was a great lover of the King of France he was chosen by common consent and a Courier sent post to him who was then at his Bishoprick to know what name he would carry he replyed he would not change the name he was baptized with which was Clement and so he was published accordingly to the people and called Clement the fifth After publication in the usual place the Cardinals dispatched several messengers to the new Pope to entreat him to hasten his Journey into Italy Il. Cardinalismo p. 234. But the Pope being instructed by the King of France made answer that the Flock was to follow the Shepherd and not the Shepherd the Flock commanding the Cardinals immediately to repair to him in France and particularly in the City of Poictiers as they also did This Clement was the first of seven French Popes which held the See one after another unto Vrban VI. under whom the Italians recovered it again with much trouble These seven Popes were Clement V. John XXII Benedict XII Clement VI. Innocent VI. Vrban V. Gregory XI Clement V. being chosen Pope he came to Lyons where King Philip received him accompanied with the Kings of England and Arragon in great pomp The Pope was on Horseback and the King with his two Brethren on Foot holding the Reigns of his Horse He was crowned in the Temple of St. Justus where they had built a great Theatre for so goodly a spectacle But the press of people was so great that the Scaffold brake so that the multitude sell one upon another The Pope King Princes and Noble-men were all on an heap and the Scaffold fastned to an old Wall pulled it down The King was hurt in the Head the Pope in the Foot and the Duke of Britain slain with many Noble-men and multitudes of the common people that were smothered under these ruines The Pope's Crown fell from his Head into the press where he lost a Carbuncle valued at six thousand florins of Gold Thus this feast gave no cause of joy but was famous to posterity by this notable accident and by the translation of the Pope's seat from Rome to Avignon Anno 1305. unto the year 1379. under Vrban VI. viz. the space of seventy four years This unlucky pomp being ended Clement created many French Cardinals and not one Italian and removed the Court presently to Avignon He avouched openly to keep a Concubine the Daughter of Count de Fuxa he sent three Cardinals with Senatorial power to govern Rome and Italy He ordained that none should use the Title or exercise the power of Emperour until he were confirmed by the Pope In the year 1307. a Parliament was summoned against Pope Clement by King Philip touching temporal jurisdiction belonging to Princes and Ecclesiastical belonging to the Church Forasmuch as Pope Clement V. extolled himself above all Princes as in other Countries so also in France he extended his usurped jurisdiction above the Princely Authority of the King claiming to himself full government of both the States as well Secular as Ecclesiastical the King therefore directeth his Letters mandatory to the Prelates and Barons of the Realm of France to assemble themselves together at Paris in the Year afore-mentioned in the beginning of December At the day specified in those Letters the Prelates and Clergy assembled themselves before the King at his palace in Paris Fox Act Monum li. 2. p. 461. 462. where after due reverence done unto the King there sitting in his own person with his Barons and Council about him a certain wise and noble Lord Peter de Cugneriis one of the King's Council stands up and makes an Oration before the Parliament in the King's behalf His Oration is divided into two parts 1. He sheweth that obedience and reverence is due unto the King 2. That there ought to be a difference betwixt the jurisdiction of the Clergy and Laity so that spiritual matters should be defined and ordered by the Prelates and spiritual men and Temporal causes ruled and determined by the King his Barons and Temporal men All which he proved by many reasons both of Fact and Law Articles against the Clergy of France His Oration being ended he repeated certain words in the French Tongue which imported that the King's Will and pleasure was in some points to renew the Temporal State and jurisdiction and therewith he exhibited a certain Bill in French whereof also he gave a Copy to the Prelates containing sixty five Articles which may be read at large in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments Vol. 1. p. 462. 463. 464. 465. After he had spoken the Prelates required to have time to answer thereunto whereupon the Friday next ensuing was appointed for the same on the which day the Bishop Edven and the Arch-Bishop of Senon Elect in the name of the whole Clergy answered for them all be-before the King holding his Parliament on that day at Vicenas They endeavour to prove that both the Temporal and Spiritual jurisdictions are compatible notwithstanding the distinction of them one from the other Then they proâ—â—â—d to prove that a person Ecclesiastical which hath Jurisdiction Spiritual may also have Temporal jurisdiction and that the Jurisdictioâ— Temporal may be in an Ecclesiastical person they alledge for this the example of Melchisedeck who was both King and Priest and of Samuel who was both Priest and Prophet and for a long time appointed Judge over the people in Temporal matters They assert also that Christ by his humane nature had both powers shewing that he was a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and that he had both in his vesture and on his Thigh written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Many other places they cite out of the new Testament Then they offer to prove it by the Civil Law and by reason and many places in the Canon Law they shew what priviledges of this nature had been granted to the Clergy by Charles the Great King of France by Lewes the second and by other Kings of France which priviledges they offered to shew Moreover they assert that whatsoever things be offered up to the Church and are converted to the dominion and property of the same be God's and appertain unto him forasmuch as they be said to be dedicated and sanctified by him But this jurisdiction which is diversly converted to the Dominion and property of the French Church is God's and therefore to be reserved to and for him They urge the King to consider that at what time he was crowned he sware only these things following 1. That he would defend and maintain the Canonical Law priviledge and Justice granted to the Bishops and the Church and as much as in him lay to enlarge and amplifie the same 2. Also that by his Arbitriment all Christian people at all times should keep the true peace of God and his Church 3. That he should forbid to all Nations all kinds of sacriledges spoilings and iniquities and that in
millions of Gold came unto Rome in his time within the space of fourteen years from the Prelates and prelacies whereof no account could be made besides the poor Clergy which daily ran to that Court. The Emperour Sigismund required Peter de Aliaco Chancellour of Paris and Cardinal of Cambray to put in form some Articles concerning the Reformation of the Church that might be propounded to the Council of Constance aforementioned which he did In that Book he insisteth on four things 1. He propoundeth that general and Provincial Councils be kept especially General for amending all persons and estates 2. That for Reformation of the Roman Court it is sufficient that there be but one Cardinal out of every Province because the Cardinals are the causes of Schisms 3. That Prelates be not chosen young imprudent nor ignorant 4. He requireth the reformation of Monks speaking against their multitude and diversity he taxeth the Romish Court that they despise Divines and advance only such as can bring them in gain He complaineth also of Pagan abuses and Diabolical superstitions at Rome But saith he as there were seven thousand who never bowed to Baal so we may be confident that there are some who are desirous of the Churches Reformation Alanus of Chartres Secretary to King Charles VII wrote a Book in French entituled the Courtier in which he extolleth the single life of Priests Libel de Stat. Eccles Gallic in schismate p. 75. This King Charles VII in the Ordinance made Anno 1422. thus complaineth Divers of our Subjects and others by vertue of resignations or Apostolick Bulls do take and receive and endeavour to get and obtain Benefices within this Realm and take possession of them and labour to summon or cause to be summoned our Liege-Subjects unto the Court of Rome or before some Commissioners or Delegates appointed by our Holy Father which is down-right to oppose the Church and Clergy The Council which was begun at Ferrara Anno 1438. and continued at Florence Panormit in Tract de Concil Basil Circa princip num 6. was never received and approved of in France The Bishop of Panormo saith the King of France did expresly forbid upon great penalties that any of his Dominions should go to Ferrara to celebrate the oecumenical Council Charles VII tells some Cardinals down-right so who were sent Ambassadours from Eugenius and were come to Bourges to get him to accept of it and among others to present him with this Article That since such time as it was translated to Ferrara the King should reject the Council of Basil and receive the Council of Ferrara with the Acts thereof Whereto he made Answer after six days deliberation with his Prelates and others assembled at Bourges That he had received the Council of Basil for a Council indeed that he sent his Ambassadours thither that many things were there wisely determined concerning Faith and Manners and such as he liked well of but for that of Ferrara he never did and never would take it for a Council This Charles favoured Pope Eugenius but so as that he professeth he will stand to the Decrees of the Council of Basil James de Paradiso of Chartres who wrote a little after the Council of Basil Jacob de Paradiso in lib. de Sep. â—em statib Eccles saith Seeing we hold it possible to proceed to a Reformation as well of the Head as of the Members by such as have Authority and Presidency both Spiritual and Temporal it must be either by one Man or more That it should be by one Man is against all reason how eminent soever he be for his virtues his knowledge his worth although be he renowned for his miracles nay in my opinion not by the Pope himself alone For there are so many Canons Decretals and Constitutions made by them already as are good for nought but filling up Parchment to no purpose without working any Reformation Besides seeing it is evident that his own Court stands in great need of Reformation as hath been well known by the common cries of the last General Councils which Court of his if he either cannot or will not reform which he covers under his Wing how is it credible that he should reform the Church which is of so large an extent Besides it may be objected to him Apply the salve to your own sores first as being the Head for when that is cured you may with less difficulty cure the Members wherefore Physician heal thy self Vnsavoury salt is not good for seasoning Wherefore by the just judgement of God his Decrees are scarce well received yet nor ever will be till he have reformed himself and his Dependents And verily I think the chief cause of the deformation in the Church is the wound in the Head which hath need to be cured in the first place And anon after Wherefore it seemeth to me an incredible thing that the Catholick Church should be reformed unless first the Court of Rome be so but as the World goes now we may see what an hard thing that is Those who have the Presidency in Councils on the Pope's behalf when they see that matters in the Council make against their Masters and them what can be expected from them but that they will withstand the Decrees of such Councils with might and main either by dissolving them or sowing dissentions in them and so the thing shall remain unperfected and we driven to return to the old Wilderness of Errour and Ignorance Every body knows this to be true unless it be some one haply who is not experienced in time past The Tragedy which was acted in our Age at the Council of Basil doth sufficiently prove it as they knew well who have laid down the story before our eyes At this time flourished the Panormitan Abbot the most famous of all the Canonists In the Council of Basil forenamed Amadeus Arch-Bishop of Lyons and Primate of all France a Man of great Authority being toucht with the zeal of Faith which he saw there to be suppressed said Most Reverend Fathers I do see here a new sort of Prelates come in which unto this present have kept silence and now begin to speak Is not this like to a Miracle I would to God they came to defend the truth and not to impugn Justice The Cardinal of Arles required that the Concordat of the twelve men should be read and many whispered him in the Ear that he should go forward Then Panormitan as soon as the Concordat began to be read rising up with his companions and other Arragons cryed out with a loud voice saying You Fathers do contemn our Requests you contemn Kings and Princes and despise Prelates It is not for you to conclude We are the major part of the Prelates we make the Council and it is our part to conclude And I in the Name of all other Prelates do conclude that is to be deferred Then there was such a rumour in the Council as is
