christian Religion and expos'd it to question and contempt and cites several places in his Writings to make good his Accusation He also objected that the other had an equivocal two-handed way in expressing himself and made a Tyrannical use of his Elocution And in regard he takes the liberty to play with religious Arguments at that ambiguous rate when he both can and is obliged to be more clear he ought always to be construed in the worst sense This Letter was afterwards answer'd by Erasmus and smartly too who was more sensibly concern'd for nothing than to keep up the Reputation of his own Writings About this time the Franciscans made a strange tragical piece of Work of it at Orleans in France The thing was thus The Provost's Wife of that Town had order'd in her Will to be buried without any Ceremony or noise For when any one dies in France it 's the Custom for Funeral Cryers who are hired for this purpose to go about the principal Streets in the City and call the common people together with their hand-Bells When they have done this they tell the Name and Quality of the Person deceas'd and exhorting the Company to pray to God for his Soul they let them know when and where he is to be buried When the Corps goes to the Grave the Mendicant Friers are usually invited to attend it and a great many Torches are carried before the Hearse In these Solemnities people commonly strive to out-do one another for the more expensive the Funeral is the greater Crowd there is to see and admire it But this Woman I spoke of would have none of all this Her Husband therefore who loved her entirely perform'd this part of her Will and burying her by her Father and Grandfather in the Franciscans Church presented these Gentlemen with no more than six Crowns whereas they expected a much greater Sum. Afterwards when he felled a Wood and sold it they desired him to give them some Timber but were denied They took this very heinously which with their former Disgust made them resolve to
safe unsuspected place where every one might freely speak his Conscience without danger Besides what I have mention'd he press'd them very earnestly to enter into a League with his Master indeed this was the principal reason of his Embassy But they insisting that they must except the Emperor whom they declar'd it was not lawful for them to Article against he concluded nothing with them and before he went away he told some Persons privately that he wondred they should refuse the Offer of sogreat a Prince and that there would come a time when they would heartily wish that they had gone in to his Interest Henry the Eighth of England also sent an Embassy to this Convention of which Edward Fox Bishop of Hereford was chief He began his Speech with telling them what a near Relation there was between the Kings of England and the Dukes of Saxony and that the King his Master had a great respect for his Electoral Highness and his Confederates especially since he saw their principal Design was to propagate the true Religion among their Neighbours And though they had a great many hard words given them upon this account yet these Reflections made no impression upon him neither did he believe them to be any other than good Men who would do nothing but what reason and their station oblig'd them to aiming only that the Gospel might be preach'd in its purity and God glorified by it This he said was also the King's Intention as appears sufficiently from the alteration which was lately made in England For now the greatest part of the Corruptions in the Church were removed by his Royal Command and the Pope's Supremacy and all his Legerdemain was banish'd the Kingdom by a general Consent no less than it was in Saxony And since there are the same Inclinations and Endeavours moving on both sides his Majesty hath a singular Esteem for them and desires them that they would go on as they have begun and unite in a general profession of the same Doctrin for this will lay a lasting foundation for Peace But how much diversity of Opinions are apt to embroil the State his Majesty is very sensible and the Anabaptists are a remarkable instance At this time the Pope pretends as if he was in earnest for a Council Now if there be any remaining Differences and they do not come up to an uniform Perswasion among themselves this will disorder their Measures when they are conven'd upon the place But here he would not be thought to reflect in the least upon their Divines for the Church was never so happy as to be perfectly free from Disputes no not in the Apostles times as appears from the clash there was between St. Peter St. Barnabas and St. Paul. We ought therefore to endeavour an Accommodation no farther than it 's warrantable by Scripture Now the Pope makes it his whole business to hinder the Church from agreeing upon such a Principle insomuch that as long as his cruel and tyrannical Government continues his Majesty despairs of seeing a Reconciliation For now this Idol this Antichrist rageth like a mad Man only because the English have lately thrown off the most scandalous Slavery and recover'd their Liberty by the King's assistance And being not able to attempt any thing by force he betakes himself to Artifice and Fraud and by forging false Accusations against his Majesty endeavours to provoke other Princes to make War upon him For though he will stick at nothing to keep up his pretended Authority yet now his particular Design is to exasperate both sides and set all in a Flame This his Majesty was willing to acquaint them with not that he feared the Pope for he was so well prepar'd that he neither valu'd him nor his whole Party but only that they might see what Antichrist was doing especially at this time when he seems so earnest for a Council though he meaneth nothing less 'T is true his Majesty grants that a regular Debate is singularly useful and very much for the advantage of Christendom but then all imaginable Care must be taken that such a Council be not conven'd as will manage the whole Controversie only for the establishment of the Pope's Greatness Therefore he entreats them they would take his advice and not allow of any Council till all Christian Princes were at Peace with each other withall desiring that the true Worship of God might be restored and that he was willing to engage with them for the compleating and support of so pious an undertaking These things he told them his Instructions obliged him to deliver publickly But besides he desired that he might discourse this affair farther in private with some persons deputed for that purpose For his Highness the King had that regard for Religion and themselves that he was ready to venture his Person and all his Fortunes in the Cause To this after some Ceremony passed upon the King for shewing himself so obliging and well disposed they answer That they desire nothing so much as that the Doctrin of the Gospel might be spread far and near that whatever they did in this case was done out of a principle of Duty And notwithstanding they have been affronted and injured in the grossest manner though they have highly disobliged Persons of the most considerable Interest though they have been often swagger'd at and meanced upon this account yet they have not slackned their industry and pursuit of the Holy Design Now the reason of all this violent and intemperate rage against them is only because they have taken the liberty to reject some false and wicked Opinions Now his Majesties promising so frankly to concur with them in this Work and his expelling the Popes Tyranny his Dominions which is the Spring-Head of all his wicked and erroneous Worship is very acceptable News to them and their Prayers to God are that he may still proceed They also return his Majesty many Thanks for his advice to them to take care of the ill Consequences of different Opinions but really there was no disagreement among them and they were resolved by Gods grace to continue in the same Religion they had profess'd at Ausburgh As to the Anabaptists they punish'd them severely when they could not be prevailed with to give over their Extravagance Besides this Sect domineer'd most in those places where the reformed Religion was prohibited What his Excellency discoursed concerning the Pope's Politick Designs gave them great satisfaction And now he had a Nuncio in Germany who promised a Council should be called at Mantua and had treated with the Elector of Saxony about it Now the Answer which they returned by common Advice to his Proposals was set down in a Paper a Copy of which should be delivered to his Excellency for the King that his Majesty might understand what their Thoughts were in this Case This Nuncio pretends as if it belonged only to the Pope to intimate and convene Councils But
he would also convert his Brethren He said that St. John was always obedient to St. Peter after the death of Christ and when they both ran to the Sepulcher he would not go in first but gave the precedency to the other To him Christ gave the Charge of feeding his Sheep in a more especial manner besides when the Net was full of Fishes and a great many of them could not stir it Peter alone drew it a shore Then he proceeds to the business of the Divorce where he tells the King That it was not the terrors of Conscience and the dread of the Divine Displeasure as he pretended but Lust and an ungovernable Appetite which made him part with his Wife Catherine whom his Brother Arthur an infirm Youth of fourteen years of age had left a Virgin That it was not lawful for him to marry Anne Bullein whose Sister he had kept as his Miss before That Catherine was a Maid himself had confess'd to several Persons particularly to the Emperor But he falls violently upon him for writing to so many Universities for their Opinion concerning his first Marriage and for being pleas'd with the sense of his former uncleanness when some told him That Match was Incestuous That it was a most scandalous thing for him to prefer the Daughter of a Strumpet before a most excellent young Lady lawfully begotten Then he goes on to the Execution of the Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas Moore where he enlargeth himself and declaims very tragically against the cruelty of it From whence he proceeds to tell the King how he had oppress'd and impoverish'd all degrees of Men and made a most flourishing Kingdom miserable and what danger he was in from the Emperor for divorcing his Aunt and subverting Religion and what little reason he had to expect any Foreign or Domestick Assistance who had behav'd himself so ill towards the Commonwealth Then he applies himself to the Emperor and makes use of a great many words to provoke him to revenge such a notorious Affront put upon his Family and saith That the Seeds of Turcism are scatter'd about England and Germany meaning the Antipapal Doctrin At last after he had charg'd his Prince with a great many Crimes and almost call'd him all to naught he exhorts him to repent and tells him There was no other remedy to be had but by returning to the bosom of the Church which he had formerly defended in print and therein given a most admirable example This Book was publish'd without any date at Rome and lay conceal'd a long time at last a great many years after one or two in Germany got it The occasion of his writing he saith was because the King formerly desir'd it And though a great many learned Men in England who had done the same thing had lost ther Lives yet he was so much oblig'd by his Highness that he could not perswade himself to dissemble his thoughts for both his temper and way of living had made him very averse to that Vice and therefore what he had said ought not to be attributed to passion or ill will on the contrary since he endeavour'd to bring him into his way again and to rescue him from those Flatterers who had run him upon such gross Mistakes he thought he did him very great service Now King Henry had taken care to breed this Gentleman to Learning and had been kind to him in many respects But when that alteration which I mention'd happen'd in England and was disapprov'd by Pool Paul the Third by the advice and recommendation of Contareni makes him a Cardinal and invited him to Rome Those who were intimately acquainted with him say That he understood the reformed Religion very well and imagine that the reason of his writing against King Henry was to avoid the suspicion of Lutheranism They say he printed his Book at Rome at his own Charge and ordering all the Copies to be brought to him gave them out only to the Pope and Cardinals and to his special Friends for he was willing to stand fair in their Opinion and was likewise afraid it 's probable of falling under the Censure of those who had several times heard him discourse very differently upon that Subject THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XI The CONTENTS The Protestants send their Embassadors to the Emperor with whom they were principally to insist upon three things Eldo the Emperor's Embassador gives them a large Answer at Smalcalde To which all the Confederates reply and particularly they reflect smartly upon the Council they were invited to Eldo rejoyns upon them ex tempore In the mean time the Pope dispatcheth away the Bishop of Aix into Germany The Prosestants give their Reasons why they refuse the Council and write to the French King about it The Queen of Scotland dies The King of England and his Nobility publish a Manifesto against the Council which the Pope had call'd The Town and Castle of St. Paul in Artois is taken Terouenna is besisg'd by the Imperialists but without Success IN the Ninth Book I had occasion to mention the Ausburghers Now when these Men had made an Alteration in Religion and the Ecclesiasticks most of which were descended of good Families leaving the Town in a disgust upon this account The Senate address'd themselves to the Emperor to King Ferdinand and to all the States of the Empire and acquaint them with the Reasons of their proceedings in writing in which they let them understand how kindly they had us'd these Gentlemen how many things they had born from them and on the contrary how provokingly they had behav'd themselves attempting several times to raise an Insurrection in the Town Not long after Christopher their Bishop publisheth an Answer to this Book in the name of himself and his Party and after a great many Complaints he desires the Emperor and the Princes in regard the danger toucheth them no less than himself to make some Provision for the common Safety In the last Book I mention'd the Protestants Embassy to the Emperor in Italy The Persons sent were Joachim Papenheim Lewis Bambach and Claudius Peutinger a Lawyer They had three things in their Commission in which they were more especially to concern themselves To confute the Report which was spread as if they were entring into an Alliance with the Kings of England and France That the Emperor would Check the Proceedings of the Chamber of Spire And that those who were admitted into the League after the Pacification at Nuremburgh might enjoy the benefit of that Treaty The Emperor admitted them to Audience but being busied in Military affairs he told them he would send an Embassador into Germany with his Answer Therefore when he was about to return into Spain by the way of Genoa he sent Mathias Eldo his Vice-Chancellor into Germany When the Protestants understood this by their Embassadors at their return they appoint the Seventh of February
the Chapter chosen to succeed in his place but the Elector of Saxony pretended that the Chapter had no Right to do so without his Consent and therefore in exclusion to Pflug he substituted Nicholas Amstorff a Divine of Wittemberg of a noble Family in his place whom in the Month of January Luther installed and afterwards published a Book in the vulgar Tongue wherein he asserted That the Flock of Christ was not to be committed to Pflug as being an Enemy to the pure Doctrine of the Gospel Pflug being in this manner rejected made a publick Appeal to the States of the Empire wherein he justified his Right and complained of the Wrong that was done him The Elector on the other hand answered the Writing of Pflug and having enlarged much upon the Right of the House of Saxony which he proved by ancient Precedents amongst other Reasons why he could not admit of him as Bishop he alledged this also That he openly opposed the Augustane Confession After the Overthrow in Hungary which we mentioned before a Diet was called by King Ferdinand in the Emperor's Name to begin at Spire in the Month of January wherein the Emperor appointed his Brother King Ferdinand to preside in his Name and gave him for Assistants Hugh Count of Monfort and John Naves The Princes who appeared there were the Elector of Brandenburg Frederick Prince Palatine Albert Duke of Meckleburg Ernest Marquess of Baden the Bishops of Mentz Wormes Spire Constance and Heildesseim The rest sent Deputies thither When they came to a Session which was the Ninth Day of February King Ferdinand in the Emperor's Absence opened the Diet by a Speech as is customary telling them That it was known to all how great Diligence and Care the Emperor had used both that Religion might be setled and the Government entirely established But that when Differences would not be wholly adjusted in the former Diet his imperial Majesty for weighty Reasons went from Germany into Italy where having treated with the Pope about a Council and the Turkish War he prevailed so far at length that his Holiness had promised to send a Legate to this Diet that he went afterwards with a Fleet into Barbary that having taken Algiers which was in the Enemies Hands and which did great damage to Spain and his other Provinces he might obtain a competent aid from his Subjects against the Turk after he had removed the Danger and secured the Sea Coast but that being by a Storm prevented from effecting what he had proposed he returned to Spain that he might again prepare himself to make War against the Turk both by Sea and Land. And that because the Turk had lately made himself Master of Buda the chief City of Hungary and of the Town of Pest over against it into which he had put Garrisons he had called this Diet to advise what was fitting to be done That seeing the Turk had left in those two places all the great Guns which he had either brought with him or taken from the Christians there was no doubt but he would come back again in the Summer time that he might not only take the remaining part of Hungary but also invade all the Provinces bordering upon Germany For that since Buda was taken and all other Passes laid open there was nothing now that could stop or divert him That therefore these were weighty and necessary Matters to be now consulted about at which Consultations the Emperor would willingly have been present but that being hindred by time he had committed that care to him who though the State of his own Religion did chiefly require his Presence yet was resolved not to desert the publick at such a Pinch Having made this preamble he declared to them what the Austrians Hungarians Bohemians and the Neighbouring People nay and what the Church Men of his Dominions would contribute to this War praying and exhorting them to do the like for that the Danger stared all Men in the Face and the condition of Affairs was now such that either the Enemy was to be driven out of Hungary or all were to expect and soon after undergo the extremity of Miseries After the Diet of Ratisbone John Gropper Deputy from the Archbishop of Cologne being returned Home mightily commended Bucer saying That of all Men he was the â—ittest to be intrusted with the Reformation of Religion for that he was both very Learned a lover of Peace and of a good and upright Life Wherefore the Bishop who knew Bucer before and had thoughts of employing him sent him word that he had a desire to speak with him Bucer therefore going this Year in the Month of February to Cologne was most courteously received and particularly by Gropper who had prevailed with him to come thither from Bonn. So after some conversation with the Bishop he gave him leave to be gone upon condition that when he should be sent for at another time he would come back again as shall be said hereafter About this time also King Henry of England cut off the Head of his Queen Catharine Howard for that having Married her for a Virgin he found that she had been defloured before He that defloured her had got some place in Ireland but being recalled by her when she was Queen and taken into her Family he was also Beheaded after her as some others were partly for the same Crime and partly for concealing it When she was out of the way the King married a Sixth Wife the Lady Catharine Parr The French King sent an Ambassy to the Diet at Spire and Francis Oliver Chancellor of Alenzon was the chief person in it who in a full Assembly of all the States when they were consulting about the Turkish War February the Fourteenth spoke to this purpose That he needed not use many words to plead for a favourable hearing at their Hands since all understood how well affected the King his Master stood towards the Interests and Welfare of Germany that what he had to say also was of so great moment that he doubted not but they would willingly listen to the King's Counsel and Proposals Seeing that when the Diet of Ratisbone was busie in Accommodating the Difference of Religion News being brought That the Turk was preparing to Invade Hungary with a vast Army the King had forthwith sent Ambassadors to the Grand Seignior to avert if he could the War from Hungary for the sake of Germany which lay next to it but that his Ambassadors had been apprehended by the Emperor's Soldiers and that it was as yet uncertain whether they had been kill'd or were still alive whereby not only the Truce but the Law of Nations was also violated Now that they were sent for that Cause the King would make it out by the very Letters and Instructions which were then intercepted by the Imperialists That afterward a false Report had been spread abroad as if the King had called in
that he would confirm his Son in the Possession of them and give him the solemn Investiture of a Prince The Emperor who held Milan and would not part with any part of his Right refused that The Pope had also a Design as it was said to have purchased from the Emperor with Money the Dukedom of Milan for his Grandson Octavio But the Emperor that he might be no longer hindered broke up the Interview and having compounded with Cosmo of Medicis Duke of Florence for the Castles of Florence and Leghorn which till then he had in his Hands and having delivered them up to the Duke for the Summ of above Two hundred thousand Crowns which he received for them he went on in his Progress Before he left Spain he had created his Son Philip King and gave him in Marriage the Infanta Mary Daughter of John King of Portugal This Year also Sigismund the Son of Sigismund King of Poland married the Lady Elizabeth Daughter of Ferdinand King of the Romans Henry Duke of Brunswick having made a Journey into Italy to meet the Emperor grievously accused the Protestants at Cremona And now the Emperor being upon his March with an Army from Italy the Protestants who had lately received his Letters dated from Genoa on the Twenty fourth of June met at Smalcald and there consulted about sending Ambassadors to him concerning those things that related to the securing the Dutchy of Brunswick and their own League and about Application to be made to Duke Maurice to the King of Sweedland to Otho Henry Prince Palatine to Wolfgang Duke of Deux-Ponts and to the Bishop of Munster who all desired to be admitted into the League This Assembly ended the One and twentieth Day of July Much about this time the Emperor and King of England made a League against the French King who assisted the Scots as we said before But the Pope was much offended at this Alliance and therefore looked upon the Friendship of France as necessary for his Interests When about the end of July the Emperor came to Spire the Protestants sent thither their Ambassadors Francis Burcart George Bemelberg Christopher Veninger and James Sturmey who being admitted to Audience on the Second of August spoke much to the same Purpose as we told you before they had done to King Ferdinand The Effect of their Speech was That if they had sufficient Security given them of Peace if the Judicature of the Imperial Chamber were reformed as had been lately decreed at Ratisbone and if the Inequality of Contributions were rectified they would not be wanting to their Duty in bearing their Parts in the publick Necessities That as to the Duke of Brunswick they desired the Cause might be brought to a fair Trial and then they offered to prove that he who had first done open Injury to those of Goslar and Brunswick Two free States was justly expulsed and driven out of his Country To these things the Emperor Two Days after made Naves give his Answer in Presence of Granvell That they could require no more of him for that their Peace had been sufficiently secured by former Decrees That the Judges of the Imperial Chamber could not be removed without a Hearing That in the Month of October ensuing Enquiry would be made into their Proceedings and that they should not go unpunished if they were found Guilty of any Fault That a Moderation in the Contributions could not be made but with the common Advice and Consent of all the States That they should reflect upon the present State of the Publick and that seeing it was in great Danger without speedy Help they should follow the Example of the rest of the States and contribute their Aid against the Turk That he the Emperor was now to make all the Head he could against the French King and Duke of Cleve that he might defend his Subjects from Injury That Henry Duke of Brunswick did earnestly urge a Restitution and therefore they should declare their Mind as to that Point They desired to have that Answer given them in Writing that they might consider it more carefully to which the Emperor consented and next Day leaving Spire went to Mentz The Ambassadors who had received the Answer in Writing followed him thither and made a Reply to Naves and Granvell showing them that they had not sufficient Assurances given them of Peace and urging the Emperors Declaration at Ratisbone mentioned in the former Book they altogether persisted in demanding the same things and that since their Desire was That the Cause of Brunswick might be brought to a Hearing they had no farther Instructions they said in that Particular They on the other hand alledged that the Emperor could do no more and repeating what had been said before told them That if the Duke of Brunswick were not restored he would certainly take some Course for recovering his own And this being all that could be had the Ambassadors departed to make their Report to their Masters The Archbishop of Cologne came to the Emperor at Spire and interceded for the Duke of Cleve But it was to no purpose for that unless he first delivered up the Possession of Guelderland the Emperor would not hear of Peace And when the Ambassador of Saxony by Orders from his Prince interceded for the same Duke with Granvell at Mentz and to perswade him alledged that a private Wrong should be sacrificed to the Good of the Publick especially when now the Turk was coming upon them His Answer was That the Emperor would not desist from his Enterprise whatever the Turk might do You heard before That the People of Heildesheim having abandoned the Popish Religion entered into the Protestant League therefore Valentine the Bishop of that City grievously accused them to the Imperial Chamber and King Ferdinand before and now to the Emperor That they had changed the old Religion and Ceremonies of the Church That they had appointed new Preachers to instruct the People abolished the Mass punished the Followers of the ancient Religion not only thrown down Altars and Fonts but demolished also Churches partly carried away the Goods Furniture and Ornaments of the Clergy and partly detained them in their Custody having seized the Keys of the Places where they were kept That they had lately made publick Plays wherein they had exposed the Virgin Mary and the rest of the Saints to the Scorn and Derision of the Mobile That they purposed to withdraw themselves from under his Jurisdiction had entered into the League and put themselves under the Protection of the Protestants That they compelled by Force Monks and other Religious to conform to their Religion and not only openly reviled but also banished out of their Territories those who would not comply The Emperor hearkening to this Accusation on the Sixth of August wrote to them from Wormes and with severe Threatnings commanded them to restore Religion and all things else to their
he had designed some great things against his Majesty or King Ferdinand for that amongst others there was a Letter wherein a certain Prince Elector writes back to him that upon those Conditions he cannot enter into that League and Confederation but that it is rather his duty to discover such Counsels which if he had not given him a promise of Secrecy he had certainly done let him not therefore trouble him any more with that hereafter otherwise he 'll disclose it That he had this and some others of that kind in his hands And if his Majesty thought it for his interest he might send some trusty Servant to whom he would shew these Letters and let him take a Copy of them from the Original The Emperour who then was at Bruges a Town in Flanders November the sixth sent Nicholas Conritz to the Landgrave with this Message That he heard how Henry Duke of Brunswick and his Son came into his hands and though he could have wished that he had accepted the Condition of the Sequestration nevertheless as the state of Affairs now stood he did not think it needful he should at present be punished for breaking the publick Peace that he trusted also he would make so moderate a use of this Victory that no man needed to apprehend any violence from him He put him in mind however that after the ancient Custom of Princes he would generously and civilly use his Prisoners and not force them to any condition unjust or beneath themselves but refer all to a friendly and lawful Debate and Arbitration wherein he himself would not be wanting in any thing that his Character and Quality required and that because he and his Confederates had no reason now to fear any danger he should dismiss his Forces and keep the peace and that if he had Complaints against any Man upon the account of assisting or associating with his Enemy he should try it out by Law and that therein he would do him justice When November the eighteenth Conritz had delivered this Message at Cassels the same day the Landgrave gave this answer Since Brunswick and his Associates had by more ways than one broken the Edicts of the Emperour and Empire he hoped the Emperour would openly declare how ill he took such proceedings That one of the chief of his Associates was Otho Count of Ritberg a Vassal and Tenant of his own whom upon that account he had punished that there were some others also on whom he might justly be revenged But that the Emperour and all men might see how far he and his Confederates were from stirs he had not attempted any thing against them but had disbanded his Soldiers since the case was so and that what they had done was upon their own necessary defence he earnestly begg'd that the Emperour would proscribe Duke Henry and his Associates for though he himself were prisoner yet his Auxiliaries ought to be punished from whom there was nothing but Hostilities to be expected that the Prisoners were used civilly enough and that he should make a report of the rest to the Duke of Saxony and other Confederates The Embassadours who as we said before were by the Protestants sent into France and England discharged their Commission very well but at the same time the Emperour also promoted the Peace and at Bruges appointed a day for the Embassadours of both Kings to meet The French King sent Claud Annebaud the Admiral the King of England Stephen Bishop of Winchester but the Treaty broke up without any success In the mean time however the Protestant Embassadours prevailed so far that both Kings condescended to a more ample Treaty and therefore sent Embassadours the French King to Ardres and the King of England to Calis and Guysnes On the twenty sixth of November the Embassadours met midway betwixt the two Towns under Tents in the open Fields where after that the Protestant Embassadours had proposed some Overtures of Peace the Matter was long and much debated betwixt them the French urging chiefly the restitution of Bologne and that the Scots might be comprehended in the Peace But the English plainly refused that the matter afterward was transacted betwixt the two Kings by Letters and Messengers and nevertheless after much treating nothing could be effected Wherefore January the sixth the Embassadours of the Kings and Protestants depart to their own homes The day after as the French were carrying in Provisions to the new Fort which as it has been said the King had built on the Shore the English attempted to have hindred them and so came to an Engagement but though many were killed on both sides the Fort was nevertheless victualled When the Protestant Embassadours whom I named were in England the King occasionally in discourse told them that they were threatned with a most dreadful War that he knew it for a certain and therefore that they should acquaint their Friends therewith A Privy-Counsellor also of eminent authority about the King at that time afterwards told one of the Embassadours the same thing naming some Skirmishers and Pickeerers that were to bring the business about The King seemed also vexed that the Emperour had the Year before made Peace with the French King and the rather he said that it was at his sollicitation that he had made War with France because of the Turkish League In the Month of January there was a meeting of the Protestants at Franckfurt Their Consultations there were about the Council of Trent the prolonging of their League the Charges of the War with Brunswick the not forsaking of the Archbishop of Cologne the solliciting of the Emperour in the next Diet that he would give peace to Religion and establish the Imperial Chamber In this Assembly the Deputies of the Archbishop of Cologne complain of the Injuries of the Clergy and of the Commands and Citations both of the Emperour and Pope In the mean while the Elector Palatine appoints every-where Ministers in Churches to Preach the Gospel he also allows the Sacrament in both kinds and Marriage to Priests and January the tenth instead of the Popish Mass in the chief Church of Heidleberg Divine Service was celebrated in the Vulgar Tongue The Protestants therefore by an Embassie congratulate with him and thank him that he had given a civil Answer to the Embassadours of the Archbishop of Cologne They also exhort him to proceed to profess the Doctrine of the Augustan Confession and that he would use his endeavours in the next Diet that Peace and Justice might be established To these things he makes answer That he was always desirous of peace and will be so as long as he has life That it grieved him much the Archbishop of Cologne should be so molested especially in his old age that therefore when they should send Deputies to the Emperour the Clergy and Senate of Cologne to intercede for him he would send Deputies along with them That for many
Baptism Whether original Sin is altogether obliterated in Baptism so that the Concupiscence which remains after Baptism loseth the name of Sin Whether the Bread be changed and Consecrated into the Body of Christ and the Wine into his Blood by virtue of the words which the Priest speaks and whether it continues such though it is not presently received Whether an Eucharist so Consecrated is to be worshipped Whether it be carried about in honour of Christ or carried to the Sick or reserved shut up Whether Christ is to be adored under the Species of Bread and Wine Whether whole Christ be under each of the Species Whether confession of Sins prepares a Man to the worthy receiving of the Eucharist Whether the Mass is a true and perpetual Sacrifice Whether both the Canons of the Mass are to be retained Whether the Sacrament of Confirmation is to be Exercised Whether there be three Parts in Pennance Contrition Confession and Satisfaction Whether the Priest can forgive a Man those Sins who has not Confessed them before Whether none but Priests have the Power of the Keys Whether the Souls of Holy Men have not Charity for us Whether they interceed with God on our behalf Whether the Saints are to be Invocated Whether the Holy-days consecrated to the Saints are rightly Celebrated Whether the Reliques of the Saints are to be worshipped Whether the Souls of the Pious which are not throughly purged are relieved by Masses Prayers Fasts and Alms Whether there is a place of Purgation Whether Lent and the other Fasts instituted by the Church ought to be observed Whether Men are to abstain from eating Flesh on the days it is forbidden by the Church Whether the People is to be incited to Religion by Ceremonies What Ceremonies are Pious and what not or less Pious To all these questions he answered the twenty seventh of May at large but though he confirmed his Answers not only by the Testimony of Scripture but also by those of the Fathers yet the twenty fifth day of June he was condemned and removed from all his Offices or Functions Towards the end of June the King of France marched with his Army out of Champagne and passing down by the Maes in the Provinces belonging to the Emperor he took Bovines and Dinant amongst many others and having plundered and dismantled them he took Marienbourg and Fortified and Garrisoned it The Emperor with his Forces leaving Brussels marched to Namur which stands upon the Sambre and the Maes five Miles below Dinant The King seem'd inclined to come to a Battel but when he saw the Emperor delayed it he turned off into Hainault and took the Town of Binche and a Castle which Mary Queen of Hungary extreamly loved being surrendred into his Hands he plundered and burnt it and with Fire and Rapines wasted all that Province Then entring Artois he sate down before Renty a Town upon the River Aa But the Emperor coming up his Forces being all by this time come up to him the King of France raised his Seige after which there happened only some light Skirmishes between the Armies In the same Month of August the French Army in Tuscany under the Command of Peter Strozza was surprized and defeated by the Imperial Forces under the Marquess di Marignano In this Battel the greatest part of the Swiss which I mentioned above to be sent thither by the French King were cut off In the mean time Prince Philip the Emperor's Son arrived the nineteenth day of July with a considerable Fleet from Spain at Southampton in England the twentieth he Landed and the twenty fifth he was Married to Queen Mary at Winchester by Gardiner Bishop of that City and then Chancellor of England in a vast concourse of the Nobility of both Nations amongst which was the Duke de Alva The day before his Marriage he had a long Conference with the Queen but the Marriage was deferred to the next day because it was the Festival of St. James the Patron of Spain The Emperor's Ambassador was at this Solemnity and presented the Bridegroom with a Resignation of the Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Naples in consideration of the Marriage After a short stay here the King and Queen went to London into which they made a splendid and magnificent Entry In August there was another small Diet of some of the States and Princes of Germany at Worms The Emperor urging the Execution of the Sentence given against Albert Marquess of Brandenburg who being driven out of his Territories in the manner I have above related retired first into Lorrain and from thence went to the Court of France the King not denying him his Protection There was thereupon a Jealousie arose in the Mind of the Emperor lest this restless Prince might attempt something against Alsatia or some others of the German Territories bordering upon France To prevent this the Circles of the Rhine sent some Troops to the Borders of Lorrain about the end of September to secure the Passes but there being no occasion for these Forces they returned without having done any thing but impoverished those places where they were quartered and made some inroads into Lorrain In October there was another Diet held at Franckfurt on the account of this and some other Affairs In this Convention a Letter of the Marquess of Brandenburg's was read in which he complains very much of the Militia that was employed of late to secure the Borders and especially of those that came from Artois he reflected severely amongst others on the Bishops of Trier and Strasburg and 〈◊〉 the Landgrave and said this Party of Horse were bloody Men and that they privately designed his Death The first of October there was a Letter read in the same Diet written to them in the German Tongue by the King of France In which speaking first of the ancient Union between France and Germany he said that the adverse Party made it their whole Business to put an end to it and of late years they prevailed so far that my Father was declared an Enemy by the Empire yet notwithstanding when ahout two years since the State of the Empire was very miserable and disordered I laid aside the memory of that Injury and gave a clear demonstration of my Affections to you following in this the Example of my Ancestors who have in all times made the dignity and enlargement of the Empire one of their Principal Cares For it cannot be shewn that the Kings of France have at any time injured the Empire But then our Enemies have endeavoured many ways to deprive you of your Liberties and Fortunes not only by inventing various Arts of Levying Money but also by inflaming the Factions in the Illustrious Families as you may easily see And though the Truth of this is clear yet by the perswasion of our Enemies some of the States which are next my Kingdom have as I hear taken Arms against me when I expected no
