nothing and that he must doe as he may The Earle of Beziers returned into the Citie and assembled the people together giuing them to vnderstand that after he had submitted himselfe to the Legat hee mediated for them not being able to obtaine any otherthing at his hands but pardon vpon condition that they that made profession of the beleefe of the Albingenses should come and abiure their Religion and promise to liue according to the Lawes of the Church of Rome The Romish Catholikes intreated them to yeeld to this so great a violence and not to be the cause of their death since the Legat was resolued not to pardon any if they liued not all vnder one and the same Law The Albingenses answered That they would not forsake their Religion for the base price of this fraile life That they knew well that God was able to defend them if it pleased him and that if he would bee glorified by the confession of their saith it should bee a great honour to them to die for righteousnesse sake That they had rather displease the Pope who could destroy their bodies onely than God who could cast both body and soule into Hell fire That they would neuer be ashamed or deny that Religion by which they haue beene taught to know Christ and his righteousnesse or with the danger of an eternall death professe a Religion which doth annihillate the merit of Christ and burieth his righteousnesse and that therefore they would couenant for themselues as they could and promise nothing contrary to the duty of true Christians This being vnderstood the Romish Catholikes sent their Bishop to the Legat humbly to intreat him that he would not include in this chastisement of the Albingenses those that were alwayes obedient to the Church of Rome of whom he that was their Bishop had certaine knowledge being likewise assured that the rest were not altogether past hope of repentance but that they might be wonne by gentle meanes best befitting the Church which tooke no pleasure in the effusion of bloud The Legat herewith grew into extreme choller and passion swearing and protesting with horrible threats that if all they that were in the Citie did not acknowledge their fault and submit themselues to the Church of Rome they should all taste of one cup and without respect of Catholike sex or age they should all be exposed to fire and sword And incontinently he commanded that the Citie should bee summoned to yeeld it selfe to his discretion which they refusing to doe hee caused all his engins of warre to play and commanded an assault and generall escalado to bee made Now it was impossible for those that were within to resist so great a violence in such sort The Treasure of Hist in the taking of Beziers Paul Aemil. pag. 517. that being thus assaulted by aboue a hundred thousand Pelerins in the end saith the Compiler of the Treasure of Histories they within vere vanquished and the enemie being entred slew a great multitude and afterwards set fire to the Citie and burnt it to dust The Citie being taken the Priests Monkes and Clerkes came forth of the great Church of Beziers called St. Nazari with the Banner the Crosses their holy-water bare headed attired with the ornaments of the Church and singing Te Deum laudamus as a signe of ioy that the Towne was taken and purged of the Albingenses The Souldiers who had receiued command from the Legat to kill all ranne in vpon them brake the order of their procession made the heads and armes of the Priests to flie about striuing who should doe best in such a manner that they were all cut in pieces To excuse this crueltie disallowed by some of those that were spectators they haue inserted into the Historie these reports that is to say That the Pelerins were incensed against the inhabitants of Beziers because they had cast ouer the walls of the Citie the booke of the Gospels crying vnto them See there the Law of your God whereupon the Souldiers grew to this resolution to kill all those they should find within the circuit of Beziers that so they might be sure not to spare those that had thus blasphemed But how could the Albingenses doe any such thing so impious against the Gospell of our blessed Sauiour considering that one of the principall causes for which they had forsaken the Church of Rome was because the Gospel of Christ Iesus was as it were buried amongst them the people forbid to reade it And besides one of the great crimes which they laid to the charge of the Earle Remond was because hee carried alwayes about him the New Testament To this they added a miracle and that was that Beziers was taken vpon the day of Marie Magdalen because say they heretikes speake ill of Magdalin in their law The Treasure of hist in the taking of Beziers In the hist of the Monke Pet. of the Valleis Seruey of the Albing ch 18. Thus speakes the compiler of the Treasure Now this imposture is so deuillish that I hardly durst commit it to paper and yet notwithstanding the Monke of the Valleis Seruay sets it downe at large without doubts or scruples though the very thought thereof would make the haire of any man that hath but the least sparke of pietie to stand on end Now the citie being burnt razed and ransacked the Pilgrims who thought they merited Paradise by this sacceige and effusion of bloud were speedily conducted to Carcassonne before the forty daies of fight which they had vowed to the Church of Rome were expired because then they were permitted euery man to depart to his owne home CHAP. V. The Siege of Carcassonne the taking of the towne or Borough of Carcassonne An assault and generall Escalado giuen to the citie A great number of the soldiers of the Crosse slaine The Intercession of the King