of holy fathers, do burne the holy canons, do cōfound al things at their pleasure, & do disquiet the whole world, what remaineth, but that they are to be reiected & explo∣ded, as enemies and perturbers of publike peace?
Further this you shal say vnto them, yt we confesse our selues, & deny not, but that God suffreth this persecutiō to be inflicted vpon his churche, for the sinnes of men, especi∣ally of priests and prelates of the clergie. For certain it is, that the hand of the Lord is not shortned, that he cannot saue: but our sinnes haue diuided betwene God and vs: and therfore he hi∣deth his face from vs, that he wil not heare vs. The scripture te∣stifieth, that the sinnes of the people doe issue out from the sinnes of the priests. And therfore saith Chrysostom,) Christ going a∣bout to cure the sicke citie of Hierusalē, first entred into the tem∣ple, to correct the sinnes of the priestes, like a good phisitiō, which first beginneth to cure the disease from the very rote. We know that in this holy see there haue bene many abhominable things of long time wrought & prac∣tised: as abuses in matters spirituall, and also excesses in life and maners, and all things turned cleane cōtrary. And no maruell if the sicknesse first beginning at the heade, that is, at the high Bishops, haue descended after∣ward to inferior prelates. Al we (that is, prelates of the church) haue decli∣ned euery one after his owne waye. Neither hath there ben one that hath don good, no not one. Wherfore nede it is yt al we geue glory to God, and that we humble our soules to him, considering euery one of vs, from whence hee hath fallen, and that euery one doe iudge himself, before he be iudged of God in the rod of his furie. For the redresse wherof you shal insinuate vnto them, and promise in our behalfe, that in vs shall be lacking no dili∣gence of a better reformation, first beginning wt our owne court, that like as this contagion first from thence descen∣ded into all the inferior partes: so reformation & amende∣ment of all that is amisse from the same place againe, shall take his beginning. Wherunto they shall finde vs so much the more ready, for that we see ye whole worlde so desirous of the same. Wee our selues (as you knowe) neuer sought this dignity, but rather coueted, if we otherwise might, to lead a priuate life, and in a quiete state to serue God. And also would vtterly haue refused the same, had not the feare of God, and the maner of our election, and misdoubting of some schisme to follow after, haue vrged vs to take it. And thus tooke we the burden vpon vs, not for any ambition of dignity, or to enrich our frends, and kinsfolks, but only to be obediēt to the will of God, and for reformation of the catholique church, and for reliefe of the pore, and especially for the aduancement of learning & learned men, with such other things moe, as apperteineth to the charge of a good Bishop & lawful heire of S. Peter. And though all errors, corruptions, and abuses, be not straight wayes amended by vs, men ought not therat to maruell. The sore is great and farre growen, and is not single, but of manifolde ma∣ladies together compacted, & therefore to the curing therof we must proceede by litle and litle, first beginning to cure the greater and the most dangerous, least while we intend to amend all, we destroy all. All sodaine mutations (sayth A∣ristotle) in a common wealth, are perilous. And he that wringeth too hard, straineth out bloud. Prou. 30
And whereas in your last letters you wryte, that the Princes complaine, howe this See hath bene and is pre∣iudiciall to their ordinaunces and agreements: heereunto you shall thus aunswere: That suche excesses which haue bene done before our time, ought not to be imputed to vs, who alwayes haue misliked these derogations, and there∣fore bidde them so assure them selues, that though they had required no such matter, we of our owne accorde, woulde haue refrained the same, partly for that it is good, right, & reason, that euery one haue that which is due vnto hym: and partly also that the sayd noble natiō of Germany shal haue by vs no hinderance, but furtherance rather, so much as in vs shall lie to do for them.
And as touching the processes, whyche they desire to haue remoued away a Rota, and to be referred down to the parties, you shall signifie vnto them that we will gratifie them herein asmuch as honestly we may. But because our auditors are now presently absent from the citie by reason of the Plague, wee can not be infourmed as yet, touching the qualitie of those processes. Assoone as they shall returne (which we hope will be shortly) we shal do in the Princes fauour, what reasonably we may.
Further, wheras we vnderstande, that there be many fresh florishing wits in Germanie, and many well learned men, which are not seene vnto, but be reiected and vnloo∣ked to, while in the meane time, throughe the Apostolicall prouisions, dignities, and promotions are bestowed vpon tapsters, and daunsers, and vnfitte persons: we wil there∣fore that you inquire out what those learned men are, and what be their names, to the intent that when any such va∣cation of benefices in Germany do fal, we of our volunta∣ry motiō, may prouide for them accordingly. For why, we consider howe much it is against Gods glory, and against the health and the edification of soules, that benefices and dignities of the church, haue now so long time bene besto∣wed vpon vnworthy and vnable persons.
As touching the subsidie for the Hungarians, we send no other information to you, but that which we gaue you at your departure, saue onely that we will you to extende your diligence therein, as we also will do the like, in solici∣ting the matter with the princes and cities of Italie, that euery one may helpe after his abilitie. Ex Orth. Gratio.
These popish suggestions and instructions of the Pope himselfe against Luther, I thought (Christen reader) to set before thine eyes, to the intent thou maiest see here (as in a paterne, and go no further) all the crimes, obiectiōs, excla∣mations, suspitions, accusations, slāders, offensions, con∣tumelies, rebukes, vntruths, cauillations, railings, what soeuer they haue deuised, or can deuise, inuent, articulate, denounce, infer, or surmise against Luth. and his teaching. They crie, heresy, heresy: but they prooue no heresy. They cry, Councels, Councels: and yet none trāsgresseth Coun∣cels more then themselues. If Councels go alwaies with Scripture, then Luther. goethe with them. If Councells doe iarre sometime from the Scripture, what heresie is in Luth. in standing with Scripture against those councels? And yet neither hath he hitherto spoken against any coun∣cels, saue onely the Councell of Constance. They inflame kings and princes against Luth▪ and yet they haue no iust cause wherefore. They accuse him for teaching libertie. If they meane the libertye of fleshe, they accuse him falsely: if they meane the liberty of spirit, they teach wickedly, which teach contrary: and yet when they haue all sayde, none liue so licentiously as themselues. They pretēde the zeale of the Churche, but vnder that churche lieth their owne priuate welfare, and belly cheare. They charge Luth. with disobe∣dience, and none are so disobedient to Magistrates and ci∣uile lawes, as they. They lay to his charge, oppression and spoiling of lay mens goods: and who spoileth the lay mēs liuings, so much as the Pope? For probation whereof, let the Popes accountes be cast, what hee raketh out of euery Christian realme. Briefly, turne only the names of the per∣sons, and in steede of Luthers name, place the name of the Pope, and the effect of this letter aboue prefixed, shal agree vpon none more aptly, then vpon the Pope him selfe, and his owne sectaries. Now to proceede further in the proces of this foresaide matter, let vs see what the Princes againe for their partes answere to these foresaide suggestions and instructions of Pope Adrian, sent vnto them in their diete of Norenberg, in the cause of Luther: the answer of whom here foloweth vnder wrytten.