scriptures the diffrence of the persons in one and indiuisible substance of Godhoode the Father the Sunne and the Hollye ghost but hée impugneth and raileth at the blessed Trinitie Likewise hée confesseth that Christ was a great prophet borne of the holy and vndefiled virgin who was taken also vp into heauen but as for that poynct which is peculiar to the true and liuelye faith hee doth not confesse that Iesus Christe is the euerlastinge sunne of God very God and man the only mediatour of God and men who being crucified slayne for our sake arose again from y dead sitteth on y right hand of god being of one power w the father in heauen These things he blasphemeth and impugneth deneing y christ was crucified wherefore he teacheth also erroniously touching remission of sins which onli we obtaine by faith in christ which was crucified ye he is altogether ignoraÌ„t of faith iustification by faith in Christ deuising sundrie woorshippinges and meanes to attayne saluation namely by fastinge praying giuinge of almes sustaininge many great labours suffring mutch trouble valientlye fightinge for the Machometan religion and dyinge in batteill Hée is also of opinion that a man may fulfill the law and demerite saluation by his owne woorkes hée hath his Moonkes Priestes in whose merites hée reposeth the hope of his saluation Hée confesseth the resurrection of the bodie but hée speaketh altogether carnally and impurely of felicitie as though in Paradise wée shoulde enioye bodely pleasures meat drincke beutie of the body as if it were in the blessed Ilands called Beatorum insulae or else in a certein Vtopia Hée despiseth the Euangelicall and apostolicall doctrine as hée doth also our holly assembles and congregations coÌ„maundynge all that béeléeue in him to bee circumcised after the Iewish maner nothyng regarding our Baptisme hée raueth and rayleth at the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and al the fourme and ordre of the Lordes supper which was instituted and appointed by Christe hée contemneth all christian vsedges and hath instituted peculiar congregations temples rightes and ceremonies hée commandeth the sixt day of the wéeke which we cal Friday to bée kept holiday he apointed fasting daies purging with water hée commaunded them to pray fiue times in a day he forbid to pray vnto saincts creatures but vnto God only which is trueth in déed but hée teacheth to pray vnto others beside Christe Sutch praiers are not acceptable vnto God bicause they are not made through Christe through whom wée pray vnto God our father in heauen wherat hée mocketh But S. Iohn saith Who so hath not the Sun hath not the Father Hée altogether prophaneth holly matrimonie for vnto men hée giueth licence to marie as many wiues as they liste and that which is iniurious and dishonest to forsake them without cause at their pleasure and discretioÌ„ Hée forbiddeth them after the Iewish maner to eate swynes fleash hée debarreth them also from wine howbeit the ritcher sort haue deuised certen costlye kinds of drinks wherby they becoÌ„e nolesse drunk then with wine And this is the doctrine of the diuell wherof Paul intreateth in the first of Timothy the. 4. chapter And whatsoeuer I haue sayd of the Machometan faith the same ar al to be vnderstood of the Turkishe religion or supersticion which at this day is vsuall among the Turkes And as for these thinges I haue reported them verye bréeflye that those that knowe not the Turkish religion may haue a brief extract not of the whole relygion but of the chiefest poynts and opinions therof Now through indifferent view of these things which we haue recited who doth not vnderstande that through the moste gréeuous yet most iuste wrath of God the world is by him most sharply punished since y he hath suffred so absurde filthy wicked relygion to take place and here withall let vs also beholde and weigh what a cruell and continuall persecution which indureth also to this day this impiouâ— â–ª and Machometan faith hath raised againste the holly Church of Christe and the true faith Machomet that false prophet and murdrous seductour of the worlde had persuaded his Sarracens that they are the true children heiers of sarra wife to Abraham and that in respect therof béelonged vnto them all the promises made vnto Abraham namely that his séede should rule all the world and therfore hée exhorted the Sarracens that takyng weapon in hand they should valyently assay to possesse al the kingdoms of the world as their owne inheritaunce The Sarracens were a barbarus and rough people of Arabia whiche before that time were called Agareni the same receauinge stipende of the Romanes fought vnder them in the warre against the Persians But when hée which bare the name of generall had the charge of the army in geuing them their pay had reprochefully called them dogs saying who shal giue mony enough to this coÌ„pany of dogs thei reuoulted froÌ„ y RomaÌ„s and beinge perswaded by Homer their cheifteine they chose Machomet to be their prince speciallye since he had perswaded them that they shoulde not bée called Agareni of Agar the handmaide but rather Sarraceni of Sarra the lawful wyfe by reason whereof as it is sayde they were the Lordes and heirs of all kingdomes These things were done in the yéere of Christe 623. But this seditious murderous and wicked villaine Machomet so soone as hée had obtayned the Empire began to enlarge and set foorth his abhominable religion with the sword and to enforce men to receaue it persecutyng also and opprâ—ssing the true Christian faith And for the better ratefiyng hereof hée continued in this trauaile the space of 9. yéeres vnto the yéere of our Lorde 632. Vnto al that would follow his relygion he promised felycitie glory Empire victori ritches and after this life the pleasure of Paradice And by this menes he gat vnto him great multitudes of men specially when at the beginning things prospered so wel with him for why the common people followeth good fortune victory and ritchesse hatinge as mutch the crosse and persecutions Hée willed them moreouer to persecute all sutch as spake agaynst and reprehended the Alcoran Wherfore many reuoulted from the Christian faith and all vertuous and true Christians were oppressed with gréeuous persecutions this was the begiÌ„ning of the Sarracens kingdome After the death of Machomet the Sarracens called their chief princes Amiras which as some saye signifieth as mutch as the name of Emperour Whose names and most famous conquestes are described in histories vnto the yéere of Christe 870. They made many great warres and fought sundry battailes and obtayned conquestes against y Emperours of ConstaÌ„tinople and other kinges and princes They subdued Persia Babilon Syria the citie of Ierusalem and gat sundry great victoryes in Asia and Affrica in whiche places they terme their Princes Souldans or Sultans and Caliphas
also with their armies slaine by the Turkes Baiazetus the first fourth Prince of the Turkes béegan to reygne in the yéere of our Lorde 1373. The same hath vnspeakabli in damaged the Christians and among other things he besieged Constantinople very hardly the space of eight yeres And when the Emperour of Constantinople had desiered help of other christiās Charles the 6. king of France Sigismund of Hungary Iohn Duke of Burgundy Rupert Duke of Bauaria with other princes sent him aid gathering an army of 80000. mē But all these vpon Michaelmas day were by the Turkes slayne at Nicopolis in the yéere of Christ 1395. Machomet the fift prince of Turks in the yéeare of our Lorde 1399. came vnto the Empire He vanquished Sigismund Kyng of Hungarie in a battle at Columbeciū very mucth indamaged the Christians in the yéere of Christe 1409. Afterward in the yéere of Christ 1416 Amurates the. 2. was created the sixte Prince of the Turkes The same made war with Laudislaus king of Hungarie and Polande when Laudislaus through the help of God vanquishing Amurates enforced him vnto conditions of peace verye necessarye and profitable for the Christians This peace was confirmed by an oth at whiche time the state of Christians was in good case ouer the Turkes had not Pope Eugenius the 4. vnluckely troubled all Who sending Iulianus Caesarinus in embasiedge into Hungarie perswaded Ladislaus the King that hée was not bound by the othe whiche hée made to kéepe peace with the Turke for that no man ought to make peace with Infidels or heretickes and the othes and promises made vnto them are not to be perfourmed There were also diuers other which prouoked the king Ladislaus that he shoulde vse and employe this happye successe whiche God had geuen him against the Turkes vnto the commodytie of