Kings Court To whom the lad answered You shall not get me from the fellowship of these holy men who bred me up with whom I lived in the fear of God and with whom I desire to die and with whom I trust I shall obtain the glory to come And so being all put into the ship they were burned together After the death of Hunrick Gundabund succeeded in the Kingdom who continuing in the steps of his cruel predecessors afflicted the Christians grievously by sundry kinds of persecution during the space of twelve years at the end whereof he died and Thrasamund succeeded him a man that excelled all his Predecessors in magnanimity and courage His manner was by perswasions flatteries promises and rewards to seek to draw the Christians to his Arrian Heresie but they which would not be prevailed with hereby he no way punished or molested them In his time there were great Wars between the Moors and Vandals the Moors had one Cabaon for their General who commanded all his souldiers to use abstinence in their diet and to abstain from women and from all Injury and wrong-doing The women he enclosed within trenches by themselves commanding that under pain of death no man should have access to them Then did he send forth a certain company of Moors commanding them privately to follow the Camp oâ— the Vandals and that wheresoever the Vandals profaned any Church of the Christians presently after their departure they should follow and purge the same For saith he if the Christians God be a good God then will he assist them that are devoted to him and punish the Blasphemers These men in counterfeit base attire followed the Vandals Camp and whereas the Vandals where ever they came took up the Christians Churches for their Horses and Beasts of burthen carrying themselves very insolently against God and his House beating and abusing the Ministers and Church-Officers making them to attend upon them as their slaves After their departure the Moors on the contrary cleansed the Churches carried out the dung kneeled down to and reverenced the Ministers and distributed money to the poor and thus they did continually Then did Cabaon prepare to give his enemies battel and whereas the Vandals were all Horse-men and very well mounted their Horses were so afrighted at the sight of the Moors Camels that they were presently put into disorder and the Moors with darts and arrows did so pelt them that they put them to flight and slew many of them whereupon Thrasamund shortly after died of grief Then did Ilderick the son of Hunrick succeed in the Kingdom who was equally mild and gentle both to the Vandals and Christians and one that kept very fair correspondence with the Emperour Justinian But Gilimer a cunning and ambitious man deposed him and usurped the Kingdom to himself Whereupon Justinian sent against him that brave and gallant General Billisarius who overcame him in several battels took him prisoner freed the Christians from persecution and subverted the Empire of the Vandals in Africk after they had reigned there for the space of ninety years wherein for the most part they had been cruel persecutors of the true Church of God Salvian who was Bishop of Masilia and lived at the same season complaineth that before these brutish Vandals came into Africk the Church of God there was much degenerated from its ancient purity and the power of Godliness was much decaid insomuch as they which lived exactly according to the Rule of Gods Word were hissed at as they went in the streets as if they had been monsters Whereupon saith he the passage of the Vandals into Africk was not to be imputed to Gods rigour but to the Africans wickedness c. Collected out of a Book written by Victor Bishop of Utica who lived at the same time and was himself a Sufferer under this persecution Here place the fifth Figure THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH UNDER THE PAPACY CHAP. XXI The Persecutions of the Waldenses which began Anno Christi 1160. WHen the darkness of Popery had overspread the Christian world so that Kings and Princes imploied their Authority to establish the Romish Idolatry appointing to slaughter such as denied Transubstantiation Adoration of the Host bowing the knees before it c. this occasioned many Christians to detest this superstition as unknown to the Apostles and primitive Church And first of all God raised up Berengarius presently after the year one thousand who boldly and faithfully preached the Truth and against the Romish Errors continuing his Ministry till about the time that William the Conqueror came into England whereupon the Gospellers were called Berengarians till about the year 110. At which time common notice being taken of their separation from the Church of Rome and their disagreeing from so many of their Tenents they were branded with the odious name of Hereticks And twenty years after when they were grown into a very great multitude they had one Peter Bruis for their most famous Preacher who taught long and publickly at Tholouse under the protection and favour of a noble Earl called Hildephonsus whereupon in those parts they were called Petro-Brusians For Peter Bruis Anno Christi 1120. published their Tenents in a book called Anti-Christ wherein he declared both the ground of their Doctrine and the causes of their separation from the Romish Church Twenty years after this they were grown into a mighty multitude about Anno Christi 1140. whereupon the Popes of Rome now began to lay about them for their Extirpation For which end he stirred up his most learned followers to write against them and warned Princes to take heed of them and to banish them out of their Territories Anno Christi 1147. they had Henry of Tholouse for their most eminent Preacher whereupon they began to be called Henericians and because they were well red in the Scriptures especially in the Epistles of St. Paul whom by way of eminency they called the Apostle alleadging Texts out of him nnd would admit of no Testimonies for the proof of Religion but only out of Scripture they were called Apostolicks And shortly after God raised up Peter Valdo a Citizen of Lions in France who shewed himself most couragious in opposing the Popish inventions withal taxing divers other innovations which were crept into the Church of Rome and he was the more eagerly hearkened unto because he was in high esteem for his Learning and Piety and his liberality to the poor for besides the nourishing of their bodies he did also feed their souls by exhorting them to seek Jesus Christ and salvation by him The Arch-Bishop of Lions being informed that Valdo used thus to instruct the people boldly taxing the vice luxury and pride of the Pope and his Clergy forbad him the same upon pain of Excommunication and proceeded against him as an Heretick Valdo replied that he could not be silent in a cause of so great importance
imprisoned and whipt Some godly persons being met together with a Minister in a private Chappel two Colonels with some troops came upon them encompassed the Church rusht in with their drawn swords took the Minister from the Communion-table stript off his cloaths and sent him away to prison then they cast the bread upon the earth poured out the wine and trampled upon it Then they fell upon the people stripping men and women naked it being fâ—â—st and snow so that many of them died some were wounded others so affrighted that they fell into diseases Modestly forbids to tell how they used the women even in the Church Then came out an Edict that whosever refused to turn Papist whether men or women young or old bond or free their names should be returned to the Council of State who would give instructions what should be done with their persons and estates Marriage Buriall and Baptism were forbidden to the Protestants and if any did it privately they were imprisoned and not dismissed without Apostasie or a great fine Then was all trading inhibited or means of getting their living and at last buying of food so that the poor people being oppressed with hunger and want were either forced to fly or to Apostatize The countrymen they fetched out of their houses yea out of their beds by troopes of souldiers driving them like beasts before them in the sharpest cold and filled the common prisons towers cellers stables yea and hogsties with them where they were killed with hunger cold and thirst A godly Chirurgion with others was cast into a place full of snakes Another company was thrust into a stable and all the windows stopt up that the were almost stifled for want of breath In some places they shut them up in privies that they might be poisoned with the stink In some places they mad holes and knockt them full of iron spikes wherein those that were shut could neither sit nor stand but bending and crooked It was not possible that any man could endure this posture above two or three hours their sinews in the mean time trembling and their members quivering and their hearts ready to faint with anguish so that some were forced to promise to turn Catholiks others that refused were brought back to torture Then the devised a prison upon the water very narow and not above a cubit and an half in length wherein the prisoner could by no meanes lay himself at length and if he turned himself unawares he must fall into the water Another design was first to assault men of greatest authority to make them an example to the rest In the town of Minion the Commissioner demanded of the people a positive answer whether they would turn Catholicks And one of them in the name of the rest saying that conscience neither would nor could be forced he was presently laid upon the ground and beaten and still denying to turn Catholick when he could hardly speak he was torn in pieces The rest affrighted at this terrible spectacle promised obedience if time were given them In another place the Senator refusing to turn Apostates the cheifest of them was made to ride the wooden horse in the market-place for six hours space though he was very ancient so that he was lame and half dead when he was taken off When any desired to die raâ—her then to forsake their Religion it was answered that the Emperour did not thirst after their bloud but rather after the welfare of their souls To others they said Oh you affect the glory of Martyrdom but you are base knaves and are unworthy to have any thing to glory in There were many who would have died in the maintenance of their Christian faith but there were none that would inflict death upon them for these cruel Tyrants brought up in the devils school would not kill the body but the soul and therefore they sought by lingring and continual punishments to bring them first to stagger and then to deny the truth When any man desired to be convinced by Scripture they answered with scoffs and jears accusing the Scripture of imperfection of obscurity of ambiguity saying that it was the Fountain of Heresie the Sanctuary of Hereticks and that Laymen had nothing to do with it They called the Bible Wiblia which in the Bohemian language signifies vomit They took away all Orthodox books from the people that thereby they might be the more easily led into error In some places they shut up the people in the Church and forced them to receive in one kinde and if they would not fall down to the Host they used to beat their legs with clubs till they fell down Some they imprisoned and racked severall times to force them to auricular confession Of others they set open their mouths with gags and thrust the Host down their throates In other places they forced the people not only to abjure the Cup but to throw it down and to spit upon it and tread it under â—oot If any to avoid this Tyranny fled into the woods and secret places hunger drave them out again whereby they became a prey to their adversaries if they went to neighbouring places some or other would betray them Edicts also were published forbidding all to entertain such as fled upon pain of forfeiting a hundred pieces of silver for every nights entertainment Yet these miserable people could not go out of the Kingdom not being acquainted with any other language besides they were told that ere long the like tragedy should be acted every where Four men of Kossenberg continuing constant after long imprisonment they were first exposed to cold for five weeks together in the depth of winter Then for nine daies they were pined with hunger they having only a small portion of bread that kept life and soul together and drinking their own urine and when they were threatned harder usage if they turned not they answered We willingly imbrace all afflictions of famin hanging burning or any thing rather then we would sin against God Thereupon only twice a week there was given them a mouthfull of bread and a draught of water Then were they parted asunder one thrust into the sink of the prison another into a furnace and none permited to visit them and when nothing would prevail they set a fine upon them and banished them Others were kept in prisons and bonds till they died One was kept in a filthy prison till his feet rotted off and yet he passed away the time with singing of Psalms as if he injoyed all manner of deligths Another man being tired out with imprisonement promised to turn Catholick and was released but presently as himself wrote afterwards God chastened him for this his fault holding his conscience captive for an whole year together so that he could have no hope in Gods mercy Yet he recalled to minde former sinners who upon their
