breaking of bread and the giuing of thankes is a visible communion made with the members of Iesus Christ For they that take and breake one and the same bread are one and the same body that is to say the Body of Iesus Christ and they are members one of another ingrafted and planted in him to whom they protest and promise to perseuere in his seruice to their liues end neuer departing from the faith of the Gospell and the vnion which they haue all promised by Iesus Christ And therefore as all the members are nourished with one and the same viands and all the faithfull take one and the same Spirituall Bread of the word of Life the Gospell of Saluation So they all liue by one and the same Spirit and one and the same Faith This Sacrament of the Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ is called in Greeke Eucharistia that is to say Good Grace of this doth S. Matth. testifie in his 26. Chap. saying Iesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to his disciples and said Take eate this is my body And S. Luke Chap. 22. This is my body which is giuen for you this doe in remembrance of me Likewise hee tooke the Cup and blessed it saying This cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you This Sacrament was instituted by diuine ordinance perfectly to signifie vnto vs the spirituall nourishment of man in God by meanes whereof the spirituall life is preserued and without which it decayeth the truth it selfe saying If you eate not the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke not his bloud there shall be no life in you Concerning which Sacrament wee must hold that which followeth by the testimony of the Scriptures That is that wee must confesse simply and in purity of heart that the bread which Christ tooke in his last Supper which he blessed brake and gaue to eate to his Disciples that in the taking thereof by the ministry of his faithfull Pastors he hath left a remembrance of his Passion which in it owne nature is true bred and that by this Pronowne This is demonstrated this sacramentall proposition This is my Body not vnderstanding these words Identically of a numerall Identity but Sacramentally really and truly but not measurably The same body of Christ sitting in heauen at the right hand of his Father vnto whom euery faithfull Receiuer must cast vp the eyes of his vnderstanding hauing his heart eleuated on high and so eate him spiritually and sacramentally by an assured faith The same we are to vnderstand of the Sacrament of the Cup. Saint Augustine saith that the eating and drinking of this Sacrament must be vnderstood spiritually For Christ saith The words that I speake are spirit and life And Saint Ierome saith The flesh of Christ is to be vnderstood after a twofold manner either spiritually of which Christ saith Iohn 6.55 My flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Or it is to be vnderstood of that flesh which was crucified and buried Of the spirituall eating Christ saith He that shall eate my flesh and drinke my bloud is in me and I in him There is also a twofold manner of eating the one sacramentall and so both good and bad doe eate the other spirituall and so the good onely doe eate And therefore saith Augustine What is it to eate Christ It is not onely to receiue his body in the Sacrament for many doe eate him vnworthily who will not dwell in him nor haue him to dwell in them but he eates him spiritually that continueth in the truth of Christ And therefore to eate the sacramentall Bread is to eate the Body of Christ in a figure Iesus Christ himselfe saying Neuerthelesse as oft as you doe this you shall doe it in remembrance of me For if this eating were not in figure Christ should be alwayes bound to such a thing for it is necessary that the spirituall eating should be continuall As Saint Augustine speaketh He that eateth Christ in truth is he that beleeueth in him For Christ saith that to eate him is to dwell in him In the celebration of this Sacrament Prayer is profitable and the preaching of the Word in the vulgar tongue such as may edifie and is agreeable to the Euangelicall Law to the end that peace and charity might encrease amongst the people but other things that are in vse in these dayes in the Church of Rome and those that are members thereof belong not at all to the Sacrament What the Waldenses and Albingenses haue taught touching Mariage CHAP. VII MAriage is holy In the Booke intituled The Spirituall Almanacke fol. 50. being instituted of God in the beginning of the World And therefore it is an honourable thing when it is kept as it ought in all purity and when the Husband who is the head of Wife loues her and keepes her and carrieth himselfe honestly towards her being faithful and loyall towards her and that the woman for her part who is made to be a helpe vnto man be subiect to her Husband obeying him in whatsoeuer is good and honouring him as God hath commanded her taking care of his Houshold affaires keeping her selfe not onely from ill-doing but all appearance of euill continuing