Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 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.

Iohn Castellane.

THe yeare next ensuing, which was 1525. mayster Iohn Castellane borne at Tourney, a Doctour of Di∣uinitie,

after that he was called vnto y^e knowledge of God, and became a true preacher of his word, and had preached in Fraunce, in a place called Barleduc, also at Uittery in Partoise, at Chalon in Champaine, and in the towne of Uike, which is the Chamber and Episcopall Seate of the Bishop of Metz in Loraine, after he had laide some foun∣dation of the doctrine of the Gospell in the towne of Metz, in returning from thence he was taken prisoner by the Cardinall of Loraines seruants, by whome he was cary∣ed from Gorze to the Castell of Nommeny: wherupon the citizens of Merz tooke no little displeasure and greeuance, who being greeuously offended to haue their preacher so to be apprehended and imprisoned, within short space after tooke certaine of the Cardinalles subiectes, and kept them prisoners so long, vntill the Abbot of S. Antonies in Ui∣ennois, called Theodore de Chaumont, vicar generall, as wel in causes spirituall, as tēporall, through the iurisdicti∣on both of the Cardinall, and Bishopricke of Metz, Tol∣louse and Uerdune, being furnished with a letter & com∣mission from the See of Rome, came to the saide towne of Metz, and after diuers declarations made to the Prouost, and the other Iustices and Counsellers of the Citie, he so wrought and brought to passe, that immediately the sayde subiectes of the Cardinall were set at libertie. But Iohn Castellane was kept still prisoner in the Castell of Nom∣meny, and was most cruelly handled, from the time of the fourth day of May, vntill the twelfth day of Ianuary: du∣ring all which time he perseuered constant in y^e doctrine of the sonne of God. Wherupon he was carried from Nom∣meny, to the towne and Castell of Uike, alwaies perseue∣ring constantly in the profession of the same doctrine, so that they did proceed vnto the sentence of his degradation, that he might be deliuered ouer vnto the secular power, according to the custome and manner. And for so much as the fourme and manner of the sentence and processe of dis∣grading is notable, and hath bene reported vnto vs word for word, we haue thought good heere to annexe the same, to declare the horrible blasphemies ioined with grosse and brutish subtiltie, in those high misteries which the enemies of the truth do vse in their processe against the children of God, whereby euery man, euen the most ignoraunt, may euidently perceaue the horrible blindnes, that these vn∣shamefast Catholiques are blinded withall.

The sentence of the degradation.

COncerning the processe inquisitorie, fourmed and geuen in fourme of accusation against thee Iohn Castellane, priest and religious man of the fryer Eremites of the order of S. Austine: vn∣derstanding likewise thy confession which thou hast made of thine owne good will, mainteining false and erroneous doctrine: and marking also besides this, the godly admonitions, and chari∣table exhortations which we made vnto thee in the towne of Metz, which thou like vnto the serpent Aspis, hast refused, and geuen no eare vnto: also considering thine answeares made and reiterate vnto our interrogatories, by meanes of thine othe, in the which diuelishly thou hast hydden and kept backe, not onely the truth, but also following the example of Caine, hast denyed to confesse thy sinnes and mischeuous offence: and finally hearyng the great number of witnesses, sworne and examined agaynste thee, theyr persons and depositions diligently considered, and all other things woorthy of consideration, beeing iustly examined: the reuerende mayster Nicholas Sauin, doctour of diuinitie, and inquisitour of the fayth, assistaunt vnto vs, hath entred processe agaynst thee, and geuen full information thereof: this our pur∣pose and intent being also communicate vnto diuers Maysters and Doctours both of the Ciuile and Canon lawes heere pre∣sent, which haue subscribed and signed heereunto, whereby it ap∣peareth that thou Iohn Castellane hast oftentimes and in diuers places openly and manifestly spread abroade and taught manye erroneous propositions, full of the heresie of Luther, contrary and against the Catholique faith, and the veritie of the Gospell, and the holy Apostolique see, and so accursedly looked backe, & tur∣ned thy face, that thou art founde to be a lyer before Almighty God. It is ordeyned by the sacred rules of the Canon lawe, that such as through the sharpe dartes of their venemous tongue, doo peruert the Scriptures, and go about with all their power to cor∣rupt and infect the soules of the faithfull, should be punished and corrected with most sharpe correction, to the ende that others should be afrayde to attempt the like, and apply themselues the better to the study of Christian concorde, through the examples set before their eyes, as well of seuerity▪ as of clemency. For these causes and others rising vpon the saide processe, by the Aposto∣lique authoritie, and also the authoritie of our sayde reuerende Lorde the Cardinall, whych we doo vse in this our sentence defi∣nitiue, whiche wee sitting in our iudgement seate, declare in these writinges, hauing God onely before our eyes, and surely considering, that what measure we do meat vnto other, the same shalbe measured to vs againe: we pronoūce and declare sentētial∣ly and diffinitiuely, thee Iohn Castellane, beyng here present be∣fore vs, and iudge thee because of thy desertes, to be excōmuni∣cate with the most great excōmunication, and therewithall to be culpable of treason against the diuine maiesty, and a mortall ene∣my of the Catholicke fayth, and veritie of the Gospell: also to be a manifest hereticke, & a folower & partaker of the execrable cru∣eltie of Martin Luther, a stirrer vp of old heresies already cōdem∣ned, and therfore, as thou oughtest to be deposed and depriued of all Priestly honor and dignitie, of all thy orders, of thy shauing, & religious habite: also of thy Ecclesiasticall benefices, if thou hast any, and from all priuilege of the Clergy: so we here presently do depose, depriue, and seperate thee as a rotten member, from the communion and companie of all the faythfull, and beyng so de∣priued, we iudge that thou oughtest to be actually disgraded: that done, we leaue thee vnto the secular powers, committyng the de∣gradation and actuall execution of this our sentence, vnto the reuerend Lord and Byshop here present, with the authoritie and commaundement aforesayd.