the Christian common-wealth that the Turke was nowe in great feare and troubled at that present with warre by the Carmani wherefore that it were an easie matter to vanquish him With these perswasions this yong Prince this vertuous and well meannyng King breakinge the peace violatynge his othe made warre vppon the Turkes and pitched his tentes betwen Danubius and Adrianopolis neare to the Citie Varna Against whome came foorth Amurates accōpanied with fourscore thousande men greatly blaming the periurie of the Christians and their breakyng of the peace where hée slewe the young king which had bin deceiued by other with many moe princes and noble men and as Platina witnesseth in the life of Eugenius the. 4. in that battle were slayne 3. C. thousand Christians The battle was fought vpon S. Martins éeuen in the yéeare of Christe 1444. Who so desireth to reade a larger description of that wofull calamitie let him peruse the Hungarian historie of Antonius Bonfinius the 6. booke of the 3. Decade But Amurates not being satisfied with this victory immediatly cōuaighing his army into Greece slew the Emperour of Constantinoples brother with all his power and wasted Peloponesus with fire and pilledge and sutch Christians as were reserued from the slaughter he lead away into most miserable slauery And this was the great good prouision and commoditie whiche the counsell of the bloody and periured Pope Eugenius purchased to the Christians After these calamities and gréeuous persecutions yet were there greater mischeiues which by the iust iudgment of God oppressed the Christians For in the yéere of Christe 1450. Machomet the seconde Sunne to Amurates was made the seauenth Prince of the Turkes The same for the valientnesse of his déedes was surnamed the great and called the first Caesar or Emperour of the Turkes because hée tooke awaye valiently by force that Empire whiche from the time of Constantinus the great the space of 1121. yéeres had continued vnder the dominion of the Christians and brought it in subiection vnto the Turkes For in the yéere of our Lord. 1453. he besiedged costātinople the head of the empire w a great power And whē he had besiedged it the space of 50 continual dais assaulted it w munition at lēgth the 29 day of May he increased the assault w al his force frō the morning vntill most part of the dai were spent at the length took it Héere nowe it cannot bée recited with what sauadge crueltie wantonesse pride and disdayne the barbarous Turkes vsed the miserable Christians without al mercy Constantinus the Emperour who was pressed and troden to death by the multitude of men béeing sought out and haled from the residew of the dead carcases had his head strocken off which béeyng set vppon the point of a speare was carried about in despight derision of y christiās Some report also y ther were 40000. Christians slayne CLM. carryed away into captiuytie and sould The exact discription of this most miserable calamiti and vnspeakable persecution is to be found in Nauclerus histori Also Ioannes Auentinus a writer of histories reporteth that this wicked Machomet surnamed the great besides the two Empires of Trapezunce and Constantinople tooke away moreouer from the Christians xii famous Kingdomes and 200 famous Cities Also in the yéere of Christe 1469. hée made an irruption into Styria and béesiedged the citie Graecium whereby such feare inuaded y christians y from Saltzbrough which some suppose of olde to bee called Iuuania vnto Monachum in Bauaria they fled in such hast that they regarded not their Children whiche fell out of the wagons and Chariots by the waye The same at that time they called the Turkish flight In the yéere of our Lord God. 1481 Baiazetes was created seconde Emperour of the Turkes and the eight prince from Othomānus Thesame persecuted also the christians cruelly and brake into Wallachia Hungarie where néere to the riuer Morana vanquishyng the Christians in reproch and dispight cut of the noses of all the prisoners which he had taken He made warre also against the Venetians sendynge foorth againste them Scender a Bassa into Frioll who sacking and spoylyng farre aboute carried away many Christians captiue of whome thrée hundred thousande were most pitifully slayne at the shoare of the riuer Tiliauentum Many thinges also moe haue bin commited cruelly against the Christians by this most barbarous and Turkishe Tyraunt Baiazete In the yéere of our Lorde 1512. the. 9 prince of the Othomanni and the third in order of the Turkish emperours Selimus began to reigne The same quite destroid the Sarracens Mammaluces cōmaundyng that their last Sultan Tomombeius most ignominiously shoulde bée hanged which was done the. 13. day of Aprill in the yéere of our Lorde 1517. when hee had taken Alcharyus or Memphis the greatest and most famous Citie of Egipt And by this meanes the Turkish Princes obtayned thrée excéedyng great Empires to wit of Trapezunce Constantinople and Egypt and so continuallye the Rodde or Sworde which God hath prepared againste the Christians is fortified and increased Solimannus succéeded his Father Selimus in the Empire
but rather wisshing to die falsly accused themselues other Christians confessinge that they had set the citie on fire Wherfore immediatly there was a proclamation published by the emperour against christiaÌ„s in which it was commaunded that in Rome and al prouinces thei should be rooted out as enemies to the gods and religion of the Romanes and men practised in burning setting on fire And this was the beginning of y persecution and blouddy tragedie For some in reproche and for a mockyng stocke were sowed into the skinnes of wild beasts as Tacitus writeth cast vnto dogs to be torne Other were brent some â—aâ—â—â—ed and crucified and so destroyed with sundrie and most cruel punishments inso mutch that as Tacitus writeth the common people of Rome were mooued with greate pitie towards them But with Nero ther was no mercy no end of torments In this persecution were slayne as historicians do testifie and we also haue declared before the Apostles Peter Paul. There be also numbred by Chroniclers many notable and godly men whiche in this persecution suffred gréeuous affliction reproches punishment of bitter death not at Rome only but here there in other prouinces of the Romane empire Since therfore this persecution was first moued by Nero for a filthy horrible cause who shall accuse God for graunting such power to a wicked and Sodomiticall person against so many thousands of holy and innoceÌ„t men yea freinds of God or why hee suffred the christians to be brent for house burners and did not rather hale foorth Nero the true house burner and beastly Sodomit castinge him into the thickest of the people to bee torne in peces when therfore in our age the lyke do happen let all men humbly submit themselues to the power of God and his mightye hande beare their crosse with pacience which the Lord layeth vpon them giue laud and praise vnto God and constantlye cleaue to his holy worde whiche at Neroes time was also true and iust although it was behouefull that the faithfull should suffer afflictions and Nero ouercome them and haue power ouer them with his prophane and superstitious Relygion After this about the yere of our Lord 97. with intollerable and diuellish pride Domitian the Emperour set foorth him self sunne to Vespasian brother to Titus by whom the Citie of Ierusalem was destroyd the Iewes vanquished in battle and opressed The same was not ashamed to boast himselfe to be God Lord and would so be called and worshipped of al meÌ„ and y which no Emperour required before him he commanded y they should kisse his féete wherin no Emperour followinge hym dyd the lyke except Dioclecian onely a cruell Tyrant and a murtherer of holy men This Dominitia set a broch the .vii. persecutions against Christians in the which many holy men were driuen into banishment many flayne or spoyled of their goods and troubled most bitterlye Amongst whom Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist was brought prisoner from Ephesus to Rome vnto the Emperour and there tormented Flauia also and Domicilla of greatest nobilitie in the citie with diuers other mo were by Domitian sent into banishment But Iohn afterward returned vnto Ephesus and there died in the yere of our Lorde 102. after the passion of Christe 68. and the third yéere of the reygne of Traiane the Emperour After this about the yéere of our lord 110. Vlpius Traiane a mightie and victorious Emperour was the cause and authour of the eight persecution against the Christians in Rome and in other places vnder the Romaine Empire Whiche thynge cheifly prouoked him and