the Emperor resigns the Government to his Son. The Answer of the Roman-Catholicks to the Demands of the Lutherans Those Bishops that change their Religion are to be removed A Parliament in England Libells against the Spaniards spread about London John Gropper offered a Cardinal's Hat which he refused The Deputies of Austria ask of Ferdinand a Liberty to embrace the Reformation The Duke of Prussia professeth the Augustan Confession Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Burnt The Bavarians desire to embrace the Reformation A Truce between the Emperor and King of France The Cardinal of Ausburg's Apology The Diet opened at Ratisbone Transylvania revolts from King Ferdinand The Emperor and his Sisters set Sail for Spain The Death of John Sleidan the Author of this History I Have given an account how England returned under the obedience of the See of Rome in the last Book when the account of this Revolution which was sent with the utmost Celerity came to the Knowledge of that Court there was a vast Joy expessed in the City and extraordinary Processions were made to the Churches and the twenty fourth of December the Pope published a Declaration to this purpose After I had heard saith he that England which has now for some Years been separated and torn off from the Body of the Church was by the immense Mercy of God and the extraordinary Diligence Faith Study and Labour of King Philip Queen Mary and Reginald Cardinal of England reduced to the Communion of the Church and the obedience of this See My Mind was filled with a mighty Joy and as was fit I forthwith rendred to Godâ—s great Thanks as I could nor have I since omitted any thing which might tend to the Communicating the Fruit and Benefit of this my Joy to the whole City But then as the Father in the Gospel who received his Prodigal Son was not satisfied with an inward Exultation and private Joy but invited others to his Feast that they too might rejoice with him and make merry So that the whole Earth may understand the greatness of my Joy I will and Command that publick Thanksgivings and Prayers be made And also by the Authority and Power which I have I allow every Man the Liberty to chuse what Priest he likes best and that having rightly confessed his Sins to him I allow also that Priest a Faculty to remit all sorts of Sins how abominable soever they be even those Sins which belong only to me to remit and which are wont by Name to be excepted And that he shall not only remit the Guilt but the Penalty or Pain due to those Sins which are so confessed That he shall impose what satisfaction he thinks fit and relax all Vows except those of Chastity and religious Orders and so as they be commuted into other works And trusting in the Mercy of God and the intercession of St. Peter and St. Paul I grant a full and intire remission of all Sins which is only granted at the Determination of fifty years at other times to all those who with an humble and contrite Heart shall turn to God and perfectly confess their Sins as soon as they hear of this my Bull and shall twice or thrice in a Week endeavour to appease God by Fasting Alms and other Pious Exercises and shall after this receive the Holy Eucharist with Thanksgivings beseeching God in their Prayers that he would illuminate those that walk in the darkness of Error with the Light of his Countenance that he would send us Peace and incline the Hearts of Kings to Concord And I grant the same Benefit to those who are hindred by Age or Sickness from performing what is above required And that these our Letters may be every where Published I command all Patriarchs Archbishops and the like so soon as they receive the Copy hereof that they forthwith divulge it throughout their several Provinces and as it is a free Gift that they propose it every where without any gain I have said in the former Book that Blasseburg was the principal Fortress the Marquess of Brandenburg had in all his Country and that it was surrendred to the Confederates These Princes considering that being by one means or another recovered it might be the occasion of greater Mischiefs and about this time entirely ruined and demolished it to the great Exasperation of the whole Family of Brandenburg and of all the Kindred of it In the Interim Ferdinand King of the Romans both before he left his Territories and after he arrived at Ausburg for the holding the Diet did continually by his Envoys and Letters sollicit the Princes to hasten thither as I said in the last Book His first and greatest Care was to perswade Augustus Elector and Duke of Saxony He had before this alledged for his Absence the unsettled State of Saxony and now again sent his Deputies to the Diet with the same Excuses and occasionally mentioning the Turks he endeavoured to shew the great danger Germany was exposed to which heretofore having been Potent and formidable to her Enemies was now almost exhausted and depopulated by the many Mischiefs and Wounds she had suffered He said this Calamity received a great Improvement from the disaffection and distrust which the States of the Empire laboured under That the Emperor and his Majesty had omitted nothing which might procure a Remedy against this Disease But that hitherto all their Labour had been in vain for that the Minds of Men were so Exasperated and such ways were open to the admitting new offences that it was not reasonable to expect any mitigation His Brother Maurice some years since he said had commanded that some Ceremonies and other things of an indifferent Nature should be retained in the Churches of his Provinces but then this Command was not only slighted and disobeyed but was attacked by many Libels and rude Reproaches so that afterwards it was not in his Power to re-establish those things unless he would have exposed himself and that by this means some other Princes had been deterred from attempting any thing of this Nature But now those who are of the other Party and oppose the Augustan Confession have given apparent Signs that they intend not the least Pious and Legal Reformation by the Actions of the former times when this affair was considered either in Councils or Conferences Seeing therefore after so many fruitless Labours the loss of many Years and the disappointment of many Councils no way to an Agreement and Union could be found out because perhaps it was the Pleasure of God thus to punish the Sins of Men therefore he desired very earnestly that the Confession of Faith delivered in at Ausburg as a Sum of the Christian Religion might not be thought by his Majesty an impious Book but that it was a pure and a Pious Writing which shew that the Son of God was the Author of Salvation that the Doctrine of it did exactly agree with the
to the Swisses The Skirmishes the Princes had with the Imperialists Erenberg again taken A Mutiny in the Camp of Duke Maurice The Emperor flies in the Night time And escapes to Villach The Duke of Saxony set at Liberty A Convention of the States of the Low-Countries about making a League The Bishops of Cologne and Liege make League with the House of Burgundy The Emperor's House Plundered The Declaration of the Princes for restoring the outed Ministers The Princes restore the Ministers Devastations made by Marquess Albert. Albert's Letter to those of Norimberg The treaty of the Norimbergers with Duke Maurice Their Complaint to the Princes The Answer of the Princes The Norimbergers Answer to Albert's Letter Albert's cruelty towards the Norimbergers The Bishops of Bamberg and Wurtzburg severely fined by Albert. The Cities of Schuabia Mediators betwixt the Norimbergers and Marquess Albert The Norimbergers make Peace with Marquess Albert The Siege of Norimberg removed Albert's Letter to the City of Ulm. The City of Ulm's Answer to Albert. The French King wastes the Country of Luxembourg And sacks Danvilliers and Ivey The Treaty of Passaw Duke Maurice's Grievances The Opinion of the Princes Moderators concerning the Grievances proposed by Duke Maurice The French Ambassador's Speech The Princes answer to the Speech of the French Ambassador Of the Family of Luxembourg Albert of Austria Duke Maurice insists chiefly on two Points The Mediators by Letters exhort the Emperor to Peace Albert of Brandenburg deserting the Confederates makes War in his own Name Albert falls foul of the Electors of Mentz and Treves The Elector of Mentz flies for it Albert demands of the Elector of Treves his chief Castle Duke Maurice impatient of Delay His Speech in the Assembly of the Princes The Emperor's Letter to the Princes Mediators The Mediators Letter to the Emperor Duke Maurice returns to the Confederates Duke Maurice besieges Francfurt George Duke of Meckleburg killed with a great Shot The Elector Palatine unwillingly supplies the Princes with Cannon Conditions of Peace proposed by the Emperor The Emperor's Answer to the Mediators Letter The Emperor's Answer to the French Ambassadors Letter Duke Maurice accepts the Peace The French King reduces his Army The Duchess of Lorain commanded to leave France Wolffgang Master of Prussia driven out of his Countrey Albert persecutes the Bishops on the Rhine The Bishop of Spire dies Albert's Demands to the Senate of Strasburg The Answer of the Senate Albert besieges Franckfurt The Heads of the Pacification at Passaw The French King offended at the Pacification of Passaw Rifeberg joyns with Albert. Who slighting the Peace makes war against the Bishops of Mentz and Spire The Arch-Bishop of Mentz comes to Ausburg The Sienese revolt from the Emperor Marquess Albert robs she Churches of Mentz Spire The Death of Herman Archbishop of Cologne The Landgrave set at liberty is stopt again Duke Maurice sends his Forces into Hungary Those of Treves refuse a Garison And receive Albert. The Emperor again changes the Senate of Ausburg and restores the Ministers of the Church The Duke of Saxony and Landgrave return home Melanchthon congratulates the return of the Duke of Saxony Marquess Albert's March into the Country of Luxembourg The Emperor charges the Franconians to recover what Albert had taken from them The Emperor marches with his Army to Lorrain The Deputies of Strasburg desires of the Emperor His Answer The Emperor makes his Entry into Strasburg Where the Senate makes him a Present Foreign Ambassadors with the Emperor Richard Morison from England and Marco Antonio Amulio from Venice The Rapine of the Soldiers Which the Duke of Alva did not or could not repress The outlawed Persons slight the Peace and stay in France Hedio and Osiander Dye The Emperor besieges Metz. Marquess Albert makes his Peace with the Emperor Rifeberg goes over to the French King. A Fight betwixt Albert and the French at Pont à Mousson The Bishop of Bayonne escapes and D'Aumale is taken George Lichtemberg The Imperialists take Hesdin The French King writes to the Emperor The Siege of Metz. The Duke of Brunswick again driven out of his Country by Count Mansfield The Master of the Teutonick Order takes Elwang The Duke of Wirtemberg regains Elwang The People of Ulm demolish Helfestein The Emperor raises the Siege of Metz. 1553. Lutheran Books burnt by the Hangman at Metz. The Imperial Chamber order War to be made against Marquess Albert The French Declaration to the States of the Empire Marquess Albert's Complaint of the Franconian Bishops His Deputation also to the Imperial Chamber The Chambers Answer The Emperor writes to Marquess Albert. The Commissioners of the Dukes of Saxony John Frederick and Maurice meet to make them Friends The Ambition of Cardinal Lenoncourt Marsey garrisoned by French. Princes meet at Heidelberg to make Peace betwixt Marquess Albert and the Bishops of Franconia Marquess Albert slighting Peace betakes himself to Arms and publishes a Declaration The Duke of Wirtemberg and the Master of the Teutonick Order are reconciled The Decree of the Imperial Chamber against Marquess Albert and who were enjoyned to put it in Execution Duke Maurice makes a League with the Duke of Brunswick Albert Burns and Plunders He takes Bamberg The Norimbergers raise Bohemian Horse The Duke of Brunswick plagues his Neighbours Cleve and Cologne made Friends A convention of the Princes at Franckfurt The Emperor's Answer to his Ambassadors Letters The Counts of Oetingen force a good Father into Banishment Terovanne besieged and taken English Affairs The War in Germany The Declaration against Alcert Albert's Answer Albert's Territories Invaded Sigismond King of Poland Edward VI. Dies A Battel in which Maurice Elector of Saxony is Slain Maurice Duke of Saxony dies Prodigies which seemed to foretel his Death Hesdin taken The Emperor's Advice to the Princes of Germany Augustus Brother of Maurice succeeds The Diet of Saxony Nine Persons burnt at Lyons in France English Affairs †Sleidan has Norfolk Queen Mary entreth London The Story of Gardiner Northumberland beheaded Peter Martyr One Thornton Suffragan at Dover †Four or five †This Manifesto is extant at large in Dr. Burnet's History of the Reformation The Bishop imprisoned The Religion changed in England German Affairs Albert defated again Hoffe taken Corsica taken By the French and Turks The Waa in France Cambray besieged Several Princes of Germany meet †The Duchess de Valentois Albert retires into France Brunswick sieged †He was Prolocutor of the lower House of Convocation and Dean of Westminster but the Dispute began the twenty third of October tho' it was proposed the eighteenth in the Convocation Servetus a Spaniard burnt Sturmius dies Cardinal Pool detained in Germany The War against Albert Prosecuted English Affairs †Outlawed †Outlawed A Parliament in England †This was not done till March of the next Year 1554. †In this our Author seems to be â—isinformed for he said nothing of Religion in Publick The Lady Jane
IOANNES SLEIDANVS PATRICIVS ARGENTORATENSIS Natus Sleidae A. D. MDVI Legatus in Anglia pro Protestantibus A. D. MDXXXXV Legatus Argentorat in Concilio Trident. A. D. MDLI. Obijt II Kal Novemb A. D. MDLVI Printed for Henry Bonwicke and Abel Swalle THE General History OF THE REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH From the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of ROME Begun in GERMANY By Martin Luther With the Progress thereof in all Parts of Christendom From the Year 1517 to the Year 1556. Written in LATIN By John Sleidan L. L. D. And faithfully Englished To which is Added A CONTINUATION To the End of the Council of Trent in the Year 1562. By EDMUND BOHUN Esq LONDON Printed by Edw. Jones for Abel Swall at the Vnicorn and Henry Bonwicke at the Red Lion in St. Pauls Church-Yard MDCLXXXIX The Testimony of the Reverend and Learned Doctor Burnet in the Preface of his Celebrated History of the Reformation of the Church of England Pag. 1. wherein he gives an Honourable Character not only of Sleidan but also of Thuanus and Father Paul two of the Authors Cited below THe Changes that were made in Religion in the last Century have produced such Effects every where that it is no wonder if all persons desire to see a clear Account of the several Steps in which they advanced of the Counsels that directed them and the Motives both Religious and Political that inclined Men of all Conditions to concur in them Germany produced a Sleidan France a Thuanus and Italy a Frier Paul who have given the World as full satisfaction in what was done beyond Sea as they could desire And though the two last lived and died in the Communion of the Church of Rome yet they have delivered things to Posterity with so much Candour and Evenness that their Authority is disputed by none but those of their own Party Jac. Aug. Thuanus Historiar Lib. xvii pag. 542. Sub Exitum Octobris c. The last day of October in the year 1556 John Sleidan when he had brought down his History to that time with an Exact Faith and Diligence died of the Plague at Strasburg in the One and Fiftieth year of his Age. He was born at Sleidan a Town in the Dukedom of Juliers near Duren and from thence he took his Name He was a Person who for his Learning and great Experience in Affairs was much esteemed by that Age He had spent the greatest part of his Youth in France and being entertained in the Family of Bellay had both Learned and done great things in the Service of Cardinal John Du Bellay but a sharp Persecution arising in France against those who were suspected of Lutheranisme he went and lived at Strasburg and served that Free City and being by his own publick Employments well informed of the Carriage of Affairs he added to what he had seen what he had learned from Men worthy of Credit and Wrote his Commentaries Joannes Bodinus Method Ad facilem Historiar Cognitionem pag. 66 67. Sleidanus Franciscum Regem c. John Sleidan greatly and truely commends Francis I. King of France the Duke of Saxony Bellay and Alenzon and yet declin'd all odious Comparisons And if he at any time was forced to set down any thing which tended to the Dishonour of any Man he either proved it by good Arguments or put it in the Number of the Rumors or Reports He notwithstanding Imitated Guicciardin Plutarch Machiavel Tacitus and many others in the disclosing the Counsels and Conceal'd Frauds of Men for Sleidan was Interpreter to Francis I. and was Employed in many Embassies for the City of Strasburg after which resolving to Write the History of Religion as he was a Pious and Religious Man he has comprised in it not only a vast number of Speeches and Letters but has also some times abridged the Books which were written on both sides which though it may seem very tedious to some Men yet on the contrary those that are true Lovers of Antiquity and desirous to be throughly informed concerning the great Changes which then happened in Christendom think nothing the less honourably of him on that Account Pietro Soave Polano Hist del Concilio Tridentino pag. 1. Il Proponimento mio c. My purpose is to Write the History of the Council of Trent for though many famous Historians of our Age have made mention in their Writings of some particular Accidents that happened therein and John Sleidan a most Diligent Author hath related with Exquisite Industry the Causes that went before yet notwithstanding all these things put together would not suffice for an intire Narrative This Author supposeth his Reader well Acquainted with Sleidan's History and on that account gives a very short and imperfect Relation of the Rise and Progress of the Controversies which necessitated the calling of that Council so that it is scarce possible throughly to understand that History without having first Read Sleidan's TO THE QUEEN MADAM THIS Work was design'd and begun when Our Church was in the Lowest degree of Danger out of a belief that it might contribute something to her Preservation in that Storm which lay so heavy upon her the Duration of which could then be known to none but God. I thought That a seasonable time to Imitate the Divine Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews and to set before us that Cloud of Illustrious Persons who had with an Heroick Courage baffl'd the Rages of former Persecutions by their Faith and Patience The Reflections I had in private made to my self on the many Deliverances the Holy God has in these last Ages so often wrought for his distressed Church when she seem'd ready to be swallowed up by Popish Fury and Fraud was so great a support and comfort to me in those Melancholy days that I passionately wished I had had some means of communicating them to others To that End was undertaken the Translating this Excellent History as the best means I could think of to raise the same Thoughts in others And as Your Majesty was ever in our Minds I wish'd I might have some favourable opportunity of laying it at Your Feet tho' I could then have no prospect of that Happiness Since then the late Wonderful Revolution has put so sudden and unexpected an End to our Sufferings and our Sorrows and brought Your Majesty back to England to be the Defender of our Holy Faith and the Deliverer of our oppressed Church I humbly beg Your Gracious acceptance of this History which is due to Your Majesty as the chief Patroness of the Reformation That God would for many years continue us under Your most Auspicious Government and at last reward Your Piety and Virtues with a more Glorious Crown in Heaven is and ever shall be one of the most fervent Prayers of Madam Feb. XX. 1688-89 Your Majesties most Dutiful Loyal Faithful and most Devoted Subject Edmund Bohun The Author of the Continuation to the Reader containing an account of
the Life of the Learned John Sleidan and of the Reception of his History JOhn Sleidan the Author of this History was born in the Year 1506. at Sleidan or Sleiden a small Town in the Dukedom of Juliers seated upon the River Roer which passing by Duren and Gulick at Roâ—â—mont falls into the Maes I have not been able to find of what quality and condition his Parents were but it is certain he was sent to Study in the University of Paris when he was Twenty years of Age and that he was taken into the Service of John â—ardinal Dâ— Bâ—llâ—y a Great Learned and Wise Prelate of the French Church and one that very earnestly desired a Reformation as the Great Thuanus tells us By him he was imployed in affairs of great consequence and he having by his fidelity industry and prudence gain'd a great share in the Cardinals affection he was Recommended to Francis I. King of France who imployed him as his Interpreter for the German Tongue as Bodinus saith He himself tells us he continued nine years in France But in November 1534. a sharp Persecution arising in that Kingdom against the Lutherans which he saith he saw with his own Eyes he became so far disgusted or affrighted at it that he left France and retired to Strasburg which was probably in the Year 1â—35 our Author being then about Thirty years of Age so that by that computation he was about Twenty years of Age when he travailed into France The Reputation he had acquired in France prepared the way to a good reception in that Free City and he was entertain'd by James Sturmius who was their principal Minister or Stateholder with great kindness About the Year 1540. he first took up the design of Writing the History of the Reformation at the request of this great States-man and many others but very unwillingly In the Year 1543. he sent the first Book to the Diet at Worms where it was read and so well approved that he was sent as one of the Ambassadors to Henry VIII into England by the whole Body of the Protestants which Embassie is mentioned by him in his Sixteenth Book In the Year 1551. he was again sent Ambassador for the City of Strasburg to the Council of Trent where he arrived the 21 of November as he informs us in his Twenty third Book He continued at Trent till the 27th of March 1552. and then desired leave to return which at first was granted but then the next day they recall'd this permission and forced him to stay till the 6th of April when the News coming to Trent that the Elector of Saxony had taken Ausburg three days before the Fathers fell into such a Consternation that the Council broke up in an hurry and soon after the Emperor himself was forced to pass the Alpes from Inspruck where he then was by Torch-light in the Night which gave our Author the opportunity to return to Strasburg at his own leisure well satisfied that he was escaped out of that Den of wild Beasts The third of May of the same year he was sent by the City of Strasburg to Sarbruk a Town about seven miles from that City to the West to the French King who being then entred into a War against the Emperor was come thither in person with an Army he having thereupon demanded Supplies of the City of Strasburg our Author with two others was sent as a Deputy to that Prince as he sets forth in the Twenty fourth Book After this I do not find he was any more imployed abroad but fell seriously to the composing of his History in which Work he saith he intirely imployed the three following years and the 23 of April 1555. he dedicated the first Twenty five Books to the Elector of Saxony The Twenty sixth Book was Published after his Death being found amongst his Papers This Work was no sooner sent into the World than our Author found cause to complain for whereas he had imployed one Rihely a Printer of Strasburg to Publish it there was presently Published without the Authors knowledge or consent a German Version very ill done and soon after that the same person presumed to Print it in Latin too to the great damage of Rihely which Sleidan took very ill and in the next Edition complained of it to the World. The Roman Catholicks on the contrary presently set up a cry against this History and imploy'd all the interest they had in the World to run down the Credit of the Author not by making any Objection against any parts of it but by general Slanders and misrepresentations of the whole Work in a lump to which kind of Defamations they knew it was very hard to make any Answer but however our Author put out an Apology in his own Vindication The last part of our Authors Life was imployed in Writing his Twenty sixth Book which I believe was never finished by him that which we now have being only his first Rough Draught unpolished and uncorrected Death suddenly surprizing him the last day of October in the Year 1556. He died of a Plague or Epidemick acute Disease in the Fifty first year of his Age begun to the great Regret of all Learned and Pious Men who might justly have expected great things from so Learned so Modest so Honest and Candid a Pen. The Roman Catholicks could not bury their Resentments against this noble History in the Grave of its Author but fell to invent and spread abroad several made Stories to defame him amongst which none is more frequently insisted on than that Charles the V. should always call this Book his Lyar and never ask for it by any other Name for which we have the Faith of Suriâ—â— and some other of that stamp but none is so outragious against him as Florimond de Remond who tells us that there was found in this Book Eleven thousand Lyes and Falsities Not that they were so exact as to tell the mistakes but this was a good 〈…〉 and if the Reader would but believe there was half the number it was all he desired but then he has quite spoil'd his own design by telling his Reader that the variety of the Subjects he treats of which are imbellished with great Art and the great quantity of Memorials which the Lutherans put into his hands when he was set to compose 〈◊〉 give so great an entertainment to the Reader that it is not possible he should ever be weary of it but will ever end with a good gust and a great desire to pursue the thread of this History and see the end of it Now this is plainly to give himself the Lye for that great quantity of Memorials which were put into his hands the greatest part of which were from time to time Published in Print as he tells us in his Preface and which our Author only Transcribes or at most Translates or Abridgeth will not leave Room for 11000 Lyes especially when
depart allowing you one and twenty Days to return home in He will also inviolably observe the Safe-Conduct he gave you but charges you not to teach the People by Word nor Writing as you are upon your Way homeward Being thus dismissed he gave Glory to God and April 26 departed being conducted by the same Herald who brought him before He wrote to the Emperor upon the Road and after he had in few words resum'd all that had past he begg'd of His Imperial Majesty That since he had been alwaies hitherto and still was willing to submit to Conditions of Peace and Agreement and desired no more but that the Controversie might be determined by any impartial Judge according to the Authority of holy Scripture he would be pleased to Protect him against the violence and fury of his adversaries That 't was not his private Cause but the publick Concern of the whole World and especially of Germany whose safety and welfare he preferr'd before his own life To the same purpose also he wrote to the rest of the Princes and States and that whensoever it should seem good to the Emperor and them he would come upon safe conduct whithersoever they pleased and debate his cause before impartial and unsuspected Judges Whereas in this work there is frequent mention made of Huss the Council of Constance and the Bohemians I 'll give the Reader a short account of the whole matter In the year of our Lord 1393 there was one John Wickliff in England who wrote many things against the Roman Papacy which were afterwards carried into Bohemia At that time there was a famous University in Prague and therein slourished John Huss a Divine by profession This man Preach'd up Wickliffs Doctrin as holy and saving and dispersed it far and near But being accused of this he was cited to appear before Pope Alexander V. he by his Proctors alledged causes why he could not come And King Wenceslaus also interceded for him desiring the Pope to send Legats into Bohemia to try the matter there but that could not be obtained Huss being therefore condemned for an Heretick published a Book wherein he appealed from the Pope to Christ as Judge The Church of Rome at that time was in a very troublesom State. For the Cardinals being divided into factions had chosen three Anti-Popes Gregory XII Benet XIII and John XXIII which highly displeased other Kings as well as the Emperor Sigismund who having solicited Pope John he at length called the Council of Constance Now Sigismund who was the Brother of King Wenceslaus called John Huss thither and in October 1414 sent him a safe conduct in due form Whereupon Huss being accompanied by some persons of quality came to Constance on the third of November but three weeks after being called to a private Conference with the Pope and Cardinals he was detained prisoner The Emperor Sigismund was absent then and being inform'd of the matter was highly displeased and came thither But the Papists urging that Faith was not to be kept with Hereticks he not only remitted the offence though the Bohemians importun'd him to the contrary and demanded performance of the safe conduct but was also the first that spake bitterly against him In fine on the sixth of July following the Council condemn'd him as an Heretick and Seditious Person and ordered the Books he had written to be burnt Being thus condemn'd he was delivered over to the Emperor and burnt his ashes being afterwards cast into the Rhine that no relick of him might remain After him Jerome of Prague his Disciple and Hearer was put to Death in the same manner In this Council besides the Emperour were the Ambassadours of many Kings three Electoral Princes of the Empire Lewis Prince Palatine Rodulph Duke of Saxony and Frederick Marquess of Brandenburg and a vast number of the other Princes three Patriarchs of Aquileia Antioch and Constantinople eight and twenty Cardinals an hundred and fifty five Bishops very many Divines and Lawyers Italians Germans French English Hungarians and Polonians The Doctrin of Wickliff was here also condemned and a Decree made that his Body should be taken up and burnt in England It was besides Decreed that none but Priests should receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in both kinds and that all others should be content with one kind which had been impugned by Huss A Law was also made that Faith should not be kept with Hereticks or persons suspected of Heresie though they should come under the Emperours Safe-Conduct to be tryed in Council Lastly the three Popes were degraded and by common Consent Martin V chosen When the News of the Execution of Huss and Jerome was brought into Bohemia it occasioned a terrible Commotion and afterwards a very cruel and bloody War under the Conduct of John Zischa so that Sigismond was forced to beg the Assistanc of the Empire but the greatest Cruelty was exercised against the Priests in hatred to the Pope whom they Cursed whose Dominion they shook off and embraced the Doctrin of Huss adoring his Memory Much about this Time the Divines of Paris condemned Luther's Books and out of that which is entitled Of the Captivity of Babylon and some others also they gathered certain Heads as of the Sacraments the Canons of the Church the Equality of Works Vows Contrition Absolution Satisfaction Purgatory Free-Will the immunity of the Clergy Councils the Punishments of Hereticks Philosophy School-Divinity and many more of the like sort admonishing the Reader and all who professed the Name of Christ to beware of such pernicious Doctrins For that it was the Custom of Hereticks to propose specious Matters at first which sinking once down into the Mind could hardly ever be got out again but that under those alluring Words present Poyson lay hid Then they reckoned up in Order the Hereticks of the several Ages and among these Wickliff John Huss and last of all Luther whom they mightily blamed as an arrogant and rash Man that he should imagine himself alone to know more than all others contemn the Judgments of all the Holy Fathers and Interpreters of all Councils and Schools and that he should reject the Custom and Consent of the Church observed for so many Ages as if it were credible That Christ would have left all that while his only Spouse to wander in so great Darkness of Errour but that it was the usual way with Hereticks to wrest Scripture to their own Sense Having then reckoned up some Books written by him they shew what Hereticks Luther imitated in such and such Opinions and that seeing it properly belonged to their Office and Profession to stifle springing Heresies as much as lay in their Power they had therefore diligently perused his Books that they might direct all Men how to have a Care of them and that after much Reading of his Writings they found that his Doctrin was pernicious deserving to be burnt and that