of Aragon for the Earle of Beziers to no purpose A stratagem for the taking of the Earle of Beziers The flight of the people of Carcassonne by what meanes The taking of Carcassonne THe Earle of Beziers when he saw that he could obtaine nothing of the Legat in fauour of the city of Beziers hauing left this charge to the Bishop to make triall whether he by any meanes could obtaine pardon for those poore inhabitants and in the meane time because he knew very well that hauing taken Beziers he would not suffer the city of Carcassonne to continue in peace because being strong by nature the Legat knew there was no store-house for the warre nor better place of repose for the Soldiers than that was he was counselled to retire himselfe thither and speedily to cause it to be furnished with whatsoeuer was fit to maintaine a long siege He put himselfe therfore into Carcassonne being accompanied with his most faithfull attendants He was followed as it were foot by foot by the Legats armie vnto which there came new Croises or soldiers of the Crosse that
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 guie 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. II. 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 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 fighteth 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
houses for feare to bee accused of Heresie and not to be estemed zealous for the faith of those holy fathers And the better to entertaine men with an apprehension of these things they sometimes made shewes and brauadoes of their prisoners leading them in triumph at their Processions some being enioyned to whip themselues others to goe couered after the manner of St. Benedicts that is to say with certaine red Cassockes with yellow crosses to signifie that they were such as had been conuinced of some errour and that at the first offence they should afterward commit they were already condemned for Heretickes Others appeared in their shirts bare-foote and bare-headed with a with about their neckes a torch in their hands that being thus prepared and furnished they might giue terror to the beholders to see such persons of all estates and sex brought to so miserable a condition being all forbid to enter into the Church but to stay in the porch or to cast an eye vpon the Hoste when it was shewed by the Priest vntill it was otherwise determined by the Fathers the Inquisitors And for the full accomplishment of the contentment of the said Fathers their accused were exiled for a penance into the holy Land or enrolled for some other expedition against the Turkes or other Infidels leuied by the command of the Pope to serue the Church for a certaine time at their owne charge and in the meane time the said holy Fathers tooke possession of the goods of the poore Pilgrims and that which was worst of all at their returne they must not enquire whether the said Monkes had in their absence any priuate familiarity with their wiues for feare lest they should be condemned for back-sliders impenitent and altogether vnworthy of any fauour Now these violences being executed from the yeer a thousand two hundred and six which was about the time that Dominique erected his Inquisition to the yeere one thousand two hundred twenty eight there was so great a hauock made of poore Christians that the Archbishops of Aix Arles and Narbonne being assembled together at Aingou in the said yeere 1228 at the instance of the said Monkes the Inquisitors to confer with them about diuers difficulties in the execution of their charge had compassion of the misery of a great number that were accused and kept in prison by the said Monkes the Inquisitors saying It is come to our knowledge See the Catal. of the Test of the truth pag. 534. that you haue apprehended so great a number of the Waldenses that it is not only not possible to defray the charge of their nourishment but to prouide lyme and stone to build prisons for them we therefore counsell you say they that you defer a little such imprisonments vntill the Pope may bee aduertised of the great numbers that haue been apprehended and that he doe aduise what pleaseth him to bee done if not there is no reason you should take offence for those that are impenitent and incorigible Vous tuissies or that you should doubt of their relaps or that they should escape away or hauing their liberty should infect others because you may condemne such persons without delay There needs no other proofe then this of the aforesaid Prelats to make it appeare that the number of those whom the Inquisition had deliuered vnto death was very great For touching the question moued by the said Inquisitors whether they that haue frequented the company of the Waldenses and haue receiued the Supper of the Lord with them are to be excused because they say they offended out of ignorance not knowing that they were Waldenses The the answer of the said Prelats was that they were not to be excused Because say they who is so great a stranger as not to know that the Waldenses haue been punished and condemned for these many yeers since and who knoweth not that for a long time they haue been pursued and persecuted at the charge and trauell of Catholikes this pursuit being sealed by so many persons condemned to death if it cannot be called into doubt And yet neuertheles the speech of the said Prelats being conferred with that which George Morell in the yeer a thousand fiue hundred and thirty hath written it would be none of the least wonders that God hath wrought that notwithstanding the bloody persecutions after Waldo his time in the yeere a thousand one hundred sixty there were