baptized as their parents or any other whom God had made charitable in that kind True it is that being constrained for some certaine hundred yeares to suffer their children to be baptized by the Priests of the Church of Rome they deferred the doing thereof as long as they could possibly because they had in detestation those humane inuentions which were added to that holy Sacrament which they held to be but pollutions therof And forasmuch as their Pastors which they called Barbes were many times abroad imployed in the seruice of their Churches they could not haue the Sacrament of Baptisme administred to their infants by their owne Ministers for this cause they kept them long from Baptisme which the Priests perceiuing and taking notice of charged them thereupon with this imposture which not onely their aduersaries haue beleeued but diuerse others who haue well approued of their life and faith in all other points The fifth calumnie was that they adored their Pastors prostrating themselues before them To iustifie the Waldenses from this imposture there needs no more but that the Reader will be pleased to take the paines to reade that which they haue written touching the adoration of one onely God in the exposition that they made in the booke of their doctrine vpon the first Commandement of the Law of God There you shall find that they haue giuen much honour euen to their Pastors as vnto those that keepe the word of Reconciliation entertaining them charitably accompting themselues obliged thereunto for conscience sake but that they euer had any intention to giue that worship to the creature that is onely due vnto the Creator can neuer be made good but by way of calumnie It appeareth by the processe formed by the said Albert against the Waldenses of the Alpes Howsoeuer Albert de Capitaneis their deadly enemie in the Diocesse of Turin would haue extorted from them that they adored their Pastors which he could neuer enforce them to confesse The sixt calumnie was that they maintained that it was not lawfull to sweare at all In their booke intituled the Spirituall Almanacke in the exposition of the third commandement They say and affirme that there are lawfull oathes tending to the honour of God and the edification of our neighbours alledging that place in the 6. Heb. 16. That men sweare by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife As also they alledge that it was enioyned the people of Israel to sweare by the name of the eternall God Deut. 6.13 and the examples of those oathes that past betweene Abimelec and Isaac Gen. 26.31 and the oath of Iacob Gen. 31.53 The seuenth calumnie was to make them odious to the people as if they had preferred the peace with the Turke before that with the Church the kingdome of Christ affirming that they maintained that the Pope did mortally sinne when he sends an expedition of souldiers with the badge of the crosse vpon their Cassockes or Coatarmour against the Sarazens For their iustification herein we must obserue In the booke of the causes of their separation frō the Church of Rome p. 235 that they complaine not of the enterprise of warre against the Turkes but of those spoiles that the Popes make of the goods of the Church and other diuine graces vnder the pretence thereof abusing the ignorant people with their Buls and Benedictions who too willingly receiue their lies and inuentions buying them at a deare rate As also they thinke hardly of it that the Pope should send out his Croisades his crossed souldiers being strangers to pursue them as heretickes before they be heard or conuinced to be such But they are not the onely men that condemne this auarice which the reuenging spirits of the Popes haue shewed by their Croisades Paulus Langius a Germane Historiographer layes an imputation vpon Leo the tenth Paul Lan. in his Chronicle of France 1513. See the examination of the Councell of Trent lib. 1. c. 5 that he leuied great summes of money vnder a pretence of warre against the Turkes which he bestowed shortly after vpon thirtie Cardinals which he had newly created Guicciardine noteth in his Historie that the selfe same Pope imposed great exactions vpon the people the benefit whereof fell into the lap of his sister Magdalen and that all that leuie of money was but to satisfie the auarice of a woman and that the Bishop of Aremboldo was thought by him a commissarie worthy such an action to put it in execution with all manner of extortion Alexander the fourth conuerted the vow of Hierusalem to the vow of Pouille that is to say A part of Naples whose inhabitants are held very dangerous the vow of reuenge For he gaue power to his Legats to absolue the King of England Henry the third by name dispensing with his vow of the crosse for Hierusalem vpon condition that he should go to Pouille to make warre against Manfred Frederic Emperour not long before It is the Historiographer Math. Paris Math. Paris in his Historie of England See the first booke of the examination of the Councell of Trent cap. 5. In the booke of the causes of their separation frō the Church of Rome p. 125 that setteth downe the complaint that then was made that is to say that the tenths imployed for the succour of the holy Land were taken away and conuerted to the reliefe of Pouille against the Christians The eight calumnie was that they vsed no reuerence towards holy and consecrated places