faithfull and loyall vnto him and both of them perseuering in that which is good according to the will of God taking paines together to get their liuing by honest and lawful meanes wronging no man and instructing those children which God hath giuen them in the feare and doctrine of the Lord and to liue as our Lord hath commanded them Prayer and fasting is profitable when there is question of the celebration of Matrimony and the reasons and instructions and aduertisements touching the same But the Imposition of hands and the Ligatures made with the Priests stoole and other things commonly obserued therein and by custome without the expresse word they are not of the substance nor necessarily required in mariage As touching the degrees prohibited and other things that are to be obserued in matter of Matrimony wee shall speake when we come to the discipline Taken out of the Booke intituled The Spirituall Almanacke What the Waldenses and Albingenses haue taught touching the visitation of the Sicke CHAP. VIII El besongna que aquel que porta la parola de Dio lo nostre Seignor en tota diligenza IT is necessary that hee that is the Messenger of the Word of God should inuite and draw euery one to our Lord and Sauiour with all labour and diligence both by the good example of his life and the truth of his Doctrine and it is not sufficient that hee teach in the Congregation but also in their Houses and in all other places as Christ and his Apostles haue done before him comforting the afflicted and especially those that are sicke He must admonish them touching the great bounty and mercy of God shewing that there can
Matchlesse Crueltie DECLARED At large in the ensuing History of the WALDENSES Apparently manifesting unto the World the horrible Persecutions which they have suffered by the Papists for the space of four hundred and fifty years Wherein is related their Original and Beginning their Piety and Purity in RELIGION both for Doctrine and Discipline LIKEWISE Hereunto is added an exact Narrative of the late Bloody and Barbarous Massacres Murders and other unheard of Cruelties committed on many thousands of the Protestants dwelling in the Valleys of PIEDMONT c. by the Duke of Savoy's Forces joyned with the French Army and several bloody Irish Regiments Published by Command of his Highness the Lord Protector LONDON Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1655. THE HISTORIE OF THE WALDENSES COMMONLY CALLED IN ENGLAND LOLLARDS The first Booke CHAP. I. That God in all times hath raised vp labourers for the gathering together of his Saints At what time Valdo began to teach and with what fruite what he was and all they that from his name are called Waldenses GOD hath neuer left himselfe without witnesses but from time to time he raiseth vp instruments to publish his grace enriching them with necessarie gifts for the edification of his Church giuing them his holy Spirit for their guide and his truth for a rule to the end they may discerne the Church which began in Abel from that which began in Caine As also teaching them to define the Church by the faith and the faith by the Scriptures strengthening them in the middest of their greatest persecutions and making them to know that the crosse is profitable so long as the faithfull change by that meanes earth for heauen and the children of God are not lost when being massacred and cast into the fire by a course of iustice we may find in their bloud and ashes the seed of the Church That which hath bene obserued in all ages hath after a more particular manner appeared amongst those Christians that are called Waldenses who were raised in a time when Satan held men in ignorance hauing wrapt the greatest part of those that call themselues Christians in that great sinne of the world I meane Idolatrie Kings and Princes imploying their authoritie for the establishment thereof appointing all those to the slaughter that would exempt themselues from the wounds due vnto Idolaters This was about the yeare of our Lord a thousand one hundred and threescore at what time the punishment of death was inflicted vpon all those that did not beleeue that the words of consecration being pronounced by the Priest the body of our Lord Iesus Christ was in the Hoste vnder the accidents of the bread the roundnesse and whitenesse yea the very bodie as great and as large as it was vpon the crosse the bread vanishing and being transsubstantiated into the flesh of Christ At what time it was likewise enioyned to adore the Hoste to crouch vnto it to bow the knees before it yea it was called God and men did beate their breasts before it and locked it vp in a boxe to worship it as they still vse euen at this day This doctrine being altogether vnknowne to the Apostles who neuer spake word of any such mysterie as also in the Primitiue Church wherein there was neuer any Doctor that taught this expiatorie sacrifice for the liuing and for the dead occasioned many Christians to enter into a detestation thereof chusing rather to suffer a temporall death