be subdued with Arms they knowing bettter the straits of their Country then the assailants and that the skin of one of the Waldenses would cost him the lives of a dozen of his other subjects where upon he vsed Arms no more against them but as any of them was caught in Piedmont he put them to death if they changed not their belief Notwithstanding with rigour they persisted in their resolution and that things might be carried on in the better order they assembled out of all their Vallies to Angrogne Anno 1535. viz. the heads of all their families with their Pastors where they heard that their brethren of Provence and Dauphine had sent two of their Pastors George Morrell and Peter Masson into Germany to confere with Oecolampadius Bucer and others about their relief which they had held from father to son time out of minde Where also the Germane Divines acknowledged that God had been very mercifull and gracious to them in preserving them undefiled in the midst of so many superstitions which had defiled all Christendom under the tyranny of Antichrist encouraging and exhorting them not to bury those Talents which God had given them onely they blamed them for delaying so long to make a publick profession of their adhering to the Gospel and causing it to be preached publickly leaving the success to God c. Then were the Letters of Oecolampadius and Bucer which they sent to them openly read together with the Propositions and Articles of Religion which they had agreed upon which were all approved signed and sworn to by all the assistants with one consent to perform observe beleeve and retain amongst them inviolably as being conformable to the Doctrine which they had been taught from their fore-fathers for many hundred years and all taken out of the Word of god When this Agreement came abroad to the ears of the Priests they were much astonished despairing to see these people reclaimed and brought back to the Church of Rome whereupon they retired from amongst them without speaking a word The Waldenses because they had only the New Testament and some books of the old amongst them in the Waldensian Tongue resolved speedily to send the whole Bible to the Press all their books hitherto being but Manuscripts and those but a few They sent therefore some to Newcastle in Suitzerland where they gave 1500. Crowns in gold to a Printer who brought to light the first Impression of the Freâ—ch Bible that was seen in France They sent also to Geneva to make a large supply of books fit for the instruction of the people but their messenger as he passed over the hill de Gap was apprehended for a spy by the Lord of Champelion and as soon as they knew him to be a Waldensian they sent him to Grenople where he was first imprisoned and then in the night drowned in the river least he should speak of his belief before the people Shortly after there happened warres between King Francis the first and the Princes of Piedmont which through Gods grace turned to the great peace and quiet of these poor people which peace continued till Pope Paul the third sollicited the Parliament of Turin to persecute them as pernicious Hereticks Whereupon the Parliament caused a great number of them to be burnt at Turin Then these Waldenses petitioned the King that they might not be persecuted for their Religion in which they and their Ancestors had lived for many hundred years But the King reiected their petition commanding them to live according to the Laws of the Roman Church upon pain of being punished as Hereticks adding that he did not burn the Lutherans through his whole Kingdom of France to let them amongst the Alps escape Hereupon the Parliament of Turin commanded them presently to send away all their Ministers and receive the Priests to sing Masse c. To which they answered that they could not receive any such commandment it being contrary to Gods Word whom they would rather obey then men But through Gods mercy the King had other imploiments elsewhere whereby they wanted leasure to prosecute these servants of Christ and therefore they only proceeded by the Inquisition receiving such as the Monks condemned to the fire Anno 1555. They increased the persecution condemning to the fire Bartholmew Hector a Stationer to be executed at Turin who died with admirable constancy and so edifying the spectators that they wept and compassionated him justifying him in their speeches and praying for him Hereupon the Parliament resolved wholly to extirpate them and for that end sent two men with authority either to reform or root them out These persons went first to Perouse where by Proclamation in the Kings name they command all to go to Masse upon pain of loosing their lives Then they went to Pignorol where they cited many to appear before them and amongst others a poor simple labouring man appeared whom the President commanded to have his childe re-bapzed by a Priest The man requested respite to pray to God before he answered him which with great laughter was granted Then falling down on his knees he prayed unto God and when he had done he said to the President I will cause my child to be rebaptised upon condition that you will give me a bill signed with your own hand that you will discharge me of the sin which I shall commit hereby and bear one day before God the punishment and condemnation which should befall me for the same taking this iniquity upon you and yours The President hearing this commanded him out of his presence and pressed him no further The President framed diverse Indictments against sundry persons in the Vallies and collected whatsoever he thought might hurt them and going to one of their Churches he caused a Monk that he brought along with him to preach in the presence of the people and when he had ended the people desired that some one of their Pastors there present might answer his discourse but that was denied by the President whereupon there was such a murmur amongst the people that the President without any more speech gat him away to Turin where he reported all to the Parliament and withall told them that if they sought by violence to reclaime this people they were resolued to defend themselves and that the places of their abode were of such strength that it was a work for a King of France to root them out Thereupon this report and the Indictments were sent to the King who having other occasions returned no answer that year Only the Inquisitors proceeded as they could catch any to deliver them to the secular power At the years end the King commanded the Parliament to cause them to do that by force which they would not by words be brought to Then did the Parliament send the President again to Angrogne where he commanded them in the name of
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
most of the Ministers were turned out of their places so that they durst not preach nor pray but in private And a certaine Noble man having apprehended six of the Brethren cast them into prison and when they were brought forth to be burnt they went chearfully to the fire and when the chief officer taking affection to one of them offered him his life if he would recant his error profering him withall to give him a years time to consider of it he pawsed a while but by and by answered It is too much by such a delay to lose my Brethrens company and so going along with them they were burned together Shortly after the Chancellor that had procured the passing of the Edict against the Brethren as he returned from the Parliament visiting a certaine Noble man by the way he with great pleasure reported to him what was agreed upon against the brethren The Noble man having a servant by that was much edicted to the discipline of the Brethren asked him how he liked it the servant answered that all were not agreed The Chancellor suspecting some new conspiracy asked him who durst oppose the States of the Kingdom c the servant said In heaven there is one who if he were not present at your counsels you have consulted in vain The Chancellor replied Thou knave thou shalt finde that as well as the rest And rising up in fury immediately a Carbuncle rose upon his foot which turned to a disease called Ignis sacer whereof he died miserably Another of the great sticklers in this businesse returning homewards as he was a lighting out of his Chariot to make water he struck his member on a sharp nail that was in the boot whereby he drew out his entrails with him and not long after he gave up the ghost Also D· Augustine who by slanderous libels had endeavoured to stirre up the King against the Brethren died suddenly as he was at supper Another Noble man of these persecutors as he was hunting his horse threw him and his arrow ran into his thigh and came out at his loins whereby he died a most paineful death Many others of them felt the like judgements of God so that it grew into a proverbe amongst them If you be weary of your life attempt something against the Piccards and you shall not escape a year to an end About this time God stirred up in Germany undaunted Luther the thunderbolt against the Pope which occasioned many of the Calixtines to resolve to embrace the purer