euening Prayers and exhortations the men departed that night to auoyde a greater inconuenience When they had gone all the night long and had passed ouer y e great hill of Libron they might see many villages and farmes set on fire Miniers in the meane time had deuided his army into two partes marching himselfe with the one towardes the Towne of Merindoll and hauing knowledge by espiall whether the Merindolians were fled he sendeth the other parte to set vpon them and to shewe theyr accustomed crueltie vpon them Yet before they came to the place where they were some of Miniers armye eyther of good will or mooued with pitie priuily conueyed themselues awaye and came vnto them to geue theÌ„ warning that their enemies were comming and one from the top of an high rocke where he thought that the Merindolians were vnderneath casteth downe two stones and afterward although he could not see them he calleth vnto them that they should immediately flye from thence But the enemies suddenly came vpon them The Merindolians ouertaken of their enemies finding them all assembled together at praiers and spoyled them of all that they had pulling off their garments from their backes some they rauished some they whipped and scourged some they sold away like cattell practising what cruelty and villanie soeuer they could deuise against them The women were in number about fiue hundreth In the meane time Miniers came to Merindoll where he founde none but a young man named Maurice Blanc who had yelded himselfe to a souldiour promising him for his raunsome two French crownes Miniers woulde haue had him away by force but it was answered that the souldiour ought not to lose his prisoner Miniers therefore paying the two crownes himselfe tooke the young man and caused him to be tyed to an Oliue tree and shot thorough with harquebushes and most cruelly martired Vile cruelty shewed vpon a youÌ„g man of Merindoll Many Gentlemen which accompanied Miniers against their willes seeyng thys cruell spectacle were mooued wyth greate compassion and could not forbeare teares For albeit this yong man was not yet very well instructed neyther had before dwelt at Merindoll yet in all hys tormentes hauyng alwayes hys eyes lyfted vp to heauen wyth a loude voyce he ceased not still to call vpon God and the last words that he spake were these Lord God these men take away my life full of miserie but thou wilt giue vnto me life euerlasting by thy sonne Iesus Christ to whome be glory So was Merindoll without any resistance valiantly taken ransackt burnt rased The towne of Merindol destroyed of the Papists and layed euen with the ground And albeit there was no man to resist yet this valiant Captaine of Opede armed from toppe to toe trembled for feare and was seene to chaunge his colour very much When he had destroyed Merindoll he layed seege to Cabriers and battered it with his ordinaunce The towne of Cabriers falsely takeÌ„ but when hee coulde not winne it by force he with the Lorde of the Towne and Poulin his chiefe Captaine persuaded wyth the inhabitauntes to open their gates solemnely promising that if they would so do they would lay downe theyr armour and also that their cause should be heard in iudgement with all equitie and Iustice and no violence or iniurie should be shewed against them Upon this Othe and promise brokeÌ„ of the Papistes they opened their gates and let in Miniers with his Captaynes and all his army But the Tyraunt when he was once entred falsified his promise and raged like a beast For first of all he picked out about thirtie men 30. men Martyrs causing them to be bound and caried into a medowe neare to the Towne and there to be miserably cut and hewen in peeces of hys souldiours Then because he would leaue no kinde of crueltie vnattempted 40. Women Martyrs hee also exercised outrage and fury vppon the poore selly women and caused fortie of them to be taken of whome diuers were great with child and put them into a barne full of strawe and hey and caused it to be set on fire at foure corners And when the sely women running to the great window where the hey is wont to be cast into the barne woulde haue leaped out they were kepte in with pikes and halberdes Then there was a souldyoure which moued with pitie at the crieng out and lamentation of the women opened a dore to let them out but as they were comming out the Tyraunt caused them to be slaine and cut in peeces opening their belyes that theyr children fell out whome they trode vnder their feete Many were fled into the wineseller of the Castell Cruelty Neronicall or rather furye diabolicall and many hid themselues in caues whereof some were caryed into the medowe and there stripped naked were slaine othersome were bound two and two together and caried into the hall of the Castell where they were slaine by the Captaynes reioysing in theyr bloudy butcherie and horrible slaughter That done this Tyraunt more cruell then euer was Herode commaunded Captayne Iohn de Gay wyth a bande of ruffians to go into the Churche where was a great number of women children and yong infantes to kill all that he founde there Which the Captayne refused at the first to do sayeng that were a crueltie vnused among men of warre Whereat Miniers being displeased charged him vpon payne of rebellion and disobedience to the King to do as he had commaunded hym The Captaine fearing that myght ensue entred with hys men and destroyed them all sparing neither young nor olde In this meane while certaine souldiors went to ransacke the houses for the spoyle where they founde many poore men that had there hidden themselues in sellers and other priuy places flying vpon them and crying out kill kill The other souldiors that were without the town killed all that they could meete with The noÌ„ber of those that were so vnmercifully murdered Aboue a â—000 Martyrs of Cabriers were about M. persons of men women and children The infantes that escaped their furie were baptised againe of their enemies In token of this ioly victory the Popes Officers caused a piller to be erected in the said place of Cabriers in the whych was engrauen the yeare and the day of the taking and sacking of this Towne by Iohn Miniers Lorde of Opede chiefe President of the Parlament of Prouince for a memoriall for euer of the barbarous crueltie the like whereof was yet neuer heard of Whereupon we withall our posterity haue to vnderstand what be the reasons and arguments wherewith the Antichrist of Rome is wont to vphold the impious seate of his abhomination Who now is come to such excesse and profunditie of all kindes of iniquitie The argumentes wherevpoÌ„ the doctrine of the popes church staÌ„deth that all iustice equitie and veritie being set a side he seeketh the defence of his cause by no other thyng then only
not one man hurt In the tyme of thys siege they attempted dyuers meanes to take the sayde Fortresse but without ordinaunce it was impossible so to doo wherefore they were now past all hope of winning it Moreouer the Lorde of Trinitie returning with his armie was come to the valley of Luserne and the next day after myght easily haue raised the siege Wherefore when the Garrison not knowing that the Lord of Trinitie was so neare desired that they might depart with bagge and baggage they grauÌ„ted theyr request The iust haÌ„d of God vpon his enemies Note how the Ministers of the Gospell promise to their enemies performe doing good foreâ—ill In thys siege halfe of the souldyers were slayne and many were hurt as well with harquebushes as with stones During thys siege the souldyers for lacke of water were constrained to bake their bread with wine which tormented their stomackes and caused great diseases Here is not to be forgotten that the souldiours which a while before dyd so cruelly persecute the poore Ministers seeking by all meanes possible to destroy them were now faine to pray them to saue their liues and to promise them that they should haue no hurt and also to safeconduct them into a sure place neyther woulde they depart vntill they had promised them so to do Which the Ministers dyd promise and also perfourme verye willingly Then the souldiours seeyng themselues much beholden to the Ministers so gently dealing with them gaue them greate thankes and promised them in recompence thereof all the pleasure that they could shew them The same night the Fortresse was rased The 2. day of February the Lorde of Trinitie camped at Luserne The Fortresse gottâ— by the Angronians and placed a Garison in the Priory of S. Iohn a village of the Waldoys betwene Luserne AngroÌ„gne The next day in the morning the sayde Lorde of Trinitie sent word vnto them of Angrongne that if they wold not take part with the rest they should be gently handled All the weeke before they were sollicited by him to consent to the same but they woulde geue no aunswere The same day they of Angrongne and the rest of the Ualleys fully agreed and determined to defend their religioÌ„ by force and that the one shoulde aide the other God compelleth his â—eruantes to defeÌ„d their religion by force and no agreement to be made by any one without the consent of the rest About noone the Lorde of Trinitie marched wyth hys armie by S. Iohn to enter into the borders of Angrongne by a place called La Sonneillette where they had foughte before The people had made certaine bulwarkes of earth and stone not past three foote hie where they defended themselues valiauntly against their ennemies whyche assailed them diuers wayes An other combat betweene the Lord of Trinity and the AngronyaÌ„s God geueth victory agayne to his people When the ennemies were so wearye that they coulde fighte no longer they put fresh Souldiers into their places so that the combate endured vntill nighte and all that day the armie coulde not enter into the borders of Angrongne Many of the ennemies were slaine and a great number hurt and but two of Angrongne slaine of whome the one was slaine by his owne folly because he was too greedy vpon the spoile The army being nowe well beaten and tired rested a while to make themselues stronger for a further mischiefe The Friday following which was the seuenth of Februarye at the breake of the day the armie marched towardes Angrongne by fiue seuerall places The people of Angrongne were not yet assembled and none there were to resiste but onely a fewe whyche kepte the watche the which seeing their ennemies comming vppon them in so many places An other fighte betweene the Lorde of Trinity and the Angronians and perceiuing that they went about to inclose them after they had valiantly fought for a space they reculed by little and little to a highe place called La Casse where the combate was renued wyth a greater fiercenesse then before But the Lord of Trinitie seing the losse of his men and aboue all that one of great creditie and authority in the Dukes Courte was wounded to death blewe a retreite and descended to Angrongne the people being fled to the Medowe of Toure and there spoyled and burnt all the wines victuals and the rest of the goodes that he could finde so that in a shorte space he had burned about a 1000. houses of Angrongne And heere is not to be forgotten that they oftentimes set fire vpon the two Temples of Angrongne where the worde of God was preached A notable miracle of God in keeping the teÌ„ples of the Gospell froÌ„ burning but they coulde neuer burne them So did they also to the Ministers house which notwithstanding remained whole the houses rounde about being all consumed with fire That day none of Angrongne was slaine or hurt sauing onely one that was hurte in his thighe There were in all Angrongne but two that were enemies to the woorde of God whiche that same daye were slaine by the souldiers not in the Combate but for their riches Note againe the secret worke of God Vnkindenes to parentes rightly rewarded whych they had about them as they were running away The one of them was a very couetous wretche and had great store of golde and siluer and woulde spende nothing either to helpe himselfe or succour others no not his poore parentes All this was spoiled by the soldiours with a hundreth or two hundreth crownes besides which he had about him Besides these two there was not one of Angrongne slaine that day All the rest of the people retired to the Medowe of Toure The situation whereof we will heere declare for the better vnderstandyng of that which followeth Tour is a little Ualley vpon the borders of Angrongne The medowe of Tour described enuironed aboute wyth Mountaines two miles in length but very narrowe On both sides and in the mids thereof there be about two hundreth small houses and cotages also medowes pastures for cattell grounde for tillage trees and goodly fountaines On the South side and the North the mountaines be so high that no man caÌ„ that way approche vnto the sayd Ualley On the other coastes a man may enter by seuen or eight wayes This place is not past two miles from Angrongne The way thether is very narrow and il to passe by because of the hilles which be on both sides There is also a Riuer harde by but very small but the bankes thereof be very high in many places The people had caryed thether very fewe victuals partly because the way was so yll and also through the sodaine returne of the armie In the meane time the Lorde of Trinitie after he had nowe twise assaulted Angrongne sent certaine to burne Rosa and to discouer the wayes whiche ledde to the valley of Luserne but the Souldioures were driuen backe foure dayes
a halbarde The other folowed by two two together with harquebushes These eight went froÌ„ rocke to rocke from hill to hill about the mountaine and chased their ennemies valiauntly Then came twelue other the which ioyning wyth the rest foughte with a woonderfull courage and made great slaughter of their enemies Sone after there came from the valley of Luserne an hundreth harquebushes with one of their Ministers according to their maner which are wont to sende out a minister withall as well for prayer and exhortation as to kepe the people in order that they exceede not measure as it came to passe that day A conflict betweene the Angronians and the enemies At the length they sawe them also commyng whyche returned from the discomfiture of the former troupe making a great noyse and hauing a drumme sounding afore them whyche they had taken from their ennemies which ioyned with them of the valley of Luserne and hauing made their earnest praier vnto god immediatly they came to succour the other that nowe were encountring valiantly wyth their ennemies Then the ennemies seeing suche a company marching against them with suche courage and boldnesse after the other had once called vpon God theyr hearts were so taken from them that sodenly they fledde and as soone as the other began to pray they beganne also to flee But because they could not well saue them selues by running away they turned backe twise and foughte and some in the meane time fled He that caried the Rancon and discouered the enemies was but a very young and a simple man and was estemed to be one that coulde doe nothing but as they say in their language handle La Sappe that is to say a Hatchet and kept cattell The maruelous workes of the Lord. and yet he with those that folowed so discomfited the ennemies that it was woonderfull to beholde He brake his great Rancon with laying load vpon them and after that he brake also foure of their own swordes in pursuing of them There was a boy of 18. yeares of age and of smal stature Dauid with his sâ—ing killeth Goliath which alone slue the Lord of Monteil master of the campe as is said to the king wherwith the enemies were maruellously astonished and discouraged An other simple man who a man wold haue thought durst not once haue looked Charles Truchet in the face because hee was a very bigge man strong puissant and one of the chiefest captaines of the whole army threw downe the saide Truchet with the stroke of a stone Then a young man leapte vpon him and slue him with his owne sworde which was foure fingers broad and cleaft his head in peeces The crueltye of this wretched Truchet agaynst this pore people appeareth before in this story This Truchet was one of the principall authours of this warre and one of the chefest enemies of true religion and of the poore Waldoys that could then be fouÌ„d It was sayd also that he vaunted and promised before to the sayde Lord of Trinitie that he would deliuer into his hands the medow of Tour. But God soone brought his proude brag to nought And for his spoyling pilling and polling of the poore people hee lay spoyled and naked like a beast in the wilde mountaine of Angrongne Two of the chiefest among them offered to paye a great summe of crownes for their ransome but they coulde not be hearde They were pursued more then a mile were so discomfited that they fled w tout any resistance and if the nighte had not let them they had pursued them further The minister when he saw the great effusion of bloud and the enemies to flee he cried to the people saying that it was enough and exhorted them to geue thankes vnto God They which heard him obeied and fel to prayer but they which were further of and heard him not chased their ennemies till darke night In so muche that if the rest had done the like very few of their enemies had escaped That day they spoiled their ennemies of a great part of theyr armour and munition So God restored in this combat and in others to the poore Waldoys God fighteth for 〈◊〉 people the armor which the Lord of Trinitie had taken from them before Thankes were geuen vnto God in euery place and euery man cried who is he which seeth not that God fighteth for vs This victorie gaue great courage to the poore Waldoys and greatly astonished the enemies The eightenth of February the Lorde of Trinitie not satisfied with burning and destroying the greatest parte of Uillars returned to burne all the little villages rounde about which pertaine to the same and especially Pharaos hart yet remaineth indurate to pursue the poore people which were fled vp into the mountaines and diuiding his armye into 3. partes he entered by the 3. seuerall wayes aboue mentioned The two first companies ioyned together betwene Uillars and Boby hauing a great company of horsemen From thence they went to seeke the people which were in the mountaine of Combe by suche a way as they did not suspecte and where there were no warders to defende the place Notwithstanding the warders which were nexte seeing their ennemies ascending that way speedely ranne before them and callyng vpon God for his aide and succour they set themselues against their ennemies and albeit they were but thirtie in number yet they valiauntly beate them backe twise comming out of their bulwarkes that is to say The Waldoys againe driue their enemyes backe certaine houses which at that time serued them for that purpose albeit they were not made to that vse Many of y e enemies were slaine at those two combates and not one of the other side The Lorde of Trinitie seeing his men so fiercely driuen backe sent out the greatest parte of his armie whych were esteemed to be aboue xv hundreth men There came also about a 100. to succour the warders The combate was very cruell and fierce At lengthe the poore people were assaulted so vehemently that they were faine to forsake their bulwarkes loosing two of their men Then the ennemyes thought all to be theirs and blew their trumpettes triumphing that they had put the people to flight But the people retiring not past a stones cast toke courage and crying altogether to the Lord for succour they turned themselues to the face of their enemies and with great force and power they hurled stones at them with their slings After this the enemies rested themselues a while and by and by after they gaue a furious assaulte but yet they were againe mightely resisted Yet once again the enemies rested and in the meane time the people fell to praier calling vpon God altogether with their faces lifted vppe towardes heauen which frayed the enemies more then any thing els After this they gaue yet an other great assaulte but God by the handes of a fewe droue them backe Yea God here shewed his great power eueÌ„
in the litle children also which feruently called vpō God threw stones at their enemies and gaue courage also vnto the men So did also the wemen and the vulgare sort that is to say God geueth victorye by the handes of a fewe those which were meete for no feates of warre remaining vppon the mountaine and beholding these furious combates kneeling vpon the ground and hauing their faces lifted vp towards heauen with teares and gronings they cried Lord helpe vs. Who heard their praiers After that these three assaults were geuen there came one vnto them crying Be of good courage God hath sent those of Angrongne to succour vs hee meant that they of Angrongne were fighting for them in an other place that is to say towardes Tailleret where the thirde parte of the army was The people perceiuing y t they of Angrongne were come to that place to succour them began to cry blessed be God who hathe sent vs succour they of Angrongne be here they of Angrongne be here to succour vs. The enemies 〈◊〉 The ennemies hearing thys were astonished and sodenly blew a retreit and retired into the plaine That troupe whith was gone towards Tailleret deuided themselues into three companies The first marched by the side of the mountaine burning many houses The Angronians helpe their fellowes ioyned with the maine armie The seconde companie whyche was of seuen score marched hygher thinking to take the people at vnwares But they were by seuen men strongly resisted and driuen backe The third company attained the toppe of the mountain thinking to enclose the people but as God woulde they of Angrongne which came to succor them encountred with them wyth great force put them to flight They of Uillars of whom mention is made before after they had refreshed them selues with a little breade and wine for the most part of them had eaten nothing all that day chased their enemies til it was almost night so fiersly that the maister of the campe was faine to send to the Lord of Trinitie whiche was at Toure for succoure or else all would haue bene lost Which he did and immediately hee roade with all speede to Luserne to saue him selfe hearing the alarme which was geuen at S. Iohn by those of Angrongne fearing least the way should haue ben stopped The armye retired with great difficultie notwithstanding the newe aide whiche was sent them and wyth great losse of their men The persecutors put to flight One of their captaines confessed since that if they had bene pursued any further they had fledde all that night longe Since that time they neuer returned againe into the valley of Luserne On Monday being the 17. day of Marche next folowing the Lorde of Trinitie to be reuenged of those of the medow of Tour assembled al the force that he could make with the Gentlemen of the Countrey In so muche that whereas before his army was commonly but foure thousand it was nowe betweene sixe and seuen thousande and secretly in the night season he encamped with parte of hys army in the middest of Angrongne from whence the poore inhabitants were fled before The next morning after the Sermon and praiers were ended they perceiued the other parte of the army to be encamped at the foote of the mountaine of Angrongne on the East side Sone after they perceiued how both partes of the army coasted the hilles side the one towards the other being such a multitude so glittering in their harnesse marching in such araye that the pore people at the first were astonished therat Notwythstanding the assemble fell downe vpon their knees 3. or 4. times crying Help vs O Lord beseching him to haue regarde to the glory of his holy name The Angroniās fall to prayer to staye the effusion of bloud if it were his good pleasure to turne the hearts of their enemies to the trueth of his holy Gospell These two partes of the army ioyned together nere to the bulwarks of the medow of Toure gaue the assault in three seuerall places One of the bands mounted secretly by the rockes thinking to haue enclosed the people in their Bulwarkes But assoone as they which kept the bulwarke be lowe had espied them they forsooke their place and marched straight towardes them as they marched they met with the aide which was sent vnto them from the vally of Luserne very luckily and comming as it were from heauen whych ioyning together sone discomfited their enemies w t stones and harquebushes They pursued them fiersly in y e rockes and vexed them woonderfully because the rockes are so steepe that no man can ascende or descende without great paine and difficultie The Captaine of this band was named Bastian of Uergil a man very expert in the affaires of warre The proud threates of Amman Hee at his going out of his lodging threatned y t he would do great terrible things that day His hostesse hearing that said vnto him Monsieur if our religiō be better then theirs you shall haue the victorie but if theyrs be better then ours you shall not preuaile Shortly after the captaine was brought againe into his Inne so wounded and so feeble that he was not like to liue Then sayde hys hostesse vnto him Monsieur it is nowe wel seene that their religion is better then oures There was also an other bande that kept the top of the hill to assault the bulwarkes from thence The middlemost bulwarke was then assaulted in the which were very fewe to defend the same the which seeing the number of their enemies retired backe leauing therein but 5. onely to defend it There was a huge cocke not farre from the foresayd bulwarke behinde the same a great number of the enemies were hid And anone there issued out two ensigns assuring them selues to winne the bulwarke but immediately one of their ensigne bearers was wounded to death Whereupon many reculed backe The other set vp his ensigne vpon the bulwarke They which were wythin had neither halbard nor any other long weapon but only one Pike The Bulwarke manfully defended and the same without an yron the which one of the 5. tooke and threw downe the ensigne and manfully beate backe the sealers and threwe them downe to the grounde Diuers of the enemies were entred into the bulwarke by a doore belowe and slue one of the fiue which kept y e middle parte of the bulwarke The other foure looked to be destroyed out of hande Then one of the foure chased awaye those which had entred belowe with stones and the other three leauing their handguns defended themselues likewise with great stones and perceiuing the bande whych was on the rockes to flee they tooke courage and w tstoode their enemies valiantly til their companions were returned from the chase In the meane time the Bulwarke which was vppon the side of the mountaine was furiously assailed by the one halfe of the armie Those that were within
