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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01857	A full, ample and punctuall discouery of the barbarous, bloudy, and inhumane practises of the Spanish Inquisition, against Protestants with the originall thereof. Manifested in their proceedings against sundry particular persons, aswell English as others, upon whom they have executed their diabolicall tyrannie. A worke fit for these times, serving to withdraw the affections of all good Christians from that religion, which cannot be maintayned without those props of Hell. First written in Latin by Reginaldus Gonsaluius Montanus, and after translated into English.; Sanctae Inquisitionis Hispanicae artes aliquot detectae, ac palam traductae. English	González de Montes, R. (Raimundo), 16th cent.; Skinner, Vincent, d. 1616.	1625 (1625)	STC 11999; ESTC S117395	161,007	238

so much as daily to haue change of spoyles will take it thankefully at their hands then labour they by all meanes possible to curry fauour with them to get themselues rid out of misery and to be set at liberty So that it commeth oftentimes to passe that the parties being at the first arrested for very trifling matters vndoe both themselues and many others moe by giuing ouer-much credit to the fair promises and goodly gloses of these false and faithlesse Inquisitors through want of skill how to behaue themselues in their owne affaires much lesse able to iudge and discerne what opinion they should haue of these Fathers that is to say not to be fathers as they glory to be called in derision of all humanity piety and fatherlinesse but their most cruell and deadly enemies which by craft subtilty and lying and by all kind of knaueries priuily goe about to get that they gape for both life and goods of the guilty and of the guiltlesse Against all which snares of theirs there is one onely way of auoydance to wit that he whose destinie it is I meane by Gods ordinance and appointment to fall into their hands beleeue neuer a word they say promise they neuer so fairly nor be afraid of them threat or thunder they neuer so terribly hauing alwaies before his eyes the loue and dread of him who after hee hath killed the body hath power also ouer the soule to send it to hell fire and hauing numbred the very haires of our head to the vttermost will not suffer the least of them to perish or fall to the ground without his good pleasure and prouidence The next lesson is to keep his tongue for his life speake not one word till the time that he hath heard his accusation with the depositions whereunto he is bound by order of law to make answer Furthermore at the fourth day of hearing they tender him an oath vehemently exhorting him to shriue himselfe voluntarily otherwise they will deale with him as hardly as the law will permit them if the Fiscall once commence his sute against him And if he do yet perseuere constantly affirming that he hath no more to say then reade they vnto him a long inditement charge him with many great matters falsely forged and deuised against him such as neither the party did euer so much as thinke vpon nor any had accused him of to them For it is a point of cunning forsooth in this their crafty faculty for the Fathers to make these great matters and huge offices on their fingers ends for these special causes First by thus loading the poor man and laying to his charge many great and made matters to bring him into such a maze that being scarcely his owne man he shall not well know where he is nor which way to turne him nor what answer to make Secondarily to prooue if happely he will admit any of these misdemeanors that are laid against him or at the least if by argument about any of them they can trippe him in his tale and so catch him in their net Is this then their following of Gods iudgements whose cause these Fathers of the faith brag and boast so much and beare the silly ignorant people in hand that they take vpon them to maintaine in the very first steppe of the stage whereon they are ready bent to do execution of a sort of innocents thus shamefully and mockingly to cry Arise O Lord and iudge thine owne cause Do these policies proceede of faith trowe ye where of they tearme themselues the Patrons Did euer any true Patrons of faith either teach them to other or els vse them themselues Are these the most direct meanes to bring him into the right way that of meere ignorance and simplicity hath gone astray from the truth and word of God or to teach the vnlearned or to correct and amend him who hath erred and fallen of common infirmity Or are they not rathermore likely to be the snares of Satā practised frō time to time by contentious and diuellish people priuily laid to supplant a poore man withall and very stumbling blockes craftily and maliciously cast for the nonce to make him breake not onely his shinnes but his neck also that plainely and simply shall passe thereby and lookes not warily to his footing And who would haue thought I pray you that these holy Fathers would haue busied themselues in making