which have been given the yere of the Nativite of our Savyor BOOK

Jesus Christ, 1536.

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Number 44.

Propositions made to the king, by the German princes. The peticion and request of the right noble princes, duke John Frederike, elector of Saxe, and Philip the lantgrave of Hesse, to the most noble kyng of England; exhibited at Smalcaldia, to the most reverende bishop of Hereford, and other the ambassadors of the kyng's most royall majestie, upon the present day of the Natyvite of our Lord, anno Dom. 1536.

Office.

1. Item, THAT the said most noble king wolde set fourth Paperthe evangelie of Christe, and the syncere doctrine of the faith, after such sort, as the princes and states confederates have confessed in the dyet of Angusta, and the same defended, according to their appologie and purgation made: except parcase some things therin shall seme, by the common assent of the said most noble kyng, and the said princes, necessarie to be changed or reformed by the word of God.

2. Item, That the saide most noble king, joyning with the said princes and stats confederats, wold maynteyne and defende the saide doctrine of the evangelie, and the ceremonys conforme to the same, at the future generall counsaill, if it shall be pious, catholique, free and mere Christien.

3. Item, That neither the saide most noble king, without the express consent of the said princes and stats confederats, nor the same princes and stats confederats, without the express consent of the saide most noble king, shall assent nor agre to any indiction or appoyntement of a generall councill, which the bishop of Rome, that now is, or hereafter shall be, or any other, by whatsoever pretended auctorite, doth, or shall make and appoynt: nor yet shall consent to any place, where the future generall counsaill shall be had, nor to the counsaill it self; but that all those thyngs may be ordered and done, by the mutuall assent and counsaill of the said

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PART most noble king and princes confederat. Provided nevertheless, that if it shall appere certeynly, by just arguments and reasons, such a Christien, free, generall counsaill, to be indicted and appoynted, as the confederats, in their answer to the bishop of Rome's ambassador, named Peter Paule Verger, do desire, that such a councill be not to be refused.

4. Item, If it shall happen that (the saide most noble king, and princes, and stats confederats, not agreeing upon the place, nor the indiction of the counsaill) the bishop of Rome, and other princes conjoyned with hym in that cause, will nevertheless procede to the celebration of a counsaill, or rather of the appoyntment of the place wherunto the saide most noble king, and princes, and stats confederat shall not agree; that then, and in that case, aswell the saide king, as the said princes and stats confederat, shall chieflie (to their power) endevor and compass, that the same indiction may be utterly avoyded, and take noon effecte.

5. And furthermore, that they shall make, and semblably procure to be made, by their clargy, their publick and solempne protestacions, wherby they shall testefie and declare, both the synceryte of their faith, and also that they do utterly dissente from such maner of communication and indiction; and that they will not be bounde to the decrees or constitutions of the same counsaill, (if any such counsaill do folowe in dede) nor in any maner of wise obey the same herafter.

6. And also, that they shall not at any tyme obey, nor suffer to be obeyed by any of theirs, any decrees, mandats or sentences, bulles, letters, or brieffs, which shall procede, or be fulmynate from such a counsaill, so indicted and celebrate eyther in the name of the bishop of Rome himself, or of any other potentate whatsoever; but shall have and repute all such maner of rescriptes, decrees, bulles and breves, as voyde, inane and frustrate; and shall declare, that so they ought to be reputed and taken. And allso for the remotion of all slaunder, shall procure their bishopes and preachers, to declare the same to the people really, and with effect.

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7. Item, That the said most noble king, like as by the BOOK grace of God he is associated to the said princes and stats confederat in the doctrine of Christ, and the defence of the same; so also he woll vouchesauf, upon honourable conditions, to be associate unto the leage of the same princes and stats, so as his most noble majestie may obteine the place and name of defensor and protector of the said leage.

8. Item, The neyther the said most noble king, nor the saide princes and stats confederat, shall knowledge, maintain nor defend, at any tyme herafter, that the primacie, or that the monarchie of the bishop of Rome, may at this day take place, or ever shall, by God's lawe; nor shall consent nor graunt, that it is either utile or expedient to the comen welth of Christendom, that the bishop of Rome shuld have preemynence afore all other bishops, or in any maner of wise have any jurisdiction at all, in the realmes, kyngdoms, or domynions of the saide king and princes.

