can nor will any longer tollerate any one of the inferiour much lesse superiour States among all the subjects of our hereditary Kingdome of Bohemia of either sex who is infected with hereticall Errors And therefore we do grant unto the same superiour States the term of one six moneths to learn the holy and only saving Roman-catholick faith And that there may not want some from whom they may sufficiently draw saving instructions and informations we do upon our religious counsell appoint certaine Commissioners of Reformation as well Civill as Ecclesiasticall men It was our pleasure therefore by this publick act to assure all men of our Fatherly care for the salvation of this Kingdome as likewise to warn that all and every person making account both of his temporary and eternall salvation would not fail to yield themselves obedient to our will and to be diligently instructed by the afore-named Commissioners of Reformation and unlesse any man shall obey our will and agree with us in the same faith hee shall not be licenced to tarry in our Kingdome much lesse to possesse his Goods For wee Will that all those who are obstinately stubborne shall selling their Goods among the Catholicks depart out of the Kingdome of Bohemia at the end of the terme and never promise themselves any return unlesse they turn Catholicks c. 3. Here one might see strange alterations of minds and diversities of Counsell Those that loved Religion and constancy at their hearts did instantly separate themselves by banishment others were troubled and wavered seeking holes and hiding places soliciting Caesar by Petitions either to change the decree or grant them a longer time or else indeavouring by words to obtaine it as much as was in any mans power There were not some wanting who pretending the discomodities of banishment poverty age sicknesse duties and every thing else thought it best to satisfie the Emperours will Others were found who thinking to deceive the Emperour and Pope did buy with their gold false testimonies of the Priests that they had performed confession and communicated in one kind And it was so that some did by those bought bills make a shew of dissembled Apostacy and by that means avoided banishment 4. But such a Marchandize of soules did not prosper well with some For Lawrence Niezburski Pastor of Alberts in New-Prague who did too freely use that imposture and for such bills had scraped together a great summe of mony from the Citizens Noblemen and Barons being betrayed was taken and with him above a hundred Citizens of Prague who being all accused of Treason both to God and the Emperour were adjudged to death The Lay-men redeemed their lives with a pecuniary fine and a true Apostacy the false Priest was degraded and put to death in the market-place in old Prague in the yeare 1631. the seventh of Aprill But we must returne to those feares which did arise upon the first publication of the Act for banishment 5. The enemies having understood so great wavering of minds and conceiving some hope that more in tract of time would either be dashed against the rock of dispaire or throwne downe headlong into the bottome of doubts obtaine of the Emperour that another six moneths may be added to the end of that terme A new decree is thereupon published Decemb. the 6. of the same yeare 1627. whereby a longer time of staying within the bounds of their country is granted but yet sharper than before for all were forced to imbrace the Romish religion partly by promises and partly by threats Besides the said act of banishment is extended to Widows Children onely are excepted whether their mothers were alive or no and commanded to be delivered to the care and instructions of Catholicks or else to be shut up in Monasteries And this was a cause of many groanes and teares to the godly when their Noblemens Sonnes and Daughters even marriageable mayds we pulled from the lapp of their Mothers Aunts and Uncles and thrust into the Jesuites Colledges or the Monkes cells Their goods were taken out of the hands of their lawful tutors and managed by Papists 6. The fawning craftinesse of these seducers whereby they deceived unwary persons and did more hurt then by their rigour and terrours As often as any one that did well know the foundations of religion came before these reformers to be examined they granted many things and permitted most of the foundations to be believed yea even the Article concerning justification by faith saying that this one thing was required of them to give obedience to the Church and to acknowledge the Roman Bishop to be a visible Head of the Church seeing it was necessary for good orders sake so the simpler sort supposing that they were not constrained to any other faith then that which they had learnt thought they might with a safe conscience promise that outward obedience If they saw any one sprung from a more noble family or to be either the sole or