Doctrine of the Gospel and to seek for the Ordination of their Ministers from Wittenberg rather then from Rome But amongst these there was one Zahere an Apostate who to ingratiate himselfe with the King and Pope would enforce the Pastors and Citizens of Prague to subscribe to sundry Articles or else they must be proscribed And first of all six Pastors were banished then sixty five of the chiefest Citizens Then to colour greater cruelty a rumour was spread abroad of a conspiracy made by the Brethren against the Calixtines and to extort a confession hereof three Citizens were brought to the rack who rather chose to suffer all torments then falsly to accuse the innocent Yet divers were persecuted Amongst others a Cutler that had found an Orthodox Book about the Sacraments was whipped openly in the market-place and banished Another was branded in the forehead a third was thrust into prison and there murthered Then in the Assembly of Estates it was decreed that the Mandate of the King should be put in execution against the Piccards Whereupon a new persecution was raised against the Brethren their Churches being shut up and their Exercises forbidden Anno 1526. A godly and learned man together with his Hostesse with whom he lodged a widow of sixty years old were both burnt in the fire for Picardism together with the books that were found about them Another godly woman being brought before the Magistrate made a hold profession of her faith and then being required to prepare her garments to be burnt in she answered They are ready leade me away when you please The Crier declaring openly that she had blaâ—phâ—med she with a loud voice denied it saying It is false I am condemned because I deny the Reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament give no credit to these Priests they are dissembling Hypâ—crites Adulterers Sodomites Epicures c. Being commanded to pray to the Crucifix she turned her back to it and lifting up her eyes to heaven she said There is our God thither we must look and so chearfully mounting the pile she was burned Anno Christi 1527. The year after two German tradesmen were caught at Prague accused by the Monks of Lutheranism and condemned to be burnt As they went to execution such gracious words proceeded out of their mouths as drew tears from the spectators eyes When they came to the pile they exceedingly encouraged one another onâ— of them saying Since our Lord Christ hath suffered such grievous things for us let us chearfully suffer for him and rejoyce that we have found so much favour with him that we are counted worthy to die for the Law of God The other said I in the day of my marriage found not so much inward joy as I do now When fire was put to them with a loud voice they said Lord Jesus thou in thy sufferings prayedst for thine enemies therefore we also do the like Forgive the King the men of Prague and the Clergy for they know not what they do and their hands are full of bloud and so they slept in the Lord. But one of their chief persecutors who wished that all the Piccards were hanged beheaded or burnt by his own hands had all these befall himself by Gods just judgement For being much in debt he hanged himself and when his friends had privately buried him the common people hearing of it digged up his carcasse and cast it away which by the Magistrates command was ordered to be burnt but when the woodstack was consumed and the carcasse only scorched his head was stricken off Zahera the Apostate when under colour of an Inquisition against the Piccards he raised up civil commotions was by the King banished where he died miserably The like befell another of those cruel persecutors Anno 1535. Ferdinand the first succeeding in the Kingdom the Popish party cunningly stirred up the Calixtines to persecute the Brethren Whereupon they suffering many grievous things sent a petition together with a confession of their Faith to Ferdinand at Vienna subscribed by twelve Barons and thirty three Knights complaining how unjustly they were accused by their enemies and that the Priests ordinarily cried out that the Piccards might be slain without controul and that a lesse sin was thereby committed than if one killed a dog Ferdinand returned answer that he had not leisure to consider of their Papers yet promised
Woods and forced to dwell in Caves some tormented upon the Rack and some burned with fire and faggot Amongst others two young men were burnt at Bruxels viz. Henry Voes and John Esch formerly Augustine-Friars When they came before the Inquisitors they were examined what they did believe they answered the books of the Old and New Testament wherein were contained the Articles of the Creed Then were they asked whether they did not believe the decrees of the Councels and Fathers they answered such as were agreeing to the Scriptures they believed c. When they were condemned they gave thanks to God their heavenly father which of his great goodnesse had delivered them from that false and abominable Religion making them Priests to himself and receiving them to himself as a sacrifice of a sweet odour They went joyfully to the place of execution protesting that they died for the glory of God and the doctrine of the Gospel as true Christians and that it was the day which they had long desired They joyfully embraced the stake and endured patiently the torments of the fire singing Psalmes and rehearsing the Creed in testimony of their faith whereupon one said to them that they should take heed of glorifying themselves so foolishly but of them answered God fobid that we should glory in any thing but in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ When the fire was kindled at their feet one of them said Methinks you do strow Roses under my feet presently after they quietly slept in the Lord. Henry being before demanded if Luther had seduced him he answered Even so as Christ seduced his Apostles The year after there was one Henry Sutphen who having been with Luther came to Antwerp from which he was driven for his Religion Then did he go to Breme where he was requested by some godly Citizens to preach to them and the Citizens hearing him preach the Gospel so sinâ—rely they were so in love with his Doctrine that they requested him to tarry amongst them to be their Minister but the Popish Clergy presently complained of him to the Magistrates accusing him of Heresie and desiring that he might be banished the town but not prevailing there they complained to the Archbishop and sent their Chaplains daily to his Sermons to entrap him in his words but it pleased God so to work upon them by his Ministery that most of them were converted and did openly witness that he taught nothing but the truth of God Not long after he was set for to Meldorp to preach the Gospel to them also wherefore he thought good to try what God would work by him there but the Citizens of Breme were very unwilling to part with him because the Gospel had not as yet took much deep root amongst them and because the persecution was very great c. Yet Sutphen alledged that in Diethmarch there was more need of his labours the people being as sheep amongst Wolves and that with a safe conscience he could not deny their request and that he did not intend utterly to forsake Breme but only for a moneth or two after which he would return to them again So having made all things ready he went into Diethmarch to Meldorp were he was joyfully received But before he began to preach the Divel and his instruments began to fret and fume and consulting together they resolved to hinder him from preaching fearing that if the people once heard his doctrine it would be too late to stop it Hereupon they grievously complained to the Magistrates telling them that if they suffered this Heretick to preach he would infect all the Country as he had done at Breme and that it would be a most gratefull service if they would put him to death This so far prevailed with these ignorant men that they resolved that he should be put to death unseen and unheard They wrote also to forbid him to preach whereunto he answered that since he was come at the request of the whole Parish to preach he resolved to answer that call and rather to obey God than man and that if God had determined that there he should lose his life there was as near a way to heaven from thence as from any other place assuring himself that sooner or later he must die for the Gospels sake And accordingly the next day he preached and the people so liked him that they resolved to have him for their Preacher and to defend him to their power in the afternoon he preached again afterwards also he preached a third time with such a spirit and grace that all men admired him praying God earnestly that they might long enjoy such a Preacher But his enemies were not all this while idle for going to the Rulers of the Country they procured some of them to joyn with them and privately raised five hundred men with whom they went in the night time to Meldorp brake into the house where Sutphen lay pulled him out of his bed naked and in their rage had almost pulled him to pieces they then bound him and asked