according to the report of Morel George Morel in his memorials pa. 54. aboue eight hundred thousand persons that made profession of the faith of the said Waldenses As touching the subtleties of the said Inquisitors we should not haue had any knowledge thereof but from such as haue escaped from the Inquisition of Spaine but that it was the will of God that their cunning trickes should not bee so closely hid but that wee had examples thereof euen from themselues Behold then the crafty subtleties of the Inquisitors which serued them for a rule in the framing of their proces against the Waldenses It is not expedient to dispute of matter of faith before lay-people No man shall be held for a penitent man if he accuse not those that he knowes to be such as himselfe He that accuseth not those that are like vnto himself shall be cut off from the Church as a rotten member for feare lest the members that are sound should be corrupted by him After that any one hath been deliuered to the secular power great care must bee taken that hee bee not suffered to excuse himselfe or to manifest his inn ocencie before the people because if be he deliuered to death it is a scandall to the lay-people and if hee make an escape there is danger of his loyalty Good heed must bee taken not to promise live vnto him that is condemned to death before the people considering that an Heretike will neuer suffer himselfe to bee burnt if hee may escape by such promises And if he shall promise to repent before the people if he haue not his life granted vnto him there will arise a scandall amongst them and it will be thought that he is wrongfully put to death Note say they that the Inquisitor ought alwaies to presuppose the fact without any condition and is onely to enquire of the circumstances of the fact as thus how often hast thou confessed thy selfe vnto Heretickes In what chamber of the house haue they layen and the like things The Inquisitor may looke into any booke as if he found there written the life of him that is accused and of all that he enquires of It is necessary to threaten death to the accused if he confesse not and to tell him the fact is too manifest that it is fit he should thinke of his soule and renounce his Heresie for he must die and therefore it shall bee good for him to take patiently whatsoeuer shall light vpon him And if he shall answer since I must die I had rather
to Capito and Martin Bucer at Strasbourg and to Berthand Haller at Berne to conferre with them about matters touching their Religion and to haue their aduice and counsell about many points wherein they desired to be better satisfied The Letters which Oecolampadius and Bucer sent vnto them are set downe at length in the first Booke of this History the Sixt Chapter where I endeauoured to make it appeare vnto the world that many great personages amongst them that made profession of reformation haue giuen testimony of their piety and probity which is the reason why we insert them not againe in this discourse onely we will produce those of the Waldenses in their own language and afterwards in English Salut a Monseignor Oecolampadio CAr moti racontant asona a nostras oreillas que aquel que po totas cosas c. The Letter of the Waldenses of Prouence to Mr. Oecolampadius Health to Master Oecolampadius FOrasmuch as diuers haue giuen vs to vnderstand and the report is come vnto our eares that he that is able to doe all things hath replenished you with the blessings of his holy Spirit as it well appeares by the fruites we who liue farre distant from you haue thought good to haue recourse vnto you and with ioyfull hearts we hope and trust that the holy Ghost will illuminate vs by your meanes and will satisfie vs concerning many things whereof we are now in doubt and are hidden from vs because of our ignorance and negligence and as it is to be feared to our great hinderance and the people whom we teach with great insufficiency For that you may know at once how matters stand Wee such as we are weake instructers of this little flocke haue remained for aboue foure hundred yeeres in the middest of sharpe and cruell thornes and yet in the meane time not without the great fauour of Christ as all the faithfull can easily testifie for this people hath many times been deliuered by the fauour and mercy of God being gored and tormented by the said thornes And therefore we come vnto you to be counselled and confirmed in our weaknesse They writ another Letter to the same purpose to Martin Bucer the which for breuities sake we omit wherein they relate that they had addressed themselues for the selfe same cause to their brethren of Newcastle Morat and Berne which shewes how carefull the Waldenses were to seeke out all manner of meanes that their vnderstandings might be enlightned in the mysteries of piety for the saluation of their soules especially seeing that then they sought the meanes to aduance and order their Church in the open view of the world when the fires were kindled throughout all France against those of the same Religion that they were who in those times were called Lutherans The greater therefore that their zeale was the more they stirred vp their enemies against them and plunged themselues into the greater dangers But as all are not victorious by faith but there are alwaies some weake who take counsell of the flesh and perswade themselues without reason that they can crooch and bow themselues in those places where God is offended by idolatry and yet keepe the heart pure and neate vnto God Oecolampadius from thence takes occasion to write that which followeth to be deliuered to those dissemblers which walke not with an vpright