with a few others remainder of the race or in any otherwise delicate and they suggested to them how much it grieved his Imperiall Majesty that those ancient families which formerly were the ornaments and props of their Countrey should run themselves into the danger of banishment through meer unadvisednesse that it would be better for them to remain and flourish under the favour both of God and Caesar By these and the like Stratagems of Satan there was a great ruine of the Protestant Nobility all of them who thought their earthly Countrey better then the heavenly or whose consciences were stupified by their subtilties sliding into apostasie or hypocrisie 7. Notwithstanding about a hundred families of both Sexes that lov'd heavenly things above earthly and who did reverence that command of the heavenly Emperour Come out of Babylon my people leaving their inheritances and all their possessions went away Some were dispersed through the neighbouring Provinces Votland Misaia Lusatia Silesia Poland Hungary some who were more easily able to endure the troubles of banishment went as farre as Prussia Russia and Transylvania Among these was the goodly old man Charles de Zerotine who only could obtain leave to stay in his Countrey all the dayes of his life if he would deprive himselfe of the holy worship of God or covertly use it yet he would rather be afflicted with the people of God then enjoy temporary profits Having sold his possessions but for halfe the price a part of which also they extorted from him under colour of a certain Sute and Judgement and other devices he departed with Caesars knowledge and leave to Presland in Silesia but a little after a Declaration was annexed to the Imperiall letters that if the Baron would depart from that City it should be lawfull for him to go whither he would so that he came not back into the Emperours Provinces or went not to the Emperours enemies 8. The Enemies in the mean time not vouchsafing such as had departed out
and were beheaded When this was noysed abroad the vniversity running took away the bodys and in a sollemn Procession sung These are the saints who gave up their bodys for the testament of God They carry them to the Church of Bethlehem and there bury them 11. The day after Husse did propound certain theses to dispute against those superstitious indulgences and publickly with Mr. Ierom who did as strongly impugne there errors in the Schoole as Husse did in the Church shewed their vanity but when notwithstanding al this he impudently proceeded the company of Studients did violently snatch from him his Bulls they do cloth one of their own company in a whorish habit put him into a cart adorne his brest with Bulls carry him about and acclaime unto him the whore in the mean time with sweet words gesture alluring the company and distributing blessings at the length they burne all the Bulls with many of the Popes in the midst of the market 12 In the meane time the Pope cites Husse to appeare at Rome who in regard of the disswasion of the Vniversity and nobility did not appeare Pope Iohn 23 in the yeare 1413 in Iune did interdict their celebrating of Masse in regard of the presence of Huss a contumacious offender upon this when hee saw the Magistrates rage and the common people divided into contrary factions and all things to be disturbed he of his own accord leaves Prague and from towne to towne teaches the word of God untill the time that he was called to Constance to give an account of Doctrine receiving letters of safety from the Emperour Histories report how he was there handled by the Romish Councell to witte in the yeare 1415. The 6 of Iuly Husse in the yeare 1416 the 30 of May Ierom were burnt Consult the book of Martyrs CHAP. IX All Bohemia condemned 1. THe adversaries were not satisfied with their blood but suddainly took bloody Councell for the destruction of the whole nation for when the chiefe nobles of Bohemia 58 in number in the name of the whole Comonalty in the yeare 1416 the 2 of September sent letters from Prague subscribed with their own hands and signed with their own seals to the Councel complaining expostulating that their Pastor an innocent and holy man a faithfull teacher of the truth was unjustly condemned the Synod did not answer them neither did they answer the Nobility of Moravia which complained of like matters in letters of their own but the Councell writ to the persons who were besotted with the Romish superstition men in eminency namely Iohn of Mecklesburg Alsiscopeck of Dubba Alburt of Colditz intreating and obtesting them that they would regard the Romish-Catholick Church and that they would helpe the Legate of that councell Iohn Lotmislenia Bishop in oppressing Heresie and Hereticks these letters were dated at Constance in the yeare 1417 the 22 of March 2 Thus the Bohemians being incited to mutuall dissentions by the Councell contensious brawlings and hatred were