punishment for the truth which I have professed I esteem not of this world nor the treasures of it more than for my necessary uses and the rest to bestow in the propagation and maintenance of the Gospel And I beseech God daily upon my knees for my wife and children that they may all continue in this quarrel even to the death And when he came to his execution he patiently and comfortably slept in the Lord. At the same time there was also brought forth one John Gonsalvo formerly a Priest but by his diligent study of the Scripture it pleased God to reveal his truth to him so that he became a zealous Preacher of it labouring in all his Sermons to beat into mens minds the true way and means of our Justification to consist in Christ alone and in stedfast faith in him for which he was apprehended and cast into prison where he endured all their cruely with a Christian courage At last with two of his Sisters he was condemned His mother and one of his brothers were also imprisoned with him for the truth and executed shortly after When he with his sisters went out at the Castle gate having his tongue at liberty he began to sing the 106. Psalm before all the People who had oft heard him make many godly Sermons He also condemned all hypocrites as the worst sort of People Whereupon they stocked his tongue Upon the stage he never changed countenance nor was at all daunted When they all came to the stake they had their tongues loosed and were commanded to say their Creed which they did chearfully when they came to those words The holy Catholick Church They were commanded to adde Of Rome but that they all refused whereupon their necks were broken in a trice and then 't was noised abroad that they had added those words and died confessing the Church of Rome to be the true Catholick Church There was in Sivil a private Congregation of Gods people most of which the Inquisitors consumed in the fire as they could discover any of them amongst others that were apprehended they took four women famous above the rest for their holy and godly conversation but especially the youngest of them who was not above one and twenty years old who by her diligent and frequent reading of the Scriptures and by conference with godly and learned men had attained to a very great measure of knowledge so that whilst she was in Prison she non-plus'd and put to shame many of those Friars that came to seduce her Another of these women was a grave Matron whose house was a School of vertue and a place where the Saints used to meet serve God day and night but the time being come wherein they were ripe for God they together with other of their neighbours were apprehended and cast into prison where they were kept in dark dungeons and forced to endure all the cruel and extream torments which are before mentioned At last they were condemned and brought forth to the scaffold amongst other Prisoners The young maid especially came with a merry and cheerful countenance as it were triumphing over the Inquisitors and having her tongue at liberty she began to sing Psalms to God whereupon the Inquisitors caused her tongue to be nipped by setting a Barnacle upon it After sentence read they were carried to the place of execution where with much constancy and courage they ended their lives Yet the Inquisitors not satisfied herewith caused the house of the Matron where the Church used to meet to be pulled down and the ground to be laid waste and a pillar to be erected upon it with an inscription shewing the cause There was also apprehended another worthy member of the same Congregation called Ferdinando he was of a fervent spirit and very zealous in doing good A young man but for integrity of life very famous He had spent eight years in educating of youth and had endeavoured to sow the seeds of Piety in the hearts of his Scholars as much as lay in him to do in a time of so great persecution and tyranny being at the last apprehended for a Lutheran he was cast into prison and terribly tormented upon the Jeobit and in the Trough whereby he was so shaken in every joynt that when he was taken down he was not able to move any part of his body yet did those cruel tormentors draw him by the heels into his prison as if he had been a dead dog But notwithstanding all his torments he answered the Inquisitors very stoutly and would not yield to them one jot During his imprisonment God used him as an instrument to recal and confirme a Monk who had been cast into prison for confessing the Gospel openly But by means of the Inquisitors flatteries and fair promises he had somewhat relented Gods Providence so ordering it that Ferdinando was cast into the same prison and finding the Monk wavering he rebuked him sharply and afterwards having drawn him to a sight of and sorrow for his sinne he at last strengthned him in the promises of free grace and mercy Hereupon the Monk desired a day of hearing where before the Inquisitors he solemnly renounced his recantation desiring that his former confession might stand whereupon the sentence of