were the Authors and chief Advisers nor was it lawful said they for any People or Province to make Innovations in Religion but that it belonged only to a General Council They praied them not to attempt such a heinous Wickedness nor suffer themselves to be misled into Errour by a few Strangers but to persevere in the same Religion which they themselves and their Ancestors had lived in wherein they had got so much Honour and Reputation wherein they had so enlarged their Territories and wherein they had been so often Victorious That it was reasonable they should obtain that at their Hands but if otherwise that then they could not grant a Safe-Conduct as they desired but that when they should know who the Persons were they would pick and chuse for that they would give no more Safe-Conduct to those who being upon publick Assurance given called to the Disputation of Baden either out of Contempt or Distrust came not That besides they would neither send nor suffer any of their Divines to come Those of Berne nothing moved at all this proceeded and at the Day appointed which was January 7 commenced the Dispute None of the Bishops we named came but they of Basil Scafhausen Zurich Appenzel San Gall Mulhausen and the neighbouring Grisons also sent their Deputies As also did the Cities of Strasburg Vlm Ausburg Lindaw Constance and Isue The Doctors of the City of Berne whom we named began the Disputation and their These were defended by Zuinglius Occolampadius Bucer Capito Blancer and several more Among others who impugned was one Conrad Treger and Augustine Fryer of great Fame who at length offering Arguments from other Topicks than from the Bible and the Presidents of the Dispute not suffering that as being contrary to Order departed The Dispute ended January 26 and the Points of Doctrins we mentioned were approved by the Plurality of Voices whereupon the Magistrates not only of Berne but of some neighbouring Places also ratified and approved them commanding them to be observed Mass Altars and Images being everywhere abolished and pulled down In Constance some things had been changed before and Fornication Adultery and Dishonest or Suspected Company being by Law prohibited there the Canons left the place in great Anger Their Preacher was one Ambrose Blancer a Gentleman of good Birth who had been a Monk in Alperspack but being a Man of Parts and having read Luther's Books he changed his Mind and after much heart-burning which he suffered from his Companious left the Order and returned home to his Parents and Relations Now that Abbey stands in the Dutchy of Wirtemberg then in possession of Ferdinand Archduke of Austria wherefore the Abbot got the Governour of the Country to send to the Senate of Constance that he might be reduced to Duty and sent back to his Monastery Whereupon Blancer published a Narrative of the whole matter and propounded Conditions upon which he was willing to return But they were such as his Abbot would not admit of so that he remained still at Constance and this was in the Year 1523. After the Disputation of Berne the Mass Images Altars and Ceremonies were abolished also at Constance The People of Geneva in like manner followed the Example of Berne in casting away Images and Ceremonies Wherefore the Bishop and Clergy in Anger left the City Upon the change of Religion the Canton of Berne renounced the League with France and prohibited all mercenary Warrings as they of Zurich had done contenting themselves with that yearly Pension which the French King paid them to keep the Peace and made an Inscription in Golden Letters upon a Pillar of the Day and Year when Popery was abolished to stand as a Monument to Posterity We told you before That the Cardinal of York was sent Ambassadour into France where having concluded a League both Kings sent Ambassadours to the Emperour the French King demanding That he would take his Ransome and deliver him up his Sons who were in Hostage and the King of England That he would pay him a three-fold Debt he owed him to wit three hundred thousand Crowns of lent Money fifty thousand for not fulfilling his Contract of Marriage and his Pension for four Years which was promised him by the Emperour as we shewed you in the third Book When the Emperour had made Answer to these Demands not according to their Minds the King of England also sent him a Defiance by a Herauld for at that time he was projecting How he might be Divorced from his Queen Catharine the Emperour's Mother's Sister and marry another which he did as shall be said hereafter The Emperour bitterly accused the French King to other Princes for his breach of Faith and Promise and had often twitted the French Ambassadours therewith Wherefore the King sent a Herauld to him with Letters dated at Paris March 28 to this effect From the Discourse said he which thou hadst with my Ambassadours I understand That thou hast spoken some things to my Dishonour as if contrary to Faith and Promise I had escaped out of thy Hands Now though he who has Guards set over him after matters are transacted is freed from Obligation And although this be enough to excuse me yet to justifie my Honour and Reputation I have thought fit to tell thee in short That if thou blamest what I have done and my departure or sayest that I have ever acted any thing unworthy of a Prince I tell thee plainly Thou lyest for I am resolved to maintain my Honour and Reputation to my last breath There is no need then of many Words and if thou hast any thing to say to me let me have no more Writing from thee but name the Place where we may fight it out hand to hand for if thou delayest to give me a Meeting and in the mean time ceasest not to asperse me I protest thou art base for a Duel will put an end to the Dispute We took notice before of the Competition of Ferdinand and the Vaivode of Transilvania concerning the Crown of Hungary and now a War ensuing thereupon wherein Ferdinand had the better on 't the Vaivode in the Month of April wrote to the States of the Empire as follows After the deplorable Fall of King Lewis said he I was chosen and crowned King of Hungary by the common Consent of all the Nobles except three whom Poverty Hatred and Hopes of better Fortune so far transported as forgetting the Interest and Welfare of their Country to declare themselves for Ferdinand King of Bohemia And when I was wholly imployed in succouring my Country and recovering our Losses that by that means I might procure your Quiet He at the same time in a hostile manner invaded my Country makes himself master of some Towns and by those of his Faction I mentioned is created King at Presburg It was to me indeed both a great Wonder and Grief That this Nation which
Nurenburg Magdeburg and Vlm did both in their own Names and in the Names of the several Princes and Cities their Allies dispatch Letters of the same purport to both those Princes That they could not but know how of a long time Complaint had been made against Ecclesiastical Corruptions which had often been observ'd and with much Gravity reprehended by many eminent Men and of late for instance by John Gerson in France and John Colet in England That the same thing had of late years happen'd in Germany where a sort of Expiations commonly call'd Indulgences had been carry'd up and down by certain Monks which to the great Reproach of Christianity and the eminent endangering of mens Salvation they every where recommended and in an infamous manner expos'd to sale whereupon they were by some very good and learned Men gently admonished not to do so any more but so far were they from desisting that they flew with great Indignation in the face of their Monitors which put these upon a necessity of undertaking the defence and vindication of the Truth and upon this occasion they were forc'd to inspect and censure several other Practices On the other side the Adversaries who by their impudent Tricks and holy Cheats had given the great occasion of Scandal never rested till they had procur'd this Doctrin which was thus advanc'd against their trifling Impostures to be condemn'd as Impious before any just or legal Cognizance had been taken of it and to the end that they might utterly crush and sink it they had found out ways to render it highly odious both to the Emperor and other Princes But Truth like the Sun displaying it's light made it manifest to all beyond the possibility of denying that many ill things through the depravity of some Men's judgments had crept into the Church That the States of the Empire had in the first Diet which the Emperor held at Wormes exhibited many things by way of Petition which they said ought of necessity to be redress'd Afterwards when the matter had along time been debated in several other Conventions of the Empire between the States and the Emperor's Embassadors it was adjudg'd by the unanimous consent of all That the best and most expeditious way of ending the Controversie would be by a free Council of the Christian World. That the Emperor too was well pleas'd with this Method as soon as he knew of it and from that time the matter under deliberation was the time and place for holding the Council as may appear from the Decrees that then were made But when the Emperor was come from Spain through Italy into Germany his whole endeavour at the Diet of Auspurg was that the matter might be taken up without a Council which they believ'd he did with a good intent and therefore they made a publick recitation of their Confession in that Assembly which they presented to him and offer'd if there should be occasion a farther Explication of it That soon after a Writing was recited in answer to this their Confession of which when they requested a Copy from the Emperor they could not obtain it but upon such a condition as might have prov'd dangerous and ensnaring unto them After this there were some chosen out of the whole number to be as it were Umpires and Arbitrators in the Case but neither could they so agree although 't was profess'd on their side that they would do any thing that might be done with a safe Conscience Then were there some Proposals made by the Emperor to be observ'd till the time that a Council might be call'd but of such a nature that they could not comply with them without offending God and injuring their own Consciences But when after all a very harsh Edict had been set forth by the Emperor they were then of necessity constrain'd to Appeal to a free Religious Council And altho this be the true state of the Case this the present condition of Affairs altho they desire nothing more than that their Cause may be fairly heard and known yet they are inform'd that their Adversaries make it their sole business to exasperate the Emperor and other Princes against them by scandalous Reports that several Opinions unjustly imputed to them are scatter'd up and down such as are not only dissonant from Holy Writ but ev'n from common sense such as should any one endeavour to propagate within their Dominions he would not escape unpunish'd Again how great the dangers are wherewith they are threatned upon the score of their Profession there is no body but plainly sees in which certainly they would never involve themselves were they not assured that this their Doctrin is agreeable to the Word of God and therefore to be adher'd to for the Glory of his holy Name Tho on the other side their Adversaries did insinuate with Strangers that they did not imbrace this kind of Doctrin upon any religious account but only for an opportunity of invading the Goods of the Church but that this Calumny had already been answer'd in the former Diets and would still be more particularly refuted in a general Council In the mean time wise and judicious Men upon comparing their dangers and advantages together might easily see that this Charge is no less absurd and ridiculous than 't is cruel and malicious For is it possible that there should be any Church Possessions within their Territories so great that for their sakes they should so evidently hazard their Reputation and Honour their Wives and Children their Lives and Estates Can there be any advantages so dear and charming to which they would not mightily prefer the Favour of the Emperor and such glorious Kings as themselves Certain it is that their Ancestors and fore-Fathers had not only liv'd in Splendor at home but also help'd to sustain the Publick Charge without laying hands upon consecrated Goods nay they erected and liberally endow'd several new Churches as likewise enrich'd and beautify'd the old ones As to the Ecclesiastical Possessions within their Dominions they are but moderate and though they are necessary for the Support of those Ministers who are appointed for the Instruction of the People and whose annual Incomes are now grown very slender yet do they not refuse if a Council shall judge it fit to have them converted to other pious Uses provided it be such a Council where prejudice and partiality do not prevail But this above all is the foulest Scandal this the highest and most dangerous Charge that the Doctrine which they profess tends to the subversion of Magistrates and to the enervating the force of Laws but to this Accusation an Answer was given in that Writing which they exhibited and recited at Auspurg Nay this moreover may be said that the learned Men of these times have done more towards the adorning of Magistracy and maintaining the Dignity of Laws than any former Age hath done for they made it their business so to instruct and
Almighty who will undoubtedly Vindicate his own Cause and Religion However if things shall come to that pass that the Pope must have his mind in this business which they can hardly believe they will yet consider what is further to be done And if they happen to be cited and see that they can do any thing for the Glory of God they will then make their appearance if they may but have convenient Security giv'n them upon the Publick Faith. Or else they will send thither their Embassadors who shall publickly propound whatever the necessity and reason of their Cause requires This however shall be the condition that the present Propositions of the Pope shall not be accepted of nor any such Council allow'd as is contrary to the Decrees of the Empire For they cannot see how this Project of the Pope has the least tendency to advance a lasting Peace either to the Church or State nor does it become him to act after this Rate if he intends to discharge the Duty of a faithful Pastor which obliges him to advise Men for the best and to dispense unto them the wholsome Food of sound Doctrin Now since these things are so they earnestly desire them to deliver in this their Answer to the Emperor and the Pope hoping that the Emperor whom with all Reverence they acknowledge to be the Supream Magistrate constituted by God will not receive it with any Resentment but will use his Interest that â—uch a Council may be call'd as is agreeable to the Decrees of the Empire and that the whole Controversie may be discuss'd by pious and unsuspected Men. For it will without doubt very much redound both to his Glory and Advantage if he shall imploy all his Power and Authority towards the propagating of sound Doctrin and not to strengthen the cruel hands of those Men who have been for many years committing Outrage upon innocent Men only for their honest profession of such a Doctrin as is most agreeable to the Gospel Now for what remains they tender the Emperor their Service in all things and shall yield him a ready Compliance in all his other Affairs There was then with King Ferdinand Vergerius the Pope's Legate who has been mention'd in the former Book And because the Bishop of Rhegium was both ancient and infirm Clement had giv'n Orders to Vergerius to take upon him the Embassy if any difficulty should arise and that he should be sure to keep always in his View what the Pope's design and intentions were in relation to a Council He must therefore keep himself very close to his Orders and the foremention'd Proposals and not recede one hairs breadth from them But must take care not to run the Pope into streights and bring him under a necessity of holding a Council though he be never so hardly press'd by King Ferdinand himself THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOKS IX The CONTENTS George Duke of Saxony his Malicious Artifice to discover the Protestants related He complains of Luther to his Cozen German the Elector of Saxony Pope Clement marrieth his Niece at Marseilles to Henry Duke of Orleans Son to the French King. The Duke of Wirtenburgh is outed of his Dominions Henry King of England is divorced from his Queen and denieth the Pope's Supremacy The misfortune of the Franciscans at Orleans described The Duke of Wirtenburg has his Country recovered for him by the Lantgrave A Peace concluded between Ferdinand and the Elector of Saxony The Articles of it explained Paul Farnese is chosen Pope upon the death of Clement A new Persecution in France occasioned by the fixing of Papers in several places containing Disputes about Religion A great many are burned upon this account The French King excuseth his Severity to the Germans The Emperor takes the Town of Tunis and the Castle Gulette Sir Thomas More and the Bishop of Rochester are beheaded in England Pope Paul intimates a Council at Mantua by his Nuncio Vergerius The Protestants also who were now convened at Smalcalde after they had debated the Point write an Answer to Vergerius The French King sends his Embassador Langey to this Convention who presseth them to enter into a League and toucheth upon a great many Heads to which the Protestants return an Answer The King of England also dispatcheth an Embassy thither to put them in mind what Consequences may reasonably be expected from the Council The League made at Smalcalde is renewed and strengthened by the addition of a great many Princes and Cities WHen they had given the Embassadors this Answer they made these following Decrees First That a Committee of Divines and Lawyers should be chosen to draw up a Scheme of those Points which they were to insist upon at the Council in relation to Form and Debate 2ly That their Answer to the Pope should be published and imparted to foreign Princes and States 3ly They decreed to dispatch away their Agents to the Judges of the Chamber of Spire who hath prosecuted some Persons upon the account of their Religion contrary to the Emperors Edict Which Prosecutions if they were not ceas'd the Protestants resolved to demurr to the Jurisdiction of their Court. 4ly That an Embassy should be sent to the Elector of Mentz and the Palsgrave who were Princes of the Mediation and an account of all their Proceedings transmitted afterwards in writing to the Emperor I have already mentioned in several places that George Duke of Saxony had a particular hatred to Luther's Person as well as a general aversion to his Doctrin Now this Prince understanding that many of his Subjects maintained that the Lords Supper was to be received according to our Saviour's Command ordered the Parochial Clergy that those who came to them at Easter and confessed themselves conformably to the ancient Custom and received the Eucharist according to the Canons of the Church of Rome should have Tickets given them which they were to deliver into the Senate that so the Roman Catholicks and the Lutherans might be distinguish'd This scrutiny discovered seventy Persons at Leipsick the Capital Town of that Country without Tickets These Persons had consulted Luther before what they should do who wrote them word that those who were justly perswaded that the Communion was to be received in both kinds should do nothing against their Conscience but rather run the hazard of losing their Lives This advice kept them constant to their Opinion so that when they were summoned to appear before their Prince and had almost two months time allowed to consider they could not be prevail'd upon to alter their Resolution though they were singly dealt withal in private but rather chose to be banish'd the Town which was executed accordingly Luther in the Letter which I spoke of called the Duke of Saxony The Devil's Apostle This Language made a great Noise and Disturbance and the Duke immediately complained against him in a Letter to the Elector his Cozen German that he had
far that they may not have a servile and obnoxious Council conven'd in a dangerous place but that things of that weight and importance in which the peace and welfare of the Church in general and every Person in particular is so much concern'd may be examin'd with Freedom and Security By appearing in this manner not only the present Age but all future Posterity will be mightily oblig'd to his Majesty and return him immortal Thanks for so great a Favour As to what his Excellency mov'd concerning a Conference of learned Men it deserves to be consider'd throughly and at leisure Besides being not aware of such a Proposal most of their Convention had no Commission to treat about it But as soon as they come to a determination in the Case they would write his Majesty an account of it for they desir'd nothing more than that Truth might be propagated as far as was possible Lastly they were very glad to hear his Majesty promise not to furnish out any Supplies against them and therefore neither would they assist his Enemies in any case where the Emperor and the Empire were unconcern'd This Embassador had private Conferences with Pontanus Melanchton with the Lantgraves Divines and James Sturmius concerning several Controversal Points where he told them what the King and the French Clergy especially those of Paris thought of each of them Particularly what their sense was concerning the Pope's Primacy the Eucharist the Mass and Invocation of departed Saints and Images what Notions they had about Purgatory Justification Monastick Vows and the Celibacy of the Clergy In most of these Controversies he said the King was inclinable to Melanchton's opinion in his Book Of Common Places Concerning the Pope he told them that the King and Philip were agreed for his Majesty did not believe his Holiness's Primacy was founded on Divine Right but Ecclesiastical Constitutions but the King of England would allow him neither one Right nor the other And truly the Pope hath pretended to more than his share in deposing Kings and Emperors at his Pleasure And they say he is about that Business now with the King of England notwithstanding the King his Master and several Cardinals had interceded with him to forbear Indeed the Divines say He is Head of the Church jure Divino but they fail'd in their proof when the King put them upon it They likewise defend the common Opinion concerning a fire in Purgatory For this Doctrin keeps up their Masses their Obits and Legacies and all the Trade they have upon those accounts But if the Mass was once put down their Authority would be sapp'd and the Vitals of their Grandeur wounded Now when the King had given these Gentlemen several months time to prove their Opinion about Purgatory by Scripture at last they gave him this Answer That it was not prudential to furnish their Adversaries with Arguments lest they should turn them upon themselves As to Monastery-Vows his Majesty believes he can prevail so far with this present Pope that young people shall not be engaged to that sort of life till they have reach'd their full age and that they may go off when they please and Marry But his Majesty does by no means think it convenient that those Societies should be dissolv'd but continu'd as Nurseries of Piety and Learning The Divines likewise press the Celibacy of the Clergy and here the King hath found out a middle Expedient That those who have Wives shall keep them but that others shall not have the liberty to Marry under pain of Suspension For to that which is usually urg'd concerning Paphnutius his perswading the Nicene Fathers that Priests might be married The Divines answer That it could not be prov'd that Matrimony was ever allow'd to Priests 'T is true before their Ordination they did not deny but that they were sometimes married Concerning the receiving the Lords Supper in both kinds the King had some discourse with Clement the Seventh about it and he hoped this Pope might be perswaded to make a Decree that every one might have the liberty to do as they thought fit Moreover his Majesty observ'd that within the memory of our Fathers the whole Communion was given in France to all persons without distinction indeed this was not done in the Bodies of the Church but in Chappels and Oratories This relation the King had from some very old Persons who affirm'd that this was the custom in France about 120 years ago Besides the French Kings receive in both kinds which practice when his Majesty objected to the Divines in Disputation they told him that Kings were anointed as well as Priests and that the Scripture mention'd A Royal Priesthood and that others who had none of these peculiar Reasons to plead could not have this liberty The King likewise owned that many passages in the publick Service of the Church ought to be corrected and some quite struck out That Clement the Seventh committed this affair to the care of Cardinal de la Cruz a Spaniard who printed a Book about it which the Parisian Divines condemn'd as Heretical For there is a sort of people among them who are not contented to cry out upon the Germans as Heterodox and wicked but let the same Censurers fly at the Cardinals and Popes themselves upon occasion And since the present Affair is so momentous and difficult in all the parts of it his Majesty is wholly intent upon it that the Peace of the Church may be recover'd He had likewise conferr'd with the Dukes of Bavaria to the same purpose who seem'd to him to be more rigid than the Divines of Paris though afterwards one of their Counsellors of State said that they were grown more moderate and the same thing was told him by Julius Phlugius concerning George Duke of Saxony and the Elector of Mentz The King therefore was of opinion that a publick Consultation was altogether necessary before the beginning of which if they pleas'd to send some few of their eminent Divines into France to confer with the Sorbonists his Majesty would take it very kindly and so order the Conference that some violent high-flying Men should be mixt with others of more temper and moderation that by this means the Truth might be wrought out and come to light When he had said this he desir'd that the Protestants would not accept of any place for a Council without his Majesties advice and the King of England's who would both of them return them the same Civility 'T is not many years ago since Lewis the Twefth of France insisted that the Pope could not call a Council without the consent of the Emperor and other Princes This was also the Opinion of the King of Navarre and when they were both Excommunicated by Julius Ferdinand of Spain seiz'd upon Navarre as Executioner of the Pope's Sentence Now the King his Master was of these Princes mind neither could he approve any Council unless it was held in a
behaviour and condition of the Citizens protect the Innocent and slight the Fortifications which the Anabaptists had rais'd The Bishop also was to demolish those Forts he had built in the Town and to punish the Captives the King Knipperdoling and Creching according to their deserts with the first opportunity and not to keep them any longer Concerning that which was decreed about Religion the Elector of Saxony the Lantgrave the Duke of Wirtemburgh and Earl of Anhalt openly remonstrated against it the same Protestation was made by the Cities besides they were not willing the old Fortification of the Town should be raz'd as concerning the new ones they had nothing to object The King and his two fellow Prisoners were carry'd up and down the Country to the Princes to shew and expose them this gave some of the Lantgraves Preachers an opportunity of conversing with the King with whom they dispute chiefly these following Points viz. concerning the Kingdom of Christ concerning Magistracy Justification Baptism the Lord's Supper the Incarnation of Christ and Matrimony and here though he defended himself with obstinacy enough yet they press'd him so hard with Testimonies of Scripture that though he did not yield in every thing yet they made him bend and let go his hold insomuch that at last he gave up the greatest part of the Cause which some think he did only to save his life For when they came to him again he promis'd upon condition of being pardon'd that he would engage to oblige the Anabaptists who were very numerous in Holland Brabant England and Friezland to give over Preaching and to obey the Magistrates in every thing Afterwards these Divines argued with his Companions both by word of mouth and writing concerning Mortification the Baptism of Infants Community of Goods and the Kingdom of Christ When they were brought to Telget the Bishop demands of the King by what Authority he could justifie the liberty he had taken in his Town and with his Subjects To whom he replies in a question Who gave him the Jurisdiction over the City When the Bishop made answer That he was chosen into this Government by the consent of the Chapter and the People The other replies That he was call'd to this Office by God. Upon the 19th of Jan. they are brought back to Munster and committed to distinct Prisons upon the same day likewise the Bishop came to Town with the Archbishop of Cologn and the Embassadors of the Duke of Cleve The two following days were spent in pious Exhortations to bring them off from their Error Now the King did own his fault and prayed to our Saviour but the other two would not acknowledge that they had done any thing amiss but obstinately defended their Opinions The next day the King was brought out into a place whose situation was higher than ordinary and tied to a Stake there were two Executioners by him with red-hot Pincers He was silent for the three first snatches but afterwards he did nothing but cry out to God for Mercy when he had been torn in this manner above the space of an hour he was run through the Body with a Sword and so died His Companions had the same punishment When they were dead they were each of them fasten'd to an Iron-Cage and hung at the top of the Tower in the City the King hangs in the middle and about a Man's height higher than the other two In January this year Catherine of Spain died who Henry King of England had divorc'd above three years since as I observ'd before In the Fourth Book I gave an account how Frederick Duke of Holstein was made King of Denmark by the assistance of the Lubeckers When he was dead there happen'd to be a very troublesome War between his Son and Successor Christian and the Lubeckers but by the mediation of the Elector of Saxony of the Lantgrave and Earnest Duke of Luenburgh of the Towns of Bremen Hamburgh Magdeburgh Brunswick Lunenburgh and Hildesheim the Quarrel was at last taken up this year in February At that time the Duke of Savoy was engag'd in a War with Geneva being assisted in it or rather provoked to it by the Bishop of that City partly because the Reformed Religion was introduced there partly for other reasons Now the Citizens of Geneva were Allies of the Canton of Bern who assisting them at last with their whole Forces the Enemy was beaten off and oblig'd to retreat and the Caenton-men of Bern pursuing them as far as the Lake Leman seiz'd upon as much of the Dukes Country as lay convenient for their Frontiers the same thing was done by the rest of the Switzers which joyn upon Savoy During this Action the French King who long before intended to make War in Italy especially after the death of Francis Sforza whom we mention'd before levies an Army in the beginning of the Spring and falls upon the Duke of Savoy who was his Uncle He grounded his Quarrel upon his Claim to an Inheritance which he said belong'd to him but was seiz'd on by the other The Duke of Savoy being weaken'd before and unable to Match so powerful an Enemy was outed of most of his Dominions in a short time For the King passing over the Alpes invades Piedmont and besides other Conquests takes Turin the Capital City of that Country and fortifies it with new Works and a Garison the Command of the Army in this Action being given to Philip Chabot Admiral of France The Duke of Savoy was married to Beatrix Daughter to Emanuel late King of Portugal and the Emperor to Isabella Sister to John who now Reigns and whereas formerly he had kept himself Neuter now by seeming to incline to the Emperor's side he provok'd the French King to break with him who was his Nephew by his own Sister Louise Some say Pope Clement when he was at Marseilles of which I gave account in the last Book gave the King this Council That if ever he intended to recover Millain his way was first to possess himself of Savoy and Turen However this was the next year the King sets a new Custom on foot and raiseth a standing Army of Foot to the number of about forty thousand which being quarter'd in several Provinces were to be kept in Discipline and always to be ready for Service upon occasion And as the French Kings had formerly been very considerable for their Cavalry which they always kept in pay He was resolv'd to add a well-disciplined Infantry to them that he might not always be oblig'd to hire foreign Soldiers The King's design was to March his Army into the Neighbouring State of Millain to recover that Dutchy which he had formerly been possess'd of for six years together and claim'd it as the Inheritance of him and his Children in the right of Valentina his great Grandmother who was Daughter to Philip Visconti the last Duke of Millain of that Family The Pedigree runs thus
imaginable and conduct him to their Palaceâ— When it was Evening the Emperor sent word to Andrew Doria who stay'd on Board That the King and Queen his Sister had prevailed with him to lodge in Town that Night and that he would return to his Galley the next Day after Dinner Which Notice he gave him that he might not suspect any foul Play And accordingly the next Day the Emperor put to Sea again being accompanied thither by the King and the whole Court And after they had drank together for some time in the Galley they took their Leaves with all possible Demonstrations of Friendship When this Entertainment was known in Paris and in other places of France they went in Procession to the Churches of the Saints according to the usual Custom and made publick Bonefires The Pope had endeavoured to perswade them at Nice de Provence That now since a Truce was concluded they would go in Person to the Council at Vicenza and send those Prelates they had in their Train thither and summon in those who were absent But when they excused themselves and told him they could do neither and his Cardinal Legates whom he had sent to Vicenza had acquainted him that there was no Company come thither he prorogueth the Council again till Easter following and gives publick Notice of it by his Bulls upon the Nineteenth of June when he was at Genua in order to his Return to Rome At their first Meeting the French King kissed the Pope's right Foot as he sate in his Chair Which Respect was likewise paid by most of the rest of his Nobles yet there were some in the King's Train who refused to submit to this Ceremony though the Constable put them in mind of it These Refusers were Christopher Duke of Wirtenberg William Count Furstenburg Germans Marshall la Marche a French Man and George Gluck Ambassador of the King of Denmark Just about this time Charles Count Egmond Duke of Guelderland died How he was outed of almost all his Dominions I gave an Account in the last Book And being reduced to this Extremity when he fell sick he treated with the Duke of Cleves his near Relation and with the consent of his Nobility and People bequeathed the Dutchy of Guelderland to him with the Acceptance of which the Emperor was very much offended as shall be shewn in its proper place A little before this time Erard Count Mark Cardinal and Bishop of Leige departed this Life than whom none was more severe against the Reformers He ordered a very rich Tomb to be made for him a great many years before in the Cathedral at Leige and had those funeral Dirges and Ceremonies which the Papists use for the Dead performed anniversarily for him imagining that those Services of the Priests which they account Meritorious and believe Eternal Life is due to them would do him most Good when he was alive But those who pretended to know the Man more intimately said he did all this out of a Spirit of Vanity because his ambitious Humour was pleased with the Solemnity of the Office. About this time there was an English Bible printed at Paris which the King had ordered to be sent to all the Churches in England But when it was known it was prohibited and the Printer was in some Danger about it In France the Holy Scriptures are not commonly to be met with in the Language of the Country It 's enough there to make a man suspected if he happens to read the New Testament or any thing of that Nature in French For none but Divines and such sort of People are allowed so much as to meddle with or enquire into the Scriptures As for the generality of the Laity they are altogether Ignorant The Citizens Wives when they go to Mass carry Latin Prayers to Church with them and patter them over at their rate but understand nothing of the matter being verily perswaded that this Way is much more acceptable to God than if they should pray in French. This Notion those Priests have insinuated into them who make their Advantage of the Ignorance of the People In the beginning of August the Pope returned to Rome where the Citizens received him in the most triumphant and respectful Manner imaginable for their Streets were hung and made sine every where and there was plenty of panegyrical Papers and Inscriptions to be seen in which they magnified him at a very extraordinary rate for setling Peace in the World again and reconciling the Two great Monarchs This Year there was a College or School for young People opened at Strasburg James Sturmius a Senator of considerable Note being the principal Contriver and Promoter of this Design which by the Care of those who were appointed to govern and teach gained such a Reputation in a short time that not only the most remote Germans but Foreigners also came thither in great Numbers But the Management of the Students the throwing them as it were into distinct Classes and the whole Method of Teaching was first reported to the Senate by John Sturmius and afterwards published more at large by him in Print And when a great many People were forced to leave France and the Netherlands upon the account of Religion the Senate of Strasburg assigned a Church to those who came thither and gave them Leave to incorporate themselves in a distinct Body John Calvin of Noyon was Pastor of this Church for some Years and was succeeded by Peter Brulius of whose Death I shall speak afterwards Now to go for England a little while Thomas of Canterbury had a mighty Veneration paid him by that Nation which had continued for some Ages His Body was laid in a magnificent Tomb inestimably enriched with Gold and Jewels but King Henry fetched him out this Year and burned his Bones This Thomas Sirnamed Beckett was formerly Archbishop of Canterbury who when by defending the Privileges of the Clergy with too much vehemence had very much displesed King Henry II. and was commanded to depart the Kingdom he addressed himself to Pope Alexander III. who was then in France upon the account of the Difference there was between him and Frederick Barbarossa the Emperor At last by the Intercession of this Pope and the French King Lewis VII the King of England was reconciled to him and permitted him to return home after he had been banished Seven Years But upon his growing troublesom to some of the Bishops and interdicting them for being of the King's Side in the Dispute the King was provoked again and said with some Passion That he looked upon himself as a miserable Person otherwise it would not have been in the Power of one single Priest to give him such perpetual Disturbance and seemed to bewail the Unfortunateness of his Condition that he had never a Subject that would rid him of this Plague These Words made a singular Impression upon some of his Courtiers who imagining it would not be
