if need should be any foule play that might bee offered Being come to the place the Legat commanded the King of Aragon and the said Earle Remond that they should not depart the city without his leaue vpon paine of indignation and to be prosecuted as rebells to the Church Some friend of the Earles vsed the meanes to giue him a sight of the Articles of the Sentence which the Legat had a purpose to publish against the said Earle Remond which were these that follow That the Earle of Toulouze shall incontinently dismisse and casheere all his men of Armes not retaining any one of them That he shal be obedient and subiect to the Church of which he shall repaire the damages and satisfie all costs and charges That throughout all his lands no man shall eat more than two sorts of flesh That he shall expell out of his countries and territories all the heretikes and their allies That he shall deliuer into the hands of the Legat and the Earle of Montford all those that shall bee named vnto him to doe with them as they please and that within one yeare That no man within his lands noble or ignoble shall weare any apparell of great price but blacke and course clokes That all the strong places and castles of defence belonging vnto him shall be ouerthrowne and laid euen with the ground That no Gentleman of his shall remaine or dwell in any City or Castle but shall make his abode in the fields and countrey houses as a villager That he shall not leuy in his lands any tolles but those that haue beene of old time imposed That euery master of an house shall pay yearely to the Legat foure Toulouzian pence That when the Earle of Montford or any of his people shall passe through his countries they shall pay nothing for any thing they take or spend That hauing performed all things as aboue he shall trauell beyond the Seas to make warre against the Turkes neuer returning againe into these parts but by the commandement of the Legat. That after all these things the Legat and the Earle of Montfort should restore vnto him all his Lands and Signories when it should please them These Articles being communicated to the King of Aragon he found them so vniust that he would stay no longer in that place but counselled the Earle of Toulouze presently to mount on horse-backe for feare lest they should ceaze vpon his person euen to the full execution of those Articles who it should seeme went about to enrich themselues by his spoyles And forasmuch as the said King of Aragon had perswaded the said Earle that hee should put no more confidence in the Legat and Earle Simon hee cast in his teeth his too great facillitie saying vnto him in Gascongne tongue Pla bous an pagat that is to say They haue well payed you The Legat and the Earle Simon being much discontented that this prey had escaped their hands and knowing that he would no more suffer himselfe to bee abused and ouer-reached by words they endeuored to get that by force which either by faire words or foule they could not Whereupon they went presently and besieged the Castle of Montferrand into which the Earle Remond had put the Earle Baudoni his brother with the Vicount of Montelar Remond of Pierregourde and Pons Roux of Toulouze and diuers other valiant men to defend that place which he knew to be of great importance After some breach and assaults the Earle Simon being out of all hope to winne this place by force of Armes desired to speake with the Earle Baudoni which hauing obtained he told him that his brother made it appeare vnto the world that he had desire to vndoe him in that hee had shut him vp in so paltrie a place which he very well saw hee could not long defend for that at the arriuall of that world of Pilgrims which were now marching towards him hee would quickly know how great an ouersight it was to locke vp himselfe within so weake a hold That if he did attend any violent assault of these Pilgrims there would be no more place for mercie That if he would yeeld himselfe and the place hee would leaue it to his guard for the Church and besides he would make him for the time to come a partner of his conquests with such aduantage that hee should shortly bee a greater man and in greater authoritie than his brother who had procured vnto himselfe by his rebellion his vtter ouerthrow That hee could neuer haue power sufficient to resist the force of so many Kings Princes and Potentates who sent their people to this warre rewarded by their owne zeale without any charge of the Church That euery man would commend and admire this his retreat besides that happinesse he should gaine vnto himselfe by consecrating himselfe to the seruice of God and his Church and acquitting himselfe of that people amongst whom there was not any that was not iudged by the Church worthy to be condemned to the fire The Earle Baudoni suffered himselfe to bee carryed by the promises and faire speeches of the Earle Simon and so deliuered vp the place and put himselfe into Bruniquel a place very strong which belonged to the Earle Remond and promised neuer to beare Armes but in defence of the Church These two places drew with them to the Earle Simons part the places of Rabasteins Gaillac Montague La Guarda Pech Selsas La Guipia St. Antonin with other places neere adioyning The Earle Remond being much astonished to see himselfe betrayed and abandoned by his owne brother bewayled his misfortunes at Toulouze where from day to day hee attended to bee inuested when vpon the surcharge of these euils hee vnderstood that the Legat and the Earle Simon had wonne vnto them the King of Aragon his one and only prop vpon earth vnder God The meane to worke it was this The Legat writ vnto him that he should winne great commendation and doe greater seruice to the Pope and to