Iesus Christ nor transferre vnto the creatures the honor that is due to the Creator nor say of the Bread that it is God and adore it as being God without the incurring of eternall damnation for Idolaters shall not inherit the Kingdome of Heauen For all these things affirmed by them they haue beene hated and persecuted to the death CHAP. II. Pope Innocent the third of that name made shew of a desire to winne the Albingenses to the Church of Rome by preaching and conference A famous disputation at Montreal To what end the Pope permitted disputation in matter of Religion POpe Innocent the third of that name seemed to be carried with a desire to reduce the Albingenses vnto the Church of Rome by preachings and reasons or to oppresse them and vtterly root them out by violence of armes and by crueltie of punishments But before he would come to extremities he thought it necessary for the better iustification of his proceedings to begin with words and afterwards to come to blowes Hee sent therefore amongst them certaine Preachers who endeuoured to draw them by gentle perswasions The Comp. of the Treasure of Histories in the yeere 1206. See here how the Compiler of the treasure of Histories speakes of those times When there came newes saith he to Pope Innocent the third that in his Prouince of Narbonne the traiterous Heresie was spread abroad not onely amongst the poore but Earles Barons and Knights he sent the Abbot of Cisteaux and two Monkes with him to preach against those disloyall buggerers When they had trauelled some little way preaching throughout the Countrey they came to Mompelier where they met with a worthy man that was Bishop of Cestre This honest man asked the Abbot of Cisteaux what hee did there He answered that the Pope had sent him thither against those Sodomites but that he could not conuert them This good man was nothing astonied at it but he still maintained the worke of the Lord valiantly and went on foot to giue good example to others and they stayed and went on foot with him Afterwards the Abbot returned to the Chapter or generall assembly but the Bishop and the two Monkes passing a long time through the Countrey and preaching they conuerted many of the meaner sort of people but of the great ones and richer sort there were few or none that returned to the true faith The Abbot came backe into the Countrey and brought with him another Abbot and diuers Monkes and came all on foot whereupon the Bishop of Cestre began to thinke with himselfe how to returne into his Countrey but dyed by the way The Monkes who preached throughout the Countrey found the Princes so obdurate in their malice that they resolued to stay no longer there but returned into their Countries except one good man who was called Frier Peter of Chasteauneuf who continued preaching with one of his companions When the Albingenses knew the intention of the Pope which was to pretend that he was not the cause why they whom he iudged to be wanderers did not returne to the bosome of the Church of Rome by gentle meanes and force of reason they began to thinke that it stood them vpon to maintaine their beleefe by such conference otherwise they should giue occasion to the aduersaries to thinke that there was in their Religion some weaknesse if there were not any Pastor that would take vpon him the defence thereof It was therefore concluded amongst the Albingenses to giue the Bishops to vnderstand that their Pastors or any one of them for the rest were ready to maintaine their beleefe by the word of God prouided that the conference were well ordered and moderated that is to say that there may be moderators that are men of authoritie both on the one side and the other that may haue wherewithall to hinder all tumult and sedition Prouided also that it be in a place vnto which there may be free accesse and the place secured for all persons that may assist or be present at the said conference Moreouer that there bee some matter or subiect chosen by common consent not to bee giuen ouer before it be determined and that he that cannot defend it by the word of God is to bee reputed and held to be vanquished This disputation was the most famous that hath bin betweene the Albingenses the Bishops and Priests The Bishops and Monkes did all allow of the said conditions The place was Montreal neere Carcasonne the time in the yeere one thousand two hundred and six The Arbitrators agreed vpon by the one part and the other B. de Villeneufue and B. Auxerre for the Bishops and for the Albingenses R. de Bot and Antony Riuiere Arnold Hott was the Pastor for the Albingenses Chassagnon maketh mention in his first booke of the History of the Albingenses pag. 72. accompanied with those that were accounted fit for such an action He was the first that arriued at the place and day assigned Afterwards came the Bishop Eusus and the Monke Dominique a Spaniard with two of the Popes Legats that is to say Peter Chastel and Racul de Iust Abbot of Candets P. Bertrand Prior d' Auteriue Also Iaques de Riberia in his collect of the Citie of Toulouze as also the Prior de Palats and diuers other Priests and Monkes This disputation was sent me from the Albingēses by Mr. Rafin Pastor of the Church of Realmont in old Manuscripts The Theses or generall questions proposed by Arnold were these That the Masse with the Transubstantiation was the inuention of men not the ordinance of Christ nor his Apostles That the Romish Church is not the Spouse of Christ but the Church of tumult and molestation made drunken with the bloud of Martyrs That the policie of the Church of Rome is neither good nor holy nor established by Iesus Christ Arnold sent these Propositions to the Bishop who demanded a respit of fifteene dayes to answer which was granted him At the day appointed the Bishop failed not to appeare with a long and large writing Arnold Hott desired to bee heard by word of mouth saying That he would answer to all that was contained in the said writing intreating his auditorie that it might not be troublesome vnto them if he were long in answering to so long a discourse It was granted that he should bee heard with attention and patience and without interruption He discoursed at diuers houres for foure dayes together and with such admiration of those that were present and readinesse for his part that all the Bishops Abbots Monkes and Priests had reason to desire they had beene elsewhere For he framed his answer according to the points set downe in the said writing with such order and plainnesse that hee gaue all that were present to vnderstand that the Bishop hauing written much had neuerthelesse concluded nothing that might truly turne to the aduantage of the Church of Rome against his Propositions
of Bohemia And Iohn Dubramus Bishop of Olmusse in their histories of Bohemia make the doctrine taught by Caluin all one with that of the Waldenses Thomas Walden Tho. Wal. in his 6. volume of things sacrameÌ„tall Tit. 12. Chap. 10. who writ against the doctrine of Wickliffe saith that the doctrine of Waldo crept out of the quarters of France into England Whereunto agrees le Sicur de la Popeliniere Le Sieur de la Popeliniere in his hihoriâ— of France l. 1 who addeth that the doctrine of the moderne Protestants differs very little from that of the Waldenses which saith he being receiued into the parts of Albi the Albigeois communicated it vnto the English their neighbours who then held Guienne from whence it was dispersed into many parts of England and so at the last as it were from hand to hand it came to the vnderstanding of Wickliffe a famous professour of diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Oxford and Pastor of the parish of Luterworth in the Diocesse of Lincolne who for his eloquence and rare gifts wonne the hearts of many of the English euen of the greatest men amongst them insomuch that a certaine scholler carried vnto Prage a booke of Wickliffes called the Vniuersalities which being diligently read ouer by Iohn Hus he increased and explaned the doctrine long before sowed in Bohemia by the Waldenses and was in a manner hid from the time of Waldo in such sort that many of the people schollers Nobles and Ecclesiasticall persons themselues followed the same doctrine The Cardinall Bellarmine saith Pâ—liar Tom. 2. â—b 1. Chap. 26. col â—6 Eâ—â—hus in his commonplaces Chap. 28. that Wickliffe could adde nothing to the heresie of the Waldenses Ecchius layes an imputation vpon Luther that he hath done nothing else but renew the heresies of the Waldenses Albig Wickliffe and Iohn Hus long since condemned Alphonsus de Castro saith Alphonsus lib. 6. against heresies pa. 99. that Wickliffe hath done nothing else but brought to light the errours of the Waldenses Arnold Sorbin priest of Monteig reprocheth the cities and townes of Saint Antonin Montauban Millan In the historie Frier Peter of the valleys Sernay tol 172. Castres Puylorens Gaillac and others of the Albigei and Languedoc that they haue done nothing but reuiue the errours of the Albigeois In the historic of the Monke of the valleys Sernay Iohn de Cardonne in his Rimes in the forefront of the historie of the said Monke of the valley Sernay saith thus What the sect of Geneua doth admit Th'hereticke Albigeois doth commit Anthony à Ardene of Tholouse in the same booke saith Ibid. Wherewith our Hugonites seasoned were The same intention the selfesame care We need not therefore dispute any longer of the antiquitie of this doctrine but onely of the puritie thereof since that not onely by the affirmation of those that were aduersaries to the Waldenses and the last reformation there are whole ages during the which the substance of that beleefe hath remained in diuers persons who crying out against the abuses which haue crept into the Church haue bene oppressed by persecutions And for as much as it is denied that we haue had a succession of such instruments who haue opposed themselues from time to time against those corruptions and errours which haue borne sway we will produce in the Chapter following a catalogue both of those which our aduersaries haue named and put to death and of those whom the Waldenses haue had for their Pastors for these foure hundred and fiftie yeares last past at leastwise of as many as haue come to our knowledge CHAP. IX The names of those Pastours of the Waldenses who haue instructed them for foure hundred yeares last past and haue come to our knowledge WAldo from whom the Waldenses tooke their name began to teach the people in the yeare of our Lord a thousand one hundred and sixtie Le Sieur de Sancte Aldegonde obserueth In his first table of Differ pa. 150. that at the same time that Waldo began to shew himselfe and to teach at Lions God raised others in Prouence and Languedoc among whom the principall were Arnold Esperon and Ioseph of whom they were named Arnoldists Iosephists Esperonists though because their doctrine was first receiued in Albi in the countrie of the Albigeois they were commonly called Albigeois in such manner that on the one side the Waldenses and on the other the Albigeois were as the two Oliues or the two lampes which Saint Iohn speaketh of whose light did spread it selfe through all the corners of the earth At the same time saith he followed Peter Bruis whereupon many called them Peter Brusiens To whom there succeeded in doctrine one Henry the one being a Priest the other a Monke and they taught in the Bishoprickes of Arles Ambrun Die and Gap from whence being chased away they were receiued at Tholouse There was a certaine man saith he called Barthelmew borne at Carcassonne Idem ibid. p. 111 that ordered and gouerned the Churches in Bulgaria Croatia Dalmatia Hungaria and appointed Ministers as Mathew Paris reports naming him their Pope or Bishop and alledging to that purpose the letter which the Bishop of Portuense Legate to the Pope in the parts thereabouts writ to the Archbishop of Roan and his suffragans demanding succours and assistance against them insomuch that they were at the last constrained to retire themselues into desarts following that prophesie in the 12 of the Reuelation which saith that the woman great with child that brought forth a man child which is the true Church of God should in such sort be persecuted by the Dragon which cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood so that she was constrained to flie into the wildernesse where she should be nourished for a time and times and halfe a time or for the space of forty two moneths or a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rainerius makes mention of two famous Bishops of the Waldenses viz of one Belazinanza of Verona one Iohn de Lugio who taught amongst them after the abouenamed about the yeare a thousand two hundred fifty Arnold Hot pastor amongst the Waldenses maintained the disputation at Mont Real whereof we shall make mention in his due place Lollard was also in great reputation amongst them both for a Commentary which he had written vpon the Reuelation as also for that he had giuen knowledge of their doctrine in England of whose name the Waldenses were called Lollards The Waldenses of the valleys of Angrongne of Dauphiney Prouence and Calabria haue had for their Pastors these whose memories they haue preserued for aboue three hundred yeares past that is to say in Piemont Paul Gignons de Bobi It appeares by the memories of Vignaux fol. 14. Peter the lesse Anthony of the valley of Suse Iohn Martin of the valley
is contrary vnto it and the wicked haue nothing in esteeme but what is conformable to their vitious humour If the quippes of the wicked should haue bene an hinderance to the seruice we owe vnto God and to his Church we had giuen ouer this historie before we had written three lines thereof for it hath bene snarled at by diuers vpon the first bruit thereof what then may we thinke they will do when they shall see that they neuer thought we could so truly haue maintained Doubtlesse passion will extort from malignant mindes the suggestions of the malignant in counterchange whereof hauing aduertised thee gentle Reader that in the first page and inscription of this historie thou hast the name the diuision the intention the fruite and the end in a few lines I will pray to the eternall God for those that wrong vs that he would be pleased to make them know the truth and giue vnto vs whom he hath placed and planted in his house after the conflicts of this life that portion which he hath reserned in heauen by his welbeloued Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ to whom be all honour glory and power for euer and euer Amen The names of those Authors cited in this historie that haue bene aduersaries to the Waldenses Albert de Capitaneis Archdeacon of Cremona in his historie of the Waldenses and their originall Alphonsus de Castro B Baronius in his Annals Saint Bernard Bellarmin Bernard de Girard Lord of Haillan Bodin C Carpentras his Boniour Claudius Rubis in his historie of Lion Claudius Seissel The Councell of Latran The Councell of Vaur The Councell of Mompelier The Councell of Thoulouse The Councell of Vienna The Councell of Lion Constitutions of the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa Constitutions of king Roger. Constitutions of Pope Alexander the third Constitutions of Pope Innocent the third Constitutions of Pope Honorius Constitutions of Pope Gregorie the ninth Constitutions of Pope Alexander the fourth Constitutions of Pope Clement the fourth D Dubrauius E Eccius G Gaspard Bruschius Gualter Monke a Iesuite Guichardin Guido de Perpignan Godefredus Monachus H Hosius History of Languedoc I Iaques de Riberia Iohn Bale Iohn Vuier Iohn le Maire K Krantzius L Lindanus Letters of Pope Iohn 22. Lewis 12. king of France M The Martyrologe Mathew Paris Memorials of the Archbishop of Ambrun Rostain N Noguiers P Paul Languis Paulus Aemylius Platina Peter of the valleys Sernay a Monke Peres Library R Rayncrius S The Sea of histories Sigonius Simon Deuoion Statutes of Lewis 9. Statutes of the Earle Remond the last Earle of Thoulouze T Du Thou Thomas Walden Treasury of the histories of France V Vesembecius The names of those Authors cited in this historie that haue made profession of Reformation A Aldegonde B Bullinger C A Catalogue of