de Chateauneuf was slain in this busines and for that canonized for a Saint Dominique continued in his persecution of the Waldenses both in deed and word This Monke seeing himselfe to bee in authority Moynes qui mandient instituted an Order of begging Monkes who after his name were callad Dominicans and the said Monke was canonized and his Order confirmed by Pope Honorius being warned saith hee to doe it by a dreame For it seemed to him that the Church of Rome was falling and that Dominique vpheld it with his shoulders in recompence whereof the said Pope commanded that the said Order should haue the first place among the Mendicants Mandians It is said of this Monke The Martirologe in the life of Dominique that his mother when shee went with childe with him shee did dreame that shee had in her wombe a dogge that cast out flames of fire out of his throat His followers interpret this to his aduantage as if hereby we were giuen to vnderstand that hee should be that dogge that should vomit out that fire which should consume the Heretikes But on the contrary they whom hee euery day deliuered vnto death might well say that hee was the dogge that had set on fire all Christendome and that the flames that came out of his throat doe note vnto vs those fiery and infernall sentences which he pronounced against the Christians Howsoeuer hee caried himselfe so well in these affaires that before hee died he built many goodly houses in Languedoc Prouence Dolphine Spaine and elswhere by which hee had obtained great reuenewes either from the liberality of those that affected his Order or the Confiscations of the Waldenses by which the Count Simon of Montfort gaue him great priuiledges and almes as cutting large thongs of another mans leather He laboured in the Inquifition as the chiefe with such contentment to the Popes that from that time forward the Monkes of his Order haue been alwaies imployed in the Inquisition The power giuen to these Monkes Inquisitors was without limits For they could assemble the people whensoeuer it pleased them by the sound of a bell proceed against the Blshops themselues and send out proces if there were need to imprison and to open the prisons without controle All manner of accusations was auailable enough A Sorcerer a Harlot were sufficient witnesses without reproch in the fact of pretended heresie It was no matter who did accuse or whether by word of mouth or by tickets cast in before the Inquisitor for without any personall appearance or confronting one another the the proces were framed without party without witnesse and without other law then the pleasure of the Inquisitor To be rich was a crime neere vnto heresie and he that had any thing to lose was in the way to bee vndone either as an Hereticke or at the least as a fauourer of heretikes One bare suspition stopped the mouthes of fathers and mothers and kinsfolke that they durst not intercede for punishments to come and he that did intreat for the conuey of a cup of cold water or a little straw to lye vpon in some stinking dungeon was condemned for a fauourer of Heretickes and brought to the same or worse extremities There was no Aduocate that durst vnder take the defence of his nearest kinsinan or friend or Notary that durst receiue any act in his fauour And that which was more after that a man was once intangled within the snares of the Inquisition he could neuer liue in any assurance for hee was alwaies to beginne againe For if any man were set at liberty it was only for a time till they might better consider of it Death it selfe made not an end of the punishment for they haue left vnto vs certaine coppies of their sentences against the bones of the dead to dis-interre and to burne them yea thirty yeeres after the decease of the party accused They that were heires had nothing certaine for vpon any accusation of their fathers or kindred they durst not vndertake the defence of their owne right or possesse their owne inheritance without the crime or suspition of Heresie and that they rather inherited their bad faith and opinions then their goods The people yea the most mighty and richest amongst them were constrained in a manner to adore these Monkes the Inquisitors and to bestow vpon them great Presents for the building of their Couents and dotations of their 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 showed 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 baout 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. 53â— that you haue apprehended so great a number of the Waldenses
therefore they should consult with themselues to cast their eyes vpon some one of the Lords of the Crosse to whom the conquered Countries might be committed and the care for the direction of this holy warre vntill it might be otherwise determined by the Pope This charge was first offered to the Duke of Burgongue afterwards to the Earle of Enneuers and to the Earle of St. Paul who did all refuse it Which the Legat seeing and perceiuing it would be a difficult matter to agree in the nomination of a Captaine with one mutuall consent they named two Bishops with the Abbot of Cisteaux Legat of the Apostolike Sea and foure men of Armes to whom they gaue power to choose him that hereafter should leade the Armie of the Church They named the Earle Simon of Montfort neere Paris notice whereof being giuen vnto him hee excused himselfe alledging his incapacitie and vnhabilities but in the end he accepted of it after that the Abbot of Cisteaux had laid his commandement vpon him enioyning him by vertue of obedience to accept of the said nomination The Treasure of Histories in the Treat of Albingenses whereupon hee promised saith the Compiler of the Treasure of Histories to doe his best endeauour to vex the enemies of our Lord for so they tearme the Albingenses The Earle Simon of Montfort being Generall of the Armie of the Church made his abode at Carcassonne with foure thousand of his Pelerins which as yet remained of that great Leuy of three hundred thousand men Montreal Fauiaux and Limons contributed great summes of money for the Garison For they were not to harbour those Pilgrims that were not bound to any seruice their time of fortie daies being expired but such Souldiers as were well affected for the guard of that place In this meane time the Earle Remond of Toulouze went to King Phillip Dieu-donne to get his letters of Commendation to the Pope to the end he might bee fully cleered and iustified touching the death of the Monke Frier Peter de Chasteauneuf of the which hee was iniustly forced to confesse himselfe guilty onely because the murder was committed within his territories for which the Legat Milon had imposed an vniust penance vpon From the Court of the King of France he trauelled to Rome where he did immediatly receiue his absolution of Pope Innocent the third as if it had beene ready and prouided for him The Pope receiued him with all the curtesie that might be giuing him for a present a rich Cloke and a Ring of great price and granting vnto him full remission and absolution touching the said murder and declaring that he held him in this regard sufficiently instified The Earle of Beziers being prisoner at Carcassonne dyed shortly after the Earle Simon of Montfort was put in possession of his Lands not without great suspition of poison The Earle Simon made shew to be much grieued therewith and caused him to be interred in the great Church of Carcassonne with great pompe and with his face vncouered to the end that none of his Subiects might afterwards doubt of his death Presently after he made challenge to the inheritance and whole estate of the said Earle by vertue of those donations which the Legat of the Pope had conferred vpon him and that charge that was laid vpon him for the Church In pursuit whereof hee demanded of the King of Aragon the inuestiture of the Earledome of Beziers and the Citie of Carcassonne The King of Aragon would not yeeld thereunto bewraying much discontent to see this house ouerthrowne vnder a pretence of Religion The like discontent did the Duke of Bourgongue shew at what time the charge of the Generall was offered vnto him saying Chassag pag. 126. That hee had Lands and Lordships enough without the accepting of those of the Earle of Beziers and the spoiling him of his goods adding therewithall that he had alreadie suffered wrong enough All the bordering neighbours of the Earle Simon began to feare him vpon a report which he gaue forth that at the spring following he would haue a great Armie of Pelerins at his command and that then hee would chastise those which had not acknowledged the authoritie wherein the Church had placed him Castres sent vnto him the Keyes of their Citie by some of their Bourgesses The Castle of Pamies was yeelded vnto him euery one submitted themselues to his command round about Carcassonne and the Vicountie of Beziers But he receiued a back-blow in the middest of his prosperitie which was a presage vnto him of some euill For the King of Aragon keeking secretly the Gentlemen of the Vicountie of Beziers in breath encouraged them to bring vnto equall termes this petty-tyrant who was brought in for the good of another saying That if he were not constrained to haue alwaies a world of Pilgrims for his conquests he would abuse this his rest to take heart to inuade the goods of all those that are neere adioyning vnder a pretence of that charge hee hath from the Pope but if he once knew how dangerous it would be for him to want his Souldiers of the Crosse hee would be better aduised considering that it is not possible that he should alwaies haue so great a number of Pilgrims that should alwaies make him fearefull for there must be time for the leuying of them time for the conducting of them from farre Countries and if he should make no vse of them within fortie daies of their arriuall hee would be more weake than before after the expiration of their Pilgrimage That to hurt and hinder him there can be no better course taken than to keepe themselues locked vp in their Garrisons at the comming of the Pilgrims and at their departure when they were weake to set vpon him on euery part that at the last he will be so weary of his great trauels that he will thinke he hath bought at a deare rate the good which he beleeued he had gotten by the title of a Donation of those that had nothing to giue The King of Aragon added hereunto that he had neuer heard of any so vniust a vsurpation for if this war were made to take away the goods and liues of the Albingensens by what title had the Legat confiscated the goods of the Earle of Beziers who had alwaies liued and also died in the beleefe of the Church of Rome That he therefore perceiued that the greatest crime they could finde in the said Earle was that they found him to be young and no way powerfull That if God gaue him life he would make it appeare that he loued the Earle of Beziers and that he was his Kinsman and would likewise shew himselfe a true friend to those that had any feeling of those wrongs and outrages that were offered him Those hopes to be succoured by the King of Aragon gaue heart and courage vnto those that with great impatiency bare the dominion and power of the Earle Simon of Montfort
armes he had recourse to his ordinary wiles and subtilties hoping to worke his ruine vnder a pretence of amitie He caused therefore the Legat Bonauenture to write vnto him that he had compassion on him for that he was so obstinate in so great a warre to his great charge and the losse of the bloud of his Subiects which if he would he might end in a short time by taking his iourny to Rome declaring his innocency to the Pope that he would giue him his best assistance as far forth as possibly he could to procure the restitution of all his Lands But yet it was very necessarie that the Church should haue some gages of his fidelitie that is that he should deliuer into his hands the Castle of Foix the one onely meanes to take away all shadow and shew of false play and that incontinently after his returne turne it should be restored vnto him with the rest of his houses He suffered himselfe to be cheated and gulled by these promises deliuered vnto him the Castle of Foix and tooke his iourney to Rome but if he went a foole thither a foole he returned For the Legat had written to Rome to the Conclaue and to the Pope that the Earle of Foix was one of the most dangerous Heretiques that was amongst the Albingenses a man of great courage and valiant and most to be feared that if he were subdued the Earle of Toulouze would be much weakned that he had gotten from him the meanes to doe any hurt by obtaining by faire words those places which the Church would neuer haue gotten by armes namely the Castle of Foix and that they were to take heed that they made no restitution of his lands which if they did it would bee impossible that the Church should euer bring the Albingenses to their vtter ruine The Pope was willing enough to ioyne in his ouerthrow but because hee came vnto him with submissions he feared least it might bee a meanes to hinder others from euer putting any confidence in the Pope He was prodigall of his Crosses his Bulls and his Words but in effect he commanded his Legat that he should not restore vnto him those places vntill hee had giuen good proofes of his obedience and iustification Presently vpon his returne hee addressed himselfe to the Legat to enioy the effect of his faire promises The Legat gaue him to vnderstand that his hands were bound by the Pope because there were some clauses in his Bulls that did binde him to a new proceeding and to know in good earnest what his innocency was but yet he should assure himselfe of his affection and that he should not attribute to him if he receiued not his full content and that he would doe his best endeuour to make loue and friendship betwixt the Earle Simon and himselfe The Earle of Foix by little and little with-drew himselfe fearing to be arrested walking about the fields and houses of his Subiects as for his owne they were all in the hands of the