fearing God did much thereat reioyce The beastly people raysed at him when as he came in sight And blasphemed God defacing him with words of great despight Thus brought among these gredie wolues the simple sheepe doth stand The Judge commaunding silence streight with lifting vp his hand Demaundes if that be he that Polycarpus hath to name Whereto he boldly aunsweres him I am the verie same Then of thy selfe haue some regarde good father olde sayth hee And haue respect vnto thy yeares and to thine owne degree Thy reuerent age deserues good lucke cast not thy selfe away But worship thou the Emperour and wish him well aiway And crie away with all such beasts as doe no God regarde Then turning to the people streight and willing to be harde Olde Polycarpe with frowning looke and hand held vp to skies Cries out amaine away with such as God doe here despise The Ruler speaking still and seying loue Cesar with thy hart And blaspheme Christ then shalt thou at thy pleasure hence depart I haue sayth Polycarpus serued Christ fourescore yeares and more And vnto mee in all this space he did no hurt wherfore Should I then him blaspheme that hath bene all this while my frende Whose blessed ayde from euerie harme did alwayes me defend I can not serue him in such sort that hath so friendly delt With me through all my life by whom I haue such goodnesse felt I am a Christian I confesse a Christian will I die Come paine or ioy come death or life I will it not denie And if thou seekest the happie state of Christians for to know Their whole beliefe and vertuous sect I plainly will thee show Whensoeuer thou shalt appoint the time Nay sayth the Judge declare Before the people present here in all things how they fare Quoth he I haue thee answerde full in scriptures are we tought To giue you Rulers honor such as vnto you we ought We worship Princes euermore as Gods Lieutenants here And them obey so that they bid not things repugnant cleare Against the lawes of God himselfe but for to come taccount Before these raging people rude whose madnesse doth surmount Their senselesse wits it is no part of mine I you assure Nor neuer will I doe it whâ—â—st my life doth here endure Wild beasts here haue I quoth the Shrife whereto thou shalt be cast Then let them lose sayth he my words shall stand as they haue past I can not chaunge from good to euyll more meete this sinfull brood Should leaue their lewde and beastly life and chaunge from euill to good Well quoth the Shrife offended much and boyling all in ire Though thou regardst not force of beasts thou shalt be burnt with fire Thy aged bones and werish lunmes consumde to coales shall bee And life the fruite of thy contempt shall passe in flame from thee Thou threatnest me quoth he againe with feeble fire and vaine Which as it quickly kindleth here so quickly dies againe Not knowing of the dreadfull flames that burne continually Prepared for the wicked sort that here in sinne doe die But wherefore seemest thou thus to stay put beasts or fire to me With torments I nor fearefull sights can neuer moued be These words and other like to these him Polycarpus tolde With ioyfull looke The Shrife amased to heare his aunsweres bolde A Baily to the people sent and willes him to proclaime That Polycarpe had thrice confest himselfe a Christian plaine Which when the multitude had heard of Jewes and Gentiles vaine That present were with furie great thus crie they out amaine Lo this is he that doth seduce all Asia round about The father and the chiefest guide of all the Christian rout The great defacer of our Gods who teacheth not to make Nor offer sacrifice but Gods and goodnesse to forsake This sayd they crie for fire streight and here and there they run And ech man busieth much himselfe to see the slaughter done And woad from euerie place they bring and reedes in order laye And pile vp fagots fast thereon with all the hast they may And thus the stake is streight preparde the father brought thereto With willing minde and ioyfull hart his garments doth vndo And stripes himselfe into his shirt while as the standers by Doe driue in staples to the stake the safer him to tie These chaines quoth he are needlesse here for he that me doth make To abide the fire shall giue me grace to stand vntide at stake Wherewith they let the chaines alone and tie him slenderly With little Hempen cordes that were prepared speedily Thus like a Ram drawne from the flocke for sacrifice he stands And to the heauens casting vp his eyes and holy hands These words with feruent mind he spake O God of power deuine That Father art of Jesus Christ by which deare sonne of thine Of thee the knowledge we attaine thou Lord of Aungels all Of powers and strengths euery wight that vnto thee doe call The only God of righteous men to thee great thanks I giue That thus thou hast permitted me vntill this day to liue Whereby of Christ thy only sonne I shall a witnesse bee With whom I trust and thorow him thy blessed face to see The chiefest comfort of my soule and longing of my sprite Wherein eche poore afflicted hart doth set his whole delight A pleasing sacrifice I trust I shalbe vnto thee That doth respect the louing hart and minde of eche degree My soule through flames to thee I yeelde that art my only light Receiue it Lord and graunt it rest before thy sacred sprite Euen as thou hast appointed and determind long ago Ech thing thou hast performed here and