exasperated every day more and more The Pristes did divulge from the Pulpit excommunications against the Husites and devoted them with direfull execrations and that they might render them the more hated used certaine lying signes amongst the rest they cast some dirt into the lamps of the wax candles and when the flame had burnt the waxe candle to the moistnesse of the dirt it was extinguished then cryed they out that God did by miracles declare that the wicked Hereticks were unworthy to enjoy the light they drove them therefore out of their society and persecuting them all manner of wayes breaking open their churches wheresoever they could which businesse in the yeare 1419 the 13 of Iuly raised such a tumult at Prague that the common people inraged threw 12 Senators of old Prague with the City Magistrate out of the windows of the Senate house who fell upon the points of speares 3 There was a new Pope elected of the Synod who was named Martine the 5 who with kind letters dated at Constance in the yeare 1418 invited the Bohemians to renounce the errors of Wicklif Husse But afterward in the year 1420 he publickly excommunicated them at Florence and excited the Emperor Kings Princes Dukes Marquesses Earles Barons Governours Cityes Common-wealths to take up armes against them and did intreat them by the wounds of Christ and their owne salvation unanimously fall upon them and quite extirpate that sacrilegious and cursed nation and promised a vniversall remission of sinnes to the most wicked person that should kill but one Bohemian 4 Sygismund the Emperour being inflamed by this incentive with all Germany and the neighbouring Kingdomes yeelded himselfe a servant to Antichristian Tyrany and in the same yeare he enters Bohemia with a strong army and wearies them with 13 years continued warre and this was called the Husite warre concerning which Eneas Sylvius writes they would rather be admired than believed of posterity in regard Siska the Bohemian Captaine and his successours did alwaies vanquish the contrary party 5 But the state of the Bohemian affaires were very confused at home when some of them stood for the Emperor and Pope others defended the use of the cup from whence they were called Calikstiles upon this ground with horrible cruelty they were inflamed to destroy each other CHAP. X. The Martyrs of Tabor 1 BUt some things are to be dâ—â—coursed of more briefly in respect of places and persons and distinctly it must be opened how the Roman faction being incited by the Antichristian alarum of Martine did persecute the faithfull 2 When after the death of Wensislaus in the yeare 1419 Sygismund took the Kingdom and by his Deâ—egates he not being present there till he came afâ—er with an army ordered severall things which dâ—d streighten the liberty of their consciences some thousands of those that imbraced the pure Religion gathered together to a stony mountaine ten miles from Prague which they named Tabor that mountaine they compassed about with a wall and constituted a common-wealth determining to defend it by armes if need were 3. The Papists and those that were called Calikstins being enraged against them persecuted them all manner of ways first when they sent their Embassadors Gallus Perstenus and Mathias Blacils for peace sake to Cuttenburg these men were cast headlong into the most deepe mines of mettall but the Cuttenburghians who were devoted to the Emperor and for the most part the Germaine nation because of the working in the mines not long after John Codeck Minister of Gurim which had admitted the Emperors party and many others both Priests and Lay people were thus served for they bought those of Tabor giving five florence for a Priest and one for a Laick which was the cause of horrid butchery 4. Thurmenus does witnesse that which followes to be found in a certaine manuscript in the year 14â—0 ther were cast in at Cuttenburg in the first mine about 1700. in the second 1038. in
lay hold on that most wicked knave the Piccardine At the first all were amazed no man would lay his hand on him at the last some were found who falling on him did buffet him with their fists and beating his head against the pillar did draw him almost covered with bloud unto the prison 2. The next day he was brought into the Court the Senate and the Parson being present and being demanded whether he would speak those words again which he spake yesterday he affirmed that he would Being asked again By what Instinct he durst doe it He answered by what Instinct did Abraham depart from the Idolaters and worship the euerliving God They pressing on him to tell them precisely by whose perswasion hee durst commit so hainous a fact hee answered By whose perswasion did David oppose himselfe against the worshipping of Idolls 3. On this they cried out Hold thy peace we know these things better than thou wee need not be taught by thee Wee know that thou hast here some