by resisting such Idolatrie then by consenting thereunto to suffer in hell Peter Valdo a citizen of Lions shewed himselfe most couragious in the opposition of this inuention Guido de Perignan in the flower of Chronicles taxing therewithall diuerse other corruptions which with time crept into the Church of Rome affirming that she had lost the faith of Iesus Christ that she was that whore of Babylon that barren fig-tree which our Sauiour had long before cursed That we were not to obey the Pope in as much as he was not the head of the Church That Monkerie was a stinking carrion and the marke of the Beast That Purgatorie Masses dedication of Temples worshipping of Saints commemoration of the dead were no other then the inuentions of the diuell and the snares of Auarice Valdo was so much the more attentiuely hearkned vnto See the Sea of Histories fol. 203. Claud. Rubis in his historie of the Citie of Lions p. 269. because he was in high esteeme for his learning and pietie as also for his great bountie towards the poore not onely nourishing their bodies with his materiall bread but their soules with the spirituall exhorting them principally to seeke Iesus Christ the true bread of their soules Many Historiographers do write Lois Cam. in his hist of the orthod brethren of Bohemia p. 7. Guido de Perignan in his flower of Chronicles that he had a resolution to leade an vnblameable life approching as neare as he could to that of the Apostles that vpon a mournfull vnluckie accident that fell out vnexpected and it was this Being one euening in the company of some of his friends after supper passing the time with talke and refreshing themselues one of the company fell downe dead vpon the ground The Catal. of witnesses of the truth p. 535. Simon de Noion in his booke of the names of the Doctors of the Church with which sudden accident all that were present being strangely affrighted Valdo amongst the rest was touched to the quicke and by this dart of Gods iustice was wrought to an extraordinary amendment of life applying himselfe wholly to the reading of the Scriptures seeking in them his saluation and sometimes consulting the writings of the ancients he continually instructed those poore people that resorted vnto him for almes The Archbishop of Lions called Iohn de Belles Mayons being aduertised that Valdo made profession of teaching the people boldly blaming the vice luxury excesse and arrogancie of the Pope and his Clergie inhibited him from teaching especially for that being a lay person he exceeded the limits of his profession and condition of life and therefore that he should not continue therein vnder paine of excommunication proceeding against him as against an Hereticke Valdo replyed that he could not hold his peace in a matter of so high importance as the saluation of men and that he would rather obey God who had enioyned him to speake then man who had commanded him to hold his peace Vpon this answer the Archbishop endeauoured to haue him apprehended but that could not be because Valdo hauing many kinsfolke and friends was beloued of many and so continued closely in Lions by the fauour and protection of his friends for the space of three yeares Pope Alexander the third of that name hauing vnderstood that in Lyons there were diuers persons that called into question his soueraigne authoritie ouer the whole Church fearing that this beginning of rebellion might giue some blow to
he iudged to be wanderers did not returne to the bosome of the Church of Rome by gentle meanes and force of reason they began to thinke that it stood them vpon to maintaine their beleefe by such conference otherwise they should giue occasion to the aduersaries to thinke that there was in their Religion some weaknesse if there were not any Pastor that would take vpon him the defence thereof It was therefore concluded amongst the Albingenses to giue the Bishops to vnderstand that their Pastors or any one of them for the rest were ready to maintaine their beleefe by the word of God prouided that the conference were well ordered and moderated that is to say that there may be moderators that are men of authoritie both on the one side and the other that may haue wherewithall to hinder all tumult and sedition Prouided also that it be in a place vnto which there may be free accesse and the place secured for all persons that may assist or be present at the said conference Moreouer that there bee some matter or subiect chosen by common consent not to bee giuen ouer before it be determined and that he that cannot defend it by the word of God is to bee reputed and held to be vanquished The Bishops and Monkes did all allow of the said conditions The place was Montreal neere Carcasonne This disputation was the most famous that hath bin betweene the Albingenses the Bishops and Priests the time in the yeere one thousand two hundred and six The Arbitrators agreed vpon by the one part and the other B. de Villeneufue and B. Auxerre for the Bishops and for the Albingenses R. de Bot and Antony Riuiere