limites dwell not oute of them and they which be of the townes villages of the said valleis dwel not out of them nor of their borders The liberty of Trafficke graunted and in so doing they shall not be molested by any meanes and shall not be offended nor troubled in body or goods but shall remaine vnder the protection and sauegarde of his highnesse Furthermore his highnes shal set order to stay al troubles inconueniences secret cōspiracies of wicked persons after such sort The elders of the Valleys of Pyemont that they shall remaine quietly in theyr religion For obseruation whereof George Monastier one of the elders of Angrongne Constantion Dialestini otherwise called Rembaldo one of the Elders of Uillars Pirrone Arduino sent frō the comminaltie of Boby Michael Ramondet sent from the comminaltie of Tailleret and of la Rua de Bonet bordering vpon Tour Iohn Malenote sent from certaine persons of S. Iohn Peter Paschal sent from the comminaltie of the valley of S. Martin Thom. Roman of S. Germain sent from the comminaltie of the same place and of all the Ualley of Perouse promise for thē and their comminalties seuerally that the cōtents of these conclusions aforesayd shall be inuiolately kepte and for breach thereof do submit themselues to such punishment as shall please his hignes promising likewise to cause the chiefe of the families of the comminalties to allow and confirme the sayd promise The honourable Lorde of Raconis doth promise that the Dukes highnes shall confirme and allow the foresayde conclusions to them both generally and perticularly The Lord of Raconnis at the intercession and especiall fauour of the noble Lady the Princesse The Lady Princes intercessour for the Waldoys In testimonie whereof the foresayde Lord of Raconis hath confirmed these present conclusions wyth hys owne hand and the Ministers haue lykewise subscribed in the name of all the sayd Ualleys and they which can write in the name of all theyr comminalties At Cauor the v. of Iune 1561. Phillip of Sauoy Fraunces Valla Minister of Villars Claudius Bergius Minister of Taillaret Georgius Monasterius Michael Raymundet THis accord being thus made and passed by the meanes of the Duchesse of Sauoy the poore Waldoys haue ben in quiet vntill this present and God of his infinite goodnes hauyng deliuered them out of so many troubles and conflicts hath set them at libertie to serue him purely and with quietnes of conscience Wherfore there is none at this present except he be altogether blind or senceles but he seeth and well perceiueth that God would make it knowen by experience to these poore Waldoys All thinges turne to the best to thē that loue the Lord. and al other faithful people that al things turne to the best to them which loue and feare hym For by all these afflictions which they suffered as is before rehearsed this good heauenly father hath brought them to repentance and amendement of life He hath effectuously taught them to haue recourse to his fatherly mercy and to embrace Iesus Christ for their onely Sauiour and redeemer Furthermore he hath taught them to tame the desires and lustes of the flesh to withdrawe their harts from the world and lift them vp to heauen and to be alwayes in a readines to come to him as vnto their most louing and pitifull father To be short hee hath set them to the schoole of hys children to the end they should profite in patience and hope to make them to mourne weepe and cry vnto hym And aboue all he hath made them so oft to proue his succours at time of need to see them before their eyes to feele and touch them with their handes as a man would say after such sort that they haue had good occasion and all the faithfull with them neuer to distrust so good a father and so carefull for the health of his children but to assure themselues neuer to be confounded what thing soeuer happen And yet to see thys more manifestly and that euery man may take profite therof it shal be good to vnderstand what this poore people did whiles they were in these combates and conflictes The behauiour of these good men in their persecutiōs So soone as they sawe the armye of theyr enemies approch they cryed altogether for ayde and succour to the Lord and before they begā to defend thēselues they fell to prayer and in fighting lifted vp their hartes and sighed to the Lorde As long as the enemyes were at rest euery one of these poore people on their knees called vpon God When the combate was ended they gaue him thankes for the comfort and succour which they had felte In the meane time the rest of the people with the Ministers made their harty prayer vnto God with sighes and teares and that from the morning vntill the euening When night was come they assembled agayne together They which had fought rehearsed the woonderfull ayde and succour which God had sent them and so altogether rendred thankes vnto hym for hys fatherly goodnes Alwayes he chaunged their sorrow into ioye In the morning trouble and affliction appeared before them wyth great terrour on all sides but by the euening they were deliuered and had great cause of reioysing and comfort Warre and famine two enemies against these men This poore people had two terrible enemies warre and famine which kepte them vnder in such sort that a man would haue thought they had bene vtterly lost destroyed But God of his endles mercy deliuered thē from such dangers and restored them to their houses where they remained afterwards in peace and quietnes al they which had declared themselues to be their open enemyes were brought to confusion as well those whiche fought to get their goodes as those whiche onely desired to shedde their bloud For proofe wherof the onely exāple of two Gentlemen of the Ualley of Luserne shall suffice These not onely moued cruell warre agaynst their poore tenauntes and others but most shamefully spoyled them and tooke vntollerable fines of all those that disobeyed their Edictes to keepe a good conscience Besides this Example of Gods fauour toward his seruantes cōfusion toward their persecutors they went about to sease all their goodes as forfaite waytyng to haue the whole forfayture thereof themselues And for this cause they did not onely incense the Duke with false reportes and with greeuous complayntes and accusations agaynst these poore Waldoys but also pursued the same so long and with such charges that they were fayne to sell their inheritaunce in hope to bring their purpose to passe and to enioy that goodly pray which they thought could not escape their handes But in the ende for their rewarde they got nothyng but shame and confusion And as for the Monkes and Priestes whiche by such meanes thought to aduaunce themselues to bryng their trumpery to estimation they haue lost the litle rule which they had ouer
part agaynst his accusers that he at that time was rid out of trouble William Tyndall in hys booke aunswering that M. More addeth moreouer and testifieth that the Byshop of London would haue made the said Colet Deane of Paules an hereticke for translating the Pater noster in Englishe had not the Byshop of Caunterbury holpen the Deane But yet the malice of Fitziames the Byshop so ceased not who being thus repulsed by the Archbishop practised by an other trayne how to accuse hym vnto the king The occasion thus fel. It happened the same time that the king was in preparation of warre agaynst Fraunce Whereupon the Byshop with his coadiutors taking occasion vpon certaine wordes of Colet wherein he seemed to preferre peace before any kinde of warre Iniqua pax iustissimo bello praeferenda were it neuer so iust accused him therefore in their sermons and also before the Kyng Furthermore it so befell the same time y t vpon good friday D. Colet preaching before the king entreated of the victory of Christ exhorting all Christians to fight vnder y e standard of Christ against the deuill adding moreouer what an hard thing it was to fight vnder Christes banner and that all they which vpon priuate hatred or ambition tooke weapon against their enemy one christian to slay an other suche did not fight vnder the banner of Christ but rather of Satan therefore concluding his matter he exhorted that Christian men in theyr warres would followe Christ their Prince captayn in fighting against their enemies rather then the example of Iulius or Alexander c. The king hearing Colet thus to speake and fearing lest by hys words the hartes of his souldiours might be withdrawne from his warres which hee had then in hande Colet called before the kyng tooke hym aside and talked with him in secret conference in his garden walking Bish. Fitziames Bricot and StaÌ„dish who were his enemies thought now none other but that Collet must needs be committed to y e Tower wayted for his comming out But the king with great gentlenes intertayning D. Colet and bidding him familiarly to put on his cap in long curteous talk had with him in the garden much commended him for his learning integritie of lyfe agreeing with him in all poyntes D. Colet commended of the king but that onely he required him for that the rude souldiours shuld not rashly mistake that which he had said more playnly to explane hys words and minde in that behalfe which after he dyd and so after long communication and great promisâ—s the king dismissed Colet with these wordes saying let euery man haue his Doctour as him liketh this shall be my Doctour and so departed Wherby none of his aduersaries durst euer trouble him after that time The foundation of the schoole of Paules Among many other memorable actes left behind him he erected a worthy foundation of the schoole of Paules I pray God the fruites of the schoole may answere y e foundation for the cherishing vp of youth in good letters prouiding a sufficient stipende as well for the maister as for the Husher whome he willed rather to be appoynted out of the number of maryed men then of single priestes with their suspected chastitie The first moderator of this schoole was Guliel Lilius Gulielm Lilius Ex epist. Eras. ad Iod. Ionam Guliel Grocinus Guliel Latimerus The iudgemeÌ„t of Greocinus vpon Hierachia ecclesiast Dionisii Areopag a man no lesse notable for hys learnyng then was Colet for his foundation Ex. Epist. Erasm. ad Iodoc Ionam This Colet died the yeare of our Lord 1519. Not long before the death of this Colet and Lily lyued Gulielmus Grocinus and Gulielmus Latimerus both English men also and famously learned This Grocinus as he began to read in his opeÌ„ lecture in y e church of S. Paul the booke of Dyonisius Areopagita commonly called Hierarchia Ecclesiastica for the reading of the holy scriptures in Paules was not in vre in the first entry of his preface he cryed out with great vehemency agaynst them who soeuer they were whiche eyther denyed or stoode in doubt of the authoritie of that booke in the number of whome hee noted Laurence Valla diuers other of like approued iudgement and learning But afterward the same Grocine when he had continued a few weekes in hys reading thereof and did consider further in him he vtterly altered and recanted his former sentence protesting openly that the forenamed booke to his iudgement was neuer written by that authour whom we reade in the actes of the Apostles to be called Dyonisius Areopagita Ex. Eras. ad Parisiens Dionisius Areopag The tractation of these two couples aboue rehearsed doe occasion me to adioyne also the remembraunce of an other couple of like learned men The names of whom not vnworthy to be remembred were Thomas Linacre and Richard Pace which two followed much vpon the tyme of Colet Thomas Linacre Richarde Pace and of Wil. Lily But of Richard Pace whiche was Deane next after the foresayd Iohn Colet more conuenient place shall serue vs hereafter to speake comming to the story of Cardinall Wolsey Moreouer to these two I thought it not out of season to couple also some mention of Geffrey Chaucer and Iohn Gower Geffrey Chaucer Iohn Gower Which although being much discrepant froÌ„ these in course of yeres yet may seeme not vnworthy to be matched with these forenamed persons in commendation of their study and learning Albeit concerning the full certainty of the tyme and death of these two we cannot find yet it appeareth in the prologe of Gowers work intituled confessio Amantis that he finished it in the 16. yeare of K. Rich. the second And in the end of the viij booke of hys sayde treatise he declareth that he was both sicke and old when he wrote it wherby it may appeare that he liued not long after Notwithstanding by certayne verses of the sayde maister Gower placed in y e latter end of Chaucers works both in Latine and Englishe it may seeme that he was aliue at the beginning of the raigne of king Henry the iiij and also by a booke which he wrote to the same K. Henry By his sepulture within a Chappell of the Churche of S. Mary Oueries The bookes 〈◊〉 Iohn Gower whiche was then a monastery where he his wife lye buried it appeareth by hys cheyn his garlaÌ„d of Laurell that he was both a knight and florishing than in poetry In the which place of his sepulture were made in hys grauestone 3. books the first bearing the tytle Speculum meditantis The second Vox Clamantis The thyrd CoÌ„fessio amantis Besides these diuers Chronicles and other workes moe he compiled Likewise as touching the tyme of Chaucer by hys owne works in the end of hys first booke of Troylus and Crâ—scide it is manifest that he and Gower were bothe of one tyme
therefore stopped the streetes and lanes with cartes and made fires to see that none shoulde escape The fury of this world against the poore Christians The faythfull albeit God hath geueÌ„ them leisure to finysh their administration prayers with such quetnes as they neuer had better seeing the sodennesse of the thyng were stroken in great feare Who then being exhorted by the gouernors of the congregation fel to praier That done through the counsell of some whyche knew the cowardly hartes of the multitude this order was taken that the men whiche had weapon should aduenture through the prese onely the womeÌ„ and children remayned in the house and a few men with them which were lesse bolde then the other to the number of sixe or seauen score Where appeared the admirable power of God in them that went out with weapon One of the CoÌ„gregation beateÌ„ downe in the streates and Martyred which notwithstanding that y e lanes and passages were stopped and the fires made dyd all escape saue onely one who was beateÌ„ down with stones and so destroyed Certayne that remayned in the house with the womeÌ„ afterward leaped into gardens where they were stayed till the Magistrates came The women which were all Gentlewomen or of great wealth onely sixe or seuen excepted seing no other hope and perceiuing the fury of the people went vp to the windowes crying * Mercy here importeth no oâ—feÌ„ce acknowledged but to be saued from the rage of the people mercy and shewing theyr innocent intent required iustice ordinary Thus as they were inclosed about 6. or 7. houres at last came Martin the kinges Attorney with force of Commissaries and Sergeantes Who with much adoe appeasing the courage of the people entred into the house where he viewing the women children and the other furniture there being prepared for that congregatioÌ„ perceiued testimonies sufficient of their innocency in so much that in considering therof for pity of hart his eyes could not refraine from teares Notwithstanding proceeding in his office hee had them all to prison within the litle Castle I omit here the furious vsage of the people by the way how despightfully they plucked and haled the women tare their garmeÌ„ts thrust of theyr hoods froÌ„ their heades disfigured theyr faces with dust and durt Neither were they better entreated in the Prison then they were in the streetes for all the villaines and theeues there were let out of theyr holes and stinking caues and the poore Christians placed in theyr roomes Besides these manifolde wronges oppressions done to these poore innoceÌ„ts folowed theÌ„ which was worst of all the cruell slaunderous reportes of the friers and priestes A false and malicious slaunder raised agaynst the Congregation who in theyr rayling sermons other talke cryed out to the Lutherans perswading the people most falsly that they assembled together to make a banket in the night and there putting out y e candles they went together Iacke with Iille as the sayde after a filthy and beastly maner Adding moreouer to make the lye more likely that certayne Nunnes also Monkes were with them Also that they should conspyre against the king and other like heynous crimes whatsoeuer theyr malice could inuent for defacing of the Gospell With such like malitious misreportes sclauÌ„ders Sathan went about to extinguish the auncient church of Christ in the primitiue time accusing the innocent Christians then of incest conspiracy killing of infantes putting out of candles Vid. supr pag. 36 filthy whoredome c. Vide supra pag. 36. These sinister rumors cursed defamations were no sooner geueÌ„ out but they were as soone receiued and spread farre not onely to theÌ„ of the vulgar sort but also among the states of the Court and euen to the kinges â—ares The Cardinall of Lorraine y e same time bare a great sway in the court who then procured a certayne Iudge of the Castle to come in declaring to the king that he found there lying in y e floore of the foresayd house diuers couches pallets vpon which they intended to coÌ„mit theyr whoredome also much other furniture and preparation appointed for a sumptuous feast or banquet wherewith the kyng was mightely inflamed agaynst them neyther was there any one person that durst contrary it Here the enemies began highly to triumph thinking verily that the gospell with all the freÌ„des therof were ouerthrowne for euer On the other side no lesse perplexity and lamentation was among y e brethren sorowing not so muche for themselues as for the imprisonment of theyr fellowes Albeit they loste not theyr courage so altogether but as well as they could they exhorted one another considering y e great fauour and prouidence of God in deliuering them so wonderfully out of the daunger Some comfort they tooke vnto them consulting together in this order that first they should humble themselues to God in theyr owne priuate familyes Secondly to stoppe the running brutes of theyr holy assembles they should write Apologies one to the kyng an other to the people Thirdly that letters of consolatioÌ„ should be written and sent to theyr brethren in prison The first Apology was written to the king and conueyed so secretly into his Chamber The Apologie of the Congregation against false reportes that it was found and read opeÌ„ly in the hearing of the king and of all his nobles Wherin the Christians learnedly discreetly both cleared themselues of those reportes and shewed the malice of theyr enemies especially of Satan which euer froÌ„ the beginning of the Church hath and still doeth goe about to ouerturne the right wayes of the Lord declaring further by manyfolde examples and coÌ„tinuall experience eueÌ„ from the primitiue time how the nature of the Church hath euer bene to suffer vexations and sclaunderous reports and infamation by the malignant aduersaries c. And lastly comming to the king they craued that theyr cause might not be condemned before it had indifferent hearing c. Neuerthelesse this Apology to the king serued to litle purpose forsomuch as the aduersaries incontinent denied all that was written to the king making him to beleue that all were but excuses pretensed neither was there any person that durst replye agayne But the other Apology to the people did inestimable good in satisfying the rumors and defending the true cause of the gospell Wherupon certayne doctors of SorboÌ„ began to write both agaynst y e Apology and the persons Doctoâ—â—â—â—mochareâ— persecâ—â—â—â—â— of whom one was called Demochares who taking for his foundation without any proofe that they were all heretiques cryed out for iustice with billes glaues fire and sword An other Sorbonist more bloudy then the first not only exclamed against theÌ„ for putting out y e candles in theyr detestable concourses assembles but also accused theÌ„ as men which mainteined that there was no God and denied the diuinity humanity of Christ the immortallity of the soule the
them how to aunswere to euery poynt of christian doctrine so well as if he had done no other thing in all his life but onely studyed diuinity and yet was he but very simply learned Then was he sent from them apart vnto an other Prison full of filthy stinche and vermine where notwithstāding he ceased not to sing Psalmes that the other might well heare him He had a young nephew in an other prison by being but a childe of whom he asked what he had sayd to the Iudges He sayde that he was constrayned to do reuerence to a crucifixe painted O thou noughty boy said he haue not I taught thee y e commandements of God Images forbidden Knowest thou not how it is written Thou shalt not make to thy selfe no grauen Image c. and so beganne to expound to hym the Commaundementes whereunto hee gaue good attention In their examinations many questiōs were propounded by the Doctors and Friers touching matters both of religion and also to know of them what Gentlemen and Gentlewomen were there present at the ministration of the Sacrament Whereunto they aunswered in such sort as was both sufficient for defence of theyr owne cause and also to saue theyr other brethren from blame saying that they woulde liue and dye in that they had sayd and maynteyned When the time of theyr execution was come they perceiued that the Iudges had intended that if they would relent they shoulde be strangled if not they should burne aliue and theyr tongues be cutte from them Which tormentes they being content to suffer for our Sauiour Iesus Christ offered their tongues willingly to the hangman to be cut Gabart began a little to sigh Their tounges cut for that he might no more prayse the Lord with his tongue Whome then Cene did comfort Then were they drawne out of prison in the dōg cart to the suburbes of S. Germane Whom the people in rage and madnes folowed with cruell iniuries and blasphemies as though they would haue done the execution themselues vpon them Maugre the hangman The cruelty of theyr death was suche as hath not lightly bene sene Crueltie for they were holden long in the ayre ouer a small fire and theyr lower partes burnt of before that the higher partes were much harmed with the fire Neuerthelesse these blessed sayntes ceased not in all these tormentes to turne vp theyr eyes to heauen and to shewe forth infinite testimonyes of theyr fayth constancy In the same fire many Testamentes and Bibles the same time also were burnt Upon the sight of this cruelty See heere howe the whole power of the world was confederate together against the poore saints of God according to the prophecie of the 2. Psalme Astiterunt Reges terrae principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus Dominum c. the frendes of the other prisoners which remayned behinde fearyng the tyranny of these iudges presented certaine causes of refusall agaynst the sayd iudges requiring other Commissioners to be placed But the king beyng hereof aduertised by his Sollicitour sent out hys letters patentes commaunding the sayd causes of refusall to be frustrate and willed the former iudges to proceed all other letters and obstacles to the contrary notwithstanding and that the Presidentes should haue power to chuse to them other counsellers according to theyr owne arbitrement to supply the place of such as were absent amongest whome also the sayd Sollicitour was receyued in stead of the kinges Procurator to pursue the proces By the which letters patents it was decreed that these stubberne Sacramentaries as they were called should be iudged accordingly saue only that they should not proceed to the executiō before the king were aduertised These letters aforesaid stirred vp the fire of this persecution not a litle for that the Iudges at this refusall tooke great indignation and were mightily offended for that reproch Notwithstanding so it pleased God Albert Hartung deliuered that a yong man a Germane called Albert Hartung borne in the country of Brandeburge and godsonne to Albert Marques of Brandeburge by the kinges commaundement was deliuered through the importune sute of the sayde Marques Ex Ioan. Crisp lib. 6. 2. Presidentes 25. Counsellers The Lieuetenant ciuil Doctors Friers Sorbonistes Benedictus Iacobin Demochares Maillard Fridericke Danuile Frances Rebezies At Paris An. 1558. Mentiō was made aboue of certaine yong scholers and studentes which were in the litle castle with Peter Gabart Of the which nūber of Scholers were these two Fridericke Danuile and Frances Rebezies neyther of them being past twēty yeres of age Fridericke Danuile Fraunces Rebezies martyrs How valiauntly they behaued thēselues in those tender yeares susteining the quarel of our Lord Iesus Christ what cōfession they made what conflictes they had disputing with the Doctors of Sorbone theyr own letters left in writing do make record y e effect wherof briefly to touch is this And first touchinge Fridericke Danuile The Lieuetenant criminall who before was halfe suspected but nowe thinking to proue himselfe a right catholick and to recouer his estimation agayne came to him beginninge with these wordes of Scripture Who so euer denyeth me before men him will I denye before my father c Math. 10. That done hee asked him what he thought of the Sacrament To whom Friderick aunswered that if he should thinke Christ Iesus to be betweene the Priestes handes after the Sacramentall wordes as they call them then should he beleue a thing contrary to the holy Scripture and to the Creed which saith Act. 2. that he sitteth on the right hād of the Father Also to the testimonye of the Aungelles whiche speake both of the ascending of Christ and of his commyng downe agayn Act. 1. After these questions with him touching Inuocation of Sayntes Purgatorye c. Wherunto he aunswered so that he rather did astonish the enemies then satisfy them Furthermore the 12. of September the sayd Fridericke agayne was brought before Benedictus Iacobin and his companion a Sorbonist called Noster Magister who thus began to argue with him The Doctor Which thinke you to bee the true Churche the Churche of the Protestantes or the Churche of Paris The Martyr I recognise that to be the true Church where the Gospell is truely preached and the Sacramentes rightly administred so as they bee lefte by Iesus Christ and his Apostles The Doctor And is the Church thinke you of Geneua such a one as you speake of The Martyr I so iudge it to be The Doctor And what if I doe prooue the contrary will you beleue me The Martyr Yea it you shall proue it by the Scripture The Doctor Or will you beleue S. Austen and other holy doctors innumerable The Martyr Yea so they dissent not from the scripture and the word of God The Doctor By the authority of S. Austen The Church the Church is there where is the succession of Byshops whereupon I frame this argument There is the Church
they which kept the straites perceiuing that their enemies prepared themselues to fight fell down vpon their knees and made their praiers vnto God that it woulde please hym to take pitie vpon them The prayer of the Angronian and not to looke vpon their sinnes but to the cause which they mainteyned to turne the harts of their enemies and so to worke that there might be no effusion of bloud and if it were his wyll to take them with their wiues infantes out of this world that he would then mercifully receiue them into his kingdome In this sort most feruent prayers were made of all those that kept the passages with exhortation that they should altogether cry vnto God and craue hys succour and assistance in thys great distresse All this the Lord of Trinitie and the army did well perceiue Their prayers thus ended sodenly they perceyued their enemies comming towards them through the vines to wynne the top of the mountayne of Angrongne In the meane tyme the Prior of Saint Iohn and Iacomel were within the temple of Angrongne and communed wyth the Rulers touching an agreement These were sent thyther by the Lord of Trinitie to keepe the people occupyed To be short the combat began in diuers places and endured for a long space in the passages of Angrongne The poore Waldoys being but few in number and some of them hauing but slings and crossebowes were sore pressed with the multitude of their enemies A combatâ— betweene the Lorde of trinity the Waldoys At length they retired to the toppe of the mountaine where they defended themselues vntill night When they had found a place where they might wythstande their enemies still pursuing them they turned themselues and slue diuers of them and hurt many When the euening came the enemies rested and were about to encampe themselues there to suppe and lodge all night Which thing when the Angrongnians perceiued they fell to prayer desiring God to assist and succour them but the enemies flouted them and laughed them to scorne Then y e poore people deuised to send a drumme into a litle valley hard by And as they were makyng their prayers vnto God the drumme sounded in y e valley the Lord of Trinitie caused his souldiers whiche were about Beholde the polecye of this pore people to encampe themselues to remoue thence which was a great vauntage to the poore people whiche now were sore weeried with trauaile al wet with sweating and very thyrstie and in great perill if God had not geuen them some litle breathing time Many of the enemies that day were slayne and many hurt of the which very few escaped In so much that they reported that the shot was poysoned which this poore simple people neuer vsed to do in all these warres Of the Angrongnians that daye there were but three slayne and one hurt which afterwardes was well healed agayne This combate gaue greate courage to the Waldoys and sore astonished the aduersaries The same tyme the army retyring burnt many houses and made greate spoyle as they went destroyeng also the wines which were in the presses The sayd Lord of Trinitie with his army camped in a village beyond Tour in the valley of Luserne at the foote of the hill betweene Angrongne and y e other townes of y e valley of Luserne Gods secret in â—â—ement in helping his and punishing his enemies which professed y e Gospell They of the sayd village were alwayes sore against y e Waldoys haters of true religion and were glad of this outrage and violence done against the professours therof but they had their iust plague for they were all destroied After this the sayde Lorde of Trinitie caused the Fortresse to be built agayne which the Frenchmen had rased and placed there a garrison and after sent another to the Forte of Uillars which is of the valley of Luserne and an other he sente to the Fortresse of Perouse and a fourth garrison he placed in the Castle of S. Martin They of Angrongne seeyng themselues to be now as it were in a sea of troubles after they had recommended themselues vnto God by prayer and committed their cause vnto him sent to them of Perouse of S. Martin and of Pragela for ayde and succour which sent them all the helpe that they were able The nexte daye folowing there came letters to Angrongne from the Lord of Trinitie The effect whereof was this A crafty mesâ—aâ—e of the Lord of Trinitie to the Angronians that he was sorye for that whiche was done the day before and that he came not thyther to make warre against them but onely to view if it were a place conuenient to build a Fort therein to serue the Duke Furthermore that his souldiers seeing the people assembled as it were to defie them vpon that occasion onely were stirred vp to geue assault and to set vpon them Also that he was sory that suche spoyle was made of their goodes and suche hurt done by fire But if they would shew themselues obedient to y e Duke he had good hope that al should be wel and trusted that some good agreement shoulde be made The Angrongnians answeared that they were marueylously agreeued to be so assaulted The Angronians aunswere to the message spoyled and tormented by the subiectes of their liege and naturall prince and as they had oftentymes before offered themselues to be more faythful and obedient to their soueraigne prince the Duke then any of all his subiects besides so yet still they offered the same obedience Also they most humbly besought hym not to thinke it strange if they being constrayned by such extreame necessitie defended themselues Finally as touching their Religion they affirmed that it was the pure word of God euen as it was preached by the Prophetes and Apostles and the same which their predecessours had obserued for certayne hundreth yeares past Moreouer that the cause was not coÌ„cerning the goodes of the world but the honour and glory of God the saluation or destruction of the soules both of them and theirs and therefore it were much better for them to dye all together then to forsake their religion and yet if it might be proued vnto them by good demonstration out of the word of God that they were in errour not by force of armes by bloud and fire they would then yeeld themselues with all obedience most humbly beseeching him and all other the Lordes of the Countrey of Piemont to be their intercessours and aduocates to the Duke in this behalfe The towne of Vellers assaulted Upon Monday being the fourth day of Nouember the Lord of Trinitie sent his army to Uillars and Tailleret The lesser company ascended toward Uillers The people seeing their enemies aproching after they had called vppon God with feruent prayer The towne of Tailleret assaulted strongly defended themselues and slue many many also were hurt and the rest fled The other companye ascended