the Church if he would once againe become a mediator for the peace of the Church And to that end they entreated him to come to Narbonne where they hoped to lay a good foundation Hee tooke his iourney thither where the first thing they proposed was to make some agreement betwixt the Earle of Foix and the Church and the Earle Simon A premeditated designe againe to spoyle the Earle Remond of his succours Afterwards they gaue him to vnderstand that the Earle Simon desired to liue with him as with his best kinsman and friend that he had in the world and for this cause he was very willing to ioyne in alliance with him if he would be pleased to accept of a daughter of the Earle Simons to marry with his eldest sonne And such conditions they proposed vnto him that he was content that his sonne should marry the daughter of the said Earle Simon in regard of which alliance the King of Aragon gaue to the
goe to war out of dutie and attend the reward which is neuer wanting to all honorable actions be they neuer so secret yea euen our vertuous cogitations being the onely contentment which a conscience well ordered receiueth in it selfe for well doing Hauing therefore my masters and friends my courage still lodged in a firme and assured place against all the assaults of Fortune my conscience cleere in this that I neuer gaue you any occasion to rise vp against me I haue made no doubt to appeare before you in this assembly and to bring with me my head not my treasures to expose them to the mercy of the Souldier or my commodities to plant them as Barriers about my lands and territories which you haue begunne without reason to bring into a lamentable estate to be iudged by your Counsell and according thereunto to condescend to that which shall be determined For I had rather neuer to haue beene borne than to suruiue my reputation neither can I suffer that honor and glory which in my yonger yeeres I haue iustly wonne to be extinguished Haue you euer knowne me to be an enemie to the Realme of France If it be so let me lose both life and honour with shame and dishonour And who dares speake it to my face Haue I conspired against the Church What haue I done that any man should haue that conceit of me And doe you thinke that for the poore remainder of this fantasticall imaginary life which I haue to liue I will lose the essentiall life and purchase to my selfe to please any mans appetite an eternall death The wise men of the world haue proposed to themselues a more honourable and iust end to so important an enterprize There is no man of honour that chooseth not rather to lose his honour than his conscience It is that which I hold to bee the dearest lewell within my Cabinet Keepe me I pray you in that range which the Kings of France haue giuen mee that is to bee thought faithfull as they haue heretofore censured me when they haue had occasion to deale in the affaires of my House to the end saith he that being offended I be not constrained to defend my selfe and to offend you which shall bee much against mine owne will and intention And this by oath I vow vnto you Roger the sonne of the Earle of Foix was much afflicted with the submission of his father as being an action too base for the greatnesse of their house The King of Aragon did likewise distaste it For notwithstanding he were allied to the Earle Simon yet hee did not feare to let him vnderstand that he could not approue of his vsurpations vnder the pretence of religion The Earle Simon on the other side Holag pag. 133. said with a loud voice That the conquests were iust and lawfull that he had his right from the Pope that there was no other purchase but that which hee wonne with the sword that hee had an Armie to answer whomsoeuer should oppose himselfe against it were it the King of Aragon and of strength sufficient to defend himselfe against whomsoeuer The King of Aragon writ to the Earle of Foix that forasmuch as the Legat and the Earle Simon had deceiued him in not restoring those lands and places which they had promised him to restore that hee should no longer put any trust in them since the intent of the Earle Simon was too well knowne That is that hee endeuored to make himselfe great and rich with the goods of another vnder a pretence of Religion if his ambition and auarice were not staied by the common armes and intelligence of those whom hee had already spoyled of their goods and of all others that doe but vnderstand that hauing begunne with their neighbours hee will likewise desire to folllow that course without end the couetous desires of men being endlesse That he knew very well that hee did not seeke his alliance out of any desire hee had to be honoured thereby but onely to hinder him from succoring those whom he desired to strip out of all they had He likewise exhorted by letters Roger the sonne of the Earle of Foix to fortifie himselfe against the vniust vsurpations of Montfort otherwise euery man would laugh at him that the Earle Somon was but weake accompanied with a few Pilgrims ready out of discontents to retire themselues that he should therefore enter the field and hee should quickly finde who would assist him The Earle Remond being much afflicted with the alienation of the King of Aragon by the marriage of his sonne with the daughter of Simon of Montfort thought it necessarie to doe his best endeuour to regaine him by another mariage He offered therefore his only son and heire in marriage to a daughter of his vnto which motion the King of Aragon yeelded his consent The Monke of the Valley Sernay Chap. 67. The Earle Simon was much displeased herewith The Monk saith That this marriage made the King of Aragon very infamous and much suspected considering that the Earle of Toulouze was a