repentance obtained mercy of God Thereupon he cried unto God a whole year together night and day watering his bed with his tears because he thought himself damned but at last God saith he sent his Angel to me and I saw this glory brighter then the sun and I had gods Spirit bestowed upon me c. After which he was apprehended beheaded and quartered The pictures of John Husse and Jerom of Prague they defaced all the Bibles that they could meet with they burned the graves of the Ministers they opened took out their bones and burnt them The Statutes of King Frederick they beat in pieces and trampled them under their feet One man they fined at five hundred Dollars for giving his son the name of Frederick Before these calamities befell the Bohemians God gave them warning by sundry Prodigies In severall places divers Suns were seen together At Prague the Sun seemed to dart out bals of fire Also a flying Dragon flaming horribly was seen throughout all Bohemia and Silesia Also a spring flowed with bloud for an whole moneth together In another place a Fish-pond was wholly turned into bloud for the space of three daies A great flock of Crows and Daws fought together for a whole daies space whereby multitudes of them were slain At Prague it rained brimstone and the Image of the crucifix being set up was struck down with a thunderbolt The gates of some Cities opened of their own accord Many Bibles being thrown into a great fire were untouched only the margin a little scorched Many Apostates tormented by the sting of conscience cried out They were damned Some to avoid these terrors hanged themselves others drowned themselves Some died in fearfull despaire others died suddenly One as he was about to abjure was stricken dumb and being carried home was possessed with a great trembling all over and gnawing his own tongue he died miserably Dr Knapper a great persecutor was slain by the appointment of his wife an adultresse for which she was afterwards hanged Another vomited out his ungodly soul with bloud Another ran mad and cast him self down from the top of his house and so roaring fearfully he breathed his last Another shot himself to death with his own Pistoll Another ran mad fell into such a disease that none could come near him for stink and at last was choaked with vomiting up abundance of bloud Another being taken with a sudden disease waxed as black as a cole uttered his speech like the barking of a dog and within three daies died with terrible pains Another by the breaking of a great gun was torn all to pieces Another had a terrible disease in his throat his tongue rotted many holes were eaten in his throat whereout his food and medicines came so that he died myserably Collected out of a Book called Historia Persecutionum Ecclesiae Bohem. written by some Bohemian exiles HAving thus given you a brief Narrative of the Persecutions of the Church in Bohemia from the first planting of the Gospel amongst them to our present times Before I proceed any further let us a little look back to see how God fought for them against their Popish adversaries and thereby after a wonderfull manner plagued their persecutors Much may be read hereof in my second Part in the Life of Zisca but after his death there was a great fear and sorrow seized on his Army and the souldiers being divided amongst themselves one part of them chose for their Captain Procopius Magnus who still retained the name of Thaborites The other part thinking none worthy to succeed Zisca named themselves the Orphanes by reason of the losse of their Captain yet whensoever their Popish adversaries came against them they both joyned together to defend themselves and the liberty of the Gospel in Bohemia About this time Pope Martin perceiving the Gospel and the Professors of it to increase daily in Bohemia he sent the Cardinall of Winchester an English man into Germany to stirre up the Emperour and German Princes to make war against the Bohemians Hereupon three Armies were levied one under the Duke of Saxony the second under the Marquesse of Brandenburg the third under Otho Archbishop of Trevers These three Armies entred Bohemia three waies and at last joyning all into one besieged the City of Misna which but the night before was won from the Papists by one Prichicho a learned and zealous Protestant and therefore the Popish Armies resolved to take that place before they marched any further But so soon as news came that the Protestants had raised an Army and were hasting to the relief of Misna they speedily fled before they ever saw an enemy leaving all their Engines of warre and a great booty behinde them The Cardinall meeting them in their flight used all the arguments that possibly he could to the Nobles and Captains to turn them back again magnifying their number and prowesse and vilifying their enemies but when nothing would prevail himselfe was fain to accompany them in the flight Presently the Bohemians pursuing fell upon their rereward which made their flight much more fearfull and disordered then it was before neither did they leave flying till the Bohemians left pursuing of them The Emperour hearing of this shamefull flight went to Noremberg and by the assistance of the Cardinall a new Army was raised under the Command of Frederick Marquesse of Brandenburg which entred Bohemia one way and another great Army under Albert Arch-Duke of Austria which entred another way In these two Armies were all the chiefest Nobles and Bishops in Germany being above fourty thousand horsemen besides foot The Bohemians as soon as they heard of their enemies approach gathered their Host with all speed to encounter them But God marvellously fought for them for before the Bohemians came near them the Popish Army was struck with such a marvellous sudden fear that they began most shamefully to run away the Cardinall wondering at it went up and down to the Captains exhorting and encouraging of them telling them that they were to fight for their Lives Honour Religion and the salvation of souls c. but notwithstanding all that he could say and do the Ensignes were suddenly snatched up and every man ran headlong away so that the Cardinall was forced to do the like The Protestants encouraged hereby speedily pursued them and obtained a very great booty This so astonished both the Pope and Emperour that afterwards they sought rather by subtilty to entrap them then by force to compell them to forsake their religion as we have seen in the foregoing story CHAP. XXVI The Persecution of the Church in Spaine which began Anno Christi 1540. ANno 1540. there was one Francis Romane sent by the Spanish Merchants of Antwerp to Breme to take up some money that was due to them where being at a Sermon through the marvelous working of Gods Spirit he was so effectually wrought upon that after
shalt suffer eternal torments though thou art above others yet he that made other men made thee also of the same nature for all are born and must die alike He that kils another sheweth that he himself may be killed thou tearest and tormentest thine own Image all in vain In thy fury thou killest him whom God created like thy self c. thou pullest out our tongues tearest our bodies with flesh-hooks and consumest us with fire but they that have already suffered have received everlasting joyes and everlasting punishments attend thee Think not that I expect any favour I will follow my brethren and remain constant in keeping Gods Law The Tyrant herewith inraged caused him to be tormented but his mother comforted him and with her kind hands held his head when through violence of the torturers the blood issued out of his mouth nose and privy parts the tormentors not ceasing till his life was almost spent but then giving over God gave him strength to recover and to endure more then any of his brethren had done At last his hands and arms being cut off with his eyes lift up to heaven he cryed O Adonai be mercifull unto me and receive me into the company of my brethren c. Then was his tongue pulled out and he of his own accord going into the fiery frying pan to the great admirarion of Antiochus died The mother seeing all her Children dead was inflamed with a holy zeal to suffer Martyrdom also and despising the Tyrants threats she offered her motherly brest to those torments which her Children had suffered before her Indeed herein she excelled them all in that she had suffered seven painfull deaths before she came to suffer in her own person and feared in every one of them lest she should have been overcome She alone with dry eyes did look upon them whilst they were torn in pieces yea she exhorted them thereunto rejoycing to see one torn with flesh-hooks another racked upon the wheel a third bound and beaten a fourth burned and yet she exhorted the rest not to be terrified thereby and though her grief in beholding their torments was greater then that which she had in child-birth yet did she frame a chearfull countenance as if it had been one triumphing wishing rather the torments of their bodies then of their souls for she knew that nothing was more frail then our lives which are often taken away by Agues Fluxes and a thousand other ways Therefore when they were first apprehended she thus exhorted them in the Hebrew tongue O my most dear and loving Children let us hasten to that Agony which may credit our profession and be rewarded by God with eternal life Let us fearlesly present our bodies to those torments which aged Eleazer endured Let us call to mind our father Abraham who having but one only son willingly sacrificed him at Gods command and feared not to bring him to the Altar whom with many prayers he had obtained in his old age Remember Daniel the three Children c. Antiochus being enraged against her caused her to be stripped naked hanged up by the hands and cruelly whipt then were her dugs and paps pulled off and her self put into the red hot frying pan where lifting up her eyes and hands to heaven in the midst of her prayers she yielded up her chast soul unto God But God suffered not the cruel Tyrant to escape unpunished for in his wars against the Persians the Lord struck him with madness his intrals were devoured with worms and stinking like a Carrion in the extremity of his torments he gave up the ghost Concerning this Antiochus Daniel chap. 8.9 10. c. saw in the vision that there came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding great towards the south and towards the East and towards the pleasant Land and it waxeth great even towards the host of heaven and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them Yea he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away and the place of the Sanctuary was cast down And an host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression and it cast down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered Which afterwards is thus interpreted by the Angel unto Daniel verse 23. c. In the latter time of their Kingdom when the Transgressors are come to the full a King of fiery countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up and his power shall be mighty but not by his own power and he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practise and shall destroy the mighty and holy people And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand and he shall magnifie himself in his heart and by peace shall destroy many He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes but he shall he broken without hand Collected out of Josephus and the Books of the Maccabees Here place the first Figure CHAP. VI. The Persecution of the Church from Christs time to our present Age and first of those mentioned in the New Testament HErod the great hearing by the wise men of one that was born King of the Jews and being informed by the chief Priests and the Scribes that the place of his birth should be Bethlehem of Judah he sent forth souldiers and slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under hoping thereby to have destroyed Christ for which cruel fact the Lord gave him over to such a spirit of phrensie that he slew his own wife his Children and nearest kins-folks and familiar friends And shortly after Gods heavy Judgement fell upon him by a grievous sickness which was a slow and slack fire in his inward parts and withal he had a greedy appetite after food and yet nothing sufficed him he had also a rotting in his Bowels and a greivous flux in his fundament a moist and running humour about his feet and the like malady vexed him about his bladder his privy members putrified engendring abundance of worms which continually swarmed out He had a short and stinking breath with a great pain in breathing and through all the parts of his body such a violent cramp as humane strength was not able to endure Yet longing after life he sent for Physitians from all parts by whose advice he went to the hot bathes of Calliroe but finding no ease thereby his torments still encreasing he sought to lay violent hands upon himself if he had not been prevented by his friends and so in extream misery he ended his wretched life Then Herod the less having married the daughter of Aretas King of Arabia put her away and took Herodias who had forsaken her husband Philip brother to Herod for which incestuous and adulterous marriage John Baptist