accomplices whom since by thy owne accord thou wilt not discover thou shalt do it by force whereupon they commanded him to be carried back to the prison and by and by to be put on the Racke but not able by torment to rack any thing from him they condemne him to the fire as an obstinate Heretick the chief Officer being desired by the Priests not to suffer him to speake as hee was going to the execution least he should infect the people with his words The Officer agreed with him to forbear speaking or otherwise he would stop his mouth Andrew promised silence and performed what he promised speaking nothing all the way but praying softly to himselfe At the last when the fire began to sindge his head he cried out Iesus the son of the everliving God be mercifull be mercifull be mercifull to me a sinner which were all the words he spake The Priests turning to the people said Behold at last he calleth on Iesus in whom he living would not believe nor reverence his Sacraments CHAP. XXVII The persecutions which the more reformed of the Calixtines did endure I. IN all these times the condition of the church of the Brothers was most heavy but neither were the Calixtines free from affliction especially the purer sort of them being those who were most zealous against the Papists for in the year 1408. Mr. Michael Polach pastor of St. Ades in old Prague a man of unblemished life and an excellent preacher with three other Parsons Mr. Wenceslaus Slane Iohn Miezta and Mr. Wenceslaus Piscene were apprehended by the command of King Wladislaus because they affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist They were carried into the Castle of Calreisteine where the first of them perished by hunger and the nastinesse of the prison the other with much adoe were dismissed by the order of the States At which time many other who were more reformed in their judgements were either driven from Prague as Mr. Mathias Macheeke professor of the University or willingly departed as Lucas Pragene Batchelour of Art an excellent man who afterwards as before I have recited was a Bishop amongst the Brothers there also forsooke the Vniversity of their own accord Mr. Iohn Snow a Physitian and others 2. On the same year the King forbad the singing of the ballads made against the abominations of the Church of Rome and because they would not refrain many of the best rank of the Citizens were apprehended and a long time detained in prison One or two of them were stead alive as Matthew Serling Martin of the golden wheele Scheynohin who was also a Citizen of Prague through the violence of the torment did break asunder 3. On this the Monks having taken new courage began more freely to inveigh against those that tooke the Sacrament in both kinds and condemned the Hussites the people variously but vainly murmuring at it The Senators also of Prague and many Papists and Germanes abusing the clemency of the King did grow so intollerably bold that some noble men who were adversaries to the Religion conspired together and on the 24 of December at night intended to put to death the chiefest of the Citizens who received the Sacrament under both kinds But they were deceived of their expectation and hope God so ordaining it that the evill returned vpon the heads of the contrivers of it For their treachery being betrayed their was a mighty Tumult in which the places of â—ustice of the three Cities and all the Monasteries were pulled downe and many of the Senators and Monks were slain This was done in the year 1413. at which though Wladislaus was much afflicted yet inquiry being made and it being found that the Papists gave the cause thereof he pardoned the inhabitants of Prague And in the year 1485 he established by Parliament an agreement betwixt the communicants under one and both kinds howsoever the hatred betwixt them and the reproachfull words did still continue 4. In the yeare 1491 on the 28 of Ianuary at Laeta Curia a chiefe Temple of the Hussites The Eucharist being administred under both kinds a German comming behind a Gentlewoman as she was drinking of the cup hee strooke her head so violently that her mouth being cleaved bloud issued forth abundantly for which notorious offence hee was apprehended and thrown into prison but not long after dismissed 5. But in the Vacation of the Arch-Bishopprick the Calixtine Priests could not receive their Ordinations but in Italy where most of them were bound to renounce the articles under both kinds and to performe obedience unto the sea of Rome which was very grievous to the Bohemians therefore in the yeare 1482. there Sanctuarensis a Bishop came into Bohemia from Italy for the love as hee said of the pure Religion whom when Augustinus Lucian and others had received with much joy and honour he died iâ— the yeare of our Lord 1493 whom whom after eleven yeares Philip Bishop of Sidon and Mutina did succeed Hee being resident sometimes at Prague