Arnold Hott was the Pastor for the Albingenses Chassagnon maketh mention in his first booke of the History of the Albingenses pag. 72. accompanied with those that were accounted fit for such an action He was the first that arriued at the place and day assigned Afterwards came the Bishop Eusus and the Monke Dominique a Spaniard with two of the Popes Legats that is to say Also Iaques de Riberia in his collect of the Citie of Toulouze Peter Chastel and Racul de Iust Abbot of Candets P. Bertrand Prior d' Auteriue as also the Prior de Palats and diuers other Priests and Monkes The Theses or tenerall questions proposed by Arnold This disputation was sent me from the Albingēses by Mr. Rafin Pastor of the Church of Realmont in old Manuscripts were these That the Masse with the Transubstantiation was the inuention of men not the ordinance of Christ nor his Apostles That the Romish Church is not the Spouse of Christ but the Church of tumult and molestation made drunken with the bloud of Martyrs That the policie of the Church of Rome is neither good nor holy nor established by Iesus Christ Arnold sent these Propositions to the Bishop who demanded a respit of fifteene dayes to answer which was granted him At the day appointed the Bishop failed not to appeare with a long and large writing Arnold Hott desired to bee heard by word of mouth saying That he would answer to all that was contained in the said writing intreating his auditorie that it might not be troublesome vnto them if he were long in answering to so long a discourse It was granted that he should bee heard with attention and patience and without interruption He discoursed at diuers houres for foure dayes together and with such admiration of those that were present and readinesse for his part that all the Bishops Abbots Monkes and Priests had reason to desire they had beene elsewhere For he framed his answer according to the points set downe in the said writing with such order and plainnesse that hee gaue all that were present to vnderstand that the Bishop hauing written much had neuerthelesse concluded nothing that might truly turne to the aduantage of the Church of Rome against his Propositions Afterwards Arnold made a request that forasmuch as the Bishops and himselfe in the beginning of their conference were bound to proue whatsoeuer they affirmed by the onely word of God it might bee imposed vpon the Bishops and Priests to make good their Masse such as they sing it part by part to haue beene instituted by the Sonne of God and sung in the like manner by his Apostles beginning at the entrance vnto the Ile Missa est as they terme it but the Bishops were not able to proue that the Masse or any part thereof was ordained in such an action either by Iesus Christ or his Apostles With this the Bishops were much discontented and ashamed For Arnold had brought them to the onely Canon which they pretended to be the best part of their Masse touching which point he proued That the holy Supper of our Lord was n ot the Masse For if the Masse were the holy Supper instituted by our Sauiour there would remaine after the Consecration all that which was in the Supper of the Lord that is to say Bread but in the Masse there is no bread for by Transubstantiation the bread is vanished away therefore the Masse saith he without bread is not the holy Supper of the Lord for there is bread Iesus Christ brake bread The Priest breakes the body not the bread St. Paul brake the bread The Priest breakes the body not the bread Therefore the Priest doth not that which Christ Iesus hath done and St. Paul Vpon these Antitheses which Arnold made touching the Supper of the Lord and the Masse to proue that it came not from Christ nor his Apostles the Monkes Bishops Legats and Priests retired themselues not being willing to heare any more and fearing lest they should worke such an impression in those that were present as might shake their beleefe touching the Masse The Monke of the Valley Seruay The Monke of the Valley Seruay in his Hist of the Albing chap. 5. endeuoureth to bring this action into suspition affirming that at what time the Hereticall Iudges exceeded in number seeing the badnesse of their cause and the wretchednesse of their disputation they would not saith hee giue any iudgement thereof nor deliuer their writings to their aduersaries for feare lest they should come to light and render to the Heretikes their owne But how should two Legats of the Pope the Bishops Abbots Monkes and Priests put themselues into any such place where they could bee thus ouercharged with number This Monke saith in the same place that the principall Arch-heretikes came to the Catholikes at the Castle of Montreal to dispute with them So that they held then the Castle and therefore there was no occasion of doubt or any such violence And furthermore how could it be that the Bishops should request the moderators to giue iudgement in a point of disputation when they hold that there needs no other sentence than the Popes who cannot erre Againe how did the Monke know that the Albingenses were ouercome if there