manifest persecuter of the Church The King of Aragon knowing the murmurings of the Earle Simon did not feare with open mouth to publish his purpose and intent to defend the Earle of Toulouze and of Foix. That the one was his Brother in Law the other his Subiect That he did assure himselfe of a day that God would giue them to make him repent his vniust conquests The Earle Simon being aduertized of the threats of the King of Aragon intreated him to blot out those bad impressions which he had conceiued of him and that he would make him the iudge and stickler of the difference that was betwixt him and the Earle of Foix The Earle of Foix on the other side intreated the King of Aragon to yeeld thereunto who obtained of the Earle Simon the restitution of all his Lands and Territories except Pamies Which exception when his sonne Roger vnderstood he presently said hee would none of that but he knew very well how to recouer that with his sword which very vniustly he had taken from him by foule play and false pretences Wherevpon he entred the field foraged tooke his occasions seasonably and bestowed his time with such incredible diligence in all his exploits that he made the Armie of the Crosse to feele the bloudy effects of his valour On the other side the Earle of Toulouze tooke the aduantage of the time nourisheth those sparkles of diuision seekes to win the loue of the Earle of Foix and they make betweene them and their allies a league offensiue and defensiue against the Earle Simon their common enemy and assemble themselues at Toulouze to binde it by oath and so they prepare themselues for the warre euery one contributing according to his abilitie towards an action of such importance CHAP. X. The siege of Castlenau d'Arri the retrait of the Earle Simon The Earle of Foix offers him battaile The King
or made any agreement with Girard Adememar or Guitaud Lord of Monteil-Aimar nor with Aimar of Poitiers but vntill such time as hee had power to deuoure them he passed the Rhosne at Viuiers and besieged Monteil-Aimar Guitaud or Girard made great resistance but when the Inhabitants saw the great Armie of Pilgrims they entreated their Lord to come to composition for feare lest the Citie should be pillaged Which hee did though it were with the losse of his Castle From thence he went and besieged the Tower of Crest-Arnaud belonging to Aimar of Poitiers He that commanded within did yeeld it vp out of cowardlinesse for otherwise it had beene impossible the Pilgrims should haue taken it Afterwards the Earle Simon gaue a daughter of his to a sonne of the said Poitiers and there was peace concluded betwixt the said Poitiers and the Bishop of Valence against whom hee had a long time before made cruell warre A little before the Earle Simon had married one of his sonnes to the daughter of Dauphin of Viennois and another to the Countesse of Bigorre All which alliances did fortifie him much against his enemies All men trembled before him and with this great Armie of Pilgrims that followed him he tooke Pefquieres neere to Nysmes and Bezonce and put all to the sword hee found within not sparing the women Hee tooke his way to Toulouze to pillage and to raze it and to seeke the Earle of Toulouze euen to the center of the Earth if he were there to be found at which time hee receiued letters from his wife aduertising him that hee should speedily come to deliuer her from the hands of the Earle of Toulouze who had besieged her in the Castle Narbonnes that hee was very strong and had all the people at his deuotion who had receiued him with great applause crying out with a loude voice Long liue the Earle of Toulouze That he was accompanied with his Nephew the Earle of Comminge Gaspar de la Barre Bertrand de Iorda Engarrand of Gordo Lord of Caraman Armand de Montagu and Estephe de la Valette all braue and valiant men and well accompanied This was about the end of the yeere one thousand two hundred seuenteene 1217. that the Earle Remond entred into Toulouze the Drumme beaten the Ensignes displayed and the Trumpets sounding The people pressing to cast themselues downe at his feet to embrace his legges and to kisse the hem of his garment and killing as many as they found in the Citie that tooke part with the Earle of Montfort Whereas had the Earle Simon come directly to Montauban at his returne from France the Earle Remond could not haue told what to haue done but he stayed at Monteil-Aimar and Crest Arnaud and Besince and Pasquieres and made delaies about the mariages so long that the Earle had time to gather his troopes together and to prepare himselfe for a strong assault In such sort that when hee was aduertised that hee was at Toulouze the greater part of his Pilgrims were returned into France But yet it was necessary hee should goe to Toulouze with those forces that he had for his wife was in danger to be lost And hee that had beene the death of so many women and children was doubtfull what would become of his falling into the hands of his enemies The Earle Remond created an officer which they called Vignier or Prouost to whom all were bound to obey vpon paine of death This was the first Vignier that was established at Toulouze His charge was to prouide for the defence of the Citie to keepe the Moates or Ditches cleane to repaire the breaches to appoint to euery one his quarter and his Captaine especially in times of combat There came from all parts troopes of succours to the Earle Remond of those that desired consideration for the violencies of the Earle Simon The Earle Guy was one of the first in the combat for his brother the Earle Simon but he was beaten and put to flight The Archbishop of Aix and of Armagnac with their Pilgrims retired themselues without fight The Earle