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
The skilfull'st Physiognomers who Scan Each line and wrinkle in the face of man Can tell no more what Soules dwell there then wee By Seing Stars can tell what Angels be Then ask not at the door who 't is if so This Shadow cannot tell thee Read and know A Generall Martyrologie CONTAINING A COLLECTION Of all the greatest PERSECUTIONS which have befallen the CHURCH OF CHRIST From the Creation to our present Times Both in England and all other Nations Whereunto are added two and twenty LIVES OF ENGLISH Modern Divines Famous in their Generations for Learning and Piety and most of them great Sufferers in the Cause of CHRIST As also the Life of the Heroical Admiral of France slain in the Parisian Massacre and of Joane Queen of Navar poisoned a little before By Sa. Clarke Pastor in Bennet Fink London The second Edition Corrected and Enlarged having the two late Persecutions inserted the one in Piemont the other in Poland PSAL. 44.22 For thy sake are we kiâ—â—led all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nihil crus seâ—tit in nervo cum animus est in caelo Tertul. Printed by Tho. Ratcliffe for 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 in Saint Pauls Church-yard near the little North-door MDCLX TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Especially to the suffering Saints in these three Nations Christian Reader THou hast here presented to thy view that strange sight which so much astonished Moses Exod. 8.3 A bush burning with fire and not consumed A lively Emblem of the Church oft times all on a light flame with the fire of Persecution and yet so far from being consumed that The bloud of the Martyrs proves the seed of the Church And indeed she is the only and true Salamander that can live in the fire Yet this not by any strength of her own but because the Angel of the Covenant even the Lord Jesus Christ is in the bush either to slack the fire or to strengthen the bush and make it incombustible In this Book thou maiest see as in a Mirrour what hath been the lot and portion of the Church and people of God from the Creation hitherto viz. Through many tribulations to enter into the kingdom of heaven Here thou hast a certaine and infallible mark of the true Church of Christ viz. To be hated and persecuted by the Devil and his instruments Here thou maiest see what is the constant concommitant of the Gospel when it is received in the love and power of it viz. Persecution according to that of the Apostle Ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction c. Neither yet is God an hard Master in dealing thus with his faithfull servants He knows that heavy afflictions are the best benefactors to heavenly affections and that grace is hid in nature here as sweet water in rose leaves which must have the fire of affliction put under to distill it out He knows that when afflictions hang heaviest corrupt affections hang loosest upon his children Yet doth not the Lord afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth but he will hereby try who are his indeed and in truth not in name and profession only For as the Eagle tries her young ones by turning their faces to the sun beams so those Christians that can outface the sun of Persecution are sincere indeed One thing is very remarkable in this History that usually before any great Persecution befell the Church the holy men of those times observed that there was some great decay of zeal and of the power of godliness or some mutuall contentions and quarrels amongst the people of God or some such sin or other that provoked God against them and then as the shepherd sets his dog upon his sheep when they go astray to bring them in and then rates him off again So God le ts loose wicked Persecutors upon his own children but it 's only to bring them in unto him and then he not only restrains their rage but casts the rod into the fire If judgement begin at the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God Much excellent use may be made of this History As teaching us That whosoever will take Christ truly must take his Crosse as well as his Crown his Sufferings as well as his Salvation That persecution is the bellows of the Gospel blowing every spark into a flame and that Martyrs ashes are the best compost to manure the Church their bloud to water it and make it fertill That Gods children are like Starres that shine brightest in the darkest night Like Torches that are the better for beating Like Grapes that come not to the proof till they come to the presse Likes Spices that smell sweetest when pounded Like young Trees that root the faster for shaking Like Vines that are the better for bleeding Like Gold that looks the brighter for scouring Like Glow worms that shine best in the dark Like Juniper that smels sweetest in the fire Like the Pomander which becomes more fragrant for chafing Like the Palm tree which proves the better for pressing Like the Camomile which the more you tread it the more you spread it Yea God knoweth that we are best when we are worst and live holiest when we die fastest and therefore he frames his dealing to our disposition seeking rather to profit then to please us That when God exposeth us to Persecution he expects our speedy and thorow Reformation if we desire the affliction to be removed For as it were to no purpose for the Finer to put his gold into the fire except it lie there till it be refined So were it to small purpose for God to lay afflictions on us if so soon as we whine and groan under his hand he should remove them before we be bettered thereby Whereas afflictions like Lots Angels will soon away when they have done their errand Like plaisters when the sore is once whole they will fall off of their own accoâ—d That we should with patience submit to the afflicting hand of the all wise God and our mercifull Father saying with the Church I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Considering also that impatience under affliction makes it much more grievous As a man in a feaver that by tossing and tumbling exasperates the disease and encreaseth his own grief That all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution It hath been the portion of all the Saints from the creation hitherto What son is there whom the Father chasteneth not One son indeed God had without sin but not without sorrow for though Christ his naturall Son was sine corruptione without corruption yet not sine correctione without correction though he was sine flagitio with out crime yet not sine flagello without a scourge