best Citizens did desire banishment but the City gates were kept strictly least any should get out or carry out their housholdstuff whereupon many escaped by the mines of the wall and among these a Lords wife leaving all her rich housholdstuff behinde her crept out at the common sewer to follow her husband into banishment Many of the exiles in Misnia having spent all that little which they carried with them were forced to seek alms in Bohemia where being betrayed they were cast into prison and so tormented till some of them were almost distracted and then they were sent away to other places some of these were persons of good quality At Tusta a chief Officer of the Kingdome sollicited the Citizens to turn Catholicks which they refusing to do he complained of it to the Jesuites at Prague whereupon Don Martin is sent thither who entring the City sends his souldiers into the Senators houses licensing them to abuse them at their pleasure so that in a short time many were forced to Apostasie Then did that other Officer set a great fine upon the City because they turned Catholicks for another mans sake and would not do it for his And thus the poor Protestants were abused on every hand to satisfie the lusts of these Tyrants Then did another Noble man with a band of souldiers go to the City of Rokizan and tyrannically abuse them for their Religion forbearing no kinde of insolency that they could think of Amongst other projects this was one He caused all the Citizens to write their names in three books In the first such as were already Catholicks which were but six late Apostates In the second the names of such as would become Apostates within a fortnight which were very few In the third such as absolutely refused and so were opposite to God and Caesar and in this were almost all the names which so enraged him that he resolved to use all manner of cruelties saying that they deserved the crosse the wheel yea and hell it self Then did he command all the Citizens to come to the Church the next day to receive the Sacrament in one kinde but when coming himself to Church he found few or none there he runs through the streets and into the houses driving all that he met with to the Church with his stick When he came thither again he espied one John Foelix a chief Citizen but a Calvinist he therefore fell upon him with a knotty club beating him about the head shoulders and hands till he was all gore bloud and then he said to him Get thee hence thou beast with thy cursed Calvin-bloud Then did he rage against the other Citizens cursing them beating some and spitted in the faces of others and from one of the grave Citizens he pulled off his beard and strewed it on the floor After this he again sent word to Foelix that except he changed his minde by the morrow he would act a new tragedy with him but that night he escaped leaving behinde him his dear wife and children and an aged mother of eighty years old Then did the Earl imprison his wife and sequestred his estate and enforced the rest of the Citizens to subscribe that they did freely and with all readinesse of minde imbrace the Catholick religion One Martinitz was appointed to reforme the City of Slana who substituted one Hansbursky an Apostate to see this work done This man that he might ingratiate himself with the Jesuites appointed a solemn Procession and either by fraud or force brought to it most of the Citizens Amongst others he required one John Blyssa to accompany him but he refused saying As oft as I have received the Lords Supper so oft have I obliged my self to God and against these abominations Then said the other Thou shalt not resist the Emperours pleasure But said he In those things which belong to Caesar I will not but here Gods business is in hand Then said the other Thou shalt be forced to it God replied he seeks willing not forced worshippers whereupon he was presently committed to prison for nine weeks and so was another godly Citizen and fined and then together with his wife driven out of the City Afterwards also was Blyssa and his wife banished for procuring his childe to be Baptized by a Protestant Minister privately and his estate was sequestred having nothing left him to support him in his banishment Then by divers kindes of torments he compelled some to a forced obedience as he did fifty men whom he shut up in a narrow room where they could neither stand sit nor lie nor have leave to go forth to ease nature So that after three daies enduring of this pain and stink they were forced to promise to learn the Roman religion The like dealing he used to divers women in his own chamber but so soon as they could most of them went into voluntary banishment The City of Prachatice they entred by force and slew the Major who was bringing to them the keys together with a thousand six hundred men women and children sparing none but such as fled or hid themselves in secret places The karcasses they left unburied for divers daies all dirty and shamefully naked Afterwards when the City began again to be inhabited the Commissioners of Reformation came thither promising them that if they would turn Catholicks they should have their Liberties restored to them but if they refused they should be restrained from all trading and when this prevailed not they thrust men and women young and old into prisons where they miserably afflicted them for four whole moneths The like cruely they used to all other Cities where they shewed and used all manner of impostures deceits tyrannies and impudent practices till they had rooted out the reformed Religion and set up their idolatrous and superstitious worship in the stead of it The godly Ministers being generally removed the next design of the enemies was to take all Bibles and other profitable books out of the peoples hands that so the heat of Religion might in time grow cold The Friers also which were placed in the Churches did not presently thunder but dealt fairly beseeching and confirming the truth of their Religion with oaths and dreadfull cursing of themselves promising also the Emperours favour and easing of their burthens yea they sought by works of charity to oblige the poorer sort to them One Frier promised a bushell of Wheat to every one that would come to Confession but when his Garners began to waste he gave but half the measure whereupon one flang away in anger saying What is my soul viler then the rest But when they perceived that they gained but few by their Fox-like subtilty they returned to their Wolvish cruelty compelling men to come to Masse and taking the names of all such as absented themselves and if any went to private religious meetings they were fined
And if they did these things to the green tree what shall be done to the dry And behold the wonderfull wisdom of God herein who by these afflictions separates the sinne that hates from the son that he loves and keeps him by these thorns from breaking over into Satans pleasant pastures that would fat him indeed but to the slaughter In an Appendix to this Book I have added the Lives of sundry of our Modern Divines which I conceive not to be heterogeniall to the rest of the Work for though they were not Martyrs yet may they well be stiled Confessors in regard of the great Persecution and Sufferings which most of them met withall whilest they lived here And if any ask the reason why I have added no more It is because my intelligence comes in so slowely and if such as are able will take the pains to inform me I shall if God spares life adde more to the end of the next impression of my Lives of the Fathers and modern Divines I hope that these my weak and poor endeavours will not prove ungratefull nor be judged unseasonable considering the times wherein we live For if the same sins abound amongst us in these daies which have been the forerunners of persecutions formerly we have cause to fear the worst and to prepare for it Forewarnd forearmed The reading of this History will manifest what wonderfull constancy and patience the Saints have shewed in their greatest sufferings what hath been the power of Almighty God in their support and what miserable ends many of their Persecutors have come to My hearty desire is That by reading of this Book God may have the glory and thy soul the comfort and I shall be well appaied for my pains Who am Thine in the Lord SA CLARKE From my study in Thridneedle-street Octob. 10. 1659. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thomas Dugard A. M. Rector Barfordiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tho. Dugard To the Reverend the Author of the Book CALLED A Generall Martyrologie c. WHat yet more Books what spirit now inspires Your Pen to write of Torments Warres and Fires What Will that Pen that drew to th' Life before Change stile draw Death and speak of Life no more What blustering Boreas rais'd these stormy Windes Which blew down Churches shook the steddiest Mindes Sure Hell 's broke loose and Devils in the flesh Are come out thence to try their wits afresh Who ever heard Troy's story with his ears And could restrain his eies from shedding tears I quake to hear what Saints in former daies Ne're shook to feel so they might win the Baies They conquer'd all Their patient disposition O're came both Pope and Spanish Inquisition They conquer'd Kings and won the Crown at last Prest towards the Prize forgetting what was past The Story 's sad 't is true yet the Authors skill Hath made that pleasant which in 't self is ill Away long-winded Volumes Times disease This Author doth our phansies better please Large Books are endlesse but 't is his design T' enclose great Volumes in his single Line Eli. Awn To the Reverend Mr. Sa. Clarke ON HIS MARTYROLOGIE OH Welcome home Divine Drake welcome home First girdle of the World of Martyrdome Who seeks for more can no new thing descry Y' have left no room for new discovery These Maps and Charts you bring nay every letter Makes you the worlds great Patron it your Debtor To call 't a Map doth but a Part imply 'T is the whole Globe of Martyrologie Each Picture is a Map each Figure breaths A little hist'ry of the Martyrs deaths Pisgah's too farre to see the Holy-Land Stand here on Calvary and view 't at hand Let others brag at large whose fancy 't is To say A SAINT by a Periphrasis Who doth this Book of yours with theirs confer Findes Saint and Martyr in one Character Though some there be that differ from the rest In judgement and account short-writting best Those I am sure will praise you when they eye Your skill in Tachyhagiography Th' are many words make Volumes do but look And you shall see 't is matter makes a Book All Volumes of this Subject here are set As 't were contracted in an Alphabet In characters for brevity 't is good That Vowels be by Cons'nants understood The least is best if no essentiall be Wanting to make 't a perfect Entitie Man 's but the World Epitomiz'd but this Compendium of Saints and Martyrs is It s commendation is it self 't is best Though 't were without this my Probatum est J. C. A Table of the Names of all those Martyrs that are mentioned in this book A ABel Pag. 1 Aber 21 Achaz 22 Achilleus 36 J. Addis 385 Aegidio 257 Agathonica 39 Agapetus 48 Agatha 51 Agathon 52 Agnes 77 Agricol◠75 Aimeri 147 Alcibiades 44 Alexander 36 49 Algerius 270 Aloisius 271 Ammonarion 51 Andas 81 Anthimus 64 Andoclus 47 Andrew 29 G.J. Annick 303 Anthea 36 Apollonia 51 Apollonius 45 Areth 22 Arias 254 Arnald 263 Antemìus 83 Armand 422 Asclepiades 47 Asyrius 59 Athanasia 75 Athanasius 85 Attalus 41 A. Audebert 320 Austin 290 B BAbilas Pag. 49 J. Baker 261 Barbara 78 Barlaam 75 Bartholomew 75 301 Baudison 293 Isa. Beard 390 de Beck 317 Benjamin 81 Bergerius 322 M. Bertino 422 Bertrand 292 D. Berto 361 Betkin 305 Biblides 42 de Bile 193 Blandina 41 Blondel 320 J. de Boisons 268 B. Bor 340 J. de Boscane 301 F. de Bossu 350 Bovellus 271 A. du Bourg 328 F. Bribard 318 P. Bruly 289 S. Brunes 317 W. Burgate 261 W. Burges ib. N. Burton 260 C CAcalla 235 Calepodius 48 Ja. Calvin 338 Campbel 351 A. Canus 316 de Cadurco 316 G. Carpenter 283 Carpus 39 Jo. Castellane 316 Cecilia 47 Cheremon 51 P. Chapot 319 Charlin 135 Chober 195 J. Clarke 315 Claudius 317 321 N. Clivet