Simon being come made shew to besiege Toulouze but the frequent issues of those that were within gaue him to vnderstand that it was not for his good He assembled therefore the Prelats and Lords to take aduise of what was to bee done The Legat perceiuing the Earle Simon somewhat astonished said vnto him Feare nothing for in a short time wee shall recouer the Citie and put to death and destroy all the Inhabitants and if any of the Souldiers of the Crosse shall die in this pursuit they shall passe to Paradice as Martyrs and hereof they shall assure themselues To whom one of the great Captaines answered Monsieur Cardinall you talke with great assurance but if the Earle beleeue you it will be little for his profit For you and all the other Prelats and men of the Church haue beene the cause of all this euill and ruine and will bee yet more if he beleeue you It was no time for Monsieur the Cardinall to bee offended with this audacious reply but he must needs sup vp this censure The resolution was that there should be no more any assault giuen but that the Citie should bee besieged on the side of Gascongne For which cause the Earle of Montfort caused one part of his Armie to passe the Riuer Garonne towards St. Soubra now they within the Citie made so blunt a salley and to such purpose that they put their enemies to flight During this combat came the Earle of Foix with his fresh troopes as well of his subiects as Nauarreans and Catalans who violently set vpon the Earle Montfort pursuing him euen to the brinke of Garonne where with affrightment and precipitation they cast themselues in heapes into their Boats and many were drowned in the Riuer The Earle Simon also fell in all armed with his horse and hardly escaped The Earle Remond caused a generall assembly to bee made at St. Saornin wherein hee exhorted the people to giue thankes vnto God for this happy beginning of victorie which they had obtained against their enemies which was a testimonie of Gods loue and that they should hope for better hee exhorted euery one to giue their helping hands to build and to prepare and to cause their warlike engins to play against the Castle Narbonnes because this place being last by the enemie their totall ruine must needes follow and being once recouered by them they should be in safetie In a very short time were their woodden engins to cast stones their Slings their Mangonnels to dart their Arrowes their Fowlers Crossebowes and other Instruments which were in vse in those times prepared and all of them mounted against the Castle Narbonnes which made those to tremble that were within The Earle Montfort being at Montolieu tooke counsell how to carry himselfe in this tedious siege and against enemies so animated The Bishop of Thoulouze said vnto him to comfort him that
and Princes stirred vp by the Pope but it is God saith he that hath hindred all their violent outrages Vesembecius in his Oration of the Waldenses Luther confessed that he hated the Waldenses as desperate men vntill he knew the pietie and truth of their beleefe by their owne confessions and writings whereby he perceiued that these good and honest men were much wronged and that the Pope had condemned them for heretikes being rather worthie of the praise that is due to Saints and Martyrs And that he had found in the said Waldenses one thing worthy admiration and to be obserued as a miracle neuer heard of in the Church of Rome namely that the said Waldenses hauing abandoned all humane learning gaue them selues wholly to the vtmost of their power to the meditation of the law of God day night and that they were very expert in the Scriptures and well exercised in them and that contrarily they whom we call our great Maisters in the Papacy made so light account of the Scriptures glorying neuerthelesse in the title thereof that there were some amongst them that had scarce seene the Bible Hauing also read the confession of the Waldenses he said that he did thanke God for that great light that it had pleased God to impart vnto them taking great comfort with them for that all occasion of suspition amongst them whereby one was suspected to the other of heresie was taken away and that they were knit so close together as that they were all sheepe of one fold vnder the onely Pastor and Bishop of our soules who is blessed for euer Occolampadius writ vnto the Waldenses of Prouence in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred and thirtie this letter following WE haue vnderstood with a great deale of contentment by your faithfull Pastor George Morel This letter is found in the book of George Morel pastor of the Waldenses touching the conference which he had with Oecolamp and Martin Bucer what your faith and religion is and with what termes you speake thereof We therefore yeeld humble and heartie thanks to our mercifull Father who hath called you to so great light in this age euen in the middest of those obscure darknesses which are spread throughout the whole world and the vnlimited power of Antichrist And therefore we acknowledge and confesse that Christ is in you for which we loue you as brethren And I would to God we had power and abilitie to make you feele that in effect which we shall be readie to do for you yea though it be in matters of greatest difficultie We would not that you should take that which we write to proceed out of any pride or attributing to our selues any superioritie but out of that brotherly loue and charitie we beare towards you The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ hath imparted vnto you an excellent knowledge of his truth more then to many other people and hath blessed you with a spirituall benediction So that if you persist in his grace he hath in store greater