abridged in this Translation of it THE HISTORIE FOLLOWING IS RELATED OVT OF THE EPISTLE OF THAT FAMOVS DOCTOR MATHEVV GRIBALDVS Professour of the Lawes in the Vniuersitie of Padua who himselfe was a Spectator of this lamentable accident 1548. THere is in the Territories of Venice neere vnto Padua a place called Citadella wherein dwelt a Lawyer of good Iudgement and great experience named Francis Spiera about fifty yeares of age married vnto a vertuous wife by whom he had eleuen children a man famous for his wealth and dignity This man began to embrace the Doctrine of the reformed Church with incredible zeale acknowledging Iesus Christ to be the onely Redeemer of mankinde and professed publikely with great constancie that righteousnesse and Saluation was purchased by him alone and that all mans workes and Merites were in that respect vaine and vnprofitable For which cause he was accused to the Popes Legate at Venice by whom he was cited to make his appearance before him and menaced with death and the confiscation of his substance which was great wherewith he was so terrified that he renounced that truth which he had professed and abiured it also promising moreouer that hee would make publike Recantation thereof assoone as hee returned home and so was dismissed by the Legate In his iourney homeward hee was ouerwhelmed with a grieuous perturbation of minde whither he should embrace the Truth againe or persist in his deniall yea he often confessed that in his iourney he felt the Holy Ghost vrge him to professe the truth constantly But the flesh riches and vaine pompe of this world ouerswayed him The day before he was to make his Recantation a Popish Priest brought the forme thereof vnto him wherein hee should publickly in the open audience of the people renounce and condemne the Doctrine of the Protestants That whole night this wretched man spent without sleepe The morning following being Sunday after Masse in the presence of his friends of the Magistrates of the Towne and in the assembly of the people who were in number about 2000. He publikely renounced that truth which he had before openly taught and was fined 30. Duckets which hee presently payed downe But suddainly after hee felt the dreadfull Iudgement of God in his heart hee was depriued of all the Guifts of the Holy Ghost Christ departed from him His heart was enflamed with meere hatred enuie and Blasphemy against God The Diuell Death and eternall despaire seased on him After hee had beene thus tormented by the space of sixe Moneths he remoued with his Wife and Children to Padua where his misery encreased He kept his bed being not sicke his reason and vnderstanding alike as before his fall he consumed in his whole body and all his Members beside his tongue languished He would admit no foode but what was enforced he kindly admitted all those who came to visite him and conferred very prudently with them he affirmed that he was damned by the iust iudgement of God That hee was already in Hell and was tormented with perpetuall paines that hee had sinned against the Holy Ghost that his sinne could neuer be forgiuen hee said that Christ his Merits and Gods mercy was for euer shut vp from him and that this dreadfull end was brought vpon him by the iust iudgement of GOD to bee an Example to all the Elect. At length diuers learned and graue Diuines repaired vnto him propounding all meanes of Consolation especially the greatnesse of Gods Mercy And though said he I beleeue all that you haue rehearsed yet but as the Diuels who beleeue and tremble Hee said his Sinne was vnpardonable that God secluded his mercy from him that all faith was taken from him that though he vttered the Lords prayer after them yet his heart was full of hatred malediction and blasphemy against God for he knew how execrable he was with God and that hee had taken away all his graces from him The next day they found his misery augmented and demanding how long his Conscience had beene so tortured he readily answered That gnawing worme and vnquenchable fire was sent by GOD into his heart since that day whereon he recanted the truth of the Gospell which before he professed So that now his condition was farre worse then Cayns or Iudas and that he had rather die and be damned then to be tormented in this life with such anguishes adding farther that he was already haunted with dreadfull apparitions and hellish visions Renewing their Consolations they intreated him to call vpon God in the Lords Prayer which he performed with such aboundance of teares with such sighes and so great deuotion of minde that hee mooued the whole presence to weepe vpon which sight Doctor Gribaldus told him that his teares argued no totall desertion by God He answered that he had not that faith and trust in God which they supposed for such was the gift of God whereof he was destitute Oh said hee that GOD would vouchsafe mee this one gift that I might feele in my heart but the least hope of his mercy which is as vnpossible as to vnlade all the water in the Ocean with a Spoone This I certainly know that