other Emperours that came after him to persecute the Christians bicause they thought good that there should bee no Schisme suffred in the empire specially in religion but that there should bée one only religion receaued whiche their forefathers had obserued béefore time Now that disagréement in religion nourisheth coÌ„tentions and hatred a thing not to bée suffred in any empire Moreouer y they feared gréeuous calamities and punishments if their gods were not woorshipped after their accustomed maner and therfore the Christians bicause they hated their temples aulters sacrifices images and hollydayes blamyng and disdaynynge the religion of the Romanes were in no wise to be suffred Wherfore if any calamities should chaunce to rise in y Romane empire as are troubles dearth of corne famine warre seditions pestilence diseases with other discommodities by and by y Romans burthened the Christians with y cause of all these anoyances for contemnyng their gods and religion and doyng contrarie vnto the same That they woorshipped one God acknowledgyng Christ alone the sunne of God to bée the only sauiour openly pronouncyng that the Romane religion was false and of the diuel that their faith in Christe was true right nether that God ought to bée worshipped with images and temples sacrifices and hollydayes but in spirite and trueth accordyng to his woorde As for the Romans and other nations abroad in the worlde they were altogether addicted to superstitions valiently sheadyng their blood leesing their goods and liues in defence of their religion exhortyng other firmely to retain y same For they boasted how they receaued y religion of their elders which were no fooles but excellent wisemen Moreouer that there were many learned men in their collegies of priests that their beléef was confirmed with manie notable wounders and miracles y whilst they obserued that religion they obtayned sundry great victories and y who le empire of al the worlde attributyng al their good successe and salftie to their religion which had remained manie thousand yéeres not béeyng so new and but thyrtie yéeres ould as was the christian religion That their Gods were friendly and liberall vnto them helpyng them in sutche sorte that they wanted nothynge on the otherside the christians were poore and vnfortunate wherfore they should doo amisse if they erred the breadth of one heare or spared the sacrilegious enemies of their ancient and victorious religion Wherfore these causes which wee haue now recited prouoked the Romane Emperours to persecute the Christians The causes of the persecutions likewise in our age are not mutche vnlyke whoso weyeth them both vprightly Wherefore in this persecution moued by Traiane there was an vnspeakable deale of Christian bloud shed â–ª At Ierusalem Simeon Byshop of the citie beinge an hundred and twenty yeares ould was crucified S. Ignatius also the seruant of Christe and Disciple of the Apostles was brought from Antioche where he was Bishop vnto Rome cast vnto wilde beastes and by them torne in péeces Their Tragedies were so cruel their slaughters so great the sheadinge of Christian blood so horrible that Plinie the seconde a wise gentleman and lieutenant to the emperour wrate vnto the emperour giuinge vnto the Christians a singulare testimonie of their innocencie This epistle is to bée séene in the 〈◊〉 booke of Plinies epistles By which meanes the state of Christians was some deale the
that is to saye chiefe Princes and Capitaines in battaile The Sarracens haue made irruptions into Italy Spaine France spoiling all y euer they could wasting burning bearing away innumerable spoiles But how miserably y Church of christ was torne in péeces how much christian blood shed in so many prouinces duringe the space of so many yéeres it is impossible to set foorth in woordes For at length y Sarracens were driuen out of Spayne by Ferdinande y great the yere of Christ 1487 out of Affrica they were expulsed the yéere of Christe 1517. but the Turkes succéeded in their place for Selimus emperour of y turks slew and draue y Sara out of Affri Hervnto also apperteineth that miserable slaughter wherin there was an vnspeakable déele of blood sheden which is commonly called the Holly warre wherin the Christians went about to recouer Ierusalem and the holly sepulcher of the Lorde out of the Sarracens and Machometans handes whereby they brought none other thinge to pas but béeinge not able to obtaine the sepulcher they hastned thēselues to their owne graues and destructiō through their vnfortunate warre brought the miserable Christians of the East into hatred great daunger and persecution so y welnigh they lost all y was remaininge But to the intent that this great gréeuous longe and cruell persecution which the Sarracens haue exercised against the Christians may bée the better knowen I mean to declare y who le discourse of the warre In the yéere of Christe 1. 84. there came out of the East a certen Anchor whom historiographers do call Peter the Heremite The same filled the eares of princes and men of all other sortes declaring vnto them the miserable state of the Christians in the East whom y Machometan Sarracens oppressed with wofull tyranie and verie mutch molested wherfore that it was right néedfull for the Christians in the west to haue some care ouer them and gatheringe an armie both to ouercome the Sarracens and release the Christians Shortly after vrban y ii being Pope and schollar to Gregory the seuenth called togither a counsel at Claromōt in France wherin it was decréed that the christians with all their power should make warre vppon the Sarracens take Ierusalem and the holy Sepulcher and so delyuer the Christians from their tyrrannye This counsell was pernicyous and hurtfull to the Christian commonwealth and had the very same end with the counsel which is described in the firste booke of Kinges the last Chapter For al things were vnfortunate and the Christians were not only not released from the tirannie but most part of them slayne afterward oppressed and afflicted more gréeuously then before And albeit many holy and good men vpon a vertuous zeale yéelded themselues and consented to the warre yet lacked it the foundation of Gods worde whiche shoulde haue commaunded them to take Ierusalem and the holy Sepulcher from the Sarracens and to take in hande so great and dangerous a warre For although they atchiued sundri noble aduentures and possessed manye places yet was there no constant Fortune as to holde that which they had takē or to establish peace for the oppressed christians The byshops also in their counsells touching this warre gaue but euell counsell vnto Princes and many other godly christians as they haue done also in manye other matters Other deceits and troubles which wer annexed hereto for breuytie sake I omit at this present The Claromont counsell was holden the yéere of Christ 1095. After the Claromont counsel immediatly began Peter y heremits war who ledyng foorth with hym certen thousandes which voluntarely offred themselues in this expedition marched through Hūgary into Asia but atchiued ther no noble exploit worthy of memorye And this was the first vnluckie iourney Shortly after two rashe and troublesome priestes whom Historicians call Volcomar and Goddeschar hauynge gathered an vnfit multitude of the common people began the second expeditiō into Asia But when they were come into Hungarie spoylyng althynge rebyng and vsing themselues disordinatly so y the Hungariās iudged them worse then they vnbeléeuyng Sarracens they gathered an army and slew those lewde pilfring varlets In the yere of Christ 1096. Godfree and Baldwine of the famile of Bullein Dukes of Lorraine tooke in hande the. 3. expeditiō into Asia These gathering an army of a hundred thousande horsemen three hundred thousand footemen tooke many cities of Asia and Ierusalem also Vrspurgenfies reporteth that ther was so much blood shed there that in the very temple the bloude was aboue the hooues of the Horses The yéere of Christ 1119. the citie of Ierusalem was taken by the Christians and made head of the newe kingdome of Christians in the Easte wherof duke Godfree was created king The same reigned one yéere after whō succéeded seauen Kinges in order which reigned in all about one hundred yéere in the yéere of Christe 1189. all things were lost agayne which they had taken After that tidings were come out of the East how Ierusalem was taken and a new kingdome established many were pricked forward to take their iourneie thyther hoping for ritches kingdomes Wherfore in the yéere of Christe 1101. William duke of Poicters w t. 100000. men tooke in hand the holy warfare And