a Sprite Incubus as the common reporte goeth who is your chiefe Apostell and Patriarche We knowe him verie well what he was whence he came and what authoritie he had When he was a yonge man he studied the ciuill law and afterward when for his recreation he walked in the field nigh the Vniuersitie of Erforde he was strykē down to y t grounde with a sudden thunderclap and lighting and his companion that walked then with him was with y ◠blow quite slaine before his face whereat he was so astonied and put in such feare that he determined with him self to forsake the world to enter into Religion so out of hande made him selfe an Augustine Friere At the laste he was made Doctour in Diuinitie with shame inough for he came to that degree with the money that was bequethed to an other man whome with the help of his Prior he beguiled What other estate or degree he had in the common weale or Apostleship in the Church of God beside this we could neuer yet learne by any meanes But in deede he braggeth verie often that he is wel assured that his doctrine and conclusions are from heauen and that he was sent from heauen to the Germans to be their first Apostle that should preache them the Gospell for before his dayes he sayed that they neuer had any true Religion or Christen doctrine In few words he maketh more accompte of him selfe then of S. Augustine and all other holie and auncient Fathers of Christes Churche This bragginge Thraso telleth manie strainge matters of him selfe more maruelouse then true This is more like to be true as he reporteth of him selfe that he had manie times familiar conference and talke with the Diuell Yea and his Actes doings during his raigne written and faithfully regestred by Cocleus other of his neighbours men of great learninge and credite do most manifestly declare and proue that from y e diuel also his familiar frend Prince of this world he receaued authoritie and commission to punissh all good and honest men and to gainesay and withstand the holy Masse Ihon Caluine borne at Nouiodunum in Picardie a man banished frō his countreie for his wicked behauioure and whiles he liued in his countreie the veriest vnthrifte and naughtiest verlet of al his companions first hydde him selfe at Basile then beganne to shew his head at Straseburge and preache to the Renegates and Apostles there At last came to Geneua and put out the Deputie of the Citie expelled the Bisshope and all the Cleargie that were honeste and Catholike with all the vertuouse and substantiall Citysens and so wanne Authoritie and beganne to raigne there like a Conquerer by the lawe of treason and force of armes What neede I here againe bring you in mind of that Epicure Beza the Burgonion a Licentiate in law who taketh so muche Poeticall licence that in his bawdie and fylthie Epigrammes he passeth farre the wanton Pagan Poetes Martiall and Tibullus What shall I speake of Bernardinus Ochinus y ◠Italiane who laboreth to plante the beastly Doctrine of Polygamie that is that more then one wife at once may ioyne w t a mā in y e state of lawful matrimony willing therefore and perswadinge men to be Manywiuers as the Turkes are What shall I tell you of Peter Martyr the Renegate Moncke or of Bernarde Rotman an vnlearned Asse that beganne to professe learninge and by color of only Scripture whiche he vnderstode not expelled the Catholikes out of the Citie of Munster Or of Ihon of Leid y t tailor y t furiouse captaine of the mad Anabaptistes who within a yeare after got y ◠vpper hand of Rotman draue out y ◠Lutherans brought in y t Anabaptistes begā to raigne in y ◠very same Cit hauing won cōquered y ◠field by y ◠same crafte pretēse of scripture only as Rotmā did before so gaue him a fall in his own turn serued him w t his own sance or of Osiander that Holie Man commonlye called the seconde Enoch a Goddes name or of Carolostadius that rude maried Archedeacon of Wittemberge who became afterwarde for mere foly a mad and vnskilful plowghman to the wonder and laughinge game of all that coūtry Or of Illyricus Musculus Farellus Virettus Or of Bucer Morot and Malot the ringleaders and teachers of all mischefe good God what a rable haue we here what a noble ranke of vertuous graue renoumed Fathers is here such as I assure you no honest and discreete householder woulde euer suffer by his good will to tarie within his doores Such Champions are they that professe them selues to be the Aduersaries and enemies of the Catholike Churche these be y e captains that stand against the Bisshopes of Christes Church y ◠kinges of Christendome and Rulers of cōmon Weales Such are the Oratoures and Preachers that vse to declaime to raile to thunder againste the blood Shrines of Martyres against the Catholyke and vniuersal Religion of the Christians against the mystical and holy Sacramentes of the Churche Yea and sticke not like madde dogges to barcke and baye against y ◠very blessed and pretiouse body of our Lord Iesus Christ These yea such fellowes as these be are they who nowe these manie yeres vsurpe a Lordly authoritie ouer vs whome we are compelled to take for our masters who take vppon them to controlle the doinges and maners of all the whole world And yet can we learn by no meanes wherehence came this so Imperiall a soueraigntie or who gaue them so greate and princely Authoritie except we say they had it of Satan and y ◠they be the very vndouted prophets and Forerunners of Antichrist The Bysshoppes and Prelates of Christes Church doe excommunicate thē out their flocke and seperate them from the mystical Society felloship and Communion of all Christian men The Christen Princes and Rulers of the worlde do bannissh them do take them for outlawes and both by proclamations and force of armes trauaile with much care and diligence to defende and saue themselues and theyr louing Subiectes from them God allmightie the Omnipotent Lord and Ruler of heauen and earth neuer signifyed to the worlde by any miracle Signe or seely token that we shoulde take suche as these are for hys Commissioners or Deputies excepte a man will saye that this is a Miracle y ◠these fellowes oftentymes whyles in the presence of the People they faine that they are able in the Vertue of the Gospel they preache to restore the dead to lyfe doe make the liue stark dead ◅s a certaine Preacher did one Mathias in Polonia and the like is crediblie reported of Ihon Caluine at Geneua Howe then ▪ What shal we take them to be In fewe wordes they are theeues that come in by the Windowe they are Murderers Traytours Heretykes Satans Ministers For why theyr doeinges declare no lesse They doe the Commons wronge
