VIII. Further of the ness and obliquity of human nature: but that they should have "refused to enter into any confederacy," for the defence of the protestant religion in Germany, with the king of France, who was permitting, at least, the most bloody persecution of that religion in his own dominions, and had actually conspired with the emperor for its general suppression; or that they should have been unwilling "to solicit the friendship" of the king of England, who, as the elector observed, "sought nothing but his own interest and aggrandisement, had done nothing in the way of reformation, except making himself head of the church in the pope's stead, and at the same time cruelly persecuted pious Christians, and himself lived a flagitious life:"1neither of these circumstances, I think, can be censured or regretted by any one, who considers the exclusive object of the German league, or feels properly for the honour of the sacred cause which it was designed to support.-In these several particulars I must dissent from, or at least materially qualify the sentiments which Dr. Robertson appears to convey. Concerning the council of Trent little reproceedings mains, within the period of our present history, Council. to be added to what is already before the reader, respecting its decrees establishing the authority of the apocryphal books, the vulgate version, and traditions. We may state, however, that in the next session the council took into consideration the subject of original sin, and determined," that the guilt thereof is wholly washed 1 Seck. iii. 552. However innocent the sense in which the king's majesty is now held to be "the head of the church," (See Church Art. xxxvii,) it appears clear, that Henry VIII. meant fully to succeed to the pope's place and prerogative within his own dominions. away in baptism; that, though in the baptized there remains a disposition to sin, or concupiscence, this is not really sin; and that, when S. Paul calls it so, he does it only because it is the effect of sin, and inclines men to sin. Also, that the Virgin Mary is not to be included in this decree, but that concerning her, that is to be held which pope Sixtus IV. had before defined"-who declared all such as should maintain that the blessed Virgin was conceived in original sin, to be excommunicated heretics. 1 With respect to traditions, it may also be remarked, that Claudius Jay, a jesuit, and deputy of the bishop of Augsburg, very prudently and sagaciously laid it down, that, while all traditions concerning matters of faith were universally to be retained, those only concerning manners were binding, which still continued to be observed in the church! And his sentence is approved by Pallavicini, who records it. 2 A. D. 1546. denses of Allusion has been made to the persecutions Persecution at this period carried on in France, against those of the Walwho refused submission to the Roman pontiff. Provence. Of the horrid enormities practised on the innocent and interesting Waldenses of Provence, Sleidan has preserved a memorial which may deserve to be in great part transcribed. Of the fact stated concerning them in the close of the first sentence, the reader will not have forgotten the very gratifying proof which has been laid before him in this volume. "In Provence, in France," says Sleidan, "there is a people called Waldenses, who by an old custom acknowledge not the pope of Rome, have always professed a greater purity of doctrine, and, since Luther appeared, anxiously 1 Sleid. 377. Maimb. iii. 33 in Seck. Seck. iii. 597. CHAP. 1545. sought after an increase of knowledge. Many times had they been complained of to the king, as despisers of magistrates, and fomenters of rebellion; which envious, rather than true, accusation is by most made use of at this day. They live together in some towns and villages, among which is Merindol. About five years before, sentence had been pronounced against them in the parliament of Aix, the chief judicature of the province, that they should all promiscuously be destroyed, that the houses should be pulled down, the village levelled with the ground, the trees felled, and the place rendered a desert. Now, though this sentence was pronounced, yet it was not then put in execution, William Bellay of Langey, the king's lieutenant in Piemont, with some others, having represented the case to the king as one that ought to be reviewed by himself. But at length, in this year, John Meinier, president of the parliament of Aix, having summoned that body together, on the twelfth of April, reads to them the king's letters, which warranted him to carry the sentence into effect. These letters Meinier is said to have obtained by the influence of the cardinal of Tournon, and through the medium of Philip Courtain, a fit agent in such a business. However, having received them in the month of January, he produced them not immediately, but kept them back to a season more proper for the exploit. The letters having been read, some members of the parliament were chosen to see that they were duly complied with; and Meinier offered himself for their assistant, as having, in the absence of Grignian, the governor of the province, the chief administration of affairs, Now, before this time, he had by the king's orders raised forces for the English war; and these he makes use of for his present purpose. Besides these, he orders all that were able to bear arms at Marseilles, Aix, Arles, and other populous places, to repair to him, on pain of severe penalties in case of disobedience. He had also assistance sent him from Avignon, which is under the dominion of the pope.-His first attack was made, not on the inhabitants of Merindol, but upon the country adjoining the town of Pertuis. On the thirteenth of April, Meinier, attended by a number of gentlemen and officers came to Cadenet. In the mean time some commanders of troops make an irruption into one or two villages situate on the river Durance, and, putting all to fire and sword, plunder and carry away a great many cattle. The like was done also in other places at the same time. The people of Merindol, seeing all in flames around them, leave their habitations, flee into the woods, and pass the night in great consternation at the village of Saintfalaise. The inhabitants of this place were themselves preparing for flight; for the pope's vice-legate, the bishop of Cavaillon, had ordered some captains to fall upon them, and put them to the sword. The next day they advanced further into the woods; for they were beset on all hands with danger, Meinier having made it death for any person to aid or assist them, and commanding them all, without distinction, to be massacred wherever they were found. The same order was in force in the neighbouring places of the pope's jurisdiction; and some bishops of that country were reported to have maintained a great part of the troops employed. The fugitives had, therefore, a tedious and distressing journey, marching with their children on their backs and in their arms, and some in the cradle, A. D. 1545. CHAP. and poor women also in a state of pregnancy following in the rear. When they had reached the appointed place, whither many in that forlorn condition had fled, they soon had intelligence that Meinier was mustering all his forces that he might fall upon them. This news they learned towards evening. On the receipt of it, having consulted together what was best to be done, they resolve, because the ways were rough and difficult, to leave their wives, daughters, and little children there, with some few to bear them company, (amongst whom was one of their ministers,) and the rest to betake themselves, as had been previously proposed, to the town of Mussi. This they did in the hope that the enemy might shew some compassion towards a helpless and comfortless multitude: but what wailing and lamentation, what groanings and embracings there were at parting, may easily be conceived. Having marched the whole night, and passed mount Leberon, they had the sad prospect of many villages and farms all in flames. Meinier, in the mean time, having divided his troops into two bodies, sets about his work; and, because he had got intelligence of the place to which the inhabitants of Merindol had betaken themselves, he himself marches to that town, and sends the other division of his troops in pursuit of the fugitives. But, before these were come into the wood, one of the soldiers, moved with pity, runs before, and from the top of a rock, where he judged the poor fugitives might have rested, throws down two stones, calling to them by intervals (though he did not see them,) instantly to fly for their lives and, at the same moment, two of those who had betaken themselves to Mussi come, and, having got notice of the enemy's approach, |