this was the 4. expedition which was not also very prosperous for there returned home again not many mo then a M. mē Although Ierusalē was thus taken by the christians notwithstanding the Sarracens ceased not from war but vrged them so sharply the they wer enforced to su foraid whē as S. Bernhard abbot of Clarauallis ioyned himself in this vnlucky war and taking diuers iournies in hand exhorted the christian princes to take this war vpon them and at length brought to pas the Conrade the 3. being emperour Ludouick kinge of France Friderick duke of Sueuia VVelphus duke of Bauaria with many other princes moe with great power béegan this expedition but these also profited nothinge for their armie dyinge in sundrie places in forrein countreys the princes scarsly returned in safety This great expedition was made in the yéere of our Lorde 1147. Afterward Ierusalē was taken as we haue said béefore by a very great power of Sarracens with an vnspeakable losse and spillyng of Christian bloud Which heauie tidinges béeinge arriued in the west forthwith there béetooke them vnto armour Friderick Barbarossa the emperour Philippe kinge of France Rychard kinge of England and with them many princes moe These tooke in hand the. 6. expedition into the east the yéere of Christe 1189. With an excéedinge great power who notwithstandinge brought nothing to passe but this only that the noble prince Friderik the emperour fell into a riuer and was drowned the armie for the most part died with sicknes the residew whereof the numbre was not great returned home miserably After this ther apoynted again a new and which was the. 7. expedition two most
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
of Rome and their adherentes who also vnsatiably do thirst all their blood which cleaue only to Christe and his Gospell and set nought by abhor their superstition and Idolatrye Of the. 5. tragical acte or persecution wherein Paule and the Christian Church sufferd many thinges and the Apostles ended their liues full of afflictions by sheadyng their bloud Chapter v. THe fifte persecution againste Paule that Apostle continued many yeres the Church also which beléeued the Gospel partly for Paule with whom they suffered and partly for the Gospel of Christ abode sundry troubles and afflictions by that meanes was partaker of this persecution For when Paule had begun to preach the Gospel at Damascus about the yere after Christe xxxiii and iourneynge through Arabya was retourned to Damascus and there disputed earnestly against the Iewes Aretas the King layyng watche at the Cittie gates sought hym to kyll hym when the faithfull not beyng able otherwise to saue hym let downe Paule by a Rope through the wall in a basket and so with great care and dillygence they kept him aliue At Antioch also in Pisidia Paule gathered together a great congregatioÌ„ vnto Christ of Gentiles and Iewes but the Iewes which would not imbrace Christ stirryng vp a persecucion against Paule and Barnabas draue them out of that Citie and Region In Iconium also the Iewes agayne moâ—ued a tumult against Paul wherhe with his companion Barnabas were in forced to prouide for theÌ„selues by flight Also in Listra the same Iewes brought Paul so far into hatred y being stoned drawn forth of y towne as dead yet christ raised him again to do him seruice At Phillippos in Macedonia Paul and his fellow Silas were taken scourged with rods and cast into a very straight prison out of whiche notwithstanding Christ deliuered him that he might yet preach the Gospell to moe nations Moreouer at Thessalonica there was agreeuous persecution moued againste Paul wher he was constrained through helpe of the faithfull to escape away by night The lyke he suffred at Berroea At Athens the Philosophers and wyse men of this world reprochfully termed him a trifler rayled at hym and mocked hym as the like was done to the lord himself Likewise in the famous citie of Gréece called Corinthe hée was apprended and brought to the lieutenaÌ„tes seate of iudgment and sharply accused but then also the Lorde deliuered him out of the power of his enemies But what gréeuous thinges Paule suffred in Asia at Ephesus are by himselfe recited in these wordes I woulde not haue you ignoraunt brethern of the trouble and affliction which hapned vnto vs in Asia how we were wonderfully greued aboue our power that we were in dispaire euen of lyfe But we receiued a decree within our selues touchyng death that wee shoulde not trust in our selues but in God whiche raiseth the dead In Luke also in y Act. of the Apostles there is set forth a notable description of the tumult which was at Ephesus Vpon occasion of which tumult there the faithfull remayned in great sorow heauines and daunger also by reason of the continuall waite layyng and persecutions wherwith the vnfaithfull both Iewes and Gentiles persecuted them After so many daungers afflictions and most greuous traueles when Paule was arriued at Ierusalem bringing with him a great and ritch treasure whiche he had gathered as a donatiue for y pouerty of y citie and relmâ— there againe y Iewes raised a most wofull seditioÌ„ apprehending Paul scourged him biterly wher he had bin vtterli destroyd vnles the Tribune coÌ„ming in al spéede with his souldiers had taken him out of their handes This beinge doone hée was by the tribune brought into the Ecclesiasticall court where hée was also scourged and vnworthely intreated Afterward bicause of the great treason of the Jewes being guarded with a sufficient power of horsemen and footemen hée was sent from Jerusalem to Caesarea vnto Foelix the lieutenaunt Beefore whom when he came the cheif of the Iewes accused him layinge manie thinges to his charge wherin al though hée could not bee fownd giltie notwithstanding hée was committed to indurance wher hée remayned the space of two whole yeeres Moreouer he was euelly delt with all by Festus also the new lieutenaunt who succeeded Foelix after ward with other prisoners deliuered ouer vnto the Centurians and souldiours imbarked and with a longe and daungerous iourney brought to Rome But Nero then reigninge at Rome hée remayned agayne prisoner there two yeres Some are of opinion that at this time he was slaine with the sword by Nero others thinke that hée was acquited in iudgement by Nero as hée himself witnesseth in the ij to Timoth. the .iiii. chapter and béeinge so set at libertie that hée departed directly intoo Spaine as béefore hée had declared in the Epistle to the Romanes that hée was desierous to take in hand that iourney And traueylinge through Spaine and France they say how hée came the seconde time to Rome in the later yeres of the reigne of Nero and there was slayn with the sworde at Neroes commaundement But this wée leaue as vncertain howbeit this is euident wherin all doo agrée that the most holly Apostle Paule was putte to death at Rome vnder Nero. The traueiles afflictions and sundrie calamities whiche for none offence hée sustayned but for Christ his woord and the Churche the Apostle himselfe imputynge them to his enemies and false Apostles reciteth in a bréeif catalogue in these woordes Are they the ministers of Christe I speake like a foole I am more in labours more abuÌ„dant in woundes surpassynge them in prison more commonly in death often Of the Iewes I receaued fiue times fourtie stripes sauynge-one I was thrise scourged with roddes and once stoned thrise I suffred shipwrak night and day haue I beene on the deepe sea In iourneinge often in daunger of waters in daunger of theues indaunger of mine owne countriemen in daunger of the heathen in daunger in the Citie in daunger in the wildernes in daunger in the sea in daunger amonge false brethren In weerines and traueyle in watchinge often in hunger and thirst in fastinge often in colde and nakednes Beeside those thinges which happen outwardly vnto mee for the heape of them dayly riseth against mee which is to say the care for all Churches of Christe Now therfore by so many afflictions which Paule sustained and by the victory good successe of his enemies can it be gathered that Paules doctrine was erronious or else God would haue defended him nether haue suffred him to haue bin ouer whelmed with so many calamities and reproches Shal wée ther fore dispute against god whi he suffreth wicked meÌ„ somutch to preuaile against the faithful and his holy ministers or why he permitteth the sacred Churche of Christe to suffre so mutch in it selfe and in the faythful pastor therof Paule The godly men suffred