the witnesses of truth Chassagnon Constans vpon the Reuela E Esrom Rudiger H History of the Martyrs of our times Historie of the estate of the Church Historie of the Churches of France Holagaray his historie of Foix. I The Inuentory of Serres Ioachim Camerarius L Lauatter Lewis Camerarius Luther M Memorials of Hanibal Oliuier Vignaux Georg Morel P La Papoliniere R A Reuiew of the Councell of Trent T Theodor Beza V Viret Vignier in his Historicall Librarie THE HISTORIE OF THE WALDENSES COMMONLY CALLED IN ENGLAND LOLLARDS The first Booke CHAP. I. That God in all times hath raised vp labourers for the gathering together of his Saints At what time Valdo began to teach and with what fruite what he was and all they that from his name are called Waldenses GOD hath neuer left himselfe without witnesses but from time to time he raiseth vp instruments to publish his grace enriching them with necessarie gifts for the edification of his Church giuing them his holy Spirit for their guide and his truth for a rule to the end they may discerne the Church which began in Abel from that which began in Caine As also teaching them to define the Church by the faith and the faith by the Scriptures strengthening them in the middest of their greatest persecutions and making them to know that the crosse is profitable so long as the faithfull change by that meanes earth for heauen and the children of God are not lost when being massacred and cast into the fire by a course of iustice we may find in their bloud and ashes the seed of the Church That which hath bene obserued in all ages hath after a more particular manner appeared amongst those Christians that are called Waldenses who were raised in a time when Satan held men in ignorance hauing wrapt the greatest part of those that call themselues Christians in that great sinne of the world I meane Idolatrie Kings and Princes imploying their authoritie for the establishment thereof appointing all those to the slaughter that would exempt themselues from the wounds due vnto Idolaters This was about the yeare of our Lord a thousand one hundred and threescore at what time the punishment of death was inflicted vpon all those that did not beleeue that the words of consecration being pronounced by the Priest the body of our Lord Iesus Christ was in the Hoste vnder the accidents of the bread the roundnesse and whitenesse yea the very bodie as great and as large as it was vpon the crosse the bread vanishing and being transsubstantiated into the flesh of Christ At what time it was likewise enioyned to adore the Hoste to crouch vnto it to bow the knees before it yea it was called God and men did beate their breasts before it and locked it vp in a boxe to worship it as they still vse euen at this day This doctrine being altogether vnknowne to the Apostles who neuer spake word of any such mysterie as also in the Primitiue Church wherein there was neuer any Doctor that taught this expiatorie sacrifice for the liuing and for the dead occasioned many Christians to enter into a detestation thereof chusing rather to suffer a temporall death by resisting such Idolatrie then by consenting thereunto to suffer in hell Guido de Perignan in the flower of Chronicles Peter Valdo a citizen of Lions shewed himselfe most couragious in the opposition of this inuention taxing therewithall diuerse other corruptions which with time crept into the Church of Rome affirming that she had lost the faith of Iesus Christ that she was that whore of Babylon that barren fig-tree which our Sauiour had long before cursed That we were not to obey the Pope in as much as he was not the head of the Church That Monkerie was a stinking carrion and the marke of the Beast That Purgatorie Masses dedication of Temples worshipping of Saints commemoration of the dead were no other then the inuentions of the diuell and the snares of Auarice Valdo was so much the more attentiuely hearkned vnto See the Sea of Histories fol. 203. Claud. Rubis in his historie of the Cine of Lions p. 269. because he was in high esteeme
saith he abuse the sacrament of the Eucharist to commit their villanies He likewise complaineth that Theologie and Physicke are polluted with coloured exorcismes by their mumbling of barberous words in an vnknowne tongue by abusing the word of God by bands neck-laces and charmes all which conspire and procure the vtter ruine and damnation of men Moreouer he saith that the Priests haue very apparently made vse of diuerse apparitions of Sathan affirming themselues to be the soules of this or that man and faining to be in the paines of Purgatory for their owne particular profit And when the diuell hath not sufficiently furnished them they haue counterfeited themselues to be spirits to draw the liuing to more frequent oblations donations and dotations to satiate their auarice Lauater saith as much Lauater in his booke of the apparition of diuels Chap. 14.7 and relates at large the history of the false spirit of Orleans and of the Iacobins at Berne which amongst others were the most famous impostures of Monkes The famous Parliaments of Aix Grenoble haue condemned vnto death diuerse Priests that were sorcerers as namely at Aix a certaine Hermit adored of the people for a Saint And Lewes Godfrey that famous Magician beneficed in the Church of Acoules at Marseilles who was burnt in Prouence the last of Aprill 1611. And at Grenoble Nobilibus a Monke and a certaine Priest in the Diocesse of Ambrun who baptized infants in the name of Baalzebub And therefore we may conclude that forasmuch as in these venerable Parliaments they haue condemned sorcerers to death which is not done elsewhere they are to haue the blame that do it not of which fault Rubis would seeme to taxe the States and Cities without exception More modestie becomes a man then was in this passionate Rubis for it is great reason that among Priests such should be excepted as God hath not so farre forth abandoned as to suffer them to adhere to the sorceries of Satan This pratler should haue thought that either soone or late this calumnie would be retorted to his owne shame He should haue contented himselfe with his reprochfull speeches against the Waldenses of whom he hath belched many false reports carried by the violence of his owne humour and not haue laid aspersions on the liuing yea he should blush to thinke that he hath giuen vs iust occasion to retort vpon himselfe and his wicked Priests that which he would lay vpon those that make profession of the Gospell and that punish with death all sorcerers so farre are they from hauing communion or conuerse with them Thus you haue the iustification of the greatest calumnies that haue bene layed vpon the Waldenses by their owne writings which may satisfie any man that is not carried with passion It is necessarie that we now produce such witnesses for the better defence of their innocencie as are free from all suspition CHAP. V. Testimonies of pietie probitie and erudition giuen to the Waldenses by diuerse of their aduersaries themselues IAcobus de Riberia who in his time gaue aide to the persecution of the Waldenses saith that they held a long time the higher place in Gallia Norbonen Iacob Rib. in his collections of the Citie of Tholous in the Diocesse of Albi Rodes Cahors and Agen and that in those times they were of little esteeme that would be called Priests and Bishops Chassagnō citeth Riberia in his historie of the Albigeois pa. 27. because the said Priests for the most part were either vnworthy or ignorant and therefore it was an easie matter for the Waldenses saith he to get the vpper hand amongst the people for the excellencie of their doctrine Rainerius a Iacobin Monke and a cruell Inquisitor of the Waldenses Rain in his booke De forma heret fol. 98. thinking to darken their reputation because they vsually read the Scriptures saith that when the Waldenses would giue knowledge of their doctrine they alledged many things touching chastitie humilitie and other vertues shewing that we are to flie all vice and wickednesse alledging the words of Christ and his Apostles insomuch that the women that vnderstood them were so rauished therewith that they seemed to them rather to speake like Angels then men He addeth that they taught what manner of men the disciples of Christ ought to be Ibid. fol. 98. out of the words of the Gospell and the Apostles affirming that they onely were the successours of the Apostles that imitated them in their liues Concluding hereupon saith he that the Pope the Bishops the Clergie that enioy the riches of this world and imitate not the sanctitie of the Apostles are not the gouernours of the Church it not being the will of Christ to commit his Church to such kinde of people that should rather prostitute her by their ill examples and wicked actions then to present her a chast virgin in the same purity they haue receiued her frō him and therefore that we are not to obey them He addeth moreouer that they liued very religiously in all things their manners well seasoned and their words wise and polished by their wils alwayes speaking of God and his Saints perswading to vertue and to hate sinne to the end saith he that they might be in greater esteeme with good men Claud. in his treatise against the Waldenses Claud. de Seissel Archbishop of Turin giues this testimonie of the Waldenses that as touching their life and manners they haue bene alwayes found and vnreproueable without reproch or scandall amongst men giuing themselues to their power to the obseruation of the Commandements of God Baronius in his Ecclesiasticall Annals Tom. 12. an 1176. pa. 835. The Cardinall Baronius attributeth to the Waldenses of Tholouse the title of good men which tels vs that they were a peaceable people howsoeuer he elsewhere imputeth vnto them sundrie crimes and that very falsely As touching erudition Rainerius hath said Raine ibid. sol 97. that they teach their children yea euen their daughters the Epistles and the Gospels Iacobus de Riberia saith that they were so well instructed in the Scriptures Iacob de Rib. in his collections of the Citie of Toulouze that he hath heard a plaine countriman repeate the booke of Iob word by word and diuerse others that could perfectly repeate the whole new Testament The Bishop of Cauaillon in the time of the great persecution against the Waldenses of Merindall in Prouence of which historie we shall speake in his due place appointing a certaine Monke a Diuine Vesembec in his Oration touching the Waldenses to enter into conference with them to conuince their error before saith he we come to violence but the Monke being much perplexed retired himselfe saying that he had not so much profited in his whole life in the Scriptures as he had done in those few dayes of his conference with the said Waldenses in examining the Articles of their Confession by the passages of Scripture cited by
very ancient whereof the title is Aeyço es la causa del nostre dispartimēt de la Gleisa Romana That is to say This is the cause of our separation from the Church of Rome In this volume there is an Epistle or Apologie of the Waldenses entituled La Epistola al Serenissimo Rey Lancelau a li Ducs Barons a li plus veil del regne lo petit tropel de li Christians appella per fals nom falsamente P. O. V. that is to say Poore or Waldenses There is also a booke wherein there are many Sermons of their Barbes and an Epistle called The Epistle to our friends containing many excellent doctrines to teach all sorts of people how to leade their liues in all ages In the same volume there is a booke entituled Sacerdotium wherein is shewed what is the charge of a good Pastor and what the punishment of a wicked There is also come to our hands a booke of poetry in the Waldensian tongue wherein are these Treatises following A prayer entituled New comfort A rithme of the foure sorts of seeds mentioned in the Gospell Another entituled Barque And one called The noble lesson In his first Table p. 153. of which book Le Sieur de Saint Aldegonde makes mention We haue also an excellent Treatise entituled Vergier de consolation containing many good instructions confirmed by the Scriptures and diuers authorities of the Ancients Also an old Treatise in parchment entituled Of the Church and another called The Treasurie and light of faith Also a booke entituled The spirituall Almanacke Also a booke in parchment Of the meanes to separate things precious from the base contemptible that is to say vertues from vices Also the booke of George Morel wherein are contained all the questions which George Morel and Peter Massçon moued to Oecolampadius and Bucer touching religion and the answers of the said parties THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THE WALDENSES Containing that which is come to our knowledge of the grieuous persecutions which they haue endured for their Faith for the space of more then foure hundred and fifty yeeres CHAP. I. By whom the Waldenses haue been persecuted for what by what meanes and in what times THE Waldenses haue had no greater enemies then the Popes Rainerius of the Waldenses because saith the Monk Rainerius that amongst all those that haue raised themselues against the Church of Rome the Waldenses haue been alwaies the most dangerous and pernicious insomuch that they haue resisted him for a long time as also because this Sect saith he is more generall for there is not almost any Country in which it hath not taken footing And thirdly because all other by their blasphemies against God strike a horror into mens hearts But this on the contrary hath a great appearance of piety for they carry themselues vprightly before men and beleeue rightly touching God in all things holding all the Articles that are contained in the Simbole hating and reuiling the Church of Rome and therein saith he they are easily beleeued of the people And in another place the said Rainerius saith Rainer cap. de studio peruertendi alios mode decendi fol. 98. that the first lesson that the Waldenses giue to those whom they winne to their Sect is this that they teach them what the Disciples of Christ ought to be and that by the words of the Gospell and the Apostles affirming that they onely are the Successors of the Apostles that immitate their life Inferring thereby saith hee that the Pope the Bishoppes and Clergy that possesse and inioy the riches of this world and seek after them follow not the examples of the Apostles and therefore are not the true guides of the Church it neuer being the purpose of Christ Iesus to commit his chaste and beloued spouse to those who rather prostitute her by their ill examples and wicked actions then preserue her in that purity wherein they receiued her at the beginning a virgin chaste and without spot In hatred therefore of diuers discourses which the Waldenses haue written against the luxury auarice pride and errors brought in by the Pope they haue alwaies persecuted them to the death The meanes they haue vsed vtterly to exterminate them haue been in the first place their thunderbolts curses cannons constitutions decrees and whatsoeuer else might make them odious to the Kings Princes and people of the earth giuing them ouer asmuch as lies in their power vnto Satan interdicting them all communion and society with those that obey their lawes iudging them vnworthy and vncapable of any charges honours profits or to inherit or to make willes or to beburied in common church-yards confiscating their goods dis-inheriting their heires and where they could by any meanes apprehend them they haue condemned them to be deliuered to the secular power their houses to be razed their lands and moueables confiscated or giuen to the first conquerour And of all these sentences we haue at this day the scedule giuen by the Popes These sentences are to bee seen in the manuel of the Inquisitors with the letters of Pope Alexander the thirteenth of diuers other Popes which succeeded him with the instruments which they haue imployed to such executions as also of the commands which they haue giuen vnto Kings Princes Magistrates Consuls and People to make an exact inquisition to shut the gates of the Citty to craue the assistance and best helpe of the people to ring the Tol-bell to arme themselues and if otherwise they cannot be apprehended to kill them and to vse all manner of violence which they shall see needfull in such a case Giuing to the accusers the third part or some other portion of that which shall bee confiscated all councellors and fauourers of them being condemned to the same punishment And forasmuch as no Prince or Magistrate or any other had any power to frame a proces against any in the fact of pretended heresie commandement was giuen to the Bishops euery one in his iurisdiction to make an inquiry into their flockes and take notice how euery particular person was affected to the ordinances of the Popes and the Church of Rome So when Waldo began to complaine and to cry out against the corruptions of the said Church of Rome Alexander the third then Pope enioyned the Archbishop of Lion to proceed against him and forasmuch as the said Prelate did not banish him according and as soon as he desired This Councel was held at Latran 1180. See the 27. Chap. he speedily assembled a Councell where he excommunicated Waldo and all those that followed his doctrine though it were vnder other names But this meanes was thought to be too easie for so pressing an action as this of the Waldenses was who ceased not for all those thunderbolts to preach that the Pope was Antichrist the Masse an abomination the Hoste an idoll and Purgatory a fable Points that being receiued were sufficient to