such mouse-traps and setting such pitfals But how many good Christians haue fallen into these snares to the great perill both of their bod●es and soules onely by the detestable meanes of these pestilent and pernicious Tyrants Christ the searcher of secrets and chiefe Inquisitor ouer all at his generall doome sitting in his seat of Maiesty will one day make manifest As touching their accusations the great and principall matters wherewith they burden euery one that commeth within their iurisdiction be these First for that he being baptized vnder the obedience of the Church of Rome forsaking her profession and doctrine is become one of Luthers disciples by admitting and harbouring his heresies in his heart and yet not content therewithall to be an heretike himselfe hath prouoked and poysoned others by teaching preaching the same heresies vnto them And to this effect well neare they vse many big words to make the simple folke afraid withall Next to this they charge them also with other matters sometime of more importance sometime of lesse Prouided alwayes that the matter wherof the party is accused be brought in either in the beginning or ending or else some other thing that some man hath him half in a iealousie for Which thing they lay to his charge not as a matter surmised or of likelihood but most constantly affirmed and testified by witnesses For in this holy Consistory they may do what they list and what they think expedient Then is the party accused put to answer to euery article that is laid against him seuerally and directly either yea or no as he thinketh good hauing alwayes a clerke by him to record euery word that he speaketh After this examination and confession thus had done Ex tempore without either order or any great aduisement they straightway giue him pen inke and paper to put in his answer in writing if he will pretending hereby that they work for him al the means helps that may be to try himself an honest man And thus is this crafty Inquisition cloked with this goodly pretence of equity iustice where in very deed this is their fetch that hearing him first make one confession by word of mouth suddenly and without aduisement and after that another with more deliberation in writing they may easily find some ods betwixt the one and the other hauing neither any copy of his former confession to lay before him nor being able for very feare trouble of mind to remember euery word that hath escaped him But if there

kept all and singular the customes rites and ceremonies of the Church of Rome and vsed to come often to shrift and to receiue his maker and in passing by any image or crosse if he haue done to them their due reuerence that it may appeare that he is none of Luthers sect Finally if hee can auerre generally that he hath beene quite contrary to that whereof he is now accused Which things if he proffer to prooue particularly the Inquisitors by solemne act in law doe openly declare in Court that they are content that he make his purgation accordingly within 9. dayes next after The whole charge whereof after that the party hath giuen in the names of those witnesses that deposed against him resteth wholly on the Aduocate as I haue said a little before Howbeit euery man hath not thus much fauor shewed him to make his purgation on this sort but onely in such cases where the witnesses in their depositions agreed not with their fellowes nor greatly with themselues in their owne tales For otherwise they haue but small succour or none at all to auoyd them by making their owne purgation but onely are admitted to take exception against the witnesses as I said before if they can deuise who they be And when the party is proceeded thus farre let him perswade himselfe that God hath brought him thither for tryall of his fayth whether it be pure and perfect yea or no. For if he vpon hope to auoide the present perill of the body determine to use such shifts for his succour in procuring his purgation by meanes aforesaid albeit he be throughly quit in this Court concerning his duty obedience to the Church of Rome and her Idolatries yet bee he well assured in that generall day of doome which will be so terrible to all creatures in the judgement of Gods true Church it will fall out against him farre otherwise It shall therefore stand a man vpon in this case to look well about him and to enter into his owne conscience and secretly debate with himselfe the causes of his imprisonment diligently For if it be for the glory of God and the free professing of the truth and he forsweare Christ treading the bloud of his testament vnder his feet denying the truth wherunto God hath called and raised him out of that deep dungeon of darknesse ignorance and sin hoping by these cursed and damnable meanes to escape the tyranny of men perhaps he may doe so for a season and purchase the favor of men again but let him him be most assured that he shall never escape the sharp and most just judgement of God from whose truth he is revolted whose power is not only over the carcasse to kill the body but afterwards