AFter the high and mighty Lord and Prince, Lord Iohn Ernestus Duke of Saxonie, Gulick, Cleue and Mont, Landgraue of Thu­ringia, Marquesse of Misnia, Earle of the Marck and of Ra­uensburg, Lord of Rauestein, our gracious Lord; hath graciously sent vnto vs the Doctors and Pro­fessors of Diuinitie in the Princely Electorall V­niuersity of Wittemberge, the reuerend and lear­ned Iohn Maior Superintendent, and Iohn Ger­hard, both Doctors and Professors in Diuinity, in his Princely Graces Vniuersitie at Iena, with gra­cious Letters of Credence, bearing date at Weiu­mar the 20. of Ianuary 1620. for to speake and confer with vs, concerning some great & weighty considerable causes, and to vnderstand our good meaning therein: So haue wee with submissiue, dutifull, and honorable respect vnto his Prince­ly Grace, the 24. of Ianuary, most willingly, and in all things sufficiently heard both the said Pro­fessors of Iena, and thereby vnderstood in what [Page]respect his highly remembred Princely Grace, so earnestly desireth to know our opinions vpon the hereafter following Questions, which were in writing deliuered into our hands. And thereupon haue also at large in the name and feare of God, not onely discoursed with them pro & contra, e­uen the selfe-same day, of those Questions they brought vnto vs; but also the next day following did withall, collegialiter, euen in all our seuerall Conuents and Meetings, so farre forth as was any way necessary, thorowly debate the same, agreed vpon an Answere, and vpon the sore-said written gracious desire, haue also (for the preuenting of all misconceiuing and doubtfulnesse) committed the same vnto Paper, as it here followeth to bee read. Namely:

1 If the Emperour doe assault them, who af­firme and assure with solemne protestation, that they seeke not any thing else, then onely the main­tenance of their Freedomes, Priuiledges, and the libertie of their Religion and Conscience, promi­sed and confirmed vnto them by sundry Grants and Couenants; and bee therefore set vpon and persecuted as Enemies.

2 Amongst whom there are many good, zea­lous and faithfull Protestant Christians, addicted to the true Lutherane Protestant Religion; whose suppression will be furthered, if a State shall ayde and assist the Emperors Maiestie against them.

3 Who are taken and receiued into the Peace of Religion.

[Page] 4 Are readie, and do offer themselues, to make an orderly and lawfull acknowledgement therof.

5 With whom there haue beene sundry espe­ciall Agreements, Vnions, and Confessions accor­ded and made.

6 But now contrarily on the Emperours side, a man should ioyne himselfe with the Pope, with the Spaniards, with the Italians, and with the greatest and bitterest Enemies of the Gospell.

7 And it is much to bee feared, that if a man shall helpe to suppresse and extirpate these Prote­stants, that the Pope will then also afterwards, by his Adherents and Instruments earnestly seek the Banishment, yea, the vtter rooting out, and finall destruction of the rest which remayne, according to the Tridentine Councels direct prescription.

8 And it is also further to bee feared, that by such actuall assistance, their own Lands and Coun­tries may bee brought into vttermost perill and danger.

9 And lastly, thereby should also forreine Soul­diers be brought in, to manage & sway the whole businesse; a thing directly opposite and contrary to the Capitulations, and fundamental! Lawes of the Empire.

Question. Hereupon the Question now ariseth and is, whether (the case so standing) a State of the holy Romane Empire professing the true Religi­on, ought not well to consider and bee aduised, whether it ought or may giue actuall ayde and as­sistance vnto the Emperours Maiestie or no?

Answer. Whereunto wee say, that there is euident direction and apparent information hereunto, ready at hand to bee found in Gods Word; and that out of the same Direction, there is such a De­claration giuen, by the great Prophet of all Ger­many Doctour Luther, as that wee cannot in our consciences either reiect it, or yet know how to better it; but find it (in regard of common equity and reason) to be altogether agreeable and conso­nant vnto Gods reuealed holy Word.