and his counsell the said Arch-bishop Master Pons Counsellor of the Parliament at Grenoble Peter de Rames Esquier Lord of Poit Faix de Rames the Master of Montainard and of Argentiere Arrouars de Bonne and diuers other ordinary Atturnies Priests and Burgeses of Ambrun and Briancon They sent to the Court and hauing there more friends and credit then the Inhabitants of Frassiniere Their excuse was receiued wherein they declared that it was not in their power to restore the said goods before the Pope had absolued them And the Arch-bishop protested that hee for his part was ready to restore all that his Predecessors had vnited to his Church prouided that they had the aforesaid absolution This occasioned such as were lesse affected and constant to assay this way and to send to Pope Alexander the sixt of that name then Bishop of Rome But they were compelled rather not to goe to Rome but to fetch a writ of absolution from the Cardinall Legat in France George of the title of Saint Xist which would suffice and might be obtained with lesse charge For the obtaining whereof they had the Commissary the Kings Confessor They sent therefore one Steuen Roux who who brought two Bulles one by which he gaue absolution for Simony theft murder vsury Adultery dedention of Benefices destruction of goods Ecclesiasticall violence against Clerks by beating them vnlawfull oathes periuries Fraudes yea Apostacy and Heresie and whosoeuer had committed any crime were it neuer so hainous this Cardinall absolued them from all by his Apostolicall authority And forasmuch as his Arch-bishop might pretend that the said Bull did not absolue the said people of Frassinieres hauing been condemned by the said Apostolicall authority by Commissioners and Inquisitors deputed by the Pope and therefore his mouth was stopped he brought another Bull in which there was especially this clause Hauing power from the Pope to decide or determine any matter that any other that hath been deputed by that holy Sea or substituted can doe yea where there hath been an appeale absoluing all that haue in any manner been condemned This poore man thought he had gotten much and proceeded far in this busines but the Arch-bishop Rostain flouted his Bulles saying that they were obtained with too great a price and importunity and that he must haue an absolution from the Pope himselfe And so resolued with himselfe to restore nothing and all the rest followed his example And notwithstanding they had had absolution from the Pope yet they would haue restored nothing for he knew well inough that in those daies all things were sold at Rome witnesse those Latine verses which were writtena gainst the said Alexander the sixth Vendit Alexander cruces altaria Chrislum Emer at ille prius vendere iure potest Pope Alexander sold altars Christ and his crosse He bought them had he not sold had liued by the losse Againe Templa Sacerdotes Altaria Sacra Goronae Ignis Thura Preces Coelum est venale Deusque Temples Priests Altars Crowns they sell for pelfe Fire Frankincense Prayers heauen and God himselfe which is to be vnderstood of their breaden god in the Masse The Arch-bishop therfore was the cause why others kept still those goods in their possession without any restitution and though some particular persons were afterwards called into question as namely Le Sieur de Montainar de Rames and others yet they could neuer haue any remedy In the yeere one thousand fiue hundred sixty the Waldenses of Frassiniere and Pragela 1560. had their Churches furnished with Pastors who held them in the exercise of their religion at that time wherein they persecuted vnto death all those that made profession of reformation The President Truchon made an Oration to the States of Prouence assembled the same yeere the sixt of Nouember of purpose to exterminate the said Waldenses of Frassinieres and Pragela saying that it was necessary to purge the old and ancient Leuen likely to make soure the whole Country of Dauphine if some course were not taken to preuent it By these States it was re-resolued by open force to extirpate them and by armes and to this purpose Commissions were giuen forth to leuy troopes of men and to passe into the said Valleies but so soone as the drumme was strooken vp and the men in armes throughout Prouence the vnexpected death of King Francis the second of that name altered the designe and afterwards the said Waldensian Churches in Dauphine continued as still they doe by the singular fauour of God CHAP. IIII. Of the Waldensian Churches in Piedmont and those persecutions they endured that are come to our knowledge THE Waldenses haue had famous Churches in the Valleis of Piedmont Angrongne la Perouse the Valley Saint Martin Lucerna and other bordering places for time out of minde It is held for certaine amongst them that they are a part of the Waldenses of Dauphine Pragela Frassinieres and other places their neere neighbours and that in time being multiplied in so great abundance that the Country could not feed them they were constrained to disperse themselues at length and at large where they might best settle themselues So deare like brothers haue they been one to another and notwithstanding they haue been alwaies oppressed with troubles yet with a most hearty loue and charity they haue euer succoured one another not sparing their liues and goods for their mutuall conseruation The first troubles that the Waldenses of Piedmont endured came from the report of certaine Priests sent thither by the Arch-bishop of Turin who informed that the people that were committed to their charge liued not according to the manners and beliefe of the Church of Rome neither offering for the dead nor caring for Masses or absolutions nor to get any of theirs out of the paines of Purgatory by any of their vsuall meanes The Arch-bishops of Turin haue persecuted them as much as lay in their power making them odious to their Princes who vnderstanding of the good report that their neighbours gaue of their milde honest conuersation Vignaux in his memorials fol. 7. and that they were a simple people fearing God of a good carriage without deceit or malice louing integrity and plaine dealing alwaies ready to serue their Princes and that very willingly they yeelded vnto them all dutifull obedience and that with alacrity Being in such grace and fauour with the people their neighbours that they endeauoured to bring into Piedmont to their seruice their yong people and to prouide their nurses amongst them to bring vp their yong infants the said Princes continued a long time in a purpose not to molest them but the Priests and Monkes that were frequent amongst them gaining nothing by this their beliefe charged them with an infinite number of Calumnies and whensoeuer they went into Piedmont vpon occasion of businesse they alwaies caught one or other and deliuered him to the Inquisitors and the Inquisitors to the executioner In such
been oppressed by the tyranny of the Pope in such manner that they had no more assemblies and that there were no more of their writings to be found in Bohemia Esrom Rudiger in his treatise of the Churches of Bohemia saith that the Waldenses haue had their Churches at the least two hundred and forty yeeres before those of the Hussites and though he confesse that their beliefe was one and the same yet he affirmeth that there was not in their times any memory of their Churches but onely of those that were in France at Merindoll and the places neere adioyning And that when they sent to Bohemia to ioyne themselues vnto them in the confession of their faith they enquired of them whether they made any publike profession of the truth and when they had vnderstood that there were some amongst them that sometimes frequented Papisticall Churches and were present at those idolatries that were there committed they did bitterly reprehend them for it And therefore they that haue answered vnder the name of the Waldenses See the Confession of the Waldenses in the Catalogue â—erum expetendarum Lib. de orig confess Eccl. Bohem. Scimus quod multi boni viri veritatis Euangelicae instaurata cultâ—res sectatâ— res pij seducti indicationibus falsis criminationib aduersariorum pro Valdensib nos habeant Ibid. Hoc quidem constat multum in ipsis lucis fuisse de plerisque eos rectè sensisse docuisse propter vcritatem grauissima perpesso in Galliâ— in primis Aeneas Siluius in his history of the Taborites and haue brought vnto light their confession which at this day is to be found in the Catalogue of things to be desired are not any of the Waldenses but one of those that by way of reproach were afterwards so called and they haue not been ashamed of that name assuring themselues of the purity of their doctrine And this notwithstanding they reuiue againe this common opinion when they affirme that they know well that there are many good men that follow and loue the truth of the Gospell who being deceiued by false markes and notes whereby they haue described vs say they haue held vs for Waldenses And euen there to they giue this testimony of the Waldenses that there is in them much light and knowledge and that they haue well vnderstood and purely taught many things yea and that they haue suffered much for the truth especially in France And so they desired to be distinguished from them to the end that if it were obserued that the Waldenses had done much for the establishment of the truth in their times that it might likewise be knowne that the Hussites haue not done little in their time Aeneas Syluius reporteth of one Iames de Misne and Peter de Dreze disciples of the Waldenses that they went into Bohemia in the time of Iohn Hus and that hauing conferred with him he made profession of their doctrine and they themselues deny it not for thy say that Wicklif was assisted to shake off the yoke of the Pope by example of the Waldenses and that Wicklif was the instrument which God had vsed for the instruction of Iohn Hus who taught in Bohemia and that therefore they haue thought themselues much bound to the Churches of the Waldenses because whatsoeuer good there hath been in the said Churches they say was transported vnto theirs and so haue they been in some sort the beginning of theirs CHAP. X. Of the Waldenses inhabiting in Austria and the persecutions which they suffered THe number of the Waldenses that inhabited in Austria was very great who were there grieuously persecuted as may appeare if we had no other proofe then the Chronicle Hirsauge where it is obserued that about the yeere one thousand foure hundred See the Chronicle of Hirsauge there were burnt a great number in the Citty of Creme which is in the said Dukedome of Austria But more then that that which troubled the heads of the persecuters a great deale more was the speech of one of them who being executed at Vienna the principall Citty in Austria said at his execution that there were in that Country of the same beliefe that he professed aboue fourescore thousand About the yeere of our Lord one thousand foure hundred sixty seuen 1467. the Hussites reforming their Churches and separating them from the Church of Rome they vnderstood that there were in Austria Churches of the ancient Waldenses vpon the frontiers of Bohemia in the which there were great and learned men appointed for Pastors that the doctrine of the Gospell flourished amongst them That they might know the truth thereof they deputed two of their Brethren amongst their Pastors and two Ancients with charge to enquire and know what those flockes or coÌ„gregations were for what cause they had forsaken the Church of Rome their principles and progression that they should make knowne vnto them the beginnings of their carriage or demeanor in Bohemia and giue a reason why they were seperated from the Romish Church These men being come thither Ioachimus Cam in hist de Ecclesiis Fratrum in Bohemia Morautâ— p. 104. and hauing carefully inquired into the state of those Churches of the Waldenses and hauing found them they told them that they did nothing but what was ordeined by our Lord Iesus Christ and taught by his Apostles holding themselues wholly to the institution of the Sonne of God in the matter of Sacraments It contented the Waldenses very much to vnderstand that there were in Bohemia a number of people that had giuen vnto God the glory and remoued from them the abuse and idolatries of the Church of Rome exhorting them in the name of God to continue in that which they had so wel begun for the knowledge and maintenance of the truth and for the estabishment of a good discipline and in witnesse of the great ioy they receiued and that holy Society and Communion that they desired to haue with them they blessed them in praying for them and laying their hands vpon them Afterwards the said Waldenses related vnto them how God had miraculously preserued them for these many hundred yeers notwithstanding the diuers great and continuall persecutions which they had endured And so they louingly and gently tooke their leaue of their said brethren and at their returne related whatsoeuer they had seen or done in that their voyage from whence they receiued vnspeakable contentment and from that time forward there continued a holy affection and desire to communicate together as oft as they could for their common edification In prosecution whereof the brethren of Bohemia visited by Letters the Waldenses of Austria giuing them to vnderstand that they had receiued great comfort by their last communication they had with them but yet as they desired not to be flattered in any defect or fault whatsoeuer so they could not dissemble without some defect of charity what they had found
