¶ A LAMENTABLE discourse of the fall of Hughe Sureau commonly called Du Rosier from the truth his shamefull offence to the church togither with confession of his faulte penitent submissioÌ„ remorse Seruing for a notable example to al the world of the fraieltie vntowardnesse of man of the great and vnmeasurable mercie of God to his Chosen ¶ Imprinted at London for Lucas Harison and George Bishoppe 1573. ¶ THE TRANSLATOVR TO THE READER AS of all the blessinges that vve receue here in earth there is none that doth so liuely expresse Gods inward fauour towardes man as coÌ„uersion from sinne so truely there is none so dreadful a signe of his heauy reuenge as falling from fayth Mark but the history of the people of Israel and you shall finde that ther falling froÌ„ the lawe of God as it was the greatest sin which they coÌ„mitted so was it the greatest plague that euer they had Their sickenes and pestilence was nothing their dearth and famine was nothing the losse that they endured by warre was nothing their captiuity and death was nothing in comparison of reuolting from God who had chosen them for his people This was a plague of al plagues Likewise if we consider of Gods benefites towards them neither their deliueraunce out of the land of Egipt neither their safe conduct into the land of promise neither their well gouerned common wealth nor all the victories obteyned ageinst their enemies may ons be compared with that that it pleased him to turne their hartes from sinne and Idolatry to the trewe honoring of his name This was a blessing of al blessings So that in these two poyntes chiefly is set foorth vnto vs both Gods iustice and mercy His mercy in coÌ„uerting vs from sinne his iustice in leauing vs to our selues And surely there are perilous examples of renouncing and denying a professed treuth The tragicall histories of Frauncis Speyra and Iudge Hales are able to make a christiaÌ„ coÌ„scieÌ„ce to tremble No doubte it is coÌ„monly sene it is a iust plague that who so with his mouth belieth his conscience the same with his hand destroyeth him selfe Here I deny not but that God hath his secrete working beyond the reason and capacitie of man as by the pitifull discourse of this booke may easely appeare This mans fal was great his fact was detestable his mouth blasphemous his hart trayterous and iniurious to the blud of Christ yet notwithstanding al this did not God suffer him to sincke down into the pitte of dispeire but did rayse him vp ageine by the operation of his holy spirite Vndoutedly this is a rare exaumple like vnto the which many haue not ben seene in the church of god Therfore I would wish all such as are called to the testimony of the trewth to beware how grounding hereuppon they do tempt god in hope of the like fauour Let that hel and torment of conscience which they do here plainely see in this man terrify theÌ„ likewise froÌ„ denying the trewth He was sometime one of the chief ministers of the reformed church in Orleance and because I knew him my self and haue hard him preach ther sundry times I was the more willing at my frendes request to putte his booke into english hoping that all Christen men will reioyce as much at his penitent conuersion as they haue cause to be grieued at his reuolt I doubt not but there are that will scoffe at this matter and saye that he can not be of a sounde religion that hath turned his coate so ofte Of what religion then are these our men that haue turned alwayes with the time Let al turners with tyme learne of this man to returne a right It may be that some seke to shew now a more stedfastnes in error then in deed they haue â–ª to gaine therby the credite of constancy But alas it can not be called constancy to abyde in euil to continew in Idolatry to stick fast in ignorance This is obstinacy They shall neuer be accused of wauering that come out of Babel to dwell in Sion If this poore man had abidden still in the waye of perdition renouncing Christes veritie and betraying of Christians to Romish wolues oh what a heauy damnatioÌ„ had he procured to him self but God in his rich mercy hath better prouided for this loste sheepe Let all those therefore which are touched in harte with the care of gods trewth and do bewayle the ruinous decayes of Ierusalem iudge rightle hereof To conclude we may all see in this booke the liuely paterne of a trewe remorse here may we see how Saul doeth become Paul. VVhy should not the teares and mourning of Peter argue and declare the conuersion of Peter remember what a worthi father of our time when he came to the Fyre to be brent did to his hand that had subscribed to vntrewth The like maye wee hope of thys man that when tyme shall serue he vvill make both hand and tongue