which cause let it be and dwell alwayes in vs that wee may addict our selues to holinesse and righteousnesse Lo teo regne vegne Thy Kingdome come YOu must vnderstand that God the Father hath two Kingdomes the one of glory life eternall the other of grace the life Christian And these two Kingdomes are ioyned together in such manner that betwixt them there is no middle but the point of death But according to the order of diuine Iustice the Kingdome of grace is before the Kingdome of glory And therefore they that liue in the Kingdome of grace by which we are to passe if wee will enter the Kingdome of glory without doubt they shall raigne in the Kingdome of glory and no man can reigne there by any other meanes And therefore Christ our Lord saith vnto his Disciples Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof that is the Kingdome of grace and vertue as Faith Hope Charity and the rest But forasmuch as you cannot performe this of your selues without the heauenly grace beg it at Gods hands saying O our Father which art in Heauen thy King dome come that is to say the loue of vertue and the hatred of the World La toa volunta sia faita enaimi es faita en cel sia faita en terra Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen A Man cannot affect desire or doe any better thing in this life then to endeuour with all his wit and vnderstanding and with all his heart to doe the will of God as the Angels doe it in Heauen Now to doe the will of God is to renounce himselfe that is to say his owne proper will and to dispose and employ that which is in his owne soule and heart or that is without him in things temporall according to the Law of God and the Doctrine of the Gospell of Christ Iesus And to be well content with whatsoeuer it shall please God to doe or permit both in aduersity and prosperity Many there are who thinke they are to be excused because they know not the will of God But these men deceiue themselues For the will of God is written and plainely manifested and proued by the word of God which they will not reade or vnderstand And therefore saith the Apostle Conforme not your selues vnto those that loue the World but be reformed and renewed in the truth of your vnderstanding to the end you may know what is the will of God And againe this is the will of God euen your sanctification There is no worke that is little if it be done with a willing and feruent affection And our Sauiour teacheth his Disciples both by words and examples that the will of God must be done not theirs saying I am come into the world not to doe my will but to doe the will of my Father who hath sent me Againe being neere his passion and seeing the torments of death which he was to endure as he was man he cryed out O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me but yet not my will but thy will be done To be briefe we must thus pray in all our affaires O our Father which art in Heauen Thy will be done in vs by vs and of vs in Earth as it is done by the Angels in Heauen without idlenesse continually without fault vprightly without humane desire doing that which is good leading a vertuous and a pure life obeying our superiours and contemning this World Dona nos lo nostre pan quotidian enchoi Giue vs this day our daily bread WEe may heere vnderstand two kinds of bread Corporall and Spirituall By Corporall bread wee are to vnderstand our meates and drinkes and clothing and all things necessary for the body without which we cannot liue naturally The Spirituall Bread is the Word of God the Body of Christ without which the Soule cannot liue And of this Bread Christ spake vnto his Disciples Whosoeuer shall eate of this bread shall liue eternally And therefore it is the dutie of euery man in all humilitie to aske this Bread at Gods hands who can giue it him saying O our Father doe vs the grace and fauour that wee may obtaine by our iust labour the bread that is necessary for our bodies and to vse it with sobriety and measure yeelding thee alwayes thankes and praises and that wee may charitably bestow some part of them vpon the poore Moreouer we beseech thee that thou wilt bee pleased so to deale with vs that wee may vse this bread with sobriety to thy glory and the good both of body and soule For the Prophet Ezekiel saith Chap. 16.49 That fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse was the cause of the iniquities and abominations of Sodom which were so great in the sight of God that he sent downe fire and brimstone to consume them Whereupon a certaine learned Father saith that costly apparrell superfluitie in diet play idlenesse and sleepe fatten the body nourish luxurie weaken the spirit and leade the soule vnto death but a spare diet labour short sleepe poore garments purifie the soule tame the body mortifie the lusts of the flesh and comfort the Spirit The spirituall Bread is the Word of God Of this Bread the Prophet speaketh Thy bread quickeneth mee And Christ saith in the Gospell Verily I say vnto you that