towardes Tailleret And although they of that place were but few in number and that parte of the army the greater yet making theyr prayers vnto God and coÌ„mending their cause vnto him they defended themselues likewise valiantly In the meane season they of Uillars being emboldened by their late victorie came to assist their neighbours and beyng assembled together they couragiously pursued their enemies and put them to â—light In this pursute it chaunced which here is not to be forgotten that this poore people God geueth victory to his seruants by an ambush of their enemies which came an other way were sodeÌ„ly enclosed on euery side and like to be destroyed but yet they all escaped and not one of them was slayne onely iij. were hurt which were soone cured agayn On the enemies side there were so many slayne that they were layd together by whole cart loades This was the reward of those which were so desirous to shed innocent bloud The iust reward vpon the Lords enemies The same day the inhabitauntes of Sanson neare to Roccapiata assembled in great number together and went to a riche mans house of Roccapiata and spoyled all that hee had Certaine of Roccapiata in number not past xvij vnderstanding this set vpon them soone put them to flight tooke away their drumme forced them to leaue their bootie behynde them After that the Lord of Trinitâ—e had receiued the letters of the Angrongnians he sent vnto them his Secretary Gastaut a false brother named Christopher Gastaut which said him selfe that he fauoured the veritie of the Gospell accompanyed with a Gentleman of the sayd valley Whose charge was to cause the chief rulers to send certaine to common with the sayd Lord of Trinitie Deepe dissimulation in a crafty Papist saying that he had good tydinges to declare vnto them moreouer that he would deliuer them a safe conduct to come and go Wherupon they sent foure vnto him whom he entreated very courteously rehearsed vnto them how the Duke at his departure from the Court told him that although the Pope the Princes and Cities of Italie yea his own counsell were fully resolued that of necessitie they of the sayd Religion should bee destroyed yet notw tstaÌ„dyng God otherwise put in his mind and that he had taken counsell of God what he should do in this matter that is that he would vse them geÌ„tly Furthermore he declared vnto them that the Duches bare them good affection and fauoured them very much The Dutches a fauourer of the Angronians that she had commended their cause vnto the Duke perswadyng with him to haue regard to that poore people that their Religion was auncient old with many such other thynges Moreouer they had sayd he great frendes in the Dukes Court not doubtyng but if they would send certaine to the Court with a Supplication they should obteine more then they themselues would require and he for his part would employ himselfe in their affaires to the vttermost of his power and so hee promised that he would retire him selfe with his army This hee seemed to speake vnfaynedly The people desiring but to liue peaceably in their Religion and vnder the obedience of their Prince were content to folow his counsell About this season they of Angrongne perceiued that a part of the army ascended the hill of Tailleret which is the halfe way betwene Angrongne and those of the valley of Luserne the other part had already gotten a way whiche led to the Medow of Tour by the whiche they of AngroÌ„gne might easily haue bene enclosed Therfore they sent certaine immediately to keepe the way who soone after encountered with their enemies and obteined the victorie pursuyng and chasing them to their camp not without great losse of their men The number of their enemies slayne was not knowen for their custome was A combate betweene the Angronians the persecutors immediately to carry away those which were slayne Not one of Angrongne perished that day nor yet was hurt It was feared that this combate would haue hyndred the agreement But the Lord of Trinitie could well dissemble this matter and excused that dayes iourney The crafty dissimulation of the Lord of Trinity puttyng the fault vpon them of Tailleret whom he charged to haue slayne certaine of his men in the hygh way but amongest other his Barber On Saterday folowyng beyng the ix of Nouember the said Lord of Trinitie sent agayne for them of Angrongne to consult with him touchyng the agreement vsing the like communication as before and added thereunto that in token of true obedience they should cary their armour into two of the houses of the chief Rulers not fearyng but it should be safe for it should remayne in their owne keeping and if neede were they should receyue it agayne Also that he vppon Sonday which was the next day would cause a Masse to be song within the temple of S. Laurence in Angrongne accoÌ„panyed with a very few and thereby the Dukes wrath would be asswaged The next mornyng he went in the temple whereat they were sore agreeued albeit they could not withstaÌ„d him his army marchyng afore him and hauyng caused a Masse to be song he desired to see the Medow of Tour so much spokeÌ„ of that therof he might make a true report vnto the Duke and thether the Rulers with a great troupe of his owne men went the residue of his company remayne behynde the which spoyled certaine houses and seased the armour which they had deliuered vp before but they fouÌ„d no great store for the people had taken away the greatest part therof The sayd Lord being entred into the Medow of Tour the people began to make a commotion Whereof he hauing intelligence returned immediately All that daye he shewed himselfe very courteous to all whome he met The people in this meane time perceiued themselues to be in great daunger and were sore moued at the sight of the army the spoyle of the souldiours the taking away of their armour but especially because the sayd Lord of Trinitie had viewed the Medow of Tour foreseeing his trayterous meaning and purpose A few dayes after the sayde Lord of Trinitie sent his Secretary Gastaut to Angrongne Beholde the double dealing and dissimulatioÌ„ of the Papistes to bring their wiâ—kâ—d purpose to passe to talke with them concerning the agreement and to make a full resolution thereof which was read in the assemble by the Secretarie the summe whereof was this That the people of Angrongne submitted themselues to render all honour and reuerence to God according to his holy word and all due obedience to the Duke their soueraigne Prince to whome they shoulde send certaine men to demaund pardon of him concerning theyr bearing of armour in their extreme necessitie and humbly to beseech him that he would suffer them to liue peaceably in their religion whiche was according to the worde of God not compelling them
together by those whyche kepte the passages The enemies againe driuen backe Whereuppon hee sent hys whole armie whome they valiauntly withstoode from the morning till nighte Then they of Luserne sent newe aide During thys combate an ambushment of souldiours descended from the toppe of the mountaine by a place so harde to passe by that no manne would haue suspected it The poore Christians rūne through the pickes The poore people seeing themselues so enuironed of their enemies saued them selues some running through the middes of their ennemies and other some into the rockes The ennemies being entred into Rosa consumed all with fire and swoorde The Angroniās with their yoūg infantes flie into the mountaines The residue of the people fledde by a secrete way leading to the Ualley of Luserne and wandred al that night vppon the mountaines full of snowe loden with their stuffe carrying their litle infantes in theyr armes and leadinge the other by the handes wyth greate paine and trauail When they of the valley saw them they ranne vnto them praising God for their deliueraunce for they thought they had beene all slaine All be it thys poore people were heere in suche great extremitie yet they were ioyfull and comforted them selues wythout any lamentation or mourning excepte the little poore infantes whych cried out for colde A fewe dayes after the Lorde of Trinitie entred into the Ualley of Luserne by three seuerall wayes that is to say by Rosa by the plaine and by the sides of Tailleret They which kept the passages at the first resisted their ennemies valiauntly but perceiuing that they were assailed on euery side they retired to Uillars The Waldoys agayne assaulted by the Lorde of Trinity and there defended them selues a while But because they sawe that their enemies hadde already passed the Plaine and gotten aboue Uillars towardes Boby they gaue ouer and leafte Uillars and fled into the mountaines The souldiours beyng entred burned houses and slew all that they coulde finde The poore people which were fled to the mountaines seeing the village on fire praised God and gaue him thanks that had made them worthy to suffer for his name and for his cause and also they were glad to see the village on fire least that their enemies should encampe there themselues Then the souldiours in great rage mounted the hilles on euery side pursuing this poore people in great furie but a few of them after they had ardently called vpon God toke courage and beate backe theyr ennemies to Uillars This done the armie retired Fewe dayes after the medowe of Tour was assaulted by three seuerall wayes on the East side The combate dured a long season where diuers of the enemies were hurt and many slaine but none of this poore people were slaine that day onely two were hurt which were soone healed againe But to declare the conflictes assaultes skirmishes and alarmes which were at Angrongne and other places therabout it were too long for breuities sake it shall be sufficient to touch the most principall those which are most worthy of memorie On Saterday which was the fourteenthe day of Februarye the people which were in the vppermost parte of the Medowe of Toure perceiued that a company of souldiours were ascended vp the hill to Angrongne and burning y e rest of the houses there They doubted that it was a pollicie of theyr ennemies to drawe them thether and in the meane time to sette on them behynde and so to winne the Medowe of Tour from them Therefore they sent onely sixe harquebushes against those souldiours the whych hauing the higher grounde and not espied of theyr ennemies discharged their gunnes altogether Whereuppon incontinent the souldiers fledde The wicked flyeth when no man pursueth hym albeit no man pursued them Whether they fledde of pollicie or for feare it was not knowen Shortly after they of the warde of the Medowe of Tour whiche were in the watche on the top of the mountaine because euery morning there was a sermone made whereunto the people resorted and they mighte see a farre of rounde about them espied a troupe of souldiours marching on that side of the hill which is betweene the Easte and the Northe and soone after that discouered an other companye whyche marched on the North side towardes the sayde troupe The firste were ascended an houre before the other and fought on the toppe of the mountayne called Melese but they were soone discomfited The persecutors pursued and because they coulde not runne faste by meanes of the deepe snowe and difficulty of the waies in fleeing they fell often downe vpon the grounde Whiles they that pursued them were earnest in the chase and had taken from them theyr drumme beholde there came certaine vnto them cryinge out that the other troupe was entred into the medowe of Toure by meanes wherof they gaue ouer the chase or els not one of their enemies had escaped Gods people fight with prayer as they whych were there reported for a trueth Not one of Angrongne were slayne or hurt The other troupe which came by the North side tooke a high hil in the top of the mountaine the whych seemed to be almost inaccessible by reason of the snow and ice which was there The chiefest of this company were Lodouicke of Monteil which had bene before master of the campe in the kings warres and Charles Truchet When they wer come to the toppe of the hill they caused seuen souldiours to goe downe the hill and to viewe the waye and to see whether the troupe might descende that way or no. These 7. went downe almost to the houses They sent also other to occupie the rest of the high places which were neare to the foote of the hill and the rockes In the meane time the ministers and the people which were in the middes of the valley of the medowe sawe al this and were much discouraged therwith wherfore they fell to prayer called vpon God ardently not without great sighes lamentation and teares euen vntill night The seuen spies whiche came downe to discouer the wayes cried vnto their captaine Truchet Come downe come downe Seignior Charles this day Angrongne shal be taken The other cried to them againe ascend ascend returne or els ye shall be slaine euery one of you Immediately issued out fiue against these spies and tooke certaine and chased the rest The first of the fiue which set vpō them cast two of them downe vppon the grounde with a forke of fire Soone after eight of Angrongne issued out agaynste the whole troupe which was wonderfull to see them goe with suche courage and boldnesse to assaile suche a multitude and it seemed that they should haue ben all destroyed and hewen in pieces The firste of the eight went a good way before the other to discouer the enemies and caryed a great staffe The courage of Gods people against their enemies which they call a Rancon and is somewhat bigger then
retired sodenly After that the Lorde of Trinitie sent 2. Gentlemen of the Ualley of Luserne to them of Angrongne to fele them if they would come to any agreement To whom answere was made y t they would stand to their first answer From that time he sent very often to entreate of the agreement but what his meaning was it myght well appeare For when the pore people hoped for some agrement Note the practise of Papistes they were most furiously assaulted Upon this there was a day assigned in the valley of Luserne to confer touching the agreement w t certaine men pertaining to the Lord of Raconis and the safe conduct was promised and graunted The night afore the ministers rulers of Angrongne should take their iourny they perceiued a company of soldioures going vp a hill Behoulde how this traiterous Trynitye whiles he pretendeth an agreement goeth about to destroy these poore men by the which they of Angrongne should passe hid them in houses on the wayes side thinking to take at vnwares them of Angrongne which were sent to treat of the agrement But they hauing intelligence of this conspiracy watched and warded It was an easie matter as diuers thought that night to haue taken the L. of Trinity and haue spoiled his whole campe But they of Angrongne and Luserne woulde not execute thys enterprise Dauid spareth king Saule least thereby they shoulde offende God and passe the boundes of their vocation taking vpon them no more but to defend themselues At that time a pitifull case happened in the Medowe of Tour. The Lorde of Raconis seeming to be sorie for thys warre sent into y e medow of Tour an honest man of Briqueras named Fraunces of Billes to take aduise what meanes were best to further the agreement Who hauing consulted with the ministers and rulers returned homeward that day according to his maisters commandement and hauing sent backe one whiche conducted hym was murdered soone after at the foote of Angrongne by two of Angrongne which otherwise seemed to be honest and of good parentage Soone after one of the two which had cōmitted this facte entred into the Medowe of Toure and was immediately apprehended and boūd He confessed the fact without any further delay Immediately the other also was taken The Waldoys were maruelously troubled agreeued with this fact and wrote to y e Lorde of Raconis declaring vnto him the whole circumstance of the facte and that they had the offenders in warde and that if it would please him to send certaine to examine the matter they for theyr part wold so execute iustice in y e punishment of them that theyr innocency to all men shuld appeare The lord of Raconis wrote vnto them y t they should deliuer vnto hym y e offenders and that he would do such iustice vppon them as the cause required To the which they of Angrongne aunswered that vpon three conditions they shoulde be deliuered according to his request First that the prisoners should be compelled to do nothing against their consciences The iust dealing of the Angrongnians and as touching religion nothing shuld be spokē vnto them but out of the word of God Secondly that speedy and sharpe iustice should be executed vpon them and y t heereafter this should be no preiudice to y e liberties and priuiledges of the people of Angrongne The third that the execution of thē should be vpon the borders of Angrongne for an example to all other This being accorded with one assent yea w tout contradiction of their parents they sent them prisonners accompanied with 60. gunners to the cōfines of Luserne and there deliuered them into the hands of the Lord of Raconis This redounded to the great commendation of them of Angrongne After this the lord of Trinitie hauing left certaine garrisons about Angrongne and the valley of Luserne went to Perouse nere to the valley of S. Martine to succour the garrison there being in great danger and there remained a moneth During which time they of Angrongne and of the valley of Luserne liued in more quietnesse then afore but yet they were so afflicted by reason of the scarcitie of vitailes which sore pressed them and namely those of the medowe of Toure for they were spoyled of theyr vitailes Scarsenes of vitaile among the Angrōgnians Gods mercy toward his people This poore people liued with milke and with herbes hauing very litle breade But afterwardes when they were euen like to be famished God of his goodnesse sent them better succour both of corne breade then they had before The enemies thought to haue taken the medow of Toure by famine for they toke away the vitailes that were to be had in all places round about Euery houshold was suffered to haue no more then should sustein them that day and that also was very litle to the ende that they shuld not succour this poore people After that the Lorde of Trinitie being returned from Perouse to Luserne Note how thys bloudy wretch protending agreement peace and quietnes immedyatly seeketh the destruction of this poore people The people of Tailleret cruelly murdered of the Spanyardes The trumpetts of the Waldoys sent certaine to entreate of an agreement and required to common with some of the people Then they began to consulte and deuise by al meanes how they might come to some good agreement But one Monday being the 17. day of Aprill by breake of day he sent certaine bandes of Spaniardes which he had there with the Garrison of Toure to the mountaine of Tailleret by the way which leadeth to the medow of Tour on the South-side They murdered men wemen and children of Tailleret whome they founde in their beddes Then they marched on along vpon the mountaine towardes the medow of Tour. Anone after the people perceiued 2. other companies of souldiours marching by Angrongne by 2. seuerall wayes to assault the Medow of Toure In the morning assoone as they rose they blewe their hornes for they sawe the Spaniards already entred When they had made theyr prayers euery man ranne to meete the enemyes some on the East side and the other on the Southe They whyche firste resisted the Spaniardes who were already paste the bulwarkes were in the beginning but 12. Gunners and a few other whom they caused to go vp to the hil and rolle downe great stones These 12. hauing founde a fitte place for their purpose to stay the Spanyardes began to shoote of their harquebushes at them The Spanyardes seeing themselues so sore assailed both aboue and beneathe The Spanyardes beaten backe the place so narrow and so straight reculed backe and retyred as fast as they coulde by the same way by the whiche they came If they had taried a little longer they had ben enclosed betweene the two mountaines whyche place was so strait that they coulde not haue escaped The people chased them vnto their campe which was at Toure God
betwene the French kyng and the Emperour among which other diuers conditions it was agreed that they should resist the Turkes oppresse the Lutheranes and so was the kyng set at libertie leauyng behynd him his ij eldest sonnes for pledges But shortly after he reuoked his othe beyng absolued by y e Byshop of Rome sayd The pope absolueth the French king froÌ„ his othe that he was forced to sweare or els he should neuer haue bene deliuered Which was an 1526. Pope Clement vij seyng the French kyng restored to libertie misdoubting the puissance and domination of the Emperour in Italy so neare vnder his nose absolueth the French king froÌ„ his othe also ioyneth together a confederacie of Uenetians other Princes agaynst the Emperour bearyng great hatred agaynst all theÌ„ that any thyng fauored the Emperours part especially the familie of Columna in Rome which familie was then Imperiall therfore to shew his hatred against them he sayd to Pompey Cardinall of the same familie in threatnyng words that he would take away his Cardinals hatte To whoÌ„ it was aunswered agayne of the Cardinall that if he so did he would put on a helmet The answerâ— of the Cardinall to the Pope to ouerthrow the Popes triple crowne Whereby it may appeare here by the way what holynesse and vertue lyeth in the Pope and Cardinals in that Catholicke sea of Rome Thus the false Pope vnder the lying title of holynes was the father of much mischiefe of great warres which after ensued The Pope stirreth vp warres For the Duke of Bourbon and other of the Emperours Captaines hauyng intelligeÌ„ce of the Popes purpose confederacie gathered their army together and after much bloudshed and fightyng about MillaÌ„ Hawde and Cremona at length they approched bent their siege agaynst Rome after three sharpe assaultes obteined the Citie with the whole spoyle therof where also they besieged the foresayd Pope with his Cardinals in the mount of AdriaÌ„ and tooke him prisoner an 1527. As touchyng the cause of the besiegyng of Rome now ye haue heard for the maner of taking of Rome and of the Pope the order therof is thus described in Hall and other ¶ The sackyng of Rome and takyng of Pope Clement THe Emperours army departyng from FloreÌ„ce to the Citie of Seynes where they lost their ordinauÌ„ce The taking of Rome tooke counsaile there to go to Rome and so much they trauailed by night and day commoÌ„ly passing xl myle day and night their good will was such that the vi day of May with baÌ„ners displayed Ex Paralip Abbat Vrsp. they came before the Citie of Rome beyng Saterday the same day and on Sonday the Romaines made Bulwarkes Rampires and other defences and layd ordinaunce on the walles and shot at them without fiercely The Duke of BourboÌ„ determined that it was not best to lye still without and be slayne with ordinaunce The Duke of BourBon coÌ„sideryng that they were all naked people without great ordinaunce wherfore he determined to take the chaunce to geue the assault and so maÌ„fully they approched the walles betwene the Burgo Nouo old Rome But the Romaines valiauntly defeÌ„ded them with haÌ„dgunnes pykes stones and other weapons so that the enemyes were fayne to retreit Then the Romaines were glad and set many fayre banners on their towers and bulwarkes and made great shoutes whiche seyng the Duke of Bourbon cryed to a new assault Threâ— assaultes against Rome Then the drumsâ—ades blew and euery man with a ladder mounted and at first encounter againe the Romaynes put them a little backe Which the Duke of Bourbon p 〈…〉 uing cryed God and the Emperour Then euery man manfully set on There was a sore fight many an arrow shot and many a man felled but at last the Emperors men got the wall and betweene euery assault fell a mist so that they within could not see what part they without would assayle which was profitable to the Emperours partie At the three assaultes were slaine three C. Switzers of the Popes gard In this last assault was the Duke of Bourbon striken in the thigh with a handgonne The Duke of 〈◊〉 wounded of the which he shortly dyed in a chappell of S. Sist whether his souldiors had brought him and this chance notwithstanding the army entred into Rome and tooke the Popes palace and set vp the Emperors armes The same daye that these three assaultes were made Pope Clement passed little on the Emperours army The Pope curseth his enemies for he had accursed them on the Saterday before and in hys curse he called the Almaynes Lutheranes and the Spanyards Murreines or Mores and when he was hearing of Masse sodeinly the Almaines entred into the Church and slue his Barde and diuers other He seeing that fledde in all haste by a priuie way The Pope flieth to the Castle of S. Angell and all they that folowed him that way and could not enter were slayne and if he in that fury had bene taken he had bene slayne The Cardinals and other Prelates fled to y e Castle of S. Angell ouer the bridge where many of the common people were ouerpressed and trodden downe as they gaue way to the Cardinals and other estates that passed toward the Castle for succour The Cardinals besieged The Cardinall of Senes of Sesarine of Tudertine of Iacobace and of the Ualle taried so long that they could not get to the Castle for the multitude of people wherfore they were compelled to take an other house called the Palace of S. George where they kept themselues for a while as secretly as they might You must vnderstand through the Citie of Rome runneth a famous Riuer called Tiber and on the one side of the Riuer standeth the Castle of S. Angell or the Borough of S. Angell and the other side is called Burgo Nouo or the New Borough Thys Bridge is called the Bridge of Sixte which lyeth directly before the Castle At the ende of this Bridge was a woonderfull strong Bulwarke well ordinanced and well manned The Emperours men saw that they could do nothing to the Pope nor to that porte of y e City but by the bridge determined to assault the Bulwarke and so as men without feare came on the bridge and the Romaynes so well defended them that they fiue almost iiij M. men That seeing the Prince of Orenge The Bulwarke of the Romaines besieged takeÌ„ and the Marques of Gnasto with all speede gaue assault and notwithstanding that the Romaynes shot great ordinances handgunnes quarels and all that might be shot yet the Imperiall persons neuer shranke but manly entered the Bulwarke and slue threw downe out of the loupes all the Romaynes that they found and after rased the Bulwarke to the grounde The Pope was in the Castle of S. Angell and beheld this fight and with him were xxiij Cardinals of whiche one called the Cardinall Sanctorum