to throw the soule into vtter darknesse Therefore if hee haue any sparke of grace left aliue within him or any zeale either of Gods glory or loue of his owne salvation or that the authority of our Redeemer may waigh with him any thing at all saying Whoso denieth mee before men him will I deny before my heavenly Father and he that acknowledgeth me before men him will I also acknowledge before my Father and his Angels in heaven c. he will wholly rest vpon that authority and sticke to his tackling in that pinch and vtterly renouncing with heart and mouth all these meanes to saue this temporall life offred vnto him by his Advocate and the Iudge whereunto he cannot giue his consent without great dishonour to his Creator and danger of his owne soule will yeeld a plaine and open confession of his faith thinking himselfe a thousand times in better case that God hath preserued him to that instant to suffer some affliction for Christs sake battering in pieces this earthly tabernacle that is to say a full weak and wearyish body for so noble a quarrell as is the honor of God and the building vp of his Church For these cursed meanes to saue a mans life which that holy house the very sinke of sin and iniquity vseth of like curtesie and compassion as is in the Crocodile to grant to these poore soules are not here reported to the end that the godly should learn hereby the shifts to saue themselues but rather that by knowing them they should vtterly auoyde and abhorre them and that the world may see that all the deuices and policies of this holy Inquisition tend to no other end but after they haue layd their cruell hands continually stained with the bloud of some of the Saints vpon any person if he relent and recant Gods glorious truth so to destroy him both body and soule if otherwise yet at the least to kill his body ouer which alone their power is able to extend it selfe in such as liue in the feare and seruice of God duly and truly Thus after that the party hath endured two or three months in prison at the discretion of these good Fathers they send for him foorth once againe to the place of this combate where the Inquisitor beginneth to declare vnto him how that the witnesses which he brought for his purgation haue beene heard what they can say and therefore he desireth to see what he can say for himselfe or else to draw to an end Then he after their accustomed manner falleth to exhortation that hee tell the truth which is alwayes one peece of their talke so that I beleeue a man should tell them a good long tale ere they would be satisfied Whereunto the party maketh them such reasonable answer as he thinketh best for his owne case Howbeit vnto diuers they vse to put sundry questions oppose them in their owne answer exhibited vp by thē in writing quarrelling at euery letter and syllable like to subtill Sophisters When the party hath spoken all that he hath to say the Fiscall concludeth vpon his sayings and lastly the Inquisitors with the assent of their Councell and Assistants giue sentence when and what they list or like themselues the Diuines Monks and other of the Clergy first waighing and considering such things as the party hath vttered touching doctrine and faith and so valuing it after their owne rate and measure and trying it by their own touch which they call the qualification of doctrine At what time if the party be able to prooue substantially that he neuer dealt in Christs Gospell which they by a new name of their owne coyning commonly call Luthers heresies either they absolue him and giue him his Quiet us est or else most commonly vse to order the matter and giue iudgement accordingly as they haue him in a certaine iealousie and suspicion stil either more or lesse Prouiding alwayes that none passe their hands without such markes and badges as he shall carry with him to his graue in token that hee hath bin within the Inquisitors paw● The marks are commonly these Confiscation of their goods imprisonment during life or for a great part of it A white

he chance to confesse nothing at all they will him to depart pretending that they know not without better information whether hee bee the same party whom they commanded to come before them or no. Whilst the party is thus in examination prouision is made that the promoter who gaue information against him is secretly hidden behind some tapistry where hee cannot be seen yet so as he may see the parties face and know if it be the same man or no if haply the Inquisitors know him not Then licence they him to depart being assured that it is he which shall minister matter for this tragedy and perhaps call him not before them of 2. or 3. moneths after specially if he be there inhabitant for if he be a forreiner they lightly giue him not so great respit The next time when their pleasure is to send for him they exhort him againe that if he know or haue heard any thing that concerneth their holy Court to disclose it vnto them For we know right well say they that you haue dealt with certain persons suspected in religion which if you will confesse of