9. Item, If it shall happen, that war, or any other contencion, either for the cause of religion, or for any other cause besides this cause, shall be inferred or moved against the said most noble king, his realmes, domynions or subjects, by whatsoever prince, state or people, or also against the said right noble princes or stats confederat: that in that case, neither of the said parties shall give ayde, helpe, nor socours against the other partie, nor shall assist the prince, nor the people so invadyng, or movyng warre, neither with counsaill, helpe nor favour, dyrectly nor indirectly, prively nor apertely.

10. Item, That the said most noble king would vouchsaufe, for the defense of the said leage and most honest and holie cause, to conferre to and with the said princes, giveing suretie (as within is added) to lay fourth and contribute one hundreth thousande crownes. Which money, it shall be lawful to the confederats to use and employ wher nede shall be, in cause of defense, for the moytee or halfe parte therof. The other moytee they shall take of the same money, which they have leyd fourth, and contributed to

the same sum.

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III.

11. And if need shall be of contynuall and dayly defence, for the contynuance of the warre, or invasion of adversaries; in that case, forasmuch as the princes and confederates be not only bound unto ferther collacion and contribucion of money, but also to the mutuall defence with their bodies and goods; it may please the saide most noble king, not to be greved in so urgent a cause of necessity, also to contribute more, that is to say, two hundreth thousande crownes: which money, nevertheles, for the halfe parte, the confederates may employe together with their own money. And if it happen the warre to be soner ended, then that that shall remain, shall be justly reserved, and (the tyme of the confederation fynyshed) shall be restored to the saide most noble kinge.

12. Which if the said most noble king woll do, the princes do promyse themselfs, with their sufficient sureties, to assure not onlie that they shall not convert this money to any other use, than to the defence of the leage and cause of religion, together with their owne money which they in such a confederation do contribute, but also that entirely and faithfully, they shall paye and restore unto the said most noble king the same summ, which either when ther shall be no need of defence, or (after the defence) shall remain and be left, in case it shall not be employed to that use.

13. Item, That for as much as the ambassadors of the said most noble king shall now for a tyme remayne in Germanye, and with the lerned men in holy letters, dispute and commun of certeyn articles; the princes do desire, that they woll shortly inquire, and knowe their most noble king's mind and resolution, in the conditions of the said leage; and when they shall be certefied, to signifie the same unto us the elector of Saxe, and lantsgrave of Hesse.

14. Which when they have done, the princes will send in their (and the stats confederats names) ambassadors to the said most noble king, and amongst them one excellently learned, not onely to conferre with his royall majestie upon the articles of Christ's doctrine, and to deliberate upon the ceremonies, and other things in the church, to be changed,

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ordered and reformed, but also to comment and conclude BOOK upon all the articles, of the which we have spoken with the king's most royall majesty, in the name of the confederats.

Number 45.

The answer of the king's most noble majestie of Englande, to the peticions and articles lately addressed to his highnes, from the noble prynces, John Frederike duke of Saxe, elector, &c. and Philip lantsgrave van Hesse, in the names of them, and all their confederates.

Office.

1. THE said most noble king answereth, That his ma- Paperjestie will, and hathe of long tyme mynded to set fourth the evangelie of Christe, and the trew syncere doctrine of the same, out of which springeth and floweth our trew faith, whiche to defende he is most redy both with life and goods; but to say, that he being a king reckened somwhat lerned, (though unworthy,) having also so many excellent well lerned men within this realme, thinketh it mete to accept at any creature's hands, the observing of his and his realmes faith, thonlye grounde wherof remayneth in scripture, surely he doth not; and requiereth his entier frends herewith not to be greved: but his highnes is right well contented, and much desireth, that for unyte in faith and articles, to be made uppon the same, it wolde please his saide confederats and frends, to sende hither some of their best lerned men, to conferre and conclude, with him and his lerned men, to the intente to have a parfaite concorde and unyon in faith amongst us. In which his highnes doubteth not, but at such tyme as when their deputs shall come, they shall fynde the most towardnes in the king, and in his realme.

To the seconde, his highnes answereth, That he is content to employ himself, joyntly with the said confederats, in all generall counsailes, they being catholici et liberi, in loco etiam omni parte tuto, for the defence of their mere and trew doctryns of the gospell, according to their desires. But as touching the ceremonies, there may be different VOL. III. P. 3..

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