326 J. Cobard 318 V. Cockan 194 Concordus 40 C. Conink 297 Constantino 258 Martha Constantine 421 J. Coomans 302 B. Copin 131 J. Cornon 317 P. Coulogue 305 J. Cowder 351 H. Cowell 391 Cronion 50 Cyprian 56 Cyrillus 84 D M. DImonet 322 Dionysius 35 Dionysia 51 98 Dominicus 266 Domitius 83 P. Domo 337 Dorotheus 64 P. Dorzeky 193 E R. ECklin 391 Eleazer 19 Elutherius 36 Emilianus 83 Encenas 264 J. English 319 Enraudus 108 Epimachus 51 J. Eseh 278 Eulalia 76 Eusebius 45 88 Eustachius 36 Eustratius 64 F J FAber 293 C. Fabri 290 Fabian 49 Faninus 264 Faustinus 36 Felicitas 39 47 Ferdinando 251 H. Forrest 378 T. Forret 365 Mr. Fournier 331 Mis. Frankland 384 Fructuosus 59 M. Fruen 197 G F. GAmba 270 E. Garcino 422 W. Gardiner 275 C. Gauderin 303 P. Gaudet â—16 George 76 Germanicus 39 Gervasius 35 Glee 335 C. Girard 115 Girauda 147 Gisbitzky 197 Godfrid 293 J. Gonsalvo 250 M. Gonin 317 Gordius 73 Gorgonius 64 N. Gourlay 364 Granvelle 326 H P. HAmilton 363 P. Hamlin 324 L. Harant 192 B. Hector 118 Hermes 36 Hermogines 76 Herwin 299 An. Hill 385 Hipolitus 49 W. Hooker 261 Hormisda 81 M. Hostialek 196 Hostius 291 Mis. Howard 384 Hubert 320 de Hues 302 J. Huglin 283 J. Husse 170 W. Husson 318 I IAcob 23 St. James 27 James Justus 29 N. of Jenvile 324 Jerome of Prague 170 Jessenius 195 J. Insperg 286 Jobita 36 John Bap. 26 John 75 Irenaeus 47 Isaiah 4 Ischirion 51 Judas Mac. 17 21 Judas brother of James 29 Julius 45 Julianus 50 Julitta 78 Juliano 251 Justin Martyr 39 44 K C. KAplitz 292 A. Kennedy 366 L. Keyser 284 J. Kutnaur 196 L S. LAloe 322 La-moth 337 Laurence 56 de Lavoy 317 Leonides 46 J. Leon. 252 Lin. 386 Lollard 165 M. Loquis 172 C. Losada 253 Will. Loverden 386 Lucianus 69 Lucius 40 Ludomilla 168 M MAcer 50 Maccabeus 20 Machir 21 Malchus 58 Mappalicus 54 Marchus Arethusius 83 Marcella 46 Mark 30 Marinus 59 Maris 84 Marlorat 336 Martin 287 296. Martina 48 Mr. Jo. Mason 350 P. Masson 136 Tho. Mason 383 Mathew 29 Mathias ib. Maturus 41 Mauritius 67 J. Maxwell 388 391 Menas 74 Mercuria 51 T. Messino 361 Metra 51 Metrodorus 39 L. Meulin 303 G. de Meyer 304 M. Michelot 319 Midleton 382 W. Mill 378 P. Moice 289 Montgemery 390 J. Mollius 268 N N. NAile 323 Nemesion 51 Nereus 36 Nicanor 30 Nicholas 285 Nicholson 389 O L. of OBiers 352 Oguire 293 L. Hen. Otto 193 P PAmachius 48 Pamphilus 63 Pampinian 91 J. Panane 316 Papilus 39 Paul 29 31 87 Peregrinus 85 Perpetua 47 Persival 286 Pescinus 165 Peter 31 49 64 65 69 Philip 29 48 Phocas 36 Photinus 46 M. Pierrone 356 M. Pilot 422 Pionies 39 Pistorius 285 de la Place 345 Plutarch 46 J. Pointer 316 S. Polliot 319 Polycarp 39 J. Pontio 249 Potentianus 45 Potichus 44 Potamiena 46 Priscus 58 Procopion 76 Protasius 35 Ptolemaeus 40 Pusices 80 Q QUinta 51 Quirinus 36 69 R P. RAmus 346 Sara Rastignole 421 de Reux 316 Revocatus 47 Rhais 46 Ricetto 272 P. Roch 338 Rochus 234 J. Rogres 367 F. Romane 233 Romanus 71 72 Rogues 338 L. of Rugenice 394 J. Russel 334 S SAlamona 24 Sanctus 41 Satyrus 47 G. Scherter 285 Schlick 391 Scoblant 302 W. Scuch 282 Sebastian 75 Sega 273 Secundianus 53 Secundulus 47 Serena 64 Serenus 46 Serapion 52 53 P. Serre 323 J. Shultes 195 Simon 34 79 P. Simon 422 Simon Zelotes 29 Silvanus 63 64 69 Sixtus 56 P. Spengler 281 F. Spinola 273 Starky 391 Stemback 265 Steven 27 T. Steffeck 195 Jo. Stone 384 D. Straton 364 Suenes 81 Sulpitius 36 H. Sutphen 279 S. Sussikey 196 Symphorissa 36 Syrus 75 T TAilor 289 Tertullia 47 Theodora 52 Theodorus 71 83 Thiessen 288 Thomas 29 321 Tiburtius 47 G. Tilleman 286 â— Timothy 35 Tiranion 63 J. de Tour. 335 G. Trecius 267 V VAlerianus 47 de Valougnes 336 F. Venote 320 Uetius Epagethus 41 Vincentius 45 76 Vitalis 75 H. Voes 278 Urbanus 47 48 Usthazares 79 W A. WAllace 377 Watson 391 Wendelmutha 284 Wenceslaus 168 191 William of Nassaw 273 G. Wiseheart 367 N. Wodniansky 196 Z ZEchariah 3 Zenon 36 Zenobius 64 Zepherinus 47 D. Zervius 194 The CONTENTS of the Chapters CONTAINING The several Persecutions together with the Lives of such Persons as are mentioned in this Book THE Persecutions mentioned in the Old Testament Pag. 1 The Persecutions from Nehemiah to Antiochus his time 5 The Persecutions under Antiochus Epiphanes 6 The Life of Judas Maccabeus 9 The Martyrdom of the Maccabees 18 The Persecutions mentioned in the New Testament 26 The first primitive Persecution under the heathen Roman Emperors 30 The second primitive Persecution 32 The third primitive Persecution 35 The fourth primitive Persecution 39 The fifth primitive Persecution 46 The sixth Primitive Persecution 48 The seventh primitive Persecution 49 The eight primitive Persecution 56 The ninth primitive Persecution Pag. 61 The tenth primitive Persecution 62 The Persecution of the Christians in Persia 79 The Persecution of the Church under Julian the Apostate 82 The Persecvtion of the Church under the Arrian Hereticks 86 The Persecution by the Donatists 89 The Persecution under the Arrian Vandals in Africk 90 The persecution of the Waldenses 102 The persecution of the Waldenses in Calabria 133 The persecution of the Waldenses in Provence 136 The persecution of the Albingenses 140 The persecution of the Church in Bohemiah 167 The persecution under Ferdinand 1617 180 The persecution of the Church in Spain 233 The Original Progress and Practice of the Spanish Inquisition 236 The Life of Dr. Aegido 256 The Life of Dr. Constantino 258 The Martyrdom of Nic. Burton in Spain 260 The Persecution of the Church in Italy 263 The Life of Mr. John Mollius 268 The Life of William Gardiner 275 The Martyrdom of a Christian Jew 277 The Persecution of the Church in Germany 278 The Martyrdom of a Minister in Hungary 284 The Persecution of the Church in the Low-Countries 284 The Persecution under the D. de Alva 297 The Martyrdom of W. of Nassaw 306 The modern persecution of Germany 308 The Persecution of the Church in France 315 The Persecution in the Civil Wars in France 329 The History of the Massacre of Paris 341 The Siege of Sancerre 352 The Siege of Rochel 354 The Persecution of the Church in the Valtoline 359 The Persecution of the Church in Scotland 363 The Life of Mr. George Wiseheart 367 The Persecution of the Church in Ireland 379 A continuation of the History of the Waldenses from the year 1560. to our time 397 The Marquisat of Saluces described with its several troubles and persecutions 401 The Artifices and wicked practices used to consume and destroy the faithfull in the valleys of Piemont 407 The motives of the late persecution in the valleys of Piemont 411 A Narrative of the bloody cruelties lately exercised there 418 A
of the Kings house into Egypt And again under Asa by Baasha King of Israel 1 King 15.16 and by Zerah the Ethiopian who came against Judah with an Army of a thousand thousand men and three hundred chariots 2 Chron. 14.9 Yea so malicious and subtile is Satan that he sometimes stirs up one Saint to persecute another as he stirred up good King Asa to persecute the Prophet of the Lord who dealt plainly and faithfully with him by casting him into prison 2 Chron. 16.10 Michaiah also was persecuted and imprisoned by Ahab 2 Chron. 18.25 26. Under Jehosaphat the Church of God was persecuted by the Moabites Ammonites and Edomites whom God destroyed by setting of them one against another 2 Chron. 20.23 Elijah was persecuted by Ahab and Jesabel 1 King 18.10 and 19.2 The Prophets of the Lord were slain by Jesabel 1 King 18.13 Elisha was hated and persecuted by Jehoram 2 King 6.31 in the reign of this Jehoram the Philistines and Arabians mightily oppressed Judah 2 Chro. 21.16 17. Then Athaliah by murthering the Kings seed usurpeth the Kingdom and tyrannizeth five years 2 Chro. 22.10 Joash in his reign slayeth Zechariah for reproving him 2 Chron. 24.21 The Church was oppressed at the same time by the Syrians ver 23. and afterwards also in the reign of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.5 and about the same time the King of Israel slew of Judah a hundred and twenty thousand and carried away captive two hundred thousand men women and children Judah was also oppressed by the Edomites ver 17. and by the Philistines ver 18. and by the King of Assyria ver 20. and chap. 32.1 Manasses persecuted the Prophet Isaiah for reproving him and caused him to be sawn a sunder with a wooden saw Josephus Afterwards Pharaoh Necho tyrannized over Judah 2 Chron. 36.3 and after him Nebuchadâ—ezzar v 6 c. and so the sins of Judah being come to the full the good figgs were carried away captive to Babylon and the land afterwards was wholly laid waste and destroyed which being foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah the wicked Jews first persecuted him with the tongue Jer. 18.18 then was he smitten and put into the stocks Jer. 20.2 then was he indanger of death by the Preists and false Prophets Jer. 26.8 then was he imprisoned by Zedekiah Jer. 32.2 3. then he is beaten and again put into prison Jer. 37.15 and after that cast into a dungeon where he stuck in the mire Jer. 38 6. then by the wicked Captains he was carried into Egypt Jer. 43.6 7. What grievous afflictions the Church and people of God endured about this time see it set forth to the life in the book of the Lamentations In the time of the Captivity the three Children were persecuted by Nebuchadnezzar and thrown into the fiery fornace for refusing to worship his golden Image Dan. 3.23 Daniel was persecuted by Darius his Courtiers and cast into the Lions den Dan. 6.16 Mordecai was hated and persecuted by Haman and a Decree procured for the murthering of all the people of God in one day Esth. 3.13 After the return of the Jews from captivity the people of the Land laboured to weaken the hands of the men of Judah and troubled them in the building of the Temple and hired Counsellors against them to accuse them to Cyrus and Ahasuerus they wrote also against them to Artaxerxes that they were a rebellious people and that if they should be suffered to build Jerusalem they would neither pay toll tribute nor custom to the King Ezra 4.4 c. and having by this malicious suggestion gotten authority they came upon the poor people of God and enforced them to give over thâ—ir worke Yea and afterwards when by the command of the Lord the Jews had again set upon the building Tatnai and Shether-Bosnai came up to discourage and discharge them from it and when this prevailed not they wrote against them to King Darius Again when Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and began to build the wall of the City how were they scorned and jeered by Sanballat Tobiah and Geshem And when the work prospered in their hands and jeers would not prevaile to stop it they then conspired to fight against Jerusalem and so to hinder it but neither that prevailing by reason of the prudent carriage of Nehemiah they then sought to entrap him and by destroying him to hinder the work Nehe. 6.2 Then they accused the people of God of treason and rebellion ver 6 c. Then they hired a false Prophet to terrefie Nehemiah ver 10 12. Then they corrupted and held intelligence with some of the Nobles of Judah to betray him notwithstanding all which designes God preserveth Nehemiah and the building of Jerusalem is finished And thus farre the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament have given us a certain Register of the Persecutions Martyrdomes and sufferings of the Church and children of God for the space of about three thousand five hundred years from the creation of the world to the Restauration of the Jewish Polity under Nehemiah CHAP. II. The Persecution of the Church from Nehemiah to Antiochus his time AFter the death of Eliashib the High-Priest Judas his sonne succeeded and after him John his sonne which John had a brother called Jesus who was much favoured by Bagoses Generall of Artaxerxes who promised him the Priesthood which made him take occasion to quarrel with his brother John who thereby was so much provoked against him that he slew him in the Temple Bagoses being informed hereof came with his Army to Jerusalem and kept the Jews in bondage seven years making them tributaries so that before they could offer their daily sacrifice they were compelled to pay for every Lamb fifty Drachmes After the death of John Jaddus his sonne succeeded in the priesthood in whose time Alexander the Great passed over the Hellespont and having overcome the Lieutenant of Darius he conquered many countries in Asia minor intending suddenly to come upon Jerusalem Jaddus being informed of his intention was sore afraid he therefore offered sacrifice and commanded the people to make their prayers unto God for direction and protection in this common danger and when he heard that Alexander approached he caused the Priests and people to put on white garments and himself attired in his Priestly robes went before them when Alexander espied them he himself marched before the rest of his company and coming to the High-Priest he fell down on his face before him then did all the Jews circle him in round about and with one voice saluted him Alexanders chief Commanders were wonderfully astonished at this deportment of the King and thought he was out of his wits and Parmenio stepping to him asked him what he meant thus to adore the High-Priest of the Jews when as all other men adored him Alexander answered I doe not adore him but that God whom the