was time to depart out of Babylon lest wee participate of her plagues This is the people that haue enforced themselues to re-establish the true and pure seruice of God by the power of his word a contemptible people euen as the filth of the world by whom neuerthelesse the eternall God hath wrought wonderfull things restoring and re-establishing by them his Church First in France afterwards as it were from a new Sion causing the riuers of his holy Law and pure doctrine to distill and drop downe vpon the rest of the world gathering together his elect by the preaching of his holy Gospell And that which is most admirable in this so great a worke is that the doctrine which they haue beleeued and preached hath been likewise miraculously preserued amongst them in the middle of all their grieuous and continuall persecutions which they haue suffered for righteousnesse sake As it is also worthy admiration that their aduersaries haue kept a register of the euils which they haue caused them vniustly to suffer It hath been their glory that they haue shed that blood that crieth for vengeance exiled the Church for a limitted time in the wildernesse and made knowne by their Histories that the Dragon hath done but that which was granted vnto him that is to make warre against the Saints but being deliuered from their great tribulation and their robes whitned in the blood of the Lamb they haue been conducted to the liuing fountaines of water and God hath wiped all teares from their eies LAVS DEO Reuelation 21.7 He that ouercommeth shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my sonne FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THE ALBINGENSES CHAP. I. Who the Albingenses were what their beleefe who were comprehended vnder the name of Albingenses at what time and by whom they haue beene instructed in what esteeme their Pastors haue beene by whom and in what Councell condemned how they haue increased what Cities and great Lords haue taken their part For what doctrine the Papists haue hated them and persecuted them to the death THe Albingenses which we are to speake of in this History differ nothing at all from the Waldenses in their beleefe but they are onely so called of the Countrey of Albi where they dwelt and had their first beginning The Popes haue condemned them as Waldenses the Legates haue made warre against them as professing the beleefe of the Waldenses the Monkes Inquisitors haue formed their Proces and Indictments as against Waldenses The people haue persecuted them as being such and themselues haue thought themselues honored by that title vpon the assured knowledge that they had of the puritie of their doctrine being the selfesame with the Waldenses Iaques de Riberia in Collectaneis vrbis Tolozae In respect whereof many Historiographers call them Waldenses Wee therefore will distinguish them not by their beleefe but by the places of their abode and by the particular warres which they haue endured for the space of aboue fiftie yeeres Vnder this name wee comprehend all the subiects of the Earles Remonds of Toulouze father and sonne and the subiects of the Earles of Foix and Comminge and all those that haue taken part with them that haue fought for their Religion and suffered the selfesame persecutions They receiued the beleefe of the Waldenses a little after the departure of Waldo from Lion The instruments that were imployed in this worke were Peter Bruis one Henry one Ioseph one Esperon and Arnold Hott of whom they were afterward called Pierrebruisiens or Petrobrusiens Henrisiens Iosephists Esperonists and Arnoldists but aboue all the rest Henry and Arnold trauelled in the Countrey of Albi and that with so good successe that in a short time there were found but a few and in some places not any that would goe any more to Masse affirming that the sacrifice of the Masse was onely inuented to enrich the Priests and to make them to be more esteemed in the world as making the Body of Christ by their words and sacrificing him to God the Father for the sinnes of the liuing and of the dead which was an impietie destroying the sacrifice of the Sonne of God and annihilating the merit of his death and passion There were many that gaue eare to their reasons in the diocese of Rhodes Cahors Agen Toulouze and Narbonne Iaques de Riberia in his collections of the Citie of Toulouze because the Doctors that taught amongst the Waldenses were learned men conuersant in the reading of the holy Scriptures whereas on the other side the Priests who studied nothing more than the sacrifices of the Masse and how to receiue their oblations for the dead were altogether ignorant and therefore contemned of the people Pope Alexander the third being much mooued with anger because he saw many great Prouinces to shake off the yoke of the Romish Church Claud. de Rubis in his History of the Citie of Lion Lib. 3. pa. 269. and to dispence with their obedience condemned them for Heretikes in the Councell of Latran Neuerthelesse they were in such a manner multiplied that in the yeere 1200. they possessed the Cities of Toulouze Apamies Montauban Villemur Saint Antonin 1200. Puech Laurence Castres Lambes Carcassonne Beziers Hologaray in his History of Foix. Narbonne Beaucaire Auignon Tarascon the Count Venecin and in Dauphine Crest Arnaud and Monteil-Amar And which is more they had many great Lords who tooke part with them that is to say the Earle Remond of Toulouze Remond Earle of Foix the Vicount of Beziers Gaston Lord of Bearne the Earle of Carmain the Earle of Bigorre the Lady of Lanaur and diuers others of whom we shall make mention in their due place And besides all these the Kings of Aragon and of England haue many times defended their case by reason of that alliance that they had with the Earle Remond of Toulouze The doctrines that they maintained against the Church of Rome were these 1 That the Romish Church is not the holy Church and Spouse of Christ but a Church watered with the Doctrine of Deuils That Babylon which Saint Iohn hath described in the Apocalypse the mother of fornications and abominations couered with the bloud of Saints 2 That the Masse was not instituted by Christ nor by his Apostles but that it is the inuention of men 3 That the prayers of the liuing profit not the dead 4 That Purgatorie maintained in the Church of Rome was a humane inuention to glut and satisfie the couetousnesse of the Priests 5 That Saints are not to be praied vnto 6 That Transubstantiation is the inuention of men and an erroneous doctrine And that the adoration of the Bread is a manifest Idolatry And that therefore they were to forsake the Church of Rome wherein the contrary was affirmed and taught because a man may not bee present at the Masses where Idolatry is practised nor attaine saluation by any other meanes than by
Afterwards Arnold made a request that forasmuch as the Bishops and himselfe in the beginning of their conference were bound to proue whatsoeuer they affirmed by the onely word of God it might bee imposed vpon the Bishops and Priests to make good their Masse such as they sing it part by part to haue beene instituted by the Sonne of God and sung in the like manner by his Apostles beginning at the entrance vnto the Ite Missa est as they terme it but the Bishops were not able to proue that the Masse or any part thereof was ordained in such an action either by Iesus Christ or his Apostles With this the Bishops were much discontented and ashamed For Arnold had brought them to the onely Canon which they pretended to be the best part of their Masse touching which point he proued That the holy Supper of our Lord was not the Masse For if the Masse were the holy Supper instituted by our Sauiour there would remaine after the Consecration all that which was in the Supper of the Lord that is to say Bread but in the Masse there is no bread for by Transubstantiation the bread is vanished away therefore the Masse saith he without bread is not the holy Supper of the Lord for there is bread Iesus Christ brake bread The Priest breakes the body not the bread St. Paul brake the bread The Priest breakes the body not the bread Therefore the Priest doth not that which Christ Iesus hath done and St. Paul Vpon these Antitheses which Arnold made touching the Supper of the Lord and the Masse to proue that it came not from Christ nor his Apostles the Monkes Bishops Legats and Priests retired themselues not being willing to heare any more and fearing lest they should worke such an impression in those that were present as might shake their beleefe touching the Masse The Monke of the Valley Seruay in his Hist of the Albing chap. 5. The Monke of the Valley Seruay endeuoureth to bring this action into suspition affirming that at what time the Hereticall Iudges exceeded in number seeing the badnesse of their cause and the wretchednesse of their disputation they would not saith hee giue any iudgement thereof nor deliuer their writings to their aduersaries for feare lest they should come to light and render to the Heretikes their owne But how should two Legats of the Pope the Bishops Abbots Monkes and Priests put themselues into any such place where they could bee thus ouercharged with number This Monke saith in the same place that the principall Arch-heretikes came to the Catholikes at the Castle of Montreal to dispute with them So that they held then the Castle and therefore there was no occasion of doubt or any such violence And furthermore how could it be that the Bishops should request the moderators to giue iudgement in a point of disputation when they hold that there needs no other sentence than the Popes who cannot erre Againe how did the Monke know that the Albingenses were ouercome if there were no iudgement or sentence giuen against them There were about the same time many other disputations as at Serignan Pannies but this was onely to delay the Albingenses from further proceeding For in the meane time whilest the Bishop of Toulouze and the Bishop of Onezimonde disputed at Pamies and the Popes two Legats with Arnold at Montreal B. of Villeneufue Arbitrator and Moderator for the Bishops signified That there could bee nothing determined or agreed vpon by reason of the comming of those Armies that were to fight vnder the badge of the Crosse This was the subtiltie of the Pope Hilagaray in his Hist of Foix pa. 126. to entertaine them in conferences touching matter of Religion that in the meane time he might prepare great Armies to roote out if hee could both themselues and their Religion CHAP. III. The end of the disputation touching Religion it was not long continued by the Pope and his Legats The presence of the Pope to publish the expedition against the Albingenses The Earle Remond humbleth himselfe before the Popes Legat he is whipped by the Legat and depriued of his Earledome of Venessin by the Pope hee is made chiefe Leader of the Armie of those that fought vnder the badge of the Crosse at the siege of Beziers So tearmed because euery one that vndertaketh the iourney weares on his Cassocke or Coate-armour the badge of the Crosse NOw when Pope Innocent had prepared his Armies of the Crosse and had dispersed them here and there about the Countries of the Albingenses there were no longer any disputations except it were with Fire and Faggots the chiefe disputers being the Executioners and the Monkes Inquisitors the Harpies or rauenous birds which the Pope made vse of for the extirpation of the Albingenses The pretence of this so famous an expedition was made against the Earle Remond of Toulouze about the death of a certaine Iacobin Monke who was slaine by the Albingenses For the Pope tooke from thence occasion to send throughout all Europe Preachers to assemble men together to take vengeance of the innocent bloud of Frier Peter de Casteauneuf who had beene slaine by the Heretikes promising Paradice to whomsoeuer would come to this warre and beare armes for fortie daies This warre he called the holy warre and for which he gaue the selfe-same Pardons the selfe-same Indulgences as he did vnto those who went to the warres of the holy Land for the conquest thereof He likewise termed it the warre for the Crucifixe and the Army of the Church And as for the Earle Remond heare with what termes he thundered against him in his Bull. We ordaine saith hee that all Archbishops and Bishops A Bull giuen at Latran in the yeer 1208. are to denounce throughout all their Dioceses the Earle Remond accursed and excommunicated as being murderer of a good seruant of God and that with the sound of the Bell and the extinction of Candles euery Sunday and Festiuall daies Wee promise moreouer to all those that shall take armes to reuenge the said murder forgiuenesse of their sinnes seeing that these pestilent Long Slops seeke nothing else but to take away our liues And forasmuch as according to the Law of the holy Canons faith is not to be kept to him that keepes not his faith to God we would haue all to vnderstand that euery man that is bound to the said Earle by oath of fidelitie societie alliance or otherwaies by the Apostolicall authoritie is absolued from any such bands and it shal bee lawfull for euery Catholike man not onely to pursue the person of the said Earle but also to hold and possesse his land c. And as touching the Albingenses see how hee handleth them Wee therefore admonish you more carefully and exhort you more speedily as being a matter of great necessitie c. That yee endeuour to vnderstand by all the meanes that God shall reueale vnto you and studie to abolish the
nothing and that he must doe as he may The Earle of Beziers returned into the Citie and assembled the people together giuing them to vnderstand that after he had submitted himselfe to the Legat hee mediated for them not being able to obtaine any otherthing at his hands but pardon vpon condition that they that made profession of the beleefe of the Albingenses should come and abiure their Religion and promise to liue according to the Lawes of the Church of Rome The Romish Catholikes intreated them to yeeld to this so great a violence and not to be the cause of their death since the Legat was resolued not to pardon any if they liued not all vnder one and the same Law The Albingenses answered That they would not forsake their Religion for the base price of this fraile life That they knew well that God was able to defend them if it pleased him and that if he would bee glorified by the confession of their saith it should bee a great honour to them to die for righteousnesse sake That they had rather displease the Pope who could destroy their bodies onely than God who could cast both body and soule into Hell fire That they would neuer be ashamed or deny that Religion by which they haue beene taught to know Christ and his righteousnesse or with the danger of an eternall death professe a Religion which doth annihillate the merit of Christ and burieth his righteousnesse and that therefore they would couenant for themselues as they could and promise nothing contrary to the duty of true Christians This being vnderstood the Romish Catholikes sent their Bishop to the Legat humbly to intreat him that he would not include in this chastisement of the Albingenses those that were alwayes obedient to the Church of Rome of whom he that was their Bishop had certaine knowledge being likewise assured that the rest were not altogether past hope of repentance but that they might be wonne by gentle meanes best befitting the Church which tooke no pleasure in the effusion of bloud The Legat herewith grew into extreme choller and passion swearing and protesting with horrible threats that if all they that were in the Citie did not acknowledge their fault and submit themselues to the Church of Rome they should all taste of one cup and without respect of Catholike sex or age they should all be exposed to fire and sword And incontinently he commanded that the Citie should bee summoned to yeeld it selfe to his discretion which they refusing to doe hee caused all his engins of warre to play and commanded an assault and generall escalado to bee made Now it was impossible for those that were within to resist so great a violence in such sort The Treasure of Hist in the taking of Beziers Paul Aemil. pag. 517. that being thus assaulted by aboue a hundred thousand Pelerins in the end saith the Compiler of the Treasure of Histories they within vere vanquished and the enemie being entred slew a great multitude and afterwards set fire to the Citie and burnt it to dust The Citie being taken the Priests Monkes and Clerkes came forth of the great Church of Beziers called St. Nazari with the Banner the Crosses their holy-water bare headed attired with the ornaments of the Church and singing Te Deum laudamus as a signe of ioy that the Towne was taken and purged of the Albingenses The Souldiers who had receiued command from the Legat to kill all ranne in vpon them brake the order of their procession made the heads and armes of the Priests to flie about striuing who should doe best in such a manner that they were all cut in pieces To excuse this crueltie disallowed by some of those that were spectators they haue inserted into the Historie these reports that is to say That the Pelerins were incensed against the inhabitants of Beziers because they had cast ouer the walls of the Citie the booke of the Gospels crying vnto them See there the Law of your God