him for what cause he came into Diethmarch he gently declared it to them yet they led him away barefoot so that his feet being pitifully cut with the ice he desired a horse to ride on for which they jeared him saying Must we provide an horse for an Heretick thou shalt go on foot whether thou wilt or no Afterwards they bound him with chains and set him in the stocks Then was he removed to another place and shut up in a Cupboard The next day binding him hands feet and neck they carried him forth to be burned Then a certain woman came to them and proffered her self to suffer two thousand stripes and to give them a great summe of mony if they would but respite his life till he had a publick hearing but they threw her underfoot and trod upon her They also fell upon Sutphen cutting and mangling of him in several parts The fire was often kindled yet would not burn then they fell upon him again cutting and slashing him and at last bound him to a ladder and threw him into the fire and when he began to pray one of them him struck saying Thou shalt first be burnt and then pray and prate thy fill another trode upon his breast and another endeavoured to strangle him another ran him through with an Halberd another struck him on the breast with a Mace till he died and lastly they rosted him upon the coals and so he finished his Martyrdom About the same time many other godly persons were thrown into the River of Rhene and drowned and in the Town of Diethmarch another faithful servant of God suffered Martyrdom In Hala a godly preacher was slain by a company of cut-throats set on by the Friars And not long after the Town of Miltenburg was taken sacked many slain and others imprisoned for maintaining Caralostadius
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
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
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
which Dioclesian would needs be worshipped as God saying that he was brother to the Sun and Moon and adoring his shoes with gold and precious stones he commanded the people to kiss his feet Then also did he raise a great and grievous Persecution against the Church of God and the Feast of Easter drawing nigh he commanded all the Churches of the Christians to be spoiled and cast down and the books of the holy Scriptures to be burnt which was executed with all rigour and contempt that might be Then he sent forth his Edicts for the displacing of all Christian Magistrates and put all others out of their Offices imprisoning such of the common people as would not abjure Christianity and subscribe to the heathen Idolatries Then were cruel Edicts sent abroad for the imprisoning of the Elders and Bishops and constraining them by sundry kinds of torments to sacrifice to the Idols whereupon insued a great persecution against the Governors of the Church amongst whom many of them manfully passed through exceeding bitter torments Some were scourged all over their bodies with whips some with racks and tearings of their flesh were exceedingly cruciated some one way others another way were put to death Some were violently drawn to the impure sacrifices and as though they had sacrificed when indeed they did not were let go Others neither coming to their Altars nor touching any piece of their sacrifice yet were born in hand by those which stood by that they had sacrificed and so being defamed by their adversaries were let go Others as dead men were carried out and cast away being but half dead Some were cast down on the pavement and trailed a great space by the legs and the people made to believe that they had sacrificed Others with-stood them stoutly affirming with a loud voice that they had not sacrificed withal saying that they were Christians and glorying in the profession of that name Some cryed that they neither had nor ever would be partakers of that Idolatry who were buffetted on the face and mouth by the souldiers that they might hold their peace But if the Saints seemed never so little to do what their enemies would have them they were made much of yet none of these devices prevailed against the constant servants of Jesus Christ but of the weaker sort through frailty many fell at the first brunt When these Edicts were first set up at Nicomedia a Christian a noble man born moved with an holy zeal ran and took them down and tare them in pieces though the Emperors were present in the City for which he was put to a most bitter death which with great constancy and patience he endured to the last These furious Tyrants Dioclesian in the West and Maximian in the East raged exceedingly against the poor Saints of Christ. But Dioclesian proceeded more subtilly first beginning with the souldiers in his Camp to whom the Marshal of the field proposed that they should either offer sacrifice or leave their places and offices and lay down their arms whereunto the Christians resolutely answered that they were not only ready to lay down their weapons but to suffer death if it was imposed upon them rather then so to sin against God In the beginning of this persecution few were tormented but afterwards the Emperor grew to greater cruelty It cannot be expressed what number of Martyrs suffered what blood was shed through all Cities and Regions for the name of Christ. In Tyre certain Christians were given to the most cruel wild beasts which would not hurt them and the Lions Bears and Leopards which were kept hungry for the purpose would not touch them Yet did they vehemently rage against those that brought the Christians into the stage who though they stood as they thought without their reach yet were they caught and devoured by them Afterwards these Martyrs were slain with the sword and cast into the sea Silvanus Bishop of Gazenses with thirty nine more were slain in the Mettal-Mynes Pamphilus of Caesarea dyed a glorious Martyr In Syria all the chief Pastors were first cast into prison together with the Bishops Elders and Deacons Tiranion was throwen into the sea Zenobius a Physitian was slain with Brickbats At Antioch two young Maidens were thrown into the sea Also an aged Matron and her two beautifull daughters being sought after and at last found rather then they would be drawn to do sacrifice threw themselves head-long into a river Sylvanus Bishop of Emissa with some others were thrown to the wild beasts The Christians in Mesopotamia were tormented divers ways some of them were hanged up by the feet and with the smoak of a small fire strangled So out-ragious was the Emperor in the beginning of this Persecution that in Nicomedia he slew the chiefest Princes of his Court whom a little before he prized as his own Children Also one Peter was hoisted up naked and so beaten and torn with whips that his bones might be seen then they poured upon him salt and Vinegar and lastly rosted him with a soft fire Dorotheus and Gorgonius men of great Authority under the Emperor after divers torments were strangled with an halter Anthimus Bishop of Nicomedia with divers others having made a good confession were beheaded Yea Serena the wife of Dioclesian the Emperor was martyred for her Religion Some others were bound hand and foot to a post and so burnt Also many Christians of all ages and sorts being met together in a Church to celebrate the memorial of Christs Nativity Maximian the Emperor sent some to fire the Church and burn them all But first they commanded a Cryer to proclaim that whosoever would have life should come out and sacrifice to Jupiter otherwise they should be all burnt then one stepping up boldly in the name of all the rest said We are all Christians and believe that Christ is our only God and King and we will sacrifice to none but him hereupon the fire was kindled and some thousands of men women and children were burnt in that place In Arabia many Martyrs were slain with Axes In Phrygia the Emperor sent his Edicts to a City commanding them to sacrifice to the Idols but the Major and all the Citizens professed themselves to be Christians whereupon the Emperor made his Army environ the City and set it on fire whereby all the inhabitants were burnt together in it Eustratius an Armenian and skilfull in the Greek tongue highly honoured and advanced by the Emperor who also had executed many Christians beholding the marvellous constancy of the Martyrs privately learned the Christian Religion burned exceedingly with a desire of Martyrdom and not staying for Accusers professed himself to be a Christian openly execrating the vanity and madness of the heathens Being therefore apprehended he was tied up and bitterly beaten afterwards he was parched with fire put