sometimes at Cuttenburge did for three yeares space ordaine Calixtine Ministers which being passed they were againe enforced to flatter the Pope and Bishops of Rome so miserable was their slavery that willing to seem to have forsaken Antichrist yet they did not stick to fight under his standards 6. But some of the schollers amongst whom was Iohn Bezhink so truly hated the Pope that having received letters of commendation from the University they went as farre as Armenia to be ordained Ministers And because that there the fame had arrived of the Heresie of the Bohemians they were the more strictly examined and it being found that they agreed with them in the chiefest Articles of Religion and also in the language they were ordained Ministers in the yeare 1499. Two of those did afterwards suffer the flames of Martyrdome by the Romanes to wit Martin a Taborite with his Deacon who were both burned at Radnice CHAP. XXVIII The Persecution of the
Orthodox Divines under Zahera or Trahere the administrator a false Hussite IN the mean time God had stirred up in Germany couragious Luther the Thunder-bolt against the Pope at which many of the Calixtines in Bohemia being awakened resolved to imbrace the purer Doctrine of the Gospell and to seeke for the Ordination of their Ministers rather at Wittenberge then at Rome but the Devill interposed and made wonderfull obstructions 2. For when in the yeare 1523. in the moneth of January the States of Bohemia and Moravia being in a great number assembled at Prague the Pastors also of the Church being called amongst whom were of Moravia Paulus Speratus afterwards burned at Aumitz by the commandement of the Bishop and Benedist Optatus Wenceslaus Litomislius Doctor of Divinity and Iohn Charpe Orthodox men who propounded to the Regent Masters of the University twenty Articles which were as it were the forerunners of Reformation amongst which these were observable That if any man should teach the Gospell without the Additions of men he should neither be reproved nor condemned for an Heretick That mercenary Masses serving for Lucre should be abrogated That the elevation of the Hoste should by degrees be cancelled That the consecration of Herbes and such like superstitious rites should be forborn c. And whereas likewise they had constituted Gallus Zahere an Administrator of the Sacrament under both kinds and pastor at old Prague at the Church called Laeta Curia a familiar friend to Luther for he had lived heretofore at Wittenburgh and publikely extolled Luther as an excellent Instrument of Cod and afterwards incited the inhabitants of Prague to write to Luther concerning the Ordination of Ministers the hope indeed was great for a better condition in the Government of the Church but it was of a short continuance 3. For not long after this turne-coat declining to give an occasion of offence to King Lewes returned again to the falser doctrine of the Calixtines and in the Parliament held that yeare in the moneth of June he began to publish Articles contrary to the former and to solicite the renewing of the Agreement and furiously to persecute the Orthodoxe Ministers to favour the King and Papists and that on this occasion 4. The Pope understanding how the affairs were carried as well in Bohemia as Germany sent a Legate to Lewis in Hungary who comming afterward to Prague and having delivered letters to divers nay even to the consistory and to Zahere he most flatteringly did insinuate that there might be an union in the Church In the meane time Iohn Pasoke was made Consull at Prague a deceitfull cruell and superstitious man whose faction potently prevailing Zahere joined himself with that part and wrote in that nature to the Legate in the name of the consistory that it was an evident testimony that hee was delivered over to a reprobate sense for after other things hee concluded with these words As alwayes heretofore so now also wee hold nothing more deare or ancient than that we may be found constant in the body of the Church by the unity of faith and obedience to the Apostolicall seat neither can your reverence expect any thing more welcome than what it shall receive from our Legates whom shortly we wil send unto you For truly our Bohemia supporting it selfe on the most sure foundation of the most sure Rock the Catholick faith hath sustained broken al those waves of errors with which our neighbour countries in Germany have been shaken and as a Beacon placed in the middest of a tempestuous sea it holds forth a cleare light to every Sea-man and sheweth them a Haven safe from Shipwrack We trust therefore most reverend father for the busines concerning which your sacred reverence did write unto us shall bee so promoted that this divine building being established on a most sure foundation shal be preserved from ruine onely let your most sacred reverence not thinke ill of a little delay untill our Legates shall come unto you and then the walls of our Jerusalem shall be confirmed and our feet shall stand in the Courts thereof and the God of Gods shall be seen in Zion and we shall go from vertue to vertue c. Your most humble servants Mr. Gallus Zahere with all the Consistory do commend themselves unto your most venerable paternity In the time of Lent 1625. 