there amonge them enie that lacked Likewise They continued euerie day with one accord in the temple praisinge God and giuinge thankes beefore all the people In this Church Congregation and fellowship were the Apostels of our Lorde and his threscore and ten disciples Ioseph of Arimathie Barsabas or Barnabas Nicodemus with other woorthie men moe but cheifly the holy and vndefiled virgin Marie mother of the Lorde Iesus Christe with diuerse other vertuous and deuout wemen whose vertue and renoume is disciphered in the Euangelicall history In this Church there were no diuisions no schismes and the numbre of them that béeléeued was aboue fiue thousande To conclude there was no Church in the Earth more excellent holy perfect or more acceptable to God. Howbeit god which suffred his owne sun to bée crucified suffred also this holy Church to fall into sutch afflictions and so general a persecution as we haue declared béefore And who is now so wicked and curious the in respect of this persecution dare step foorth and dispute against God and question with him wherfore he suffred his dearly beloued frends to bée so gréeuously afflicted whiche had deserued much better and so many good godly persons amonge whom christes mother was one whose most pure hart the sharp sword of sorow and heauines had perced through why likewise god gaue vnto the faithlesse Iewes hipocrites so great power ouer godly and iust men why raught he not his helpynge hand to his Church to help it causing the neither Steeuen should bée stoned neither the Church beinge spoyled of their goods be made poore or banished nether they which liued in sutch concorde togither with great sorow so miserably bée plucked a sundre and scatred abroad It pleased God it should be so who is the eternal wisdom doth no vniust thing And that which pleased God pleased also the holly Church which nether murmoured neither disputed agaynste the lord but receaued persecution willingly and by the grace of God endured it paciently knowyng and beléeuing that God who was omnipotent and mercifull would so moderate the persecution that it should tende to the commoditie of the Church as it also came to pas In the same minde it béehoueth all the faythfull to bée in all maner persecutions and patiently to submit themselues to the pleasure of God. Mutchlesse héerby may the reasoning of somme men take place who gather out of persecutions that if the doctrine were true and faith right God would ayde them and not deliuer theÌ„ ouer into their power y are altogether out of y way concernyng doctrine and béeléefe For in the persecution of the primitiue church these men as apperteinyng to y body had the victorie whose faith was false and they y were soundly persuaded suffred persecution were driuen away slain which slaughter calamity notwithstaÌ„ding dyd nothing in damage the true faith And in our age also the case standeth none otherwise neyther for the persecutions which the Churche induereth the faith and doctryne therof is lesse to be regarded or worse therfore to be iudged The true faith and doctrine dâ—pend vpon no victory but onely vpon God and his worde Of the fourth Tragical Acte or persecution in which Saincte Iames the Apostle was slayne and Peter cast into Prison Chapter iiii ABout the yeare of Christe 45. Herode surnamed Agrippa sunne to Herode the great brother to Antipas moued the fourth persecution against the Churche wherof Luke speaketh in the Actes the. 12. Chapter There he declareth how Herod had decréed to molest certen of the Churche that he had alredy slaine with the sword Iames the brother of Iohn the Euangelist who also was one of the three whome the lord vsed most familiatly and to whom hee opened his secretes and not content with this cruell déed procéeded farther and call Peter into prison to the intent to put him also to death And because these twaine were the cheefest amonge the Apostles the whole Church was strooken in great sorowe and heauines for this persecution and specially Iohn who was mutch greeued for his brothers death The Church feared also least they should lease their faithfull pastor Peter as they had doone Iames wherfore Luke writeth that dayly they powred foorth prayers vnto God for Peter which prayers were not without effect For the Angell of the lorde came into the prison to Peter and deliuered him out of y souldiours hold losed his theines bandes opened the iron gate and set him at libertie in the open streete from whence by â— and by hee departed out of Ierusalem This great affliction the Church indured pacientlye neither murmured against Christ expostulatyng with hym why he gaue vnto Herod that wicked verlet sutch power against his dearly-beloued ones why he suffred his whole Church and specially Iohn his best beloued of all the Disciples to be touched with such heauenesse why he deliuered not Iames as he dyd Peter they knew that God dyd nothing rashly nor without cause but euery thiÌ„g wel rightly Wherfore the faithfull in persecutions must likewise be semblably persuaded For if euer men had nede to make their complaynt to God then had they néede neuerthelesse there were heard no complaynts no murmurings but earneste and humble praiers Wherfore in aduersitie let the faithful flie vnto God in praier requiring his grace y hée would gouerne al thing to y glory of his name and vnto our saluation and whatsoeuer he doth that wée submit our selues willingly to his holy will and pleasure Moreouer no man in the Primitiue Church called the doctrine of y Apostles into question because Iames was slaine with the sword and Peter cast into prison For none of them said thus if the apostles doctrine were true iust God would not haue suffered them to haue bin oppressed of y kings which erred in the faith leadyng also a filthy and wicked lyfe Therefore at this day lykewise the doctrine of the Gospell is not to be doubted of for that the teachers and followers therof are by the Lorde delyuered ouer into the enemies hands of the Gospell and miserably and cruelly by them intreated for the truth notwithstandyng is euerlasting inuincible Paul in the same cause writeth that he was afflicted for the gospel euen vnto hands but y word of god was not bouÌ„d The cause that stirred Herod to persecute the church was his owne peruerse minde which lothed christ his word Moreouer the Iewes gréedely thirsted the Apostles bloud wherfore Herod to currie fauour with them shed y bloud of the Apostles This Luke witnesseth in these words And when he saw this namely when he had slain Iames with y swoord to be acceptable to the Iewes hee proceeded also to apprehende Peter meaning after Easter to bringe him forth to the people Like as in our age many princes do persecute the faithfull for none other cause but that with their cruel butcherous Tragedies they might gratefie those Fathers