Venice is will be of the Duke's Opinion and not let their Town be filled with so great a multitude without a Garrison to secure it so that upon this account there will be as few people to open the Council as there was at Mantua And since whatever he hath done is no better than Mockery it 's not fit he should have such an unreasonable Liberty allowed him any longer 'T is true Councils rightly constituted and managed are the most proper and useful Expedients which can be tried but when they are pack'd for private Interest and Advantage and to establish the Usurpations of a Party they are inconceivable mischievous to the State of Christendom And now when the Name of a Council and the Church made so great a noise in the World Luther undertook to write a Book in High Dutch upon both Arguments where in the first place he treats of the Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem which is mentioned in the Fifteenth of the Acts. Then he sheweth how the Fathers contradicted one another more particularly St. Augustin and St. Cyprian about Baptism where he takes occasion to mention those Ecclesiastical Constitutions which are commonly called the Apostles Canons and proves them spurious by unquestionable Arguments and that those ought to be hanged who give them that name From thence he proceeds to the first four General Councils which are of the most considerable Authority and recites them in Order the Nicene the Constantinopolitan the Ephesine and that at Chalcedon and gives an account of the Occasion of their Meeting and what was Decreed there afterwards he comes up to the main Question and sheweth how far the Power of a Council reacheth And here he maintaineth that a Council ought not to make any Article of Faith nor enjoin any new Duty nor tie the Consciences of Men to Ceremonies which were not practised from the beginning neither is it lawful for such an Assembly to intermeddle in Civil Government nor to make any Canons to found their private Grandeur and Dominion upon On the contrary their Office is to see that all Innovations in Doctrine repugnant to the Holy Scriptures that superstitious or unprofitable Ceremonies may be condemned and removed and always to make the Scripture their Rule to determine Controversies by Then he goes on to define the Church and lays down the Notes to know her by and running a Parellel between Christ and his Apostles and the Pope and showing what a different Doctrine his Holiness had settled in the Church and at what a wicked Rate he had plundered Christendom he concludes he ought to be Excommunicated and obliged to Restitution Besides many other Instances by which he demonstrates in that Book what gross Ignorance there was in the times of Popery how much Religion was corrupted and debauched he tell us Things were come to that pass that even the bare Habit of a Monk was thought to contribute considerably towards the obtaining eternal Life insomuch that not only the Vulgar but many persons of Quality would be buried in it After-Ages possibly will not believe this Relation but yet it is very true and is chiefly practised in Italy and in my time Francis the Second Marquess of Mantua made express Provision in his Will to be buried in the Habit of a Franciscan or Seraphick as they call it The same thing was done by Albertus Pius Prince of Carpi who died at Paris and by Christopher Longolius a Low Country Man who lieth at Padua He was a very Learned Person and a great Admirer of Tully There is an Oration of his Extant against the Lutherans as there is also one of Albert's against Erasmus of Rotterdam After the Death of George Duke of Saxony Henry of Brunswick immediately set forward through France into Spain to wait upon the Emperor Much about this time Henry King of England called a Parliament where besides other secular Matters he Enacts these following Articles concerning Religion That the true and natural Body and Blood of Christ were under the Appearance of Bread and Wine and that the Substance of Bread and Wine does not remain after Consecration That the receiving all the Lord's Supper is not necessary to Salvation Christ being entirely contained under each kind That it is not lawful for Priests to Marry Vows of Chastity ought to be kept and private Masses continued Auricular and private Confession of Sins is both profitable and necessary Those who teach and do any thing contrary to this Act are to suffer as Hereticks And at the same time when this Law was made the King courted Ann Sister to William Duke of Cleve a beautiful Maiden-Lady who when she was contracted to him sailed over into England some few Months after Some thought the Bishops influenced the King to sign this Act touching these Points that they might have an Opportunity to ruine the Authority and Interest of Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury and Thomas Cromwell who were both of them Well-wishers to the Reformation This Year in August the Turkish Admiral Barbarossa took Castle-novo a Town in Dalmatia in the Gulph of Cataro by Storm where all the Garrison was put to the Sword and some of the Burghers carried away into Slavery The Emperor and his Confederates the Venetians took this place a Year before in October but the Emperor garrisoned it himself with Four thousand Spaniards and made Francis Sarmiento the Governor This was a surprize to the Venetians who said a Town situated upon that Coast did rather belong to themselves Thus being disgusted with the Emperor and likewise foreseeing that an Alliance with him would prove dangerous to their State they apply themselves not long after to the Turk and upon their request obtain a Truce of him At this time there happened an Insurrection at Ghent the most considerable City for Strength and Interest in all those Parts and which has often contested very warmly for Liberty with the Earls of Flanders under whose Jurisdiction it is When the Emperor heard of this Commotion he changed his design of going into Germany by the way of Italy and resolved to Travel through France being earnestly invited thither by the French King who made him very obliging proffers of Security and Accommodation for his Journey In the mean time the Palsgrave and the Elector of Brandenburg being Princes of the Mediation wrote to the Emperor concerning the Pacification at Francfort and desired him to give leave there might be a Conference of Learned Men at Nuremberg But his Imperial Majesty told them That the Death of his Empress and some other Occurrences intervening had hindred him from being at leisure to attend that Affair When the Princes of the Mediation had sent a Copy of this Letter to the Elector of Saxony and the Lantgrave without signifying whether the Emperor had confirmed the Truce for Fifteen Months the Protestants appointed a Convention on the Nineteenth of November at Arnstet a Town in Thuringia
Regular way Now the reason why they themselves are so desirous to have the matter Legally debated is not because they are afraid their Adversaries would be too powerful for them in the Field for as they design to hurt no Body so if they are threatned with any Violence they are God be thanked sufficiently prepared to defend themselves and their Right Besides they hope that he upon whose account they Engage will afford them his Assistance and Protection Indeed their Cause is so Honourable and Religious that they ought to maintain it at their utmost Peril But they are very much concerned for the ill Consequences which will happen to the State this way For though they deserve to be corrected by God Almighty yet because a Civil War will occasion a horrible desolation in Germany they desire nothing more earnestly than that the whole difference may be amicably accommodated and that all future Ages may have a remarkable Instance of their good Inclinations and Honesty transmitted to them but their Adversaries are implacably exasperated and will not be brought to any reasonable Terms neither did they foresee any other Issue of this Contest than that it would occasion the strength of the Empire which ought to be employed against the common Enemy the Turk to be perfectly wasted and torn in pieces by the mutual Slaughter of its own Subjects but these Consequences ought not to be charged upon them And whatever the Event may be there will come a time when the other Party will be obliged to admit of those Conditions which they now reject with so much Obstinacy for God will appear in the Vindication of his own Honour Upon the First of March the Ambassadors of the Protestant Princes and Cities came to Smalcald according to appointment There came also several Divines along with them viz. Jonas Pomeran Melancthon Cruciger and Bucer who were required to draw up a Scheme of Doctrine upon which they were to treat with their Adversaries about an Accommodation In this Convention they debated those Points which were left unconcluded at Arnstet as hath been mentioned already In the mean time Dulcius and Burcartus returned from their Ambassy in England and upon the Seventh of March they make a Report of the State of Religion in that Country viz. That the Act of Parliament made the last Year was not Executed very strictly but yet Hugh Latimer and the Bishop of Salisbury who where Imprisoned upon the account of Religion were not yet set at Liberty that Cromwell the first Minister of State endeavoured to mollifie the King and abate the Rigour of his Opinion And the King himself had in private Conversation told them his thoughts upon the Point which were these He conceived the Protestant Divines were not Orthodox in their Doctrine concerning the Marriage of Priests the receiving the Lord's Supper as they call it in both Kinds nor in that concerning private Masses and therefore he desires that they would write to him at large about these and other necessary Points and set down the Reasons of their Opinions and he would take care that some Learned Persons in his Kingdom should give them an Answer that so the way to Truth might be discovered It was likewise the Opinion of Cromwell and of some others that it would be proper for them to send an Honourable Ambassy to the King and Melancthon with the rest for if they could come to a tolerable Agreement in their Doctrine the King would furnish them with a vast Summ of Money towards the supporting the League which he intended to make with them not only in the Case of Religion but for defence in general Indeed his Majesty very much wondered why they confined their Alliance to Religion seeing it was likely they would be invaded upon a quite different account Some few days after the Divines gave in a Writing to the Ambassadors The summ of it was this That they ought not to depart from the Contents of the Ausburg Confession nor of the Apology which was afterwards annex'd to it This Opinion all the Divines who were absent afterwards approved by their Letters to the Convention About this time Henry Duke of Brunswick came to Ghent Upon the Sixteenth of March the Emperor gave the Protestant Ambassadors his Answer by Cornelius Scepperus the Substance was courteous enough but withal so Ambiguously worded that they could not tell whether he would secure them the Pacification or not The Ambassadors therefore with the Emperor's permission withdraw and returning presently after they entreat him that he would command the Chamber to cease their Prosecutions and grant them a Peace The Emperor replied That at present he had nothing more to say to these Requests but he would consider the matter farther This Answer was Reported at Smalcald Ten Days after and upon Easter Munday which was then the Twenty-ninth of March the Princes came thither themselves There was at that time a great Emulation and misunderstanding between Granvell and Eldo which at last occasioned Eldo's being removed from his Place upon which he retired from Court and lived privately For the other having the better Interest charged Eldo with Misdemeanors and rendered him odious because he had been too violent in his Councils and Treaties and had like to have run the Emperor upon a War against his Will when he thought nothing of it Now Granvell giving pretty plain signs of his being desirous to accommodate Matters and to settle a good Correspondence in the Empire invited the Protestants to address to him and at their request disposed the Emperors Inclinations for Peace And immediately after and as it were in his own Name he dispatcheth away Two Ambassadors to Smalcald to mediate an Accommodation viz. Theodorick Manderschitt William Nuenarius Counts Persons of great Sence and Quality though the first of these was seized with a dangerous Distemper and forced to stop by the way There demands were indeed moderate enough but then they intimated that the Emperor was almost assured that Religion was not the Protestants design neither did they heartily desire a Peace but were wholly intent upon enriching themselves with the Revenues of the Church That his Majesty had reason to suspect they were glad to see the Empire embroiled That they were disaffected to him and rather inclinable to side with those who were his open Enemies This Information against them the Emperor received partly by their Adversaries and partly by the French as it 's certainly reported For when the Emperor travelled through France and all things seemed to promise a most intimate Alliance and Endearment they say there were some Letters discovered to him which were written from the Convention at Smalcald to the French King. Some say this was done by the King himself but others lay it upon the Constable who was then the Chief Minister and earnestly desirous to bring the Two Monarchs to a good Understanding and besides not very well affected to the
Milan Philip made King of Spain The Emperor and King of England make a League against the French King. The Pope writes to the Clergy of the Cathedral of Cologne and animates them The French King takes Landrecy a small Town from the Emperor A Diet is held at Spire where the French King is so grievously accused that his Herald was dismissed with very rough Language There the Protestants lay most enormous Crimes to the Charge of Henry Duke of Brunswick There also the Duke of Savoy by his Ambassadors again accuses the French King. The Speech which the French Ambassadors were to have made in the Assembly of all the States at Spire is printed and published In the same Diet also an accord was made betwixt the Emperor King Ferdinand and the Duke of Saxony The States of the Empire vote the Emperor Money against the French King. Bulloign is besieged by the English The Town of Landrecy is taken A panick fear at Paris The Emperor makes Peace with the King of France at Soissons and the Conditions of the Peace are related WHEN the War was not hot on all Hands August the Twenty-sixth the Pope sent Legates Mediators Cardinal Michael Bishop of Viseo a Portugese to the Emperor and Cardinal James Sadoleto to the French King to intercede with them that they would sacrifice their private Injuries to the publick Good and set their Minds in Peace He sent Legates also to the Council at Trent The Emperor made Answer to the Legate of Viseo and wrote to the Pope much to the same purpose as he did in the Letter we mentioned before and therefore again moved him to declare himself the Enemy of France For that his Holiness had often protested That he would severely punish him that should violate a Truce or make a League with the Turk That that was the only solid way of settling the Peace of Christendom With this Letter he dismissed the Legate on the Eighteenth of October Because the Duke of Longueville and Martin Van Rossem had raised an Army in the Territories of the Duke of Cleve as has been mentioned before the Imperialists under the command of the Prince of Orange invade the Country of Juliers put all to Fire and Sword and upon Composition take Duren the chief Town in these Parts For the Duke of Cleve had succeeded to the Principalities of Juliers and Mons in Right of his Mother At the same time also the Imperial Army having done no Action in Hungary only in vain attempted the Siege of Pest returned Home but much weakened by the Plague that had swept away many Thousands of them Maurice Duke of Saxony served as a Voluntier in this War being a Youth of about Sixteen Years of Age who having one Day gone abroad out of the Camp with one Man only to wait upon him met accidentally and engaged some Turks where he had his Horse shot under him The Gentleman who as I told you waited on him covered him with his Body and defended him till some Horse came in to their Relief aad saved the Prince So that to save his Life he lost his own for being brought into the Camp full of Wounds he died not long after This was the issue of the Hungarian War whither the Pope had sent Three thousand Foot under the Command of Alexander Vitellio About this time a hot War broke out betwixt England and Scotland upon occasion that the Year before the King of Scots having promised to meet his Uncle the King of England at York to treat about their Borders had been disswaded by his Mother and many of the Nobility and so did not come But the Scots about the beginning of December this Year had a great defeat and many of their Nobility were taken in Battle and that of their own accord too because they dispised their General as being a Man of inferior Birth and could not endure to be Commanded by him This the King laid so much to Heart that returning Home he died of Grief the Twelfth of December after his Queen being brought to Bed of his Daughter Mary but Eight Days before which was a thing that also encreased his Melancholy seeing he had no Male-Issue living for the Year before he had lost Two Sons in two several places within the space of Twenty-four Hours His Queen was Mary the Daughter of Claude Duke of Guise of the Family of Lorrain The Scots being in this distress the French King sent them a supply of Men and Artillery After the Death of the King the Administration of the Government was put into the Hands of James Hamilton Earl of Arran the King's Cousin twice removed Next to him in power was the Cardinal of St. Andrews one much addicted to the Interest of France We have spoken before the Duke Henry of Saxony who entered into the Protestant League both in his own and Son Maurice's Name But after his Death Duke Maurice being called on upon that account made Answer That his Father could not bind for him nor was he tied by his Obligation Henry Duke of Brunswick being forced to fly his Country as was said before brings his Action against the Duke of Saxony the Lantgrace and Confederates before the Imperial Chamber who being afterwards cited to appear in the Month of December declined that Writ and Judicature in all Causes whatsoever and by their Agents under publick Intimation thereof protesting at the same time that they did not refuse a lawful and ordinary Jurisdiction but excepted against the Judges who were of a different Religion who adhered to the Decree of Ausburg made Twelve Years before and approved it upon Oath who for that reason were at great variance with them and bore malice against them who looked upon them as Hereticks thinking that Justice was not to be administred unto them and who had many times given manifest indications of this their prejudice and aversion It had been decreed in the Diet of Ratisbone that in the Month of January this Year the Imperial Chamber should be reformed To this Decree the Protestants assented provided Men of their perswasion might be admitted to that Bench which the Emperor granted to them as we said before and King Ferdinand afterward renewed in the Diet of Spire appointing that Reformation to be made in the Month of June whereby he had obtained Supplies from them for the Turkish War. For unless that were done they publickly then protested That they would not only contribute no more to the Charges of the Chamber but also not obey the Orders of that Court. Since therefore nothing had as yet been done in that matter they sent Agents as I told you with Instructions to decline and protest against the Judicature But the Judges of the Imperial Chamber in a publick Writing afterward rejected their declinatory Protestation It was decreed in the late Diet of Nurimberg That because of the Turkish War the States should assemble there again on the
Savoy to all that he had taken from him That the French King should also keep Hesdin And that the Emperor should use all his Endeavours to procure a Peace betwixt England and France That as to the Duke of Cleve since the King and Queen of Navarre did affirm that their Daughter never consented to that Marriage but on the contrary had protested against it in the solemn and usual manner the French King should within Six Weeks send that Protestation to the Emperor that he might consider what was to be done In this Peace were comprehended the Pope King Ferdinand the Kings of Portugal Poland and Denmark the Venetians and Switzers the Dukes of Savoy Lorrain Florence Ferrara Mantua and Vrbin the States of Genoa Luca and Siena the Princes Electors and States of the Empire that were obedient to the Emperor The Peace being concluded the Emperor dismissed his Forces and returned home from Soissons All Men wondered at this Pacification for the Emperors familiar Friends promised themselves certain Victory before the Emperor took the Field and bragg'd that within a few Months France should be their own or at least the King become Tributary having Three such powerful Enemies against him the Emperor the Empire and the King of England The End of the Fifteenth Book THE HISTORY OF THE Reformation of the Church BOOK XVI The CONTENTS The Pope writes to the Emperour admonishing and expostulating with him sharply threatens his first-begotten Son and the same year promotes a great many new Cardinals A Council is again called The Clergy and Colledge of Cologne once more vigorously withstand their Archbishop Peter Bruly having preached the Reformed Religion at Tournay is therefore burnt alive The Divines of Paris assemble at Melun During the Diet at Wormes wherein many things are handled they of Merindolle and Cabrieres commonly called the Waldeneses are miserably harassed and at length turn'd out of all Though the Pope had called a Council yet he is wholly bent upon a War against the Protestants Luther publishes a little Book wherein he sets him off in his colours Grignian is sent Embassadour to the Protestants that he may perswade them to approve the Council The Emperour cites the Archbishop of Cologne to appear before him A hot War between the Kings of England and France The Duke of Orleans dies A War breaks out betwixt Henry Duke of Brunswick and the Landgrave wherein the latter prevails The Elector Palatine embraces the Reformed Religion Rumour of War against the Protestants is spread abroad A Conference appointed at Ratisbonne about matters of Religion This being broken up a Council is called at Trent and the Sessions begin Luther in the mean time dies IN the heat of War the Pope sends Letters to the Emperour bearing date August 23. acquainting him that he had an account of what nature the Decrees were which he had lately made at Spire but that in discharge of his own Duty and for the love he bore to him he could not dissemble his thoughts concerning them and that the Example of Eli the High-Priest was a warning to him to do so whom God severely punished for his too great indulgence to his Sons That in the same manner since these Decrees tended to the danger of his own Soul and great disturbance of the Church he could not but give him this Admonition First then that he should not leave the uniform practice of the Church nor customs of his Forefathers but carefully observe the same Discipline Method and Rule which Method is that when any Debate happens about Religion the whole Decision ought to be referred to the Church of Rome Whereas he lately in appointing a General and National Council and a Diet of the Empire had had no regard to him who by Divine and Humane Right hath alone power of calling Councils and determining matters of Religion Nor was that all he was to be blamed for but also that he allowed not only private men but even the Asserters of damned Heresies to judge of Religion that he gave judgment concerning Ecclesiastical Possessions and the Controversies that arose about them that he restored to Honours and Dignity such as were out of the Communion of the Church and long ago condemned by his own Edicts without the consent of those who persevered in their ancient Allegiance and Religion Did these things agree with the sacred Laws and Ordinances Nay rather did they not overturn all Discipline and Order That it was his opinion however that these things proceeded not from himself but that ill affected persons out of the hatred they bore to the Church of Rome had counselled and sollicited him to give some signe of his aversion to the same but that it grieved him the more to see that he should be drawn in and perswaded by them in that he clearly perceived the prejudice it carried along with it would be greater both to himself and the Church unless he repented That this his fear also grew greater and greater when he considered who the persons were with whom he had contracted friendship for that as ill company corrupts good manners so also it was very dangerous to make Alliances with wicked and vicious men That he made no doubt but they had used specious pretext to him since there is no counsel so bad but may be varnished over with some plausible colour but that in truth he who searches the Scriptures will meet with many and famous instances of the wrath and vengeance of God against those who had usurped to themselves the Offices of the High-Priest That Adversaries object Negligence to Priests as an odious crime and make use of that as a Spur to incite Princes whilst they exhort them to undertake the care and conduct of Religion a thing indeed that seems fair and laudable but which has no foundation in reason to support it That as in private houses the Master of the Family allotted to every one their several businesses and would not suffer any to set about the work of another lest Order might thereby be disturbed so also in the Church which is the house of God every one had his duty assigned to him which he was to discharge so that it was undecent that Inferiours should take upon them the Offices of Superiours and that that was so much the more to be observed by how much the Church surpasses any other house in greatness and glory That seeing then the chief Office of the Church is by God recommended to Priests it was a great injury in him to act their parts and take upon him their honour That it was known what happened to Uza who put his hand to hold up the Cart wherein the Ark of God was which was tottering and ready to fall That no man but would think he had done right when in the absence of the Levites he lent a hand to support the Cart which was in danger of falling Nevertheless that God's striking of him with a sudden death was
Bishops to undertake the Office of Ecclesiastick Reformation That his sending for Bucer was chiefly at the instigation of Gropper who both personally and by Letters had very much commended him to him as might be made appear That he found nothing in Bucer that was unworthy or unbeseeming an honest man And that it was a great sign he was so that the Emperour had employed him in the Conference of Ratisbonne as a learned pious and peaceable man. That he had the same opinion also of the other Ministers of the Church appointed by him Afterwards November the 18th the Clergy summon the rest of the States into the City and require them to subscribe the Appeal The same thing also they demand of all the Churches and Bishops of the Province nay of some forreign Universities also and having turned out such of their own Order as refused they grievously accuse the Archbishop to the Emperour and Pope as shall be related hereafter After the Pacification at Soissons the Emperour sends the Bishop of Arras Granvill's Son and the French King the Cardinal du Bellaye to treat joyntly of a Peace with the King of England but it proved ineffectual he refusing to restore Bauloigne At the same time also the Duke of Orleans and the Cardinal of Tournon with some Ladies of the French Court take a Progress into the Netherlands to complement and congratulate with the Emperour The Emperour sends his Spanish Forces to Winter-quarters in Lorrain and the adjacent Countries In most places throughout all the Emperours Provinces of the Netherlands many were very desirous to be instructed in the Reformed Religion but secretly for fear of the Emperour's Edicts and the punishments by them inflicted Now some people in Tournay a chief Town in those parts had invited thither one Peter Bruley a French Preacher mentioned in the twelfth Book from Strasbourg So soon as he arrived there which happened in the month of September being most kindly received by those who had invited him he began to instruct them privately and having made a Progress to Lisle a Town in Flanders upon the same account he returned to Tournay about the end of October following But the matter was now divulged and a strict search made after him throughout the whole City the Gates for that end being shut In this imminent danger seeing there was no possibility of concealing him longer on the second of November in the night-time his Friends let him down over the Town-Wall by a Rope When he had reached the ground he sate down to take a little rest but one of those who had let him down leaning as far as he could over the Wall that he might softly bid him farewel forced out a lose stone with his foot which casually falling upon him broke his leg so that whilst afflicted with pain and cold he dolefully bewailed his sad misfortune the Watch over-heard him who suspecting what the matter was came running in laid hold of him and cast him into prison So soon as the news of this came into Germany the Senate of Strasbourg interceded for him by Letters which the Deputies of the Protestants who then were at Wormes did afterwards also but that was a little too late for before the Letters which were sent in the name of the Duke of Saxony and the Landgrave were delivered he was on the 19th of February put to death The manner of his Execution was severe having been burnt by a gentle and slow Fire for his greater torment He constantly professed his Doctrine even to the last breath and writing out of Prison to his Disciples who were also in many places in Bonds he exhorted them to constancy His Sentence was to be put to death for offending against the Emperour's Commands For many years before the Emperour had sent out most severe Edicts against the Lutherans of the lower Germany and the Netherlands under his Dominion which were twice a year publickly read over in those places that none might pretend ignorance When he was examined in Prison the Monks in presence of the Magistrates asked him the Question What he thought of the Sacrament of the Altar as they call it of the Mass Consecration Adoration of the Hosts of Purgatory the Worshipping of Saints Free-will good Works Justification Images Baptism Vows Confession of Sins and of the Virginity of the Blessed Mary To these he made answer That the real Body and Bloud of Christ was there received not by the Mouth but spiritually by Faith and that the substance of the Bread and Wine was not changed That when according to Christ's institution Christ's Supper is given to the Church in the Vulgar Tongue so that all may understand the use and benefit thereof that then these things are truly consecrated and that by the words of Christ for that that silent Whisper and Muttering which the Mass-Priests used over the Bread and Wine did better become Conjurers and fuglers than Christian Ministers That the Popish Mass had nothing to do with the Lords Supper but was a Worship invented by Man to the disparagement and injury of Christ. That the Adoration of the consecrated Bread was Idolatry because a Creature was there worshipped instead of the Creator That he knew not nor looked not after any other Purgatory than the Bloud of Christ which pardons not only the guilt but also the punishment due to our sins That therefore Masses and Prayers for the Dead were not only useless but impious as having no warrant from the Word of God. That Saints cannot be more truly worshipped than by imitating their Faith and Virtues that if more be done it is impious and that they when they were in the World were very far from admitting any Worship That therefore they are not to be invoked as Intercessors which is a glory belonging to none but Christ. That by Adam's Fall Mans Nature was wholly corrupted and the Freedom of his Will forfeited so that he can do no good without the grace of God but that a regenerated man moved by God like a good Tree brings forth good fruits That that is Faith which bringeth us salvation to wit when we believe the divine promises and certainly conclude that through Christ Jesus our sins are forgiven us That Traditions to which the minds of men are enslaved are not to be received That it was very dangerous to have Statues and Images in Churches for fear of Idolatry That Baptism is the sign of the Covenant that God made with us whereby he testifies that he will pardon our sins that it is also a sign of perpetual Mortification and a new Life which ought to accompany Baptism That this Sacrament is to be received by all and Children not to be barred from it seeing they also are Partakers of the divine promises That no Vow is to be made which either the Word of God does not allow or
Protestant Confederates had been with the French King they went to the King of England to negotiate the same thing with both But King Henry was then on his Death-bed for his Sickness growing upon him about the latter end of January he died in the eight and thirtieth year of his Reign having by his last Will left Prince Edward a Child of nine years of age his Heir and to him substituted the Lady Mary whom he had by his first Queen and the Lady Elizabeth by the second But before he died he condemned Thomas Duke of Norfolk a Peer of great Authority to perpetual Imprisonment and beheaded his Son the Earl of Surrey for some suspicious Words he had spoken during the King's Sickness after whose Death a Change in Religion hapned as will appear hereafter For though he had shaken off the Pope's Authority in all his Dominions and had made it Death for any Man to own him for Head of the Church nay though in the Publick Prayers of the Church he detested him as the Bane of Religion and Antichrist yet he still retained the Popish Doctrine as hath been said before He had caused his Son to be well educated from his Childhood and upon his Death-bed left him sixteen Guardians and amonst these Edward Earl of Herford the young Prince's Uncle To him the rest of the Guardians afterwards committed the chief Care and Tuition of the King as thinking he would be the most faithful to him of any and gave him the Honourable Title of Protector of the King and Kingdom The King also made him afterward Duke of Somerset He was both a Friend to the Reformed Religion himself and used his Endeavours also that it might be publickly received having perswaded the King his Pupil to embrace the same wherein he was chiefly assisted by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England a Man of singular Learning About the same time died also Queen Anne Wife to King Ferdinand the Mother of many Children whose Funerals the Emperour solemnized at Ulm. In the mean time the Citizens of Ausbourg moved by the Example of their Associates and their own Danger and having got proper Mediators amongst whom was Anthony Fuggher made their Peace and were received into the Emperour's Favour again but upon condition that they should pay a Fine of an hundred and fifty thousand Florins furnish twelve Pieces of Cannon and receive a Garrison of ten Companies of Foot. Scherteline lived in the Town and for many years had served under them and taken their Pay one that the Emperour and King Ferdinand could not endure because he had taken the Castle of Erenberg Wherefore though the Senate interceded earnestly for him yet because the Emperour was so stiff that otherwise he would not treat with them he was forced to fly the Country and with his Wife and Family to remove to Constance a Town bordering upon Suitzerland During the Siege of Leipsick the Elector of Brandenburg interposes and having sent Embassadors to both desires that they would refer the Matter to him The Elector was not unwilling but Duke Maurice blaming him exceedingly for pursuing the War so hotly six days after when he saw the Town was not likely to be taken began to answer coldly and be off on 't Brandenburg therefore presently acquaints the Landgrave with it praying him to perswade Duke Maurice and that because the intestine War of Saxony could hardly be taken up unless the Publick War with the Emperour were also ended he entreats him to bend his Mind that way The better to perswade he lays open before him the great danger he was in That most of his Confederates were already reconciled to the Emperour and that the Duke of Wertemberg was fain to capitulate upon very hard Terms That the Emperour was preparing fresh Forces and that seeing he was not able alone long to resist so great a Power as was against him he advises him not to think ill to submit but to capitulate upon the Conditions which he himself had drawn up and now sent to him by his Embassadors For seeing the Emperour's Mind was for many Reasons much exasperated the thing it self required that with a kind of humble Submissision he should beg Pardon That he should therefore turn his Eyes upon himself and Children and upon the promiscuous Multitude and not drive on things to the utmost extremity He wrote also to the Elector to the same purpose A little before the Protestants in the Month of November broke up and quitted the Field The Emperour gave Commissions to some that they should forthwith raise new Forces and carry the War into those Places which bordered upon Saxony that the States and Towns of those Quarters might not be able to give the Duke of Saxony and Landgrave any Assistance The Command of these Forces consisting of one and twenty Ensigns of Foot and twelve hundred Horse he gave to Joyce Grunning Governour of Zeelandt These put Conrade Count Teckelbourg one of the Protestant Confederates the Towns of Osnaburg and Minden the Count of Lippe and some others in those places under Contribution and compel them to take Orders from them They also take the Castle of Ritberg and from thence fall in upon Bremen Here served under the Emperour Philip Count Eberstein Christopher Vrisberger and Frederick Speed. The Elector of Saxony being informed of the Emperour's Success February the thirteenth wrote to the Senate and Council of Strasburg giving them an Account how that he had recovered his own and taken from Duke Maurice most part of what belonged to him in Thuringe and Misnia That he had made the Nobility and Gentry of his Territories swear Fidelity to him and that he had added to all the Bishoprick of Magdeburg But that Ulrick Duke of Wirtemberg and most of the Free Towns of Upper Germany should have capitulated upon so very hard Conditions and without mentioning their Religion and promised the Emperour Assistance against him and the rest of the Confederates was a thing that had fallen out quite contrary to his expectation and was wholly repugnant to the Tenor of the League That he heard well of them in that they continued constant which had been acceptable News to him That they should go on then and not faint acting as became Confederates and if they were harder put to it that they should defend themselves with the Aid of the Suitzers and King of France That it was his hearty desire he could give them all Testimonies of his Love and Fidelity but that he was hindred by a Domestick War which if it would please God to put an end to to his advantage he would not then be wanting unto them That the Deputies of the States and Free Towns of Saxony were now met at Magdeburg That he treated with them there about those Affairs for which the Convention was called at Frankfurt and that he was in hopes they would
