frustrate of myne intent knowing that I muste now play a part on the greatest stage in all Fraunce to confesse and defend infinite things which I had heretofore by word of mouth and writing condemned yea and did yet condemne in my hart Notwithstanding hauing already made the first breach into my coÌ„science by the which Sathan had made his entrey I left him the full peaceable possession of the whole minding now to doe al thinges wholy to the lyking of men laying asyde the reuerence of God and the respect of his glory Being brought to Paris and presented before the King I declared the selfe same abouesayd auowing the Romish church to be the trew church and sundry dayes together in the presence of the king of Nauarra and the prince of Conde I maynteyned the same cause agreing with the Sorbonists in that point principally and refelling that which some of the king of Nauarra his officers men fearing God did alledge to the contrarie that the Reformed church was the trew church and their religion the trew religion Furthermore touching the controuersies and points of doctrine commenly debated in some I spake lewdly and against myne owne conscience euen as they are taught in popery of other some as principally of the Masse the oblation and the presence of Christs body I made some doubt and contradiction being vrged therto by the force of the trewth but immediatly I let go and abandoned all that euer I had truely spoken by a false collusion I suffered them to coÌ„clude as they wold them selues hauing beside that serued therin ageinst myne owne coÌ„science for a miserable instrument to lead those young Princes to goe to Masse by that means to worship a false God to tread vnder their féete the only sacrifice of Christ his death And sithens I haue fallen in hand with this conference and disputation I wil giue you good aduertisement of an edict published in the name of the king of Nauarra for that they haue not bene contented ther to Chronycle my name calling but they haue followed therin the custome of the Papists who can not simply recyte that which is happened without some addition For there it is sayed that ther were certeyne other ministers of the Citie of Orleance that dyd ioyntly confesse with me them selues to be vanquished by the force of the Popishe Doctors argumentes in so muche that they should renounce and forsake the doctrine before tyme preached to the reformed Churches in Fraunce Which I doe testify and maynteyne to you to be false for there was neuer any but my self The other Ministers of the sayd congregation were better assisted of God then to haue committed such an offence Being then these twoo Princes through my false perswasions drawen in a short space to the profession of Poperye with the submissions to the same required I abode a certeine tyme at Paris during the which I was lead vp and downe as a byrde to the call to certeyne noble Ladyes and Gentlewomen of the religion who not long before had hard me preache the word of God or els had knowen mée in particuler communication to haue exhorted theÌ„ to perseuer in the doctryne of the gospel who were al maruelously abashed to sée me thus transformed into an other shape they could not be perswaded that in that which they vnderstoode of mée I spake as I thought Neuerthelesse I tolde them all indifferently that I spake euen as I did beléeue in my hart touching the opinion so stifly maynteyned of me that the Romish Church was the Catholyke Church beside other poyntes the do depend therof And not coÌ„tent to serue their turn at all assayes that did thus employe mée here and there I went of myne owne accord to diuers of myne acquayntance or els to those that them selues did séeke me or by fortune mette with mée to whom generally I gaue this counsel to acknowledge this Church albeit that I did grauÌ„t her to be full of superstitions and errors so that shée had more then néede of a reformation with sundry such other counselles of false Nicodemites and Temporizers or to speake vprightly of ypocrits and enemyes to God by outward profession And when I founde any displeased with them selues for the faute that they had commited to their great grief I dyd by and by laye before them the foresayde reasons lulling them a sléepe therwithall and laying Pillows vnder their elbows as sayeth the Prophet Ezechiel Namely I went one day of purpose to a certeyne good and vertuous Lady fearing god and to her daughter boothe nobly descended To conclude I left no body with whoÌ„ I might talke familiarly that I did not corrupt with this pernicious counsell saying that albeit the body of the Lord be not in that which is shewed at the masse yet notwithstanding that on might lawfully knele downe to it because there is a certeyne remnant and trace of the trewe Sacrament of that precious body and that in beholding the Sacrament although it differ farre from the institution of Christ the administratioÌ„ of the auncient church it suffiseth to lift vp our hatts to heauen in which place only is the trewe liuing body where our Lord â—deth reigne sitteth at the right hand of God his father Thus in this place did I moderate al absurdities and went about to playster this old ruinous buylding of popery to make there appeare a certeine likelyhoode of a goodly tabernacle And so I did entyce ageinst my conscience al those that I could to goe