foote before God The Letter of Oecolampadius written to the VValdenses of Prouence who thought they could serue God by prostituting their bodies before Popish Idols Written in the yeere 1530. Oecolampadius desires the grace of God the Father by his Sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit to his well-beloued Brethren in Christ who are called VValdenses WEe vnderstand that the feare of persecution hath made you to dissemble in your faith and that you hide it Now we beleeue with the heart to righteousnesse and confesse with the mouth to saluation but they that feare to confesse Christ before the world shall not bee receiued by God the Father For our God is truth without any dissimulation and as he is a iealous God he cannot endure that they that are his should ioyne together vnder the yoake of Antichrist for there is no communiō of Christ with Belial And if you communicate with the infidels in going to their abominable Masses you cannot but perceiue their blasphemies against the death and passion of Christ For when they glory in themselues that by the meanes of such sacrifice they satisfie God for the sinnes of the liuing and the dead what can follow but that Iesus Christ hath not sufficiently satisfied by the sacrifice of his death and passion and consequently that Christ is not Iesus that is a Sauiour and that he died for you in vaine If then we haue communion at this impure table we declare our selues to be one body with the wicked how irkesome so euer it be vnto vs. And when we say Amen to their prayers doe we not deny Christ What death should we not rather chuse What paine and torment should we not rather suffer Nay into what hell ought we not rather to plunge our selues then to witnesse by our presence that we consent vnto the blasphemies of the wicked I know that your weaknesse is great but it is necessary that they that haue learned that they are bought by the blood of Christ should be more couragious and alwaies feare him that can cast both body and soule into hell And what shall it suffice vs to haue a care of this life onely shall that be more precious vnto vs then that of Christ And are we contented to haue tasted the delights of this world onely Crownes are prepared for vs and shall we turne backe againe And who will beleeue that our faith hath been true if it faile and faint in the heat of persecution Let vs therefore pray vnto God to increase our faith For certainly it shall be better for vs to die then to be ouercome by temptations And therefore brethren we exhort you to diue into the bottome of this businesse For if it to be lawfull to hide our faith vnder Antichrist it shall be likewise lawfull to hide it vnder the Empire of the Turke and with Dioclesian to adore Iupiter and Venus nay it had been lawfull for Tobit to adore the calfe in Bethel And what then shall our faith towards God be If we honour not God as we should and if our life be nothing but Hipocricy and dissimulation he will spew vs out of his mouth as being neither hot nor cold And how doe we glorifie our Lord in the middest of our tribulations if we deny him Brethren it is not lawfull for vs to looke backe when our hand is at the plough neither is it lawfull to giue eare to our wiues entising vs to euill that is to say to our flesh which notwithstanding it indure many things in this world yet in the hauen it suffereth shipwracke These godly admonitions preuailed much for the
was time to depart out of Babylon lest wee participate of her plagues This is the people that haue enforced themselues to re-establish the true and pure seruice of God by the power of his word a contemptible people euen as the filth of the world by whom neuerthelesse the eternall God hath wrought wonderfull things restoring and re-establishing by them his Church First in France afterwards as it were from a new Sion causing the riuers of his holy Law and pure doctrine to distill and drop downe vpon the rest of the world gathering together his elect by the preaching of his holy Gospell And that which is most admirable in this so great a worke is that the doctrine which they haue beleeued and preached hath been likewise miraculously preserued amongst them in the middle of all their grieuous and continuall persecutions which they haue suffered for righteousnesse sake As it is also worthy admiration that their aduersaries haue kept a register of the euils which they haue caused them vniustly to suffer It hath been their glory that they haue shed that blood that crieth for vengeance exiled the Church for a limitted time in the wildernesse and made knowne by their Histories that the Dragon hath done but that which was granted vnto him that is to make warre against the Saints but being deliuered from their great tribulation and their robes whitned in the blood of the Lamb they haue been conducted to the liuing fountaines of water and God hath wiped all teares from their eies LAVS DEO Reuelation 21.7 He that ouercommeth shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my sonne FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THE ALBINGENSES CHAP. I. Who the Albingenses were what their beleefe who were comprehended vnder the name of Albingenses at what time and by whom they haue beene instructed in what esteeme their Pastors haue beene by whom and in what Councell condemned how they haue increased what Cities and great Lords haue taken their part For what doctrine the Papists haue hated them and persecuted them to the death THe Albingenses which we are to speake of in this History differ nothing at all from the Waldenses in their beleefe but they are onely so called of the Countrey of Albi where