of the condemned persons humbly petition for their lives but answer was made that all the favour which could now be granted to them was that they should have leave to bury the corps of their friends In the evening the condemned men which were twenty seven in number had notice given them of the day wherein they were to suffer and thereforâ— they were advised to send for Jesuits or Capuchins or a Minister of the Augustine Confession for the good of their souls but they must expect no Minister of the Brethren for that would not be granted to them The Jesuits and Capuchins not staying till they were called for flocked to them using many perswasions promising life c. if they would turn but God so strengthened them that all those endeavours of Satans imps were in vaine Then were some Ministers of the Augustine Confession sent for who spent that time which remained in Religious exercises conferences prayer and singing of Psalms and lastly by administring the Sacrament to them They which were of the Brethren willingly admitted these Ministers protesting that they acknowledged them for Brethren though they differed from them in some things only two of them did not partake of the Sacrament for fear of some false accusation comforting themselves with that saying Beleeve and thou hast eaten They which were prisoners in the Majors house being called to supper the night before they were to suffer comforted themselves saying that this was their last supper on earth but to morrow they should feast with Christ in his Kingdom whereupon a great Papist flouted saying Hath Christ Cooks for you in heaven When it was told them that the Noble men were coming to the Scaffold in the Market place where they were to suffer they hasted to the windows and entertained their fellow Martyrs with singing the 44. Psalm The night after they spent in Psalms prayer godly discourse and mutuall exhortations that since it pleased God to call them before others to this honour of Martyrdom they hoped by their constancy to confound the world to glorifie Christ and to leave a good example to others and singing the 68. Psalm where in David praies to God to shew some token of good upon him one of them said Shew therefore some token of good upon us O God whereby we thy servants may be strengthened by thy goodnesâ—e and our enemies confounded And being full of faith he said further Be of good chear for even in this God hath hard your voice and to morrow he will shew some wonderfull signe whereby he will witnesse that we suffer for his cause Early in the morning they washed their faces and put on clean clothes as if they had been going to a wedding and cut off the collars of their dublets that when they came to the Scaffold there should need no new making ready Then did they earnestly pray to God that he would be pleased to confirm and strengthen both themselves and the people concerning their innocency Presently after the sun rising a beautifull bow appeared and compassed the heavens the Ministers souldiers and many others looking upon it The Martyrs looked out at the window and saw a Rainbow of an unusuall colour the heavens being very clear and no rain of two daies before whereupon falling upon their knees they lifted up their voices and hands praising God for this sign that he shewed from heaven Then presently was a Gun discharged which was a warning for their bringing forth to execution whereupon those Champions of Christ encouraged one another praying that each of them might be strengthened c. Then Troops of horse and foot came to fetch them the streets market-place and houses being filled with multitudes of spectators The Martyrs being called forth one by one went to their death with and undaunted courage hasting as if they had been going to a banquet When one was called for he thus took his leave of the rest Farwell most loving friends God give you the comforts of his Spirit patience and courage that what formerly with your mouths you have professed you may confirm by your glorious death Behold I go before that I may see the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ you will follow me that we may together see the face of our heavenly Father At this houre all sorrow departs from me and joyfull eternity shall succeed it Then did the rest answer God above to whom you are going prosper your journey and grant that you may passe happily from this vale of misery unto that heavenly Country The Lord Jesus send his Angeles to meet you Go dear brother into thine and our Fathers house and we will follow after presently we shall meet in the heavenly glory and this we are confident of through him in whom we have beleeved The first was the Lord Schlik a man of admirable parts about fifty years old When he was condemned to be quartered and his parts to be scattered here and there he said The loss of a sepulchre is easie Being exhorted by a Minister to courage he said I have Gods favour so that no fear of death doth trouble me I have formerly dared to oppose Antichrist and I dare now die for Christ. The Jesuites troubling him when he came to the Scaffold he shaked them off and seeing the sun shining bright he said Christ thou Son of righteousness grant that through the darknesse of death I may passe into eternall light and so having ended his prayers he constantly received the stroak His right hand and head were hung on the high Tower upon the Bridge The Lord Wenceslaus was next about seventy years old famous for Learning Religion and his travels through divers countries His house was formerly plundered even to his wearing apparell he only saying The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Being asked why he would engage himselfe in Fredericks cause he said My conscience pressed me to do what I did I am here my God dispose of me thy servant as seems good in thine eyes I am full of years take me out of this life that I may not see that evill that is coming on my Country Afterwards holding forth his Bible he said Behold my Paradise it never yeelded me so much Nectar and Ambrosia as now When he was sentenced he said to the Judges You have a long time thirsted after my bloud but know withall you will finde God a revenger of innocent bloud for whose cause we suffer A Frier saying to him You are deceived in your opinion he answered I rely not on opinion but on the infallible truth of God for I have no other way but him who said I am the way the truth and the life On the Scaffold stroaking his long beard he said My gray hairs behold what honour remains for you that you should be crowned with Martyrdom And so praying for the Church his Country his enemies and