Citie An other old Religiouse man night foure score yeares of age of the Abbey of S. Euuerte there when he had escaped out of Orleans and gotten a mile or two from the Citie was taken by the souldiours of the Gospell in a certaine Village called Mareau where he had receaued his maker that morning preparing himself to die out of haÌ„d they strip him starke naked and caste a rope with a riding knot about his necke and so pulled him drew him a long the streate When they saw he was now at deaths doore geuing ouer struggling gasped for breath they toke awaye death from him leaste it should ease him to sone of his paine they vntied and loosed y e corde they toke his feble and now wel nighe dead carcasse bownd hit to a tree and made hiâ— theyr marke to shoote at with theyr harquebuzes and gunnes for exercise sake and practice of theyr feates of warre An others bealy they opened wounde out his guttes about a staffe softe and faire he being yet aliue and looking on his own entrayles They came to an other good parson of a Village in the countree who laye sore sick in his bedde so worne spente with sicknes that for very weaknes he was not able to staÌ„d on his fete They plucke him out of his bedde by force they hale him in his sherte bare headed barefoote and barelegd out into the streate after they had sported and mocked like mad men about him a while they pull him in to y â— Churche y t was there hard by they hoyse him with a rope vp to the roode that stode a highe ouer the quiere doore and there hanged him vp vppon the crucifix I haue yet fressh in my remembrance yea my thinke I see yet now before my eies the teares of certaine honest men in Orleans who for weeping snobbing could scante abide to tell me how miserably how cruellie how vnmercifully a certaine vertuouse maÌ„ a Priest withe whome they had been familiarâ— and acquainted in his life time was handeled murdred by these cruel butchers The poore honest man as they told me got on a beggers cloke and a scripp full of crustes of old vinowed bread scraps of meate such as beggars haue being so disguysed had escaped as he thought out of all gunneshot and danger when behold sodenlie Caluines souldiours ouertake him on the waye being now weerie and nighe out of breath And as these kind of people are verie suspiciouse wel practized and experte in al mischiefe they aske and examine him verie diligeÌ„tlie what he was and whence he came When by long examination and muche threatning they vnderstood at length y t he was a Prieste they brought the innocent poore man bound like a theef into the next Village and there in the open market they make an auction and sale of him as if he had bene a bondman and aske if anie man would geue readie mony for him The inhabitaÌ„ts there flocked together were maruelouslie amased astonied at so strange a case they beginne to intreate for him they praye them and holding vp theyr handes to heauen they beseeche them hartelye that they would dimisse let goe the innocent harmelesse man and doe him no more harme that they would consider that he was a Christian man the image of God and anoynted priest But it had been as good they had told a tale to a tubbe or whispered in a deaf mans eare For all Heretikes haue stonie hartes they can not be mollified It is the nature and propertie of men and not of diuelles to be moued with mercie and pitie towardes suche as are in miserie To be shorte first they pull out both his eies then they cut of y e toppes of his fingers whiche had been sometimes anoynted with holie oyle and flea with a knife the skynne of y â— crowne of his head whiche was shauen according to the ancient Custome Cannons Priestlike After they had thus mangled hym to the end the cruell butchers of the Gospell might haue some more pastime in mockinge and laughing at him they leade him along the streat stark naked sauing that he had a poore shurte on to couer his black blew and blouddie bodie and disioynted bones that were brused and wel nigh all crusshed w t buffets blowes and wondes At last when euerie man had his fyll of this vnmercifull cruell and raging mad pastine they binde the constant Martyr of Christe with a rope vpright againste a tree and with theyr gunnes shot at him so often that they perced all his bodye throughe full of holes O God immortall that thou seest these so wonderfull and strainge villauies so horrible and incredible cruelâ—ies and doest not out of hand strike down consume awaye Suche moâ—struouse men with fire and lightening from heauen or cause the earth to open and sodenlie swalowe them aliue down headlong into the bottomelesse pit of hel O lord God most mightie and omnipotent King and Emperour of al heauen and earth suffrest thou thy seruants to be thus dismembred hewed and mangled But what talke I wretched earthlye and mortall man so foolisshlie after the maner of man with the euerlasting immortall and almightie God my lord and maker It seemed beste so to thy eternall wisedom O mercifull God it stood so with thy heauenly will pleasure that the