Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

¶ Ex Inquisitorio quodam libello.

MOdus autem Valdensium talis est. &c. The whole proces commeth to this effect in English.* 1.1 The maner of the Ualdenses is this: They kneeling vpon their knees, lea∣ning to some banke, or stay, doe continue in their prayers with silence, so long as a mā may say 30. or 40. times Pater noster. And this they doe euery day with great reuerence, being amongest thēselues, & such as be of their owne reli∣gion, & no straungers with thē, both before dinner & after: likewise before supper and after: also what time they go to bed: and in the morning when they rise, & at certain other times also, as well in y^e day as in y^e night. Itē, they vse no other prayer but the prayer of y^e Lord, & that without any Aue Maria and the Creed, which they affirme not to be put in for any prayer by Christ, but only by y^• church of Rome. Albeit they haue and vse y^• seuē articles of fayth cōcerning the diuinity: and seuen articles concerning the humanity, and the x. commaundements, and seuen workes of mercy, which they haue compiled together in a cōpendious book, glorying much in the same, & therby offer themselues, rea∣dy to answere any man for theyr fayth.

Before they go to meate, they haue this grace, Benedi∣cite Korieeleyson.* 1.2 Christe eleyson. Kyrieeleyson. Pater noster: Which being sayd, then the elder amongest them begin∣neth thus in their owne tongue: God which blessed the fiue barely loaues and two fishes in the desert, before his disciples, blesse this table & that is set vpon it, or shalbe set vpon it. In the name of the father, of the sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Amen. And likewise agayne when they rise from meat, the seniour geueth thankes: saying the words of the Apocalips: Blessing, and worship, and wisedome, & thankesgeuing, honor, vertue, and strength to God alone for euer and euer, Amen. And addeth moreouer: God re∣ward them in their bosoms, and be beneficiall to all them, that be beneficial to vs, and blesse vs. And the God which hath geuen vs corporall feeding, graunt vs his spirituall life, and God be with vs, and we alwayes with h••m. To which they answere agayn. Amē. And thus saying grace, they hold their hands vpward, looking vp to heauē. Alter their meat and grace sayd, they teach and exhort amongest themselues conferring together vpon their doctrine. &c.* 1.3

In their doctrine and teaching they were so diligent & painefull, that Reinerius a writer about their time, (an extreme enemy agaynst them) in a long proces, wherin he describeth their doctrine and teaching, testifieth: y^t he heard of one which did know the party, that a certayne heretick (sayth he) onely to turne a certaine person away from our faith, and to bring him to his, (in the night, and in y^• win∣ter time) swamme ouer the riuer called Ibis, to come to him and to teach him: moreouer so perfect they were then in the Scriptures, that the sayd Reinerius sayth, he did heare and see a man of the coūtry vnlettered, which could recite ouer the whole booke of Iob word by word, with∣out booke: with diuers other, which had the whole new testament perfectly by hart.

And although some of them, rather merely then vn∣skilfully, expounded the wordes of 1. Ioan.* 1.4 Sui non recepe∣runt eum, Swine did not receiue him: yet were they not so ignoraunt and voyd of learning, nor yet so few in num∣ber but that they did mightely preuayle. In somuch that Reinerius hath these wordes.

Non erat qui eos impedire au∣deret propter potentiam & multitudinem fautorum suorum In∣quisitioni & examinationi saepe interfui. Et computatae sunt 40. Ecclesiae, quae haeresi infectae fuerunt••ac in yna parochia Cam∣mach fueruut decem eorum scholae. &c.

That is, There was none durst stoppe them, for the power and multitude of their fauourers. I haue often bene at their inquisition. & examination. And there were numbred 40. churches, infe∣cted with their heresie, insomuch that in one parish of cā∣mach, were x, open scholes of them. &c. Haec ille.

And the sayde Reinerius, when hee hath sayd all he can, in deprauing and impugning them: yet is driuen to confesse this of them, where he doth distinct their sect frō other sectes and hath these wordes:* 1.5

Haec verò Leonistarum secta magnam habet speciem pietatis, eò quòd coram hominibus iustè viuant, & benè omnia de Deo credant, & omnes articulos, qui in symbolo continētur. Solam Romanam Ecclesiam blasphe∣māt & oderūt.

That is. This sect of Leonistes, hath a great shew of holynesse: in that both they liue iustly before men and beleue all things well of God, and holde all the arti∣cles conteined in the Creed. Onely they blaspheme y^• Ro∣mish church, and hate it, &c.

