that it is not only not possible to defray the charge of their nourishment but to prouide lyme and stone to build prisons for them we therefore counsell you say they that you defer a little such imprisonments vntill the Pope may bee aduertised of the great numbers that haue been apprehended and that he doe aduise what pleaseth him to bee done if not there is no reason you should take offence for those that are impenitent and incorigible Vous tuissies or that you should doubt of their relaps or that they should escape away or hauing their liberty should infect others because you may condemne such persons without delay There needs no other proofe then this of the aforesaid Prelats to make it appeare that the number of those whom the Inquisition had deliuered vnto death was very great For touching the question moued by the said Inquisitors whether they that haue frequented the company of the Waldenses and haue receiued the Supper of the Lord with them are to be excused because they say they offended out of ignorance not knowing that they were Waldenses The the answer of the said Prelats was that they were not to be excused Because say they who is so great a stranger as not to know that the Waldenses haue been punished and condemned for these many yeers since and who knoweth not that for a long time they haue been pursued and persecuted at the charge and trauell of Catholikes this pursuit being sealed by so many persons condemned to death if it cannot be called into doubt And yet neuertheles the speech of the said Prelats being conferred with that which George Morell in the yeer a thousand fiue hundred and thirty hath written it would be none of the least wonders that God hath wrought that notwithstanding the bloody persecutions after Waldo his time in the yeere a thousand one hundred sixty George Morel in his memorials pa. 54. there were according to the report of Morel aboue eight hundred thousand persons that made profession of the faith of the said Waldenses As touching the subtleties of the said Inquisitors we should not haue had any knowledge thereof but from such as haue escaped from the Inquisition of Spaine but that it was the will of God that their cunning trickes should not bee so closely hid but that wee had examples thereof euen from themselues Behold then the crafty subtleties of the Inquisitors which serued them for a rule in the framing of their proces against the Waldenses It is not expedient to dispute of matter of faith before lay-people No man shall be held for a penitent man if he accuse not those that he knowes to be such as himselfe He that accuseth not those that are like vnto himself shall be cut off from the Church as a rotten member for feare lest the members that are sound should be corrupted by him After that any one hath been deliuered to the secular power great care must bee taken that hee bee not suffered to excuse himselfe or to manifest his innocencie before the people because if be he deliuered to death it is a scandall to the lay-people and if hee make an escape there is danger of his loyalty Good heed must bee taken not to promise life vnto him that is condemned to death before the people considering that an Heretike will neuer suffer himselfe to bee burnt if hee may escape by such promises And if he shall promise to repent before the people if he haue not his life granted vnto him there will arise ascandall amongst them and it will be thought that he is wrongfully put to death Note say they that the Inquisitor ought alwaies to presuppose the fact without any condition and is onely to enquire of the circumstances of the fact as thus how often hast thou confessed thy selfe vnto Heretickes In what chamber of the house haue they layen and the like things The Inquisitor may looke into any booke as if he found there written the life of him that is accused and of all that he enquires of It is necessary to threaten death to the accused if he confesse not and to tell him the fact is too manifest that it is fit he should thinke of his soule and renounce his Heresie for he must die and therefore it shall bee good for him to take patiently whatsoeuer shall light vpon him And if he shall answer since I must die I had rather die in that faith I professe then in that of the Romish Church then conclude for certaine that before he made but a shew of repentance and so let him suffer iustice Wee must not thinke to vanquish Heretickes by learning or by the scriptures inasmuch as men that are learned are rather confounded by them whereby it comes to passe that the Heretickes fortifie themselues seeing they are able to delude the most learned Againe great heed must bee taken that the Heretikes neuer answer directy and when they are pressed by frequent interrogations they haue a custome to alledge for themselues that they are simple and foolish people and therefore know not how to answere And if they shall once see the assistants to bee moued with compassion towares them as if they should doe them wrong thinking them to be simple people and therefore not culpable then they gather heart and make a show of shedding teares like poore miserable creatures and flattering their iudges they endeauour to free themselues from the Inquisition saying Sir If I haue been faulty in any thing I will willingly doe penance but yet giue me your aide and assistance to deliuer me from this infamy into which I am fallen by the malice of others not mine owne fault But then the couragious Inquisitor must not yeeld for all these flatteries nor giue any beliefe to those dissimulations Moreouer the Inquisitor must tell them that they shall gaine nothing by swearing falsly because they haue enough to conuince them by witnesses and therefore they must not thinke that by meanes of their oath they shall auoide the sentence of death but they must promise them say they that if they will freely confesse their error they shall haue mercy for in such perplexities there are many that confesse their error in hope to escape Thus you see the subtilties of the Monkes the Inquisirors such as they practised in times past against the Waldenses throughout all Europe It remaines that we now see what their practise hath been in euery particular Realme and Prouince so far forth as is come to our knowledge And first we will begin with Dauphine because it is the Prouince into which Waldo and his followers retired themselues at their departure from Lion CHAP. III. Of the Waldensian Churches in Dauphine and the persecutions which they haue suffered which are come to our knowledge THe Waldensian Churches in Dauphine haue been for these many hundred yeeres spread abroad throughout diuers parts of the Prouince For they haue had Churches in Valentia
proceed nothing but what is good from him that is the Fountaine of all goodnesse and that he that is Almighty is our mercifull Father more carefull of vs then euer Father or Mother hath beene of their Children telling them that though a Mother may forget her Childe and the Nurse him to whom shee hath giuen sucke and which shee hath boren in her wombe yet notwithstanding our heauenly Father will not forget vs doing all things for our benefit and sending all things for our greater good and if it were more expedient for vs to enioy our health wee should haue it And therefore wee are to submit our wils to his will and our liues to his conduct and direction and assuredly beleeue that he loueth vs and out of his loue he chastiseth vs. Neither must wee respect the griefe or pouerty we endure nor thinke that God hateth vs and casteth vs off but rather we must thinke that we are the more in his grace and fauour nothing regarding those that flourish in this World and haue here their consolation but looking vpon Christ Iesus more beloued of his Father then any other who is the true Sonne of God and yet hath beene more afflicted then we all and more tormented then any other For not onely that bitter passion that he suffered was very hard and grieuous vnto him but much more in regard that in the middest of his torments euery one cryed out against him like angry dogs belching out against him many villanous speeches doing against him the worst they could in such sort that hee was constrained to cry out in his torments My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And finding the houre of his passion to draw neere he grew heauy vnto the death and prayed vnto his Father that that Cup might passe from him insomuch that he did sweat water and bloud because of that great beauinesse and anguish of heart which he should endure in this cruell death And therefore the sicke man must consider with himselfe that he is not so ill handled nor so grieuously tormented as his Sauiour was when he suffered for vs for which he is to yeeld thankes vnto God that it hath pleased him to deliuer vs and to giue this good Sauiour vnto the death for vs begging mercy and fauour at his hands in the name of Iesus And it is necessary that we haue with all this perfect confidence and assurance that our Father will forgiue vs for his goodnesse sake For hee is full of mercy slow to anger and ready to forgiue And therefore the sicke party must recommend and commit himselfe wholy vnto the mercy of his Lord to doe with him as shall seeme good in his eyes and to dispose both of his body and soule according to his good will and pleasure Also it shall be necessary to admonish the sicke person to doe vnto his Neighbour as hee would haue his Neighbour doe vnto him not wronging any man and to take such order with all that are his that hee may leaue them in peace that there may not be any suites or contentions amongst them after his death He must also bee exhorted to hope for saluation in Iesus Christ and not in any other or by any other thing acknowledging himselfe a miserable sinner to the end hee may aske pardon of God finding himselfe to be in such a manner culpable that he deserueth of himselfe eternall death And if the sicke party shall be stricken with a feare of the iudgement of God and his anger against sinne and sinners he must put him in minde of those comfortable promises which our Sauiour hath made vnto all those that come vnto him and from the bottome of their heart call vpon him and how God the Father hath promised pardon whensoeuer wee shall aske it in the name of his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus These are the things wherein the true Preacher of the Word ought faithfully to employ himselfe to conduct the party visited to his Sauiour And when he is departed this life he must giue heart and courage to the suruiuers by godly exhortations to the end they may be comforted to praise God and to conforme themselues to his holy will and whereas in former times it hath beene the manner to cause the poore and desolate widow to spend much siluer hauing lost her Husband vpon singers and ringers and eaters and drinkers whilest shee sits weeping and fasting wronging hereby her fatherlesse Children to the end that losse be not added to losse it is our duty taking pitty on them to aide them with our councell and with our goods according to that ability that God hath bestowed on vs taking care that the Children be well instructed to the end that liuing like Christians according to the will of God they may labour to get their liuing as God hath ordained and commanded CHAP. IX The Conclusion of this Booke BY that which is contained in this Booke and what hath beene faithfully gathered out of the Bookes the Waldenses haue left vnto vs it appeareth that the Doctrine which they maintaine in these dayes that make profession of reformation hath beene maintained by them many ages before they that are enemies thereunto would take notice of it there being nothing in all that is deliuered that doth either repugne the Word of God or is not altogether conformeable to that which is taught in the reformed Churches For the Waldenses and Albingenses haue knowne the necessity of instructing their children by making vse of such familiar Catechismes as haue beene practised in the Primatiue-Church They haue confessed their sinnes to one onely God with termes of true humility proofes of great zeale and a holy confidence in the mercy of God by his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus They haue acknowledged the Law of God for the onely rule of their obedience and confessing themselues to bee farre distant from that perfection which ought to bee in vs to appeare vnblameable before the face of God from their impersection they haue taken occasion to haue recourse to the only righteousnesse of the Sonne of God our Redeemer the Law being as a Looking-glasse to make them know their staines and blemishes and to send them to Christ Iesus the true lauor or washing poole They haue called vpon God in their necessities by and through one onely Iesus Christ our Sauiour They haue receiued the Sacraments with faith and repentance and without alteration They haue entred the state of Matrimony as ordained by God holy and honourable and finally they haue not beene ignorant with what charity they were to comfort and to visite and to exhort their sicke and such as are in any aduersity And what hath there beene in all these that for these they should be condemned to death as Heretikes especially seeing that with the goodnesse and puritie of their Doctrine they haue liued religiously vnder a holy Discipline which the Booke following will make good vnto vs. Luke
