The Creation of a Secular Inquisition in Early Modern Brabant
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Orthodoxy and Opposition: The Creation of a Secular Inquisition in Early Modern Brabant Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Christman, Victoria Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 10/10/2021 08:36:02 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195502 ORTHODOXY AND OPPOSITION: THE CREATION OF A SECULAR INQUISITION IN EARLY MODERN BRABANT by Victoria Christman _______________________ Copyright © Victoria Christman 2005 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2 0 0 5 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Victoria Christman entitled: Orthodoxy and Opposition: The Creation of a Secular Inquisition in Early Modern Brabant and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Professor Susan C. Karant Nunn Date: 17 August 2005 Professor Alan E. Bernstein Date: 17 August 2005 Professor Helen Nader Date: 17 August 2005 Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Professor Susan C. Karant-Nunn Date: 17 August 2005 Dissertation Director: 3 STATEMENT BY THE AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Victoria Christman____________________ 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS . 8 ABSTRACT . 9 PART I SIXTEENTH CENTURY BRABANT INTRODUCTION . 11 CHAPTER ONE. THE LAY OF THE LAND: GOVERNMENT AND LAW IN BRABANT . 25 I. BRABANT: CENTER OF GOVERNMENT, THEOLOGY, AND TRADE . 25 II. THE LOW COUNTRIES UNDER CHARLES V . 29 a. Governmental Organization . 29 b. The Prosecution of Heresy in Brabant . 32 III. CHARLES V’S ANTI-HERESY LEGISLATION . 37 a. First Steps: 28 September 1520 and 8 May 1521 . 41 b. 1529, a Watershed Year . 43 c. The Edict of Blood, 29 April 1550 . 45 IV. LOCAL SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION . 48 V. CONCLUSION . 52 PART II HERESY IN BRABANT CHAPTER TWO. THE EARLY REFORMATION . 53 I. DISSENT PRIOR TO THE REFORMATION . 54 a. Lay Piety . 54 b. Humanism . 55 c. Latent Sacramentarianism . 57 II. MANIFESTATIONS OF DISSENT . 64 a. Anticlerical Sentiment . 65 b. Book Crimes . 67 c. Conventicles . 73 III. DISSENT IN THE CITIES . 76 a. Brussels . 76 b. Leuven . 79 c. Antwerp . 81 IV. CONCLUSION . 90 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued CHAPTER THREE. THE CLAES VANDER ELST CIRCLE . 92 I. UNVEILING DISSENT IN BRUSSELS . 92 II. CLAES VANDER ELST . 94 III. VANDER ELST’S SECRET SERMONS . 96 a. Conventicle Attendees . 98 b. The Content of the Sermons . 103 i/ Propositions concerning fasting . 106 ii/ Propositions critical of the clergy . 107 iii/ Proposition concerning the consecration of the bells . 110 iv/ Propositions concerning the Eucharist . 111 c. Books and Ideas . 117 IV. THE PROSECUTING AUTHORITIES . 126 V. SENTENCING . 129 a. Ecclesiastical Punishments . 130 b. Secular Punishments . 133 VI. RETURNEES . 136 VII. CONCLUSION . 139 PART III THE PORTUGUESE NEW CHRISTIANS INTRODUCTION: THE PORTUGUESE AND ANTWERP . 142 I. CONVERSION, EXPULSION, AND ESCAPE: THE JEWS OF PORTUGAL . 144 II. SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF: CHARLES V AND THE NEW CHRISTIANS . 151 III. ANTWERP: RELIGIOUS AND MERCANTILE HAVEN . 153 CHAPTER FOUR. POLICIES OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE, 1526-1540 . 156 I. THE EARLY YEARS . 156 II. TURNING POINT: THE ARRIVAL OF LOYS GARCEZ . 159 III. THE TRIALS OF THE 1530s . 163 a. Diego Mendes . 164 b. Jan de Belins . 167 c. Anthonis Fernandes . 168 IV. LOCAL AUTONOMY VS. IMPERIAL AMBITION: THE CONCERNS OF THE ANTWERP AUTHORITIES . 169 a. Economic Fears: The Dangers of Merchant Unrest . 171 b. Jurisdictional Defenses: The City Council’s Legal Autonomy . 178 V. A TEMPORARY PEACE . 185 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued CHAPTER FIVE. LOCAL RESISTANCE AND IMPERIAL POWER . 190 I. THE MIDDELBURG NEW CHRISTIANS, 1540-1542 . 191 a. Arrests and Investigation . 193 b. The Depositions: December 1540 to March 1541 . 196 c. Conflicting Imperial Policies . 201 II. TURNING POINT: 1544 . 205 III. RESPONSES OF THE ANTWERP AUTHORITIES . 209 IV. THE FATE OF THE PORTUGUESE NEW CHRISTIANS . 221 V. CONCLUSION . 222 PART IV BETWEEN THE SCAFFOLD AND THE STAGE: REDERIJKERS IN THE EARLY MODERN LOW COUNTRIES INTRODUCTION: INTELLECTUAL CRIMES OF HERESY . 228 CHAPTER SIX. THE DRAMA OF DISSENT: REFORMATORY REDERIJKERS IN BRABANT . 234 I. THE REDERIJKER TRADITION . 234 II. ANTWERP’S CHAMBERS . 236 III. REDERIJKER PRODUCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES . .239 IV. PLAYS AS PEDAGOGY . 242 V. CLERICAL CRITIQUE AND REFORMATION PROPAGANDA . 244 VI. RELATIONS TO GOVERNMENT AND CHURCH . 253 VII. THE GHENT COMPETITION, 1539 . 256 VIII. THE FALLOUT FROM GHENT: LEGISLATION . ..