5. Being demanded how hee durst persecute the doctrine with so great severity which so lately hee approved he answered he was with Luther for no other end then after having more diligently discovered his conversation Doctrin other Piccardins with him he might find a more easie way to oppose them which Judas that traitour did before him when he betrayed the son of man with a kisse CHAP. XXIX The Protestants banished from Prague and whipped with Rods. I. THerefore that Zahere and Passoke might the better please both the King and Pope they enforced all the Pastors and citizens to subscribe to their new Articles and those who refused were to bee banished the city In the first place sixe Pastors were proscribed Wenceslaus Poczatek Pastor of St. Gallus George Smahal Pastor of St. Henry Matin Betlem Paul de St Michaell Martin de Opatowitz and John Marussa after threescore and five of their chiefest citizens were proscribed amongst whom was Burian de Cornitz Doctour of law and Chancellour of Prague John Hlawsa who was Exconsull and others Likewise a coulour was sought for the greater cruelty a malicious invention being spread abroad concerning a certaine conspiracy of the Gospellers against the Calixtines that they might extort the confession hereof they did bring three citizens John Bonussa Matthew Hrzebenarz and Iohn Sliwkam to the rack who rather chose to suffer innocently than to bear false witnesse a thing they utterly detested in their conscience 2. In the meane time while these firebrands of sedition confirmed an agreement betweene those of Prague that no man should be questioned concerning his faith to wit the Piccardine Lutheran but that al should be restored to their former freedom enjoy the liberty of the city It was requested that an Embassador should bee dispatched to Buda unto the K. for the confirmation of this ordinance It was now lawfull for any to do what they pleased to those of a good and right opinion If one of them were found that was unwilling to pay what hee owed they would lay to his charge that he was a Piccardine some were not simply banished but shamefully brought forth as Ludovicus Pictor because at the end of his sermon hee had admonished the Monk of St. Barbara prating foolishly That it was far better that the people should be instructed out of the Gospell than be detained with such fables By the clamors of the Monke hee was laid hold on by the common people that were called together and hurried to prison and afterwards by a Serjeant was led out of the City 3. A certain Cutler because they had found about
but approve of your Christian prudence and temperance Therefore we willingly advise you publickly that however opinions may arise from other places that you adhere to this and suffer not your selfe to bee led away from this holy and pure truth For this is certaine that the church is very well provided for and is then chiefly built up and kept in unity and unanimity when the pure doctrin of the Gospell without far-fetched subtilities and emergent contentions is propounded to Christian people in simplicity of truth as it is in Psalm the 25. Let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me Dated at Wittenbergh 3. Novemb. 1575. CHAP. XL. Vnder Rodolphus the Gospellers had full liberty I. IN the year after 1576 Maximilianus being dead his sonne Rudolphus succeeded him who trod in his fathers steps hee reigned peaceably untill the year on thousand six hundred and two no persecution being in all that time concerning religion In this year it was so brought about by the private practises of the Jesuites and their instruments that Rodolphus should subscribe to and cause to be published an Edict drawne by them concerning the renewing of a Decree of Wladislaus against the Piccardines for noe other end but that their Churches might be shut up for a time the Patrons of the Brethren the Noblemen protested that it did no way concern them since these men are not such as the Piccardines are described to be and therefore Caesar did connive and looked not so narrowly after them as that they should so strictly observe his decrees herein neither was it lawfull for the enemy to presse the Orders so farre and it was related by a man of credit that the evening before the 22. of July when newes was brought to the King that Alba Regia was taken being the chiefe City of Hungary in great astonishment said I looked for some such thingâ— since this day I began to usurp the Government of God which is of consciences 2. Neither intended hee any thing else than to make good the promise of his father