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
his supreme dignitie power cursed Valdo and his adherents and commanded the Archbishop to proceed against them by Ecclesiasticall censures euen to the vtter extirpation of them Claud. Rubis saith Claud. Rubis in his hist pa. 269. that Valdo and his followers were wholly chased out of Lions and Albert de Capitaneis saith that they could not be wholly driuen out Other things we could not learne of this first persecution but onely that they that escaped out of Lions Albert de Capit. in his booke of the originall of the Vaudois who of Valdo were called Waldenses followed him and afterwards did spread themselues into diuerse companies and places CHAP. II. That the dispersion of Valdo and his followers was the meanes that God vsed to spread the doctrine of Valdo almost throughout all Europe ALbert de Capitaneis saith that Valdo retired himselfe into Dauphiney at his departure from Lions and Claud. de Rubis affirmeth that he conuersed in the mountaines of the said Prouince with certaine rude persons yet capable to receiue the impressions of his beleefe And true it is that the Churches of the Waldenses which haue continued very long and whereof there are yet a greater number then in any other place of Europe are they of Dauphiney and the bordering race or linage of them that is to say those of Piemount and Prouence Vignier saith that he retyred into Picardie Vignier in the 3. part of his historicall Bibliothe que pa. 130. where in a short time he did so much good that there were diuerse persons that did adhere vnto his doctrine for which shortly after they suffered great persecutions Dubranius in his historie of Bohemia Booke 14. For as Dubranius saith sometime after King Philip Augustus enforced by the Ecclesiasticall persons tooke armes against the Waldenses of Picardie razed and ouerthrew three hundred houses of gentlemen that followed their part and destroyed certaine walled Townes pursuing them into Flanders whither they were fled and caused a number of them to be burnt This persecution enforced many to flie into Germany where shortly after they were grieuously persecuted namely See the Sea of Histories in the countrie of Alsatia and along the Rhine by the Bishops of Mayence and of Strasburge who caused to be burnt in the towne of Bnigne thirtie fiue Burgesses of Mayence in one fire and at Mayence eighteene who with great constancie suffered death And at Strasburge fourescore were burnt at the instance of the Bishop of the place These persecutions multiplied in such sort by the edification that they receiued who saw them dye praysing God and assuring themselues of his mercy that notwithstanding the continuall persecutions there were in the County of Passau and about Bohemia in the yeare one thousand three hundred and fifteene to the number of fourescore thousand persons that made profession of the same faith Math. Paris in his historie of the life of king Hen. 3. in the yeare 1223. They had likewise goodly Churches in Bulgaria Croatia Dalmatia and Hungarie as Math. Paris reports instructed and gouerned by one Barthelmew borne at Carcassonne The Albegeois on the other side professing the same faith haue filled many countries vntill in the end they were almost wholly extirpated as shall appeare in their particular historie CHAP. III. By what names the Waldenses haue bene called by their aduersaries and with what faults and offences they haue bene charged THe Monks Inquisitors and mortall enemies to the Waldenses not being content to deliuer them euery day to the secular power they haue besides layed vpon them many opprobrious imputations affirming them to be the authors of all the heresies in the world which they endeuoured to purge imputing all those monstrous abuses that they had forged onely to the Waldenses as if they onely had bene the receptacle of all errours First therefore they called them of Valdo a citizen of Lions Waldenses of the countrie of Albi Albigeois Vaudois Albigeois And because such as did adhere to the doctrine of Valdo departed from Lions spoiled of all humane meanes and the most part hauing left their goods behind them in derision they called them the beggers of Lions In Dauphiney they were called in mockerie Chaignards Chaignards And because some part of them passed the Alpes Tramontaines they were called Tramontaines And from one of the disciples of Valdo called Ioseph who preached in Dauphiney in the diocesse of Dye Iosephists they were called Iosephists In England they were called Lollards Lollards of the name of one Lollard who taught there Of two priests who taught the doctrine of Valdo in Languedoc called Henry and Esperon they were called Henriciens Henriciens Esperonistes and Esperonistes Of one of their pastors who preached in Albegeois named Arnold Hot Arnoldistes Siccars they were called Arnoldists In Prouence they were called Siccars a word of Pedlers french which signifieth Cutpurse In Italie they were called Fraticelli Fraticelli as much to say as Shifters because they liued in true loue and concord together And because they obserued no other day of rest but the Sabbath dayes Insabathas they called them Insabathas as much to say as they obserued no Sabbath And because they were alwayes exposed to continuall sufferings Patareniens or Paturins from the Latin word Pati which signifieth to suffer they called them Patareniens And forasmuch as like poore passengers they wandred from one place to another Passagenes they were called Passagenes In Germany they were called Gazares Gazares as much to say as execrable and egregiously wicked In Flanders they were called Turlupins Turlupins that is to say dwellers with wolues because by reason of their persecutions they were constrained many times to dwell in woods and desarts Sometimes they were called by the names of those countries and regions where they dwelt Toulousains Lombards Piccards Lionistes Bohemiens as of Albi Albigeois of Toulouze Toulousains of Lombardie Lombards of Piccardie Piccards of Lion Lionists of Bohemia Bohemiens Sometimes to make them more odious they made them cōfederates with ancient heretickes but yet vnder more then ridiculous pretexes For because they made profession of puritie in their liues and of faith they called them Cathares Cathares And because they denied the bread which the priest shewed in the Masse to be God they called them Arriens Arriens as denying the diuinitie of the eternall Sonne of God And because they maintained that the authoritie of Emperours and Kings depends not vpon the authoritie of the Pope Manicheens Gnostiques Cataphrigiens Adamites Apostoliques they called them Manichcens as appointing two Princes And for other causes which they fained they called them Gnostiques Cataphrigiens Adamites and Apostoliques Sometimes they spitefully abused them Matthew Paris cals them Ribalds Ribalds Buggerers Sorcerers The compiler of the Treasure of histories calles thrm Buggerers Rubis saith that when a man
suffice to shew that they were very far from this diabolicall affection to debase themselues by incests The sinne of luxury is very pleasing to the diuell Their booke of the remedie against the sinne of luxury Chap 21. displeasing vnto God and iniurious against our neighbours because therein a man obeyeth the basest part of his bodie rather then God who hath preserued it A foolish woman doth not onely take from a man his good but himselfe too He that is giuen to this vice keepes faith to no man and therefore Dauid caused his faithfull seruant to be slaine that he might enioy his wife Amon defiled his sister Tamar This vice cōsumes the heritage of many as it is said of the prodigall child that he wasted his goods liuing luxuriously Balaam made choise of this sinne to prouoke the children of Israel to sinne by occasion whereof there died twenty foure thousand persons This sinne was the cause of the blindnesse of Sampson it peruerted Salomon and many haue perished by the beautie of a woman Prayer and fasting and distance of place are the remedies against this sinne For a man may ouercome other vices by combating with them but in this a man is neuer victorious but by flying from it and not approching neare vnto it where of we haue an example in Ioseph It is therefore our duties to pray daily to the Lord that he will keepe vs farre from the sinne of luxury and giue vs vnderstanding and chastitie Against the second imposture See their book of Vertues in the Chapter of marriage that they maintaine that a man may put away his wife when it pleaseth him they say that marriage is a knot that cannot be vntyed but by death except it be for fornication as our Sauiour Christ saith And Saint Paul 1. Corinth 7. saith That the wife is not to depart from her husband nor the husband from his wife To the third calumnie See the booke of the Waldenses intituled of vertues in the Chapter of mariage touching the communitie of goods and wiues they say concerning marriage that it was ordained by God long since in the terrestriall Paradise and that it is a good remedie against whoredome And that Saint Paul speaking thereof saith Let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband As also that the husband ought to loue his wife as Christ loued his Church and that the married couple ought to liue together in holinesse with their children bringing them vp in the feare of God As touching goods euery man hath possessed his owne proper substance at all times and in all places In Dauphiney It appeareth by the proces that we haue in our hands by which it appeares that Lewes the 12. of that name condemned the vsurpers of the goods of the Waldenses to a restitution It appeares by the treatises of Meneobe and other instances made by the Waldenses of Prouence when the Archbishops of Ambrun Iohn and Rostain had spoiled them of their goods when the Lord of Argentiere and Montainar and Arreas of Bonne had dispossessed the Waldenses that dwelt in the valley of Fraissimere and of Argentiere of their goods and possessions the restitution of euery mans inheritance was prosecuted by the particular persons from whom they had taken them The Waldenses of Prouence do demand at this present of the Pope the goods and lands which haue bene annexed to their demaine and taken from them by confiscation euery particular person making faith for euery part and parcell of goods and lands which had descended vpon them from their ancestors the Waldenses time out of mind they neuer hauing had any such communitie amongst them that might any way derogate from that lawfull proprietie which euery one had to his owne lands The fourth calumnie was touching Baptisme which In the booke of the Waldenses intituled the Spiritual Almanacke fol. 45. it is said they denied to little infants but from this imputation they quit themselues as followeth The time and place of those that are to be baptized is not ordained but the charitie and edification of the Church and congregation must serue for a rule therein c. And therefore they to whom the children were nearest allied brought their infants to be baptized as their parents or any other whom God had made charitable in that kind True it is that being constrained for some certaine hundred yeares to suffer their children to be baptized by the Priests of the Church of Rome they deferred the doing thereof as long as they could possibly because they had in detestation those humane inuentions which were added to that holy Sacrament which they held to be but pollutions therof And forasmuch as their Pastors which they called Barbes were many times abroad imployed in the seruice of their Churches they could not haue the Sacrament of Baptisme administred to their infants by their owne Ministers for this cause they kept them long from Baptisme which the Priests perceiuing and taking