death passed against them both after which the Inquisitors asked Ferdinando whether he would revoke his former heresies to which he answered That he had professed nothing but what was agreeable to the pure and perfect Word of God and ought to be the profession of every Christian man and therefore he would stick to it to the death Then did they clap a Barnacle upon his tongue and so they were burned together There was also one Juliano called The little because he was of a small and weak body who going into Germany was there conversant with divers learned and godly men by which means he attained to the knowledge of the truth and became a zealous Professor of it and earnestly longing after the salvation of his Countreymen he undertook a very dangerous work which was to convey two great dry Fat 's full of Bibles printed in Spanish into his own Countrey In this attempt he had much cause of fear the Inquisitors had so stopped every Port and kept such strict watch to prevent the coming in of all such commodities but through Gods mighty protection he brought his burden safely thither and which was almost miraculous he conveyed them safe into Sivil notwithstanding the busie searchers and catch-poles that watched in every corner These Bibles being dispersed were most joyfully and thankfully received and through Gods blessing wrought wonderfully amongst Gods people to ripen them against the time of harvest But at last the matter broke out by the means of a false brother who going to the Inquisitors played the Judas and betrayed the whole Church to them So that there
sent me He hearing these things first as in a maze stood still lost his courage cast down his weapons then trembled and vvept bitterly and coming to the old man he embraced him with many tears only his right hand he kept hid and covered Then the Apostle after he had promised and assured him that he should obtain pardon of our Saviour falling upon his knees he prayed for him kissing his murthering right hand vvhich for shame he durst not shevv before and then brought him back to the Congregation where he fasted and prayed continually for him comforted and confirmed him with many Scripture-promises and left him not till he had restored him to his former Office and made him a great example of Gods Mercy to repentant sinners In this Persecution Simeon Bishop of Jerusalem after many torments was crucified to death and an innumerable company of Martyrs suffered for the like testimony of the Lord Jesus amongst whom vvas Flavia the daughter of Flavius Clemens a Roman Senator and Consul vvho amongst many others vvas banished into the Isle of Pontia This Lavv also vvas made by the Roman Senate Non debere demitti Christianos qui semel ad tribunal venissent nisi propositum mutent that Christians should not be let go that vvere once brought before the Tribunal seat except they renounced their Religion Yea that vvhich stirred up the Emperor more to persecute the Christians vvere those abominable lies and malicious slanders raised against them by the Heathen Idolaters as that they were a people that lived in incest that in their nightly meetings putting out the Candles they ran together in all filthy manner that they killed their ovvn Children and used to eat mans flesh that they vvere seditious and rebellious and refused to svvear by the fortune of Caesar and vvould not adore his Image in the Market place and in brief that they were pernicious to the Roman Empire yea whensoever any thing happened amiss to the City of Rome or to her Provinces either by famine pestilence Earth-quakes Wars unseasonable Weather c. it vvas presently imputed to the Christians Besides also there vvere a number of vvicked Promoters and Accusers that for lucre's sake to have the possessions of the Christians accused and persecuted them to the death Also vvhen the Christians vvere brought before the Magistrates they gave them an Oath requiring them to declare the truth vvhether they vvere Christians or no and if they confessed then by the Lavv sentence of death vvas passed against them Yet vvere not these Tyrants content by death to destroy their bodies but the kinds of death vvere divers and horrible vvhatsoever the cruelty of mans vvitty and vvicked invention could devise for the punishment of mans body vvas practised against the poor Saints of God Imprisonments Stripes Scourgings Rackings Tearings Stoning plates of iron burning hot laid to the tenderest parts of their bodies deep Dungeons strangling in Prisons the teeth of wild Beasts Gridirons Gibbits and Gallows Tossings upon the Horns of Bulls c. And when they were thus killed their bodies were laid on heaps and dogs left to keep them that none might come to bury them neither could any prayer or entreaty obtain leave that they might be interred Notwithstanding all which horrible punishments the Church of Christ daily increased being deeply rooted in the Doctrine of the Apostles and Apostolical men and watered plenteously with the blood of the Saints Also in this persecution Protasius and