and to settle liberty of conscience as he declared afterwards when in the year 1609 to the Orders of the Kingdome under both kinds the Pope the Spanish faction and their counsellors not consenting thereto he committed the lower consistory and the university to be reformed at the pleasure of the Orders giving them Patents whereby this donation was confirmed to them and gave leave that the churches and schools should be inhabited or if need be should be built and forbad that any of his subjects whether Catholick or Spirituall should bee punished for his religion and obliged those Kings that should succeed him religiously to observe these things and also gave power to the Orders to make choise of some among them to bee defendors of this liberty 3. The Orders therefore reform the consistory and for quietnesse sake they chuse 3 Hussites 3 Brethren and 3 Gospellers to these they adde the 3 Professours of the University and command these twelve chosen men to order all affaires concerning Church Government throughout the Kingdome And because it was generally agreed that the confederates should bee cashiered and Church government bee according to the rule of Gods law Elias Shudim of Semanin a Hussite is chosen first Administrator and afterward to bee elected out of the ordinary sort of Ministers But concerning the brethren it is concluded the order of whose discipline was granted for the better reconciliation that they should have their Seniour being the next Colleague of the Administrator so long as the diversity of this order yet in a friendly concord should endure To whom at Prague a Church is given by the Vniversity as it were to the true off-spring of Hus called Bethlehem famous for the preaching of Hus. All which things were done with the publick acclamation of all good people and all things rung out with divine praises and were fastned to the doors of the church these lines The Temples ope'd the Lion joyes that Raph To Maxamillian kept his promised faith c. 4 The orders under both kinds made a friendly agreement with the orders under one kind for the consideration of peace and mutuall concord among them which having digested into articles they promised to enter into the Registrie of the kingdome but to be confirmed by the subscription of Caesar his Councellors But three were found who did refuse being two or three times solicited having some scruple of conscience Zaenko Adalbertus Popel de Lobkowitz Chancellor of the kingdome William Slawata â—e Chlum and Iaroslaus de Martinitz Smeczanskie Therefore they solemnely protest against the orders under both kinds that if hereafter they shall attempt any thing against this liberty granted to the whole kingdome by Caesar that then they would punish them as disturbers of the publique peace which protestation of the orders Rodolphus assenting to it is entered into the Registrie of the Kingdome and kept among the priviledges and confirmed by the same oath with other priviledges of the Kingdome by Rodolphus and his successors 5. False Hussitisme being taken away a more pure Religion flourished throughout the whole kingdome so that there was scarce one among a hundred who hid not professe the Evangelicall doctrine But alas with the liberty of Religion as usually it happens by little and little two much liberty of life began to increase and learning even among whom formerly it flourished began after a strange manner to be dissolved Wherefore this liberty bringing along with it carnall security did not please all godly men and some began to presage ill that so a horrible tempest from some Ferdinand should againe overwhelme them It was a Propheticall speech in peace my bitternesse is most bitter and fullfilled of which it followeth CHAP. XLI New stratagems of the enemies under Matthias I. I Must begin higher that the bottom of our calamity may be more apparent The occasion of the grant of this ample Religious Liberty by Rodolphus to the Bohemians and Silesians was because the Hungarians with Austrians and Moravians forsaking Rodolphus for some civile causes had created his brother Matthew Archduke King Duke and Marquis and with a great army in the year 1608. entring into Bohemia even unto Prague did not only demand the Crowne of Hungarie which was there kept but courted the Bohemians to a revolting but they with the Silesians were faithfull to him and Mathew with the Crowne of Hungarie and hope for succession in the Kingdome of Bohemia after the death of Rodolphus being sent away they asked and obtained for that they had sworne fealty to Rodolphus the former promised favour of Religious liberty and the power of the Consistorie and Vniversitie 2. In the meane time for this affront put upon him by his Brother he was very much vexed and the more because foreseeing the Spanish plots began to boad no good luck to his Bohemians and all Germanie he began to enter into new consultation with himselfe and he was