are granted only to the Brothers and Sisters of the said Fraternity which shall upon the days aforesaid every year visit the said Altar in the said Church of St. Hilary of Chartres in France upon which the blessed Sacrament and precious body of Jesus Christ is placed Medard Thiersault Priest Licentiat in the Laws Chanon of Chartres Official and Vicar-General both in the Spiritualty and Temporalty of the Reverend Father in God Monsieur Lewes by the Grace of God Bishop of Chartres To all and singular the Parsons and Vicars of the Churches within the City of Chartres sendeth greeting c. Pope Paul the third did heretofore of his own proper motion for the honour of the blessed Sacrament grant unto the Brothers of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ in the Minerva of Rome certain Indulgences plenary remission of sins and other graces the good devotion and upon petition of the faithful Christian Brothers Which Indulgences and plenary remission of Sins our holy Father Julius III. Pope to the end that all Christians might come devoutly and honour the blessed Sacrament of his own Authority hath willed and decreed that they be of perpetual force and efficacy And these Indulgences and other graces aforesaid at the instance of the most noble Personage Mr. Christopher de Herovard the Lieutenant General of the Most Christian King within the Bailiwick of Chartres hath granted them to the Brothers and Sisters of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of Jesus Christ heretofore erected and instituted in the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres always provided that like grace and gift was not formerly granted to any other Church of the said City of Chartres And forasmuch as we have viewed the contents of the said Indulgence in the publick Instrument out of the Copy of Dominick Bishop of Hostia Cardinal of the hâ—ly Church of Rome by Title Traven Dean of the sacred Apostolical Colâ—ege Protectour and Patron of the Fraternity of the blessed Body of our Saviour founded in the Church of our Lady of Minerva of the order of Fryars Predicants in the City of Rome in manner of an exemplification published drawn signed and sealed by Genese Bulter Secretary to the said Fraternity Given at Rome May 6. 1550. And furthermore whereas by a certain declaration made unto the Court of Rome by the command and with the leave of the Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Chartres and as it seems to us truly and lawfulâ—y made that 't is certain the like grace was never granted to any other Church in the City of Chartres Wherefore we command you to publish and cause to be published in your Churches the said Indulgences and the exemplifications of the Letters aforesaid according to their form and tenure Giving leave to the said Christopher de Herovard to cause the said graces and Indulgences to be published within the City and Church of Chartres whether by Siguis's or otherwise the same Herovard shall think good Given at Chartres under the seal of the Chamber of the said Bishop of Chartres Anno 1550. July 31. Subscribed P. le Seneux Pope Pius IV. in his Bull of the publication of the Council of Trent which was for the continuation of it bearing date December 30. 1560. sheweth in effect that it was begun continued and ended among the troubles in France and Germany And as Sleidan saith Sleidan l. 16. as soon as new broils were raised in the neighbouring parts of Germany and a great war was kindled in Italy and France the Council was afterwards suspended and adjourned After the suppression of the Conspirators forementioned in a secret Council held in the Kings chamber it is resolved to punish the favourers of the Conspiracy And to get the Favourers of the Hugonots into their power it was resolved to call an Assembly of the States at which among others the Princes of the Blood are to assist But the Queen-Mother and the Guises doubting more than ever new Insurrections the Prince of Conde who was as a prisoner is discharged of his Guard and set at liberty He presently departed from Court and went into Bearn to the King of Navarre The Constable the Admiral of France and the rest were entertained with kind Letters and Commissions and Charges of trust The dissensions and suspicions of the Grandees in France encreasing on the 21. of August the King called a very great Assembly at Fountainbleau The Assembly at Fountainbleau in which the necessities of the Kingdom were declared by the Chancellour which he compared to a man sick of an unknown disease Afterwards Jasper Coligni gave the King some Petitions which he said were delivered to him by a multitude of people when he was in Normandy The summ of them was That the faithful Christians dispersed throughout the whole Kingdom did pray his Majesty to look on them with a favourable eye that they desired a moderation of their punishments until their cause were heard and that they might make publick profession of their Religion to avoid suspicion by private Assemblies Then John Monluc Bishop of Valence shewed That the principal remedy of these distempers was to flie unto God to assemble godly men out of the whole Kingdom to find a way to root out the vices of the Clergy to forbid infamous and immodest Songs and instead of them to command the singing of Psalms and holy hymns in the vulgar tongue and if the common interpretation be not good to take away the errours suffering that which is good to be used by all Another remedy was the General Council alwaies used to compose such differences saying That if a General Council could not be obtained they were to assemble a National that they did grievously err who troubled the publick quiet with Arms upon pretence of Religion that their errour was as great who condemned to death those who adhered to the new Doctrine only for the opinion of piety who dying constantly and contemning the loss of their goods stir up the minds of the multitude and make them desirous to know what Faith that is for which they endure so great punishment Charles Marillac Bishop of Vienna spake in the same manner adding That the disease of France was so sharp that there was no time to call a Physician from far therefore they were to call a National Council Coligni added that requiring those who gave him the Petitions to subscribe them he was answered That five thousand men would subscribe if there were occasion Francis of Guise concerning the point of Religion said he referred himself unto the judgement of learned men but protested that no Council should make him decline one jot from the old belief The Cardinal of Lorain said That the Petitions presented were most proud and that to grant the Orators publick Exercise were to approve their Doctrine he said that the greater part used Religion for a pretence and therefore his opinion was they should be proceeded against with more
severity mitigating the punishment of those who assemble without Arms only for Religion instructing and admonishing them and to this purpose to cause the Prelates to reside hoping that by these remedies they would need neither National nor General Council A Decree was made the 27. of that month That there should be an Assembly of the States at Meaux the 10. of December and if the General Council shall not be called suddenly the Bishops shall assemble on January 13. to treat of celebrating a National in the mean-while the punishments for cause of Religion were suspended except against those who took up Arms. The Pope hereupon wrote to Cardinal Tournon to hinder the meeting of the Bishops and if he could not to return to Rome The Pope makes shew to call a General Council suddenly He received answer from Tournon that having tried all means he was not able to remove the King or any of his Council nor could hope for any better success hereafter The Pope's secret purpose was to avoid the Council or to defer it but makes a contrary resolution against his Will and is much troubled with the occurrences of France A Currier went in haste to Rome out of France with protestations from the King that if the General Council were not called he could no longer defer the National adding that if any place in France were chosen for the meeting of the Council it should be most secure Then the Convocation of the Council was published in the Consistory the Bull whereof was entitled Of the Intimation of the Council of Trent the Latine word was Indictionis Vergerius wrote a Book against this Bull. At this time News came to Rome that the French King had imprisoned the Prince of Conde and set a guard upon the King of Navarre which pleased the Pope much as a thing that might hinder the National Council Saga servant to the King of Navarre is taken at Estampes with divers letters about him and being tortured confesseth certain practices against the Crown The Prince of Conde had attempted to possess himself of Lions but without success The Governour of the City condemned many of the Hugonots to be hanged and the rest he sent alive to the Court who served afterwards to confirm the Depositions of the Prisoners against the discontented Princes The King departeth with his Guard from Fountainbleau and summoneth the States to meet at Orleans where the first thing that was done was to make a profession of their Faith Which being set down by the Doctors of the Sorbon conformable to the belief of the Roman Church and publickly read by the Cardinal of Tournon President of the Ecclesiastical order was by a solemn Oath approved and confirmed by every one of the Deputies because none should be admitted into that General Assembly either unwittingly or on purpose that was not a true Catholick Then the High Chancellour in presence of the King proposed those things which were necessary to be consulted of for the reformation of the Government But this was the least thing in every mans thought for the minds of all men were in suspence about the Prince of Conde's imprisonment who being interrogated excepts against his trial and appeals to the King but the Appeal is not accepted and he was declared to be held as convict because he had refused to answer the Delegates So they proceeded judicially until the very last pronouncing of sentence The Commissaries having pronounced the sentence against the Prince of Conde the King one morning being under the Barbers hand was on a sudden taken with an Apoplexy and laid by his servants on his bed and on Decemb. 5. he died Charles IX brother to Francis and second Son to the Queen succeeded to the Crown being yet but about eleven years old in regard of his Minority the Government fell principally upon the King of Navarre as first Prince of the Blood Navarre did almost openly favour the new Religion and was wholly governed by the Counsel of Jasper Coligni the old Admiral who made profession of it so that the Protestants were more confident to obtain liberty of Religion as they desired They assembled almost publickly Hereupon the King's Mother and the chief of the Council resolved to hold the States at Orleans and begun to do it on the 13. of December where the business of Religion was debated The Chancellour shewed That there was need of a Council which the Pope had promised and that in the mean time it was not to be tolerated that every one should shape out his own Religion and bring in new rites at his pleasure He said That it was necessary that the names of Lutherans Hugonots and Papists no less factious than those of the Guelphs and Gibilines were to be taken away and Arms to be taken against those who cover their avarice ambition and desire of innovation with the cloak of Religion John Angelo Advocate in the Parliament of Burdeaux spake much against the bad manners and discipline of the Clergy James Earl of Rotchford said That all the present evils did arise from the large donations made by the King and other Grandees to the Churches especially of jurisdictions in the end he gave a Petition in the name of the Nobility demanding to have publick Churches for their Religion Jacobus Quintinus a Burgundian spake for the Clergy he said The States were assembled to provide for the necessities of the Kingdom not to amend the Church which cannot err though the Discipline in some small part may somewhat need reformation He said That they that demand Churches apart from the Catholicks are to be punished as Hereticks and that the King ought to force all his Subjects to believe and live according to the form prescribed to the Church that those who have forsaken the Kingdom for Religion ought not to be suffered to return that those who are infected with Heresy ought to be proceeded against Capitally that the Ecclesiastical Discipline will easily be reformed if the Clergy be freed from payment of Tenths c. In the end he demanded that all priviledges of the Clergy should be confirmed and all grievances removed The King ordained That the Prelates should prepare to go to the Council of Trent commanded that all that were in prison for Religion should be set at liberty their offences until that time pardoned and their goods restored The Pope sends a Nuncio to the Queen-Mother praying her to be careful of the Religion in which she was born and bred and not to suffer Schism to arise by too much licence nor to seek remedies else-where for the present and imminent evils but from the Church of Rome for which end the Council was intimated The Prince of Conde was set at liberty and by an Edict in the Parliament of Paris absolved from the imputation laid upon him and the Sentence declared null and irregular which was pronounced against him by the Judges Delegates as incapable of judging the Princes of the blood
