it is that they haue found fault that the Magistrates should deliuer them to death without any other knowledge of the cause then the simple report of Priests and Monkes who were parties and iudges insomuch that hauing discouered the abuse which they brought into the Church they condemned them for heretickes and deliuered them to the secular power so they call their Magistrates Now this seemed vnto them a cruell simplicitie in the said Magistrates to giue faith to persons passionate and not indifferent such as the aforesaid Priests were and to put to death so many poore innocent people neuer hearing them or examining the cause The tenth calumnie was to make them odious to Kings and Princes that is to say that a lay man in the state of grace had greater authoritie then a Prince liuing in his sinnes Against this imposture they affirme In the booke of the causes of their separation frō the Church of Rome p. 41. that euery one must be subiect to those that are in authoritie obey them loue them be at peace with them honour them with double honour in subiection and obedience and readinesse paying vnto them that which is their due The eleuenth calumnie was grounded vpon that assertion of the Waldenses that the Pope had no authoritie ouer the Kings and Princes of the earth who depend immediatly vpon God alone For from thence they take occasion to call them Manichees as appointing two Princes Against this imputation they say In the booke of the treasure of faith art 2. We beleeue that the holy Trinitie hath created all things visible and inuisible and that he is Lord of things celestiall terrestiall and infernall as it is said in S. Iohn All things are made by him and without him nothing is made The beginning of this calumnie was taken out of the Extrauagantes of Pope Boniface 8. who subiecting the authoritie of Emperours vnto his saith of his owne Quicunque huic potestati resistit Dei ordinationi resistit nisi duo sicut Manichaeus fingat esse principia De Maiorit obedientia Can. Vnam sanctam l. 1. tom 8. The twelfth calumnie imports thus much that they held that whatsoeuer is done with a good intention is good and that euery one shall be saued in whatsoeuer is done with the said good intention To this imposture we need no other answer then that which the Monke Raynerius who was alwaies their back-friend saith elsewhere Rain lib. de forma haeretic art 38. that is that they maintaine that euery man is saued by his faith which he cals a Sect. It is very necessary that a lyer should haue a better memorie then to affirme things contradictorie And to shew that they made no profession of any such beleefe that may suffice that they haue said against Antichrist That he hath brought these errors into the Church vnder a colour of good intention and a shew of faith The thirteenth calumnie was that they maintaine that a man may kill or detaine from the Priests their tithes without scruple of conscience It is certaine that if the Waldenses had power to employ their tithes to some other vse then to the nourishment of those whom they find to be dumbe dogs drowsie watchmen It appeareth by the processe against the Waldenses of Dauphiné by Albert de Capitaneis other Monkes Inquisitors slow bellies seducing and being seduced they had done it but there was neuer any as yet that hath occasioned the least troubles that may be in that regard It well appeareth that in whatsoeuer depended on their owne wils they haue neuer offered more or lesse vnto those people taking no thought for their Masses and Trentals after their death the which the Priests complaine of and from thence take occasion to accuse them for heretickes And as touching reuenge heare what they say The Lord knowing that we shall be deliuered saith In the booke of the Waldenses intituled of Tribulations p. 274 Beware of men but he doth not teach or counsell any of his chosen to kill any but rather to loue their enemies When his disciples said vnto him in the ninth of S. Luke Wilt thou that we command that fire come downe from heauen and consume them Christ answered and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Againe the Lord saith vnto Peter Put vp thy sword into thy sheath c. For temporall aduersities are to be contemned and patiently to be endured for there happeneth nothing therein that is new We are here the Lords floore to be beaten as the come when it is separated from the chaffe The last calumnie of the Waldenses which we haue gathered out of the writings of their aduersaries is that which Claud. Rubis layes vpon them as a foule aspersion Claud. Rubis in his historie of Lions p. 269. in his Historie of the Citie of Lions That being retired vnto the Alpes at their departure from Lions they became like the rest of the people of that countrey beesome riders And he is not content to tie himselfe to the Vaudois onely but he addeth These are things that ordinarily follow one another Heresie and Sorcerie as it is verified saith he in our times in those Cities and Prouinces that haue giuen entertainment vnto heresie We will first iustifie the Waldenses and then answer Rubis in the behalfe of those Cities and Prouinces which he hath inclosed within this calumnie All they offend against the first Commandemēt say the Vandois in the exposition of the first Commandemēt that beleeue that the Planets can enforce the will of man These kind of men as much as in them lies accompt the Planets as gods for they attribute vnto the creature that which belongs vnto the Creator Against which the Prophet Ieremie 10. speaketh Learne not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signes of heauen for the heathen are dismayed at them And S. Paul in the fourth to the Galathians Ye obserue moneths and dayes and times and yeares but I am afraid of you lest I haue bestowed vpon you labour in vaine All they offend against this commandement that beleeue Sorcerers and Soothsayers for these men beleeue the diuels are gods The reason is because they aske of diuels that which God alone can giue that is to manifest things hidden and to foreshew the truth of things to come which is forbidden of God Leuit. 