nihilo tamen meliorem se Christianis praebens Christi nomen prae se ferens Christum mentiebatur Miletius Bishop of Antioch he banished to Armenia Eusebius Bishop of Samosata to Thrace Pelagius Bishop of Laodicea to Arabia He was exceedingly filled with wrath against the Bishops assembled in the Counsel of Lampsacum because they adhered to the Nicene faith In Constantinople he banished all the Orthodox In Edissa he commanded them all to be slain as they were assembled together in the Church The Lieutenant that had received this charge from him being more mercifull then his Master gave private notice to the Christians that they should not assemble at that time but they neither regarding his advice nor fearing his threats flocked to the Church in great companies and whilst the Lieutenant with many armed souldiers hasted thitherward to fulfill the Emperors command a woman leading a child in her hand all in haste brake the ranks and thrust into the armed troops the Lieutenant being moved therewith called the woman before him saying Thou fond and unfortunate woman whither runnest thou so rashly Thither said she whither others hasten Hast thou not heard said he that the Lieutenant will slay as many as he finds there I heard it said she and therefore I make the more haste to the place But whether said he leadest thou this child That he also said she may be accounted in the number of Martyrs Hereupon the Lieutenant returned back to the Emperor and told him that all the Christians from the highest to the lowest prepared themselves to die in the defence of their faith and withal he shewed him what a rash thing it was to murder so great a multitude c. and so with his reasons perswaded the Emperour that he appeased his wrath and prevented the mischief at that time In Constantinople the Arrians favoured by the Emperor crowed insolently over the Christians they scourged reviled imprisoned amerced and laid upon them all the intollerable burthens they could devise Hereupon eighty godly Ministers in the name of all the rest addressed themselves to the Emperour complaning of the out-rages that were done to them craving some relief But this cruel Tyrant commanded Modestus the General of his Army to embark them all in a ship as if he would have sent them into banishment but secretly he gave direction to the Marriners to set the ship on fire and to retire themselves into a boat and so these holy Martyrs glorified the Name of Christ by patient suffering of a double death burning and drowning In all the Eastern parts he tormented many with sundry sorts of grievous torments put many to death drowned many in the sea and in rivers About this time he consulted with Necromancers to know who should succeed him in the Empire The devil answered ambiguously that his name should begin with Th. Whereupon he put to death as many as were called Theodorus Theodotus Theadosius or Theodulus Athanasius being dead at Alexandria there succeeded him a godly and holy man named Peter but the Emperour presently sent souldiers which clapt him in prison and the rest of the Ministers were banished some to one place some to another After this he sent forth an Edict for the persecuting of all the Orthodox in Egypt Whereupon many were stript of their raiment scourged fettered in prisons crushed in pieces with stones beheaded driven into deserts where they wandred in sheeps-skins and goats-skins destitute of aid and succour Many hid themselves in mountains in dens caves and hollow rocks Terentins and Trajan two worthy Captains used some liberty in admonishing the Emperour to abstain from persecuting of the innocent but the Lord was minded to destroy him and therefore he could receive no wholesome admonition For many of the Goths whom he entertained as souldiers to assist him against his enemies turned against himself so that he fled and was overtaken in a village which the Goths set on fire whereby he died miserably leaving none to succeed him and his name a curse and execration to all ages Collected out of Magd. Hist. Socrates and Theod. The Persecution by the Donatists ABout the year of our Lord 410. there sprang up in Africk the Donatists and Circumcellions who first made a great Schism in the Church and afterwards raised up a great persecution against the Orthodox concerning which St Austine complains in sundry places And in his 50. Epistle to Earl Boniface he thus writes of it In hoc labore multi Catholici maxime Episcopi Clerici horrenda dura perpessi sunt quae commemorare longum eâ—t c. In this disturbance the Orthodox especially the Bishops and Ministers suffered hard and horrible things the particulars whereof are long to recite for some of them had their eies put out Some Bishops had their hands and tongues cut off and some were slain out-right To speak nothing of the cruel slaughter of others that were sound and sincere of the plundering of their houses of the out-ragious burning not only of their private habitations but of their Churches also yea so vile and violent were they that they sticked not to burn the sacred Scriptures Optatus in his second book tells us that when Julian the Apostate came to the Empire the Donatists preferred a petition to him wherein they desired leave to return to their places in Africk from whence formerly they had been banished Julian knowing what furious and turbulent spirits they were of and how prejudicial their Return would be to the Catholick Church easily assented to their petition and so they returned full fraught with malice and revenge and presently imployed all their abilities partly by subtilty to seduce the common people partly by violence to oppress the Orthodox Bishops and Ministers of whom some they thrust out of their Churches others they slew Some of their chief Bishops taking armed souldiers with them went to the Castle of Lemella where finding the Church shut against them they commanded their attendance to get upon it to uncover the roof and so having broken into it they set upon some Deacons whom they found there wounded some and slew two of them outright In all places where they came they profaned all holy things The Sacramentall bread they threw to their dogs but behold the just judgement of God against these profane schismaticks those very dogs shortly after running mad fell upon their own Masters and tore them in pieces Virgins they defloured and wives they defiled So usual a thing it is for those which adulterate the holy truths of God to be given over to corporal uncleanness These furious persons dispersed themselves all over Africk and would not suffer the Orthodox to preach the truth against their Errors By their violent assaults thieveries rapines burnings and murthers they destroyed many and afrighted all c. CHAP. XX. The Persecution of the Church in Africk by
of thorns till they were torn in pieces and these newly converted Moors he caused their naked bodies to be haled backwards and forwards thorow bushes and brambles and others of them to be tied to wild beasts and so to be rent in sunder the poor Christians saying thus each to other O brother pray for me God hath fulfilled our desire O this is the way to the kingdom of heaven Genserick further raging against the Orthodox sent one Proculus into the Zeugian Province to dispoil all the Churches of their Ornaments and the Ministers of their books that thereby they might be disabled to holy services which command was executed with all rigour and whereas the Bishop of Habensa refused to deliver them up he was expelled the City and all men at great penalty were forbidden to harbour him so that being above eighty years old he lay naked for a long time under the open skie About Easter when the Christians were met together in a Church to celebrate the remembrance of Christs Resurrection the Arrians with a great power of armed men set upon this innocent company who with their naked swords slew many The Minister that was preaching they shot through the throat with an arrow and such of them as escaped death were by the command of the King executed by sundry kinds of torments In other places when the Christians were administring the Sacrament the Hereticks rushed in amongst them taking the bread and wine and trampling them under their profane feet Then did Genserick command that none but Arrians should bear any office either about himself or his children And a Bishop called Armogastes they took and first nipped his fore-head and legs with bow-strings then did they hang him up by one foot with his head downward yet did he seem to all men as if he slept in a feather-bed which so enraged Theoderick the Kings son that he commanded him to be beheaded but some about him disswaded him from it because said they he will be accounted a Martyr Then was he banished to dig in Mynes yet afterwards he was sent for again and made a Cow-heard near to Carthage that he might be a continual object of scorn There was also one Saturus a noble man eminent for holiness whom the Tyrant much laboured to draw to the Arrian profession but he refusing the King told him that if he presently consented not he should forfeit his house and goods that his Children and slaves should be sould and his wife should be given to the Camel-driver Yet no menaces could shake his faith His wife hearing of her doom went to her husband as he was praying with her garments rent her hair disheveled her Children at her heels and a sucking infant in her hands whom she cast at her husbands feet and took him about the knees saying Have compassion O my sweetest of me thy poor wife and of these thy Children look upon them let them not be made slaves let not me be yoaked to a base Marriage