they dwelt and had their first beginning The Popes haue condemned them as Waldenses the Legates haue made warre against them as professing the beleefe of the Waldenses the Monkes Inquisitors haue formed their Proces and Indictments as against Waldenses The people haue persecuted them as being such and themselues haue thought themselues honored by that title vpon the assured knowledge that they had of the puritie of their doctrine being the selfesame with the Waldenses Iaques de Riberia in Collectaneis vrbis Tolozae In respect whereof many Historiographers call them Waldenses Wee therefore will distinguish them not by their beleefe but by the places of their abode and by the particular warres which they haue endured for the space of aboue fiftie yeeres Vnder this name wee comprehend all the subiects of the Earles Remonds of Toulouze father and sonne and the subiects of the Earles of Foix and Comminge and all those that haue taken part with them that haue fought for their Religion and suffered the selfesame persecutions They receiued the beleefe of the Waldenses a little after the departure of Waldo from Lion The instruments that were imployed in this worke were Peter Bruis one Henry one Ioseph one Esperon and Arnold Hott of whom they were afterward called Pierrebruisiens or Petrobrusiens Henrisiens Iosephists Esperonists and Arnoldists but aboue all the rest Henry and Arnold trauelled in the Countrey of Albi and that with so good successe that in a short time there were found but a few and in some places not any that would goe any more to Masse affirming that the sacrifice of the Masse was onely inuented to enrich the Priests and to make them to be more esteemed in the world as making the Body of Christ by their words and sacrificing him to God the Father for the sinnes of the liuing and of the dead which was an impietie destroying the sacrifice of the Sonne of God and annihilating the merit of his death and passion There were many that gaue eare to their reasons in the diocese of Rhodes Cahors Agen Toulouze and Narbonne Iaques de Riberia in his collections of the Citie of Toulouze because the Doctors that taught amongst the Waldenses were learned men conuersant in the reading of the holy Scriptures whereas on the other side the Priests who studied nothing more than the sacrifices of the Masse and how to receiue their oblations for the dead were altogether ignorant and therefore contemned of the people Pope Alexander the third being much mooued with anger because he saw many great Prouinces to shake off the yoke of the Romish Church Claud. de Rubis in his History of the Citie of Lion Lib. 3. pa. 269. and to dispence with their obedience condemned them for Heretikes in the Councell of Latran Neuerthelesse they were in such a manner multiplied that in the yeere 1200. they possessed the Cities of Toulouze Apamies Montauban Villemur Saint Antonin 1200. Puech Laurence Castres Lambes Carcassonne Beziers Hologaray in his History of Foix. Narbonne Beaucaire Auignon Tarascon the Count Venecin and in Dauphine Crest Arnaud and Monteil-Amar And which is more they had many great Lords who tooke part with them that is to say the Earle Remond of Toulouze Remond Earle of Foix the Vicount of Beziers Gaston Lord of Bearne the Earle of Carmain the Earle of Bigorre the Lady of Lanaur and diuers others of whom we shall make mention in their due place And besides all these the Kings of Aragon and of England haue many times defended their case by reason of that alliance that they had with the Earle Remond of Toulouze The doctrines that they maintained against the Church of Rome were these 1 That the Romish Church is not the holy Church and Spouse of Christ but a Church watered with the Doctrine of Deuils That Babylon which Saint Iohn hath described in the Apocalypse the mother of fornications and abominations couered with the bloud of Saints 2 That the Masse was not instituted by Christ nor by his Apostles but that it is the inuention of men 3 That the prayers of the liuing profit not the dead 4 That Purgatorie maintained in the Church of Rome was a humane inuention to glut and satisfie the couetousnesse of the Priests 5 That Saints are not to be praied vnto 6 That Transubstantiation is the inuention of men and an erroneous doctrine And that the adoration of the Bread is a manifest Idolatry And that therefore they were to forsake the Church of Rome wherein the contrary was affirmed and taught because a man may not bee present at the Masses where Idolatry is practised nor attaine saluation by any other meanes than by
himselfe and his wicked Ministers being knowne for manifest sinners hee would soone be forsaken and abandoned of euery one For Emperours and Kings and Princes thinking him to be like to the true and holy mother the Church they haue loued and endowed him contrary to the Commandement of God And this iniquity of Ministers and subiects and such as are brought vp in errour and sinne is directly against the ninth Article I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church And thus much touching the first part Secondly as they that are partakers of the onely outward ceremonies ordained by the inuention of men doe beleeue and hope truely to performe their Pastorall duties and cures prouided onely that they be shauen like sheepe and anoynted like walles and blessed by touching the Booke and the cup with their hands and so publish themselues to haue taken the order of Priesthood as they should So likewise as it hath beene sayd before the people that are subiect vnto them doe communicate by words by signes by outward exercises and by their diuers gestures and actions thinke