19.31 Regard not them that haue familiar spirits neither seeke after wizards to be defiled with them And in the 20.6 The soule that turneth after such as haue familiar spirits and after wizards to go a whoring after them I will set my face against that soule and will cut him off from amongst his people And in the last verse of that Chapter A man or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard shall surely be put to death they shall stone them with stones their bloud shall be vpon them As touching the punishment of
Chaignards And because some part of them passed the Alpes Tramontaines they were called Tramontaines And from one of the disciples of Valdo called Ioseph who preached in Dauphiney in the diocesse of Dye Iosephists they were called Iosephists In England they were called Lollards Lollards of the name of one Lollard who taught there Of two priests who taught the doctrine of Valdo in Languedoc called Henry and Esperon they were called Henriciens Henriciens Esperonistes and Esperonistes Of one of their pastors who preached in Albegeois named Arnold Hot Arnoldistes Siccars they were called Arnoldists In Prouence they were called Siccars a word of Pedlers french which signifieth Cutpurse Fraticelli In Italie they were called Fraticelli as much to say as Shifters because they liued in true loue and concord together Insabathas And because they obserued no other day of rest but the Sabbath dayes they called them Insabathas as much to say as they obserued no Sabbath And because they were alwayes exposed to continuall sufferings Patareniens or Paturins from the Latin word Pati which signifieth to suffer they called them Patareniens And forasmuch as like poore passengers they wandred from one place to another Passagenes they were called Passagenes Gazares In Germany they were called Gazares as much to say as execrable and egregiously wicked Turlupins In Flanders they were called Turlupins that is to say dwellers with wolues because by reason of their persecutions they were constrained many times to dwell in woods and desarts Toulousains Lombards Piccards Lionistes Bohemiens Sometimes they were called by the names of those countries and regions where they dwelt as of Albi Albigeois of Toulouze Toulousains of Lombardie Lombards of Piccardie Piccards of Lion Lionists of Bohemia Bohemiens Sometimes to make them more odious they made them cōfederates with ancient heretickes but yet vnder more then ridiculous pretexes For because they made profession of puritie in their liues and of faith they called them Cathares Cathares And because they denied the bread which the priest shewed in the Masse to be God they called them Arriens Arriens as denying the diuinitie of the eternall Sonne of God And because they maintained that the authoritie of Emperours and Kings depends not vpon the authoritie of the Pope Manicheens Gnostiques Cataphrigiens Adamites Apostoliques they called them Manicheens as appointing two Princes And for other causes which they fained they called them Gnostiques Cataphrigiens Adamites and Apostoliques Sometimes they spitefully abused them Ribalds Buggerers Sorcerers Matthew Paris cals them Ribalds The compiler of the Treasure of histories calles thrm Buggerers Rubis saith that when a man speakes of a sorcerer he cals him Vadois And that which is more he takes vpon him to proue that they are so To which temeritie it shall be necessarie to answer in his due place where they shall be cleared from all those impostures which their enemies haue layed vpon them out of those bookes from which we haue gathered that which followeth First they impose vpon them This imposture is found in the booke of Albertus de Capitaneis of the originall of the Vadois pa. 2. In the booke of Ramerius de forma hoereticandi hoereticos fol 36. Item in the accusation of the Priests of Bohemia which they make to the king Ladislaus against the Vadois Rai ibid. fol. 37. that ancient calumnie wherewith the painims defamed the Christians of the Primatiue Church that is that they assembled themselues in the night time in corners and lurking holes and that the Pastour cōmanded the lights should be put out saying Qui potest capere capiat that is catch who catch can whereupon euery man endeuoreth to fasten vpon whom he can without any respect of bloud or parentage and that the lights being put out they committed abhominable incests many times the child with his mother the brother with his sister and the father with his owne daughter adding moreouer that they were to vnderstand that the children begotten by such copulations were most fit to be Pastours Secondly they haue charged them that they maintaine that a man may put away his wife when he will and the wife her husband to follow that sect Claud. Rubis in his historie of Lion pa. 269. The third calumnie that they charge them withall is that they haue communitie of all things amongst them euen of their wiues and all S. Bernard in his Homily 66. vpon the Canticles Albert ibid. The fourth is that they