Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 6, 1555-1558. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1877.
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'Appendix: Miscellaneous 1550', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 6, 1555-1558, (London, 1877) pp. 1639-1640. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol6/pp1639-1640 [accessed 19 April 2024]
Miscellaneous 1550
| July 17. Venetian Archives. | 122. The Governors of Brescia to the Chiefs of the Council of Ten. |
|---|---|
| Although we delayed answering your Lordships' letter of the 21st ult., we lost no time in executing the orders given us, we also desiring first of all for the honour of God, and then for your satisfaction, to ascertain all that was possible, that you might make such provision as shall seem necessary and opportune in so important a matter. | |
| You must therefore know that we have heard from persons, trustworthy and good Christians, that at Gardon, a town in this province of Brescia at the entry of Valtrupia, there made his appearance a renegade friar, who preaches in the Lutheran fashion, and amongst other heinous and wicked things done by him in that place, the mass is no longer said there publicly, because this iniquitous friar is favoured by some of the chief inhabitants of that town, and he has also a physician there, who is of great assistance to him; so that through these two pestiferous tongues many of the chief inhabitants of Gardon are infected with this accursed Lutheran heresy; and your Excellencies will see by the enclosed copy what these two individuals preach. | |
| So long back as last February, a most horrible and fearful complaint was made to us about a Franciscan priest, heretofore a friar, that this most iniquitous man had uttered such base and nefarious things about our Lord Jesus Christ, and the mass, and the eucharist, that we believe that demons would not only not repeat them, but would be horrified to hear them issue from the mouth of this accursed man, as your Lordships will see by the accompanying complaint and process. (fn. 1) We also enquired of the reverend Vicar if there were other processes about these Lutheran affairs in that Chancery, and he and his Chancellor told me (m' ha detto) that the Bishop suffragan, who was here, and departed hence two months ago, took information on the subject, but did not proceed to draw up the process, because he would not consent that the jurists (dottori) of the city, according to an edict of the Council of Ten, should interfere, and this information he took away with him. We pray your Excellencies that in this most important matter, which concerns rebellion against God the Saviour, and against the Catholic Church, you will please to enact, that these ecclesiastics be not impeded by any layman in drawing up processes and sentences against priests and friars, but as to secular heretics that there be present solely the Governors with their officials; referring ourselves always to the very sage judgment of your most excellent Lordships, whom we pray, concerning this most important act, to give us such orders as shall seem fit to you. | |
| Brescia, 17th July 1550. Rectores Brixiæ. | |
| [Italian.] | |
| July 17. Venetian Archives. | 123. Articles of the Lutherans at Gardon in the Brescian territory. |
| 1. They deny that Christ is corporally (realmente) in the Eucharist and say that if He were in masticating Him the bone would be heard to break. | |
| 2. They deny the necessity of baptism, and baptize no one. | |
| 3. They deny that the sacrament of penance is necessary. | |
| 4. They say it is folly (pazzia) to say mass for the living and the dead. | |
| 5. They say there are no festivals in the year, but that all the days are alike, and they would wish all the days to be without distinction. | |
| 6. They say the Pope is Antichrist. | |
| 7. They say there is no head but only Christ. | |
| 8. They say that acknowledging (dato) those we call heads (capi), they have nevertheless no authority except that of assembling congregations (di congregare). | |
| 9. They have broken the figures of the Saints, saying that they are masks and deformities (maschare et scaravaggi). | |
| 10. They deny that the Church is that of the faithful. | |
| 11. They deny free will. | |
| 12. They deny Purgatory. | |
| [Italian.] | |