to masse the very heape of all Idolatry and renouncing of Iesus Christ yea I wrote letters to Madame de Buillon at Sodan by the commaundement of the Duke Montpensier her father to drawe her to the same opinion making her a sorowfull and simple recompence â–ª for the curtisy liberality receiued at hir hands as wel by me as by diuers others during the troubles of the yeare of our Lord God 1568. And albeit that I felt in my selfe the condemnation of myne owne conscience for the poynts now a dayes in controuersie and that no reasons could content me to approue the doctrine ceremonyes and exercise of the popish religion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that diuers persons had ben so bolde to reprooue me of my faultes to represent the iudgements of God before myne eyes to cyte me before the tribunall seate of Iesus Christ where all men must appeare yet notwithstaÌ„ding I was therwith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sléepe that I mynded not to make my abode any wher but at Paris now and then ther came vppon me a certeyne grief of mynd to thinke of that which was past with the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the inuocation and seruice of God of the pure administratioÌ„ of the sacraments the preachyng of the word and diligent practise of discipline and I made comparison therof with the life coÌ„uersation and exercyse of the Priests and Monkes But I was so wholy in the possession of the Prince of this world
¶ A LAMENTABLE discourse of the fall of Hughe Sureau commonly called Du Rosier from the truth his shamefull offence to the church togither with confession of his faulte penitent submissioÌ„ remorse Seruing for a notable example to al the world of the fraieltie vntowardnesse of man of the great and vnmeasurable mercie of God to his Chosen ¶ Imprinted at London for Lucas Harison and George Bishoppe 1573. ¶ THE TRANSLATOVR TO THE READER AS of all the blessinges that vve receue here in earth there is none that doth so liuely expresse Gods inward fauour towardes man as coÌ„uersion from sinne so truely there is none so dreadful a signe of his heauy reuenge as falling from fayth Mark but the history of the people of Israel and you shall finde that ther falling froÌ„ the lawe of God as it was the greatest sin which they coÌ„mitted so was it the greatest plague that euer they had Their sickenes and pestilence was nothing their dearth and famine was nothing the losse that they endured by warre was nothing their captiuity and death was nothing in comparison of reuolting from God who had chosen them for his people This was a plague of al plagues Likewise if we consider of Gods benefites towards them neither their deliueraunce out of the land of Egipt neither their safe conduct into the land of promise neither their well gouerned common wealth nor all the victories obteyned ageinst their enemies may ons be compared with that that it pleased him to turne their hartes from sinne and Idolatry to the trewe honoring of his name This was a blessing of al blessings So that in these two poyntes chiefly is set foorth vnto vs both Gods iustice and mercy His mercy in coÌ„uerting vs from sinne his iustice in leauing vs to our selues And surely there are perilous examples of renouncing and denying a professed treuth The tragicall histories of Frauncis Speyra and Iudge Hales are able to make a christiaÌ„ coÌ„scieÌ„ce to tremble No doubte it is coÌ„monly sene it is a iust plague that who so with his mouth belieth his conscience the same with his hand destroyeth him selfe Here I deny not but that God hath his secrete working beyond the reason and capacitie of man as by the pitifull discourse of this booke may easely appeare This mans fal was great his fact was detestable his mouth blasphemous his hart trayterous and iniurious to the blud of Christ yet notwithstanding al this did not God suffer him to sincke down into the pitte of dispeire but did rayse him vp ageine by the operation of his holy spirite Vndoutedly this is a rare exaumple like vnto the which many haue not ben seene in the church of god Therfore I would wish all such as are called to the testimony of the trewth to beware how grounding hereuppon they do tempt god in hope of the like fauour Let that hel and torment of conscience which they do here plainely see in this man terrify theÌ„ likewise froÌ„ denying the trewth He was sometime one of the chief ministers of the reformed church in Orleance and because I knew him my self and haue hard him preach ther sundry times I was the more willing at my frendes request to putte his booke into english hoping that all Christen men will reioyce as much at his penitent conuersion as they haue cause to be grieued at his reuolt I doubt not but there are that will scoffe at this matter and saye that he can not be of a sounde religion that hath turned his coate so ofte Of what religion then are these our men that haue turned alwayes with the time Let al turners with tyme learne of this man to returne a right It may be that some seke to shew now a more stedfastnes in error then in deed they haue â–ª to gaine therby the credite of constancy But alas it can not be called constancy to abyde in euil to continew in Idolatry to stick fast in ignorance This is obstinacy They shall neuer be accused of wauering that come out of Babel to dwell in