notice of charged them thereupon with this imposture which not onely their aduersaries haue beleeued but diuerse others who haue well approued of their life and faith in all other points The fifth calumnie was that they adored their Pastors prostrating themselues before them To iustifie the Waldenses from this imposture there needs no more but that the Reader will be pleased to take the paines to reade that which they haue written touching the adoration of one onely God in the exposition that they made in the booke of their doctrine vpon the first Comman dement of the Law of God There you shall find that they haue giuen much honour euen to their Pastors as vnto those that keepe the word of Reconciliation entertaining them charitably accompting themselues obliged thereunto for conscience sake but that they euer had any intention to giue that worship to the creature that is onely due vnto the Creator can neuer be made good but by way of calumnie It appeareth by the processe formed by the said Albert against the Waldenses of the Alpes Howsoeuer Albert de Capitaneis their deadly enemie in the Diocesse of Turin would haue extorted from them that they adored their Pastors which he could neuer enforce them to confesse The sixt calumnie was that they maintained that it was not lawfull to sweare at all They say and affirme In their booke intituled the Spirituall Almanacke in the exposition of the third commandement that there are lawfull oathes tending to the honour of God and the edification of our neighbours alledging that place in the 6. Heb. 16. That men sweare by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife As also they alledge that it was enioyned the people of Israel to sweare by the name of the eternall God Deut. 6.13 and the examples of those oathes that past betweene Abimelec and Isaac Gen. 26.31 and the oath of Iacob Gen. 31.53 The seuenth calumnie was to make
giue the President satisfaction who still pressed vpon them to change their religion but in vaine For they answered him that they were not bound to such commands against the commandement of God Hee commanded that twelue of the pricipalln amongst them with all the Ministers and Schoole-masters should presently yeeld their bodies to the prisons of Turin there to receiue such sentence as reason shall require and hee enioyned the Sindics of the said Valleys to dismisse and suffer to depart presently all strangers and from thence forward not to receiue any Preachers or Schoole-masters but such as shall be sent them by the Diocesan They answered that they could not nor would not obey any such commands as were against God and that they would not make their appearance at Turin because they could not doe it without danger of their liues and to be molested for their beleefe This Parliament of Turin was in such sort incensed against them that as many as they could cause to be apprehended in Piedmont and the frontiers of the Valleies so many they burnt at Turin among others M. Ieffrey Varnigle Minister at Angrongne was burnt in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fifty seuen by whose death at Turin in the place of the Castle the people were much strengthned and edified there being present a great number that saw him to persist in the inuocaton of the name of God vnto his last gaspe During these grieuous persecutions the Protestant Princes of Germany did intercede for them beseeching King Henry the second to suffer them to liue in peace in the profession of that Religion wherein they had liued from the father to the sonne for some ages past The King promised to haue regard to this their request and indeed they continued quiet vntill the peace was made betweene the King of France and of Spaine and that the Duke of Sauoy was restored to his estates that is to say in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fifty nine The yeere after the said restitution of the Country the Popes Nuntio reproued the Duke of Sauoy for that he followed not the steps of the Kings of France in his zeale who affecting the Catholike Romish religion had with all his power persecuted the Waldenses and Lutherans of the Valleys of Angrongne and other their bordering neighbours and that if he did not ioyne his forces in what possibly hee could to bring them into the bosome of the Church or to take them out of world that his Holinesse should haue great reason to suspect him to bee a fauourer of them The Prince of Piedmont promised to vse all the meanes he could for their reduction or vtter subuersion in pursuit whereof hee commanded them to goe to the Masse vpon paine of their liues and to see their Valleys laid open to fire and sword To which command they not yeelding obedience he set vpon them by open force and gaue the charge of this warre to a gentleman named le sieur de la Trinite And in the meane while at the selfesame time he caused them to be pursued by the Monkes the Inquisitors Iaconiel and de Corbis But forasmuch as the History of this warre This war is printed in a treatise by it selfe And it is likewise set downe in the 8. booke of the history the Martyrs of our times fol. 532. is brought to light elswhere we will not enter into any large discourse thereof onely we may here obserue that after la Trinite had been well beaten with his troopes seeing that the Lions pawe could stand him in no steed he couered himselfe with the Foxes skin telling them that what had passed had befallen them for want of parley and communication rather then for any ill will that his Highnesse bare vnto them and that if his souldiers had exceeded their bounds it was because of that resistance which they found and that hereafter hee would bee an instrument for their conseruation and as desirous to procure their peace as at the beginning he shewed himselfe earnest to procure their trouble And therefore he counselled them to send certaine of the principall amongst them to his Highnesse by whom he would send his commendatory letters both to the Prince and Madame Margarit Duchesse of Sauoy and only sister to Heury King of France and that he did assure himselfe that his Highnesse would blot out the remembrance of all that was past But yet he thought it necessary that aboue all things they should giue some testimony of obedience to their Prince who in other places was enforced by the Pope to establish the Masse in all his territories and therefore they should permit that the Masse might be song in Angrangne which was but a thing indifferent vnto them since he did not require their presence at it but onely that hee might write vnto his Highnesse that they were his good and obedient Subiects And moreouer to the end that his Highnesse might not still persist in his opinion that any strange minister did make his abode within his Prouinces that it was in their power to intreat them to retire themselues vnto Pragela for some few daies and that afterwards when his Highnesse should be pacified towards them they might call them home againe It cost him a great deale of labour to gaine thus much of them for if we intreat our Pastors to retire themselues say they it will be a counsell of the flesh and God will not blesse it for our enemies when they shall haue gotten this aduantage of vs and that we haue no man left to comfort vs to counsell vs to reproue to exhort vs they will endeauour no doubt to the vtmost of their power euer to shut the gates against the returne of our good Pastors by wose ministry we haue been so worthily instructed and fortified against a world of temptations And therefore to the end we may not be accused as Rebels for recalling them home againe it shall bee better for vs not to depriue our selues at all of the fruit of their ministry and from hence forward to be reputed for such in seruing of God as preserue those whom he hath sent to preach his word vnto vs. He is as powerfull to preserue vs as he hath been heretofore in times past and vngratefull wretches wee are to doubt of his assistance and not to thinke that we so iniserable a flocke the dogges being chased away shall not bee deuoured by the wolues Those and diuers the like were the speeches and motions of those that were most cleere sighted and more zealous then the rest but yet this could not hinder others from intreating their Pastors to retire themselues for some few daies to Pragela a Valley neer vnto theirs peopled with their brethren the Waldenses of Dauphine Here a man might perceiue the heauy iustice of God pon them and the beginning of misery euery one to melt into teares the rockes resounding and calamities with cryes and lamentations when euen women and
and being retired to Cossence where the Sindic of Saint Xist appeared before them they wished him speedily to withdraw himselfe for feare lest the Viceroy should know of his being there and so apprehend him This brought those of la Garde a sleepe who being cited by a publike proclamation to appeare before the said Inquisitors at Cossence or before the Viceroy at Folcade they were easily perswaded to beleeue the promises and faire speeches of the said Inquisitors For being arriued at Folcade there were seuenty of them apprehended and being bound were brought to Montaud before the Inquisitor Panza who put them all to the racke Amongst others he tormented one Steuen Charlin with such violence that his bowels brake out of his belly and all to extort from him this confession and imposture that is that they sometimes assembled themselues by night to commit whoredomes and damnable incestes the candles being put out But notwithstanding his extreame torture they could neuer get from him the confession of so great a wickednesse There was another called Verminel who with the extreame paine he endured vpon the racke promised to goe to Masse The Inquisitor thinking that since the torment of the racke had enforced him to forsake his Religion that redoubling the violence thereof he might draw from this feeble and tired person the confession of the former imposture And so caused him to be tormented in such a manner that many times he left him eight houres together vpon the racke but yet could neuer get from his mouth so horrible a calumnie Another named Marcon being stript starke naked was beaten with rods of iron afterwards drawen through the streets and burnt with fire-brands One of his sonnes was killed with kniues the other was brought to a high tower where there was offered vnto him a Crucifix with promise that if he would kisse it his life should be saued He answered that hee would rather die then commit idolatry and though he were cast headlong from that tower as he was threatned yet he had rather his body should be broken to peeces here on earth then by denying Christ and his truth his soule should be cast into hell The Inquisitor being much enraged with this answere commanded him to be cast from the tower to the end saith he we may see whether his God will protect him Bernard Conte was condemned to be burnt aliue and as he was led to the fire he cast to the earth a certaine Crucifix which the Executioner had fastened to his hands The Inquisitor hereupon commanded him to be sent backe to prison to the end his paine might be aggrauated and so sent him to Cossence where he caused him to be couered with pitch and so burnt Besides this Inquisitor Panza cut the throats of fourescore as a butcher doth his muttons afterwards he caused them to be diuided into foure quarters and commanded that the high waies from Montald to Chasteau Vilar should be set with stakes for the space of thirty miles and caused a quarter to be fastened to euery stake and in a place called Moran he caused to be hanged and strangled foure of the principall men of la Garde that is to say Iames Ferner Anthony Palomb Peter Iacio and Iohn Morglia who died very constantly A certaine yong man named Samson defended himself a long time against those that would haue apprehended him but in the end being wounded he was taken and led to a high tower where he was willed to confesse himselfe to a Priest that was there present before he should be cast from the tower which he refused to doe saying that he had confessed himselfe to God So the Inquisitor commanded him to be cast ouer The next day the Viceroy passing below by the tower he found this poore man languishing hauing his bones broken and imploring the mercy of God to whom he gaue a kicke on the head with his foote saying Is this dogge yet aliue cast him out to the hogges Threescore women of Saint Xist were brought to the racke and vsed with such violence that the cordes pierced into their armes and legges in such sort that in their wounds there were ingendred