This sentēce beyng thus ended, with their Catholicke Sermon also, the sayd Byshop of Nicopolis sittyng in his pontificalibus, in the iudgement seate, beyng Suffragan of Metz, with the clergy, nobles and people about him, pro∣ceeded to the disgradyng (as they call it) of the sayd maister Iohn Castellane. Thus the sayd maister Iohn Castellane being made ready to his degradation by the officers of the sayd Byshop, was apparelled in his Priestly attyre, and afterward brought forth of the Chappell by the Priestes, which were therunto appointed, with al his priestly orna∣mentes vpon him, and holdyng his handes together, he kneeled downe before the Bishop. Then the officers gaue him the chalice in his handes with wyne & water, the pa∣tine, & the host: all which thinges the sayd bysh. which dis∣graded him, tooke frō him, saying, we take away frō thee, or cōmaund to be takē frō thee, all power to offer sacrifice vnto God, & to say Masse aswell for y^e quicke, as the dead.

Moreouer, y^e Bysh. scraped y^e nayles of both his hands with a peece of glasse, saying: By this scrapyng we take a∣way frō thee all power to sacrifice, to cōsecrate, & to blesse, which thou hast receiued by the annoyntyng of thy hāds. Then he tooke from him the Chesille, saying: by good right we do dispoyle thee of this priestly ornamēt, which signi∣fieth charitie: for certainly y^u hast forsakē the same, & all in∣nocencie. Then taking away the stole, he sayd: Thou hast vilanously reiected & despised the signe of our Lord, which is represented by this stole: wherefore we take it away frō thee, and make thee vnable to exercise and vse the office of Priesthood, & all other things apperteinyng to Priesthood. The degradation of y^e order of Priesthood beyng thus en∣ded, they proceeded to the order of Deacon. Thē the mini∣sters gaue him the booke of the Gospels, which the Bysh. tooke away, saying: we take away from thee all power to read y^e Gospels in the Church of God, for it apperteineth onely to such as are worthy. After this he spoyled him of the Dalmatike, which is the vesture that the Deacōs vse, saying: we depriue thee of this Leuiticall order: for somuch as thou hast not fulfilled thy ministerie & office. After this the bysh. tooke away the stole frō behind his backe, saying: we iustly take away from thee the white stole which thou haddest receiued vndefiledly, which also thou oughtest to haue borne in the presence of our Lord: and to the end that the people dedicate vnto the name of Christ, may take by thee example, we prohibite thee any more to exercise or vse the office of Deaconshyp. Then they proceeded to the dis∣gradyng of Subdeaconshyp, & taking away from him the booke of the Epistles, & his Subdeacons vesture, deposed him from reading of the Epistles in the Church of God: & so orderly proceedyng vnto all the other orders, disgraded him from the order of Benet and Collet, from the order of Exorcist, from the Lectorshyp, and last of all, frō the office of Doorekeeper, taking frō him the keyes, & cōmaundyng him hereafter not to opē or shut the Reuestry, nor to ring any more belles in the Church. That done, the bysh. went forward to disgrade him from his first shauing, & takyng away his Surplice, sayd vnto him, by y^e authoritie of God almighty, the father, the sonne, & the holy ghost, & by our authoritie, we take from thee all Clerkely habite, and dis∣poyle thee of all ornament of religion: Also we depose and disgrade thee of all order, benefite, & priuilege of the Cler∣gy, & as one vnworthy of that profession, we commit thee to the seruitude & ignominie of the secular estate. Thē the Byshop tooke the sheeres, and began to clyp his head, say∣ing in this maner, we cast thee out as an vnthākfull child of the Lordes heritage, whereunto thou wast called, and take away from thy head, the crowne, which is the royall signe of Priesthood, through thine owne wickednesse and