your own accord assure your selfe you shall receiue no harme therefore we charge you take heed and looke well to your selfe Our opinion is of you that like a good Christian man you will call to your remembrance such things as are by-past for indeed a mans memory is weak we wot well and may fail him and therfore it may be you haue forgotten and faine would tell all you know if you could call it to mind By these and such like subtilties they abuse many silly soules or els dismisse them for that time yet so as they shall not think themselues cleerly discharged but to keep them continually occupied and vnquieted in their minds and to make them stand in daily fear awe of them tell them it may be they shall haue further matter against them and occasion to call them againe Yet sometime it hapneth that they beare with some person and winke at him many dayes and with some whole yeares ere they cause him to be apprehended alwayes prouided that he shall haue one or other of these iolly mates to keepe him company wheresoeuer he go and waite vpon him at an inch to creepe into his bosome and grope his conscience who vnder the colour of friendship and familiarity very craftily and subtilly whilst he good man thinkes no harme shall daily come and visite him and haue an eye to all his doings mark with whom he conferreth where hee vseth to resort what he doth there and as nigh as may be whereabouts he goeth and what he intendeth in so much that without the speciall ayde of Gods holy prouidence it is not possible for a man to escape their snares Now if any of the Inquisitors chance to meet any such persons so dismissed they salute him very courteously and shew him a good countenance promising to stand his good friend All which courteous kind of entertainement tendeth to none other end but to make the man more carelesse of his estate and so to vndoe him ere he be aware But what good I pray you can they getby get by these detestable and abominable sleights except perhaps they vse them for their recreation and take like pleasure in them as doth the fouler in his pastime when hee playeth and dallieth with his game or the fisher who after he hath stricken the fish suffreth her to play with the line and to sport her selfe for a time that will scarfely last the turning of her taile or as the catte that playeth with the mouse after she hath giuen him some priuy pinch leaving him at large and hunting him afresh and by and by teareth him with her teeth and eateth vp euery morsell Wherein it may be that some secret mystery lies hid which all the world perceiues not nor altogether without gain to these holy Officers Howbeit this kind of dallying with their prey they vse not with euery body alike in such sort as is before declared For they haue very great respect of persons and causes in this behalf Which is a plain token that they deal not in this sort either with such strangers or town-dwellers as they thinke are like to escape from them by this liberty neither yet with such as are charged with great matters whom they thinke needfull to be seen vnto betimes specially if there be any hope that by their confession they shall haue intelligence of any other But first when they are determined to apprehend any person that is accused they vse to send for the Bishops deputy of that diocesse or Ordinary as they call him and making him priuy to the depositions of the witnesses against the party accused which they call an Information after a little consultation had with him of the matter they all subscribe to a writing which is a warrant directed from them to attach him which kind of dealing seemeth to haue a shew of good equity Forsooth they wil not bee thought to touch any of another mans flocke without th' aduise consent of his own Pastor who being full ignorant vnskilfull God knows in the duty of a Pastor as commonly all of that coat vnder Papacy are is brought to giue his consent that the sheep ouer whom he hath a speciall charge shall first be fleeced afterward miserably slain bereft of goods life For as yet there hath neuer any breach bin heard of about these matters betwixt the Inquisitors and the Ordinary for defending any of his flocke that hath been by them sent to execution Yet may a man see oftētimes yea daily almost great numbers dy in prison some hunger-steru'd some extreamly racked and dismembred in euery ioynt of their bodies some euen in the midst of their torments yeelding vp the Ghost betwixt the tormentors hands as I will not faile hereafter to declare when I shall be occasioned to treate therof more conueniently insomuch that the Inquisitors wil say of some of them that they were as harmlesse men and as innocent and put to death as wrongfully as any men could be Wherby it is euident that this sending for the Ordinary to confer withall about the apprehending of some vnder his cure is a very vaine thing and rather a foolish ceremony than a matter serious or done of any iustice And to tell the plaine truth their manner is to bid the Ordinary to a banquet to quaffe his part of the blood of his owne sheepe that the wolues may continue the faster friends Our Lord Christ the great shepheard of the sheepe come when hee seeth his time and render to each of them according to their owne deserts Yet sometimes it hapneth that they call not the Ordinary to counsell before the party be both accused and apprehended For being well assured that hee will not gainsay them nor controule any of their doings they thinke it enough when the party is fast forthcomming