And although wee with other Lutherane Di­uines could well haue wished, and euen from the bottome of our hearts, that it had not now at all beene needfull to haue had this Question moued; and especially that wee had beene spared, and not beene troubled therewith, according as we entred into the same very vnwillingly, and would much rather that the matter had beene elsewhere pro­pounded, and the burden thereof layd vpon o­thers, then vpon vs: yet seeing it is as an high and weighty, yea, a leading Case of Conscience, layd vpon our Consciences to answere, as being the In­formers of mens Consciences; wee would not vse any dilatory excuse, (as also it is not meete wee should) albeit wee cannot otherwise expedite the preposed case, (De causa nobis aut Theologis propo­sita, iuxta principia Theologica, of a cause propoū ­ded vnto vs or vnto Diuines, according to the Prin­ciples of Diuinitie,) then that in such an exigent, a Protestant State of the Empire, ought iustly, well to consider and bethinke it selfe, whether it bee to [Page]giue ayde and assistance to the Emperors Maiesty or no.

And first of all, for the better informing of mens consciences, we neither can, nor ought now, or at any time will forbeare to remember, how that all high and low Estates (whether they bee of Spiri­tuall or Temporall calling) ought with the grea­test and most diligence possible, to endeuour, that the Romane Emperours Honour, Reputation, Authoritie, and Maiestie, (although he be not of our Religion) and especially in this present dan­gerous time of Commotion, and flocking together of Souldiers, may be wholly without all impeach­ment, supported, preserued and mayntayned in safetie. And that besides the daily powring out of feruent Prayers for him, there may also bee giuen vnto him all due Reuerence, Obedience, Submissi­on and Tribute, in regard that it is Gods Ordi­nance; and for that the Sonne of God was borne into the World vnder the Roman Emperour, as vnder a Monarchie, which Daniel in his Vision conceiued, that it should abide vntill the Day of the great Glory of Iesus Christ, when hee shall come againe to iudge the Quick and the Dead and for that, the high Iustice of God, hath at all times seuerely punished the Despisers of Magistrates, as Gods, (as holy Writ cals them) and as them, by whom he in Gods stead ruleth and gouerneth the World; and therefore hath forbidden that any should presume to curse the King, no not in the heart and thought, and the rich not in his Bed­chamber. [Page] For the Bird of the Ayre shall carrie vp the sound of the voyce, Ettles. 10.20. and that which hath wings shall tell the matter, as it is written in the tenth of the Preacher.

And that therefore wee ought euer to giue all honour vnto, and faithfully pray not onely for the good and gentle, but also for the froward and wicked Kings and Princes set ouer vs of God; that so we may seade a quiet and peaceable life vnder them in all godlinesse and honesty.

Now secondly, for so much as concerneth the fundamentall maine point of this our fore-menti­oned Answere, vnto the propounded Question in case of Conscience; albeit the same might be very largely handled, and much bee alleaged for it; yet we will now at this time let it rest, and content our selues onely with that which is contayned in the Commandement of the loue of God, and the loue of our Neighbour; as vpon which two (ac­cording to Christs owne Doctrine) dependeth the whole Law and the Prophets: And therein consi­der, whether the aboue-said ayde and assistance will not fall out, to bee as well against the loue of God, as against the loue of our Neighbour?

1 And touching the loue of God, like as the Ro­mane Emperours high name and preheminence,It is against the Ioue of God to ayde them that persecute the Gospell. shall of all men in the holy Empire bee honoured without impeachment, vpon the auoyding of the heauiest and seuerest, both Diuine and Humane punishments: So is it neuer a whit the lesse, but much more befitting, that also the Honour of the [Page]Almighty high God, and of his beloued Sonne Iesus Christ, the Truth of his holy sacred Word, the pure Religion, and the enlarging of the Chri­stian Church, should bee taken into consideration and care, to the vttermost that all humane reason by aduice and action is possibly able to prouide for: As being the very meanes, whereby the euer-lasting saluation of many and innumerable soules, is to bee wrought and effected; the Kingdome of Heauen to be planted; and a perpetuall Church to be builded and encreased; by whom with all holy Angels hee shall bee for euermore praysed and blessed, the King of all Kings, the Lord of all Lords, euen God the holy and indiuisible Trinity blessed for euer.

And when here it concerneth the Honour of God, and the honour of men, as whether is to bee preferred before the other; then that belongeth hereunto, which once Saint Peter, and the other Apostles said in the like case, Act. 5. God must bee more obeyed then men. Wherunto also well agreeth Doctor Luthers Meditations, Tom. 6. at Iena in Dutch. fol. 282. in his Admonition to his beloued Countreymen of Germany, where he thus saith.