acquaint you with for my own Justification The very same day the States give Duke Maurice and the Elector of Brandenburg an account of this Relation of the Emperours whereunto they next day make answer to this effect That they now confess what hitherto they had always done that they had no cause to accuse or find fault with the Emperour in this particular but that nevertheless they had had several and private Negotiations with King Ferdinand before he went home from the Camp before Wittemberg and with some of the Emperours Counsellors though not many and that perhaps through a slip of Tongue some mistake might have happened which they will not much contend about That however it be they had for the preservation of the innocent Multitude and that Germany might recover its long wished for Peace advised the Landgrave when he had not the least apprehension of Custody or Confinement to come to Hall beg the Emperours Pardon and accept of the Conditions of Peace But now that he had lost his liberty and was still kept Prisoner to the great danger of his health was a thing that no man but must see did extreamly reflect upon their Honour and Reputation That therefore they did most earnestly desire them that they would joyn with them in an Address to the Emperour and beseech his Majesty that it would please him to have more regard to them who had faithfully served the Empire than to the Landgrave's Offence and not to suffer them to be any longer exposed to Obloquy and Censure but to restore him to his liberty especially since all the Conditions were in a manner fulfilled and that the Emperour had most ample security for the performance of them to the least title So then an Intercession was made in the common name of all and the Landgrave 's Wife prevailed with the Lady Mary the Emperour's Sister to second it but it was all in vain And because Duke Maurice and the Elector of Brandenburg said that they had past their promise and obliged themselves by Bond to the Landgrave 's Sons so long as he should be detained Prisoner the Emperour sent John de Lire to the Landgrave who then was at Nordlingen being removed thither lately by the Spaniards requiring him to deliver up all his Writings and amongst the rest also the Letters of safe Conduct and obligation of Security He told him That they were not in his keeping but that his Sons and Counsellors had them That although he should write to them it would be to no purpose for that they had told him at parting that they would not deliver them up before he were set at liberty That nevertheless if he might have assurance from the Emperour of the time of his enlargement he would do what lay in his power to perswade them to deliver all up The Emperour dissatisfied with that Answer shortly after removed his Servants from him allowing him but one or two at most About the latter end of November Peter Martyr a Florentine who had for five years with great applause taught at Strasburg went now with leave from the Senate into England whither he had been invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the King's Name and was made Professor of Divinity in Oxford His Companion that went along with him was Bernardine Ochino of Siena who being in high esteem in Italy for his Eloquence and the opinion Men had of his Virtue forsook his Monastick Life and embraced the Reformed Religion and going first to Geneva and from thence afterward to Ausburg published some Sermons of his in print Much about this time King Henry's Laws about Religion which we mentioned in the twelfth Book are by publick Proclamation abolished all over England and Images and Pictures removed out of the Churches which was the beginning of the Reformation there On the ninth day of December the Cardinal of Trent discharged the Commission the Emperour had entrusted him with in a full Consistory of Cardinals where the Pope himself presided representing in an elaborate Speech what Pains and Danger the Emperour had undergone for the sake of the Council and that now through his Diligence and Authority Matters were brought to that pass that all the States were willing to obey and submit to its Decrees That therefore by all that was Sacred he besought the Pope in name of the Emperour King Ferdinand and the whole Empire first That he would order the Fathers at Bolonia to return to Trent there to perfect the Work begun which was so very necessary for the Publick Good next That he would send a Legat or two into Germany that with their Advice and Counsel some Rules of Good-living might be established until the Council should be ended and that the Clergy might be reformed Lastly That he would also consider and determine that if the Pope should happen to die during the sitting of the Council whether or not the power of Election ought to lie in the Fathers of the Council or in the Cardinals lest if the Case should happen it might give occasion to new Commotions Five days after the Cardinal of Trent had had his Audience James Mendoza by Orders from the Emperour spoke in the same Auditory to the same purpose and besides That if the Pope did make any delay or excuse he said he was commanded by his Master to joyn with the Embassadors of other Kings and Princes and openly protest against the Council The very same day which was the fourteenth of December the Archbishop of Rheims who as we said already was made Cardinal the Summer before being by the French King sent to Rome makes an Harangue to the Pope and Cardinals In the beginning he commends the late King Francis that amongst other his Virtues he was so tender of the Rights and Liberties even of other Princes that upon that account he never declined Danger nor Cost That his Son King Henry did in no ways degenerate from him in Manners and Inclination who so soon as he was seated on the Throne and had performed his last Duty to his deceased Father had nothing more in his thoughts than how to make appear his Zeal and Duty towards the See of Rome therein treading the Steps of his Ancestors the Kings of France who had given so many and illustrious Instances of their Affection towards the Popes of Rome that they were justly reckoned the first and went before all other Nations in that Character And that since now adays there was a Race of froward and saucy People sprung up that opposed and railed against the Majesty of that Place it was a matter of greatest moment that at the same time a most potent King did as it became the eldest Son of the Church and Chief Captain of Christian People submit himself and all he had to the same Church for the maintenance and defence of whose Dignity he was ready to employ and sacrifice all that was near
Emperour not to be offended with me for my refusal That I retain the Doctrine of the Augustane Confession I do it for the Salvation of my Soul and slighting all worldly things it is now my whole study how after this painful and miserable Life is ended I may be made partaker of the Blessed Joys of Life Everlasting It is reported to the Emperour by some as I hear that it is not Religion I regard in what I do but vain-glory and I know not what other by-end Good now what worldly thing is it that could be more desirable to me especially being of a gross and unweildly Body than my liberty than to return to my Wife and Children than quiet and rest at home I call God to witness now and will do then when he shall call us to an account for all we have done in the Flesh that I had no other thing before my Eyes than that in serving and worshipping of him truly I might attain to the enjoyment of the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven And it is my hearty desire to the Emperour that he would think and believe so of me In every thing else I have always been and ever shall be ready to serve him and will discharge the Duty and Fidelity I promised him as it becomes an honest Man and one of my quality After all I beseech him that he would pardon all my offences and free me at length from this tedious Captivity that I may not of all Princes be the first who may be said to have lived and died his Prisoner When they saw that he persisted firm and immoveable in his Resolution they began to use him a little more harshly all holy Books were taken from him and he was enjoyned to abstain from Flesh on days forbidden The Preacher also whom till now the Emperour had suffered to be with him finding himself in imminent danger privately slipt away in disguise Letters were then published and these out of the Imperial Court too which the Landgrave was said to have written to the Emperour In these Letters he says that he had sent Orders to his Wife and Counsellors that they should fulfil the rest of the Conditions and satisfie those who had any cause of Grievance because of the past War Then that he had read the Book that was written about Religion and though there were some things in it which he did not throughly understand and could not prove from the holy Scriptures yet because they were backed by Antiquity and the Authority of the holy Fathers he would not be wiser than they but had approved the Writing and would also take care that it should be observed by his Subjects After that he offers him his faithful service whether he should have War with the Turk Pope other Kings or the Switzers or else if he pleased to make use of him in Germany But prayed him for Christs and all his Saints sake that he would forget his Offences and give him his Liberty That now he had been a whole year Prisoner wherein he had endured punishment enough and was redacted to great hardships Moreover that for greater security he would give his two Sons Hostages until he should be fully satisfied and that he would readily submit to what he pleased to enjoyn him Nevertheless all these Prayers did not prevail for he was by his Spanish Keepers carried about from place to place at every turn first from Donawert to Wordlingen then to Hailbrun and last to Hall in Swabia Whil'st the Emperour is busied in carrying on these Exploits in Germany the Mass is by Act of Parliament abolished in England and not long after Stephen Bishop of Winchester is apprehended for maintaining that the Laws made during the nonage of the King were of no force He had been confined to his House the year before but being lately enlarged when it was thought he had changed his Opinion he made a Sermon before the King and his Nobles wherein having told them his mind plainly he is committed to Prison The Emperour caused the Form of Reformation as they called it to be read over to the Churchmen June the Fourteenth These were the Heads of it Of Ordination of the Duties of Ecclesiastical Orders of Monasteries of Schools of Hospitals of the Dispensation of Gods Word of the Administration of the Sacraments of the Ceremonies of the Mass of Ecclesiastical Ceremonies of the Discipline of the Clergy and People of the Pluralities of Benefices of Visitation of Synods and of Excommunication The Matters therein enjoyned amongst others are chiefly these That they who sue for Holy Orders be diligently Examined as to their Faith Manners and Learning especially as to the Heresies most in vogue at that time and if they believe as the Roman Catholick and Apostolick Church believes The Inquisition into Manners is commanded to be made according to the Pattern set down by Paul in the third Chapter of the first Apostle to Timothy but that which St. Paul amongst other things advises That a Minister of the Church be the Husband of one Wife who rules his own House well and has obedient Children is left out That no Man be admitted to the Office of a Bishop unless he be a Priest or promise to take the rest of Orders with the first opportunity That Bishops take care of their own Flocks feeding them with sound Doctrine and the Sacraments That they now and then visit their Churches and be careful that the other Ministers do their Duty lest the Wolves break in among the Flock That the Monastick Life be again established in those places where it has been discontinued That nothing be taught in Schools but what agrees with Catholick Doctrine That the Latine Tongue be retained in the Administration of the Sacraments and Ceremonies lest they should fall into contempt if the People understood the Language That that which is commonly called the Canon of the Mass remain entire and be pronounced with a low Voice that the dignity of those dreadful Mysteries may be kept up That nothing be changed in the usual Ceremonies That Salt Water Hearbs the Paschal Lamb New Fruits also Churches Chalices Altars Copes Vestments and Vessels be Consecrated by Prayer against the Snares of the Devil and Charms That Wax Tapers also be lighted and Incense offered in Churches That Prayers also be made in Churches and Chapels dedicated to Saints That the Clergy live Temperately and Soberly and avoid Fornication That they put away their Concubines or be punished That the Civil Magistrate assist the Bishops in reforming Discipline and Manners and preserving entire the Liberties of the Church That Diocesan Synods be brought into use again and held twice a year and that in them the Manners and Vices of every one be enquired into That those who cannot otherwise be reformed be Excommunicated That all Men do avoid their Speech and Company And that they be not admitted again to Communion before they
a publick Statute of the Empire they refused not to undergo any burden that should be imposed upon them by the Empire but that the present Case concerned the Salvation of their Souls and Life Eternal That besides the whole weight of the Decree fell upon good and Pious Men for that the Multitude and Rabble who slighted Religion cared not what was or might be enacted though no Man was to be compelled to embrace Faith That they doubted not but the Emperour was a Lover of Peace and Concord but that however if this course should be taken and Men be forced both to think and speak contrary to their Judgment it was very much to be feared lest such and so sudden a change might occasion great Stirs and Commotions That that Book had been framed by Learned Men of whom some had the knowledge of the truth as was apparent enough but that some others had soisted in many things that did not at all agree with the holy Scriptures and the Doctrine of the Fathers as might indeed be demonstrated if Men were allowed to speak That they had made no separation from the rest but that in the chief and fundamental Points of Doctrine they agreed with the true Church That therefore they again desire him to deliver the Letter to the Emperour that accordingly they may acquaint the Senate for that they had no other Instructions Upon that he began to speak a little more huffingly and urged home the Decree upon them then he made a Digression to other Matters and told them how it was talked amongst the great Men in France that the People of Strasburg would not admit of the Decree However that the short and the long of the Matter was that the Emperour expected a clear and positive Answer That no Man indeed was to be compelled to profess any Faith but that that was to be understood of those who were not Christians since they who deny the Faith that they have once received might be compelled by Fire and Faggot To these things the Deputies made Answer That they knew not what the French might talk but that there was no publick Act as yet past in the Senate nor any thing else done in that Affair but what they were not discoursing about That seeing then they would not report these things to the Emperour it was to no purpose to insist any longer and they would acquaint the Senate with what they had done That a Man might indeed be burnt to death but that he could not be forced to believe otherwise than he did And here ended the Conference The Deputies of the other Cities had been before dealt with much after the same manner they had been besides threatned a day prefixed to them by which they should bring their Answer and commanded to tarry till it should come from their Principals But no such thing was imposed upon those of Strasburg As to the Money which the Emperour desired might be raised for future Contingencies the States though they said it would lie heavy upon them yet assented to it They promised King Ferdinand also a Subsidy of an Hundred thousand Florins a year during the time of the Truce On the other hand they desired the Emperour that he would remove his Garisons and all things being now peaceable and quiet disband his Forces that lay quartered up and down and did much hurt both in Town and Country whereby he would relieve the poor People who made sad complaints thereof The Emperour made Answer That for weighty Considerations he could not at that time dismiss his Forces that as for any hurt that was done it was not with his knowledge nor allowance for since they were duly paid by him it was not reasonable they should wrong any body and that they knew to be his will and pleasure That something of that nature had already been brought to his Ears but that upon inquiry hardly any thing could be made out of it that nevertheless he would use all means that he might be certainly informed of the matter and that no Man should go unpunished if he were found to be guilty The States also refer it to the Emperour to Constitute the Imperial Chamber at that time and to add some more Judges to the number at his pleasure they themselves promising to defray the Charges of it This was the issue of the League which had been projected as was said before That all the Emperours Provinces in Germany and the Low Countries be under the Protection and Defence of the Empire and contribute to all publick Exigencies yet so as that they enjoy their own Laws and Jurisdiction and that on the other hand Germany may expect the same Help and Defence from the Provinces of the Emperour THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH BOOK XXI The CONTENTS The Authors of the Book called the Interim are rewarded by the Emperour Many nevertheless do impugne it and upon that account the Duke of Saxony is accused Those of Constance are urged to receive that Book now published Ambushes laid to surprise the City which at length is forced to receive it The Strasburghers write to the Emperour about the Interim and at length admit of it A Sedition ariseth at Bourdeaux A Relation of the Despair of Francis Spira And the strange Conversion of Vergerio to the Reformed Religion The Queen of Scots is carried into France Magdenburg is by the Emperour offered as a prey to the strongest hand The State of England begins to be turbulent The Protector of the Kingdom is sentenced to death and beheaded The Citizens of Strasburg contend with their Bishop They of Wittemberg are by some accused as Adiaphâ—ists or Neuters who by their indifference and double dealing made way for the Popish Impiety Melanchton answers these Disputation in England about the Lords Supper The King of France is received at Paris Vervinus is beheaded The Emperour pursues the Magdenburgers with Edicts Pope Paul the Third dies and horrid things are reported of him The Conclave of Rome is described and the manner of Creating the Pope Mass is begun again at Strasburg An Edict published by the French King against the Lutherans Julius is elected Pope and makes Innocent a Youth who was exceedingly dear unto him a Cardinal ON the last of June the Dyet was dissolved We told you in the Nineteenth Book that the Emperour had persuaded all to submit to the Council upon the assurance given them that he would take care it should be free and lawful Now therefore a Decree is made for the continuation of the Council at Trent the Emperour promising to use his endeavours that it meet there again as soon as conveniently can be Which being effected he requires all especially Churchmen and those of the Augustane Confession that they repair thither upon the safe Conduct that he should give them for that there all matters should be Piously and Christianly debated and determined according to the holy
do further declare to you and yours that you ought to be resposable for all the Calamities which shall ensue in this War you having refused to submit to any just and equal Conditions of Peace And we do not doubt but that Almighty God will rather assist us who seek nothing but the Preservation of our Country than you who have committed great Injuries in and began an unjust War against it When this Declaration was delivered to Albert the Ambassadors of the Elector of Brandenburg were in his Camp who were come to perswade him to a Peace And he having read it called his Commanders together and asked them if they would try their Fortunes with him which they promised him they would and thereupon he called the young Gentleman who brought him the Letter and speaking to him said Your Prince has already thrice broke his Faith with me and done ill by me and this is his fourth Action of the same Nature Let him come and I will try what he can do and this tell him from me And thereupon having according to the Custom given him some Crowns he sent him away Whereupon the Ambassadors who were come to Mediate a Peace addressed themselves to him and said What then Sir shall we do nothing No said he you may go Home But having a little more closely reflected on the Consequences of the War the third of July he sent Erick of Brunswick to the Emperor to inform him That by the Cunning of some Men many Enemies were stirred up against him to the End that not only the Pacts that had been made with him might not be performed but also that he might be driven out of his Country and deprived of his Possessions that there was no doubt but if Fortune favoured their Designs they would soon declare for the French Interest For in truth France had invited them with the Proffer of great Advantages to enter into a new Conspiracy as he could prove And that some of the Electors and great Princes had already conspired to set up a new Emperor That the Imperial Chamber was the only Promoter of the Designs of the two Bishops against him and therefore he desired the Emperor his Majesty would not take it ill that he had been compelled to make use of Force against them He further insisted That his Enemies in order to excite the publick Envy against him had spread abroad a Report as if he had Combined with the Emperor to oppress the Liberty of Germany and that some of the Princes had objected this to him and he said there were Letters to the same purpose spread about Germany which were pretended to be written from Arras that he Levied Forces to assist the Emperor in this Design For that the Emperor intended to send his Son the Prince of Spain and the Duke De Alva to the next Diet that he might there be declared Successor of the Empire That King Ferdinand was so fully perswaded of the Truth of this that he had entred into a League with his Enemies and has saith he declared a War against me he said he had excused this very carefully and to many but yet the suspition got strength every Day and that in truth all the Dangers and Difficulties to which he was exposed arose from no other cause than his adhering to the Emperor Therefore he did most humbly supplicate his Majesty to confirm his Treaty with the Bishops and to undertake the Protection of him and his in Consideration of which he promised he would bring nine Thousand Horse and one Hundred Foot Companies into the Emperors Service when-ever his Majesty should require them In the mean time the Forces of the City of Norimberg and the two Bishops in the Absence of Albert invaded his Territories Whereupon he put out a Declaration against the City of Norimberg accusing them of breaking their Faith and Promises to him and insinuating that by joyning in a League with those two Perfidious Bishops as he called them they seem'd well disposed to re-imbrace the Roman-Catholick Religion They on the other side Printed and Published an Answer soon after relating all things in the order they had happened and beginning with the Actions of the former Year they shew how cruel a War he had begun what Pacts they had made with him how with the Consent of the Emperor they had entred into a League with their Neighbour Bishops How Albert had rejected the most equal Terms the Bishops had offered to him and had nevertheless begun a War upon them how he had lately again Invaded the Territories belonging to this City only because pursuant to their League and in obedience to the Commands of the Imperial Chamber they had sent Succours to their Allies Amongst other ill things which they charged him with they mention this as an Instance of Cruelty which had never been practised by any Man before him That when he had made himself Master of Altorfe and Lawffe two Towns in their Territories he shut up in them not only the Inhabitants of these Towns but a great number of Men which he had brought together out of the Neighbouring Country together with their Cattel and then had Fired the said Towns in many places at the same time and especially at the Gates designing apparently to burn all these People with the Towns and that in this Fire many Women and Children and Aged and Sick Persons who could not make their way either through or over the City Walls were miserably burnt to Death And as to what he alledged concerning their changing their Religion they shew that Pretence was vain for that the League was only entred to the Intent to preserve themselves and theirs from unjust Force And as for Albert they said it was well known how little he regarded any Religion as they could shew by many Instances which they would certainly have inserted here but out of Reverence to the noble House of which he was descended and some other Princes that were his near Relations they would forbear doing it The fifth day of July Sigismond King of Poland Married Catherine one of the Daughters of Ferdinand King of the Romans which Lady had before been the Wife of the Duke of Mantoua Sigismond had before this in the Year 1535 Married Elizabeth another of the Daughters of Ferdinand and Sister of Catherine as I have related above in the fifteenth Book of this History Edward the sixth King of England a Prince of great and unquestioned Vertue and Hope died the sixth day of July as was commonly given out of a Consumption being about sixteen years of Age to the great Grief of all Pious Men. There followed in England after his Death great Changes as I shall relate hereafter There was soon after a report spread abroad that he was Poysoned However it is certain Europe has not in many Ages produced a Prince of so great Expectation From his Infancy he was well instructed in Religion and
he thought it belonged to him to appoint his Successor and the rather because there was a general and common Dispute concerning their Legitimacy and Mary did also profess the Roman Catholick Religion and if she should succeed he had reason to fear the Religion which was then established would be subverted and the Nation be endangered to be brought under the Dominion of a Foreigner He resolved therefore after great deliberation to chuse Jane Duchess of Suffolk Grand-child to Mary the younder Sister of Henry the 8th for his Successor This Resolution being approved by his Council and Nobility and the Mayor of London the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of all England was sent for to Court to sign it But he refused to do it till he had spoken with the King being accordingly admitted into the King's Chamber and having with great freedom discoursed this Business with him at last he consented upon the King 's extream importunity The King died as I have said the 6th of July and the fourth Day after Jane was proclaimed Queen of England and the Instrument was read at the same time reciting how King Edward for great and weighty Causes had with the Consent of his Peers disinherited Mary and Elizabeth his Sisters and transmitted the Succession of the Kingdom to Jane his Cousin The Nobility and People of England were much displeased with this not so much out of affection to the Princess Mary as out of hatred to the Duke of Northumberland there being very few or none who did not look upon him as the Author of this Project that he might bring the Crown into his own Family Whilst these things were thus in agitation the Princess Mary fled to the Castle of Framingham in Suffolk and assuming the Authority of a Queen implored the assistance of her Subjects This being known at London Northumberland levied Forces and with the consent of the Council marched out of the City with an Army to take the Queen But in the Interim that part of the Council which continued in London seeing the dissatisfaction of the People and that great Forces came in to the Assistance of the Queen in Suffolk they thereupon changed their Minds and proclaimed Mary Queen and detained Jane a Prisoner in the Tower. Assoon as the News of this change came to the Camp the Army which neither willingly embraced the Cause nor loved the General revolted also and upon the Receipt of a Letter to that purpose seized the Duke of Northumberland at Cambridge and brought him the 25th day of July a Prisoner into London It is incredible with what Reproaches the People entertain'd him Some call'd him Traytor others Parricide and other the Murtherer of a most innocent Prince For his attempting to set his Daughter-in-Law upon the Throne had caused a mighty Jealousie that he had a long time been forming this Project and in conclusion had hasted the King's Death Afterwards his Children and his Brother were taken into Custody and some other Noblemen and Sir John Cheek the King's Tutor a Person of great Learning and Virtue but this last was soon after dismissed when they had stripp'd him of almost all he had The Third of August Queen Mary entred London and going to the Tower she immediately released the Duke of Norfolk who had been almost seven years a Prisoner there Tonstal Bishop of Durbam and some others who being of the Roman Catholick Religion had been removed from their Sees whom she also restored to their Places again And as for Gardiner Bishop of Winchester though he had in a Printed Book defended the Divorce made by Henry the Eighth of Catherine the Mother of Queen Mary as I have set forth in the Ninth Book of this History yet she notwithstanding made him Lord Chancellor of England which is an Office of the greatest Dignity and Power in that Kingdom When Queen Catherine urged in her Defence the Bull of Pope Julius the Second in Approbation of her Marriage the King on the other side said it was invalid and sent Gardiner who was not then advanced to the Dignity of a Bishop to Pope Clement to procure that Bull to be by him declared void He coming to Rome in February in the Year 1529. earnestly pressed his Errand on the Pope Clement according to the Proverb had then got a Wolf by the Ears and though he was very desirous to please the King yet fearing to offend the Emperor he only said he would write to the Emperor to produce the true Bull. Gardiner consented to this but desired it might be done in two Months and when that time was elapsed that if the Bull were not then produced it might be declared false The Pope thought this way of Proceeding was contrary to the Custom and unjust and endeavoured to appease and quiet the King by good words But Gardiner said on the other side that if what the King desired were not done it would bring great Mischief on the See of Rome The Emperor and Ferdinand his Brother the 27th of April by their Ambassadors express'd their discontent at this and expostulated with the Pope as too too much inclin'd to favour the King and for that he had permitted the Case to be heard in England and at the same time they appointed Proctors to prosecute the Suit in their Names at Rome with large Commissions and Instruction Thereupon the Pope commanded Cardinal Campeio to return back to Rome to which he was induced by a Letter which he had received from Wolsely Archbishop of York wherein he had given the Pope an Account of a new Love the King had entertained as I have set forth in the said Eleventh Book The Twenty second Day of August the Duke of Northumberland having before been tried and found guilty of High Treason and received Sentence of Death was brought upon a Scaffold on Tower-Hill where he made a Speech to the People and amongst other things exhorted them That they should continue stedfast in that Religion which they had received from their Ancestors affirming that he thought all the Calamities which had befallen the English especially since the Death of Henry the 8th proceeded from nothing but their having separated themselves from the rest of Christendom He had for some years before pretended to be of a contrary Opinion and had openly renounced the Roman Catholick Religion and it was said he had been prevailed upon to discourse thus upon Promises of a Pardon And although he ended his Speech with a Protestation that what he had said came from his heart yet some thought he repented it when he had look'd about him and saw there was no refuge to be expected and that he had been impos'd upon by flattering Promises Sir Thomas Palmer Knight who was beheaded at the same time professed the Protestant Religion with great constancy Northumberland was as I have said convicted of Treason and Rebellion and altho there were great Suspicions that he had poyson'd the late
great change that was made in the Publick Religion and the Laws betook themselves to Germany some to Wesel and others to Franckfort and Strasburg John Alasco a Polander of Noble Birth and great Learning who was the Brother of Jerome before this Winter began went thence to Denmark but being not so kindly entertained there on the account of his differing from them in the Point of the Eucharist and being denied an Habitation on the same score in the Lower Saxony at length he went to Emden a City of Friseland and there he setled The Fourth Day of March the Queen put out a Book of Articles or Injunctions wherein she commanded the Bishops and their Vicars not to admit any man into Holy Orders who was suspected of Heresie That they should extirpate Heresies suppress and destroy hurtful and pestilent Books That they should prescribe certain Rules to all School-Masters and Preachers and suppress those who did not conform That they should deprive all Married Priests and punish them as their wickedness deserved but that those who with the consent of their Wives should promise to divorce themselves and to abstain for the future should be treated with more gentleness and that they should restore all those that would do Penance for this Offence to their Livings again That all Publick Prayers should be in the Latine Tongue and according to the ancient Forms That all the ancient Holy-days Fasts and Ceremonies should be again observed That all Children already Baptized when they grew up should be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed And that they should be taught in the Schools how they are to minister to the Priest in the Mass at the Altar When Henry the Eighth abolished the Papal Supremacy in England as I have observed in the Ninth Book of this History he passed an Act of Parliament that no man should be admitted to any Ecclesiastical Function or Dignity unless he had first taken an Oath in which he acknowledg'd him and his Successors Supream Head of the Church of England and that the Pope had no Authority over the Church nor was better than a Bishop of Rome with whom they would have nothing to do This Oath the Queen even now remitted and commanded the Bishops not to exact it of any man and thereby did tacitly restare the Pope's Supremacy That which concerns the Publick Prayers went thus Henry the Eighth had commanded them to be said in the vulgar Tongue and in them amongst other things they prayed that God would deliver them from the Seditions Conspiracies and Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and this Printed Form of Prayer was by this Order of the Queen abolished Soon after this Elizabeth the Queens Sister a Lady of great Learning was committed to the Tower because she was suspected to have had an hand in Wiat's Rebellion In the End of March the Enemies of Albert Marquess of Brandenburg returned to the Siege of Schweinfurt In April there came over into Germany Sir Richard Morison Knight whose Embassie I have mentioned in the Book before this Sir Anthony Cook and Sir John Cheeke Knights both the King's Schoolmasters and Men of great Learning and these all afterwards travelled into Italy And soon after Dr. John Poinet Bishop of Winchester came over also who together with many other Bishops was about this time displaced by reason of this Change of Religion The Forces of the Duke of Florence and the Pope besieging Siena about this time Peter Strozza who defended that City in the Name of the King of France learning something of their state by his Spies on a sudden made a Sally upon them and slew a great number of their Souldiers but they recruited their Army and continued the Siege for all that Loss whereupon the King of France levied Three Thousand Swiss for the relief of that Place The Duke of Florence also marries his Daughter to Ascanio the Pope's Nephew and the Methods of advancing his Fortunes by this Marriage were taken into consideration About this time also Ferdinand Gonzaga Governor of the Duchy of Milan came into Flanders to the Emperor Baptista Castaldus whom the Emperor had sent some years since into Hungary as I have said came also about this time to him About the middle of April Sir Thomas Wiat was executed at London He declared that neither the Lady Elizabeth nor Courtney Earl of Devonshire were acquainted with the Rebellion About the same time Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury and Hugh Latimer Bishop of London were removed first to Windsor and then to Oxford and a Disputation being mannaged against them by the Students both of Oxford and Cambridge the 16th 17th and 18th of April concerning Transubstantiation and the Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass and they continuing stedfast in their Former Opinion they were again committed to Prison At the same time there was a Parliament sate in England wherein the Queen especially recommended to the States her Marriage and the restitution of the Pope's Supremacy The first of these she carried upon certain Conditions but the latter was so vigorously opposed by the Upper House that she could not then bring it about In the mean time Cardinal Poole having spent some time with the Emperor in Flanders went to the King of France and endeavoured to bring these Princes to make a Peace but his Mediation had no good success In the end of April Albert of Brandenburg having received 60000 Crowns set Aumale his Prisoner at Liberty A little before this time Holansperg another of his strong Places was taken from him by the Confederates Not long after this the Emperor being then at Brussels by his Letters confirmed the Outlawry decreed the last Winter in the Imperial Chamber of Spire against the Marquess of Brandenburg in which having complained that the Marquess had with impunity committed such Ravages and made such Devastations in the Empire he in the next place severely commands all the Princes and States and especially those that lay next him to execute the said Sentence against the Marquess There had before this been two Meetings at Rotenburg a City of Franconia upon the River Tauber in order to the putting an end to this War but they being both frustrated the Emperor put out this Decree against him which was set up in all places and soon after there was a Diet of the Circle of the Rhine holden at Worms concerning this Business I have often mentioned the General Diet which was summoned in August but the Emperor being hindred from being present in it both by Sickness and Wars Ferdinand his Brother at his Request undertook the management of it and sollicited the Princes to meet who excused their Appearance there on the account of the troubled state of Germany The Emperor had already sent thither some of his Council and amongst them the Cardinal of Ausburg but none of the Princes coming thither for the Causes aforesaid it was deferred to a fitter opportunity Albert had
