The disgradyng thus ended, the procurator fiscall of þ^e Court and Citie of Metz, requried of the notarye, an instrument or copie of the disgrading. Thē the ministers of the Byshop turned him out of his clerkly habite, and put vpon him the apparell of a secular man. MarginaliaPope Innocent author of disgradyng.That done, for so much as he whiche is disgraded, accordyng to the institution of Pope Innocent the third, ought to bee deliuered vnto the secular court, þ^e Byshop that disgraded him proceded no further, but sayd in this maner: we pronounce that the secular Court shal receiue thee into their charge, beyng thus disgraded of all clerkely honor & priuilege.

This done, the Bishop, after a certaine maner, intreated the seculare iudge for him, saying: My Lord iudge, we praye you as hartely as we can, for the loue of God, and the contemplation of tender pitye and mercye, MarginaliaNote here these persecutors, how they will seeme outwardlye to be lambes, but inwardly are rauenyng Wolues.and for the respecte of our prayers, that you will not in any point do any thyng that shall be hurtfull vnto this miserable man, or tending to his death, or mayming of his body. These thinges thus done, the secular iudge of the towne of Vike, confirmyng the foresayd sentence, condempned

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It would fill an other volume to cōprehende the Actes and stories of all them, whiche in other countreys, at the rysing of the Gospell, suffered for the same. But praysed be the Lord, euery region almost hath his own storywriter, which sufficiently hath discharged that part of duety, as euery one in matters of his owne countrey is best aquainted: wherfore I shall the lesse nede to ouerstreine my trauaile, or to ouercharge this volume therewith. Onely it shall suffice me to collect iij. or iiij. histories, recorded by Oecolampadius, & the rest to bryng into a briefe table, and so returnyng, to occupye my self with our own domesticall matters here done at home.

MarginaliaA good priest for euill will put to death.IN the yeare of our Lord. 1525. There was a certaine good and godly Minister who had cōmitted something in the commotion there raysed by the rusticall clownes of the countrey, which they sayd that knewe hym, was but of small importaunce. He, because he had offended hys prince before, not with any facte or crime, but with some worde somethyng sharplye spoken, was therefore condemned to be hanged.

After sentence was geuen, there was a gentleman of a cruell harte, sent with a certayne troupe of men, to apprehend the sayd Priest, and to hange hym. Who commyng into hys house, saluted him frendly, pretending, as though theyr commyng had been to make good cheare: for he was a good housekeper, and the Gentlemen of the countreye theraboutes, vsed oftentymes to resort vnto his house familiarly. This Priest made ready for thē in short space, a very sumptuous banket: wherof they did eate & drinke very cherefully. MarginaliaVngentlenes in a gentlemā.After dinner was ended, and that the priest was yet at the table thincking no hurte, the Gentleman sayd to his seruauntes, take ye this Priest our hoste, and hang hym, and that without delay, for he hath well deserued to be hanged for the great offence he hath committed agaynst his Prince. The seruaunts were maruelously astonied with his wordes, and abhorryng to do the dede, sayd vnto their maister: God forbyd that we should commit any such crime, to hange a man that hath intreated vs so gently: for the meate which he hath geuen vs, is yet in our stomackes vndisgested. It were a wicked acte for a noble man to render so great an euill, for a good turne: but specially to murther an innocent. Briefly, the seruauntes sought no other occasion, but onely to geue hym way to flee, that they might also auoyde the execution of that wicked purpose.

As the gentleman and hys seruauntes were thus contending, the priest sayd vnto them, I beseche you, shewe no such crueltie vpon me: rather lead me away captiue vnto my prince, where I may purge my self. I am falsely accused, and I trust to pacifye hys anger which he hath conceaued agaynst me. At least remember the hospitalitie which I haue euer shewed to you, and all noble men at all tymes, resorting to my house. But principallye speakyng to the gentleman, he aduertised him of þ^e perpetuall stynge, which would followe vpon an euill cōscience: protesting that he had faythfully and truely taught them the doctrine of the Gospell, & that it was the principall cause, why he had such euill will: MarginaliaMany thynges may be pretended, but religion is euer the cause why good men goe to wracke.which long tyme before hee had foresene would come to passe, forsomuch as he had oftentimes in the pulpitte, reproued sharply & openly the horrible vices of the gentlemen, which maintained theyr people in their vicious liuing, and they them selues were geuen vnto blasphemye, and dronckennes, wheras they should shewe example of fayth, true religion, & sobernes: but they had oftentymes resisted hym, saying that it was not hys parte to reproue them, forsomuch as they were hys Lordes, and myght put hym to death if they would: that all thynges which they dyd was allowable, and that no man ought to gaynsaye it: also that he went about some thinges in hys sermons, that woulde come to an ill ende.

This good man, whatsoeuer he could say, could not make his matter seeme good, for the Gētleman continued in his wicked enterprise, and pricked forth his seruaūtes still to accomplish their purpose, for it was resolued by þ^e prince that he should be put to death: MarginaliaKindnes vnkindly rewarded with vnkindnes.and turning him selfe vnto the Priest, he said, that he could gayne nothing by preachyng in such sorte, but that hee shoulde fullye determine hym selfe to dye, for the Prince had geuen expresse commaundement to hang hym, whose fauour hee would not lose, for to saue his lyfe.

At the last the seruauntes, after great sorow and lamētation, bound their host and hanged hym vpon a beame in hys owne house, the Gentleman standyng by and lookyng vppon.

This good man seyng no remedye, spake no other wordes, but onely, Iesus haue mercy vppon me. Iesus saue me. This is the truth of this most cruell acte, whiche a Turke would scarsly haue committed agaynst hys mortall enemy. Now let euery man iudge with hym selfe, which of them haue the greatest aduauntage, either they whiche commit the cruelty agaynst the good: or the good men whiche do suffer the same vniustly. The first sorte haue a continuall gnawyng in their conscience, and the other obtayne an immortall crowne.