the houre commeth when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare him shall liue And this is found true by this experience That is that many being dead in their sinnes hearing the Preaching of the Word of God haue departed quickned raised by the said Word of God betaken themselues to true repentance which giueth life This bread of the Word illuminateth the soule according to that of Dauid Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy word giueth light it giueth vnderstanding to the simple that is to say to the humble to the end they may know what to beleeue and to doe what to feare to flye to loue to hope This bread delighteth the soule more then honey and the honey-combe And therefore saith the Spouse Canticles 2.11 Let me heare thy voyce for sweete is thy voyce and thy countenance is comely There is another Spirituall Bread and that is the Body and Blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ In the Sacrament they that receiue it worthily receiue not onely grace but Christ the Sonne of God spiritually in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome Pardonna a nos li nostre debit o pecca coma nos per donnen a li nostre debitor o offendadors Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. IT should not seeme or bee grieuous to any man to forgiue his neighbour those offences hee hath committed against him For if all the offences which haue beene or can bee committed against all the men in the world were put into a ballance they would not weigh so much
and according to the opinion of some Doctours there is neither power nor profit in them Of the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. THe eating of the Sacramentall Bread is the eating of the Body of Christ in a figure Christ himselfe hauing said As oft as yee shall doe this doe it in remembrance of mee for if this were not to eate in a figure Christ should be bound to bee eaten continually for this spirituall eating is almost alwayes necessary as Saint Augustine speaketh Hee eateth Christ in truth that beleeueth in him And Christ saith that the eating is to dwell in him In the celebration of this Sacrament these things are profitable Prayer Loue the Preaching of the Word in the vulgar tongue and other things whatsoeuer they bee that are ordained to this purpose according to the Euangelicall Law to the end that loue and charity may grow and increase amongst the people But other things besides the consecration of the Eucharist as those that the Priests vse in the Masse or that the Clerke sings to the Queere from the beginning to the end and the ornaments which the Priests vse at this present in the Church of Rome they belong of necessity to the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. Of Marriage and Orders PRayer and fasting are profitable when there is any question of the celebration of Matrimony and the instructions and aduertisements touching the same But the imposition of hands and those Ligatures made with the Stole and other things that are commonly obserued therein by humane custome without the expresse Word of God are not of the substance nor necessarily required in marriage As for Orders we are to vnderstand by them that power which is giuen of God vnto man duely to administer to the Church the Word and Sacraments But we haue nothing in the Scriptures that makes good any such Orders but onely the custome of the Church And the letters testimoniall the anoynting of the hands the donation of the seniture and violl into his hands and other things commonly obserued heerein without the expresse Word are not of the substance thereof nor necessarily required in the taking of Orders Of the Crysome or Confirmation VVEe are now to speake of the Crysome which at this present is called a Sacrament hauing no ground for it in the Scriptures First that it should be consecrated by a Bishop and made with Oyle of Oliues and Balsome applyed to the forehead of the man baptized in the figure of the Crosse and with these words I signe thee with the signe of the Crosse and confirme thee by the signe of saluation In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which is done with imposition of hands and with white vestments bound to the head This is that which they call the Sacrament of Confirmation which was neuer ordained by Christ or his Apostles For Christ the patterne and president of the whole Church was not confirmed in his owne person neither did he require at his Baptisme a Crysome but the water onely And therefore this Sacrament cannot be necessary to saluation whereby a man blasphemeth the Name of God and is brought in by the motion of the deuill to the end the people might bee deceiued and depriued of the faith of the Church and that he might the rather put his trust and confidence in these solemnities Of extreame Vnction THe seuenth Sacrament of the Romish Church is the extreame Vnction of the sicke which they goe about to prooue by that saying of Saint Iames. But we finde not that it hath beene ordained by Christ or his