might and power of vs thy seruantes the Christians shoulde be made perfit by weakenes and infirmitie that such as fought manfully as they should doe vnder thy banner should be rewarded w t a heauenly croune be honoured with an immortall garland of triumphe and victorie that thou wouldest bring vs throughe fire and water into a place of reste and comfort that suche as would leese theyr liues for thy sake should be reuiued and restored into life euerlasting The onely euerlasting and immortal sonne of God our Captaine lord and Emperour Iesus Christ taught vs firste of all by his own example and Passion to treade this path Sithens the first houre that the crosse was halowed adourned and â—erked w t his sacred blessed bodie as with a most pretiouse and celestiall Margarite His diuine prouidence made the Crosse all affliction in this world light and easie to true Christian men his example and imitiation hath made al tribulation and aduersitie pleasante and sweete This was y e cheife reward that our Master Christe gaue in this world to his deare disciples the noble Princes and worthy Prelates of his Church to al the most vertuouse holy and good men in al ages that they should take pleasure be glad y â— they were accompted worthie to suffer reproche iniuries for his names sake that they shoulde willinglye and gladlie take vp theyr Crosse on theyr shoulders and follow him theyr master guyde that lead them the waye It is not therefore O happie soules it is not shame for you to suffer y â— Christe
hope they had to lyue and ryse againe and enioy a better lyfe croune of euerlasting glorie And that therefore they desyred so muche to be honestly buried that theyr flesh and bodies might lye together and so the more easyly be reysed vp and made againe by the power of God And to the end that God might not come by theyr flesh and synowes and bones nor they haue any hope at all of Resurrection and thereby also be dryuen from theyr constant and patient suffring for Christes sake they sought the meanes not only not to burie them but also that God should not any where fynde and come by theyr flesh and bones asshes againe but toke all and gaue it to beastes to deuoure and to the fyre to consume and then what the beastes fyre had leafte they threw earth and asshes and al togegether into the Riuer to be vtterly dispersed and neuer to be recouered and got together againe Whether Beza his fellowes in theyr like dede of burning the Reliques and holy bodies of Sayntes and throwing theyr bones and asshes into the Riuer haue also the lyke mynde and opinion of Gods power and Resurrection I committe to the secrete iudgement of God who most certaynly both seeth theyr thoughtes and the most priuie corners secretes of theyr hartes and shall reyse vp his holy Sayntes Martyrs bodies to immortal lyfe and glory where euer y e cruell Infidell or impiouse Heretike scatter and flyng them abrode in y e wyde world But in the meane tyme well may we as Christen men dyd then in those grea persecutions when they could by no meanes be suffred to bury y e dead bodies lament to see heare of this Heathen Myscreant maner this more then Turkysh crueltie of suche as would be not only counted true ChristiaÌ„s but also pretend stoutly take vpon them to be Refourmers of the Catholike fayth Wel may we rue and be sory to see this daye Well maye I nowe and worthely crye out and make exclamation O most mercyfull lord O euerlasting God of heauen and earth what a wycked and Barbarous Religion or rather Irreligion what a strange and rude Reformation or rather Deformation is this that pursueth with famine fyre and sworde all good men euery where and allwayes yea after they are departed this lyfe that encreaseth gathereth force and is strengthened with turmoyling and troubling all Common weales and good Order with robbing spoylinge theyr owne contreemen and neighboures with contemning and prophaning all holie and Spirituall things with breaking vp and violating of Sepulchres Schrines and Graues with kylling murdering all faythfull Subiectes with dasshing and huddeling all the affayres good orders of the whole worlde together w t blasphemies madnes furie rage crueltie butcherie far passing the Turkes Tyrannie What els shall we coniecture deeme to haue been the marke and end intente and pourposes of suche Refourmers as these be if it were not to abolishe roote out quite all Christian Religion out of the world they haue omitted no kinde of crueltie that could be deuised they haue slayne and murdred the honorable and worshippull the substantiall and vertuouse subiectes they haue spared noe state nor age The rage and furor of these sauage Barbarouse wretches hath extended it self and waxen fearce and cruell againste children women and old men who were so weak that they were not able nor to hurte other nor yet to defend and saue themselues There was a companie of honest meÌ„s Children who for feare of these madbraines passing by ranne to hyde themselues into a Churche the villaines did set a fire and burned both the Churche the chyldren together and when some of y e poore infantes lept out of y e fire to saue their liues these cruel broilers vnmerciful murdrers far exceding the tyrannie of the wicked Herode flong the seelie innocentes aliue into the fire againe They had no care nor regard at all of honestie shame or chastitie They stripped an honest mayed stark naked as euer she was borne in the middes of the streate at Orleans And when she stood so openlie among them y e bawdie ribaudes Sardanapalus souldiours feeled and groped her shamefullye filthylie and againste all the lawes of nature to serche forsooth if she had hidden anie money aboue the rate of the proclamation to carie priuilie out of the town about her The traytor by Angiers which kept a castle againste his Souueraigne lord and