of thorns till they were torn in pieces and these newly converted Moors he caused their naked bodies to be haled backwards and forwards thorow bushes and brambles and others of them to be tied to wild beasts and so to be rent in sunder the poor Christians saying thus each to other O brother pray for me God hath fulfilled our desire O this is the way to the kingdom of heaven Genserick further raging against the Orthodox sent one Proculus into the Zeugian Province to dispoil all the Churches of their Ornaments and the Ministers of their books that thereby they might be disabled to holy services which command was executed with all rigour and whereas the Bishop of Habensa refused to deliver them up he was expelled the City and all men at great penalty were forbidden to harbour him so that being above eighty years old he lay naked for a long time under the open skie About Easter when the Christians were met together in a Church to celebrate the remembrance of Christs Resurrection the Arrians with a great power of armed men set upon this innocent company who with their naked swords slew many The Minister that was preaching they shot through the throat with an arrow and such of them as escaped death were by the command of the King executed by sundry kinds of torments In other places when the Christians were administring the Sacrament the Hereticks rushed in amongst them taking the bread and wine and trampling them under their profane feet Then did Genserick command that none but Arrians should bear any office either about himself or his children And a Bishop called Armogastes they took and first nipped his fore-head and legs with bow-strings then did they hang him up by one foot with his head downward yet did he seem to all men as if he slept in a feather-bed which so enraged Theoderick the Kings son that he commanded him to be beheaded but some about him disswaded him from it because said they he will be accounted a Martyr Then was he banished to dig in Mynes yet afterwards he was sent for again and made a Cow-heard near to Carthage that he might be a continual object of scorn There was also one Saturus a noble man eminent for holiness whom the Tyrant much laboured to draw to the Arrian profession but he refusing the King told him that if he presently consented not he should forfeit his house and goods that his Children and slaves should be sould and his wife should be given to the Camel-driver Yet no menaces could shake his faith His wife hearing of her doom went to her husband as he was praying with her garments rent her hair disheveled her Children at her heels and a sucking infant in her hands whom she cast at her husbands feet and took him about the knees saying Have compassion O my sweetest of me thy poor wife and of these thy Children look upon them let them not be made slaves let not me be yoaked to a base Marriage c. that which thou art required to do thou dost it not willingly but by constraint and therefore it will not be laid to thy charge He gave her an answer in the words of Job Thou speakest like a foolish woman thou actest the devils part if thou lovest thy husband thou wouldst never seek to draw him to sin which will procure the second death I am resolved therefore as my Lord commands me to forsake wife children lands house c. that I may be his Disciple and accordingly he was dispoiled of all and turned out a begging yet all were forbidden to harbour him Genserick having reigned thirty seven years and three moneths died Genserick being dead his son Hunrick succeeded him who at first was more moderate to the Christians insomuch as they began to hold their meetings as before time The Manichaean Hereticks he sought out and though most of them were of his own Religion yet he burnt some and banished others At the request of the Emperour Zeno and Placidia his wife he suffered the Church of Carthage to chuse their own Bishop having been destitute of one for twenty four years Then they chose Eugenius an humble holy and charitable man whose fame increasing the Arrian Bishops much envied him and put into the Kings head to forbid him to preach and not to suffer any to enter into the Church that were attired after the manner of the Vandals To which command Eugenius thus answered The house of God is free for all those which enter no man may drive forth The King being incensed with this answer placed tortures at the Church door who when they espied any man or woman in a Vandals habit about to go into the Church clapping flesh-hooks on their heads and twisting them in their hair with a strong twitch they pulled off hair scalp and all whereby some lost their eies and some their lives The women besides these torments they carried thorow the streets to be made a publick laughing-stock yet could they not force them to altar their Religion Then did Hunrick ordain that none of his Countries which dissented from his Religion should receive their ordinary pensions and salaries Then did he send many of them who had been delicately brought up to Utica in the parching heat of the sun to dig the land for corn yet they went cheerfully and comforted themselves in the Lord. Then did he command that no man should be a Knight or bear any publick office except he turned Arrian whereupon very many with invincible courage forsook their honours and offices rather then their faith Many Virgins he caused to be proved by the Midwives in a most shamefull manner hanging them up from the ground with mighty weights at their feet and putting to their sides breasts back and bellies red hot plates of iron to compell them to confess that their Bishops and Ministers lay with them that so he might from thence have an occasion to persecute them Many of these died under the pain and others remained lame and crooked all their lives after yet would they not confess any such thing Then did he banish into the wilderness of Bishops Ministers Deacons and other Members of Christ four thousand nine hundred seventy six some of them being lame with the gout others blind with age Amongst whom also was Foelix Bishop of Abiris possessed with a dead palsie and therefore unable either to go or ride which the cruel King being informed of and requested that he might be suffered to stay he answered if he be not able to ride let wild bulls be coupled to drag him to the place appointed So that they were fain to carry him on a Mules back across as if he had been a sack Then were all these holy Confessors brought to the City of Sicca where the Moors were to receive them and transport them thence to
of the condemned persons humbly petition for their lives but answer was made that all the favour which could now be granted to them was that they should have leave to bury the corps of their friends In the evening the condemned men which were twenty seven in number had notice given them of the day wherein they were to suffer and thereforâ— they were advised to send for Jesuits or Capuchins or a Minister of the Augustine Confession for the good of their souls but they must expect no Minister of the Brethren for that would not be granted to them The Jesuits and Capuchins not staying till they were called for flocked to them using many perswasions promising life c. if they would turn but God so strengthened them that all those endeavours of Satans imps were in vaine Then were some Ministers of the Augustine Confession sent for who spent that time which remained in Religious exercises conferences prayer and singing of Psalms and lastly by administring the Sacrament to them They which were of the Brethren willingly admitted these Ministers protesting that they acknowledged them for Brethren though they differed from them in some things only two of them did not partake of the Sacrament for fear of some false accusation comforting themselves with that saying Beleeve and thou hast eaten They which were prisoners in the Majors house being called to supper the night before they were to suffer comforted themselves saying that this was their last supper on earth but to morrow they should feast with Christ in his Kingdom whereupon a great Papist flouted saying Hath Christ Cooks for you in heaven When it was told them that the Noble men were coming to the Scaffold in the Market place where they were to suffer they hasted to the windows and entertained their fellow Martyrs with singing the 44. Psalm The night after they spent in Psalms prayer godly discourse and mutuall exhortations that since it pleased God to call them before others to this honour of Martyrdom they hoped by their constancy to confound the world to glorifie Christ and to leave a good example to others and singing the 68. Psalm where in David praies to God to shew some token of good upon him one of them said Shew therefore some token of good upon us O God whereby we thy servants may be strengthened by thy goodnesâ—e and our enemies confounded And being full of faith he said further Be of good chear for even in this God hath hard your voice and to morrow he will shew some wonderfull signe whereby he will witnesse that we suffer for his cause Early in the morning they washed their faces and put on clean clothes as if they had been going to a wedding and cut off the collars of their dublets that when they came to the Scaffold there should need no new making ready Then did they earnestly pray to God that he would be pleased to confirm and strengthen both themselves and the people concerning their innocency Presently after the sun rising a beautifull bow appeared and compassed the heavens the Ministers souldiers and many others looking upon it The Martyrs looked out at the window and saw a Rainbow of an unusuall colour the heavens being very clear and no rain of two daies before whereupon falling upon their knees they lifted up their voices and hands praising God for this sign that he shewed from heaven Then presently was a Gun discharged which was a warning for their bringing forth to execution whereupon those Champions of Christ encouraged one another praying that each of them might be strengthened c. Then Troops of horse and foot came to fetch them the streets market-place and houses being filled with multitudes of spectators The Martyrs being called forth one by one went to their death with and undaunted courage hasting as if they had been going to a banquet When one was called for he thus took his leave of the rest Farwell most loving friends God give you the comforts of his Spirit patience and courage that what formerly with your mouths you have professed you may confirm by your glorious death Behold I go before that I may see the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ you will follow me that we may together see the face of our heavenly Father At this houre all sorrow departs from me and joyfull eternity shall succeed it Then did the rest answer God above to whom you are going prosper your journey and grant that you may passe happily from this vale of misery unto that heavenly Country The Lord Jesus send his Angeles to meet you Go dear brother into thine and our Fathers house and we will follow after presently we shall meet in the heavenly glory and this we are confident of through him in whom we have beleeved The first was the Lord Schlik a man of admirable parts about fifty years old When he was condemned to be quartered and his parts to be scattered here and there he said The loss of a sepulchre is easie Being exhorted by a Minister to courage he said I have Gods favour so that no fear of death doth trouble me I have formerly dared to oppose Antichrist and I dare now die for Christ. The Jesuites troubling him when he came to the Scaffold he shaked them off and seeing the sun shining bright he said Christ thou Son of righteousness grant that through the darknesse of death I may passe into eternall light and so having ended his prayers he constantly received the stroak His right hand and head were hung on the high Tower upon the Bridge The Lord Wenceslaus was next about seventy years old famous for Learning Religion and his travels through divers countries His house was formerly plundered even to his wearing apparell he only saying The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Being asked why he would engage himselfe in Fredericks cause he said My conscience pressed me to do what I did I am here my God dispose of me thy servant as seems good in thine eyes I am full of years take me out of this life that I may not see that evill that is coming on my Country Afterwards holding forth his Bible he said Behold my Paradise it never yeelded me so much Nectar and Ambrosia as now When he was sentenced he said to the Judges You have a long time thirsted after my bloud but know withall you will finde God a revenger of innocent bloud for whose cause we suffer A Frier saying to him You are deceived in your opinion he answered I rely not on opinion but on the infallible truth of God for I have no other way but him who said I am the way the truth and the life On the Scaffold stroaking his long beard he said My gray hairs behold what honour remains for you that you should be crowned with Martyrdom And so praying for the Church his Country his enemies and