Now to touch somewhat their persecutiōs. After they were driuen out of Lions, they were scattered into diuers & sundry places (the prouidence of God so disposing) that the sound of their doctrine might be heard abroad in the world: Some, as I sayd, went to Bohemia. Many did fli•• into their prouinces of Fraunce. Some into Lombar∣dy, other into other places, &c. But as the crosse common∣ly foloweth the verity & sincere preaching of Gods word:* 1.6 so neither could these be suffered to liue in rest. There are yet to be seen, the consultations of Lawiers, Archbishops and byshops of Fraunce, as Narbonensis, A relatensis, Aquē∣sis and Albanensis, deuised amongst themselues, and yet re∣mayne in writing,* 1.7 for the abolishing, & extirping of these Ualdenses. written aboue 300. yeres agoe: wherby it ap∣peareth, there was a great number in Fraunce.

Besides, there was a whole councell kept in Theo∣louse about 355. yeares to fore, and all agaynst these Ual∣denses: The which also were condemned in an other coū∣cell at Rome before that.

What great persecutions were raysed vp agaynst thē in Fraunce. by these 4. Archbishops before mentioned, it appeareth by their writings, whereof I will recite some of their words, which towardes the end be these:

Quis e∣nim est solus ille peregrinus, qui condemnationem haereticorū Valdensium ignoret a longe retro annis factam, tam famosam, tā publicam, tot & tantis laboribus, expensis, & sudoribus fidelium insecutam, & tot mortibus ipsorum infidelium solemniter dam∣natorum, publice{que} punitorum tam fortiter sigillatam. &c.

That is: Who is such a straunger, that knoweth not the con∣demnation of Ualdenses the heretickes, done and past so many yeres ago: so famous, so publick, followed vpon so great labours, expences, and trauayle of the faythfull, and sealed with so many deathes of these Infidelles, so solemnelye being condemned and openlye punished. Whereby we may see persecution to be no newe thing in the Churche of Christe, when Antechrist so long be∣fore

(euen 300. yeares) began to rage agaynst these Ualdē∣ses. In Bohemia likewise after that,* 1.8 the same called by the name of Thaborites (as Siluius recordeth) suffred no lit∣tle trouble. But neuer persecution was stirred vp against them, or any other people more terrible, then was in these latter yeares in Fraunce by the French king, an. 1545. which lamentable story is described in Sleidan: and here∣after in the proces of this booke, as we come to the order of yeares, shall be set forth (by the grace of Christ) more at large.* 1.9 In the which persecution is declared in one towne Cabriera to be slayne by the Captayne of Sathan (Mine∣rius) eight hūdred persons at once, without respect of wo∣men or children of any age: Of whome 40. women (and most of them great with childe, thrust into a barne and the windowes kept with pikes, and so fire set to them) were all consumed. Besides in a caue not farre from the towne Mussium, to the number of xxv. persons, with smoke and fire were the same time destroyed: At Merindolum, the same tyraunt (seing all the rest were fled away,* 1.10 finding one yong man) caused him to be tyed to an Oliue tree, & to be destroyed with tormentes most cruelly: with much other persecution as may appeare hereafter, in the history tran∣slated out of Sleidan into English.

But to returne agayne to higher times from whence we digressed.* 1.11 Besides that, Rinerius (aboue mentioned) speaketh of one in the towne of Cheron, a glouer, which was brought in this time to examinatiō, & suffred. There is also an olde Monument of proces, wherein appeareth, 443. brought to examinatiō in Pomerania, Marchia, and places there about: about the yeare of our Lord 1391.

And thus much touching the originall doctrine, and the lamentable persecutions of the Ualdenses: who (as is declared) first began about the time of this king Henry the second.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De moribus et consu••tudiue Valdensium.
• * 1.2

  Their maner of grace before meate.

  Their grace af∣ter meate.
• * 1.3

  Reinerius •• olde inqui••i∣tor agata••: Walden••••
• * 1.4

  Pius ••ide∣tur locus is lasciuossa∣cerdotes. The power and multi∣tude of Wal∣denses.
• * 1.5

  Waldenses in all other points soūd, but onely for holding against the church of Rome.

  Ex Orthin. no Grain.
• * 1.6

  The crosse commonly foloweth the word.
• * 1.7

  Waldenses persecuted more then 300. yeares agoe by An∣tichrist.
• * 1.8

  Antichrist with whom he first begā his persecu∣tion.
• * 1.9

  An horrible m••rther of Christs ho∣ly martyrs.
• * 1.10

  Minerius an horrible persecutor.
• * 1.11

  A Glouer suffered mar¦tyrdome in Cheron. 44•• brought to examina∣tion.