master the King and toke a Noble woman and haÌ„ged her in a basket by a rope ouer the Castle wall for a bullwarke against y e force shorte of the Kings artillarie and battering pieces did suerlie a more cruell and vnmercifull acte but yet not so durtie filthye and bawdie as this fowle deed which nature abhorreth Theyr full poâ—rpose and intent was to pille robbe and spoile all they could get to leaue nothing vntouched Gabastone the master of y â— watche or rather the master of misserule at Paris seemed plainlie to confesse and proteste that this was their mening at what time he was in the companie of these Sacrilegiouse Refourmers at the spoiling of S. Medardes Churche there in the firste beginning of the trouble and rode on his horse into the quiere before the highe Aulter and there gabbled and cried to his mates in his barbarouse Gascoigne Frenche Pilla tout Pilla tout that is spoile all spoile all Is there anie thing I pray you more fearce more cruell more horrible that men should need to feare at the Turkes handes if he had been in place then that we haue seen to our greate greife smarte and dammage attempted and committed by these vile Pages and Pedlers of this newe Gospell Truelie I beleue Soliman y e great Turke himself would neuer haue suffred Virgines and professed Nunnes to be so filthylie defloured and forced by rape the Priestes and seruantes of God to be so villanouslye and spitefullye handeled all holye thinges consecrate to Gods seruice and honoure to be so wickedlie defiled and profaned finallie the verie blessed and pretiouse bodie of our lord and master Christe himself to be with suche furiouse and outragiouse impietie caste on the grownd trod vnder foote hurled into the fire and into the water and so desperatlie to be prickt with theyr swerdes and caried vppon the toppes of theyr speares Verylie thus I thinke and thus my mynd geues me right worshipfull and learned that except that onelye Noble man the right honorable Duke of Guyse had withstood theyr furiouse attempts and defeated theyr moste cruel assaultes and desperate enterprises that most Noble parte of Christendome the whole coÌ„mon weale and Realme of France had been vtterlie vndone and loste And that notable vertuouse maÌ„ a personne moste famouse for passing manhod exceading vertue peerlesse knowledge coÌ„mendacioÌ„ for warfarre feates of armes the father defender of his countreye the glasse bright shining light of
traiterous against God man for y t without any iust occasiō ye haue so long so cruelly troubled the whole estate of Christendō But you say y ◠faith was wel nigh quite quēched out of the Church It is a wonderous matter ye speake of Christ praied for S. Peter that his Faith shuld neuer faile And wil ye say he praid in vaine lost his labor and could not obtain his prayer that were iniury and reproche to the sonne of God The holye Ghost came downe from heauen into the Church here militant on earth to teache her al truth Hath he not taught her you blaspheme the holy Ghost so to say But goe to let it be graunted that as you imagine all maner of fonde absurd thinges so you thought in this poynte with no lesse madnesse that the Christian Faith was lost or at least that Christian Religion being nigh outworne and spēt before your happy daies needed to be restored by such excellent graue godly and wise men as you were replenished with all maner of knowledge vertue and heauenly giftes of the sprite To be short your purpose was ye say to refourme the Christian Faith Howe then When you could not therin preuail nor perswade the people that was somewhat stubburn and stiffenecked perhaps as you iudged did you thinke it the best way by and by with gonneshot and bytels to beat and driue the faith into their heades Who euer being in his right wit did thinke that any thing might be perswaded by force Men vse to perswade the minde and not the bodye but it is moste certaine that the minde as it maye be bent led and induced by reason so by stripes blowes buffets it can neuer be compelled and constrained But it was a carnal Religion y t these flesshly Gospellers brought and taught therefore they dyd what they could to driue it into mens braynes with strokes and to prick it into mens flessh with swordes dags and daggers It may be ye were muche offended w t the vitiouse maners and ill liuing of men now a dayes In good faith and so were we there is no honest Catholike man that euer was delighted therwith But yet when we saw that it was very hard fully to cleanse purge anie one familie or how shold frō all maner of synnes sores we thought it a matter of far greater difficultie importance to amend the faultes heale y e wondes of al the whole corps of Christēdom together therfore of necessity be cause we could not remedie y t desperat case by reason of the multitude we bore w t y t cōmon and vulgare Deceases and vices of al sortes of men the cure wherof was more past hope and did take them patientlye but yet surely not without great greif and sorow to see them open preaching cōtinuallie against them But you sowr Checkmasters most bitter Controllers of maners went about lyke Iudges sent from heauen or Physitions dropte owt of the skyes to cōdēne and cut of with sword burn with fire and gunpowder all at a pushe y e faultes and folies of the whole world together Yf ye had bene officers hauing Commissiō and authoritie so to doe yet your Iudgement and processe could not be excused herein from exceding crueltie and raishnes but where it appeareth ye were but flingbraynes light Iackstrawes hauing no authoritie at al y t toke vppō you without any examinatiō without processe of law without any sentence to condemne al Christendome to rack it to punish it and with most greuouse and painefull tormentes to teare and turne vpsyde down y e whole world what shall I call this