Earle Simon There he cursed his owne facilitie to suffer himselfe to be gulled by a Priest bites his singers for anger to see himselfe so blockishly abused after so many trickes and stratagems plaid against him The Earle of Toulouze and the King of Aragon resolue to make a leuy of their Subiects and presently to build a Fort at Montgranier a place very strong by nature In a few daies they made it a place of defence by the means labours of their poore subiects who bewailing their own miseries their Lords trauelled day night very willingly to bring the work to an end This place being built he put therin a garison left there his son Roger. The Earle Simon besieged it in the end took it by famine The cōposition was that Roger should not beare armes for one whole yeare against the Church An Article that troubled much this valiant Lord. For he withdrew himselfe for the same yeare into a house where he counted the moneths and the daies till the time was expired wherein he might either die valiantly in fight or vanquish his enemies And to this purpose he many times conferred with the sonne of the King of Aragon lately slaine how he might carrie himselfe to finde a meanes to be reuenged of his Fathers death The Legat Bonauenture in the meane time vseth the same subtletie with the Earle Remond of Toulouze He perswadeth him to goe to Rome to determine his affaires with the Pope more peaceably than with the Earle Simon The Monke of the Valley Sernay Chap. 133. especially because he was charged with the death of his owne Brother the Earle Baudoin taken in the Castle d'Olme in the Country of Cahors because he had there borne Armes against him an action that had made him odious both to God and men and which his enemies did exaggerate to the end they might stirre vp the Pilgrims to take vengeance on him saying That at the very point of death they had denied him a Confessor and that the said Bodoin prayed vnto God that he would raise vp some good Christians to reuenge the wrong done vnto him by his brother as by another Caine. The son of the Earle of Toulouze named also Remond vnderstanding that his Father was to take his iourney to Rome he went with letters from his Vncle the King of England to the Pope intreating him to doe iustice to his brother in Law The young Lord had beene brought vp vntill then in England where he could no longer spend time seeing his Father oppressed with warres and continuall trauels he therefore resolued to vse his best endeuours for his deliuerance either by composition or by armes The cause of the Earle Remond was debated before the Pope There was a Cardinall that maintained Idem Chap. 152. that great wrong had beene offered those Lords who had many times giuen of their best lands to the Church to witnesse their obedience The Abbot of St. Vberi also tooke their part with great courage and resolution The Earle Remond likewise defended his owne cause charging the Bishop of Toulouze with many outrages and that if hee had beene constrained to defend himselfe he must accuse those that had driuen him to that necessitie for had he not made resistance he had long agoe beene vtterly ouerthrowne That the Bishop of Toulouze had many times caught vnto him the fairest of his reuenewes and being neuer satisfied did still continue to vex him parting his goods with the Earle Simon of Montfort and that their onely auarice had beene the cause of the death of ten thousand men of Toulouze and of the pillage of that faire and great Citie a losse which could neuer be repaired The Charterie of Lion did also shew vnto the Pope that the Bishop of Toulouze had alwaies kindled the fire and warmed himselfe at the flame Arnaud de Villemur did also present himselfe before the Pope demanding Iustice for that the
of the valleys Seruay What the sect of Geneua doth admit Th'hereticke Albigeois doth commit Anthony d'Ardene of Tholouse in the same booke saith Ibid. Wherewith our Hugonites seasoned were The same intention the selfesame care We need not therefore dispute any longer of the antiquitie of this doctrine but onely of the puritie thereof since that not onely by the affirmation of those that were aduersaries to the Waldenses and the last resormation there are whole ages during the which the substance of that beleefe hath remained in diuers persons who crying out against the abuses which haue crept into the Church haue bene oppressed by persecutions And for as much as it is denied that we haue had a succession of such instruments who haue opposed themselues from time to time against those corruptions and errours which haue borne sway we will produce in the Chapter following a catalogue both of those which our aduersaries haue named and put to death and of those whom the Waldenses haue had for their Pastors for these foure hundred and fiftie yeares last past at leastwise of as many as haue come to our knowledge CHAP. IX The names of those Pastours of the Waldenses who haue instructed them for foure hundred yeares last past and haue come to our knowledge WAldo from whom the Waldenses tooke their name began to teach the people in the yeare of our Lord a thousand one hundred and sixtie Le Sieur de Sancte Aldegonde obserueth In his first table of Differ pa. 150. that at the same time that Waldo began to shew himselfe and to teach at Lions God raised others in Prouence and Languedoc among whom the principall were Arnold Esperon and Ioseph of whom they were named Arnoldists Iosephists Esperonists though because their doctrine was first receiued in Albi in the countrie of the Albigeois they were commonly called Albigeois in such manner that on the one side the Waldenses and on the other the Albigeois were as the two Oliues or the two lampes which Saint Iohn speaketh of whose light did spread it selfe through all the corners of the earth At the same time saith he followed Peter Bruis whereupon many called them Peter Brusiens To whom there succeeded in doctrine one Henry the one being a Priest the other a Monke and they taught in the Bishoprickes of Arles Ambrun Die and Gap from whence being chased away they were receiued at Tholouse There was a certaine man saith he called Barthelmew borne at Carcassonne Idem ibid. p. 15â— that ordered and gouerned the Churches in Bulgaria Croatia Dalmatia Hungaria and appointed Ministers as Mathew Paris reports naming him their Pope or Bishop and alledging to that purpose the letter which the Bishop of Portuense Legate to the Pope in the parts thereabouts writ to the Archbishop of Roan and his suffragans demanding succours and assistance against them insomuch that they were at the last constrained to retire themselues into desarts following that prophesie in the 12 of the Reuelation which saith that the woman great with child that brought forth a man child which is the true Church of God should in such sort be persecuted by the Dragon which cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood so that she was constrained to flie into the wildernesse where she should be nourished for a time and times and halfe a time or for the space of forty two moneths or a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rainerius makes mention of two famous Bishops of the Waldenses viz of one Belazinanza of Verona one Iohn de Lugio who taught amongst them after the abouenamed about the yeare a thousand two hundred fifty Arnold Hot pastor amongst the Waldenses maintained the disputation at Mont Real whereof we shall make mention in his due place Lollard was also in great reputation amongst them both for a Commentary which he had written vpon the Reuelation as also for that he had giuen knowledge of their doctrine in England of whose name the Waldenses were called Lollards The Waldenses of the valleys of Angrongne of Dauphiney Prouence and Calabria haue had for their Pastors these whose memories they haue preserued for aboue three hundred yeares past that is to say in Piemont Paul Gignons de Bobi It appeares by the memories of Vignaux fol. 14. Peter the lesse Anthony of the valley of Suse Iohn Martin of the valley Saint Martin Mathew dc Bobi Philip of the valley Lucerna George of Piemont Steuen Laurence of the valley Saint Martin Martin de Meane Iohn of the valley of Lucerna who for some offence was suspended from his office for seuen yeares during which time he remained at Gennes where the Pastors had a house as they had also another very faire one at Florence Iohn Girard de Meane surnamed with the great hand Of the valley of Angrongne Thomas Bastie who died in the seruice of the Waldenses Churches at Pouille Sebastian Bastie who died in Calabria Iohn Bellonat of the same valley who was the first amongst the Pastors that married a wise Of the valleys of Perouse Iames Germain Benedict Gorran Paul Gignous de Bobi Iohn Romagnol of Sesena in Italie Of Dauphiney Francis of the valley of Fraissiniere Michel Porte of the valley Loyse in Briançonnois Peter Flot of Pragela Of Prouence Angelin de la Coste Daniel de Valentia and Iohn de Molines These two were sent into Bohemia to serue in the Churches of the Waldenses gathered together in the said Realme but they betrayed the Churches and brought much mischiefe vpon them by discouering vnto the enemies of the said Waldenses whatsoeuer they knew of their troupes and meetings whereby there happened a great persecution which occasioned the Churches of Bohemia to write to the Waldensian Churches of the Alpes from thence forward not to call to such vocations any persons whose faith honestie and zeale was not throughly knowne by long proofe and experience The last Pastors which they had were George Maurel and Peter Masçon who in the yeare of our Lord 1530. were sent into Germany to confer of religion with Oecolampadius Bucer and others Peter Masçon was taken prisoner at Dijon Steuen Negrin and Lewis Paschal were sent into Calabria in the yeare 1560. to the Waldensian Churches at Montald Saint Xist and other places thereabout Steuen Nâ—egrin was taken prisoner and sent to Cosence where he died in prison for want of sustenance Lewis Paschal was sent to Rome where he was condemned and burnt aliue Pope Pius the fourth of that name being present and his Cardinals whom he summoned to appeare before the throne of the Lambe to giue an account of their cruelties There are a great number of others as may appeare by the processe commenced against the Waldenses of Dauphiney which are come to our hands wherein mention is made of diuers Pastours which they haue had It appeareth by that
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 George Morel in his memorials pa. 54. there were according to the report of Morel 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 innocencie 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 life 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 ascandall 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 die in that faith I professe then in that of the Romish Church then conclude for certaine that before he made but a shew of repentance and so let him suffer iustice Wee must not thinke to vanquish Heretickes by learning or by the scriptures inasmuch as men that are learned are rather confounded by them whereby it comes to passe that the Heretickes fortifie themselues seeing they are able to delude the most learned Againe great heed must bee taken that the Heretikes neuer answer directy and when they are pressed by frequent interrogations they haue a custome to alledge for themselues that they are simple and foolish people and therefore know not how to answere And if they shall once see the assistants to bee moued with compassion towares them as if they should doe them wrong thinking them to be simple people and therefore not culpable then they gather heart and make a show of shedding teares like poore miserable creatures and flattering their iudges they endeauour to free themselues from the Inquisition saying Sir If I haue been faulty in any thing I will willingly doe penance but yet giue me your aide and assistance to deliuer me from this infamy into which I am fallen by the malice of others not mine owne fault But then the couragious Inquisitor must not yeeld for all these flatteries nor giue any beliefe to those dissimulations Moreouer the Inquisitor must tell them that they shall gaine nothing by swearing falsly because they haue enough to conuince them by witnesses and therefore they must not thinke that by meanes of their oath they shall auoide the sentence of death but they must promise them say they that if they will freely confesse their error they shall haue mercy for in such perplexities there are many that confesse their error in hope to escape Thus you see the subtilties of the Monkes the Inquisirors such as they practised in times past against the Waldenses throughout all Europe It remaines that we now see what their practise hath been in euery particular Realme and Prouince so far forth as is come to our knowledge And first we will begin with Dauphine because it is the Prouince into which Waldo and his followers retired themselues at their departure from Lion CHAP. III. Of the Waldensian Churches in Dauphine and the persecutions which they haue suffered which are come to our knowledge THe Waldensian Churches in Dauphine haue been for these many hundred yeeres spread abroad throughout diuers parts of the Prouince For they haue had Churches in Valentia