holding that that man sinned not more grieuously that burneth a Church then he that breakes into any other house They say that neither the place nor the chaire make a man the more holy and they haue maintained that they deceiue themselues much that comfort themselues or presume the more because of the dignitie of the place for what place more high then Paradise what place more secure then heauen and yet neuerthelesse man was banished out of Paradise for sinning there and the Angels were throwne from heauen to the end they might be examples to those that came after and to teach them that it is not the place nor the greatnesse nor dignitie thereof that makes a man holy but the innocencie of his life Against the ninth calumnie that is to say that they defend that the Magistrate ought not to condemne any to death they say In the booke of the Waldenses entituled The light of the treasure of faith fol. 214. That it is writtē that we are not to suffer the malefactor to liue and that without correction and discipline doctrine serues to no purpose neither should iudgements be acknowledged nor sinnes punished And therefore iust anger is the mother of discipline and patience without reason the seed of vices and permitteth the wicked to digresse from truth and honestie It appeareth by the complaint they made to the King Ladislaus King of Hungary and Bohemia True
of Rome is the true Babylon and that the Pope is the fountaine of all the euils in these dayes That the marriage of Priests is good and necessary That they that heare the word of God and haue the true knowledge thereof are the true Church vnto which Christ Iesus hath deliuered the keyes to let in the flocke and to chase away the wolues Behold here saith Vinaux the doctrine of the Waldenses which the enemies of the truth haue impugned and for which in those times they persecuted them as their enemies themselues do witnesse Viret of the true false religion lib. 4. chap. 13. p. 249. Viret speakes of the Waldenses as followeth The Papists saith he haue imposed great crimes and that very wrongfully vpon those ancient faithfull people commonly called Waldenses or the poore people of Lions frō Waldo whose doctrine they followed by which they make it appeare that the Pope is Antichrist and that his doctrine is nothing else but humane traditions contrary to the doctrine of Christ Iesus For which cause they haue dealt against them as the ancient Painims did against the Christians accusing them that they killed their owne children in their assemblies The Ecclesiasticall History of the reformed Churches of France tom 1. lib. 1. p. 35. The Author of the Historie of the reformed Churches in France writeth thus The Waldenses saith he time out of mind haue opposed themselues against the abuses of the Church of Rome and haue in such sort bene persecuted not by the sword of the word of God but by all kind of violence and crueltie as also by a million of calumnies and false accusations that they haue bene enforced to disperse themselues into what parts of the world they could wandring through desart places like poore sauage beasts the Lord neuerthelesse preseruing the remnant of them in such sort that notwithstanding the fury of the whole world they were still preserued in three countries farre distant one from the other that is Calabria Bohemia and Piemont with the bordering parts thereabout from whence they haue bene dispersed into the quarters of Prouence about two hundred seuentie yeares since And as touching their religion they haue alwayes auoyded the Papall superstition For which cause they haue bene alwayes vexed by the Bishops and Inquisitors abusing the power of secular iustice in such sort that it is an euident miracle of God that they should be able to continue Iohn Chassagnon writes as followeth Iohn Chassagnon in his Historie of the Albigeois p. 25. It is written of the Waldenses saith he that they reiected all the traditions and ordinances of the Church of Rome as vnprofitable and superstitious and that they made no great account of their Clergie and Prelates And for this cause being excommunicated and chased out of the countrey they dispersed themselues into many and diuerse places as into Dauphiney Prouence Languedoc Piemont Calabria Bohemia England and other places Some haue written that one part of the Waldenses retired themselues into Lombardie where they multiplyed in such a manner that their doctrine was dispersed throughout all Italie and came as farre as Sicile Neuerthelesse in this great dispersion they alwayes kept themselues in vnion and fraternitie for the space of foure hundred yeares liuing in great sinceritie and the feare of God The Historie of the Estate of the Church p. 336. The Author of the Historie of the State of the Church writes of them thus After that Waldo saith he and his followers were driuen out of Lions one part of them retired to Lombardie where they multiplied in such a manner that their doctrine began to disperse it selfe into Italie and came into Sicile as the Patents of Fredericke the second giuen out against them whilest he reigned do witnesse Vesemb in his oration of the Waldenses p. 3. Vesembecius saith that when the Pope and his catch-poles saw that the Romane Hierarchie receiued great detriment by meanes of the Waldenses insomuch that there were certaine Princes that had taken their defence amongst whom was the King of Aragon and the Earles of Toulouze in those dayes puissant Princes in France they began to oppresse them vpon most vniust occasions bringing them into hatred with the people and especially of Kings to the end that by this meanes they might be vtterly exterminated Vignier in his Historicall Bibliothec p. 130. Vignier makes mention of the Waldenses in his Historical Bibliotheke and saith that they haue endured many long and grieuous persecutions and yet notwithstanding there was neuer any thing that could hinder them from retaining that doctrine which they had receiued from the Waldenses deliuering it as it were from hand to hand vnto their children Hologaray in his History of Foix p. 120. 