c. that which thou art required to do thou dost it not willingly but by constraint and therefore it will not be laid to thy charge He gave her an answer in the words of Job Thou speakest like a foolish woman thou actest the devils part if thou lovest thy husband thou wouldst never seek to draw him to sin which will procure the second death I am resolved therefore as my Lord commands me to forsake wife children lands house c. that I may be his Disciple and accordingly he was dispoiled of all and turned out a begging yet all were forbidden to harbour him Genserick having reigned thirty seven years and three moneths died Genserick being dead his son Hunrick succeeded him who at first was more moderate to the Christians insomuch as they began to hold their meetings as before time The Manichaean Hereticks he sought out and though most of them were of his own Religion yet he burnt some and banished others At the request of the Emperour Zeno and Placidia his wife he suffered the Church of Carthage to chuse their own Bishop having been destitute of one for twenty four years Then they chose Eugenius an humble holy and charitable man whose fame increasing the Arrian Bishops much envied him and put into the Kings head to forbid him to preach and not to suffer any to enter into the Church that were attired after the manner of the Vandals To which command Eugenius thus answered The house of God is free for all those which enter no man may drive forth The King being incensed with this answer placed tortures at the Church door who when they espied any man or woman in a Vandals habit about to go into the Church clapping flesh-hooks on their heads and twisting them in their hair with a strong twitch they pulled off hair scalp and all whereby some lost their eies and some their lives The women besides these torments they carried thorow the streets to be made a publick laughing-stock yet could they not force them to altar their Religion Then did Hunrick ordain that none of his Countries which dissented from his Religion should receive their ordinary pensions and salaries Then did he send many of them who had been delicately brought up to Utica in the parching heat of the sun to dig the land for corn yet they went cheerfully and comforted themselves in the Lord. Then did he command that no man should be a Knight or bear any publick office except he turned Arrian whereupon very many with invincible courage forsook their honours and offices rather then their faith Many Virgins he caused to be proved by the Midwives in a most shamefull manner hanging them up from the ground with mighty weights at their feet and putting to their sides breasts back and bellies red hot plates of iron to compell them to confess that their Bishops and Ministers lay with them that so he might from thence have an occasion to persecute them Many of these died under the pain and others remained lame and crooked all their lives after yet would they not confess any such thing Then did he banish into the wilderness of Bishops Ministers Deacons and other Members of Christ four thousand nine hundred seventy six some of them being lame with the gout others blind with age Amongst whom also was Foelix Bishop of Abiris possessed with a dead palsie and therefore unable either to go or ride which the cruel King being informed of and requested that he might be suffered to stay he answered if he be not able to ride let wild bulls be coupled to drag him to the place appointed So that they were fain to carry him on a Mules back across as if he had been a sack Then were all these holy Confessors brought to the City of Sicca where the Moors were to receive them and transport them thence to
the Cathedral which he refused because of a great fit of sicknesse which had made him very weak but he was forced to undertake it though he was so weak a creature that sometimes he was fain to be carried to Church and by reason of his faintnesse was necessitated once or twice in a Sermon to drink a draught of wine to refresh himself About this time there was one Scobario a man famous for life and learning chosen by the Magistrates of the City to the Government of the Colledge of Children who out of his zeal to promote the Gospel converted his Stipend to the erecting of a Divinity-lecture in the Cathedral Church and Constantine having recovered his health was chosen to read it who performed it excellently well beginning with the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Canticles which having passed through very learnedly he began upon the book of Job and proceeded to expound more than half of it But some evil spirit envying the Progresse of the Gospel in that City under a pretence of fervent zeal caused him to forsake this course and encombred him so many ways that he was never clear of those troubles to his dying day For not long after he was brought before the Inquisitors and had many things laid to his charge yet by his quick and ready answers he easily avoided them and they could not by any means bring him to make an open Protestation of his faith by which all their hope was to circumvent him and so he might have escaped had not God by a special Providence compelled him as it were briefly and plainly to confesse his faith The occasion was this There was one Isabel Martin apprehended in whose house Constantine had hid some special books for fear of the Inquisitors This womans goods being sequestred her son conveyed divers chests of her best goods away to another place This coming to the Inquisitors ears by means of an unfaithful servant they sent their Officer immediately to demand those Chests The womans sonne supposing that the Officer came for Constantines books said unto him I know what you come for and therefore if you will promise me upon your honest word to depart quietly I will bring you to them the Officer supposing that he meant the Chests promised him so to do Then did he carry him into a secret place and plucking forth a stone or two in the wall shewed him Constantines Jewels of paper indeed but farre more precious than gold or pearle the Officer astonished to finde that which he looked not for told him that he came for no such thing but for certain Chests of his mothers goods which he had purloined from the Sequestrators and that notwithstanding his promise he must carry both him and his books to the Inquisitors Thus came Constantines writings into the Inquisitors hands out of which they quickly found matter enough against him Then did they send for him before them and demanded if he knew his own hand he shifted it off at the first but afterwards perceiving that it was the Will of God that he should bear witnesse to the truth he confessed it to be his own writing protesting openly that all things therein contained were full of truth and sincerity Therefore said he trouble your selves no further in seeking Witnesses against me seeing you have so plain and apert a Confession of my judgment and faith but deal with me as you shall please Then was he cast into prison and kept there two whole years where partly by occasion of his corrupt dyet but chiefly of grief to see such havock made of the poor Church of Christ which himself and his brethren had with so great pains and care planted and watered he began first to be crazy and then not being able to endure the extream heat of the Sunne which made his prison like an hot house he was forced to strip himself to his very shirt wherein he lay day and night by occasion whereof he fell into the bloody flux and within fifteen days died in the stinking prison rendring up his soul to Christ for promoting of whose glory he had oft times manfully adventured it He never indeed felt those cruel torments which the Inquisitors used to inflict upon others but it was not because they regarded such a man of eminency as he was but because they intended to delay his punishment by keeping him long in prison not expecting that he should so suddenly have been taken out of their hands Yet did these Imps of Satan spread abroad a report that before his death upon the Rack he had confessed to them who were his disciples and this they did to make men come in and accuse themselves upon hope to finde the more favour with the Inquisitors They reported also that he opened one of his veins with a broken glasse whereof he died that so he might avoid the shame and punishment of his heresies And against the day of their solemn triumph his corps was taken out of his grave and set in a Pulpit with one hand resting on the Desk and holding up the other just as he used to do when he preached Then they passed sentence upon him and so afterwards caused him to be burned Thus we have seen in some few examples the rage of these bloody Inquisitors against the poor Saints and Servants of Jesus Christ whereof a great number were cruelly murthered in a few years space in that one City of Sivil whereby we may partly guesse how great numbers have suffered in all other places since the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ brake forth untill this day under their cruel and bloody tyranny Collected out of a book called The Discovery of the Spanish Inquisition c. First written in Latin by Reynold Gonsalvius Montanus and afterwards translated into English The Persecution of Nicholas Burton Englishman by the Inquisitors in Spain Anno 1560. THis Burton was a Citizen of London who being about his merchandise at Cadiz in Spain there came to his lodging one of the Familiars desiring to take lading to London in the ship which Burton had fraited and this he did that he might learn where his goods were Presently after came a Serjeant who apprehended Burâ—ton and carried him away to the Inquisitors who though they could charge him with nothing spoken or written against them since he came to Spain yet they sent him to the filthy common prison where he remained in irons fourteen dayes amongst Thieves In which time he so instructed the poor Prisoners in the Word of God that in short space he had well reclaimed many of those ignorant and superstitious souls which being known to the Inquisitors they presently removed him laden with irons from thence to Sivil and put him into the more cruel prison in the Castle of Triana where the Inquisitors proceeded against him after their accustomed cruel manner by racking c. Neither could he