High-Priest worshipeth for in my sleep I saw him in such an habit when I was in Macedonia consulting with my self how I might conquer Asia and he bad me to make no delay assuring me that he would both guide me and my Army and would deliver the Empire of the Persians into my hands Then gave he the High-Priest his hand and went with him to the City and comming to the Temple he offered sacrifice according to the direction of the High-Priest then did Jaddus shew him Daniels Prophecy wherein his victories over the Persians and his Monarchy were foretold which much rejoyced Alexander then did he command the Jews to ask some favours at his hands the High-Priest requested onely that they might live after the Ordinances of their forefathers and that every seventh year they might be exempted from taxes and tributes which he fully granted they besought him likewise that the Jews which were in Media and Babilon might be permitted to live after their own Laws which he willingly promised and so departed this was about the year of the world 3632. and before Christs nativity 332. After the death of Alexander his Kingdom was divided amongst his Captains amongst whom Ptolemy the son of Lagus held Egypt who falling out with Antigonus that held Asia minor there grew great wars between them wherein Ptolemy won from him all Syria and going to Jerusalem on a Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice the Jews suspecting nothing he surprised the City carrying away many of the Jews into captivity into Egypt but after his death his son Ptolemy Philadelphus at his owne cost redeemed an hundred and twenty thousand of them paying twelve Crowns apeece for each of them and sent them back into their owne countrey He sent also by them fifty talents of gold for the temple and obtained of Eleazer the High Priest the Law of the Jews and 72 Interpreters out of every Tribe some who translated it into Greek in 72 daies and having finished their work Ptolemy returned them with great rewards for themselves and with many rich presents to Eleazer Antiochus and Ptolemy being at war each against other the Jews suffered much by them Mach. 1. Collected out of Josephus CHAP. III. The persecution of the Church of God under Antiochus Epiphanes before the nativity of Christ about 168 years AFterwards the Jews being divided amongst themselves one part of them went to Antiochus telling him that their purpose was to forsake the Religion and Ordinances of their forefathers and to follow that of the Kings and to live after the manner of the Greeks entreating him to license them to live in Jerusalem which Antiochus assenting to they went to Jerusalem where they behaved themselves very wickedly but finding opposition from the other party of the Jews they sent for Antiochus who led his army against Jerusalem and encamped before it and by his faction within had the gates opened and the City betraied to him about the year of the world 3796. and before the nativity of Christ 168. Being entred Jerusalem he slew many of the faithfull Jews and having taken great spoils he returned back to Antioch Two years after he came to Jerusalem again and having seen what quantity of gold was in the Temple and what a huge number of Presents and precious Ornaments were in the same he was so overcome with covetousness that he violated all conventions and conditions formerly made equally raging against his own and the adverse party sparing neither friend nor foe then he spoiled the Temple and carried away the Vessels dedicated unto God the golden Table the golden Candlestick the Censers c. leaving nothing behind him of any value yea he inhibited the godly Jews from offering their usual and dailie sacrifices to God and having spoiled the whole City he slew many of the Inhabitants and carried the rest away into Captivity with their Wives and Children to the number of ten thousand He also burned the fairest buildings of the City and brake down the wals and raised a Fortress in the lower City and having inclosed it with high wals he planted a Garison of Macedonians therein with whom remained the scum of the Apostate Jews He also caused an Altar to be erected in the Temple on which he commanded swine to be offered in Sacrifice contrary to the Law He constrained the Jews to forsake God and adore those Idols which himself vvorshiped he forbad them to circumcise their Children and appointed Over-seers to constrain them to fulfill his Commandments so that many for fear of punishment conformed themselves to his will But such as were of upright hearts and valiant minds little respected his menaces whereupon they were beaten and exposed to cruel punishment many days together in the midst of which they yielded up the ghost for after they were whipt and maimed in their bodies they were tortured and crucified the women vvere strangled and the circumcised children vvere hung up about the necks of their parents and vvhere any books of the sacred Scriptures vvere found they defaced and burnt them and such with vvhom they vvere found vvere put to most cruel deaths At this time there dvvelt at Modin a Village of Jury one vvhose name was Matthias a Priest of the rank of Joarib that had five sons John called Gaddis Simon called Matthes Judas called Maccabeus Eleazer called Aaron and Jonathan called Apphas This Matthias often complained to his sons of the miserable state of their Countrey of the sacking of their City the profanation of the Temple and the miseries of the people telling them that it was better for them to die for the Law then to live in Ignominy When therefore the Kings Commisaries came unto Modin and commanded the people to sacrifice according to the Kings Edict they first applied themselves to Matthias as to the most Honourable person amongst them requiring him first to offer sacrifice that others might follow his example promising that the King vvould much honour him for it Matthias ansvvered that he vvould by no means commit that Idolatry assuring them that though all other Nations either for love or fear should obey the Edicts of Antiochus yet that he nor his children could be induced to forsake the Religion of their fathers As soon as he had thus spoken a certain Jew stepped forth to offer sacrifice according to the command of the King wherewith Matthias inflamed with zeal was so displeased that he and his sons fell upon him and with their swords hewed him to pieces he also slew Apelles the Kings Captain and some other souldiers who would have withstood him Then he overthrew the Altar and with a loud voice he said If any one be affected to the Laws of their fathers and to the service of God let him follow me and so he retired into the deserts with his sons the like did the rest with their wives and children hiding themselves in caves and
Conversion to the true faith and so with admirable patience she suffered Martyrdom Shortly after Basilides being required to give an oath in the behalf of his fellow-souldiers he denied the same plainly affirming that he vvas a Christian and therefore he could not swear by the Idols c. They vvhich heard him thought that he jested at first but when he had constantly affirmed it they had him before the Judge vvho committed him to vvard the Christians vvondring at it vvent to him and enquiring the cause of his Conversion he told them that Potamiena had prayed for him and so he savv a Crovvn put upon his head adding that it should not be long before he received it and accordingly the next day he was beheaded As many suffered death in this persecution so others there were who through Gods providence suffered great torments and yet escaped vvith life of whom there vvas one Alexander vvho for his constant confession and torments suffered vvas afterwards made Bishop of Jerusalem Also Narcissus against vvhom three vvicked persons conspired to accuse him binding their accusations vvith oaths and curses one vvishing to be destroyed vvith fire if it vvere not true another to be consumed vvith a grievous disease the other to lose both his eyes Narcissus being unable to vvith-stand so vvicked an accusation retired himself into a desert In the mean time Gods vengeance follovved these perjured Wretches for the first by a small spark of fire vvas himself vvith all his family and goods burned the second vvas taken vvith a grievous sickness vvhich tormented him from the top to the toe whereof he died the third being vvarned by these Judgements confessed his fault but by reason of his abundant sorrovv and vveeping he lost both his eyes Narcissus being hereby cleared from their false accusation returned home and vvas received into his Congregation again Also one Andoclus vvas sent by Polycarp into France vvho because he spread there the Doctrine of Christ vvas apprehended by the command of Severus and first beaten vvith staves and bats and aftervvards beheaded Asclepiades also aftervvards Bishop of Antioch suffered much in this Persecution Then did Irenaeus and many others vvith him suffer Martyrdom and shortly after Tertullian also Perpetua and Felicitas tvvo godly vvomen vvith Revocatus their brother and Satyrus vvere throvvn to the vvild beasts and devoured by them Saturninus vvas beheaded Secundulus cast into prison where he died all these suffered Martyrdom at Carthage Also Zepherinus and after him Urbanus both Bishops of Rome vvere martyred in this Persecution This Urbanus by preaching and holiness of life converted many heathens unto Christ amongst vvhom vvere Tiburtius and Valerianus tvvo noble men of Rome vvho both suffered Martyrdom Also Cecilia a Virgin vvho vvas espoused to Valerian vvas apprehended carried to the Idols to offer sacrifice vvhich she refusing to do should have been carried to the Judge to receive the sentence of condemnation but the Serjeants and Officers beholding her excellent beauty and prudent behaviour began vvith many persvvasions to solicit her to favour her self c. but she so replied vvith wisedom and godly exhortations that by the grace of Almighty God their hearts began to relent and at length to yield to that Religion which before they persecuted which she perceiving desired leave to go home and sending for Urbanus the Bishop to her house he so grounded and established them in the faith of Christ that about four hundred persons believed and were baptized amongst whom was Gordianus a noble man Afterwards this blessed Martyr was brought before the Judge by whom she was condemned then she was enclosed in an hot bath for twenty four hours yet remaining alive she was there beheaded At Preneste in Italy was one Agapetus of fifteen years old apprehended and because he refused to sacrifice to Idols he was first scourged with whips then hanged up by the feet and had scalding water poured on him then he was cast to the wild beasts but because they would not hurt him he was lastly beheaded Antiochus that executed these torments on him suddenly fell down from his judicial seat crying out that all his bowels burned within him and so he died miserably Calepodius a Minister of Christ in Rome was first dragged thorow the streets and after cast into Tyber Pamachius a Senator of Rome with his wife and Children and other men and women to the number of forty two vvere all beheaded in one day together with another noble man all whose heads vvere hung up over the gates of the City to deter others from the profession of Christianity Also Martina a Christian Virgin having suffered many other bitter torments vvas at last slain vvith the sword CHAP. XII The sixth Primitive Persecution which began Anno Christi 237. THe Emperor Maximinus raised the sixth persecution against the Christians especially against the Teachers and Leaders of the Church thinking that if these Captains were removed out of the way he should the easilier prevail against the rest In the time of this Persecution Origen vvrote his book De Martyrio vvhich being lost the names of most that suffered Martyrdom in those times are buried in oblivion yet were they very many Amongst whom Urbanus Bishop of Rome and Philippus one of his Ministers were banished into Sardinia where they both died About this time one Natalius that had formerly suffered great persecution for the cause of Christ was seduced by Asclepiodotus and Theodorus two Sectaries to be the Bishop of their Sect promising to pay him a hundred and fifty crowns of silver every moneth and so he joined himself to them but the Lord in mercy not intending to lose him that had suffered so much for his sake admonished him by a vision to adjoin himself to the true Church again which the good man for the present blinded with lucre and honour did not regard as he ought to have done The night after he was scourged by Angels whereupon in the morning purting on Sack-cloth with much weeping and lamentation he went to the Christian Congregation praying them for the tender mercies of Christ that he might be received into their Communion again which request was accordingly granted unto him Hippolitus was drawn thorow the fields with wild horses till he died Many others were martyred and buried by sixty in a pit CHAP. XIII The seventh Primitive Persecution which began Anno Christi 250. DEcius the Emperor raised this seventh terrible persecution against the Christians which was first occasioned by reason of the treasures of the Emperor which were committed to Fabian the Bishop of Rome who thereupon by the command of Decius was put to death and moreover his Proclamations were sent into all quarters that all which professed the name of Christ should be slain In the time of this Persecution Origen suffered many and great torments for