in a most cruel manner saying If you come to morrow you shall heare the like Sermon They took the Bible of a Minister called Master Eâ—ward Slack and opening it they laid it in a puddle of water and then stamped upon it saying A plague on it this Bible hath bred all the quarrel and that they hoped within a few weeks all the Bibles in Ireland should be used as that was or worse They did most despitefully upbraid the Profession of the truth to those blessed souls whom neither by threats nor terrours pains nor torments they could draw to forsake their Religion And though some by extreme torments were drawn to professe the change of their Religion yet did they finde no more favour with these hell-hounds who with great scorn used to say That it was fit to send them out of the world whilst they were in a good mood At Claslow a Priest with some others drew about forty or fifty English and Scottish Protestants to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and then he told them that they were in a good faith and for fear they should fall from it and turn Hereticks he with his companions presently cut all their throats John Nicholson and Anne his wife being received into the Protection of one Fitz Patrick he laboured to perswade them to go to Masse and to joyn in the present massacre but they professed that rather than they would forsake their Religion they would die upon the swords point Then he would have had the woman burn her Bible but she told him rather than she would burn her Bible she would die the death whereupon the Sabbath morning after they were both of them cruelly murthered but he that acted the villany was so tormented in conscience and dogged with apparitions of them as he conceived that with inward horror he pined away In the County of Tipperary near the Silver works some of these barbarous Papists met with eleven English men Protestants ten women and some children whom they first stripped off their cloaths and then with stones poleaxes skeins swords c. they most barbarously massacred them all this was done on a Sabbath evening the day having been very fair and clear but just at that time God sent a fearful storme of thunder lightning wind haile and rain so that the murtherers themselves confessed that it was a signe of Gods anger against them for this cruelty yet they persisted in their bloody act hacking hewing flashing and stabbing them so that most of them were cut in pieces then tying wit hs about their necks they threw them into an hole which they made for the purpose yet it pleased God that one Scottish and an English man though they had many grievouous wounds and were left for dead after a while revived and with much difficulty escaped with their lives but as God shewed his great mercy in preserving them so he shewed his just judgment upon Hugh Kennedy the chief of those murtherers who presently fell into a most desperate madnesse and distraction neither resting day nor night till about eight days after he drowned himself In the County of Mayo about sixty Protestants whereof fifteen were Ministers were upon Covenant to be safely conveyed to Galway by one Edmund Burk and his souldiers but by the way this Burk drew his sword teaching thereby the rest of his company to do the like and so they began to massacre these poor Protestants some they shot to death some they stabbed with their skeins some they thrust through with their pikes some they cast into the water and drowned the women they stript stark naked who lying upon their husbands to save them were run through with pikes so that very few of them escaped with life In the town of Sligo fourty Protestants wete stript and locked up in a Cellar and about midnight a Butcher provided for the purpose was sent in amongst them who with his axe knocked them all on the heads In Tirawly thirty or fourty English who had formerly yielded to go to Masse were put to their choyce whether they would die by the sword or be drowned they chose the latter and so being driven to the Sea-side these barbarous villaines with their naked swords forced them into the Sea the mothers with their children in their armes wading to the chin were afterwards overcome by the waves where they all perished But present death was counted too great a favour and therefore of some they twisted wit hs about their foreheads till the blood sprang out at the crown of their heads Others they hanged and let down several times c. The sonne of Master Montgomery a Minister aged about fifteen years met with one of these blood-suckers who formerly had been his schoolmaster who drew his skein at him whereupon the boy said Good Master whip me as much as you will but do not kill me yet this mercilesse Tyger barbarously murthered him without all pitie A Scottish man was first wounded and then buried alive in a ditch In the Towne of Sligo all the Protestants were first stript and robbed of all their estates afterwards they were summoned to go into the Goale and such as refused were carried in and then about midnight they all were stripped stark naked and there most cruelly and barbarously murthered with swords axes skeins c. some of them being women great with child their infants thrust out their armes and legs at their wounds after which execrable murthers they laid the dead naked bodies of the men upon the naked bodies of the women in a most immodest posture where they left them till the next day to be looked upon by the Irish who beheld it with great delight Also Isabel Beard great with childe hearing the lamentable cries of those that were murthered ran forth into the streets where she was barbarously murthered and was found the next day with the childs feet coming out of the wounds in her sides many others were murthered in the houses and streets But by Gods just judgment the river of Sligo which was before very full of fish whereby many were nourished for a long time after it afforded no fish at all A Prior also that had a hand in the murther of Isabel Beard and of casting her into the river presently after fell mad About Dungannon were three hundred and sixteen Protestants in the like barbarous manner murthered About Charlemount above four hunâ—dred about Tyrone two hundred and six One Mac Crew murthered thirty one in one morning Two young Villains murthered one hundred and fourty poor women and children that could make no resistance An Irish woman with her own hands murthered forty five At Portendowne Bridge were drowned above three hundred At Lawgh were drowned above two hundred In another place three hundred were drowned in one day In the parish of Killamen there were murthered one thousand and two hundred Protestants Many young children they cut
and so kneeling down and praying unto Christ the executioner with his bloudy hand finished her hope Basil in one of his Orations relates a story of one Jullitta from whom one of the Emperours officers tooke all her goods lands and servants contrary to all equity whereupon she complained to the Judges and a day of hearing was appointed where the spoiled woman lamentably declared her cause But the wicked villain that had robbed her said that her Action was of no force for she was an outlaw for not observing the Emperours gods and that she was a Christian His allegation was allowed incense was prepared for her to offer to the gods which if she refused she should neither have protection nor benefit of the Emperours Laws nor continue her life She hearing this in the mighty strength of God said Farewell riches welcome pouerty farewell life welcome death All that I have were it a thousand times more would I lose rather then speak one wicked word against God my Creator I yield thee most hearty thanks O my God for this gift of grace that I can contemn and despise this frail and transitory world esteeming the profession of Christ above all treasures And thenceforth when any question was proposed to her her answer was I am the servant of Jesus Christ. Her kindred and friends earnestly sollicited her to change her minde but she constantly refused with detestation of their Idolatry Then did the cruel Judge condemn her to be burnt which sentence she embraced joyfully as a thing most sweet and delectable and so she addressed her self to the flames in countenance gesture and words declaring the joy of her heart coupled with singular constancy and so embracing the fire she sweetly slept in the Lotd Barbara a noble woman in Thuscia after miserable imprisonment sharp cords and burning flames put to her sides was as last beheaded together with many others Here place the fourth Figure CHAP. XVII The Persecution of the Christians in Persia under Sapores about the same time THE Idolatrous Magicians in Persia taking counsell together against the Christians accused them to Sapores for keeping correspondence with and favoring the Roman Emperour which was Constantine the Great The King being much moved herewith took occasion to oppress them with taxes and tributes to their utter undoing and killed there Ministers with the sword Then he called before him Simeon their Bishop who remaining constant and valiant he commanded him to be led forth to torment yet did he neither shrink for fear nor make any humble suit for pardon which the King being offended at required him either to worship him after the countrey manner or else he would destroy him and all other Christians in his land But Simeon neither allured with promises nor terrified with threatnings could be induced to the Idolatrous worship for which cause he was sent away to prison and as he was going there was sitting at the Court-gate an Eunuch an old Tutor of the Kings named Usthazares once a Christian but now fallen from his profession who seeing Simeon led by rose up and did him reverence Simeon on the contrary rebuked him crying out against him for revolting from his profession Whereupon the Eunuch burst forth into tears layd aside his costly apparell and put on black mourning weeds and sitting at the Court-gate weeping he said to himself Wo is me with what face hereafter shall I look upon God seeing Simeon disdaineth with one gentle word to salute me This being carried to the Kings ears he was exceeding angry and sending for him he first with gentle words and large promises spake him fair and asked him why he mourned Whether there was any thing in his house that was denied him c. Whereunto Usthazares answered that there was nothing in that earthly house that was detained from him Yea said he O King would God any other grief or calamity in the world had happened to me rather then this for which I justly sorrow For this is my grief that I am alive this day who should have died long since and that I see this sun which dissemblingly to pleasure you I have seemed to worship for which I have deserved a double death First for dissembling with you secondly for that thereby I have denied Christ withall vowing that he would never hereafter forsake the Creator to worship the creature c. Sapores was much astonished hereat and doubted whether to use him gently or with rigour but at last in his mood he commanded him to be beheaded But as he was going to execution he requested an Eunuch that attended on the King to desire him for all the old and faithfull service that he had done to his father and him that he would cause it to be proclaimed openly at his death that he was beheaded not for any treachery against the King or Realm but for that he was a Christian and would not deny his God this the King yielded to and so it was performed and this he desired because by his former Apostacy he dad discouraged many Christians and therefore he sought by his profession and example to encourage them to the like sufferings Simeon in prison hearing of his death much rejoyced and praised God for it and the very next day he with above an hundred more Christians were beheaded likewise There was present at their Martyrdom one Pusices an officer to the King who beholding an aged Minister to tremble when he saw the others beheaded before him said unto him O father shut thine eys for a little moment and be strong and shortly thou shallt see God in glory Hereupon Pusices was apprehended and carried before the King in whose presence he made a bold confession of his faith for which cause they made a hole in his neck and pulled out his tongue backward and so he was put to death together with one of his daughters that was a virgin The year after when the Christians were met together to celebrate the memoriall of Christs passion Sapores sent forth a cruel Edict that all they should be put to death that professed the Name of Christ and this he did at the instigation of the wiâ—ked Magicians whereupon an innumerable company of Christians both in Cities and Towns were slain by the sword some being sought for others offering themselves willingly least they should seem to deny Christ In this Persecution many of the Kings own Court and houshold-servants suffered Martyrdom amongst whom was Azades an Eunuch whom the King entirely loved insomuch as hearing that he was slain he was so offended and grieved that he commanded that thenceforth no more Christians should be slain but only the Doctors and Teachers of the Church About this time the Queen fell very sick upon which occasion the wicked Jews and Magicians accused two of Simeons sisters which were godly virgins that by charms and