a great quantity of wormes which fed vpon them being aliue they not knowing how to remedy it vntill some one or other hauing compassion on them gaue them secretly lyme which caused them to fall from them They died almost all miserably in prison Nine of the chiefe and hansomest amongst them were lost and it was neuer knowne what became of them after they were deliuered to the Fathers of the Inquisition This Inquisitor retired himselfe to Saint Agathe where hee deliuered a great number to the secular power and if any man offered to intercede for them he caused him to be put to the racke as a fauourer of Heretickes in such sort that in the end there was not any that durst to open his mouth in their behalfe Pope Pius the fourth of that name sent for their destruction the Marquis of Butiane with promise that if he would doe that good office to the holy Sea as to cleere Calabria of those Waldenses that had there taken footing he would giue vnto his sonne a Cardinals hat The Marquis tooke no great paines to execute his Commission for the Monkes the Inquisitors and the Viceroy of Naples had almost put all to death that they could apprehend hauing sent to the Galleys of Spaine the strongest of them and condemned to perpetuall banishment the fugitiues sold and killed woman and children As touching their Ministers Steuen Negrin was sent to prison at Cossence were he died with famine Lewis Paschal was carried to Rome where he was condemned to be burnt aliue Pope Pius the fourth would needs feede his eye with this last punishment of him that had maintained him to be Antichrist being present at his death with many of his Cardinals But the Pope could haue wished himselfe elswere or that Paschal had been mute or the people deafe For he spake many things against the Pope out of the word of God which gaue him a great deale of discontent Thus did this good man die calling vpon God with an ardent zeale that he much moued the standers by and made the Pope and his Cardinals to gnash their teeth for anger Thus haue you seen the end of the Waldenses of Calabria who were wholly exterminated For if any of the fugitiues be returned it is vpon condition that they liue according the lawes of the Church of Rome CHAP. VIII Of the Waldenses inhabiting in Prouence and the persecutions which they haue suffered THe Waldenses inhabiting in Prouence in the parts of Cabrieres Meriadol la Coste and other places neere adioyning haue been held for the originall of-spring of the Waldenses inhabiting in Dauphine and Piedmont as it may very well appeare by the families of the same name as also there are amongst them that can proue their progeny or of-spring And vpon this occasion it was that they
therefore that their zeale was the more they stirred vp their enemies against them and plunged themselues into the greater dangers But as all are not victorious by faith but there are alwaies some weake who take counsell of the flesh and perswade themselues without reason that they can crooch and bow themselues in those places where God is offended by idolatry and yet keepe the heart pure and neate vnto God Oecolampadius from thence takes occasion to write that which followeth to be deliuered to those dissemblers which walke not with an vpright foote before God The Letter of Occolampadius written to the VValdenses of Prouence who thought they could serue God by prostituting their bodies before Popish Idols Written in the yeere 1530. Oecolampadius desires the grace of God the Father by his Sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit to his well-beloued Brethren in Christ who are called VValdenses WEe vnderstand that the feare of persecution hath made you to dissemble in your faith and that you hide it Now we beleeue with the heart to righteousnesse and confesse with the mouth to saluation but they that feare to confesse Christ before the world shall not bee receiued by God the Father For our God is truth without any dissimulation and as he is a iealous God he cannot endure that they that are his should ioyne together vnder the yoake of Antichrist for there is no communiō of Christ with Belial And if you communicate with the infidels in going to their abominable Masses you cannot but perceiue their blasphemies against the death and passion of Christ For when they glory in themselues that by the meanes of such sacrifice they satisfie God for the sinnes of the liuing and the dead what can follow but that Iesus Christ hath not sufficiently satisfied by the sacrifice of his death and passion and consequently that Christ is not Iesus that is a Sauiour and that he died for you in vaine If then we haue communion at this impure table we declare our selues to be one body with the wicked how irkesome so euer it be vnto vs. And when we say Amen to their prayers doe we not deny Christ What death should we not rather chuse What paine and torment should we not rather suffer Nay into what hell ought we not rather to plunge our selues then to witnesse by our presence that we consent vnto the blasphemies of the wicked I know that your weaknesse is great but it is necessary that they that haue learned that they are bought by the blood of Christ should be more couragious and alwaies feare him that can cast both body and soule into hell And what shall it suffice vs to haue a care of this life onely shall that be more precious vnto vs then that of Christ And are we contented to haue tasted the delights of this world onely Crownes are prepared for vs and shall we turne backe againe And who will beleeue that our faith hath been true if it faile and faint in the heat of persecution Let vs therefore pray vnto God to increase our faith For certainly it shall be better for vs to die then to be ouercome by temptations And therefore brethren we exhort you to diue into the bottome of this businesse For if it to be lawfull to hide our faith vnder Antichrist it shall be likewise lawfull to hide it vnder the Empire of the Turke and with Dioclesian to adore Iupiter and Venus nay it had been lawfull for Tobit to adore the calfe in Bethel And what then shall our faith towards God be If we honour not God as we should and if our life be nothing but Hipocricy and dissimulation he will spew vs out of his mouth as being neither hot nor cold And how doe we glorifie our Lord in the middest of our tribulations if we deny him Brethren it is not lawfull for vs to looke backe when our hand is at the plough neither is it lawfull to giue care to our wiues entising vs to euill that is to say to our flesh which notwithstanding it indure many things in this world yet in the hauen it suffereth shipwracke These godly admonitions preuailed much for the confirmation of the more weake and they came in very good time for those who presently after were sifted with many tempestuous outrages and euen one of those that brought the Letters made good vse of them that is to say Peter Masson who was apprehended at Diion where he was condemned to death for a Lutheran George Morel saued himselfe with his letters and papers and came sound and safe into Prouence where he bestowed much paines and with happy successe in the establishing of the Churches of the Waldenses of which the Court of Parliament at Aix did euery day apprehend one faithfull member or other whom they either condemned to the fire or sent to the gibbet or dismissed with markes in their foreheads vntill that in the yeere 1540 the Inhabitants of Merindol were summoned in the person of fiue or six of the principall at the earnest importunity of the Kings Atturney in the Parliament of Aix and the sollicitation of the Arch-bishop of Arles the Bishop of Aix other Ecclesiasticall persons A sentence was giuen against them the most exorbitant cruell and inhumane that euer was in any Parliament like in all things to that edict of King Assuerus granted at the instance of Aman against the people of God as it is written in the History of Hester For besides that the men and women that were summoned for contumacy were condemned to be burnt aliue by the said sentence their children and families outlawed it was decreed that the place of Merindol should be altogether made vnhabitable the woods cut downe two hundred paces round about it and all this without any audience or leaue granted to any to speake a word The King being informed of the rigour of this Edict sent into Prouence the Lord du Langeai to enforme him of the manners and beleefe of the said Waldenses and vnderstanding that many things were laid to the charge of this people which they were not guilty of King Francis the first of that name sent Lett es of grace and fauour not onely in behalfe of those that had offended by contumacy but all the rest of the Country of Prouence expresly commanding the Parliament from thence forward not in that case to proceed so rigerously as they had done in times past These Letters were supprest They that were personally summoned made request that it might bee lawfull for them to answere by a Proctor Francis Chai and William Armand appeared for all the rest requesting in their names that it might be made to appeare vnto them in what they had erred and that by the word of God being ready to abiure all heresie if once they might know that they were fallen into any And for this cause they deliuered vnto them in writing a confession of their faith to the end if they found any thing worthy
there remaine in peace both of body and soule he returned into his Country and perswaded many to goe to Bohemia and to inhabit there who were louingly entertained and after that time there haue been no assemblies of the Waldenses in particular but they haue ioyned themselues vnto the Churches of the Hussites CHAP. XI Of the Waldenses inhabiting in Germany and the persecutions that there they suffered whereof we haue the proofes NOtwithstanding that incontinently after that Peter Waldo with those that followed him came into Germany there was so great a persecution along vpon the Rhine by the incitement and instigation of the Archbishops of Mayence and Strasbourg that there were burnt in one day in one fire Dubranius in the history of Bohemia to the number of eighteene yet wee find that in the time of the Emperor Frederic the second about the yeere one thousand two hundred and thirteene Germany and especially Alsatia was full of the VValdenses The searchers were so diligent and exact Coistans vpon the Reuel that they were inforced to disperse themselues into other places to auoide the persecution This flight turned to the great benefit of the Church because hereby many learned Teachers were scattered here and there to make knowne vnto the world the purity of their Religion In the yeere one thousand two hundred thirty a certaine Inquisitor named Conrad de Marpurg Vigâ—ier in the 1. part of his Bibli Historiale was ordained by the Pope Superintendent of the Inquisition He exercised this charge with extreame cruelty against all sorts of persons without any respect euen of the Priests themselues Trithem in Chron. Hirsaugiensi Godefridus Monan Aunalâ—bus whose bodies and goods he confiscated He tried men with a hot iron saying that they that could hold an iron red hot in their hands and not be burnt were good Christians but on the contrary if they felt the fire he deliuered them to the secular power In these times the Waldenses had in the Diocesse of Treues many Schooles wherein they caused their children to be instructed in their beliefe and notwithstanding all the Inquisitions persecutions executed vpon their flockes yet they aduentured to preach Krautz in Metropol l. 8. §. 