121. Hologaray affirmes that the Waldenses and Albigenses were of a contrary opinion to the Bishop of Rome in all those maximes or principles that were publickly preached commanded by his authoritie that is that were inuented by him and contrary to the word of God And he witnesseth withall that there were amongst them wise men and very learned and sufficient to defend their beliefe against the Monkes Mathias Illyricus writes Math. Illyricus in his Catal. of the witnesses of the truth p. 134. that he finds by the writings of Waldo which lay by him in certaine ancient parchments that Waldo was a learned man and that he did not cause the bookes of the Bible to be translated into the vulgar tongue but that he tooke paines therein himselfe It is most certaine that the aduersaries of Waldo and the Waldenses make no great account of these aboue named testimonies because they hold them to be both of one and the same ranke and order both the witnesses and those to whom they beare witnesse that is all for hereticks but this Historie is not onely for the enemies of the truth but to the end the louers thereof may see that that which is here produced doth not intend onely our owne particular commendations but to shew that there haue bene before vs certaine great personages whose memorie they reuerence that haue spoken of the Waldenses as of the true Sacraments of God who haue maintained the truth with the losse of their liues and earnestly desired in their times to see the reformation we enioy in ours And as le Sieur de S. Aldegonde saith In the first table of his differences the third part p. 150. the occasion why they were condemned for heretickes was no other but because they maintained that the Masse was an impious corruption of the holy Supper of the Lord. That the Hoste was an idoll forged by men That the Church of Rome was wholly adulterated and corrupted and full of infidelitie and idolatrie That the traditions of the Church were but superstitions and humane inuentions That the Pope was not the head of the Church and for other points of this nature And as the said Aldegonde obserues it was
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 commiseration so lamentable was the condition of this Lord. These are his words It was a lamentable thing saith hee to see so braue a man that was able for so long a time to make resistance against so many people to come in his shirt and his linnen breeches bare foot to the Altar in the presence of two Cardinalls of the Church of Rome the one the Legat in France the other the Legat in England But this is not all the ignominious punishment that was inflicted but he notes besides that of so many conditions of that peace euery one of them saith he had beene sufficient for the price of his ransome if the king had beene in the field making warre against him CHAP. VI. The Articles of the treatie of the Earle Remond of Toulouze with the Popes Legat Amelin and the Queene mother of Lewis the ninth King of France IT was an easie matter to finish this treatie These articles are to be foūd in the Biblioth of Peres Tom. 7. because the Articles were proposed to the Earle Remond with this condition that they should be signed by himselfe without reply Article 1. That after the Earle Remond shall haue asked pardon according to the order appointed that is to say bareheaded barefoot in his shirt with a torch in his hand for all that he had done against the Church he shall promise to defend the faith and driue away all Heretikes out of his lands and territories Article 2. That hee should pay to the Church as long as he liueth euery yeare three Markes of Siluer 3. That he should giue once and incontinently the summe of six thousand Marks of Siluer for the reparations of the Cities Castles and houses that had beene either by himselfe or his father destroyed and ruinated during the warres past 4. That he should giue for the reparation of Moustier and the maintenance and nourishment of the Monkes of Cisteaux two thousand Markes of Siluer 5. For the Monkes of Cleruaux fiue hundred Markes of Siluer 6. For those of Grand Selue and the reparation of their Moustier a thousand Markes of Siluer 7. For the Church of Belle Perche three hundred Markes of Siluer 8. For the reparation of the Castle Narbonnes six thousand markes of Siluer and that the Legat should keepe it for ten yeares in the name of the Church 9. For the maintenance of foure Masters in diuinitie two Doctors of the Canon Law two Masters of Art and two Masters Gramarians who should reade euery one in his quality euery day to such schollers as should come to Toulouze the summe of foure thousand markes of Siluer whereof euery Master in Diuinitie should haue twenty fiue Markes of Siluer by the yeare for the terme of ten yeares the Doctor of the Law should haue fifteene Markes by the yeare during the space of ten yeares The Master of Artes ten Markes 10. That he should take the Crosse at the hands of the Legat to goe beyond the seas to make warre against the Turkes and Sarazins and should goe to Rhodes where hee should stay for the space of fiue yeares from whence he should bring a certificat from the great Master of Rhodes 11. That from thenceforward hee should enterprise nothing against the Church 12. That he should make warre against the Earle of Foix and his allies neuer making peace with them but by the leaue of the Legat. 