it to the Chancellor that it might be read which being done the Chancellor ask'd the States if they ratified it Which being affirm'd by them the King and Queen rose up and presented it to the Cardinal He having read the Petition delivered to them the Bull of his Legation which was also openly forthwith read that all might know that the Pope had given him Power to absolve them after which he made a Speech wherein he shewed them how acceptable Repentance was to God and how much the Holy Angels rejoyced in the Repentance of a Sinner and having given them many Examples of this he gave God great Thanks that inspired into them a Mind desirous of Amendment This being done he arose as did also the King and Queen and their Majesties kneeled down whilst he addressed himself to God imploring his Mercy and beseeching him to look mercifully upon the People and to forgive them their sins And saying that he was sent as Legate from the Pope Christ's Vicar to absolve them he lifted up and stretched out his Hand over them as their manner is blessing all of them and absolving them at the same time From thence they went to the Chappel where solemn Thanks were again offered up to God with much Musick and all the Signs of a Festival Joy according to the Custom of the Nation They who were intimately acquainted with Cardinal Pool and had enjoyed his Conversation and knew his Customs did much admire this Action and did expect something from him very different from what they found The 18th of December the Emperor from Brussels sent a Letter to all the Princes and States of the Empire the Contents of which were these The great Causes for which Albert Marquess of Brandenburg was about a year since out-law'd by the Imperial Chamber of Spire and declared guilty of High Treason have been clearly shewn to you by the Letters of that Chamber which were publickly set up and also by those Letters and Commands you afterwards received from us And whereas I am informed that he stubbornly continues in his said turbulent and seditious Counsels and doth certainly design new Troubles that he may yet further afflict and vex Germany which is our common Countrey and lastly because he has made his Retreat and found shelter and refuge with some I think it necessary to renew the former Sentence for the Welfare of our Countrey I do this the rather because I believe there is not one amongst you who does not love his Countrey and desire that care may be taken for the preservation of himself his Territories and the People and that the ill designs of the said Marquess and his Adherents may be hindred and retarded Wherefore upon the Penalties heretofore proposed I again command That no man presume in any wise to assist him or his Adherents with Help Counsel Entertainment Money Victual or Ammunition and Arms As also I will that every of you make it his greatest care that neither he nor his Adherents may be suffered to gather any Forces or list any Souldiers in the Territories belonging to any of you and that every of you do to the utmost of his Power hinder those within his Territories from running over to the said Marquess and punish all such as shall be found Breakers of this our Order and disobedient to our Commands This Letter was Printed and sent into all Parts The Twenty Ninth Day of December Ferdinand King of the Romans came to Ausburg on the account of the Diet I have so often already mentioned but finding none of the Princes or States there two days after he sent Letters and Envoys to the several Princes representing to them That seeing that there being many things of the greatest moment to be transacted in this Assembly he to his great loss and trouble had left his Territories and was come thither that he might consult with them That they might together consider of the necessary and safe Means of relieving the afflicted state of Germany He therefore earnestly desired that they would forthwith personally come thither and not send their Deputies for such was the greatness of the Cause now under consideration that it could not be well otherwise dispatched That the Emperor his Brother had given him a full Power and that he would not detain them longer than was necessary The Sixteenth of January the Parliament of England was dissolved Amongst many other Acts passed in this Parliament after the Repeal of the Act of Attainder against Cardinal Pool the Acts made in the times of the former Kings R. 2. H. 4. and H. 5. against Hereticks and in favour of the Bishops were revived The Papal Power was entirely restored and whatsoever Acts of Parliament had been made against the See of Rome within Twenty years last past were repealed Most thought the Crown of England would in this Parliament have been given to King Philip but there was nothing of that Nature done In the beginning of February there were Five condemned to be burnt for persisting in the Protestant Religion and refusing to return to the Roman Catholick Religion John Hooper Bishop of Gloucester John Bradford Lawrence Sanders Rowland Taylor a Lawyer and John Rogers all men of eminent Learning The last of these was burnt in London where he had been a Preacher the rest were sent into their respective Countries Gloucester Manchester Coventry and Hadley who all of them suffered Death with great Constancy The 30th of March Ferrar late Bishop of St. Davids was burnt also at Carmarthen by Morgan his Successor in that See. There were also three Ambassadors sent from England to Rome to thank the Pope for his great Clemency shewn to them and promise his Holiness an entire Obedience and Fidelity for the future The Fifth Day of February King Ferdinand opened the Diet at Ausburg though few of the Princes were then arrived there by a Speech wherein he told them That they very well knew for what grand and necessary Causes this Diet had been first appointed to be held at Ulm by the Emperor who had afterwards commanded it to be opened in this City the 13th of November That he for his part desired to have begun it that day pursuant to the Desire and Command of his Brother but that he was kept at home by the necessity of Affairs that so he might secure his Countries from the Insults of a near Enemy in case any Attempt had been made upon them and that he might so order his Affairs at home in this Interval that all things might go regularly forward during his Absence That after this forced Delay he arrived here the 29th of December in order to the holding this Diet. He said The Sum of the Emperor's Desire was That whatever tended to the Glory of God and the Tranquillity of the Empire might be established by the Council of all the Princes and States That as to the Diligence Study Labour and Care which the
Metz that Prince having established there a Garrison a Governour and a President of Justice amongst other things it was there enacted that if any Brother Sister Uncle Tutor or Guardian Prostituted any Woman or Maiden that was under their Charge he should have an Iron Hoop put about his Neck and be so exposed for some time to the scorn hatred and reproaches of all Men and he should be beaten afterwards with Rods and Banished the City and if any Father or Mother should do the same it should be Death Many Men wondred at these Laws and thought it was rather in order to teach Men Crimes that were rarely or never heard of than to restrain them from these Faults But in truth it shews the Corruption of our Times We have often already mentioned the famous Controversy which has been so many Years depending between the Landgrave and William Count of Nassaw concerning the Dominion of Catzenellobogen in the Landgravat of Hassia that an end might be put to this Difference and the rise of greater Mischiefs prevented some of the Neighbour Princes interposed as Honorary Arbitrators To this end the Elector Palatine Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg and William Duke of Cleve met in the beginning of July at Wormes and the Landgrave sent William his eldest Son to manage this Treaty for him There were some Conditions proposed and a Debate insued but at last they resolved to take further time to consider of it and appointed another time to meet and determine it In the mean time the French destroyed as many of the Castles in Montisferrat as they had in their Possession for fear any of them being surprized by the Spaniards might be imployed to hinder the supplying of Casale with Necessaries There was in this Dukedom a strong Castle called Vulpiano which has belonging to it a Town of some moment and was then in the possession of the Spaniards and upon the reception of the Duke de Alva great part of the Forces in these Parts being assembled to welcome their new General he took this opportunity to furnish that Place with Provisions and about the same time the French re-victualled Marienbourg a Town in Hainault which they took the last year from the Emperor About this time also the King of France published an Edict by the perswasion of his Friends commanding all his Presidents to Punish without delay or any regard had to any Appeal all those who by the Ecclesiastical Chancellors and the Inquisitors should be condemned for Hereticks This Edict was by the Cardinal of Lorrain brought into the Parliament of Paris that according to the Custom of France they might approve publish and register it But those Senators being surprized with the novelty of the design because it took away all benefit of Appeals took time to consider of it and some time after sent some of their Members to acquaint the King with their Thoughts of this Edict as I shall set forth in due time There is a City in Switzerland called Lucerne which is the Capital of one of their Cantons and lies not far from Italy The Inhabitants desired they might be suffered to imbrace the Reformation those Cantons which were of the Roman-Catholick Religion hereupon differed amongst themselves whilst some were for the granting this Liberty and others opposed it and it was thought this would have caused some intestine Commotions against them but at last the Party prevailed who were for maintaining the old Religion and that those who were not for it might have their liberty to withdraw Whereupon a great number of the Inhabitants of that City went to Zurich which City was very Hospitable towards them and assisted them with great Liberality About this time the English Ambassadors who were sent to Rome as I have said in the end of the last Book returned home The Pope much approved their Repentance and begging his Pardon But then he would not allow of the retaining of the Church Lands Amongst these Ambassadors was Thirlby Bishop of Ely. The King of Denmark had also sent a Fleet to the Northward which caused various Discourses amongst Men for some said it was done at the Instigation of the Emperor who designed the putting his Son or Brother in the Possession of Scotland others said it was for the Service of the French King others said it was to prevent any attempts might be made by the Emperor or his Son who by the accession of the Crown of England to his other Dominions was become very formidable and it was also thought that on this Score the Hanse Towns ccontributed to the Charge of this Fleet. After all these various Reports had been bandied up and down at last they all vanished and it was said that the Navy was designed against none but the Pirates The State of Rome at this time was also very unquiet the Pope having some of the great Men in suspition and thereupon having doubled the Guards and fixed the military Stations in several places of the City he ordered the Cardinal of Santa Flora Sfortia and Canâ—llus Colona to be Imprisoned Because these were Creatures of the Emperor most Men thought the Pope design'd something further against that Prince which distrust was yet more encreased afterwards upon the Pope's demanding a vast sum of Money which had been lent to Alexander de Medices Duke of Florence and one of the Emperor's Favourites by the two last Popes Clement VII and Julius the III. during the Seige of Siena but in a short time those great Men were discharged upon Bail. About the same time a Fleet failed from Spain for Flanders loaden with all sorts of Merchandize this coming upon the Coast of Normandy the French who had long before heard it was coming set upon it with great Force and there followed an horrible Engagement in which many of their Ships on both fides were burnt and funk and great numbers of the Men perished by Fire and Sword and drowning but in the end the French took some of Spanish Ships and carried them into the Port of Dieppe from whence they came this happened in the Month of August in the end of which Month King Philip left England and went to his Father to Brussels attended by great numbers of the Nobility of England Some few Years since Truccesius Cardinal of Ausburg had opened an University at Diliâ—gbon a City upon the Danube in the Diocess of Ausburg by the Permission and Consent of Julius the III. who confirmed this University by a Bull and gave it great Immunities and Priviledges as may be seen in this Bull which has since been published in Print Amongst many others who about this time retired to this Place was Peter Asoto a Spanish Dominican who had been many years the Emperor's Confessor This Year this Person began an Answer to the Book which contains the sum of the Christian Faith which Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg tendered as I have said by his Ambassadors to the Fathers assembled
be entirely reserved to them But so that those Princes and States in whose Territories the same are shall not hereby lose that civil Right they had before this difference of Religion in and to the said Goods And moreover that they may with the same Goods provide for the necessary Services of the Churches Parishes Alms Hospitals of the Poor and Sick according to their first Constitution without any Consideration of which of the Religions the Person is who shall be thus assisted or relieved and maintained And if upon the account of this Alimony or the manner of it any Difference or Suit shall arise they shall mutually or by consent chuse Arbitrators who having heard the Controversy shall within six Months determine and appoint what shall be deducted for such Uses and Services and conferred or bestowed upon the same And in the mean time till the Suit is thus determined they who are to pay this Allowance shall not be interrupted in their Possession but shall continue to yield and pay during the Suit what they anciently used to give or Pay. In October and November there was a Parliament held in England and most Men thought the Crowning King Philip would have been one of the principal Affairs of it but this was never proposed But the Queen sollicited the restitution of the Abby-Lands because the Pope required it but the great Men and Nobility had got them and therefore nothing could be done in that Affair But the Queen restored the first Fruits and the tenths to the Church During this Session of Parliament certain sharp and virulent Pamphlets were spread abroad in London in which were some things tending to stirring up the Minds of the People against the Spaniards and others for alienating the Mind of the Queen from King Philip her Husband and an Inquisition being made after the Authors of them nothing could be found Before the end of this Parliament Gardiner Bishop of Winchester died of a Dropsie the twelfth of November who was then Lord Chancellor of England which Office in February following was given to Heath Archbishop of York who had travelled with Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury in Germany and did then profess the Reformed Religion About the fifth of November died the Wife of John Frederick Elector of Saxony who was the Daughter of the Landgrave whose Marriage I have mentioned above Francisco Venerio Duke of Venice was deposed for having unfaithfully managed the business of the Corn and sought his own private more than the publick Good. When the Emperor had resigned the Soveraignty and Government of the Low Countries Philip his Son sent Ambassadors to the principal Princes and Cities of Germany to acquaint them with it and to offer them his Friendship and Alliance And at the same time the Ambassadors of King Ferdinand solicited the said Princes and Cities to be present at the day prefixed for the opening of the Diet because a great danger hung over his Head from the Turks who had demanded of him the resigning into his Hands of the Principality of Transylvania which was very strong by Nature and exceeding Fruitful and afforded great numbers of Horsemen He called also a Diet of his own Provinces for the same purpose in which the States of lower Austria desired to have Liberty of Conscience granted them But the King turned them over to the general Diet at Ratisbon for an answer to this and he also appointed them to meet again the thirteenth of January of the next Year at Vienna The Marquess di Marignano dying at Milan the Emperor or his Son sent the Cardinal of Trent to supply his Place and the Duke de Alva was made Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples About Christmas the Pope according to his Custom created some new Cardinals amongst whom he named John Gropper Coadjutant to the Archbishop of Cologne who has been often mentioned by me who refused the acceptance of this Dignity And then Cardinal Pool was first promoted from a Cardinal Deacon to a Cardinal Presbyter and began to say Mass which by the Papal Laws is not allowed to the Deacons In the beginning of January there were horrible Tempests in Saxony Misnia and Bohemia attended with Thunder Lightning and violent Winds which every where did great dammages especially to the Churches In the same Month at Wintertbur a Town of Switzerland two Miles from Zurich in the Night time after Supper a Fire appeared in one of the Turrets of the Church which seemed by its noise and brightness to threaten the Ruin of that Fabrick but when the Inhabitants came to put it out it was a delusion and they found no Fire this happened twice in this Month viz. the fourth and the fourteenth day Some of the Cantons being after this solicited by the Pope went to Rome which caused a very great Suspition in many King Philip being to enter upon his new Government upon the Resignation of his Father began it with a pompous and splendid Entrance the eighteenth day of January into Antwerp which was then the Principal City of those Countries The Persecution of the Protestants in England was then very sharp The thirteenth of January the Deputies and States of Austria met at Vienna as they had been Commanded when the King shewed them in a long and grave Speech how great the danger was which threatned them from the Tarks and therefore admonished them forth with to expedite their Succours aud to grant him Money that he might be in a Condition to repress his Cruelty and Rage Then those which belonged to the lower Austria acquainted him that they were commanded linded by their Principals in the first Place to transact the business of Religion That therefore they informed his Majesty what they had been doing for fourteen years last past how often they had addressed to him and supplicated him in this affair and what kind of Edicts he had in the mean time issued out contrary to their Expectation And therefore say they seeing all our Counsels against the Turks have been disappointed and as yet we have been so far from repressing him that he has rather more and more prevailed against us and has taken many Cities Towns Castles and strong Forts in Hungary and Sclavonia and now hangs over our Heads we may therefore justly aver that it is a manifest Judgment of God who chastiseth us for our Sins and afflicts us because we have not amended our Lives and that in such manner that it is visible that if his Word is not received and a Reformation of Life promoted we shall lose not only our Lives and Fortunes but Eternal Salvation too For though the whole Earth were to Arm against that Enemy whilst it remains in this unreformed state of Life there is no Victory to be hoped for but instead of it Ruin and Destruction as hath often heretofore happened to the most flourishing Kingdoms We did something towards this in the last Convention when
served only to render that sinking Ship more despicable and hated for Queen Elizabeth when she heard of it was nothing concerned at it but immediately she recalled Karn's Powers and commanded him to come home And Popery from hence forward fared very ill in England but then our Affairs have been so exactly described by others and are so well known to English Men That I shall here dismiss them and apply my self wholly to the Foreign Affairs Thuanus observes That this Year there was rather no War than a Peace in Scotland for that the whole Kingdom was imbroiled with Rapines and the burning of Towns two of the principal Nobility of Scotland being carried away captive by the English William Keth Son of the Earl Marshal and Patrick Gray An English Fleet also under the Command of Sir John Clare infested the Scotch Shoars and burnt a Place by my Author called Cracoviaca Kirk-wall Main-Land the principal of the Isles of Orkney which he saith was the Seat of the Bishop and the principal or rather only Town in those Islands which he supposeth was severely chastized by Heaven by a Tempest which soon after dispersed the Fleet leaving a part of the English on the Island who were all slain by the Islanders and Natives This Year also the Reformation of Religion was much agitated tho not effected in Scotland Alexander Somervill Archbishop of S. Andrews with the assistance of the rest of the Churchmen condemned one Walter Mills an old Priest to be burnt for Heresie and banished one Paul Mefan hoping thereby to restore their lost Authority and curb the People but it had a quite contrary effect the patient and chearful Martyrdom of Mills incensing the People to that height that they spoke very freely or as my Author has it Licentiously and Seditiously of the Church-men and a Solemn Procession being made on the first day of September in memory of S. Eugenius or S. Gile's at Edenburgh of which he was Patron whose Image was then carried about with great Pomp the People tore it out of the Hands of those that bore it and threw it into the common Drought having first broke off the Head Hands and Feet of this Wooden Saint the Monks and the rest of his Friends fleeing and leaving him to shift for himself The Clergy seeing their Authority thus sinking assembled in a Synod the ninth of November to try if the seting a good Face and pretending great Confidence would retrieve their sinking Cause But they of the Reformed Party on the contrary of all Degrees exhorted one another to persevere in the Truth and not to suffer themselves to be oppressed by a small and weak number of Men For if say they these Men proceed by Legal Courses we shall be too hard for them if they make use of Force we are a Match for them They drew up an Address also to the Queen Regent which they sent unto her by one James Sandelands an Honourable Baron and of great account in it desiring That the Publick Prayers and Administration of the Sacraments might be in the Vulgar Tongue and that the Ministers might be elected by the People The Regent tho' a zealous Catholick yet fearing a Tumult commanded the Priests to say the Prayers in the Scotch Language The same Demands were made by the Nobility of the Synod then assembled at Edinburgh Who replyed That they must abide by the Orders of the Canon-Law and the Decrees of the Council of Trent The Nobility perceiving them thus averse to a Reformation sent one John Aresken of Dundee a learned Man to appease them who with great respect besought them At least to grant the People the use of the publick Prayers in their Mother Tongue The Clergy would nevertheless abate nothing of their former Severity and the Queen regent by their Persuasion soon recalled what had been extorted from her But the Death of Queen Mary of England and the Succession of Queen Elizabeth which happened this Month soon turned the Scales and gave her Cause to repent her too great obstinacy The Learned Spotiswood observes That this Mills was the last Martyr that dyed in Scotland for Religion That Patrick Lermoth Bailiff of the Regality absolutely refused to pass Sentence of Death as a Judge upon him after the Bishop had delivered him up to the Secular Power that in the whole City of S. Andrews a Cord was not to be had for Money so that they were forced to take one of the Cords of the Archbishop's Pavilion to tie him to the Stake It had been good Prudence to have desisted when they saw the whole Body of the People thus bent against them but they were hurried on to their Ruine by a blind Rage The People of Scotland were no less incensed on the other Side and resolved openly to profess the Reformed Religion binding themselves by Promise and Subscription to an Oath That if any should be called in question for matters of Religion at any time hereafter they would take Arms and joyn in defence of their Religion and Brethren against the Tyranny and Persecution of the Bishops The principal Men who joyned in this Bond were Archibald Earl of Argile Alexander Earl of Glencarne James Earl of Morton Archibald Lord of Lorne Sir James Sandelands of Calder John Erskin of Dun and William Maitland of Lethington To this Bond vast numbers throughout the Kingdom subscribed so that they found their numbers were at least equal to those that opposed them A CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION BOOK II. The CONTENTS The Deaths and Characters of Frederick I and Christian II Kings of Denmark Frederick II conquereth Dietmarsh The Affairs of Italy New Bishopricks erected in the Low-Countries King Philip desirous of a Peace with France that he might be at leisure to extirpate Heresie That Design discovered to the Prince of Orange The Diet of Germany Conditions proposed in it by the Protestants for a Council The Emperor confirms the Peace of Passaw The French Ambassadors come to the Dyet The Life and Death of David George a famous Impostor The Treaty of Cambray produces a Peace at last The Peace occasioneth a Persecution in France The King goes to the Parliament of Paris to awe it into a Compliance Yet some retain their Freedom at the Price of their Lives The King's Answer A French Synod held by the Protestant Ministers The Protestant Princes of Germany write to the King of France in the behalf of the Persecuted A Commission issued to Try the suspected Members of Parliament Du Bourg first Tried The sad condition of France during the Persecution Henry II slain The various Characters of that Prince Francis II succeeds him a Lad of Sixteen Years of age The Persecution goes on Slanders against the Protestants Du Bourg Condemn'd Minart a Persecutor Assassinated Du Bourg Executed His Character The rest of the Members of Parliament restored King Philip prepares for Spain He takes Ship at Flushing Arrives in Spain Raiseth
setting forth That since the Marriage of their Queen to the Dauphine of France the Government of Scotland had been chaâ—â—ed the French Soldiers laid all waste The principal Employments were given to Frenchmen their Forts and Castles put into their Hands and their Money adulterated to their Advantage That the Design was apparently to possess themselves of Scotland if the Queen should happen to die without Issue Cecil who was the Queens Prime Minister imployed Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland to find out what the Lords of the Articles designed and what Means they had to attain their Ends and upon what Terms they expected Succours from England They said They desired nothing but the Glory of Jesus Christ the sincere Preaching of the Word of God the extirpation of Superstition and Idolatry the Restraint of the Fury of Persecution and the Preservation of their ancient Liberties That they knew not for the present how to effect this but they hoped the Divine Goodness which had begun the Work would bring it to its desired End with the Confusion of their Enemies That they earnestly desired to enter into a Friendship with the Queen of England to the Preservation of which they would Sacrifice their Lives and Fortunes The Consideration of these things was not warmly entertained in England be cause the Scots had little Money and were not over-well cemented among themselves so they were only advised Not to enter rashly into a War. But as soon as the English knew that the Marquess of Elboeuf the Queen of Scots Unkle was listing Men in Germany by the Rhinegrave for a War in Scotland That Cannons were sent to the Ports and Preparations amde to conquer that Kingdom and that in greater Quantities than seemed necessary to reduce a few unarmed Scots That the French to draw the Danes into this War had proffered That the Duke of Lorrain should renounce his Right to Denmark And that they were renewing their Solicitations with the Pope To give a declaratory Sentence for the Queen of Scot against the Queen of England Thereupon Sir Ralph Sadler a wise Man was sent to the Earl of Northumberland and Governour of the middle Marches on the Borders of Scotland to assist him and Sir James Croft Governour of Berwick The English Council could not see whither all this tended unless the French designed to invade the Kingdom of England as well as assume the Title and Arms of it Upon this the Council of England began to consider in good earnest and with great Application of the Scotch Affairs it was thought a thing of very ill and dangerous Example that one Prince should undertake the Protection of the Subjects of another Prince who were in Rebellion But then it was thought impious not to assist those of the same Religion when persecuted for it And it was certainly a great Folly to suffer the French the sworn Enemies of England when they challenged the Kingdom of England too and were at Peace with all the rest of the World to continue armed in Scotland which lay so near and convenient for the Invasion of England on that side which had the greatest number of Roman Catholicks both of the Nobility and Commons This was thought a betraying the Safety and Quiet of the whole Nation in a very cowardly manner And therefore it was concluded It was no Time now for lazy Counsels but that it was best to take up their Arms and as the English Custom was To prevent their Enemies and not stay till they should begin with us It was always as lawful to Prevent an Enemy as to repel him and to defend our selves the same way that others Attack us That England could never be Safe but when it was Armed and Potent and that nothing could contribute more to this End than the securing it against Scotland That in order to this the Protestants of Scotland were to be protected and the French Forces driven out of it and this was not to be done by Consultations but by Arms. That the neglect of these Methods had not long since lost Calais to our great Hindrance and Shame That a little before whilst the French pretended to preserve the Peace with great Fidelity they had surprized the Fort of Ambleteul and some other Places near Bologne and by that means forced the English to surrender that important Place That we must expect the same Fate would attend Berwick and the other Fronteer Garrisons if they did not forthwith take Arms and not rely any longer on the French Pretences of maintaining the Peace which were never to be believed their Counsels being secret their Ambition boundless and their Revenues immense so that it was then a Proverb in England France can neither be Poor nor Quiet three Years together And Queen Elizabeth was used to say that Expression of Valentinean the Emperour was good Francum amicum habe at non vicinum Let a Frank be thy Friend but not thy Neighbour So that upon the whole it was concluded That it was Just Honest Necessary and our Interest to drive the French as soon as was possible out of Scotland Hereupon William Winter Master-Gunner in the Fleet was sent with a Fleet to Edinburgh Frith who to the great terror of the French fell upon their Ships of War on that Coast and their Garrison in the Isle of Inchkeith The Duke of Norfolk then Lieutenant of the North was also sent towards Scotland William Lord Grey who had well defended Guines against the French tho' unsuccessfully was made Governour of the Eastern and Middle Marches and Thomas Earl of Sussex who had been Lieutenant of Ireland in the Reign of Queen Mary was sent thither again with the same Character and commanded to have a particular care the French did not excite the barbarous and superstitious Irish to a Rebellion under the Pretence of Religion The French in the interim were not idle but the Regent reproach'd the Lords of the Congregation so the Protestants were call'd in a Proclamation that they had brought Englishmen frequently into their Houses that came with Messages unto them and returned Answers back to England though they made no Answer to them because they did not think it convenient either to deny it or openly to Avow it for the present and the King of France and Queen Mary wrote each a distinct Letter to the Lord James Stewart threatning him with Punishment as his wickedness deserved and by Word of Mouth let him know That he would rather lose the Crown of France than not be revenged on the Seditious Tumults raised in Scotland And one Octavian a French Captain landed soon after with a French Regiment great Sums of Mony and Ammunition of War and was forthwith sent back by the Regent for one hundred Horse and four Ships of War and in the mean time she fell to Fortifie Isith or Leith expelling all the former Inhabitants and making it a Colony of French only it being a Sea-Port-Town
fit to receive Supplies and a Place that might serve the French Companies for a Refuge if they should happen to be reduced to any great streight This was done about September as appears by a Letter of the Nobility about it in that Month. The Regent's Reputation was by this time at so low an Ebb that nothing she said was believed and all she offered suspected About this time M. Pelleuce Bishop of Amiens afterwards Bishop of Sens arrived at Leith attended by three Doctors of the Sorbon Furmer Brochet and Feretier he pretended he came to dispute with the Preachers of the Congregation and he sent to some of the Nobility residing then at Edinburg desiring a Hearing But for fear their Arguments might not prove so effectual as was expected Le Broche a French Knight came over at the same time with two thousand Foot to reinforce their Sylogisms The Congregation-Nobility reject however their armed Logick and would have nothing to do with them The Eighteenth of October the Lords assembled their Forces at Edinburg and the Regent with the Bishop of St. Andrews Glasgow Dunkeld and the Lord Seaton the same day entred Leith And some Messages having pass'd betwixt them they proceeded so far at last as to suspend the Queen-Regent's Commission discharging her of all Authority till the next Parliament prohibiting the Officers to serve under her or by colour of her Authority to exercise their Offices from thenceforth This Decree bears Date the Twenty third of October The Twenty fifth they summoned the Town of Leith commanding all Scots and Frenchmen to depart within twelve hours But failing in this Attempt the Regent took Edinburg and restored the Mass there and all those of the contrary Religion were forced to flee into England or where they could find shelter Hereupon the Queen sent for more Forces and the Marquis d' Elboeuf was sent from Diep with eighteen Ensigns of Horse which were dispersed at Sea by Tempest so that he arrived not at Leith before the Spring of the next year The Lords retired first to Sterling and then to Glasgow where they reform'd all things after their usual manner and in the mean time they sent William Maitland and Robert Melvil to Queen Elizabeth where at last they obtained what they designed in the manner I have express'd The French hearing this resolved to suppress the Lords before the English should come up to their Assistance and thereupon began to waste and spoil the Country to Sterling but though they met with little Resistance yet they could not attain their End. In February an Agreement was made between the English and the Scotch Commissioners sent by the Lords for the Preservation of the Scotch Liberties and Freedoms from a French Conquest and for the Expulsion of the French Forces out of Scotland the Articles of which were Sign'd the Twenty seventh of that Month. About this time the English Fleet under Captain Winter came up and took all the French Ships in the Fyrth of Edinburg which much amazed the French who were then marching for St. Andrews by the Sea-side whereupon they returned to Leith About the same time the Lords of the Congregation reformed Aberdene but the Earl of Huntley coming up in good time saved the Bishop's Palace which had else been reformed to the Ground The English Land-Forces to the number of two thousand Horse and six thousand Foot entred Scotland under the Command of the Lord Gray in the beginning of April The English at first beat the French into Leith and battered the Town very diligently but remitting in their Care and Industry the French made a Sally out of Leith and cut off a great number of the English which made them more vigilant The last of April a Fire happened in the Town which burnt the greatest part of it with much of the Soldiers Provisions The Seventh of May the Town was Storm'd but the Ladders proving too short an hundred and sixty of the English were slain and nothing was gain'd Soon after there came up two thousand English more In the mean time the French King sent to Queen Elizabeth that if she would withdraw her Army out of Scotland he would restore Calais to her To which she replied She did not value that Fisher-Town so much as to hazard for it the State of Britain Thereupon the French perceving no Peace could be had without the French were recall'd out of Scotland and disdaining to treat with the Scots who were their Subjects they began a Treaty with the Queen of England In the mean time Mary of Lorain Queen Regent of Scotland died in the Castle of Edinburg the Tenth of June partly of Sickness and partly of Displeasure Before her Death she sent for the Duke of Wastellerand the Earl of Argile Glencarne Marshall and the Lord James and bewailing the Calamities of Scotland prayed them to continue in Obedience to the Queen their Soverign and to send both the French and English out of the Kingdom so asking their Pardon and granting them hers she took her leave with many Tears kissing the Nobility one by one and giving the rest her Hand to kiss She was a Wife Good Religious Princess full of Clemency and Charity and would doubtless have prevented the Calamities of Scotland which befel there in the end of her days if she had been left to her own Measures but being governed by the Orders of France she was forced to do and say what she did to her great dishonour and disquiet which too at last ended in the Ruine of those she most desired to Promote as it always happens in Breach of Faith. She would often say That if her own Counsel might take Place she doubted not but to compose all the Dissention within that Kingdom and to settle the same in a perfect Peace upon good Conditions Soon after her Death or as Thuanus saith a little before it Embassadors from France and England came to Edinburg who sending for the Scoth Nobility began to treat about the sending the French out of Scotland which was at last agreed and the Sixteenth of July the French embark'd on the English Fleet for France and the English Army the same day began their march by Land for Berwick and the Fortifications of Leith and Dunbar were dismantled but sixty Frenchmen were left to keep the Castle of Dunbar and the same number the Isle of Inchkeeth until the States should find means to maintain the said Forts upon their own Charges from all Peril of Foreign Invasion In August the Parliament met which established a Confession of Faith contrary to the Roman Religion and pass'd three other Acts one for Abolishing the Pope's of Jurisdiction and Authority another for Repealing the Laws formerly made in favour of Idolatry and a third for the Punishing the Hearers and Sayers of Mass and with these Acts Sir James Sandelands was sent into France for the Royal Assent of the King