sticke by them if they be not narrowly seene vnto And indeed the greater part of this rabble of Familiars are bauds theeues shifters and the vilest sort of people that liue only by filching which cannot nor will not hold their hands if they should hang for it Besides that they are persuaded in conscience that they should not in such cases forbeare other mens goods although they haue no manner of right thereto Now to tell you briefly whereto this sequestration tendeth Forsooth that if it happen the party be condemned so that his goods or any part thereof be confiscate this holy house I warrant you will not lose so much as a dodkin of them For who knoweth not thus much that the prey and spoyles of such silly soules is all that they seek for els what should these holy fathers that respect nothing but vertue and godlinesse doe with their goods I pray you whom they beare vs in hand they would so faine bring home againe to the right way Or who is so mad to think that misbelief can be amended by losse of lands or goods Yet it may very well beseeme Christian men to be spoyled of all their substance yea and of their clothes from their backs also by their enemies seeing their head whose members they are and whose truth they professe was so serued for whose garments likewise not much worth perhaps halfe thread bare with wearing after they had put him most cruelly to death they determined also to cast lots And this kind of Sacriledge is now so ratified and confirmed by the common consent of their Diuines that is to say the Monkes and the residue of the Clergy that they shame not to preach teach openly that whosoeuer is not iumpe with the Pope or dissenteth from him in the least iot is bound in conscience in all hast say they to bring in all his goods into the Kings Eschecquer and that he hath no more right vnto them then if he had robbed the King of them before alleadging this reason that for so much as he is reuolted from the Church of Rome he is no longer any right owner thereof but the King to whom the Pope hath adiudged them Wherefore a man is bound say they to restore them vnto him although the Inquisitors neuer heard so much as one word of him And thus these subtill foxes by this one policy are both greatly gracious with Princes and therewithall doe inueigle the consciences pick the purses of the silly foolish people deeming them as gods But to returne to our purpose As soon as the prisoner is entred within the first gate of y● prison the keeper hauing with him a Notary asketh him if he haue a knife about him or mony or rings or any other iewels And if it be a womā that hath a sheath of small kniues at her girdle rings little chains bracelets ouches or any other ornaments such as women weare they strip them of all these commonly they be his fees that findeth them This is done to this end that the prisoners during the time of their imprisonment shall haue nothing to succor themselues withal any waies They search them also le●● they bring in priuily about them any writing or book or any other such like thing But after they be once entred into prison they are shut vp in a close cabbayne where they haue scarsely good elbow-roome for cleanlines and lightsomnes not much vnlike to Litle 〈…〉 se And some are close prisoners all alone for 8. or 15. dayes some by the space of 2. or 3. moneths and other some all their liues long Some againe haue fellowes and companions from the very first day of their imprisonment as the Lords Inquisitors will and as they thinke most conuenient to bring their matters about CHAP. III. The seuerall dayes of hearing AFter they haue thus continued in prison about a week or two the Inquisitors priuily packe with the Iaylor to be in hand with the prisoner as though it came from himselfe and to aduise him to sue that he may come to his answer and pray to haue a day of hearing Wherein it is not to be thought the contrary but that there is some mistery meant thereby that the prisoner must first begin to stir in his owne cause The keeper therefore either at dinner time or some other most conuenient to bring his matters about resorteth to his prisoner and among other talke at the last falleth to question with him how it hapneth that he s●●th not to come to his answer that his matters may be more speedily ended and aduis●th him to labour it with as much speede as may be making him beleeue the sooner the better and that it will much further his cause so to do and at the length bring his sute to some good effect Adding moreouer that for the acquaintance which he hath with him in the way of friendship hee is mooued to giue him the best