treasures for you which he will enrich you withall and make you perfect that you may grow to the full measure of the inheritance of Christ The subscription of the letter is Oecolampaedius wisheth the grace of God the Father by his Sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit to his welbeloued brethren in Christ which they call Waldenses Martin Bucer writ vnto them at the same time this letter following BLessed be the Lord God and our louing Father who hath preserued you to this present time in so great knowledge of his truth and who hath now inspired you in the search thereof hauing made you capable and fit to do it Behold now what the nature of true faith is which is that so soone as it knowes in part any sparke of the diuine light it preserueth carefully the things that are giuen vnto it of God Saint Paul is an example vnto vs who in all his Epistles shewes the great care that he hath had to procure the glorie of God And doubtlesse if we pray with a good heart that the name of God be sanctified and his kingdome may come we shall prosecute nothing with such diligence as the establishment of the truth where it is not and the aduancement thereof where it is alreadie planted The rest of this letter is hereafter in the booke of the persecutions of the Waldenses Vigneaux in his Memorials of the Waldenses fol. 4. One onely thing doth especially grieue vs that our imployments at this time are such about other affaires that we haue no leisure to answer you at large as we desire c. Le Sieur de Vigneaux who was a Pastor of the Waldenses in the vallies of Piemont hath written a Treatise of their life manners and religion to whom he giues this testimonie that they were a people of a holy and godly life and conuersation well gouerned great enemies to vice but especially their Barbes for so they called their Pastors And speaking of those of his owne time he saith We liue in peace in these vallies of Piemont and in loue amitie one with another we haue commerce together neuer marrying our sonnes to the daughters of those of the Church of Rome or our daughters to their sonnes yea our manners and customes please them so well that such as are masters and call themselues Catholickes desire to chuse their men seruants and maid-seruants rather from amongst vs then themselues And they come also from farre to seeke nurses for their children amongst vs finding in ours more fidelitie then in their owne And as touching the doctrine for which the Waldenses haue bene persecuted It appeareth by the Historie of the Estate of the Church p. 337. they do affirme saith he that we are to beleeue the Scriptures onely in that which concerneth our saluation not any way depending vpon men That the Scriptures containe in them whatsoeuer is necessary to saluation and that we are not to beleeue any thing but what God hath commanded vs. That we haue one onely Mediatour and therefore we are not to inuocate Saints That there is no Purgatory but all such as are iustified by Christ go to eternall life They approue of two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. They affirme that all Masses are damnable especially those that are said for the dead and therefore are to be abolished That all humane traditions are to be reiected as not being necessary to saluation That singing and often rehearsall of diuine Seruice fasts tyed to certaine dayes superfluous feasts difference of meates so many degrees and orders of Friers Monks and Nuns so many benedictions and consecrations of creatures vowes pilgrimages and the whole confusion and great number of ceremonies heretofore inuented are to be abolished They deny the supremacie of the Pope and especially that power that he vsurpeth ouer ciuill gouernment and they admit of no other degrees then Bishops Priests and Deacons That the Sea
Valleys of Angrongne and their bordering neighbours Copin hearing him to speake of his brethren lesse modesty then became those that professed themselues to bee Merchants and of their Religion to the dishonour of God hee thought it would be a fault in himselfe if he should make no reply to those blaspemies that he heard He therefore answered the party that held this discourse in fauour of his Religion And what saith he that had been reprehended by Copin are you a Waldensian He answered Yea. And doe you not belieue that God is in the Hoste No saith Copin Fie vpon you replies the other what a false Religion is yours My Religion saith Copin is as true as it is true that God is God and as I am sure I shall die The next morrow Copin was called before the Bishop of Ast who told him that he had been aduertised of certaine scandalous discourses and opinions which but the day before hee held in the euening at his lodging and that hee must acknowledge the offence if he would obtaine pardon otherwise he would take order for his punishment Copin answered that he had been prouoked thereunto and howsoeuer he had said nothing that he would not maintaine with the danger of his owne life that hee had some goods in the world and a wife and children but he had lost the affection he bare vnto those things neither were they deare vnto him to the preiudice of his conscience And as touching his behauiour saith he if it would please the Bishop to enquire of the Merchants of Ast who all knew him whether he were an honest man they would all witnesse for him that he had neuer wronged any man in that whole time he had traded and conuersed with them and that being a Merchant he was to be dismissed for that cause for which he was then in that place that is for trafficke and therefore not to bee molested That if Iewes and Turkes were permitted to come to Faires and to trafficke throughout all Piedmont much more should he