borne Yet neuertheles his purpose was to prooue and feele what they both would say vnto it therefore sent Steuen Gardiner to Rome to way with Pope Clement To the Emperour was sent Syr Nicolas Heruy knight ambassador in the Court of Gaunt Firste Pope Clement not weying belike the full importaunce and sequele of the matter Campeius the Popes Legate sent Cardinal Campeius as is sayde into Englande ioyned with the Cardinal of Yorke At the comming of which Legates The kinges perswasion to the Legate the King first opening vnto them the griefe of hys conscience seemed wyth great reasons and persuasions sufficiently to haue drawne the good will of those two Legates to his side Who also of their owne accord pretended no lesse but to shew a willing inclination to further the kinges cause But yet the mouthes of the common people and in especial of women and such other as fauoured the Queene and talked their pleasure Euill language of the people about the kinges diuorce were not stopped Wherefore to satisfie the blinde surmises and foolishe communication of these also who seeing the comming of the Cardinalles cast out suche leaude wordes that the king woulde for his owne pleasure haue an other wife with like vnseeming talke he therefore willing that al men should know the truth of his procedings caused all his Nobilitie Iudges and Counsaillors wyth diuers other persons to resort to his Pallace of Bridewel the 8. day of Nouemb. An. 1529. where he openly speaking in his great chāber had these words in effect as followeth The kings Oration to his subiects OVr trustie welbeloued subiects both you of the nobility you of the meaner sort it is not vnknowē both how that we both by Gods prouision and true and lawfull inheritaunce haue raigned ouer this realme of England almost the terme of 20. yeares During whiche time we haue so ordered vs thanked be God that no outward enemy hath oppressed you nor taken anye thing from vs nor we haue inuaded no realme but we haue had victory honor so that we think that you nor none of your predecessors neuer liued more quietly more wealthely nor in more estimation vnder any of our noble progenitors But when we remēber our mortality and that we must die then we think that all our doings in our life time are clearely defaced worthy of no memory if we leaue you in trouble at the time of oure deathe for if our true heir be not known at the time of our death see what mischiefe and trouble shall succeede to you and to your children The experience thereof some of you haue seene after the death of our noble grandfather king Edward 4. and some haue heard what mischief and manslaughter continued in this realme betwene the houses of Yorke and Lancaster by the which dissention this realme was like to haue bene clearely destroyed And although it hath pleased almighty God to send vs a faire daughter of a noble woman and of me begotten to our greate comfort and ioy yet it hath bene tolde vs by diuers great Clearks that neither she is our lawfull daughter nor her mother our lawfull wife but that we liue together abhominably and detestably in open adulterie in somuch that when our Ambassade was last in France and motion was made that the Duke of Orleance should marry our sayde daughter one of the chiefe Counsailours to the French king sayd It were well done to know whether she be the king of Englands lawfull daughter or not for well knowen it is that he begot her on his brothers wife which is directly againste Gods law and his precept Thinke you my Lords that these words touch not my body and soule Thinke you that these doings doe not daily and hourely trouble my cōscience and vexe my spirits Yes we doubt not but and if it were your cause euery man wold seeke remedy when the pearil of your soule and the losse of your inheritance is openly laide to you For this onely cause I protest before God and in the word of a Prince I haue asked councell of the greatest Clearkes in Christendome and for this cause I haue sent for this Legate as a manne indifferent onely to knowe the truth and so to settle my conscience and for none other cause as God can iudge And as touching the Queene if it be adiudged by the law of God that she is my lawfull wife there was neuer thing more pleasant nor more acceptable to me in my life both for the discharge and clearing of my conscience and also for the good qualities and conditions the which I know to be in her For I assure you all that beside her noble parentage of the which shee is descended as you well know she is a woman of most gentlenesse of moste humilitie and buxumnesse yea and of all good qualities appertaining to nobilitie she is without comparison as I this 20. yeares almoste haue had the true experiment so that if I were to mary againe if the marriage might be good I would surely chose her aboue all other women But if it be determined by iudgement that our mariage was against Gods law and clearely voyde then I shall not onely sorowe the departing from so good a Ladie and louing companion but much more lamēt and bewaile my infortunate chance that I haue so long liued in adultery to Gods great displeasure and haue no true heire of my body to inherite thys Realme These be the sores that vexe my minde these be the pāgs that trouble my conscience and for these greeues I seeke a remedy Therefore I require of you all as our trust and confidence is in you to declare to our subiects our minde and entent according to our true meaning and desire them to pray with vs that the very truth may be knowen for the discharge of our conscience and sauing of our soule and for the declaration hereof I haue assembled you together and now you may depart Shortly after this Oration of the king wherewith he stirred the harts of a number then the two Legates being requested of the king for discharge of his conscience The legates talke with the Queene to iudge and determine vpon the cause went to the Queene lying then in the place of Bridewell and declared to her how they were deputed iudges indifferent betwene y e king and her to heare and determine whether the mariage betwene them stoode with Gods law nor not When she vnderstoode the cause of their comming being thereat some thing astonied at y e first after a litle pausing with her selfe Ex Edw. Hallo thus she began answering for her selfe ALas my Lorde said she is it nowe a question whether I be the kings lawfull wife or no when I haue bene maried to hym almost 20. yeres and in the meane season neuer question was made before Diuers Prelates yet being aliue and Lords also Queene Katherines aunswere to the Cardinalles
to be a farre vnequall recompence and satisfaction for a thinge whiche ought of right and iustice to be ministred vnto him that a king therefore should reuocate and vndoe the actes and statutes passed by a whole Realm contrary to hys owne honour and weale of hys subiectes c. Where is moreouer to be vnderstanded The crafty packing of the Papistes how that the Pope with all hys papistes and the French king also and peraduenture Stephen Gardiner too the kynges owne Ambassadour had euer a speciall eye to disproue and disapoynt y e kings successioÌ„ by Queene Anne whoÌ„ they knew all to be a great enemye vnto the pope thinking thereby that if that succession were diminished the popes kingdome might soone be restored agayn in England But yet for all their vniust and craftie packing they were throughe Gods prouideÌ„ce frustrate of their desired purpose For although they so brought to passe the next yeare folowing to adâ—â—lle the order of that succession by a contrary Parlament The Papistes frustrate of their purpose yet neither did they so adnihilate it but that both K. Edwarde followed yea and also the same succession afterward by the said king and other parlaments was restored againe and yet God be praised hath hetherto raigned doth yet florish in the Realme of England Nowe as wee haue declared the Kings doings in the Realme of Scotland and of Fraunce proceding further in the kings proceedings wyth other Princes let vs see how the king defended himselfe and his cause before the Emperor sending his ambassador vnto him vsing these wordes before his maiestie as here foloweth The Oration of the kings Ambassadour before the Emperour in defence of his cause SIr the king my maister taking and reputing you as his perfect frende confederate and allye and not doubting but you remembring the mutual kindnes betwene you in times past The Oration of the Ambassadour to the Emperour wil shew yourself in all ocurrents to be of such minde and disposition as iustice truthe and equitie doeth require hath willed me by his letters to open and declare vnto you what he hathe done and in what wise hee hathe proceeded concerning suche Marriage as by many yeares was supposed to haue bene betwene your Aunte and hys grace Diuisions consisting in 2. partes In which matter being two principall poyntes specially to be regarded considered that is to say the iustice of the cause and the order of the processe therein hys highnes hath so vsed hym in both as no man may right wisely complaine of the same First as touching the iustnes of the cause that is to say of that Mariage betwene him and your sayde Aunte to be nought The iustnes of the kinges cause and of no moment ne effect but against the law of God nature and man and indispensable by the Pope and in no wise vailable his highnes hath done therein asmuch as becommeth him for discharge of hys coÌ„science and hath found so certain so euideÌ„t so manifest so open and approued truth as wherunto his maiesty ought of good congruence to geue place which by al other ought to be allowed and receiued not as a matter doutful disputable or depending in question and ambiguitie but as a plaine determined and discussed verity of the true vnderstanding of gods word and lawe which all Christian men must follow and obey and before all other worldly respects prefer and execute In attaining the knowledge whereof if hys highnes had vsed only his owne particular iudgement sentence or the minde only opinion of his owne natural subiects althoughe the same might in his conscience haue suffised woulde not muche haue repugned if some other had made difficulty to assent to him in the same till further discussion had bene made thereupon But now forasmuch as besides hys owne certaine vnderstanding and the agreement of thys whole Cleargie to the same in both Prouinces of hys realme his maiestie hath also for him the determinatioÌ„s of the moste famous vniuersities of Christendome Vniuersities staÌ„ding with the kinges cause and most indifferent to pronounce and geue iudgement in this case and among them the Uniuersitie of Bonony all feare of the Pope set apart concluding against his power and also Padua the Uenetians threates not regarded geuynge their sentence for the truth euident words of Gods law there should no man as seemeth to him gainsay or wythstand either in word or dede the truth thus opened but for his honor and duetie to the obseruation of Gods law willingly embrace and receiue the same According whereunto his grace perceiueth also aswell in his Realme as els where a notable consent and agreement amongest all Diuines and suche as haue studied for knowledge of Gods lawe without contradiction of anye number vnlesse it be such applying their minde to y e maintenaunce of worldly affections do either in defence of such lawes as they haue studied eyther for satisfaction of theyr priuate appetite forbeare to agree vnto y e same The number of whoÌ„ is so smal as in the discerning of truth it ought not to be regarded in a case so plainly described and determined by Gods word as thys is And if percase your Maiestie heere not regarding the number but the matter shall seme to consider in thys case not so much who speaketh as what is spoken to aunswer thereunto I say Syr the king my maister is of the same mind for his own satisfactioÌ„ taketh hymselfe to be in the right Both the number and matter maketh with the king not because so many sayeth it but because hee being learned knoweth the matter to be right Neuertheles reason would and enforceth also that straungers to the cause and not parties therein should be induced to beleue that to be truth that such a number of Clearkes doe so constantly affirme specially not being otherwise learned to be iudges of theyr sayings as your maiestie is not And if you were then could your highnesse shew such reasons authorities and grounds as cannot be taken away and be so firm and stable as they ought not of Christen men in any part to be impugned like as hath bene partly heeretofore shewed by his sondry ambassadours to your Imperiall maiestie and shuld eftsoones be done were it not too great an iniury to y t is already passed in the Realme to dispute the same againe in any other countrey which being contrarious to the lawes and ordinances of his realme he trusteth your prudeÌ„cie will not require but take that is past for a thing done and iustly done and as for Gods part to leaue hys conscience to himself qui Domino sua stat aut cadit and for y e world to passe ouer as a frend that whych nothing toucheth you and not to maruell though the said king my master regarding the wealth of his soule principally with the commodity of his person and so great benefit quiet of his realm haue percase
to rule all vnder the King or rather with the King so that the freshest wittes and of best towardnes most commonly sought vnto him Among whome was also Thomas Cromwell to his seruice aduaunced where he continued a certayne space of yeares Cromwell solliciter to the Cardinall Cromwell More and Gardiner companions in the Cardinalls house growing vp in office and authoritie till at length he was preferred to be sollicitour to the Cardinall There was also about the same tyme or not much different in the houshold of the sayd Cardinall Tho. More afterward knight and Chauncelour of England SteueÌ„ Gardiner Byshop after of Wint. and of the Kings CouÌ„saile All these three were brought vp in one houshold and all of one standing almost together Whose ages as they were not greatly discrepant nor their wittes much vnequall so neither was their fortune and aduauncementes greatly diuers A comparison betwene Cromwell More and Gardiner albeit their dispositions and studies were most contrary And though peraduenture in More and in Gardiner there was more arte of letters and skill of learning yet notw tstanding there was in this maÌ„ a more heauenly light of minde more prompt perfect iudgement eloquence equall and as may be supposed in thys man more pregnant and finally in him was wrought a more heroicall and princely dispositioÌ„ borne to greater affayres in the common wealth and to the singular helpe of many It happened that in this meane season â— Cromwell was placed in this office to be sollicitour to the Cardinall the said Cardinal had then in hand the building of certeine Colledges Small Monasteryes suppressed by the Cardinall namely his Colledge in Oxforde called then Frideswide now Christes Churche By reason whereof certayne small monasteries and priories in diuers places of the realme were by the saide Cardinall suppressed and the lands seased to the Cardinals haÌ„ds The doing wherof was committed to the charge of Thomas Cromwell In the expedition whereof he shewed himselfe very forward Cromwell first set a worke by the Cardinall to supâ—resse religious houses and industrious in such sort as in y e handling thereof he procured to himselfe much grudge with diuers of the superstitious sorte and with some also of noble calling about the King And thus was Cromwell first set a worke by the Cardinall to suppresse religious houses Which was about the yeare of our Lord 1525. As this passed on it was not long but the Cardinall whiche had gotten vp so high began to come downe as fast first from the Chauncellorship in whiche roome was placed Sir Tho. More as is aforesayd then he fell into a Premunire So that his houshold being dissolued Tho. Cromwell amongst other laboured also to be reteyned into the Kings seruice Syr Christopher Hales helper of Cromwell to the king Cromwell commended to the king by Sir Christopher Hales M. of the Rolles Cromwell complayned of to the king There was at the same tyme one Syr Christopher Hales Knight Maister of the Rolles who notwithstanding was then a mightie Papist yet bare he suche fauour and good liking to Cromwell that he commended him to the King as a man most fitte for his purpose hauing then to do against the Pope But heere before is to be vnderstand that Cromwel had greatly bene complained of and diffamed by certeine of authority about the King for hys rude maner and homely dealing in defacing the Monkes houses in handling of their aultars c. Wherfore y e king hearing of the name of Cromwell began to detest y t mention of him neither lacked there some standers by who w t reuiling words ceased not to encrease and inflame y e kings hatred against him What their names were it shall not neede heere to recite Among other there present at the same hearing was the Lorde Russell Earle of Bedforde whose life Cromwell before had preserued at Bononye through politicke conueyance at what time the said Earle comming secretly in the kings affaires The Lord 〈◊〉 Earle of Bedforde through the â—olicy of Cromwell escaped at Bononie The Lorde Russel commendeth Cromwell to the king was there espyed and therefore being in great daunger to be taken through the meanes and pollicie of Cromwell escaped This Lord Russell therefore not forgetting the olde benefites past with like grauitie willing againe to requite that he had receaued in a vehement boldnes stoode forth to take vpon him the defence of Thomas Cromwel vttering before the king many commendable words in the behalfe of him and declaring withall how by his singulare deuice and policie he had done for him at Bononie beyng there in the Kings affaires in extreame perill And for as much as now his Maiestie had to do with the Pope his great enemy there was he thought in all England none so apt for the kynges purpose which could say or do more in that matter then could Thomas Cromwell and partly gaue the kyng to vnderstand wherein The kyng hearyng this specially markyng the latter end of his talke was conteÌ„ted and willyng to talke with him to heare and know what he could say This was not so priuily done but Cromwell had knowledge incontinent that the kyng would talke with him whereupon therfore prouidyng before hand for matter had in a readynesse the copie of the Byshops othe which they vse coÌ„monly to make to the Pope at their consecration and so beyng called for was brought to the king in his garden at Westminster which was about the yeare of our Lord. 1530. Cromwell after most loyall obeysauÌ„ce doyng his duetie to the kyng accordyng as he was demaunded Cromwell brought to talke with the king made his declaration in all pointes this especially making manifest vnto his highnes how his Princely authoritie was abused within his own Realme by the Pope his Clergy who beyng sworne vnto him were afterward dispensed from the same sworne a new vnto the Pope so that he was but as halfe kyng and they but halfe his subiectes in his owne land which sayd he was derogatorie to his crowne Cromwels wordes to the king concerning the premunire of the Clergy and vtterly preiudiciall to the common lawes of his Realme Declaryng therupoÌ„ how his Maiestie might accumulate to himselfe great riches so much as all y e Clergy in his Realme was worth if it so pleased him to take the occasion now offered The kyng geuyng good eare to this and likyng right well his aduice required if he could auouch that which he spake All this he could he sayd auouch to be certaine so well as that he had the copie of their owne othe to the Pope there present to shewe and that no lesse also he could manifestly proue if his highnesse would geue him leaue therewith shewed the Byshops othe vnto the kyng The kyng folowyng the veyne of his counsayle tooke his ryng of his finger first admittyng him into his seruice Cromwell sent by
desiring him wyth plentie of teares so to conducte and prosper him in his iourney that he myght well escape the daunger of al his enemies to y e glory of his holy name if his good pleasure and will so were and then we embraced and kissed the one the other the teares so aboundantly flowing out from both our eies The parting betweene M. Garret Dalaber that we al bewet both our faces and scarcely for sorrowe coulde we speake one to the other and so he departed from me apparelled in my coate being committed vnto the tuition of oure almyghtye and mercifull father When he was gone downe the staires from my chamber I straightwayes did shut my chamber doore and weÌ„t into my study and tooke the new Testament in my hands kneeled downe on my knees and with many a deepe sigh and salt teare I did wyth much deliberation read ouer the 10. chapter of S. Mathew his Gospell and when I had so done Dalabers prayer for M. Garret with feruent prayer I did coÌ„mit vnto God that our dearely beloued brother Garret earnestly beseeching him in and for Iesus Christes sake his onely begotten sonne our Lord that he would vouchsafe not only safely to conducte and keepe our saide deare brother from the hands of all his ennemies but also that he would endue hys tender and lately borne litle flock in Oxford w t heauenly strength by his holy spirite that they might be well able therby valiauntly to wythstand to hys glory al their fierce enemies and also myght quietly to theyr owne saluation with all godly pacience beare Christes heauy crosse which I now â—awe was presently to be laide on their young and weake backes vnable to beare so huge a burden w tout the greate helpe of his holy spirite This done I laide a side my bookes safe folded vp M. Garrets gowne and hoode and laide them into my presse among mine apparel so hauing put on my short gowne shut vp my study and chamber doores and went towards Friswides to speake with that worthy martyr of God M. Clarke and others and to declare vnto them what hadde happened that after noone But of purpose I went by S. Mary church M. Clarke a famous or worthy leâ—rned man M. Diâ—t M. Vdall M. Eeden to goe firste vnto Corpus Christi Colledge to speake with Diet and Udall my faithfull brethren and fellowes in the Lord there But by chaunce I mette by the way wyth a brother of ours one master Eeden fellowe of Magdalene Colledge who assoone as hee sawe mee came with a pitifull countenance vnto mee saying that we were all vndone for M. Garret was returned agayne to Oxforde taken the last night in the priuie searche and was in prison with the Commissary I sayd it was not so He sayd it was so I tolde him it could not be so for I was sure he was gone He aunswered me and sayde I knowe he was gone with your letters but he came again yesterday in the euen was taken in his bed at Radleis this nyghte in the priuie search for quod he I heard our Proctour M. Cole say and declare the same this day in our colledge to diuers of the house But I told him againe that I was wel assured he was now gone for I spake with him later theÌ„ either the Proctor or Commissarie did and then I declared the whole matter vnto him how and when he came vnto me and howe hee went hys way willinge hym to declare the same vnto other our brethren whom he should meete with all and to geue God harty thankes for his wonderfull deliueraunce and to pray him also that he would grauÌ„t hym safely to passe away from al his enemies and told him that I was goinge vnto mayster Clarke of Friswides to declare vnto him this matter for I knewe thought verely that he and diuers others there were then in great sorowe for this matter Then went I straight to Friswides and Euensong was begon and the Deane and the other Canons were there in their gray Amices they were almost at Magnificat before I came thether M. Tauerner I stoode at the quier doore and heard master Tauerner play and others of the Chappell there sing wyth and among whome I my selfe was wont to sing also but nowe my singing and musicke was turned into sighing and musing As I thus and there stoode in commeth D. Cotisforde the Commissary The Phariâ—â— is troubled aâ— M. Garrets escape out of prisoÌ„ as fast as euer he could goe bare headed as pale as ashes I knewe his griefe well inough and to the Deane he goeth into the Quier where he was sittinge in hys stall and talked wyth him verye sorrowfully what I know not but whereof I might and did well and truely gesse I went aside from the Quier doore to see heare more The Commissary and Deane came out of the Quier wonderfully troubled as it seemed Aboute the middle of the Church met them D. London puffing blustering and blowing like a hungry and gredy Lion seeking hys pray They talked together a while but the Commissarie was much blamed of them for keeping of hys prisoner so negligently in so muche that hee wepte for sorrowe and it was knowen abroade that master Garret was escaped gone out of the Commissaries chamber at Euensonge tune but whether no man coulde tell These doctours departed and sent abrode their seruants and spies euery where Maister Clarke aboute the middle of Compline M. Clarke came foorth of the Quier I followed him to his chamber and declared what was happened that after noone of master Garrets escape He was glad for he knewe of his foretaking Then he sent for one M. Sumner anst M. Bets M. Sumner M. Bettes fellowes and Canons there In the meanâ— while he gaue me a very godly exhortation praying God to geue me and all the rest of our brethren prudentiam serpentinam simplicitateÌ„ columbinam for we shoulde haue shortly much neede thereof as he veâ—ely thought When M. Sumner and M. Bets were come vnto him hee caused mee to declare againe the whole matter vnto them two and they were very glad that M. Garret was so deliuered trusting that he should escape al his enemies Then desiring them to tell vnto our other brethren what was happened for there were diuers other in that Colledge I went to Corpus Christi colledge to comfort our brethren there being in like heauines There I taried and supped wyth them At whiche supper we were not very merie considering our state and pearill at hand When we had ended our supper and committed our whole cause with feruent sighes and harty prayers vnto God our heauenly father I went to Alborne hall there lay that night In the morning I was vp very early and as soone as I could get out at the dore I went straight toward Gloucester Colledge to my chamber It had rayned that morning and with my goyng I
name that the Musitions in Windsore colledge thought hym a woorthye man to haue a roume among them Whereupon they informed D. Sampson beeyng then their Deane of him But for so much as some of the Canons at that tyme hadde heard of Testwood howe that he smelled of the newe learning as they called it it would not be consented vnto at the first Notwithstanding with often sute of the foresayd Musitions made to one Doctor Tare who beyng halfe a Musition himselfe bare a great stroke in such matters a roume beyng voyd Testwoode was sent for to bee heard And beyng there foure or fiue dayes among the quier men he was so well lyked both for hys voyce and cunnyng that he was admitted and after setled in Windsore wyth hys houshold and had in good estimation wyth the Deane and canons a great while But when they had perceyued him by hys often talke at theyr tables for he could not well dissemble his religion that he leaned to Luthers sect they began to mislike him And so passing forth amoÌ„g them it was his chaunce one day to bee at dinner with one of the Canons named D. Rawson At the which dinner amongst all other was one of Kyng Edwardes 4. Chauntrie priests named M. Ely an old Bacheler of Diuinitie Which Ely in his talke at the boord began to raile against lay men which took vpon them to mell with the Scriptures and to be better learned knowing no more but the English tongue then they which had bene students in the Uniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge all the dayes of their lyues M. Ely persecuter Then Testwood perceiuing he ment that by him could forbeare his railyng no longer but said M. Ely by your pacience I thinke it be no hurt for lay men as I am to read and to know the scriptures Which of you quoth Ely that be vnlearned knoweth them or vnderstandeth them S. Paul saith If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst geue hym drinke and in so doyng thou shalt heape coales of fire vppon hys head Now sir quoth Elye what meaneth Sainte Paule by these coales of fire Marry sir quoth Testwoode hee meaneth nothing els by them as I haue learned but burning charitie that with doyng good to our enemies wee shoulde therby win them A sirah quoth he you are an old scholer in deed After this they fell into further communication of the Pope whose supremacy was much spokeÌ„ of at that tyme but not knowen to be so farre in question in the parliameÌ„t house as it was And in their talk Ely demanded of Testwood whether the Pope ought to be head of the church or no. Agaynst the which Euery king in his owne realme and Church is head vnder Christ. Testwoode durst not saye hys full mynd but reasoned within his bouÌ„ds a great while But when they were both well striken in an heate Testwoode forgetting himselfe chaunced to say that euery king in his own realme dominion ought to be the hed of the church vnder Christ At the which words Ely was so chafed that he rose vp from the table in a great fume calling him heretike and all that nought was and so went brawling chiding away to the great disquieting of al the company that weee there Then was Testwood very sory to see the olde man take it so greuously Wherupon after dinner he went and sought M. Ely and found him walking in the bodye of the church thinking to haue talked with him charitably so to haue bene at one againe but euer as Testwood preased towardes him the other shunned him and would not come niâ— him but spit at him saieng to other that walked by beware of this fellow for he is the greatest heretike and schismatike that euer came in Windsore Now began the matter to brew For after that Elye had made his complaint to the Deanes deputie and other of the canons they were all against Testwood purposing surely at the Deanes comming home if all thynges had chaunced euen to haue put hym to hys trumpe But see the fortune It was not twelue dayes after â—re that the kings supremacie passed in the Parliament house Whereupon the Deane D. Sampson came home sodainly in the night late The first newes of the kinges supremacye brought to Windsore and forthwithall sent his Uerger about to all the Canons and ministers of the colledge from the highest to the lowest commaunding them to be in the Chapter house by eight of the clocke in the mornyng Then Ely coÌ„sulted with the Canons ouer night as late as it was and thought on the next day to haue put Testwood to a great plunge But he that layeth a snare for another man sayth Salomon shall be taken in it himselfe And so was Elye For when the Deane and euery man were come and placed in the Chapter house and that the Deane had commended the ministers of the Church for their diligence in tendyng the Quire exhortyng them also to continue in the same he began contrary to euery mans expectation to inuey agaynst the Bishop of Romes supremacie and vsurped authoritie confoundyng the same by manifest Scriptures and probable reasons so earnestly that it was a woonder to heare and at length declared openly that by the whole consent of the Parliament house the Popes supremacie was vtterly abolished out of this Realme of England for euer and so commanded euery man there vpon his allegiance to call hym Pope no more but bishop of Rome whatsoeuer he were that would not so do or did from that day forth maintaine or fauour his cause by any manner of meanes he should not only loose the benefit of that house but be reputed as an vtter enemy to God and to the king The Canons hearing this were all striken in a dumpe Yet notwithstanding Elies hart was so great y t he would faine haue vttred his cankerd stomack agaynst Testwood M. Ely thinking to complayne of other was called foole for his labour but the Deane breaking his tale called him old foole and tooke him vp so sharply that he was fain to hold his peace Then the Deane commanded all the popes pardoÌ„s which hanged about the Church to be brought into the Chapter-house and cast into the chimney and burnt before all their faces and so departed Another cause of Testwoods trouble AS it chanced Testwood one day to walke in the church at after noone An other trouble of Testwood beheld the pilgrimes specially of Deuonshire Cornwal how they came in by plumpes with candles images of waxe in their hands to offer to good king Henry of Windsore as they called hym it pitied hys hart to see so great idolatry committed Idolatry to king Henry of Windsore how vainly the people had spent their goods in comming so farre to kisse a spur to haue an old hat set vpon their heds In so much that he could not refraine but seing a certaine company which had
