Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 51 – Part 52
These Examples were contained in a Letter written vntounto HENRY the second French King, which is in the Booke more at large.
THE Lord Poucher Archbishoppe of To…res, who sued for the Court called Chambre Ardente, there to condemne the Protestants to the fire, who after was stricken with a disease called the fire of God, which began at his lower parts, and so ascended vpward, that one member after another was cut off, and so he died miserably.
Castellanus hauing inriched himselfe by the Gospell, and returning from pure Doctrine vntounto his old vomit againe, became a Persecutor at Orliance, but God strucke him with a sicknesse vnknowne vntounto the Phisitians, one halfe of his body burned as hot as fire, and the other halfe was as could as Ice, and so most miserably crying, he dyed.
Du Prat, was the first that opened vntounto the Parliament the knowledge of Herisies, and gaue out Commission to put the faithful vntounto death: he died swearing, and horribly blaspheming God, and his stomacke was found pierced, and gnaune asunder with Wormes.
Iohn Ruse, Councellor in the Parliament, comming from the Court, hauing made report of the Processe against the poore innocents, was taken with a burning in the lower part of his belly, before hee could be brought home the fire inuaded all his secret parts, and so he died miserably.
Claude des Asses, a Councellor in the said Court, the same day that he gaue his consent to burne the faithfull. After dinner he committed whoredome with one of his Seruants, and in doing the act, he was stricken with a disease, that he died out of hand.
Peter Liset Chiefe President of the said Court, and one of the Authors of the said burning Chamber, fell mad and was put from his office.
Iohn Morin, after he had beene the death of many Christians▪ was striken with a disease in his legs, called the Wolues, wherewith he lost the vse of them, and died out of his wits, denying and blaspheming God.
Iohn Andrew, the Booke-binder of the Pallace, became a spy to find out Protestants, died in madnesse.
The Inquisitor Iohn de Roma in Prouence, his flesh fel from him by péece meal, and so stinking that no man might come neere him.
Iohn Minerius of Prouence, which was the death of a great number of men, women, and Children at Cabriers and Merindoll, died with bléeding in the lower parts; the fire hauing taken his belly, blaspheming and dispising of God. Thus farre out of the Letter.
Henry the second the French King notwithstanding the aforesaid examples might giuegive him sufficient warning, yet would he not surcea…e his cruell persecution against Gods Children: but being at the Parliament house, which was kept at the Fryer Augustines in Paris, because the Pallace was a preparing …or …he marriages of his Daughter and his Sister: and hauing heard the opinion in Religion of Anne du Bourg, an eloquent and learned Councellor: he caused him and Loys du Faur another Councellor, to bee committed Prisoners vntounto the Count Mongomery. The King said to the said Anne du Bourg; These eyes of mine shal sée thee burned; and a day was appointed for the hearing the cause, at which day the King employed all the morning in examining, as wel the Presidents as Councellors of the said Parliament against the Prisoners, and other their Companions that were charged with the same Doctrine: then they went to dinner, after dinner the King went to running at the Tilt, and brake many staues as well as could be; whereupon he was highly commended of the Lookers …n, and being inflamed with hearing his yraise, he would néedes runne with Montgomery, who knéeled downe and asked pardon not to runne with him: the King commaunded him vponupon his Alleagiance to runne, and himselfe put his staffe into his hand, and as the King and he met the vizard of his helmet suddenly fell downe, whereby the King was stricken in one of his eyes, so that his braines perished, and it so …estered, that no remedy could be found, so that the eleauenth day after hee dyed. He said he feared he was stricken for casting poore Christians wrongfully in Prison, but Cardinall Lorraine said, that it was the enemy that tempted him to think so: By this meanes the hall that was prepared for a place of ioy and gladnes, was now a place to keepe the dead Corps, beeing hanged with mourning-cloath, and there was heard mourning for the space of forty daies.
In the yeare 1561. there were certaine Gentlemen put to death at Amboyse, for taking …rmes against the house of Guise. The last that was put to death, thrust his hands into the blood of the others which were beheaded, and lifting them vp vntounto heauen, cryed with a loud voyce; Lord behold the blood of thy Children, thou wilt in time and place reuenge it. Not long after Councellor Oliue…, the condemner of them, through great remorce of conscience fell sicke, and shriked vponupon a suddaine with an horrible cry, and said to the Cardinall of Lorraine: O Cardinall, thou wilt make vsus all to be damned! and shortly after died.
Francis the second, succéeded his Father Henry the second in the Kingdome of France: he, at the perswasion of the Cardinall of Lorraine and others, assembled the Estates of the Realme in Orleance to maintaine the Papall Sea, to the ouerthrow of those that should liue after the Gospell, but being sicke of a Feauer thorow an Impostume in his left care, he died.
The Emperor Charles the fift, being an enemy and a great terror vntounto the Gospell, was cut off from doing any more hurt vntounto the Church. Anno 1558. but thrée months before the death of Quéene Mary, and ten months before the death of Henry the second.
Not long after Anne du Bourgs death, the President Minard, who was a sore Persecutor, and the Condemner of the said Anne du Bourg, as hée returned from the Councell Chamber vntounto his owne house, was flaine with a Dagge, and it was neuer knowne who did it.
The King of Nauarre, Brother vntounto the Prince of Condie, after a while maintained the Gospell: hee was perswaded by the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Lorraine his Brother, in hope to hauehave his Lands restored againe which the King of Spaine detained from him, to be …entented to alter his Religion, and to ioyne side with the Papists: and being in Campe with the Duke of Guise at the siedge of Roane, he was shot in with a Pellet, after which wound he did vehemently repent his back sliding from the Gospel, promising earnestly vntounto God, that if he might escape that hurt, hee would bring to passe that the Gospell should be preached freely throughout al France: notwithstanding within fiue or six daies he dyed.
And the Duke of Guise himselfe, the great Arch-enemy of God and his Gospell, with the whole Triumuirat of France, that is▪ three the greatest Captaines of Popery were cut off for doing any more hurt: The Duke of Guise before Orleance; the Constable of France, before Paris; the Marshall of Saint Andrew, before Drewx.
THE ABRIDGEMENT OF A Christian Dialogue, called PASQVINE in a Trance.
THE Author of this Treatise, was called Caelius Secundus Curio, an Italian, a zealous, godly, learned man, by whom, vnderunder the witty and pleasant inuention of Pasquines going to Heauen, Purgatorie, and Hell, the whole packe of the Popes pedlary wares is laid open, that we may sée what stuffe it is. It was written in the time of pope Paule the third, the cheefe substance whereof breefely followeth.
Superstition and Hypocrisie are the diuels Rhetorick, by which Friers make the world beleeue so many falsehoods and toyes, for by nothing else can Faith so easily be ouerthrowne. The apparell of the Fryers was deuised of the Deuill, that by these shéeps skins they might not séeme W…olues, but by the strangenesse thereof to make the simple people to thinke them holy.
Their Monasteries are a true representation of the qualities of the World; their raigneth nothing but passions in eueryevery one to aduance themselues, and driue out others: their pictures of Saints being Gods of stone, very much differ from that which they were when they were vponupon earth. The Uirgin Mary was not honored with so many chaines, bracelets, perfumes, gold, siluer, and wax, as she is now vponupon the Altar, with paintings on her face, and on her head crownes full of Iewels. She is attired with costly and many sorts of garments, like a yong gyrle, they make her most couetous and niggardly, and to giuegive nothing to the poore, but to bestow all that is giuen her, (which is aboundance) vponupon Cardinals and Hipocrites, to be bestowed vponupon Whores, Dogs, and Horses.