Kings Court To whom the lad answered You shall not get me from the fellowship of these holy men who bred me up with whom I lived in the fear of God and with whom I desire to die and with whom I trust I shall obtain the glory to come And so being all put into the ship they were burned together After the death of Hunrick Gundabund succeeded in the Kingdom who continuing in the steps of his cruel predecessors afflicted the Christians grievously by sundry kinds of persecution during the space of twelve years at the end whereof he died and Thrasamund succeeded him a man that excelled all his Predecessors in magnanimity and courage His manner was by perswasions flatteries promises and rewards to seek to draw the Christians to his Arrian Heresie but they which would not be prevailed with hereby he no way punished or molested them In his time there were great Wars between the Moors and Vandals the Moors had one Cabaon for their General who commanded all his souldiers to use abstinence in their diet and to abstain from women and from all Injury and wrong-doing The women he enclosed within trenches by themselves commanding that under pain of death no man should have access to them Then did he send forth a certain company of Moors commanding them privately to follow the Camp oâ— the Vandals and that wheresoever the Vandals profaned any Church of the Christians presently after their departure they should follow and purge the same For saith he if the Christians God be a good God then will he assist them that are devoted to him and punish the Blasphemers These men in counterfeit base attire followed the Vandals Camp and whereas the Vandals where ever they came took up the Christians Churches for their Horses and Beasts of burthen carrying themselves very insolently against God and his House beating and abusing the Ministers and Church-Officers making them to attend upon them as their slaves After their departure the Moors on the contrary cleansed the Churches carried out the dung kneeled down to and reverenced the Ministers and distributed money to the poor and thus they did continually Then did Cabaon prepare to give his enemies battel and whereas the Vandals were all Horse-men and very well mounted their Horses were so afrighted at the sight of the Moors Camels that they were presently put into disorder and the Moors with darts and arrows did so pelt them that they put them to flight and slew many of them whereupon Thrasamund shortly after died of grief Then did Ilderick the son of Hunrick succeed in the Kingdom who was equally mild and gentle both to the Vandals and Christians and one that kept very fair correspondence with the Emperour Justinian But Gilimer a cunning and ambitious man deposed him and usurped the Kingdom to himself Whereupon Justinian sent against him that brave and gallant General Billisarius who overcame him in several battels took him prisoner freed the Christians from persecution and subverted the Empire of the Vandals in Africk after they had reigned there for the space of ninety years wherein for the most part they had been cruel persecutors of the true Church of God Salvian who was Bishop of Masilia and lived at the same season complaineth that before these brutish Vandals came into Africk the Church of God there was much degenerated from its ancient purity and the power of Godliness was much decaid insomuch as they which lived exactly according to the Rule of Gods Word were hissed at as they went in the streets as if they had been monsters Whereupon saith he the passage of the Vandals into Africk was not to be imputed to Gods rigour but to the Africans wickedness c. Collected out of a Book written by Victor Bishop of Utica who lived at the same time and was himself a Sufferer under this persecution Here place the fifth Figure THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH UNDER THE PAPACY CHAP. XXI The Persecutions of the Waldenses which began Anno Christi 1160. WHen the darkness of Popery had overspread the Christian world so that Kings and Princes imploied their Authority to establish the Romish Idolatry appointing to slaughter such as denied Transubstantiation Adoration of the Host bowing the knees before it c. this occasioned many Christians to detest this superstition as unknown to the Apostles and primitive Church And first of all God raised up Berengarius presently after the year one thousand who boldly and faithfully preached the Truth and against the Romish Errors continuing his Ministry till about the time that William the Conqueror came into England whereupon the Gospellers were called Berengarians till about the year 110. At which time common notice being taken of their separation from the Church of Rome and their disagreeing from so many of their Tenents they were branded with the odious name of Hereticks And twenty years after when they were grown into a very great multitude they had one Peter Bruis for their most famous Preacher who taught long and publickly at Tholouse under the protection and favour of a noble Earl called Hildephonsus whereupon in those parts they were called Petro-Brusians For Peter Bruis Anno Christi 1120. published their Tenents in a book called Anti-Christ wherein he declared both the ground of their Doctrine and the causes of their separation from the Romish Church Twenty years after this they were grown into a mighty multitude about Anno Christi 1140. whereupon the Popes of Rome now began to lay about them for their Extirpation For which end he stirred up his most learned followers to write against them and warned Princes to take heed of them and to banish them out of their Territories Anno Christi 1147. they had Henry of Tholouse for their most eminent Preacher whereupon they began to be called Henericians and because they were well red in the Scriptures especially in the Epistles of St. Paul whom by way of eminency they called the Apostle alleadging Texts out of him nnd would admit of no Testimonies for the proof of Religion but only out of Scripture they were called Apostolicks And shortly after God raised up Peter Valdo a Citizen of Lions in France who shewed himself most couragious in opposing the Popish inventions withal taxing divers other innovations which were crept into the Church of Rome and he was the more eagerly hearkened unto because he was in high esteem for his Learning and Piety and his liberality to the poor for besides the nourishing of their bodies he did also feed their souls by exhorting them to seek Jesus Christ and salvation by him The Arch-Bishop of Lions being informed that Valdo used thus to instruct the people boldly taxing the vice luxury and pride of the Pope and his Clergy forbad him the same upon pain of Excommunication and proceeded against him as an Heretick Valdo replied that he could not be silent in a cause of so great importance
most of the Ministers were turned out of their places so that they durst not preach nor pray but in private And a certaine Noble man having apprehended six of the Brethren cast them into prison and when they were brought forth to be burnt they went chearfully to the fire and when the chief officer taking affection to one of them offered him his life if he would recant his error profering him withall to give him a years time to consider of it he pawsed a while but by and by answered It is too much by such a delay to lose my Brethrens company and so going along with them they were burned together Shortly after the Chancellor that had procured the passing of the Edict against the Brethren as he returned from the Parliament visiting a certaine Noble man by the way he with great pleasure reported to him what was agreed upon against the brethren The Noble man having a servant by that was much edicted to the discipline of the Brethren asked him how he liked it the servant answered that all were not agreed The Chancellor suspecting some new conspiracy asked him who durst oppose the States of the Kingdom c the servant said In heaven there is one who if he were not present at your counsels you have consulted in vain The Chancellor replied Thou knave thou shalt finde that as well as the rest And rising up in fury immediately a Carbuncle rose upon his foot which turned to a disease called Ignis sacer whereof he died miserably Another of the great sticklers in this businesse returning homewards as he was a lighting out of his Chariot to make water he struck his member on a sharp nail that was in the boot whereby he drew out his entrails with him and not long after he gave up the ghost Also D· Augustine who by slanderous libels had endeavoured to stirre up the King against the Brethren died suddenly as he was at supper Another Noble man of these persecutors as he was hunting his horse threw him and his arrow ran into his thigh and came out at his loins whereby he died a most paineful death Many others of them felt the like judgements of God so that it grew into a proverbe amongst them If you be weary of your life attempt something against the Piccards and you shall not escape a year to an end About this time God stirred up in Germany undaunted Luther the thunderbolt against the Pope which occasioned many of the Calixtines to resolve to embrace the purer Doctrine of the Gospel and to seek for the Ordination of their Ministers from Wittenberg rather then from Rome But amongst these there was one Zahere an Apostate who to ingratiate himselfe with the King and Pope would enforce the Pastors and Citizens of Prague to subscribe to sundry Articles or else they must be proscribed And first of all six Pastors were banished then sixty five of the chiefest Citizens Then to colour greater cruelty a rumour was spread abroad of a conspiracy made by the Brethren against the Calixtines and to extort a confession hereof three Citizens were brought to the rack who rather chose to suffer all torments then falsly to accuse the innocent Yet divers were persecuted Amongst others a Cutler that had found an Orthodox Book about the Sacraments was whipped openly in the market-place and banished Another was branded in the forehead a third was thrust into prison and there murthered Then in the Assembly of Estates it was decreed that the Mandate of the King should be put in execution against the Piccards Whereupon a new persecution was raised against the Brethren their Churches being shut up and their Exercises forbidden Anno 1526. A godly and learned man together with his Hostesse with whom he lodged a widow of sixty years old were both burnt in the fire for Picardism together with the books that were found about them Another godly woman being brought before the Magistrate made a hold profession of her faith and then being required to prepare her garments to be burnt in she answered They are ready leade me away when you please The Crier declaring openly that she had blaâ—phâ—med she with a loud voice denied it saying It is false I am condemned because I deny the Reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament give no credit to these Priests they are dissembling Hypâ—crites Adulterers Sodomites Epicures c. Being commanded to pray to the Crucifix she turned her back to it and lifting up her eyes to heaven she said There is our God thither we must look and so chearfully mounting the pile she was burned Anno Christi 1527. The year after two German tradesmen were caught at Prague accused by the Monks of Lutheranism and condemned to be burnt As they went to execution such gracious words proceeded out of their mouths as drew tears from the spectators eyes When they came to the pile they exceedingly encouraged one another onâ— of them saying Since our Lord Christ hath suffered such grievous things for us let us chearfully suffer for him and rejoyce that we have found so much favour with him that we are counted worthy to die for the Law of God The other said I in the day of my marriage found not so much inward joy as I do now When fire was put to them with a loud voice they said Lord Jesus thou in thy sufferings prayedst for thine enemies therefore we also do the like Forgive the King the men of Prague and the Clergy for they know not what they do and their hands are full of bloud and so they slept in the Lord. But one of their chief persecutors who wished that all the Piccards were hanged beheaded or burnt by his own hands had all these befall himself by Gods just judgement For being much in debt he hanged himself and when his friends had privately buried him the common people hearing of it digged up his carcasse and cast it away which by the Magistrates command was ordered to be burnt but when the woodstack was consumed and the carcasse only scorched his head was stricken off Zahera the Apostate when under colour of an Inquisition against the Piccards he raised up civil commotions was by the King banished where he died miserably The like befell another of those cruel persecutors Anno 1535. Ferdinand the first succeeding in the Kingdom the Popish party cunningly stirred up the Calixtines to persecute the Brethren Whereupon they suffering many grievous things sent a petition together with a confession of their Faith to Ferdinand at Vienna subscribed by twelve Barons and thirty three Knights complaining how unjustly they were accused by their enemies and that the Priests ordinarily cried out that the Piccards might be slain without controul and that a lesse sin was thereby committed than if one killed a dog Ferdinand returned answer that he had not leisure to consider of their Papers yet promised