kigdoms of Iuda Israel it mai be known by the tyrannical déeds of Saul Abner Iereboam Athalia such lyke And in our age manie of the clergie and ecclesiasticall ordre hauinge obtained great honours do feare least their glory pompe ritches pleasures prefermentes and honours should decay if the Gospell were fréely preached Sutche therfore for their kingdome and pleasures with Herod oppose themselues against Christe and his woord and are not stroken with horrour in eggynge foorth vnto or executinge a cruell déede so that themselues may lurke safe and quiet in their neastes To conclude like as this gréeuous and cruell persecution of Christe béegan immediatly after his incarnation by slaughter of the innocent babes so is there nothing that the churche of Christe must looke for vntill the last iudgment but persecutions Of the second Tragical Acte or persecution wherein Iohn the Baptist was beheaded Jesus Christ the Sunne of God crucified and his Disciples dispersed Chapter ii THe second persecution began at one time with the preaching of the Gospell Iohn the Baptiste firste preached the Gospell as S. Marke witnesseth writting how that the Gospell of Jesus Christe the Sun of God began so as it was foretold by the prophets namely by the forerunner of of Christ who prepared his waies and made the mindes of men apt and ready to receaue Christe Whiche Iohn the Baptist pointed vnto Christ as it were with his finger testefinge that he was the Lambe of God that shoulde take away the sinnes of the world The same exhorted men to beléeue in Christe and sent his disciples from him to Christe as vnto him in whome dwelled al fulnesse and through whom only the way was open vnto euerlastinge life affirminge that hée was the verie Sunne of God into whose hande the father committed all thinges and whosoeuer béeléeued in him should haue euerlastinge life and whoso béeleeued not vppon him remained the wrath of god Therewith also he sharply rebuked the vices of men exhortinge all to repentance pronouncinge vnto the impenitent and vnbéeléeuinge the wrath of God and destructioÌ„ to hang ouer them These are meÌ„tioned by the Euangelistes Mathew 3. chap. Iohn 1. and. 3. chap. and Luke 3. chapter For this doctrines sake when as manie hated John and his disciples and specially the high byshoppes and priestes who by messengers sent vnto him required an accoumpt of his doctrine endeuoringe to stoppe and hindre him from that function Afterwarde when he had rebuked Herode called Antipas of incest which was sun to Herod surnamed the great that slew the children for the same Antipas had taken away his owne brother Philippes wife and his daughter and kept her openly for his owne wife when as I say hée had preached against that wicked déede mutch blaminge the filthines of the fact was by the sayd Herode apprehended and cast into prison Then on a time when Herod had made a solemne feast for his nobles and courtiars amonge his greate and manie cuppes beinge ouerséene and merie with wine promised large rewardes vnto Herodiadas the daughter a strumpet béecause shée had daunced in his presence where shée beinge instructed by the ould harlot her mother required the head of John the Baptist Herod although hée knewâ— John to bée a godly and holy man yet sending the executioner commaunded the innocent man without iudgment his cause beinge vnhearde shamefully and through tyranicall lust to bée slayn in the prison The daughter presented the Head of John to the incestuous harlot her mother in the feast and euen as shée was sitting at the table Which cruell déede what greife and sorow it brought to Johns disciples and al other godly men euerie faithfull man maye easely repute with himself Wherfore this persecution by Herode committed not only touched Iohn but was greenous also to the rest of the faithful Doubltesse suâ—ch carnall reasons as these are perplexed the mindes of manie that time why God suffred that man to be afflicted that was so dear vnto the Lorde and greater then whome there was none borne of a woman Why permitted hée him by incestuous persons so miserablye to bée slayne in prison and they the meane time drowned in riotinge drounkennes and dauncinge why hée suffred that holye head disdainfully to be touched and abused by the handes of a filthie harlot These thinges are straunge in the sight of men and the fact it self is horrible yet no wyse man ought to accuse God in permittinge the same which doth all thinge in iudgment and iustice yea if hée chaunce at these dayes to sée verteous and godly men miserably slayne by the vngodly and wicked and rereprochefully vsed thus hée reasoneth with himself if God could beehold it that so holy a man Gods freende the first minister of the Gospell should so dispightfully bée murthered in prison and his head also reprochfully handled wée ought lesse to merueyle if now like wise hée suffre the like to béefall to his fréences who are not yet in so great estimation and dignitie as John was But like as Johns cause was not therfore vniuste and Herodes iuste in that hee preuailed and oppressed and slew John in our age likewise their doctrine and faith which abide