13. That he should ouerthrow and demollish all the walles towers and fortresses of Toulouze as the Legat shall ordaine and appoint 14. That he should vtterly subuert and pull downe from the bottome to the top thirty fiue cities or Castles of which these that follow should bee of the number that is to say Fauiaux Castelnau d'Arri la Bastide Auignonnet Pech Laurence Saint Paul La Vaur Rebasteins Guaillac Montagut Hautpec Verdun Castel Sarrazin Montauban Agen Sauerdun Condon Auterine and others that shall be named vnto him by the
MARTINVS LVTHERVS Roma orbem domuit Romam sibi Papa subegit Viribus illa suis fraudibus is te suis. Quanto is to maior Lutherus maior et illa Jstum illámque uno qui domuit calamo Cum priuill LVTHERS FORE-RVNNERS OR A CLOVD OF WITNESSES DEposing for the Protestant faith Gathered together in the Historie of the Waldenses Who for diuers hundred yeares before Luther successiuely opposed Popery professed the truth of the Gospell and sealed it with their bloud Being most grieuously persecuted and many thousands of them martyred by the tyrannie of that Man of sinne and his superstitious Adherents and cruell instruments Diuided into three parts The first concernes their originall beginning the puritie of their Religion the persecutions which they haue suffered throughout all Europe for the space of aboue foure hundred and fiftie yeares The second containes the historie of the Waldenses called Albingenses The third concerneth the doctrine and discipline which hath bene common amongst them and the confutation of the doctrine of their aduersaries All which hath bene faithfully collected out of the Authors named in the page following the Preface By I P. P. L. Translated out of French by SAMSON LENNARD LONDON Printed for Nathanael Newbery and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre vnder Saint Peters Church in Cornhill and in Popes-head Alley 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM EARLE OF PEMBROOKE BARON HERBERT of Cardiff Lord Parre and Rosse of Candale Lord Fitz Hugh Marmion and Saint Quintin Lord Chamberlaine of his Maiesties House Lord Guardien of the Stannery and Gouernour of the Towne and Castle of Portesmouth Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsell RIght Honorable The more then honourable and princely Prophet Dauid entring into a due consideration with himselfe how to shew himselfe thankfull vnto God for his great and vnspeakable mercies and fauours bestowed on him he cryeth out Quid retribuam Domino what shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits bestowed on me and finding nothing could be returned that could carrie the least proportion to his bounties he presently answereth I will receiue and not render I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. A strange kinde of retribution it is to repay by taking more and yet thus stands the case at this time betwixt your Honor and my selfe I haue many a time and oft meditated with my selfe how to do your Honor seruice and to shew my selfe thankfull in some measure for that honorable fauour and readinesse I haue euer found in you to do me good but finding nothing in my selfe that might any way paralell your goodnesse I was enforced to say with Dauid I will take and not giue I will requite by asking more My humble petition therefore to your Honor is that you would be pleased to honor these my weake labours with your honorable protection The reasons that embolden me to request this fauour at your hands are principally three First the loue you once bare to my honorable friend and deare cozen Henry Lord Dacres of the South the want of whom I feele the lesse because I finde no want of loue in your selfe towards me for his sake The second is that loue and dutie I did euer owe to your more then honorable Vncle Sir Philip Sidney whom I followed in the warres of the Netherland when he receiued his fatall wound The last and principall is your loue to God and true religion which hath made God to loue you and the world to honour you The truth of which religion and visibilitie of this our Church of England is made manifest in this history for the last foure hundred and fifty yeares which confutes that common and triuiall obiection of the common Aduersarie that our religion began with Luther The Lord of his infinite mercie make you euer constant in the profession and defence of the same truth and religion which you haue bene borne and bred in that as your loue towards God doth daily increase Gods loue towards you may increase too to your euerlasting honour in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come Your Honors in all dutie to be commanded Samson Lennard TO