MarginaliaThe testimony of Bassinet for Lutherans.do mainteine, are so conformable and agreyng to the Scriptures, that for my part, I can no longer gaynesay them, except I should euen wilfully & maliciously resiste and striue agaynst the holy ordinaunces of God. Albeit hetherto, to maintaine the honour of our holy mother the Church, and of our holy father the Pope, and of our order. I haue consented to the opinions, and doynges of the other Doctours, as well through ignoraunce, as also because I woulde not seme to attempt any thyng agaynst the will and pleasure of the Prelates and Vicares generall: But now it semeth vnto mee that we ought not any more to procede in this matter, as we haue done in tymes past. It shall bee sufficient to punish them, with fines or to banish them, Whiche shall speake to intemperatly, or rashely agaynste the constitutions of the Church, or of the Pope: and such as shall be manefestly conuicted by the holy Scriptures, to be blasphemers or obstinate heretickes, to be condemned to death accordyng to the enormitie of the Crimes or errours, or els to perpetuall prison. And this my aduise and counsaile I desire you to take in good part.

[Back to Top]

With this counsaile of Bassinet, all þ^e company was offēded, but especially the Byshop of Aix, who liftyng vp hys voyce aboue all the rest, sayd thus vnto hym: O thou man of litle fayth, whereof art thou in doubt? Doest thou repent the of that thou hast well done? Thou hast told here a tale that smelleth of fagottes and brimstone.MarginaliaGod and the Pope. & the obedience to them two, compared together. Is there any difference (thinkest thou) betwene heresies and blasphemes spoken and maynteined agaynst the holy Scriptures: and opinions holden agaynst our holy mother the Churche and contrary to our holy father the Pope, and most vndouted and true God in earth? Art thou a Maister in Israell. & knowest not these thinges?MarginaliaIohn. 3. Thē sayd þ^e Byshop of Arles, could any man entreat vetter of the litle Barke of Christ Iesus then my Lord of Aix hath done? Then stode vp Bassinet agayne, and made this Oration.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other Oration of Bassinet. Is it true, that my Lorde the Byshop of Aix hath very well set out the maners and state of the Clergie, and hath aptly reproued the vices and heresies of this present tyme: and therfore so soone as mention was made of the shyppe of Christ Iesus, it came in my mynde first of all, of the high Byshop of Hierusalem, the Priestes, the Doctours, of thee law, the Scribes and Phariseis, whiche sometime had the gouernaunce of this shippe, beyng ordeined Pastours in the Church of God. But when they forsoke the law of God, and serued him with mens inuentions and traditions, hee destroyed those Hipocrites in his great indignatiō: and hauing compassion and pitie vpon the people, whiche were like shepe without a Shepheard, he sent diligent fishers to fishe for men: faythfull workemen into his haruest, and labourers into his vineyard, which shall all bryng forth true frutes in their season. Secondly, considering the purpose & entent of the reuerent Lord B. of Aix. I called to mynd the saying of the Apostle in hys first Epistle and. 4. chap. vnto Timothe: That in the later dayes, some shall fall away frō the fayth, folowyng after deceitfull spirites, & the doctrine of diuiles. And the Apostle giueth a marke wherby a man shall know them. Likewise our Lord Iesus Christ, in the 7 chapter of Mathew sayth, That the false Prophetes shall come, clothed in shepes skinnes, but inwardly they are rauenyng wolues: and by their frutes they shalbe knowen. By these two and diuers such other places, it is easye to vnderstand, who they are that go about to drown this litle barke of Christ.MarginaliaFalse pastors in Christes Church, described. Are they not these which fill the same with filthy and vncleane thynges? with myre and dirt? with pudle and stinking waters? Are they not those which haue forsaken Iesus Christ, the founteine of liuing water, and haue digged vnto thē selues pittes or sisternes which will holde no water? Truly euen those they are, whiche vaunt them selues to be the salte of the earth, and yet haue no sauour at all: which call them selues pastours, and yet are nothing lesse thē true pastours, for they minister not vnto the shepe the true pasture and fedyng, neither diuide & distribute the true bread of the word of lyfe. And (if I may be bolde to speake it) would it not be at this present, as great a wonder to heare a Byshop preach, as to see an ssse flye? Are not they cursed of God which glory and vaunt them selues to haue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen, and neither enter in them selues, nor suffer thē that would enter, to come in?MarginaliaMath. 23. They may be knowen right well by their frutes: for they haue forsaken fayth, iudgement and mercy, and there is no honest, cleane, or vndefiled thyng in them, but their habite their rochet, and their surples, and such other: Outwardly they are excedyng net and trymme, but within they are full of all abomination, rauine gluttony, filthy lust, and all maner of vncleanes. They are like paynted sepulchers, Which outwardly appeare bewtifull and fayre, but within they are full of filth and corruption. a man shall know (I say) these rauenyng wolues,Marginalia Take heede of those that come to you in sheepes skinnes, but inwardly they are rauening Wolues. Math. 7. by their frutes, which deuour the quicke and the dead, vnde the pretence of long prayer: and for so much as I am enforced to geue place to the truth and that you call me a Master in Israell,MarginaliaThe Popes Pilotes in Christes Ship are become Pirates. I will not be afraide to proue by the holy Scriptures, that your great Pilot and patron the Pope, and the Byshops the mariners, and such others, which haue impudently forsakē the shippe of Christ Iesus, to embarke them selfe in Pinises and Brigandines, are pyrates and robbers of the Sea, false Prophetes, deceiuers and not true pastours of the Churche of Iesus Christ.