the Queen intended to continue with the same power till her Son came of Age they thought it more easie to gain the King of Navarre who was already much averse to the Protestants Religion by reason of the different opinions he found among them about the Points in Controversie And now the King of Navarre joyns himself with the Duke of Guise and the Constable These three the Hugonots called the Triumvirate Queen Joan was highly displeased at this so unexpected deliberation of her Husband and leaving the Court carrieth with her Prince Henry and the Princess Katherine her Children whom she brought up in Calvinism into Bearn being determined to separate her self from the Counsels and conversation of her Husband The Queen Regent was also terrified herewith and in opposition to the Triumvirate joyns with the Prince of Conde and the Admiral The Prince of Conde takes upon him openly to Head the Hugonots who ardently desire to revenge his past affronts upon those that were his chief persecutours His power and boldness was moderated by the wise Counsel of the Admiral of Chastillon Their Authority led after them being of the same Faith the Prince of Porcien the Count de la Roch-fou-caut Messieurs de Genlis de Grammont and Duras the Count of Montgomery the Baron des Adrets Messieurs de Bouchavane and Soubize and many other the Principal in the Kingdom Thus upon a sudden the King of Navarre went over to the Popish party and Queen Katherine though dissemblingly took upon her the Protection of the Protestants The King of Navarre staying in Paris laboureth to hinder the Assemblies of the Protestants to diminish their force and credit and finally to take away their liberty of Religion The Prince of Conde being likewise in Paris Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 3. on the contrary encourageth the Preachers and as he could enlargeth their licence and liberty The King of Navarre deliberating to drive the Prince of Conde out of Paris for this purpose sends for the other Popish Lords to Court The Duke of Guise makes a journey thither and passing through Vassy his Servants heard a noise of Bells and having askt what was the reason of it answer was made That it was the hour wherein the Hugonots used to Assemble at their Sermons The Pages and Lacquies of the Duke that went before the rest of the Company moved with the Novelty of the thing and a curiosity to see for then those Congregations began first to be kept in Publick with jesting speeches and a tumult went towards the place where the Hugonots were Assembled at their Devotion Who understanding that the Duke of Guise their great Persecutour was there and seeing a great Troop come directly toward them inconsiderately fell presently to gather up stones and began to drive back those that advanced first to the place of their Assembly By which injury the Popish party rashly betook themselves to Arms. The Duke putting himself in the midst of them was hit with a blow of a stone upon the left cheek which bled much which caused him to withdraw from the hurly-burly His followers impatient of such an affront done to their Lord with their fire-arms presently assaulted the house whither the Hugonots retired to secure themselves killed above sixty of them and grievously wounded the Minister who climbing over the Tyles saved himself in some of the adjoyning houses The tumult being ended the Duke of Guise called for the Officer of the place sharply reproving him for suffering such a pernicious Licence to the prejudice of Passengers He excusing himself as unable to hinder it by reason of the Edict of January which tolerated the publick Assemblies of the Hugonots the Duke no less offended at his answer than at the thing it self laying his hand upon his Sword replyed in choler This shall soon cut the Bond of that Edict though never so binding From which words many afterwards concluded that he was the Authour of the ensuing War But the Hugonots incensed by this Chance now full of rage stirred up such horrible tumults and bloody Seditions that besides the slaughter of men in many places the Monasteries were spoiled Images thrown down the Altars broken and the Churches defiled The people in all places ran headlong to take Arms and the Heads of the Factions went about gathering Forces preparing themselves for a manifest War And now each Faction desired to draw the King to their party and to possess the Persons of the King and Queen But the Catholicks prevent the Hugonots and lead them both to Paris from Fountainbleau The Prince of Conde therefore possesseth Orleans and prepareth for the War The Popish Lords under the King's name likewise raise an Army Many writings are published on each side and both Armies go into the Field The Queen-Mother labours for a Peace To this end she comes to a parley with the Prince but without success notwithstanding she continues to Treat of an Agreement which at length is concluded But the Prince by the perswasion of the rest again takes Arms purposeth to assail the King's Camp by night but misseth of his design Forces come to the King's aid out of Germany and many thousands of Swisses whereupon the Prince is forced to retire unto the Walls of Orleans where being unable to keep the Army together he divides it He sendeth for succour from Germany and England consents to give Havre de Grace to the English and to receive their Garrisons into Deipe and Roven to obtain aid from them The King's Army takes Blois Poictiers Tours and Bourges besieges Roven and takes it and sacks it where Anthony King of Navarre received a Musket shot in the left shoulder which breaking the bone and tearing the Nerves he presently fell down on the place as dead and died shortly after Succours come to the Prince of Conde out of Germany with which being re-inforced he makes haste to assault Paris The King and the Queen arrive there with the Army and the Prince after many attempts is necessitated to depart Both Armies go into Normandy and there follows the Battel of Dreux in which the Prince of Conde is taken Prisoner on the one side and the Constable on the other The Duke of Guise being Victorious layes siege to Orleans and is ready to take it and is treacherously slain by Poltrot Sieur de Mereborn of a Noble Family near Angoulesme He feigns to forsake the Protestant party leaves Orleans insinuates himself into the Duke of Guises Court and whilst the Duke gives order for an assault shoots him in the shoulder whereof he dieth Poltrot aided by the swiftness of his horse saved himself in the neighbouring Woods and the Duke being carried to his Lodging died three dayes after of his hurt Poltrot was taken and being taken was by sentence of Parliament publickly quartered After the death of the Duke of Guise an accommodation followed Conditions of Peace were conluded at Orleans March 18. 1563. viz.
which she received from an Italian the King 's Unguentary But the Marriage was celebrated notwithstanding on August 18. Anno 1572. Soon after viz. August 22. the Admiral as he went from the Louvre to his house was shot with two or three bullets in his arm This was taken in ill part by the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde desiring liberty to depart from Paris But the King with so many attestations protested his dislike in that matter and that he would diligently search out and severely punish the Authours of that deed that in some part he quieted the minds of the complainers The King likewise came to visit the Admiral pitifully lamenting the chance that was fallen out affirming the dishonour to be done to him although the Admiral had received the hurt He would also have had the Admiral transported to the Louvre for his better security to which the Admiral seemed unwilling Therefore the King appointed some of his own Guard to attend upon the Admiral 's house and the Protestants were required to prepare their Lodgings near to the Admiral 's house to be a Guard unto him in case any commotion should happen in the Town The Massacre of Paris August 24. Anno 1572. All this was done under deep dissimulation to put the Protestants in security that they should not once imagine of the Tragedy that was to come The night after was the appointed time for the horrible Massacre of the Protestants that were in Paris THe Duke of Guise went from Court with order from the King to find President Charron Provost des Merchans the chief Head of the people of Paris giving him direction to provide 2000. Armed men who should wear every one a shirt-sleeve upon their left arm and white Crosses in their hats which upon notice given were presently to execute the Kings commands That he should cause to be in readiness the Sheriffs Echevius they call them of the several Wards and that upon ringing of the Bell of the Palace-clock lights should be put in every window through the Town which things were all presently performed the Dukes of Montpensier and Nevers with many other Lords of the Court took Arms all the Guards being in Arms at the Gate and in the Court of the Louvre At the prefixed hour the Duke of Guise the Duke of Aumale and Monsieur d'Angolesme Grand-Prior of France the King's Bastard-Brother with other Commanders and Souldiers to the number of 300. going to the Admiral 's house forcibly entred the gate of the Court kept by a few of the King of Navarre's Halberdiers and the servants of the house which were all killed without mercy The Lords stayed below in the Court and one Besme a Lorainer and Achille Petrucci a Gentleman of Siena one of those Strangers which he maintained with Colonel Sarlabous and the other Souldiers went up to the Admiral 's chamber He hearing the noise got up and kneeling down leaned against his Bed when seeing Cornason one of his servants come frighted in he asked him what noise it was who answered My Lord God calls us to him and ran out hastily at another door They presently entring Besme ran him into the Breast and the rest when they had made an end of killing him with their Daggers threw his body out of the window into the Court and presently it was dragged into a stable In the same Palace were slain Teligny the Admiral 's Son-in-Law and Guerchy his Lieutenant who wrapping his Cloak about him died fighting manfully Colonel Montaumar and Raura Son to the Baron des Adrets with all the rest that had relation to him Then the Colonel of the King's Guards called the Principal Hugonots that were in the Louvre one by one who being come in the Court were all killed by the Souldiers that stood in two long Ranks with their Arms ready for that purpose There died the Count de la Roch-fou-caut the Marquess de Renel Piles who had gallantly defended Saint Jean de Angeli Pontbreton Pulviault Bandine Francourt Chancellour to the King of Navarre Pardillan Lavardin and others to the number of 200. Then at the ringing the Bell of the Palace-Clock they fell a killing the Hugonots throughout all the Lodgings and houses where they were dispersed making an infinite slaughter of them without any distinction of Age Sex or Condition The King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde were kept in the King's Chamber during the Massacre and