Lords body but the people making a tumult carried him out of the Church in a croud and he had not gone far before he was apprehended by an Officer and carried to prison Then came divers Friars to reason with him and he stood to the trial of the Scriptures only which they refused During his imprisonment he wrote a consolatory letter to his wife exhorting her to bring up his children in the fear of God Being condemned he was commanded not to speak to the people being bound to the stake he prayed for his enemies and was first strangled and then burnt The same year there was at Dornick one Bertrand who to enjoy the freedome of his conscience went to Wesell but being desirous to draw his wife and children thither he went thrice to Dornick to perswade her to go with him yet could he by no means prevail with her Then did he set his house in order desiring her to pray that God would establish him in the work that he went about and on Christmas day he went to the great Church at Dornick and the Priest being at Masse when he was about to elevate the Host Bertrand took the cake out of his hand and trampled it under his feet saying that he did it to shew the glory of that god that they worshipped or rather what little power he had labouring to perswade them that the cake was not their Saviour At first the people stood amazed but presently they raised such a tumult that Bertrand hardly escaped with life The Governour hearing of it was exceedingly enraged and sent for Bertrand into the Castle asking him whether he was sorry for his fact and whether he would do it if it were to do again Bertrand answered That he would and if he had a hundred lives to lose he would lose them all in that quarrel Then was he thrice put to the rack and tormented cruelly to draw from him who were his setters on yet could they get nothing from him Then was he condemned and drawn from the Castle to the Market-place with a Ball of iron in his mouth There he was set upon a stage and had his right hand wherewith he did the fact crushed between two hot irons with sharp edges till the form of his hand was quite changed Then did they bring other red hot irons for his right foot which they used as they had done his hand which he with marvellous patience and constancy underwent putting out his foot of his own accord to them Then taking the ball of Iron out of his mouth they cut out his tongue notwithstanding which he continually called and cryed unto God which caused them to thrust in the ball of iron again Then was he let down in an iron chaine upon the fire and pulled up again and so they continued pulling up and letting him down till he was burnt to ashes which ashes they threw into the river From Locrane in Helvetia the Ministers were banished but were entertained by the Tigurines Two other good men born in Dornick went into divers reformâ—d Churches where they increased much in knowledge and godlinesse and at last resolved to return to Dornick to do what good they could in their own Country and it so fell out that on a day when many good people were gone to a wood to hear the Word of God preached to them by a Minister of Jesus Christ their Adversaries having intelligence of it followed them thither and took about thirty of them amongst whom were these two men who fell to singing of Psalms supposing that they should be presently burned but afterwards they were condemned to be beheaded and so they comfortably ended their lives Also divers godly men and women suffered Martyrdome at Valence amongst whom was James Faber an old man who when they argued with him about his religion said Though I cannot satisfie you by reasoning yet I can constantly abide and suffer for the truth of the Gospel Also one Godfride being condemned at Dornick for an Heretick Nay said he Not an Heretick but an unprofitable servant of Jesus Christ. When the Hangman would have strangled him to ease his pain in burning he refused saying that he would abide the sentence of death which was passed upon him Besides these there were both in the upper and lower Germany many others secretly made away some drowned some bured quick some murthered in prison c. A godly Minister was also poisoned by a Priest at Erford for preaching the truth of Christ Besides many others In the city of Lile the Gospel was secretly preached for three years together sometimes in houses then in woods fields and Caves of the earth not without hazard of their dearest lives if they had been discovered yet did not dangers cool the zeal of Gods people but what was preached was accordingly practised amongst them works of mercy and charity were their exercise not only towards those of the houshold of faith but towards those which were without also so as many by means hereof were drawn and brought to the knovvledge of Christ. This so enraged Satan and his instruments that Anno 1556 the time being come wherein God had given them power to try and exercise the faith of his people they neglected not to shew their cruelty upon them and for that end one night about ten of the clock the Provost of the City with his armed Sergeants made search to see if they could find any met together but by Gods Providence there was no meeting of Gods People at that time then went they to the house of one Robert Oguire which was a little Church for all in it both small and great were familiarly instructed in the knowledge and fear of God Being violently entred into the house seeking up and down for their prey they found certain books which they took away with them but Baudizon the son of Robert whom they principally sought after was not then at home being gone abroad to confer of the word with some of the brethren Before the Provost was departed Baudizon came home and knocked at the door Martin his younger brother who watched for his coming bade him presently to be gone but he thinking that he had mistaken him for some other continued knocking saying It is I open the door Then came the Sergeants and opened the door and laying hold on him said Ah Sir you are well met and with that the Provost arrested him in the Emperours name withall causing the Father Mother and two sons to be bound and so carried them away towards the prison As they went through the streets Baudizon said aloud Oh Lord assist us by thy grace not only to be prisoners for thy names sake but to confess thy holy truth in all purity before men so far as to seal the same with our blood for the edification of thy poor Church they were all
way to God and therefore he desired them to let him go and so he quietly slept in the Lord. Anno 1553. There was apprehended at Lions one Peter Bergerius who for his bold and constant confession was cast into prison and put into a dungeon where was a thief that had lain there seven or eight moneths who being in great pain and torment cryed out of God and cursed his Parents that begat him being almost eaten up with lice and fed with such bread as dogs and horses had refused to eat but it pleased Almighty God of his goodness through the instructions and prayers of Bergerius that he was converted and brought to the knowledge of the truth after which the very next day his lice which before extreamly abounded so went away that he had not one remaining and God so stirred up the hearts of good men that he was fed plentifully and that with white bread so that with much patience and joyfulness he bore his imprisonment and had great comfort afterwards in his soule About the same time three godly men were apprehended at Lions and being condemned for the truth when they were to be led forth to execution two of them had ropes put about their necks the third having served the King in his wars was favoured to have none whereupon he said to the Lieutenant that he also desired to have one of those precious chains about his neck in honour of his Lord the which being granted they all went singing to the fire where with much patience they yielded up their spirits