commending his soul to Christ his head was cut off and set on the Tower The next was the Lord Harant a man that had gained much experience by his travels in Asia Africa and Europe his crime was that he had taken an oath to be true to Frederick and durst not violate it As he was going to suffer he called the Minister to him and told him that he much feared his wives inconstancy in Religion and therefore desired him to exhort her to constancy and not to suffer her self to be drawn from her Religion by any allurements assuring her that it is the infallible way to salvation Then to exhort her to use more clemency to his subjects rather easing then over-charging them with burthens Lastly to require her to have a care of his children and to bring them up in the pure Religion c. Being called to execution he said I have travelled through many Countries through many barbarous Nations escaped many perils by sea and land and now suffer innocently in my own Countrey and by them for whose sake I and my forefathers have spent our Estates and Lives Father forgive them Then he said In thee O Lord have I hoped let me not be confounded On the Scaffold he said Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit In the O Lord have I trusted from my youth I am confident that I shall be accepted by that ignominious death of my Saviour and falling upon his knees he said To thee O Lord I commend my spirit for thou O God just and true hast redeemed me and so he received the fatall stroke with the sword The next was Casper Kaplitz a Knight of eighty six years old When the Minister came to him after his condemnation he said See me a miserable old man who have often intreated my God that he would have mercy upon me and take me out of this miserable life but have not obtained it for God hath reserved me to be a spectacle to the world and a sacrifice to himselfe Gods will be done My death indeed is disgracefull in the eyes of men but glorious in the sight of God for God will account that death precious in his sight which I suffer for his glory and truth And when it was told him that he might have his life if he would ask pardon he answered That he would ask pardon of him against whom he had committed many sins all his life but he never offended the Prince and therefore would not give occasion to suspect that he had committed some crime for which he had deserved death c. God forbid therefore said he that I should be separated from this holy company of Martyrs As he was going to the Scaffold being feeble with age he said Oh my God strengthen me lest I fall down and become matter of scorn to the enemies Being crooked with age and hanging down his head the executioner could not well come at his neck whereupon the Minister said to him My noble Lord as you haâ—e commended your soul to Christ so now offer up your heavy head chearfully to God and lift up your selâ—e towards heaven Then lifting up his head as well as he could he said Lord Jesus into thy hand I commend my spirit and so is head was cut off The next was Procopius Dorzecki who after his condemnation said to the Minister I haâ—e had a great contention all night with old Adam so that it made me sweat againe but thanks be to my God by whom my soul hath overcome all tentations saying further O Almighty God strengthen thy servant that I may not be made a derision to mine enemies by any fear of death and as thou waâ—â— wont to encourage thy holy Martyrs so I â—trongly beleeâ—e thou wilt comfort me When he was called forth to execution he said Thanks be to my God who doth now call me to himselfe to him I have lived and for him I will die for my Saviour hath therefore died and risen again that he might be Lord both of the living and the dead I know that my soul shall liâ—e and my body shall be raised like to his glorious body Upon the Scaffold he said to the Imperiâ—ll judges Tell Caesar that we are now under his â—udgement buâ— he shall undergoe a more grievous yet just judgement of God And seeing a gold Medal hanging about his neck wherein was ingraven the Coronation of Frederick he delivered it to one that stood by saying I require â—hee that when my dear King Frederick shall recover the Throne of this Kingdom thou deliver him this and tell him that for his sake I wore it till my death and that now I lay down my life willingly for God and my King and so presently after he lost his head The next was the L. Frederick de Bile who suffered death likewise patiently and piously The next was the L. Hen. Otto a man of great judgment who having received the sentence of condemnâ—tion said O Caesar do you indeed establish your Throne by our bloud but what account will you make to God of it in the day of judgement c. kill my body dispâ—â—se my members whither you please yet dâ— I beleeâ—e â—hat my Saviour will gather them together againe and clothe 〈…〉 so that with thâ—sâ— eyes I shall see hâ—m with these ears I shall hear him with â—his toâ—gue I shall praise him and rejoyce with this heart fâ—reâ—er Afterwards when the Minister came to him amongst other 〈◊〉 he saiâ— I was â—roubled but now I feel a wonderfull refreshing in mâ— heart adding with his hands lift up to heaven I give thee thanks O most mercifull Saviour who hast beâ—n pleased to fill me with so much 〈◊〉 now I fear death no longer I will die with joy As he was going to the â—caâ—fold he said to the Ministâ—r I am sure that Christ Jesus will meet my soul with his Angels that he may bring it to an everlasting marriage where I shall drink of a new cup a cup of joy for ever This death I know shall not separate me from him Upon the Scaffold lifting up his eyes to heaven he said Behold I see the Heavens open pointing with his hand to the place where others also observed a certain brightnesse which dazled their eyes after he had prayed silently he said Into thy hands O Lord God I commend my spirit have pitty on me through Jesus Christ and receive me that I may see thy glory and so he received the stroak of the sword The next was Dionysius Zervius formerly a Papist but being told of the promises made to the people of God concerning the pardon of sins and assurance of salvation to those that believe in Christ he struck his breast and with tears in his eyes cried out This is my faith and in this I die I rest in the grace of Christ and I
not altogether alone seeing the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is with me he is my exceeding great reward and will not fail to reward me so soon as I shall have laid down this earthly tabernacle Pray unto God that he will strengthen me to the end for every hour I expect the dissolution of this house of clay When he was brought forth before the Judges and examined of his faith he answered freely and proved what he said by the holy Scriptures and being asked whether he was resolved to die for the faith which he professed he answered I will not only venture to give my body but my soul also for the confirmation of it and so being condemned he was shortly after burned dying with much comfort The persecution growing hot in Flanders one Giles Annik and John his sonne removed to Emden but by reason of their sudden departure they could not take their wives with them whereupon in the year 1568. they returned back to fetch their wives who were at Renay yet in regard of the danger they durst not go into the town openly but took up their lodging in the evening at an honest mans house called Lewis Meulin Now it so fell out that that very night the enemies had appointed to make a secret search after such as professed the Gospel and so passing by this house and seeing the light of a candle in it expecting their prey they forced open the door and took these two together with their Host prisoners God having appointed them to bear witnesse to his truth After they had been in prison awhile they were all three condemned for Hereticks and presently after Giles the father was burned John the son being fetched to execution when he saw the man that first apprehended him he called him to him saying I forgive thee my death and so he with Lewis Meulin were both beheaded About the same time there was also a godly widow apprehended and cast into prison her crime was for that about two years before she had suffered a Minister to preach in an out-house on the backside of her dwelling She was very charitable in relieving the poor and every way shewed forth the fruits of a true saving faith After seven moneths imprisonment she was condemned to die and a Priest coming to her to hear Confession she spake to him with such a divine grace and with a spirit so replenished with zeal that he went from her with teares trickling down his cheeks saying I came to comfort you but I have more need to be comforted of you when she was carried forth to execution she went with much boldnesse and joy of heart and having her head cut off she sweetly slept in the Lord. There was also one Christopher Gauderin that at first was brought up under the Abbat of Hename but the Abbat dying he betook himself to the weaving of linnen and quickly grew expert in his trade But having been trained up in a bad schoole when the Sabbath came he spent riotously what he had gotten all the week by his labour Now through Gods mercy it so fell out that a godly man working with him would often tell him of the danger of his present condition exhorting him rather to distribute his gettings to the poor assuring him that if he spent his money so wastfully God would call him to an account for it These with the like exhortations so wrought upon him through the grace of God that he began to change his course and in stead of frequenting Taverns he became a diligent hearer of Sermons and gave himself much to reading of the holy Scriptures so that not long after he was called by the Church to the office of a Deacon which he discharged carefully and faithfully Shortly after having occasion to go to a place called Audenard to distribute some almes to the poor there he was apprehended and the Bailiffe that had formerly seene him in the Abbats house asked him how he came to turn Heretick Nay said he I am no Heretick but a right believing Christian and what I learned of him I am now ashamed to remember In prison he had many disputes about his faith which he so maintained and defended by the Word of God that he silenced all his adversaries Some told him that he would cast away himsef in his youth being but thirty years old to whom he answered That mans life consisted but of two dayes viz. The day of his birth and the day of his death and therefore he must needs die once And for my part said he I am now willing by death to passe into eternal life When news was brought him in the evening that he must die the next day he retired himself and poured out his soul in prayer unto God till ten a clock and after his rest the like he did the next morning Having ended his Prayer he put on a clean shirt and washed himself saying to his fellow-prisoners Brethren I am now going to be married I hope ere noon to drink of the wine of the Kingdome of heaven When he came down he found three other prisoners that were to suffer with him These four exhorted and encouraged one another to suffer patiently and constantly Then came a Friar saying that he came to convert them To whom Christopher said Away from us thou seducer of souls for we have nothing to do with thee The Hangman coming to put gagges into their mouths one of them said What shall we not have liberty at this our last hour to praise God with our tongues Christopher answered Let not this discourage us the more wrong our enemies do to us the more assistance we shall finde from God and so ceased not to comfort them till himself was gagged also Their sentence was that they should be hanged for hearing Sermons and so with admirable constancy they yielded up their souls to God One of them being a woman was condemned to be beheaded because she had sung Psalms and exhorted her neighbours out of the Word of God at a womans upsitting Her body was grown very feeble so that she was caused to sit on a stool where she received three blows with a sword overthwart her teeth yet did she constantly sit still till she received the Crown of Martyrdom Anno 1568. About the same time there was in a town a mile distant from Gand a Minister whom it pleased the Lord to illuminate with the saving knowledge of his Gospel whereupon he became a diligent and faithful Preacher of it both in his life and doctrine yea he went from house to house exhorting and comforting every one as he had occasion out of the Word of God and above all labouring with them to beware of the abominable superstitions of the Papacy The Popish Clergy of Gand having intelligence hereof fearing lest by this means their doctrine and authority