counsell he can such as is meetest for his behoofe promising to do deale for him therein to his power like a faithfull and trusty friend Yet surely it may be thought with good reason that if any thing may doe the poore wretch good being in case ready for to be deuoured by these rauenous beasts it will fall out in the end to be better for him if he refuse to craue a day of hearing and tarry till the Commissioners doe call for him But if there be none other good to be done hee may chance to get this by his tarrying in driuing them to begin with him to take care for nothing but only to make answer to their obiections But sith it is so secret a mystery I will let it goe and leaue it to the iudgements and considerations of the wiser sort to scan and iudge vpon The poore prisoner knowing none of these subtilties for the most part is ruled by his keeper thinking that he hath giuen him good and wholesome aduice and prayeth him therefore to be a meane for him and in his behalf to craue a day of hearing whose sute is easily heard of the Inquisitor and granted at the first I warrant you Whereupon the party is brought into the Consistory where the Inquisitor as though he were altogether ignorant of the matter beginneth to talke with him much after this sort Sirha your keeper came and told vs that you were desirous to come to your answer Now say on what is your sute The prisoner answereth that he would be very glad to haue his matter heard And vnlesse he look well about him and be circumspect in his dealing very lothsomnesse of his imprisonment and fear of afterclaps driueth him to confesse somewhat whereof he suspecteth himselfe to be accused The which thing doth the Fathers good at their hearts because they are accustomed at this and sundry other seasons to grant the prisoners dayes of hearing and to call them often into the Court before they shall know their whole

all is an horrible and most detestable kinde of iniurie But to returne to their policies The depositions of the witnesses therefore is an euident proofe aswell by their order and manner of examination as also by their kind of speach therein vsed whether the Inquisitours haue kept the euen street or gone by crooked lane For this is most sure that they are not commonly read to the party in such sort as the witnesses haue deposed but if any thing be vttered besides by the witnesses that might make for the prisoner or be construed on his side they reiect all that as needeless and superfluous admitting onely that that maketh most against him and clap on all that on their owne biace side For the further proofe and declaration whereof it will bee worth the noting vnto you to shew what their common vsage is in registring of such depositions As for example N. a witnesse suppressing his name sworneand allowed c. saith that heeth said N. heard in such a place and such a yeare and of such a moneth if he can so precisely remember the times such a man report that the aforesaid that is to say the party accused said thus and thus c. And in their Records which they call their Originall processe they haue all those circumstances at large which they exact of the witnesses for a further truth and tryall of the matter but in that exemplified copy which they deliuer to the party himselfe very subtilly they suppresse all the circumstances of time and persons present whereby the party might haue any inkling of his accuser or witnesse supplying those places with these or such like words A certaine person another man and a third person In which kind of depositons there bee certaine priuy points and nice conceits diligently to bee obserued that is to witt Whensoeuer they say that he heard it of a certaine person whom he hath named it is to be vnderstood that the witnesse heard the party himselfe speake it and by the craftie conueyance of the Inquisitors it is so brought about that in the counterfeit copy which they deliuer to the parties hands it seemeth as though he had heard it of some other mans mouth because he shall not ghesse who it was that gaue euidence against him but hauing conferd therin with diuers others as well as with this man that deposed against him should no more know who hurt him then he that playeth at blind-man-buffe can ghesse who gaue him the blow And in this behalfe if the prisoner chance to mention any such persons as the Court hath not yet beene enformed of they are incontinently outlawed and reputed as fauourers of heretickes for suffering an hereticke to sow such pestilent seedes among them without making complaint thereof foorthwith to the Inquisitors But if the depositions bee on this wise That he heard it of another certaine person whom he hath named c. it is to be vnderstood that the witnesse heard it by a meane and therefore will not serue to ioyne with another witnesse though he bee man good enough for them and fitte to feede their suspicious humors The difference betwixt both these depositions is no more but this that in the one this word other is vsed that is not put in the former which is onely thus that he heard it