persecution and are wofully slayn for Christ and his woordes sake is not therfore the woorse nether the faith of the persecucions and murthers for that cause the better Semblably as there was none other cause that mooued Herod to this persecution and greeuous slaughter then that hée would not bée rebuked in his wickednes neither offend his bousinge mates and incestuous harlot so manie persecutions are raised by those that will not bée reproued for Idolatrie for their sins and wickednesse persecuting the innocent that they may please wicked men which prouoke them vnto it In the same age after John the baptist vnder Tyberius the Emperour our lorde Jesus Christ béegan to preache the gospel and to pronounce remission of sinnes and life euerlastynge through faith in him and also béegan sharply to withstande and speake against the false doctrin of the Teachers namely of the Pharises Scribes and preistes seuerely accusinge their hypocrisie couetousnes and other crimes warnings them also of the wrath of God which hunge ouer them and exhortinge moreouer all men to repentance Hée declared this doctrine and deuine power by sundrie wounders and miracles wherby it is set clere and vndoubted and as a man should say shewed with handes that hée was the sunne of the liuinge God the lorde that had power ouer satan sinne death and hell But the high bishops those Teachers or religious men as they call them which alonely ruled the roste and were of greatest auctoritie in the counsell of the Jewes the priestes likewise and Leuits acknowledged not Jesus as indéede he was to be the true Messias but they maliced him and laid waite to take away his life And at somtimes they called him Samaritane somtime they said hée
more at quiet Yet in respecte of this persecution which was great and lasted longe time wherin were destroied many thousand Christians y Christian religion ought not bée iudged false or worse to bée estéemed of or that the gentile and profane religion of the Romanes is righteous and sownd For throughout the whole world and in all ages the Christian religion is only true righteous and constant nether hath God doone amisse in giuinge the Ethnickes so great power against the faithfull For by meanes therof the Christian faith is nothinge diminished nether by punishment nether by sheadinge of blood but it is rather increased in all partes of the worlde wherfore it is not without cause amonge our forefathers growen into a prouerbe the field of Christ is dungged and made frutefull with Christians innocent bloud Wherfore let vs al likewise now be of good hope in midste of persecutions and sheadinge of miserable innocent Christian blood Of the. 9. Tragical acte or persecution which was vnder Antoninus Verus with his brother Lucius and what worthy men exhibited Apologies of the christian faith vnto the Emperours Chapter vii THe yere of Christ 170. and. 178. the Roman Emperours Marcus Antoninus Verus and his brother Lucius for none other causes then we haue aboue recited sharply persecuted al christians that generallye were vnder the Romane Empire This persecution Historicians call the fourth but I terme it the ninth The exacte description and at large therof whoso desireth to beehold let him reade the fourth and fift bookes of Eusebius ecclesiasticall historie In this persecution were slayn not only many of the Christian Church but also the moste famous and renowmed doctoure of that age who in teaching and writing set frooth the christian relygion enlarged it and defended it commendinge their doctryn with their most holly life and bearinge wytnes therto with theyr owne blood Among whom was Polycarpus Discyple to the apostles an extreme ould father and minister of the congregatyon at Smyrna whom they call the doctor of Asia and father of the Christians also the holye and paynfull Minister of christ Pionius both these with many monotable christians were burnt Lykewyse y most lerned and faythfull mynysters of Christ Iustinius a philosopher and Iraeneus Byshop of Lions in France whose bookes in defence of the christyan fayth agaynste all kyndes of errours and heresies are yet extant were slayne wyth the sword But chifly at Lions and Vienna in France nigh the riuer Rhodanus was very mutch cruelty and extremitie shewen This persecution is described by the ministers of Christe dwellynge at Vienna and Lions in an epistle vnto y brethren of the congregations of Asia and Phrygia let him read that list herof the foure first chapters of the firste booke of Eusebius ecclesiastical historie there among other thyngs they declare how Photinus bishop of Lyons a worthie man learned and holly and aboue foure score and ten yéeres old and therfore féeble of body but valiant of minde and without all feare was brought to the place of iudgement of whom when there was required an accoumpt of his fayth with a wounderfull courage hée professed Christe and the Christian faith wherfore hée was by the rashe furious people stroken buffeted spurned without al regarde of age or callyng reprochefully abused so y he was drawen backe agayne to the prison for dead where not longe after hée yéelded vp the ghost In the same place are singularly described y cruel torments wherwith the holy men were long time tormeÌ„ted as Maturus Sanctus and Blandina a woman of singular courage constancy in the true faith with Attalus borne of a noble race in faith more noble All these were slayne with most cruell and continuall tormentes bicause they would not yéeld one iote from the trueth They write moreouer how that the common raskall multitude in this persecution was so sauedge cruelly pricked foorth with anger and rage y they left nothyng vndone that appertayned to the most cruell and ignominious vsedge of them For they would not permit the bodies of sutch as were slayne in prison to bée honestly buried but cast them to dogges who if they left any thyng that they burned and threwe the asshes into Rhodanus these turmentours in the meane time criyng alowd as