and where as some were allured to deny the truth that they might be eased of taxes and quarterings of souldiers this was not performed whereupon they complained that promise was broken with them but the Jesuits answered them that they had no cause to complain for they had provided for their souls and therefore they ought cheerfully to help the King by contributions and quarterings of souldiers and that Hereticks must be dealt with as mad men and children from whom â—f you desire to get a knife you must shew them something else though you never intend to give it them Thus the Kingdom being emptied of gold and silver counterfeit and adulterate money was coined in great abundance that so the common people might rejoyce in their plenty but in the mean time the souldiers would recâ—ive none but good money Gold and silver also was raised to ten times the price of it and on a sudden the Emperour diminished the value making every piece of money to be worth but the tenth part whereby the Bohemians were more impoverished suddenly then if they had lain under the burden of an Army ten years Then was it ordered that the creditor should lose all the money that he had lent in the time of the rebellion as they called it And thus they were first impoverished after which the enemies insulted over them by infamous books insolent pictures and proud words Then did they send abroad their Commissioners of Reformation who in every Town and Village endeavored to bring Protestantism into disgrace and highly to magnifie and set abroad their owne cause The most eminent men for honour and estates are invited to Apostasie the inferiour sort are either fooled by their examples or compelled by threâ—tnings Then was there an High-Court of reformers set up from which there was no appeal In the next place the souldiers exercised barbarous Tyranny against the Ministers of Jesus Christ. One aged minister lying sick in his bed they shot him to death as he lay The next day they robbed and murthered another Another as he was preaching to his people they came into the Church and shot him to death Another Nobleman and a Minister hearing of souldiers that were coming that way conveighed themselves away into a place of safety the souldiers when they came caught a Schoolmaster and binding him in cords examined him where the Lord of that place and the Minister were and where they had hid their treasure he professed that he knew neither the one nor the other whereupon they beat him first with their fists then with cudgels then stripping him naked they so extreamly singed him with fire that at last he promised to bring them where the treasure was shewing them a ditch full of stones which for greediness of gold they emptied but finding nothing they beat him afresh and when he professed that he knew of no treasure though through pain he had said so much they cudgelled him and with clods beat him into the ditch and buried him under the stones Presently after they lighted on another godly Minister whom they so miserably tortured that he â—ied within five daies shamefully abusing his daughters also whom they led away with them Another godly Minister for a moneth together they excruciated with new invented mockeries they spit in his face buffeted him with their fists exposed him to be beaten by every vile rascall They with a knotâ—y cord twisten about his forehead with a stick so strained his head that his very eyes were ready to start out Then they let loose a wilde horse upon him which yet leaped quite over him and did him no harm at last with much adoe he redeemed himself with five hundred Florences Another Pastor they lighted on and because he had a better estate then the former they tormented him more sometimes covering him over with hot burning coals sometimes with Ice till they had forced him to pay a thousand five hundred Florences for his ransome though shortly after through extremity of the pain he died Another Minister they fetched from his house and miserably tortured him by twisting a cord about his head then tied they his hands behinde him and his legs with a small cord intending the next morning to torture him with fire but in the night time as he was earnest at his prayers repeating those words In thee O Lord is my trust he perceived his hands and feet miraculously to be loosned Whereupon getting up he went to the gate where were three Watchmen one of them standing with his hand on his sword yet he passed by them undiscovered When he came to the Town-gate he was known by the Souldier that stood Sentinell but he being a Bohemian was overcome by entreaty and let him passe over the bridge whereby he escaped Another Minister together with his wife they cruelly burnt Another was hanged upon a crosse-beam and making a fire under him they broiled him to death Another they cut into small peeces Another Minister they sought for but he being escaped they took a young man in his house laid him on his back filled his mouth with gunpowder which setting fire to they miserably tore his jaws in pieces and then killed him When some souldiers came to the house of another he entertained them courteously and made good provision for them but when they knew he was a Minister they first beat him cruelly then killed him stripped and plundered his house they also burnt his Library and would not suffer his body to be buried for seven weeks during their abode there Another aged Minister and his wife were so sorely burned by a souldier that demanded money of them that presently after they died Another was hung up by the privy members being seventy years old and his own books burnt under him and at last was shot through and slain Another was first assessed at seven hundred florences then had his house plundred and lastly himself was murthered Another they caught and wounded cutting his neck half through but being afterwards carried by some friends to a Chirurgion he lived about two years but in much pain and torment Another being above seventy years old they carried into the market-place where laying him upon a fire they burnt him to death Another was beaten so that he died three daies after The Jesuites laid wait for one Pescinus a man eminent for learning and piety at last they suborned an Apostate to betray him who discovering him as he rode in a Coach with a Nobleman fourty horsemen came suddenly and took him away but by the importunity of some Noblemen he was ransomed for four thousand Florences and ended his life in banishment Another being bound to a Tree was made a mark for the Musquetiers to shoot at and though they did not hit him yet by reason of the affrightment he died within three daies Another being met by a
the Sermon he went to the Preacher and repeated the contents of his whole Sermon to him and then betaking himself to the searching of the Scriptures and conferring with learned men in a short space he had attained to a great measure of knowledge in the Word of life which the Minister observing and withal finding him of a fervent spirit he directed and exhorted him to circumspection in his carriage more and more instructing him in the knowledge of the Gospel which he so greedily received as one that could never be satisfied This made him give over seeking after temporal treasure and instead thereof he bought good books by reading of which and conference with the Minister he much improved his knowledge in all the chief Articles of Religion Then did he write letters to his countrey-men at Antwerp wherein he first gave thanks to God for revealing his truth to him then did he bewaile the grosse ignorance of his countrey-men beseeching God to open their eyes to understand the word of salvation and so promised shortly to returne to them to conferre with them about the grace of God which he had received and lastly he declared his purpose of going into Spaine to acquaint his parents and friends with that wholesome Doctrine which God had communicated to him Then wrote he other letters also to the Emperour Charles the fifth opening to him the miserable state of Christs Church desiring him to tender the good thereof especially to reforme the grosse corruptions of the Church of Spaine he wrote also a Catechisme and some other Treatises in the Spanish tongue The Merchants at Antwerp having received his Letters sent for him pretending much good will but secretly practising his destruction For against his coming they suborned some Friers who so soon as he was alighted from his horse seized upon him rifled his books and carrying him into a Merchants house examined him But he mightily confuting them they bound him hand and foot calling him Lutheran they also burnt his books before his face threatning to burn him likewise Then was he sent Prisoner to a Tower six miles from Antwerp and cast into a deep dungeon where he endured much misery for eight moneths at the end whereof the Merchants supposing that he would be better advised for the time to come released him Then did he go to Lovain where he had much conference with Driander who advised him to continue in his calling of a Merchant wherein he might have many opportunities of doing good and for Religion that he should do nothing for favour of men whereby the glory of God should be diminished He advised him also to take heed of inconsiderate zeal lest he should do as some who going beyond the bounds of their vocation thinking to do good and to edifie they destroy and do harme For said he it is God that takes care of his Church and will raise up faithful Ministers for the same neither doth he approve such as rashly intrude themselves into that function without any calling thereto This advice Francis willingly hearkned unto promising to follow the same Not long after going to Ratisbone where the Emperial Diet was held having opportunity he boldly stept to the Emperour beseeching him to deliver his countrey and subjects of Spaine from false Religion and to restore them to the sincerity of Christs doctrine protesting that the Protestants of Germany were in the truth and that the Religion of Spaine was greatly dissonant to the Word of God c. The Emperour all this while heard him gently promising him to consider of the matter and so to do therein as he trusted should be for the best Francis being encouraged with this answer went again to the Emperour a second and third time and still received a quiet answer as before yet not satisfied herewith he went a fourth time but was repulsed by some Spaniards about the Emperour who were so incensed against him that immediately they would have thrown him headlong into the river Danubius if the Emperour had not restrained them willing that he should be judged by the Lawes of the Empire Then was he cast into prison till the Emperours voyage into Africk at which time he with some other Captives was carried into Spaine and there delivered unto the Inquisitors who cast him into a dark prison under ground He was oft examined loaden with many reproaches and contumelies yet ever remained firme and unmovable so that at last they condemned him to be burnt for an heretick As he was led to the place of execution they put upon him a Miter of paper painted all over with ugly Devils as he passed by a woodden crosse they required him to worship it to which he answered that the manner of Christians was not to worship wood Being laid upon the pile of wood when he first felt the fire he lifted up his head towards heaven whereupon the Inquisitors thinking that he would recant caused him to be taken down but when they found his constancy they threw him on again where he slept in the Lord. Then did the Inquisitors proclaime that he was damned and that none should pray for him and that they were hereticks whosoever doubted of his damnation There was also dwelling at Saint Lucaâ— in Spaine one Rochus a skilful graver of images but the Lord pleasing to enlighten him with the saving knowledge of his truth he gave over making of idolatrous images and imployed himself in making of seals only he kept standing on his stall an image of the Virgin Mary artificially graven for a signe of his occupation An Inquisitor passing by and liking the image asked the price of it Rochus set him a price but was not willing to sell it the Inquisitor bade him half so much the other answered that he could not afford it so and that he had rather break it than sell it yea said the Inquisitor let me see that if thou darest with that Rochus with a Chisel cut off the nose of the image whereupon the Inquisitor presently commanded him to prison and within three dayes he was condemned to be burnt At the place of execution he poured out his fervent prayers to Almighty God and so made a blessed end Anno 1545. Divers other godly persons being by the Inquisitors cast into loathsome dungeons ended their lives there Anno 1550. At Validolid the Inquisitors brought forth thirty prisoners together of high and low estate as also the Coffin of a certain noble woman with her picture lying upon it she being dead long before to eceive judgement and sentence for the solemnities whereof they had erected three great stages the first for the Kings sister the Lady Jane and his eldest sonne Prince Philip with other States The second for the Fathers Inquisitors And the third for the Prisoners Multitudes of people being assembled together these dear servants of Jesus Christ clothed with Sambito's a yellow cloth hanging
