a tormentor of cōsciēces. Read the bokes of those sophisters, where they write of repentaunce, and thou shalt see there no mention made eyther of promise or fayth. For these liuely partes of repentaunce they cleane omitte, and onely do vexe men with these dead contritions. But hereof we haue, and wyll hereafter entreat more at large.

But vvhat should I here stand vpō euery Article, seyng my bookes be abroad wherin I haue geuen a reason of all sufficiently, and more vvoulde haue done, if myne aduersaries also had brought to light theirs. For [illegible text] they thinke to aunsvver me with this one [illegible text] my sayings as damned, wheras I did write to thys [illegible text] should acknowledge their erroures, vvherewith [illegible text] bewitched the people of God. Neither did I loke that I should bee condemned, whiche vnderstanding and knovvyng the same [illegible text] well, haue iustified those thinges vvhich they haue condemned before, vvith sufficient authoritie, both of Scripture and reason.MarginaliaThe purpose of Luther in setting forth hys Articles. Neyther loked I that they should tell me vvhat they thought for I knevv all that well enough) but that I sought of them vvas to knvovv vvhether they thought right therein or not. Here loked I to be taught, and beholde none of them all durst once put forth his hed. Wherfore I see these asses nothing to vnderstand either the things that I say, or yet them selues. But they be such blynd bussardes, that they perceiue not what it is that I seeke in my bokes. For they dreame that I haue such an opinion of thē, as though they had the truth of their side, vvhen there is nothing that I lesse thinke to be true. For I [illegible text] that they had condemned all these things before, came forth and shevved my selfe, as one not to be condēned, but as alreadye condemned of them, to accuse their condemnation to be vvicked, hereticall, and blasphemous, and so openly to denounce them as heretikes and erroneous, vnlesse they shevved some better reason and ground of theyr doyngs and doctrine: vvhere as they on the other side, like foolish minstrels harpyng still on one string, haue nothing els in theyr mouthes, but vve condemne that vve haue condemned, prouing after a neww kinde of Logike, the same thyng by it selfe. O most idiote huddypeakes and blockish condemners, vvhere is the saying of Peter? Be alvvayes ready to render a count of that fayth and hope vvhich is in you.Marginalia1. Pet. 3.

Wherfore seyng these ignoraunt Papistes, beyng thus confounded, do so flie avvay from the face of the manifest veritie, that they dare not once open their mouthes in defence of themselues or of their cause, and haue blasted out vvith much ado this timerous Bull of theirs: I beyng comforted vvith the flight of these myne aduersaries, do accompt this their dastardly damnation in stede of full allovvyng and iustifiyng of my cause, and so rebound againe their ovvne damnation vpon theyr ovvne heads. For hovv could they more condemne themselues, then vvhiles they, (fearing to be found them selues culpable of heresie, if they should be driuen to geue accoupt of theyr doctrine) do flie to this miserable and desperate refuge, vvillyngly to shut their eyes and stop their eares, and to say, I vvill not, I damne thee, I heare thee not, I allovv thee not. If I should haue played any such mad part, hovv would they (I praye you) haue triumphed against me? This dastarly feare declareth vvhat covvardes they are.

Wherefore not to burden the reader vvith any tedious prolixitie of matter in prosecutyng euery Article, I here protest in these presents, that IMarginalia* Note here, good reader, that amongst these Articles certayne there be which because they seemed somewhat to beare with the Pope and his pardons, Luther comming after to more knowledge that the pope was Antichrist, confesseth him selfe in his Assertions, that he vtterly calleth backe the same not reuoking thē as the Pope would haue had hym, but rather aggrauating thē against the pope. * confesse all these thinges here condemned by this miserable Bull, for pure, cleare and Catholike doctrine: vvhereof I haue sufficiently geuen accompt in my bookes vvhich be extant abroad.

Furthermore, I vvill also that the sayd my bookes beyng extaunt abrode, shal be taken as a publicke accusation agaynst these vvicked Sophisters and seducers of the people of God: so that vnlesse they shall geue a count of their doctrine, and shall conuict me vvith good grounde of Scripture, I do here, as much as in me lyeth, denounce them as guilty of errour, heresie, and sacrilege, admonishing, desiring and in the Lord exhorting all them which truly confesse Christ, that they vvill bevvare and take hede of their pestiferous and pernitious doctrine, and not to doubt, but that the true Antichrist raigneth novv by them in the vvorld amongest vs.

And if any shall contemne this my brotherly admonition, let hym knovv that I am pure and cleane from his bloud, and excused in the last iudgement of Christ. For I haue left nothing vndone, which christian charitie did bynd me to do.

Finally, if there be no other vvay vvherby I may resist these bablyng & trifling condemners, the vttermost and last vvhich I haue, I vvill geue & bestovv in the quarell, that is, this lyfe and bloud of myne. For better it were for me a thousand tymes to be slayne, then to reuoke one sillable of these Articles vvhich they haue condemned. And novv as they doe curse and excommunicate me for their damnable heresie, so I agayn likevvise do curse and excommunicate thē for the holy veritie of God. Christ vvhich is only the Iudge of all, iudge & determine this matter betvvene vs, vvhether of these tvvo excommunications, his or myne shall stande and preuayle before him. Amen.