as Honourable Terms as he could get The 28th of July the Articles were Signed the next day there came sixty Ships and 1800 men to the Relief of the place but it was too late so the English that remain'd were sent on Board the Fleet who had the misfortune to carry this Plague with them into England and within one year there died in London only 21530 persons of this Disease There was so much joy in France for the recovery of this small place that the Chancellor of France said openly That now the most malicious must needs confess That the granting Liberty of Conscience had at once delivered France from a most destructive Civil War united the Princes of the Blood Royal and enabled them to recover too what had been seized by their Enemies during the War and that chiefly by the help of the Protestants who before were so dreadful to them whilest they fought for their Religion The Queen to cut off all pretences to the Guardianship of the King by the advice of the Chancellor resolved to have him declared out of his Minority by the Parliament of Roan pursuant to a Constitution of Charles the Fifth King of France made in the year 1373 tho' he had then entered only into the Fourteenth year of his age which was accordingly done the 19th of August when he declared again That he was resolved not to suffer his Edicts to be disputed by his Subjects as had been done during his Minority and especially the last for the peace of Religion which he was resolved to make all his Subjects obey till it was otherwise setled by a Council This Decree met with some opposition from the Parliament of Paris which pretends to be the Supreme Court of that Kingdom and said they ought to have had the honour of declaring the King of Age and no other which was soon over-rul'd The desire I had to prosecute the Affairs of France and the Story of the Council of Trent has kept me from mentioning Scotland and its Affairs so that I am behind hand with that Kingdom two years In the beginning of the year 1562 Mary Queen of the Scots took her Progress towards the North At Sterling she was Petition'd by certain Commissioners of the Church for the Abolishing of the Mass and other Superstitious Rites of the Roman Religion the punishing Blasphemy the contempt of the Word of God the Profanation of the Sacraments the Violation of the Sabbath Adultery Fornication and other like Vices condemn'd by the Word of God but not punishable by the Laws of Scotland That all Suits for Divorce should be remitted to the Judgment of the Church or at least trusted to men of good knowledge and conversation and that Popish Church-men might be excluded from places in the Session and Council This Petition being read by the Queen she replied That she would do nothing to the prejudice of the Religion she professed and that she hoped before a year was expired to have the Mass and Catholick Profession restored through the whole Kingdom And so in a rage turn'd her back and left them In January 1563. John Hamilton Archbishop of St. Andrews was committed to the Castle of Edinburgh for saying and hearing Mass the Abbot also of Corsragnal and Prior of Withern had the same treatment and divers Priests and Monks were censured for the same cause The Scots thought by these Severities to terrifie the Queen into a compliance with their Religion And it is certain that in a Parliament held at Edinburgh in May this year she passed many Acts in favour of the Reformation However certain it is some of the Protestants made her an ill requital For in August following certain of the Queens Family remaining in the Palace of Edinburgh call'd Holy-Rood House and having a Priest to attend them and perform the Romish Service in the Chapel divers of the Inhabitants of Edinburgh out of curiosity or devotion resorting thither great offence was taken at it and the Preacher began to complain of it as a disorder Whereupon some of the Citizens went thither to see if it were so these being denied Admittance they forced the Gates of the Queens Palace took several of those who were there assembled and carried them to prison the Priest and some few others escaping by a Postern or Back-door This Uproar was very great and yet it was related to the best advantage to the Queen who was then out of Town she was very much incensed as she had good reason against these Zealots and swore she would shortly make them Examples of her Royal Indignation The Earls of Murray and Glencarne however wisely interposed and appeased her anger for the present Soon after John Knox was call'd before the Council and charged as the only Author of this Insolent Sedition and likewise for stirring up the people by his Circular Letters to Tumults whenever he thought fit He answered That he was never a Preacher of Rebellion nor loved to stir up Tumults contrariwise he always taught the People to obey their Magistrates and Princes in God. As to the Convocation of the Subjects he had received from the Church a Command to advertise his Brethren when he saw a necessity of their Meeting especially if he saw Religion to be in peril And had often desired to be discharged of that burthen but stil was refused Then speaking to the Queen with wonderful boldness He charged her in the name of Almighty God as she desired to escape his heavy wrath and indignation to forsake that Idolatrous Religion which she profess'd and by her power maintain'd against all the Statues of the Realm He was going on when the Earl of Morton then Chancellor of Scotland fearing the Queen might be yet more exasperated against all the Protestants of her Kingdom by his indiscreet zeal commanded him to hold his peace and go away After this things were carried more peaceably between the Queen and the Church the Earl of Murray making it his business to propound their Petitions to her and to return her Answers to them FINIS A TABLE OF THE Principal Matters Contained in this HISTORY A. ADiaphorists who Pag. 478 481. Adolph Count Schawenburg is made Archbishop of Cologne by the Pope 417. Enters upon the Resignation of the Archbishop 418. His first Mass 457. Makes his publick Entry into Cologne 499. He leaves Trent 543. He makes a League with the House of Burgundy 560. Adrian succeeds Leo X. 50. Sends a Legate to the Diet of Nuremberg 54. And a Breve to Frederick Ibid. Writes a long Letter to the States assembled at Nuremberg 55. And to Private Persons against Luther 56. As also to the Senate of Strasburg Ibid. An account of his Life Ibid. He is chosen Pope 57. Writes to the College of Cardinals Ibid. And to the People of Rome Ibid. Goes to Rome Ibid. His Instructions to the Diet at Nuremberg 58. Desires an Answer to them 60. Dies
Landgrave of Hesse an Account of a Confederacy of the German Princes 114. Beghardi vide Picards Belgrade vide Solyman Bellay Sieur de Langey sent by K. Francis to Smalcald 183. His Speech to the Protestants there Ibid. Dies 309. S. Bernard his Letter to P. Eugenius 24. Bern the Cantons of Bern desire a Publick Dispute at Bern 110. They Publish Theses of Disputation 111. There is a Disputation held Ibid. They abolish Popery 112. They join with the Zurichers to stop Provisions to the other Cantons 155. They are slack in sending the Zurichers Relief 156. Bichling Count condemned to die for siding with the French 326. Is pardoned Ibid. Blancer Ambrose disputes at Bern 111. Preaches up the Reformed Religion at Constance 112. Leaves his Monastery Ibid. Assists Bucer in constituting a Protestant Church at Ulm. 149. Bohemians Communicate in both Kinds 26. Their Suppression consulted about in the Fourth Lateran Council 27. Sects amongst them 53. They invade Saxony unwillingly 408. They return Home 409. They refuse to Fight against the Elector of Saxony 417. The Nobility of Prague desire a Convention to be called 420. A League amongst them Ibid. They Write to Ferdinand and Duke Maurice 423. They Write to the Moravians to defend their Liberties 424. They Write to Ferdinand interceding for the Duke of Saxony 425. And prepare for War. Ibid. They stand by the Duke of Saxony 426. They promise to comply 427. Pope Boniface the 8th appointed a Jubile every 100 Years 9. Book Printed in French against the Hucksters of Sacred things 178. An Account of it Ibid. Boors rise in Swaben 76. Are quieted Ibid. Rise again there 79. Publish their Demands Ibid. They treat with the Deputies of the Empire at Ulm. 80. They are Routed by George Truchses at Lippen Ibid. The Boors in Algow disperse themselves Ibid. They Rise in Franconia Ibid. Killed Count Helfenstein at Winsperg Ibid. Are Routed by Truchses 81. He punishes those who killed Count Helfenstein Ib. Another body takes Wirtzburg Ibid. Are Routed by Truchses Ibid. Vp in Lorrain Ibid. There Defeated Ibid. And every where else in Germany Ibid. Many killed Treacherously after Promise of Life Ibid. The demands of the Boors in Schwabia 90. Bourbon vide Charles D. of Bourdeaux a Sedition there 474. Quelled and the Inhabitants Punished Severely 475. Brandenburg Duke of Appeals to a General Council from the Bishop of Bamberg 152. Brandenburg Elector vide Joachim the Marquesses of Brandenburg act against the Protestants 376. Bremer's Answer to the Proposals made to them by the Princes 502. Brentius John in great Distress at Hall about the Interim 461. Received by the D. of Wirtemberg 462. He draws up a Confession of the Divines in the Dutchy and is esteemed by the Duke 515. Bruly Peter Preaches the Reformed Religion in the Netherlands 341. Is seized upon at Tournay Ibid. The Protestants in Germany intercede for him Ibid. He is Examined 342. Burnt Ibid. Brunswick Hen. D. of hot against the Protestants 239. His Letters to the Bishop of Mentz and Eldo intercepted by the Landgrave 246. He Quarrels with the Elector of Saxony 247. Accuses the Protestants 267. Hires Incendiaries to burn some Towns in Saxony 275. Who is accused of it to the Emperor Ibid. He is thrown out by the Saxon and the Landgrave 298. Appeals to the Imperial Chamber 304. Protestants in the Diet of Spire 319. The Story of the Dukes Mistress Eve Trottine 322. He answers the Calumnies of the Confederates 323. His Country sequestred into the Emperor's Hands 326. He cheats the French King of his Money 351. His Dutchy sequestred to the Emperor 352. He is Obstinate Ib. Raises an Army 352. Makes great spoil in the Dutchy of Brunswick Ibid. Is opposed by the Landgrave 353. Emploies D. Maurice to Mediate for him Ibid. Breaks the Truce Ibid. Fights the Landgrave 354. Surrenders at Discretion Ibid Offers to betray the Popish Councils to the Landgrave 388. Is set at Liberty and goes to the Emperor at Hall 432. Commences his Actions against the Landgrave in the Imperial Chamber 474. Besieges Brunswick 500. Outed of his Country by Volrat Count Mansfield 576. Complains of it to the Emperor at Metz. Ibid. Leagues with Maurice 578. Plagues his Westphalian Neighbours 579. Routs Albert 591. Besieges Brunswick 593. Makes an Agreement with John Frederick D. of Saxony Ibid. Prosecutes the War in Albert's Country 594. Raises Money from the Cities in the lower Saxony 602. Bucer Mart. meets Luther at Marpurg 121. Endeavours to unite Luther and Zuinglius 141. Constitutes a Church at Ulm 149. Goes to Cologne at Gropper's Invitation 288. Is kindly received by the Bishop Ibid. Preaches at Bon 310. Is opposed by the Clergy of Cologne 311. Opposes Malvenda about Justification at Ratisbon 359. Goes from the Conference Ibid. Is sent for to Ausburg 454. Rejects the Interim 457. Goes into England 479. And dies at Cambridge 513. Buda Besieged by Ferdinand 284. Taken by Solyman by a Trick 285. Budaeus Will. dies 269. Bull de Coena Domini what 42. Bull Golden what 19. Buren Maximilian Count of comes to assist the Emperor 397. He joins the Emperor 403. Takes Darmstadt 414. And Frankfort upon Composition Ibid. Dies 478. C CAden Mich. sends an Account to Nuremberg of their Ambassadors being confined at Piacenza 125. Presents a Protestant Book to Charles ibid. For which he is in danger ibid. But makes his Escape ibid. Caesar Leonard Burnt for Relgion 110. Calvin John Preaches at Strasburg 241. Answers Cardinal Farness's Speech against the Protestants 266. Writes an Antidote against the Sorbonâ— Doctors and a Book of Reliques 314. Is expelled Geneva 616. Campegio Cardinal goes to Nuremberg 66. Writes to the Elector Frederick Duke of Saxony 67. His Speech to the Princes of the Empire 68. His Reply to their Answer 69. His Answer to the Deputies from Strasburg 73. makes a Speech at the Diet at Worms 271. Capua Nich. Archbishop of Capua against Reformation 238. Sends a Copy of the Draught into Germany ibid. Caracciolus Martinus sent to Frederick by the Pope against Luther 38. Made a Cardinal 39. Cardinal The Delegate Cardinals draw a Model of Reformation 233. The Cardinals at the Council of Trent answer Mendoza's Speech 360. Carolostadius Andrew disputes with Eckius at Leipzick 22. Pulls down Images at Wittemberg 52. Goes over to the Enthusiasts ibid. Writes against Luther about the Eucharist 97. Excuses himself from being engaged with the Boors ibid. Begs Luther's Protection ibid. Capnio vide Reuchlin Cajetan Tho. Card. sent by Pope Leo to the Diet at Ausburg 4. Exhorts the Princes of the Empire to defend it against Selymus the Turk ibid. Treats with Luther at Ausburg 7. Commands Stupits to treat privately with Luther 8. Exclaims against the Council of Constance in the Council of Lateran 10. Writes to Frederick complaining against Luther ibid. Publishes Leo's Bull at Lintz 12. Sends it to the Bishops of Germany ibid. Exasperated the Breach of Luther 24. Casa John Archbishop of
give in their Opinion of it 547. Cheregatus Franciscus Legate to P. Adrian at Nuremberg 57. Cities of the Empire complain against the Diet at Normiberg 65. and in the Diet of Spire against the Decree of Wormes 103. They complain against Mendicant Friars 104. Immunities of the Clergy Ibid. And against Holy daies Ibid. Cities for the Reformed Religion Protest against the Decree of Spire 120. Are for acknowledging Ferdinand King of the Romans 151. Some Cities quarrel at the Taxes laid at Coblentz to carry on the War at Munster 198. Catholick Cities complain that they are Excluded from the Princes Councils at Ratisbon 282. Some Cities refuse at Spire to grant subsidies against the French 326. They refuse to submit to the Council of Trent at Augsbourg 440. Clareback Adolph Burnt at Cologne for Religion 121. Clement the V. inserts into the Canon-Law that Emperors are Subject to the Pope 38. Clement the VII succedes to Adrian 66. Sends Cardinal Campegio to the Diet at Nuremberg Ibid. Writes to D. Frederick of Saxony Ibid. Sends a Golden Rose to Henry the VIII of England 75. Writes to the Parliament of Paris 97. Enters into a League with Charles the V. 105. Writes expostulatory Letters to him 106. Writes to the King of Poland to be ready to send Deputies to a General Council 142. Sends a Legate to the Duke of Saxony 162. His Legate's Speech to the Duke of Saxony Ibid. Goes to Marseilles to meet Francis 168. Marries his Neice Catharine de Medicis to his Son Henry Ibid. Dies 174. Cleve Duke of Cleve sues to the Emperor for Guelderland 266. His Treaty with the French King 277. Marries the Queen of Navarre's Daughter Ibid. Retakes Duren 304. A Pacification Attempted between him and the Emperor 307. Submits to the Emperor 315. Renounces his League with France and demands his Wife 316. Intercedes with the Arch-Bishop of Cologne to lay down his Bishoprick 418. Coblentz a Town in the Bishoprick of Triers upon the Confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle 13. Some Princes meet there to quiet the Stirs of Munster 197. Cologne Vniversity Condemns Luther's Writing 27. Condemn and burn Reuchlin's Book 30. The Elector of Cologne Herman calls a Provincial Council 209. Endeavours a Reformation 310. Confers with Bucer Ibid. Oppos'd by the Clergy 311. Who Publish their Anti-Didagma Ibid. And oppose Bucer Ibid. The Bishop Mediates for the Duke of Cleve 313. The Clergy plead against their Arch-Bishop 340. They appeal to the Pope and Emperor Ibid. The Arch-Bishop Answers their appeal Ibid. They Subscribe the Appeal 341. The Arch-Bishop is cited by the Emperor and the Pope 351. Answers to his Citation to the Emperor 352. Appeals to a Council 411. The Arch-Bishop is deposed by the Pope 417. He is Perswaded to resign his Bishoprick 418. Vide Adolph Count Schauwenbourg Herman the Old Bishop dies 573. Conclave The Ceremonies there practised in the choosing of Popes 489. Confederate Princes against Charles the V. propose conditions to him 109. Vide Maurice Consecrations of all Sorts Bells Churches Altars c. 481 482. Constance Council decreed a Pope subject to a Council 9. That safe Conducts should be Null to declared Hereticks 47. That the Laity should Communicate in one Kind Ibid. The Bishop of Constance Hugh opposes Zuinglius 51. Sends a Book about Images to the Senate at Zurich 72. They abolish Popery 112. They send Deputies with humble Submission to the Emperor 469. Their Bishop dies of an Apoplexy Ibid. They repulse the Spaniards who would seize the Town 470. Vpon their being proscribed they desire the Switzers to intercede for them 471. They surrender intirely to the House of Austria 474. The Conditions upon which K. Ferdinand receives them ibid. Contarini Card. the Pope's Legate at Ratisbon his Opinion at the Diet 279. His Exhortation to the Bishops 280. His Speech is communicated to the States ibid. He gives in other Papers to the Diet 281. Protests by Letter against a National Council 282. Accused to the Pope and dies 299. Cosimo succeeds Alexander de Medicis in the Dutchy of Florence 210. Marries Eleanor Daughter to the Viceroy of Naples ibid. Cosmus vide Cosimo Coyre Bishop of Coyre recalled by the Grisons from the Council of Trent 529. Cranmer Tho. A. B. of Canterbury calls Bucer and Fagius into England 479. Vindicates himself from the aspersions of the Papists 590. Is sent to the Tower ibid. Burnt at Oxford ibid. Crescentio Cardinal the Pope's Legate at the Council of Trent 518. Dies at Verona 548. Falls sick with seeing an Apparition of a Black Dog ibid. Cronberg Walter Grand Master of the Teutonick Order 99. Sollicites Char. V. for aid against Albert the late Grand Master 139. VVhich was granted ibid. The Emperor in the Diet of Ratisbon ratifies Cronberg's Title 161. Cusanus Nicolaus Cardinal vide Sigismund D DEcius Philip writes for the Council of Pisa 27. Denmark vide Christiern K. of Denmark sent no aid to the Protestants 415. His Ambassador intercedes for the Landgrave 534. Deux-Ponts vide Wolfgang D. of Deux-Ponts Diazi John goes to the Conference at Ratisbon 365. Is earnestly perswaded by Malvenda to turn Papist 366. And by his Brother Alfonso Diazi ibid. Goes to Newbourg ibid. Is Assassinated there 367. The Ruffians fled to Inspruck ibid. Ditlebius Valentine his Letter to Frederick 33. Doria Andrew a Genoese Char. V's Admiral restores Liberty to his Country 416. His Kinsman Joannin Doria is killed in an Insurrection ibid. Dragut a Pirate forced from Tripoly by Char. V. flies to Constantinople 500. E EBleben Christopher Negotiates a Peace for the Landgrave 430. Dies for Grief that the Conditions were so treachersouly kept 434. Eckius John Writes against Luther 3. Disputes with him at Leipzick 21. Maintains the Pope's Supremacy against him 22. Exasperates the Quarrel 24. 34. Disputes at Baden with Oecolampadius 105. Disputes with Leonard Caesar 110. Answers the Augustan Confession 130. Answers the Confession of the Confederate Cities 139. Is rewarded for his zeal in oppugning Heresie Ibid. Is displeased with the Book which was presented to the Diet at Ratisbon 278. Writes to the Princes against the Collocutors 282. Eckius a Lawyer draws up Luther's charge at Wormes 42. Questions him if he will defend his Books Ibid. Replies to Luther's Plea 44. Commands him to leave Wormes 46. Edward VI. of England born 232. Succeeds his Father 418. Beats the Scots by the D. of Somerset 440. Establishes the Reformation in England 443. Publishes a Declaration about the War in Scotland 454. The Mass is abolished in England 463. The Admiral the D. of Somerset's Brother is Beheaded for Treason 479. Troubles in his Reign 485. Concludes a Treaty of Peace with France 492. And a Peace concluded 495. Bologne Restored to the French ibid. He dies 585. Egmont Charles Count dies 240. Eldo Mathias Vice-Chancellor to Char. V. sent Ambassador to the German Princes 212. His Speech to them at Smalcald 213. His Reply ex Tempore to their Answer 218. He sollicites
Makes VVar upon Savoy 203. Defeats Charles's Armies in Provence and Picardy 208. VVrites to the Princes of Germany inveighing against the Emperor ibid. Marries his Eldest Daughter Magdalen to James V. of Scotland 209. Complains of the Emperor in the Parliament of Paris 210. His Answer to the Protestants Letter 230. Chides the D. of Wirtemberg by his Ambassador at Francfort 249. Gives private Assistance to the D. of Cleve to whom he proposes a Marriage with his Niece 266. He is displeased with the Emperor ibid. Sends an Ambassador to Haguenaw 267. Persecutes the Lutherans ibid. Commands Supplications for Peace to be made throughout his Kingdom 269. Sends Ambassadors to the Diet at Spire 289. Their Harangue there ibid. Prepares for a War against the Emperor 292. Purges himself of Pescara's Accusations 296. Appoints Prayers for success to his Army ibid. Declares War ibid. Sends Longueville and Van Rossem into Flanders ibid. Attaques Charles in five places ibid. With not much Success ibid. He demands aid of the Turk ibid. His Speech to the Rochellers 305. His Answer to the Emperor's Letter to the Pope 307. Takes Luxembourg 316. His men retire from Landrecy 317. He sends an Embassie to Spire 319. His Herald is ill receiv'd at Spire ibid. He beats the Emperor at Carignan 323. The Speech of his Ambassadors who should have gone to Spire 324. Concludes a Peace with the Emperor at Soissons 327. His Answer to the Switzers about the Waldenses 347. He makes a Peace with King Henry VIII 382. He refuses to assist the Protestants 403. He suffered the Protestants to be Persecuted and 14 Burnt 411. He dies 424. Was a great Patron of Learning and Learned himself ibid. Gave 100000 Crowns apiece to the Landgrave and the Saxon ere he died 425. Is Buried 429. Francis the Dauphin dies suspected of Poison 208. Francfort upon the Oder a City in the Electorate of Brandenbourg 2. Francfort upon the Mayn a City in Franconia 13. A Diet held there 247. Where things are accommodated with the Protestants 248. Reconciled to the Emperor and Fined 414. A Diet held there 604. Their Answer to the French King's Letter 605. Franciscan Friars at Orleans their Imposture about the Provost's Wife 170. A Franciscan Preaches a Bloody Sermon before the Emperor at Wormes 349. Franco Jerome the Popes Legate Sollicites the Switzers against the Protestants 390. Franconian Bishops commanded by the Emperor to submit to Marq. Albert 575. They appeal to the Imperial Chamber 577. Cannot conclude with him at Heidelberg 578. Are invaded by him ibid. Frederick K. of Denmark publishes a Declaration against Christian II. 62. Is called to the Danish Crown from the Dutchy of Holstein ibid. Frederick Prince Palatine goes Ambassador to Char. V. upon his Election 18. Desires the Emperor to go into Germany ibid. Represents him at the Diet at Nuremberg 63. Writes to the Senate at Strasbourg to desist from Innovations 76. Restrains the Solderis from Cruelty to the Boors at Wormes 81. Succeeds his Brother Lewis in the Electorate 321. Establishes the Protestant Religion in the Electorate 356. Goes to Spire with the Landgrave to meet the Emperor 368. Treats with Granvell 372. Demands to know the Reasons of the War against the Protestants 383. Endeavours a Reconciliation amongst all sides 384. Reconciled to the Emperor 413. Receives the Interim 461. Helps the Confederate Princes against his will 569. Frederick D. of Saxony Connives at Luther 2. Intercedes with Cajetan for him at Augsboug 7. Answers Cajetan's Letter 11. Sends Cajetan's Letter to Luther ibid. Reads none of Luther's Books nor bears his Sermons for some time 12. Gives his Vote for Charles K. of Spain to be Emperor 18. Refused it when offer'd ibid. Would take no Money of the K. of Spain's Ministers ibid. Falls sick 25. His Suit at the Court of Rome 33. His Answer to Ditlebius ibid. His Answer to Aleander and Caracciolus 39. Conveys Luther away privately 49. Writes to the Vniversity of Wittemberg to act calmly in taking away the Mass 50. Dies 84. Frederick of Brandenbourg made Arch-Bishop of Magdebourg 526. Frederick Son to John Frederick of Saxony Marries Duke Maurice's Widow the Landgrave's Daughter 616. His Wife dies 628. Fregoso and Rink Ambassadors from Francis to Solyman killed upon the Way 284. Frisius John Answers Popish Questions at Wurtzburg 603. Friars Great Men desire to be buried in Friars habits 251. G GEneva Popery abolished there 112. Disturbances there upon Calvin's Expulsion 616. Genovefe or Genevieve the Patroness Saint of Paris 178. Six Lutherans burnt on a Procession day to her Ibid. Genoa vide Doria. George Duke of Saxony writes to Henry the VIII against Luther 65. His discourse with Muncer 86. Returns a Spiteful answer to Luther's Letter 101. Disowns any Confederacy against the Reformed Religion 114. His Tricks against the Lutherans 167. He complains of Luther to the Elector of Saxony 168. Quarrels with John Frederick Elector of Saxony 206. Dies and leaves his Dutchy to his Brother Henry 249. George Duke of Mecklenbourg makes War against the Magdebourgers 500. Defeats them Ibid. Is taken Prisoner by them 505. Is killed with a great Shot after he had joined Duke Maurice 569. Germany a Plague in Germany 285. German Bishops write to the Pope about the Council of Trent 439. Gerson what he was 10. Ghendt a City in Flanders an Insurrection there 251. They are Punished for it 262. Gonzaga Frederick made first Duke of Mantua by Charles the V. 127. Gonzaga Ferdinand siezes upon Piacenza upon Petro Aloisio's death 439. Reduces it to the Emperors Obedience Ibid. Granvel outs Eldo from his Interest in Charles's Court 255. He sends Ambassadors to the Protestant convention at Smalcald 255. Goes to Wormes 270. His Speech at the Diet Ibid. Presents a Book to the Diet at Ratisbon of the heads of the Conference 276. His Speech at Norimberg in the Emperors Name 306. Answers the Landgrave's Letter about the War intended against the Protestants 357. Treats with the Landgrave and the Elector Palatine at Spirâ— 370 372. Treats with the Deputies of the Protestant Cities at Ratisbon 377. He urges the Strasburghers to receive the Interim 464. and insists upon it 465. Dies 499. Granvel Anth. Perenot Bishop of Arras succedes his Father in the Ministry 499. Grey Jane Married to Guilford Dudley 580. And proclaimed Queen of England pursuant to King Edward's will 588. Grignian Francis Amb. his Speech at Wormes 350. Gritti Lewis Councellor to Solyman 175. His Son Andrew made Bishop of Five-Churches Ibid. He is beheaded Ibid. Gropper John and Phlugius vindicate themselves from Eckius's Aspersion 282. Invites Bucer to Cologne 288. Falls off from the Bishop and Writes the Anti-Didagma as it was thought 311. Is very insolent in the Council of Trent 535. Guelderlanders rebel 232. Custavns King of Sweden alters Religion 391. Guteling's Balthasar Speech to his Soldiers 381. H HAguenaw a Diet there 267. The Acts of the Assembly there Ibid. The decree at Haguenaw 266. Heideck takes
several Towns for the Protestants 388. Routed by Duke Maurice 504. Taken into the service of Duke Maurice Assists the Magdeburghers 514. Henry the VII Emperor refuses to pay Allegiance to the Pope 38. Henry the VIII Writes against Luther 50. Is called defender of the Faith Ibid. Is Pensioner to Charles the V. 51. His Daughter Mary is Betrothed to Charles Ibid. Writes to the Princes of the House of Saxony against Luther 65. Receives a Golden Rose from the Pope 75. Writes a Scornful answer to Luther's Letter 101. Makes a League with France in the absence of King Francis 102. Makes a League with Francis against Charles 112. His answer to the Protestant Princes of Germany 150. Is dissatisfied about his Marriage with Catharine 169. Sues to be Divorced Ibid. They are Dilatory at Rome Ibid. He Marries Anne Boleyn 170. Is declared in Parliament head of the Church Ibid. Revokes Peter Pence Ibid. Sends Fox Bishop of Hereford Ambassador to the Protestants at Smalcald 188. His Ambassadors winter at Wittemberg 205. His Letter to the Protestants Ibid. He beheads Anne Boleyn 206. Quells a rising in England 209. His Reasons against the Council of Mantua 231. His Reasons against the Council at Vicenza 250. He enacts in Parliament several things about Religion 251. Marries Anne of Cleve Ibid. His Answer to the Elector of Saxony's Ambassador 255. Beheads romwel Earl of Essex 267. Is divorced from Anne of Cleve Ibid. Marries Catharine Howard Ibid. Burns Papists and Protestants for Religion 269. Beheads Catharine Howard for Adultery 289. Marries Catharine Parr Ibid. Makes a successful War in Scotland 324. He makes an Expedition into France 327. Takes Bologne Ibid. Makes a Treaty of Peace with France 355. Forewarns the Protestants in Germany of their danger 356. Dies 418. Henry of Zutphen suffers for Religion in Germany 75. Henry Duke of Saxony refuses to change his Religion to gain the Dutchy 249. But gains it by George's Death 250. Henry Dauphin of France has a Daughter 382. Henry the II. of France succeeds to Francis the I. 424. Is Crowned 435. The Ceremony of it Ibid. Persecutes the Lutherans severely in France 456. Enters Paris in State 484. Crowns his Queen Ibid. Persecutes the Lutherans Ibid. Makes a League with the Switzers Ibid. Regains several Places from England 485. Publishes another Edict against the Lutherans 492. Sends a Letter to the Pope about his assisting Octavio Farnese 514. He declares War against the Emperor with his reasons 517. Justifies himself from Leagues with the Turk 518. Sends the Abbot of Bellozane to Trent with a Letter to the Council Ibid. He Publishes an Edict against the Pope 521. And another against the Lutherans Ibid. Answers the Emperors Declaration 522. Hinders the Switzers from sending Ambassadors to the Council of Trent 528. He sends Ambassadors to Duke Maurice 529. Makes Peace with the Pope 548. He declares War against the Emperor 553. Calls himself Protector of the Liberties of Germany 554. He takes Toul Verdun Metz 555. Takes an Oath of Allegiance from the People of Metz Ibid. His Treaty with the Strasburghers 557. His answer to the Princes Ambassadors 558. The reasons of his leaving Germany 559. His answer to the Switzers Ibid. He Wastes Luxembourg 563. His Ambassadors Speech at the Treaty of Passaw 564. He Sollicites again by Letters from Aichstadt 567. He brings his Men from Luxembourg back into Artois 571. Is offended with the Pacification at Passaw 572. Writes to the Emperor 576. Sends a Declartion to the States of the Empire 577. Carries on the War in the Low Countries 603. But is beaten in Tuscany in the Sienese War 604. His Letter to the Diet at Francfort Ibid. Takes Casal 613. Carries on the War into Montferrat 617. Hereford vide Fox Herman vide Cologne Hesse vide Philip Landgrave Hildesheym a City in the Dutchy of Brunswick embraces the Protestant Religion 300. they are accused by their Bishop to the Emperor 313. Hogostratus James a Dominican writes against Luther 4. Commissioned by Maximilian to Examine Jewish Books 30. Writes against Reuchlin Ibid. Is cast by the Bishop of Spire Ibid. Appeals to Rome Ibid. Leaves his Cause Ibid. Examines two Augustine Friars at Brussels 63. Holland an Inundation there 137. Hooper John Bishop of Glocester burnt for his Religion 607. Huberine Caspar an Interimist Preaches at Augsbourg 535. Hugh Capet makes himself King of France 150. Huglie John a Protestant burnt for Religion by the Bishop of Constance 105. Hungarians beg for assistance at the Diet of Spire 324. Their Horse join Duke Maurice 409. Husse John Preaches Wiclef's Doctrine 46. Appeals from the Pope to Christ Ibid. Went to the Council of Constance with safe Conduct 47. There burnt Ibid. Hutton Ulricus a Noble Man of Franconia 65. Favours Luther and dies Ibid. I JAmes the V. of Scotland Marries King Francis's Daughter 209. His Queen dies 230. Makes a War with England unsuccessfully 304. Dies Ibid. Jerome Bishop of Brandenbourg 2. Jerome of Prague burnt at the Council of Constance 47. Jerome Bishop of Ascoli summons Luther by P. Leo's Order to appear at Rome 5. Jews compared with Roman Clergy 29. Illyricus Matthias Flaccius Writes against the Adiaphorists 498. Imperial Chamber Vide Protestants is set up again in the Diet at Augsbourg 466. The Judges fly from Spire for fear of the Confederate Princes 557. They answer Marquess Albert's Deputation about the Franconian Bishops 577. They decree in Favour of the Bishops 578. Indulgences Preacht up in Germany 1 2. Confirmed by Pope Clement's Decree in the Extravagants 9. Why granted 273. Indult vide P. Paul the III. P. Innocent the III. Decreed to the Electoral Princes a right of chusing the Emperor 21. His decree de Majoritate Obedientia 107. Inquisition its Original 434. Inquisitors about the Emperor's Edict of Religion in the Netherlands how they proceed 498. Interim drawn up at Augsbourg 454. The heads of it 458. Often Revised and Corrected 459. Sent to Rome ibid. The Electors differ in their Opinion about it ibid. Those who draw it up are rewarded 468. It is disliked on both sides Ibid. Confuted by the Saxon Divines 481. Joachim Elector of Brandenbourg sends an Embassie to the Elector of Saxony 242. Sends Agents to Eysenach 244. Made Geneali ssimo against the Turks 292. He Strikes in with the Papists in the War against the Smalcaldick League 375. Interposes for a Peace 418. With the Landgrave Ibid. Intereedes for Saxony 427. And his Life was spared at his Intercession 428. Intercedes for the Landgrave 429. Remonstrates to the Emperor for him at Hall 433. Calls Bucer to Augsbourg 454. Angry with him for not subscribing the Interim 457. Receives the Interim 461. Acts with Duke Maurice in the Magdeburgick War 505 506. He sends Ambassadors to the Conncil of Trent 526. His Ambassadors with those of D. Maurice Sollicite the Emperor about the Landgrave 531. John XXII P. vide Aquinas John King of Denmark overthrows the Swedes 62. Dying leaves his Son