they participate of the truth it selfe drawne from thence And this is against the other part of the ninth Article I beleeue the Communion of Saints It standeth vs therefore vpon to depart from the most wicked Communion of Monkes whereunto carnall men are drawne causing them for couetousnesse to put their trust in things of naught yea though they bee luxurious and couetous onely to the end men should giue them and then they tell them that they participate of their pouerty and of their chastitie The fift iniquity of Antichrist consists in this that he sayneth and promiseth remission of sinnes to such offenders as haue no true sorrow and contrition for their sinnes and cease not to perseuere in their wickednesse and that in the first place hee promiseth remission of their sinnes because of their auricular confession and humane absolution in their Pilgrimages and all for money And this iniquity is against the eleuenth Article of our faith I beleeue the forgiuesse of sinnes For that is in God by authority in Christ by ministration Faith Hope Charity Repentance Obedience to the Word and in man by participation The sixth iniquity is that they hope euen to their liues end in the aboue-mentioned iniquities and especially in extreame Vnction and deuised Purgatory in such sort that the ignorant and rude people perseuere in their errour by giuing them to vnderstand that they are absolued from their sinnes though they neuer depart from them of their owne free wills but hope thereby to haue forgiuenesse of their sinnes and life euerlasting And this iniquity is directly against the eleuenth and twelfth Article of our Faith CHAP. II. Of inuented Purgatory THe Purgatory which diuers Priests and Monkes seeke to aduance and teach as an Article of our Faith with many lies and fables is this They affirme that after this life and after the Ascension of Christ into heauen the soules especially of those that shall bee saued not hauing satisfied in this life for their sinnes endure sensible paines and are purged in Purgatory after this life and that after they are purged they come out of Purgatory some sooner and some later and some not vntill the Day of Iudgement which soules all the faithfull may and ought to helpe after they are departed this life by the band of charity by Prayers Fastings Almes-deeds and Masses Touching which Purgatory to satiate their auarice many haue inuented diuers vncertaine things which they haue taught and preached saying that such soules are tormented in the said Purgatory some to the necke some to the middle and they say that sometimes they sit and eate at table and make bankets especially at the Feast of all Soules when the people are offering liberally vpon their Sepulchres And they say that sometimes they gather the crummes vnder the rich mens tables By this meanes and diuers other the like dreames auarice and Simony is increased and multiplyed their Cloysters aduanced their sumptuous Temples are built and inlarged their Altars multiplyed beyond measure and infinite numbers of Monkes and Canons haue inuented diuers other things touching the deliuerance and vnbinding the said soules bringing thereby the Word of God into contempt Thus the people are strangely mocked and deceiued touching their soules as also in their substance inasmuch as they are made to put their trust in things vncertaine whilest in the meane time the faithfull hide themselues for when they refuse to preach and teach the said Purgatory as an Article of their faith they are cruelly condemned to death and Martired It is therefore fitting we should speake of this Purgatory and plainely giue the world to vnderstand what we thinke thereof First therefore we say that the soules of those that are to be saued must in the end bee purged from all their pollution according to the Ordinance of God as it appeareth in the 21. of the Reuelation There shall in no wise enter into heauen any thing that defileth neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or maketh a lye Now we know that the Scriptures haue set downe many and diuers meanes to purge those that are in this present life of all their sinnes But Saint Peter telleth vs in the 15. of the Acts 9. that faith purifieth the heart and that faith is sufficient to purge away the euill without any outward helpe as appeareth by the thiefe at the right hand of Christ who beleeuing and confessing his sinnes was made worthy of Paradise The other manner of purging the Spouse of Christ by repentance is touched in Esay Chap. 1.16 Wash yee and make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill And presently after Though your sinnes be as skarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll In which words the Lord offereth himselfe to all that doe truely repent according to the manner aboue-mentioned and they that haue beene sinfull shall be made as white as snow There is likewise mention made of another kinde of purging of sinne in the third of Saint Matthew where it is said He hath his fanne in his hand and hee will thorowly purge his floore and gather his wheate into the garner The which words Chrysostome expounds of the floore of the Church and the fire of tribulation And not onely doth the Lord purge by tribulations but he likewise purifieth his Spouse heere in this life by himselfe as Saint Paul speaketh Ephes 5.25 Christ hath loued his Church and giuen himselfe for it That hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that hee might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blemish Where the Apostle sheweth that Christ hath so loued his Church that hee would not cleanse it by any other washing but his owne Blood