MarginaliaRead afore pag. 819. In storying the lyfe of Luther before pag. 819. it was declared, how the sayd Luther in the beginnyng, first beyng reiected of the Cardinall Caietanus, appealed from þ^e Cardinall vnto the Pope. When that would not serue, neyther could any tolerable submission of Luther to the pope be receyued, but that the Pope with hys Cardinals, contrary to all equity and conscience, would nedes procede agaynst him, and agaynst the expresse truth of gods worde, thinkyng by mere authority to beare down the veritie as he had vsed before to do, Luther followyng the iustnes of hys cause, was then compelled to appeale from the Pope to the uext generall councell, and so did,MarginaliaRead afore, pag. 820. as before you may read, pag. 820. Which was ij. yeares before the Popes Bull agaynst Luther came out. The tenour of which appellation before omitted, I thought here to exhibite, wherby the reader consideryng the great change of religion and state of the church which since hath ensued, may also perceiue the true originall cause and occasion, how it first began, by what order and degrees it after encreased, what humilitie and submission first on Luthers part was shewed, and agayne what insolencie, wrong, and violence on the Popes part was declared. And further, where Pope Leo in hys Bull aboue prefixed seemeth to pretend certaine conditions of fauour, charitie, and money offred to Luther in the beginnyng, how false & vaine that is, by this present appeale may appeare. The copye wherof, as it was drawen by the publike notarie and exhibited, is this as in forme here followeth.

MarginaliaThe appeale of M. Luther frō the Pope to the next generall Councel. IN nomine Domini, Amen. Anno a natiuitate eiusdem. 1518 indicitione sexta, die vero solis vigesima octaua mensis Nouembris Pontficatus sanctissimi in Christo patris & Domini nostri, Domini Leonis, diuina prouidentia Papæ decimi, anno sexto in mea Notarij publici testiumq; infra scriptorum ad hoc specialiter vocatorum & rogatorum præsentia constitutus, &c.

MarginaliaLuthers appeale frē the pope, in Englishe. THe effect of the Appeale aforesaide is this: That for so muche as the libertie of appealyng is prouided for a remedye to releue the oppressed from iniurie and violence of the superiour, it was therefore lawful for M. Luther so do, especially being manifolde wayes iniuried and molested by the See of Rome and other the Popes confederates, as he in the sayd appeale declareth. For at first wheras he modestly disputyng of the errors and abuses of the Popes pardons, did somwhat withstand the impudent rauen and blasphemies of them that came about with the Popes pardons to poll and rob the people, he was therefore openly rayled vpon, and defamed by them in their publike sermons to be an heretike, and consequently vpon the same accused to Pope Leo for an heretike, by Marius þ^e Popes Proctor and others.

Then was obteined of the Pope a Commission to cite vp the sayde Luther to appeare at Rome before the Cardinalles, by Hieronymus and Siluester Prieras, his mortall enemies, where as he could by no way appere without manifest danger of his lyfe, both by the way, and also in the citie of Rome.

For the consideration whereof, Duke Iohn Fridericke, Prince Electour, and the Lantgraue entreated for hym to haue his cause indifferently to be heard, and to bee committed to two parties that were equall, and not partiall: yet notwithstandyng the sute of these princes, and the contrary labour of the Cardinals, which were his capital aduersaryes, so preuayled at Rome, that the cause of Luther was still detayned in their own handes, and contrary to all indifferencie, was committed to the hearyng of þ^e Popes Legate then in Germanie, calledMarginaliaCardinalis Sancti Sixti, enemy to Luther. Cardinalis Sancti Sixti. Who beyng no lesse enemie agaynst Luther, then the other, and notwithstandyng that Luther obediently appeared at his call, and wyth humble Protestation submitted hym selfe to bee aunswered by the Scriptures, and referred hym selfe to the iudgement of the Sea of Rome and of foure Vniuersities, to wytte. Basile, Friburge, Louane and Paris yet contrary to all equitie, shewyng forth no Scripture nor reason, reiectyng his gentle Protestatiō, submission, and honest offer, with all other hys requestes and sutes, he would needes forthwith haue him to reuoke his errours, threatnyng and manasing him most cruelly, and commaunded him no more to come in his sight.MarginaliaLuther appealeth from the Cardinal to the Pope.

Wherupō Luther beyng thus proudly reiected of þ^e Cardinall, made his appeale from the sayde Cardinall to Pope Leo beyng better informed.

This appellation also being contemned of the Pope, who would neither come to anye agreement, nor take any reasonable condition, nor shew Luther his errours by the scripture, nor yet referre the matter by learnyng to be decided, but woulde needes perforce procede agaynst hym by mere authoritie, and oppression at Rome, Luther thē seyng there was no other refuge or remedy for his owne defence, and seyng moreouer the truth of Gods worde to lye vnder foote by myght and authoritie oppressed, so that none durst almost confesse the same, and that the poore flocke was so nusled in errours and vayne opinions to the seduction of their soules, for these and other such causes, he beyng necessarily thereunto compelled,MarginaliaM. Luther appealeth frō the pope to the next generall Councell. commensed thys Appeale from the Pope misinformed to the next generall Councell that shoulde be, callyng for the helpe of the publicke notarie, and testimonie