into quarters and gobbets eighteen Scottish infants they hanged upon a clothiers tenterhooks One fat man they murthered and made Candles of his grease of another Scottish man they ript up his belly took one end of his small guts tied it to a tree and forced him round about it till he had drawn them all out of his body saying that they would try whether a dogs or a Scotchmans guts were the longer By the command of Sir Philem O Neale Master James Maxwell was drawn out of his bed being fick of a Feavor and murthered and his wife being in child-birth the child half borne they stript her stark naked drove her about a flights shoot and drowned her in the Blackwater the like or worse they did to another English woman in the same town They took one Master Watson and cutting two collops out of his buttocks they roasted him alive Of a Scottish woman great with child they ript up her belly cut the child out of her womb and so left it crawling on her body Master Starkey Schoolmaster at Armagh being above one hundred years old they stripped stark naked then took two of his daughters being Virgins whom they stripped stark naked also and then forced them to lead their aged father under the armes a quarter of a mile to a turspit where they drowned them all three feeding the lusts of their eyes and cruelty of their hearts with the same object at the same time In some places they shewed the like cruelty to the English beasts which they would not kill out-right but used to cut collops out of them delighting to hear their roaring and so the poor cattel would sometimes live two or three dayes in that torment To one Henry Cowel a gallant Gentleman they profered his life if he would marry one of their base Truls or go to masse but he chose death rather than to consent to either Also to one Robeâ—t Ecklin a child about eleven years old they profered his life if he would go to Masse but he refused saying That he saw nothing in their Religion for which he would change his own Many of the Protestants they buried alive solacing themselves in hearing them speak to them whilst they were digging down old ditches upon them They used also to send their children abroad in troops armed with long wattles and whips wherewith they used to beat dead mens bodies about their privy members till they beat them off and then would return very joyful to their Parents who received them as it were in triumph for their good actions If any women were found dead lying with their faces downwards these bruitish persons used to turn them on their â—acks viewing and censuring every part of them especially those parts that are not fit to be named which also they abused so many ways and so filthily as chast ears would not endure the naming rhereof They brake the back-bone of a young youth and so left him in the fields and some dayes after he was found having like a beast eaten all the grasse round about him yet neither then would they kill him out-right but removed him to a place of better pasture wherein was fulfilled that saying The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty In the County of Antrim they murthered nine hundred fifty four Protestants in one morning and afterwards about twelve hundred more in that County Near Lisnegarvy they forced above twenty four Protestants into an house and then setting fire on it they burned them all counterfeiting their out-cries in derision to others Sir Philem O Neal boasted that he had slain above six hundred at Garvagh and that he had left neither man woman nor child alive in the Baronry of Munterlong In other places he murthered above two thousand persons in their houses so that many houses were filled with dead bodies Above twelve thousand were slain in the high ways as they fled towards Down Many died of famine many were starved to death for want of clothes being stript of all in a cold season Some thousands were drowned So that in the very Province of Ulster there were about one hundred and fifty thousand murthered by sundry kinds of torments and deaths These bloody Persecutors themselves confessed that the Ghosts of divers of the Protestants which they had drowned at Portendown Bridge were daily and nightly seen to walk upon the river sometimes singing of Psalms sometimes brandishing naked swords sometimes screeching in a most hideous and fearful manner so that many of the Popish Irish which dwelt near thereabouts being affrighted herewith were forced to remove their habitations further off into the Countrey The Popish English were no whit inferiour yea rather exceeded the natural Irish in their cruelty against the Protestants that lived amongst them within the pale being never satisfied with their blood till they had seen the last drop thereof Anne Kinnard testified that fifteen Protestants being imprisoned and their feet in the Stocks a Popish boy being not above fourteen years old slew them all in one night with his skeine Another not above twelve years old killed two women in another place An English Papist woman killed seven men and women of her neighbours in one morning And it was usual for the Papists children to murder the Protestants children and sometimes with their woodden Swords sharp and heavy they would venture upon people of riper years An English woman who was newly delivered of two children some of these villains violently compelled her in her great pain and sicknesse to rise from her bed and took one of the infants that was living and dashed his brains against the stones and then threw him into the River of the Barrow the like they did by many other infants Many others they hanged without all pity The Lord Mont Garret caused divers English Souldiers that he had taken about Kilkenny to be hanged hardly suffering them to pray before their death they dyed very patiently and resolutely in the defence of the Protestant faith and one of them being an Irish man had his life offered if he would turn Papist but he rather chose to dye and so was executed with the rest Some of these Persecutors meeting a poor young Girle that was going to see her friends they first half-hanged her and then buried her quick One Fitz Patrick enticed a rich Merchant that was a Protestant to bring all his goods into his house promising safely to keep them and to redeliver them to him But when he had thus gotten them into his possession he took the Merchant and his Wife and hanged them both the like he did by divers others Some English mens heads that they had cut off they carried to Kilkenny and on the market day set them on the Crosse where many especially the women stab'd cut and slashed them every one accounting themselves happy that could but get a
his torments yet could he not hear such profane counsel without answering whereupon he cryed out We Hebrews are not so effeminate as to forsake the way of salvation wherein we walk to our old-age neither are we taught for feare of contumely which will not long endure to give others an occasion and example to sin c. Wilt thou O Tyrant esteem of us if we should yield unto thee nay thou mightst justly reprove our inconstancy Then did the souldiers by the Kings command cast him into the fire and poured stinking and loathsome liquors into his nostrils all which he patiently suffered till he was consumed in the flames Yet when nature began to fail lifting up his dazled eyes to Heaven he said Thou O God art he from whom life and salvation proceedeth Behold I die for observing thy Laws Be mercifull to this thy Nation and forsake not them whom hitherto thou hast protected in thy bosom and under the shadow of thy wings let my death end all misery c. and so he joyfully yielded up the ghost Antiochus was but more incensed hereby and therefore he caused seven Children of the Hebrews to be brought to Antioch who being young and therefore as he thought weak and unable to endure torments he presumed that either by perswasion or fear he should enforce them to forsake their Religion Then he commanded these seven together with their mother Salamona now aged to be brought before him They were of excellent beauty and worthy children of so vertuous a mother The Tyrant beholding them with a merry countenance craftily spake unto them I wish your good O admirable young men do not therefore like mad men resist my commands Avoid not only torments but death also I desire not only to exalt you to honour but to encrease your riches and possessions Contemn therefore your own superstition and embrace our Religion If you refuse this as I hope you will not I will devise all torments that by a lingring and painfull death I may consume you And to terrifie them the more he caused all sorts of Instruments for torment to be brought forth before them as Wheels Rods Hooks Racks Cauldrons Cages Gridirons c. with Engines to torment the fingers and hands as Gauntlets Auls Bellows Brazen-pots and Frying-pans c. Then said he Obey me O prudent young men for if I command that which is a sin yet do not you offend being compelled to it But these holy young men inflamed with a divine spirit contemned these torments and despised both threats and flateries denying to eat of the sacrificed Swines flesh and saying Wherefore O Tyrant dost thou persecute us that are innocent We desire to die and will till death expels life firmly keep that which God commanded and Moses taught us and therefore seek not O Tyrant to seduce us by protesting thy unfeigned love Thou lover of in justice master of cruelty deviser of iniquity the pardon thou proferrest is more painfull to us then punishments We contemn death and esteem not thy words our master Eleazer having taught us to despise them Why dost thou expect such pusillanimity in us young men when of late thou foundest such courage in an old man Thou canst not know our minds except by tearing our bodies thou searchest them out We will willingly for our God suffer any thing and expect Heaven whilst thou for thy cruelty to innocents shalt be reserved to eternal fire The Tyrant greatly moved herewith caused them to be beaten with Buls-pizels first commanding Maccabeus the eldest to be stripped and stretched out upon a Rack and his hands to be bound and so to be most cruelly beaten who so wearied his tormentors by sufferring that they rather desired to give over then he requested it Then was he put upon a Wheel and a weight hanged at his feet and so stretched round about it that his sinews and entrails brake yet all this while he called upon God and then said to the Tyrant O bloudy Tyrant who persecutest the Majesty of God I whom thou thus tormentest am no witch nor murtherer but one who dies for observing Gods Law And when the tormentors overcome with compassion willed him to submit to the Kinges pleasure he said O ye wicked ministers of Tyranny Your Wheels are not so sharp and cruel that I thereby will be forced to forsake Heaven whereon my minde is fixed Tear my flesh yea if you please rost it at the fire torture each parcel of my body with severall cruelties yet you shall not be able to force us young men to impiety As he thus spake a fire was kindled he thus racked on the Wheel was thrown into it and by flames was so burned that his bowels appeared yet was his minde unmoved and in the midst of his torments he cryed thus to his brethren O beloved brethren make me your example despise the alluring baits of this world obey God rather then this Tyrant who can if he please humble the proud and mighty and exalt the dejected Then was he taken from the fire and slain alive his tongue was pulled out of his head and he put into a frying pan and so he departed out of this life to the admiration of his enemies and the joy of his mother and brethren Then was the second brother called Aber haled by the souldiers and the Tyrant shewed him all those instruments of torment and asked him if he would eat of the sacrifice which he denying to do his hands were bound with iron chains and being hanged up thereby the skin of his body was slain from the crown of his head to his knees so that the entrails in his brest were seen Then was he cast to a cruel Libard greedily thirsting after blood but the beast smelling at him forgat his cruelty and went from him without doing him any harm This increased the Tyrants rage and Aber by his torments grew more constant crying aloud O how pleasant is that death to me which is caused by all sorts of torments for Gods sake yea the more pleasant because I know I shall be rewarded in heaven Let these torments O Tyrant satisfie thy cruelty for my pain is not increased by them but my pleasure as thou shalt find by my patience in these sufferings I am more willing to suffer then thou to punish yet my pain is less in suffering then thine by inflicting I am tormented for keeping the Law thou by Gods Justice shalt be banished from thy Regal seat yea eternal torments are prepared for thee which neither thy prophane mind is able to endure nor thy power to decline c. And so shortly after he yielded up his soul to God Then Machir the third son was brought whom all pitied and exhorted by his brothers examples to forsake his opinion and so decline the punishment but he being angry at such Counsel replied One Father begat us one Mother bore
