Page images
PDF
EPUB

Reformation, and of the VOL. I. Francis I. Constable of Montmorancy, and above all, by Car1535. dinal de Tournon: He refolved to destroy them Pope Paul III. all, if it was in his power, and fent his Orders to John Morin Lieutenant-Criminal of Paris, to inform against them, and to put in Prifon all those who fhould be fufpected,

XIII.

Morin obeyed his Orders with fuch an extraordinary diligence, that in a little time the Prifons were full of People of each Sex and Rank. Nevertheless, many efcaped his Purfuit, and went into several Provinces of the Kingdom. Of that Number was the famous James Amyot, Tranflator of Plutarch's Life; but he perfevered not, and having recanted, he fucceeded to Wolmar in his Profeffor-fhip at Bourges, from whence he was named to be Preceptor to King Charles the IX. then he was promoted to the Abbey of St. Cornelia, and at laft to the See of Auxerre., es mans

d

[ocr errors]

The King being come to Paris, at the request of the Clergy, made a folemn Proceffion the 29th of January 1535, at which he affifted in Perfon, with the Princes his Children, and all his Court, bare-headed, with Tapers in their Hands, and ordered the Ceremony to be concluded with the execution of fix of those who had been taken for that rafh action, who were burnt alive. It is faid that he folemnly affirmed before the Parliament. great numbers of the Nobility, and the Ambaffadors of foreign Princes, that if he knew one of his Arms to be infected with fuch a Corruption, he would cut it off, left the other Members fhould be corrupted by it (b).

He published at the fame time a very severe A fevere Edict against the Lutherans, (the Reformed were gainst the called fo in France at that time,) by which, thofe Reformed. who fhould harbour, or conceal them, were made

Edia a

liable

(4) Gilles Ann. de France, fol. 134. Bouchet Ann. d'Acquitaine, Part 4. fol.. 196.

Pope

liable to the fame Punishment with them, and the Francis I. Informer was encouraged with the reward of the 4th part of their Goods. In confequence of that Paul III. Edict the perfecution raged furiously throughout all the Provinces of the Kingdom. The Germans were offended at it, but being told by the King (who flood in need of them,) that it was only againft fome Rebels who endeavoured to disturb the peace of his Kingdom, under pretence of Religion, that took off the edge of their Refent

ment.

"

XIV.

The Queen

The Queen of Navarr herfelf would or could not protect them any longer, fhe was forced to of Navarr diffemble her thoughts, and to act outwardly as if in danger. fhe had been a Roman Catholick. Nay, Brantome gives us an account of the danger the was once expofed to by the furious Zeal of the Constable, who advised the King her Brother to begin by His Court and His nearest Relations, pointing at the Queen of Navarr, if he had a mind to extirpate the Hereticks out of his Kingdom. To which the King replyed, Let us not fpeak of her, The loves me entirely, the will never believe, but what I fhall believe my felf, nor follow any F Religion prejudicial to my State (). This Year 1535, a vaft number of Martyrs fealed the truth with their Blood in France, in the Netherlands, and in England, where Henry VIII. who had renounced the Pope's Authority rather out of fpite, than out of any principle of Religion, perfecuted with the utmost rigour thofe who adhered to Luther's or Zwinglius's opinions.

10 T

XV.

The Anabaptifts, who had made themselves Mafters of the City of Munfter in Weftphalia, Anabaptifts forced fince the year 1534, being led by one John Bu- ar Muncold or Buckelfen a Taylor of Leyden, were forced fer.

า ซ TOOFER

at

at

G) Brantome.

[ocr errors]

Francis I. at the latter end of June 1535, and their Chiefs taken, and punifhed as they deserved (i).

1535 Pope Paul III.

XVI. The firft French reformed Bible.

XVII.

Death and

Character.

Befides the great Number of Reformed executed in France this Year, many of them exiled themfelves, among whom were John Calvin, as aforefaid, Peter Robert Olivetan the Author of the first French Verfion of the Bible, published by the French Reformed, and printed at Neufchatel in 1535; and Clement Marot (k).

The 8th of July died Anthony Duprat, CardiCardinal nal Arch-bifhop of Sens, Legate in France, and Du Prat's High-Chancellor; He ended his Life at his Caftle of Nantouillet much troubled with the remorfes of his Conscience, as it appeared by his Sighs, and Speeches, because he had followed no other Law (though he was fo great a Lawyer himself) but his own private Intereft, and the Paffions of his Sovereign. It was he who deprived the Churches of the Right of Election, and of their Privileges: It was he who first introduced in France the Sale of the Offices of Judicature; who fhewed first in France the way of raising Taxes upon every thing; and was the Author of this pernicious and Tyrannical Maxim, That there is no Land without a Lord (7).