after are kept Prisoners They are threatened except they will renounce that Religion which they professed they shall surely die The King of Navarre requested the King to regard that new bond of friendship that was bound up between them and not to urge him so strictly to forsake that Religion wherein he had been trained up from his youth The Prince of Conde added that his life was in the King's hands to dispose of it as it pleased him But as for his Religion he had received the knowledge of it from God and he would not renounce it for any fear or danger of this present life Some of the Protestants then lodged in the Fobers of S. German as Count Montgomery and the Vidame of Chartres for intercepting of whom the King had given command to the Dean of Gild of Paris to have in readiness 1000. Armed Souldiers But these Souldiers were not in readiness so they escaped The Duke of Guise the Count of Angolesme and others pursued them to Montfort which is eight leagues distant from Paris but could not overtake them and so returned back again to Paris Besides the Nobility more than ten thousand persons were slain whose bodies were laid on heaps upon carts and cast into the River Seine which was coloured red with the blood of the slain Peter Ramus was slain at this time he was the King's Professour of Eloquence and Philosophy at Paris in the 36. year of his age In the 21. year of his age he published a Logick with animadversions upon Aristotle Being murthered his body was reproachfully dragged up and down the streets and many of his works unperfected there perished Jacobus Pascharius hath these Verses of him Fertilior quavis cùm sit sacer arbore Ramus Arboris hic dignus nomine Ramus erit Dionysius Lambinus a very learned man was also slain in this Massacre John Mercer a learned Protestant a man well skilled in the Hebrew tongue and Hebrew writers succeeded Vatablus in the Profession of the Hebrew tongue at Paris He escaped at the cruel Massacre at Paris being thrown into the River and after put forth his learned Commentary on Genesis Peter Merlin a godly and learned French Divine who was Beza's Scholar was miraculously preserved in that Massacre In many other Towns there was a general slaughter of Protestants So that within the space of a month more than thirty thousand were reckoned to be slain To all this Tragedy was added the defection of Rozarius a Preacher at Orleans by whose Apostasie
Crowned King of France Michael Hospitalius Chancellour of France under Charles IX Thuan. Tom. 3. lib. 56. was removed from the Court and made a Prisoner as it were only because he opposed those wicked Counsels against the Protestants in the Massacre at Paris Beza mentions him in his Icones illustrium virorum And Grotius stiles him Grot. Praef. ad Poem Vnicum aevi nostri decus the only ornament of our Age. There are these of his Works published Six Books of Epistles in Latine Verse De Caleto expugnato Epistola carmen cum aliis In the Preface to his Epistle one saith it appeared by a most Ancient Coyn that he much resembled Aristotle Summum illum omnium Philosophorum principem Aristotelem sic ore toto retulit ut alterius ex altero Imago expressa videri posset At this time flourished Michael Montanus or Michael de Montaigne Knight of the Noble Order of St. Michael and one of the Gentlemen in Ordinary to the French King Henry III. his Chamber His elegant Books of Miscellanies written in French are by him modestly styled Essayes or Moral Politick and Military Discourses He hath thereby gotten a great opinion of his Learning and Wisdom and Rome hath chosen and adopted him for one of her Citizens Charles Cardinal of Lorain dieth December 23. 1574. of a Frenzy in the midst of a cruel tempest and violent whirl-wind which uncovered the houses and loosened the bars of Iron in the Carthusians Covent in the Suburbs of Avignon According to the advice of the Queen-Mother the King assaults the Protestant Towns in Provence Languedoc and Dolphiné Lusignan was besieged and yielded upon Composition Pousin is besieged and taken but the Town of Libero in Dolphinè though besieged was not taken In Languedoc D'anville although he was of the Roman Religion yet had joyned himself to the Protestants and took Aques Mortes a Town of great importance in those Parts with many other Towns In Dolphinè Mombrim was chief Commander and had great success in his attempts But in the end being sore wounded he was taken beside â—ia a Town in Dolphinè and by the Commandment of the King and Queen-Mother was carried to Grenoble and there was executed in the sight of the people The Prince of Conde had required help of Casimire the Son of Count Palatine who had also condescended to succour the Protestants The Conditions they agreed on were these That they should not lay down their Arms until that liberty were obtained to the Protestants fully to enjoy their own Religion And likewise that Casimire should have the Towns of Metis Tullion and Verdum in his hands besides other Towns in all the Provinces of France which the Protestants were to require for their further assurance and as pledges of the King's fidelity and faithfulness to them The Army of the Germans and French entered into France under the Prince of Conde and Casimire and came forward to Charossium a Town in Bourbon not far from Molins where Alançon the King's Brother joyned with them and the whole Army conjoyned was found to be of horse-men and foot-men thirty thousand The King of Navarre at the same time departeth from Court and returneth into his own Country The Army draws near to Paris but at length was concluded upon certain Conditions That Casimire should receive from the King a great summ of money instead of those Towns which should have been put in his hands and that liberty should be granted to the Protestants to exercise their own Religion openly and freely without exception of places the Court and the City of Paris with a few leagues about only excepted They were also declared to be capable of places in Parliament and Courts of Justice and all Judgements which were made against them for any enterprize whatsoever were declared void the cruel day of St. Bartholomew disavowed and for better assurance and performance of these conditions they had eight Towns delivered unto them with the Conditions of their Governments Aques Mortes Benecaire Perigneux Le mas de Verdun Nions Yissure La grand tour The Edict of Pacification was Proclaimed May 10. 1576. and an end was put to the fifth Civil War in France for Religion By the Bull of Pope Gregory XIII sent into France Anno 1575. we may see all the Judges Royal both superiour and inferiour utterly despoiled of the Cognisance of criminal Causes The Sixteenth Article is this Vide Collect. diversar constitut Romanor Pontif. in fine Et Eclogam Bullarum motuum propriorum p. 316. We Excommunicate and anathematize all and every one the Magistrates Counsellours Presidents Auditors and other Judges by what name soever they be called the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Notaries Registers and Executors their servants and others which have any thing to do in what sort or manner soever with Capital or Criminal Causes against Ecclesiastical persons in banishing or arresting them passing or pronouncing sentence against them and putting them in Execution even under pretence of any priviledges granted by the See Apostolick upon what causes and in what tenour and form soever to Kings Dukes Princes Rcpubliques Monarchies Cities and other Potentates by what name and title soever they be called which we will not have to be useful to them in any thing repealing them all from henceforth and declaring them to be nullities The twelfth Article speaks on this sort We Excommunicate all and every the Chancellours Vice-Chancellours Counsellours Ordinary and Extraordinary of all Kings and Princes the Presidents of Chanceries Councils and Parliaments as also the Attorneys General of them and other Secular Princes though they be in Dignity Imperial Royal Ducal or any other by what name soever it be called and other Judges as well Ordinary as by Delegation as also the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Commendatories Vicars and Officers who by themselves or by any other under pretence of Exemptions Letters of Grace or other Apostolical Letters do summon before them our Auditors Commissaries and other Ecclesiastical Judges with the causes concerning Benefices Tithes and other spiritual matters or such as are annexed to them and hinder the course of them by 〈◊〉 authority and interpose themselves to take Cognisance of them in the quality of Judges This is not all for in the following Article he goes yet further striking an heavy blow at the Ordinances of the French Kings Those also which under pretence of their Office or at the Instance of any man whatsoever draw before them to their Bench Audience Chancery Council or Parliament Ecclesiastical persons Chapters Covents and Colledges of all Churches or cause them to be brought in question before them or procure them directly or indirectly under what colour soever beyond the appointment of the Canon Law Those also which ordain and set forth Statutes Ordinances Constitutions Pragmatiques or other Decrees whatsoever in general or in special for any cause or colour whatsoever even under pretence of Apostolical Letters not now in practice or
repealed or of any Custom or Priviledge or any other manner whatsoever or that make use of them when they are made and ordained when by them the Ecclesiastical liberty is abolished impaired depressed or restained in any manner whatsoever or who do any prejudice to our Laws and those of our See directly or indirectly implicitely or explicitely See yet another which follows after this Those likewise who do any ways hinder the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates superiour and inferiour and all other ordinary Ecclesiastical Judges in the exercise of their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction against any person according as the Canons the sacred Constitutions of the Church the Decretals of General Councils and principally that of Trent do ordain There is further in the same Bull some Excommunications against those which appeal from the Pope's Sentence to General Councils Against those that hinder Clergy or Lay-men from going to plead at Rome which is a remarkable thing Against Kings and Princes which make the fruits of Ecclesiastical Livings to be sequestred upon any occasion whatsoever which concerns the right of the Crown Against those which impose any Tenths Subsidies or other Taxes All this was levell'd against the rights of the King and the liberties of the Gallican Church Rebuff in praxi benefic de union benef num 28. A Bull had been granted by Pope Alexander VI. in the year 1500. for the union of the Parish-Church of Doway with the Chapter of the Cathedral-Church of the same place But the Parliament of Paris upon the appeal Papon lib. 3. tit 8. art 2. as from abuse exhibited from the Curate of Doway to stop the Execution of it disannulled the union by an Arrest of the first of May 1575. because there wanted a Writ for Commission In Partibus Divers other unions besides have been declared to be abusive because they were made without the consent of the Lay-Patrons and the Bulls have been annulled as well by the Parliaments as by the Grand Council King Charles IX in his demands of the Council of Trent required a reformation of the abuses of Fraternities That Council found nothing to be corrected in them but tacitely confirmed them by ordaining That the Administrators of them shall give account of their Administration every year unto the Ordinary We read that Leagues and Monopolies and Conspiracies against the State have been hatched in such Fraternities as these and that disorders and other unlawful things have been committed among them They have been prohibited in all well policied Kingdoms and Common-wealths and particularly in France where we must observe That as they have been Instruments of trouble and dissoluteness so they have been judged hurtful to peace and concord And for that reason they are condemned by the Edicts and Declarations of the French Kings as the Mothers or at least the Companions of Conspiracies For they are so joyned together by the same Ordinances as in that of King Henry III. of September 1577. And all Leagues Associations and Fraternities made or to be made under any pretence whatsoever to the prejudice of this our Edict shall be utterly void and of no effect And in that of the same Prince given the 20. of December in the same year We expresly forbid all our said Subjects of what quality soever they be to begin make or prosecute any