neuer mortall creature on the earth felt the wrath of God more manifestly then I doe Oh that I might supply the roome of some other damned creature whatsoeuer So that all their comforts were vaine They enforced Broathes into his mouth to preserue his life his onely desire was to die and to be caried into Hell Three dayes after when among other learned men Antonius Fontanine the Pryest of Citadell who bare him company to Venice when hee went vp to make his appearance before the Popes Legate came to visite him and asked him whether hee knew him presently vpon the remembrance thereof with redoubled sighes and groones he cryed out Oh execrable day oh cursed day I wish I had neuer seene Venice or that I had dyed when I first intended my iourney thither Then they commended the Merites of Christ vnto him He said he neuer truly acknowledged the benefits of Christ but abused them and trusted too much to his carnall faith and turning to the Students he said Oh my Sonnes I will not detract from the Gospell I acknowledge it to be the Truth but take heede yee ascribe not too much vnto faith and neglect works beseeming faithfull Christians Faith requireth this of vs that wee be not Christians in word onely Giue credit vnto me as vnto him who hath truly tried the matter Vpon this he commended the Epistle of St. Peter wherein he admonisheth the faithfull to Plety Chastity and Sanctity vpon which occasion they who were present disputed comfortably out of Gods word and he listned as attentiuely He was demanded whither he receiued any comfort by that godly conference he answered that he was damned to euerlasting death neither was there any hope of Redemption left for him Oh said hee that I could put the least hope and trust in
Martyr whose singuler lenity appeareth in his Impugning the austerity of the Nouatians who would admit none into the Church who was once fallen in persecution though through infirmity writeth thus of the Admission of reuolters after the penitentiall reuersion Satis est talibus reuertentibus veniam dari non tamen debet in domo fidei perfidia permanere Lib. 2. Epist 2. â—d Stâ—ph Let it suffice those Apostates that at their returne they receiue pardon of their offence nor let them expect to inioy their former office of Priesthood in the Church because of their perfidious Excursion For what shall wee reserue for the Good Innocent and those who haue constantly persisted in the Church if we honour those who haue gone out from vs and rebelled against the Church Of Trophinus the Priest who fled but onely to the Nouations who were rather Schismaticks then Heretickes this is his censure After Conference saith hee with other Bishops held Trophimus was receiued but the rather because many Brethren Lib. â— Epist 2. ad Anton. who were gone out from vs returned againe with him yet so was hee admitted Vt Laycus communicet to conuerse in the Church as a Layman Non quasi loâ—um Sacerdotis vsurpet and not to execute the Office of a Priest yet would hee not assent that they should bee so receiued Ante Exomologesim publicam ante peractam publice paenitentiam cum satisfactione ante manum ab Episcopo vniuerso Lib. 3. Epist 1â— clero in paenitentiam lapsis impositam Before publicke confession made before publicke pennance done with satisfaction before the Bishop and Clergy had laide their handes on them to receiue them as penitents Hee most eagerly rebuketh it and most exactly prohibiteth the Eucharist to be administred vnto such or offered vp for them Of such saith Constantinus Bishop of Cyprus in the 1 quest 7. cap. conuâ—nientibus Councell of Melda Si quis sponte ad Haeriticos vadit accipit ordinationem non recipiatur If any one who before was an Orthodoxall Christian goe out vnto Hereticks and receiueth Orders at their hands let him not vpon his penitentiall returne home againe bee receiued into the Church as a Priest Tharasius the Patriarch accordeth in the next place and the holy Synode concludeth Hoc est iustum iudicium this is iust Iudgement Certaine it is that Clergy and Laity were lyable in auncient times to a fourefold punishment viz. Archidiac ex Goff in Sum. de haeret punit To Excommunication to Deposition from Orders or other Dignity Confiscation of their goods and lastly to military Persecution and to bee deliuered ouer to the Secular power No lesse or greater Seuerity was extended against Apostates by the ancient Decrees of Christian Emperors They Cod. lib. 1. tit 10 Si quis lege 3. Hi qui Sanctam confiscated their Goods they were depriued of the ordinary ciuill Priuiledges of Christians they might not succeed in Inheritance or bee made heyres of the Goods or Lands of their Parents they were banished into most remote Territories they were neuer to returne backe nor to recouer their former Priuiledges Nec flagitium horum obliter abitur paenitentia nor shall their foule offence bee put away by their pÄ™nitence or bee smoothed ouer with any cunning shadow of defence for those who haue fallen through infirmity or Error they receiued vpon their repentance but as for those wicked ones Qui