be permitted who was a Christian especially since that in that discourse of Religion he did but answere to a question moued vnto him and that it was lawfull for any man to answere and to giue a reason of his faith to whom and in what place soeuer euen by vertue of that treaty and agreement betweene the Waldenses of the Valleys and his Highnesse which forbids them to broach new opinions but takes not from them the liberty to answere to whomsoeuer shall aske any questions of them The Bishop harkened not at all to these allegations but gaue commandement that he should bee sent to prison The morrow after the Bishops Secretary came to visit Copin and making great profession of loue towards him he said vnto him that hee would haue him know as from his friend that if he did not acknowledge his fault he would be in great danger of his life Copin answered him that his life was in the hands of God and he would neuer desire to preserue it to the preiudice of his glory and forasmuch as he had but two or three paces to walke in his iourney to heauen his hearty prayer vnto God was that he would be pleased to giue him the grace not to turne back Some few daies after he was examined by a Monke Inquisitor in the presence of the Bishop who tormented him a long time with sweet and gentle perswasions endeauouring to winne him by faire words to the abiuration of his beliefe but Copin alwaies conuinced him by the word of God alleadging vnto him that if he should be ashamed of Christ Iesus or deny him before men Christ would be ashamed of him and deny him before his Father in heauen The Monke ended his disputation with these and the like threatning speeches Goe thou waies thou cursed Lutheran to all the diuels in hell and when thou shalt be tormented by those vncleane spirits thou wilt remember those good and holy counsels which we haue giuen thee to bring thee to saluation but thou haddest rather go to hell then to reconcile thy self to our holy mother the Church It is long agoe saith Copin that I was reconciled to our mother the Church After many violent incounters they caused his wife and a sonne of his to come vnto him promising him liberty and to depart with them if hee would amend his fault by confessing it They suffered his said wife and sonne to sup with him in prison which time he spent in exhorting them to patience the wife for that shee should want a husband the childe a father but yet should assure themselues that God would be their father and more then a husband and for his owne part he was not bound to loue either wife or children more then Christ that they should hold it to be no small happinesse that it hath pleased God to do him that honour as to be a witnesse vnto his truth with the losse of his life and that he hoped that God would be so fauourable vnto him as to giue him strength to endure all manner of torments for his glory He committed to the care and charge of his wife his sonne and his daughter which they had in marriage enioyning her to bring them vp in the feare of God He commanded his sonne to obey his mother for so he should drawe downe vpon him the blessing of God he prayed them to pray for him that God would be pleased to strengthen him against all temptations and so hauing blessed his sonne and taken leaue of his wife they were dismissed out of prison and he locked vp where he was before His wife and child shedding fountaines of teares and crying out in such a lamentable manner as would haue moued the hardest hearts to compassion This good man not being content with what he had said vnto them by word of mouth writ vnto her this Lettre following the originall Copy whereof shee deliuered vnto vs written and signed with the hand of the said Copin the superscription whereof was this To my louing Companion Susan Copin At the Tower of Lucerna MOst deare Companion I haue receiued much comfort by your comming into this place and so much the more by how much the lesse I expected it And I thinke it was some comfort to your selfe that you had the meanes to sup with me as it came to passe but yesterday being the fifteenth of September in the yeere 1601 being Saterday I know not the cause why this was permitted but all things are in the hand of God and whatsoeuer were the cause I doe not thinke we shall euer eate together againe And therefore pray vnto God to be your comforter and put your trust in him who hath promised neuer to forsake those that trust in him You are wise and therefore gouerne our house in such sort that you keepe our children Samuell and Martha in obedience whom I command by that authority that God hath giuen me to
God by discipline and by instruction as it is said in the 30 of Ecclesiast 1. He that loueth his sonne causeth him oft to feele the rod that he may haue ioy of him in the end and that hee knocke not at the doore of his Neighbour He that chastiseth his sonne shall haue ioy in him and shall reioyce of him among his acquaintance He that teacheth his sonne grieueth his enemy and before his enemies hee shall reioyce of him Though his Father dye yet he is as if he were not dead for hee hath left one behind him that is like vnto himselfe whilest he liued he saw and reioyced in him and when he dyed he was not sorrowfull For he left behind him an auenger against his enemies and one that shall require kindnesse to his friends Despaire not of thy childe when he is vnwilling to receiue correction or if he proue not speedily good for the Labourer gathereth not the fruits of the Earth so soone as it is sowen but he attends a fitting time A man must also haue a carefull eye ouer his Daughters Hast thou Daughters Keepe them within and see they wander not For Dina the Daughter of Iacob was corrupted by being seene of strangers