whereupon the Souldiers grew to this resolution to kill all those they should find within the circuit of Beziers that so they might be sure not to spare those that had thus blasphemed But how could the Albingenses doe any such thing so impious against the Gospell of our blessed Sauiour considering that one of the principall causes for which they had forsaken the Church of Rome was because the Gospel of Christ Iesus was as it were buried amongst them the people forbid to reade it And besides one of the great crimes which they laid to the charge of the Earle Remond was because hee carried alwayes about him the New Testament To this they added a miracle and that was that Beziers was taken vpon the day of Marie Magdalen because say they heretikes speake ill of Magdalin in their law The Treasure of hist in the taking of Beziers In the hist of the Monke Pet. of the Valleis Seruey of the Albing ch 18. Thus speakes the compiler of the Treasure Now this imposture is so deuillish that I hardly durst commit it to paper and yet notwithstanding the Monke of the Valleis Seruay sets it downe at large without doubts or scruples though the very thought thereof would make the haire of any man that hath but the least sparke of pietie to stand on end Now the citie being burnt razed and ransacked the Pilgrims who thought they merited Paradise by this sacceige and effusion of bloud were speedily conducted to Carcassonne before the forty daies of fight which they had vowed to the Church of Rome were expired because then they were permitted euery man to depart to his owne home CHAP. V. The Siege of Carcassonne the taking of the towne or Borough of Carcassonne An assault and generall Escalado giuen to the citie A great number of the soldiers of the Crosse slaine The Intercession of the King of Aragon for the Earle of Beziers to no purpose A stratagem for the taking of the Earle of Beziers The flight of the people of Carcassonne by what meanes The taking of Carcassonne THe Earle of Beziers when he saw that he could obtaine nothing of the Legat in fauour of the city of Beziers hauing left this charge to the Bishop to make triall whether he by any meanes could obtaine pardon for those poore inhabitants and in the meane time because he knew very well that hauing taken Beziers he would not suffer the city of Carcassonne to continue in peace because being strong by nature the Legat knew there was no store-house for the warre nor better place of repose for the Soldiers than that was he was counselled to retire himselfe thither and speedily to cause it to be furnished with whatsoeuer was fit to maintaine a long siege He put himselfe therfore into Carcassonne being accompanied with his most faithfull attendants He was followed as it were foot by foot by the Legats armie vnto which there came new Croises or soldiers of the Crosse that
All the bordering neighbours of the Earle Simon began to feare him vpon a report which he gaue forth that at the spring following he would haue a great Armie of Pelerins aâ— his command and that then hee would chastise those which had not acknowledged the authoritie wherein the Church had placed him Castres sent vnto him the Keyes of thoâ—â— Citie by some of their Bourgesses The Castle of Paâ—ies was yeelded vnto him euery one submitted themselues to his command round about Carcassonne and the Vicountie of Beziers But he receiued a back-blow in the middest of his prosperitie which was a presage vnto him of some euill For the King of Aragon keeking secretly the Gentlemen of the Vicountie of Beziers in breath encouraged them to bring vnto equall termes this petty-tyrant who was brought in for the good of another saying That if he were not constrained to haue alwaies a world of Pilgrims for his conquests he would abuse this his rest to take heart to inuade the goods of all those that are neere adioyning vnder a pretence of that charge hee hath from the Pope but if he once knew how dangerous it would be for him to want his Souldiers of the Crosse hee would be better aduised considering that it is not possible that he should alwaies haue so great a number of Pilgrims that should alwaies make him fearefull for there must be time for the leuying of them time for the conducting of them from farre Countries and if he should make no vse of them within fortie daies of their arriuall hee would be more weake than before after the expiration of their Pilgrimage That to hurt and hinder him there can be no better course taken than to keepe themselues locked vp in their Garrisons at the comming of the Pilgrims and at their departure when they were weake to set vpon him on euery part that at the last he will be so weary of his great trauels that he will thinke he hath bought at a deare rate the good which he beleeued he had gotten by the title of a Donation of those that had nothing to giue The King of Aragon added hereunto that he had neuer heard of any so vniust a vsurpation for if this war were made to take away the goods and liues of the Albingensens by what title had the Legat confiscated the goods of the Earle of Beziers who had alwaies liued and also died in the beleefe of the Church of Rome That he therefore perceiued that the greatest crime they could finde in the said Earle was that they found him to be young and no way powerfull That if God gaue him life he would make it appeare that he loued the Earle of Beziers and that he was his Kinsman and would likewise shew himselfe a true friend to those that had any feeling of those wrongs and outrages that were offered him Those hopes to be succoured by the King of Aragon gaue heart and courage vnto those that with great impatiency bare the dominion and power of the Earle Simon of Montfort The Monke of the Valley Sernay Chap. 33. in such sort that the said Earle being one day gone from Carcassonne to Montpelier he found at his returne that diuers had taken Armes to shake off their yoake hauing besieged certaine of his Souldiers in a Tower neere to Carcassonne He speedily made his returne to succour them but too late for not being able to passe a Riuer called Sarasse and being gone to Carcassonne to passe by the bridge the Tower was taken before hee came This small affront brought him into some contempt and gaue heart to others to offer the like About this time Captaine Boucard for the said Earle Simon at the Castle of Seissac attempted the surprise of the strong Castle of Cabaret whereof mention hath beene made heretofore for this end and purpose he made his approach vnto the said Castle as closely as he could Captaine Roger who was within the said Castle for the Earle Remond was come forth with fourescore horse to forrage and seeke for bootie Boucard vpon the sudden and vnlooked for charged him and had well-neere discomfited him but Roger hauing taken knowledge of the enemy doubled the charge vpon him in so â—uâ—ious a manner that he ouercame the troops of Boucard and brought him Prisoner to that Castle which he said he came to surprise At this very time Gerard of Pepios tooke part with the Albingenses and seized vpon Puisorignier and the Castle of Menerbe Now the warre began to grow very cruelâ— for if it be true that the Monke of the Vallies Sernay hath written Gerard caused the eyes of all the Souldiers of the Earle Simon which he could take to be pluckt out and cut off their eares and their noses with their vpper lip sent them all naked to the Earle Simon of Montfort leauing one for a guide vnto the other with one eye On the other part whensoeuer the Earle Simon was victorer in any place he caused a great fire to bee made and cast into it as many of the Albingenses as he could take All they of the Romish Church did as much that bare Armes for the Albingenses for William of Rochford Bishop of Carcassonne caused the Abbot of Cisteaux to be slaine meering him neere vnto Carcassonne his body being found murdered with six and thirtie wounds and the Monke which accompanied him with foure and twentie Then the Citie of Carcassonne saith the Monke and the Souldiers that were in it were stricken with such feare That they had little hope to defend themselues but by flight for they saw themselues saith he enuironed on all sides with infinite enemies From these miseries which did much moue the patience of the Earle Simon hee tooke occasion to write to all the Prelats throughout Europe that if in the Spring following he were not assisted with new succours of Pilgrims it was impossible for him to hold out for his enemies finding his weaknesse tooke the aduantage thereof witnesse that after the last departure of the Pilgrims he had lost aboue forty townes Castles of which the people had before brought him the keyes and were now all reuolted from him and the Church being beyond his power to remedy it for want of men Hee therefore intreated them in the name of God to giue their helping hand otherwise he must be enforced to yeeld vp the rights of the Church and the Countrey altogether Now matters thus standing the Earle Simon attending new succours tooke the Castle of Beron neare Montreal where he caused the eies of aboue a hundred Albingenses to bee pulled out and cut off their noses leauing onely one with one eye to bee a guide to the rest and to conduct them to Cabaret This stirred vp the Albingenses in such sort Chass pag. 136. that had not succours instantly come they had shut him vp on euery side CHAP. VII New succours of Pilgrimes come to the Earle Simon conducted from France by
So king Iohn hauing an armie of sixty thousand men was discomfited and taken prisoner by the Prince of Wales who had not aboue eight thousand men notwithstanding the cause of the king of France were very iust defending himselfe against his enemie who assaulted him in his owne countrey The warre of the Albingenses encreased for the Earle Simon thought it was necessary hee should pursue his enemies being halfe dead and ouerthrowne and the Albingenses for their part knew that they must of necessiâ—ie defend themselues or bee vanquished and brought into thraldome CHAP. XII Pope Innocent the third sent against the Albingenses a new Legat named Bonauenture Prince Lewis the sonne of Philip tooke on him the Crosse and caused Toulouze and Narbonne to be dismantled and the walles laid euen with the ground THe Earle Simon being puffed vp with this victorie sent one to summon the Earle of Toulouze Foix and Comminge and the Prince of Bearne to deliuer vnto him the keis of those cities and castles that they possessed and that they should subscribe to what it pleased the Legat or resolue miserably to perish He receiued no answer but euery one betooke himselfe to his owne territories there to prouide the best they could possibly for their affaires The Earle Remond retired himselfe to Montauban and writ to those of Toulouze from whence he was but then departed that he vnderstood that Rodolph the Bishop of Arras was comming with a great number of Pilgrims and therefore forasmuch as he saw that they had no meanes to defend their city against so great a force that they should treat and grow to some composition with the Earle Simon reseruing only their hearts vnto himselfe vntill God should giue meanes to free them from those miseries wherein they were plunged by the insatiable auarice of their common enemie In the meane time he the Earle of Foix Comminge and the Prince of Bearne did their endeuours to trouble and to infest the enemies Armies with all the power they could for their common good The citie of Toulouze deputed six of the principall men of the city to offer to the Earle Simon the keies of Toulouze He receiued them honourably and commanded them not to depart from him without his permission In the meane time he writ to Lewis the sonne of king Philip that since the battle of Muret they of Toulouze offered to yeeld themselues vnto him but his desire was that he should haue the praise of that conquest being onely worthy of himselfe King Philip his father would not heretofore permit that he should war against the Albingenses because he had promised the King of Aragon to carry himselfe as a neuter betwixt both but now hearing of the death of the said King of Aragon he suffered him to goe The Prince being at Toulouze the citie was deliuered into his hands and presently the Legat hauing assembled the Bishops of his ranke it was concluded that the pillage should be granted to the Pilgrims and that the city should be dismantled the Castle of Narbonne excepted which was incontinently executed contrary to the promise which had beene giuen them that nothing should be altered within the citie This good vse did the Earle Simon make of the presence and forces of Prince Lewis for otherwise he durst not haue enterprised the saccage and dismantling of this goodly and great citie without the endangering of his fortunes were his forces neuer so great At this very time arriued Bonauenture the Popes new Legat and of those that tooke on them the Crosse the Bishop of Beauuois the Earle of Saint Paul the Earle of Sauoy the Earle of Alençon the Vicount of Melun Mathew de Montmorenci and other great Lords that accompanied him The Legat seeing so many Pilgrims began to feare lest Prince Lewis should dispose of diuers places which the Albingenses held to the preiudice of the Popes authoritie vnder whose name all those conquests were made for the auoiding whereof he sent vnto all those places that held for the said Albingenses the absolution and safeguard of the Church in such sort that the Prince thinking to make an assault vpon any of them they produced their absolution and shewed that they were vnder the protection of the Church And this Legat grew so audacious as to tell Prince Lewis that since he was become a souldier of the Crosse he was subiect to his commands because he did represent the person of the Pope whose pardons he was come to obtaine by obeying â—â—e Church not by commanding as the sonne of a King reproching him besides that the King his father made no account to contribute to the extirpation of the Albingenses when the time and season serued and there was best opportunity but now after those victories miraculously obtained he came to gleane the eares of that glory which was due vnto those only that had prodigally spent their liues for the Church The Prince dissembled this audacious boldnesse Narbonne was dismantled by the agreement of the said Prince which neither the Legat nor the Earle Simon would not haue durst to enterprise without his presence The Bishop of Narbonne did what he could to hinder the dismantling of it affirming that it did much import that a place in the frontiers of Spaine should bee preserued with the walles and rampiers thereof but the Earle Simon and the Legat were very instant to the contrary they obtained their desires Here endeth the good fortune of the Earle Simon for in the end of this leuy of Pilgrims which Prince Lewis brought with him he had enough to doe to defend himselfe from blowes notwithstanding the Albingenses were also wearied with continuall warres and visited from time to time with new expeditions insomuch that they sunke vnder the burthen of them Now forasmuch as this warre changeth countenance in the person of the chiefe Leaders and that from hence forward we shall speake more of the sonne of the Earle Remond of Toulouze another Remond and of Roger the sonne of the Earle of Foix then of the old Earles We here make a second booke of the actions of the children succeeding their fathers miserably afflicted only for that they had for in effect there was not any of these great Lords that was deseâ—â—edly assaulted for Religion for many times they had their recourse to the Pope as to the fountaine of all their euills and in all respects to a poore remedy neuer bringing with them from Rome other thing than good words with very dangerous effects The end of the first booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF the WALDENSES called ALBINGENSES containing the warres which they maintained after the yeare one thousand two hundred and thirteene vntill they were vtterly exterminated CHAP. I. The warre is renewed against the Earle of Foix the Aragonians make hostile incursions vpon the Lands of the Earle Simon he is discomfited by the Earle of Foix Simon is called into Dauphine The Legat Bonauenture perswades the Earle of