18 in Saxon l. 8. ca. 16. calling their assemblies by the sound of a bell maintaining in publica statione saith the Historiographer publikly that the Pope was an hereticke his Prelates Simonaicall and seducers of the people That the truth was not preached but amongst them and that had not they come amongst them to teach God before he would haue suffered their faith to perish would haue raised others euen the stones themselues to enlighten his Church by the preaching of the word Vntill these times say they our Preachers haue buried the truth and preached lyes we on the contrary preach the truth and bury falshood and lyes and lastly we offer not a feined remission inuented by the Pope but by God alone and according to our vocation Mathew Paris an English writer obserueth that about the yeere 1220 Math Paris in Henry 3. anno 1220. there were a great number in a part of Germany that tooke armes where the Waldenses were cut in peeces being surprised in a place of great disaduantage hauing on the one side a marish ground and on the other the sea in such sort that it was impossible for them to escape About the yeer 1330 they were strangely vexed in many parts of Germanie Vignier in his third part of his Historicall Biblio in the yeere 1330. by a certaine Iacobin Monke Inquisitor named Echard but after many cruelties executed vpon them as hee pressed the Waldenses to discouer vnto him the reasons for which they were seperated from the Church of Rome being vanquished in his owne conscience and acknowledging those defects and corruptions which they alleaged to be in the Church of Rome to bee true and not being able to disproue the points of their beliefe by the word of God he gaue glory vnto God and confessing that the truth had ouercome him hee became a member of that Church which hee had a long time before persecuted to the death The other Inquisitors being aduertised of this alteration were much displeased and they sent presently so many after him that in the end hee was apprehended and brought to Heidelberg where he was burnt maintaining that it was iniustice and wrong to condemne so many good men to death for the righteousnesse of Christ against the inuentions of Antichrist In the yeere 1391 the Monkes Inquisitors tooke in Soxony and Pomerania foure hundred forty three VValdenses Krautzin Metrop l. 8. p. 18. in â—ax l. 8. cap. 16. who all confessed that they had been instructed in that beliefe for a long time by their ancestors and that their teachers came from Bohemia In the yeere one thousand foure fifty seuen the Monkes Inquisitors of the Diocesse of Eisten in Germany discouered many VValdenses which they put to death They had amongst them twelue Pastors that instructed them We must not ouerpasse the thirty fiue Burgesses of Mayence that were burned in the Towne of Bingue because they were knowne to be of the beliefe of the VValdenses nor the fourescore which the Bishop of Strasbourg caused to be burnt in one fire nor that which Trithemius recounts that they confessed in in those times that the number of VValdenses was so great that they could goe from Cologne to Milan and lodge themselues with hostes of their owne profession and that they had signes vpon their houses and gates whereby the might know them But the most excellent instrument amongst them that God imployed in his seruice was one Raynard Lollard who at the first was a Franciscan Monke and an enemy of the VValdenses but yet a man carried with a sanctified desire to finde the way of saluation wherein he had so profited that his aduersaries themselues were constrained to commend him Iohn le Maire in the 3. part of the diff of Schismes in the 24. scisme For Iohn le Maire puts him in the ranke of those holy men that haue foretold by diuine reuellation many things that haue come to passe in his time This worthy man taught the doctrine of the VValdenses was apprehended in Germany by the Monkes Inquisitors and being deliuered to the secular power was burnt at Cologne This man hath writ a Commentary vpon the Apocalipse where hee hath set downe many things that are spoken of the Romane Antichrist This was he of whom the faithfull in England were called Lollards where he taught witnesse that Towre in London which at this present is called by his name Lollards Tower where the faithfull that professed his Religion were imprisoned CHAP. XII Of the VValdenses that haue been persecuted in England ENgland hath been one of the first places that hath been honoured for receiuing the Gospell for not long after that VValdo departed from Lion there were many condemned to
aduertised that hee was at Toulouze the greater part of his Pilgrims were returned into France But yet it was necessary hee should goe to Toulouze with those forces that he had for his wife was in danger to be lost And hee that had beene the death of so many women and children was doubtfull what would become of his falling into the hands of his enemies The Earle Remond created an officer which they called Vignier or Prouoft to whom all were bound to obey vpon paine of death This was the first Vignier that was established at Toulouze His charge was to prouide for the defence of the Citie to keepe the Moates or Ditches cleane to repaire the breaches to appoint to euery one his quarter and his Captaine especially in times of combat There came from all parts troopes of succours to the Earle Remond of those that desired consideration for the violencies of the Earle Simon The Earle Guy was one of the first in the combat for his brother the Earle Simon but he was beaten and put to flight The Archbishop of Aix and of Armagnac with their Pilgrims retired themselues without fight The Earle Simon being come made shew to besiege Toulouze but the frequent issues of those that were within gaue him to vnderstand that it was not for his good He assembled therefore the Prelats and Lords to take aduise of what was to bee done The Legat perceiuing the Earle Simon somewhat astonished said vnto him Feare nothing for in a short time wee shall recouer the Citie and put to death and destroy all the Inhabitants and if any of the Souldiers of the Crosse shall die in this pursuit they shall passe to Paradice as Martyrs and hereof they shall assure themselues To whom one of the great Captaines answered Monsieur Cardinall you talke with great assurance but if the Earle beleeue you it will be little for his profit For you and all the other Prelats and men of the Church haue beene the cause of all this euill and ruine and will bee yet more if he beleeue you It was no time for Monsieur the Cardinall to bee offended with this audacious reply but he must needs sup vp this censure The resolution was that there should be no more any assault giuen but that the Citie should bee besieged on the side of Gascongne For which cause the Earle of Montfort caused one part of his Armie to passe the Riuer Garâ—nne towards St. Soubra now they within the Citie made so blunt a salley and to such purpose that they put their enemies to slight During this combat came the Earle of Foix with his fresh troopes as well of his subiects as Nauarreans and Catalans who violently set vpon the Earle Montfort pursuing him euen to the brinke of Garonne where with affrightment and precipitation they cast themselues in heapes into their Boats and many were drowned in the Riuer The Earle Simon also fell in all armed with his horse and hardly escaped The Earle Remond caused a generall assembly to bee made at St. Saornin wherein hee exhorted the people to giue thankes vnto God for this happy beginning of victorie which they had obtained against their enemies which was a testimonie of Gods loue and that they should hope for better hee exhorted euery one to giue their helping hands to build and to prepare and to cause their warlike engins to play against the Castle Narbonnes because this place being last by the enemie their totall ruine must needes follow and being once recouered by them they should be in safetie In a very short time were their woodden engins to cast stones their Slings their Mangonnels to dart their Arrowes their Fowlers Crossebowes and other Instruments which were in vse in those times prepared and all of them mounted against the Castle Narbonnes which made those to tremble that were within The Earle Montfort being at Montolieu tooke counsell how to carry himselfe in this tedious siege and against enemies so animated The Bishop of Thoulouze said vnto him to comfort him that hee was to take a good heart vnto him for Monsieur the Cardinall had sent letters and messengers throughout the world to giue him succours and that shortly he should haue so many people that hee should not want power to doe what he would The abouenamed Robert de Pequigni answered him that hee spake his pleasure and that if the Earle of Montfort had not beleeued him nor any such hee had not beene in those troubles that now hee was but hee had beene at peace within Toulouze and that hee was the cause of that danger they now were in and of the death of so many people as were continually slaine by the wicked counsell that hee had giuen After many combats the winter grew on and stayed the course of the besiegers who withdrawing themselues to couert where they could about Toulouze expected with good denotation and much impatiencie new succours of Pilgrims The Earle Remond on the other side inclosed the Citie with a Rampier and fortified himselfe against the Castle Narbonnes and prepared to receiue the Pilgrims whensoeuer they should present themselues vnto them In this meane time hee sent his sonne to seeke for succours In the end about the Spring time in the yeere one thousand two hundred and eighteene there came to the Earle Simon an hundred thousand Souldiers of the Crosse and to the Earle Remond great succours from Gascongne conducted by Narcis de Montesquiou As also the young Remond of Toulouze and Arnaud de Villemur brought vnto him goodly troopes This great multitude of Pilgrims being come the Legat and the Earle Simon thought good they should earne their pardon knowing that at the end of fortie daies this great cloude of Pilgrims would vanish They therefore commanded them instantly to giue a generall scalado which was deferred to the next morning by which time they had other worke to doe for the very first night of their arrinall putting their confidence in their great multitude they kept no good guard Which the Earle of Toulouze perceiuing made a salley out vpon them and that with so good successe that the next morning all the field was couered with dead bodies The Toulouzains being wearie with killing returned to giue thankes vnto God for his assistance The Earle Simon entred the Castle Narbonnez to descrie whether from thence there were any way to inuade the Citie but finding none it much troubled him whereupon two of his Lords of the Crosse gaue him aduice to come to some honourable agreement The Cardinall Bertrand told them there needed no speech of that and that the Church could saue them in despite of them if they spake any thing to the aduantage of the Albingenses One amongst them answered And where finde you Monsieur Cardinall that without cause and reason you should take from the Earle Remond and his sonne that which belongs vnto them If I had vnderstood as much as I now know saith he I had neuer made
Roger de Leni The Earle of Comminge his lands which one named Ioris detained from him An aduantagious encounter for the Albingenses in Lauragues Expeditions of small effect after the death of the Earle Simon The Prince Lewis tooke Marmande and returned into France hauing summoned Toulouze to yeeld it selfe THe Earle Remond followed the victory making himselfe Master of the Castle of Narbonnes and fortifying it against the Pilgrims which hee knew very well would come the yeere following in the meane time hee sent his sonne into Agenois who brought vnto the obedience of his father Condon Holagaray in his history of Foix. 162. Marmande Aguillon and other places adioyning On the other side the Earle of Foix besieged Mirepoix summoned Roger de Leni to restore it vnto him telling him that hee was not now to hope any longer in the Earle Simon for he was dead that it must content him that he had now long enough and vniustly kept that which was his That if he changed his patience into furie he would lose both his life and Mirepoix altogether It troubled much the Marshall of the Faith for that was the vaine title which the Legats had giuen him to yeeld vp this place but in the end he deliuered it into the hands of the Earle of Foix. The Earle of Comminge had also his right of one Ioris to whom the Legats had giuen all that the Souldiers of the Crosse had taken in his Countries for he tooke them all from him yea life and all At the spring of the yeere following 1219. Almaric or Aimeri of Montfort came into Agenois with some troopes of Souldiers of the Crosse to recouer that which his father had there possessed and for this cause hee besieged Marmande The young Earle Remond of Toulouze went to succour the besieged when the Earle of Foix writ vnto him that hee had gotten a great bootie in Lauragues both of people and beasts but he feared hee should not bring it to Toulouze and not be fought withall by the way by the Garrison of Carcassone and therefore hee entreated him to succour him Young Remond tooke his iourney towards him and came in so good an houre to the Earle Foix that being vpon the point of losing his booty being followed by the Vicount of Lautrec and the Captaines Faucant and Valas. Being come to the combat Chass lib. 4. chap. 13. the said Foucant and Valas encouraged with a loud voice their Pilgrims saying that they