all things ordred so O God thou righteous art and iust deceite is none with thee Therefore I render thankes and prayse vnto thy maiestie Through Jesus Christ the eternall God thy deare and only sonne Whose presence here to iudge the world I trust shall shortly come To whom with thee and the holy sprite be prayse both now and then And laude and glory yeelded vp for euermore Amen No sooner had he done but that These wretches voyde of grace Thrust fire in on euerie side and kindling it apaâ—e The flame a loft beginnes to mount and threates the hawtie skies With crooked compasse to enclose the martyr standing there Whose bodie seemed to giue the showe of golde in fornace cleare From whence beside there round about a pleasant odor past As if some Baume or Frankincense had bene in fire cast The sinfull sort perceyuing thus the body to remaine Untoucht of fire and that their toyle and trauaile was in vaine Doe straight commaund the hangman with his sword to thrust him in Wherwith the bloud with purple streams apace begins to spin And gusheth out so fast abrode that euen the raging flame In diuers places of the pile was quenched with the same The people all amased depart the corse neglected lies The soule reioycing at this day vnto
lustiest Mariners haue bene drowned heare Whose Barkes haue borne the brauest port on seas For lusty show and stomacks voyd of feare While as they sayled which way them best did please Who counsayle none nor no aduise would heare For warning good did euer them displease Still trusting to their owne deceyued wit From whose aduise they would not stirre a whit Ne cast they here themselues away alone But cause great number more their course to misse Perswading them that neare vnto this stone Doth lie the way to euerlasting blisse Assuring them that daunger there is none And that themselues are well assured of this By which vaine words they cause the simple men To cast away themselues by following them This daungerous place that hath so many lost And thus beguiled is called Heresie A hurtfull place a most pernicious cost A wofull rocke a wretched ieoperdie Which oft hath hurt and quite consumed almost The Nauie faire of Christianitie Which gorgeous fleete had long time since bene drent If mightie Ioue had not them succour sent Who pitying them of his accustomed grace When as they were with stormes and tempests tost And euen at point to fall vpon this place Where as they had bene altogither lost Lamenting as it were their wretched case To see them die that him so dearely cost Rebuked the winds and tooke the helme in hand And brought them safe vnto the assured land A happie guide in these so dreadfull seas Whose blessed aide if all men carst had sought With humble minde in seeking him to please And setting all their owne deuise at nought They had not purchased thus their owne disease Nor wretchedly themselues to mischiefe brought Ne had they left behind them such a fame As hitherto the world resound with shame Cherinthus had not cast himselfe awaye Upon this rocke in miserable plight Nor Eutyches had passed this wretched way If seruing God had bene his chiefe delight Nonatus had not sayled here astray Nectorius had not on this mischiefe light Nor Arrius with his Arrians here had dide Nor all the swarme of Manicheys beside With thousands more that here I loth to name Who might haue scaped this dredfull place full well That brought them vnto euerlasting shame And threw them headlong to the pit of hell Whereas they waile in neuer ceassing flame And for their sinnes continually doe yell If that they had sought this safe assured aide And vnto him for helpe had alwayes praide Take thou good heede that trauailest hereby Least that thou fallest vpon this hurtfull place Beware of schisme beware of heresie And pray to God continually for grace That he may keepe thee from this miserie And bring thee safe vnto the resting place In giuing thee a quicke and watchfull eie Whereby thou mayst such couert daungers flie Looke well about and trust not euerie sprite That seemes to teach the safe assured waye Be well assured he teach the way aright Or walke not thou else after him astraye The deuill himselfe can seeme an angell bright The simple soule the eaâ—â—ier to betraye But Christ hath left you here his scriptures plaine A touchstone true to trie religion vaine By these examine euerie prating sprite By these go trie what vnto thee is tought Let these be iudge who teacheth wrong or right Let these discerne the good things from the nought Of these in darkenesse borrow all the light Of these still let thy wauering minde be tought So shalt thou well be able thy selfe to trie Where shadowes false and where deceit doth lie Beleue not those same slaundrous mouthes vntrue Who make report how that the bookes deuine Corrupted are with false translations newe Of only malice these enuions beasts repyne They see the spirite of God will them subdue That in these sacred letters bright doth shine And therefore for to bring them in contempt These slaundrous lyes maliciously they inuent As he that late such needlesse paines did take In culling out the faults he could espie Of euerie tittell straight accompt doth make In noting where he thinkes they run awrie And as he thought profoundly thereof spake But if thou shalt his worthy iudgement trie Thou well shalt see his fonde and foolish braine Hath taken all his trauaile here in vaine Beside