Sion If this poore man had abidden still in the waye of perdition renouncing Christes veritie and betraying of Christians to Romish wolues oh what a heauy damnatioÌ„ had he procured to him self but God in his rich mercy hath better prouided for this loste sheepe Let all those therefore which are touched in harte with the care of gods trewth and do bewayle the ruinous decayes of Ierusalem iudge rightle hereof To conclude we may all see in this booke the liuely paterne of a trewe remorse here may we see how Saul doeth become Paul. VVhy should not the teares and mourning of Peter argue and declare the conuersion of Peter remember what a worthi father of our time when he came to the Fyre to be brent did to his hand that had subscribed to vntrewth The like maye wee hope of thys man that when tyme shall serue he vvill make both hand and tongue body life yea and all that he hath to feele the smart of that his deloyaulty Therefore good Reader be not hasty in condemning others but pray to God to strengthen thy selfe that thou mayest not fall and if thou doe fall that thou mayest ryse agayne to the glorye of GOD the edifying of hys Church and thyne owne saluation AMEN ¶ Hugh Suriaus fall and penitent Submission THe church of Christe hath had this custome of all antiquitie the the actes of Martyrs haue ben faithfully set down in writing namely their death their confession of fayth their disputing refutation of the doctrine of the aduersaries The reading of such histories did serue to confirme the faythfull in the faith to stirre them vp to the imitacion of the coÌ„stancy vertue of those personages As we reade the same to haue ben obserued by S. Luke in the narration of S. Stephens death of all the other persecutions done sens against the church the selfe same diligence hath ben followed euen till our time wherin our Lorde hath had worthy members a great nuÌ„bre that haue for his name sake suffered death namely in our countrey of Fraunce first by forme order of iustice and by sentence of the Iudge to the â—â—ath of fyre the most cruell horrible that may be deuised then afterward by murders committed without controlement last of al by the vnnatural slaughters lately executed through out the whole Realm wherof the trwe faithful histories shal in tyme to come beare witnesse signifying to posteritie how God hauing at the first but cropt as it wer certain first fruts of his field thought good now in these later dayes to make a great and plentifull haruest of his chosen In lyke case if ther haue ben any treason reuolt or notable breach of fayth committed by any one during the tyme of those persecutions men haue not ben slacke in noting such accidences to serue for an admonition to the faythful to consider with
and frinds praysing god who had done them this honour to suffer for his name Now are they grieuously tempted to mistrust the vprightnesse of the cause because they can not bée resolued on the opiniō that men ought to haue of the honorable death that so many godly Martyrs haue abiden through the crueltie of Antichrist his Supposts Héere behold an inestimable iniury done to the dead of whom the memory ought to be blessed for euer to the liuing to Christ him self for whose treuth they haue shead their blud And if I had long abidden emprisonment honger darkenes and rough handeling that to conclude this frayle flesh ouerwhelmed with so many miseries had made the spirit to yelde stoupe to such persecution it might wel haue sauered of some humane fraylty to haue moued compassion thereof But I at the very first rumour of the slaughter resolued to saue this myserable lyfe to dissemble yea to renounce the treuth Trew it is that not long before my minde was something disquieted touching the personall succession of the Church In so much that I stode in doubte whether it were not a dangerous matter to depart frō the church of Rome in the which I founde this succession Neuerthelesse this is the trewth that as sone as I had intelligence of that which was bruted the feare of death the loue of this lyfe and commodities therof seruing their turne of this my trouble of mind caused me to yeld more force thervnto then the thing required Insomuch that I was cleane out of tast with that doctryne in generall which for al that I neither did nor could doubt of But I lost all will and inclination to confesse and maynteine the same And albeit that I had rather haue escaped out of the Realme as in déede I had prepared my selfe ther vnto thā to haue stayed ther any longer that of myne own méere disposition without any maner of cōpulsion I had neuer the affection to bend my selfe against the doctryne Yet notwithstanding I was vtterly discouraged to take in hande the defence of the same I rather tooke this resolution to doe what soeuer was offered me at the instant to cleare me of al suspectiō euery wher wher I shuld passe So the great and righteous Iudge did not fayle on his part to handle me thereafter For hauing ben so many yeares together taught by him the nature of the Gospell of his sonne which is called the word of the crosse it had ben my part to haue ben the more and more assured of my vocation and of the trewth of his Church because I sawe the crosse continew still and the persecutions to grow dayly more violent But perceyuing the affliction to excéede the measure that I would haue