unto God Not long after in the same place was apprehended one Matthew Dimonet who formerly had lived a most wicked life full of all filthiness and abominations he had been also a searcher out of the Professors of the Gospel and a great Persecutor of them yet at last it pleased God to shew him mercy and he was converted to the knowledge of the truth after which being apprehended and examined he made a stout profession of his faith and during his imprisonment he had great conflicts with the infirmity of his own flesh but especially with the temptations of his Parents kindred and friends yet the Lord did so strengthen him that he endured constant to the end At his burning he spake much to the people and was hearkned to with great attention Simon Laloe coming upon some occasions from Geneva into France was apprehended by the Bayliffe of Dyon by whom he was imprisoned and racked to force him to confesse what fellows he had but that not prevailing he was condemned to be burned At his death the Executioner seeing his great faith patience and constancy was so wrought upon therereby that he fell into great terrors of conscience so that he was neer to utter despair and all the promises of the Gospel could scarce comfort him yet at last through Gods mercy receiving comfort he with all his family removed to the Church of Geneva where he afterwards lived till his death Nicholas Naile carrying some good books to Paris was there apprehended and made a bold confession of the faith for which he was cruelly tormented sundry wise and racked all his joynts asunder and lastly being condemned when he was carried to the stake they put a gag into his mouth vvhich they tied in so hard vvith a rope about his head that blood gushed out of his mouth they also besmeared all his body vvith oyle and brimstone so that at the first taking of fire all his skin vvas shrivelled together vvhilst his invvard parts vvere untouched the cord being burnt in sunder and the gag falling out of his mouth he praised God in the midst of the fire till he yielded up his spirit unto God Peter Serre vvas at first a Priest but God of his mercy revealing his truth to him he vvent to Geneva and there learned the Shoomakers craft vvhereby he maintained himself and having a brother at Tholouse out of a singular love to his soule he vvent thither to instruct him his brothers vvife being not vvell pleased herevvith revealed it to one of her Gossips vvho informed the Officiall against him hereupon he vvas apprehended and carried before the Inquisitor to vvhom he made an excellent declaration of his faith and so vvas delivered to the Judge vvho asked him of vvhat occupation he vvas He said that of late he was a Shoomaker then did the Judge ask him of vvhat Occupation he had formerly been he said he had been of another formerly but he was ashamed to utter it or to remember it being the worst and vilest Science of all others in the world the Judge and people supposing that he had been some Cutpurse or thief were more importunate to knovv vvhat it vvas but shame and sorrovv so stopped his mouth that he could not declare it at last through their importunate clamour he told them he had been a Popish Priest this so incensed the Judge that he presently condemned him to be degraded to have his tongue cut out and to be burned vvhich vvas accordingly executed In the fire he stood so quiet looking up stedfastly to heaven at the time of his burning as if he felt no pain at all which caused wondeful admiration in the people and one of the Parliament said that it was not the best way to bring the Lutherans to the fire for it would do more hurt then good Anno 1554. There were two godly men with one of their sons and daughter going towards Geneva whom a Lieutenant overtaking by the way like a Judas he insinuated himself into their company pretended great favour to them and to that Religion which he said he supposed them to be of and so with fair words he circumvented them and drew out of them that they were Protestants and their wives at Geneva whither they were now travelling Then did he apprehend them and carry them to the Castle of Niverne During their imprisonment they were examined of many Articles to which they made a full and clear answer according to their faith after this they were racked extreamly for three houres together to force them to recant which they bore with admirable patience being therefore condemned as they went to execution the Officer bound a woodden crosse between their hands but they pulled it out with their teeth and threw it away whereupon their tongues were cut out notwithstanding which God gave them utterance so that they spake plain saying We bid sin the flesh the world and the devil farewel for ever with whom we shall never have more to do hereafter and much more to the like purpose When the Officer came to besmear them with brimstone and gunpowder they said Go to salt on salt on the stinking and rotten flesh and so persisting constant in the flames they finished their Martyrdome Anno 1557. Philbert Hamlin a Priest was through Gods
interpreted it and divers others can bear witness to the truth hereof and the Lord of the place laid it up among his rarities What now should Sion do but cry out under the cruel oppression of the Enemy Render unto them a recompence O Lord according to the works of their hands Lament 3.64 And indeed God began to revenge his peoples wrongs the fourth day after when they furiously assaulted Costena a Town four miles from Lesna where they were often repulsed stoutly by the Swedish Garrison and having suffered a great slaughter about five hundred of them being wanting they were forced to retire in great confusion The like also they met withall at Kalissia and other places being slain and put to flight by the Swedes Herein it hapned unto them much after the same manner as it did to Tilly formerly when he had ruined Magdeburg the God of vengeance manifesting himself the avenger of his people And now they begin to acknowledge and upbraid one another with their folly the Nobles in that they have spoiled their mart and treasury and the Clergy in that it is hapned otherwise than they intended For their purpose was utterly to ruine the Hereticks as they term them with their nest but now that they see the nest spoiled and the birds saved it is much more matter of grief and vexation than of joy to them For here God performed what he promised of old to Baruch I will give thee in the midst of thy Countryes ruines thy life for a prey Jer. 45.5 So God gave to thousands of his worshippers who were snatched out of the midst of those ruines their life for a prey having set bounds to the fury of the Devil which he could not pass as he did of old when he gave Job into his hands as to all that he had but so that he should spare his life Blessed be the name of the Lord. Truly we have cause to say with David Psalm 124. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul then the proud waters had gone over our soul Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us a prey to their teeth Our soul is escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowlers the snare is broken and we are escaped our help is in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth Oh the wonderfull providence of our God! which then saves when he seems to have forsaken and then makes alive where he seems to have killed We had been undone if we had not been undone We had been undone in our lives those furies gathering together soon after in far greater troops if we had not been undone in our estates which were left to them for a prey by our flight which the fatherly providence of God fore-seeing greater evils procured by sending that fright among us Blessed be the Name of the Lord again and again We notwithstanding with other afflicted ones in what Nation soever whom that proudest Babylonian flood of waters seeks to swallow up will not cease to cry How long O Lord wilt thou be angry with thy people How long shall thy jealousie burn like fire O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us c. Psalm 79. And with the souls of those that were slain for the word of God that lie under the Altar of Christs merits for whose faith we are killed How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.9 10. The Delegates of these poor persecuted Protestant Churches coming over into England to move for a Contribution towards the relief of their distressed Brethren Published this ensuing Narrative The utmost Fury of Antichrist against the Protestants or Reformed Church of the Bohemian Confession in Poland set down in a brief but faithful Narrative and according to the truth of the matter THe Spouse of Jesus Christ she who in the Cradle was besprinkled with the blood of a Protomartyr hath alwayes brought forth into the world men like Abel or Stephen that so there might never be wanting to cry from the earth unto God and that the wounds of that Rose which lies among the Thorns of Persecution might not be concealed Every age and every year in each age and every moneth and day in each year hath produced new inundations of blood unto this