1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1120 
MarginaliaCrimes laid against the Merindolians.the reliques of Saintes, nor once looke vpon them. And moreouer, if they passed by any Crosse or Image of the Crucifixe or any other Saint, by the way as they went, they would do no reuerence vnto them. Also the Priests did testifie, that they neuer caused thē to say any Masses, neither Diriges, neither yet De profūdis: neither would they take any holy water, and if it were caried home vnto their houses, they would not say once God a mercye, yea they semed vtterly to abhorre it. To go on pilgrimage, to make any vowes to Saintes, to bye pardons or remission of sinnes with money, yea though it might be gottē for a halfpeny, they thought it not lawfull. Likewise whē it thundred or lightned, they would not Crosse thē selues, but casting vp their eyes to heauen, fetch depe sighes. Some of them would kneele downe and praye, without blessyng them selues with the signe of the Crosse, or takyng of holy water. MarginaliaMans law preferred before Gods law.Also they were neuer sene to offer, or cast into the bason, any thing for þe maintenaunce of lightes, brotherhodes, Churches, or to geue any offeryng either for the quicke or the dead. But if any were in affliction or pouertie, those they reliued gladly, and thought nothyng to much.
[Back to Top]This was the whole tenour of the report made vnto Mounsieur de Langeay, touchyng the lyfe and behauiour of the inhabitantes of Merindoll,and the other whiche were persecuted: also as touchyng the Arrest and that whiche ensued therupon. Of all those thynges, the sayd Monsieur de Langeay, accordyng to the charge that was geuen him, aduertised the kyng: MarginaliaThe kings pardō procured and sent downe for the Merindolians.who vnderstandyng these thinges, as a good Prince moued with mercie and pitie, sent letters of grace and pardon, not onely for those whiche were condempned for lacke of appearaunce, but also for all the rest of the countrey of Prouince, whiche were accused & suspected in like case: expresly charging & cōmaūding the sayd Parlamēt, þt they should not hereafter procede so rigorously, as they had done before, against this people, but if there were any þt could be foūde or proued by sufficient informatiō, to haue swarued frō þe Christiā Religion, þt then he should haue good demonstratiō made vnto him by the word of God, both out of the olde and of the new Testament: and so as well by the gentlenes, as by the rigour of the same, he should be reduced agayne vnto the Churche of Christe: declaryng also that the kynges pleasure was, that all such as should be conuict of heresie in maner aforesayd, should abiure: forbiddyng also all maner of persones, of what estate or condition soeuer they were, to attempt any thyng agaynst them of Merindoll or other that were persecuted, by any other maner of meanes, or to moleste or trouble them in person or goodes: reuokyng and disanullyng all manner of sentences and condemnations, of what iudges so euer they were, and commaundyng to set at libertie all prisoners which either were accused or suspected of Lutheranisme.
[Back to Top]By vertue of these letters, they were now permitted to declare their cause, and to say what they could, in defense therof. Whereupon they made a confession
CloseThe lengthy and detailed confession, to which Foxe makes reference here is set out, as Foxe says in the gloss to this passage, in Crespin's Recueil of 1556 (p. 862-879), and then reprinted in Pantaleon (fols 130-137). It is summarized in later editions of Crespin's martyrology. Foxe chose to provide the even more succinct précis of it in Sleidan's Commentaries (Commentarii lib. 16, fol 218) which he then placed at the end of the narrative (p. 954) so as not to interrupt the flow of the text. The document was dated 6 April 1541 and carried the names of André and Martin Mainard as leading signatories, two of those cited in the original arrêt against the 19 Vaudois of Mérindol. It joined another confession, apparently submitted by Cabrières d'Avignon ('Cabriers') in the Comtat Venaissin, both of which were sent to the bishops of Cavaillon and Carpentras for their opinion. The documentm itself, at least in the form in which we have it, reflects the increasing influence of Geneva among the Vaudois. It, and the equivalent one from Cabrières, was presented to Jacopo ('Giacomo') Sadoleto, bishop of Carpentras and the vice-legate of Avignon, meeting at Cabrières ('Cabriers') which was part of his diocese. According to the later Histoire Ecclésiastique (1580), Sadoleto's reaction was that the confessions might be accepted as orthodox if some revisions were made to them. It is noticeable that this does not appear in the earlier narratives, upon which Foxe relies. He may have played some part in restraining the vice-legate in Avignon from executing the arrêt of Mérindol in the papal-controlled territories of the Comtat Venaissin in 1542 (as Foxe recounts), but his sympathis for the Vaudois should not be overestimated (see Marc Venard, 'Jacques Sadolet, évêque de Carpentras, et les Vaudois', Bolletino della società di studi valdesi 143 (1978), 44-49).