reiect the baptisme of little infants The fifth that they adore their Pastors prostrating themselues before them Albert ibid. The sixth that they maintaine that it is not lawfull to sweare for any cause whatsoeuer Rain fol. 36. The seuenth that they maintaine that the Pope doth sinne mortally when he makes warre against the Turke and that they likewise sinne mortally that do obey him when by them he makes warre against heretickes Rain ibid. fol. 22. article 32. The eight calumnie is that they vse no reuerence towards holy places and that he sins not more grieuously that burneth a Church then he that breakes into any other priuate house Albert ibid. The ninth that they maintaine that the Magistrate ought not to condemne any to death and that they that do it sinne mortally and that they maintaine this error to the end they may escape the hands of the Iudge and go vnpunished Idem ibid. The tenth that the lay-man being in the state of grace hath more authoritie then the Prince that liues in his sinne Rain in Summa fol. 12. The eleuenth that with the Manicheens they ordaine two Princes that is one good God the creator of good and one bad that is the diuell the creator of euill Idem lib. de forma haeret fol. 21. The twelfth that whatsoeuer is done with a good intention is good and that euery one shall be saued in that which he doth in that said good intention Albert. de origine Vaud fol. 4. The thirteenth that it is a meritorious worke to persecute the Priests of the Church of Rome the Prelates and their subiects And that a man may without sinne hurt them in their persons or goods and withhold their tenthes from them without scruple of conscience The last is taken out of the booke of Rubis Claud. Rubis in his historie of Lion booke 3. pa. 269. where he saith that Valdo and his Pastors retired themselues into Dauphiney in the vale Pute and the valley Angrongne where they found certaine people rather like sauage beasts then men suffering themselues to be mocked and abused and where they became saith he one like another and such as rid post vpon a besom Adding therewithall to bring within the compasse of his calumnies the Townes Cities States where the Gospell is receiued in our times And to say the truth saith he these are two
things that commonly follow the one the other heresie and sorcerie as it is verified in our times in those Cities and Prouinces which haue giuen entertainment vnto heresie CHAP. IIII. How the Waldenses are iustified and cleared from the calumnies contained in the former Chapter by those writings which they haue left THe Waldenses of Bohemia whether they were the remainder of that people that followed Valdo as some are of opinion that he ended his dayes in Bohemia after he had retired himselfe out of Germany and escaped the hands of the Bishops of Mayence and Strasburge or whether they were such persons as afterwards professed the same faith which the Waldenses did it is without all doubt that they were grieuously persecuted by king Ladislaus king of Hungary and Bohemia and we haue in our owne hands an Apologie of the said Waldenses which they sent vnto the king whom they called Lancelau to iustifie themselues against sundry complaints which were made against them by their aduersaries as also we haue a booke with this inscription Aiço es la causa del nostre despartiment de la Gleisa Romana That is to say Behold the cause of our separation from the Church of Rome And forasmuch as the answer to the first calumnie that is that they assembled themselues in darke corners where the candles being put out their aduersaries do affirme they committed villanons incests we haue copied out the answer of the said Apologie in their owne tearmes and language for the more certaintie and better edification This Apologie the author Iean Paul Perrin set downe in two columnes the one French the other in the language of the Waldenses which for breuity sake we set downe onely in English referring those vnto the French booke that desire to see the originall In the letter to king Ladislaus pa. 2. AMong other things say they they publish like angrie barking curres that it is a law and common amongst vs to say Yeeld thy selfe to whomsoeuer shal request thee and that we take our pleasures in darke caues and corners with whomsoeuer shall present themselues vnto vs whether they be our mothers or daughters or wiues or sisters How true this is it may appeare in that God hauing kept and preserued vs for aboue these forty yeares past it hath bene neuer knowne that there hath bene any whoredome amongst vs that hath escaped vnpunished or any such villanie committed In such sort that our liues and carriages condemne those that accuse vs. And for as much as the Waldenses speake this of themselues and to their owne praise and therefore this their iustification may seeme but weake looke a little into that which they haue written elsewhere against whordome which may suffice to shew that they were very far from this diabolicall affection to debase themselues by incests The sinne of luxury is very pleasing to the diuell Their booke of the remedie against the sinne of luxury Chap 21. displeasing vnto God and iniurious against our neighbours because therein a man obeyeth the basest part of his bodie rather then God who hath preserued it A foolish woman doth not onely take from a man his good but himselfe too He that is giuen to this vice keepes faith to no man and therefore Dauid caused his faithfull seruant to be slaine that he might enioy his wife Amon defiled his sister Tamar This vice cōsumes the heritage