fidâ—m quam Deo dedicauerint polluerint qui prodentes Vide glossani ib. diuinum mysterium in prophana migrauerint qui sanctum Baptisma prophanarunt ijs nullo remedio penitentiae que solet alijs criminibus adess sâ—ccurritur For those I say who haue falsified their Faith before dedicated to God who betraying the Sacred mysteries of Christianity haue passed to prophane Heresie who haue prophaned their holy Baptisme they can haue no remedy by repentance as other kinde of offenders receiue They might not make a Will or Testament they might neither sell or bequeath ought but their Goods were bestowed Apostatarum on the next of their kindred that were Christians and that by the Law If any Master should seduce vnto Heresie any bond or Freeman by compulsion or perswasion Cum dispendio fortunarum Eum quicunque capite pumendem esse censâ—mus they censured him Eos qui Cathol to forfeit his Goods and his Life which Law I doe wish were in force among vs now also Clergymen and Moncks who forsooke the Orthodoxall Faith and imbraced the Heresie and abhominable opinions of Apollinaris or Eutiches were lyable to all the forenamed punishments and moreouer were banished out the Roman Territories In these prÄ™cedent Authorities wee hehold the practise of the Church in former Ages against Apostaticall Ministers the effect whereof is as followeth That what Priest soeuer went out from the Church and Ioyned himselfe with Heretickes but after renouncing his Heresie returned with a true penitent Heart which God seldome granteth vnto such kinde of persons yet notwithstanding hee could not bee admitted to the execution of his function in the Church againe The which were they in force in these dayes among vs Rom should haue little cause hereafter to boast of the increase of her trayterous Proselites and the people who are like so many silly Sheepe would be lesse scandalized and more safe from the danger of these bloody Romish rauening Wolues who spare no cost or trauaile to Inuite them to relinquish the charge committed to their fidelity that vpon their departure and in their absence they may enter vpon the slocke to scatter and deuoure it And because barking Dogs are most necessary for their prÄ™seruation Therefore the Wolfe laboureth with all his craft to enter league with the Dog that he may ioyne with him and cause him to reenter vpon them to their vtter destruction Such was the purpose of the Macedonian Prince when hee demaunded tenne of the chiefe Orators of the A henians of which number Demosthenes should bee one on which condition hee promised to raise his siedge It seemed but a small request in respect of the prÄ™seruation of the whole Citty but Demosthenes the Prince of his profession who well foresaw what the euent would proue discouered the damage in this subsequent parable The Wolues said vnto the Shepheards the onely cause of strife betweene you and vs are the Dogs therefore to end the Plutarch quarrell giue vs your Dogs and wee will be friends which being performed the Shepheards afterward being fallen a sleepe the Wolues rusht in securely and deuoured cruelly and in great aboundance And no maruaile seeing the Dog which should haue giuen warning of their approach by barking and haue repelled or destroyed them by byting was at that time absent and out of the way So if the Ministers whom the holy Scriptures in this respect resembleth vnto Dogs depart from the people committed to their charge The aduersary hath free Ingresse left
of the end of Simon Magus quell their presumption Thankes be vnto God the Religious lawes of this land hath so prouided for them let them therefore beware least ayming at the one vnaduisedly they be caught vp by the other deseruedly yea ineuitably for Quod non capit Christus rapit fiscus I aduise them to be content with their entertainment at Rome in the Temple of Dea Cloacina whither being dispelled by our Church tanquam faeces et stercara they haue betaken themselues euen to their vltimum refugium A fit Cage for such vncleane Birdes You expect a Reward for your pride for your pride I say which begat in you Apostacie for had you beene wise vnto Sobriety and thought that of your selues which was meete as your Brethren did you had neuer forsaken vs you know what that Truth whom you haue forsaken saith That His Spirit shall rest Super humilem et quietum et tremeniem Esay 66. Sermones eius Euen vpon him that is poore in Spirit and of a contrite heart and that trembleth at his words So that the Spirit of verity dwelleth in the humble mind but hee forsaketh the Truth of necessity that despiseth humility What wilt thou then say that this seuerity is iniury remember also what thou hast done against Christ and thou shalt finde thy punishment farre more light then thy offence Let St. Cyprian expostulate the matter with thee Quod maius potest esse delictum aut quae macula deformior quam aduerseis Christum stetisse Lib. 2. Epist 1. What greater offence can there be or what fouler crime then to take armes against Christ then to ruinate his Church which hee hath purchased and built with