it is reported behold the Gods haue reuenged themselues on the enemies of the Ethnicke religion where is now their god what maner of faith and religion is this that spoyleth them thus of their liues Thus thei reioiced triumphed like conquerours y had defended and confirmed their owne religion and on th' other part the Christians remained in great sorow heauines and daunger Whoso desiereth to vnderstande more of this matter let him read it in Eusebius in the epistle aboue recited Moreouer there is set downe by Hermannus Contractus in his chronicles an whole catalogue of principall blessed martirs y suffred in this persecution Wherfore y which I haue often sayd I say againe is there any maÌ„ so simple and deuoyd of iudgment y dareth to say that the doctrine and religion of the holy Martyrs and witnesses of Christe was false bicause God deliuered them ouer into y handes of their enimies gentils and vnfaithful ether y their doctrine religion was tru and righteous bicause as apperteyninge to the body they vanquished slewe and oppressed the faithfull And who is so presumptious that he will dispute with God why hée suffreth his dearly beloued Church to bée cast down and â—roden vnder foote with so many afflictions and calamities But in this age the next following God through his grace raised euen among y gentiles worthie renowmed men learned holy wel disposed who offred vnto y Roman emperours to the Senate lieutenants bookes written with diuine instinct perspicuous and wise wherin they declared the innocencie of Christians confessing the faith of christ praising defendyng it shewinge also how falsly y christians were charged with notorious crimes y were layde against theÌ„ This kinde of writyng they terme Apologies In which apologies thei vttred such constancie and valientnesse of minde y thei durst also to discipher and disproue the errour vanitie of y Ethnick religion I minde to set downe in this place a catalogue and rehersal of al sutch as wrote Apologies I wil note also the time of doyng of al those things out of Eusebius y al men may perceaue how couragiously the Christian religion set foorth herself openly and without all feare in midst of persecutions glisteryng therin as it were the sunne howbéeit there whiles the vnfaythfull persecuted the same as heresy deceite and washing the Christians in their owne blood In the yere of Christ 119. Quadratus a graue and holy man preferred an Apologye or defence of the Christians vnto the Emperour Adrian After whom the yere of our Lord. 122. Seremus Granius one of the nobillytie of Rome wrote also and
in the yéere of Christe MDXIX béeinge the tenth Prince and fourth Emperour of the Turkes The same tooke Bellogradum or Alba Graeca a passing stronge Citie and the key of all Hungary which was in the yéere of Christe MDXXI After this in the yéere of our Lord. 1523 hée béesiedged the I le of Rhodes and compelled it to yéeld Then afterwarde in the yéere of Christe 1526 â–ª hée discomfited and slew Ludouick kinge of Hungarie with all his armie Againe in the yéere of our lorde 1529. hée brought an army into Austria béesiedged vienna the head of the cuntrey which although hée obtayned not yet hée woundrouslye indamaged the Region with fier spoylinges murther and captiuity of many thousand Christians whom hée caryed thence Beesides this in the yéere of Christe 1537. hée ouercame the Christians againe in Hungarie and did them verie mutch harme After whiche in the yéere of our Lorde 1541. hée tooke Buda the Metropolitan Cittie of all Hungarie and also the whole countrey But bicause all these thinges are fressh in the memories of men whiche were done within fiftie yéeres I thought it sufficient only to touch them and repete them For it is not vnknowne what greate harme hée did and what autragies hée committed in Hungarie about the time that he dyed which was in the yeere of oure Lorde M. D. lxvi when he tooke Ligethum where either hee slew or caried awaye as prisoners most part of the Christians whiche in deede were verie manie And now last of all what the Christians haue to looke for at the handes of Selimus the .ii. sonne to Solimannus the xi Prince of the discent of Othomannus and the fift Emperour of the Turkes who bega to reigne in y yeere of Christ M. D. LXVI the experience it selfe hath taught in the yéere of our Lorde M. D. LXX in which he tooke the noble Kingdome of Cypres slaying manye thousand Christians whom he had tormented and then slaine or carying theÌ„ awaye into perpetuall and most cruell seruilitie I suppose that in this place manie will marueile at this rehersall of the Sarracenicall and Turkish persecutions which are not of opinioÌ„ themselues that they should be accompted among persecutions but rather amoÌ„g warres wherof the reason and nature is farre otherwise sions are not excused that were infected with errours Semblably in these Sarracenicall and Turkish warres I haue applied the name of y Christian churche like as I admonished in y béeginning of this booke vnto all those that are called Christians whom the Turks for y names sake do persecute by reason of an hatred which they beare to the christian faith although many do much want of y simplicitie and puritie of the Christian religion neither by any meanes therby are the errours of the Romish Churche excused The thinges which first incensed the Sarracens and Turkes to commit these furious cruell tyranycall Tragedies these warres persecutions was cheifly the Diuell himselfe who is excéedingely delyghted with sheadynge of mans blood secondly the hatred of the trew Christian faith and a gréedye desier to rule farre and wide couetousnes to heaâ—e vp ritches and to liue sumptushoppes theretelye also a zeale and Rome Pope Cache wicked and false which be now at thâ— met with other causes which her after shalbée declared And this mutch I thought bréefly to set downe concerninge the Sarracenical and Turkish persecutions And it is to bée wisshed that all those which are Christians and