us one Master instructed us c. Therefore no longer prolong the time in vain I came to suffer not to speak use all the Tyranny that possibly you can against my body yet have you no power over my soul. This so moved the Tyrant that he devised new torments beyond the reach of humane wit and commanding a globe to be brought he caused him to be tied about it in such sort that all his bones were put out of joint hanging one from another in a most pitifull manner yet was the holy Martyr nothing dismaid then the skin of his head and face was pulled off and then was he put upon the wheel but he could be racked no worse for all his bones were dislocated before the blood issuing from him abundantly he said We O Tyrant endure this torment for the love of God and thou the Author of such cruelty shalt be punished with everlasting pain Then was his tongue cut out and he being put into a fiery frying pan resigned his spirit unto God Next followed Judas the fourth brother whom all the people perswaded to obey the King But he said Your fire shall not separate me from the Law of God nor from my brethren To thee O Tyrant I denounce destruction but to such as believe salvation Try me thou cruel wretch and see if God will not stand by me as he did by my three brethren now in glory c. The cruel Tyrant hearing this was so inraged that he leaped down from his chaire to torment this Martyr himselfe He commanded also his tongue to be cut out to whom Judas said Thy cruelty will nothing avail thee our God needs not by voice to be awaked c. he heareth such as call upon him with their hearts and know's our thoughts afar off c. Cut out my tongue if thou please would thou wouldst so sanctifie all the parts of my body c. and think not that thou shalt long escape unpunished Then was his tongue cut out and he bound to a stake was beaten with ropes ends which torments he bore with admirable patience After which he was put upon the wheel where he ended his life and went to the rest of his brethren Then spake Achas the fift brother Behold O Tyrant I come to be punished before thou commandest me therefore hope not to alter his minde that desireth to be tormented The bloud of my innocent brethren hath condemned thee to hell I shall make up the fift that by it thy torments may be increased What offence have we committed that thou thus ragest against us c. All that thou canst alledge against us is that we honour God and live in obedience to his Laws and therefore we esteem not punishment which is an honour to us though no part of us be left untormented yet we shall be the more rewarded by God Then at the command of the Kings the executioner cast him into a brazen pot where he was prest down with his head to his feet and afterwards he sufferred all the torments inflicted on his brethren but he was so far from being discouraged that suddenly starting up he said Cruel Tyrant how great benefits dost thou though against thy will bestow upon us yea the more thou ragest the more acceptable to God shalt thou make us therefore I shall be sorry if thou shewest me any mercy by this temporall death I shall go to everlasting life And having thus finished his sufferings he died Then was Areth the sixt brother brought to whom the Tyrant proferred the choise of honour or punishment But he being grieved at this profer said O Tyrant though I be younger in years then my brethren yet the constancy of my minde is not inferiour as we have lived so we will die together in the fear of God Hasten therefore thy torments and what time thou wouldest spend in exhorting me spend it in devising torments for me Whereupon Antiochus in a rage commanded him to be tied to a pillar with his head downwards Then caused he a fire to be made at such a distance as might not burn but rost him Then he made them prick him with awles that the heat might pierce the sorer In these torments much bloud like froth gathered about his head and face yet said he O noble fight O valiant warre O strife between piety and impiety My brethren have past through their Agonies whose crown of Martyrdom is the punishment of their Persecutors I willingly follow them that as by blood I am conjoyned to them so by death I may not be separated from them Devise O Tyrant some new torment for I have overcome these already O Master of cruelty enemy of piety and persecutor of Justice we young men have conquered thy power thy fire is cold and heateth not thy weapons are bended and blunted in our bodies our God giveth us more courage to suffer then thou hast to punish c. As he thus spake they pulled out his tongue with an hot pair of tongs and lastly frying him in a frying pan he gave up the ghost There being now only the youngest brother left called Jacob he presenting himself before the Tyrant moved him to some compassion wherefore he called the Child to him and taking him aside by the hand he said By the example of thy brethren thou seest what to expect if thou disobeyest me therefore deliver thy self from these torments and I will give thee what honour my Kingdom can afford thou shalt be a Ruler Generall of my Army my Counceller c. But when this prevailed not he called his mother who coming and standing by her son the Tyrant said to her O worthy woman where now are all thy Children yet thou hast one remaining advise him therefore not to ruine himself and to leave thee childless by his obstinacy c. The mother bowing her self to the King said to her child in Hebrew that she might not be understood of others Pity and comfort thy sorrowfull mother O my son who bare thee nine moneths in my womb gave thee suck with my brests three years and with great care have brought thee up hitherto I pray thee dear son consider the heavens and earth and remember that God created them all of nothing c fear not therefore these pains and torments but imitate thy brethren and contemn death that in the day of mercy I may receive thee with thy brethren again in heaven Then did he desire to be unbound which being granted he immediately ran to the torments and coming where was a frying pan red hot he said to the King Cruel Tyrant I now know thee not only to have been cruel to my brethren but even cruelty it self Wretch that thou art who gave thee these purple robes who exalted thee to thy Kingdom Even he whom thou in us dost persecute whose servants thou tormentest and killest for which thy self
condemned and saith he We glory on the behalf of our sufferings that they had such a dedicator as he but this great Persecution like a blast did spread the Religion that it blew and having continued four years from the first rising is expired in two most shining blazes viz. in the Martyrdom of the two great Apostles Peter and Paul Peter was crucified with his head down-wards which manner of death himself made choice of and whilst he thus hung upon the Cross he saw his wife going to her Martyrdom whereupon he much rejoyced and calling her by her name he bad her remember the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time also Paul before Nero made a confession of his faith and of the Doctrine which he taught whereupon he was condemned to be beheaded and the Emperor sent two of his Esquires Ferega and Parthemius to bring him word of his death they coming to Paul heard him instruct the people and thereupon desired him to pray for them that they might believe who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptized then the souldiers led him out of the City to the place of execution where he prayed and then gave his neck to the sword and so was beheaded This was done in the fourteenth which was the last year of Nero. Collected out of the life of Nero Caesar Eusebius and the Book of Martyrs CHAP. VIII The second Primitive Persecution which began Anno 96. AFter the death of Nero there succeeded first Vespasian and then his son Titus in the Empire under both whom the Church had rest but Titus associating to himself his brother Flavius Domitian in the Government of the Empire This wicked Monster first slew his brother and then raised the second persecution against the Church of Christ. His pride was so great that he commanded himself to be worshiped as God and that Imaâ—es of gold and silver should be set up for his honour in the Capitoll His cruelty was unmeasurable The chiefest Nobles of the Roman Senators either upon envy or for their goods he caused to be put to death Having also heard some rumors of Christs Kingdom he was afraid as Herod had been before him and thereupon commanded all of the linage of David to be sought out and slain At last two poor Christians that came of Judas the brother of Christ according to the flesh were brought before Domitian and accused to be of the Tribe of Juda and of the line of David Then did the Emperour demand of them what stock of money and possessions they had To whom they answered that they two had not above thirty nine Acres of land out of which they payed Tribute and relieved themselves by their labour and industry withal shewing him their hard and brawny hands by reason of their labour Then did he ask them of Christ and of his Kingdom to whom they answered that Christs Kingdom was not of this world but spiritual and celestial and that he would come at the last day to judge the quick and the dead Hereupon he despised them as simple and contemptible persons and so dismissed them He punished an infinite company of Christians that were famous in the Church with exile and loss of their substance Under this persecution it was that St. John the beloved Disciple was first put into a vessel of boiling oyl and coming safe without hurt out of the same he was then banished into the Isle of Patmos Anno 97. where he continued till after the death of Domitian but was released under Pertinax At which time he returned to Ephesus where he lived till he was a hundred and twenty years old During his abode there he was requested to repaire to some place not farre off to order their Ecclesiasticall affairs and being in a certain City he beheld in the Congregation a young man mighty of body of a beautifull countenance and fervent minde whereupon calling the chief Bishop unto him he said I commend this man unto thee with great diligence in the witness here of Christ and of the Church The Bishop having received this charge and promised his faithfull diligence therein John spake the like words to him the second time also after which he returned unto Ephesus The Bishop having received this young man thus committed to his charge brought him home kept nourished instructed and Baptized him and the young man so profited under him that at last he was made the Pastor of a Congregation But having by this means more liberty then before some of his old companions began to resort unto him who first drew him forth to sumptuous and riotous banquets then inticed him to go abroad with them in the nights to rob and steal and to much other wickedness And he being of a good wit and stout courage ran like an unbridled horse to all manner of disorders and outrage And associating to himself many loose and dissolute companions he became their Head and Captain in committing all kindes of murther and felonies Not long after upon some urgent occasions St John was again sent for into those parts where having decided those controversies and dispatched those businesses for which he came meeting with the afore-mentioned Bishop he required of him the pledge which before Christ and the Congregation he had committed to his custody The Bishop herewith amazed supposing that he meant it of some money committed to him which yet he had not received not daring to contradict the Apostle he thereupon stood mute Then John perceiving that he was not understood said The young man and the soul of our brother committed to your custody I do require Whereupon the Bishop with many tears said He is dead To whom John replyed How and by what death The Bishop answered He is dead to God for he is become a wicked and vicious man and a thief and now he doth frequent these mountains with a company of thieves and villains like himself c. The Apostle rending his garments with a great lamentation said I left a good keeper of my brothers soul get me an horse and guide presently which being done he went strait to the mountains and was no sooner come thither but he was taken by the thieves that watched for their prey to whom he said I came hither for this cause Lead me to your Captain and so being brought before him the Captain all armed looked fiercely upon him and soon coming to the knowledge of him he was striken with such shame and confusion that he began to flie but the old man followed him as fast as he could crying My son why dost thou flie from thy father an armed man from one naked a young man from an old man Have pity upon me my son and feare not there is yet hope of salvation I will answer for thee to Christ I will die for thee if need be as Christ died for us I will give my life for thee Believe me Christ hath