or see there This tale was no sooner brought to Doct. London by William Symons Filmers vtter ennemie but he sent for the poore man home to his house 〈◊〉 London 〈◊〉 broâ—â—â— agâ—ynst â—â—â—ther where he chearished hym with meat and money telling him he shoulde neuer lacke so long as he liued that y e seely poore man thinking to haue had a daily frend of D. London was content to do and say whatsoeuer he and Symons would haue hym say or do against his owne brother And when D. London had thus won the pore man he retained him as one of his houshold men vntill the court day was come and then sent him vp to witnes this foresaid tale against his brother Which â—ale Filmer denied vtterly saying that D. London for a little meat and drinke sake had set him on and made him to say what his pleasure was â—â—â—mers own â—â—â—ther 〈◊〉 agaynst 〈◊〉 wherfore my Lord quoth Filmer to the bishop I beseeche your Lordship weigh the matter indifferently 〈◊〉 witnes stand is aâ—â—â—nst the 〈◊〉 for as muche as there is no man in all thys towne y t can or will testifie with him that euer he heard any such talke betwene him and me and if he can bring forth any that wil witnes the same with him I refuse not to die But say what he could it would not preuaile Then Filmer seeing no remedy but that hys brothers accusemeÌ„t shuld take place he sayd Ah brother what cause hast thou to shew me this vnkindnes I haue alwaies ben a naturall brother vnto thee and thine and helped you all to my power from time to time as thou thy selfe knowest and is this a brotherly part 〈◊〉 cast 〈◊〉 by his 〈…〉 thus to rewarde me nowe for my kindnesse God forgeue it thee my brother geue thee grace to repent Then Filmer looking ouer his shoulder desired some good body to let him see the booke of statutes Hys wife being at the end of the hall and hearing her husband call for the booke of statutes ran downe to the keper and brought vp the booke gat it conueied to her husbaÌ„d The Bishop seeing the booke in his hand starte hym vp from the bench in a great sume 〈◊〉 Bishops â—â—â—demne 〈◊〉 not one without 〈◊〉 but 〈…〉 that â—â—ould not 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 do the 〈…〉 say that 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 iust 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 accuser 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 demanding who had geueÌ„ the prisoner that booke commaunding it to be taken from him and to make searche who had brought it swearing by the faith of hys body he should go to prison Some sayd it was his wife some sayd the keeper Like inough my lord quoth Symons for he is one of the same sort as worthy to be heere as the best if he were rightly serued But howsoeuer it was the truthe would not be knowen and so the Bishop sate him downe againe Then sayd Filmer O my Lord I am this day iudged by a lawe why should not I see the lawe that I am iudged by The law is I should haue two lawfull witnesses and here is but one which would not doe as he doeth but that he is forced thereunto by the suggestion of mine ennemies Nay quoth Bucklayer the kynges atturney thyne heresie is so heinous and abhorteth thine owne brother so much that it forceth him to witnesse against thee which is more then two other witnesses Thus as ye see was Filmer brought vniustly to hys death by the malice of Symons and D. London who had enticed that wretched caitiffe his brother to be their minister to worke his confusion But God which is a iust reueÌ„ger of all falsehode wrongs would not suffer that wretch long to liue vppon earth but the next yeare followyng he beyng taken vp for a labourer to goe to Bullaine had not bene there three daies ere that in exonerating of nature a Gunne tooke him and tore him all to peeces And so was these woordes of Salomon fulfilled A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished Iohn Marbecke THen was Marbecke called and hys Inditement read The inditement of Marbecke whiche was that he shoulde say That the holy Masse when the Priest doeth consecrate the body of our Lorde is poluted deformed sinnefull and open robbery of the glory of God from the which a Christian hart ought both to abhorre and flee And the eleuation of the Sacramente is the similitude of the setting vp of Images of the calues in the Temple builded by Ieroboam and that it is more abhomination then the sacrifices done by the Iewes in Ieroboams temple to those calues And that certaine and sure it is that Christ himself is made in the masse mans laughing stocke To thys hee aunswered and sayde Marbecke aunswereth to his inditement that these woordes wherof they had indited him were not his but the wordes of a learned man called Iohn Caluine and drawn out of a certaine Epistle which the sayd Caluine had made whych Epistle he had but onely wrytten out and that long before the 6. Articles came foorth so that nowe he was discharged of that offence by the kings generall pardon desiring that he might enioy the benefite thereof Then was the Iurye called which were all Farmers belonging to the Colledge of Wyndsore Partiall dealing in calling the Iurye whereof fewe or none had euer sene those men before vppon whose life and death they went Wherfore the prisoners counting the farmers as partial desired to haue the Townes men or such as did know them and had sene their daily conuersations in the place of the Farmers or els to be equally ioyned w t them but that would not be for the matter was otherwise foreseene and determined Now when the Iury had taken theyr oth and al Bucklayer the kynges atturney began to speake Buclayer the kinges atturney a persecuter and first he alledged many reasons against Anth. Person to prooue him an hereticke Whych when Anth. woulde haue disprooued the Bishop sayd let him alone Syr he speaketh for the K. so went Bucklayer foorth with his matter making euery mans cause as hainous to the hearers as he coulde deuise And when he had done and sayd what he would then Sir Humfrey Foster spake to the Quest in the fauor of Marbecke on thys wise Maisters quoth hee Syr Humfrey Foster speaketh for Marbecke yee see there is no man here that accuseth or layeth any thyng to the charge of this poore man Marbecke sauing he hath written certaine things of other mens sayings with his owne hand wherof he is discharged by the kings generall pardon therfore ye ought to haue a conscience therin Then start vp Fachel at the lower ende of the benche and sayd Fachell a persecuter What can we tel whether they were wrytten before the pardone or after They may as well be wrytten since as afore for any thing that we
to be gouerned commanded and directed Whose womanly weakenesse naturall imperfection ought to be tollerated aided and borne wythal so that by his wisedome such things as be lacking in her ought to be supplied Sithens therefore that God hath appoynted suche a naturall difference betwene man and woman and your Maiestie beyng so excellent in giftes and ornaments of wisedom and I a seely pore woman so much inferiour in all respects of nature vnto you how then commeth it nowe to passe that your Maiestie in such diffuse causes of religion will seeme to require my iudgement Whyche when I haue vttered and sayd what I can yet must I and will I referre my iudgement in this and all other cases to your Maiesties wisedome as my onely anker supreme heade and gouerner heere in earth next vnder God to leane vnto Not so by Saint Marye quoth the King You are become a Doctor Kate to instruct vs as we take it and not to be instructed or directed by vs. If your Maiestie take it so quoth the Queene then hath your Maiestie very much mistaken me who haue euer bene of the opinion to thinke it very vnseemely preposterous for the woman to take vpon her the office of an instructer or teacher to her Lord and husband but rather to learne of her husband to be taught by him And where I haue with your Maiesties leaue heeretofore bene bolde to holde talke with your Maiestie wherein sometimes in opinions there hath seemed some difference I haue not done it so much to maintaine opinion as I did it rather to minister talke not onely to the ende that your Maiestie mighte with lesse griefe passe ouer this painefull time of your infirmitie beinge intentiue to oure talke and hoping that your Maiestie shoulde reape some ease thereby but also that I hearing your Maiesties learned discourse might receiue to my selfe some profite thereof Wherein I assure your Maiestie I haue not missed anye parte of my desire in that behalfe alwayes referring my selfe in all suche matters vnto your Maiestie as by ordinaunce of nature it is conuenient for me to doe And is it euen so sweete hart quoth the king And tended your arguments to no worse end Then perfect frendes we are now again Perfecte agreement betweene the K. and the Quene as euer at any time heretofore and as hee sate in hys chaire embracing her in his armes kissing her hee added thys saying That it did him more good at that time to heare those wordes of her owne mouthe then if hee had heard present newes of an hundreth thousand pounds in money fallen vnto him And wyth greate signes and tokens of marueilous ioy and liking with promises and assurances neuer againe in any sort more to mistake her entering into other very pleasaunt discourses wyth the Queene the Lords and Gentlemen standing by in the end being very farre on the night he gaue her leaue to departe Whome in her absence to the standers by he gaue as singulare and as affectuous commendations as before time to the Bish. and the chancelor who then were neither of them present he seemed to mislike of her Now then God be thanked the Kings mynde was cleane altered and he detested in his heart as afterwards he plainly shewed this Tragicall practise of those cruell Caiphases The K. abâ—oâ—â—ed the malicious workings of the bloudy Papistes who nothing vnderstanding of the kings wel reformed minde good disposition towarde the Queene were busily occupied about thinking prouiding for their next dayes labour which was the day determined to haue caryed the Queene to the Tower The day almost the houre appoynted being come the K. being disposed in the after noone to take the aire waited vppon wyth two Gentlemen onely of hys bed chamber went into the garden This purpose being 〈◊〉 that the Ladyes should be 〈◊〉 taken it was then appoynted that they with the Queene whether the Queene also came being sent for by the Kinge hymselfe the three Ladies aboue named alone waiting vppon her Wyth whom the king at that time disposed himself to be as pleasant as euer he was in all his life before When sodainly in the middest of theyr myrth the houre determined being come in commeth the Lord chauncellour into the garden with a 40. of the kings garde at his heeles should altogether be apprehended in maner as is here declared with purpose in deede to haue taken the Queene together with the 3. Ladies aforesaide whom they had before purposed to apprehende alone euen then vnto the tower Whome then the kyng sternly beholding breaking of his myrth with the Queene stepping a little a side called the Chauncellour vnto hym Who vppon hys knees spake certaine wordes vnto the king but what they were for that they were softly spoken and the King a good pretie distance from the Queene it is not well known The 〈…〉 Wâ—isley L Chauncellour but it is most certaine that the kings replying vnto hym was knaue for his aunswer yea arrant knaue beast and foole and with that the king commaÌ„ded hym presently to auant out of presence The L Chauncellour commaunded to auaunt out of the K. sight Wrisleis deuises Wynchesters platforme lye in the duste Which words although they were vttered somewhat lowe yet were they so vehemently whyspered out by the king that the Queene did easely with her Ladies aforesayd ouer heare them which had bene not a litle to her comforte iâ— shee had knowen at that time the whole cause of hys comming so perfectly as after shee knewe it Thus departed the L. ChaÌ„cellor out of the kings presence as he came with all his traine the whole mould of all hys deuise being vtterly broken The king after his departure immediatly returned to the Quene Whom she perceiuing to be very much chafed albeit comming towardes her he inforced himselfe to put on a mery countenance with as swete words as she could vtter endeuoured to quallify the king his displeasure with request vnto his maiestie in the behalfe of the L. Chauncelor whom he seemed to be offended with all saying for his excuse The Q. maketh excuse for her enemye that albeit she knew not what iust cause his maiesty had at that time to be offended with him yet shee thoughte that ignoraunce not will was the cause of his error and so besought hys maiestie if the cause were not very hainous at her humble suite to take it Ah poore soule quoth he thou little knowest how euill he deserueth this grace at thy hands Of my worde sweete heart he hath bene towardes thee an arrant knaue The Queene bâ— Gods meruelous blessing deliuered of al her aduersitye and so let him go To this the Queene in charitable maner replying in few wordes ended that talke hauing also by Gods onely blessing happely for that time and euer escaped the dangerous snares of her bloudy and cruell enemies for the Gospels sake The pestiferous
to feare death fol. 36. Although our nature be frayle full of imperfectioÌ„ so that we do not as we should yet doing as we ought as we are lead by the Scriptures to do we should not dread but desire rather to dye and to be with Christ as the place it selfe doth well declare which is this We must loue death The place 〈…〉 â—â—rfecte and more desire to die and to be w t god as did S. Paul then to feare death For Iesus Christ dyed for vs to the intent that we shoulde not feare to dye and he hath slayn death and destroyd the sting of death as writeth S. Paule saying O death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 1â— death is swalowed vp in victory And to the Philippians Christ is to me life and death is to me aduauntage 20 God made vs his children and his heires while we were his enemies and before we knew him fol. 44. I maruell what the Papistes meane in the Registers to condemn this article as an heresy vnlesse theyr purpose be vtterly to impugne gainstand the scripture the writinges of S. Paule who in the fift chapter to the Rom. other his Epistles importeth euen the same doctrine in all respectes declaring in formall words that we be made the children and heyres of God and that we were reconciled vnto him when we were his enemies 21 It were better neuer to haue done good worke and aske mercy therfore then to do good workes and thinke that for theÌ„ god is bound to a man by promise fol. 48. 22 We can shew no more honor to God then fayth and trust in him fol. 48. The place out of the which these two articles are gathered is this It were better for thee a thowsande folde that thou haddest bene a sinner and neuer had done good deed to acknowledge thine offences euill life vnto God asking mercy with a good hart lamenting thy sinnes then to haue done good workes in them to put thy trust thinking that therfore God were bound to thee There is nothing which after the maner of speaking bindeth God but fyrme and stedfast fayth and trust in him his promises c. For we can shew vnto God no greater honor then to haue faith and trust in him For whosoeuer doth that he confesseth that God is true good mighty mercifull c. 23 Fayth without good workes is no litle or no feeble faith but it is no fayth fol. 50. 24 Euery man doth as much as he beleueth fol. 50. The place out of the which the two Articles be gathered is this If thy fayth induce thee not to do good workes theÌ„ hast thou not y e right fayth thou doest but onely thinke that thou hast it For S. Iames sayth that fayth wythout workes is dead in it selfe He sayth not that it is little or feeble but that it is dead and that is dead is not Therfore wheÌ„ thou art not moued by fayth vnto the loue of god and by the loue of god vnto good works thou hast no fayth but fayth is dead in thee for the spirit of God that by fayth commeth in to our hartes to styrre vp loue cannot be idle Euery one doth as much as he beleueth loueth as much as he hopeth as writeth S. Iohn He that hath thys hope that he is the sonne of god purifieth himself as he is pure He sayth not he that purifieth himselfe hath this hope for the hope must come before proceeding from the fayth as it behoueth that the tree must first be good which must bring forth good fruit 25 We cannot be without motions of euill desires but we must mortify them in resisting them 25. Article fol. 52 They which note this article of heresy may note them selues rather to be like the Pharisy Luke 18. who foolishly flattering himselfe in the false opinion of his owne righteousnes was not subdued to the righteousnes which standeth before God No man 〈◊〉 finde 〈◊〉 heresie 〈◊〉 place 〈…〉 by fayth and therefore went home to his house lesse iustified then the publican If the scriptures condemne the hart of man to be crooked euen from his youth Gene. 6. and also condemneth all the righteousnes of man to be like a filed cloth if S. Paule could finde in his flesh no good thing dwelling but sheweth a coÌ„tinuall resistance betwene the old man and the new then must it folow that these phariseis which condemne this article of heresy eyther cary no flesh nor no old man about them to be resisted or verely say what they will they can not choose but bee combred with euill motions for the inward man continually to fight agaynst The place of the authour sufficiently defendeth it selfe as foloweth S. Paule byddeth vs mortify all our euill desyres and carnall lustes as vncleanesse couetousnesse wrath blasphemy Col. â— The place of the author detractation pride and other like vices And vnto the Rom. 6. he sayth let no sinne raigne in your mortall bodyes That is to say albeit that we cannot liue without the motion of suche euill desires yet we shall not suffer them to rule in vs but shall mortifye them in resisting them c. 26 All true Christianity lyeth in loue of our neighbors for God and not in fasting 26. Article keeping of holy dayes watching praying and singing long prayers dayly and all day long hearing Masse running on pilgrimage c. fol. 52. The place of this article is this Thou hast alwaies occasion to mortify thine euill desires to serue thine neighbor Conferre this article with the 〈…〉 to comfort him and to helpe him with word and deed with couÌ„sell and exhortation and other semblable meanes In such loue towardes our neighbor for the loue of God lyeth all the law and the prophets as saith Christ yea and all christianity and not in fasting keeping of holydayes watching singing and long praiers daily and all day loÌ„g hearing of masses setting vp of candles running on pilgrimages and such other things which as well the hypocrites proud people enuious and subiect to all wicked affections do c. 27 Many Doctors in diuinity and not onely common people beleueth that it is the part of Christen fayth onely to beleue that Iesus Christ hath liued here in earth fol. 53.54 27. Article The place is this We beleeue that Iesus Christ hath here liued-on earth and that he hath preached and that he dyed for vs To beleeue that Christ here liued and dyed is good but this is not the thing onely that 〈◊〉 a Christian and did many other thinges When we beleue these things after the story we beleue that this is our christen fayth This not onely the simple people beleueth but also Doctors in diuinity which are takeÌ„ for wise men Yea the deuill hath also this fayth as sayth S. Iames The deuils beleue and they tremble For
the Moone were no Idoles for suche thinges there be as the Sunne and the Moone and they were in the Image then so represented as painting caruing doth represent them And the Image of Ninus and Cesar The 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 is false therforâ— Winchesters 〈◊〉 to be abâ—â—lished and as some writeth the Images of al the 12. chosen Gods as they called theÌ„ were the Images of once liuing men And it might be sayde that the Image of God the father hath no such eies nose lippes and a long gray beard with a furred robe nor neuer had as they kerue paint him to haue But if that be a false Image and an Idoll which is otherwise worshipped accepted then it ought to be as the brasen Serpent being a true Image and representation of Christ by abuse was made an Idoll it may be thought in times past and peraduenture howe at this time in some places the Images not onely of S. Iohn or S. Anne but of our Lady Christ be false Images and Idols representing to foolish blind ignorant mens harts and thoughtes that which was not in them and they ought not to be made forâ— The whiche were by you my Lord to haue bene remoued sooner and before that y e captayn there should haue need to haue done 〈◊〉 But if your Lordship be slacke in such matters he that remoueth false images and Idols abused doth not a thing worthy blame Christ called not the mony hauing Cesars Image in it an Idoll when it was vsed to lawfull vses and to pay the due tâ—ibute with all But when a man doth not vse those Images grauen in mony to do his neighbor good and the common wealth seruice S. Paule Christes disciple called that couetousnes and the seruing and bondage to Idols So that eueÌ„ in mony may be idolatry if we make to much of those Images whiche Christ here doth not reprehend There be some so ticklish and so feareful one wayes and so tender stomacked that they can abide no old abuses to be reformed but thinke euery reformatioÌ„ to be a capitall enterprise agaynst al Religion and good order as there be on the contrary side some to rash who hauing no consideration what is to be done headlong wil set vpoÌ„ euery thing The Magistrates duety is betwixte these so in a meane to sit and prouide that olde doting should not take further or deeper ruâ—t in the common wealth neyther auncient error ouercome the seene and tryed trueth nor long abuse for the age and space of time onely still be suffered and yet all these with quietnesse and gentlenesse and without all contention if it were possible to be reformed To the whyche your Lordship as a man to whom God hath geuen greate qualities of witte learning and persuasion coulde bring great helpe and furtherance if it were your pleasure with great thankes of men reward of God The which thing is our full desire and purpose and our harty dayly prayer to God that in the kinges Maiesties time whose Maiesties reigne God preserue al abuses with wisedom reformed Christes Religion with good and polliticke order of the commom wealth without any contention and strife among the kinges Subiectes might florish and daylye encrease And thys to youre Lordships letter sent to maister Uaughan of Portesmouth Winchester to the Lord Protector MAy it please your Grace to vnderstande that I haue noted some poyntes in my Lord of S. Dauids Sermon which I sende vnto you here with whereby to declare vnto you some part what I thinke for the whole I cannot expresse somewhat I shall encomber you with my â—abling but he hath encombred some freÌ„des more with his taâ—ling And alas my Lord this is a piteous case that hauing so muche businesse as ye haue these inward disorders should be added vnto theÌ„ to the courage of such as would this Realme any wayes euill For this is the thinge they would desire with hope therby to disorder this realme being now a time rather to repayre that needeth reparation theÌ„ to make any new buildings which they preteÌ„d Quiet tranquility vnity coÌ„cord shall mainteine estimatioÌ„ The conÌ„trary may animate the enemy to atteÌ„pt that was neuer thought on which God forbid There was neuer attemptate or alteration made in England but vpon coÌ„fort of discorde at home and woe be to them that mindeth it If my Lord of S. Dauides or such others haue theyr head coÌ„bred with any new platforme I would wish they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded betwene this and the kings maiesties full age to draw the plat diligently to hewe the stones dig the sand chop the chalke in the vnseasonable time of building and when the kings maiesty commeth to full age to present theyr labors to him and in the meane time not to disturbe the state of the realme whereof your Grace is Protectior but that you may in euery part of religion lawes landes and decrees which foure contein the state deliuer the same to our soueraygn Lord according to the trust you be put in whiche shall be much to your honor as all honest men wish and desire To which desired effect there can be nothyng so noysome coÌ„trarious as trouble disquiet Wherin your Grace shal be specially troubled as on whose shoulders al the weight lieth and what so euer shall happen amisse by the faultes of other shal be imputed to your Grace as doer therof or wanting foresight in time to withstand the same And albeit that you minde not to be faulty in either yet if the effecte be not to the Realme as were to be wished the prince and though he were of age should be excused and y e gouernors here the blame And this is y e infelicity of preheminence and authority and specially in this Realme as storyes make mention which should not discourage you for you neede feare nothing without if quiet be reserued at home and at home if the beginning be resisted the inteÌ„ded folly may easily bee interrupted But if my brother of S. Dauids may like a champion with his sword in his hand make enter for the rest the doore of licence opened there shal moâ— by folly thrust in with him theÌ„ your grace would wish Thus as I thinke I write homely to your grace Wyly Winchester vnder pretense of geuing sage councell craâ—tely goeth about to incense set the Lorde Protectour agaynst all good men and all Godly proceedinges because you were content I should write wherin I consider onely to haue all thinges well And because your grace is the Protector and the chiefe dirâ—etor of the realme to preseÌ„t vnto your wisedome what my folly is I haue bene oftentimes blamed for fearing ouermuch and yet I haue had an incling that they that so blamed me feared eueÌ„ as much as I. Being in the state that you be iâ— it shal be euer coÌ„meÌ„dable to foresee the worst In quiet ye be strong in trouble ye