those Latine verses which were written a gainst the said Alexander the sixth Vendit Alexander cruces altaria Christum Emer at ille prius vendere iure potest Pope Alexander sold altars Christ and his crosse He bought them had he not sold had liued by the losse Againe Templa Sacerdotes Altaria Sacra Coronae Ignis Thura Preces Caelum est venale Deúsque Temples Priests Altars Crowns they sell for pelfe Fire Frankincense Prayers heauen and God himselfe which is to be vnderstood of their breaden god in the Masse The Arch-bishop therfore was the cause why others kept still those goods in their possession without any restitution and though some particular persons were afterwards called into question as namely Le Sieur de Montainar de Rames and others yet they could neuer haue any remedy In the yeere one thousand fiue hundred sixty the Waldenses of Frassiniere and Pragela had their Churches furnished with Pastors who held them in the exercise of their religion at that time wherein they persecuted vnto death all those that made profession of reformation The President Truchon made an Oration to the States of Prouence assembled the same yeere the sixt of Nouember of purpose to exterminate the said Waldenses of Frassinieres and Pragela saying that it was necessary to purge the old and ancient Leuen likely to make soure the whole Country of Dauphine if some course were not taken to preuent it By these States it was rerefolued by open force to extirpate them and by armes and to this purpose Commissions were giuen forth to leuy troopes of men and to passe into the said Valleies but so soone as the drumme was strooken vp and the men in armes throughout Prouence the vnexpected death of King Francis the second of that name altered the designe and afterwards the said Waldensian Churches in Dauphine continued as still they doe by the singular fauour of God CHAP. IIII. Of the Waldensian Churches in Piedmont and those persecutions they endured that are come to our knowledge THE Waldenses haue had famous Churches in the Valleis of Piedmont Angrongne la Perouse the Valley Saint Martin Lucerna and other bordering places for time out of minde It is held for certaine amongst them that they are a part of the Waldenses of Dauphine Pragela Frassinieres and other places their neere neighbours and that in time being multiplied in so great abundance that the Country could not feed them they were constrained to disperse themselues at length and at large where they might best settle themselues So deare like brothers haue they been one to another and notwithstanding they haue been alwaies oppressed with troubles yet with a most hearty loue and charity they haue euer succoured one another not sparing their liues and goods for their mutuall conseruation The first troubles that the Waldenses of Piedmont endured came from the report of certaine Priests sent thither by the Arch-bishop of Turin who informed that the people that were committed to their charge liued not according to the manners and be liefe of the Church of Rome neither offering for the dead nor caring for Masses or absolutions nor to get any of theirs out of the paines of Purgatory by any of their vsuall meanes The Arch-bishops of Turin haue persecuted them as much as lay in their power making them odious to their Princes who vnderstanding of the good report that their neighbours gaue of their milde honest conuersation Vignaux in his memorials fol. 7. and that they were a simple people fearing God of a good carriage without deceit or malice louing integrity and plaine dealing alwaies ready to serue their Princes and that very willingly they yeelded vnto them all dutifull obedience and that with alacrity Being in such grace and fauour with the people their neighbours that they endeauoured to bring into Piedmont to their seruice their young people and to prouide their nurses amongst them to bring vp their yong infants the said Princes continued a long time in a purpose not to molest them but the Priests and Monkes that were frequent amongst them gaining nothing by this their beliefe charged them with an infinite number of Calumnies and whensoeuer they went into Piedmont vpon occasion of businesse they alwaies caught one or other and deliuered him to the Inquisitors and the Inquisitors to the executioner In such manner that there was hardly any Towne or Citty in Piedmont in which one or other of them was not put to death For Iordan Tertian was burnt at Suse Hypolite Roussier was burnt at Turin Villermin Ambroise was hanged at Meane as also Anthony Hiun Hugh Chiampe de Fenestrelles being taken at Suse was conueied to Turin where his bowels were torne out of his belly and put into a bason and hee afterwards cruelly martyred among which the seruants of God there were some who haue maintained that truth which they haue knowne for aboue two hundred and fifty yeeres and others aboue a hundred and fifty But amongst all the rest the constancy of one Catelin Girard is worthy the remembrance who being vpon the blocke whereon hee should bee burnt at Reuel in the Marquisate of Saluces he requested his executioners to giue him a coupple of stones into his hands which they refused to doe fearing he had a purpose to fling them at some one or other but hee protesting the contrary at the last they deliuered them vnto him Vignaux in his memorials fol. 7. who hauing them in his hands said vnto them when I shall haue eaten these stones then shall ye see an end of that religion for which you put me to death and so cast the stones vpon the ground The fires were kindled vntill the yeere one thousands foure hundred eighty eight at what time they resolued to assault them by open force because besides that they perceiued that the constancy of those whom they did publikely put to death drew a great number of others to the knowledge of God they likewise found that by this meanes they should neuer come to their purposed designe And therefore they leuied men to ioyne with Albert de Capitaneis one put in Commission by Pope Sixtus the fourth and Innocent the eight There were eighteene thousand souldiers mustered besides a great number of the Inhabitants of Piedmont who ran to the pillage from all parts They marched all at once to Angrongne Lucerne la Perouse Saint Martin Prauiglerm and Biolet which is in the Marquisate of Saluces as also they raised troopes in Vaucluson in Dauphine ouerrunning the Valley of Pragela to the end that being bound to their owne defence they might not be able to fauour their neighbours the Waldensian Churches in Piedmont All this was guided by the singular prouidence of God in that they diuided their troopes by bands rather out of their pride then for their better expedition For notwithstanding they were all imployed in their owne defence and could not succor one another yet the enemy by this diuision did
reprechension by the holy Scriptures they might be instructed concerning that which they were to recant or if they found nothing that they could reprehend that they might be no more molested by so many and so grieuous persecutions for feare lest thinking they made warre onely against men it should appeare that they made it against God and his truth and those that maintained it All their petitions serued to no other end then to prouoke them the more for the Iudges being possessed with an opinion that they were Heretikes refusing to take the paynes to know and examine the truth they made all their Acts in fauour of the Priests that accused them In such sort that when the Cardinall of Tournon had obtained at a high price Letters from the King for the execution of the aforesaid Decree notwithstanding the pardon and reuocation before obtained it was executed This was in the yeere 1545 that the President of Opede Gouernour of Prouence in the absence of the Earle of Grignan deputed for Commissioners the President Francis de la Fon Honoré de Tributiis and Bernard Badet Counseller and the Aduocate Guerin in the absence of the Procurator Generall He dispatched sundry Commissions and proclaimed the warre with sound of trumper both at Aix and at Marseilles So the troopes being leuied and the fiue ensignes of the old bands of Piedmont ioyned with them the army marched to Pertuis and the next day being the fourteenth of Aprill they went to Cadinet and the sixteenth they began to set fire to the Villages of Cabrieres Pepin la Mothe and Saint Martin belonging to the Lord of Sental then vnder age There the poore labourers without any resistance were slaine women and their daughters rauished some great with childe murdered without any mercy The breasts of many women were cut off after whose deaths the poor infants died with famine d'Opede hauing caused Proclamation to be made vpon paine of the with that no man should giue any reliefe or sustenance to any of them All things were ransacked burnt pilled and there were none saued aliue but those that were reserued for the Galloys The seuenteenth day Opede commanded the old bands of Piedmont to draw neere and the day following hee burnt the Villages of Lormarin Ville Laure and Trezemines and at the same time on the other side of Durance le Rieur de la Rocque and others of the Towne of Arles burnt Gensson and la Roque Opede being come to Merindol he found not any there but onely a yong lad called Morisi Blanc a very simple fellow who yeelded himselfe prisoner to a Souldier with promise of two crownes for his ransome d'Opede finding none other vpon whom he might wreake his anger payed the two crownes to the Souldier and so commanding him to be bound to a tree caused him to be slaine with hargubuse shot Afterwards he commanded the said Towne to be pilled sacked and vtterly razed and laid leuell with the ground where there were aboue two hundred houses There remained the Towne of Cabrieres compassed with walles which were beaten with the Cannon These poore people being sicke within who were about some threescore boores or Pesants of the Country called vnto them that they needed not to spend so much powder and paines to batter the Walles because they were ready to open the gates vnto them and to quit themselues of the place and Country and to depart to Geneua or into Germany with their wiues and children leauing all their goods behind them onely that their passage might be free The Lord of Cabrieres treated for them that their cause might be determined by iustice without force or violence But Opede being within the Town he commanded the men to be brought into a field and to be cut in peeces withswords these valiant executioners striuing who could shew the best manhood in cutting off heads armes and legges He caused the women to be locked vp in a barne full of straw and so put fire vnto it where were burnt many women great with childe Wherewith a Souldier being moued to compassion hauing made an ouerture for them they were beaten backe into the fire with pikes and holberds The rest of these men that were found hidden in the caues were brought into the Hall of the Castle where they were horribly massacred in the presence of the said Opede As for the women and children that were found in the Temple they were exposed to the chiefe Bauds and Ruffians of Anignon who slew about eight hundred persons without distinction of age or sexe About the end of this execution le Sieur de la Coste kinsman to Opede came thither who intreated him to send him some men of warre offering to bring all his souldiers into Aix and to make as many breaches in the wall as hee would which was granted by word of mouth but not wholly performed For three Ensignes of foot men were sent thither who pillaged whatsoeuer seemed good vnto them burnt a part of the Towne rauished women and their daughters and killed some Boores not finding any resistance In this meane time the rest of those of Merindol and other places were in great extremities in the mountaines and rockes persecuted by Opede and his army They intreated him that hee would permit them to retire themselues to Geneua with the rest of their wiues and children promising to leaue behind them all their goods Hee answered that hee would send them all to dwell in the Country of hell with all the diuels them their wiues and children in such a manner that there should be no memory left of them King Francis being aduertised of those cruelties that were executed in pursuit of the said arrest was much displeased therewith in such sort that at the very point of death being wounded with some remorse of conscience principally because it had all passed vnder his name and authority being sorry because hee could inflict no punishment vpon them before his death that had shed so much innocent blood hee gaue in charge to his sonne Henry to bee reuenged on them in prosecution whereof after the decease of his father hee sent out his Letters Patents in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred forty nine by which hee tooke vnto himselfe and into his owne hands the cause of the said Waldenses of Prouence but there was none but the Aduocate Guerin that was hanged because hee had falsty informed the King when hee kept backe the reuocation of the first retention of the cause of those of Merindoll whereupon presently followed the execution of the Arrest of the Court of Parliament of Aix And all the rest that were faulty escaped vpon this consideration that it was to no purpose to attempt any more against the Lutherans at that time Touching the rest that escaped this massacre some there were that retired themselues to Geneua others into Switzerland others into Germany and others continued neere thereabouts tilling their land by stealth and so by little