THE MOST HIGH AND PVISSANT LORD FRANCIS DE BONNE Duke Peere and Mareschal now Constable of France Lieutenant Generall for his Maiestie in Dauphiney Lord of Lesdiguieres c. MY very good Lord this Historie doth rightly belong vnto you and you may challenge it as your due for many reasons First because the most populous Churches of the Waldenses are within the circuite and enclosure of your gouernment they haue had no time to breath in with libertie but onely then when about some fortie yeares since you defended them from the outrages of their enemies both within and without the Realme God chearing them vp by his goodnesse they haue had a sure protection by your loue and fauour and a strong bulwarke vnder your name Besides the proofes of the sufferings of their forefathers in passed ages are the holy booties and spoyles that were made in the taking of Ambrun when you reduced that City to the obediēce of the King The Archbishops of that place haue carefully kept for aboue these last 4. hundred yeares the processe and proceedings against the said Waldēsian Churches which hath brought vpon those that persecuted thē an euerlasting shame and dishonour and contrarily haue eternized the pietie and iudgement of that follower of yours that kept the bagge of the said processe from the fire of the Archbishop of the said place whose accesse to the Tower where they were saued the enemie endeuoured to withstand It was the Lord of Vulcon Counseller to the King in the Court of Parliament at Grenoble that recoured them and brought them to our hands contenting himselfe in all that conquest with that onely bagge which inditeth the diuell himselfe with all his adherents being reserued for the good and edification of the Church of God All which being well considered this benefit comes from you my Lord and the fruite of your armes Hauing therefore resolued with my selfe to bring this historie to light vnder your name I haue but brought it to it first originall by restoring it to it first benefactor and dedicating this edifice to him that hath furnished it with the most substantiall matter And herein I haue wrought the more certaintie vnto it in that I haue dedicated it to him that hath seene and knowne more of the state of the said Waldenses then I can write And herein especially doth the worke of God shew it selfe when men of one and the same name and one and the same Prouince haue bene so different in their designes For it is aboue three hundred yeares since that the noble Arroas de Bonne persecuted in Dauphiney the fathers and grandfathers of those whom our noble and great Francis de Bonne hath restored
be faithfull and obedient vnto you for then God will blesse them For the rest be not grieued concerning my selfe for if God haue appointed that I am come to the end of my daies and that it pleaseth the Almighty God that I shall render vp my soule which hee hath long time lent me my trust in him is that out of his abundant mercy hee will receiue it into heauen for the loue of his Sonne Christ Iusus by whom I belieue that our sinnes are blotted cut euen by his precious death and passion And I begge at his mercifull hands that he will accompany mee vnto the end by the powerfull assistance of his holy Spirit Bee alwaies carefull to pray vnto God and to serue him for so God will blesse and serue you Take no care to send me any thing for these three weekes and then you may send me if you please some money to pay the Iaylor and some thing else to succour me if I liue till then Remember also that which I haue often told you that is that God prolonged the life of King Ezechias for fifteene yeeres but that he had prolonged mine a great deale more for it is a long time agoe that you haue seen me in a manner dead and neuerthelesse I am yet aliue and I hope and hold for certaine that hee will still preserue mee aliue vntill my death shall be better for his glory and mine owne felicity through his grace and mercy towards me From the Prison at Ast Sept. 16. 1601. The Bishop of Ast was much troubled what to determine concerning this poore man For if he should let him goe they feared a scandall and that many would gather heart and courage to speake with a loud voice against the Romish Religion On the other side there was a clause in the treaty made betweene his Highnesse and the Waldenses which cleared him from all offence in these words And if any question shall bee mooued vnto them touching their faith being in Piedmont with other his Highnesses Subiects it shall be lawfull for them to answere not incurring thereby any punishment reall or personall Now he was asked the question and therefore to be quit from blame But the Bishop would not haue it said that hee had committed him to prison vniustly To the end therefore that his death might not bee imputed vnto him and it might not be thought that he sent him away absolued he sent his indictment to Pope Clement the eight to vnderstand what course hee should take herein It could neuer be knowne what answere the Bishop had but shortly after hee was found dead in prison not without some appearance that he was strangled for feare least if he should haue been publikely executed he might edifie and strengthen the people by his confession and constancy After his death he was condemned to be burnt and so being brought out of prison his sentence was read in the same place and cast into the