Gervasius were martyred at Millaine Timothy was stoned to death at Ephesus by the Worshippers of Diana Dionysius Areopagita was slain with the sword at Paris c. CHAP. IX The third Primitive Persecution which began Anno Christi 108. DOmitian being slain by some of his own servants Nerva succeeded him who was a good and mercifull man stayed the persecution against the Christians called them home from banishment so that the Church enjoyed peace in his time but he reigning only thirteen moneths Trajan a Spaniard succeeded him who in the tenth year of his reign raised the third persecution against the Church which was far more cruel then either of the former inasmuch as Plinius Secundus an heathen Philosopher seeing the lamentabte slaughter of the Christians moved with pity he wrote to Trajan concerning the same that whereas there were many thousands of them daily put to death there were none of them which did any thing contrary to the Roman Laws worthy of persecution saving that they used to gather together in the morning before day and sing Hymns to a certain God that they vvorshipped called Christ in other things they were godly and honest and for proof hereof saith he I caused two Maidens to be laid on the rack and with torments to be examined about the same but finding nothing in them but only lewd and immoderate superstition I resolved to surcease further enquiry till I received further instructions from you about this matter c. Trajan having read this Epistle returned answer that it was his mind that the Christians should not be sought after but if they were brought and convicted that then they should suffer execution whereof Tertullian speaking saith O confused sentence He would not have them sought for as men innocent and yet would have them punished as men guilty Now though upon this act the rage of the persecution was somewhat abated yet many evil disposed men and cruel Officers there were vvhich ceased not to afflict the Christians in divers Provinces especially if any commotion was raised in any of them then presently were the Christians blamed for it Trajan sent a command to Jerusalem that whosoever could be found out of the stock of David should be enquired for and put to death hereupon some Sectaries of the Jewish nation accused Simeon the son of Cleophas to come of Davids line and that he was a Christian of which Accusers it happened that some of them were taken to be of the stock of David and so most righteously were executed themselves who sought the destruction of others In this Persecution suffered Phocas Bishop of Pontus whom Trajan because he would not sacrifice to Neptune caused to be cast into a hot lime-kilne and afterwards to be put into a scalding bath where he ended his life in the cause of Christ As also Sulpitius Servilianus and Nereus and Achilleus suffered Martyrdom in Rome Sagaris in Asia Then also Ignatius Bishop of Antioch was apprehended and sent to Rome where he was devoured of wild beasts and besides these many thousand others After the death of Trajan succeeded Hadrian who continued this third persecution against the Chrstians at which time Alexander Bishop of Rome with his two Deacons as also Hermes and Quirinus with their families suffered Martyrdom Also about this time Zenon a noble man of Rome with above ten thousand more were slain for Christs sake Also
the wilderness Thither came two Arrian Earls and with great subtilty sought to withdraw them from their stedfastness saying What mean you to be so obstinate as not to obey the Kings Laws whereas by complying with him you may be preferred to honour Then did they all cry out We be Christians we be Catholicks we believe and confess the Trinity in Unity Hereupon were they shut up in a grievous prison Many mothers also voluntarily followed their little children much rejoycing that they had born Martyrs Others sought to draw them to rebaptization by the Hereticks but through Gods grace they could not prevail As they passed on the way travelling more by night then by day because of the excessive heat a woman hasted after them leading in her hand a little child encouraging him saying Run Sirra seest thou all the Saints how merrily they go forwards and hasten to their Crown One of the company rebuked her and asked her whether she went To whom she answered Pray for me I go with this little boy my nephew to the place of banishment least the enemies finding him alone should seduce him from the way of truth into the way of Error The enemies being more enraged because of their constancy when they came to their lodgings penned them up in narrow places Then was denied to them all the comfort of access of their friends for permitting whereof formerly their Keepers had been beaten with staves These blessed Saints were tumbled one upon another as grains of corn neither could they have means of stepping aside to ease nature so that the stink of their excrements exceeded their other pain Then were they brought forth their garments heads and faces besmeared with dirt in a pitifull