but a bloudy Butcherie a haynous wickednes a dyuelish dealing an impietie neuer to be pardoned O but say you the Catholikes did lyue vitiously the Cleargie were out of order the Princes and Rulers ruled not as they should yea there were manie ceremonies in y e Churche y t we could not brook I assure you these be greuous weighty Inditementes Who laid them in I pray you Who but you the worst men naughtiest liuers y ◠euer trode on earth What blames the theefe Verres his mate Or cutthrote falles with Miles at bate The third Elias him self did playnlye confesse that the manners of men were far more vitious vnder his Gospel then euer they wer before vnder y e Popedome He hath said it It is not lawful to gainsay y e same But if any of y e disciples dare deny that which this theyr great master Pythagoras sayde the beddes are yet warme wherin these gospellers lay with other mennes wiues the Townes and Cities smoke yet of the fire wherewith they burned houses the earth is moiste at this houre with the bloude of manye good subiectes whome they haue slaine theyr Purses do swel and are yet at this present puft vp with the goods they gathered and gaines they got by roberies Simonye and Extortion Shew forthe thy brasen face Martin Luther and saye if thou dare that thou art an honester and better man then the vertuous and graue Fathers and Prelates of the Catholike Churche I wyll out of hād bring in against thee the publike Edict that the most noble Charles the fift our late foueraigne Emperour of happy memory made againste thee at Wormes the witnesse of the greate and mightye Henry the eight King of England whose sacred Royall crowne be it spoken here with leaue thou like a sluttish slaue vauntest thou wouldst anoynt with durt and donge of thy dronken body The decree of the most renoumed Sigismund king of Pole and by these euidences I wil by and by conuince thee proue that thou art worthy to be caste of Rebellion Sedition Sacrilege Impiety Heresy Finally of all manner of wicked vices and hainous offences that can raigne in a man What canst thou lay against these witnesses who were at that time the noblest the best the worthiest of credite of all that liued in our daies Theese worthy Princes Proclamations and Publike Edictes sette oute againste thy Wickednesse and Naughtye behauioure are euery where in euery mans hande published in print to the vewe and sight of the whole world Come vp againe hither frō hell if thou canst Ihon Caluine tel truth seing al y e world knoweth y t thou diddest kepe y e space of fiue yeares together a Nunne who was a Renegate out of y e Nūnerie called Veilmur y t thou diddest paye two crownes a moneth for her borde in the towne out of y t poore mens boxe of Geneua vppon condition she should come euery day to make thy bedde and learne her lesson out of thy Gospell practize how to beare y e burden of wedlocke patiently and at last when she was great w t childe by thee and had now caried abowt y e burden of her bealie three or fower monethes that thou didst bestow vppon an Apostate Chanon dwelling at Losanna thereby
doe vtterly detest them and hate them as muche as they hate all good men Out of doubt in one thing this Gospeller obserued iumpe y e wonted practise and beatē path of his companions that vnder pretense of speaking againste women he endeuored to sturre the people to rebellion and the subiectes to shrinke awaye and forsake theyr liege and lawful Soueraigne And thys is euen the very daily and cōmon custome of all the packe of such new Gospellers Refourmers who caste theyr platte and are fully set be it right or wrong by foraine battayle abrode or by rebellion at home to trouble and disquiete the peaceable state good order of al common weales when it serueth their turne they are so skilful y t they cā put in vre both these mysteries of their Gospell at ones When the Emperour of worthie memorie Charles the fifte was entangled and troubled at Oeniponte with theyr tumulte and rebellinge Soliman the Greate Turke was in the meane tyme requested in theyr behalfe to make war for the furtherance and Defense of theyr fifte Gospell The greate Turke I saye Oh horrible most impious acte was sent for that whyles they assaulted the Emperour and kepte hym at a bay in Germanie Budensis Bassa the Turkes Deputie should sette vppon his brother Ferdinande in Hungarie The letters of that Conspiracie were taken so that theyr crafte herein is open theyr falshode can not be denied theyr wickednes and treason can by no coloure be couered or cloked It were an infinite matter gentell Audience that might be here alleged if I would reckon vp all these Gospellers traiterouse enterprises and make full discours of euery particular parte of these haynouse Conspiracies For in deede they haue lefte nothinge vndone that anie cruell Robbers false Traitours or wicked Heretikes could euer committe attempte or deuise againste all good men against Princes against God allmightie himselfe They haue iniured and traiterously offended the Royall maiestie of all the Kings and Princes of Christendome they haue disturbed impaired and broken all polityke order and rule of all Common Weales They haue disquieted vexed and disordered the high Courte of the Imperiall Chamber they haue abolished y e auncient lawes and customes of the Emperours Supreme Consistorye and haue appointed newe of theyr owne makinge so that Iustice and Ryghte is bannisshed from thence in suche sorte that there remayneth scarse anye Signe or token of Lawe and Equytie in that renounted place and Imperall benche for it ys theyr pleasure that all thinges be tried decided by fyere and and sworde Yea and what say ye by this that many bookes and Lybells of theyrs haue bene cōmonly found and seen abroade wherein they vttered theyr studie declared theyr attempt trauaile to alter and chainge