MarginaliaM. Luther how long he liued & taught.tyng and preachyng, about 29. yeares. As touchyng the order of his death, the wordes of Melancton be these.  

MarginaliaThe sickenes of Luther.In the yeare of our Lord. 1546. and the 17. of February,  

Doctour M. Luther sickned a litle before supper, of his accustomed maladie, to witte, of the oppression of humors in the orifice or openyng of his stomacke, wherof I remember I haue sene him oft diseased in this place. This sickenes tooke him after supper, with the which he vehemently contēdyng, required secesse into a bye chamber, and there he rested on his bed two houres: all which tyme hys paynes encreased. And as Doctor Ionas was lying in his chamber, Luther awaked and prayed him to ryse, & to call vp Ambrose his childrens scholemaister, to make fire in an other chamber. Into the which, when he was newly entred, Albert Earle of Mansfield, with hys wife and diuers other (whose names in these letters for hast, were not expressed) at that instant came into his chāber. MarginaliaThe quiet death of Luther.Finally, feelyng hys fatall houre to approche, before ix. of the clocke in the mornyng, the. xviij. of February, hee commended himselfe to God, with this deuout prayer.

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MarginaliaThe prayer of Luther at hys death.MY heauenly father, eternall and mercifull God, thou hast manifested vnto me thy deare sonne, our lord Iesus Christ. I haue taught him, I haue knovven him, I loue him as my lyfe, my health, and my redemptiō: vvhom the vvicked haue persecuted, maligned, and vvith iniurie afflicted. Dravve my soule to thee. After this he sayd as ensueth, thryse.

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I commende my Spirite into thy handes, thou hast redemed me, O God of truth. God so loued the vvorld, that he gaue his onely sonne, that all those that beleue in hym, should haue lyfe euerlastyng. Iohn. iij.

Hauing repeated oftentymes his prayers, he was called to God, vnto whom so faithfully hee commended his spirit: to enioy, no doubt, the blessed societie of the Patriarches, Prophetes, and Apostles in þ^e kyngdome of God the father, the sonne, and the ghost. Let vs now loue the memorie of this mā, and the doctrine that he hath taught. Let vs learne to be modest and meke. Let vs consider the wretched calamities, and merueilous chaunges that shall folow this mishap and dolefull chaunce. I beseche thee O sonne of God, crucified for vs, and resuscitate Emanuell, gouerne, conserue and defende thy Churche. Hæc Melancthon.

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MarginaliaThe death of Duke Fridericke.Fridericus prince Electour died  

long before Luther in þ^e yeare of our Lord. 1525. Leauing no issue behynd him for that hee liued a single lyfe, and was neuer maryed: wherfore after hym succeded Iohn Fridericke, Duke of Saxonie.  

Commentary     Close

This account of the pontificate of Leo X is translated from John Bale's Catalogus, pp. 636-8 and 644-6.

MarginaliaDisciptation betwene the Senate of Strausburgh, and Cardinall Campeius, about maryed ministers.Mention was made  

a litle before, pag. 988. of þ^e Ministers of Stausburgh, whiche because of their Mariage were in trouble and cited by þ^e Byshop, to appeare before him, & there to be iudged without þ^e precinct of the Citie of Strausburgh: wheras there had bene a cōtrary order taken before betwene the Byshop, and the Citie, that the Byshop should execute no iudgement vpon any, but vnder some of the Magistrates of the sayd Citie of Strausburgh. Wherupon the Senate and Citizens taking into their handes the cause of these maryed Ministers, in defense of their owne right and liberties, wrote (as is said) to their Byshop of Strausburgh, and caused the iudgement therof a while to be stayed. By reason wherof the matter was brought at length, before Cardinall Campeius Legate, sent by pope Clement to the assemble of Norenberge. an. 1524. MarginaliaMurnerus a Frier, an accuser of maryed ministers.The chief doer in this matter was one Thomas Murnerus a Franciscan Frier, who had commēced a greuous complaynt agaynst the Senate and Citie of Strausburgh, before the foresayd Cardinall Cāpeius. MarginaliaThe Senate of Strausburgh purgeth them selues to Cardinall Campeius.Wherfore the Senate, to purge them selues, sent their Ambassadours, thus clearyng their cause, and aunsweryng to their accusatiō: That they neither had bene, nor would be any let to þ^e bishop, but had signified to hym before by their letters, that what so euer hee could lay agaynst those maryed Priestes, consonant to the law of God, they would be no stay, but rather a furtherance vnto hym, to procede in his action. But the Senate herein, was not a litle greued, that the Byshop, contrary to the order and compacte, whiche was taken betwene him and them, did call the sayd Ministers out of the liberties of their Citie: For so it was betwene them agreed, that no Ecclesticall person should be adiudged, but vnder some iudge of their owne Citie. MarginaliaThe B. of Strausburgh breaketh the agreement made, and the liberties of the Citie.But now contrary to the sayd agreement, the Bishop called those Ministers out their liberties, and so the Ministers clayming the right and priuiledge of the Citie, were condemned, their cause beyng neither heard nor knowē. And now if the Senate should shew them selues any thyng more sharpe or rigorous vnto those Ministers, in clayming the right of the Citie, the people, no doubt, would not take it well, but happely would rise vp in some commotion agaynst them, in the quarell and defense of their franchises and liberties.