of a certaine person c. This geere I tell you is taken out of their Sancta Sanctorum Thus by these subtill and captious quiddities the Inquisitours beguile many a Christian soule that knoweth not their cunning dealings but thinketh himselfe safe enough because he feeleth his conscience free from vttering any vntruth And truely it is greatly to bee lamented that such poore wretches being guiltlesse God knoweth a great sort of them should be so hemmed in of these crafty Catchpoles so farre beyond all humanitie for want of a little skill in these their subtill and slightfull deuices Wherin this counsell of ours perhaps may doe them some manner of pleasure for the more easie espying and auoyding of these their policies The defendant therfore must take heede that he speake not one word at this day of hearing tending to the confutation of that which the witnesses affirme yea though it be as false as God is true and he himselfe neuer so well able in his owne iudgement to answer it presently lest the Inquisitours by their importunity happen to wring out somewhat from him on a suddaine as they vse to deale with diuers Onely let him this doe that is to say craue a Copy of the depositions and licence to answer them in writing by leasure and with deliberation against the next Court day or so soone as he can conueniently In which answer let him see in any case that hee obserue those things whereof in the accusation made by the Fiscall I haue giuen him instructions before Secondarily after he hath obtained the Copy diligently to mark of himselfe who be witnesses with the witnesses and who not and whether their testimony be able and sufficient to condemne him in these matters wherin they beare witnes with the other or no. As for his Aduocate he is but onely for fashion sake and it were as good for him to haue one of clou●s for any helpe that he is like to haue at his hand much lesse may ye thinke at the Inquisitors But as concerning the witnesses two that heard it of report are in this lawlesse Court as good as one that heard it of his own mouth so that two such witnesses of heresay and one that heard it of the parties own mouth are enow to condemne him Moreouer it is to be noted that the keeper of the Inquisit ●urs prison whom they commonly call Alcaidium is as good as two of the best witnesses And therefore for such mattters as he hath seene and obserued in the prison his onely testimony is sufficient to condemne any whom he himselfe accuseth Yea and in some cases one onely witnesse though he haue nothing but by heresay yet is he sufficient to put the party in ieopardy of the racke if he haue not some iust cause of challenge against him But if there were any respect at all or regard of iustice in this Court so farre from all conscience it were enough in all godly and indifferent mens iudgements either for the parties deliuerance or at the least for his purgation to auoyde that quiddity in the depositions which I mentioned before by faire and flat deniall of that which the witnesse said onely of heresay were this word other there or no. Wherewith the Inquisitors seeke to salue the matter and to saue themselues being indeed but a very false and a friuolous cauill onely to colour a lye For so should it fall out in the end that he who deposed nothing but of heresay should as right and reason is be refused as insufficient and the other that spake of his owne precise knowledge be likewise reiected if there were iust cause of

his former life and labour euill spent and therefore beganne anew to tread another path which should lead him vnto perfect wisedome and learning whereof as then hee knew not one step Furthermore perceiuing his counseller to stand so long vpon that point which concerned the dutie of a good Preacher he took it to be a sufficient calling for him to that vocation whereof he knew he should neither reap commoditie nor estimation in this world Perhaps many will maruell to hear the party named that was the occasion of so suddaine a change and alteration of such a man in so short space taking vpon him to teach him the true way to perfect wisedome Truly I must needs disclose it to the end that the wonderful mysteries of Gods election may be manifested and reuerenced who by the foolish of this world confoundeth the wisedome of man His name was Roderico Valerio man long ago condemned at Siuill by the Inquisitors for a false Apostle a counterfait Prophet and a wicked deceiuer of the people and therevpon banished and in his exile suffred for the profession of the truth Whose wonderfull kind of calling to the true knowledge of Christ since I am occasioned to make mention of the person it shall neither be greatly impertinent briefly to speak of nor tedious to such as be godly disposed This Valerio a Citizen of Nebrissa a famous towne as any is in all the precinct of Granata both for the antiquitie thereof and chiefly for the fame of one Antonio de Nebrissa a notable Clerke as any was and one that first restored the puritie of the Latin tongue in Spaine in these our dayes was descended of a good