there remaine in peace both of body and soule he returned into his Country and perswaded many to goe to Bohemia and to inhabit there who were louingly entertained and after that time there haue been no assemblies of the Waldenses in particular but they haue ioyned themselues vnto the Churches of the Hussites CHAP. XI Of the Waldenses inhabiting in Germany and the persecutions that there they suffered whereof we haue the proofes NOtwithstanding that incontinently after that Peter Waldo with those that followed him came into Germany there was so great a persecution along vpon the Rhine by the incitement and instigation of the Archbishops of Mayence and Strasbourg that there were burnt in one day in one fire Dubranius in the history of Bohemia to the number of eighteene yet wee find that in the time of the Emperor Frederic the second about the yeere one thousand two hundred and thirteene Germany and especially Alsatia was full of the VValdenses The searchers were so diligent and exact Coistans vpon the Reuel that they were inforced to disperse themselues into other places to auoide the persecution This flight turned to the great benefit of the Church because hereby many learned Teachers were scattered here and there to make knowne vnto the world the purity of their Religion In the yeere one thousand two hundred thirty a certaine Inquisitor named Conrad de Marpurg Vigâ—ier in the 1. part of his Bibli Historiale was ordained by the Pope Superintendent of the Inquisition He exercised this charge with extreame cruelty against all sorts of persons without any respect euen of the Priests themselues Trithem in Chron. Hirsaugiensi Godefridus Monan Aunalâ—bus whose bodies and goods he confiscated He tried men with a hot iron saying that they that could hold an iron red hot in their hands and not be burnt were good Christians but on the contrary if they felt the fire he deliuered them to the secular power In these times the Waldenses had in the Diocesse of Treues many Schooles wherein they caused their children to be instructed in their beliefe and notwithstanding all the Inquisitions persecutions executed vpon their flockes yet they aduentured to preach Krautz in Metropol l. 8. §. 18 in Saxon l. 8. ca. 16. calling their assemblies by the sound of a bell maintaining in publica statione saith the Historiographer publikly that the Pope was an hereticke his Prelates Simonaicall and seducers of the people That the truth was not preached but amongst them and that had not they come amongst them to teach God before he would haue suffered their faith to perish would haue raised others euen the stones themselues to enlighten his Church by the preaching of the word Vntill these times say they our Preachers haue buried the truth and preached lyes we on the contrary preach the truth and bury falshood and lyes and lastly we offer not a feined remission inuented by the Pope but by God alone and according to our vocation Mathew Paris an English writer obserueth that about the yeere 1220 Math Paris in Henry 3. anno 1220. there were a great number in a part of Germany that tooke armes where the Waldenses were cut in peeces being surprised in a place of great disaduantage hauing on the one side a marish ground and on the other the sea in such sort that it was impossible for them to escape About the yeer 1330 they were strangely vexed in many parts of Germanie Vignier in his third part of his Historicall Biblio in the yeere 1330. by a certaine Iacobin Monke Inquisitor named Echard but after many cruelties executed vpon them as hee pressed the Waldenses to discouer vnto him the reasons for which they were seperated from the Church of Rome being vanquished in his owne conscience and acknowledging those defects and corruptions which they alleaged to be in the Church of Rome to bee true and not being able to disproue the points of their beliefe by the word of God he gaue glory vnto God and confessing that the truth had ouercome him hee became a member of that Church which hee had a long time before persecuted to the death The other Inquisitors being aduertised of this alteration were much displeased and they sent presently so many after him that in the end hee was apprehended and brought to Heidelberg where he was burnt maintaining that it was iniustice and wrong to condemne so many good men to death for the righteousnesse of Christ against the inuentions of Antichrist In the yeere 1391 the Monkes Inquisitors tooke in Soxony and Pomerania foure hundred forty three VValdenses Krautzin Metrop l. 8. p. 18. in â—ax l. 8. cap. 16. who all confessed that they had been instructed in that beliefe for a long time by their ancestors and that their teachers came from Bohemia In the yeere one thousand foure fifty seuen the Monkes Inquisitors of the Diocesse of Eisten in Germany discouered many VValdenses which they put to death They had amongst them twelue Pastors that instructed them We must not ouerpasse the thirty fiue Burgesses of Mayence that were burned in the Towne of Bingue because they were knowne to be of the beliefe of the VValdenses nor the fourescore which the Bishop of Strasbourg caused to be burnt in one fire nor that which Trithemius recounts that they confessed in in those times that the number of VValdenses was so great that they could goe from Cologne to Milan and lodge themselues with hostes of their owne profession and that they had signes vpon their houses and gates whereby the might know them But the most excellent instrument amongst them that God imployed in his seruice was one Raynard Lollard who at the first was a Franciscan Monke and an enemy of the VValdenses but yet a man carried with a sanctified desire to finde the way of saluation wherein he had so profited that his aduersaries themselues were constrained to commend him Iohn le Maire in the 3. part of the diff of Schismes in the 24. scisme For Iohn le Maire puts him in the ranke of those holy men that haue foretold by diuine reuellation many things that haue come to passe in his time This worthy man taught the doctrine of the VValdenses was apprehended in Germany by the Monkes Inquisitors and being deliuered to the secular power was burnt at Cologne This man hath writ a Commentary vpon the Apocalipse where hee hath set downe many things that are spoken of the Romane Antichrist This was he of whom the faithfull in England were called Lollards where he taught witnesse that Towre in London which at this present is called by his name Lollards Tower where the faithfull that professed his Religion were imprisoned CHAP. XII Of the VValdenses that haue been persecuted in England ENgland hath been one of the first places that hath been honoured for receiuing the Gospell for not long after that VValdo departed from Lion there were many condemned to
death as VValdenses that is to say eleuen yeeres after the dispersion of the VValdenses of the Citty of Lion For Waldo departed out of Lion in the yeere one thousand one hundred sixty three Math. Paris in his History of England the said yeere and Mathew Paris reports that the Monkes Inquisitors caused some of the Waldenses to be burnt in England in the yeere 1174. And Iohn Bale makes mention of a certaine man that was burnt at London in the yeere 1210 that was charged with no other matter then that hee professed the Religion of the Waldenses Iohn Basle in the Chronicles of London Thomas Walden in his sixt volume of things sacramentall tit 12. chap. 10 Thomas Walden an English man hath writ that in the time of Henry the second the Waldenses were grieuously persecuted and that they were called Publicans And as for those in whom they found not cause enough to condemne vnto death they marked them in forhead with a burning key to the end they might be knowne of euery man This beliefe of the Waldenses was better known in the time of the wars against the Albingenses insomuch that as le Sieur de la Popeliniere hath well obserued the proximity of the lands and possessions of the Earle Remod of Tholouze La Popiliniere in his History of France l. 1. with Guienne then possessed by the English and the aliance of the King of England brother in law of the said Remond made the way more easie to the English not onely to succour one another in their wars but also to take knowledge of the beliefe of the said Albingenses which was no other but that of the Waldenses to the end that they might support them though the violence were vniust and extreame against those whom the English were many times constrained to defend against those who vnder the pretence of Religion inuaded his lands Frier Rainard Lollard was then the most powerfull instrument which God vsed by exhortations and sound reasons to giue knowledge to the English of the doctrine for which the VValdenses were deliuered to death This doctrine was receiued by Wicklif as it is noted in the Booke of the Beginning and confession of the Churches of Bohemia who thereby obtained much helpe for the increase of his knowledge in the truth He was a renowned Theologian in the Vniuersity of Oxford and parson of the parish of Luterworth in the Diocesse of Lincolne an eloquent man and profound Scholler He won the hearts of many English euen of most honorable of the land as the Duke of Lancaster vncle to King Richard Henry Percy Lewes Gifford and the Chancellor the Earle of Salisbury By the fauour of of these great personages the doctrine of the VValdenses or of Wicklif tooke footing and had free passage in England vntill Gregory the eleuenth persecuted those that receiued it with allowance by meanes of his Monkes the Inquisitors the fiers being kindled in England for many yeeres to stay the course thereof but it was all in vaine for it hath been maintained there maugre Antichrist vntill his yoke was wholly shaken off True it is that the bones of Wicklif were dis-interred aboue thirty yeeres after his death and condemned to be burnt with such bookes as his aduersaries could recouer but he had before enlightned so great a number that it was beyond the power of his enemies altogether to depriue the Church of them For by how much the more they indeauoured to hinder the reading and knowledge of them by horrible threats and death it selfe the more were the affections of many sharpned to reade them with greater ardency It is likewise said that a certaine Scholler hauing carried into Bohemia one of the books of the said Wicklif intituled His Vniuersals and deliuering it to Iohn Hus he gathered that knowledge from it that made him admirable in Bohemia and edified all those who together with him did very willingly free themselues from the seruile yoke of the Church of Rome Lib. de Origine Confes Eccl. Bohemiae Wiclefus à Waldensibus adiutus Hussium nostrum excitauit pa. 264. From hence it was said to the Husites that Wicklif had awakened their Iohn Hus. This Wicklif writ aboue a hundred volumes against Antichrist or the Church of Rome the Catalogue whereof is in the booke of the Images of famous men that haue combated with Antichrist CHAP. XIII Of the Waldenses that did flie into Flanders and were there persecuted AFter the great persecution of the Waldenses in the time of Phillip the faire S. Aldeg in his 1. Table of the diff fol. 149. Iohn Dubrauius in the Hstory of Bohemia lib. 14. Historigraphers make mention of their repaire into Flanders whether he pursued them and caused a great number to bee burnt And because they were constrained to retire themselues into the woods to flie from those that pursued them they were called Turlupins that is See before l. 1. c. 1. dwellers with wolues as you haue heard before in that Chapter where we haue shewed what names were giuen vnto them Mathew Paris saith that a certaine Iacobin Monke Math. Paris in the life of Henry 3. named Robert Bougre had liued amongst the Waldenses making profession of their Religion but hauing afterwards forsaken them became a Monke and a very violent persecuter in such sort that he caused many to be burnt in Flanders Now his owne friends hauing taken knowledge that he much abused the power and authority of his office laying to their charge many things whereof they were innocent and executing his authority against many that were altogether ignorant of the beliefe of the VValdenses he was not only depriued of the office of an Inquisitor but cast into prison and being conuicted of diuers crimes was condemned to perpetuall prison CHAP. XIV Of the VValdenses that were persecuted in Poland ABout the yeere of our Lord 1330 there were many that made profession of the Religion of the Waldenses in the Kingdom of Poland The Bishops had recourse to the meanes established by the Pope that is to say Flac. Illy in his Catol of the wit pa. 539. the Inquisition whereby they deliuer many of them into the hands of the executioner The Author of the Catalogue of the witnesses of the truth hath written that he hath lying by him the forme of the Inquisition which the Inquisitors made vse off in this persecution Vignier saith Vignier in his Biblio pa. 130. In his History lib. 1. that at their departure out of Picardy many of them that were persecuted there retired themselues into Poland Le Sieur de Popeliniere hath set downe in his History that the Religion of the Waldenses hath spred it selfe almost into all parts of Europe euen amongst the Polonians and Lutherans and that after the yeer one thousand one hundred they haue alwayes sowed their doctrine little differing from that of the moderne Protestants and maugre all the powers and Potentates that haue