CHAP. IIII. De li Preyre de la Collectas de li Concili Regidors son eslegi del poble et Preyre c. Of the Elders of the distribution of Almes and Ecclesiasticall Synodall Assemblies WEe choose amongst the people those that are to gouerne and of the Elders according to the diuersity of their employment in the vnity of Christ According to that of the Apostle in the first of the Epistle to Titus I haue left thee in Creete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in euery City as I haue appointed thee The siluer that is giuen for the reliefe of the people is by vs carried to the aforesaid Councell and is there deliuered for the common vse in the presence of all and afterwards taken by those that are in authority and part of that siluer is giuen to those that are to trauell any long iourneyes to employ as they shall thinke fittest and part vnto the poore Our Pastors doe call Assemblies once euery yeere to determine of all affaires in a generall Councell CHAP. V. De la Correction Ecclesiastica Semeillament deuon esser faict corrections per enduction de temors c. Of Ecclesiasticall Correction SO likewise corrections are to be vsed to hold men in feare to the end that they that are not faithfull may be punished and separated either for their wicked life or erroneous beliefe or their want of Charity or any of these euils that are found together in any one Now that it is necessary to vse such corrections our Sauiour telleth vs saying If thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him betwixt thee and himselfe and if he repent forgiue him Luke 17. The Apostle confirmeth the same saying to the Galathians If a man be taken in any sinne you that are spirituall instruct him in the spirit of meekenesse But forasmuch as all receiue not these corrections in charity our Lord teacheth our spirituall guides what course they should take saying If hee hearken not vnto thee take with thee one or two for in the mouth of two or three shall euery one be iustified Our Lords meaning is if the fault be not published and knowne by diuers but not so if the sinne be manifest and made knowne to euery man In such a case the chastisement must be made manifest too The Apostle telleth vs as much in the first of Timothy 5.20 Them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may feare CHAP. VI. De l' Excommunication Ma car tuit en aital reprennament non volon auec assai esmendament ni abandonnar lo mal c. Of Excommunication BVt when such will not amend their liues by any of these admonitions nor leaue their wicked wayes Christ teacheth vs what wee are to doe against such If they will not hearken therevnto tell the Church that is to say the Guides whereby the Church is ruled and preserued that he may be punished especially for contumacy This the Apostle confirmeth 1 Cor. 5.3 I verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue iudged already as though I were present in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ As also in the 11. verse If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or couetous or an Idolator or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner I say eate not with any that is such a one but put away that wicked person from amongst you And againe If there be any one that will not obey our word signifie that man by an Epistle and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother and as our Sauiour saith let him be vnto thee as a Pagan or a Publican that is to say let him be depriued of all aide of the Church and of the Ministry and the company of the Church and of vnion CHAP. VII Del Mariage Le Mariage se deo far second li gra liqual Dio a permes c. Of Mariage MAriages are to be made according to the degrees permitted of God but not according to those he hath forbidden but wee are to make no scruple of conscience of those of the Pope though a man haue paid him no siluer for a dispensation For that which God hath not forbidden may bee done without the Pope The band of holy Matrimony must not be made without the consent of the Parents of both parties for Children belong to their Parents CHAP. VIII De la Tauerna La Tauerna es fontana de pecca Eschola del Diauol c. Of the excesse and disorders which are commonly committed in Tauernes A Tauerne is the Fountaine of sinne the Schoole of the Diuell it workes wonders fitting the place It is the custome of God to shew his power in his Church and to worke miracles that is to say to giue sight to the blinde to make the lame to goe the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare but the deuill doth quite contrary to all these in a Tauerne For when the Drunkard goeth to the Tauerne hee goeth vpright but when hee commeth foorth hee cannot goe at all and hee hath lost his sight his hearing his speech The Lectures that are read in this Schoole of the deuill are Gluttonies Oathes Periuries Lyings Blasphemies and diuers other villanies For in a Tauerne are quarrells slanders contentions murthers and Tauerners that suffer them are partakers of their sinnes and that wickednesse they commit For hee that would speake as much euill of their Parents as they suffer men to speake of God and the glorious Virgin and the Saints in Paradise and all for a little gaine by the saile