of many as it is said of the prodigall child that he wasted his goods liuing luxuriously Balaam made choise of this sinne to prouoke the children of Israel to sinne by occasion whereof there died twenty foure thousand persons This sinne was the cause of the blindnesse of Sampson it peruerted Salomon and many haue perished by the beautie of a woman Prayer and fasting and distance of place are the remedies against this sinne For a man may ouercome other vices by combating with them but in this a man is neuer victorious but by flying from it and not approching neare vnto it whereof we haue an example in Ioseph It is therefore our duties to pray daily to the Lord that he will keepe vs farre from the sinne of luxury and giue vs vnderstanding and chastitie See their book of Vertues in the Chapter of marriage Against the second imposture that they maintaine that a man may put away his wife when it pleaseth him they say that marriage is a knot that cannot be vntyed but by death except it be for fornication as our Sauiour Christ saith And Saint Paul 1. Corinth 7. saith That the wife is not to depart from her husband nor the husband from his wife See the booke of the Waldenses intituled of vertues in the Chapter of mariage To the third calumnie touching the communitie of goods and wiues they say concerning marriage that it was ordained by God long since in the terrestriall Paradise and that it is a good remedie against whoredome And that Saint Paul speaking thereof saith Let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband As also that the husband ought to loue his wife as Christ loued his Church and that the married couple ought to liue together in holinesse with their children bringing them vp in the feare of God As touching goods euery man hath possessed his owne proper substance at all times and in all places In Dauphiney It appeareth by the proces that we haue in our hands by which it appeares that Lewes the 12. of that name condemned the vsurpers of the goods of the Waldenses to a restitution It appeares by the treatises of Meneobe and other instances made by the Waldenses of Prouence when the Archbishops of Ambrun Iohn and Rostain had spoiled them of their goods when the Lord of Argentiere and Montainar and Arreas of Bonne had dispossessed the Waldenses that dwelt in the valley of Fraissimere and of Argentiere of their goods and possessions the restitution of euery mans inheritance was prosecuted by the particular persons from whom they had taken them The Waldenses of Prouence do demand at this present of the Pope the goods and lands which haue bene annexed to their demaine and taken from them by confiscation euery particular person making faith for euery part and parcell of goods and lands which had descended vpon them from their ancestors the Waldenses time out of mind they neuer hauing had any such communitie amongst them that might any way derogate from that lawfull proprietie which euery one had to his owne lands The fourth calumnie was touching Baptisme which In the booke of the Waldenses intituled the Spiritual Almanacke fol. 45. it is said they denied to little infants but from this imputation they quit themselues as followeth The time and place of those that are to be baptized is not ordained but the charitie and edification of the Church and congregation must serue for a rule therein c. And therefore they to whom the children were nearest allied brought their infants to be
to cease from all earthly and worldly labours The second not to sinne The third not to be idle in regard of good workes The fourth to doe those things that are for the good and benefit of the soule Of the first it is said In sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe but the seuenth is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke and in Exodus it is said Keepe my Sabbath for it is holy he that polluteth it shall die the death and in the Booke of Numbers we reade that one of the children of Israel being seene to gather stickes vpon the Sabbath day hee was brought vnto Moses who not knowing what course to take therein the Lord said vnto Moses This man shall die the death all the people shall stone him with stones and he shall die God would that his Sabbath should be kept with such reuerence that the children of Israel durst not to gather Manna therein when it was giuen them from heauen The second thing which we are to obserue is to preserue our selues from sinne as it is said in Exodus Remember to sanctifie the day of rest that is to obserue it by keeping thy selfe carefully from sinne And therefore saith Saint Augustine It is better to labour and to dig the earth vpon the Lords day then to bee drunke or to commit any other sinnes for sinne is a seruile worke by which a man serues the deuill Againe he saith that it is better to labour with profit then to range and roame abroad idly For the day of the Lord was not ordained to the end that a man should cease from worldly good workes and giue himselfe vnto sinne but to the end he should addict himselfe to spirituall labours which are better then the worldly and that hee repent himselfe of those sinnes he hath committed the whole Sabbath throughout for idlenesse is the Schoole-master of all euill Seneca saith It is a sepulchre of a liuing man The fourth thing is to doe that which may be good and profitable to the soule as to think on God deuoutly to pray vnto him dilligently to heare his Word and Commandements to giue thankes vnto God for all his benefits to instruct the ignorant to correct the erroneous and to preserue