he was sure he should repent it but it was now too late to recall it He cursed his owne imprudency and his friends and subiects his too great facility for he saw them incontinently to fortifie his Castle that it might serue them for a canesson and bridle for his owne subiects As also from the time of their entrance into that place he found that they grew bold to speake all the ill they could of the Earle Remond and that with open mouth saying that he had mocked the Pope giuing him to vnderstand that which was false and promising that which he would neuer performe insomuch that he was as great an heretike as he was before his abiuration That in the ruine and punishment of the Earle Remond the destruction of the Albingenses did consist but on the contrary though the ground were couered with the dead bodies of the Albingenses if the Earle Remond should remaine they would alwaies bud and spring vp againe and therefore it was resolued to exterminate and vtterly to destroy the house of Remond from the bottome to the top But when men purpose that which God hath otherwise disposed they come many times short So it was with the Earle Simon who was frustrated of this hope by the sudden vnexpected death of the Legat Milon which changed the face of the affaires of the said Earle Milon for he was faine to spend many yeares in the ruinating of that house of the Earle Remond and his adherents which hee had promised to doe in a few daies CHAP. VIII Theodosius succeedeth the Legat Milon proceedeth against the Earle Remond excommunicateth him and frames very violent articles against him The Earle Remond retireth himselfe from St. Giles and Arles with the king of Aragon lest they should be apprehended by the Legat Simon besiegeth Montferrand Baudoin reuolteth The king of Aragon allieth himselfe with the Earle Simon IN the yeere of our Lord 1211. Thedize gaue the Earle Remond to vnderstand that he should haue what was iust and right touching his affaires and with faire words perswaded him to come to St. Giles Being there he ript vp the businesse touching the murder of the Monke Frier Peter de Chasteauneuf from the beginning without consideration of any precedent iustification and excommunicated the said Earle Remond not as being guilty of the death of the said Monke but because he had not driuen the Albingenses out of his countrey as he was bound by promise The Earle Remond hauing felt the blast of the said excommunication retired himselfe to Toulouze not speaking a word before the Legat had meanes to publish the sentence The Bishop of Toulouze knowing hee was excommunicated sent one to certifie vnto him that hee was to depart out of the citie of Toulouze so long as the Masse was singing because he might not say Masse there being an excommunicated person within the citie The Earle Remond being much moued with the audacious boldnesse of the Bishop sent a Gentleman one of his followers to tell him that hee was to depart and that speedily out of his territories vpon paine of his life The Bishop departed and sent to the Prouost of the Cathedrall Church and to the Canons that they were to depart with them and that with the Crosse and the Banner and the Hoast and for the greater deuotion they should goe barefoot and in procession In this equipage they arriued at the Armie of the Legat where they were receiued as Martyrs persecuted for the Masse euen with teares of the Pilgrims and the generall applause of euery one The Legat thought now that he had sufficient cause to prosecute the Earle Remond as a relapse and impenitent man but yet he desired much to get hold of him because if he could once apprehend him hee would quickly make him to conclude that businesse as the Earle of Beziers did To this purpose hee flattered him by Letters full of testimonies of his great loue towards him by this meanes drew him once againe to Arles The Earle entreated the King of Aragon that he would be there to hinder if need should be any foule play that might bee offered Being come to the place the Legat commanded the King of Aragon and the said Earle Remond that they should not depart the city without his leaue vpon paine of indignation and to be prosecuted as rebells to the Church Some friend of the Earles vsed the meanes to giue him a sight of the Articles of the Sentence which the Legat had a purpose to publish against the said Earle Remond which were these that follow That the Earle of Toulouze shall incontinently dismisse and casheere all his men of Armes not retaining any one of them That he shal be obedient and subiect to the Church of which he shall repaire the damages and satisfie all costs and charges That throughout all his lands no man shall eat more than two sorts of flesh That he shall expell out of his countries and territories all the heretikes and their allies That he shall deliuer into the hands of the Legat and the Earle of Montford all those that shall bee named vnto him to doe with them as they please and that within one yeare That no man within his lands noble or ignoble shall weare any apparell of great price but blacke and course clokes That all the strong places and castles of defence belonging vnto him shall be ouerthrowne and laid euen with the ground That no Gentleman of his shall remaine or dwell in any City or Castle but shall make his abode in the fields and countrey houses as a villager That he shall not leuy in his lands any tolles but those that haue beene of old time imposed That euery master of an house shall pay yearely to the Legat foure Toulouzian pence That when the Earle of Montford or any of his people shall passe through his countries they shall pay nothing for any thing they take or spend That hauing performed all things as aboue he shall trauell beyond the Seas to make warre against the Turkes neuer returning againe into these parts but by the commandement of the Legat. That after all these things the Legat and the Earle of Montfort should restore vnto him all his Lands and Signories when it should please them These Articles being communicated to the King of Aragon he found them so vniust that he would stay no longer in that place but counselled the Earle of Toulouze presently to mount on horse-backe for feare lest they should ceaze vpon his person euen to the full execution of those Articles who it should seeme went about to enrich themselues by his spoyles And forasmuch as the said King of Aragon had perswaded the said Earle that hee should put no more confidence in the Legat and Earle Simon hee cast in his teeth his too great facillitie saying vnto him in Gascongne tongue Pla bous an pagat that is to say They haue well payed you The Legat and the Earle Simon being much
Roger de Leni The Earle of Comminge his lands which one named Ioris detained from him An aduantagious encounter for the Albingenses in Lauragues Expeditions of small effect after the death of the Earle Simon The Prince Lewis tooke Marmande and returned into France hauing summoned Toulouze to yeeld it selfe THe Earle Remond followed the victory making himselfe Master of the Castle of Narbonnes and fortifying it against the Pilgrims which hee knew very well would come the yeere following in the meane time hee sent his sonne into Agenois who brought vnto the obedience of his father Condon Holagaray in his history of Foix. 162. Marmande Aguillon and other places adioyning On the other side the Earle of Foix besieged Mirepoix summoned Roger de Leni to restore it vnto him telling him that hee was not now to hope any longer in the Earle Simon for he was dead that it must content him that he had now long enough and vniustly kept that which was his That if he changed his patience into furie he would lose both his life and Mirepoix altogether It troubled much the Marshall of the Faith for that was the vaine title which the Legats had giuen him to yeeld vp this place but in the end he deliuered it into the hands of the Earle of Foix. The Earle of Comminge had also his right of one Ioris to whom the Legats had giuen all that the Souldiers of the Crosse had taken in his Countries for he tooke them all from him yea life and all At the spring of the yeere following 1219. Almaric or Aimeri of Montfort came into Agenois with some troopes of Souldiers of the Crosse to recouer that which his father had there possessed and for this cause hee besieged Marmande The young Earle Remond of Toulouze went to succour the besieged when the Earle of Foix writ vnto him that hee had gotten a great bootie in Lauragues both of people and beasts but he feared hee should not bring it to Toulouze and not be fought withall by the way by the Garrison of Carcassone and therefore hee entreated him to succour him Young Remond tooke his iourney towards him and came in so good an houre to the Earle Foix that being vpon the point of losing his booty being followed by the Vicount of Lautrec and the Captaines Faucant and Valas. Being come to the combat Chass lib. 4. chap. 13. the said Foucant and Valas encouraged with a loud voice their Pilgrims saying that they fought for Heauen and for the Church The young Earle Remond hearing it cryed vnto his as loud as he Courage my friends for we fight for our Religion and against theeues and robbers vnder the name of the Church They haue robbed enough let vs make them vomit it vp againe and pay the arrerages of their thefts which they haue heretofore freely committed And hereupon they gaue the Charge The Vicount of Lautrec fled Foucant was taken prisoner and all their troopes cut in peeces Seguret a Captaine and professed robber was taken and hanged in the field vpon a tree Thus victorious and laden with bootie they came to Toulouze with their prisoners and cattell The siege of Marmande continued but vnprofitably and without any aduantage For Almaric hauing caused a generall assault to be made the inhabitants defended themselues with such valour and resolution that the ditches were full of the dead bodies of the Pilgrims This was at that time when the great expedition of Prince Lewis arriued who brought with him thirtie Earles An expedition for the leuying whereof the Legat Bertrand writ in these termes to King Philip Faile you not to be in the quarters of Toulouze for the whole moneth of May in the yeere 1219. with all your forces and powers to reuenge the death of the Earle Montfort and I will procure that the Pope shall publish and preach the Croisade or expedition of Christians throughout the world for your better aid and succours Thus you see how the Legat commands the King of France His sonne arriued at Marmande and summoned those within to yeeld They compound with him and he promiseth them their liues Almaric complaines thereof saying that they were not worthy of life that tooke away his Fathers He assembleth the Prelats declareth vnto them the discontent which he receiued by this composition in that life was granted vnto those who were the murderers of his Father The Prelats were all of opinion that notwithstanding the word giuen they should all die Prince Lewis his will was that the composition should hold Almaric neuerthelesse caused his troopes to slip into the Citie with charge to kill all men women and children They doe it whereat the Prince being offended departed from the Legat and Almaric and passing along summoned those of Toulouze to yeeld They defend themselues against him Hee receiueth newes of the death of his father which caused him to retire Thus you see all the effects of this great expedition which should haue buried all the Albingenses aliue and vanished without any assault giuen CHAP. IIII. The warre of the Albingenses changeth countenance because of the death of Pope Innocent the third of the change of the Legat the death of the Earle Remond of Toulouze of the disease of Remond Earle of Foix and the Lady Philippe de Moncade mother to the Earle of Foix and of the Monke Dominick THe Legat Bertrand Bonauenture being weary of the long labours of this warre and perceiuing that therein the danger was greater than either the pleasure or the profit tooke occasion vnder a pretence of his decrepit age to retire himselfe to Rome euen at that time when Pope Innocent the third being departed Pope Honorius his successour who had not managed this warre by his authoritie from the beginning thereof knew neither the importance thereof nor what direction to giue and therefore had need to be enformed by his Legat touching the meanes of the continuance thereof and the commoditie that might arise vnto his Seat Bonauenture entreated him to depute another Legat and told him that the necessitie of this warre was such that it concerned not onely the losse of all those Lands of the Albingenses which were conquered because they might be easily recouered by them if no opposition were made but also the ruine of the Church of Rome because the Doctrine of the Waldenses and Albingenses did directly shake the authoritie of the Popes and ouerthrow the Statutes of the Church That this warre had beene very chargeable and cost them deere for within the space of fifteene yeares and lesse there had died aboue three hundred thousand souldiers of the Crosse that at diuers times had come to end their liues in Languedoc as if there were not enough else-where to burie them or as if there were a necessitie in those times to be borne in France and to dye encountring the Albingenses That all this would be lost if they continued not to spend and weaken them vntill they were
Vaur Montpelier and Lotran had granted vnto him and in recompence thereof King Lewis created him Constable of France in the yeare 1224. To put himselfe into possession King Lewis the eight came into Languedoc and comming to the gates of Auignon he was denied entrance because professing the Religion of the Albingenses they had beene excommunicated and giuen by the Pope to the first Conquerour for then Auignon was no chiefe Citie of the Earldome of Venessin as at this present but belonged to the King of Naples and Sicily The King being much moued with this deniall resolued to besiege it which continued for the space of eight moneths in the end whereof they yeelded themselues about Whitsontide in the yeare 1225. During this siege almost all the cities of Languedoc acknowledged the king of France by the mediation of Mr. Amelin Archbishop of Narbonne The King established for Gouernour in Languedoc Imbert de Beauieu and tooke his way to France but hee died by the way at Montpensier in September in the yeare 1226. The young Remond Earle of Toulouze was bound by promise to the king to goe to receiue his absolution of Pope Honorius and afterwards he should giue him peaceable possession of all his lands but the death of the king in the meane time happening he saw the Realme of France in the hands of king Lewis a childe and in his minority and the regency in the power and gouernment of his mother Hee thought that hauing to deale with an infant king and a woman regent he might recouer by force that which he had quit himselfe of by agreement He therefore resolued to take armes being encouraged thereunto by the succours of the Albingenses his subiects who were in great hope to maintaine their part in strength and vigor during the Non-age of the King of France but they were deceiued in their proiect For though Lewis the ninth were in his minoritie yet he was so happie as to haue a wise and a prudent mother if euer there were any For King Lewis the eighth before his death had appointed her the Tutrix or Gardianesse of his sonne and Regent of the Realme knowing very well her great capacity and sufficiency Besides Imbert de Beauieu maintained the authority of the king in Languedoc tooke armes and made opposition against the Earle Remond and the Albingenses The History of Languedoc sol 31. The