al y e order of iustice iudgementes of the Empire to take awaye and abrogate all the Ciuill Lawes and to make a new Policie and Order of gouernement of theyr owne phantastical deuise And it was not inough in theyr opiniō nor sufficient for the absolute perfection of theyr Gospell to betraie euerie particular Ruler and to worke treson against euery king in his owne Realme to fil vp the measure of theyr malice wickednes they became Traitors against the Pope the Emperour the Bisshops al at ones and fynallie without any respecte dydde violate and set at nought the Magestie and estate of all Spirituall and Temporall Rulers assembled together in the laste Generall Councell at Trent They were not ashamed to raile at that moste highe and honorable assemble of Christendome the only name whereof should haue made them tremble whose only becke all Christen men euer sythens Christen Religion begonne reuerenced and followed at Christes higheste Vycar in earthe at all the Reuerend Fathers the Bisshops and men of God at al the moste high excellent Christen Princes emong whome were the renoumed Emperours first Charles the fifth then Ferdinande and at a word to call them all theeues At what time the Princes and temporall Rulers did set their heads together to appeare and set at concord the state of Christendome and the Bishops did purpose and study earnestly to expound and declare the Articles of Religion y ◠were in controuersy when that most holy and high Parlement of al Christendom was called assembled together in one place these new Gospellish Refourmers were warned and warranted vnder Publike assurance to come thither to tell their mindes and then to departe safely without any harme or daunger The general letters Patentes the sufficient and lawfull safeconduct of the Pope and the generall Councel were Wrytten Prynted and Proclaimed for their behalfe herein No man appeareth not one of them maketh any word or mention of Refourmation there the matter touching the Refourmation of the Churche is disputed in the meane time and debated amonge them in the campe in the field in battaile in Fraunce by force might by swordes daggers by gonnes and dubble Cannons And as for the Generall Councell which was of purpose called to redresse and refourme all that was amisse where the lawfull place authority and meanes of Refourmation was to be found they passed not for it they were called and refused to come at it They despised and cōtemned they resisted and assaulted they mocked and reuiled with moste impudent scolding and railing that Generall benche and Court of all the Churche of Christe that worthiest and highest Consistory of Christendome And the more to shewe their spite and desperate malice Montanus the Germaine and Molinaeus the Frenche man and many other accompted no small fooles amonge them haue set forthe openlye in Printe in the name of all these Gospellers their cankred malitious wicked and diuelishe defiance Whome shall we accompte for frantike madde and furious men but suche as are so farre beside them selues so enraged so Bedlemlike that they knowe not men they know no Law no Magistrate no common Weale no Church no Religion no God Ye haue hard right learned audience how these desperat and outragious castawaies and Rebels had no Authority at all to bid battaile but conspired together like Theues Cutthrotes and Traitors may it please you now to be aduertised of that which is by order the third and last part of my talke that is howe little furtherance frute or profit touching Refourmation as they call it they gotte by fighting howe great and hurtfull losse iniury and damage they did therby to all the whole world howe fearcely cruelly and Tyrannically they vsed themselues in handling their bloudy weapons And in this poynt I assure you in good Faith I wot not what I may nor what I may not faye nor where to begin so many and so manifold losses harmes Christendome hath had euery waye and on euery side by the occasion of this wicked and cruell dissension whiche began first wel nigh fifty yeares agoe in Saxonie about certaine Articles and questions concerning Religion but sithens y
and a dog an adder a cocke and an Ape w tin the bag with him and being so beset and accompanied with those vgly dismold and deadly mates packed about him was cast aliue into the sea if it were nigh els into the next riuer So y t being yet aliue he lost the vse and seruice of al y â— foure elements at ones the aier the fire the earth y e water because he had bereued that man of his life by whose benifite he was brought to the world and to the vse of all these And this strainge kind of most shameful ignominious punishment death was executed only vpon those y t had killed their pareÌ„ts for their vnnatural vile and abhominable offense But this maÌ„ y t was put to so strainge filthy infamous kind of most cruel death who was coÌ„pelled against nature to eat his owne flesh which euery man spareth and cherisheth haue bene of likelihood giltie of such so great so vilanouse a trespace that excepte he had bene rydde out of the waye and put to the moste cruell death that coulde be inuented the whole frame of all the world must nedes haue fallen downe and perysshed And yet to this miserable man who shalbe spoken of hereafter to y â— worldes end and be peraduenture the rufull argument and lamentable matter of tragicall stages this only faulte was laied that he was a Christian man a Catholike a Priest It was againste theyr will that y â— Ministers of the Gospell punished him so cruelly but yet for Reformations sake they could not chuse but of necessity do it For reformations sake also I doubt not as the Reformed brethren in Christ doe fondly beleue they sacked spoiled threw doune to the grounde the most Christian Kings house at Orleans and the goodly Temple of S. Anian that stoode