and at length confirmed with their bloud For after manie and diuerse torments they were slayn with the sworde by Decius the Romane lieutenant that dwelte in the castle of zuirick And these most holly Germans haue left vnto vs the most holly and precious treasure of the Gospell and Christian fayth These our Apostles or rather teachers sent vnto vs from heauen are farre more auncient then y counsailes These liued and taught and are blesledly departed this life béefore the Papisticall Churche was establyshed in forme and manner as it is for at theyr time there was not that Papacie which afterwarde ensued there were then no Images in Churches there was no sacryfice of Mas no inuocatiō of saints no Munks no institutiōs or foūdations of Abbeies for they lyued in those yeres after Christe whiche wée haue before noted so that the Christyan fayth hath contynued amongst vs and also the auntient Congregation of Zuirick aboue 1270. yeares whiche I praye God alwayes with his grace to preserue But when this losse whiche the Churche had sustayned and this token of the wrath of God against his people had mooued but fewe in the Churche to repentaunce the more parte remaynynge carelesse and impenitent and alwayes procéedynge farther in theyr vnthankefulnesse God also increased the correction suffryng the Churche to bée oppressed with a moste sharpe persecution For in the .xix. yéere of Dioclecian which was the. 306. after the birth of Christe in the month of March euen on Easter day were published euery where edictes from y emperours againste the Christians wherin was charge giuen that Churches and Oratories of the Christians shoulde bée plucked downe to the grownd the Bibles and all bookes of holly scripture burned and whosoeuer of the Christians hée were that were in any honour office and dignite should bée disgraded and made imfamous with many other commaundmentes of that sorte Shortly after it was commaunded by another edict from the emperours that in euery place the bysshops and ministers of the Church should bée apprehended and constrained to do sacrifice to the Gods if anie spake against it they should be enforced therto or slaine Héerevpon ensued a miserable and cruell slaughter For the christian byshops doctours and ministers of the Churches were thicke and thréefolde led and drawn to the temples of Idols to do sacrifice and manie times those that lead them mooued with certein compassion exhorted them whom they lead to holde their peace and if they woulde but dissemble as though they dyd sacrifice they woulde then lette them departe But they declared with a loude voyce that they neither had Sacrificed neither woulde Sacrifice but that they were the seruantes and ministers of Christe wherfore vnaccustomed and new tormentes and diuerse tortures and punishments were laid vpon the Christians in execution wherof the tormenters and officers were more wery in appliyng then the Christians in suffringe them For they through thée goodnes of God continnued constant in the Christian faith vnto death notwithstandinge certen through feare and greatnes of paine and torment renounced their faith to the wounderfull sorowe and greif all the godlie At Nicomedia in Bythynia when the emperours commaundement and proclamation was openly set abroade and both emperours at that present soiurned at Nicomedia a certen noble citizen and of great dignitie in that city rent downe the emperours edict and tore it all to péeces wherfore with out delaye hée was brought vnto the emperours Who after that hée had confessed that hée was a Christian and that whiche hée had doone hée did it on a feruent zeale hée was deliuered vnto the hangemen and Iurmagantes who tormented him with sundrie torments vntill hée died But amonge the outragious tormentes wherewith they martyred him there neuer appéered any one sygne of sorrowe in his countenaunce At the same tyme were tormented and slayne the chéeife Prynces and nobles of the Emperours householde amonge whom Peter after sundrie vexations and tortures was layde vpon a Gridyron and roasted with this moste cruell kynde of deathe endynge his lyfe Lykewyse Dorotheus and Gorgonius Gentilmen of the Emperours Chamber after the bitter taste of sundrie tormentes were laste of all hanged Anthimus also bysshop of Nicomedia was at that time slayne with the sword and with him a great numbre of cityzens as shéepe followynge their sheapheard through tormentes and death with a most constant faith In Nicomedia at that time there arose a great fire suddeinly within the kinges palace as who should say that God ment to punishe the extreame crueltie of the emperours and the heathen people which had burned and broiled so manie innocent and godlie men But the same chaunced which befell at Rome in the time of Nero for like as hée imputed the cause of burninge the citie vnto the giltlesse Christians beeinge cause therof himselfe so these emperours published new commaundementes wherby they strayghtly charged y the Christians should bée extinguished with fier sword in euery place In Syria likewise the faithfull Doctours noble and vnnoble men and women younge and ould were drawen by heapes into prison in so mutch that the prisons and common places of the citie were full of prisoners and but few men there were that walked abroade the place resemblyng the shew of a forlorne wildernesse Wherof when the Emperours were aduertised they willed that sutche as would do sacrifice to the gods should bée released the residew that continued in the christian béeléefe should bée put to death with moste cruell kindes of tormentes The people of Tyrus also in the land of Palestine whole flockes as it were of men and women in places of common resorte for shewes were thrown vnto wylde beastes and when the wild beastes were more gentyl towards the Christians then the men neither forced vpon them to teare them yea rather teare their kéepers and maisters that egged them to others notwithstanding these faithlesse tyrants crueller then all beastes ranne vpon the miserable christians woundyng them stabbyng them and cruelly without all pittie murtheryng them A strainge kynde of crueltye also the vngodly in Egipt and Thebais practized against the faithfull wherwith they slew infinite numbers of them They vsed in certayne places to bend downe two Trées and to bynde the faithfull vnto eche trée by the legge then to let them rise agayne and so tearyng the men in péeces And Vspurgensis reporteth how at the same time in one monethes space were seuentéene thousand men martyred and slayne Eusebius in the. 9. and. 10. Chapters of the 8. booke describeth the strange torments and punishments of many christians which he himselfe dyd beholde amonge whom he mentioneth one Phileas a worthy man who was a Martir himselfe and had wroten of Martirs There was also in Phrigia a certen famous Citie wherein all the people highest and lowest young and old professed the Christian faith The same Citie the Emperours army beseidged round about and set it on fire burninge
therin all that euer was as well men as goodes that there was not one that escaped Besides there are many other cruell tortures and punishmentes recited in y same boke of Eusebius wherby infinit multitudes of christians wer executed to death made away in Arabia Cappadocia Mesopotamia AlexaÌ„dria Antioche and lykewise in Pontus But after that these bloudthirstie dogges Dioclecianus and Maximianê° departed from the empire there succéeded in their place other tyrantes maxentius sunne to Maximian Galerius Maximinus who persecuted the church nolesse cruelly then theyr predicessours did neither made they any ende or moderation or measure of punishing staynge or sheadinge of blood At Alexandria a noble honest virgin Dorothe was by Maximinus spoyled of all her goods with other virgines also whiche would not consent to his filthie lust tormented and slayne At Rome Sophronia wife to the gouerner of the cittie chose rather to die with her owne hand then to bée defiled by a beastly tirant By this Tyrant very many christians were driuen into exyle punished and slayne as Eusebius copiously declareth in thenéeinth and last booke of his storie Howbeeit the moste famous amongst them all are thrée ministers of Christe and his Churche Syluanus of Tyre Peter of Alexandria and LuciaÌ„ of Antioche who had traueiled very mutch in the scriptures as S. Ierom reporteth These woorthie men not only by their teachinge and writinge but also by their bloud and death haue borne testimony to y christian faith and haue cleaued vnto christ constantly to death This cruell and rare kinde of persecution continued from the yeere of Christe 306 vnto the yere 320. that is to say about .xv. yéere in the whole For in the yeere of Christe 321. Constantinus the emperour in the .x. yéere of his reigne gaue peace and rest to the miserable torne