League Association or Fraternity among themselves to the prejudice of our said Edict of Pacification The forty fourth Article of the Conference of Flex saith in express terms All the foresaid viz. Provosts Majors Consuls Sheriffs of Towns c. mentioned in the former Article and other Subjects whatsoever of this Realm of what Condition soever shall depart from and renounce all Leagues Associations Fraternities and Intelligences as well within the Realm as without Duke Casimire had no sooner turned his back from France but they began to find the Peace to be counterfeit being made only to disarm them and to divide the Commanders The Prince of Conde first felt the breach of these Promisâ—s They deny him his Government of Picardy Peronne is seized upon Divers enterprizes upon the Princes person make him to leave the Duke of Alançon and to retire into Guienne to the King of Navarre who had before declared himself for the Protestants and whom those of Rochel received into their Town with much honour on June 28. All such of his Train aâ— they suspected were excluded Upon denial of Peronne the King granted to the Prince the Town of S. Jean d'Angeli but the Inhabitants had a Watchword and a mutual Oath after the manner of a private League made by sixty Gentlemen of Poitou who would have no exercise of any Religion but the Catholick to maintain one another and not to give access to any one of what Religion soever to the end their quiet might not any way be disturbed The Prince finding this repulse caused some Captains to enter secretly and so assured himself of the place But finding this place too weak for the assurance of his Person in the end of October he takes Brovage a strong place near unto Rochel The Protestants complain unto the King that in divers places they are disturbed in the exercise of their Religion granted by the Edict That many Preachers move the people to Sedition That the Chambers of both Religions are not erected and that justice is denied them That both great and small bandy against them And they produce ample proofs of these complaints Now those of the house of Guise studied to discover those terrible Projects which they had long hatched Their chief designs were to overthrow the succession brought in by Hugh Capet in the full assembly of the States and to cause the naming of a Successour to be subject unto the said Estates to cause the Princes of the blood that should oppose against the Decrees of the Estates to be declared incapable to succeed unto the Crown And the residue of what qualities soever Noble-men Gentlemen and others to be degraded of their Dignities the money growing of their Confiscations to be employed for the War and their Bodies to be executed To make the Estates protest to live and die in the Faith set down by the late Council of Trent to cause it to be signed in the open Parliament To revoke and disannul all publick Edicts in favour of the Protestants and their Associates and to pursue them to the death that should hinder the extirpation of Heresies De Serres Hist in vit Henry III. To cause the King to revoke the Promises made unto the Protestants and to prescribe a certain time unto their Associates in the which they should present themselves before the Ecclesiastical Judges to be absolved and then to be sent unto the King to purchase pardon of the Crimes committed against his Majesty To cause the King to make the Duke of Guise his Lieutenant General A League of the Guisian Faction a Person fit to encounter the Rebellion of Princes
Avergne by force where the blood of the Inhabitants shed without pity by the Duke of Anjou confirmed the Protestants in the bad opinion they had conceived of him The Duke of Mayenne sends forth a Navy to Sea under the Command of Lansac which coming before the Isle of Ré retired seeing the Islanders resolved to fight if they approached The Rochellers Arm seven Ships those of the Islands five entreating aid from Holland and Zealand to withstand the force of the Fleet. The Nobility invite all others to charge themselves willingly for the maintenance of this Army Mayenne assaulteth Brovage a little square Town built in a Marsh recovered out of the Sea fortified during the third Peace and after the Rochellers had cut off six hundred of his men the Town for want of victuals entred into Capitulation and departed August 28. 1577. with their Arms and Baggage leaving the place at the Duke's devotion But a Peace was concluded at Poictiers and was in the end of September Proclaimed with great joy of either party This last Edict cut off some Articles of the former made no mention of Strangers left their consciences free yet without exercise of Religion but in Towns and places where then it was publickly used in the houses of Gentlemen Feudataries or as they call them de Haute justice free admission was given to every body but in the houses of private Gentlemen not above the number of seven was allowed and in a prefixed place in every jurisdiction and Baily-wick except in Paris and ten Leagues about it and two Leagues compass from the Court wheresoever it should be But the Marshal D'anville who every day withdrew himself further from the Protestants ceased not to prosecute those by whom he pretended to be injuried in Languedoc under colour of reducing the places of his Government under his own Command Nor did the Sieur des Diguieres in Dolphinè dare to trust the Peace nor hazard himself upon the King's word remembring what had befallen Monbrun in whose company he had made War and therefore still continued Armed for his security And the Papists when they saw the Protestants meet at their Sermons could not suffer them without murmurings and detractions which occasioned many contentions and sometimes dangerous bloody accidents whereby a great part of France though the Peace was made continued still in broyls and insurrections About that time the King created two Mareschals men valiant in War and very prudent in Government viz. Armand Sieur de Byron and Jaques Sieur de Matignon men free from the Interests of the Duke of Guise depending wholly upon the King's will And Renato di Birago the High Chancellour being made Cardinal Philip Hurault Viscount de Chiverny is chosen in his place In the year 1579. the King shews himself in publick for a mirrour of Reformation and Piety he builds many Monasteries Chappels and Oratories undertakes many Pilgrimages on foot confirms the brotherhood of Penitents erects tne Order of Jeronomites is daily conversant with the Capuchins and Fucillans called Jesuites and by their instructions erects many Congregations He carrieth a Crucifix and Beads in Procession with a Whip at his Girdle He causeth many Books of Devotion to be Printed And leads a Life more befitting a Cloyster than a Court. He institutes the Order of The Knights of the Holy Ghost binding them to Conditions which carry a strict bond to the Church of Rome The Duke of Anjou dies and now the King of Navarre is by quality the first Prince of the Blood and first Peer of France and most part of France cast their eyes upon him as upon the Sun rising This amazeth the Duke of Guise and his adherents they assemble the Heads of their house at St. Dennis and endeavour to renew the Catholique League which before was almost laid aside for seeing that the King ballanced the forces very carefully with those of the Hugonot Lords and that he would not suppress that party which as they believed he might easily have done and that under several pretences he devested all the dependants of both Factions of their places and honours to bestow them upon such as should acknowledge them meerly from himself they were the more highly incensed Nor could it satisfie them to see the King taken up with Religious thoughts and addicted to a quiet unactive life for they knowing his nature wherewith they had been conversant from his very Childhood interpreted that course of life to subtil deep dissimulation Wherefore the Duke of Guise a man of a very quick insight discerning judgement and high thoughts determined to prevent and not stay to be prevented In which resolution he was seconded by his Brother Louis the Cardinal a man of an high spirit and great wit as also by Henry of Savoy Duke of Nemours and Charles Marquess of San-Sorlin both Sons of Anna d'Esté and therefore his Brothers by the Mother Charles of Lorain Duke of Aumale and Claude his Brother a Knight of Jerusalem Charles of Lorain Duke d'Elbeuf Emanuel Duke de Mercure and his Brothers Only Charles Duke of Mayenne proceeded more slowly than the rest who thinking how dangerous it would be to hazard their safety by rash resolutions advised them to proceed with more patience and more respect toward the Lawful possessour of the Crown But the Duke of Guise resolute in his thoughts by the Authority of his Person Vivacity of his courage and Eloquence of his Language drew all the rest to his Opinion and excluding his Brothers advice setled all his thoughts upon the machinations of the League for the establishment whereof dissembling his discontents no less than his jeolousies and private interests he made shew of stirring only for the respects of Religion and the general good making an ill interpretation of all the King's actions and with many arts and circumstances aggravating that danger which he pretended hung over the Catholick Religion in France He grounded his fears upon the death of the Duke of Alançon and the Queens barrenness which in the space of ten years had had no Son whereby the King dying without heirs of the house of Valois the Crown fell to the Princes of Bourbon and in the first place to the King of Navarre whom he termed a relapsed Heretick and an open enemy to the Roman Religion He urged that his coming to the Crown would be the universal ruine of Religion and the total Conversion of all France to the Doctrine and Rites of Calvin and therefore shewed how all good Catholicks were obliged to look to it in time Davil Hist of the Civil Wars of France lib. 7. and to prevent the terrible blow of that imminent subversion He shewed that when sometimes he had been constrained to make War against the King of Navarre he employed the Mareschal de Byron who though a Catholick in outward appearance was yet by many former proofs known to be a favourer of the Hugonots and interessed in their Factions that therefore he
had lately taken Geneva into his Protection shewing clearly to all the world how little he esteemed the Catholick Religion and how much he was inclined to the enemies of the Bishop and See of Rome That therefore he had excluded all the Catholick Lords from any access to the Court or administration in the Government particularly those who had spilt so much blood for the preservation of the Kingdom and Religion and had brought in a new people that were privy to his designs and friends to the House of Bourbon That therefore he deprived all the old Servants of the Crown of all their Offices and Honours of the most Principal Governments and most suspected Fortresses to put them into the hands of men that were Catholicks in shew but really partial to Hereticks and inwardly adherents to the King of Navarre He added that notwithstanding the King 's publick shews of Devotion yet in his private Lodgings he gave himself over to the unbridled lusts of the flesh and to the perverse satisfying of his loose depraved appetite From which things set forth with many specious reasons he concluded it was time to unite themselves for their own defence and to destroy those designs before they were brought unto perfection Now the Duke of Guise by means of the Preachers and Friers in Pulpits and other places of Devotion labours to insinuate the Catholick League into the People Among these the chief were Guilliaume de la Rose a man of great eloquence who came afterward to be Bishop of Senlis Jean Prevost chief Priest of S. Severin an eloquent and learned man Jehan Boucher by birth a Parisian and Curate of S. Benet's Parish in the same City one Poncet a Frier in the Abby of S. Patrick at Melun Don Christin of Nizza in Provence and Jehan Vincestre all famous Preachers And finally most part of the Jesuites And as these prosecuted the business of the League in Paris the same was done at Lions by Claude Mattei a Priest of the same Society at Soissons by Mathew de Launoy Canon of that Cathedral at Roven by Father Egide Blovin of the Order of the Minims at Orleans by Bourlate a very noted Divine at Thoul by Francois de Rosier Arch-Deacon of that Church and an infinite number of others dispersed through the several places of France who by their Credit and Eloquence sometimes in their Pulpits sometimes in the Congregations of the Penitents sometimes in their secret conferences at Confessions did allure the people and entice them to enter into that Combination which it is likely very many did out of a respect to Religion believing that thereby the Calvinists would utterly be rooted out and the Authority of the Church be restored to its pristine greatness But many entred into that League invited by other ends and drawn to it by different hopes or else necessitated by their particular interests though all shrouded themselves under the same cloak of the preservation and maintenance of Religion Charles Cardinal of Bourbon the third Brother of Anthony King of Navarre and Louys Prince of Conde deceased and Unkle to Henry the present King of Navarre is desired for the Head of the League a man alwaies most observant of the Romish Religion and an open enemy to the Hugonots Then the Preachers did publickly in all places term the King a Tyrant and favourer of Hereticks the people did applaud them and from this deadly hatred which they had conceived against the King his Council and favourites sprung that fury which soon after was dispersed over all the body of France On July 15. 