The first reason, that thou in such a case shalt not obey the Emperour, and goe on warfare with him, is, that thou (euen so well as the Empe­rour) hast sworne in thy Baptisme, to hold and maintayne the Gospell, and not to persecute it, nor to fight against it. Now thou canst not but know, that the Emperour is herein stirred vp and [Page]set on by the Pope, and is by him deceiued and se­duced to fight against the Gospell of Christ, seeing that our Doctrine was openly found at Ausburg, to be the true Gospell of Christ, and agreeable to the holy Scripture. And therefore thou shalt thus answer and say, vpon any Summons which the Emperour, or thy Prince shall make; Yea honou­red Emperour, honoured Prince, If thou hold & keepe thy Oath, and Vow made in Baptisme; then shalt thou be my honoured Lord, and I will be obedient vnto thee, to go to warre whensoeuer thou wilt. But if thou wilt not hold and keepe thy Vow in Baptisme and Christian Couenant made with Christ, but persecute the same; then let a Knaue if he will, obey thee in my stead. I will not for thy sake blaspheme my God, and persecute his Word, and so desperately runne and cast my selfe head-long with thee into the deepest bottome of Hell.

Now this first reason comprehends in it, many other very great and fearefull reasons. For he that striueth and fighteth against the Gospell, he must likewise needes fight against God, against Iesus Christ, against the Holy Ghost, against the preci­ous Bloud of Christ, against his Death, against Gods Word, against all the Articles of the Chri­stian Faith, against the Sacraments; against all the Doctrine which is giuen, established, confirmed, kept and nourished by the Gospell, as that of the Magistrate, and of a temporall Peace and State; & briefly, against all the Angels and Saints, against [Page]Heauen, and against Earth, and all Creatures. For who so striueth and fighteth against God, he must also needes fight against all that is Gods, or that holds with God: and what end that will haue at the last, thou shalt (though too late) finde by thy owne ouer-deare bought experience. And that which is yet worst of all, such striuing and war­ring is done of knowledge wittingly: for men know and acknowledge, that this our Doctrine, is the Gospell indeed; whereas the Turkes and Tartars know not that it is Gods Word. And therefore there cannot any bee so bad, as thou art; nor shall any be so grieuously punished, as thou shalt be. For thou shalt bee ten thousand times more deeply damned, then all Turkes, Tartars, Heathen and Iewes. Hactenus verba Lutheri: Hitherunto are the words of Luther.

Yea and for so much as the children of Darke­nesse, who are learned Catholikes, will not ceasse nor be weary to restore again, to spread abroad, to propagate, & to defend their Religion, with goods and bloud, with bodie and life, thereby to honour God (as they think;) which Religion of theirs not­withstanding, is not any thing else then the verie damned Babilon alreadie begun to fall; the very Antichristianisme, and as Iames Herbran (a well experienced learned Diuine) writeth in the Pre­face to his Theologicall Disputations; Sentina & cloaca Satanae, in qua omnes suas sordes, abominati­ones, impietates, & idolatrias, quot quot excogita­ri possunt, ingessit; The very sinke and iakes of [Page]Satan, whereinto he hath cast all his filth, abhomi­nations, impieties, and idolatries, that can possibly be deuised.

How much more then will it become vs, as the Children of the Light, not any way to hinder, but by all meanes to propagate the said holy Truth, which out of Gods vnspeakable mercy and good­nesse, he would haue first commended euen from Heauen aboue an hundred yeares since, not vnto a­ny others, then euen vnto vs Germanes, and espe­cially vnto vs Saxons by Doctor Luther, and from his hand vnto our faithfull hands.