to go into a lime-kiln whereupon by mutual consent they all chose the lime-kiln in which with the smoak of the lime they were smothered In another part of Africk three godly Virgins had first vinegar and gall given them to drink then were they scourged then tormented upon the gibbet and rubbed with lime then were they scorched upon the fiery grid-iron then cast to the wild beasts which would not touch them therefore lastly they were beheaded In Italy a godly man was first tormented with the rack then cast to the wild beasts which not hurting him he was burned in the fire Fructuosus a Bishop in Spain with his two Deacons having witnessed a good confession were all of them burned in the fire But this cruel Emperor Valerian who thus persecuted the Saints of God shortly after felt the revenging hand of God for in an expedition that he made against the Persians he was taken prisoner by Sapores the King who made a foot-stool of him every time that he gat upon his horse and at last by the command of the King he was flaied alive powdered with salt and so ended his wretched life Also Claudius a President and Minister of his persecutions was possessed by the Devil and biting off his tongue in small pieces he ended his wretched life Also there were great terrible Earth-quakes and many commotions and Rebellions in sundry parts of the Empire insomuch as Galienus the son of Valerian and his fellow Emperor began to relent towards the Christians and set forth some Edicts in their favour notwithstanding which some there were that suffered in sundry places amongst whom was one Marinus a noble man and valiant Captain in Caesarea who stood for an honourable office which of right fell to him but his Competitor to prevent him accused him to the Judge to be a Christian. Hereupon the Judge examined him of his faith and finding that indeed he was a Christian he gave him three hours to advise and deliberate with himself then the Bishop of the place finding that he stood doubtfull in himself what to do took him by the hand and led him into the Church and laid before him a sword and a New Testament bidding him take his free choice which of them he would have Marinus immediately ran to the New Testament and chose that and so being animated by the Bishop he presented himself boldly before the Judge by whose sentence he was beheaded About the same time there was in Caesarea Asyrius a noble Senator of Rome and a Christian and whereas the Gentiles in that place used to offer sacrifice by a fountain side which sacrifice by the working of the Devil used suddenly to vanish out of their sight to the great admiration of the deluded multitude Asyrius pitying their miserable ignorance came amongst them and lifting up his eyes to heaven prayed to God in the name of Christ that the people might no longer be thus seduced by the Devil whereupon the sacrifice was seen to swin upon the fountain and ever after that false miracle ceased After the death of Galienus there succeeded Claudius a quiet Emperor and after him Quintilianus his brother both which reigning nineteen years the Church enjoyed peace in their time Here place the third Figure CHAP. XV. The ninth Primitive Persecution which began An. Christi 278. AFter the death of Quintillian succeeded Aurelian in the Empire who was by nature severe and rigorous and a strict punisher of dissolute manners so that it grew into a Proverb That he was a good Physitian saving that he gave too bitter Medicines In the beginning of his reign he was a moderate and discreet Prince and no great disturber of the Christians whom he neither molested in their Religion nor in their Councels But afterwards through sinister suggestions of those which were about him his nature being before inclinable to severity he was altered to plain Tyranny which he first shewed in the death of his own sisters son and afterwards he raised the ninth persecution against the Church of Christ but when he was about to sign a Proclamation or Edict for that persecution it pleased God that a thunderbolt fell so near him that all men thought he had been slain and the Emperor was so terrified thereby that he gave over his Tyrannical purpose so that he rather intended then moved persecution Having reigned about six years he was slain After whose death divers other Emperors succeeded in whose time the Church had peace for about the space of forty four years During which time it did mightily increase and flourish Yea the more the Christians had suffered the more they were honoured Insomuch as some of the Emperors did singularly favour them preferred and made them Governors of Provinces Dorotheus with his Wife Children and whole family were accepted and highly advanced in the Emperors Court Yea Gorgonius and divers others for their Doctrine and Learning were with their Princes in great estimation The Bishops were also in great favour with the Rulers and Presidents where they lived so that innumerable multitudes and Congregations assembled together in every City and there were great concourses of such as daily flocked to the publick places of prayer But through this great prosperity the Christians by reason of the corruption of their natures and the temptations of Satan began to degenerate and to grow idle and delicate striving and contending amongst themselves upon every occasion with railing words bespattering one another in a despitefull manner Bishops against Bishops and people against people moving hatred and sedition each against other Besides cursed hypocrisie and dissimulation increased more and more by reason whereof Gods Judgements brake forth against them which began first to fall upon those Christians which were souldiers but that touched the other very little neither did they seek to appease Gods wrath nor to call for Mercy but thinking that they should escape well enough they heaped iniquities daily more and more one upon another The Pastors being inflamed with mutual contention each against other Then did the Lord raise up adversaries against his people that rased their Churches to the ground burnt the sacred Scriptures in the open Market places made the Pastors of the Church to hide themselves and some with great shame were taken Prisoners and were mocked of their enemies and put to open reproach CHAP. XVI The tenth Primitive Persecution which began Anno Christi 308. DIoclesian and Maximian having many wars associated to themselves two Caesars Galerius who was sent into the East against the Persians and Constantius who was sent into Britain where he married Helena the daughter of King Coel a Maiden excelling in beauty and no less famous for her Studies and Learning by whom he had Constantine the Great These two Emperors having obtained many victories were so puffed up with pride that they ordained a solemn Triumph at Rome After
to his bowels then basted with salt and vinegar then scraped and bemangled with sharp cutting shels that his whole body seemed to be but one wound yet afterwards through Gods goodness it was restored again whole And lastly was he burned In Alexandria Peter the Bishop and his Deacons constantly suffered Martyrdom as also many other Bishops in Egypt together with many famous and excellent men suffered about the same time A whole legion of Christian souldiers that lay at Thebes in Egypt under their Christian Col Mauritius because they refused to sacrifice to Idols were first tithed over by the Emperours command once and again and afterwards by the exhortation of Mauritius they died all together constant Martyrs The persecution raged not only in Asia and Africa but also in Italy France Spain c. in all which countries an innumerable company of Christians were martyred by sundry kindes of death In Trevers were so many Christians slain that their bloud ran like small brooks and discoloured great rivers yet this sufficed not the Tyrant but he sent abroad his horsemen to command all those which had apprehended any Christians immediately to put them to death At Collen also and in Rhetia many were martyred yea this persecution extended into our Britan where all the Christians were put to death Besides the kindes of death the punishments were so great and horrible as no tongue is able to express as whippings scourgings rackings horrible scrapings sword fire shipboats whereinto many were put and sunk into the sea Also hanging upon crosses binding some to the bodies of trees with their heads hanging downward hanging others by the middle upon gallowses till they died of hunger throwing others alive to Lions Bears Leopards wilde Buls c. Pricking others with bodkins and talons of beasts till they were almost dead In Thebaide they hanged up women naked by one of their feet the rest of their body hanging downwards with many other sorts of punishments most cruell to be thought of Some were bound to the boughs of trees and had their members torn asunder others were mangled with axes some choaked with smoak over a slow fire some had their hands ears and feet cut off others were scorched and broiled upon coals yet not to death but had the torment renued every day In Pontus the Martyrs had other horible torments inflicted on them Some had their fingers-ends under the nails thrust in with bodkins Some were sprinkled all over with boiling lead having their necessary members cut from them others suffred most filthy and intolerable torments in their bowels and privy members what the outrage of this persecution was in Alexandria Phileas a Bishop thus writeth Because saith he every man might torment the holy Martyrs as he listed some beat them with cudgels some with rods some with whips some with thonges some with cords some having there hands bound behind them were lifted upon timber-logs and with certaine instruments had their members and joints stretched out where their bodies hanging were subjected to the will of the tormentors who were commanded to afflict them with all manner of torments on their sides bellies thighs legges they scratched them with the claws of wilde beasts some were hanged but by on hand one the engine that they might feel the more grievous pulling out of the rest of their members Some were bound to pillars having no stay under their feet that wâ—th the weight of their bodies being drawn out they might feel the greater torment and these torments endured all day long the Judge commanding that they should not be let down till either by the extremity of torment or by the cold they were near death and then they were let down and haled upon the ground They devised also another greater torment for when the Christians were lamentably beaten they had a new kinde of rack wherein they lying upright were stretched by both the feet above the fourth hole with sharp shels strawed under them Others were cast down upon the pavement where they had so many torments inflicted upon them that their sufferings cannot be imagined what they were In the midst of which torments some died their enemies being confounded with their singular patience Some half dead were thrust into prisons where with their wounds and pain they ended their lives Others being cured of their wounds were again put to their choice whether they would sacrifice to the Idols and have their liberty or have the sentence of death pass upon them who did willingly chuse death for Christs sake rather then to sin against him In Nicomedia a Christian pulling down and tearing the Emperors Edict was stript and beaten till the bones appeared and then washed in salt and vinegar under which torments he died Yet notwithstanding the horribleness of these tortures the Christian Martyrs were so farre from being dismaied that they were confirmed and strengthned thereby merrily and joyfully undergoing whatsoever was inflicted upon them Eusebius saith that himself saw the cruel Persecution in Thebade where the swords of the Persecutors were blunted with the great slaughter of the Christians and they sat down with weariness to rest them whilest others took their places Yet still the Christians shewed their willingness and with courage joy and smiling received their sentâ—nce of death from the Judge and to the last gasp sang Psalms and Hymns of praise to God In Alexandria the holy Martyrs led with the love of better rewards did not only bear the menaces of the cruel souldiers wherewith they threatned them but also whatsoever torments they could devise for their destruction Yea saith Sulpitius then the Christians with more greedy desire pressed and sought for Maryrdom then now they do for Bishopricks Yet some through infirmity in this Persecution fell back for which they were excommunicated by the Church Damasus and others witness that there were slain in thirty daies seventeen thousand persons besides a great number that were condemned to the Metall-mines and quarries with the like cruelty In Alexandria were slain with axes three hundred At Collen three hundred Mauritius with his Christian legion six thousand six hundred sixty six whose story deserving perpetually to be remembred is this Maximian sent for his Mauritius with his legion of Thebane souldiers under a pretence of imploying them against his enemies When they came to Rome Marcellus the Blessed bishop laboured to confirm them in the truth to whom they promised perseverance in the faith unto the death Then they followed they Imperial army into France and when they were cowe thither Maximian offered sacrifice to the devils and called all his souldiers to the same strictly charging them to fight against his enemies and against the Christians which were enemies to his gods These Christian Thebans resolved rather to die then to sacrifice or to bear arms against the Christians wherewith the Tyrant being enraged commanded every tenth man of the legion to be put