by it buylded with Princely worke of y t kings charges and al the faire and riche Churches of that noble and renoumed Citie excepte certaine litle Churches whiche they spared to put in their Harnesse Artiliary and prouision for Warre and the chiefe Cathedrall Churche S. Crosse which they reserued standing but yet all to rifled rased and mangled to preach in and to be the place of their dailye walke for recreation The Englishe men who by the lawe of armes by manhode princely prowesse and force of warre had conquered and wonne well nigh all Fraunce could neuer ouercome and get the strong mighty and most defensed walles and rampiers of Orleans But this Gospellish Refourmation in this last Insurrection in Fraunce hath filled vp the Ditches with earth stones and rubbell hath throwen downe to the ground the surest towres the strongest Bulwarkes all the defense of the Towne and all the stronge holdes and Fortresses round about they haue made the Walles so flat and plaine that in sundry places Cartes and Horses may casâ—y passe ouer yea they haue brought al the goodly streates Suburbes Vines about the Towne to a bare barein and naked field The moste Christian king Lewys the eleuenth his body was buried Honorably and princely in a goodly tumbe richly garnished with his Image grauen on the outside in our Lady Church at Clery foure leagues from Orleans For reformations sake they did hew the kinges Image in peeces cut of his armes feete and head and when they thoughte they had sufficiently punished the Image they open the sumptuous honorable graue pluck vp the kinges body out of the lead wherein it was enclosed caste it into the fire and burne it and at laste they spoyle the goodly Church that was trimly builded with costly and faire worke they vncouered the toppe of it and caste it quite downe For Refourmations sake the harte of good king Francis the second who died lately poysoned as it is thought by the meanes of these Gospellers that was buried before the highe Aultare in the Churche of S. Crosse at Orleans was digged out of the ground broyled on a grediern and at last burned For ReformatioÌ„s sake OrleaÌ„s Roan Lions and many other rich Townes in Fraunce the whiche florished sometime with great traficke of marchaundise are brought to extreame pouertye and miserable lacke and scarcitie of all things necessary And haue fewer occupiers porer Marchauntes and are lesse hanted then euer they were before in any mannes remembraunce How many parents bereaued of their children how many children benummed of their Parentes how many Widowes weping for y e death of their husbaÌ„ds how many Burgises turned out of house and home are nowe to be sene commonlie in Fraunce latelye reformed and all for reformations sake S. Peter had neither golde nor siluer nor yet passed vpoÌ„ the getting of any he gaue to y â— pore man that asked his almes helth in stede of money But these newe Postles the disciples of Iudas Iscarioth and Simon Magus who trauail toth nail not to alter change but to abolishe and take quite and cleane away both law and Priesthode haue exceadinge greate store of gold and syluer which they scraped and gathered together by robbinge and spoiling and sacrilegiouse â—acking of Churches and yet they geue neither money nor helth to such as ask their almes they feede them with faire wordes and geue them sometymes stripes blowes wondes and most cruell death in steed of almes They say that the Cleargie is to riche and therefore they take away both from them and from the laietie also without respect or partialitie such hindrance letles impedimentes of pietie deuotion and perfection And they them selues in the meane tyme good men doe beare patiently vpon their neckes the synnes of the people and al this traish mucke and heauie burdens They throw down townes and Cities ouerthrow Temples and Churches to get gold without the which theyr Gospell can not be planted the world can not be refourmed yea they go into y â— bowelles and bottome of the earthe They robbe the dead to fill theyr owne purses they open and breake vp sepulchres and graues to haue y â— very lead wherein dead mens bodies bones and asshes are wrapped What tounge is able to expresse in wordes the spoile saccage and ruines of the Churches of Poictiers Lions and of other townes in al quarters of France This is moste certaine that Beza and his companions Theeues curthrotes like him selfe stole out of the Churches and Vesteries at Tours two thousand markes in syluer and a thousand marke in gold besides pretiouse stones chaines and other Iewels and ornamentes of greate valew yea and that with suche a rage such an vnmeasurable desyre and outragiouse couetousnes such a furiouse affection and thyrste of stealing and hauinge that they scratched all that euer they could by anie meanes and lefte not as much as a naile or peece of yron behinde them And bysydes all this the Holy Beza dubbled this myscheuous robbery of his with an other enormous outrage so haynouse and greate that no condigne and worthy ponisshment