2 As for the second point, it standeth herein,Such ayde is against the loue of our Neighbour. that such ayde and assistance will extend it selfe against the loue of our Neighbour, if that the Lutherane States of the holy Empire, in the Case propounded, shall and will runne and ioyne with the Souldiers of the Pope of Rome, and of the King of Spaine, as the extremest and mortallest enemies of the Go­spell; against such Protestant Christians, as are mentioned in the propounded Question, to the destroying and rooting out of it, and them. Yet so that the word Neighbour, bee not taken most generally, but in particular for them, who most earnestly take part with vs, and hold the vnity of the Spirit, by the bond of Peace, in the onely true Faith, as the same commeth neerest vnto the Propheticall and Apostolike Writings, contayned in the vnaltered Augsburg Confession, and in the Booke of Christian Concord; that haue with vs one God, and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, and one [Page]Lord Christ Iesus; one Baptisme, one whole vn­mangled Lords Supper, in the true Body, and the true Bloud of Iesus Christ; who in that respect are one Body with vs, and wee altogether the Mem­bers of one Body: of which the Apostles rich and spirituall Exhortation is well knowne; and accor­ding to the same, euery vnderstanding man vseth to take heed vnto himselfe, that wittingly hee doe not with his owne hands, any hurt vnto his owne Members. How much more then, should all good and religious true Christians well foresee and duly consider Christ his mysticall Body, (which is the right faith full true Church;) that they persecute and hurt it not at all, no not in any few and small Members thereof? According as also the very style both of the holy Lords Praver, Our Father; & of the holy Creed of the Apostles in the words, The Communion of Saints, doth euen daily put vs in minde of, and that wee Christians should both striue and pray one with another. And who can tell for whethers Prayers sake, our Lord hath ma­ny times hitherunto bin moued, to stay and keepe backe many fierce incursions, and cruell inuasions of the Turke, and other furious inuading people? Whereunto also in some sort the words of the A­postle agree, 1. Cor. 12.21. &c. to 27. and as it fur­ther followeth, saying: The eye cannot say vnto the hand, I haue no need of thee: nor againe the head to the feet, I haue no need of you: Nay much more, these members of the body which seeme to be more feeble, are necessary. And those members of the body which [Page]we thinke to bee lesse honourable, vpon those wee be­stow more aboundant honour, and our vncomely parts haue more aboundant comelinesse. For our comely parts haue no need: But God hath tempered the body together, hauing giuen more abundant ho­nour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schisme or diuision in the body: but that the members should haue the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer, or one member be honoured, all the members reioyce with it. And that Christians in such an ac­cident for loue sake towards their fellow Christi­ans, should also not be discouraged for any incon­uenience, yea or any perill whatsoeuer (that may thence arise vnto themselues) to stand as one man for their brethren, against their enemies; Christ would expresly haue vs to learne it, by that saying of his beloued Disciple, 1. Iohn 3.16. Hereby per­ceiue we the loue of God, because hee layd downe his life for vs; and we ought to lay downe our lines for the brethren. [...]. Iohn 3.17. But who hath this Worlds goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth vp his bow­els of compassion from him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him? Whence doubtlesse came the mea­ning of the old Prouerbe: Si non pauisti, occidisti: si non defendisti, obruisti: If thou hast not fed, thou hast killed: if thou hast not defended, thou hast ouerthrowne and destroyed. The great and high God could indeed of himselfe without others helpe, speake and send downe hither the Word from Heauen, for the deliuerance and safetie of the [Page]afflicted and distressed Christians, against their Enemies furie: But hee will hereby try and proue the rest of other Christians, whether they will more obey his Commandement, or the com­mands of men. And Christ will amongst other things, say thus also at the Day of Iudgement, vn­to his true Seruants that did partake with his chil­drens afflictions: I was persecuted, and by force of Armes fought against for the Faiths sake, and yee had then a fellow-feeling, and suffered with me.

We will not at this time say any thing, whether there must not needs by such ayding and assisting, offence arise amongst others, both friends and ene­mies, when they shall see those of the same pro­fession of Faith, one to striue and make warre a­gainst the other, & that euen for matters of Faith; whence it may also easily come to passe, that some weake Christians shall hereby bee moued and oc­casioned, though of weaknesse, to forsake the olde Lutheran Faith, and so making relapse, fall againe vnto Popery.

And it is not concealed but manifest, how that in regard of giuing of offence in the World, the Sonne of God hath cryed out his heauy Woe; and, which is the more offensiue and worse, if that hereby the enemies shall be so much the more by vs strengthened and hardened in their errours.