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe aunswere of Cardinall Sadolet, to the Merindoliās.I haue sene your request, and haue read the Articles of your confeßion, wherin there is much matter conteined, and do not vnderstand that you are accused for any other doctrine, but for the very same, whiche you haue confessed. It is most true, that many haue reported diuers thinges of you, worthy of reprofe, whiche after diligent enquirie made, we haue founde to bee nothyng els but false reportes and sclaunders. As touchyng the rest of your Articles, it semeth vnto me, that there are many wordes therein, whiche might well be chaūged without preiudice vnto your cōfeßion. And likewise it semeth to me that it is not necessary that you should speake so manifestly agaynst the Pastours of the Churche. For my part, I desire your welfare, and would be sory that you should be so spoyled or destroyed, as they do pretende. And to the ende you shall the better vnderstand my amitie and frendship towardes you, shortly I will be at my house by Cabriers, whether ye may resort vnto me, either in greater or smaller number, as you will, and returne safely, without any hurt or damage, and there I will aduertise you of all thinges that I thinke mete for your profite and health.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe byshop of Cauaillon seeketh the destruction of Cabriers. About this time, which was the yere of our Lord. 1542. The Vicelegate of Auinion, assembled a great number of men of warre, at the sute of the B. of Cauaillon, to destroy Cabriers. MarginaliaCard. Sadolet returned backe the armie comming agaynst Cabriers.Whē the armie was come within a myle of Cabriers, the Cardinall Sadolet, went with spede, vnto the Vicelegate, and shewed him the request of the inhabitauntes of Cabriers, with the Articles of their confession, and the offers that they made: so that for that present, the armie retired without any hurt or damage done vnto the inhabitauntes of Carbeirs. After this the Cardinall Sadolet went vnto Rome. But before his departure, hee sent for diuerse of Cabriers, & certain farmers of his own, whō he knew to be of þe nūber of those which were called Lutherans, MarginaliaThe promise of Sadolet to hys tenantes of Cabriers.& told them that he would haue thē in remembraunce, as soone as he came vnto Rome, and communicate their Articles and confession vnto the Cardinalles, trustyng to finde a meane, to haue some good reformation, that God should be therby glorified, and all Christēdome brought to an vnitie and concorde: at the least, nothyng at all doubtyng, but that the foulest abuses should be corrected & amended, aduertisyng them in the meane tyme, to be wise and circumspect, to watche and to pray, for that they had many enemyes. With this Oration of Cardinall Sadolet, they of Cabrers were greatly comforted, trustyng that at the sute of Cardinall Sadolet, they should haue aunswere of their confession. But at hys returne, they vnderstode that he found all thynges so corrupt at Rome, that there was no hope of any reformatiō there to be had, but rather mortal warre agaynst all such as would not lyue accordyng to the ordinaunces of the Churche of Rome. MarginaliaThe Tresurer of Carpētras, a priuate frend to them of Cabriers.Likewise sayd the Treasurer of Carpentras, who albeit he payed out money to furnishe souldiours that were hyred for the destruction of Cabriers, notwithstandyng hee did ayde them secretly all that hee might. Howbeit he could not do it so secretly, but that it came to the knowledge of the Legate: wherupō he was constrayned to withdraw him selfe.
[Back to Top]On the other parte, the Byshop of Aix and Cauaillon
CloseFoxe follows closely here the narrative in Pantaleon, fol 138 rather than Crespin (Crespin/Benoist, p. 402). The individuals concerned with the attempts to enforce the arrêt of 18 November 1541 against the Vaudois of Mérindol were Jean Durandi, conseiller au parlement d'Aix-en-Provence; with Pietro Ghinucci, bishop of Cavaillon from 1541 and Antoine Filhol, archbishop of Aix-en-Provence from 1541. Their efforts were without success until the death of Chassanée as premier president of the court, and his successor. The local figures involved in these deliberations included André Meynard, the bailli ('baylife') of Mérindol and others.
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