with themselues to chalenge agayne their former libertie. This will be no small losse vnto the court of Rome, if the princes of Germany bryng to passe that which they haue deuised. Wherfore as much as I do reioyce of your late obtayned dignitie, so much also am I moued and greued that these thinges happē in your dayes. But peraduenture Gods determination is otherwise, and hys will shall surely take place. You in the meane time be of a good chere, and deuise according to your wisedome, by what meanes the vehemencie of these floudes may be stayed. Thus fare ye well.

From Hasthaffenberge, the last
day of August.

MarginaliaThe authoritie of the coūcell of Basill expended. Concerning the autority of this generall coūcel of Basill, what is to be estemed by the Actes and fruites therof may be vnderstand of all good men. Neyther was it of any man doubted in the first beginning, so long as the Pope agreed and consented vnto it, But after the Pope began to draw backe, many other followed, especiallye of the richer sort of Prelates, which had anye thinge to lose: whereof sufficiently hath bene sayd by Arelatensis the Cardinall before. In the number of these vnconstant prelates, besides many other, was first Cardinall Iulian, the first collector of this councell, and Vicegerent of the Pope, as by his feruent and vehement letter wrytten to Pope Eugenius in defence of this councell, may well appeare:MarginaliaThe epistle of the Cardinall Iuliā to the pope, in the commendation of the councell of Basill. Wherin he most earnestly doth expostulate with the foresayd Pope Eugenius, for seekyng to dissolue the councell, and declareth in the same many causes, why he shoulde rather reioyce, and geue God thankes, for the godly proceedynges, and ioyfull agrement betwene the councell and the Bohemians, and so exhorteth him with manyfold persuasions, to resort to the councell him selfe, and not to seeke the dissolution of þ^e same. The copye and tenour of whose epistle to the pope, if any be disposed to peruse the same, is extant in our former editiō of Actes & Monumentes, there to be sene and red. Pag. 330.

In like maner Æneas Syluius also with his owne hand and writing, not onely gaue testimonye to the autority of this councell, but also bestowed hys labour and trauail in setting forth the whole story therof. Notwithstandyng, the same Syluius afterwarde being made Pope, with hys new honour, did alter and chaunge hys old sentence: the Epistle of which Aeneas, touchyng the commendation of the sayde Councell, because it is but short, and will occupye but litle roume, I thought here vnder, for the more satisfiyng of the readers mynde, to inserte.

MarginaliaAn epistle of Eneas Syluius in defence of the councell of Basill. TO a Christian man, which will be a true Christian in deede, nothing ought to be more desired, then that the sinceritie and purenes of fayth, geuen to vs of Christ by our forefathers, be kept of all men immaculate: and if at any tyme, any thing be wrought or attempted agaynst the true doctrine of the Gospell, the people ought with one consent, to prouide lawfull remedie, and euery man to bryng wyth him some water to quench the generall fire: Neither must we feare how we be hated or enuied, so we bring the truth.. We must resist euery man to his face, whether he be Paule or Peter, if he walke not directly to the truth of the Gospell, which thing I am glad, and so are we all, to heare that your Vniuersitie hath done in this Councell of Basill. For a certayne treatise of yours is brought hether vnto vs, wherein you reprehend the rudenes, or rather the rashenes of such, which do deny the Byshop of Rome, and the Consistory of hys iudgement, to be subiect vnto the generall Councell,MarginaliaThe tribunal seate standth not in one byshop. and that the supreame tribunall seate of iudgement, standth in the Church, and in no one Byshop. Such men as deny this, you so confounde with liuely reasons and truth of the Scriptures, that neither they are able to slyde awaye lyke slippery Eeles, neither to cauill or bring any obiection against you. These be the wordes of Siluius.

MarginaliaThe authoritie of the Councell of Basil mayntained by the Emperour and the French king so long as they liued. Furthermore, as touchyng the authoritye and approbation of the foresayd Councell, this is to be noted, that during the lyfe of Sigismund the Emperour, no man resisted thys Councell. Also cōtinuing the time of Charles the. vij. the French kyng, the sayd Councell of Basill was fully and wholy receiued through all Fraunce. But after the death of Sigismund, when Eugenius was deposed, and Felix, Duke of Sauoy, was elected Pope, great discords arose, and much practise was wrought. But especially on Eugenius part.MarginaliaThe practise of Pope Eugenius, to vndoe the Councell of Basill. Who beyng now excommunicate by þ^e coūcell of Basill, to make his part more stronge, made. xviij. new Cardinals. Then he sent his Oratours vnto the Germains, labouring by all perswasions to dissolue the councel of Basil, the Germaines at that time were so diuided, that some of them did hold with Felix, and the Councell of Basil: other some, with Eugenius & the councel of Ferraria: and some were neuters. After this the French king beyng dead, which was Charles the. vij. about the yeare of our Lord. 1444.MarginaliaThe Pope stirreth vp warre. the Pope beginneth a new practise, after the old guise of Rome, to excite (as is supposed) the Dolphyn of Fraunce, by force of armes, to dissipate that Councel collected agaynst him. Who leading an army of. xv thousād mē into Alsatia, did cruelly waste and spoyle the countrey: after that, layde siege vnto Basil to expell and driue out the prelates of the Councell.MarginaliaThe Dolphin driuen away by a fewe Germaines. But þ^e Heluetians most stoutly meeting their enemies with a small power, did vanquish the Frenchmen, and put them to sworde and flight: like as the Lacedemonians onelye with three hundred, dyd suppresse, & scatered all the mighty army of Xerxes, at Thermopylæ.