he couereth his iniquity with many miracles of whom the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.9 Whose comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse Fiftly by outward holinesse prayers fastings watchings and almesdeeds against which the Apostle saith Hauing the appearance of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Sixtly he couereth his iniquity with certaine words of Christ and the writings of ancient Fathers and with Councels which they doe so farre forth obserue as that they may no way hinder their wicked liues and pleasures Seuenthly by the administration of the Sacraments viz. of Penance by which they disgorge and vomit vp all their errours Eightly by corrections and verball preachings against vice for they say and doe not Ninthly they couer their iniquity by the vertuous life of some that liue dissemblingly others truly For the Elect of God who will and doe that which is good are detained as in Babylon and are as gold wherewith Antichrist couereth his vanity not permitting them to serue the onely God or to put their trust in Christ alone or to embrace the true Religion These things and diuers others are as the mantell or cloake of Antichrist wherewith he couereth his lyes and malice to the end he may not be reiected as a Pagan and vnder which he proceedeth dishonestly and like a whore We are now to shew both out of the Old and New Testament that a Christian is bound by the Commandement of God to separate himselfe from Antichrist For the Lord saith in the 52. of Esay 11. Depart ye depart ye goe ye out from thence touch no vncleane thing goe ye out of the middest of her be ye cleane that beare the vessels of the Lord For ye shall not goe out with hast nor goe by flight c. And the Prophet Ieremy Chap. 50.8 Remoue out of the middest of Babylon and goe forth out of the Land of the Caldeans and be as the hee-goates before the flockes For loe I will raise and cause to come vp against Babylon an assembly of great Nations from the North Countrey and they shall set themselues in army against her from thence shee shall be taken And Numbers 16.21 Separate your selues from among this Congregation that I may consume them in a moment And againe in the 26 verse Depart from the Tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs least ye be consumed in all their sinnes And again Leuit. 20.24 I am the Lord your God and haue separated you from other people Yee shall therefore put difference betweene cleane beasts and vncleane and you shall not make your soules abominable by beast or by fowle nor by any manner of liuing thing that creepeth on the ground which I haue separated from you as vncleane Againe in the 34. of Exodus Take heed to thy selfe lost thou make a Couenant with the inhabitants of the land for feare lest when they goe a whoring after their Gods and doe sacrifice vnto their gods and one call thee and thou eate of his sacrifice And thou take of their daughters vnto thy sonnes and their daughters goe a whoring after their gods and make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods This is likewise manifest in the New Testament Iohn 12. That the Lord came into the world and suffered death to the end he might ioyne all the children of God in one And for this truth of the vnity and separation of others it is said Matth. 10.34 Thinke not I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against the mother in law And a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold And this diuision hee hath commanded saying If there be any that forsaketh not father and mother for my sake c. Againe Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing Againe Beware of the leuen of the Pharises Againe Take heed lest any seduce you for many shall come in my Name and shall seduce many And therefore if any one shall say vnto you heere is Christ and there is Christ beleeue him not And Reuel 8.4 he admonisheth with his owne voyce and commandeth all that are his to goe out of Babylon saying Come out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues For her sins haue reached vnto heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities The Apostle affirmeth the same 2. Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked together with vnbeleeuers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial and what part hath he that beleeueth with an Infidell And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols And therefore goe out of her and separate your selues from her saith the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will bee vnto you in the place of a father and you shall bee vnto mee as sonnes and daughters saith the Lord. Againe Ephes 5.7 Be not yee therefore partakers with them for yee were sometimes darkenesse but now are yee light in the Lord. Againe 1. Cor. 10.20 I would not that yee should haue fellowship with deuils yee cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of deuils And againe 2. Thes 3.6 Wee command you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he receiued of vs. For your selues know how ye ought to follow vs And in the 14. verse And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed And Ephes 5.11 Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse And 2. Tim. 3.1 This also know that in the last dayes perillous times shall come And Verse 5. Hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away By these places aboue repeated the malice of Antichrist doth manifestly appeare So it is likewise commanded by the Lord that we separate our selues from him and to ioyne our selues to the holy City Ierusalem And therefore we that haue knowledge of these things the Lord hauing reuealed them vnto vs by his seruants beleeuing this reuelation deliuered in the Word being admonished by the Commandements of the Lord to separate our selues from him inwardly and outwardly because we beleeue him to bee Antichrist and haue conuersation and vnity of will and sincere intention purposing to please God that wee may be saued by the ayde and assistance of our Lord wee ioyne our selues to the truth of Christ and of his Spouse how little soeuer it be in the eye of the world so farre foorth as our vnderstanding shall direct vs. And therefore