1536. XVIII.

A great

in France.

This Year, the Spring and Summer were fo exceeding hot in France, and there was fuch a Drought drought, that the greatest part of the Fountain and Wells were drained, and likewife the Marfhes and Ponds, and there was fcarce any Water in the largest Rivers (m). Aun of Bullen was beheaded on Tower-Hill in the beginning of June, 1536.

In this year and the five following, the Perfecution was carried on in France against the Reformed,

(i) Sleidan lib, 10. p. 282. &c. (k) Beze lib. 1. p. 21. (Mezeray Abreg. Chr. Tom. iv. p. 584. (m) Mezeray ibid. p. 599.

Pope

formed, and cruel Executions were made of them Francis I. throughout the feveral Provinces of the King- 1538. dom; notwithstanding which, the Reformation Paul III. fpread itfelf, and took root every where.

trouble.

Julius Cæfar Scaliger, or de l'Efcale, was put to XIX. trouble in 1538, for having faid, that Lent was Julius not inftituted by Chrift, or his Apoftles; that Cafar Tranfubftantiation was not an Article of Faith Scaliger in before the Council of Latran; and for having eat Flesh on forbidden Days: But by the favour of Monfieur La Chaffaigne Counsellor of the Parliament of Bourdeaux, and of fome other Counfellors who were not far off from the Kingdom of God, he was difcharged; nay, he was in fuch great efteem in all that Country, that at his recommendation two or three Officers of Justice accused of Herely were discharged likewise (n).

A Dominican Friar was burnt at Agen in the 1539. year 539 for Religion, and was the first Martyr of the Reformation in that City: At Nonnay in Vivarais, a Man was burnt likewife for having refufed to kneel down before an Image upon the Highway, as he was going to the Fair of Lyons. The year 1540, was t for the Paffage of XX. the Emperor Charles V. through France, on his pales way to Ghent, where he was going to punish the through Inhabitants who had revolted against him; and France. for the exceffive heat in France, where feveral 1540. fuffered Martyrdom. In 1541, many were likewife executed for their Religion (9).".

ith

Charles V

XXI.

Paul III. appoints a Council at

In 1542, as the Princes of Germany, with the Emperor, had for a long while follicited the Pope for a Council, Paul III. being not able to refilt any longer, had appointed one at Mantua Trent. in 1536, for May 1537. From that time he did put it off from one year to another; but this year, 1542, he was forc'd to be in. earnest, • No. I

(a) Beze ibid. p. 24, 25.

D

and

(o) Beze ibid. p. 28, 29.

Francis I. and he appointed one at Trent, and fent thither his Legates; but the War being kindled again in Italy, between the Emperor, and the King of France, he was obliged to recall them in 1543, and to put it off again to a better time (p).

1540. Pope Paul III.

XXII.

The Parliament of Rouen condemned one Proceeding Conftantine and three others to be burnt; they were executed together.

of the Par

liaments in France a

That of Paris forbad under fevere Penalties the gainst the felling of any Book cenfured by the Sorbonne, Reformed. particularly Calvin's Chriftian Institutes. At the inftances of the Inquifitor, ftrict Charge was given to every one, under pain of Excommunication, to inform against those who should be fufpected of Herefy, in fix days after the Discovery, and before one of the fix Doctors of Divinity, named in the Decree, or before John Morin Lieutenant Criminal. Then fome Proceflions were made, and fome Reformed burnt in the Conclufion of them (q).

XXIII.

Sermons

and their Effects.

At this time an opportunity of forwarding the Landri's Reformation in France offered it felf, which was not improved as it ought (r). One Landri, Curate of the Holy Crofs at Paris, moved with fome Zeal for the Truth, preached more freely than ufual, against Purgatory, and fome other Points of the Romish Creed. He was imitated by feveral other Preachers, and followed by fo vaft a number of People, that his Parish Church was too fmall to contain them all.

His Fame fpread itfelf from the City to the Court, and reached the King's ears, who, notwithstanding Cardinal de Tournon's Oppofition, refolved to fend for him, and to hear him, for he was not at all fatisfied upon the Article of Purgatory. The Cardinal, to ward off the Effects

(p) Mezeray, ibid. p. 620.
(r) Beze, ibid. p. 30, 31, 32.

(9) Beze p. 29, 30.

« PreviousContinue »