and almost oppressed Church indéede from the time that Christe suffred his passion vnto that present there was no persecution more cruell or that continued longer then this wherin notwithstandinge the Church through faith preueiled ouerthrew and caste downe al false religion and Idolatrie But that I may returne vnto the accustomed talke whiche I haue vsed before this in the discourse of most persecutions is there anie man I béeséech you which dareth avoutch that the Ethnick religion of the Romanes was therefore iust and true bycause the Romane emperours defended and enlarged the same castinge downe and defilinge the faith of the Christians with their owne blood most cruelly bicause theâ— obtained prosperus successe against the Christians the ChristiaÌ„s the mean season tastinge none other but the crosse afflictions miseries and most cruell death And who is hée now that will dispute with God why hée suffred sutch naughtie knaues and wicked varlets with so many and diuerse kyndes of calamities molest and trouble sutch men as were dearely beloued vnto him Who will deâ—aunde whether hée did well or ill since God doth no vniuste thing But hée proueth his seruantes with the crosse and afflictions like as Gold and Siluer are by woorkmen tried in the fier This the faithfull know very well and therfore if our wretched and impatient fleash do mooue any contrary thoughtes as it often chanceth immediatly they suppresse them And Saint Peter saith humble your selues vnto the mightie hand of god and hee will exalt you when hee seeth his time and cast all your cares vpon him for it is hee that is carefull for you ¶ Of the. 16. Tragicall Acte or persecution vnder Iulian the Emperour of the 17. vnder the Emperour Valens also of the. 18. vnder Genserick and Hunerick Kinges of the Vandales Chapter X. FRom the tenth yéere of the reigne of Constantinus Magnus the church of Christe enioyed peace and tranquillity when as within xxi yéeres for so many yéeres are accoumpted from the tenth yéere of Constantine vnto the. 31. which was the last yere of his reigne it encreased more then at any other time since the natiuitie of Christe But not longe after the death of Constantine the learned teachers and ministers of the Churches vnthankfully abused their peace minglynge many contentions and cauilles with y simple doctrine of their religion and mutch disagréeinge and contendinge amonge themselues they drew the simple people from the vnitie of the Church into sundry sectes and pluckyng them from the purenesse and plainesse of the true faith with their doubtfull doctrine they filled their heades with sundrie altercatioÌ„s At which time sprange vp the blasphemous doctrine of Arrius who affirmed that our Lorde Iesus Christe the sunne of God was not of one essency or béeinge with the father nether very and eternall god With this poyson at that time Constantius one of Constantinus sunnes was infected for Coustantinus left béehind him thrée sunnes béetwéen whom he deuided the empire Constantinus the second Constantius ConstaÌ„s This Constantius was offended with the true faithfull ministers of y Churches which withstood the doctrine of Arrius and sent them into exile But he persecuted most vehemeÌ„tly Blesied Athanasius and with him many mâ— wherof some he threw into most strait prisons greuously afflicting the faithful as is declared at large in the ecclesiasticall history This persecution béegan aboute the yéere of Christ 343. but bicause valens y emperour who was also difiled with the herésie of Arrius renued this persecution wée will atribute them both to the Arrians comprehendinge them vnder the name of Valens persecution God chastised his Church for contentions falling out disagréements scismes not only in this Arrian persecution but also in an Ethnick the like wherof it suffred many before the reigne of Constantinus as wée haue hether to declared For the emperour Iulian opposed himself sharply against the Church of Christe laboring to bring it back vnto the aunâ—ient superstitions of the gentiles about the yéere of Christ 366. This Iulian was at the first a Christian and a reader in the holy Catholick Church but when he had falne into acquaintance and frindship with certayne Philosophers and chiefly with Libanius the Sophist he began by litle and litle to fall from the Christian faith and at last receiued the relygion of the Gentiles againe wherin he became so blind and hard harted that he washed awaye the Baptisme of Christ yea he was so farre possessed by the Diuell that he vsed very much Magicall arts applying his whole studye vnto sutch thinges as were plesant exceptable to the diuell But after that he came to the empire hauing obtained a great victorie against the Almaynes nigh to the citie Strausbrough of whom he slew xxx M with all his power hée bent him selfe against the christian religion The temples of Idoles which Constantinus had shutte vp and in which vpon paine of death he coÌ„manded that none should do sacrifice Iulian set them open agayne and sacrificed in them vnto Idols and gaue all men leaue to sacrifice So y the Gentile
puisaunt princes the kinges of Fraunce and England in the yéere of Christe 1191. and came into Asia wher léesinge a great multitude of men they were constrayned to leaue Ierusalem to the Sarracens In the yéere of Christe 1198. Henrie sunne to Friderick Barbarossa béegan the viii expedition into Syria but at the first receauinge a foile hée returned againe without doinge any thinge After all these expeditions Pope Innocentius the 3. a craftie presumptious man went about afresh to beegin this warre caulinge at Rome a great counsell such as hath not bin séene thée like in the yéere of Christ 1215. but hée died in the midst of this busines after whom succéeded Honorius the 3. who with no lesse diligence applied the same matter feigninge like a false prophet that hée had seene a vision and that it was said vnto him by Saint Peter that in the time of his reigne Ierusalem should bée recouered Wherfore the ninth expedition was taken in hand towardes Ancon whiche once was Ptolomais Then was taken Damniata yet with more losse then profit vnto our men which was taken the yéere of Christe 1222. and lost the next yéere followinge To be short there was almost nothinge gotten by the warre for euery thinge had but litle good successe In the yéere of Christe 1228. Fridericke the seconde Emperour of y name a wise noble and victorious prince vndertooke the tenth expedition into Syria where vanquishynge his enemies hee tooke certayne principall Citties among which also hée wanne Ierusalem But whilst this good prince maketh warre agaynst the Infidels Pope Gregorie the .ix. inuaded Apulia and tooke his natiue kyngdome and countrey and therefore contrary to his intent and purpose hée was enforced to take peace with the Soldane and so departe Which déede of the Pope Abbas Vrspurgensis in his chronicles doth woorthely blame moste sharply Afterward in y yéere of Christ 124◠Ludouick king of Fraūce with his brothers Robert and Charles lead foorth an armie passing wel appointed into Syria where hée founde no better fortune then others before him had done For Robert was slayn Charles taken by the Soldan the army discomfited and the kynge Ludouicke hardly escaped with a few And this was the .xi. vnhappie expedition In the yéere of Christe 1270. Kynge Ludouicke lead foorth an armie againe into Affrica against the Sarracens which maketh the xij expedition but there a sicknesse inuadyng the army the kynge himself with one of his sunnes died for hée caried thrée foorth with him into battel a few of the people returned home salfe Although in this warre which was first kindled by Peter the Heremite afterwarde proclaimed by the Claromont counsell and successiuely mantayned by meanes and prouocation of Popes there was no constant successe so that it was manifest vnto all men that God would blesse it with no prosperous preueile and séeinge that Ierusalem was lost agayne and the state of Christians in the East was béecome most miserable from whom by reason of the warres persecutions were not taken away but rather augmented notwithstandinge these vnfortunate Bysshoppes with this vnspeakable effusion of Christian bloode were not satisfied neyther coulde bée broughte to yéelde or relent at these perpetuall and great discouragementes For Gregorie the x. callinge a great counsell at Lions in the yéeare of our lorde 1272. went about to renewe the warre but all in vaine for so mutch as therby manie had sustained sutch and so manie miseries and calamities both of body and goodes And Matthaeus Palmerius in his Cronacles writeth How that many thousandes of Christians