be in deede truthes children and so is all the eloquence which some to disprayse me say I haue whatsoeuer they say of me For truth is of it selfe in a right meaning mans mouth more eloquent then forged matters can with studye bring forth What rymes be sette forth to depraue the Lent and how fond sauing your Graces honour and foolish and yet the people pay money for them and they can serue for nothing but to learne the people to rayle to cause such as vsed to make prouision for fishe agaynst Lent fearing now Lent to be so sicke as the ryme purporteth and like to dye in deede to forbeare to make theyr accustomed prouision for the next yeare And thereto shall it come if the common dyet be not certayne For the Fishmonger will neuer hope to haue good sale when the the butcher may with flesh out face him And fishe is that great treasure of this realme foode inestimable And these good wordes I geue although I loue it not my selfe for such as loue not fish should neuertheles commend it to other to the intent the fleshe by them forborne might be to such as loue it onely the more plenty The publicke defamation trifling with Lent is a maruellous matter to thē that woulde say euill of this Realme for there is nothyng more commended vnto vs christen men in both the Churches of the Greekes and Latins then lent is if all men be not liers In the king our late soueraigne Lordes dayes this matter was not thus spoken of And I thinke our enemies would wish we had no lēt Euery coūtry hath his peculier inclination to naughtines England and Germany to the belly the one in licor the other in meat Fraunce a litle beneath the belly Italy to vanity and pleasures deuised let an English belly haue a further aduauncement and nothing can stay it whē I was purueior for the seas what an exclamatiō was there as your grace shewed me of the Bishops fasting day as they called wednesday and Winchester Winchester grand mercy for your wine I beshrow your hart for your water Was not that song although it was in sport a signification how loth men be to haue theyr licence restrained or theyr accustomed fare abated vnles it were in extreme necessity I heare say that lēt is thus spok of by Ioseph and Tongue with other new whome I knowe not as be one of Christes Myracles which God ordeyned not man to immitate and follow at whiche teaching all the world will laugh For Christian men haue Christ for an example in all thinges both to vse the world as he did onely for necessity and contemne the world as he did and in case to refuse it and choose the vyle death as he did the death of the Crosse which thinges he did like a Mayster most perfect for he was very god and we must endeuour our selfe in the vse of his gyftes to follow that he did not to fast fortye dayes without meate as Christ did for we be but Prentises and cary about a ruinous Carcas that muste haue some daylye reparation with foode but yet was there neuer none that sayde how therefore we should do nothing because we can not do al and take Christes fast for a myracle onely And yet all that folow Christ truely they worke dayly myracles in subduing and cōforming by Gods grace there sensuall appitites and humble obeying to the wil of God which no man can of himselfe do and Christ promised that his true seruants should worke the workes that he did and greater works also Wherfore it is a slender matter to say Lent was one of Christes myracles for so was it to loue his enemyes specially those that scourged and bobbed him which may not bee if that allegation hath place taught Christen men to folow because it was a myracle as they might say it were more tollerable to forgette Lent as Pogge telleth of a Priest in the moūtaynes that knew not how the yeare went about and when the weather opened and hee went abroad and perceiued his neighbours were towardes Palme Sonday he deuised an excuse to his Paryshe and bad them prepare therefore for in deede the yeare had somewhat slipped him but he would fashion the matter so as they shoulde be as soone at Easter as the rest and thus did he passe ouer lent with much lesse slaunder then to teach it for a doctrine y t lēt was one of Christs miracles therefore not to be imitated for vs for although it was in deede a greate myracle as all Christes doynges were yet was it there not a greate myracle ne more agaynst mans nature then to loue them y t laboured were busye to take away the naturall lyfe of his manhoode For as the nature of man desireth reliefe so doth it abhorre distruction or hurt In will and desire menne followe Christ in al thinges in execution they cannot For we haue brickle vessels and God geueth his giftes to men as he seeth expedient for his Church So as men cannot heale the lame when they will as Christ did when hee woulde but as God shall thinke profitable for the edification of the flocke assembled Gregory Nazianzene speaketh of some that enterprised to imitate christes fast aboue theyr power whose immoderate zeale he doth not disallowe not requiring of all men so to doe for that is an extremity ne yet assoyling the matter as our new schole men doe that Christen men shoulde let Christes fast alone as a myracle which maner of solution I heard a good felow make when it was told him he might not reuenge himselfe And when he were stroken on the one eare put forth the other I am quoth he a man I am not God if Christ being God did so he might quod he if it had pleased him haue done otherwise And so when it hath bene alleadged that Christ fasted forty dayes he might quoth he haue eaten if he had list these triflinges in sporte mighte bee drawne to graue speach if Christen men shall refuse to folow Christ in myracles For all his life was myracles and his loue that is our Badge most miraculous of all to dye for his enemies I beseeche your Grace to pardon me for I am like one of the commō house that when I am in my tale thinke I should haue liberty to make an end and specially writing to your grace with whome I accompt I may bee bolde assuring you it proceedeth of a zeale towardes you vnto whom I wysh well whose intent although it be suche as it ought to bee and as it pleased you to shew me it was yet such thinges spread abroade whereof the euill willers of the Realme will take courage and make accompte although it bee wrong that all goeth on wheeles if any man had either fondly or vndiscreetelye spoken of lent to engreue it to bee an importable burthen I would wish his reformation for I haue not learned
the French and that we do withhold wages from the souldiours and other such tales and letters they doe spreade abroade of the which if any one thing were true we would not wish to liue the matter now being brought to a marueilous extremitie such as we wold neuer haue thought it could haue come vnto especially of those men towardes the kings maiestie and vs of whom we haue deserued no such thing but râ—ther much fauour and loue But the case being as it is this to require and pray you to hasteÌ„ you hither to the defence of the kings maiestie in such force and power as you may to shew the parte of a true Gentleman and of a very frende the which thing we truste God shall rewarde and the kinges Maiestie in time to come and we shall neuer be vnmindefull of it too We are sure you shal haue other letters from them but as ye tender your duety to the kings Maiestie we require you to make no stay but immediately repair with such force as yee haue to his highnesse Castle of Windsore and cause the rest of such force as yee may make to followe you And so we bid you right heartily farewel From Hampton Court the sixt of October Your Lordships assured louing frend Edward Somerset An answere to the L. Protectors letter TO this letter of the Lorde Protectoure sent the sixte of Octob. the L. Russel returning answere againe vppon the eight of the sayde moneth first lamenteth the heauie dissention fallen betwene the Nobilitye and him which he taketh for suche a plague as a greater could not be sent of almighty God vpon this Realme being the next way saith he to make of vs conquerors slaues like to induce vpon the whole realme an vniuersal calamitye thraldome vnlesse the mercifull goodnes of the Lorde do helpe some wise order be taken in staying these great extremities And as touching the Dukes request in his letters for as much as he heard before of this broile of the Lords feared least soâ—e conspiracie had ben meant against the kings person he hasted forwarde with such company as he coulde make for the surety of y e king as to him appertained Now perceiuing by the Lordes letters sent vnto him the same sixte day of Octâ— these tumults to rise vpon priuate causes betwene him and them he therfore thought it expedient that a conuenient power should be leuied to be in a readines to withstand the worste what perils soeuer might ensue for the preseruation both of the king state of the realm from the 〈◊〉 of forraine enemies and also for the staying of bloudshed if any such thing should be intended betwixt the partes in the heate of thys faction And this hee thinking beste for discharge of his allegeance humbly beseecheth his grace to haue y e same also in speciall regard and consideration first that the kings Maiestie be put in no feare that if there be any such thing wherein he hath geuen iust cause to them thus to proceede hee will so conforme him selfe as no such priuate quarels do redound to the publike disturbance of the Realme certifying moreouer the Duke that if it were true whyche he vnderstandeth by the letters of the Lordes y t he should send about proclamations and letters for raising vp of the commons he liked not the same Notwithstanding hee trusted well that his wisedome woulde take such a way as no effusion of bloud should follow And thus muche being contained in his former letters of the eight of October in his next letters againe wrytten the 11. day of Octob. the said Lord Russel reioysing to heare of the most reasonable offers of the Lord Protectour made to the Lordes The contents of the second aunswer of the L. Russell to the Lord Protector wryteth vnto him promiseth to doe what in the vttermost power of him and likewise of sir W. Harbert ioyned together with him doe 〈◊〉 to worke some honorable reconciliation betwene him them so as his sayd offers being accepted satisfied some good coÌ„clusion might ensue according to their good hope expectation Signifying moreouer that as touching the leuying of men they had resolued to haue the same in readinesse for the benefite of the realme The gooâ— L. Russell a solicitor for peace betweene the Lord Protector and the Lordes to occurre all incoÌ„ueniences whatsoeuer either by forraine inuasion or otherwise might happen so hauing their power at hand to drawe neare wherby they might haue the better oportunitie to be solicitours and a meanes for this reformation on both parties c. And thus much for answer of the Lord Russel to the Lorde Protectours letters But nowe to the matter againe of the Lordes who together with the Earle of Warwike vppon what occasion God knoweth being assembled at London The Lordes of the Coâ—â—â—ell assembled against the Lorde Protectour as ye heard against the Lorde Protector when the king with his counsaile at Hampton court heard therof first Secretarye Pâ—ter with the kings message was sent vnto them whome the Lords notw tstanding detained still with them making as yet no answer to the message Wheâ—upon the L. Protectour wryteth to them in this maner as followeth A letter of the Lorde Protectour to the Counsaile at London The Lord Protectoâ—s lâ—tter to the Lordes of the Counsaile at London MY Lordes we commend vs most hartily vnto you wheras the kings Maiestie was infourmed that you were assembled in such sorte as you doe and nowe remaine and was aduised by vs and such other of his Counsaile as were then heere aboute his persone to send M. Secretarie Peter vnto you with such message as whereby mighte haue ensued the suretie of hys Maiesties persone with preseruation of his realme and subiects the quiet both of vs and your selues as maister Secretarye can well declare to you his maiestie and we of his Counsaile heere doe not a litle maruel that you stay still with you the sayd M. Secretarie haue not as it were vouchsafed to send aunswer to his Maiestie neyther by him nor yet any other And for our selues we doe much more maruell and are right sory as both wee and you haue good cause to be to see the manner of your doinges bentâ— with violence to bring the kings Maiesty and vs to these extremities Which as we doe intende if you wil take no other way but violence to defend as nature and our allegeaunce doeth binde vs to extremitye of death and to put all to Gods hand who geueth victory as it pleaseth him so that if any reasonable conditions and offers woulde take place as hetherto none hath bene signified vnto vs froÌ„ you nor we do not vnderstand what you do require or seeke or what you do meane that you do seek no hurt to the kings Maiesties person as touching all other priuate matters to auoid the effusion of Christian bloud and to preserue the
the deuill and defendeth meÌ„ from deceptions of phantasy c. Thus ye haue heard the author and father of holly water which some also ascribe to Pope Sixtus which succeeded Alexander But as y e Papists do not agree in the fyrst authour or institutor of this hallowing of Elementes so I thinke the same vntruely to be ascribed to either but leauing the probation of this to farther leasure let vs nowe heare in our owne tongue theyr owne words which y e vse in this theyr coniuration The forme and wordes vsed of the Priest in coniuring Salt I coniure thee thou creature of Salte by the ✚ liuyng God Salt coniured by the ✚ true God by the holy God c. That thou mayest be made a coniured Salte to the saluation of them that beleue And that vnto all suche as receiue thee thou mayest be health of soule and body and that from out of y e place wherein thou shalt be sprinckled may flie away and depart all phantasy wickednes or craftines of the deuils subtlety and euery foule spirit c. The forme of coniuring water Water coniured I coniure thee thou creature of water in the name of ✚ God the father almighty and in the name of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue ✚ of the holy Ghost that thou become a coniured water to expell all power of the enemy c. Who seeth not in these wordes blasphemye intollerable how that which only is due to the bloud of Christ and promised to fayth onely in him the same is transferred to earthly and insensate creatures to be saluation both to bodye and spirite inwardlye to geue remission of sinnes to geue health and remedy agaynst euils and deuils against all phantasies wickednesse and all foule spirites and to expell the power of the enemy c. If this be true whereto serueth the bloud of Christ and the vertue of Christian fayth Therfore iudge thy selfe gentle Reader whether thou thinke this trompery rightly to be fathered vpon those ancient fathers aforenamed or els whether it may seme more like trueth that Iohn Sleydan writeth whose woordes in his second booke de Monarchijs are these Ioan 〈◊〉 danu◠〈◊〉 de 4. â—â—â—narch Horum decreta sunt in libris inserta conciliorum sed ex his plaeraque tam sunt leuicula tam nugatoria tam aliena prorsus a sacris literis vt credibile sit ab alijs longo post teÌ„pore fuisse conficta c. That is The decrees of these foresaid Bishops and Martyrs be inserted in the booke of Counsels but of these decrees many therof be so childish so trifling and so farre disagreeing from the holy scripture Many 〈…〉 imputeâ— the oldâ— theâ—â— which 〈◊〉 none oâ— theirs that it is very like that the same were fayned and counterfayted of others long after theyr time c. Thus muche sayth Sleydane with moe woordes in that place Unto whose testimony if I might be so bolde also to adde my coniecture I would suppose the coniuration of this foresayd water and Salte to spring out of the same fountayne from whence proceeded the coniuring of flowers and braunches because I see the order and manner of them both to be so like and vniforme as may appeare The maner of halowing flowers and braunches I coniure thee thou creature of flowers and brauÌ„ches in the name of ✚ God the father almighty Floures braunch hallowâ— and in the name ✚ of Iesu Christ his sonne our Lord and in the vertue of the holy ✚ Ghost Therfore be thou rooted out and displaÌ„ted from this creature of flowers and braunches all thou strength of the aduersary all thou host of the deuill and all the power of the enemy eueÌ„ euery assault of the deuils c. And thus much concerning the antiquity of holy bread and holy water wherby thou mayst partly coniecture the same not to be so olde as Steuen Gardiner in hys Letter agaynst mayster Ridley aboue mentioned woulde haue Pag. 753. being both deceiued himselfe and also goyng about to seduce other Furthermore as touching the reseruing of reliques the memoriall of sayntes brought into the masse Ex Actiâ— Rom. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Gregoriâ—â— Gregory the thyrd is the author therof who also added to the canon therof this clause Quorum solennitates hodie in coÌ„spectu diuinae maiestatis tuae celebrantur c. Finally it were to long to recite euery thing in order deuised and brought in particularly to the masse and to y e Church For after that mans brayne was once set on deuising it neuer coulde make an end of heaping rite vppon rite and ceremony vpon ceremonye till all religion was turned well nighe to superstition Thereof commeth oyle and creame brought in by Pope Siluester not wont to be hallowed but by a byshop Oyle 〈◊〉 creame The 〈◊〉 onelâ— linnen That the corporas shuld not be of silcke but onely of fine linnen cloth That the Psalmes should be song on sides the one side of the quier singing one verse the other an other with gloria patri c. That baptisme should be ministred at no other time in the yere but onely at Easter and at whitsontide saue onely to infantes and such as were in extreame infirmity and that it should be requyred 40. dayes before Autor 〈◊〉 Conciliâ—â— Tomo 〈◊〉 Hallow of the 〈◊〉 at Easteâ—â— Whitsoâ—â—tide Christ iâ— of bellâ— Ex ponâ— cali 〈…〉 No beaâ—â— so determined by Pope Siricius and therfore was it that fontes were halowed onely at these two seasons the which hallowing they keep yet still but the ordinaunce they haue reiecte Item that belles also were Christened Item no Prieste shoulde weare a beard or haue long hayre so appoynted by Pope Martine the first Item that auriculare confession shoulde be made that the booke of decrees and decretals should be stablished and transubstauntiation confirmed in whiche three Actes Pope Innocentius the thyrd was the chiefest doer Transuâ—â—stantiatâ—â— about the yeare of our Lord. 1215. And thus haue ye in sum the gatheringes of the masse with the Chanon and all the appurtenaunce of the same which not much vnlike to the Crow of Esope being patched with the feathers of so manye byrdes was so long a gethering that the temple of Salomon was not so long in building as the Popes Masse was in making Whereby iudge now thy selfe good Reader whether this Masse did proceede from Iames and other Apostles or no. And yet this was one of the principall causes for which so much turmoyle was made in the Church with the bloudshed of so many Godly men suffering in so many quarters of this realme some consumed by fire some pined away with huÌ„ger some hanged some slayne some racked some tormented one way some another and that onely or chiefelye for the cause of this aforesayd popish Masse as by the reading of this story folowing by the grace of Christ our Lord shall appeare more
euill disposed persons being borne out of her highnes dominions in other sondry nations flyeng from the obeysaunce of the Princes and Rulers vnder whome they be borne some for heresie some for murther treason robbery and some for other horrible crimes be resorted into this her maiesties Realme and heere haue made theyr demour and yet be commoraunt and lingring partly to eschew such conding punishment as their said horrible crimes deserue and partly to dilate plant and sowe the seedes of their malicious doctrine and lewd conuersation among the good subiectes of this her said Realme of purpose to infect her good subiectes with the like in so much as besides innumerable heresies which diuers of the same beeing heretickes haue preached and taught within her highnes sayd Realme it is assuredly knowne vnto her Maiesty Causes layd agaynst straungers that not only their secret practises haue not fayled to stirre comfort and ayde dyuers her highnes subiectes to this most vnnaturall rebellion against God and her grace but also some other of them desist not still to practise with her people eftsoones to rebell her Maiestie therefore hauing as afore is sayd knowledge and intelligence heereof hath for remedie heerein determined and most straightly chargeth and commaundeth that all and euery such person or persons borne out of her highnes dominions now commoraunt or resident within this Realme of whatsoeuer Nation or Countrey beeing eyther Preacher Printer Bookeseller or other Artificer or of whatsoeuer calling else not being Denizen or Marchant knowne vsing the trade of Marchaundize or seruaunt to such Ambassadours as be liegers heere from the Princes and states ioyned in league with her grace shall within 24. dayes after this Proclamation auoyde the Realme vpon payne of most greeuous punishment by enprisonment and forfayture and confiscation of all their goodes and moueables and also to be delyuered vnto their natuâ—all Princes or Rulers agaynst whose persons or lawes they haue offended Geuing to all Mayors Sheriffes Bayliffes Constables and all other her ministers officers and good subiectes straightly also in charge if they knowe any such person not borne in the Queenes highnes dominion◠〈◊〉 before excepted that shall after the time and day limitted in â—his Proclamation tarry within thys Realme that they shall apprehende the same person or persons and commit him or them to 〈◊〉 there to remayne without bayle or mayneprise till her graces pleasure or her Counsayles be signifyed vnto them for the further ordering of the sayde person or persons And that if any of her sayde officers after the sayd 24. dayes apprehend take or knowe of any such they shall with diligence immediatly certifie her sayd Counsell thereof to the intent order may forthwith be geueÌ„ for their punishmeÌ„t according In the meane while vpoÌ„ the Proclamation before mencioned not only y e strangers in K. Edwards time receiued into the Realme for Religion Pet. Martir and Iohannes Alasco banished the realme amoÌ„g whoÌ„ was Pet. Martir Iohn Alasco vncle to the King of Poleland but many Englishmen fled some to Freeseland some to Cleueland some to high Germany where they were diuersly scattered into diuers companies congregations at Wesell at Frankford Emden Markpurgh Strausborough Basill Arow Zurich Geneua and other places where by the prouidence of God they were al susteined and there entertained with greater fauour among strangers abroad Englishmen fled out of the realm for religion The number of English exiles well neare 800. persons March 15. Lady Elizabeth and Lord Courtney vpon suspicion of Syr Thom. Wyats rising committed to the Tower then they could be in their owne countrey at home welneare to the number of 800. persons Students other together In the saide moneth of March the Lorde Courtney Earle of Deuonshire whome the Queene at her first entring deliuered out of the Tower and Lady Elizabeth also the Queenes Sister were both in suspection to haue consented to Wiats conspiracie and for the same this March were apprehended and committed to the Tower Touching the imprisonment of which Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney thou shalt note heere for thy learning good Reader a politicke point of practise in Steuen Gardiner Bishop of Wint. not vnworthy to be considered This Gardiner being alwayes a capitall enemie to the Lady Elizabeth and thinking â—owe by the occasion of maister Wyate to picke out some matter against the Lorde Courtney and so in the end to entangle the Lady Elizabeth deuised a pestilent practise of conueyance as in the story heere following may appeare The story is this The same day that Sir Tho. Wyate died A poynt 〈◊〉 practise 〈◊〉 Ste. Garâ—â—â—ner agaynâ—â— the Lady â—â—lizabeth he desired the Lieutenant to bring him to the presence of the Lord Courtney Who there before the Lieutenaunte and the Sheriffes kneeling downe vpon his knees besought the Lorde Courtney to forgeue him for that he had falsly accused both the Lady Elizabeth and him and so being brought from thence vnto the scaffold to suffer there openly in the hearing of all the people cleared the Lady Elizabeth and the Lorde Courtney to be free and innocente from all suspition of that commotion At which confession D. Westoâ— against 〈◊〉 Lady Eliâ—â—â—beth Doctor Weston there standing by cryed to the people saying Beleeue him not good people for he confessed otherwise before vnto the Counsell After the execution done of Sir Thomas Wyat which was the 11. day of Aprill word was brought immediately to the Lord Maior Sir Thomas White a little before dinner The Lorâ— Mayors iudgemeâ—â— of D. Weâ—ston how maister Wyate had cleared the Lady Elizabeth and Lorde Courtney and the wordes also which Doctor Weston spake vnto the people wherunto the Lord Maior aunswering Is this true quoth he said Weston so In sooth I neuer tooke him otherwise but for a knaue Upon this the Lord Maior sitting downe to dinner who dyned the same day at the Bridgehouse commeth in Sir Martin Bowes with the Recorder newly come from the Parliament house who hearing of the Maior and Sheriffes this report of Wiats confession both vpon the Scaffold and also in the Tower marueiled thereat declaring how there was another tale contrary to this told the same day in the Parliament house which was that Sir Thomas Wyate should desire the Lord Courtney to confesse the truth so as he had done before Upon this it followed not loÌ„g after that a certaine prentice dwelling in S. Laurence lane named Cut as he was drinking with one DenhaÌ„ a plasterer being one of Quene Maries seruaunts amongst other talke made mentioÌ„ how Sir Thomas Wyate had cleared the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney to be no coÌ„senters to his rising Which wordes being brought to Gardiner by what meanes I know not incoÌ„tinent vpon the same Cut preâ—â—tise in Lâ—â—â—doÌ„ brouâ—â—â— before 〈◊〉 Gardineâ— Syr Andrew Iudde was sent by the sayd Bishop to y e Lord Maior commaunding him to bring the said prentise
world The causes whâ— they 〈…〉 otherwise dispute theâ— before indifferent Iudges The matter of the disputation is against Gods word The second cause that the determinations of both the Uniuersities in matters of Religion especially wherin we should dispute are directly against Gods word yea against their own determinations in the time of our late soueraigne Lord and most godly Prince King Edward and further it is knowen they be our open enemies and haue already condemned our causes before any disputation had of the same Secondly because the Prelates and clergie do not seeke either vs or the verity but our destruction and their glory For if they had sought vs as charity requireth theÌ„ would they haue called vs forth hereaboutes before theyr lawes were so made that franckly and without perill we might haue spoken our consciences Againe if they had sought for the veritie they woulde not haue concluded of controuersies In the disputation neither charitie nor veritie sought for tofore they had bene disputed so that it easely appeareth that they seeke their owne glory and our destruction and not vs and the veritie and therefore we haue good cause to refuse disputation as a thing which shall not further preuaile then to the setting forth of their glory and the suppression of the veritie Thirdly because the Censors and Iudges as we heare who they be are manifest enemies to the truth and that which worse is obstinate enemies before whome pearles are not to be cast The third cause The Iudges of the disputation professed enemies against the truth The 4. cause by the commaundements of our Sauior Iesus Christ and by his owne example That they be such their doings of late at Oxford and in the Conuocation house in October last past do most euidently declare Fourthly because some of vs haue bene in prison these 8. or 9. monethes where we haue had no bookes no paper no penne no inke or conuenient place for study we thinke we should do euill thus sodainly to descend into disputation with them which may alledge as they list the fathers and their testimonies Want of booâ—es necessaâ—â— for disputation bicause our memories haue not that which we haue read so readily as to reproue when they shall report and wrest the authors to their purpose or to bring forth that we may haue there for our aduantage Fiftly because in disputation we shall not be permitted to prosecute our Argumentes The 5. cause but be stopped when we would speake one saying thus another that the third his mind Example of 〈◊〉 disputation at Oxford c. As was done to the godly learned fathers especially D. Ridley at Oxford who could not be permitted to declare his minde and meaning of the propositions had oftentimes halfe a dosen at once speaking against hym alwayes letting him to prosecute his argument and to aunswere accordingly we will not speake of the hissing scoffing and taunting which wonderfully then was vsed If on this sorte and much worse they handled these fathers much more will they be shameles bold with vs if we shuld enter into disputation with them Sixtly because the Notaries that shall receiue write the disputations shal be of their appointment and such as either do not or dare not fauour y e truth and therefore must write eyther to please them or else they themselues the Censours and Iudges we meane at their pleasure wyll put to and take from The 6. cause that which is writteÌ„ by y e Notaries who can not Notaries 〈◊〉 indiffeâ—â—nt nor must not haue in their custody that which they write longer then the disputation indureth as their doings at Oxford declareth No copy nor scroule could anye man haue by their good will For the Censors and Iudges will haue all deliuered into their hands Yea if any man was sene there to write as the report is the same man was sent for and his writings taken from him so must the disputation serue only for the glory not of God but of the enemies of his truth For these causes we all thinke it so necessary not to dispute with them as if we did dispute we shuld do that whiche they desire purposely seek to promote the kingdome of Antichrist and to suppresse as much as may be y e truth We will not speake of the offence that might come to the godly wheÌ„ they shuld heare by the report of our enemies our aunsweres and arguments framed you may be sure for their fantasies to the sclaundering of the veritie Therfore we publish and by this writing notifie vnto the whole congregation and church of England Exceptions taken agaâ—nst the aduersaries that for these aforesaid causes we will not dispute with theÌ„ otherwise then with the penne vnlesse it be before the Queenes highnes and her Councell or before the houses of the parliament as is aboue sayd If they will write Conditions assigned how they would dispute we will aunswere by writing confirm and proue out of the infallible veritie euen the very word of God and by the testimonye of y e good and most auncient fathers in Christes Churche this our fayth and euery peece thereof which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely that oure good brethren and sisterne in the Lord may knowe it and to seale vp y e same Exhortation to obedience we are ready through Gods helpe and grace to geue our liues to y e halter of fire or otherwise as God shall appoynt humbly requiring in the bowels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ beseeching all that feare God to behaue themselues as obedient subiects to the Queenes highnes and the superiour powers which are ordeyned of god vnder her rather after our exaÌ„ple to geue their heads to the blocke then in any poynt to rebell or once to mutter agaynst the Lordes annoynted we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary into whose hart we beseech the Lord of mercye plentifully to doure the wisedome and grace of his holy spirite now and for euer Amen First we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament The confession and fayth of the prisoned Preachers and al the bookes of the new Testament to be the very true word of God and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and are therfore to be heard accordingly as the Iudge in all controuersies and matters of religion Secondly The Catholicke Church we confesse and beleue the Catholick church whiche is the spouse of Christ as a most obedient and louing wife to embrace and follow the doctrin of these books in all matters of religion and therefore is shee to be heard accordingly so that those which will not heare this church thus following and obeying the word of her husband we accompt as heretickes and schismatickes accordyng to this saying If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen Thirdly we