Queene sent him diuers troopes by the helpe whereof he recouered the Castle de Bonteque neare to Toulouze which was a great hinderance to Imbert and his portizans All the Albingenses that were found within the Castle were put to death and a certaine Deacon with others that would not abiure their Religion by the commandement of the said Imbert Amel the Popes Legat and the aduise of Guyon Bishop of Carcassonne they were burnt aliue in the yeare 1227. suffring death with admirable constancy The more the persecution increased the more the number of the Albingenses multiplied which Imber of Beauieu perceiuing he went to the Court to let them vnderstand that without succours he could no longer defend the countrey and the places newly annexed to the Crowne and patrimony of France against the Albingenses and the Earle Remond In the meane time whilest he was absent the Earle Remond tooke the Castle Sarrazin one of the strongest places that Imbert had in his keeping and holding the field did much hurt to his enemies Imbert came from France at the spring of the yeare one thousand two hundred twenty eight accompanied with a great Armie of the Crosse in which there was the Archbishop of Bourges the Archbishop of Aouch and of Burdeaux euery one with the Pilgrims of their iurisdiction The Earle Remond retired himselfe into Toulouze where he was presently shut vp and all the country round about euen haruest and all spoiled and wasted Being brought to this extremitie Hist of Lang. fol. 33. the Abbot of Grandselue named Elias Garin came from Amelin the Popes Legat to offer peace to the Earle Remond and the Toulouzains He was receiued with great ioy offering peace and plenty to those that were almost famished and wearied with warre Neuerthelesse the wisest amongst them who better foresaw the euent of things knew well enough that so soone as they had gotten the Earle Remond into their hands they would make vse of him to persecute them that they would establish the inquisition and kindle their fires againe and so vtterly destroy them both bodies and soules but the reasons of these men were ouercome by the importunate cries of the common people almost famished who could not see the time wherein they were fettered with the halter that should strangle them Besides the enemie wanted not people in Toulouze that were willing to terrifie the Earle Remond saying that he was not now to deale with Americ of Montfort but with a king of France who had power sufficient to ouerthrow him that continuall feuers kill men and long warres would at the last burie them all The Earle Remond passed his word to the Abbot to be at a certaine day at Vasieges there to resolue vpon that which was to bee done to bring the peace to a perfection In the meane time a truse was agreed vpon with the Toulouzains for certaine daies The Earle Remond came at the day to the place appointed and so did the Abbot of Grandselue After much discourse and communication touching a peace the Abbot made him beleeue that it would be for his greater aduantage to bee in France than in that place and that forasmuch as the businesse concerned the King that it was necessary that the Queene-mother being Tutrix vnto him and Regent of France should be present and that more would be done in a few daies than in a whole yeare the businesse requiring so many iournies and goings and commings which peraduenture would bee long and vnprofitable and so pawned his faith that hereby he should receiue all contentment Being vanquished by these promises he consented to come into France whethersoeuer the Queene-mother should appoint Meaux was the place she made choise of and his time was appointed He came thither but he was no sooner arriued but he repented and acknowledged his great ouersight in that he had giuen credit to the words of a Priest especially knowing that his deceased father had alwaies sped so ill by trusting to those that hold this for a maxime that Faith is not to be kept with Heretikes or their fauourers That he being held for such a one had no reason to looke for better successe There was therefore now no more question of treaties or communications but of submission to whatsoeuer should be enioyned him He had now no longer freedome of speech but he was carefully guarded for feare least he should fly to the Albingenses The Historiographer of Languedoc The Hist of Lang. fol. 34. though in other matters much animated against the Albingenses yet hee could not write of this without
Lay-people shall take example by those Images and figures of the liues of Saints it is most certaine that it is impossible For the Virgin Mary was an example of humility pouerty and chastity and they adorne her Image rather with vestments of pride then humility So that the Lay-people doe not reade in their habits humility but pride and auarice if they conforme themselues to the said Bookes corrupted and ill written For the Priests and the people in these dayes are couetous proud and luxurious and therefore they cause their Images to be pictured like themselues And therefore saith Dauid Thou thinkest foolishly that I am like vnto thee Obiect But there are others that say We worship the visible Images in honour of the inuisible God Answer This is false For if wee will truly honour the Image of GOD by doing good vnto men we serue and honour the Image of GOD For the Image of GOD is in euery man but the resemblance or likenesse of God is not in all but onely in those where the thought is pure and the soule humble But if we will truly honour God wee giue place vnto the truth that is to say wee doe good vnto men that are made after the Image of God we doe honour vnto God when we giue meate to those that hunger drink to those that thirst cloath to those that are naked And therefore what honour doe wee giue vnto God when we serue him in a stock or a stone when we adore idle Figures without soules as if there were some diuinity in them and contemne man who is the true Image of God Saint Chrysostome vpon Mathew saith That the Image of God cannot be painted or pictured in gold but figured in man The Money of Caesar is gold but the money of God is man And therefore if the Iewes were commanded vnder the Law that they should destroy all the figures and Images and addict themselues to one onely God as it is written in the first Booke of the Kings But Samuel said to all the House of Israel If you turne vnto the Lord with all your heart and remoue from you all your strange Gods and keepe your heart vnto the Lord and serue him onely he will deliuer you from the hands of the Philistines Much lesse then ought Christians to depend vpon such signes and Images which the Iewes did not but they ought rather to lift vp their affections vnto Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God An Exposition of the 3. Commandement Tu ne prendras point le nom du Seigneur ton Dieu en vain c. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. IN this Commandement we are forbidden to sweare falsly vainely and by custome as it is written Leuit. 19. The man that is accustomed to sweare shall bee filled with iniquity and the plague shall not depart from his house An oath confesseth God to know the truth and it is to confirme a thing doubtfull for an oath is an act of Gods seruice and therefore they that sweare by the Elements doe sinne This is the reason why Christ Iesus forbiddeth vs to sweare by any thing neither by the heauen nor by the earth or any thing else but that our speech bee Yea yea and No no and whatsoeuer is otherwise is sinne And Saint Iames in the fift Chapter of his Epistle saith Aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen neither by the earth neither by any other oath lest ye fall into condemnation An Exposition of the 4. Commandement Souuienne toy du iour du repos c. Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day c. THey that will keepe and obserue the Sabbath of Christians that is to say Sanctifie the day of the Lord must be carefull of foure things The first is 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
so is it the duty of all the faithfull to have a true compassion of the calamities of those who remain and are banisht for the cause of Christ to implore God's assastance by supplications and prayers for their preservation and deliverance and finally to communicate their goods to them for their relief Indeed as we are all members of one and the same body and oblig'd to be sensible of the evills of one another we ought above all to be lively toucht by the afflictions of those faithfull witnesses of Jesus who have suffared for his sake to maintain his truth and for the profession of his Gospell It had been easie for them all to preserve their goods and to acquire new possessions if they had been willing to make a shipwrack of their faith If the Spirit of Christ dwell in us that same Spirit who quickens us all and hath fortified those faithfull sould in their sufferings of disgraces and losses for God ought also to move us to succour them with all our power What they humbly desire of us is neither to enrich themselves nor to make us beggars They beg onely a small part of our abundance not to imploy it in excess or riot but in the preservation of their lives which they are in danger to lose through want If we have a true horrour of the cruelty of their bloody enemies how can we refuse them what Christ doth ask of us for their consolation Who fails in so just a duty instead of shewing himself a friend to Christ and to his Saints persecuted for him declares himself half their enemy and seems to embrace the party of their Persecutors in their detestable cruelty For if those inhumaue Papists have unjustly spoyl'd them of all their goods we should approve what they have done in not affording them what 's necessary for their subsistence If as 't is very true they have sinned against our Brethren through malice and rage let us beware to make our selves guilty towards them through our hardness and want of compassion If they have stript them and almost starv'd them shall we who by Gode grace are well cloathed and fed leave them both naked and hungry If their Enemies have wounded them may we not pass for their false Friends if we give them no salve but see and suffer them bleeding without binding their wounds and applying some remedies If these cruel Murtherers have taken away the lives of many shall we refuse to preserve theirs who remain after that great slaughter Yea in refusing to help the living are we minded to make their condition worse than that of their dead friends for it is certain that it is a greater cruelty to make a man languish in misery and to starve him than to kill him outright I hope that all faithfull Christians and Saints of this Country being lively touch'd by the sad and lamentable condition of those poor fugitives who are persecuted for righteousness sake will open them their bowels of mercy and will give them liberally such portion of their goods as may satisfie their hunger and help them to subsist So they shall have in their conscience the joy and comfort to have contributed to the restauration of those poor Churches which God hath rais'd and preserv'd miraculously so many Ages together Those Sanctuaries they shall revedifie will without intermission offer their prayers to God for their Benefactors prosperity and salvation Those members of Christ will bless them for their sense of their misery Gods Angels will rejoyce for their effectual compassion and God himself having as it were smelt the sweet odour or savour of the sacrifice of their Alms will now recompence them with all his temporal and spiritual blessings and hereafter will crown them in Heaven with glory and immortality A Briefe Apologie in the behalfe of the Reformed Churches in the Valleyes of Piedmont With a Narrative of what hath happened in the execution of the Arrest issued against them the 25 th of January 1655. WHereas we are forewarned by the word of God in the Apocalyps that the rage and cruelty of the infernall Dragon towards the latter end of the world would be in no wise abated but seeing his time of persecuting the Saints to be but short be the more vehemently incensed against them the Reformed Churches in severall parts especially those next unto us in Piedmont have very often heretofore as well as now had sad experience of the truth of this particular For notwithstanding that the Duke of Savoy who is Soveraign Prince of the Vallies of Piedmont after a most tedious and chargeable Application made unto him did by an edict expresly promise that he would confirm unto them an enjoyment of the liberty of Religion and of those Priviledges granted to them by his predecessors Dukes of Savoy yet through the powerfull perswasion of the Congregation as it is called for propagation of the Faith and extirpating of Hereticks erected at Turin or rather by vertue of that Authority which they usurpe over Princes he soon forgot his promise and beyonnd all mens expectations one Gastald was sent with a Commission who calls himself Conservator Generall of the Catholick Faith against the Reformed Professors affirming that he hath received instructions from the Prince wherby Command is given touching all of the Reformed Profession within the severall Towns and Precincts of Lucerne Lusernette St. John La Tour Campiglion Fenil Bobiane Bricheras and St. Second both inhabitants and strangers that in case they will not within three daies imbrace the Popish Religion they must for ever bid farewell to their Native Country their Houses their Lands and Possessions adding moreover that it should be death without mercy if after that space of time any of them were taken in those places Hereupon no sooner was the time limited over-past but immediately the Missionary Monks and Popish Priests sent in upon them a world of Cut-throats and Villains who not only gape after the prey like hounds and hunt for the precious life of these miserable Exiles but also discharge their rage and fury against their houses and Lands by cutting down and rooting up the very Trees In the mean time these our poor brethren knew not where to complaine of these injuries and lay open their Cases nor to whom being deprived of all possibility of making any addresse to the Prince and if any offer to present Petitions in their behalfes they are presently snap't and sent away to the Congregation for propagating the Faith and extirpation of Hereticks that is to their Adversaries the Arch-Bishop of Turin the Prince's Confessor the Abbot de la Monta the Prior of Rorene and some others who are politick Pensioners to the Pope Now as touching this Persecution against the Protestants whereby they are made to depart within three daies upon pain of death into such desolate places as are hardly sufficient to receive and sustain the Native inhabitants the iniquity and injustice of the proceeding appears