against the Church An Article that troubled much this valiant Lord. For he withdrew himselfe for the same yeare into a house where he counted the moneths and the daies till the time was expired wherein he might either die valiantly in fight or vanquish his enemies And to this purpose he many times conferred with the sonne of the King of Aragon lately slaine how he might carrie himselfe to finde a meanes to be reuenged of his Fathers death The Legat Bonauenture in the meane time vseth the same subtletie with the Earle Remond of Toulouze He perswadeth him to goe to Rome to determine his affaires with the Pope more peaceably than with the Earle Simon The Monke of the Valley Sernay Chap. 133. especially because he was charged with the death of his owne Brother the Earle Baudoin taken in the Castle d'Olme in the Country of Cahors because he had there borne Armes against him an action that had made him odious both to God and men and which his enemies did exaggerate to the end they might stirre vp the Pilgrims to take vengeance on him saying That at the very point of death they had denied him a Confessor and that the said Bodoin prayed vnto God that he would raise vp some good Christians to reuenge the wrong done vnto him by his brother as by another Caine. The son of the Earle of Toulouze named also Remond vnderstanding that his Father was to take his iourney to Rome he went with letters from his Vncle the King of England to the Pope intreating him to doe iustice to his brother in Law The young Lord had beene brought vp vntill then in England where he could no longer spend time seeing his Father oppressed with warres and continuall trauels he therefore resolued to vse his best endeuours for his deliuerance either by composition or by armes The cause of the Earle Remond was debated before the Pope There was a Cardinall that maintained Idem Chap. 152. that great wrong had beene offered those Lords who had many times giuen of their best lands to the Church to witnesse their obedience The Abbot of St. Vberi also tooke their part with great courage and resolution The Earle Remond likewise defended his owne cause charging the Bishop of Toulouze with many outrages and that if hee had beene constrained to defend himselfe he must accuse those that had driuen him to that necessitie for had he not made resistance he had long agoe beene vtterly ouerthrowne That the Bishop of Toulouze had many times caught vnto him the fairest of his reuenewes and being neuer satisfied did still continue to vex him parting his goods with the Earle Simon of Montfort and that their onely auarice had beene the cause of the death of ten thousand men of Toulouze and of the pillage of that faire and great Citie a losse which could neuer be repaired The Charterie of Lion did also shew vnto the Pope that the Bishop of Toulouze had alwaies kindled the fire and warmed himselfe at the flame Arnaud de Villemur did also present himselfe before the Pope demanding Iustice for that the Legat and the Earle Simon had inuaded his lands he knew not wherefore since he had neuer bin but obedient to the Church of Rome relating at large the euils murders saccages robberies burnings which the said Legat and Earle vnder the cloake of the seruice of the Pope and the Church had done and therefore it was necessarie that that maske should be taken away which would otherwise turne to the dishonour of the Pope and the Church and some speedy course should be taken for the establishing of peace and procuring the good of the Church Remond of Roquefeuil of the Country of Querci Chass lib. 4. Ibid. related also many villanies committed by the said Earle of Montfort beginning with that which had beene done against the Earle of Beziers whom he caused miserably to die in prison inuaded his Lands and ruinated his Subiects and so proceeded to all that had passed against the other Lords who were constrained to defend themselues against his violences The Pope was much moued with these outrages and would willingly haue done some iustice but that it was told him that if hee should cause the Earle of Montfort to make restitution of that which was taken for the seruice of the Church that he should not from hence-forward finde any that would fight either for the Pope or the Church As also that if hee should determine the restitution yet the Earle Simon had reason not to giue ouer his hold vntill hee were fully satisfied for his trauels and expences The Pope returned these affaires to the Legat commanding him in generall termes to restore the Lands to all those that shewed themselues faithfull to the Church and as touching the sonne of the Earle Remond his pleasure was The Monke of the Valleis Sernay Chap. 152. that that Land that the Earle Remond had in Prouence that is to say The Earl dome of Venisse should be reserued either in part or all for the maintenance of his sonne prouided that he gaue good and assured testimonies of his loyaltie and good conuersation shewing himselfe worthy of diuine mercy They being returned demanded of the Legat the execution of their Bulls requiring the restitution of their Lands The Legat answered that he had certaine restraints for the determining whereof there needed some time that therefore they should in the meane time shew fruits worthy their amendment and that then they should receiue what the Pope had decreed otherwise not When the Earles saw how they were deluded they resolued to come to blowes CHAP. II. Remond the sonne of the Earle Remond tooke Beaucaire The Bishop of Tholouze betrayeth the Citizens of Thoulouze The Earle Simon vseth the Inhabitants of Tholouze very ill They defend themselues to his confusion A new expedition Remond taketh Thoulouze Simon of Montfort comes thither and after many combats he is in the end slaine with a stone cast by a woman His armie is put to flight THe first exploit of warre of Remond the the sonne of the Earle Remond was the taking of Beaucaire where hee made himselfe Master of the Citie afterwards hauing almost famished those in the Castle the Earle Simon being no way able to succour them made a composition for those that were within it that is that they should depart onely carrying with them their baggage and necessary furniture The Earle Simon lost at that place a hundred Gentlemen which he laid in ambush neere the Citie which they within perceiuing made a salley forth and cut them in peeces The young Earle Remond wonne great renowne at this siege and gaue the Earle Simon to vnderstand that his sonne Aimeri should haue in this young Lord a thorne in his foot that should make him smart as much as in his time he had giuen cause of trouble and vexation to his father The Earle Montfort went from hence to rauage and make spoile
is one Trinitie as it is written in the Law Deut. 64. Heare O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And the Prophet Esay I am Lord and there is none other neither is there any God but I And Saint Paul in the 4. to the Ephes There is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and one Father of all And Saint Iohn â— Epist 5.7 There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And in the Gospel by Saint Iohn it is said Chap. 17.11 That the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one when our Sauiour saith That they may be one as we are one Againe wee must beleeue that this holy Trinitie hath created all things visible and that he is Lord of all things celestiall terrestriall and infernall as it is said in Saint Iohn Chap. â— 3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made And in the Reuelation it is said Chap 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory for thou hast created all things the heauens the earth and the sea and the fountaines of water And the Prophet Dauid saith And thou O Lord hast founded the earth in the beginning and the heauens are the workes of thy hands And againe The heauens are framed by the word of the Lord and all the powers thereof by the breath of his mouth All these and diuers other testimonies and reasons drawne from the Scriptures doe affirme that God created all things of nothing whatsoeuer they be Againe we must beleeue that God the Father hath sent his Sonne from heauen vnto earth and that for our sakes hee hath taken vpon him our flesh in the wombe of the Virgin Mary for our saluation as the Prophet Esay speaketh Chap. 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and his name shall be Emanuell which is God with vs. And the Lord saith in the Gospel that this hath beene accomplished saying I am come from my Father into the world and againe I haue left the world and goe to my Father And againe Saint Iohn saith Chap. 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs. And in the first Epistle of Iohn 5.20 Wee know that the Sonne of God is come and that hee hath taken our flesh vpon him for vs and is raised againe from death for vs and hath giuen vs vnderstanding that wee may know him that is true and wee are in him that is true euen in his Sonne Iesus Christ This is the true God and eternall life And in the fourth to the Galatians 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law who by the commandement of God the Father and his owne free will was lifted vp vpon the altar of the crosse and crucified and hath redeemed mankinde with his owne blood which hauing accomplished he arose from death the third day hauing dispersed in the world a light euerlasting like a new sunne that is the glory of the resurrection and heauenly inheritance which the same Sonne of God hath promised to giue to all those that in faith serue him For ascending vp vnto heauen the fortieth day after his resurrection and the tenth after his assention hee sent the holy Ghost from heauen to comfort his Apostles and to replenish his Church with the same Spirit We must beleeue that the same God hath chosen vnto himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle or such like thing as Saint Paul speaketh to the end it should be holy and vndefiled according to the commandement of the Almighty Be ye holy for I am holy And in the fift of Saint Matthew Be yee perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect for nothing that doth commit abomination shall enter into the Kingdome of God but onely they that are written in the Booke of life as it is sayd in the Reuelation We must beleeue the generall resurrection of which our Sauiour speaketh in the Gospell of Saint Iohn The houre shall come when all they that are in their graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that haue done euill to the resurrection of Iudgement And Saint Paul saith in the first to the Corinthians that all shall arise and all shall be changed And Iob saith Chap. 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand at the latter day vpon the earth and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines be consumed within mee Wee must beleene the generall Iudgement vpon all the children of Adam as the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament doe affirme As our Sauiour promiseth in the 25. of Matth. 31. When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall hee sit vpon the throne of his glory and before him shall bee gathered all nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a shepheard diuideth his sheepe from the goates and hee shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left And Iude in his Epistle Vers 15. Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute iudgement vpon all And the Prophet Esay saith The Lord commeth in iudgement with the Ancients of his people and with his yong men also These things are set downe in the Old and New Testament and especialâ—y the foure Euangelists and the Prophets witnesse it in many places CHAP. V. An Exposition of the Waldenses and Albingenses vpon the Lords Prayer Taken out of a Booke of the Waldenses intituled The treasure of faith SAint Augustine being requested by a spirituall Daughter of his to teach her to pray hath thus said and written That multitudes of words are not necessary in prayer But to pray much is to be feruent in prayer And therefore to be long in prayer is to present things necessary in superfluous words To pray much is to solicit that we pray for with a seemely decency and affection of heart which is better done by teares then by words because God who seeth the secrets of our heart is more moued with a deepe grone or sigh by plaints and teares that come from the heart then by a thousand words But many there are in these dayes that resemble the Pagans to whom Christ would not haue his Disciples to be like for they thinke and beleeue that they shall bee the rather heard for their many words in their prayers whereby it comes to passe that they loose much time vnder a pretence of prayer Iob saith besides experience makes it good that a man is neuer in the same estate in this life but hee is now disposed to doe one thing and presently to
confidence of the World making themselues seruants to ceremonies which make for these things fraudulently causing the people to fall downe and to worship the Idols of the World vnder the name of Saints and reliques in such sort that men wandring wickedly from the way of truth thinke they serue God and doe well and so they are moued to hatred and malice against those that loue the truth commit diuers murders of soules as the Apostle speakes truly This is that compleat man of sinne which exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God and that oppugneth all truth who sits in the Temple of God that is in the Church shewing himselfe as if hee were God who is come with all falshood and lying for those that perish And forasmuch as he is truly come wee neede no longer expect him for hee is already olde by the permission of God yea he is already in the wayne and his power and authority much diminished for the Lord hath long since slaine this man of sinne with the breath of his mouth by sundry good and godly persons giuing them a power contrary to his and those that loue him and hath brought vnto naught his place and his possessions and diuided this City of Babylon in which all manner of wickednesse is in his full strength and vigour What the workes of Antichrist are THe first worke of Antichrst is to take away the truth and to change it into falsehood and errour and heresie The second to couer falsehood with the truth and to confirme an vntruth by seeming faith and by vertue and to mingle falsehood with things spituall amongst those people that are subiect vnto him whether it bee by meanes of his Ministers or the Ministerie Now this two-fold manner of proceeding containeth a perfect and most accomplished malice which could not bee in any tyrant or powerfull Potentate from the beginning of the world vntill the time of Antichrist Neither hath Christ had any enemy before this which could so change the way of truth into falsehood or that had power to peruert those that make profession either of the one or the other that is to say of truth or falsehood In such sort that our holy Mother the Church with her true children is trodden vnder-foot especially for the true seruice of God and the Ministery thereof insomuch that shee and her members breake out into those mournefull complaints of the Prophet Ieremy How doeth the Citie sit solitary that was full of people How is shee become a widdow that is destitute of the trueth of her Spouse Shee that was great among the nations because of that power shee had ouer sinne and errour and the Princesse among the Prouinces by that part shee had in the world and the things in the world Mourne and behold with a carefull eye and thou shalt finde all these things accomplished euen in these times For the holy Church is reputed a Synagogue and the Synagogue of the wicked is acknowledged to bee the mother of those that beleeue in God and obey his Lawes Falsehood is Preached for truth wrong for right Iniustice is held for Iustice errour for faith sinne for vertue vanity for verity Obiect But what other workes proceed from these first Answer These that follow The first worke is that hee turneth that seruice and worship which is onely proper and