another marke there is to know These wretched sprites that leades men thus to hell Though clad in pelts of sheepe they simple show And many tales of God and heauen tell Yet malice doth their mindes so ouerflow That all things can they not dissemble well Their bloudie teeth doth still appeare in sight Wherewith like wolues continually they fight Example one amongst a number more Let Arrius be who whilst he here did raigne Of torments great and tortures had in store Wherewith he put true Christians still to paine With sundrie deaths not heard off oft before And griefes that newly sprang from cruell braine As splintars sharpe of reedes which sore did pricke That in their fingers twixt nayle and flesh did sticke That diuelish minde that reigneth now in hell Doth still enuy the happie state of man And since the time that first to earth he fell Doth labour still by all the meanes he can To cause them all in paines with him to dwell Whose cursed children as their sire began Continue still with rancour and with heate To persecute that happie heauenly seate Chrysostome he that long agoe hath tride These brittell seas and searched euerie place Who had good proofe of euerie winde and tide And well could sayle to finde the port of grace Declared which way these people might be spide That thus deceyue in miserable case And gaue plaine token how we well should know These Barks of schisme that on these seas doe row Did euer yet sayth he the simple sheepe With bloudy mouth the greedie wolfe pursue Not once But rauening wolues doe neuer sleepe From hunting them So Cain poore Abell slew Not Abell him so Ismaell Isaac true Did persecute not Isaac him The Jewe Thus troubled Christ and heretikes alway True Christians killde their fruits doth them bewray Thus plainly doth this skilfull father olde Conclude that such as beare such hatefull minde Against the flocke and happie harmelesse folde Of Christ still following them with malice blinde To be the Wolues of whom our Sauiour tolde And heretikes of most pernitious kinde The Wolfe by rauening euermore is tride The Heretike by crueil minde is spide Then since thou mayst full well discerne this yll Sayle farre from thence and steare aduisedly And guide thy selfe by good and carefull skill So shalt thou misse this fearefull ieoperdie Giue not the reines nor bridle vnto will But make it subiect to the motions hie So shalt thou saue thy selfe from daunger great And sooner finde the happie resting seat Yet once againe thou needest to take good heede For here abouts an Iland faire doth lie That to the saylers mischiefe great doth breede That flames farre off like Phebus in the skie Which glistring
Reprobates the most assured signe The damned sprites continually doe sweare Without respect of any godly feare Next this hath carlish crueltie the place A mischiefe that doth hellish mindes assayle With lothsome looke and foule and deadly face Whereon a number great of ships doe quayle That wanting gentle windes and voyde of grace To neare this dreadfull daunger hastily sayle Whereas they leese themselues in wretched plight And neuer finde the blisfull hauen bright Then hatred showes his hurtfull head aloft A hatefull harme and hurtfull vnto many Which ouerthroweth the suttie sayler oft â–ª And drowneth deepe the spitefull companie â–ª Who while they deeme the bed of malice soft Doe rest themselues vpon this miserie Brought here a sleepe with fonde malitious minde They neuer seeke the hauen faire to finde Here Murder all embrued with blond doth stand That giues vnto the eye a fearefull sight On top whereof wiâ—h shaking sword in hand Is Furie placed a foule deformed sprite Who suffers none to attaine the happie land That once vpon this mischiefe happes to light The Fiend himselfe that guides the damned raigne First found this place and hither brings his traine Hereby stands theft a foule and foolish yll That doth allure the greedie gracelesse minde Traynde vp from youth in witlesse wretched will And robberie sister to this vice by kinde May here be seene about hir swarming still These iustic blouds that here will soner finde A pound than lose a penie willinglye Who riding here at oken ancour lye Not farre from thence stands sinfull sorcerie A mischiefe founded by the deuill first With charmes enchantments and astrologie The practisers whereof are all accurst And ioynd with this stands infidelitie Togither linked as of all other worst The one thinkes all things by the starres are donne The other that all at randon here doth ronne To this apace our learned maisters hie That teach vs what shall happen yeare by yeare And what sore plagues are threatned from the skie As famine warres and other pituous geare Great learned Clarks and such as seldome lie As by their worthy doings doth appeare Who faine would be esteemed cunning men While as they steale the fruits of others pen. Now last of all two daungers great appeare Betweene the which thou canst not choose but run Therefore thou must looke circumspectly here As other saylers heretofore haue done Sayie iust betweene them both sayie not to neare To any of them for strong the tide doth run And often driues the herdlesse Earkes thereon That in the middle safely might haue gon The one of them with lofty looke doth rise And seemes to touch the place where saints doe dwell All blacke the other lies before the eies The plateforme plaine and Image right of hell