malice. The Bishop also added these wordes, that whiche thou hast song with thy mouth, thou hast not beleeued with thy hart, nor accomplished in worke, wherefore we take from thee the office of singing in the Churche of God.

The disgrading thus ended, the procurator fiscall of the Court and citie of Metz, required of the Notary an instru∣ment or copie of the disgrading. Then the ministers of the Bishop turned him out of his clerkely habite, and put vp∣on him the apparell of a seculer man. That done, for so much as he which is disgraded, according to the instituti∣on of Pope Innocent the third, ought to be deliuered vn∣to the seculer court, the Bishop that disgraded him, pro∣ceeded no further, but said in this manner, we pronounce that the seculer court shall receiue thee into their charge, being thus disgraded of all clerkly honour and priuilege.

This done, the Bishop, after a certaine maner, intrea∣ted the seculer Iudge for him, sayeng: My Lord Iudge, we pray you as hartily as we can, for the loue of God, and the contemplatiō of tender pitie & mercie, and for y^e respect of our praiers, that you will not in any point do any thing that shal be hurtful vnto this miserable man, or tending to his death, or maiming of his body. These thinges thus done, the seculer Iudge of the towne of Uike, confirming the foresaid sentence, cōdemned the said maister Iohn Ca∣stellane, to be burned quicke: which death he suffred the xij. day of Ianuary 1525. with such a constancie, that not onely a great company of ignorant people were thereby drawne to the knowledge of the veritie, but also a great number which had already some taste thereof, were greatly confir∣med by that his constant and valiant death.

[illustration]

*The burning of Iohn Castellane.

It would fill another volume to comprehend the actes & stories of all them, which in other countreys at the rising of the Gospell, suffered for the same. But praised be y^e Lord, euery Region almost hath his owne history writer, which sufficiently hath discharged that part of duty, as euery one in matters of his owne countrey is best acquainted: wher∣fore I shall the lesse neede to ouerstraine my trauaile, or to ouercharge this volume therwith. Only it shall suffice me to collect iij. or iiij histories, recorded by Oecolampadius and the rest to bring into a briefe table, & so returning, to occupy my self w^t our own domestical matters, here done at home.

Notes

• Iohn Cas∣tellane Doctour & Martyr.
• Doctor Castellane carri••d to the Castell of Nomme∣nye.

  The zelous affection of the Citezēs of Metz to∣ward their preacher.
• Whosoeuer escape, the Christians are sure to suffer.
• Doctor Castellane constant in his doctrine.
• The sentēce of his de∣gradation. Ex actis e∣piscopali∣bus.
• True you say: for your measure is death definitiue and therfore looke you for the same mea∣sure agayne at Gods hand
• If Luther be to be noted of cruelty which teacheth all mē and killeth no man: what then is to be noted in the Pope which killeth all Gods children and teacheth none
• Doc. Castellane disgraded.
• Priests annoyn∣ted fingers.
• The Chesile.
• The Stole.
• The Gospell booke.
• The Dalmatike
• The Stole be∣hinde his backe.
• The Epistle booke.
• Bennet and Collet.
• Exorcist. Lectorship.
• Dorekeper.
• The Church∣dore keyes.
• Ringing of Belles.

  The Surplice.
• The Popes Clergy accomp∣teth the secular state ignomini∣ous & seruile. The royall signe of priesthoode.
• Singing in the Church.
• Pope In••ocent author of disgra∣••••ng.
• Note here these persecutors, how they will seeme outwardly to be lambes, but in∣wardly are ra∣uening Wolues.
• The Constant death and Mar∣t••rdome of Doc. Castellane.