day and yet the little flock of the Lord hath alwayes encreased under persecutions one while here another there shifting their seats and habitations While it pleased God by the means of Wicklef to kindle the light of the Gospel in Great Britain John Huss asserted the truth of Jesus Christ in the midst of thick darknesse of Popery in Bohemia many thousands being stirred up by God to receive it who despising all the cruelty of Tyrants received it with joy untill by Gods assistance they took rooting in the Kingdom and grew up into flourishing Churches In a short time after Antichrist breathing out his fury the Truth was banished out of Bohemia and the Confessors being driven out transplanted the Gospel into Poland where being favourably entertained by King Sigismond they in a short time encreased to so great a number that being little inferiour to the Papists they were able to boast of an equal authority and priviledges with them Hence it came to passe that the Kings at their Coronations were wont not only to promise but solemnly to swear protection to such as disagreed from the Roman Religion and therefore they proceeded not to open persecutions save only in those Cities where the Jesuits had seated themselves in power to wit Cracovia Posen Lublin Vilna c. where by their disciples and by stirring up the common people to fury the Churches of the Reformed Professors were a good while ago demolished and divers Ministers cruelly massacred Neverthelesse the malice of the Enemies being no whit allayed they were many ways afflicted first indirectly afterwards by pretences under colour of Law until those Churches being worn out by degrees and overthrown were not many years ago reduced to a very inconsiderable number especially when as in the Reign of the late King the Enemies being confident they might do any thing brought things to this passe at length that there were no more than twenty one Congregations remaining in the Greater Poland and those also ready to perish But among these twenty one remaining Churches the chief and as it were the Mother of them all was that of Lesna which was divided into three Congregations the Bohemian the Polonian and the German each of which had their own Pastors but the Communicants joyntly were about two thousand Therefore it was that this Church was in the first place exposed to the Enemies malice and of late designed
to the slaughter as well by reason of its being very much frequented and grown famous as also because of the Synod there usually celebrated as likewise a famous University and Printing-house and books frequently published to the world When therefore in the year 1655. the Swedish Army out of Pomerania drew near to the borders of Poland and the Nobility were summoned to Arms according to the custome of the Countrey it came to passe that the Papists brake forth into many furious expressions crying out That the Hereticks had invited the Enemy and therefore they were first of all to be put to the sword and extirpated which reports though most falsly scattered abroad for the searcher of the heart and the reins knoweth that we never so much as dreamt of it yet they easily found credit among the sworn Enemies of the Gospel who sought nothing more than our ruine Hereupon they who first consulted to agree with the Swedish Army being terrified by its power concluded about the surrender of all Great Poland into the Kings protection and namely the Royal Cities of Posen Calissen Meserick c. to which also Lesna was expressely added In a little time after they endeavoured to cast off the Swedish Yoke and turned their Arms not against the Swedes but first against our Evangelical Professors as conspiring with the Swedes upon the account of Religion and none of them scrupled to take revenge upon them They first of all set upon those of Lesna with resolution of putting all to the sword and destroying that Heretical City by fire and they had effected both unlesse God had by sending some persons before who by signifying the coming of the Enemy and with what intent they came had possest the Citizens with a Panick fear so that leaving all their Estates they every man fled and thus within the space of one hour a most populous City abounding with all manner of wealth was left without Inhabitants who in a miserable condition wandered then into the neighbouring Woods and Marishes into Silesia But the Polish Nobility with their Army entring the City did what they pleased slaying a number of decrepit old people and sick persons that were not able to save themselves by flight then the City it self was first plundred and afterwards so destroyed by fire for three dayes together that no part of it remained beside rubbish and ashes In what manner they would have handled the Citizens especially their Pastors they shewed by their heroick actions performed in other places by the most savage slaughtering of divers Ministers of the Church and other faithful Members of Christ of both Sexes for of all that they laid hold on they gave not one man quarter but very cruelly put them to death with most exquisite tortures They endeavoured to force Master Samuel Cardus Pastor of the Church of Czuertzinen to renounce his Religion after they had taken him and miserably handled him with all manner of cruelty but he stoutly resisting they first put out his Eyes and led him about for a spectacle then they pulled off his Fingers-ends with pincers but he not yet condescending to their mad Fury they found out a new kinde of torment poured molten Lead into his mouth and at length while he was yet half alive they clapt his Neck between folding Doors and violently pulling them together severed his Head from his Body They took John Jacobides Pastor of the Church of Dembnick and Alexander Wartens his Colleague and another that was in company with them as they passed through the Toun of LUBIN and hurrying them up and down for divers hours and grievously handling them after the manner of Tyrants then last of all cutting their Throats with a Razor threw them headlong while they were yet breathing into a great pit which had been before-hand prepared for their Martyrs and stifled them by casting down Dung and Dirt upon them They a great while pursued Andrew Oxlitius a young man designed for the Ministery whom after long seeking they at last found in the open field and in the end having taken him they cut off his Head with a Sithe chopping it into smal pieces and the dead carcase also they slasht in a barbarous manner The same fate befell Adam Milta a Citizen of Lesna but they more grievously handled an old man of above seventy whose name was Simon Priten and many others whose names it were too tedious to relate Of that barbarous execution which they did upon the weaker Sex there were besides other examples horrid Trophies of Cruelty erected in the said City of Lesna a pious Matron there who was the mother of three children not being able quick enough to leave the City and being slain in the open street they cut off her hands feet cutting off her childrens heads they laid two of them at her breasts and the third by her side In like manner another woman having her hands and feet cut off and her tongue cut out being inclosed and bound in a Sack lived the space of two dayes making most miserable lamentation Grief forbids us to adde more for they behaved themselves so furiously towards us that there remains not an example of any one man saved of all those that happened to fall into their hands It is notoriously known how that fury of theirs tyrannized also over the dead some they dragg'd out of their graves and cut in pieces as at Zichlin others they exposed naked for a publick Spectacle as at Lesna of which outragious action we had an example even in the dead body of the most Serene Landgrave of Hassia which was drawn out of the grave who was heretofore slain in a most barbarous and tyrannical manner at Koscian but buried by our Friends at Lesna The like was acted also upon the Body of the most Noble Arciszevius heretofore the valiant Admiral of the Hollanders in Brazile which was likewise dragg'd out of the grave and being stript of the grave-clothes was found after the firing of Lesna There are divers other examples which the Christian Reader may finde in the Book Entituled Lesnae Excidium faithfully written and lately set forth in print but they are such examples onely as are commonly known for who is able to relate all things in particular as burning men alive drowning others with stones tied about their necks c. Now Lesna being destroyed the fury of the Enemy proceeded to the persecutions of others they in a short time utterly demolished all our Congegations not onely driving away the Pastors but also either burning or leaving most of the Temples desolate as at Karmin Dembnick Skochy Czriuczin c yea and the Auditories themselves were either slain as in the Town of Skochy where there was a very flourishing Church of the Bohemian Exiles Sixty persons both men and women were cruelly put to death or else they were scattered abroad so that there remained not one place wherein the Worship of God may be celebrated Lo