body life yea and all that he hath to feele the smart of that his deloyaulty Therefore good Reader be not hasty in condemning others but pray to God to strengthen thy selfe that thou mayest not fall and if thou doe fall that thou mayest ryse agayne to the glorye of GOD the edifying of hys Church and thyne owne saluation AMEN ¶ Hugh Suriaus fall and penitent Submission THe church of Christe hath had this custome of all antiquitie the the actes of Martyrs haue ben faithfully set down in writing namely their death their confession of fayth their disputing refutation of the doctrine of the aduersaries The reading of such histories did serue to confirme the faythfull in the faith to stirre them vp to the imitacion of the coÌ„stancy vertue of those personages As we reade the same to haue ben obserued by S. Luke in the narration of S. Stephens death of all the other persecutions done sens against the church the selfe same diligence hath ben followed euen till our time wherin our Lorde hath had worthy members a great nuÌ„bre that haue for his name sake suffered death namely in our countrey of Fraunce first by forme order of iustice and by sentence of the Iudge to the â—â—ath of fyre the most cruell horrible that may be deuised then afterward by murders committed without controlement last of al by the vnnatural slaughters lately executed through out the whole Realm wherof the trwe faithful histories shal in tyme to come beare witnesse signifying to posteritie how God hauing at the first but cropt as it wer certain first fruts of his field thought good now in these later dayes to make a great and plentifull haruest of his chosen In lyke case if ther haue ben any treason reuolt or notable breach of fayth committed by any one during the tyme of those persecutions men haue not ben slacke in noting such accidences to serue for an admonition to the faythful to consider with
haue taken me for your fellow in the work of the Lord continew in that holy vocation wayting for the rewarde promised in that great day wherin those that haue instructed many to righteousnes shall shyne lyke stars God hath preserued the greatest part of you whole and sound so well that ye haue not ben at all apprehended or els ye haue gotten out of the enemyes handes without any thing done that might séeme vnworthy the conscience of a Christian man A fewe are fallen and bent ageynst the Gospell and I miserable wretch was the first in that small numbre I haue darkned and defaced the beuty and excellency of that heauenly doctrine that I had my selfe sometyme preached But ye know the assured foundation wheroÌ„ it is grounded Accursed be he that shall announce any coÌ„trary thing yea were he an Angell in heauen O ye happy and blessed of God that haue in your harts the testimony of an vnspotted conscience to haue walked in sincerity and playnnes blessed that shal heare at the later daye enter into the ioye of thy Lord thow good and faythfull seruant for that thou hast increased the talents committed to thée whereas I haue not onely buried in the earth the talent that I had but haue employed the same in making warre ageynst the trewth God graunt you the grace to coÌ„tinew and gyue a happy successe to your godly trauells Assist me with your prayers that the heauenly father may receyue me now that I returne to him after this horrible sliding and reuolt and pardon me my so grieuous enormity O Lord almighty and wholy wise how easy is it for thée to entrappe the crafty in their deceypte O how thy iudgements be iust and righteous Who knowest ech one of all our works And seest what we doe To good to pure to cleane of harte Thou shewest thy goodnes to To thy beloued and electe Thy loue thow doest reserue And thow doest vse the wicked men As wicked men deserue Euen so hast thou drawen out of the bottome of my hart that which was ther hyd not suffering that I should beguylé the world any lenger For hauing determined to abandoÌ„ my charge and to slipps thens couertly for certeyne doubts and difficulties that I had in my mynd to the end to continew as it were a neutre touching thy outward professioÌ„ thou hast iustly cast me of to myne owne sens By that meanes gyuing more force to myne owne illusions theÌ„ reuereÌ„ce to thy word I am fallen where I well deserued For in steade of being but a forsaker of the charge where thow haddest placed me I became a formall enemy reproouing and coÌ„demning it of the other syde being willing to authoryse and alowe the vocation of them that doe teache popish scysmes and errors thow diddest cause me to come so neare it that I was driuen to be better acquaynted with them then I desyred Such was the punishment that thou diddest cast vppon thy people in tymes past who