fought for Heauen and for the Church The young Earle Remond hearing it cryed vnto his as loud as he Courage my friends for we fight for our Religion and against theeues and robbers vnder the name of the Church They haue robbed enough let vs make them vomit it vp againe and pay the arrerages of their thefts which they haue heretofore freely committed And hereupon they gaue the Charge The Vicount of Lautrec fled Foucant was taken prisoner and all their troopes cut in peeces Seguret a Captaine and professed robber was taken and hanged in the field vpon a tree Thus victorious and laden with bootie they came to Toulouze with their prisoners and cattell The siege of Marmande continued but vnprofitably and without any aduantage For Almaric hauing caused a generall assault to be made the inhabitants defended themselues with such valour and resolution that the ditches were full of the dead bodies of the Pilgrims This was at that time when the great expedition of Prince Lewis arriued who brought with him thirtie Earles An expedition for the leuying whereof the Legat Bertrand writ in these termes to King Philip Faile you not to be in the quarters of Toulouze for the whole moneth of May in the yeere 1219. with all your forces and powers to reuenge the death of the Earle Montfort and I will procure that the Pope shall publish and preach the Croisade or expedition of Christians throughout the world for your better aid and succours Thus you see how the Legat commands the King of France His sonne arriued at Marmande and summoned those within to yeeld They compound with him and he promiseth them their liues Almaric complaines thereof saying that they were not worthy of life that tooke away his Fathers He assembleth the Prelats declareth vnto them the discontent which he receiued by this composition in that life was granted vnto those who were the murderers of his Father The Prelats were all of opinion that notwithstanding the word giuen they should all die Prince Lewis his will was that the composition should hold Almaric neuerthelesse caused his troopes to slip into the Citie with charge to kill all men women and children They doe it whereat the Prince being offended departed from the Legat and Almaric and passing along summoned those of Toulouze to yeeld They defend themselues against him Hee receiueth newes of the death of his father which caused him to retire Thus you see all the effects of this great expedition which should haue buried all the Albingenses aliue and vanished without any assault giuen CHAP. IIII. The warre of the Albingenses changeth countenance because of the death of Pope Innocent the third of the change of the Legat the death of the Earle Remond of Toulouze of the disease of Remond Earle of Foix and the Lady Philippe de Moncade mother to the Earle of Foix and of the Monke Dominick THe Legat Bertrand Bonauenture being weary of the long labours of this warre and perceiuing that therein the danger was greater than either the pleasure or the profit tooke occasion vnder a pretence of his decrepit age to retire himselfe to Rome euen at that time when Pope Innocent the third being departed Pope Honorius his successour who had not managed this warre by his authoritie from the beginning thereof knew neither the importance thereof nor what direction to giue and therefore had need to be enformed by his Legat touching the meanes of the continuance thereof and the commoditie that might arise vnto his Seat Bonauenture entreated him to depute another Legat and told him that the necessitie of this warre was such that it concerned not onely the losse of all those Lands of the Albingenses which were conquered because they might be easily recouered by them if no opposition were made but also the ruine of the Church of Rome because the Doctrine of the Waldenses and Albingenses did directly shake the authoritie of the Popes and ouerthrow the Statutes of the Church That this warre had beene very chargeable and cost them deere for within the space of fifteene yeares and lesse there had died aboue three hundred thousand souldiers of the Crosse that at diuers times had come to end their liues in Languedoc as if there were not enough else-where to burie them or as if there were a necessitie in those times to be borne in France and to dye encountring the Albingenses That all this would be lost if they continued not to spend and weaken them vntill they were
vtterly destroyed The Pope delegated one named Contat who went thither Now albeit Almeric were very valiant yet he had not gotten that authoritie which his Father had who had made himselfe at the charges of the Albingenses a great Captaine loued of the Souldier of an admirable valour patient in affliction inuincible in his trauels diligent in his enterprises fore-seeing and prouiding for the necessities of an Armie affable but of an vnreconcileable enmitie against his enemies because he hated them onely to haue their goods and that he could not haue but after their death which he procured and hastned as much as he could and that vnder the mantell of a plausible pretence of religion His sonne was a true inheritor of the hatred of his father but slow and sluggish louing his ease and no way fit for an action of great importance Besides he was depriued of the Monke Dominique of whom his Father had made very profitable vse for lodging him in the conquered Cities he gaue him in charge to finish that destruction by his inquisition which he could not doe by warres He died in the yeare 1220. the sixt of August so rich that notwithstanding he were the author of an order mendicant that is to say of Iacobin Monkes or Iacobins yet he made it knowne before his death that a scrip well ordered was better than a rent ill assigned for hee left many houses and much goods shewing thereby that he vsed his scrip but for a shew and outward appearance of pouertie but in effect he thought it good to haue wherewithall to liue else-where witnesse the Protection which the Earle Simon gaue him a little before his death whereof this is the tenure Simon by the Grace and prouidence of God Duke of Narbonnes Earle of Toulouze Vicount of Licestre Beziers and Carcassonne wisheth health and dilection After the Historie of the Monke of the valley Sernay We will and command you to haue a speciall care to keepe and defend the houses and goods of our most deare brother Dominick as our owne Giuen at the siege of Toulouze Decemb. 13. The death of this Monke was a great comfort to the Albingenses who had persecuted them with such violence but yet they were more weakned by the death of the Earle Remond of Toulouze the Earle Remond of Foix and the Ladie Philippe of Moncade Wife to Remond Earle of Foix. The Earle Remond of Toulouze died of a sicknesse much lamented of his Subiects if euer man were He was iust gentle valiant and couragious but yet too easie to giue eare vnto those that gaue him counsell for his ruine Hee was carried at the first by a true loue and charitie onely towards those his Subiects that made profession of the Religion of the Albingenses but afterwards hauing beene basely and dishonorably handled by the Legats of the Pope he knew both the crueltie of the Priests and the falshood of their doctrine by those conferences that had beene in his presence with the Pastors of the Albingenses His Epitaph was written in two Gascon verses Non y a home sur terre per grand Segnor que fous Qu'em iettes de ma terre si Gleisa non fous He that writes the Historie of Languedoc saith That he died a sudden death and that hee was carried into the house of the Friers of the Hospital S. Iohn and that he was not buried because he died an excommunicate person There was shewed not long since at Toulouze a head which some did beleeue was the head of the Earle Remond which was said to be alwaies without a sepulture but there is no likelihood that he that died amongst his owne and being Ruler ouer them should not haue so much credit after his death as to bee put into a Sepulcher Holaga pag. 164 that he that by his valour had restored all his Subiects to their houses and their Citie to it former greatnesse he whose death they lamented as a Father should be cast out like a Dogge It is neither true nor hath it any resemblance of truth that they should deny him this last office of charitie which they haue not refused to bestow vpon their greatest enemies for it was neuer heard of that the Albingenses haue denied sepulture vnto any As touching the Earle of Foix Remond he was a Prince of whom the Historie giues this testimony that he was a Patron of Iustice clemency prudence valour magnanimitie patience and continency a good Warriour a good Husband a good Father a good House-keeper a good Iusticer worthy to haue his name honoured and his vertues remembred throughout all generations When this good Prince saw that he was to change the earth for heauen he defied death an assured constant carriage and tooke comfort in forsaking the world and the vanities thereof and calling his sonne Roger vnto him hee exhorted him to serue God to liue vertuously to gouerne his people like a Father vnder the obedience of his Lawes and so gaue vp the ghost His Wife the Lady Philippe of Moncade followed him shortly after notwithout suspition of poyson by some domesticall enemy of the Albingenses whose religion she professed with all deuotion A Princesse of a great and admirable prouidence faith constancy and loyaltie She vttered before her death many excellent sentences full of edification as well in the Castilian tongue as the French in contempt of death which she receiued with a maruellous grace fortifying her speeches with most Christian consolations to the great comfort and edification of all that were present and in this estate she changed her life All these deaths made a great alteration in the wars of the Albingenses both on the one side and the other CHAP. V. Almaric of Montfort restored to King Lewis the eight the conquered Countries of the Albingenses the siege of Auignon the King appointeth a Gouernor in Languedoc The warre continues against the Albingenses Toulouze is besieged a treatie of peace with the Earle Remond and the Toulouzains ALmaric of Montfort had not the fortune of his Father in the warres of the Albingenses For he had neither King Philip Auguste who permitted the leuie of the Pilgrims nor Pope Innocent the third to appoint them Moreouer there was neither Citiâ—nor Village in France where there were not widowes and fatherlesse children by reason of the passed warres of the Albingenses And besides all this the Prelats were many times put into great feares by those cruell combats that were ordinarily made and many of them left behinde them their Miters and some Abbots their Crosses The speech of the expeditions of the Crosse was not so common This was the cause why Almaric did not long enioy his conquered Countries wherewith being much afflicted hee went into France Inuentary of Serres in the life of Lewis the eight and deliuered vp vnto Lewis the eight of that name King of France all the right that he had to the said Countries which the Pope the Councels of