this is the most miserable state and condition of our Churches moreover our Countrey-men to the number of five thousand besides youths and children being dispersed in banishment which hath now befallen most of us the second time especially throughout Silesia as also through the Marck Lusatia Hungary c. find no comfort but much misery and are there exposed to the hatred and envy of men We that are Pastors dare not openly minister to our Auditories with the Word and Sacraments but onely in private Meetings or in Woods among Fenny places God onely seeing us who is witnesse of these calamities and our comfort in extremities Indeed being thus destitute of all things we lead a wretched life in banishment being afflicted with hunger and nakednesse and are become next to the most miserable Waldenses the greatest spectacle of calamity to the Christian world for so it hath seemed good to that Soveraign Wisdome that governs all things that we should be inheritors of the Crosse and persecution of those men from whom we have derived the original of our Doctrine and external Succession For truly we are the remaining Progeny even of the Waldenses with whom being raised from the ashes of blessed Huss and with whom combining into the same holy Fellowship of the Faith and afflictions of Christ we have for two whole ages and more been perpetually subject to the like storms of Calamities until at length we fell into this calamity greater than ever was known in the memory of our Fathers and which threatens us with utter destruction unlesse God prevent it The truth is this businesse constrains us to amazement and tears greater than can be exprest in words to set forth our affliction and sorrow If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies we desire that this affliction of Joseph may be recommended especially to all that are of the houshold of Faith Let them not suffer those to perish whom the same Faith and the same Spirit of Christ hath joyned with them in so near a relation we beseech them in the name of Christ that they would rather make haste to relieve those who are ready to perish we being assured that we suffer this persecution upon no other account than for the confession of the Truth from those Enemies who have acted such things as these are against us in times past and are now at length by Gods permission pouring out their fury upon us Signed in the name of the said distressed Churches by their Delegates and now Exiles for the Cause of Christ Adam Samuel Hartman Pastor of the Church of Lesna in Poland and Rector of the famous University there Paul Cyril a late Member of the University of Lesna A BRIEF REPRESENTATION OF THE Protestant Cause in GERMANY In what Case it hath been since the Peace of MUNSTER and how it stood in the year 1657. and how it is now this present year 1659. THe Justice of the late civil warres in Germany which were composed at the Peace concluded in Munster and Osnaburgge in the year 1648. was grounded upon this That the Protestants were necessitated to enter into a League or mutual union together for the maintaining of their rights and priviledges in the Empire against the infections thereof and manifold disturbances of their profession which contrary to former agreements at Imperial Dyets did befal unto them in many places by the Popish and Jesuites practices whereof they could obtain no redresse by any peaceable Treaties Therefore finding that there was a design formed in the Conclave and by the house of Austria to be put in execution tending by little and little to wear out and deprive them of their liberties they formed an union among themselves to stand upon the defence of their rights and to oppose the power of the house of Austria by whose means both in Germany and in Bohemia the Jesuites did drive the design of rooting out Protestants The head of this union who by his place was bound to appear in it was the Elector Palatine but he being a soft man of no experience in war and beset in his Counsels and enterprises with such as did betray him the cause was soon overthrown and by his overthrow the intended persecution against Protestants to root them out what by power and what by policie was openly carried on by the house of Austria which moved the King of Denmark Christian the IV. and after him the King of Sweden to come upon the Stage the Dane was soon overthrown but God gave such successe unto the Swedes to the Landgrave of Hessen their associate and to the French who joyned with them to ballance the power of Austria after the Elector of Saxony had made his peace at Prague with the Emperour and deserted the Protestant interest that from the death of King Gustavus they continued the war with various successes till the year 1648. at which time the Swedish being masters in Bohemia and the Emperour brought so low that he saw little hopes to recover his strength without a Peace he yielded to the conditions which the Protestants and the French stood upon The Swedish stood upon their satisfaction and to keep a foot in the Empire to be able upon all occasions to secure or help the Protestant party And the Protestant Princes they stood upon the setling of all things and of themselves in their former rights and possessions as before the war and chiefly upon this point the reformed party and the Landgrave of Hessen who headed them stood that thence forward the reformed Protestants alias called Calvinists should have equal freedom and liberty of conscience for the exercise of their profession in the Empire with the Papists and Lutherans This condition being obtained and a way determined to give the agrieved parties in point of dammage further satisfaction Armies were dismissed a new convention of States was held at Nurenberg to settle the remaining matters within the Empire which at Munster and Osnabrugge could not well be handled by reason of the Treatie with forreigne States and afterward a Dyet was called at Ratisbon to confirme all what formerly had been treated on and concluded and to put the remainder of grievances in a way to be rectified To which effect at the dissolution or rather adjournment of the Imperial Dyet at Ratisbon a Committee of Deputies from all the States of the Empire of equal number of both parties that is so many of the Protestants as of the Popish partie were named to meet at Franckford and prepare by way of disquiry of rights the matters then remaining undecided that at the next Session of the Dyet there might be a full decision and determination of them but before these Delegates did meet the Elector of Mentz did broach a new quarrel with the Elector Palatine tending to abridge him of much of his right and to make him inconsiderable to the Protestant party but