the City for ten years with this writing on her head A favourer and aider of Hereticks And whereas all other sort of persons in prison and bondage are allowed to recreate and refresh themselves with singing at their pleasure these poor souls are forbidden this small solace in their great misery for if any of them sing a Psalm or openly recite any portion of Scripture the Inquisitors take it very hainously and presently send to them requiring them to be silent upon the pain of Excommunication and if the prisoner make light of this warning he shall have a bit set on his tongue to teach him obedience and this they do both to deprive the poor souls of all kind of solace and to keep other Prisoners from knowing how their friends do So that it often falls out that a man and his friend the Father and Sonne yea the husband and wife shall be in one prison-house two or three years together and not know of each others being there till they meet upon the scaffold upon the great day of triumph By reason of this cruel usage many of the Prisoners die some of their torments others of the stink of the prison and others of diseases contracted by hunger cold ill diet c. They have also an Hospital unto which they remove such as fall sick in their prisons where yet they are not dealt more gently with in any thing save that they have Physick allowed them for their healths sake But none are suffered to come to them but the Physician and the servants of the Hospital And as soon as the Patient is on the mending hand he is carried back to the place whence he came If the Prisoner be half naked or want something to lie on and thereupon pray the Inquisitor that his necessity may be considered The answer which he receives is this Well now the weather is warm you may live full well without either cloaths or couch And if it be winter time his answer is True it hath been a great frost of late but now the cold is come down again and it will be more seasonable weather Care you for the garments wherewithal you should cloath your soul which consisteth in uttering the truth and discharging your conscienâ—e before this holy house And if the Prisoner desire to have some good book or the holy Bible to enable him to passe that troublesome and careful time to some profit The Inquisitor answers him that the true book is to speak the truth and to discharge his conscience to that holy Court and that he ought to be occupied in laying open his wounds to their Lordships who are ready to give him a plaister whereby it appears that all their care and desire is that the poor Prisoner may have nothing to look on or think on but his present miserable state that the grief thereof grating upon him may force him to satisfie their requests The last act of the Tragedy remaineth wherein both Parties are pleased and have their desire the Inquisitors in obtaining their prey the Prisoners in finding some end of their miserable usage but two or three dayes before the solemnity they use severally to call before them all such whose estates are confiscated examining them what lands or goods they have where they lie charging them upon great penalties not to conceal one jot telling them that if any thing be afterwards found felony shall be laid to their charge and he with whom it is found shall pay foundly for it and when all is confessed they are returned to prison again The night before the Festival they cause all the Prisoners to be brought into a large roome where they are informed of the several kinds of pennances that they are to do the next day The next morning very early the Familiars come and attire the Prisoners in their several habits in which they are to appear before the people Some in Sambenito's which is a long garment painted all over with ugly devils on his head he hath an high-crown'd hat whereon a man is painted burning in the fire with many devils about him plying him with fire and fagots Besides their tongues have a cleft piece of wood put upon them which nips and pincheth them that they cannot speak they have about their necks cords and their hands fast bound behind them On this sort come these constant Martyrs disguised first to the stage and then to the stake and in the like sort do all the rest come forth arraied as the other and set forth with the like notes of infamy either more or lesse as the Inquisitors please to disgrace them in the sight of the people On each hand of every Prisoner goeth a Familiar all armed to guard him as also two Friars with every one that is to die who perswade him tooth and nail to deny that doctrine that formerly he hath professed now at their going out of this world which wicked importunity is a great grief to the poor servants of Jesus Christ. The Inquisitors also passe in great pomp from the Castle of Triana to their scaffold And when all are set in their places a Sermon begins framed on purpose in commendations of the holy house and in confutation of such Heriticks as are presently to suffer but the greatest part is spent in slanderous reproaches wherewith they vilifie and disgrace the truth and the Professors of it The Sermon being ended the sentences against the Prisoners are read First against such as have easiest punishments and so in order to the greater Which sentences are commonly these Death without mercy Whipping in such extremity that the Persons seldome escape with their lives Condemnation to the Gally Forfeiture of all their estates c. Then doth the chief Inquisitor absolve all such as have forsaken Christ and are come home to the Church of Rome from all the errours for which they shewed themselves penitent but though hereby they are absolved from the fault yet not from the punishment for notwithstanding their Recantation they must abide the punishment without mercy And whereas multitudes of people resort to this spectacle some coming twenty Leagues to see it The Inquisitors have this trick to uphold their Kingdome They cause all the people present to take an oath to live and die in the service of the Church of Rome hazarding both life and goods against any that shall oppose it as also to their power to uphold and maintain the holy Inquisition and to defend all the officers thereof c. Then if there be any amongst the Prisoners to be degraded they proceed after this manner First they apparel him in his massing Robes then they despoil him again of every part thereof then are his hands lips and the Crown of his head scraped with a piece of glasse or a sharp knife till they bleed again to scrape off the holy oyle wherewith he was anointed at his ordination In the end of
covered with a cloke of Religion whereby he deceived many About this time there were also in that City two sorts of Preachers and both had a great number of Auditors The one taught School-Divinity and were continually calling upon their hearers to often fastings mortification self-denial frequency of Prayer humility c. But themselves practised nothing lesse than these things and indeed all their Religion consisted in works and bodily exercises as running to Masses hallowed places shrift c. The other sort dealt more sincerely with the holy Scriptures out of which they declared what was true righteousnesse and perfect holinesse by means whereof that City above all others in Spain bore the name for just and true dealing and it pleased God that the brightnesse of this light did discover all the counterfeit holinesse and Pharasaical devotion of the other party The chief Labourers in this harvest were Constantino Aegidius and Varquius all Doctors and sober wise and learned men who by this kind of preaching procured to themselves many enemies but above all others Arias was the most spiteful and malicious yet he carried it so cunningly that he still kept up his reputation with these men but it was not long before he discovered himself and that upon this occasion There was one Ruzius a learned man questioned before the Inquisitors for something that he had delivered in a Sermon about the Controversies in Religion The Inquisitors appointed him a day of hearing and two or three days before Arias met him saluted him courteously and discoursed familiarly with him then did he pump out of him all those Arguments wherewith he intended to defend himself before the Inquisitors When the day came and Ruzius appeared Arias went on that side where his opponents were which much amated Ruzius and in the disputation Arias being prepared did so wittily enervate all his Arguments that Ruzius had nothing to say for himself and so was fain to yield the cause and Arias went away with the honour of the field though he got it by treachery Yet did this Arias being of Saint Isidores Monastery preach so practically that a great light began to dawn in that dark place for the whole scope of his Sermons was to overthrow all their Profession he taught them that singing and saying of their Prayers day and night was no service of God that the holy Scriptures were to be read and studied with diligence whence alone the true service of God could be drawn and which alone teach us the true obedience to his Will to the obtaining whereof we must use Prayer as a means proceeding as well from a sense and feeling of our own infirmities as grounded upon a perfect trust and confidence in God By laying these foundations through Gods blessing he began to make them out of love with their Monkish Superstition and much provoked them to the study of the holy Scriptures Besides also his Sermons he read daily a lecture upon Solomons Proverbs very learnedly and made application thereof with good judgement and discretion also in his private conference he did much good The Lord also so ordered it in his wisdome that he met with Schollers that were very tractable such as were not greatly wedded to their Superstitions And such was the force and might of Gods Election that these few good seeds so fructified that in the end they brought forth a great encrease of godlinesse For divers of the Monks that hereby had their consciences awakened and cleared to see their former hypocrisie and idolatry sought out for further instructions and through Gods mercy they light upon those Preachers which taught the truth with more sincerity of whom they learned the Principles of pure and perfect Religion so that by degrees they left that evil opinion which they had formerly conceived against the Lutherans and were desirous to read their books And God miraculously provided for them that they had all sorts of books brought them that were extant at that time either in Geneva or Germany whereby it came to passe that there were very few in all that cloister but they had some taste of true Religion and Godlinesse so that instead of mumbling their mattens they brought in Divinity-lectures c. Vain fasting was turned into Christian sobriety neither were any taught to be Monkish but to be sincerely and truly religious But considering that when this should be once known they could not live in any safety they resolved amongst themselves to forsake their nest and to flie into Germany where they might enjoy more safety of their lives and freedome of their consciences But how to get thither was all the difficulty If one or two should go first the rest would be exposed to danger if many should go together a thousand to one but they would be taken again being to travel from the furthest part of Spaine into Germany yet upon debate they concluded that they must all either speedily depart or shortly be apprehended by the Inquisitors who now had got some inkling of the matter And God seeing them in this distresse shewed them a means how under an honest pretence a dozen of them might depart together within a month and each betake himself a several way towards Geneva where they appointed by Gods assistance all to meet within a twelve month The rest which were but young novices were left behind who yet not long after were so strengthned by God that they endured the brunt of persecution when it came three of them being burned and divers others diversly punished The aforementioned servants of Jesus Christ forsook that place where they lived in honour ease and plenty and by undertaking for Christs sake a voluntary exile exposed themselves to shame ignominy wants yea and were in continual danger of their lives also And under God Arias was a great means of this who by his ministry had first inlightned them with the knowledge of the truth for which he was often complained of to the Inquisitors and was convented before them where he so cunningly answered the matter that he was still discharged But his last apprehension through the mercy of God brought forth in him the fruits of true repentance for he did so deeply and unfainedly bewail and repent of his former with-holding of the truth in unrighteousnesse that whereas he used to be exceeding fearful of the Rack he being brought to it and upon it with a marvellous constancy withstood the enemies of Gods truth and took up the Inquisitors roundly withal telling them that he was heartily sorry and did most earnestly repent him for that he had wittingly and willingly in their presence impugned the truth against the godly defenders of the same Many other sharp rebukes he gave to the Inquisitors so often as he came to his answer But at last he was brought forth arraied in their accustomed manner upon their day of triumph at which time he also made a notable Profession of his faith