being slayn in Syria by the Sarracens the residew for feare departed the cuntrey whiche was doone the yéere of Christe 1291. about whiche yéere Paulus Aemilius and the French Chronacles do report that this holy or rather vnhappye warre was ended which continued in all 196. yéeres whereof the like is not heard of in any history And this warre vnto the great damage and oppression of the Christians was first kindled by Peter an vnknowne heremit of whom many boast verye mutch others not without cause haue doubted whether he were a man or any thinge else I know not what many haue said that he was a dissemblinge hypocrite holpen by the Counsell and prelates and this mutch is sufficent to haue spoken of the Sarracen persecution Wherfore let vs now come to the Turkishe The persecution of Turkes wherewith they haue molested the Christians is in some respect ioyned and coupled with the Sarracen makinge it more gréeuous and cruell And the Turkes are a people of Tartaria whiche in the yeere of Christe 764. brake forth of their owne confines through the gates Caspiae planted themselues in Asia who first seruinge vnder the Sarracens for wagies afterward increasinge their power by good successe in warres about the yéere of Christe 1051. they created them princes amonge themselues who perpetually haue afflicted and persecuted the poore Christians for they also had then receaued the Machometan religion It is not to bée doubted but that God hath sent this cruell and superstitious nation of Turkes for a scourge vnto the Christians For like as in the tyme of Salomon when as he fell from the lawe of God and suffred his wiues to build temples vnto Idoles there sprange vp and increased enemies against him and all the kingdome so likewise amonge the Christians when Pope Boniface the. 8. committed many thinges repugnant to the Christian religion bringing in the Iubilee of the Iewes which was abolished by christ wherby the redemption through Christe was no litel déele diminished at the same time in the yéere of our lord 1300. sprang foorth that sharp rodde namely othomannus prince of the Turkes who at the béeginninge was but a shéepheard From this sprange out all the princes and emperours of the Turkes which hetherto haue obtayned the empire persecuting the Christians with vnspeakable harmes wasting and destroying whatsoeuer the Sarracens had left and haue established sutch a kingdome as hath desended and enlarged it self alas therwhile with impregnable force against all power Othomannus hath amplyfied his kingdome large and wyde wounderfully indamaginge vanquishynge and murtheringe the Christian Gréekes which were vnder the empire of Constantinople After the death of Othomannus there succéeded him in the Turkish Empire his sunne Orchannes in the yéere of our Lorde 1328. The same ensued his fathers steppes gréeuously afflictynge the Christians hée béesiedged the Cittie Nicea whiche when the Emperour of Constātinople would haue deliuered from siedge the armie of the Christians was miserably slayne the Cittie yéelded and the Christians most truelly dealt with all In the yéere of our Lorde a thousand thrée hundred and fiftie Amurates the first of that name thirde prince of the Turkes succéeded his father Orchannes Who sendyng an armie ouer the Sea tooke the cities Hadrianopolis Seruia and Bulgaria whom when the Christian princes assaide to driue away were
181. yéeres béeginning in the time of Gregory the 7. vnto the enstaulinge of Alexander the fourth and vnto the yéere of our lord 1256. About which time writers of histories Cronacles do make an InterregnuÌ„ or space while none ruled which indured the terme of xvii or xviii yéeres vnto the election of y emperour Radulphus of Habspurge And although in the meane time certen princes were chosen as Alfonsus and Rycharde wherof the laste tooke vpon him the charge and gouerment of the empire yet all these princes were so terrâ—fied with daily molestations and deceites wherwith the Popes had hetherto troubled the emperours that no man would willinglye take the empire vpon him since euerie man euidently béeheld that by possession therof hée could obtaine no quietnes nor profit but only damage and vexation For although Germanye had the title of the Romane empire yet Rome was not the head of their empire but of the Pepes if that haply through their great charge trouble and payne leadinge an armie into Italye they had by force possessed the citie so soone as they were returned again into Germanye the Pope by and by reposessed the same Moreouer the kinge or emperour of the Romans receiueth no great commoditie nor reuenue out of the Romane Empire so that vnlesse hée haue otherwyse prouision and liuinge of his owne hée is scarce able thereof to mayntayne his port and dignitie Yea and béesides this the Popes haue molested and gone about to take awaye by force of armes their patrimonie whiche haue taken vpon them the Empire thereof Wherfore princes that were of wealth and substance haue not easely bin persuaded to take the Empire vppon them And Radulphus Erle of Habspurge when as hée accepted the election yet could hée neuer bée persuaded to goe to Rome to receaue the Crowne of the Empire for hée alwayes aunswered that hée was affraid by the example of manye whiche haue gone to Rome wherof but fewe haue returned agayne And that hée might cléerelye discharge himselfe from that Cerberus hée cast into his mouth Romandiola whiche vnto that time béelonged to the empire The Popes of Rome haue vsed sundry strange practizes to bereue kinges and Emperours of their power and to extolle themselues aboue Kinges and Princes or rather to cast theÌ„ downe vnder their féete Their chiefe power consisted in excomunicatioÌ„ or hauing excomunicated any Prince they withdrue the subiectes from obeying him and exhorted them to raise tumultes and fall away from him moreouer they egged subiectes and seruantes to rebel against their Lords Maisters shamefully discharging them from their Loialtie and oth vnder this title pretence y there ought no honor nor obedience be sheweÌ„ or vsed vnto excomunicate persons nor oth kept towards them Then sent they abroad into all Prouinces subtile men Legates with Bulles or Letters and w the Apostolick power as they terme it through whose meanes they bread sundrye conspiracies partly with the Bisshops of the Prouinces whom they put in minde of their dutifull obedience to the Sea of Rome partly with Princes of the Empire and with all other that were of ani power or aucthority Thus hauinge gotten certen of those in their faction and raising a dissention amonge the people the next was that there must a new Emperour bee chosen and then fell they together by the eares whiche héeld with the old Emperour and they which tooke part with the new Wherevpon many horrible wofull miseries haue ensued as ciuill warres seditions murthers burnings and generally all kindes of calamities wherwith the good Emperours somtimes béeing wearye many times ouercome by force haue bin constrained to geue place and abide these thinges and in the meane while the Popes haue with more arrogancye and bouldnesse aduaunced their head Al these thinges may bée séene as it were in a Mirrour in the histories of the emperours Henrie the fourth Henrie the. 5. Frederick the firste and Frederick the seconde and others whome wée haue béefore named And so at length the Popes haue ouercome and béecame stronge as Daniell writeth but not by their owne power Béesides this also they haue vsed the benifite of counselles vnto the confirmation and preseruation of their kingdom For in those dayes they made themselues rulers of the counselles vnto whiche they called men of their owne faction who in no poynt would gainsay the Pope And because that of oulde times sutche counselles as then were holden by most godly and learned men were of great aucthoritye they were also verye mutch regarded of all men which the moste hollye father for so hée was supposed to bée with his adherents had concluded in their assemblies And thus vnder the title of counselles the Popes mightely brought their driftes to effect There was also a newe deuise and such a one as the like hath not bin heard of before inuented in the Claromont counsel vnder Pope Vrbane the second which by a new name they called Cruciata or Croysados They preached the Crosse but farre otherwise then dyd the Apostles For they preached the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ namely how that through his Crosse and Passion wée are clensed from our sinnes and by Faith obtayne eternall felicitie But the Popes Cruciata or Croysados was a certein kinde of Alarme For the preachers of this Cruciata exhorted