when they wold not kéepe them selues pure froÌ„ idolatry after long sufferance thou diddest in the end deliuer theÌ„ vp into thy enemyes hand who brought them into Babilon where they were lothed with the fight of false Gods. But the same did serue this people to take these idoles in such disdayne and horror that they neuer fell into that faute ageyne after their returne into Ierusalem Euen so my GOD graunt me this grace that the displeasure grief that I haue of so greate a faute doe engendre in my soule such a hate and detestation of the euill that I haue committed that I may bestowe my whole lyfe in lamenting and bewayling the same crauing thy mercy to the end that thou mayest forgyue it me Thou hast brought me meruelous lowe punishing the pryde wherwith I was fully infected and the conceyte that I had of my self as thou art accustomed to take from him that hath nothing eueÌ„ that which he thinketh to haue To thée be all glory and to me confusion of face Notwithstandinge my God who hast put in my harte the affectioÌ„ to acknowledge the danger of the horrible and euerlasting perditioÌ„ where into I did throw my self hedlong restore me thy spirite that may comfort me and gyue me hope of mercy And in this tyme of extreame affliction graunt me the grace to follow the exaumple of thy seruaunt Moyses who chose rather to be afflicted with thy people then to enioye for a time the pleasures of sinne estéeming the reproch of Christ to be greater ryches then the treasors of Egypte Thy Church is at this day straungely oppressed and threatned with an vtter and perpetuall ruyne and destruction but by thy ayde and assistance I doe mind to accompany her and to drinke my parte of her afflictions praying thée to this ende O Lord to make me féele in what miserable estate they be that doe withdraw them selues towards the enemyes of thy trewth euen then when they thinke themselues most in thy fauour Strengthen maynteine this desyre in me to the end that if I be once more called to the profession of thy name I doe abandon my selfe in sacrifyce for that godly quarrell as I am bound Take compassion of thy poore and desolate Church and mollefy the strypes wherewithall at this day thou hast stroken her Appease thy wrath towards thy people for whom thy deare sonne hath shead his bloud and with thy spirite fortify those that are at this day vnder the Crosse for thy sacred trewth giuing them hope ageynst all hope and making them inuincible ageynst all the assaults and violent enforcements of thy aduersaryes Amen FINIS Cranmer The white Crâ—sse Heidelberg ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East for Lucas Harison and George Byshop
ouerthrowe it And manye tymes there came to my memory a verse of a certeyn poet alleadged by Tertulian Vsque ad eòne morj miserum est I felt my selfe mooued with heauenly inspirations to mainteyn gods trewth I dyd after a sorte consider of the wounde that was made by my meanes some tymes the force of reason and trewth did pricke me forewarde to speake against the doctors of Sorbona in certeyne points but the same vanished away immediatly because that I had already passed furth to the chiefest difficultie hauing a vowed theirs for the trewe Church And certenly I remember that being often pressed with my selfe féeling a kinde of conuiction in that I dyd let passe so many false things ageinst the trewth at night I prayed to God that he would not suffer me to liue to the day folowing forséeing that the morrow after I should yet be driuen to consent and agrée to many things which I thought and knew to be false but this was not a well ordered prayer because I should rather haue craued his spirit of strength magnanimitie to susteyne and defende that which he had reuealed to me to be trewe referre to him the issue and falling out of the whole Neyther was I hard of him but was still abyding in the middest of the enemies of his poore afflicted Church being forced to heare the scoffes and iestes that they did spewe out laughing at the present affliction as dyd the Idâ—means when they reioysed at the destruction of Ierusalem Thus went I cleane depriued of all sens féeling to enure my selfe lyke a brute beast with this most mischeuous accursed hauÌ„t The murderers haue killed the bodies with their most cruel haÌ„d â–ª but in the meane tyme the soules are escaped and passed from trauel to rest But I haue ben a murderer of soules subuerting the fayth of many through my word and taking from their vnderstanding the iudgemeÌ„t knowledge of the euill which they went about to doe And besyde those that haue hard me speak with myne own propre mouth there are infinite others that may haue read that which I had sundry tymes written touching the