can make sufficient amendes for it For he toke away the sacred Relyques of the blessed Archebysshoppe of Tours the body and asshes of S. Martyne the Greate Confessor that had bene kepte there with greate reuerence so many hundred yeres notwithstandinge the often warre and cruell persecutions of diuerse enemies both heathen and Christian And when he had taken them out of the Shrine he burnte them with fyere and then gathered vp the holy and blessed asshes and threwe them into the â—yuer of Loyer that runneth thereby With the lyke impietye and furiuose rage at Lyons the bodie of S. Ireneus sometyme Bysshoppe there one that liued very nigh the Apostles tyme at Poictiers the bodie of S. Hylarie Bysshoppe also there were pulled out of theyr Graues defiled Prophaned burnte with fyre and then caste into the Riuers O wonderfull Impietye and madnes of raginge Heretikes O beastly and more then Barbarouse rudenes and crueltie What Tyranne euer in anye Lande was so fierce and cruell that woulde persecute teare and mangle all good men not only in theyr lyfe tyme but also after they were departed out of thys world and buried in theyr graues These cruell Grauerooâ—ers that labor to brynge a newe Religion into Christendome can not abyde that good men shoulde lyue any where on the earth nor yet suffer them to reaste vnder the earth in theyr graues after theyr decease They couer with Sylke and decke with veluettes theyr owne fylthye bodies and theyr Womens moste vyle and stynkinge carcasses whiche without the greate mercy of God shallbe one daye the stuffe and matter of Helfyre and carrayne for death and damnation to feede on And wyll they not suffer the blessed bodies and â–ª boues of Sayntes that shallbe in the end placed in Heauen with theyr blessed soules whiche are there before in peace and reast and ioye with Christe to be in the meane tyme closed in lead or couered with stone or layed vnder earth and claye It is happy they can not plucke theyr holy Soules out of heauen to as they doe al theyr endeuor to destroy and vtterly rydde theyr bodies out of the earth For if they could gette them thence set themselues in theyr places it appereth here by this good wil of theirs in y e one what they would doe in the other and that is no more but euen to follow their Grand Capitaine Lucifer For as he would haue done to God himself when he sayed in his harte he would clyme aboue al y e starres of God and be Gods owne fellowe and syt faste by his syde euen so by al likelihod these men would doe to Gods fryndes and seruantes that is robbe them of all glory and of theyr places both in heauen earth if it lay in theyr power so to doe But though God geue them alitle leaue on theyr bodies whiche is all that they or the the diuell hath any power vpon For the Serpent feedeth on the earth and crepeth on his belie and can do no more yet Sanctorum Animae in manu Dei sunt noÌ„ tanger illos tormentum malitiae The Soules of Saintes are in Gods owne hand and reast and raigne with him that all the malice of y â— diuelles in hell or theyr seruantes in earth cannot once touche nor come nere them what euer they doe in the meane tyme to theyr bodies I cannot let passe but rehearse and note here vnto you surely a notable Hystorie out of Eusebius of the persecutioÌ„s of the very self same places in Fraunce by which it may be thought in coÌ„ferring the one with the other that these men nowe be of the same ferueÌ„t and hot zeale as themselues terme it of the same mynde opinion in these lyke actes of theyrs as y e cursed Paynyms were then toward the Christen folke whome they persequuted and put most cruelly to death For they not content with all the terrible tourmentes paynfull deathes Martyrdomes executed vpon them would not somuch as suffer theyr bodies to be buried but threw them to dogges and kept straight watche day and night y â— noman should take them away but that y â— dogges should deuoure them in deede And if the beastes or the fyre leaste any part of theyr bodies not confumed they toke the bones and asshes and the duste and all together threwe into y e Riuer thinking thereby to ouercome and conquere God himselfe that neyther he shoulde be able to gather theyr asshes together and make theyr bodies aliue againe as they were before nor they haue any hope of Resurrection out of theyr graues being out of all hope of graue or any kynd of buriall at all This doth Eusebius wryte reporte out of the very letters and Autentyke wyttenesse of the Christen folke Martyrs there at that tyme. And if we shal coÌ„pare together those myscreantes then with these our mysseshapen Christians nowe I cannot see wherein they any thing differ from them but well may I sone see that in some pointes these matche them go beyonde them to For the persons and holy Sayntes of God against whome all this crueltie and extremitie of malice is shewed be all one of the same Catholike fayth and Religion and much about the same age and tyme far within syxe hundred yeres after Christe And what els is the cause that our newe Gospellers doo so persecute spette at and abhorre theyr bones and ashes nowe but for the hate they haue both to them and theyr Catholique Religion if they durst so playnly for shame coÌ„fesse it as by y e diuelles persuasion they doo in theyr hartes beleue it The Paynyms would not only themselues not burie the dead bodies of the Sayntes but dyd also most cruelly forbyd and most straightly watche that none other maÌ„ nor Christen nor heathen moued with pitie should steale them away and burie them What els meane these Captaine Protestants nowe but y â— neyther they nor any good ChristeÌ„ man in deede shall see any such holy bodies reuerently buried and layed in graue The heathen Infidelles cruelly kylled the Christians as theyr mortal enemies and threwe theyr bodies to beastes to deuoure These worse than Infidelles take vp the bodies that haue so long lyen styl spoyle the graues and Sepulchres and prophane all together most impiously The Infidelles to wreake theyr present aÌ„ger forbyd burial to their enemies being newly â—layen theyr blood yet warme and the tormentors wrath yet fressh and fierce these fell persecutors denie them buriall yea most violently spoyle them of theyr graues which they had quietly kepte and possessed so many hundred yeares Whome if they take for theyr fryndes why order they so cruelly and if for theyr enemies why haue they not forgot all yre and malice after so loÌ„g tyme of so many hundred yeares The mysbeleuing Paynyms thought that the Christen men ran wyllingly to suffer all kynde of torment and death for Christes sake because of the