The bloudy rage of that great antechrist of Rome and his superstitious adherents, against the true church of Christ and the faithfull professors of his gospell. Declared at large in the historie of the Waldenses and Albigenses, apparently manifesting vnto the world the visibilitie of our Church of England, and of all the reformed churches throughout Christendome, for aboue foure hundred and fiftie years last past. Diuided into three parts ... / All which hath bene faithfully collected out of the authors named in the page following the preface, by I.P.P.M. ; Translated out of French by Samson Lennard.

CHAP. XII. Of the VValdenses that haue been persecuted in Eng∣land.

ENgland hath been one of the first places that hath been honoured for receiuing the Gospell, for not long after that VVal∣do departed from Lion, there were many condemned to death as VValdenses, that is to say, eleuen yeeres after the dispersion of the VVal∣denses of the Citty of Lion. For Waldo departed out of Lion, in the yeere one thousand one hundred sixty three, and Mathew Paris reports, that the Monkes Inquisitors caused some of the Waldenses to be burnt in England, in the yeere 1174. And Iohn Bale makes mention of a certaine man that was burnt at London, in the yeere 1210, that was charged with no other matter, then that hee professed the Religion of the Waldenses. Thomas Walden an English man hath writ, that in the time of Henry the second the Waldenses were grieuously persecuted, and that they were cal∣led Publicans: And as for those in whom they found not cause enough to condemne vnto death, they marked them in forhead with a burning key, to the end they might be knowne of euery man. This beliefe of the Waldenses was better known in the time of the wars against the Albingenses, insomuch that (as le Sieur de la

Popeliniere hath well obserued) the proximity of the lands and possessions of the E••rle Remod of Tholouze, with Guienne, then possessed by the English, and the aliance of the King of England, brother in law of the said Remond, made the way more easie to the Eng∣lish, not onely to succour one another in their wars; but also to take knowledge of the beliefe of the said Albingenses, which was no other but that of the Waldenses, to the end that they might support them, though the violence were vniust and extreame against those whom the English were many times constrai∣ned to defend against those who vnder the pretence of Religion, inuaded his lands. Frier Rainard Lollard was then the most powerfull instrument, which God vsed by exhortations, and sound reasons, to giue knowledge to the English of the doctrine, for which the VValdenses were deliuered to death. This do∣ctrine was receiued by Wicklif, as it is noted in the Booke of the Beginning and confession of the Chur∣ches of Bohemia, who thereby obtained much helpe for the increase of his knowledge in the truth. He was a renowned Theologian in the Vniuersity of Oxford, and parson of the parish of Luterworth, in the Diocesse of Lincolne; an eloquent man, and profound Scholler. He won the hearts of many English, euen of most ho∣norable of the land, as the Duke of Lancaster vncle to King Richard, Henry Percy, Lewes Gifford, and the Chancellor the Earle of Salisbury. By the fauour of of these great personages, the doctrine of the VVal∣denses, or of Wicklif tooke footing, and had free passage in England, vntill Gregory the eleuenth persecuted those that receiued it with allowance, by meanes of

his Monkes the Inquisitors; the fiers being kindled in England for many yeeres, to stay the course there∣of: but it was all in vaine, for it hath been maintai∣ned there maugre Antichrist, vntill his yoke was whol∣ly shaken off. True it is, that the bones of Wicklif were dis-interred aboue thirty yeeres after his death, and condemned to be burnt, with such bookes as his aduersaries could recouer; but he had before enlight∣ned so great a number, that it was beyond the power of his enemies altogether to depriue the Church of them. For by how much the more they indeauou∣red to hinder the reading and knowledge of them by horrible threats, and death it selfe, the more were the affections of many sharpned to reade them with greater ardency: It is likewise said, that a certaine Scholler hauing carried into Bohemia one of the books of the said Wicklif, intituled His Vniuersals, and deli∣uering it to Iohn Hus, he gathered that knowledge from it, that made him admirable in Bohemia, and edi∣fied all those, who together with him, did very wil∣lingly free themselues from the seruile yoke of the Church of Rome. From hence it was said to the Hus∣ites, that Wicklif had awakened their Iohn Hus. This Wicklif writ aboue a hundred volumes against Anti∣christ or the Church of Rome, the Catalogue whereof is in the booke of the Images of famous men, that haue combated with Antichrist.

Notes

• 1163. Math. Paris in his History of England, the said yeere.
• 1174.
• 1210. Iohn Basle in the Chroni∣cles of Lon∣don.
• Thomas Walden in his sixt vo∣lome of things sacramentall tit. 12. chap. 10
• La Popiliniere in his History of France l. 1.
• Lib. de Origine & Confes. Eccl. Bohemia. Wiclefus a Wal∣densibus adiu∣tus Hussium nostrum excita∣uit. pa. 264.