house and of sufficient abilitie to maintaine the worship thereof howbeit he employed his wealth not to vertue but as commonly such men of abilitie doe which think all their honor to consist in the maintenance of a good stable the furniture thereof in games in costly and excessiue apparell in hunting other such like pastimes and exercises For in all these qualities he was singular aboue all the yong gentlemen of the whole citie insomuch that hee sought not only to match such as were his equalls in degree and abilitie but also to exceede them far In the middest of these vain phantasies a certaine motion came into his mind by what occasion or through whose perswasion or otherwise by what meanes God knoweth but he suddenly left all his old delights contemning the speech of the people which was a hard thing for a man to doe and bent himselfe wholly both body and soule to the exercise of vertue godlinesse that a man would searcely iudge him to bee a man of this world Moreouer the wonderfull change that appeared to be in him otherwise as well in his speech and behauiour as in his apparell that was fine and sutable before gorgious as might be and now quite altered into simple stuffe and plainest fashion was well liked of some but on the other side a great number thought it meere madnesse or starke folly But as the like false verdites giuen of the holy Apostles that were indued with the Holy Ghost were attainted by the effectes of the same spirit so the perfect feare of God with the bewayling of his former vanities the earnest desire of righteousnesse and his whole talke tending to these ends and concerning these matters alwayes framed according to the prescript rule of Gods word was a sufficient proofe and euidence to men of perfecter vnderstanding that the spirit of God most certainly possessed him In his youth time hee had gotten a little smack in the Latin by the help where of hee was conuersant in the holy Scriptures both day and night so that by continuall studie thereof hee had a great part of them by heart and could make application thereof to his purpose sensibly maruellous readily He had also dayly conflicts with the spiritual men as they call them the Priests and Monks which were the causes said he that not only the estate of the Clergy but also all Christendome was so fouly corrupted that they were almost hopelesse of remedy for which causes hee did also diuers and sundry times sharply rebuke them Whereat this pharisaicall generation much maruelling enquired of him how he attained so suddenly to all this skilin holy Scriptures how he durst presume so arrogantly to inuay against the very supporters and lights of the Church For indeed he spared none but would tell the proudest of them his minde being but a lay-man voide of all good learning and one that had spent the greater part of his time in vaine and vnprofitable studies Likewise they examined him by force of what commission hee did it who sent him how hee was called and by what tokens hee declared the same Alas for them good men when they cannot denie their abominations nor longer hold out the light which discouereth their darknesse euen now as in all other ages from time to time they are driuen to these shifts Howbeit Valerio answered them truly and with a bold courage to euery demand that he had not fished for that wisedome and caught it in their most filthie puddles and muddie ditches but had it by the only goodnesse of the Holy Ghost who poureth whole floods of grace into the hearts of true beleeuers most aboundantly As for his boldnesse he told them that both the goodnes of his quarrell and hee that sent him gaue him the encouragement and that the spirit of God which is bound to no estate or degree be it in name neuer so spirituall specially if it be corrupt hath heretofore chosen very idiots and fishermen and placed them in the roome of Apostles to controll the Synagogue of the learned touching the law to appeach them of ignorance to call the whole world to the knowledge of their own saluation that the same Christ had sent him whose name and authoritie hee had for his warrant but as for any signe to declare the same he said it was the token of a bastardly generation and of the branches degenerate from the true stocke of the children of God to aske for any signes in the time of such light when all things shine therewith yea verie darknesse it selfe as cleare as noone day At the length for these and such like matters he was called to his answer before the Inquisitors where he disputed very earnestly of the true Church of Christ and which were the markes to know it by how man was iustified in the sight of God and of such other points of religion the knowledge whereof he confessed that he had attained vnto by no meanes or help of man but by the onely handy worke of God and his wonderfull reuelation Howbeit his madnesse phrensie wherewith the Inquisitors supposed him to bee troubled excused him for this time yet to the end that he might the sooner come to himself again they condemned him in the losse of all his substance