prescribed to GOD I fell to doubte not of the doctryne in it selfe but of the Church in the respect of the personall succession For this cause GOD did iustly deliuer me to the desyer of myne owne harte to committe a faulte not onely foule and detestable but also cleane sounding ageynst reason and mans iudgement that is to say to immagine I had some reason not to confesse a trewth whereof I was fully perswaded Others that fal by infirmity doe acknowledge that they doe ageynst that they ought to do in inpugning deniyng a knowen and vndoubted trewth but I toke it to be a pointe requisite in my self to speake ageynst mine owne conscience and ageinst the assured knowledge of mine owne harte Thus in the iudgement of God those that thinke them selues wyse are prooued fooles neither did god in this beginning suffer mée to scape awaye so lightly but sithens I would néedes dally with him thinking that I should be easely set at liberty he payed me the iust reward of my first leudnes and treachery punishing the former offense by later enormities as ye haue vnderstoode The first prancke of my deloyaulty was that I did shewe my selfe not a hyreling that doeth Abandon hys charge when hée séeth the Woulphe come but I was my selfe a Woulphe yea a rauening Woulphe scatering and dissipating mine own propre flock For I wrote immediatly to the principalls of that assembly where I had ben admonishing them to acknowledge follow the church of Rome I dyd the lyke to myne owne famyly which I had before instructed in the feare of God and my little children consecrated to Iesus Christ were by this meanes plonged in the popish filthy polutions to prostrate them selues before the Idole of Idoles Being thus foundred in this first quagmyre I ceased not to wade from euill to worsse and after I had betrayed myne owne flocke myne owne flesh and bones and the little young imps that God had geuen me no maruell if I played so lamentable parts towards others Neyther then did this false dealing of myne kéepe it selfe within these bounds For I was brought to Paris to be tyed as a carthorse to the Charet wher Sathan sate in triumph ageinst the mēbers of Iesu Christ bringing them after him conquered and captiues These two young princes buds of the flower de Luce royall vertuously and faythfully instructed in the doctrine of the trewth consecrated to the glory of God called to be nurces of the Church of whome she might one day hope for some comfort perfection wer by me diuerted from the trew reformed Church brought as touching their persōs to go to Masse and consequently to set vp ageyne restablish that cursed Idolatry within the places and lymits of their dominion seigneury To be short they were by me deliuered vp as it wer to the tyrannical clutches grypes of Antichrist to sweare obedience to him and to make war ageinst the children of god For although they had great occasions to shrink considering the murders that they sawe committed the practises that wer vsed to terrefy thē and although that the brute was already spread that they went to Masse yet had they continewed pure and constant vntil my arriuall Wherfore ther is no doubt but that my tongue trayterous vntrew to my God did more preuayle with them then all the threates dangers and horrible slaughters which they hard and sawe dayly before theyr eyes whereof also if they be now wholly changed with a willing mynde to persecute the Gospell which God forbid I am alas the principal cause If they do that which they do ageynst their will they may chiefly laye the faute in me for that payne and anguish of mynde wherewith they be tormented Touching this poynte be ye aduertysed ye that reade this to praye to GOD for those personages that it will please him to take pytie vpon them and when he séeth good to repayre that inestimable losse In the meane season I was not without remorse and trouble in my conscience séeinge the pytteous woorke that was a building whereof I was an instrument or rather seing the ruine and subuersion of the Churche where I my selfe gaue the greatest blowes to
haue good cause to tremble at that which our Lord hath denounced that at the great day he will be ashamed of those that are ashamed of him his word before men Let my exaumple serue you for a glasse and haue a dilygent eye to your selues you that haue abode vpright till this present sée that you kéepe preciously that so singuler a benefite that God hath so carefully kept for you suffer not that vncorruptible crowne to bée taken from you but constantly finish your course knowing that he that contineweth to the ende shall be saued And you alas that are the greatest number who eyther by myne exaumple are slipte out of the way or by myne occasion confirmed in your reuolt take héed the Deuil doe not bewitch you to make you fynde that swéete which is bitter to call lighte darkenes and darknes light bu kéepe the séede of the feare of God which is yet remayning in your harts nurrish and cherish it as a languishing fyre wayting the meanes to escape out of the captiuity more griouous then that of Egipt and vsing the same when .. God shal offer them vnto you ▪ Especially your grace Syr that haue receyued thys good and holye instruction from your youth in the trewe knowledge of GOD. Remember the fayth that was in your mother and Grandmother Quéenes of Nauarra And as Sainct Paule doeth by