Although Basil thus by the valiauntnes of the Heluetians was defended yet notwithstandyng the Councell thorough these tumultes, could not continue by reason of the princes Ambassadours, which shronke away, and would not tary:MarginaliaThe dissolutiō of the Councell of Basil. So that at length Eugenius brought to passe, partly through the helpe of FriderickeMarginaliaFredericke of Austrich crowned Emperour, great grandfather to this Ferdinando (beyng not yet Emperour, but labouring for þ^e empire, partly by his Oratours (in the nūber of whō was Eneas Syluius, aboue mentioned( amongest the Germanes, that they were content to geue ouer both the councell of Basil and their neutrality.

This Friderick of Austrich being not yet Emperour, but towards the Empire, brought also to passe, that Felix, which was chosen of the Councell of Basil, to bee Pope, was contented to renounce and resigne his Papacie to Nicolaus the fifte, successour to Eugenius, of the which Nicolaus, the sayde Fridericke was confirmed at Rome to be Emperour, and there crowned. an. 1451.

MarginaliaThe Legates of the Greekes condescend first to the popes lawe. As these thynges were doing at Basil, in þ^e meane season, pope Eugenius brought to passe in his conuocation at florence, that the Emperour, and the Patriarke of Constantinople, with the rest of the Grecians there present, were persuaded to receaue þ^e sentence of þ^e church of Rome, concernyng the procedyng of the holy Ghost: also to receaue the communion in vnleauened bread, to admitte Purgatory and to yealde them selues to the authoritie of the Romishe Byshop. Whereunto notwithstandyng, the other Churches of Grecia would in no wise assente, at their comming home: In so much, that with a publike execration they did condemne afterwarde allMarginaliaThe Greeke churches refuse the popes doctrine. those Legates, which had cōsented to these Articles, that none of them should be buryed in Christen buriall: which was. an. 1439. Ex Casp. Peucer.

And thus endeth the story, both of the Coūcell of Basill, and of the Councell of Florence, also of the Emperour Sigismund, and of the Schisme betwene pope Eugenius, and Pope Felix, and also of the Bohemians. The which Bohemians notwithstanding all these troubles and tumultes, aboue said, did right well, and were strong enough agaynst all their enemies,MarginaliaThe inconuenience of discorde. till at length, through discorde, partly betwene the ij. preachers of the old & the new citie of Prage, partly also through the discord of the messēgers & captaines, taking sides one agaynst the other, they made their enemies strong & enfeabled themselues. Albeit afterward, in proces of tyme, they so defended the cause of their religion, not by sword, but by argument & disputation, that the Byshop of Rome could neuer yet to this day, remoue the Thaborites, and citie of Prage, from the communion of both the kinds, nor could euer cause them to keepe the conditions, which in the beginning of the Councell, was enioyned their priestes to obserue,MarginaliaEx Cochleo. lib. 8. hist. Hußit. as testifieth Cochleus. Lib. 8. hist. Huss. Wyth whom also accordeth Antoninus, who in 3. part. hist. sayth, that the doctrine of the Bohemians, which he termeth by the name of Zizania, did take so deepe roote with them, and grew so fast, that afterward, neither by fire nor sworde, it could be extinct.MarginaliaEx Antonin. 3. pars. tit. 22 . c. 20. Antoninus. 3. part. hist. tit. 22. capit. 10.

Concerning the which Bohemians, briefly and in a generall summe, to recapitulate their whole actes and doings, here is to be noted, that they in their own defence, and in the quarell of Iohn Hus, and Hierome of Prage, prouoked by their catholike aduersaries to warre, fighting vnder Zisca their captaine, had eleuen battailes with the Popes side, and euer went away victours. Ex paral. Abb. Vrsp. in Epitaphio Ioā. Zisc. Moreouer in þ^e history of PeucerMarginaliaEx hist. Caspars Peucer. lib. 5. it is testified, þ^t Pope Martin. 5. sending for the bish. of Wint. then Cardinal, had leuied 3. maine armies, intēding to ouerrūne all the Bohemians: one armye of the Saxones, vnder the prince Elector, the second of the Francones, vnder þ^e Marques of Brandeburge, the third of Renates, Bauarians, & Suechers, vnder Otto Archb. of Treuers. Wyth these, Sigismund also the Emperour, & Cardinal Iulian the popes Legat (who at last was slaine in war, & beyng spoyled of all his attire, was left naked in the field) ioyned all theyr