There shalt thou heare continuall shrikes and cries Of damned soules that pitcously doe yell And lothsome showes and shapes doth eke appeare Of cursed sprites that houer here and there Presumption hath the one of these to name That makes men like their doings here to well The other Desperation full of blame That throwes men headlong to the pit of hell To mischiefes great that mans destruction frame And makes men low with damned sprites to dwell These are the hurts that in these seas doe lie Regarde them well and warely from them flie Remaineth nothing for thee nowe behinde But gracious markes that leade the sayler right That comforts much the godly vertuous minde And teacheth them to finde the port of light Passe thou by these so shalt thou surely finde The chiefest succour for the werie sprite For who so runnes by these shall neuer misse The hauen faire of euerlasting blisse The formost of these sure and happie guides Is earnest Prayer that giues a goodly show And keepeth safe the Barke from troubious tides That moued with helitsh tides contrarie flow In safetie here the wandring vessell rides Whatsoeuer hap what winde soeuer blow Though deuill world and flesh against it striue Yet vnder sayle it safely here may driue A thousand happy hands may here be seene Helde vp with hart vnfeyned vnto the skies Washed in the waters of repentance cleane And purged pure with teares of weeping eies A thousand tongues from mindes that well doe meane Yeelde vp to God their feruent suites and cries At morning noone and night continuallye Here shalt thou see them on their faces lye The next is Peace a quiet happie place Where as no strife nor rancor can be found Rest thou thy Barke within this roade of grace And trauaile for to touch vpon this ground They alwayes come to good that run this race Thou needest not here for feare of daunger sound For those that here most peaceably remayne Haue daily traffique with the heauenly raigne Hereby doth Loue another beautie stand That brings thee streight vnto the rode of rest And poynteth out directly with hir hand The perfite way by which thou mayst be blest No harmfull Boate may euer here take land But only those that please the almightie best And seeke to sayle according to his will This Loue doth all the hestes of God fulfill Next Mercie stands a goodly marke and plaine That leadeth streight vnto the blissfull port And is possessed of the heauenly traine And most frequented of the vertuous sort Who doe not thinke the words were spoken in vaine Wherewith our Sauiour did the Jewes exhort Assuring those that mercie shewde to men That mercie should be shewed againe to them Not farre from hence may Pacience plaine be seene The Bulwarke strong against all iniurie The souereigne Ladie and most victorious Queene In trouble toyles and worldly miserie Which euermore assuredly hath beene The Buttresse chiefe of Christianitie By which the soules of vertuous men haue saylde That neuer yet in storme or tempest quaylde Here liuely Faith may well discerned bee The chanell safe that leades to heauenly blisse Whereby the Fathers olde attainde to see The hauen faire and port of perfite blisse This made the Martyrs flame in such degree That life they weyed not in respect of this By which they knew assuredly to finde The blissfull place conceyued in their minde These are the markes whereto thou must take heede By these thou mayest thy selfe in voyage guide If that thou seekest luckily to speede To passe the flattes and scape the raging tide Upon this course haue Mariners agreed That long time since these seas haue fully tride No other way they here haue left behinde Whereby we may the happie hauen finde Sayle therfore as the perfite course doth lie And run the race that is to thee assignde For who so runneth otherwise awrie The hauen faire of blisse shall neuer finde But drownde in seas for euermore shall die With torments great and death of dreadfull kinde Where they that kepe the course that Christ hath tought Shall vnto euerlasting ioyes be brought Here would I playne set out before thine eies This happie place wherein thy Barke shall rest What show it hath
and in what sort it lies But that it can by no man be exprest That place of ioy aboue the starrie skies Appointed only for the godly and blest By any wit can not be throwly scand Ne can be blasde by any mortall hand The ioyes are such as cannot here be tolde No pen can paint nor tongue can tell the kinde The gorgeous sight that saints shall here beholde Surmounts the reach of any earthly minde And passeth aye a hundreth thousand folde The sweetest pleasures that in thys world we finde No eye hath seene no eare hath euer harde The ioyes that are for godly men preparde Applie thy minde to seeke this happy place Put all thy strength and all thy force thereto Call vnto God continually for grace As Christ hath taught seeke alwayes for to doe Set alwayes him and his before thy face So shalt thou come the blessed hauen to So thou thy selfe with eyes shalt plainly see What ioy what pleasures there preparde bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The death of S. Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and disciple to saint Iohn Euseb lib. 4. WHen fierce Alecto moued the mindes of gracelesse wicked men To persecute the sacred Church of Christ beginning then And all the furies breaking loose from hell with cancred spite Did seeke by all the meanes they could to quench that heauenly light The poore afflicted Christian flocke was spoyled on euerie side And euerie woluish tongue and tooth in bloud of saints was dide Ech vertuous man tormented was and godly men were slaine And hauocke made of holy harts with hatred and disdaine The worthie father Polycarp a man of auncient yeares With aged countnance beautified and deckt with siluer heares Was sought for now and followed fast with foote of cruell foe No place of safegard left for him nor path of peace to goe In euerie place was watch and warde and spials out were sent By bloudie suite to ouerthrow and trap the innocent But he not moued with all this rage In quiet doth remaine Accounting life and pleasures lost for Christ his chiefest gaine Yet following counsell of his frendes vnto a secret place He doth depart and quietly remaining there a space With humble heart doth call to God and prayeth continually For christian Church his friends and such as liue in miserie For thus he vsed euermore throughout all his life to praye Continuing with his godly friends in prayer night and daye Thus three dayes hole in prayer past he takes at length his rest And whilst vpon his bed he lies with quiet sleepe possest Him seemeth in his dreame hee sees the Pillow all on flame That round about encompasseth his head vpon the same Which blasing round about the bed with firie countnance bright In little time as thought him then consumes the Bolster quight Awaking from this fearefull dreame He lifteth vp his hed Declareth that this vision straunge of firie flaming bed Doth plainly show that shortly he must lose his life in fire And leaue his aged limmes in flame for Christ his chiefe desire Yet once againe at friends request from thence he flies away In seeking out some couert place the safer for to pray Yet ceaseth not the tyrants foote for to pursue him still But ransa king in euerie place the guiltâ—esse bloud to spill Findes out at length the happie house wherin this father good Had entred for to scape the hands of Sathans cursed brood The day was almost at an ende and sunne declining fast Upon the foming Occean seas his eyes began to cast When as the cursed Catchpolles found this sacred secret place They make no more but vp they hie with swift and hastie pace A Garret was there placed aloft where as this vertuous man Lay quietly vpon his bed not fearing daunger than The aged father riseth vp and meetes his enimies With countance comly to beholde in sweete and pleasant guise Whereat the messengers amased doe wonder verie much That such a worthie father olde of grace and goodnes such Should thus be sought for in this sort by cruell tyrannie And well deseruing long to liue should thus vntimely die His youth in vertue alwayes spent his age in honor led Deserued with better quietnesse to rest his horie head But he not weying force of man nor cruell enimie Embracing tokens true of death determineth to die Such was his loue to Christ his Lorde that through this vale of strife By death he rather followes him than him forsakes for life No torment of the tyrants hand nor feare of cruell smart Could once amase his vertuous minde nor daunt his sacred hart He willes them straight to lay the borde and for to bring him meate And to his foes as to his friends Appointeth ghestly seate Desiring them but libertie to pray an houres space Which once obtainde he falleth downe and groueling on his face In such a comly sort he prayes that all that present stood â—mased were and euen those that sought to shed his blood To take him there repented much that they had trauailde so In hunting for so good a man of force commaunded tho They soried much that they should take and bring to cruell paine Do sweete a seruant of the Lordes so vertuous and so plaine His prayer fully finished then His tine was now at hand Upon an Alse they hoyst him vp and compast with their bande They lead him toward the citie streight vpon the Sabboth day Thus in his iourney trauailing there meetes him on the way One Herode that Lieutenant was Nicetas eke with him That father of this Herod was and causing him come in Unto the chariot where they sat still passing on their way They him perswade to cast off Christ and on this sort they say What hurt or perill can it be what yll can thus arise In calling of the Emperour God and offring sacrifice Lo this is all that thou shalt doe what matter great is this What fault can herewithall be found what thing is here amisse By doing thus thou sauest thy life and all thy friends shalt please And spend thy aged yeares in rest and passe thy time in ease These words with silence first he heard and as they yet proceede What needes more words than these saith he I will not doe this deede Ne will I call your Emprour God nor offer sacrifice In vaine you me disswade my minde is settled otherwise Offended with this aunswere much they both began to frowne And with despite from out the Coche they threw him headlong downe The fall did hurt him verie sore but nothing him dismay For chearfully as voyde of hurt he holdeth on his way Unto the place where he should die beset on euerie hand With swarmes and throng of people rude that gasing on him stand Whereto as soone as he was come this voyce from heauen fell Be of good comfort Polycarpe and keepe thy conscience well No kinde of thing coulde there be seene yet many heard the voyce That louing him and