suche exaumples exhort his Timothe so thinke the same to apperteyne to you to the end that you may be as well heyre to the fayth of those holy Ladyes as you haue succéeded them in the Realme And pardon mée the iniury that I haue done to you humbly beséeching you in the name of GOD that as I haue ben a pestilent instrument to peruert you so nowe my exaumple may serue to conuert you to the lord You also moste noble Prince be myndfull of the zeale godlines and constancy in trewe religion whereof you haue séene the liuely paterns of your late of worthy memory Grandmother Father and mother I haue serued you in steade of a wicked spirite and euill counseler but lette not that which was sayed in tyme of force and violence beare so much sway and authoritye wyth you that for the same you should forgette the holye instructions which haue ben gyuen yow by aduised deliberation many years before Compare the presente estate whereunto you be now brought receyuing no comfort or edificatiō at al of that which your Amner doeth read or sing before you in his Portesse or Massebooke with the when you were present at the holy exhortatiōs and enterpreting of Gods word where you your self did help to sing prayses vnto his name And for as muche as manye may be kepte back in this reuolt through the reasons that they then vnderstood of mée at sundry tymes and in sundry places or els through certeyne writings that haue ben scattered abroad touching the trewe Church and by what markes she oughte to be discerned by the which at that time I went aboute to conclude that the Church of Roome deserued this title I beséech al Christian readers not to stay vppō those reasons so vayne and of so small importaunce Trew it is that see that time yea and somewhat afore I had be shakē therwithall as I haue confessed But sens hauing withdrawē mi self into these parts I haue learned and found out that they are but abuses and fallacyes easye to bée discouered and refuted for the which let it be graunted that they had greater appearance of sound reasons yet can not I be excused but that I did leudly and villenously to refuse to witnesse that treuth with my mouth which I did verely beléeue in my harte to exhort those that I could ageinst my cōsciēce to go to Masse and to yéeld obediēce to Antichrist Now as I doe by this present writing make open confession of my to too haynous enormity for a piece of amends and reparation of the offence publikely geuen so am I determined God willing to write of this matter of the Church to take away all doubt and scruple from the wauering cōsciences that be not yet fully resolued for that they haue hard the sayd reasons To conclude being now at full liberty to stick boldly without feare to that Church which in my harte I doe alowe of I protest before god to recognyse and acknowledge that for the trewe Church whiche hath for the rule of her fayth the holy scripture of the old newe Testament the olde conteyned in the lawe Psalms and Prophets as our Lord him self doeth deuide it the newe in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles anowyng for trewe markes of the Churche not the succession of persones and of menne but of the Doctryne of the Prophetes and Apostles Sithens it is manyfest that we can not acknowledge any for the house of GOD but that which is the piller and staye of the treweth nor anye to bée of the folde of Christ but those only that heare hys voyce and follow him and that shée is the trewe Spouse that hath Christ for her Spouse briefely that it is necessary to goe out of that Church wherein one can not abyde wythoute renouncyng of Iesus Christ and to be shorte without losse of bodye and Soule by dishonoring and offending of GOD. According whereunto I doe also embrace the confession of Fayth published in the name of the reformed Churches of Fraunce acknowledging and auowing the same to be a Christian confession by the conformitye and agréement that it hath with the holy Scripturs and ioyntly the Ecclesiastycall discyplyne to bée the conducte and gouernement of the people of god Wyth lyke assuraunce I holde and beléeue with all my harte and confesse as well by mouth as by writyng that those which for thys reformation haue a fewe yeares sence suffered death eyther by order of Iustyce or by the late blouddy murders more cruell then those of the Gotes or Vandales are trewe and blessed Martyrs of Iesus Christ dead for hys name and his holy trewth And for the commendation and prayse of them together for their comfort and consolation that are yet liuing women children parentes and frindes this sentence of Sainct Paule to the Thessalonians maye by good right be applyed yée are made followers of the congregacions of GOD that are at Iudea in Iesus Christ because yée haue suffered the selfe same thynges by them of your owne natyon as they dyd by the Ievves Who likewyse haue kylled the Lorde Iesus and their owne Prophetes and haue banyshed vs they please not GOD and are aduersaries to al men not suffering vs to speak to the Gentils for their saluation to the ende that they may dayly heape vp their sins for the wrath of god is come vppon them to the vttermost Wherfore O ye faithful pastors of the Christian Church Stewards of the misteries of god that hath giuen you the word of reconciliation to the end that ye maye be Ambassadors for Christ ye that sometymes