Now as concerning what was the iudgement in this point, of that our great Prophet, D. Martin Lu­ther: It is recorded that Master Luther in the yeare 1529. vpon the Question moued vnto him, [Page]whether a man might defend himselfe against the Emperours Maiestie, in case hee should by force indenour to ouer-runne any man for the Gospell sake, answered generally; That no man that will be a true Christian, shall rise vp, or oppose himselfe a­gainst the Magistrate, whether hee doth iustly or vniustly; seeing that Sinnes depriue not the Ma­gistrate of his Office and Calling; and seeing also, that the Subiects of all Lords and Princes within the Empire, are also the Emperours Subiects, yea, and more then they be their Princes. Wherefore men ought to let their people and Countryes stand open to the Emperour, and be faithfull vnto him, euen to the hazarding of body and life; and not to hold or take part with the greedy Cor­morants, who vnder pretence of defending the Gospell, will for their owne aduantage, set and band themselues against the Magistrate.

This his saying is to bee found in his 6. Tom. in Dutch, printed at Iena, sub Anno 1533. but doth indeed belong vnto the yeare 1530. But yet after this, in his 5. Tom. in that his excellent Book, whose Title is; A warning to his beloued Countreymen of Germany, he sets downe three strong reasons, and also proceedes so in amplyfying of them, that it may well make a mans haire that reades it, stare and stand vpright at the horrible lothsomnesse or vglinesse of Popery; and therewithall concludes: That if the Emperour suffer himselfe to bee indu­ced, to make warres for the Popes behoofe and benefit; then should not any man obey him. And [Page]seeing that Treatise is very excellent, forcible and necessary; but is withall ouerlong to bee here transcribed and inserted: We doe there­fore earnestly intreate and desire all well-minded and honest hearts, that (in regard of the dangerous times whereinto we are fallen) they would wholly reade it through out, and often ouer. And amongst other things hee there sheweth, that by such a proceeding, men shall draw downe vpon themselues, all the abominations that are done and committed in and vnder the Papacie; and shall as much as in them lyeth, ouer-throw and destroy all the excellent good, that is now restored and a­gaine erected by the holy Gospell.

The like is also to bee read in his 7. Tom. Title of Resistance, for the space of ten leaues together; where hee distinguisheth betweene the Emperour, as Emperour; and betweene the Emperour, as being set on and stirred vp by the Pope to make warre. And euen so con­cludes in respect of ayde and assistance to bee giuen or not, as wee haue aboue concluded.

Now if men shall lay all this which hath beene here prooued and alleaged, (although it be but very short) on the golden ballance of their Conscience, then will the matter it selfe teach them, that they are to follow the Apo­stles Rule, as it is to be read in the 2. Cor. 6.14. Bee yee not vnequally yoked together. Where­fore according to the same we conclude: That [Page]as the Case now standeth, a Lutherane Prince is iustly occasioned well to consider, that in case his Imperial Maiesty be incited and stirred vp by the haters of Peace and Quietnesse, to make warre against Gods pure Religion, then he is not bound to ayde and assist him therein. But hee is much rather bound to mediate for those that be oppressed, by interceding, and by admonishing, and by beseeching; yea and in a word, to vse all the possible good meanes, that humane Reason can deuise and thinke vpon, for the procuring of their assured ease, liberty, peace and quietnesse.

And this is that which wee thought our selues bound in dutie, humbly to answere vn­to our gracious Lord Duke Iohn Ernestus, as vnto a right worthy Lord, and true Lutherane Prince, vpon his gracious desire and command. And we do beseech the most high God, that he will bee pleased for Christ Iesus his sake, so to enlighten his Imperiall Maiestie by his holy Spirit, that hee may with all his heart and soule (for the saluation of his owne soule) tru­ly more loue God then himselfe; And that hee may hold and esteeme them for godly and ho­nest Christians, who doe, and will also more loue God then the Emperour. And likewise that hee would after the examples of Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes, carefully enquire and seeke out, whether that wee Lutheranes haue the right or the wrong on our sides. And if he [Page]shall find that we haue the right, that then hee will so much the more (and the rather for the aduancement of Gods Honour, and the Sal­uation of his owne soule) publish such godly Mandates and Edicts, for the further propa­gating of Gods holy Truth, as did the fore­said three Kings; with-draw all Warre, and cause sincere Peace to bee spread and establi­shed; whereby also he may at the last Day ap­peare before God, as one, that had so much furthered and procured Righteousnesse as the Sunne doth lighten the Firmament. Which our good God grant, and vouchsafe graciously to worke and effect in him; to the onely Praise, Honor and Glory of his Diuine Name, Amen.