the christians to signe themselues with the Crosse lyke as souldiers in warre for a signe or token doo weare white or red skarfes and that they should march into the East against the Sarracens as we haue shewed before And they preched that they whiche were signed with the Crosse in this warfare obtayned indulgencies that is to saye remissions of sinnes and if they were slayne in battle should be partakers of eternall felicitie Afterward these suborned preachers of the Popes not onely preached the crosse against the Sarracens but also against the Christians namely againste the Emperours whome the Pope had proclaimed to bée hereticks generally against al y would not adore the pope obey all his commaundements And by this shift the Popes haue gathered very great and well apoynted armies almost withoute any charge obtayning their power wealth and greatnesse wherunto they bée nowe growne by verye force But in this matter the foure orders of begging or mendicant Fries haue doone the Popes verye good seruice whiche first béegan in the time of Pope Innocentius and Honorius both the. 3. of that name which kinde of people the Christian Churche wanted the space of MCC yéeres and that with more quietnesse and commodytie then hath since the time of their béeginninge and approbation ensued Howbeit in prechynge and settyng foorth of the Cruciata or Croysados the Dominican Friers haue taken most paine who by preachyng this Cruciata or Alarme obtayned the name of preaching Friers Whom the Popes in consideration of their paines and dillygent seruice haue indued with Priuiledges and honours and loued them more
tenderly then the restdue Of whose trauile employd to the plesure and furtherance of the pope many thinges might be written At length the state of Christianytie proceeded so farre after the time of the kinges Radulphus and Adulphus vnder Albertus the firste in the yéere of Christe 1300. that the Pope vaunted hymselfe to be Emperour For at the same time Bonifacius the. 8. brought in agayne the yéere of Iubilee which was abrogated by the Apostles Actes the. 15 Chapter promising forgiuenesse of sins vnto all the would come to Rome vpon the first day of which Iubilee being adorned in his pōtificalrobes he came abroad shewing himselfe as Pope to all men blessing the people the next day he came foorth in his Emperiall apparell openly declaring that the Empire and Papacie together with all ciuill and ecclesiastical power were in the popes hands These things are written by Albertus Crantzius in the eight booke 26. Chapter of his Saxonie The same Pope also set foorth Decretals whiche are called the Decretals of Bonifacius the eight where in muche more impudentlye hée challengeth all power to the Popes This power or rather tirannie and intollerable arrogancye not longe after Bonifacius Iohn the twenty and two put in practise and declared towardes Ludouick For he most reprochefully misused him excommunicated him cast him into gréeuous warres causinge an vnspeakable deale of mans bloud to be shead throughout all Germanie These thinges are described dilligently and at large by Iohn Auentine in the seuenth booke of the yeerely recordes of the Boi whiche I declare for this intent that who so desireth to haue an exacte knowledge of these thinges may know wherto finde it Moreouer in the reigne of Ludouick the fourth as also before vnder Friderick the second the Citie of Zurick béecause it tooke part with the Emperours against the Pope keeping alwaies their oth and allegance towardes hym stood many yéeres excommunicated whiche was not withoute great hinderance of the commonwealth although since that time it hath againe bin indued with sundrye priuiledges and honours At which time the first ground and foundation of the Swicers league through the gifte of God was layde most happely Ludouick the Emperour most largely and liberally graunting to the same and fauoring the Swicers whom I pray god to blesse and kéepe and defend moste mercifully Nowe perhaps you wyll aske mée whether these Actes of the Popes and Emperours and the increase of the Popish power and aucthority doo any thing appertaine to the persecutions against the churh wherof at the beginning we purposed to write yea indeede altogether surely most properly they appertaine to the same For in asmuch as the first bisshops of Rome persecuted no man but themselues suffred persecution were Martires and those whiche next followed were most parte of them holye and faithfull doctours subiectes to the Emperours and ciuill Maiestrates and ruled ouer no Prouinces nor Peoples so that none of them were Princes and the later Popes in these laste times stirred vp moste gréeuous persecutions within the circute of Christendome it is expedient to know by what means and maner how why and when the state of the bysshops of Rome was so shamefully deformed and chaunged that the later Popes béecomminge so farre diffrent from the first bysshops béecame Lordes of kinges and emperours and cruell persecuters of them Now therfore so many moste cruell and sharpe warres which the Popes béeing aduanced to so great power haue stirred amōg Christians in which sutch aboundance of Christian blood hath bin shead maye they not rightfully be reckned amongst the persecutions of Christians For like as abroad they haue bin sticklers of most gréeuous warres vnto the Christians against the Sarracens and Turkes as wée haue declared béefore so haue they bin also at home aucthours of persecutions troubles and destruction to Christians Doth not this verie well deserue the name of a persecution when as Christian emperours with such as duetifully obeyd his hestes ar by Popes vexed and wasshed with their own blood discourteously dealt withall with weapons and warlike torments which as we haue shewed béefore out of historys many yéeres with infinite spillinge of blood were most cruelly and tyrannically committed But in the midst of so many calamities the wofull kinges and emperours perpetuallye suffringe affliction and miserie at length they and theirs quayled and gaue ouer and the Popes béeinge conquerours triumphed and althinges hapned accordinge to their desier and so they established their power that they might stand heerafter in awe of no man but rule at their pleasure without all controulement And in very déede these are not vnlike vnto Daniels prophecy wherin hée hath left thus written While the vngodly are a growyng there shall arise a king with an impudent face which shall vnderstand darck sayinges and his power shal encrease but not in his own strēgth and hée shal destroy aboue measure and all that hée goeth about shal prosper and hée shall destroy the valient and holly people And through his craftines deceit shal prosper in his hand and hée shal magnifie himselfe in his hart and in his prosperity hée shall confound many Yea hée shall rise vp against y prince of princes but hée himselfe shalbée destroyed with out hand Daniell the .viii. Chap. But if I would here declare the vnspekable deal of mans blood which by means of Popes hath bin shead in Sicile Naples and Apulia surelye the recitall would bée ouer longe For from the time of Innocentius the. 4. vnto Clemente the vii the space of 284. yéeres sumtime the Germans afterward the Frenchmē again the Spainiards against the Frenchmen then a fresh the Germans against them then againe the Frenchmen and Hungarians were by Popes called to sutch and sutch kingdomes and sutch and sutch peoples were at warre and by them set togither by the eares All which troubles are diligently set downe by historicians Moreouer through the immoderate and vnlawfull power or rather tyranny of y Popes no lesse also by other meanes blooddy persecutions and murthers haue risen For after that as wée haue shewen béefore they had mightely vsurped vpon all Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill iurisdiction and power also ouer counselles then might they afterward institute and ordeine all ordres of the Church the doctrine of faith and religion rites and customes in the Churche at theyr owne will and pleasure And hereof arose persecutions For who so euer resisted those they cried out vppon for heretickes and vnder that pretence persecuted them And this same béesides the warres of the Popes I terme properlye the Papisticall persecution agaynste Christians and the Christian Churche whiche was mooued againste the godlye and faithfull onely for their faithes sake as it was sumtime in the primitiue Church Wherfore like as at the beeginninge the first faithfull were persecuted by the Emperours of Rome euen so towards the ende of the worlde the faithfull of the latter times do suffer persecution by the Popes