God hath dealt vnto them and to the diuersitie of the gifts of the spirite geuen vnto them But let vs nowe consider y t if it be Gods good will and pleasure to geue hys owne beloued heart that is hys beloued church and the members therof into the handes of theyr ennemies to chasten trie prooue them and to bryng them to the true vnfained acknowledging of theyr owne naturall stubburnnesse disobedience towardes God and his commaundements as touching the loue of God and of their brethren or neighbours and their naturall inclination readinesse desire to loue creatures to seeke their owne lusts pleasures and things forbidden of God to obtaine a true and earnest repentaunce and sorowfulnesse therefore and to make them to sigh and crie for the forgeuenesse of the same and for the aide of the spirite daily to mortifie and kill the saide euill desires and lustes yea and often falling into grosse outwarde sinnes as did Dauid Peter Magdalen and other to arise againe also thereout with a mighty crying for mercy wyth many other causes lette vs also consider what he hereafter doeth with the said enemies into whose hands he hath geuen his tenderly beloued dearlings to be chastened and tried Forsothe wheras he but chasteneth his dearlings and crosseth them for a small while accordinge to his good pleasure as all fathers doe with their children Heb. 12. Prouerb 3. Gods iusticâ— vpon his enemies and persecuters He vtterly destroyeth yea and euerlastingly damneth the vnrepentant enemies Let Herode tell me what he wanne by killing Iames and persecuting Peter and Christes tender dearlings and beloued spouse and wife hys Churche Uerely God thought him not worthy to haue death ministred vnto him by meÌ„ or Angels or any worthy creatures but those small and yet most vile beastes lice and small wormes must consume and kill his beastly vile and tirannous body Pharao and Nabuchadonoser for all their pride and most mighty power must at the length let Gods dearlings go freely away out of their land yea out of their bandes and tirannie For when it could not be obtained at theyr handes that Gods congregation mighte haue true mercy ministred vnto them but the counterfaite mercye of these our dayes that is to saye extreeme crueltie and euen the very and that most horrible and cruel death God arose and awoke out of his sleepe and destroyed those ennemies of his flock with a mighty hand and a stretched out arme Pharao did wyth moste great and intollerable labors and burdens expresse and bring vnder the poore Israelits and yet did the Courtiers vndoubtedly noyse abroade that the king was mercifull vnto them to suffer them to liue in his land and to sette them aworke that they might gette them theyr liuings If he shoulde thruste them out of hys lande whether should they go like a sort of vagabunds and runagates This title name of mercy wold that tyaÌ„t haue and so did his flattering false Courtiers spreade hys vayne praise abroade Haue not wee the like examples nowe a dayes O that I had nowe time to wryte certaine thyngs pertaining to our Winchesters mercy Winchesteâ—â— mercy Howe mercifull hee hath bene to me and to my good brethren I will not speake of neither yet vnto the Duke of Suffolkes moste innocent daughter and to her as innocent husband For althoughe their fathers were faultie yet had their youth and lacke of experience deserued a pardon by all true merciful mennes iudgements O that I had time to painte out thys matter a right but there be many aliue that can doe it muche better when I am deade Pharao had hys plagues and hys moste flourishinge lande was by his counterfaite mercye whych was in deede righte crueltie and abhominable tyrannie vtterly destroyed And thinke yee that thys bloudy butcherly Byshoppe of Winchester and his moste bloudie brethren shall escape Or y e Englande shall for theyr offences and specially for the maintenaunce of theyr Idolatrie and wilful following of them not abide a great brunt Yes vndoubtedly If God looke not mercifully vpon England Ann. 1554. â—ebruaâ—y the seedes of vtter destruction are sowen in it already by these hypocriticall Tyrauntes and Antichristian Prelates Popishe Papistes and double Traytours to theyr naturall Countrey And yet they speake of mercy of blessing of the Catholicke Church of vnitie of power and strengthening of the Realme This double dissimulation will shew it selfe one day when the plague commeth which will vndoubtedly light vpon these crowneshorne capteines and that shortly whatsoeuer the godly and the poore Realme suffer in the meane while by Gods good sufferaunce and will Spite of Nabuchodonosors beard and maugre his heart the captiue thrall and miserable Iewes must come home agayne and haue their Citie and temple builded vp agayne by Zorobabell Esdras and Nehemias c. And the whole Kingdome of Babylon must go to ruine and be taken in of straunges the Persians and the Medes So shall the disperpled English flocke of Christ be brought againe into theyr former estate or to a better I trust in the Lorde God than it was in innocent Kyng Edwardes dayes and our bloudy Babylonicall Byshops and the whole crowneshorne companye brought to vtter shame rebuke ruyne decaye and destruction for God can not and vndoubtedly wyll not suffer for euer theyr abhominable lying false doctrine theyr hypocrisie bloudthrist whoredome idlenesse theyr pestilent lyfe pampored in all kynde of pleasure theyr thrasonicall boasting pryde theyr malicious enuious and poysoned stomackes which they beare towardes hys poore and miserable Christians Peter truely warneth that if iudgemente begynneth at the house of God what shall be the ende of them that beleeue not the Gospell If the righteous shall scant be saued where shall the vngodly and sinfull appeare Some shall haue theyr punishmente heere in thys worlde and in the worlde to come and they that doo escape in thys worlde shall not escape euerlastyng damnation Thys shall bee youre sauce O yee wicked Papistes make yee merry heere as long as yee may After that I. Rogers as yee haue heard had bene long straitly imprisoned Febr. 4. lodged in newgate amoÌ„gst theeues ofteÌ„ examined and very vncharitably intreated at leÌ„gth vniustly and most cruelly by wicked Winchester coÌ„demned the 4. of February M. Rogers warned to prepare to death in the yeare of our Lord 1555. beeyng Monday in the morning hee was warned sodenly by the kepers wife of newgate to prepare himself to the fire who then being sound a slepe scarse with much shogging could be awaked M. Rogers 〈◊〉 At length being raysed and waked and byd to make haste then saide he if it be so I neede not to tye my poyntes M. Rogers coulâ— not be 〈◊〉 of Boner to 〈◊〉 to his wife before his burning M. Rogers brought to Smithfield and so was had downe first to Boner to bee disgraded That done hee craued of Boner but one petition Boner asking what that
did succour it wil do the like to the child of you or any other fearing him and putting your trust in him And if we lacke fayth as we do in deede many times let vs call for it and we shall haue the encrease both of it and also of any other good grace needefull for vs and be mery in GOD in who also I am very mery and ioyfull O Lord what great cause of reioycing haue we to thinke vpoÌ„ that kingdome which he voucheth safe for his Christes sake freely to geue vs forsaking our selues and folowing him Deare wife this is truely to follow him What it 〈◊〉 to follow Christ. euen to take vp our crosse and followe him and then as we suffer with him so shall we raigne with him euerlastingly Amen Shortly Shortly Amen * An other letter to his wife to Mayster Robert Harrington M Hurland c. GRace and comfort c. Deare wife reioyce in our gracious God and his our Christ An other letter of M Saunders his wyfe 〈◊〉 other frendes and geue thankes moste humbly and hartely to him for this dayes worke that in any part I most vnworthy wretch should be made worthy to beare witnes vnto his euerlasting verity which Antichrist with his by mayne force I perceyue and by moste impudeÌ„t pride and boasting wil go about to suppres Remember God alway my deare wife and so shal gods blessing light vpon you and our Samuel O remeÌ„ber alwaye my wordes for Christes sake be mery and grudge not agaynst God and pray pray We be al mery here thanks be vnto God who in his Christ hath geueÌ„ vs great cause to be mery by whoÌ„ he hath prepared for vs such a kingdom and doth and will geue vnto vs some litle taste therof eueÌ„ in this life and to all such as are desirous to take it Math. 26. Blessed sayth our Christ be they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for such shall be satisfied Let vs goe yea let vs run to seeke such treasure and that with whole purpose of hart to cleaue vnto the Lord to finde suche Riches in his heauenly word through his spirite obteyned by prayer Luke 5. Psal. 119. My deare Frendes and Brethren Mayster Harryngton and Mayster Hurland pray pray Spiritus quidem promptus est caro autem infirma That is The spirite is ready but the fleshe is weake When I looke vpon my selfe quid ego stupidus attonitus habeo quod dicam nisi illud Petri exi a me Domine quia homo peccator sum i. Being astonished and confouÌ„ded what haue I els to say but those wordes of Peter Lorde goe from me for I am a sinnefull man Iohn 6. But then feele I that sweete comforte Lucerna pedibus meis verbum Domini lumen semitis meis haec mea est consolatio in humilitate mea i. The word of the Lorde is a Lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes and this is my comfort in my trouble Then waxe I bolde with the same Peter to say Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes i. Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the wordes of euerlasting life This comfort haue I when the geuer thereof doth geue it But I looke for battels with the roote of vnfaythfulnes the which I feele in me will most egerly geue vnto my conscience when wee come once to the combate We be I wene within the souÌ„d of the triumpe of our enemies Play ye that be abroade the part of Moyses Tim 1. Orantes in omni loco sustollentes puras manus i. Praying in all places lifting vp pure hands Gods people shal preuayle 〈◊〉 5. yea our bloud shal be theyr perditioÌ„ who do most triumphantly spill it we then being in the handes of our God shall shine in his kingdome and shal staÌ„d in great stedfastnes agaynst theÌ„ which haue dealt extremely with vs And wheÌ„ these our enemies shall thus see vs they shal be vexed with horrible feare and shall wonder at the hastines of the sodaine health and shall say with themselues hauing inward sorow and mourning for very anguish of minde These are they whom we sometime had in derision and iested vpon we fooles thought their liues to be verye madnes and their end to be without honor but loe how they are accounted among the childreÌ„ of God The blessing of God be with you all c. Laurence Saunders ¶ To his wife a litle before his burning GRace and comfort in Christ Amen Deare wife be mery in the mercies of our Christ A letter of 〈…〉 to â—is wyfe ye also my deare frendes Pray pray for vs euery body We be shortly to be dispatched heÌ„ce vnto our good Christ. Amen Amen Wife I would you sent me my shyrte which you know wherunto it is coÌ„secrated Let it be sowed down on both the sides and not open Oh my heauenly father look vpon me in the face of thy Christ 〈◊〉 writeth 〈◊〉 his â—â—irte â—herein he â—hould be 〈◊〉 or els I shall not be able to abide thy countenaunce such is my filthines He will do so and therefore I will not be afrayd what sinne death hell and damnation caÌ„ do agaynst me O Wyfe alwayes remember the Lord. God blesse you yea he will blesse thee good wyfe thy poore boy also onely cleaue thou vnto him and he will geue thee all thinges Pray pray pray ¶ An other letter to M. Robert and Iohn Glouer written the same morning that he was burnt GRace and consolatioÌ„ in our sweet Sauiour Christ Oh my deare brethren whom I loue in the Lord being loued of you also in the Lord be mery reioyce for me now ready to go vp to that mine inheritance which I my selfe in deed am most vnworthy of but my deare Christ is worthye who hath purchased the same for me with so deare a price Make haste my deare brethreÌ„ to come vnto me that we may be mery eo gaudio quod nemo tollet a nobis i. with that ioy which no man shall take from vs. Oh wretched sinner that I am not thankefull vnto this my Father who hath vouched me worthy to be a vessell vnto his honor But O Lorde nowe accept my thankes though they proceed out of a not enough circumcised hart Salute my good Sisters your wiues good sisters feare the Lord. Salute all other that loue vs in the trueth Gods blessing be with you alwayes Amen Euen now towards the offering of a burnt sacrifice O my Christ helpe or els I perish Laurence Saunders ¶ After these godly letters of M. SauÌ„ders diuersly dispersed and sent abroad to diuers of the faythfull coÌ„gregation of Christ as is afore to be seene now in the latter end we will adioyne two other letters writteÌ„ not by Mayster Saunders the martyr but by M. Ed. Saunders the Iustice his brother sent to this our Saunders in prison although conteining no
that saueth the Christian man in Christe and doubtlesse the scarcitie of Faith is nowe more and will I feare encrease then it was in the time of the greatest tyrannes that euer were and no marueil why Faith more scarser now then in the old time vnder Tyrauntes Read ye the 6. chap. of s. Iohns Reuelation and ye shall perceiue amongest other thinges y t at the opening of the fourth Seale came out a pale horse and hee that sate vpon him was called death and hell followed hym This horse is the time wherin hipocrites and dissemblers entred into the Churche vnder the pretence of true Religion The pale horse in the Apocalips chap. 6. what it meaneth Mo soules slaine by Monkes and Fryers c. then bodyes by Tytantes as Monkes Friers Nounes Massing Priestes wyth suche other that haue killed moe soules with heresie and superstition then all the tyrannes that euer were killed bodies w t fire sword or banishment as it appeareth by hys name that sitteth vpon y e horse who is called death for all soules that leaue Christe and trust to these hypocrites liue to the deuill in euerlasting paine as is declared by him that foloweth the pale horse which is hell These pretensed and pale hypocrites haue stirred the earthquakes The 6. chapt of the Apocalips opened that is to witte the Princes of the worlde against Christes church haue also darkened the Sunne and made the Moone bloudy and haue caused the Starres to fal from heauen that is to say haue darkned with mists and daily doe darken as ye heare by theyr Sermons the cleare sunne of Gods most pure worde the Moone which be Gods true Preachers whych fetche onely lighte at the Sunne of Gods word are turned into bloud prisons and chaines that theyr light can not shine vnto the worlde as they woulde whereuppon it commeth to passe that the Starres that is to say Christian people fall from heauen that is to wit from Gods most true woorde to hypocrisie most deuilish superstition and Idolatrie Let some learned man shew you al the articles of your beliefe monuments of Christian faith from the time of Christ hitherto and yee shall perceiue that there was neuer mention of suche articles as these hypocrites teach God blesse you and pray for me as I do for you Out of the Fleete by your brother in Christ Iohn Hooper To maister Ferrar Bishop of S. Dauies D. Tailor M. Bradford and M. Philpot prisonners in the kings benche in Southwarke THe grace of God be with you Amen I am aduertised by diuers An other letter of M. Hooper as well such as loue the truthe as also by suche as yet be not come vnto it that ye and I shal be caried shortly to Cābridge there to dispute in the faith and for the religion of Christ which is most true that we haue and doe professe I am as I doubt not ye be in Christ readie not only to goe to Cambridge but also to suffer by Gods helpe Commission geuen out for M. Hooper and other to dispute at Cambridge death it selfe in the maintenaunce thereof Weston and his complices haue obtained foorth the commission already and spedily most like he wil put it in execution Wherfore deare brethren I doe aduertise you of the thing before for diuers causes The one to comfort you in the Lorde that the tyme draweth nigh and is at hand that we shall testifie before Gods enemies Gods truth The next that ye shoulde prepare your selues the better for it The third to shew you what wayes I think were best to vse our selues in this matter and also to hear of euery one of you your better aduise if mine be not good Ye knowe such as shall be Censors and Iudges ouer vs breath and thirst our bloud and whether we by Gods help ouercome after the word of God or by force and subtiltie of our aduersaries be ouercome this will be the conclusion our aduersaries wil say they ouercome and ye perceiue howe they reporte of those great learned men and godly personages at Oxforde Wherefore I minde neuer to aunsweare them except I haue bookes present The counsell of M. Hooper how and vpon what cautions to dispute with the aduersaries because they vse not onely false allegation of the Doctors but also a peece of the Doctors against the whole course of the Doctors minde The next that we may haue sworne Notaries to take things spoken indifferently which will be very harde to haue for the aduersaries will haue the ouersight of all thinges and then make theirs better then it was our worse then it was Then if we see that two or three or more will speake together or with scoffes and tauntes illude and mocke vs I suppose it were best to appeale to be hearde before the Queene and the whole Counsaile and that would much set foorth the glory of God For many of them knowe already the truthe many of them erre rather of zeale then malice and the others that be indurate shoulde be aunsweared fully to their shame I doubte not althoughe to oure smart and bloudshedding For of this I am assured that the Commissioners appoynted to heare vs and iudge vs meane nothynge lesse then to heare the cause indifferently for they be ennemies vnto vs vnto our cause and be at a poynt already to geue sentēce against vs so that if it were possible with S. Stephen to speak so that they could not resist vs or to vse suche silence pacience as Christ did they will proceede to reuenging Wherefore my deare brethren in the mercy of Iesus Christe I would be glad to knowe your aduise this day or to morowe for shortly we shall be gone and I verily suppose that we shall not cōpanie together but be kept one abroade from an other They will denie our appeale yet let vs chalenge the appeale and take witnesse thereof of suche as be present and require for indifferencie of hearing and iudgement to be heard either before the Queene and the Counsaile or els before all the Parliament as they were vsed in king Edwardes dayes Further for my part I will require both bookes and time to answere Wee haue bene prisoners now three quarters of a yeare and haue lacked oure bookes and oure memorie by close keeping and ingratitude of their partes be not as present and quicke as theirs be I trust God will be with vs yea I doubt not but he will and teache vs to doe all thinges in hys cause godly and cōstantly If our aduersaries that shal be our iudges may haue their purpose we shall dispute one day be condemned the next day and suffer the third day Note how◠the Papist◠proceed agaynst all order and law And yet is there no law to condemne vs as farre as I knowe and so one of the Conuocation house sayde this weeke to Doct. Weston To whome Weston made this answere It forceth not quoth
tell more of this then I can write Therfore deare mother receiue some admonition of one of thy poore children nowe goyng to be burned for the testimonye of Iesus Come agayne to Gods truth come out of Babilon confesse Christ and his true doctrine repent that whiche is past make amendes by declaryng thy repentaunce by the fruites Remember the readings and preachinges of Gods Prophet and true Preacher M Bucer Call to minde the threatninges of God nowe something seene by the children Leauer and others Let the exile of Leauer Pilkinton Grindall Haddon Horne Scorye Ponet c. something awake thee Let the imprisonmēt of thy deare sonnes Cranmer Ridley and Latimer moue thee Consider the Martyrdome of thy chickens Rogers Saunders Taylor And nowe cast not awaye the poore admonition of me goyng to be burned also and to receiue the like crowne of glorye with my fellowes Take to harte Gods calling by vs. Be not as Pharao was for then will it happen vnto thee as it did vnto hym What is that hardnes of hart And what then destructiō eternally both of body and soule Ah therefore good mother awake awake repent repent buskle thy selfe and make hast to turne to the Lord. For els it shal be more easie for Sodome and Gomorra in the daye of iudgement then for thee Oh harden not your hartes Oh stop not your eares to day in hearyng Gods voyce though it be by me a most vnworthy messenger Oh feare the Lord for his anger is begon to kindle Euen now the axe is layd to the roote of the tree You know I prophecied truely to you before the Sweate came what would come if you repēted not your carnall Gospelling And now I tel you before I depart hence that the eares of men will tingle to heare of the vengeaunce of God that will fall vpon you all both Towne and Vniuersitie if you repent not if you leaue not your Idolatrie if you turne not speedely to the Lord if you still be ashamed of Christes truth which you know Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repent Oh you Doctors Bachelers Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen Towne dwellers repent repent repent that you may escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your hartes come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs all say Peccauimus we haue all sinned we haue done wickedly we haue not hearkned to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our desertes but be mercifull to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon our offenses In thine anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lord God of hostes for the glory of thy names sake Spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say where is now their God Oh for thine owne sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy selfe vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in this sort my dearely beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto our father prostrate our selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shall finde mercie Then shall the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercy sake in Christ then shall we heare him speake peace vnto his people God◠mercy 〈◊〉 to Cambridge if it repent For he is gracious mercifull of great pitie compassion he can not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we weepe in the morning yet at night we shall haue our sorow to cease For he is exorable and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather would our conuersion and turning Oh turne you now and conuert yet once agayne I humbly besech you and then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nigh The eye hath not seane the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to conceiue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repent amende our liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if we repent not but be as you were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will leade you on with wicked doers you shall perish in your wickednes your bloud will be vpon your owne heades your part shal be with hypocrites where shal be weepyng gnashyng of teeth ye shal be cast from the face of the Lord for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow wo and miserie shal be both in body and soule to you world without end Oh therefore right deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amende amende your liues depart from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out from Babilon cast of the workes of darkenesse put on Christ confesse his truth be not ashamed of his Gospell prepare your selues to the Crosse drinke of Gods cup before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the day of Iudgement which is at hand and therefore prepare your selues thereto I hartely beseche you And thus I take my vale in aeternum with you in this present life myne owne deare hartes in the Lord. The Lord of mercie be with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kyngdome Amen Amen Out of prison the 11. of Februarie Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To Lankeshire and Cheshire TO all those that professe his name and true Religion of our sauiour Iesus Christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshyre An other letter of M. Bradford to Lankeshire Cheshire and specially to Manchester and specially abiding in Manchester and therabout Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not onely in boundes but also condemned for y e same true religion wisheth mercy and grace peace and increase of all godlines from God the father of all pitty through y e desertes of our Lord Iesus Christ by the working of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I heard it reported credibly my dearely beloued in the Lord that my heauenly father hath thought it good to prouide that as I haue preached his true doctrine and Gospell amongest you by worde so I shall testifie confirme the same by deede That is I shall with you leaue my life whiche by hys prouidence I first receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you and amongest you so so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ whiche exercise this crueltie vpon me I speake in respect of myne offence which is none to themwardes thinke by killing of me amongest you to affray you and others least they shoulde attempt to teach Christ truely or beleue his doctrine hereafter But I doubt not but my heauenly father will be my death more confirme you in his truth for euer And therefore I greatly reioyce to see sathan and his souldiours supplanted