fire And this was the last of the Waldenses that is come to our knowledge that hath been persecuted to the death for his beliefe CHAP. V. Of the Waldenses inhabiting in the Valleys of Meane and Maites and the Marquisate of Saluces and the last persecutions that they suffered AT what time the Waldenses of Dauphine dispersed themselues in Piedmont there were some that made their abode in the Marquisate of Saluces in the Valleys Maties and Meane and the parts thereabouts These were not forborne during the grieuous persecutions which their brethren of the Valleys of Angrongne Saint Martin and others suffered All their refuge was to flie into the said Valleys namely when the said Gouernours of the said Marquisate persecuted them by the commandement of the Kings of France who condemned to death within their Realmes all such as made profession of the same beliefe that they did Now the deceased King of Happy memory Henry the Great and fourth of that name hauing giuen to his Subiects an edict of pacification the Waldenses that liued in the Marquisate inioyed the same priuiledges that the other Subiects did of the same Realme but when afterwards by the treaty with the Duke of Sauoy la Bresse was changed for the Marquisate of Saluces the poore Waldenses were depriued of the free exercises of their Religion within the iurisdiction of the said Marquisate for at the instance of the Nuntio of Pope Clement the eight the free liberty of their Religion was not onely interdicted but by a new edict all they were banished that within the said Marquisate made profession of any other Religion then that of the Church of Rome and for the better furtherance of their speedy departure there were sent to the said Valleys and Marquisate a great number of Monkes Inquisitors who went from house to house examining the consciences of euery one by which meanes there were aboue fiue hundred families banished who retired themselues into the Realme of France but especially into Dauphine And to the end that in those places into which they were come it might not be cast in their teeth that they were banished out of their Countries for some wickednesse that they had committed but that it was onely the zeale they bare to their religion that had made them wanderers in the world they made this Declaration following in the yeere 1603. 1603. The Declaration of the VValdenses of the Valleys Maties and Meane and the Marquisate of Saluces made in the yeere 1603. FOrasmuch as time out of minde and from the father vnto the sonne our Predecessors haue been instructed and nourished in the doctrine and Religion whereof from our infancy we haue made open profession and haue instructed our families as we haue learnt of our fore-fathers As also that during the time that the King of France held the Marquisate of Saluces it was lawfull for vs to make profession not being disquieted or molested as our brethren of the Valleys of Lucerna la Perouse and others who by an expresse treaty and agreement made with our Soueraign Prince Lord haue inioyed vnto this present the free exercise of the reformed religion but his Highnesse being perswaded by euill councell and ill affected people rather then his owne will hath resolued to molest vs and to that end hath published an edict To the end therefore that it may be made known to all men that it is not for any crime committed either against the person of our Prince or for any rebellion against his edicts or the committing of any murthers or theft that wee are thus tormented and spoiled of our goods and houses Wee declare that being certainly assured and perswaded that the doctrine and Religion taught and followed in the reformed Churches as well of France Switserland Germany Geneua England Scotland Denmarke Suedia Polonia as other Realmes Countries and Signories whereof we haue vnto this present time made open profession vnder the obedience of our Princes and Soueraigne Lords is the onely true doctrine and Christian
had begun to inhabit in Lombardie and within his Realme of Sicile where he commanded they should be persecuted with all rigour to the end they might be driuen out from thence and the whole world together Roger King of Sicile made also constitutions against them and caused them to be persecuted Pope Gregory the 9. did grieuously persecute them Sigonius de regno Italico li. 17. A Legat of his banished them out of all Italy Citties and Counties and gaue command that their houses should be razed He appointed in the Citty of Milan two Preachers who by the authority of the Arch-bishop made a strict enquiry of the Waldenses and where they could apprehend any they caused them to be brought by the Pretor to the place where the Arch-bishop had appointed and that at the publike charge Pope Honorius caused them to be grieuously persecuted vnder the name of Fraticelli that is to say shifting companions for some doe hold that as many as were so called in Italy were no other but Waldenses In the time of Boniface 8 they were charged with the same calumnies as the Waldenses of Dauphine and the Christians of the primitiue Church The Monkes Inquisitors haue alwaies made in Italy an exact search that they might deliuer them to the secular power and not being content to condemne the liuing they framed indictments against the dead dis-interred their bodies burnt their bones and confiscated their goods Paul Aemil. in