An abridgement of the book of acts and monuments of the ChurchAn abridgement of the booke of acts and monumentes of the Church

The year 1556. §1556the ministers of the valley of S. Martins, preached openly. At that time, certain Gentlemen of the valley of S. Martin, took a good man (Bartholomew a bookbinder) prisoner, as he passed by the valley, who they sent by & by to Turim, and there, with a marvellous constancy, after he had made a good confession of his faith, he suffered death. And moreover, they of the Parliament of Turim, sent one named the President of S. Julian, associating unto him one named de Ecclesia, and others, to hinder their enterprise, admonishing them in the Kings name, and the Parliament of Turim, to return to the obedience of the Pope, upon pain of loss of goods, and life, and utter destruction of their town: & withal he recited unto them the pitiful destruction of Merindoll, and Cabriers, and other Townes near about, in the Country of Provence. To whom they answered, that if it were showed in any point by the word of God, wherein they erred, they were ready to be reformed, & so remained constant, notwithstanding, they received great vexations from the president: insomuch, that they with one accord presented a brief confession of their faith, with an answer ⟨p. 491⟩to certain interrogations, made by the president touching the Mass, Auricular confession, Purgatory, Councils, &c. requiring that seeing it is permitted to Turks, Saracens, and Jews, to dwell quietly in the fairest cities of Christendom, they might be suffered to inhabit the desolate mountains and valleys, having their whole religion founded upon the true word and Gospel of Jesus Christ. These articles returned to the Kings court, where they remained a whole year without any answer made: during which time they of the valleys lived in great quietness: whereby the number of the faithful so increased, that throughout the valleys, Gods word was truly preached, and his sacraments duly administered, and no mass said in Angroign, nor in divers places.

The yéere 1556. §1556the ministers of the valley of S. Martins, preached openly. At that time, certaine Gentlemen of the valley of S. Martin, took a good mā (Bartholomew a bookbinder) prisoner, as he passed by the valley, who they sent by & by to Turim, and there, with a maruellous cōstancy, after he had made a good confession of his faith, he suffered death. And moreouer, they of the Parlement of Turim, sent one named the President of S. Iulian, associating vnto him one named de Ecclesia, and others, to hinder their enterprise, admonishing them in the Kinges name, and the Parlament of Turim, to returne to the obedience of the Pope, vpon paine of losse of goods, and life, and vtter destruction of their town: & withal he recited vnto thē ye pitiful destructiō of Merindoll, and Cabriers, and other Townes néere about, in the Countrey of Prouence. To whom they answered, that if it were shewed in anie point by the worde of God, wherin they erred, they were ready to be reformed, & so remained constant, notwithstanding, they receiued great vexatiōs frō ye president: insomuch, that they with one accord presented a briefe confession of their faith, with an answere