manner and by the clamorous Moors they were hastened forward in their journey yet they went singing with great joy unto the Lord Loe This honour have all his Saints Then came to them the blessed Bishop Cyprian who to their singular consolation comforted every one of them with fatherly affection and with streams of tears was ready to lay down his life for the brethren and would fain have accompanied them if he might have been suffered He bestowed all that he had amongst them for which he afterwards suffered imprisonment and much hard-ship and at last had his hearts desire in being banished There came great multitudes from sundry Countries and Cities to behold these servants of God and many casting their Children at their feet cryed thus To whom will you leave us wretches whilest you go forward to your Crown Who shall baptize our infants instruct and administer the Sacraments to us our hearts serve us well to go with you if we might But now none were suffered any more to go with them for their comfort but they were pressed forwards and made to run When any of the aged or tender Children fainted they were first punched forwards with staves Then were the Moors commanded to tie ropes to the feet of such as were unable to go and to hail them thorow the rough places so that first their garments were rent then their flesh and their heads were dashed against the sharp edges of rocks whereby very many of them died The rest that were stronger came at last to the wilderness where like beasts they had barly given them for their food there were also abundance of venemous serpents and scorpions in that place whose sting was deadly yet thorow Gods great Providence none of these servants of Christ gat any hurt thereby Hunrick in the seventh year of his reign directed his Mandate to Eugenius Bishop of Carthage and told all other Bishops in Africk that they should by such a day meet at Carthage to defend by disputation their faith against the Arrian Bishops but withal by the tenour of the decree they perceived that he would not suffer any of them to live within his dominions which caused great heaviness amongst them Eugenius returned answer that since it was the common cause of all the Christian Churches it was but equal that Bishops out of other Countries should be requested to be there present also and this he did not because they suspected their own abilities to defend the truth but because he knew that strangers might use more liberty of speech then they could and that other Bishops might be witnesses of their sufferings but this request did but more enrage this unreasonable Tyrant The appointed day approaching many Bishops resorted to Carthage worn out with afflictions and sorrows yet for many days after their coming there was no mention of disputing till in the mean time the King had singled out the learnedest and skilfullest of them that by sundry Calumniations he might make them away Amongst whom was Laetus a stout and learned man whom he first imprisoned and then burnt him in the fire that so he might strike a fear into the rest At last the Disputation began and the Orthodox to avoid tumult chose out some to answer for all the rest The Arrians placed themselves upon lofty Thrones whilest the Orthodox stood below upon their feet Whereupon they said Conference is to be taken in hand not where proud superiority of power bears sway but where by common consent the Disputants upon equal tearms debate the controversies that truth may come to light c. Then were all the Catholicks commanded to have an hundred stroaks a piece with a cudgel given them for this speech Whereupon Eugenius said The Lord from heaven behold the violence which we suffer and consider the tribulation which we sustain from our persecutors Then did the Orthodox Bishops desire the Arrians to propound what they intended But the Arrian Bishops seeing them ready to dispute with them sought out tergiversations and declined the dispute Hereupon the Orthodox drew forth a declaration of their faith excellently well penned and exhibited it with this Protestation If you be desirous to know our belief the faith which we hold is herein comprised The Arrians stormed exceedingly at this giving them outragious language and presently by false Calumnies they accused them to the King and so incensed him that by an Edict in one day he caused all the Christians Churches through Africk to be shut up giving to the Arrians all the goods and Churches of the Orthodox Then did he command that all those godly Bishops that were met together at Carthage should be spoiled of all that they had in their lodgings and so driven out of the City-gates having neither servant nor beast nor garment to sâ—ift them in left unto them and all men were forbidden either to harbour them or give them any sustenance the King threatning to burn him and all his family that should relieve them The Bishops being thus turned out lay in the open fields round about the Wals and when the Tyrant went forth to the fish-ponds they met him saying Why are we so