would so bée named woulde soundly surely acknowledge that this gréeuous tyrany of the Turkes is a very true persecution laid vpon vs from aboue to sée if haply men would bée brought vnto wisdome wherby to embrace ernestlye the pure doctrine of Christe studeinge more to lead a Christian life then hetherto they haue doone for surely vnlesse wée do soe wée must néedes looke for farre woorse But now in these Sarracenicall and Turkish persecutions to returne vnto that whiche wée haue often admonished béefore I aske this question if ther bée any man of so small or froward discretion that dareth avouche that the Machometan religion is true and the Christian false bycause y followers of machomet in euerie place haue â—â— among perâ—â— oppressinge the ChrismoÌ„g warres whermously railinge at nature is farre otherwise And who dareth deney that all these religions and Churches which Saynt Paule the Apostle conuerted to the faith of Christe are now ouerturned and destroyed by that filthie and horrible Machometan beast and that the most impious froward faith of Machomet yea rather that lothesome abhomination is there established And who is so presumptious and deuoyde of all religion that bicause God of his iust iudgement permitteth the Turkes to commit so manie thynges which hée coulde easely prohibite will therefore dispute with God and demaunde of him wherfore hée suffreth so mutch bloud to bée shedde so many thousande Christians to bée slayne How hee can abyde so manie vnspeakable calamities miseries and afflictions of the godly and that so many hundred yéeres And why rather hee distroyeth not with Thundre and lightdiffeâ—â— from Heauen the impure and Churche of â—â—ire of the Turkes or caâ—shoppes thereoâ— â–ª to gape and swallow Rome Pope Carâ— abhomination But which be now at this â—e and great causes why God who is true holy and righteous suffereth and permitteth all these thinges Furthermore long sithens hée foretolde by Daniell the Prophete and Christe himselfe prophiseth in the Gospell that the last persecution before the later Iudgmente shoulde bée so sharpe and great that there was neuer the like vpon the earth ether heard or sene And I am of opinion that the final iudgment and the redemption of all the faithfull glorious clarification and blessed rewarding is not far of from vs Lorde Iesus Christe take pittie vpon thine aflicted Church and vouchsaue to comforte and helpe it in this latter cruell and moste rare kinde of persecution Of the. 20. and last Tragical Act or persecution which the Bishops of Rome haue moued and practized against the Chur 〈…〉 of Christ certen hundred 〈…〉 Chapter 〈…〉 THe Papistical pe 〈…〉 next to the 〈…〉 much the more daungerous how much the lesse it was to bée looked for and so much the more cruell because it is practized by those who of all other oughte moste to bée séekers of peace and quietnes and sutch as would bée accoumpted most soundest in relygion and most hollyest of all other in the Church as vnto whom Christe hath giuen all power in the Church that in matters of faith they may rule all thinges accordinge to their pleasure and to bée the head and vniuersall pastours ouer the Catholick church of Christe For all men knowe what titles the Pope and all his spirituall persons do boaste of But in the béeginninge of this booke wée haue declared that there bée sundrie vnderstandynges and distinctions not onely of faith and Religion but of the Church also ouer which the
Congregations vnto Christe The same is verye dillygentlye and copiously described in the Actes of the Apostles The Apostles preached then openlye the Gospell of Christe in Ierusalem only in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was crucified and raised from the dead in whom if they béeléeued was remission of sinnes life euerlasting that al men therfore ought to béeléeue in him bée baptized and ioyne in fellowship of the church repent and liue a godly lyfe looke for saluation in none other thinge for that there is none other name vnder heuen giuen to men wherein they may be saued but the name of Iesus Christe These Sermons the Scribes and Seniours at Ierusalem coulde not abyde wherfore thei laide hand vpon the Apostles and shut them vp in Prison and brought them before the counsel where quarreyling and chidinge with them they forbid them to preach this Gospell of Iesus christ But the Apostles frankly professing that in this behalfe by no meanes they might obey them but that God must rather be obeyed then men were neuertheles much and gréeuously thretned by the Magistrats elders Vpon occasion hereof the Church being strock with great heauines prayed hartely vnto God for coÌ„tinuance in the Gospell And when as the Apostles went forward constantly in teachyng and Christe effectually woorkinge in them confirmed the trueth of their doctrine with great miracles that a great numbre of men followed them so that the Churche was daily increased by thousandes then the magistrates officers setting vppon them a freshe cast the Apostles againe into prison intending to put them to death But by the intercession and meanes of Gamaliel the lawyer that was Pauls master they were delyuered but notwithstanding whipped and sharply forbidden that they should not preach the Gospel of Iesus Christ Who departing out of the counsell and Court praysed God that they were founde worthy to suffer reproch for his name Shortly after blessed Steeuen burning in the spirite of Christe and with great zeale disputing in the synagogs against the skilfull in the lawe and stoutly defendyng the doctrine of Christe was cast into prison and brought to arainement and falsly accused Who although he clered hymselfe with sufficient wise and graue reply yet it nothyng avayled him for hee was condemned to die and stoned to death There followed not long after a very vehement and sharp persecution of the christian Church described by Luke in the Acts of y Apostles by these words There â—rose about that time a greate persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem and they were al dispearsed through the Regions of Iudeae and Samaria sauinge the Apostles For Saul wasted the Churche entring into euery mans house haling forth Men and women deliuered them to prison Yea Paul himselfe concerning this his persecution against the church spake thus in presence of King Agrippa truli I was determined with my self to do many things against the name of Iesus of Nazareth VVherof partly I dyd somwhat at Ierusalem and many of the Saints I committed too Prison hauing receaued auctoritie of the cheef prists on whom also I gaue iudgment when they were executed I punished theÌ„ also in the Sinagogs compelling them to blasphem that is to denye the Christian faith whiche is a great blasphemie and raging against them aboue al measure I persecuted them vnto strange Cities Now as touching the cause that mooued Paule the Preistes and people of the Iewes to persecute the Church was almost none other but a sinister vnseasonable zeale affection which they bare for the lawe of Moyses and the ceremonies which being lead with errour they ment to retaine and preserue and could not therfore beléeue in christ nor his Gospel For thei supposed that thei should be iustified saued by righteousnes of the law Contrariwise the gospel teacheth vs y wee shal not be saued by works of y law but by faith in Christ At this stone y Iewes haue stumbled fallen perished as S. Paul witnesseth in these words I protest for them that they haue the zeale of god but not according to knowledge For beyng ignorant of the righteousnes before god and studeinge to establish their owne righteousnes they were not subiect vnto the righteousnes which is allowed of god For Christe is th' end of the law vnto the iustification of al that beleue Likewise in another place Israell whiche ensued the Lawe of righteousnesse attayned not to the lawe of righteousnes that is to say was not iustified because they sought it noâ— by faith but by workes of the lawe For they haue stumbled at the stumbling stone as it is written Beholde I lay a stumblyngstone and a rock to hurt and make men fall and who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed In this our age likewise and for the same very cause they aboue all other haue most vehemeÌ„tly and sharply persecuted the christian church y haue bin better men then the residew and lesse giuen to carnal affection Thei hate the Gospell and persecute the professours therof bicause they confesse ernestly defende that wée be iustified and saued by faith only in Christ and not by any woorkes Supposing y by this doctrine good woorkes are taken away and nothing regarded y men are made carelesse and stirred vp vnto wickednesse which is not to bée suffred in y churche But there is a far other vnderstanding in y question of good woorkes then thei either thinke or vtter nether are they coÌ„temned and naught set by although the glory of Iustification which apperteyneth vnto Christe only bée not ascribed vnto theÌ„ For vnto faith is iustification ascribed bicause the same dependeth on Christ only y Christe only may haue al y glory he alonly be our saluation and righteousnes as wée haue in another place declared more at large But beefore wee proceede anie farther let euerie man I béeseche yée weigh with himself how great and gréeuous this persecution was against the firste Church of Christe and how that they which were not slayn notwithstandinge receaued great sorowe through the death punishment and torments of their brethren that which Luke also hath not passed ouer with silence wrytinge after this maner The holly men caried foorth Steuen and made great sorrowe ouer him What and how great sorowe greife and miserie did they féele who although they were not slayne yet were they spoyled of all their gooddes driuen into banishment and brought to extreame pouertie and beggerie Heerewithall also let euerie man consider what Church it was that suffred so gréeuous persecution forsooth euen the most holly and moste perfecte Church of al. For of this Church Luke witnesseth writinge They were all filled with the holly ghoste And of al the multitude y beleued ther was one hart and one soule and no man called anie thinge that hee had his owne but all thinges were common amonge them nether was
all these things patiently and ouercame them and continued alwaies constant vnder y crosse The cause why the Iewes were enemies to Paul to y church surely was none other then y wherwith being before mooued they persecuted Christ y apostles as we haue declared before Moreouer hystories beare recorde that the twelue Apostles in all their life time and durynge the tearme of their administration in the gospel sustayned gréeuous afflictions and were all of them for Christe and his woords sake persecuted and put to death Although all writers doo not agrée of their kinds of death yet they al coÌ„stanly affirme y thei were miserably slain Peter and his brother Andrew were both crucified Iames the elder as wée haue shewen before was béeheaded by Herod surnamed Agrippa Whose brother Iohn the Euangelist the béeloued disciple of Christ only of them al is reported to haue died a naturall death Notwithstandyng hée was apprehended and brought bounde out of Asia to Rome and conuented béefore DomitiaÌ„ th'emperour and there as Tertullian writeth plunged ouer head and eares in hot boylinge oyle But after that the lorde graciously prouiding for him this cruell déede nothing indamaged his life hée was banished into y Isle Pathmos Phillip was nayled to a crosse there hangynge was stoned to death Barthelmew thei say was by his enemies most horribly flayne and afterward béeheaded Othersome say hée was burnt The enemies of Christe thrust Thomas through with a sworde and so as it is reported they dealt with Mathew Iames the younger the pastor doctor of the church of Ierusalem was throwne downe headlonge from an high place and afterwarde slayne beinge buffeted with stones vntill hée died