Thieleman J. van Braght · 49 of 210

Fifteenth Century · Part 4

HOW THE INQUISITORS DELIVERED THE SO CALLED

HERETICS TO THE SECULAR JUDGES

Having condemned these people as heretics, after they had suffered a long season of misery, the inquisitors make a show of mercy, and deliver them to the magistrates, with these words: "Whereas the Lords of this holy Tribunal (the inquisitors), have exerted all proper diligence, to bring back this seduced person into the bosom of the Roman church, and have nevertheless accomplished nothing, he constantly remaining obstinate in his opinion, we hereby deliver him into the hands of the secular judge, to be punished according to the extent and import of the Roman laws. Still, we sincerely pray, that, if he show any sign of confession and repentance, he be treated with all clemency and mercy."

HOW THOSE WERE DELIVERED WHO SEEMINGLY

HAD RETURNED TO THE ROMAN CHURCH

But when the inquisitors have condemned any one, on account of so called heresy, to the fire, who, from fear, or for some other reason, returns to the Roman belief, they deliver him to the secular judges with these words: "Whereas the holy Tribunal of the Inquisition cannot believe, that this man's conversion is sincere, and fears to admit a wolf in sheep's clothing (notwithstanding his supposed conversion), we deliver him to the secular judges, earnestly entreating them, to deal in all mercy with this (accused) one, without breaking a limb or bone, or shedding a drop of his blood."* Compare with the sense of these words the abovementioned chronicle, page 900, col. 2, and page 901, col. 1; also Hist. Georg., lib. 6, Peter Bor, lib. 3. Oorsprong, fol. 9-12. Toneel Nicol., fol. 87. Guil. Merula, fol. 947. Eman. Met., fol. 40. Retuald. Gonsalv. in Tract. on the holy Spanish Inquisition, throughout. Hist. Wenc., fol. 187. Chron. Ph., Mel., lib. 5, Hist. Alons, de Ulb., lib. 2.

Touching the persecution which resulted to the believers upon this new charge of the inquisition, we have not been able to learn the particulars relating to it. Doubtless not a few perished by those means; since it is certain, that no one that had a good conscience, and was accused of heresy, could escape with his life. The contents of the above record inform us, that many had to suffer on this account; whose names, however, we have not learned. We commend them to God, who will judge their cause hereafter. His mercy be gracious to us and to them all.

REMARK. From the time of Peter Waldo, about A. D. 1170, we have throughout followed, in the account of the martyrs, mostly the line of the Wal= denses proper, without digressing materially to other sects, though some of them very closely ap

* They desire that not a limb or bone be broken, nor a drop of blood be shed, of the accused. Yea, command that he be dealt with in all mercy; who themselves did not hesitate to condemn him to the fire. O most unholy wiles of the so called "holy" tribunal of the inquisition I proximated to the belief of the Waldenses. Hence it has come, that the number of those whom we have noticed as true martyrs, is not as large, as it might have been, if we had not purposed to follow the unmixed, pure line of the Waldenses. However, in notes, we have placed some who approached this belief very closely, and shall here add a few more.

NOTE. A. D. 1494. In the fourth year of Henry VII, on the 28th of April, a very old, honorable widow of over eighty years, was apprehended for maintaining eight of Wickiffe's articles (whose belief against infant baptism and the swearing of oaths, we have already shown), and as she would not apostatize, she was burned alive in Smithfield, at London. She said that God and His angels loved her so, that she was not afraid of the fire. When she stood in the midst of the fire, she cried aloud: "Lord, receive my soul into Thy holy hands;" whereupon she gave up the ghost. Compare the account in the second book of the Hist. of the Persecutions, fol. 599, col. 3, with Joh. Fox Angl., page 671. A. Bal., in Append. Al., page 627.

A. D. 1498. Jerome Savonarola now most zealously rejected, in his teaching the institutions of men, and maintained salvation in Christ alone. He defended the partaking of the holy Supper (called the Sacrament) under two forms; that is, with bread and wine; in opposition to the practice of the papists, who gave the common people only a consecrated wafer. He also rejected letters of indulgence, saying, moreover, that the pope did not follow the doctrine and life of Christ, and that he was the antichrist, because he attributed to human institutions more than to the merits of Christ. For all these reasons, he was strangled and then burnt to ashes, at Florence, by order of Pope Alexander VI. Compare Chron. van den Ond., page 910, col. 2, with Joh. Munst., fol. 201. Guil. Meru., fol., 950. Hist. Andr., fol. 36. Also, A. Mell., fol. 600, col. 3, to fol. 606; where it is stated that two others died with him for the same belief, and were likewise on the 23rd of May, in the marketplace at Florence, after preceding strangulation, burnt to ashes, and the ashes thrown into the river Arnus flowing by.

A. D. 1499. Paul Scriptoris taught at this time against transubstantiation (or the essential change) of the bread into the body of Christ; as also, that all that is taught must be tried by the touchstone of the Word of God, adding that all who teach otherwise teach falsely; hence he said there should speedily come a change in the (Roman) religion. For this reason he was driven into banishment by the Minorite monks; and, having lived full three years in exile, he died in the beginning of the year 1504. Compare P. J. Twisck, Chron., page 912, with Joh. Munst. Tract., fol. 199. With this we conclude the fifteenth century, and, consequently, also the account of the martyrs who then suffered.

CONCLUSION OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY

We long to take our leave from this century, since we cannot longer behold this misery. However, we have only reached the summit of the mountain of martyrdom. In our ascent we have met scarcely anything but skulls, thigh bones, and charred skeletons. In our descent deep pits, pools and blood red rivers, into which the bodies of the saints are thrown, threaten us; to say nothing of the dark prisons, dungeons, torture chambers, and countless instruments of torture.

But the merciful Lard, who has led us by the hand, and thus far aided us, will lead and help us still further. His love shown to me in this matter, has been wonderful. For, when the bands of death were around me, by reason of a half year's severe sickness, which attacked me in the midst of this work, His gracious hand restored me, so that I have completed the work, thus far, though not without anxiety and labor. Hence, though still in the grasp of severe fevers, I wrote, for my own remembrance, to the praise of my Creator, and to dedicate to my brethren this book, these words:

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My heart with anxious fear did beat,

That I this work should not complete;

Since God had touched me with His hand,

And sickness brought me near my end.

Now thank I God with joyful song,

Whose constant presence made me strong,

Until I to the end have come,

By ways oft sad and wearisome.

My brethren, take this book, I pray,

With ardent love, and favor, yea,

Which for the truth of God doth burn;

For this my soul doth greatly yearn.

It is time to proceed, in order that we may reach the end. We will conclude this first book, comprising fifteen centuries, the whole of which we had to bring up from the very depths; and proceed to the second, where our labor will not be so great; since the living memoirs of old writers and their accounts will serve us therein. Moreover, the entire work can be comprised in one great century; relying upon which, we take our leave, and turn to the following work, to which the Lord be pleased to grant us His grace, as much as is necessary. Amen.