his owne blood then to forget the peace and loue of the Gospel and to make warre with furious hostility against the quiet louing and peacefull people of God In which respect the Canonist said well Non debemus dimittere in vltum opprobrium illius qui probra nostra deleuit We must not leaue his disgrace vnpunished Host Sum. de Haeret. cap. qua poeâ—a feriatur who blotted out our shame Remember what thou hast done against his Church which he so tendereth that hee reputeth that iniurie which is done vnto it as committed against himselfe It is crimen publicum a publike offence against all for that which is committed against the Truth of the Gospell of Cod. Tit. Man chaeos Christ in omnium fertur iniuriam is an offence against all Christ his Members Remember I say what thou hast done against Christ his people who being scandalized by thy departure haue gone out after thee being seduced by thee and being preuented by death haue happily dyed out of the Church without the communication and peace of the same whose Soules shall be required in the day of Indgement at thy hands who hast beene Author and cause of their destruction In consideration of which praemisses I may inferre this conclusion with Augustine in the like case Qua propter Iniquum put are noli si perpetuo reijciaris Initio Statim lib. de vtilit credendi Wherefore do not think thy self vniustly oppressed if thou be reiected for euer from the execution of that sacred function But suppose the Church should open the bosome of her Piety to cherish thee wouldest thou not like the vngratefull Serpent power forth thy poyson into her bowels to her destruction Pardon my Iealoussy in this case for it is not causlesse I may well vsurpe the saying of the great Father in the same case of his time Quotidie cernimus rebus probamus Jeroni in princip cap. 3. in fiue cap. 12. Ierem quod ideo Haeretici fidei simulent veritatem vt simplices quosque decipiant non ipsi conuertantur ad fidem sed fideles trahant adinfidelitatem Wee see dayly and proue it true by experience that HÄ™retickes dissemble their returne to the true Faith but onely that they may deceiue the simple credulous people they come not as true Conuerts themselues but onely to drawe the faithfull to Infidelity And there is no man so silly but will confesse with Bernard That a counterfeit close HÄ™reticke is farre more pestilent then a professed HÄ™reticke Mine owne obseruation in sundry of this sort maketh me bolde to vrge that rule of the Law in this case Semel malus semper praesumitur esse malus hee that hath once played the traytor with Christ and his Church will neuer bee true I haue often grieued to see the clemency of the Church abused by them and now I can containe my felfe in silence no longer but that I must cry out with Cyprian Illud mirandum est imo indignandum potius dolendum Lib. 1. Epist 6. Christianos Antichristis assistere It is a stronge yea a hatefull rather and lamentable case that Christians should assist Antechrist and that those who decline from the Faith and are traytors to the Church should in the Church stand vp against the Church For the prÄ™uention of which mischiefe which might ensue vpon such Diabolicall treachery the rule of St. Basill was in auntient times practised in the Church vpon such persons In Latinis ea est Epist 72. as followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them declare their penitence vnder the handwriting and that they abhorre Hereticks and that they are truely seperated from them The like course also was vsed and continued in succeeding Ages as is apparant in the Decrees collected by Gratian. 1. quest 7. Let Cyprian determine this point Wee Decree saith hee by consent and common Authority that if any Priest or Deacon who before receiued Sacred Lib. 2. Epist 1. Orders in the Catholicke Church and after stand out as Traytors and Rebels against the Church or receiue prophane Ordination among Hereticks from false Bishops and Antechrists contrary to the Order set downe by Christ and there offer vp false and sacrilegious Sacrifices If they returne home againe let them bee receiued on this Condition Vt communicent Laici to liue in the Church as Laymen and let them thinke themselues louingly dealt withall that they are admitted to the peace of the Church who before were enemyes of Peace nor ought they at their returne retaine those ensignes of Priesthood and honour among vs with which they haue rebelled against vs. But if the Religion and Doctrine of the Romanists be Blasphemy the Sinne of those who embrace the same seemeth to bee little lesse then hauing before professed the Truth and beene secured thereof is Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost nor can they excuse it by saying they beleeue in the Creed and professe Christ their case you shall see resembled in an authenticall History Mauia Queene of the Sarazens inuaded and destroyed certaine Townes of Palestine and Arabia in the Territories Secrat lib. 4. Eccl. hist cap. 29. of the Roman Empire nor would condiscend to Peace vnlesse that Moses a Sarazen who led a