Likewise both Apostles Simon and Iudas Thaddaeus ended their liues beinge by the heathen slain in a certen temple of Idols Some also say that Mathias was crucified others say hée was stoned and béeheaded Al these bare witnes of Christe not with their mouth and doctrine only but with ther blood also and for the trueth of the gospell which they preached were contented to die with wel willing and moste valient courage Now for as mutch as all the Apostles were slayn by the enimies of God who obtayned the souerainitye ouer them as apperteyninge to the bodye shall wée therfore say that superstitions of Gods enemies were right and the Apostles religion and doctrine false and erroneous who shall accuse God bycause hée deliuered not his seruantes from a reprochfull death but that hée gaue to the worst men in the whole worlde sutch power agaynst his holly Apostles Who although they were ministers of the trueth and innocent men yet were they put to death for the greatest enemies of God as malifactours and wicked persons for sutche were they accused to bée and therefore at this our age in the lyke cause wee must iudge so of their beléefe doctrine who ar shamefully executed for christs sake as indéede the trueth standeth in the sight of Christe ¶ Of the. 6. Tragicall Acte or persecutioÌ„ which was vnder Nero and of the seuenth which was vnder Domitian and of the eight vnder Vlpius Traian Emperours Chapter VI. PAulus Orosius an olde historician who liued in the time of Austine and wrote vnto hym seuene bookes of Storyes beginneth the recitall of the persecutyon of the Christian Churche from the persecution whiche Nero had moued which hée accounteth the first whose order the later Historicians also insued And we lykewise in describing the Tragedies persecutions committed against the Church wyll follow the same order as consequently they follow one another But since it is manifest y the fiue aboue recited persecutioÌ„s were before these as the scriptures do shew that which Orosius maketh the firste we make the sixt although the matter be of no great importaÌ„ce in this respect Orosius writeth that Nero firste that is to say among the Roman Emperours gaue forth commaundement that at Rome and in al other prouinces belonging to the Roman Empire the Christians shoulde bee molested and slayne And y this was his determination to roote oute the Christian faith all Christians wheresoeuer they were The causes that moued Nero to persecute y Christians are not so dilygentlye set downe by christian historicians as they are by prophane writers Suetonius Tranquillus in the lyfe of Nero and Cornelius Tacitus in the. 15. booke of the lyues of the Emperours Nero y emperour was y sinke of al beastly sinfulnesse fulnesse chiefly of lechery and vnspeakable incest defilyng himselfe against al course of nature so y in all Histories of you shal not finde his match This horrible wickednesse he openly committed at Rome without al shame in sight of y Senate and people But there was no man that durste speake against hym mutch lesse to reproue him or assay to punish hym but euery man winked at hym the most filthy beast in the meane time doyng what he list Wherfore God being offended with the citie of Rome punished it with fire as he did Sodome Gomorrha euen by Nero himself when as for his Sodomitical beastlinesse hée deserued to be burned himself And séeing Rome winked at his naughtinesse and did not y which it ought to haue done the horryble Sodomite Nero caused the citie to be set on fire For being certen places in the cittie wherewith Nero mislyked and the streates and passadges there verye narrow he caused the houses to be sette on fire that after they were brent they might be builded againe more faire and sumptious He himselfe beheld the fire out of Mecoenas tower saying that he much desired to se the burning of Troy which he beheld now som what resembled by that burning of the citie singing therwhiles the destruction of Troy and delighting himselfe with beholdyng the great fire Suetonius reporteth that from that time that Rome was firste built it neuer sustayned so much hurte by fire for it continued alwayes burnning the space of six dayes and so manye nights The same is also diligentlye described by Tacitus But when the fire through the wrath of God had brent farther then Nero had thought it shoulde and indamaged the Citie with an vnrepayrable losse and hinderaunce the citizens which had sustained so great harme were very much moued and â—ffended Wherefore the Emperour Nero to the intent that hee might put ouer from himself the 〈◊〉 of the déede raised a rumour among the commons that this whole mischeif was long of the Christians that they were aduersaries to the Gods and Religon of the Romans and wicked burners of cities and townes who also in that sort had defaced the citie And that this report might séeme to carie some trueth and auctoritie hée cast manie Christians into prison and examined them by tortures and tormentes that they should confesse how the citie was set on fire by them And in dede there were some fownd who not beinge able to abide tormentes