the cognisaunce of the Lorde of hostes This cognisaunce of the Lorde standeth not in forked cappes The Lordes cognisaunce standeth not in forked caps c. but in suffering for the Lordes sake typettes shauen crownes or such other baggage and Antichristian pelfe but in suffering for the Lordes sake The world shall hate you sayth Christ. Loe â—here is the Cognisaunce and Badge of Goddes children The world shall hate you Reioyce therefore my dearely beloued reioyce that God doth thus vouchsafe to beginne to conforme you and make you like to Christ. By the tryall of these dayes yee are occasioned more to repent more to pray more to contemn this world more to desire life euerlasting more to be holy for holy is the end wherefore God doth afflict vs and so to come to Gods companye Whych thing because we can not doe as long as this body is as it is therfore by the dore of death we must enter with Christ into eternall life and immortality of soule and body whiche God of his mercy send shortly for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen ¶ To Maystres A. Worcup THe euerlasting peace of Christ be more and more liuely felte in our hartes Another letter of M. Bradford to Mistres Warcup by the operation of the holy ghost now and for euer Amen Although I knowe it bee more then needeth to write anye thing vnto you good Sister being as I doubt not you be diligently exercised in readinge of the Scriptures in meditating of the same and in harty prayer to GOD for the helpe of his holy Spirite to haue the sense and feeling especially of the comfortes you reade in Gods sweete booke yet hauinge such oportunity and knowing not whether hereafter I shall euer haue the like as this bringer can declare I thought good in few wordes to take my farewell in writinge because otherwise I canne not And nowe me thinkes I haue doone it For what else canne I or shoulde I saye vnto you my dearely beloued in the Lorde but farewell Farewell deare Sister farewell howbeit in the Lorde our Lord I say farewell In him shall you farewell Bradford 〈◊〉 farewell Maâ—stres Warcup so much the better by howe muche in your selfe you fare euill and shall fare euill When I speake of your selfe I meane also this worlde thys life and all thinges properly perteining to this life In them as you looke not for your welfare so be not dismayed when accordingly you shall not feele it To the Lord our GOD to the Lambe our Christ which hath borne our sinnes on his backe is our Mediatour for euer do I send you In him looke for welfare and that without all wauering because of his owne goodnesse and truth which our euilles and vntrueth can not take away Not that therefore I would haue you to flatter your selfe in any euill or vnbeliefe but that I woulde comfort you that they should not dismay you Yours is our Christ wholy Christ is wholy 〈◊〉 with all that euer hath yours I say he is with all that euer he hath Is not this welfare trow you MouÌ„taynes shall moue and the earth shall fall before you finde it otherwise say that liar Sathan what he list Therefore good Sister farewell and be mery in the Lorde bee mery I say for you haue good cause If your welfare ioy and saluation hanged vpon any other thing then onely Gods mercy truth then might you well be sad heauy and stand in a doubt but in that it hangeth onely vpon these two tel Sathan he lyeth How to aunswere Sathan when he moueth vs to doubâ—â— Gods 〈◊〉 How to looke vpoâ— Christ. How to looke 〈◊〉 our selueâ— In case oâ— iustificatiâ—â— let no 〈◊〉 looke vpoâ— himself 〈◊〉 onely vpâ—â— the goodâ—â—â— of God iâ— Christ. wheÌ„ he would you to stand in a mammering by causing you to caste your eyes which onely in this case should be set on Christ your sweet Sauior on your selfe In some part in deede looke on your selfe on your fayth on your loue obedience c. to wake you vp from security to stirre you vp to diligence in doing the thinges apperteyning to your vocation but when you would be at peace with God and haue true consolation in your conscience altogether looke vpon the goodnes of God in Christ. Thinke on this commaundement which precedeth all other that you must haue no other Gods but the Lord Iehouah which is your Lord God the which he could not be if that he did not pardon your sinnes in very deede Remember that Christ commaundeth you to call him father for the same intent And hereto call to minde all the benefites of God hitherto shewed vpon you and so shall you fele in very deede that which I wish vnto you now and pray you to wish vnto me Farewell or welfare in the Lord Iesus with whom he graunt vs shortlye to meete as his children for his name and mercies sake to our eternall welfare Amen ¶ To mine owne deare brother M. Laurence Saunders prisoner in the Marshalsee MY good brother I beseech our good and gracious Father alwayes to coÌ„tinue his gracious fauor loue towards vs by vs as by instruments of his grace to work his glory the coÌ„fusion of his aduersaryes A letter of M. Bradford to M. Sauâ—â—ders Ex ore infantium lactentium fundet laudem ad destruendum inimicum c. Amen 1. Out of the mouth of infantes and babes he will shew forth his prayse to destroy the enemy c. I haue perused your letters to my selfe and haue read them to others For aunswere whereof if I should write what Doctor Taylor and Mayster Philpot doe thinke then must I say that they thinke the Salt sent vnto vs by your * This frieâ—â— moued 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 to the Paâ—pistes artâ—â—cles with this condâ—â—tion so 〈◊〉 as they 〈◊〉 agaynst Gods word being in deede cleane coâ—â—trary to 〈◊〉 and yet shortly 〈◊〉 he valiantâ—â— suffred death for refusing 〈◊〉 same Psal. 54. Psalm 36 Psalm 3â— Math. 10. 1. Cor 10 2. Pet. 1. Nahum â— frende is vnseasonable And in deede I thinke they both will declare it hartely if they shoulde come before them As forme if you woulde knowe what I thinke my good and most deare brother Laurence because I am so sinnefull and so conspurcate the Lord knoweth I lye not with many greuous sinnes which I hope are washed away Sanguine Christi nostri I neither canne nor woulde bee consulted withall but as a sypher in Agrime How be it to tell you how and what I minde take this for a summe I pray GOD in no case I may seeke my selfe and in deede I thankâ— GOD therefore I purpose it not Quod reliquum est Domino Deo meo committo spero in illum quod ipse faciet iuxta hoc Iacta in Dominum curam c. Omnis cura vestra coniecta sit in illum c. Reuela Domino
Gospellers begin now for the feare of afflictions to relent yea to turn to their vomite agayne thereby declaryng that though they goe from amongst vs yet were they neuer of vs for els they would haue stil taried with vs and neyther for gayne nor losse haue left vs either in word or deed As for their hart which vndoubtedly is double and therfore in danger to Gods curse we haue as much with vs as the Papists haue with them Backsliding of Gospellers and more too by their own iudgement For they playing wily beguile theÌ„seâ—ues thinke it enough inwardly to fauour the truth though outwardly they curry fauour What though with my body say they I doe this or that God knoweth my hart is whole with hym Ah brother if thy hart be whole with God why doest not thou confesse declare thy selfe accordingly by word and fact Either that which thou sayest thou beleeuest in thy heart is good or no. If it be good why art thou ashamed of it If it be euill why doest thou keepe it in thy hart Is not God able to defend thee Mistrusters of God Paul 33. aduenturyng thy selfe for hys cause Or will hee not defend hys worshippers Doth not the Scripture say that the eyes of the Lorde are on them that feare hym and trust in his mercy And whereto Forsooth to deliuer their soules from death and to feed them in the tyme of hunger If this be true as it is most true why are we afraid of death as though God could not comfort or deliuer vs or would not contrary to his promise Why are we afrayd of the losse of our goods as though God would leaue them that feare hym destitute of all good thyngs and so do agaynst his most ample promises Ah faith faith how few feele thee now a daye Luke 18. Lacke of fayth Full truâ—ly sayd Christ that hee should scarsly finde fayth when he came on earth For if men beleued theâ—e promises they would neuer do any thyng outwardly which inwardly they disallow No example of men how many soeuer they bee or how learned soeuer they be can preuaile in this behalfe for the paterne which wee must follow is Christ himselfe and not the more company or custome His word is the lanterne to lighten our steppes Psal. 118. and not learned men Company and custome are to be considered accordyng to the thyng they allow Learning to be followed so farre as it concurreth with Gods word Learned men are to be listened to and followed according to Gods lore and law for els the more part goeth to the deuill As custome causeth error and blindnes so learnyng if it be not accordyng to the light of Gods word is poison and learned men most pernicious The Deuill is called Daemon for his cunnyng and the children of this world are much wyser then the children of light in their generation and I knowe the Deuill and his dearlyngs haue alwayes for the most part Luke 16. more helpes in this lyfe then Christes Church and her children They the deuill and his Synagogue I meane haue custome multitude vnitie antiquitie learnyng power riches honour The Sinagogue of the deuill more furnished with wordly helpes then the Church of Christ. dignity promotions plenty as alwayes they haue had and shal haue coÌ„monly and for the most part vntill Christes commyng muche more then the true church hath presently heretofore hath had or hereafter shall haue For her glory riches and honour is not here her triall crosse and warrefare is here And therefore my deare hartes in the Lord consider these thyngs accordingly Consider what you be not worldlyngs What we be Where we be Amongest whoÌ„ we be but Gods children Consider where you be not at home but in a strange countrey Consider among whom ye are conuersant euen in the middest of your enemies and of a wicked generation and then I trust you will not much muse at affliction Which you cannot be without beyng as you be Gods children Affliction no straunge thing amongest Godâ— children in a strange country and in the middest of your enemies except you would leaue your captaine Christ and follow Sathan for the mucke of this mould rest and quietnes which he may promise you you in deed thinke you shall receiue it by doyng as hee would haue you to do my sweete hartes hee is not able to pay that he promiseth Peace and warre come from God riches and pouertie welth wo. The Deuil hath no power but by Gods permission If then God permit hym a little on your goods body or lyfe I pray you tell me what can much hurt you as Peter sayth you beyng followers of godlines 1. Pet. 3. Thinke you that God will not remember you in his tyme as most shall be to your comfort Can a woman forget the chyld of her wombe And if she should Esay 49. yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lord. Looke vpon Abraham in hys exile misery looke vpon Iacob Ioseph Moses Dauid the Prophets Examples of Patriarchâ—s and Prophets afflicted in this world Apostles and all the godly from the beginning and my good brethren is not God the same God Is he a chaungeling You haue heard of the pacience of Iob sayth S Iames and you haue seene the end how that God is mercifull pacient and long suffering euen so I say vnto you that you shall find accordingly if so be you be pacient that is if so be you feare hym Iacob 5. set his word before you serue him thereafter and if he lay his crosse on you you beare it with pacience the which you shall do when you consider it not according to the present sense but accordyng to the end Heb. 12. 2. Cor. 4. Therfore I hartily besech you out of my bonds which I suffer for your sake pray you myne owne sweete harts in the Lord that you would cleaue in hart and humble obedience to the doctrine taught you by me and many other my brethren For wee haue taught you no fables nor tales of men or our owne fantasies but the very word of GOD which we are ready with our lyues God so inhabling vs as we trust he will to confirme and by the sheading of our blouds in all patience and humble obedience to the superior powers to testifie and seale vp as well that you might be more certaine of the doctrine as that you myght be ready to confesse the same before this wicked world knowyng that if we confesse Christ and his truth before men hee will confesse vs before his father in heauen if so be we bee ashamed hereof for losse of lyfe friends or goods he wil be ashamed of vs before his father and his holy Angels in heauen He exhorteth to come from the Masse Therfore take heede for the Lordes sake take heed take heed and defile not your bodies or soules with this Romish and Antichristian
punisheth myne arrogancy Alas what shall I doe I am an vnprofitable and an idle member I thought I shoulde haue bene therein profitable but medice cura teipsum How should I or what should I doe I cannot labour wyth my handes Well I trust God will geue mee grace and knowledge to translate nothyng I feare me yea I distrust me that I shall neuer be minister of Gods worde yea if arrogancy were not in me how shuld I of all wretches the greatest thinke me to looke to the highest roume and vocation that is vppon earth Therefore eftsoones I desire you to pray for me that Gods will may bee done in me whether I lyue or dye so that hys name be honoured My maister which was hath denied me all his benefiseÌ„ce but I haue for this lyfe more then enough thankes bee to God As this Winter I entend by Gods fauor to declare more vnto you This booke which I haue sent take it in good part it is the first I trust it shall not be the last God hath appoynted me to translate The print is very false I am sory for it I pray you be not offended at my babling in the Prologues c. Iohn Bradford I will lye God willyng this Sommer at Katherines hall in Cambridge write to me ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe louyng kyndnes and aboundant mercy of God the father poured plentifully vpon all the faythfull in the bloud of that meeke Lambe Iesus Christ our onely satisfaction and mediator thorough the working of the most holy spirite be encreased and perceiued in you daily more and more to the glory of God c. Because I stand both in doubt of the readyng and deliuerie of such letters as I write and send vnto you derely beloued father Traues I am constrained to leaue of such griefes and spirituall wantes as thankes vnto the Lord I vnwillingly feele for the flesh as you knowe loueth nothyng so much as securitie of all enemies most perillous and not a little familiar with me from the which with vaine glory hypocrisie c. and worldlines the Lord deliuer me I had not thought to haue writen thus much but these I cannot keepe but commit them to your prayers And to the intent I would you should not thinke any ingratitude in me as also that I might geue you occasion to write to me agayne as heretofore I haue done euen so doe I enterturbe trouble you w t my babling but yet hauyng this coÌ„moditie that I babble not so much as I was woont to do The cause I haue declared which had almost bene the cause I had not written at all I did write vnto you from London when I came hither sende mee word what letters you haue receiued for from you I haue receiued but two and both by Iohn Mosse and in the latter I perceiued that the Lord had visited you with sickenes his fatherly rod whereby he declareth his loue vpon you and that he careth for you vt in tempore supremo exultes nunc ad breue tempus afflictus quo exploratio fidei multo praeciosior auro quod perit tamen probatur c Siquidem in hoc vocatus es vt cum Christo patiaris nam illo glorificabeâ—is Certus enim sermo est si sufferimus conregnabimus You know that Christ etsi filius Dei erat tamen ex his quae pastus est didicit obedientiam Patientia opus perfectum habeat vt sitis perfecti integri nullaque in parte diminuti and dothe not patientia come of probatio the one then you had so that you were goyng a schoole to learne the other with lerned what want you the ende of all Gods proouing is as Paule sayth vt impartiat nobis sanctimoniam igitur gratias age Deo patri qui idoneum te fecit ad participationem sortis sanctorum in lumine c. Nam qui te parumper afflixit idem instauret te fulciet roboret stabiliat And the Lord knoweth how eripere pios è testatione and that in tempore oportuno euen shortly for haud tardat qui promisit nam modicum tempus videbitis me veniens enim veniet non tardabit Itaque qui consortes estis crucis Christi gaudete sayth Peter vt in reuelatione quoque gloriae eius gaudeatis exultantes O how doth my will ouer runne my wit Why Bradford whom writest thou vnto Thou shewest thy selfe Thus father Traues you may see my rashnes to rable out the scriptures without purpose ryme or reason I will not blot it out as I had thought to haue done for that hereby you shall see my neede of your prayer Well I looke for a watchword from you Write for Gods sake and pray for me that I may be in somethyng profitable to the Lordes congregation that I may bee no stumbling blocke vt non confundantur in me qui illum expectant Send me such counsaile as the Lordes spirite shall mooue you how to study My desire is in somethyng to be profitable if it were the Lordes will for to be Minister verbi Alas I am vnmeete and my tyme my tyme yea the Lordes tyme I haue hitherto euill ye most wickedly mispent it c. Thus will I end The Lord be with you and your bedfellow to whom haue me hartily commended to all your children and family the which I beseeche the Lord to lighten his countenaunce ouer and graunt you his peace pray for me I long for Winter to speake wyth you Rescribe ora Pray for mee This assumption daye in Katherines hall in Cambridge Yours with all I haue and can Iohn Bradford ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe plentifull grace of God the father through our only maister and Lord Iesus Christ encrease in vs daily to the glory of his name Amen Forasmuch as I haue often written to you good father Traues and yet haue not once heard from you sithens Pentecost I can not now bee so bolde either in writing much or often as I would haue bene Howbeit this I say that I much meruaile that I heare not from you but not so for I am so wretched a sinner that the Lordes spirite I am certaine doth not mooue you to write to me yet for Gods sake pray for me and in the Lordes name I desire you geue thankes to God for me And when it maye please God to mooue you write to me thogh it be but two wordes and counsaile me how to study the worde of lyfe the ministerie whereof I desire if it bee the Lordes pleasure to professe and that I may doe it both in liuyng and learnyng pray for me Herus meus omnibus rebus suis me abdicauit quae prius concesserat iam soluere renuit mihi prorsus factus inimicus I know not when I shal see you in body therefore let me heare from you I write not this that you should thinke me in
take aduise what in such an extremitie Deliberation among the Waldois how to defend and how not to defend themselues were best to do In the ende they determined that for certeine daies folowing there should be kept a generall fast and y e Sonday after a coÌ„munion Also that they should not defend themselues by force of armes but that euery one should withdraw himselfe into the high mountaines and euery one to cary away such goods as he was able to beare and if their enemies pursued them thether then to take such aduise and counsel as it pleased God to geue them This Article of not defendyng themselues seemed very strange to the people being driuen to such an extremity and y e cause being so iust But yet euery one begaÌ„ to cary their goods and vitailes into the mountaynes and for the space of eight dayes all the wayes were filled wyth commers and goers to the mountaines like vnto Ants in Sommer which prouide for winter All this did they in this great perplexitie danger with a wonderful courage and cherefulnes praising of God and singing of Psalmes and euery one coÌ„forting an other Briefly they went with such ioy and alacritie that you should not haue seene any which grudged to leaue their houses and faire possessions but were wholy determined patiently to abide the good pleasure of God and also to dye if he had so appoynted Whether subiects for religioÌ„ may stand to their owne defence A few dayes after certeyne other Ministers hearyng what they of Angrongne Luserne had concluded wrote vnto them that this resolution seemed very straunge to some that they ought not to defend themselues against the violence of their enemies alleadging many reasons that in such an extremitie and necessitie it was lawful for them so to do especially the quarell being so iust that is for the defence of true Religion and for the preseruation of theyr owne liues and the liues of theyr wiues and children knowing that it was the Pope and hys Ministers which were the cause of all these troubles and cruell warres and not the Duke The AngronyaÌ„s refuse to heare masse Who was stirred vp thereunto onely by their instigations Wherefore they might well and wyth good conscience withstand such furious and outragious violence For the proofe heereof they also alleadged certeine examples During this season the Lorde of Angrongne named Charles de Comptes of Luserne laboured earnestly by al meanes possible to cause them of Angrongne to coÌ„descend to the Dukes pleasure sollicited them to send away their Ministers promising that he woulde cause a Masse to be song at Angrongne and that the people should not be coÌ„pelled to be present thereat hoping that by that means the Dukes wrath would be appeased The chief of AngroÌ„gne thereupon were assembled and made this answere that if the Duke would permit them to choose other Ministers they were content to send away their forreine ministers straungers But as touching the Masse hys hyghnes might well cause it to be song in their parishes but they for their part could not with safe consciences be present at the same nor yet geue their consent vnto it The xxij of October the sayde Lord of Angrongne went from Luserne to Mondeuis where he was then gouernour for the Duke and sent for the chiefe Rulers of Angrongne at seuerall times declaryng vnto them the great perils and daungers wherewith they were enuironed the army beyng alreadie at hande yet promising them if they woulde submitte themselues vnto hym he would send immediately to stay the armye They of Angrongne aunswered that they all determined to stande to that which they two dayes before in theyr assemble had put in writing With thys aunswer he seemed at that present to be content The next day the rumor was that they of Angrongne had submitted themselues to the Duke On the morrow whiche was Sonday you should haue seene nothing but weeping and mourning in Angrongne The Sermon being ended the Rulers were called before the ministers and the people The determination answere of the Angronians was falsified the whiche affirmed that they wholy cleaued vnto their former writing and they sent secretly to the Notary for the copie of that which was passed in the counsaile house at their last assemble before the Lord de Comptes in the whiche was comprised that Angrongne had wholy submitted hirselfe to the good pleasure of the Duke The people hearing that were sore astonished and protested rather to dye then obey the same and therevpon it was agreed that at that very instant albeit it were very late certayne should be sent to the Lorde of Angrongne to signifie vnto him that the determination of the Councell was falsified and that it might please him the next morning to come to Angrongne to heare the voyces of the people not onely of the men but also of the women and children But he himselfe went not thyther hauing intelligence of the vprore but sente thyther the Iudge of that place Then that which had bene falsified was duly corrected the Iudge laying all the blame vpon the Notary During this time the aduersaries cryed out through all the Countrey of Piemont To the fire wyth them Open procclamatioÌ„ against Angrongne to the fire with them The Thursday after Angrongne by proclamations and writings set vp in euery place was exposed to the fire and sworde On Friday after being the seconde of Nouember the army approched to the borders of the valley of Luserne and certayne horsemen came to a place called S. Iohn a little beneath Angrongne Then the people retired into y e mountaines Certaine of S. Iohn perceiuing that the horsemen not only spoiled their goods but also tooke their felowes prisoners set vpon them It is not certayne what number of the enemies were there slayne but sodenly they retired to Bubiane where theyr campe then was and not one of them of S. Iohn was slayne or hurt It happened at the same tyme that two of the foresaide horsemen beeing sore amased galoped before the rest towards the army being ready to march towards Angrongne crying they come they come At whose cry the whole armye was so astonished Senacharâ—b flyeth from the face of Israell that euery man fled his way and they were all so scattered that the Captaines that day were not able to bring them in order againe and yet no creature folowed them On the Saterday in the morning the army mustered in the medowe grounde of S. Iohn neare to Angrongne They of Angrongne had sent certaine to keepe y e passages and stoppe the armye that they shoulde not enter if it were possible In the meane season the people retyred into the medowe of Tower and little thought of the comming of the army so soone or that they would haue made such a sodeine assault for they were yet carying of victuals and other stuffe so that few of them kept the passages Now
suffered theyr enemies to approche neare to the Bulwarke without any gunshot or other defence whereat the enemies much marueiled But when they were euen at hand they fell vppon them some with throwing of stones some wyth rollynge downe mighty stones some with harquebushes Behold the Artillary of this simple people with what weapoÌ„s they fought There was a huge stone rolled downe whych passed throughout y e whole army and slue diuers The souldiers at that time had wonne a litle cotage neare to the said bulwark which did much hurt to the poore men But among them one deuised to roll downe a great huge stone against the cottage which so shooke it and amased the soldiors that they thought they had bene all destroyed and incontinent they fled and neuer would enter into it againe Then the souldiors made certaine fences of woode fiue foote long three foote broade and of the thicknesse of three boardes but they were so sore vexed w t the shot of the harquebushes that they were faine to lay al those fences aside The miners also made others of earth for the souldiours But al these policies of the enemies auailed them nothing for the slaughter was so great that in diuers places you might haue sene three lyâ—ng dead one vpon an other God so wrought wyth the poore Christians that the shot of two harquebushes slewe foure men It was sayd for a certaintie that the shot of an harquebush came so neare the Lorde of Trinities heade that it brake a wande which he bare in his hand and made him to retire six score pases backward The Lord of Trinitye with his army driuen backe and seeing his soldiors in suche great numbers murthered wounded on euery side he wept bitterly Then hee retired the rest of his army That day he thought assuredly to haue entred into the medowe of Tour. Moreouer he was determined if that dayes iourney had not succeeded to encampe therby and the next morning very early to renewe the assault Many gentlemeÌ„ and others came thither to see the discomfiture of the pore Waldois and likewise those of the Plaine looked for nothing but to heare y e piteous ruine and desolation of thys poore people But God disposed it otherwise For the Lorde of Trinitie had muche adoe to saue himselfe and his and seeing the mischiefe which they intended to do vnto others was fallen nowe vppon their owne heads they were wonderfully astonished They of y e plaine also when they saw the number of the dead bodies the wounded to be so great for from noone vntil the euening The papistes astonished and dismayde on euery side by the wonderfull iudgement of God they ceased not to cary them away were likewise exceedingly dismaied Albeit they caried not away al for ther were many that lay nere to the bulwarks whiche the people couered with winding sheetes the next morning The souldiers them selues confessed to them of the medowe of Tour that if they had pursued them they had ben al slain they were so tired and cleane out of heart Many marueiled why the people did not followe the army but especially the souldiers seeing the great discomfiture which they had done and that they had gotten suche vantage of them already But this was done for two causes The one was because they had alredy determined not to folow the army being once retired Gods people auoyde the shedding of bloud to auoid the effusion of bloud meaning onely to defend them selues The other cause was for that they were weary and had speÌ„t all theyr munition For many of them had shot of about 30. times and none of them vnder tweÌ„ty spending great store bothe of pellets and haileshot The rest of the army retired crying with a loude voyce God fighteth for them and we doe them wrong The next day one of the principal captaines of the army surrendred his charge to the L. of Trinitie saying vnto him that he would neuer fight against this people anye more and vpon that he departed It is a maruelous thing and worthy of perpetual memorie that in y e combate there were but two of the Waldoys slaine and two hurt Thorow y e whole countrey of Piemont euery man sayde God fighteth for them One of the Captaines confessed that hee had bene at many fierce assaultes and combates and sundry battailes wel fought but yet he neuer sawe souldiers so faint hearted and amased yea the souldiours themselues told him they wer so astonished God fighteth for his people that they could not stryke Moreouer they sayde that thys people neuer shotte but they hurte or killed some of the Souldiours Some other sayd that the ministers by their prayers coniured and bewitched them that they could not fight and in dede wonderful is it and maruellous are the iudgements of God that notwithstanding so many combates and conflicts so great assaults and aduentures so much so terrible shot continually made against this poore people yet all in a maner came to no effecte So mightily Gods holy power wrought for his people In so much that for al y e sayd combates skirmishes and so many conflicts of all the Angrongnians there were but 9. only that miscaried and the whole number of those that were slaine were but only 14. persons Onely 14. of all the Waldoys slaine in all these conflictes Where also is to be noted not without great admiration how few there were and those also but poore sely shepherds and neatherds to encounter w t such a mighty power of so strong and braue souldiours comming against them with weapon and armor being so well furnished and appoynted with munition as they were in all poynts accordingly and the other on the contrary side being vnarmed and vnprouided of all habiliment of warre hauing for their defence for the most parte nothing els but slings and stones and a fewe harquebushes The 9. day of Marche there was a hotte skirmishe at Angrongne For 3. companies of souldiours went to Angrongne to burn and spoile all that remained to destroy the wines which were hidden in the grounde Where amongest themselues they mocked flouted the poore people saying these Lutherane Waldoys are valiant felowes behinde their bulwarkes but if they had bene in the plain field they had bene wel canuased After this it chanced that 30. of the Waldoys weÌ„t and assailed these foresayd companies in the plain field An other skirmishe betweene the enemies and the AngroÌ„gniaÌ„s They fought a long season and that so neere that some of them fought hande to hande In this conflict one of those of Angrongne wrestled w t a captaine of the enemies strong and mighty and cast him downe vpon the ground Many of the souldiours were slayne and many hurt But of y e Angronians there was but one slaine and an other hurt a little which notwithstaÌ„ding gaue not ouer to fight manfully Then the souldiours seing the losse of their men