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And where it is obiected, that they receaue priestes and men of the Clergy, into the fredome and protection of their Citie, to this they aunswered, that they did nothyng herein, but whiche was correspondent to the auncient vsage and maner of the Citie before: and moreouer that it was the Byshops owne request and desire, made vnto them so to do.

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MarginaliaThe aunswere of Campeius to the ambassadours.To this the Cardinall againe aduising well the letters of the Byshop, and the whole order of the matter, whiche was sent vnto him, declared that he right well vnderstode by the letters sent, that the ministers in dede (as the Ambassadours sayd) were called out from the fredome, and liberties of the Citie, and yet no order of law was broken therin: MarginaliaThe popes prelates be lawles, and can breake no order what soeuer they doe.for as much as the Bishop, (sayd he) had there no lesse power and authoritie, then if hee were hys owne vicare delegate, and therfore he desired them, that they would assiste the Byshop in punishyng the foresayd Ministers. &c.

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MarginaliaThe Ambassadours replye agaynst the Cardinall.After much other talke and reasoning on both partes, wherin the Ambassadours argued in defense of their fredome, that the iudgement should not be transferred out of the Citie, among other communication, they inferred moreouer & declared, MarginaliaHoly matrimonye punished, wicked whoredome escapeth.how in the Citie of Strausburgh were many, yea the moste parte of the Clergye, which lyued viciously and wickedly with their strumpetes and harlottes, whom they kept in their houses, to the great offense of the people, shame to Christes Church and pernicious example of other: and yet the Byshop would neuer once styrre to see any punishyng or correction therof. Wherfore if the Senate (said the Ambassadours) should permitte the byshop to extende his crueltie and extremitie against these maryed Ministers, for not obseruing the Byshop of Romes lawe, and leaue the other notorious whoremasters, whiche brake the law of God, to escape vnpunished, doubtles it would redounde to their great daunger and perill, not onely before God, but also amōg the commons of their Citie, ready to rise vpon them.

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MarginaliaCampeius answereth.To this Campeius aunswered, what composition or bargayne was betwixt the Byshop and them, he knew not: but surely the Acte of the one was manifest, and neded no great triall in law of prouyng and confessyng, and therfore they were sequestred and abandoned from the communion of the Churche, ipso facto. MarginaliaIpso facto, that is, vpon the very doing of the acte, without any further iudgement or tryall by the lawe.As for the other sorte of them, which kepe harlottes and concubines although (sayd he) it be not well done: yet doth it not excuse the enormitie of their mariage. Neither was he ignoraunt, but that it was the maner of the Byshops of Germanie, for money to wynke at Priestes lemans, and the same also was euill done in dede: and farther, that the tyme should come, when they shall bee called to an accōpt for the same: but yet neuertheles it is not sufferable that Priestes therfore should haue wyues. And if comparison should be made (sayd he) much greater offence it were, a Priest to haue a wife, then to haue & kepe at home many harlottes. MarginaliaA fytte reason for a carnall Cardinall: better it is to haue many concubynes then one wife.His reason was this: For they þ^t kepe harlots (sayd he) as it is naught that they do, so do they acknowledge their sinne: the other persuade them selues to do well, and so continue still without repentaunce, or conscience of their fact. All men (sayd he) can not be chast, as Iohn Baptist was: yet can it not bee proued by any exāple

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