Vaur Montpelier and Lotran had granted vnto him and in recompence thereof King Lewis created him Constable of France in the yeare 1224. To put himselfe into possession King Lewis the eight came into Languedoc and comming to the gates of Auignon he was denied entrance because professing the Religion of the Albingenses they had beene excommunicated and giuen by the Pope to the first Conquerour for then Auignon was no chiefe Citie of the Earldome of Venessin as at this present but belonged to the King of Naples and Sicily The King being much moued with this deniall resolued to besiege it which continued for the space of eight moneths in the end whereof they yeelded themselues about Whitsontide in the yeare 1225. During this siege almost all the cities of Languedoc acknowledged the king of France by the mediation of Mr. Amelin Archbishop of Narbonne The King established for Gouernour in Languedoc Imbert de Beauieu and tooke his way to France but hee died by the way at Montpensier in September in the yeare 1226. The young Remond Earle of Toulouze was bound by promise to the king to goe to receiue his absolution of Pope Honorius and afterwards he should giue him peaceable possession of all his lands but the death of the king in the meane time happening he saw the Realme of France in the hands of king Lewis a childe and in his minority and the regency in the power and gouernment of his mother Hee thought that hauing to deale with an infant king and a woman regent he might recouer by force that which he had quit himselfe of by agreement He therefore resolued to take armes being encouraged thereunto by the succours of the Albingenses his subiects who were in great hope to maintaine their part in strength and vigor during the Non-age of the King of France but they were deceiued in their proiect For though Lewis the ninth were in his minoritie yet he was so happie as to haue a wise and a prudent mother if euer there were any For King Lewis the eighth before his death had appointed her the Tutrix or Gardianesse of his sonne and Regent of the Realme knowing very well her great capacity and sufficiency Besides Imbert de Beauieu maintained the authority of the king in Languedoc tooke armes and made opposition against the Earle Remond and the Albingenses The History of Languedoc sol 31. The Queene sent him diuers troopes by the helpe whereof he recouered the Castle de Bonteque neare to Toulouze which was a great hinderance to Imbert and his portizans All the Albingenses that were found within the Castle were put to death and a certaine Deacon with others that would not abiure their Religion by the commandement of the said Imbert Amel the Popes Legat and the aduise of Guyon Bishop of Carcassonne they were burnt aliue in the yeare 1227. suffring death with admirable constancy The more the persecution increased the more the number of the Albingenses multiplied which Imber of Beauieu perceiuing he went to the Court to let them vnderstand that without succours he could no longer defend the countrey and the places newly annexed to the Crowne and patrimony of France against the Albingenses and the Earle Remond In the meane time whilest he was absent the Earle Remond tooke the Castle Sarrazin one of the strongest places that Imbert had in his keeping and holding the field did much hurt to his enemies Imbert came from France at the spring of the yeare one thousand two hundred twenty eight accompanied with a great Armie of the Crosse in which there was the Archbishop of Bourges the Archbishop of Aouch and of Burdeaux euery one with the Pilgrims of their iurisdiction The Earle Remond retired himselfe into Toulouze where he was presently shut vp and all the country round about euen haruest and all spoiled and wasted Being brought to this extremitie Hist of Lang. fol. 33. the Abbot of Grandselue named Elias Garin came from Amelin the Popes Legat to offer peace to the Earle Remond and the Toulouzains He was receiued with great ioy offering peace and plenty to those that were almost famished and wearied with warre Neuerthelesse the wisest amongst them who better foresaw the euent of things knew well enough that so soone as they had gotten the Earle Remond into their hands they would make vse of him to persecute them that they would establish the inquisition and kindle their fires againe and so vtterly destroy them both bodies and soules but the reasons of these men were ouercome by the importunate cries of the common people almost famished who could not see the time wherein they were fettered with the halter that should strangle them Besides the enemie wanted not people in Toulouze that were willing to terrifie the Earle Remond saying that he was not now to deale with Americ of Montfort but with a king of France who had power sufficient to ouerthrow him that continuall feuers kill men and long warres would at the last burie them all The Earle Remond passed his word to the Abbot to be at a certaine day at Vasieges there to resolue vpon that which was to bee done to bring the peace to a perfection In the meane time a truse was agreed vpon with the Toulouzains for certaine daies The Earle Remond came at the day to the place appointed and so did the Abbot of Grandselue After much discourse and communication touching a peace the Abbot made him beleeue that it would be for his greater aduantage to bee in France than in that place and that forasmuch as the businesse concerned the King that it was necessary that the Queene-mother being Tutrix vnto him and Regent of France should be present and that more would be done in a few daies than in a whole yeare the businesse requiring so many iournies and goings and commings which peraduenture would bee long and vnprofitable and so pawned his faith that hereby he should receiue all contentment Being vanquished by these promises he consented to come into France whethersoeuer the Queene-mother should appoint Meaux was the place she made choise of and his time was appointed He came thither but he was no sooner arriued but he repented and acknowledged his great ouersight in that he had giuen credit to the words of a Priest especially knowing that his deceased father had alwaies sped so ill by trusting to those that hold this for a maxime that Faith is not to be kept with Heretikes or their fauourers That he being held for such a one had no reason to looke for better successe There was therefore now no more question of treaties or communications but of submission to whatsoeuer should be enioyned him He had now no longer freedome of speech but he was carefully guarded for feare least he should fly to the Albingenses The Historiographer of Languedoc The Hist of Lang. fol. 34. though in other matters much animated against the Albingenses yet hee could not write of this without
Lay-people shall take example by those Images and figures of the liues of Saints it is most certaine that it is impossible For the Virgin Mary was an example of humility pouerty and chastity and they adorne her Image rather with vestments of pride then humility So that the Lay-people doe not reade in their habits humility but pride and auarice if they conforme themselues to the said Bookes corrupted and ill written For the Priests and the people in these dayes are couetous proud and luxurious and therefore they cause their Images to be pictured like themselues And therefore saith Dauid Thou thinkest foolishly that I am like vnto thee Obiect But there are others that say We worship the visible Images in honour of the inuisible God Answer This is false For if wee will truly honour the Image of GOD by doing good vnto men we serue and honour the Image of GOD For the Image of GOD is in euery man but the resemblance or likenesse of God is not in all but onely in those where the thought is pure and the soule humble But if we will truly honour God wee giue place vnto the truth that is to say wee doe good vnto men that are made after the Image of God we doe honour vnto God when we giue meate to those that hunger drink to those that thirst cloath to those that are naked And therefore what honour doe wee giue vnto God when we serue him in a stock or a stone when we adore idle Figures without soules as if there were some diuinity in them and contemne man who is the true Image of God Saint Chrysostome vpon Mathew saith That the Image of God cannot be painted or pictured in gold but figured in man The Money of Caesar is gold but the money of God is man And therefore if the Iewes were commanded vnder the Law that they should destroy all the figures and Images and addict themselues to one onely God as it is written in the first Booke of the Kings But Samuel said to all the House of Israel If you turne vnto the Lord with all your heart and remoue from you all your strange Gods and keepe your heart vnto the Lord and serue him onely he will deliuer you from the hands of the Philistines Much lesse then ought Christians to depend vpon such signes and Images which the Iewes did not but they ought rather to lift vp their affections vnto Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God An Exposition of the 3. Commandement Tu ne prendras point le nom du Seigneur ton Dieu en vain c. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. IN this Commandement we are forbidden to sweare falsly vainely and by custome as it is written Leuit. 19. The man that is accustomed to sweare shall bee filled with iniquity and the plague shall not depart from his house An oath confesseth God to know the truth and it is to confirme a thing doubtfull for an oath is an act of Gods seruice and therefore they that sweare by the Elements doe sinne This is the reason why Christ Iesus forbiddeth vs to sweare by any thing neither by the heauen nor by the earth or any thing else but that our speech bee Yea yea and No no and whatsoeuer is otherwise is sinne And Saint Iames in the fift Chapter of his Epistle saith Aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen neither by the earth neither by any other oath lest ye fall into condemnation An Exposition of the 4. Commandement Souuienne toy du iour du repos c. Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day c. THey that will keepe and obserue the Sabbath of Christians that is to say Sanctifie the day of the Lord must be carefull of foure things The first is to cease from all earthly and worldly labours The second not to sinne The third not to be idle in regard of good workes The fourth to doe those things that are for the good and benefit of the soule Of the first it is said In sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe but the seuenth is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke and in Exodus it is said Keepe my Sabbath for it is holy he that polluteth it shall die the death and in the Booke of Numbers we reade that one of the children of Israel being seene to gather stickes vpon the Sabbath day hee was brought vnto Moses who not knowing what course to take therein the Lord said vnto Moses This man shall die the death all the people shall stone him with stones and he shall die God would that his Sabbath should be kept with such reuerence that the children of Israel durst not to gather Manna therein when it was giuen them from heauen The second thing which we are to obserue is to preserue our selues from sinne as it is said in Exodus Remember to sanctifie the day of rest that is to obserue it by keeping thy selfe carefully from sinne And therefore saith Saint Augustine It is better to labour and to dig the earth vpon the Lords day then to bee drunke or to commit any other sinnes for sinne is a seruile worke by which a man serues the deuill Againe he saith that it is better to labour with profit then to range and roame abroad idly For the day of the Lord was not ordained to the end that a man should cease from worldly good workes and giue himselfe vnto sinne but to the end he should addict himselfe to spirituall labours which are better then the worldly and that hee repent himselfe of those sinnes he hath committed the whole Sabbath throughout for idlenesse is the Schoole-master of all euill Seneca saith It is a sepulchre of a liuing man The fourth thing is to doe that which may be good and profitable to the soule as to think on God deuoutly to pray vnto him dilligently to heare his Word and Commandements to giue thankes vnto God for all his benefits to instruct the ignorant to correct the erroneous and to preserue our selues from all sinne to the end that saying of Esay might bee accomplished Repent you of your sinnes and learne to doe good for rest is not good if it bee not accompanied with good workes An Exposition of the 5. Commandement These Commandements tell vs how we are to carry our selues towards our neighbours Non sentend tant solament de la reuerentia de fora c. Honour thy father and thy mother c. WEe are not to vnderstand these words as if the question were onely touching outward reuerence but also concerning matter of complement and things necessary for them and therefore wee are to doe that which is enioyned in this Commandement for that honour which is due vnto fathers and mothers for we receiue from them three excellent gifts that is to say our Being our