Apostles For if this corporall Vnction were a Sacrament as they would haue men beleeue Christ or his Apostles would not haue beene silent in the manifestation of the execution thereof which being well considered we should not dare to hold and confesse as an Article of our faith that this Sacrament was instituted by Christ and his Apostles Of Fasts THere is a two-fold Fast Spirituall and Corporall The Spirituall is to abstaine from sinne The Corporall from meates and drinkes But a Christian hath liberty to eate at all times and to fast euery day prouided that he fast not superstitiously as a vertue of continency Note also that there are certaine Fasts which are not to bee obserued or commended by the faithfull but rather to bee abhorred as the Fasts of the Scribes and Pharises which are ordained by Antichrift and smell of Idolatry The Fasts of Heretikes and superstitious persons which are obserued by Enchanters Sorcerers Negromancers and the Fasts dedicated to creatures not to the Creator which are not grounded vpon the Law of God Disorderly Fafts obserued with delicate viands of highest price as fish figges raysons almonds which the poore are depriued of and the rich glut themselues with whereby the almes is withdrawne from the poore whereas if they did fast so as afterwards to feed vpon common diet of lower price they might the better prouide for their families and the poore Moreouer Fasts consist not in the abstayning from corporall viands as if they were vncleane for all things are cleane to those that are cleane and we are to refuse nothing that is taken with thankesgiuing for that is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer 1. Tim. 4.4 All these Fasts aboue-mentioned are reiected and detested by the faithfull and for the not-obseruation of these no man is to bee blamed FINIS A COLLECTION OR NARATIVE Sent to his Highness the LORD PROTECTOR of the COMMON-WEALTH of ENGLAND SCOTLAND IRELAND c. CONCERNING The Bloody and Barbarous Massacres Murthers and other Cruelties committed on many thousands of Reformed or Protestants dwelling in the Vallies of Piedmont by the Duke of Savoy's Forces joyned therein with the French Army and severall Jrish Regiments Published by Command of his Highness Printed for H. Robinson at the three Pigeons in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1655. To his Highness the Lord Protector of ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND and the Dominions thereto belonging May it please your Highness YOUR Highness having thought it convenient that I should put in print the writings I have received concerning the horrible massacre committed upon the poor Protestants of Piedmont I humbly dedicate them to your Highness as to whom they do of right belong not onely because they were sent me to present to your Highness or that your Highness hath received them from other hands but chiefly for that every one knowing the Piety of your Highness and the fervent Charity you have testifi'd to the poor Protestants the strait Communion you hold with them and the care you have of their preservation it seems as if your Highness were particularly interess'd herein And so much the more because this cruell action was chiefely executed by the Irish as in revenge to those who have driven them out of their own Country for the cruell Massacres they there committed So that every one believes your Highness will expresse a
being put altogether as the least offence committed against God but the pride of man will not suffer men to thinke heereof neither to pardon their neighbours nor to receiue their pardon from God But a good Christian suffereth and gently pardoneth beseeching God that hee may not make requitall according to the euill his debtors or such as haue offended him haue deserued and that he will giue them grace to know their fault and withall true repentance to the end they may not bee damned and the wrongs done vnto him he accounteth as dreames in such manner that hee thinkes not of repaying them according to their merits nor desires to reuenge himselfe but to doe them seruice and to conuerse with them as before yea and with greater loue then if they were brethren And therefore hee that out of the crueltie of his heart will by no meanes forgiue his enemy or debtour cannot hope for pardon at Gods hand but rather eternall damnation For the Spirit of God hath spoken it and it is true Hee shall haue Iudgement without mercy that is not mercifull to others The affection and the will that thou hast towards thy debtour is the same which God hath in his place and ranke and thou canst hope for no other Non nos amenar en tentation c. And leade vs not into temptation c. VVEe are not to pray vnto God not to suffer vs to bee tempted For the Apostle Saint Paul saith None shall be crowned but he that sighteth against the world the flesh and the deuill And Saint Iames saith that he is blessed that endureth temptation For when hee hath past his tryall hee shall receiue a crowne of life For no man can resist the power of the