our selues from all sinne to the end that saying of Esay might bee accomplished Repent you of your sinnes and learne to doe good for rest is not good if it bee not accompanied with good workes An Exposition of the 5. Commandement These Commandements tell vs how we are to carry our selues towards our neighbours Non sentend tant solament de la reuerentia de fora c. Honour thy father and thy mother c. WEe are not to vnderstand these words as if the question were onely touching outward reuerence but also concerning matter of complement and things necessary for them and therefore wee are to doe that which is enioyned in this Commandement for that honour which is due vnto fathers and mothers for we receiue from them three excellent gifts that is to say our Being our Nourishment and our Instruction which we are neuer able fully to recompence The Wiseman saith Honour thy father and forget not the sorrowes of thy mother Remember that by them thou hast had thy being render then a recompence answerable to the price they haue giuen thee and therefore hauing regard to that naturall being which we haue receiued from our father and mother we are to serue them in all humility and reuerence after a threefold mannet First with all the power of our bodies wee are to support their bodies and to yeeld them the seruice of our hands As the wise man speaketh He that feares God will honour his Father and his Mother and will serue them as his Lords that haue begotten him Againe wee must serue our Fathers and Mothers with all our power neuer debating or questioning with them with hard and bitter speeches but wee must answer them humbly and hearken louingly to their reprehensions Prouerbs 1.8 My sonne heare the instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother He that shall curse his Father and Mother his Lampe shall be put out in the middest of darkenesse We must likewise honor them by administring vnto them things necessary for this life For Fathers and Mothers haue nourished their Children with their owne flesh their proper substance and Children nourish their Parents with that which is without their flesh being impossible they should restore vnto them those benefits they haue receiued of them And touching the instruction wee haue receiued of our Parents wee must obey them in whatsoeuer shall tend to our saluation and to a good end Ephes 6. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Of which obedience Christ hath giuen vs an example as it is in the second Chapter of Saint Luke And he went downe with them and was obedient to his Father and Mother And therefore honour first thy Father that hath created thee then thy Father that hath begotten thee and thy Mother that hath borne thee in her wombe and hath brought thee forth to the end thy dayes may be prolonged vpon the Earth and that perseuering in that which is good thou mayest passe out of this world to an euerlasting inheritance An Exposition vpon the 6. Commandement En aquest Commandament es dessen du specialment l'homicidi c. Thou shalt not kill MVrder is especially forbidden in this Commandement but more generally to hurt our Neighbour in any manner whatsoeuer as with words detractions iniuries or deeds as to strike our Neighbour Of the first sort it is said Mathew 5.22 Whosoeuer is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of iudgement And Saint Iames saith Chapter 1.20 The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God And Saint Paul Ephes 3. Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your anger He that is angry with his brother without cause is worthy of iudgement but not hee that is angry vpon iust occasion For if a man should not be angry sometimes the doctrine were not profitable neither would the iudgement bee discerned nor sinne punished And therefore iust anger is the Mother of discipline and they that in such a case are not angry sinne for that patience that is without reason is the seed of vices it nourisheth negligence it suffereth not onely the bad to swerue but the good too For when the euill is corrected it vanisheth So that it is plaine that anger is sometimes good when it is for the loue of righteousnesse or when a man is angry with his owne sinnes or the sinnes of another man Thus was Christ angry with the Pharises The other sort of anger is wicked which proceedeth from a desire of reuenge which is forbidden Vengeance belongs vnto me saith the Lord and I will reuenge An Exposition vpon the 7. Commandement Loqual
Christ Iesus These are the things wherein the true Preacher of the Word ought faithfully to employ himselfe to conduct the party visited to his Sauiour And when he is departed this life he must giue heart and courage to the suruiuers by godly exhortations to the end they may be comforted to praise God and to conforme themselues to his holy will and whereas in former times it hath beene the manner to cause the poore and desolate widow to spend much siluer hauing lost her Husband vpon singers and ringers and eaters and drinkers whilest shee sits weeping and fasting wronging hereby her fatherlesse Children to the end that losse be not added to losse it is our duty taking pitty on them to aide them with our councell and with our goods according to that ability that God hath bestowed on vs taking care that the Children be well instructed to the end that liuing like Christians according to the will of God they may labour to get their liuing as God hath ordained and commanded CHAP. IX The Conclusion of this Booke BY that which is contained in this Booke and what hath beene