Nourishment and our Instruction which we are neuer able fully to recompence The Wiseman saith Honour thy father and forget not the sorrowes of thy mother Remember that by them thou hast had thy being render then a recompence answerable to the price they haue giuen thee and therefore hauing regard to that naturall being which we haue receiued from our father and mother we are to serue them in all humility and reuerence after a threefold mannet First with all the power of our bodies wee are to support their bodies and to yeeld them the seruice of our hands As the wise man speaketh He that feares God will honour his Father and his Mother and will serue them as his Lords that baue begotten Him Againe wee must serue our Fathers and Mothers with all our power neuer debating or questioning with them with hard and bitter speeches but wee must answer them humbly and hearken louingly to their reprehensions Prouerbs 1.8 My sonne heare the instructian of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother He that sahll curse his Father and Mother his Lampe shall be put out in the middest of darkenesse We must likewise honor them by administring vnto them things necessary for this life For Fathers and Mothers haue nourished their Children with their owne flesh their proper substance and Children nourish their Parents with that which is without their flesh being impossible they should restore vnto them those benefits they haue receiued of them And touching the instruction wee haue receiued of our Parents wee must obey them in whatsoeuer shall tend to our saluation and to a good end Ephes 6. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Of which obedience Christ hath giuen vs an example as it is in the second Chapter of Saint Luke And he went downe with them and was obedient to his Father and Mother And therefore honour first thy Father that hath created thee then thy Father that hath begotten thee and thy Mother that hath borne thee in her wombe and hath brought thee forth to the end thy dayes may be prolonged vpon the Earth and that perseuering in that which is good thou mayest passe out of this world to an euerlasting inheritance An Exposition vpon the 6. Commandement En aquest Commandament es desfen du specialment l'homicidi c. Thou shalt not kill MVrder is especially forbidden in this Commandement but more generally to hurt our Neighbour in any manner whatsoeuer as with words detractions iniuries or deeds as to strike our Neighbour Of the first sort it is said Mathew 5.22 Whosoeuer is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of iudgement And Saint Iames saith Chapter 1.20 The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God And Saint Paul Ephes 3. Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your anger He that is angry with his brother without cause is worthy of iudgement but not hee that is angry vpon iust occasion For if a man should not be angry sometimes the doctrine were not profitable neither would the iudgement bee discerned nor sinne punished And therefore iust anger is the Mother of discipline and they that in such a case are not angry sinne for that patience that is without reason is the feed of vices it nourisheth negligence it suffereth not onely the bad to swerue but the good too For when the euill is corrected it vanisheth So that it is plaine that anger is sometimes good when it is for the loue of righteousnesse or when a man is angry with his owne sinnes or the sinnes of another man Thus was Christ angry with the Pharises The other sort of anger is wicked which proceedeth from a desire of reuenge which is forbidden Vengeance belongs vnto me saith the Lord and I will reuenge An Exposition vpon the 7. Commandement Loqual Commandament defend tota nonlicita cubititia c. Thou shalt not commit adultery THis Commandement for bids all vnlawfull lust and pollution of the flesh as it is said in the fift by Saint Mathew He that looketh vpon a woman and lusteth after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart And in the fift of the Apostle to the Ephesians it is said This ye know that no whoremonger nor vncleane person nor couetous man shall inherite the Kingdome of God And in the I Corinthians 6.9 Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor vncleane persons shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen And in the 5. Chapter If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or couetous c. Eate not with such a one Now as there is a corporall whoredome so there is a spirituall that is to say when a man separateth himselfe from God An Exposition of the 8. Commandement En aquest Commandament es deffendu totalment furt et fraud de cosas stragnas c. Thou shalt not steale IN this Commandement we are forbid all manner of thest and all vnlawfull meanes to get vnto our selues the goods of another by fraud or auarice or intury or violence For they are not onely theeues that take the goods of another but they that command them that receiue theeues into their Houses and that buy stollen goods and make profit of them wittingly All they that doe such things and they that consent thereunto they shall suffer equall punishment or if thou finde any thing and restorest it not thou hast robbed thy Neighbour for thou art bound to make restitution of that thou hast found They that depriue their subiects of their goods and commodities as Lords vse to doe imposing vniust charges and taxations ouer-burthening the poore by their wicked inuentions and if they refuse to doe it they imprison them and many times torment them euen to the death and so take from them their goods vniustly they are theeues Of these the Prophet Esay speaketh Chapter 1.23 Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of Theeues and follow after rewards They are also Theeues that retaine the wages of the labourer by fraud Of such it is said in the 19 of Leuiticus The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night vntill the morning And as Saint Iames speaketh in his fift Chapter Ye that haue heaped treasure together for the last dayes Behold the hire of the Labourers which haue reaped downe your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Hasts They play the theeues that hurt the weale publike as Coyners in the weight number value and generally all such as falsifie their weights and measures and diuers Merchandizes these are called robbers of the common good and such according to the Law are to be put to death in boyling oyle They are Theeues that labour to get by fraud that deceiue men in their wares and merchandize selling bad for good Also Gamesters who inuite others to gaming who play out of auarice the roote
declaring that it was never his design nor of his Royall Predecessours by any act done or to be done nor his intention much lesse his will to enlarge their bounds and that if any thing hath been done or published to the contrary it was both against his own orders or those of his Magistrates but a meer usurpation against the disposition of those Acts as it is manifest and therefore the transgressours have undergone the penalties mentioned in his Declarations Besides that his Highnesse doth intend that in all those places and each of them where they are lovingly tolerated the sacrifice of the holy Masse be celebrated Prohibiting all subjects of the pretended Reformed Religion to give any molestation in deeds or words to the Fathers Missionaries and those that officiate under them much lesse to disturb or divertany of the pretended Reformed Religion from turning Catholiques under pain of death Charging and particularly commanding each particular Minister of the pretended Reformed Religion to see the forementioned injunctions inviolably observed as they will answer it at their utmost perills Declaring his intention to be that the execution hereof be done by posting or fixing Copies of these presents which shall be at the like value as if they had been made and intimated to each in particular Given at Lucerne the 25th of January 1655. Andrew Galstaldus Commissioner A second Apology in the behalfe of the Reformed inhabiting the Valleys of Piedmont THe History of the Reformed Churches whom God hath preserved in a corner of Italy in the valleys of Piedmont as miraculously as he did Moses his Bush in Horeb not onely since the yeare 1100 when the poore Vaudois and Albigeois retired themselves thither well knowing that the traditions of the Romish Church namely the modern had no accesse there but also time out of minde that is alwaies and from all time as saith the Monk Belvedere in his book intitled a Relation to the Congregation de propagandâ fide and as it is gathered out of Thuanus his History and many others is at large described in several books written to that purpose by Mr. du Perrin and lately by Master Giles Pastor in those quarters and shall yet further be seen God willing by a second Edition which will come forth with an exact addition of what hath happened since and very suddenly by as ample a Manifest as the case doth require it that will be more particularly made manifest which now in these few lines is but slightly touched concerning their number their extent their fights their deliverances the Edicts Priviledges and Concessions by vertue whereof they have enjoyed the peaceable habitation and the exercise of their Religion the disturbances which from time to time the Romish Clergy hath raised unto them and the deliverances the Lord hath vouchsafed them until these latter dayes wherein he hath broken down their hedges and the Boars of the wood have utterly wasted that Vineyard and the Hawks have chased and torne to pieces that Dove even in the very clefts of the Rocks In the years 1560. and 1561. Emanuel Philebert Duke of Savoy and Prince of Piedmont at the instigation of the Komish Clergy sent a mighty army to destroy the poore Reformed of the Valleys of Lucerne Perouse and Saint Martin in the said Piedmont hard by the Dauphinè under the command of the Count de la Trinité That Warre was long and bloody After they grew weary of it both parties came to an agreement bearing among several other heads the permission unto all of the Reformed Religion to inhabit all places and lands of the aforesaid three Valleys wherein were any afore the Warre begun In consequence of which agreement and Concession they were restored into Lucerne Lucernette Saint John la Tour Fenil Bobiane and Saint Second which places are lower towards the plaine about Turin and Pinerol as well as into the more remote places towards the neighbouring Mountaines of Dauphiné and they have been preserved there and protected by their Princes until the year 1602. Then Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy and Prince of Piedmont of glorious memory after the banishment of the reformed out of the Marquisate of Salluces gave leave to his Delegates to pubblish several Orders against the inhabitants of the Valley of Lucerne who dwelt towards the South of it beyond the river called Pelice viz. the Reformed of the Borroughs of Lucerne Bobiane and Fenil which are but small dependences of the Church of Saint John but would not suffer them to touch the rest And indeed it shall not be found that during the former persecutions any Duke of Savoy hath ever pretended that all the other places nor any of them of those marked in the Order be out of the limits of the habitation granted to the Reformed It is very remarkable that soon after viz. in April 1603. he made a Decree whereby he ordered to those of Lucerne Bobiane and Fâ—nil who alone had beene turned out to inhabite againe their houses and enjoy their estates recalling all orders to the contrary He confirmed the same by a Decree of the 29th of September in the same yeare in the first Article And he kept them in the possession untill the year 1620 at which time yet they offered to stirre against those of the same Lands of Lucerne Bobiane and Fenil but the clemency and Justice of his said Royall Highnesse was yet such that he no sooner had granted the order for their banishment but presently he recalled it and granted them againe a fine Decree whereby he declared That he was willing and intended that all the pretended Reformed for such are his words should peaceably enjoy their habitation in all the places formerly granted and accustomed such as the aforesaid were Ordered that they should be no more molested therein and even granted them the enjoyment of some Temples pretended to be lower towards the plaine then the limits of the preaching extended unto and that he granted for a Sum of 6000 Ducatoons he exacted from them All these have been confirmed by the Ducal Chamber and the Senate and were observed during all the rest of the life of the same Charles Emanuel After him Victorio Amedeo his successor of glorious memory left them also in the full enjoyment of whatsoever his Predecessors had granted unto them and specially the free commerce in his Dominions and the peaceable habitation in all the places which are questioned in the order which shall follow having only deprived them contrary to their ancient Concessions of bearing any publick Office saying that if his Father and Granfather had granted them that priviledge for his part he was not willing to continue it or as now the Marquis of Pianess doth speak that graces of Princes are not unalterable Afterwards Madam Royall during the time of her whole Regency hath yet preserved them in the same state without disturbing them for their habitation and even in 1638. issued out a fine Decree bearing an expresse promise