deuill without the grace of God Wee must therefore pray with all humilitie and deuotion and continuall requests vnto our heauenly Father that wee fall not into temptations but so as that combating with them wee may get the victory and the Crowne by and through his grace which hee hath prepared to giue vnto vs. We are not to beleeue that he doth sooner heare or more willingly the Diuell then the Christian and according to that which the Apostle Saint Paul saith God is faithfull who suffereth vs not to bee tempted aboue our power Mas desliora nos del mal c. But deliuer vs from euill c. THat is to say Deliuer vs from a wicked will to sinne from the temporall and eternall paines of the deuill that wee may bee deliuered from his infinite toyles and trumperies AMEN This last word noteth vnto vs the feruent desire of him that prayeth that that thing may bee granted vnto him that hee asketh And this word Amen is as much as if he should say So bee it and it may bee put after all our Petitions VVhat the Waldenses and Albingenses haue beleeued and taught touching the Sacraments CHAP. VI. Sacrament second lo dire de Sanct Augustin c. A Sacrament according to the saying of Saint Augustine in his Booke of the Citie of God is an inuisible grace represented by a visible thing Or a Sacrament is a signe of a holy thing There is great difference betwixt the bare Sacrament and the cause of the Sacrament euen as much as betweene signe and the thing signified For the cause of the Sacrament is the Diuine grace and the merit of Iesus Christ crucified who is the raysing of those that were fallen This cause of the Sacrament is Powerfully Essentially and by authority in God and in Iesus Christ Meritoriously For by the cruell Passion and effusion of his Bloud he hath obtained grace and righteousnesse vnto all the faithfull But the thing it selfe of the Sacrament is in the soule of the faithfull by participation as Saint Paul speaketh Wee haue beene made partakers of Christ It is in the Word of the Gospell by annunciation or manifestation In the Sacraments Sacramentally For the Lord Iesus hath lent or giuen these helpes of the outward Sacraments to the end the Ministers instructing in the faith should so accommodate themselues to humane weakenesse as that they might the better edifie the people by the Word of the Gospell There are two Sacraments The one of water the other of nourishment that is to say of Bread and Wine The first is called Baptisme that is to say in our language the washing with water either of the riuer or the fountaine and it must be administred In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost to the end that first by the meanes of the grace of God the Father beholding his Sonne and by the participation of Iesus Christ who hath bought vs and by the renewing of the holy Ghost which imprinteth a liuely faith in our hearts the sinnes of those that are Baptized are pardoned and they receiued into grace and afterwards hauing perseuered therein are saued in Iesus Christ The Baptisme wherewith wee are Baptized is the same wherewith it pleased our Sauiour himselfe to bee Baptized to accomplish all righteousnesse as it was his will to be Circumcised and wherewith hee commanded his Apostles to be Baptized The things that are not necessary in Baptisme are the Exorcismes the breathings the signes of the Crosse vpon the Infant either the brest or the forehead the falt put into the mouth the spittle into the eares and nostâ—ills the vnction of the brest the Monkes Cowle the anoynting of the Chresme vpon the head and diuers the like things consecrated by the Bishop as also the putting of the Taper in his hands clothing it with a white vestment the blessing of the water the dipping of it thrice in the water All these things vsed in the administration of the Sacrament are not necessary they neither being of the substance nor requisite in the Sacrament of Baptisme from which things many take occasion of errour and superstition rather then edification to saluation Now this Baptisme is visible and materiall which maketh the partie neither good nor euill as it appeareth in the Scripture by Simon Magus and Saint Paul And whereas Baptisme is administred in a full congregation of the faithfull it is to the end that he that is receiued into the Church should be reputed and held of all for a Christian brother and that all the Congregation might pray for him that hee may be a Christian in heart as he is outwardly esteemed to bee a Christian And for this cause it is that we present our children in Baptisme which they ought to doe to whom the children are neerest as their parents and they to whom God hath giuen this Charitie Of the Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ AS Baptisme which is taken visibly is as an Enrolement into the number of faithfull Christians which carrieth in it selfe protestation and promise to follow Christ Iesus and to keepe his holy Ordinances and to liue according to his holy Gospell So the holy Supper and Communion of our blessed Sauiour the