with those of Zurich about Religion The Answer of the Senate of Zurich The Bishop of Constance's Book to those of Zurich Their Answer to it Images abolished at Zurich The Recess or Decree of the Dyet of Norimberg The Bishop Strasburg's Complaint to Cardinal Campegius The Senate's Justification Campegius's Plea with the Deputies of Strasburg The Resolution of some Catholicks at Ratisbone The Regulations for Reformation of the Clergy Luther's Admonition to the Princes of Germany The Pope sends a Golden Rose to the King of England Erasmus his Book of Free-will Henry of Zutphen suffers The Duke of Bourbonne Besieges Marseilles An Insurrection of the Boors Complaints of the Popish Clergy against the Senate of Strasburg 1525. Oecolampadius preaches at Basil A Tumult at Zurich The Zurichers expostulate with the rest of the Cantons The Senate of Strasburg gives an Answer to the Council of the Empire The Apology of the Ministers of Strasburg The French King made Prisoner Vlrick Duke of Wertemberg in vain attempts to recover his Country The Boors take the Field The Boors worsted The Boors Army in Algow dispersed The Cruelty of some Boors at Winsperg An Insurrection of the Boors also in Lorrain And 18000 of them are slain Another Slaughter of the Boors at Wormes Geismeier the General of the Boors assassinated A Sedition in Cologn The number of those that were killed The Princes and Cities ingaged in the Schwabian League Mass abolished at Zurich Muncer a great Sectarian Muncer preaching at Mulhausen got new Magistrates created and the Monks ejected whose Monasteries he and others took possession of Phifer Muncer's Companion and his enthusiastick Pretences Frederick Elector of Saxony dies The Princes Forces against the Boors Muncer's seditious Speech A Consternation in Muncer's Camp. The Speech of the Langrave of Hesse to his Soldiers The Princes Army overcome the Muncerianâ— Muncer taken His Discourse to the Princes His unseasonable laughing upon the Rack Luther advises to have a care of Muncer He published a Book dehorting the Boors from Sedition The Boors Demands Luther's Answer to the Grievances of the Boors Luther's Monitory to the Princes and Nobility Luther's common Epistle to the Nobles and Boors Luther sends an Allarm against the Boors The Emperour's Letters for calling the Dyet of Auâ—burg Carolostadius his Exposition of This is my Body Luther marries a Nun. Zuinglius differs from Luther about the Lord's Supper Pope Clement's Letters to the Parliament of Paris The Sorbonists persecute James Fevre The French King writes in his behalf A Change in Prusia The Original of the Teutonick Order The Master of Prusia deserts the Empire Is made Duke and imbraces the Reformed Religion Luther writes to the King of England Luther writes also to George Duke of Saxony The King of England's sharp Answer to Luther A League betwixt France and England Luther's Complaint of the King of England The French King sick in Prison 1526. The Treaty of Peace at Madrid betwixt the Emperor and French King. The French King leaving his two Sons Hostages is set at liberty The Dyet of Spire The Emperour's Letter to the States of the Empire about observing the Decree of Wormes The Turks invade Hungary The Judgment of some Cities in the Dyet of Worraes A Complaint of some Cities of Germany against Mendicant Fryers Against the Immunities of the Clergy Against Holydays A Dissention among the States at Spire about Religion The decree of Spire concerning Religion The beginning of a League among those of the reformed Religion Lewis King of Hungary slain The Marriage of Charles V. A Disputation at Baden The Points disputed The Issue of the Disputation John Huglie a Priest burnt for Religion The League of the Pope French and Veretians against the Emperour The Pope's expostulatory Letter to the Emperor The Emperour's Answer to the Pope The Emperour's Letter to the Colledge of Cardinals The French King's Letters to the Princes of Germany The Emperour's Letter to the Princes of Germany The Princes Letter to the Emperour The Demands of the Pope Venetians and French who were Confederates 1527. The Emperour's Answer unto them The Elector John Frederick marries the Daughter of the Duke of Cleve Rome taken and plundered by the Duke of Bourbonne The 〈◊〉 of the Diet of Ratisbonne The sect of the Anabaptists The French King renews a War in Italy Alexandria and Pavia taken by the French. Leonard Cesar Burnt for Religion Ferdinand made King of Bohemia A Dispute at Berne 1528. Popery abolished in the Canton of Berne Ambrose Blancer at Constance There Mass Images and Ceremonies are abolished As also at Geneva The Kings of England and France send Ambassadours to the Emperour The French King challenges the Emperour to a Duel A War betwixt Ferdinand and the Vaivode The Vaivod's Complaint to the Princes of Germany King Ferdinand's Title to Hungary The Elector of Saxony and Landgrave prepare for War. The Emperour's Answer to the French King's Challenge A Dyet appointed at Spire Naples besieged by the French. A Contention at Strasburg about the Mass The Popish Preachers silenced by the Senate there 1529. Mass by common Consent abolished at Strasburg A Dissention about Religion at Basil Mass abolished at Basil And Images burnt The Dyet of Spire Five Cantons of Switzerland make a League with King Ferdinand The Deputy of Strasburg not admitted to sit in the Council of the Empire The Decree of the Dyet of Spire The Protestation of the Princes against the Decree of Spire Some Cities joyn in this Protestation The Original of the Name of Protestants The Protestants appeal to the Emperour A Civil War among the Switzers Peace betwixt the Emperour and French concluded at Cambray Solyman besieges Vienna But is forced to raise the Siege The Vaivode made King at Buda A New Disease in Germany Two Learned Men burnt at Cologne for Religion A Conference at Marpurg betwixt Luther and Zuinglius Erasmus writes a Book against the Reformers Which is answered Sforza recovers the Dutchy of Milan The Protestant Ambassadours with the Emperour The Ambassadors appeal from the Emperour's Answer and are confined to their Lodgings Caden presents a Book about Religion to the Emperour in name of the Landgrave For which being stopt and in danger he makes his escape and returns home The Assembly of the Protestants at Smalcalde The League betwixt the City of Strasburg and the Switzers 1530. The French King's Sons return to France with his Queen The Emperour makes his entry into Ausburg The Emperour's Speech in the Dyet of Ausburg Campegius's Speech to the Princes The Protestants Confession of Faith presented at Ausburg The Popish Divines confute the Augustane Confession The Duke of Saxony's general Answer to the Confutation of the Popish Divines The Landgrave departed from the Dyet The Florentine War. Commissioners for reconciling Religion The Pope gives King Ferdinand leave to make use of the Ornaments and Goods of the Church The Emperour's Speech to the Protestants The Protestants Answer Truchses his Speech
The States of the Empire treat with Cleve about the Restitution of Guelderland to the Emperor The Supplication of the Nobility of Austria to King Ferdinand for obtaining free Exercise of Religion King Ferdinand's Answer The Austrians renew their Supplications A Quarrel betwixt the Elector of Saxony and Canons of Naumburg about the Bishop 1542. Luther writes against the Bishop A Diet at Spire King Ferdinand's Speech in the Diet. Gropper recommends Bucer to the Arch-bishop of Cologne Who thereupon comes to Cologne The Lady Catharine Howard Queen of England Beheaded King Henry's Sixth Wife The French Ambassador's Speech at Spire The Speech of the Pope's Legate in the Diet of Spire The Catholick Princes and States consent to the Council offered by the Pope at Trent But the Protestants protest against it The French King prepares for War. An Expedition against the Turk under the Conduct of the Elector of Brandenburg A Quarrel betwixt the Elector and Duke Maurice of Saxony Luther's Camp-Sermon His Position condemned by the Pope The Explication of that Position Luther's other Military-Sermon Luther's Prayer against the Fury of the Turks Of the Original of the Turks and of their Kings The Marquess of Pescara accuses the French King. The King purges himself Prayers appointed at Paris for the Success of the War. The calling of the Council of Trent The French King declares War And Longueville and Rossem invade Brabant The French King demands Aid from the Turk against the Emperor The Form of inquiring who are Lutherans Francis de Landre a Preacher at Paris The Articles of Doctrine proposed to him His Answer Two Dominicans Preach the Gospel at Metz And so did William Farell But the Emperor wrote to the Senate to suffer no Change in Religion Locusts in Germany and Italy The Duke of Saxony and Lantgrave make a successful War against the Duke of Brunswick Their Declaration of the Reasons of it The Diet of Nurimberg The Message of the States of the Empire to the Duke of Saxony and Lantgrave Their Answer The Decree of the Diet of Nurimberg Contarini accused of Miscarriages Contarini and Fregoso Cardinals die The Chancellor of France cast into Prison Otho Prince Palatine and the people of Heildesseim embrace the Reformed Religion The Emperours Letter to the Pope about the Council Cardinals Pacificators sent from the Pope to the Emperor and French King. The Emperor's Answer to the Cardinal Pacificators The Country of Juliers wasted by the Imperialists and Duren taken A war betwixt the English and Scots The King of Scots dies The Protestants decline the Imperial Chamber The Duke of Cleve retakes Duren A Sedition at Rochell The French King's Speech to the Seditious Rochellers 1543. The Diet of Nurimberg The Ambassadors of the Netherlands accuse the Duke of Cleve at Nurimberg Granvell's Speech in the Emperor's name at Nurimberg The Protestants Petition The Decree of the Diet of Nurimberg The Protestants oppose this Decree Pacification attempted betwixt the Emperor and the Duke of Cleve A Battle at Zittard The Dukes of Bavaria intercede for the Duke of Brunswick The Bisop of Ausburg dies The French Kings Answer to the Emperor's Letter The Death of Bellay of Langey and his Encomium Landre makes a publick Recantation of all that he had taught and confessed his Error And so does de Pensier Clement Marot The Archbishop of Cologne's Reformation of the Church Bucer Preaches at Bonn. Melancthon Pistorius come to Cologne The Clergy of Cologne oppose the Reformation The Antididagma of the Clergy of Cologne The Divines of Cologne oppose Bucer who is defended by Melancthon The Laws of Duke Maurice of Saxony He founds three publick Schools A Law against those who deflower Virgins Against Adulterers The Emperor's Letters to the Protestants An Interview betwixt the Pope and Emperor Petro Aloisio obtained the Possession of Parma and Piacenza which the Emperor refused to confirm The Emperor delivers up to Cosmo of Medicis the Castles of Florence and Legborn The Marriage of Philip King of Spain The Marriage of the King of Poland An Assembly of the Protestants at Smalcald A League betwixt the Emperor King of England The Protestant Ambassadors to the Emperor at Spire The Emperor's Answer to the Protestant Ambassadors The Electors of Cologne and Saxony mediate for the Duke of Cleve but in vain The Heildesheimers accused to the Emperor The Emperor's threatening Letter to those of Heildesheim His Letter to the Senate of Cologne The Pope's Letter to them also The Turkish Fleet in Provence The Castle of Nizza Besieged The Turks Invade Hungary Calvin's Antidote and Book of Relicks The Emperor comes to Bonne where Bucer and Hedie preached The Emperors Expedition against Cleve and his Victory A vain report of the Emperor's being drowned The Emperor takes Liege and Ruremund by Surrender The Duke of Cleve upon Submission is Reconciled to the Emperor The Conditions of his Peace The French King takes Luxenburg again Landrecy Besieged The Emperors Envoy to the City of Metz. Divisions in Scotland The Queen of Scots betroth'd to Prince Edward of England The Danes make War against the Imperialists The Duke of Cleve renounces his League with France and demands his Wife The French Flight at Landrecy The Protestants assemble at Franckfort The Elector of Saxony and Lantgrave write to the Emperor His Answer to them 1544. Extraordinary Eclipses of the Sun Moon Alexander Farnese sent Legate to the Emperor The Diet at Spire very full The Emperor's Speech at the opening of it The Protestants Plea about the Affair of Brunswick Brunswick's Accusation of the Protestants A French Ambassy to the Diet of Spire The French Herald ill received at Spire The Letter of some Princes to the Pope The Pope's Answer Ludovick Elector Palatine dies his Brother Frederick succeeds The Letter of the States of the Empire to the Swisse The Protestants Accuse the Duke of Brunswick A pleasant Story of the Duke of Brunswick and his Miss Eve Trottine The French Victory at Carignan The Proceedings of the Duke of Saxony and the Confederates with the Duke of Brunswick The Duke of Savoy's Accusation of the French King. The Switzers Answer to the Letter of the States of the Empire An English Expedition against Scotland and Edinborough taken Wolfgang made Master of Prussia The complaint and desire of the Ambassadors of Hungary The Speech of the French Ambassadors that was not heard in the Diet. An Accommodation betwixt the Emperor Ferdinand and the Duke of Saxony Ferdinand is acknowledged for King of the Romans Eleanor the Daughter of King Ferdinand betrothed to the Duke of Saxony's Son. The King of Denmark's Accommodation with the Emperor The Decree of the States for a Subsidy against the French and other Matters The Decree of Spire displeases the Catholicks The Cities and two Princes refused to give Aid against the French. The Dutchy of Brunswick Sequestrated into the Emperor's Hands The Emperors Expedition into France Count Bichling was condemned to die but saved by
Duke of Aumales Marraige Louis d' Avilaâ— History of the German War. Islebius brags of the Interim The Bishop of Auranches writes against the Interim So does Romey the Dominican The constancy of the Sons of the Duke of Saxony The Duke of Saxony avows to the Emperour his rejecting of the Interim The Deputies of Constance with the Emperour Their humble Letters to him The Bishop of Constance dies of an Apoplexy which he had imprecated unto his People Maximilian's War against the Switzers The Emperour changeth the Senate of Ausburg The Companies are abolished The Emperour gives sentence in favour of Nassaw against the Landgrave The Spaniards march privately to Constance Alfonsus Vives was killed and the Spaniards draw off without success A Custom of the Switzets The Letter of the Strasburgers to the Emperour Their Judgment of the Interim The Emperours answer to those of Strasburg The people of Constance proscribed They pray some Princes and the Suitzers to intercede with the Emperour for them The Emperous answer to the intercessors Those of Lindaw receive the Interim The Strasburgers consult about the Interim Many of them renounce their freedoms in the City and depart The Senate of Vlm changed The constancy of four Divines of Vlm The Ministers of Vlm put into Chains The Emperour comes to Spire The Popes Legats sent to Germany The Duke of Saxony and Landgrave carried Prisoners into the Low Countries The Deputies of Strasburg with the Emperour The Bishops of Strasburg's Letter to the Clergy about the observation of the Decree Their Letter to the Emperour The Deputies of Strasburg are dismissed and ordered to agree with their Bishop The Emperour keeps the Duke of Saxony with him The Landgrave he sends to Oudenard The Reformation of the Chamber The Duke of Brunswick brings an Action against the Protestants and so do some others The people of Constance give themselves up to the house of Austria King Ferdinand upon Conditions takes them into his protection And then lays his Commands upon them The Marriage of Duke Augustus of Saxony A Sedition at Bourdeaux The Bourdeaux-men receive the Constable and his Soldiers The Punishments inflicted by the Constable at Bourdeaux The Bells are taken from them and their Charters burnt The dead Body of the King's Lieutenant being by the Citizens scraped out of the ground with their Nails is splendidly buried The horrible History of Francis Spira John Caso Archbishop of Benevento the Pope's Legate at Venice Spira falls sick and also into despair admitting of no comfort He dyes despairing of Salvation Vergerio The strange Conversion of Vergerio to the reformed Religion Vergerio writes a Book against the Apostates of Germany John Baptista Vergerio Bishop of Pola The Inquisitors against Vergerio An Invective against Vergerio The Inquisition of Pola and Justinopolis Grisonio's exhortation against the Lutherans Vergerio goes to Trent to justifie himself in Council But is deny'd a place in it Vergerio preached the Gospel against the Grisons from thence was called to Tubingen Vergerio's Brother dies not without suspition of Poyson The Book of an Archbishop on the praise of Sodomy Marriages contracted by the Ministers of the Church of Cologne are annulled and declared to be incestuous The Custom of the Province of Treves The Interim is in vain pressed upon the Landgrave's subjects Siâ—onius consecrates a new the Churches of Franckfurt The Queen of Scots carried over into France Philip the Emperour's Son passes through Italy to the Low Countries Philip is magnificently received at Genova 1549. As also at Milan The Count of Buren dies A Convention of States in Saxony A Form of Religion is drawn up for Saxony The Emperous Son comes to Germany The Duke of Arescot is sent to meet him Duke Maurice's intercession for the Landgrave his Father-in-Law Troubles in Africa Upon what occasion the Cardinal of Lorrain was made Bishop of Metz. The City of Strasburg's Letter to the Emperour The People of Magdenburg exposed as a prey because of Religion The Preachers of Vlm freed out of Prison Tumults in Engâ—and The Admiral of England beheaded The Bishop of Strasburg enjoyns the Clergy to obey the Emperours Edict The diligence of Archbishop Cranmer in Promoting Piety Bucer and Fagius go over Sea to England The Emperours Son makes his entry into Brussels Intercession made for the Landgrave but in vain The Bishop of Strasburg says Mass The Plea of the Professors of Strasburg to the Bishop The Answer of the Bishops Agents to the Professors of Strasburg The intercession of the Senate of Strasburg for their Professors Christopher Welsinger a Civilian The Duke of Deux-ponts is again urged to approve the Decree His Letter to the Emperour The Ingenuous Confession of the Duke of Deux-ponts The refutation of the Interim by those of Lower Saxony The beginning of the divisions in the Churches of Saxony The Hamburghers Letter to Melaâ—chton about indifferent matters Melanchton's Answer The Electoral Archbishops held Provincial Synods The Heads of their Decrees Of Consecrations and Exorcisms The manifold use of Holy Water Salt in Baptism The Churching of Women 1589. The Ceremony of the Dedication of a Church The Consecration of Bells The way of Consecrating Altars The making of Oyl and the Chrism The Popish Ceremonies brought into contempt through the preaching of Luther A Papal Decree concerning the use of Holy Water The Pope's Legates to the Emperour The Pope's Indulgence The Power of the Bishops delegated Of Monks fallen into Heresie Of the Communion in both kinds Of the Profits of Church Lands The Subdelegation of the Bishops Delegate The Emperour sends the Pope's Indult to the Bishops of Germany The Archbishop of Mentz sends the Pope's Indult to the Landgravians A godly Answer of the Preachers A Dispute at Oxford in England about the Lord's Supper The Coronation of the Queen of France The King and Queen of France make their entry into Paris A Persecution in France Solemn Processions and Prayers at Paris Luther and other Hereticks to be rooted out of France Monsieur Vervine beheaded A League betwixt the Switzers and French. Duke Maurice's Letters to his Subjects The Landgraves Wife dies An Insurrection in England The French King recovers some Places from England The Duke of Somerset committed to Prison The Emperour makes the Low-Countries do Homage to his Son Prince Philip. The Senate of Strasburg agree with their Bishop The danger of the Republick of Magdeburg by reason of the Emperours Proscription Their Apologetick Declaration Two Reasons why they cannot obtain Peace Gordius the Martyr The Marriage of Francis of Mantua The death of Paul III. A Book against Paul III. The Murders of Paul III. Paul's Sister being a Whore makes him a Cardinal He murders another Sister His Lusts The Funeral Charges of Paul III. A description of the Conclave of Rome 54 Cardinals in the time of Paul III. The way of chusing the Pope How many Voices every Cardinal may give Three Factions of Cardinals The Conclave full of chinks Pool upon
therefore stick to that and make it their Endeavour That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament should be plainly and purely taught That this alone was the Sure and Infallible Way but that the Traditions of Men were no sure Ground to build upon That the Decree of the last Dyet was made for Peace and Concord's sake but that if the present Decree should be in Force it would open a way to great Troubles and Discontents for that now since whilst that Decree of Wormes was still in suspense some Princes pretended to the Estates of their Subjects as forfeited for not observing the Edict it might be easily understood what would be done if the same Edict were again established and some of the other Princes and States should by Force attempt to compel them to those things which they could not perform with a safe Conscience That moreover it was not fairly alledged That the Decree of the last Dyet was conceived in such Words that most men in the mean time did abuse it and thought they might do what they pleased until the meeting of a Council These being Rumors spread by those who stood but little in awe of the last Judgment when all things should be made manifest That for their own Parts they were willing to answer such as would accuse them of transgressing that Decree before any impartial Judges And that therefore since the Case was so they did not assent to this Decree of theirs but would give Reasons for what they did openly to all Men and to the Emperour himself and that in the mean time till the meeting of a General or Provincial Council of Germany they would not act any thing which they could not maintain by Law That after all they were not ignorant neither of their Duty as to what was decreed concerning living in Peace not invading other Men's Possessions Anabaptists and Printers c. Some of the chief Cities after consultation had joyned with the Princes in this Protestation as Strasburg Norimberg Vlm Constance Ruteling Winshaim Memmingen Lindaw Kempen Hailbrun Isne Weissemburg Norlingen and San-Gall And this is the Original of the Name of Protestants which is famous and common not only in Germany but also amongst Foreign Nations King Ferdinand was gone out of the Assembly before this Protestation was made though he had been desired by the Elector of Saxony and his Associates to stay a little Afterwards the Protestants drew up and published a kind of an Appeal wherein having related what had been done they at length appeal from all the Proceedings of the Dyet of Spire and the Decree there made to the Emperour to a Lawful General Council or Provincial Synod of Germany and in short to all impartial and unsuspected Judges determining withal to send Ambassadours to the Emperour Not long after those of Zurich and Berne took the Field with an Army against their Enemies the five Cantons whom we mentioned a little before and the Zurichers published a Declaration of the Reasons and Causes that moved them to do so instancing many Injuries done by them and among the rest that in the Canton of Switz some of their People who came to demand Money due unto them had been whipt That they of Vnderwalt had hung up their Arms and the Arms of Berne Basil and City of Strasburg upon the Gallows That they all also had made a League with King Ferdinand for the Suppression of the Reformed Religion wherein they said It was stipulated That what Lands of theirs on this side the Rhine should be taken by the Assistance of King Ferdinand should all belong to them from whence it may be easily seen say they that it is their Design to cast us out of our Country by the Aid and Assistance of Foreigners Wherein they not only violate the Law of Nature but their Covenants and Agreements also when to our Ruine they conspire with the most Ancient and Implacable Enemy that our Nation hath against whom for so many Years even from the beginning of our League we have so unanimously joyned all our Strength and Force When the Armies on both sides had taken the Field and were incamped by the Mediation of their Neighbours and of the City of Strasburg also the matter was accommodated and both laid down their Arms. King Ferdinand had sent them Auxiliary Forces which were advanced as far as the Rhine It was agreed upon betwixt them That they should make no War one against another upon account of Religion and that for the future they should abstain from Railing and opprobious Words under a severe Penalty The French King being affected with the condition of his Children whom he had left Hostages in Spain and his unsuccessful Wards in Italy where he had lately lost an Army and his General Lautreck as we said having likewise lost Andrea d' Auria a Genoese and most Famous Sea-Commander who much about the time that Lautreck dyed revolted to the Emperour and regained the Liberty of his Country began to incline to Peace Wherefore at Cambray a City of Hainault there met Margaret the Emperour's Aunt Aloisia the French King's Mother and many Nobles among whom was Erard de la Warch Cardinal and Bishop of Liege and in the Month of August concluded a Peace wherein that Resolution taken in Spain three Years before as hath been said against the Lutherans was revived and confirmed The other Conditions were partly altered for the Emperour resigned Burgundy to the French King in case he had a Son by his Sister and the King was to pay for the Ransome of his Sons to the Emperour twenty hundred thousand Crowns therein comprehending the Debt due to the King of England Not long after the Emperour came to Genoua from Spain and at the same time Solyman the Emperour of the Turks being invited by Jerome Alasky a Polonian of extraordinary Parts sent for that end Ambassadour from John the Vaivode marched through Hungary with a most numerous Army into Austria where laying Siege before Vienna the chief City thereof September 13 and having by battering and springing of Mines made a Breach in the Walls he gave the Assault but the Garison under the Command of Philip Prince Palatine making a brave Defence October 16 he raised the Siege having lost many thousands of his Men in the Retreat who were partly slain and partly made Slaves But upon his Departure he made the Vaivode King at Buda A new kind of Disease also invaded Germany this Year for Men being taken with a Pestilential Sweating either dyed within four and twenty Hours or if they sweated out the Poyson recovered by degrees their Health again but before any Remedy could be found for it many thousands perished The Distemper in a very short space of time spread it self from the Ocean all over Germany and with incredible celerity like a Fire raged far and near It is commonly called The Sweating Sickness of England
of Cain In the Primitive times godly Bishops have often refus'd to concern themselves in Councils when they saw they were not call'd for the Defence of Truth but either to establish false Doctrin or to countenance some Persons in their Ambition Thus when Constantine the Emperor summon'd a Council to Antioch Maximus Bishop of Jerusalem though he was not very far distant from the place would not come thither because he understood the Emperor's Inclinations and what the Arian Bishops were contriving So Athanasius though he came to the Council at Tyre yet he stayed not long there because he perceiv'd the Principal Persons of the Council took upon them to be Complainants and Judges too and was also well assur'd that there were Witnesses suborned against him In like manner at Sirmium in Hungary there was formerly conven'd a very numerous Council against Photinus for the Debate was of great Consequence and notwithstanding the Emperor commanded the Bishops to repair thither yet those of the Western-Church did not obey him when they understood the Arian-Faction was encreas'd for they suspected some false Doctrin would be decreed there At this time Hosius a Person of great Reputation was Bishop of Corduba whom the Emperor by the advice of the Arians commanded to go out of Spain to the Council who when he came there he consented to that ensnaring Creed at Sirmium which was afterwards the occasion of horrible Disorders in the Church and Hilary who was not present at this Assembly reproves Hosius for his compliance Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem would never assist at their Meetings who denied Christ to be of the same substance with the Father and is said to be the first Man who appeal'd in writing from the Authority of their Councils There was a Council begun at Millain and the Bishops were call'd thither by the Emperor's order But when Paulinus Bishop of Triers and some few others perceived that Auxentius Bishop of Millain and his Party were projecting things which were not fair They went off and so occasioned the breaking up of the Council Thus those great Men declined going to all suspected Synods that they might not be involved in their guilt And since the Pope giveth pretty plain intimations that this Council is design'd to establish his Power and Greatness we desire all People that they would not blame our refusal of it Moreover we have great reason to dislike the place of the Council for it 's very fit for Mischief and in all respects such as if it was contrived to hinder the freedom of Debates To which we may add that the Calumnies of our Adversaries have given Strangers a very ill opinion of us as if all Probity and Religion was banish'd our Country Now to have Mens minds prepossess'd with such a notion as this may be exceeding dangerous for us Therefore if it was only upon this account it was very proper to have the Council conven'd in Germany that those of foreign Nations might see the customs and regularity of our Churches and Towns and so disengage themselves from their prejudice against the true Doctrin The importance of the Affair likewise obligeth most of us to be in Person at the Council but to go out of our own Country in such numbers would be a great inconvenience to us And since it was decreed in a Diet of the Empire upon such weighty considerations that a Council should be held in Germany we see no reason to depart from what was then resolv'd upon And in regard the welfare of all Christendom is concern'd in this business we entreat all Kings and Princes not to give any credit to our Adversaries but rather use their Endeavours that the true knowledge of God may be recover'd which is the most glorious Action they can possily engage in As for the Pope it 's his Design to run them upon Injustice and Cruelty but they are oblig'd to abhor such Practices above all things For they are places on purpose on that elevated Station that they might promote the Honour of God with greater advantage shew a good Example to their Inferiors and rescue innocent Persons from Injury and Oppression And if ever a lawful Council happeneth to be call'd we will give such a satisfactory account of our Proceedings there as shall be sufficient to convince all People that we have aim'd at and attempted nothing but what was for the real advantage of Christendom In this Convention there was the Elector of Saxony Ernest and Francis his Brother Dukes of Lâ—â—enburgh Vlrick Duke of Wirtemburgh the Lantgrave Philip Duke of Pomern three Earls of Anhalt and Albert Count Mansfield there were also the Agents of a great many Cities who were sent thither with very large Commissions their Principals being pre-acquainted with the subject of the Debate Before they broke up their Assembly which was done upon the 6th of March they wrote to the French King where in the first place they excuse themselves for not giving his Embassador satisfaction at the last Convention and also gave him their Reasons why they omitted sending an Embassy to him now Then they desired him to continue them his Friendship and since they had made all imaginable Overtures for the composing the Differences in Religion though they had been unsuccessful in thier Endeavours yet they hoped he would oblige them with his Favour for their good Intentions Lastly They acquaint him with their Resolutions concerning the Council and desire to know how his Majesty intends to act in this Affair Upon the 22th of May the King returns them an Answer in which he lets them understand that he was satisfi'd with their Reasons and maketh them large assurances of the constancy of his Friendship and sends them a Paper which he had publish'd to confute the Misrepresentations of their Adversaries And as to the Council he told them That he was still of the same mind of which he had always been that unless it was lawful in its Constitution and Method and coven'd in a place of Security he would never approve it neither did he question but that the King of Scotland his Son in law would be wholly influenced by him This Prince some few days before in the beginning of May return'd into Scotland with his Queen who died there about the middle of June following In the mean time the Pope prorogeth the Council till the first of November the occasion of which delay he charg'd upon the Duke of Mantua who insisted upon a Garrison to secure the Town and demanded a Supply of Monies for that purpose These Terms the Pope said were unexpected and surprizing to him and he was very much afraid lest the greatest part of the Bishops in compliance with his Bull were already arriv'd at Mantua and being denied admittance into the Town might be forc'd to return home This he was extreamly troubled at but should bear it with the more patience because it was not his fault but anothers Not long after the King
of England publish'd a Manifesto in the name of himself and his Nobility to this effect That the Pope had call'd a Council without any Authority to do it That it was conven'd at an improper time when the Emperor and French King were deeply engag'd in War against each other That Mantua was an exceptionable place as being neither commodious nor safe for all Persons For his part he heartily desired a Christian Council but he would neither come nor send his Embassadors to this of the Pope's packing For it hath been their way in these Synods to betray Christ and the Truth for their own advantage He had nothing to say to the Bishop of Rome and was no more concern'd in his Bulls than in the Orders of any other Bishop Councils he said us'd to be call'd by the Emperor and other Princes which Custom ought to be retrieved especially at this time when there are such severe Complaints to be made against the Pope and yet no Man without danger of his life could publickly accuse and reprove him unless the Council was rightly constituted Besides neither himself nor any of his Subjects had a safe Conduct granted them and though they had yet there would remain dangers apparent enough to make him decline coming For it 's no new thing with the Popes to break their Promises and imbrue themselves in the blood of the Innocent And granting it might be safe for other Persons to come thither yet there were very good reasons why it could not be so for him when the Pope endeavours to draw him into an Ambuscado hates him mortally and does his utmost to make him as odious to other Princes as is possible and all for no other reason but because he took the liberty to free his own Dominions from his Holiness's Tyranny and stopped the return of his Peter-pence and some other pretended Revenues This thing he is sensible the Pope takes extreamly ill at his hands and so much the more because he is afraid other Princes may follow his example And now the Council forsooth is deferr'd till the first of November yet we are not told where it will be held at last and the blame of this disappointment is laid upon the Duke of Mantua now what is all this but abusing the World The Duke of Mantua was certainly in the right in refusing to admit such a body of Men into his Town without a Garrison and therefore all the fault must lie at his door who never acts with any sincerity but hath always something of circumvention and design at the bottom and if he happens to change the Seat of the Council we must expect the Town he pitches upon will either belong to some Prince he holdeth as it were under Vassalage or else it must be in his own Jurisdiction The truth is he hath a very large Dominion and fine Towns in it which his Predecessors made themselves Masters of by violence and fraud neither hath he much mended his Title to them since And in regard most Men of sense despair of an honest Council the best way in his judgment is for all Magistrates to reform Religion themselves in their respective Territories Now if the Pope pretends Custom to the contrary his Argument will not hold for St. Cyprian will vouch for us in the case that Custom when it 's not founded upon Truth is no more than ancient Error This expedient therefore which he hath mention'd already is in his opinion the most proper but if any person can propose a better he is ready to comply with it The Emperor spent all this year in Spain but in June his Army in Flanders under Florus Count of Bures took the Town and Castle of St. Paul in Artois by Storm and put all the Garrison to the Sword from thence he marched to Therouenne and set down before it but without success At last they came to a Truce there for ten months which was to take place only in that Country For in Peidmont the War went on as vigorously as before where the Imperialists recover'd the Town of Quiers by Assault and made a great slaughter among the besieged both Soldiers and Townsmen And afterwards when the Garrison of Turin was straitned for want of Provisions and all the Passes and Avenues possess'd by the Enemy The French King levied an Army in Autumn and marched it thither under the Command of the Dolphin and Anne Momorency who cut through the Blockade with their Swords and victualled the Town In October King Ferdinand his Army consisting of Saxon Horse Meisseners Francovians Austrians Carinthians Bohemians and those Hungarians which the Germans call Hussars besieged Exechium or Essek situate upon the Drave which the Turks had put a strong Garrison into Now when they had thrown away a great deal of time upon this Place and were forc'd to draw off at last for want of Provisions they were inclosed by the Enemy in their retreat who had posted themselves in all the Woods and Passes they were to retire though when they were reduc ' to these straits first some few Captains and other Officers and the Body of the Hungarians ran away and it was not long before Cazzianer the General followed them But the rest especially the German Horse who scorn'd such a dishonourable Flight encourag'd one another to Resolution and stood the Charge of the Enemy but being over-power'd with numbers they were most of them cut off and many of the Officers were taken Prisoners and carried to Constantinople where they were forc'd to submit to a miserable Slavery October the 12th the King of England had a Son born named Edward by Jane Seimour whom he married after the death of Anne of Bolein In the mean time the Pope understanding there was a Truce in Flanders made it his business to procure a Cessation in Italy and in other places that he might have the better opportunity to finish the grand Affair First therefore the Truce was agreed upon for a certain Term when that was expir'd it was continued for another till at last a Peace was made as I shall shew afterwards Now the Popes design in reconciling these Princes was to perswade them to joyn their Forces against his mortal Enemy the King of England and against the Lutherans About this time Christiana of Denmark the Emperor's Neice by his Sister and Dowager of Millain left Italy and returned into Flanders through Germany there was a Match treated of between this Lady and the Duke of Cleve but it came to nothing Now also the People of Gelderland began to rebel against their Prince Charles Count Egmond who was all along of the French-Faction having a violent aversion to the Burgundians And it was thought he was then attempting to bring his Province under the Jurisdiction of the French but his Subjects making a general Insurrection against him he was outed of almost all so that he had not above