1582. Renauld of Beaune Archbishop of Bourges and Primate of Aquitain had then spoken at Fountainbleau in this sort The whole Church Christian and Catholick assisted by the Legates and Ambassadours of the Emperour of this your Kingdom and of all other Christian Princes Did call assemble and celebrate the Council of Trent where many good and wholesome Constitutions useful for the Government of the Church were ordained To which Council all the Legates and Ambassadours did solemnly swear in the behalf of their Masters to observe and keep and cause it to be inviolably kept by all their Subjects yea even the Ambassadours of this your Kingdom solemnly took that Oath Now it is received and observed by all Christian Catholick Kings and Potentates this Kingdom only excepted which hath hitherto deferred the publication and receiving of it to the great scandal of the French Nation and of the Title MOST CHRISTIAN wherewith your Majesty and your Predecessours have been honoured so that under colour of some Articles touching the liberty of the Gallican Church the stain of Schism resteth upon your Kingdom among other Countries Wherefore the Clergy doth now most humbly beseech your Majesty that you would be pleased to hearken to this publication and make an end of all to the glory of God and the union of his Church There was a Nuncio from the Pope who arrived in France in the beginning of the year 1583. who prosecuted this matter with great vehemency yet for all this he could not move King Henry III. at all the King of Navarre having written to King Henry III. concerning it the King of France made him this answer Brother Those that told you that I would cause the Council of Trent to be published were not well-informed of my intentions for I never so much as thought it Nay I kiow well how such publication would be prejudicial to my affairs and I am not a little jealous of the preservation of my Authority the priviledges of the Church of France and also of the observation of my Edict of Peace But it was only proposed unto me to cull out some certain Articles about Ecclesiastical Discipline for the Reforming of such abuses as reign in that State to the glory of God the edifying of my Subjects and withal the discharge of my conscience A thing which never toucheth in those Rules which I have set down in my Edicts for the Peace and tranquillity of my Kingdom which I will have inviolably kept on both sides On October 14. 1585. the Bishop and Earl of Noyon in the name of the Clergy assembled in the Abbey of St. German near Paris presented to the King a Book written by the advice of the Prelates of the Council of Trent They told him They brought unto him the Book of the Law of God which they humbly entreated him to receive The Provincial Synod held at Roven made this instance to the same Prince After that a good number of Bishops and Proxies for those that were absent together with Ecclesiastical Personâ— from all quarters of our Province of Normandy were met in our Metropolitan Church at Roan they tendered nothing more than earnestly to sollicite the publishing and promulgation of the Council of Trent within this Realm Wherefore this our Assembly by common consent have resolved to present their humble Petition to our most Christian King in like manner as was
the King hath Armed his enemies with his own forces and Authority against his Estate his blood and himself He layes open by a publick Declaration the causes which made the League to take Arms the vanity of their pretexts the fruit which all France may expect by the Treaty of Nemours c. He protesteth by a Lawful and necessary defence to maintain the fundamental Laws of Families and the Estate and liberty of the King and the Queen his Mother Gregory XIII being dead Pope Sixtus V. his Successour casts out his lightning against the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde he Excommunicates them degrades them from all Dignities especially their pretensions to the Crown of France exposeth their Persons and Countries as a prey to such as should first seize on them The Court of Parliament declares the Pope's Bull to be void The Princes likewise protest against it and appeal from it as abusive and scandalous unto the next free and General Council The King of Navarre causeth the Pope's Bull to be answered and his appeal to be posted up in Rome it self on November 6. in the night He writes to all the States of the Kingdom of France exhorting them not to suffer the rights of the Succession of the Crown of France to be decided in the Consistory of Rome Many Volumes were written against and in favour of this Bull by the chiefest Wits of Europe King Henry the third caused some Orders to be cried down in the City of Paris because he was certified of the Conspiracies which they made against the State it being notoriously known that the League was sworn in Tholouse by the black Penitents and that as many of these Orders as are in France did all conspire to the like ends The French Exiles who dwelt at Mompelgart in the Dutchy of Wortemberg did in the year 1586. first sollicite the Divines there and then the Duke Frederick That there might be a publick Conference between the German and French Divines about some Controversies between them They assemble in March the Duke was present all the time On the one side was Jacob Andrewes Chancellour of Tubing Luke Osiander of Wortemberg Osiand Epit. Eccles Hist Câ—nt 16. lib. 4. cap. 23. and two Civilians from the Duke And on the other side were Theodore Beza and Anthony Faius from Geneva Abraham Musculus and two Civilians from Bern and Claudius Alberius from Lausanna Many were the Hearers The Articles of which they were to Dispute were 1. Of the Supper of the Lord. 2. Of the Person of Christ 3. Of Images Temples and such like things 4. Concerning Baptism 5. Of Predestination The first day viz. on March 21. Those of Wortemberg gave in writing Theses of the Lord's Supper shewing that all do agree that All do eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood spiritually all do condemn the renting of Christ's flesh with mens teeth as also Transubstantiation and Physical or Local presence So that the only Question is whether in the Supper the very body and blood of Christ be verily and substantially present and be distributed and received with the Bread and Wine by the mouth of all them who receive the Sacrament whether worthy or unworthy believers or not believers yet so that the believers only receive comfort and the unbelievers do eat to their own damnation We hold the affirmative say they that is by those Words In with and under the Bread Petr. Eccles Hist Cent. 16. part 3. we understand nothing but that they who eat that Bread and drink that Wine do receive Christ's body and blood with the Bread and Wine 2. By the words Substantially Essentially Really and Orally we mean no other but the very eating and presence of his body and blood 3. They argue from the truth of Christ's words This is my body and the Almighty power of Christ seeing his words declare his will and by his power he can give his body unto all Receivers 4. The manner how the worthy and unworthy receive Christ's body is not expressed in Scripture and we say it is supernatural and incomprehensible by the wit of men and should not be disputed nor curiously searched These Theses were given unto Beza as it was appointed and the next day he brought his answer and Propositions The Summ is 1. A Sacrament in the strict sense is a sensible thing appointed by Divine institution to be separated from common use to signifie spiritual and holy things and this signification consists not in a bare representation whereby the mind is admonished to conceive the thing signified this is the use of Pictures but on God's part with the signs is also a very giving of those things which are signified and offered unto our souls 2. We teach that according to Christ's Institution by the Bread is signified Christ's body by the Wine his blood by breaâ—ing of the Bread and pouring out of the Wine are signified those grievous torments which he suffered for us in his body and soul by outward giving the Bread and Wine the spiritual giving the things signified by Christ unto our souls by outward taking the signs is signified the spiritual receiving of Christ by Faith Sacramentally and truly 3. The Sacramental union of the signs and things signified consists in a mutual relation as is now said for the verity of Christ's body which is local and circumscribed both before and after his glorification cannot consist otherwise Again many passages of Scripture that shew the true and Physical ascending of Christ from the Earth and his returning from Heaven unto judgement do confute the Doctrine of Consubstantiation 4. When the word Sacrament is tâ—ken in a more large sense it consists of two things one Earthly another Heavenly We teach That Earthly things are received by Earthly Instruments viz. the Hand and Mouth but the Heavenly things are apprehended only Spiritually by Faith because albeit Christ's body is a truly Organical body yet analogy requires That such as the nourishment and end thereof is such also must be the manner of receiving it But the nourishment and end thereof is spiritual that is they concern our spiritual union with Christ and eternal life through him Therefore the manner of receiving those must also be spiritual by the proper Instrument of the soul which is Faith And therefore seeing the bodily receiving of the signs is a pledge of the spiritual receiving these words Eat and Drink as they are properly spoken of receiving the signs so are they spoken figuratively of the thing signified viz. by a Sacramental Metonymy whereby that which agreeth unto the signs is spoken of the things signified and so both those receivings cannot be by the mouth Again if the substance of Christ's body were received bodily it should remain in the faithful at least and they should become the substantial or bodily members of Christ and so the Church were not his mystical body but a body verily and substantially consisting of the substance