true reformation reprehending the disorders and abuses and specially y popes vnlawfull aucthorytie the filthye and lecherous lyfe of the Clargye which all men are constrained to confesse to bée very culpable the same men neuerthelesse are condempned for scismatickes and Hereticks ar sharply persecuted For vnto them all are Heretickes whosoeuer do not submit themselues to the Sea of Rome and the Pope in all thinges and beléeue in althinges which that Sea beléeueth and commandeth to bée beléeued accordyng to the aboue named conspiracie and so Lucius the pope defineth Heretickes in his Decretall wherof we haue made mention before in the Chapter Ad aboliendum to abolyshe Wherefore with them it is not sufficient that a godlye man confesse all the articles of the antient true vndoubted and Apostolick faith saying that hée beléeueth in one God the father c. that hée also alowe and confesse the foure orders of our beléefe set foorth by the auntient counselles and S. Athanasius and whatsoeuer are taught and confirmed out of the holy scriptures of both Testaments moreouer doo condemne y heresies which were conuicted condemned in y antient counsels In ould time this kinde of confession was sufficient enough for christiās in y auntient church but amongst these men all these things aveile nothinge neither suffice to the confession of the faith but a man muste néedes confesse and beleue in the church of Rome as it is now vnder the Pope and follow the consent thereof or else he shall léese honour goodes bodie lyfe and all And therefore during the time of the Counsels before and after them haue bin many bateiles murthers and foule wastings committed nether were these things done onely against the Sarracens and vnfaithfull men but with mutche more extreamitie and crueltie against Christians which would bée indéed and named Christians and not papists and which disallowed and also be wayled the pride and tyrany of the Pope his great and manifest abuses and deprauations of holy thinges Wherefore in the ould time it grewe into a prouerbe Euery counsell breedeth warre which is to be vnderstoode of Papisticall counsels and found indéed to be true by proofe For that I may passe ouer in this place warres and moste bloody persecutions of faithfull men but enemies to the Sea of Rome whiche were waged and committed in the reigne of Pope Innocentius the thirde and certen other Popes next ensuing let vs onli examin those thinges which are not farre past the memory of men that are aliue The counsel of Constance I pray you what warres persecutions burninges wastyngs and murthers purchased it vnto Boheme Germanie He that knoweth not this let him learne it at least wise out of Pope Pius the seconde who when he was called as yet Aeneas Syluius wroat these thinges very dilligently in his storye of Boheme The troubles seditions slaughters which the counsel of Basile brought forth are in part recited by Platina in the life of Eugenius the fourth But béesids this we haue a more fresh and certeine example of the Tridentine Counsel which beeing first appoynted at Mantua and afterwarde at Vincentia was at the last by Paule the thirde in the yeare of our Lord. 1542 called at Trident nigh Athesis wholy in manner and fourme as we haue béefore recited whiche was conluded and ended by Pope Pius the fourth in the yéere of our Lorde 1563. Howbeit what thinges were doone certen yéeres before this counsel and also since against holie and faithfull men which only beleeued in the Gospell but not in traditions of Popes nor in the sea of Rome by Leo. x. Clemēt 7. Paul. 3. and ▪ 4. Iulius the 3. Pius the 4. and. 5. and by this present Pope Gregorye the. 13. the space of 53. yéeres I néede not repeat For they are knowen vnto God and al the world and as it were writen in heauen vnto which place the blood of all innocents together with the blood of Abel crieth from the earth vnto God for vengeance Many gréeuous longe and bloodye warres for sundry causes were waged in those yéeres but at the same time no lesse gréeuous and bloody persecutions wer committed against the faithfull for faith and religions sake Faithfull and Godly men were reprochefully and iniuriously dealt withal apprehended thrown out of dores driuen into exile spoyled of their goods beheaded hanged on gallowes burned vexed with al kindes of tormentes and punishment And by this meanes were oppressed tormented slayne hundred thousands of faithfull men and professours of the Gospell both in the higher and lower Germanie in Scotlād England Spaine which found out the new practize of the inquisition in Italie and other regions But cheiflye what hath bin doone in France ther is no man at this day but knoweth And there are extant whole bookes written of the gréeuous and long Papisticall persecution and the thinge doone is yet fresh in memory wherfore it is not néedefull that I should specially declare it againe at large since yet at this present they make no end of their crueltie and sheding of blood Since therfore thei which would séeme to be Fathers and pastours of the church do make themselues executioners of this last papisticall persecution wée may not only compare it w the olde persecutions but in respect of the greatnes prefer it aboue it Moreouer as in auntient times the ould persecutors of the church were egged forwarde to rigour through an vnsatiable desire to rule to th' intent they might kéepe and increase their dignitie pleasures ritches and superstition so likewise is the Papisticall persecution committed for the same cause But like as the Christian faith in the ould time was no whit the lesse estéemed of for the persecutions so at this present the Euangelicall doctrine is nothinge the woorse nor viler bicause the Papists do persecute the professours of the Gospell and manie times ouercome them There are sundrie causes why God suffreth this to bée doone neither ought any man to accuse or call the iudgment of God into question And this mutch I had to saye of the persecutiōs which the Church of Christ hath suffred from the birth of our Sauiour vnto our time comprehendinge breefely the whole summe wherby the matter beeing otherwise verie large might seeme ouerlonge and tedious to the reader Howbeit much more might and oughte to haue bin written of thys manifold and ample argument Of the Sundry causes why God suffreth the Christian Church to be torne with Tyrantes and afflicted with persecutions Chapter xvii HEerafter I intende to declare the causes and effectes of the aboue recited persecutions of y christian church which doo worke in the faithfull And although I haue already almost in euery one shewed them notwithstandyng ther remaine some more speciall which are of vs with more diligence to bée considered Persecutions are sent to the Churche by the iust iudgment of god as the scripture plainely witnesseth were sent vnto Iob the