[Back to Top]

When Doctor Bassinet had thus frely and boldly vttered his mynd: the whole multitude began to gather about him, and spitefully railed at him. But the Bishop of Aix aboue other, raging and crying out, as he had ben madde: get the out sayd he, frō amongest vs, thou wicked Apostata: thou art not worthy to be in this cōpany. We haue burned dayly a great, many which haue not so wel deserued it, as þ^u hast.MarginaliaA commendation for Doctors of the Canon law. We may now perceiue that there is none more stedfast & feruēt in the fayth, then the Doctours of the Canō law. And therfore it were necessary to be decreed in the next generall Councell, that none should haue to do in matters of religion, but they alone: For these knaues and beggerlye Monkes and Friers will bryng all to nought. Then the other Doctours of the same order, boldely reproued the Byshop of Aix. for the iniury that he had done vnto them: After this, there rose a great dissension amongst them: in so much that there was nothyng at that tyme, determined. After dyner all these reuerent Prelates assembled together agayne,  

but they suffered neither Frier nor Monke to be amongst them except he were an Abbot. In this assemble they made a generall composition, confirmed with an oth, that euery man should endeuour him selfe, that thee sayd Arrest of Merindoll should be executed withall expedition, euery man offering to furnishe out mē of warre, accordynge to hys habilitie.MarginaliaThe byshop of Aix, Archcaptaine of this persecution. The charge wherof was geuen to the Byshop of Aix and to the President of the Canons, to sollicite the matter, and to persuade by all meanes possible, þ^e Presidētes & Coūsellers of the said Court of Parlament, without feare or doubt, to execute the sayd Arrest, with drummes ensignes displayde, artillery, and all kynde of furniture of warre.

[Back to Top]

This conspiracie beyng concluded and determined, the Bishop of Aix departed incontinent from Auinion, to goe vnto Aix, to performe the charge, which was geuen to him. Notwithstandyng  

they desired him to be the next day after the Counsell was holden, at a banket whiche shoulde bee made at the house of the Byshop of Rieux. To this banket such as were knowen to be the fayrest and most beautifull women in all Auinion, were called to refreshe and solace these good Prelates, after the great paynes and trauell which they had taken for our holy mother the Church. After they had dyned, they fell to dauncyng, playing at dyce, and such other pastimes as are commonly wont to be frequented at the bankets and feastes of these holy prelates. After this, they walked abroad to solace themselues, and to passe the tyme till supper.

[Back to Top]

As they passed thorow the streetes, euery one leadyng his Minion vpon hys arme, they saw a man which solde baudye Images and pictures, wyth filthy rymes and ballets annexed to the same, to moue and sturre vp the people to whoredome, and knauery.MarginaliaEx fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. All these goodly Pictures were bought vp by the Byshops: which were as many as a Mule could well cary. And if there were any obscure sentence, or hard to vnderstand, in those rymes or ballets, the same these learned Prelates dyd readely expounde, and laughed pleasauntly thereat. In the same place,  

as they walked along, there was a bookeseller which had set out to sale, certeyne Bibles in French and Latine, wyth diuers other Bookes, which when the Prelates behelde, they were greatly moued thereat, and sayde vnto hym: Darest thou be so hardy to set out such marchandise to sell here in thys towne? Doest thou not know that such Bookes are forbidden?MarginaliaBaudie pictures receaued, Gods booke reiected. The bookeseller aūswered, is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures, whiche you haue bought for these gentlwomen? He had scarse spoken these words, but the byshop of Aix sayd, I renoūce my part of Paradise if thys felow be not a Lutheran. Let him be taken (sayd he) and examined what he is, and incontinently the bookeseller was taken and caryed vnto prison, and spitefully handled: For a company of knaues and ruffians, which wayted vpon the Prelates, began to cry out, a Lutheran, a Lutherā, to the fire with him, to the fire with him, and one gaue him a blow with his fist, an other pulled him by þ^e heare, & other by the beard, in such sort, that the poore man was all em-

[Back to Top]