faithfully gathered out of the Bookes the Waldenses haue left vnto vs it appeareth that the Doctrine which they maintaine in these dayes that make profession of reformation hath beene maintained by them many ages before they that are enemies thereunto would take notice of it there being nothing in all that is deliuered that doth either repugne the Word of God or is not altogether conformeable to that which is taught in the reformed Churches For the Waldenses and Albingenses haue knowne the necessity of instructing their children by making vse of such familiar Catechismes as haue beene practised in the Primatiue Church They haue confessed their sinnes to one onely God with termes of true humility proofes of great zeale and a holy confidence in the mercy of God by his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus They haue acknowledged the Law of God for the onely rule of their obedience and confessing themselues to bee farre distant from that perfection which ought to bee in vs to appeare vnblameable before the face of God from their imperfection they haue taken occasion to haue recourse to the only righteousnesse of the Sonne of God our Redeemer the Law being as a Looking-glasse to make them know their staines and blemishes and to send them to Christ Iesus the true lauor or washing poole They haue called vpon God in their necessities by and through one onely Iesus Christ our Sauiour They haue receiued the Sacraments with faith and repentance and without alteration They haue entred the state of Matrimony as ordained by God holy and honourable and finally they haue not beene ignorant with what charity they were to comfort and to visite and to exhort their sicke and such as are in any aduersity And what hath there beene in all these that for these they should be condemned to death as Heretikes especially seeing that with the goodnesse and puritie of their Doctrine they haue liued religiously vnder a holy Discipline which the Booke following will make good vnto vs. Luke 21.23 Heauen and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE THIRD PART OF THE HISTORY of the Waldenses and Albingenses contayning the Discipline vnder which they liued CHAPTER I. De la Disciplina La Disciplina conten en si tota doctrina Moral segond l'enseignament de Christ c. Of Discipline DIscipline containeth in it all Morall Doctrine according to the Institution of Christ and his Apostles shewing after what manner euery one ought to liue in his vocation by faith and to walke worthily in true holinesse and righteousnes There are many instructions in the Booke of God touching this Discipline shewing not only how euery man ought to liue in his owne particular estate of what age or condition soeuer he be but also what must bee that vnion consent and band of loue in the communication of the faithfull And therefore if any man desire the knowledge of these things let him reade what the Apostle hath said in his Epistles and he shall finde at large and especially in what manner euery one is bound to keepe himselfe in vnity and to walke in such sort that hee be not a scandall and an occasion of falling to his neighbour by wicked words or actions and in what manner he is bound not only to flye what is euill but also the occasions of euill and whensoeuer any man hath failed therein how he may be reformed and come to amendment of life By many such generall instructions the reclaimed people newly brought vnto the Faith must be taught to the end they may walke worthily in the house of the Lord that they make not his house a den of theeues by their wicked conuersation and toleration of euill CHAP. II. De li Pastor Tuit aquilli liquol deuon esser receopu Pastor dentre de nos c. Of Pastors ALL they that are to bee receiued as Pastors amongst vs whilest they are yet with their owne people they are to intreate ours that they would bee pleased to receiue them to the Ministery and to pray vnto God that they may bee made worthy of so great an office but yet know that these Petitioners make this request to shew their humility We set them their taske causing them to learne by heart all the Chapters of Saint Mathew and Saint Iohn and all the Epistles that are Canonicall a good part of the writings of Salomon Dauid and the Prophets Afterwards hauing gotten some good testimony of their sufficiency they are receiued with imposition of hands into the Office of Teachers He that is admitted in the last place shall not doe any thing without the leaue and allowance of him that was admitted before him As also hee that is first shall doe nothing without the leaue of his companion to the end that all things with vs might be done in order Diet and apparell is giuen vnto vs freely and by way of almes and that with good sufficiency by those good people whom we teach Amongst other powers and abilities which God hath giuen to his seruants hee hath giuen authority to chuse Leaders to rule the people and to ordaine Elders in their charges according to the diuersity of the worke in the vnity of Christ which is proued by the saying of the Apostle in the first Chapter of the Epistle to Titus For this cause haue I left thee in Creete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in euery City as I haue appointed thee Whensoeuer any of our said Pastors committeth any foule sinne hee is thrust out of our company and forbid to preach CHAP. III. Del ' Enseignament de li filli Li filli liqual naisson a li pairons carnals deuon esser rondu c. Of the Instruction of Children CHildren borne of their carnall Parents must bee made spirituall vnto