THE ACTS OF THE embassage PASSED AT THE meatinge of the Lords and Princes of Germany at Naumburg in Thuringe concerning the matters there moved by Pope Pius the iiij. in the year of our Lord. 1561. and the fysth day of February.  
Item, The answer of the same Lords and Princes, given to the Pope's Nuntio upon the eight day of February.  
¶ Translated out of Duchess into English.  
¶ Imprinted at London by John Day, dwelling over Aldersgate, beneath S. Martin's.  
¶ Cum gratia & privilegio Regiae Maiestatis.   

The Summa of the matters moved by the Nuntio of Pope Pius the forth, at the meating of the Lords & Princes of Germany at Naumburge in Turinge the fifth day of Februarij, in the year of our Lord. 1561.  
The Pope's Legate said. 
 AS soon as the Pope's holiness was called to the govenment of holy church he by and by, according to his Pastoral office & Popedom, set all his thought and care how to reform, the evil and corrupt manners of life, now used, that the freedom of the church, might once again be restored, & all people reduced to the unity of one faith. And forasmuch as, to the reducing of good, & putting away of evil there can be found none other medicine nor help, but by the keeping of a general Council: he hath with the mature and well adussed council of his Cardinals, by his full power & authority given him of god, determined to hold an holy Council, at Ester, in the city of Trient. And to th'end that this may be known to all princes, that they also may take the like care, and in like manner do their diligence in counciling that the Duchess nation may have peace & quietness, & joining in care with the Pope's holiness, they may together set to their helping hand, he hath of very love & good will which he hath ever borne unto the Duchess nation, & for the great desire to seek their unity, sent forth us his legates that we in his name should prove & move every Lord severally, pray, admonish, & most earnestly advertise, & require them, the they will visit this general council, & permit that this his blessed care & purpose may proceed & take effect. Forasmuch as all matters therein shallbe quietly mildly & peaceably handled, & howsoever the matter falleth out, it shallbe with like mildness herd & determined. For the pope's holiness in this, seeketh none other thing, but how the church may again be brought to peace and tranquillity.  
And to this end the pope is is ready to give unto the Princes a free and sure safe Conduct, in all the best and in as ample & large manner as ever yet hath been ' given, or else may be invented to be given. Wherefore the pope's holiness beseecheth and admonisheth, that the Princes will, all & every one send their Ambassadors with full authority thither, that throw their diligence, after the Schism (wherein are as many sundry kinds of religion as good Imaginations, & so many sundry gospels as teachers) be pacified, the church may again be restored to her former beauty, one faith may be holden in all countries, and one God of all men in all places worshipped.  
What more is in our embassage (said the Legate) it shall be declared by my fellow Commissioner.  
Then spoke the same as here after followeth. 
 RIght Noble Princes, forasmuch as the pope's holiness hath given us both one commandment, I think it not needful to repeat those things that my fellow Commissioner hath propounded concerning the miserable estate of the church. For every man may openly see, to what misery the matter will grow, & what will be the end thereof. For one misery springeth after another, and it shall at last give an open way to the enemy of christendom, to destroi the common wealth It were very needful therefore to prevent this mischief, this imminent peril requireth speedy redress this counseleth the good opportunity of time & goodness of Pope Pius, whose full endeavour good meaning & diligence also is to be regarded. There was never a better opportunity, to making of peace, nor never can there be a better than is at this present, when all Christian realms are in quiet, & one pope is given of God, who beareth his singular good will & favour toward the potentates, & seeketh the salvation of their souls, and holly endeavoureth himself to bring the church again to unity peace and quietness.  

The answer of the lords & Princes of Germany given to the Pope's Nuntio, in the Diet of Naumburg in Thuring, in Febr. An 1561.  
THe right high excellent and noble Lords and Princes of the holy roman Empire here present, & also Thambassadors & counsellors of those that be absent hath commanded to give this answer, unto your wurds & message, done & presented before their most honourable lord ships and Princely graces. namely, that their Noble Lordships and Princely graces doubt nothing at all, that many men well learned, wise & fearing God, at all times & among all people of the whole world & that of long time have wished, that the Christian church might be brought to some better estate and stay, & even now at this time make they devout and hearty prayer with sighing unto God that once at the last the pure doctrine may be restored and set up, and the horrible misuses, which have been brought into the Church, may thorough a Christian reformation cease & be put away. Which desire of reformation, & prayer to God for the same doubtless aught as well to be in the romish Popes who so long & many years have taken upon them with so great pomp the name & title of the Church. But to what purpose? Nameli, with lust to reign over other, to set kigdown & realms at debat, & to bring in by heaps, into the church manifest & known Idolatry, to maintain every Pope for his time their glorious estate rather than to help & reform the abuses of the church, which thing is manifest to all honest & goodherted Christians, which thing also many wise & sage men, that other wise have joined & confederate themselves to the pope, doth themselves acknowledge and confess.  
But the foresaid noble lords & princes here present & the Ambassadors of the lords absent wonder much of what proud custom or presumptuous hope pope Pius the iiij. presumeth by this his message to summon them to a council, or to apoit them to come to Trient. Seeing. it is not unknown both to that pope & to you what religion the estates of the auspurg confession holdeth & upon what occasions they have been driven & compelled to purge & reform their churches according to the true doctrine of the gospel, & to separate themselves from that multitude that with thoppression of that truth & godly doctrine, seek much more their own gain, than Christ's glory. For the lords & Prince's pleasure is, that the pope & all that take his part shall perfectly know & be assured, that they acknowledge not the power or authority of the romish sea. And that they know it for an undoubted truth by the testimony both of God's law & man's, that it belongeth not of right to the Romish pope to appoint a general council. For that that self & same person, of whom all division & ichnine in that church hath come, which also horribl●●ugneth the open & manifest truth, should take upon him the dignity & office of a judge, to determine the matters in controversy, that common wit of man be it never so simple, & the testimony of God's law, doth us to understand that it is unright.  
Furthermore their honourable estates & lordships earnestly say, that their gracious honours are vnfrendly used, with this your talk & message done unto them: as who saith to men that know not what their faith is: but that there are, as many Gospels as teachers, & as many religions, as men's good meanings. For their high honours, have not only made a pure & clear Confession of their faith, which they delivered to Charles the v. at Auspurg in the year of our Lord. 1530. but also they have since that time set forth & declared the same truth of godly doctrine, & is welset forth by many other writigs which are every where to be seen.  
But in what errors the Romish Church is at this time drowned, & with what abominable misuses & Idolatrish inventions of men, the doctrine of the gospel is there oppressed, yea so far: that it is more like an Heythnesse than a Christian Religion, is sufficiently witnessed by the manifold complaint of all the world. And forasmuch as the noble Lords & Princes of Duchland, no● as men fallen in error, not of froward & contemnouse mind, nor nor new fangelled lightness, but by the earnest and strait commandment of God, be compelled to depart from the Romish church, they are purposed upon the same ground & commandment so to continued & can not suffer that the pope shall make or appoint any law for them. For they acknowledge none other power or magistrate, than their Emperor Ferdinando, whose Ambassadors are here and have declared unto us, what their hop● & purpose is as concerning a general council.  
¶ Lastly as concerning your own Persons, their high honours and graces, would ye shield be thus persuaded, that if ye had not brought this message from the Romish Pope, they would have welcomed you, as such as come of the honourable Venetyan house, & have showed to you all loving and gentle inter saynment, there by to declare in sompart their friendly good will to that honourable regiment of Venice, and also to do you understand, that they judge you worthy both praise & their favour for your honourable behaviour, high prudence, and wisdom.   
FINIS.