Charles the faire Paulus Aemilius speakes thus of these shifting fellowes In the time of Charles le Bel saith he there were many great spirits and men very learned That age flourished in learning and some there were that were truely holy others who endeauouring vnseasonably and without measure to out-strip others became wicked others whose manners and institutions were doubtfull as for the best and holiest the wicked of those times bare them a grudge afflicting them not speaking a word or telling them wherefore And as for those whom they called Fraterculos Shifters the Preachers condemned them both by word and writing I vnderstand the words but not the sence cest escarlotte ces biens ceste domination and taught that they agreed not with the Religion of Christ They were said to be of the same beliefe with the Waldenses because such was their doctrine One amongst the rest named Herman being buried at Ferrara See the Sea of histories in the yeer 1300. was condemned twenty yeeres after his death to bee dis-interred and his bones to be burnt notwithstanding that whilest hee liued hee were accounted a holy man Also there was another named Andrew and his wife Guillaume that were dis-interred and their bones burnt CHAP. XVII That some of the Waldenses did flie into Dalmatia Croatia Sclauonia Constantinople Grecia Philadelphia Digonicia Liuonia Sarmatia Bulgaria and were there persecuted THe Monke Rainerius in his booke of the forme of proceeding against the Heretickes Rain de forma haereticādi fol. 10. in that Catalogue that he made of the Churches of the Waldenses or poore people of Lion 1250. notes that there were in his time that is to say in the yeere 1250 Churches in Constantinople Philadelphia Sclauonia Bulgaria and Digonicia Vignier saith that after the persecution of Picardie Vignier in his 3 part of his historiall Bib. pa. 130. Math. Paris in the life of Hen. 6 king of England were dispersed abroad in Liuonia and Sarmatia Math. Paris saith that long since they were gone as far as Croatia and Dalmatia and that they had there taken such footing that they had won vnto them diuers Bishops He saith moreouer that there was one Barthelmew who came from Carcassonne vnto whom they all yeelded obedience And that he stiled himselfe in his Letters Barthelmew the seruant of the seruants of the holy faith and that he created Bishops and ordained Churches Here may be some imposture in that he attributeth to his owne person that which is attributeth to the Pope that is that he called himselfe the seruant of the seruants and yet neuerthelesse had taken vpon him a kind of Soueraingty contrary to the order enioyned by the Sonne of God and followed and practised by his Apostles Albert. de Cap. lib. de origine Waldensium p. 1. As also in that Albertus de Capitaneis saith that the Waldenses had their great Master in the Citty of Aquillia in the Realme of Naples vpon whom they absolutely depended For there is not one word in all their writings that aimes at that end Only we alleage the saying of this Historiographer to proue the extent of those places where the Waldenses exiled themselues to auoid the persecution Antonin part 3 Tit. 2. Antonin relateth that the Waldenses called in Italy Fratecelli were in his time burnt in diuers parts of the world insomuch that many of them forsaking Italy retired themselues into Greece especially one amongst them of principall note named Lewis de Baniere and that two Monkes or grey Friers were burnt for adhearing vnto them that is to say Iohn Chastillon and Francis de Hereatura CHAP. XVIII Of the Waldenses inhabiting in Spaine and that they were there persecuted IN the time of the warres against the Earle Remond of Toulouze and the Earle de Foix and comming when the Waldenses were persecuted by the Popes Legates many of them went into Catalogne Math. Paris in the raigne of Henry 3. and the Realm of Aragon This is that which Math. Paris sets down saying that the time of Pope Gregory the 9 there were a great number of Waldenses in Spaine 1214. about the yeer 1214 in the time of Alexander the fourth who complained in one of his Bulles that they had bin suffered to take such footing that they should haue so much leasure as to multiply as they had done For in the time of Gregory the 9. they so far forth increased in number and credit that they ordained Bishops ouer their flockes to preach their doctrine which the order Bishops taking notice off there followed a grieuous persecution CHAP. XIX The Conclusion of the History of the Waldenses BY that which is contained in this first and second Booke it appeareth that the Christians called Waldenses haue opposed themselues against the abuses of the Church of Rome and for these foure hundred and fifty yeeres and vpward they haue been persecuted not by the sword of the word of God but by all kind of violence and cruelties besides many calumnies and false accusations Which inforced them to disperse themselues here and there where they could haue any abiding wandring through desert places and yet neuertheles the Lord hath in such sort preserued the remainder of them that notwithstanding the rage of Satan they haue continued inuincible against Anti-christ to whom they haue offered a spirituall combat destroying him by the blast of the spirit of God Crying with a loud voice not onely throughout all Europe but in many other parts of the earth