due vnto God to himselfe and his workes and to the poore creature reasonable and vnreasonable sensible and insensible Reasonable as to men hee-Saints and shee-Saints that are departed out of this world Vnreasonable and to Images carrion or reliques His workes are the Sacraments especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist which he adoreth as God and as Iesus Christ seruing things blessed and consecrated and forbidding the worship of the onely God The second worke of Antichrist is that he robbeth Christ of his merit with all the sufficiency of grace righteousnesse regeneration remission of sinnes sanctification confirmation in grace and spirituall nourishment and imputeth and attributeth it to his authority and to the forme of words and to his workes and to Saints and to their intercession and to the fire of Purgatory drawing the people from Christ and his conduct vnto the things aboue-named to the end men should not seeke the things of Christ nor by Christ but trust only to be saued by the works of their hands and not by a liuely faith in God and his Sonne Christ Iesus and his holy Spirit but by the will and workes of Antichrist for so he teacheth that all saluation consisteth in his workes The third worke of Antichrist consisteth in this that he attributeth the renewing by the holy Ghost to an outward dead faith and baptizeth children into that faith and that by it wee haue the Baptisme and the regeneration and therein hee giueth Orders and Sacraments and in it he groundeth all Christianity which is repugnant to the Spirit of God The fourth worke of Antichrist is that hee hath ordained and placed all Religion and Sanctity of the people in the Masse and hath patched together many ceremonies whereof some are Iudaicall some Heathenish some Antichristian To the hearing whereof leading the congregation and the people hee depriues them of their spirituall and Sacramentall food and separateth them from the true Religion and the Commandements of God and withdrawes them from the workes of mercy by his Offertory and by his Masse he setteth the people in a vaine hope The fift worke of Antichrist is that hee doeth all his workes to the end hee may bee seene of men that he may solace himselfe in his vnsatiable auarice that he may make gaine of all things and doe nothing without Simony The sixt worke of Antichrist is that hee giueth way to all open and apparant sinnes without any Ecclesiasticall sentence neither doth hee excommunicate the impenitent The seuenth worke of Antichrist is that hee neither ruleth nor defendeth his vnity by the Word and power of the Spirit of God but by the secular power and hee addeth vnto his ayde things spirituall The eight worke of Antichrist is that hee hateth and persecuteth and putteth to death the members of Christ These are in a manner the principall workes which he doth against the truth for all of them can by no meanes bee written or numbred Let it suffice for this present that wee haue noted the more generall and shall likewise set downe by what workes this iniquity is couered First and principally by an outward confession of Faith whereof the Apostle sayth They confesse they know God with their mouthes but they deny him in their hearts Secondly hee couereth his iniquity by length of time and in that he is maintained by certaine Sages and religious Monkes and Virgins and Nunnes and Widowes and other women of austere life As also by the people without number of whom it is said in the Reuelation And power was giuen vnto him ouer euery Tribe and Language and Nation and all the Inhabitants of
saued by the ayde and assistance of our Lord wee ioyne our selues to the truth of Christ and of his Spouse how little soeuer it be in the eye of the world so farre foorth as our vnderstanding shall direct vs. And therefore we haue determined with our selues to make knowne to the world what are the causes of our departure and what our congregation is to the end that if the Lord shall giue the knowledge of the selfe-same truth they that haue receiued it should loue it together with our selues And that if peraduenture they be not sufficiently illuminated they may receiue comfort and assistance by this meanes and be watered by the dew of heauen And if this grace bee giuen more abundantly and in a higher measure to any other wee desire in all humility to bee better instructed by him intreating our faults and defects may bee amended These things then that follow are the causes of our separation Be it knowne to all in generall and euery particular person that the cause of our separation is for the essentiall verity of Faith and the ministeriall The Essentiall verity of Faith is the inward knowledge of one true God and the vnity of Essence in three persons which knowledge flesh and bloud hath not giuen As also for the decent and conuenient seruice due to one onely God for the loue thereof aboue all things for sanctification and the honour thereof aboue all things and aboue all names for a liuely hope by Christ in God for regeneration and inward renouation by faith hope and charity for the merit of Iesus Christ with all sufficiency of grace and righteousnesse for the participation or communion with all the Elect for remission of sinnes for holy conuersation and for the faithfull accomplishment of all the Commandements in the faith of Christ for true repentance for perseuerance vnto the end and for life euerlasting The Ministeriall verities are these The outward Congregation of Ministers with the people subiect in place time and truth by the ministry of the truth aboue mentioned directing establishing and preseruing the Church the said Ministers by faith and an integrity of life shewing themselues obedient and giuing themselues couragiously to the practise and vsuall cariage of our Sauiour ouer the flocke The things which the Ministers are bound to doe for the seruice of the people are these The Euangelicall Word the Sacraments annexed to the Word which certifie what the intention and vnderstanding hath beene confirme the hope in Christ and in the faithfull the ministeriall communion of all things by the Essentiall verity And if there be any other ministeriall things they may all bee referred to the abouenamed But of these singular verities some are essentially necessary to the saluation of man others conditionally They are contained in the twelue Articles of our Faith and in diuers writings of the Apostles For Antichrist hath long since raigned in the Church by diuine permission The errours and impurities of Antichrist are these that is to say diuers and innumerable Idolatries against the Commandements of God and of Christ by a seruice giuen to the creature and not to the Creator visible and inuisible corporall and spirituall vnderstanding or sensible naturall or made and framed by some art and vnder the name of Christ or hee-saints or shee-saints or reliques which creature is serued by faith by hope by gestures by prayers by pilgrimages by almes-deeds by offerings and sacrifices of great charge The which creature they serue adore honor after a diuers manner with songs orations solemnities and celebrations of Masses vespers complines to the selfe-same creatures with prayer bookes for certaine houres vigils feasts purchasing of grace which is essentially in one onely God and in Iesus Christ meritoriously and is obtained by faith onely and by the holy Ghost For there is no other cause of Idolatry then the false opinion of grace of truth of authority inuocation intercession which this Antichrist hath taken from God and attributed it to his ceremonies authorities the workes of his hands and to Saints and to Purgatory And this iniquity of Antichrist is directly against the first Article of our Faith and the first Commandement of the Law In like sort the disorderly loue of the World which is in Antichrist is that from whence doe spring all the sinnes and wickednesse that is in the Church in those that are the Leaders and Rulers and Officers thereof who sinne without controlement against the truth of faith and the knowledge of God the Father witnesse Saint Iohn who saith He that sinneth knoweth not God for if any man loue the world the charity of the Father is not in him The second iniquity of Antichrist consists in the hope which he giueth of pardon grace righteousnesse truth and eternall life as not being in Christ or in God by Christ but in men liuing and dead in authorities ecclesiasticall ceremonies in benedictions sacrifices prayers and other things aboue mentioned not by true faith which brings forth repentance by charity and a departure from euill and cleauing to that which is good Now Antichrist teacheth vs not to place our hope and confidence in such things that is to say regeneration spirituall confirmation or communion the remission of sinnes sanctification eternall life but to hope in his Sacraments and his wicked Simony by which the people are abused in such sort that they make sale of all things and inuent many ordinances old and new to bring siluer into their chests promising that if any man doe this or that hee shall obtaine grace and life And this double iniquity is called in Scriptures adultery and fornication And therefore such Ministers as leade the brutish people into these errours are called the Apocalipticall Whore And this iniquity is against the second Article and the second and third Commandement The third iniquity of Antichrist consisteth in this that he hath inuented besides those aboue-named other false religions and orders and Monasteries giuing hope to obtaine grace by building oratories for Saints as also by deuout and frequent hearing of the Masse by the receiuing the Sacrament by Confession though seldome with a contrite heart by satisfaction by fastings and emptying the purse by professing himselfe a member of the Church of Rome by making vowes and giuing themselues to orders of Capouches and Cowles which against all truth they affirme that men are bound vnto And this iniquity of Antichrist is directly against the eight Article of our Beliefe I beleeve in the holy Ghost The fourth iniquity of Antichrist consisteth in this that notwithstanding hee bee the fourth Beast described by Daniel and the Apocalipticall whore hee neuerthelesse adorneth himselfe with authority power dignity offices Scriptures and compareth himselfe and maketh himselfe equall to the true and holy Mother the Church in which there is saluation Ministerially and not elsewhere in which there is the truth of life and Doctrine and of the Sacraments For if he should not thus couer
himselfe and his wicked Ministers being knowne for manifest sinners hee would soone be forsaken and abandoned of euery one For Emperours and Kings and Princes thinking him to be like to the true and holy mother the Church they haue loued and endowed him contrary to the Commandement of God And this iniquity of Ministers and subiects and such as are brought vp in errour and sinne is directly against the ninth Article I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church And thus much touching the first part Secondly as they that are partakers of the onely outward ceremonies ordained by the inuention of men doe beleeue and hope truely to performe their Pastorall duties and cures prouided onely that they be shauen like sheepe and anoynted like walles and blessed by touching the Booke and the cup with their hands and so publish themselues to haue taken the order of Priesthood as they should So likewise as it hath beene sayd before the people that are subiect vnto them doe communicate by words by signes by outward exercises and by their diuers gestures and actions thinke they participate of the truth it selfe drawne from thence And this is against the other part of the ninth Article I beleeue the Communion of Saints It standeth vs therefore vpon to depart from the most wicked Communion of Monkes whereunto carnall men are drawne causing them for couetousnesse to put their trust in things of naught yea though they bee luxurious and couetous onely to the end men should giue them and then they tell them that they participate of their pouerty and of their chastitie The fift iniquity of Antichrist consists in this that he sayneth and promiseth remission of sinnes to such offenders as haue no true sorrow and contrition for their sinnes and cease not to perseuere in their wickednesse and that in the first place hee promiseth remission of their sinnes because of their auricular confession and humane absolution in their Pilgrimages and all for money And this iniquity is against the eleuenth Article of our faith I beleeue the forgiuesse of sinnes For that is in God by authority in Christ by ministration Faith Hope Charity Repentance Obedience to the Word and in man by participation The sixth iniquity is that they hope euen to their liues end in the aboue-mentioned iniquities and especially in extreame Vnction and deuised Purgatory in such sort that the ignorant and rude people perseuere in their errour by giuing them to vnderstand that they are absolued from their sinnes though they neuer depart from them of their owne free wills but hope thereby to haue forgiuenesse of their sinnes and life euerlasting And this iniquity is directly against the eleuenth and twelfth Article of our Faith CHAP. II. Of inuented Purgatory THe Purgatory which diuers Priests and Monkes seeke to aduance and teach as an Article of our Faith with many lies and fables is this They affirme that after this life and after the Ascension of Christ into heauen the soules especially of those that shall bee saued not hauing satisfied in this life for their sinnes endure sensible paines and are purged in Purgatory after this life and that after they are purged they come out of Purgatory some sooner and some later and some not vntill the Day of Iudgement which soules all the faithfull may and ought to helpe after they are departed this life by the band of charity by Prayers Fastings Almes-deeds and Masses Touching which Purgatory to satiate their auarice many haue inuented diuers vncertaine things which they haue taught and preached saying that such soules are tormented in the said Purgatory some to the necke some to the middle and they say that sometimes they sit and eate at table and make bankets especially at the Feast of all Soules when the people are offering liberally vpon their Sepulchres And they say that sometimes they gather the crummes vnder the rich mens tables By this meanes and diuers other the like dreames auarice and Simony is increased and multiplyed their Cloysters aduanced their sumptuous Temples are built and inlarged their Altars multiplyed beyond measure and infinite numbers of Monkes and Canons haue inuented diuers other things touching the deliuerance and vnbinding the said soules bringing thereby the Word of God into contempt Thus the people are strangely mocked and deceiued touching their soules as also in their substance inasmuch as they are made to put their trust in things vncertaine whilest in the meane time the faithfull hide themselues for when they refuse to preach and teach the said Purgatory as an Article of their faith they are cruelly condemned to death and Martired It is therefore fitting we should speake of this Purgatory and plainely giue the world to vnderstand what we thinke thereof First therefore we say that the soules of those that are to be saued must in the end bee purged from all their pollution according to the Ordinance of God as it appeareth in the 21. of the Reuelation There shall in no wise enter into heauen any thing that defileth neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or maketh a lye Now we know that the Scriptures haue set downe many and diuers meanes to purge those that are in this present life of all their sinnes But Saint Peter telleth vs in the 15. of the Acts 9. that faith purifieth the heart and that faith is sufficient to purge away the euill without any outward helpe as appeareth by the thiefe at the right hand of Christ who beleeuing and confessing his sinnes was made worthy of Paradise The other manner of purging the Spouse of Christ by repentance is touched in Esay Chap. 1.16 Wash yee and make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill And presently after Though your sinnes be as skarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll In which words the Lord offereth himselfe to all that doe truely repent according to the manner aboue-mentioned and they that haue beene sinfull shall be made as white as snow There is likewise mention made of another kinde of purging of sinne in the third of Saint Matthew where it is said He hath his fanne in his hand and hee will thorowly purge his floore and gather his wheate into the garner The which words Chrysostome expounds of the floore of the Church and the fire of tribulation And not onely doth the Lord purge by tribulations but he likewise purifieth his Spouse heere in this life by himselfe as Saint Paul speaketh Ephes 5.25 Christ hath loued his Church and giuen himselfe for it That hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that hee might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blemish Where the Apostle sheweth that Christ hath so loued his Church that hee would not cleanse it by any other washing but his owne Blood