water as they are distinguished by John Baptist in Matth. 3. And he declares the words of the Institution and the effect of Baptism Jacob Andrews held there is but one Baptism because St. Paul saith one Baptism Beza said there is an outward and an inward washing And he rebuked the Wortembergers because they did not call the blood of Christ the thing signified in Baptism They asked whether Infants have Faith Beza denied and the other affirmed it They questioned whether the Elect being sanctified may lose faith Beza denied They asked what hope may Parents have of their Baptized Children Beza said All should hope well but we are not Prophets to fore-tell that this or that Child shall be a good or bad man Concerning Predestination Those of Wortemberg said God from all eternity not only foresaw the fall of man but hath also foreknown and chosen them that shall be saved and hath appointed them unto salvation that is that they should be saved by Christ for the election was made in Christ The number of them who shall be saved is certain with God So the question is say they whether God hath Predestinated his Elect unto life so that he in his hidden and absolute judgement hath appointed the most part of men unto eternal damnation that he will not have them to repent nor be converted and saved We believe say they that such Decree cannot be shewed by Scripture They reject those Propositions that Reprobation is the most wise purpose of God whereby from all eternity he hath constantly Decreed without all unrighteousness not to shew love on them whom he hath not loved that unjustly condemning them he might declare his wrath against sin and shew his glory The cause of the Decree of Election or Reprobation is his eternal favour toward them who at his pleasure are appointed unto salvation and his eternal hatred of ill ordaining whom he pleaseth unto condemnation But why he hath appointed these men rather than those unto salvation or damnation there is no other impulsive cause but his will c. Beza answered thus What ye deny That the vessels of wrath as well as the vessels of mercy were ordained from eternity we do affirm not only because there is a like reason of contraries and the very word Election proveth it but also it is declared by the express word of God Rom. 9.11 And this is so far said he from any ground that man can challenge God of unrighteousness that he were not unjust though he had condemned all men seeing we are all by nature the Children of wrath and he is debtor to none We say further that their Condemnation who in the eternal Decree are left in their corruption is not rightly attributed unto this Decree for albeit that which God hath Decreed cannot miss but shall come to pass and so they who perish do not perish without this Decree yet the cause of the execution or of their condemnation is not that Decree of God but their natural corruption and the fruits of it from which it pleased God to exempt them only whom he hath chosen to salvation That there ever was and is a great a number of them that perish the matter it self sheweth and Christ saith Few are chosen few do enter in at the strait gate Lastly that God will not have them to be converted and saved it 's not to be understood as if they were willing and God resisteth their desire but that they will not be converted nor can they will being forsaken of God and left in impenitency He answered also to the Objections Then they came to that question whether Christ died for all men Jacob held the affirmative and Beza the negative Prince Frederick now thought it time to close seeing no hope of agreement Osiand Cent. 16. lib. 4. cap. 23. he exhorted them to give one another the hand of Fraternity and to abstain from bitter writings until God shall give them more cause of Peace Jacob answered seeing they have accused us of gross Errours how can we acknowledge them as Brethren Beza said seeing you refuse to give us the right hand of Fraternity neither acknowledge us as Brethren we do not regard your hand of friendship So the Conference was ended March 29. Anthony Faius one of Beza's assistants in this Conference was a French Divine He hath written these Works In Epist ad Romanos In Priorem ad Timotheum In Ecclesiastem Enchiridion Theologicum De Vita Obitu Theod. Bezae Emblemata Epigrammata Miscel Abraham Faius his Son hath put out a Book entitled Linguae Gallicae Italicae hortulus amoenissimus horarum subcisivarum libri duo Now the King begins a War against the Protestants in Guienne The Castle of Angiers is suddenly taken by the Hugonots without much difficulty Angiers is a City scituate on this side the Loire in a sweet fertil Countrey well peopled famous for the study of the Law and commodiously seated to fall into all the Provinces of Gallia Celtica which largely invirons it on every side But this Castle of Angiers was recovered by the Catholicks before it was relieved and the Prince of Conde not knowing what was done coming to relieve Angiers was defeated The King sets forth divers Armies one under the Duke of Mayenne the Mareschal de Byron marcheth with another Army into Xantonge The King sets forth two other Armies one under the Duke of Joyeuse in Avergne the other under the Duke of Espernon in Provence he himself goes to Lions Then the Protestant Princes of Germany raise a mighty Army to relieve the Hugonots They send an Embassie before unto the King of France which encreaseth the discontents and hasteneth the taking up of Arms. The King seeks to perswade the King of Navarre to turn Catholick and come to Court he sends the Queen-Mother to Treat with him in Poictou about it Those of the League are highly displeased and murmure at it And from that occasion the union of the Parisians is fomented who provide and Arm themselves secretly They plot to surprize Bolougne in Picardy but the business is discovered and the Town is saved The Duke of Guise being up in Arms in Burgundy and Champagne takes Ausonne and Rocnoy and besiegeth Sedan The Queen-Mother returns from the King of Navarre to Paris but without effect The King makes a new Protestation not to Tolerate the Hugonots any longer He unites himself with the Catholick League to oppose the German Army He sends the Duke of Joyeuse into Poictou against the King of Navarre who coming unexpectedly cuts off two Regiments of the Hugonot Infantry The Duke of Guise draws his Army together to advance against the Germans in Lorain The King levieth Swisses and raiseth great Forces for the same purpose The Count of Soissons and the Prince of Conti go over to the King of Navarre's party The Duke of Lorain united with the Duke of Guise opposeth the entry of the Germans into his Countrey
a select number of Prelates to accompany the Legate men of good Learning and experienced in the matters of Government among whom were Lorenzo Bâ—anchetti and Filippo Sega who after were Cardinals Marco Antonio Mocenigo Bishop of Ceneda a man well versed in affairs and highly esteemed by the Pope Francesco Panigarola Bishop of Asti a renowned Preacher and Robert Bellarmine a learned Jesuite To the choice of these men the Pope added Bills of Exchange to the Merchants of Lions for three hundred thousand crowns with Commission to the Legate to dispose of them according to occasion but particularly to spend them for the infranchisement of the Cardinal of Bourbon upon which he shewed his mind was fixed more than upon any other thought whatsoever But the Pope by letters from the Duke of Luxemburg found that what the Agents of the League had represented to him was vain whereupon the Pope gave Orders and Commissions to his Legate to shew himself no less Neutral in the secular pretensions of the Princes than most zealous concerning Religion and not to value one French-man above another provided he were obedient to the Church and generally liked by the Kingdom and that he should not shew himself an open enemy to the King of Navarre so long as there was any hope he might return into the bosom of the Church But these advertisements were very contrary to the principal scope of the Embassy which was to uphold the Catholick party of the League as the foundation of that Religion in France so that the substance of the business changed in the variety of circumstances did so disturb the Execution that it was afterwards governed more by the diversity of accidents than by any determinate resolution The Cardinal-Legate being come into France required Colonel Alfonso Corso not only to forbear molesting Grenoble and Valence which Cities alone held for the League in Dauphiné but also that as a Catholick and stranger he should forsake the King's party and joyn with the union But he answered that he was indeed a Catholick and an obedient Son to the See of Rome in spiritual things but that having made his Fortune as a Souldier in the service of the King of France he could not desist from following him but was bound to do what he could in the affairs of the Prince whom he served This answer troubled the Legate and the rather because being come to Lions he found the business of the League in great disorder by the King 's prosperous success The Count of Brisac appointed at first to meet the Legate and sercure his passage was forced to face about and employ himself in the affairs of Normandy The Duke of Nevers invited him to come into his State where standing Neuter he might freely take those wayes as might appear most convenient to him On the other side the Duke of Mayenne ceased not to sollicite him to come to Paris shewing him that without the authority of his name and those helps which were hoped for from him the League was in danger to be dissolved and subdued by the King's Forces and all the rest of the Kingdom would remain oppressed by the Hugonot's party The Legate having overcome many difficulties arrives at Paris where he caused the Pope's Breve of the 15. of October to be published wherein after an honourable commemoration of the merits of the Kingdom of France toward the See of Rome c. He attested that he had chosen Cardinal Gaetano Legate to the Kingdom of France with power to use all means fitting to protect the Catholick Religion to recal Hereticks into the bosome of the Church to restore the Peace and tranquillity of the Kingdom and finally to procure that under one only good pious and truly Catholick King the people of France might to the glory of God live in quietness and tranquillity after so many calamities of War Wherefore he prayed and exhorted all the Orders and Degrees of France to persevere in the Catholick Religion and to labour to extinguish and root up the evil of Heresie to cut off the occasions of discord and that particular enmities quarrels and Civil Wars being laid aside they should resolve to yield obedience to a lawful truly Catholick King and the Divine worship being restored under his shadow to live in charitable union and concord Two different Declarations followed upon the publication of this Breve one of the Parliament of Tours by which all persons were forbidden to obey or acknowledge the Legate the other of the Parliament of Paris by which all were exhorted to receive the Fatherly love of the Apostolick See and to give due Reverence to the Legates admonitions After which contrary Declarations many Learned men fight for their Factions with their Pens as the Souldiers with their Swords Aid being desired by the League from the King of Spain the Sieur de la Mothe refuseth to advance beyond the Frontiers of France from Flanders unless the King of Spain be declared Protector of the Crown of France with authority to dispose the chief part of the Temporal and Ecclesiastical Dignities which Prerogatives they called las Marcas de Justitia marks of justice The Duke of Mayenne will not hearken to an agreement with the King The Archbishop of Lions lately imprisoned at Amboise being newly set at liberty by Captain Du-Gast for a great summ of money and come to Paris is made High Chancellour to the Duke of Mayenne and President of the Council The Pope's Legate grants unto Mayenne the three hundred thousand crowns brought for the enlargement of the Cardinal of Bourbon Mayenne besiegeth Meulan a small place but seated upon the pass of the River Seine at the entring into Normandy which therefore next to Pointoise hindered the bringing of Victuals to Paris where after 25. dayes siege news came that the Old Castle at Roven was seized by some Seditious persons which caused him to raise the siege and march to Roven to appease the troubles On the other side the King besiegeth Dreux and the Duke of Mayenne being joyned with the Spanish supplies from Flanders marching towards Dreux resolveth to fight The German Infantry raised for the King of France turn for the League under the Command of Colonel S. Paul The Army of the League had in it four thousand five hundred Horse and twenty thousand Foot The King's Army was but three thousand Horse and eight thousand Foot The King's Army being refreshed they marched toward the field of Yvry appointed by the King for the place of Battel Here the Armies joyned wherein the King obtained a great Victory The King all Armed on Horse-back visits every Division with great diligence and exhorts his Souldiers with great vehemency At last standing still at the head of the main Battalion joyning his hands and lifting up his eyes to Heaven He said so loud that he was heard by many O Lord thou knowest the intentions of my heart and with the eye of thy Providence thou piercest into
