An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

And also they sent letters unto the City besieged, willing them to give over their enterprise, being so unhonest, and wicked, as nothing could be more: which thing if they would not, nether submit them selves again under their lawful magistrates, they should be sure that the Bishop which now kept the siege, should have the whole help of the Empire against them. This was about the end of December. They gave answer the 13. of January, in the year of our Lord 1535. with many words, but nothing to the purpose, yet so, that they praised, and defended their enterprise: and as touching, that which was laid to cheir charge, for their creating of a king, they made no answer at all, but in private letters written to the Landgrave they laboured to excuse them selves, speaking many words of the slaughter, and destruction of the wicked, and of the deliverance and reign of the godly in this life: with these letters they sent also unto him the book, whereof we spake before, called the restitution, and advertised him to repent, and not to make war (as did the other wicked Princes) against them, which were innocent men, and the people of God. The Landgrave when he had red their letters, & their book, he noted those points that were not allowable in the same, and gave charge to certain of his learned men, that they should answer them. And because they (in few words, and very darkly) affirmed their king to be more chosen of God, then by them, he asked them, why they showed not the places of scripture, which made them think it lawfully done, & why they confirmed it not before by some miracles, & signs above nature. For said he, God ⟨p. 436⟩showed by all the prophets long before, of the coming of Christ, so that it was not only evident, of what house, and linage he should come, but also in what time, and where he should be borne. They did also desire that their cause might come in question. Unto the which the Landgrave answered, that it was to late, seeing that they had taken the power of the sword into their hands, and had been the authors of so great calamity. For, said he, all men may plainly see, what is their meaning, to wit, the ruin of all laws, and common wealths: and as their beginning is wicked, & cursed, so also is the desiring of their matter to come in question, nothing but feigned, and dissembled:

And also they sent leters vnto the Citie besieged, willing them to giue oner their entreprise, being so vnhonest, and wicked, as nothing could be more: which thing if they wold not, nether submit them selues againe vnder their lawfull magistrates, they should be sure that the Bishoppe which now kept the siege, should haue the whole helpe of the Empire against them. This was about the end of December. They gaue answere the 13. of Ianuarie, in the yere of our Lord 1535. with manie wordes, but nothing to the purpose, yet so, that they praysed, and defended their entreprise: and as touching, that which was laid to cheir charge, for their creating of a king, they made no answere at all, but in priuate leters written to the Lantgraue they laboured to excuse them selues, speaking many wordes of the slawghter, and destruction of the wicked, and of the deliuerance and reigne of the godly in this life: with these letters they sent also vnto him the boke, wherof we spake before, called the restitution, and aduertised him to repent, and not to make warre (as did the other wicked Princes) against them, which were innocent men, and the people of God. The Lantgraue when he had red their leters, & their boke, he noted those pointes that were not alowable in the same, and gaue charge to certen of his learned men, that they should answere them. And because they (in feaw wordes, and verie darkely) affirmed their king to be more chosen of God, then by them, he asked them, why they shewed not ye places of scripture, wc made thē think it lawfully done, & why they cōfirmed it not before by some miracles, & signes aboue nature. For said he, God