of a confirmation and observation of their ancient Edicts Charles Emanuel now reigning by the grace of God being come to his Majority the Reformed presently after demanded of him in all humility the confirmation of their antient priviledges He granted them the same in 1649. with some small restriction yet the Reformed not having hoped any thing better were willing and desired to have the same confirmed by the Ducal Chamber They had promise that so it should be done having received the Decree and agreed about the money and kept the whole businesse in suspence untill his Royall Highnesse because the valleyes had refused him some houses to have the Masse said in them in such Commonalties where there were no Romish Catholicks should have seized on such as he pleased ex Officio as saith his order of 1650 as Master of the Lands This being done the said Chamber granted them in June and September 1653 and in May 1654 not onely the confirmation of their antient Concessions to be as they were in use as speak the Decrees aforesaid formerly passed but as they had been in use under his Predecessors as they were found in their Decrees without adding or diminishing And there by he restored them to the ability of bearing publick charges and the right of habitation of the Commonalty of Campiglion and of the Borrough of Bobiane from whence they had been expelled But when the confirmation of these new Decrees hath likewise been granted and the money disbursed at the time appointed when they should have received it a Patrimonial Advocate was raised up who alledged that the Congregation de propagandâ side ought to be aquainted with it The said Congregation then opposed the foresaid confirmation The Reformed applied themselves again to his Royall Highnesse who referred them to the said Congregation but they refused the same as being their adversarie parties They were referred to the Marquisse de Piannesse the head of the said Congregation they appeared before him as being chief Ministers of State to his Royall Highnesse but he declared unto them that they should never expect audience unlesse they should first passe a procuration promising to accept and yield to whatsoever should be ordained They answered that ever they had dealt with their Princes by humble requests and Petitions and never by Procurations He replyed that without such Procuration no Petition would be received therefore they dressed such a procuration unto two Deputies whereby they grant them full power to accept of and to promise whatsoever should be ordained saving only their Consciences and their Concessions He refused to see the same or to receive it with that restriction and on the 13. of January of this present year 1655. he drew or caused to be drawn an order by the Delegat Gastaldo who published the same on the 25. of that Month bearing that those of Lucerne Bobiane and Fenil who formerly had been molested and S. John la Tour and S. Second should within three daies forsake their houses under pain of death unlesse within twenty daies they would go to the Masse That rigorous order much surprised them yet those of the plaine to avoid the violence of their bad neighbours presently obeyed the same and altogether made their protestations before the Delegat and demanded again that they might apply themselves to his Royal Highnesse and to have an act how they had appeared It was denyed them all the proofes they offered of their just title of habitation in those places rejected without being examined In the mean while their neighbours pillaged plundered and ruined their houses pluckt up the young Trees and cut off the tallest They complained of it and had this answer returned unto them that if these exiled persons would watch and give notice of those that were guilty they would be brought to punishment therupon some of them went down to keep their houses Presently they were declared Rebels and therefore not a word more of addresses petitions or supplications must be heard of they were left to sleep for a while In the mean time by meanes of the Auricular Confession afore Easter all the Piedmont is disposed to fall on them upon a day appointed The Father knows nothing of the Son nor the Brother of his Brother and yet the twelfth of April without any gathering of Souldiers or any foregoing preparation all is found ready All men able to bear Armes in Piedmont with all the Clergy came to the Rendezvous Printed Bils were distributed among them bearing a pleniary Indulgence all pardon besides the booty to all those that would goe and fight against the pretended Hereticks To the Army of Piedmont that of the French was presently joined which before quartered in Dauphine and was made to come over the Alpes All these Troopes and Souldies did wholly waste and burn the Plain where the interdicted places mentioned in the aforesaid order were situated That done the Marquesse de Pianess quartered in the Monastery of the Franciscan Friers at la Tour who as well as the rest of their Brothers in Piedmont are all Spaniards There he called the Deputies of Angrogn Villar and Boby of the Vale de Lucerne he much flattered them and told that as to them they were in the limits which his Royal Highnesse was resolved to tolerate that no harm would be done unto them if only they would receive a Regiment of Foot and a Troop of Horse in each Commonalty engaging his word and with oath promising the word of his Royal Highnesse But threatning them in case of refusal that they should be declared Rebels The Deputies not having leave to confer about it and seeing the French Forces with all the Piedmont ready to fall on them and hoping that the word engaged to them would be performed and that his Highness would not wholly destroy those places they consented thereunto came up with those Forces and forbad the Reformed to shoot at them But they were no sooner in those strong places but the rest of the Army fell on on all sides seized on the tops of the Mountaines put to the sword and fire whatsoever they met in their way and did practise there the cruelties whereof the Pattern may be seen in the here annexed papers Thus was Vale Lucerne destroyed From thence they came to Vale Berouse and St. Martin an Order was sent them either to go to Masse or to be gone out of the Country within twenty four hours under pain of death and forfeiture of their estates They thereupon forsook their houses and fled into the King of France's Country and thereby all gave obedience except a very little number of small people who turned Papists but notwithstanding their retreat their houses were burned to ashes and all the Country made waste as the Vale Lucerne having thereby wholly rooted out the Reformed Religion in the valley of Piedmont not one Temple nor one house neither man nor beast having been left there onely for the Romish Catholikes
A third Apologie for the said Churches against the Calumnies falsly imputed to them REceiving Information from a friend touching the Answer made at Turin I perceive those enemies of the truth the Vassals of the Court of Rome who contrived it with no Iesse Art then malice do follow their old course and after the example of him who is both a murtherer and a liar yea the Father of lies cover and so encrease their cruelty by false Calumniations For whereas they would not seem to be unjust in this banishment forced upon the Reformed Waldenses they endeavor to asperse them with fictious and Imaginary Crimes and yet dare not charge them expresly with any one Particular in writing for fear lest the Parties accused should disprove it which they know might easily be done For when the Protestants had made Answer to such Accusations as were brought against them by Gastald before the Duke's Deputy he ingenuously confessed those Crimes were objected against them without cause to wit those pious frauds or officious lyes spred abroad by the Monks and Priests to draw an Odium upon the Protestants Si accusasse sufficiat quis erit innocens If it be sufficient to accuse who then can be innocent If an accuser only in general termes say a man is wicked what Answer can be made in order to a Purgation The Protestants for their parts call God Angels and men to witnesse that they are most injuriously charged with those things Yea they humbly pray intreat and beseech they may be brought to a Trial that if any be found guilty he may be severely punished But here the Romish Clergy interpose endeavouring with their Scare-crow of Excommunication and threats of everlasting damnation so to terrifie their seduced people that no Papist dare give any Testimony though in things most evidently known to cleare the innocency of Protestants for fear lest he should be thought a favourer of Hereticks And hereupon those Monks and Priests the Contrivers of those Officious lies presuming upon their own power through the terror of Excommunication and knowing very well that no Papist will dare to give in any evidence for the refelling of their Impostures doe with a brow of brasse most audaciously devise and object whatever they please against the Reformed Professors But if the difference in Religion and consideration of parties were set aside and the whole cause brought to a hearing before impartial Judges without respect of persons and if witnesses might have liberty to give in their Testimony according to truth without fear of Excommunication all the Calumnies of the Adversaries against the Protestants would soon come to nothing They made no scruple to render them odious to the Prince by accusing them of Rebellion but the thing it selfe is clear enough to the contrary For those Protestants that were suddenly driven out of their ancient Inheritances lived some of them quiet and secure in their Cottages others wandring about in divers Countries being scattered farre distant from each other dwelt in many places but a few of them among great numbers of Papists minding nothing else but their Plough and tillage of the ground At that time they had no Meetings nor Commerce with one another Every one of them with his poor family rested in peace under his own Vine and his own fig-tree until they were driven out by Gastald the Dukes Commissioner without allowing them the benefit of any legal Protestation and Appeal What universal conspiracy then can be fastened upon all those men who were dispersed up and down 〈◊〉 Towns Villages and Fields That they lived in the seats of their Fathers and their ancient Possessions and that they had not attempted any alteration of affairs nor in any wise exceeded the Bounds and limits see and prefixed to their habitation they are able to prove by undoubted Arguments and infallible Witnesses from the very place it self We understand indeed by Letters onely of two Crimes objected against certain Protestants of which the one was a foolish childish exploit of certain Boies both Protestant and Popish at la Tour who upon occasion of a marriage between two persons of unequal years brought out an Asse belonging to the Bridegroom to mock the Bride and make mockery of the Weddings Whercupon the Monks took occasion to wrest the matter against the Protestants as intended by them to the disgrace and reproach of their Masse but upon a hearing of the businesse by the Prince's Commissioner before whom the Protestants made their defence he acquitted them as innocent in this Particular and proinised that in time to come no further mention should be made of it Neverthelesse the Monks are up with it ever and anon in other Places where the falshood of their Calumnies is not known The parents of those wanton Boies ought not to suffer for their childish doings much lesse ought that whole Church and the Protestants of other Chruches and if they deserve Banishment for this the same punishment ought also with as much reason to be inflicted upon those Papists whose children were in the same transgression The other crime objected is indeed more grievous but very wrongfully put upon the Protestants and that is the Murther of a certain Priest of Fenil whereas it is generally known to the meanest persons there that not a drop of that blood can be aspersed upon the Reformed Churches And if the Magistrate had thought any of the Protestants of Fenil in the least wise guilty of that bloodshed he would not I suppose have banished them with the rest but rather have cast them into prison that they might have been punished according to the heynousnesse of the fact◠And therefore when all the Protestants of Fenil were promiscuously commanded by Gastald to depart and let go without taking notice of any man for so horrible a Crime he thereby gave sufficient testimony to the innocence of the Protestants in this matter And truly in the Decree of banishment he makes not the least mention of that herrid businesse but by declaring those persons should be exempted from banishment that would abjure the Reformed Religion he sufficiently sheweth that the turning them out of all in the midst of winter at three daies warning upon pain of death was resolved and executed to this end and purpose that the men being reduced to harship and misery might by this means be compelled to a renouncing of their Religion But put case that any man among the Protestants of Fenil had committed that wickednesse it cannot be concluded therefore that the rest of them in Fenill much lesse that those of the same Religion in Lucerne Lusernette Bobiane St. John la Tour Bricheras and St. Second ought in justice to be thrust out of their ancient possessions For the guilt of this murther though it had been committed by a Protestant it could by no means be imputed to these or to any of the inhabitants of other Towns and Corporations that are farre distant from them As by the