cared not for the talk of the people nor for challenges And to get out of that mire he moved a question to Du Moulin whether he could tell after what manner of Creation the Angels were created Du Moulin knowing that this was their last meeting answered that the Question in hand was only of subscribing the Acts. But Cayer refusing turned his back and said you shall hear of me and so went away to the great scandal of the Romanists there present A Protestant made the company laugh saying that Cayer was not yet of Age to sign Thus was the Conference broken to the great satisfaction of many faithful souls and the instruction of many ignorant Papists who since gave glory to God by an open Profession of the truth The Acts of the Conference are extant published by Archibald Adaire a Reverend Bishop of Scotland The Doctors of the Faculty of Sorbon stung with the ill success of this Conference provoked him to another in which the body of the University took interest They were to oppose three daies upon what points they thought best and Du Moulin was to oppose three daies also and choose what points he pleased He was then Respondent for three daies and found in the Dispute that blessing of God which never was wanting to him in the defence of his truth After the Dispute of the third day he being returned home and retired to his study a man in a Priest's habit came in the dark evening up the stairs and knockt at his Study door When Du Moulin had opened it the man thrust the door with all his strength to have rusht in and Du Moulin with all his strength in which he was inferiour to few men of his size kept him out and called for help The man hearing some stirring below ran hastily down the stairs and so into the Street It is supposed upon probable ground that the man was come to kill him before he presented himself to be opponent according to the Covenants of the Conference But on the next morrow he met with a Prohibition from the King to continue that Conference any longer These passages raised his reputation very high whereby God was glorified his Truth confirmed and his Church edified and increased with many Converts The last sickness of the King's Sister gave a great exercise to his zeal and industry whereby he did faithfully and constantly assist her in that extremity Du Perron did his utmost to pervert her and to fright him away When she drew near to her end Du Moulin standing by her Bed side Du Perron came and said he was sent by the King and would remove him by plain force But Du Moulin held fast the Bed-post And when Du Perron told him he was to take place of him in all Companies Du Moulin answered that his place was before Du Perron's at the Princesses Beds side and in that service He added that he believed not that the King would offer violence to his Sisters Conscience appealing to her self and beseeching her Highness to declare her pleasure She declared that she would die in the Reformed Religion and that she would have Du Moulin to stay by her Whereupon Du Perron withdrew and the good Princess persevered in God's truth to her last breath The King wisht she had died in the Roman Profession and did all he could without violence to pleasure the Court of Rome in that point A little before there was a Conference between the Bishop of Eureux and Philip de Mornay Lord of Plessis Marly Governour of Saumur in the presence of the King Princes and Officers of his Crown Counsellours of State and other Noblemen of Mark. It was touching a Book which Monsieur du Plessis had published of the Institution of the Lords Supper and against the Mass wherein the Bishop did tax him to have falsified many Authorities Whereupon Du Plessis presented a Petition unto the King that his Majesty would be pleased to appoint Commissioners to examine every passage of Scripture cited in his Book The King yielded to this Conference referring the care thereof to his Chancellour The Commissioners appointed for the Catholicks were Augustus Thuanus President of the Court of Parliament at Paris Pithou Advocate in the Court and Fleure Schoolmaster to the Prince of Conde in whose absence came Martin the King's Physitian And for the other the President of Calignon Chancellour of Navarre in whose place entred De Fresnes Gavay President of the Chamber of Languedoc and Isaac Casaubon his Majesties Reader for the Greek Tongue All men of great Learning and well skilled in the Tongues This Conference began on May 4. in the Hall at Fountainbleau De Serres Hist in Henry IV. in the midst whereof was a Table of a reasonable length At the one end sat the King on his right hand the Bishop of Eureux and on the left right against him Du Plessis Pasquier Vassaut and Mercier Secretaries of the Conference were at the lower end of the same Table Somewhat higher on the right hand sate the Chancellour and the Commissioners Behind the King stood the Archbishop of Lions and the Bishops of Nevers Beauvais and Chastres On the King 's left hand were the four Secretaries of State Behind them which conferred were the Dukes of Vaudemont of Nemours of Mercoeur of Mayenne of Nevers of Elbeuf of Aiguillon and of Janville the Officers of the Crown Counsellours of State and other Noblemen of quality All were commanded to keep silence The King said that the Dispute was not betwixt party and party but particular betwixt the two Conferents not for any question of Right and Doctrine but for the literal truth of some passages He desired they would treat with all mildness and moderation without any bitterness or passion but that of the truth Declaring moreover that he did not mean that this Dispute should in any thing alter or disquiet the peace of his Subjects as the Chancellour did then Declare unto them at large by the King's Commandment After the first daies Conference M. Du Plessis fell very sick so as they could proceed no further The King did write the same day unto the Duke of Espernon what had past in the Conference and shewed by his Letter what his judgement was My friend the Diocess of Eureux hath vanquished that of Saumur Wherewith Du Plessis was discontented so that in a Discourse Printed soon after touching this Conference he termed this Letter A spark of fire and said That the Bishop of Eureux Fly was made an Elephant Some Months after Canay one of the Commissioners and President in the Chamber of the Edict at Castres a man learned in Philosophy and the Tongues and well read in the Church History left his Profession of the Reformed Religion and became a Romish Catholick Philip Mornay Lord of Plessis his work concerning the truth of Christian Religion was written in French against Atheists Epicures Paynims Jews Mahumetists and other Infidels began to be translated
that should seek to hinder the effect of the precedent Articles To cause Judges to be appointed to examine the crime committed by the Duke of Alançon declaring himself Chief of the Hereticks To cause the said Duke to come to Court with the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde and to seize upon the said Duke King and Prince and all their Accomplices That the Captains that should be under the Duke of Guise should put all Protestants and adherents to the Sword both in the Country and in Walled Towns To subdue the revolted Princes To be Masters of the Field To block up the Towns that were opposite and to put all to fire and sword that should make head against them Then to take exemplary punishment of the Duke of Alanâ—on now henceforth to be called the Duke of Anjou and his Complices Then by the Pope's consent to put the King and Queen into a Monastery as King Pipin in former time had done Childeric and in favour of the Roman See to abolish the liberties and priviledges of the French Church These high projects were hearkened unto received and favoured in the Court of Rome The Articles of this Association were first drawn at Peronne in Picardy but disguised with goodly shews to blind them that would examine them more exactly which were To maintain the Law of God to restore the holy service thereof To preserve the King and his Successours in the Estate Dignity Service and Obedience due unto him by his Subjects To restore unto the Estates of the Realm their Rights Preheminencies and Ancient Liberties And for the execution of these Articles a certain form of Oath was propounded inflicting pains of eternal damnation to the Associates that for any pretext whatsoever should withdraw themselves from this League and a Bond for such should be enrolled to employ their goods persons and lives to punish and by all means to ruine the enemies and perturbers thereof and to punish them that should fail or make any delays by the Authority of the Head as he should think good This being done many Posts went to and fro carrying the news of these designs They cast many Libels through the Streets in many great Towns They murmure that the Protestants are too much supported by the Edict And under this plausible name of the Church the people give ear to such as are ready to thrust them into Mutiny The King was daily advertised of these things But on the other side he hated the Protestants and sought to ruine them by degrees but not by any Instruments without his Authority His Mother likewise hated them to the death She causeth the Duke her Son to come to the Court and the King to be reconciled to him The King calls an Assembly of the States at Bloyes where Peter d'Espinac Arch-Bishop of Lions and the Baron of Senecey are Speakers the one for the Clergy the other for the Nobility and both conclude a publick Exercise of one only Religion in France Peter Versoris Advocate in the Court of Parliament in Paris Oratour for the third Estate insists on the Union of all the Kings Subjects in one Religion but by mild means and without War The King seemed to encline only to alter some Articles in the last Edicts of Pacification and not to abolish it quite But at length the King consenteth to root out all other Religion but the Popish to banish all Ministers Deacons and Overseers of the Reformed Religion and yet to take all his other Subjects of the said Religion into his protection attending that by better instructions they might be brought into the bosome of the Church But the King of Navarre the Prince of Conde the Marshal of Montmorency d'Anville and other Noble-men both of the one and the other Religion refusing to assist at this present Parliament conclude a nullity of all that was Decreed to prejudice the Edict of Pacification protesting to maintain themselves in the Rights Liberties and Freedoms which the last Edict had granted them The King of Navarre beseecheth the Estates by the Duke of Montpensier who was sent unto him not to infringe the Edict of Peace but to suffer the Protestants to enjoy that which had been so formerly granted He desireth time to attend the opinion of an Assembly of those of his Religion and of the Catholick-Associates which was to be shortly made at Montaubon The Prince of Conde answers more sharply That he doth not acknowledge the Assembly at Bloys for the Estates of the Realm but a Conventicle of persons corrupted by the sworn enemies of the Crown who have sollicited the abolition of the Edict to the subversion of the Realm That he hath alwaies honoured the Clergy and Nobility but he pities the people whom this Assembly at Bloys sought to ruine The chief of the Politicks declare that they adhere not to any other Religion than that of their Fathers but they are against the taking from the Protestants the publick Exercise which had been so solemnly allowed them The Duke of Montpensier being returned perswaded to have the Edict confirmed John Bodin a man famous for Learning and experience in State-affairs one of the Deputies of the Commons of Vermandois sheweth to the Assembly how ruinous and fatal the new taking up of Arms would be repeating from the beginning all the dangers and miseries of the late Wars which made a deep impression on the minds of the third Estate But the other Orders being byassed and pre-ingaged it was determined by plurality of voices that request should be made unto the King to establish only the Romish Religion in the Kingdom and to exclude for ever all Communion with the Hugonots Nevertheless Bodin procured certain words to be entred in the Records of the Order of Commons to certifie their desire of unity in Religion without the noise of Arms and the necessity of War This Bodin was a man eminent as well among Protestants as Papists though himself professed the Romish Religion His Learning and skill in Politicks appears in his great Book de Republicâ Thuanus highly commendeth his writings Possevine dislikes his Methodus Historica because he makes such honourable mention of the Protestants there Some commend his Theatrum Naturae for a choice piece a Book full of natural curiosities The King gives notice to his Governours and publisheth by his Letters Patents that he is resolved to grant the Estates their requests touching the Exercise of one only Religion And thus the sixth Civil War begins in Guienne During the Parliament the Deputies of the Low Countries demand succours of the King and the Duke of Anjou for Pfotectour of their Liberties against the insolencies of the Spaniards Anjou is now declared the King's Lieutenant General They deliver him a mighty Army with which contrary to the Oath taken by him in the observation of the accord and promise pass'd with the Prince of Conde and Duke Casimire he besiegeth and taketh La-Charitè by Composition and Ysoire in