Byencorf der H. Roomsche kercke

Filips van Marnix van Sint-Aldegonde (1540-1598) played an important part in the establishment of the Calvinist church in the Netherlands and in the revolt against Spain. He made use of several writings to put himself at the service of the religious and political struggle. The Byencorf der H. Roomsche Kercke is one if his early writings and was very clearly a work of propaganda. Marnix wrote the Byencorf in 1568 and ’69 while he was exiled to East Friesland Catholic theologian and polemist Gentian Hervet (1499-1584), entitled Epistre aux desvoyes de la foy, of which there were several editions between 1561 and 1566. Marnix’ response to Hervet’s accusations against the Protestant church reformers was in the form of a satirical parody. In the Byencorf he criticized the clergy, the sacraments and miscellaneous situations in the roman Catholic Church at some length.