Law of God and common Justice so also by several Decrees of the Dukes of Savey made in favour of the Protestants September 29. 1603. and June 4. 1653. it is prohibited that the innocent should not suffer for the guilty so the Professors of the Reformed Religion do not desire to hinder but make it their humble and earnest Request that such as are guilty may be brought to punishment From hence then it is obvious enough to any man upon what account it is that the enemies of the Reformed Churches have not onely driven very many of them out of their native Countrey and ancient dwellings into banishment but goe on stil to persecute them by a most cruel and bloody war which they have cause to believe is not carried on against them by the proper inclination and direction of the Prince himselfe but through the perswasion and instigation of the Congregation for propagating the Faith and extirpation of Hereticks who have usurped the cognizance of this Controversie being the onely persons that have hindred the Protestants from being heard by the Prince when they have presented their Petitions or made any Addresses to his Royal Highnesse But yet they so ordered the matter that they directed divers Courtiers their creatures to feed the poore Protestants with hope that the eares of the Prince being wearied out with continued Petitions they might at length obtaine the favour to have their businesse brought to a triall before competent Judges while in the mean time they prepared Forces underhand with which they make it their businesse to fall upon them unawares and oppresse and destroy them It is against this unjust violence that the Protestants endeavour to defend themselves They struggle not against their Prince but with the said Congregation for extirpating Hereticks who as in the hearing and judging of this Cause so also in the bloody execution of their sentence by the sword have for the covering of their injustice made use of the name and Authority of the most illustrious Prince Moreover they with the like injury blame those Churches in the Valleys of Piedmont about those Letters of intercession written on their behalf to the Duke of Savoy by forrein Magistrates of the Reformed Religion as if they applied themselves to States Princes abroad for protection whereas those Letters are no more but friendly offices writtten without the privity of those Churches much lesse upon their intreaty and sent by those Magistrates of their own accord induced thereto by a Pious and Zealous affection and out of a brotherly commiseration of that most grievous calamity which might have moved even stocks and stones and whereof they had sufficient notice from other Parts seeing the turning of so many men women children Infants and sick persons out of dores to the wide world in the midst of winter at three daies warning upon pain of death was become a most notorious businesse which cried out aloud of it self and by reason of the wandring of those miserable Exiles who were forced to rove up and down like vagabonds to beg their bread Nor could they be ignorant how unjustly those their Protastant brethren of the Valleys of Piedmont were oppressed by their Adversaries in the Congregation for propagating the Faith who had openly arrogated to themselves the judging of the Cause of those our brethren in the Archbishop of Turin's house contrary to all the Rules of judicial proceeding and abused the Authority of the Duke of Savoy to oppresse and destroy them An Appendix to the foregoing Apologie AS we are informed by severall Letters the ruine long intended by the enemies of the truth of the Churches of Piedmont by the permission of God being angry because of our sinnes is now executed Indeed they had put off the execution by fained shewes and hopes of reconciliation that they might the while provide all necessaries to compasse their ends But against our expectation upon the 16. of April 1655. the Army made up of the Forces of the Duke of Savoy and of the King of France amongst which were some Irish Regiments fell upon the Churches of the Valley of Lucerna and with them the Militia of Piedmont and a crew of banished theeves felons and other malefactors let on purpose out of prison and from all parts flocking together in hope of prey whose incursions in an hostile manner the Reformed mistrusting at first and fearing to be crushed ere they could be heard when all means of approach by supplication to his Highnesse the Duke of Savoy was taken from them they withdrew themselves into the mountaines But the Commander of that Army the Marquesse of Pianesse sewing the Fox skin to that of the Lyons feigned he had no other intention then to intreate the Reformed that they would approve to the Prince their faith and obedience not by bare words but by reall facts viz. by quartering onely for three daies three Regiments of the Army viz. one at Angrogne another at Villars and a third at Boby which if they did he faithfully promised that no harme to them or theirs should be done which when it was granted by the Reformed and they had received the three Regiments presently the whole Army rushed upon them no difference made of men women children or sucking babes dashing them against stones some laying hold on them by the legges and either dismembring them or hurling them headlong into precipices with such fury that the very rocks were wet bloody with their brains and that in sight of the mothers who after the murther committed upon their children were themselves likewise murthered as it was done in the Borrough of Villars and Boby with such horrible butchery that some appeared to be indeed partakers of the crosse of Christ by being nailed to trees and put to imgring deaths am ongst whom one Paul Clement a man of a very upright life who being nailed the head downward did undergoe with great constancy the butchery and continued in holy prayers to God to the very last others especially of the weaker age and sex striving to flie from the fury of the souldiers being driven through Precipices into the mountaines full of snow died of cold and of other accidents as the numerous family of the L. Scipion Bastia In the Countries of St. John and la Tour they fell with fire and Sword upon Churches and private houses this holy fire being kindled by a Priest and a Franciscan Frier thereby to prove himselfe a Seraphin with his St. Francis to whom his Disciples give the seat of Lucifer This disaster being made in the Churches of Lucerne the Commander of the neighbour Valleys under the Duke of Savoy namely in that of Perouse St. Martine and Rupelate as glorying at the thing done commanded the Inhabitants of those places in case they did not turn Papists to leave the Countrey Whereupon those who perferred the richesses of Christ and Heaven to the earthy Country chearfully went out carrying his shame and followed him
in huge numbers The names of the banished who persevered in the faith and how many they be are not yet known to us for those of Lucerne having been overwhelmed unawares they made an escape and fled where they could Of many thousands a very few have carried any thing with them whereby they might for some daies preserve life Those that remaine doe by the bowels of Christ beseech all godly men to open their hearts unto them that they may receive of him a greater reward and may reap so much the greater harvest that the field of God to receive seed is the greater An Abstract of a Letter writen from the Vale of Perouse the 17 of April 1655. Describing the beginning of the murders and cruelties committed on the said Reformed OUr teares which are no longer of water but of blood and doe not onely offuscate our sight but doe also suffocate our poor hearts and cause us to hold our pens with a trembling hand as they are led by braines not onely dulled by the blowes they just now received but also extreamly troubled by the new alarms and assaults made on us doe hinder us from framing such Letters as we could wish and such as the strangenesse of our desolations should require But we doe intreate you to excuse us and to gather from among our sobbings the sense of what we should be willing to expresse unto you Notwithstanding the reports spred abroad that we would not stoope to make our addresses to his Royal Highnesse about the molestations raised against us whereof you have had notice Yet we never ceased from writing petitioning and sending of Deputies But all the while as formerly wee have been referred sometimes to the Counsell de propagandâ fide sometimes to the Marquis de Pianness The three last times they were flatly refused audience under pretence they had not Letters of atturney sufficiently authorising them to promise and accept of whatsoever his Royal Highnesse should be pleased to offer And especially at the instigation and by means of the Romish Clergy an Army of five or six thousand men was secretly raised who unexpectedly fell upon St. John and la Tour being encouraged by the presence of the said Marquis de Piannesse who having seized on the said places was presently reinforced not onely by all such among our neighbours as were able to bear armes but by the whole Piedmont where it having been spred abroad that our goods were given to be plundered they came all upon us with such an impetuous fury and chiefly a crue of banished rogues prisoners and guilty persons upon hope of saving their own souls and filling their pockets It was not all that they might the better oppresse us five or six regiments of the French Army were sent against us besides the Irish to whom they say our country is given to possesse it and other forces that are coming up daily towards us under pretence of taking quarters and refreshing themselves in the Valleya That innumerable number of men together with the licentiousnesse of the Marquis de Piannesse being stirred up by the Monks and led and set on by our bad neighbours hath so surprized us on all sides and with such violence you and with such a dreadful treason specially in Engrogne Villar and Boby to whom the said Marquis had engaged his word that if they would but quarter for three daies a regiment in each place or Commonalty they would have no harme that in a moment all hath been brought to confusion and the Inhabitants having done somewhat towards the saving of their Temples a little lower from the fury of the Boutefence were forced to flie for saving their Wives and children not onely those of the plaine who were retired into the Mountains but also the Inhabitants of the said Mountains themselves seeing they were betraied and surprized at the back door Yet they could not use such diligence but that many of them were overtaken in several places as among the rest at Villar and Boby where they were kept in without any possibility of saving their lives the enemies having possessed themselves of the Fort of Mirebouc to hinder them from saving of themselves and an horrid massacre was done on them In a certain place or corner they villanously tormented one hundred and fifthty women and small children and having cut off their heads they dashed others against the Rocks and the prisoners they took who were firthteen years of age and upwards who would not yeild to go to 〈◊〉 were â—â—â—â—ed by them or nailed to some 〈◊〉 the feet upwards which torments they couliantly and resolutely endured We hear that those of quality have been carried to Turin as among the rest one of our poor Brethren Mr. Gros Minister and part of his family In the vale of Luserne there is neither booty nor cattel left What hath been saved from the plunder is very little the rest hath furnished several Towns of the enemies in Piedmont As to the moveables they have all been lost also There are some whole Commonalties as those of St. John and la Tour where not one house hath escaped the fire nor their Temples neither the firing of them all hath been managed by a Franciscan Fryer and a Priest Among those desolations the mother hath lost her childe the husband his wife the richest are brought to beggery and in great sorrow and are so much the farther from being comforted that some Churches being yet left untouched in the vale of Perouse and St. Martin which was a refuge to those that were persecuted this day they have received a command to be gone out of hand under pain of death namely those that are within the dominions of his Royal Highnesse having no longer time but to be gone immediately However these our fine florishing and ancient Churches are lost without ressource except God be pleased to work wonders for them Our time is come our measure was full But take pitty of the ruines of Jerusalem and lament for the wound of the poor Joseph but above all have a real compassion opening your bowels to many thousands of persons brought to poverty and beggery for having been desirous to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes Sirs and most deare Fathers and Brothers you have ever been as a sacred anchor to whom after God our poor Churches have had recourse in their afflictions take pitty on them for Gods sake at this time when they have not felt the rod but the Iron barre in doing and procuring some good both to the Pastors and to the sheep who are scattered working for them according to your wisdome and that as speedily as you can or think fit We expect that grace from your goodnesse commending our selves and our poor scattered flocks to your holy prayers praying to God that he might be pleased to preserve you and to prosper your holy Labours Lyon the 8th of May 1655. THe persecutors at the first assault having lost most of their