same the copies wherof were spread all abroade amplyfied with prety gloses and additions wher I had not written playn enough to the contenting of the papists as I my self haue both séene and perceyued And those that haue not read them might therof be informed by others In such sort that I can not expresse nor coÌ„prehend how great a ruine and decay hath ensued of this my fal â–ª From al the which mishaps one only death had at one instant preserued me if I had abyden it after the example of so many poore shéepe of Iesus Christ layed furth to the slaughter without mercie Such a death had béen precious before God honorable for me and myne and of a good sauour to the congregation of the Lorde And yet for any thing that I haue done I shall not escape death which shall come at the houre and in the maner that God hath appoynted it after I haue lyued in ignomyny in the sight of all good men Wherfore when I consider all the circumstances I can hardlye pycke out an example to be ballanced with this acte of myne Sainct Peter did renounce Christ but it was in his first weaknesse before he was yet fortyfied whereas I ought to haue ben a leader and a captain considering how long I had ben called to the seruice of god Saint Peter at the instant withdrew him selfe and went out to wéepe as for me I was in a good way to haue continewed all my lyfe long in the botomlesse pitte of perdition Sainct Paule did persecute the Church of God but it was in ignoraunce and through an vnaduised zeale hauing not the fayth wheras I did put my helping hand to the réedifying of that which before I had pulled downe declaring my selfe a sinfull transgressour Iohn Marke left of his labour and the voyage that he hadde in hands for the which Sainct Paul did not thinke it reasonable that hée should be afterwarde employed Demas forsoke his vocation for the loue and desyre of this present worlde But none of these did for all that persecute the trewth as I haue done Touching the facte I finde but one comparable to my selfe and that is he that layed his head together with the sacryficers and tooke money of them to be traye and make sale of the innocent blud as he confessed himself Euen so did I acquainte my selfe with such kinde of people the very successors of the Pharyseyes sweare my selfe into the hands of the byshop and receyued the hyre of vntrewth as did Balaam with a promise of a yearely pension in time to come Briefly I sée my self paynted out in that which Sainct Peter sayeth that this man hath ben the leader of theÌ„ that haue taken Iesus who sayth hée was accompted in the numbre of vs and had receyued his parte of the administration of his word â–ª Sée here then my brethren on part of those enormities that I do note in mi reuolt I did not only giue occasioÌ„ to men to yelde to the infirmitie of the flesh but more then that I did fill the consciences of the well affectioned with scrupelous vexatioÌ„s of the weake with troublesome offences to make them fall neuer to ryse ageyne to the ypocrites I did serue for a maske and cloke to couer them selues in assisting to those things that they condemned to the open enemyes I gaue occasion to boast and glorify them selues in exercysing cruelty ageynst the members of Iesu Christ and to confirme theÌ„ selues in an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they haue that they doe God good seâ—â—â—…ce that they aduaunce hys honor that they mayneteyne the trewe Church when they kill and murder the innocent I haue offended God almighty condemned the cause of his sonne Christ resisted the holy ghost made sorowful the Aungels of heaueÌ„ ben a stumbling block to the Church in earth boldened and hardened the wicked in their fury defiled my mouth with blasphemy which was before honored with preaching of the Gospel Sainct Cyprian excusing him self for that he had séemed to haue somewhat lightlye established Aurelius reader in the Church giueth a good reason that it was very méete séemely the the mouth which had confessed Christ in time of persecution should be employed to reade his word in the Church Contrariwise I by myne infidelity haue stopped mine own mouth that I might not hereafter speake in the holy assemblyes â–ª I beséech you brethren that euery one of you doe adde what yée can to this that I haue sayed which is not hard to doe in so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a case And all you that maye any wayes make mée vnderstand it spare me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pulle mee downe according to the desert of so haynous a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spurne at the féete that salte that hath lost his sauor see how iustly my candlestick is taken from his place Alas I