and that not so as that it should not bee sufficient but in such a maner as that there should not remaine therein any vncleannesse but that it should bee a glorious Church in such sort that there should bee therein neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing but that it should bee holy and vndefiled And this testimony of washing the Spouse of Christ in his Blood is not onely currant heere vpon earth but in heauen too by those that haue obtained the actuall washing of whom it is said in the Reuelation Chap. 7. These are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lambe Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serue him day and night Thus you see how many purgings may be gathered out of the Scriptures to prooue that they that trauell in this life are heere purged of their sinnes In the third place we thinke it a great deale the surer way that euery man doe so liue in this present world that hee may haue no need afterwards of any purgation For it is a great deale better to doe good in this present life then afterwards to hope for an vncertaine helpe And it is a surer course that what good a man hopes shall be done vnto him by others after his death he doe it himselfe whilst he liueth being a more happy thing to depart a free-man then to seeke his liberty after he is bound Moreouer besides that which hath beene hitherto spoken we say that there is no place in Scripture to be found nor amongst the Doctours grounded vpon the Scriptures that doth make good vnto vs that the faithfull are any way bound by any necessity to beleeue or publikely to confesse as an Article of their faith that there is any such place as Purgatory after this life wherein after the ascension of Christ into Heauen the soules especially of those that shall be saued not hauing satisfied in this life for their sinnes endure sensible paines when they are departed of their bodies and thereby are purged of which soules some depart out of Purgatory sooner some later then others and some a little before others at the day of Iudgement And first as touching the Scriptures no man can prooue it by them For it is manifest that if a man shall reade the whole Law he shall neuer finde therein any one place of Scripture that bindeth a Christian necessarily to beleeue as an Article of his faith that there is after this life any place called Purgatory as some doe affirme And there is no place in the whole Volume of the Booke of God which doth so much as name it neither was there euer any soule found that hath entred the same Purgatory and came out againe There is no man bound therefore to beleeue it or to hold it to be an Article of our faith For confirmation heereof Saint Augustine in his Booke intituled A thousand words writes thus We beleeue according to the Catholike faith and diuine authority that the Kingdome of heauen is the first place wherein Baptisme is receiued The second is that wherein such as are excommunicates and strangers to the Faith of Christ endure euerlasting torments As for a third place we are altogether ignorant of any neither doe wee finde it in the Scriptures The same Saint Augustine in the same place vpon these words They shall not inherite the kingdome of God writeth thus O my brethren let no man deceiue himselfe for there are onely two places and a third is not to be found For hee that deserueth not to reigne with Christ shall without all doubt perish with the deuill And to this purpose Saint Chrysostome writing vpon those words in the 12. by Saint Matthew The Kingdome of heauen is like vnto a man that is an housholder saith thus The man that is the father of the family is Christ vnto whom heauen and earth are as a house but his families are celestiall and terrestriall for whom he buildeth a house with three Chambers that is hell heauen and earth The Combatants are they that dwell vpon the earth the vanquished in hell and the Conquerours in heauen Let vs saith hee that are in the middle roome take heed wee descend not to those that are in hell but rather mount vpward to those that are in heauen By these authorities you may plainely see that there are onely two certaine places after the ascension of Christ into heauen into which the soules departed out of their bodies doe goe and that there is no third place neither can it be found in the Scriptures And therefore forasmuch as in the whole Law of God there is no expresse mention of any such place as Purgatory is and the Apostles haue giuen vs no instructions touching the same and the Primatiue Church gouerned by the Apostles according to the Gospell haue left vs no Ordinances or Commandements but that Pope Pelagius fiue hundred fiftie eight yeeres after Christ did ordayne as wee may reade that the dead should bee remembred in the Masse it followeth that since there is no expresse proofe thereof in the Law of God there is no necessity to beleeue the sayd Purgatory as an Article of our faith or that there is any such place after this life But heere is matter of doubt because men in these dayes are strangely affected to the helpe and ayde of the dead notwithstanding that in all the Scripture there be nothing expresly taught except in the Booke of Macchabees which is no part of the Old Testament nor Canonicall And that neither Christ nor the Prophets nor the Apostles nor the Saints neere their time haue euer taught to pray for the dead but haue rather carefully taught that the people that liue vnblameably shall bee Saints And therefore answering to the doubt aboue-mentioned wee say that the principall cause of this doting affection proceedeth from the deceit and trumperies and auarice of the Priests who haue not taught the people as the Prophets of Christ nor as his Apostles to liue well but to offer much and to place their hope of deliuerance and happinesse in Purgatory CHAP. III. Of the Inuocation of Saints WEe are now to speake of prayer vnto Saints which certaine great Masters with their followers preach vnto the people extolling and publishing it with great diligence as an Article of their Faith affirming that the Saints that are in their celestiall Countrey are to be prayed vnto by vs in the selfe same manner as the Priests were accustomed to doe and other of the people by their instruction enioyning them many other things as helpes to their Inuocation By which Inuocation authorization and magnification the people carnally erroneously beleeue it Imagining that as it is the manner and practice before earthly Kings when they are angry that such as are not in choller should intercede for them and pacifie their anger so the people thinke it is so with God
be made by him that is more mercifull then all others for hee knowes for whom there is reason he should pray for hee hath shed his bloud for them which hee will neuer forget hauing grauen them in the palmes of his hands Fourthly in the primitiue Church their prayers for spirituall aide were made onely to Christ as a Mediator Fiftly then did the Church profit and encrease a great deale more then now it doth in these times wherein men haue found many intercessions which are as so many clouds without water darkening Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse who is the true Intercessor For many expecting spirituall comforts are forsaken in their vaine hopes For though so it be that God is iust and we vniust and insufficient of our selues yet it is he that pardoneth our sinnes both passed and present For hee gaue himselfe for our redemption that is to say he hath been the Sacrifice by which our pardon hath been obtained God hath sent his Sonne to the end he might pardon our sinnes hee is the remedy against sinne to the end we should not fall into despaire We must haue recourse to Christ our Aduocate who continually defendeth our cause beseeching his Father for vs whom wee haue not onely for an Aduocate but for a Iudge too For the Father hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne and consequently all penitent sinners haue great reason to hope that hee that is our Iudge is our Aduocate This faith is grounded vpon Christ as vpon a strong Rocke vpon which all the Saints of God haue rested themselues vntill the man of sinne had power to bring in new intercessions of Saints which faith all the Saints haue professed liuing here and vnto this day doe confesse that they are not saued by oblations or the intercession of any other God but by him they haue obtained Heauen of whom it is said in the Reuelation Chap. 5.9 Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euery kindred and tongue and people and Nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests You see how their humility and thankfulnesse doth still resound vpon the Earth when they acknowledge that they are entred into that place wherein they are by his bloud and confesse that they haue receiued all their good by him and whatsoeuer they enioy so long as they remaine in this life that they receiue no good thing but by their good Mediator and Intercessor Christ Iesus CHAP. IIII. Of Baptisme and the other Sacraments of the Romish Church THe things that are not necessary in the administration of Baptisme are the Exorcismes breathings the signe of the Crosse vpon the forehead and breast of the infant the salt put into his mouth spittle into his eares and noftrills the anoynting of the breast the Monkes Cowle the vnction of the Crysome vpon the crowne of his head and all other things consecrated by the Bishop as the putting the Waxe candle into his hands the cloathing him with a white garment the blessing of the water and so foorth All these things vsed in the administration of this Sacrament are not necessary they neither being of the substance nor required in the Sacrament of Baptisme from which things many take occasion of errour and superstition rather then edification to saluation and according to the opinion of some Doctours there is neither power nor profit in them Of the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. THe eating of the Sacramentall Bread is the eating of the Body of Christ in a figure Christ himselfe hauing said As oft as yee shall doe this doe it in remembrance of mee for if this were not to eate in a figure Christ should be bound to bee eaten continually for this spirituall eating is almost alwayes necessary as Saint Augustine speaketh Hee eateth Christ in truth that beleeueth in him And Christ saith that the eating is to dwell in him In the celebration of this Sacrament these things are profitable Prayer Loue the Preaching of the Word in the vulgar tongue and other things whatsoeuer they bee that are ordained to this purpose according to the Euangelicall Law to the end that loue and charity may grow and increase amongst the people But other things besides the consecration of the Eucharist as those that the Priests vse in the Masse or that the Clerke sings to the Queere from the beginning to the end and the ornaments which the Priests vse at this present in the Church of Rome they belong of necessity to the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. Of Marriage and Orders PRayer and fasting are profitable when there is any question of the celebration of Matrimony and the instructions and aduertisements touching the same But the imposition of hands and those Ligatures made with the Stole and other things that are commonly obserued therein by humane custome without the expresse Word of God are not of the substance nor necessarily required in marriage As for Orders we are to vnderstand by them that power which is giuen of God vnto man duely to administer to the Church the Word and Sacraments But we haue nothing in the Scriptures that makes good any such Orders but onely the custome of the Church And the letters testimoniall the anoynting of the hands the donation of the seniture and violl into his hands and other things commonly obserued heerein without the expresse Word are not of the substance thereof nor necessarily required in the taking of Orders Of the Crysome or Confirmation VVEe are now to speake of the Crysome which at this present is called a Sacrament hauing no ground for it in the Scriptures First that it should be consecrated by a Bishop and made with Oyle of Oliues and Balsome applyed to the forehead of the man baptized in the figure of the Crosse and with these words I signe thee with the signe of the Crosse and confirme thee by the signe of saluation In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which is done with imposition of hands and with white vestments bound to the head This is that which they call the Sacrament of Confirmation which was neuer ordained by Christ or his Apostles For Christ the patterne and president of the whole Church was not confirmed in his owne person neither did he require at his Baptisme a Crysome but the water onely And therefore this Sacrament cannot be necessary to saluation whereby a man blasphemeth the Name of God and is brought in by the motion of the deuill to the end the people might bee deceiued and depriued of the faith of the Church and that he might the rather put his trust and confidence in these solemnities Of extreame Vnction THe seuenth Sacrament of the Romish Church is the extreame Vnction of the sicke which they goe about to prooue by that saying of Saint Iames. But we finde not that it hath beene ordained by Christ or his Apostles For if this corporall Vnction were a Sacrament as they would haue men beleeue Christ or his Apostles would not haue beene silent in the manifestation of the execution thereof which being well considered we should not dare to hold and confesse as an Article of our faith that this Sacrament was instituted by Christ and his Apostles Of Fasts THere is a two-fold Fast Spirituall and Corporall The Spirituall is to abstaine from sinne The Corporall from meates and drinkes But a Christian hath liberty to eate at all times and to fast euery day prouided that he fast not superstitiously as a vertue of continency Note also that there are certaine Fasts which are not to bee obserued or commended by the faithfull but rather to bee abhorred as the Fasts of the Scribes and Pharises which are ordained by Antichrist and smell of Idolatry The Fasts of Heretikes and superstitious persons which are obserued by Enchanters Sorcerers Negromancers and the Fasts dedicated to creatures not to the Creator which are not grounded vpon the Law of God Disorderly Fasts obserued with delicate viands of highest price as fish figges raysons almonds which the poore are depriued of and the rich glut themselues with whereby the almes is withdrawne from the poore whereas if they did fast so as afterwards to feed vpon common diet of lower price they might the better prouide for their families and the poore Moreouer Fasts consist not in the abstayning from corporall viands as if they were vncleane for all things are cleane to those that are cleane and we are to refuse nothing that is taken with thankesgiuing for that is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer 1. Tim. 4.4 All these Fasts aboue-mentioned are reiected and detested by the faithfull and for the not obseruation of these no man is to bee blamed FINIS