a most detestable manner The Minister was slain two Gentlemen and sixty others were hanged A widdow of great account redeemed the virginity of her only daughter with a great summe of mony but the villain that promised to defend her ravished her in her Mothers presence and then killed them both Yea after peace was proclaimed fourteen of the Religion coming thither were all slain In Nonnay Monsieur Chaumont having surprised the Town murthered many Protestants spitting out infinite and horrible blasphemies against God himself A Locksmith being commanded to despite and blaspheme God because he refused to do it was presently hewen in pieces for the same cause another was brained with the butt end of a musket A Naylor because he would not give himself to the Divel was drawn about his shop by the ears then being laid on his Anvile they beat his head in pieces with hammers yea all manner of cruelty was used that could be devised Three of the principal in the Town were thrown down from an high Tower many other were thrown down to make sport Some were burnt in their houses others thrown out at windows others stabbed in the streets women and maids were most shamefully handled a young woman that was found hid in an house with her husband was first ravished before her husbands face then forced to hold a Rapier wherewith one thrusting her arme made her kill her own husband In Foix many Protestants were cast into prison of whom some had their armes and legs cut off and then were beheaded Some burnt some hanged and others sent to the Gallies In Aurange they killed the Protestants without distinction of age sex or quality Some they stabbed others they threw upon the points of Halberds Some they hanged others they burnt in the Churches Of some they cut off their privy members sparing neither old nor bedrid nor the diseased in the Hospitals Women and maids were killed others hanged out at windows were harquebushed sucking children massacred at their mothers breasts girls of five or six years old ravished and spoiled the wounds of the dead were filled with leaves torne out of Bibles Those in the Castle yielding upon oath and promise of safety were all stabbed or thrown over the wals being one hundred and ninety of them In Grenoble they slew many of the Religion and others they cast from the Bridge into the River In Cisterno the men that were of the Religion being fled the popish party fell upon the women and children whereof they slew three or foure hundred Some women with child were rip 't up many were buried quick Some had their throats cut like sheep others were drawn through the streets and beaten to death with clubs In Beaune they were bereaved of the exercise of Religion their three Ministers imprisoned many were driven out of the Town to the number of eight hundred persons with women and children their houses were filled with souldiers who made spoile of all such as were found in their houses were vilely abused and some were slain In Mascon the bloody Persecutors having apprehended a godly and learned Minister called Bonnet Bor who was of a very unblameable life having served twenty years in the Ministry and in that time had been put to his ransome three times they carried him along the streets with a thousand scoffs and scorns smiting him with their fists thrusting him up and down and then made a Proclamation That whosoever would hear this holy man preach should come to the slaughter-house at which place they again buffeted and mocked him two hours together Hereupon he requested them that before his death they would permit him to pray to God Then one stepping to him cut off half his nose and one of his ears saying Now pray as long as thou wilt and then we will send thee to all the Divels and so this holy man kneeling down prayed with such fervency of spirit that drew sighs from some of the Murtherers and aftervvards directing his speech to him that had cut off his nose he said Friend I am now ready to suffer what thou hast further to inflict upon me But I intreat thee and thy companions to bethink you well of the outrages committed by you against this poor City for there is a God in heaven before whose Tribunal you must shortly give an account of these your cruelties A Captain passing by cryed send that wretched man to the Divel which one of them hearing took him by the hand pretending to have him to the river to wash off his blood but when he came thither he threw him into it battering him with stones till he was drowned CHAP. XXXV The History of the Massacre at Paris ANNO 1571. After the end of the third Civil War in France great means was used to draw the chief of the Protestants to Paris under pretence of a marriage between the Prince of Navar and the Lady Margaret sister to the King of France but in the mean time the Papists in Roan murthered divers Protestants as they came from a Sermon and grievously beat others this seemed much to displease the King and three or four were executed for the mutiny then were the Articles of marriage agreed upon The place for it Paris and the Admiral sent to by the King to be present at the wedding and to prevent all Jealousies those of the house of Guise were sent away whereat they seemed much discontented The Admiral was allowed to bring with him fifty Gentlemen armed for his greater security When he came to Paris he was honourably received and conducted to the King who calls him his Father protesting that in all his life he had not seen any day more agreeable to his mind than that wherein he assured himself to see the end of all troubles and the beginning of firm peace and quietness in his Realm the Queen-mother and the rest of the great Courtiers received him with greater favour than he expected Then did the King send him one hundred thousand Franks out of his treasury for the losses which he had received in the wars c. The Admiral had divers advertisements of the intended treachery yet God so blinded him at that time though a very prudent man that he gave little heed to them Yea such a general stupidity seized upon the Protestants that their minds were very wavering and few there were that shewed themselves zealously bent to Religion but all both great and small thinking deeply upon worldly matters built them goodly Castles in the aire Then was the Queen of Navar sent for by the King of France to Paris to prepare all things against the wedding but presently after her coming she fell sick of a Feavor made her will in a most Christian manner had much inward joy and comfort and at five dayes end died not without suspition of poison from certain perfumes
purged him but to no purpose for by degrees he so faded away as caused great astonishment to many He long strugled against his disease but at last was faine to betake himself to his bed and the two last weeks of his sicknesse much blood issued from divers parts of his body and once he rolled himself in his own blood and a little before he died he desired his mother to pursue his enemies to the uttermost with great vehemency reiterating his speeches saying Madam I pray you heartily to do it and so he breathed forth his soul May the thirtieth Anno Christi 1574. I shall here adde a few words also of the great miseries which the people of God endured in Rochel Anno Christi 1628. expecting help from England which proved but a staffe of reed which whilst they leaned upon it ran into their hands The City being besieged by the King of France his Army the inhabitants were brought to such extremity that for want of other meat the Citizens and Souldiers having eaten up all the horses dogs cats rats and mice lived two moneths with nothing but Cow-hides and Goats-skins boiled then did they eat up all the old gloves and whatsoever was made of leather yea the poor people cut off the buttocks of the dead and did eat them Young maids of fourteen or sixteen years old did look like old women of one hundred years old All the English that came out after the surrender of the City looked like Anatomies The prizes of things were as followeth a Bushel of Wheat twenty pounds A pound of bread twenty shillings a quarter of mutton above sixe pounds A pound of butter thirty shillings An egge eight shillings An ounce of Sugar two shillings and six pence A dried fish twenty shillings A pint of French wine twenty shillings A pint of milk thirty shillings A pound of grapes three shillings c. Anno 1593. There was one Margaret Pierron of the Town of Sansay in France who by her maid-servant was accused to the Jesuites for not going to Masse and for keeping a Bible in her house in reading whereof was her whole delight The Jesuites complaining hereof to the Magistrate caused her to be apprehended yet had she some notice of it before-hand from her friends that advised her to flie from the danger but God had a purpose that she should bear witness to his truth so that she was taken and cast into prison After a while the Judges sent for her saying Margaret Are you not willing to returne home to your house and there to enjoy your husband and children Yes said she if it may stand with the good Will of God Then said they if thou wilt do but a small matter thou shalt be set at liberty If said she it be not contrary to Gods glory and mine own salvation you shall hear what I will say to you No such thing said they for all that we require is but this that a Scaffold being set up in the chief part of the City you shall there crave pardon for offending the Law and a fire being by you shall burne your Bible in it without speaking a word I pray you my Masters said she Tell me is my Bible a good Book or no Yea said they we confesse it is Why then said she would you have me cast it into the fire Only said they to give the Jesuites content imagine it to be but paper and then you may burne it and you may buy you another Bible at any time and hereby you may save your life Thus they spent above two hours in perswading her that thereby she might do a lesse evil and a greater good would come of it But she confidently answered that by the help of God she would never do it What will the people say said she will they not say Yonder is a wrethed woman indeed that burns the Bible wherein all the Articles of Christian Religion are contained I will certainly burne my body rather than my Bible Then did they commit her close prisoner fed her only with bread and water and her friends were debarred from coming to her but when nothing could remove her from her constancy she was condemned to be set upon a scaffold to have her Bible burnt before her face her self to be strangled and her body to be dragged through the streets to a dunghil which sentence she underwent cheerfully and so slept in the Lord. Collected out of the History of the Tragical Massacres of France under Henry the second Francis the second Charles the ninth Henry the third and Henry the fourth Translated out of French Here place the ninth Figure CHAP. XXXVII The Persecution of the Church of Christ in the Valtoline Anno Christi 1620. THe Grison Lords who were the Soveraign Magistrates of this Countrey had by sundry Decrees granted liberty to the Protestants to exercise their Religion freely But when as the Minister of Tell with his Congregation were met together about the service of God the bloody Papists rising in arms set upon them slew one and beate others so cruelly with staves that they were forced to desist from their purpose Shortly after they murthered some others and conspiring with some other bloody villaines they set guards upon all the passages of the valley that so none of the Protestants should escape them then ringing their bells they raised all the Countrey and if any Protestants stirred out of their houses they murthered them in the streets they also brake into the houses of others drew them out of their beds and murthered them Some of the Protestants retired to the houses of Papists that were neer of kin or otherwise engaged to them to secure themselves but there they were betrayed and murthered Some they strangled some they shot Of some they beate out their brains and others they drowned in the river Alba. A noble Gentleman that had hid himself in the river was found by them who requested them to spare his life for his dear childrens sake But they told him that this was no time for pity except he would abjure his faith and swear by the Popes Bull Nay said he God forbid that to save this temporal life I should deny my Lord Jesus Christ who with his precious blood upon the Crosse redeemed me at so dear a rate and having through his grace so long freely and publikely professed him that I should now hazard the losse of eternal life to which I was elected before the foundation of the world I say God forbid Hereupon in a barbarous and savage manner they murthered him They brake also into the Palace of the Governour and murthered him women and maidens they defloured and of all the Protestants in that part of the Countrey there were onely three that escaped over the horrid and vast mountains of the Alps into Rhetia These wicked villaines having thus dispatched the Protestants in this place they