to the sword hereupon they strove who should submit their necks to the stroke Mauritius encouraged them greatly hereunto and being called before the Emperour he said Wee O Emperour your souldiers and yet the servants of God owe thee service of war but to him innocency of thee we receive wages but of him life therefore we cannot obey thee to deny God our Lord and yours also will ye nil ye We are ready to obey you if you enforce us not to disobey him Otherwise we will rather obey him then you We offer here our hands against any other enemies but to defile our hands with the bloud of innocents we may not These hands of ours have â—kil to fight against wicked enemies but not to murther godly friends c. We have engaged our faith to God we cannot be true to you if we break covenant with him c. We see our brethren and fellows in arms cruelly put to the sword which we rejoyce in that they have been counted worthy to suffer for Christs sake c. Behold here we cast down our weapons and had rather to be killed then to kill and to die guiltlesse then to live guilty We are ready to suffer what more you shall appoint yea bâ—th fire sword or any other torments We confesse our selves to be Christians wee cannot persecute Christians nor sacrifice to your devillish Idols The Emperour being highly incensed with this answer commanded the second time the tenth man to be slain which being accomplished when the Christian souldiers would not yet condescend to his minde he set upon them with his whole host both of foot and horse charging them to kill them all the Christians made no resistance but throwing down their arms offered their naked necks to the persecutors and so were all slain At that time one Victor an old souldier that for his age was dismissed coming to the Army as they were banquetting and making merry with the spoils of the Martyrs was bidden to sit down with them but he asked them what was the cause of there mirth and understanding the trutâ— he detested them and refused to eat with them and being thereupon demanded whether he were a Christian he answered that he was and ever would be Then they rushed upon him and made him partaker of the lik Martyrdom and honour When Dioclesian and Maximian notwithstanding all the slaughter which they made saw the number of Christians rather increased then diminished so that they were out of all hope of utter rooting them out and having now even their fill of blood they ceased at last of their own accord from putting any more Christians to death Yet of a great multitude they thrust out their right eies and maimed their right legs at the ham with a searing iron condemning them to the Metal-mynes not so much for their labour as desirous to afflict them thereby and so having raigned together about one and twenty years Dioclesian divested himself of the imperial Dignity and lived a private life and the like did Maximian also resigning the Empire to Galerius Maximinus and Constantius Maximinus was of a cruel Nature a great Enchanter vicious in his life and a great enemy to the Christians and therefore continued the Persecution of them yet at length was revoked from his cruelty by the just Judgement of God upon him For he was suddenly taken with an horrible and filthy disease which first began outwardly in his flesh and then proceeded more inwardly his privy members putrified with a botchy corrupt boil and a fistula consuming and eating up his Entrails whence swarmed forth an innumerable company of lice with such a pestiferous stink that no man could abide him he being also very gross his fat putrified and stank intollerably and because his Physitians could not abide the stink he commanded them to be slain others of them because they could not cure his incurable disease he put them to cruel deaths At last being told that his disease came from God he began to bethink himself of all the cruelty which he had shewed to the Saints confessed his offences to God and gave command that the Persecution against the Christians should cease requiring his Officers likewise to re-edifie their Temples and requesting them to pray to their God for him This Edict much comforted and refreshed the Christians who thereupon gathered together in every City called their Synods and Councels yea the Infidels themselves extolled and magnified the true God of the Christians But this Tyrant Maximinus scarce suffered this peace to continue six moneths together but again he forbad the Christians to meet and privately stirred up the Athenians to petition him that none of them might be suffered to live in their City Also a Conjurer in Athens made an Image of Jupiter which uttered these words Jupiter commandeth the Christians to be banished out of this City and Suburbs because they are enemies to him Also certain harlots were suborned to say that they formerly were Christians and privy to the wicked and lascivious acts which they exercised amongst themselves upon Sabbath daies c. And thereupon the Emperor commanded that they should put them to death by all means possible Then did the Persecution grow as great as ever it was and the Governors of every Province fell upon the Christians banishing some and putting others to death Silvanus Bishop of Emissa a very old man and three others with him were condemned to death So was Lucianus an Elder at Antioch At Alexandria Peter the Bishop was beheaded Quirinus Bishop of Scescanus had an hand-mill tied about his neck and was thrown head-long into a river where yet he floted a great while exhorting the lookers on not to be dismaid with his punishment and so with much ado was at last drowned At Rome many Bishops Ministers and Elders were put to death In sundry other places very many others suffered martyrdom with fire wild beasts drowning in the sea c. Some were crucified some were slain with the sword some endured the cutting and burning of their members some had their eyes thrust out some were starved in prisons and whatsoever other cruelty the Magistrates could devise All which the people of God endured rather then they would offer sacrifice to the Idols The like miseries did the women also endure for being inticed to the filthy use of their bodies some rather chose banishment and others to prevent it killed themselves Neither could Christians live safely in the wilderness but even from thence they were drawn to torments and death And whereas the Tyrant in his Edict had boasted of the plenty and prosperity of all things in the time of his persecuting of the Saints God to confute him presently sent great drought famine and pestilence besides the wars with the Armenians by which calamities the people were miserably wasted corn was sold at an unreasonable rate so that exceeding great multitudes died of hunger
in the Cities but far more in the villages most part of the husband-men dying of famine and the pestilence Divers brought out their best treasure and gave it for any kind of sustenance though never so little Others having sold their possessions for food fell into extream misery Some did eat grass others fed upon unwholsom herbs whereby they hurt and poisoned their bodies Many women were driven to leave the Cities and beg up and down through the countrey some through faintness fell down in the streets and holding up their hands cryed miserably for some scraps or fragments of bread being ready to give up the Ghost and being able to say no more they cryed Hungry hungry Some of the richer sort being tired with serving such multitudes of beggers began to grow hard-hearted fearing lest themselves should fall into the like misery By reason whereof the Market-places streets and lanes lay full of dead corpses and naked bodies were cast out unburied many of which were devoured by dogs whereupon they which lived fell to killing of the dogs lest running mad they should fall upon them and kill them The pestilence also scattering through all houses killed very many especially those of the richer sort which escaped the famine whereby innumerable Magistrates Princes and Presidents were quickly dispatched so that all places were filled with mourning and nothing was seen or heard but weeping and wailing every where Death so reigned in every family that two or three dead bodies were carried out of one house together But notwithstanding that these miscreants had been so cruel to them yet the Christians were very diligent and charitable to them in all their extremities travelling every day some in curing the sick some in burying of their dead others called the multitude together which were ready to famish and distributed bread unto them whereby they occasioned them to glorifie the God of the Christians and conâ—essed them to be the true worshippers of God as appeared by their works and hereby the Lord wrought wonderfully for the peace of his Church for after he had corrected them he again shewed thâ—m mercy Constantine succeeding his father overcame Maxentius the Tyrant in Rome and he together with Licinius set forth Edicts in favour of the Christians See Constantines life in my second part of lives Yet Maximinus continued his persecution in the East whereupon Constantine and Licinius wrote to him to favour the Christians and he finding that he was too weak to encounter with them sent forth his Edicts to stop the persecution yet afterwards he picked new quarrels with them and began to persecute them again whereupon Licinius went against him and overthrew him in a battell Then did Maximinus kill many of his enchanters and conjurers that had encouraged him and promised him victory Shortly after the Lord striking him with a grievous disease he glorified the God of the Christians and made a Law for the safety and preservation of them yet not long after by the vehemency of his disease he ended his life Licinius that for a long time had pretended to the Christian religion and lived in great familiarity with Constantine who had given him his sister Constantia to be his wife began afterwards to discover his hypocrisie and the wickednesse of his nature secretly conspiring the death of Constantine but the Lord discovering and preventing his conspiracies he then fell out with him and manifested his hatred of the Christian religion being puffed up with the victory that he had got against Maximinus He quarrelled with the Christians because as he said they praied not for him but for Constantine and thereupon he first banished them all from his Court then he deprived all the Knights of their honourable order except they would sacrifice to devils then he commanded that the Bishops should have no meetings to consult about their Ecclesiastical affairs nor that any Christians should come to the Churches or hold any assemblies then that men and women should not meet together to pray that women should not hear the Bishops but chuse out women to instruct them then that none should help or succour those that were in prison nor should bestow any alms upon them though they should die for hunger and that they which shewed any compassion to those which were condemned to death should suffer the like punishment themselves then he persecuted the Bishops and slew those which were the most eminent of them the flattering officers also which were about him thinking to please him thereby slew many Bishops without any cause yea many of their bodies they cut into gobbets and threw them in to the sea to feed fishes Some were banished others had their goods confiscated many noblemen and gentlemen were privily made away and Licinius gave their unmarried daughters to wicked varlets to be defloured himself also violated many women both wives and maidens This cruelty made many godly persons voluntarily to forsake their houses and to live in woods mountains and desarts He caused Theodorus to be hanged upon a crosse to have nails thrust into his arm-pits and afterwards to be beheaded Divers other Bishops had their hands cut off with a fearing iron In Sebastia fourty Christian souldiers in the vehement cold winter were cast into an Horse-pond where they ended their lives the wives of these fourty men were carried to Heraclea where together with a Deacon of that place after they had suffered innumerable torments they were slain with the sword Constantine being informed of all this wickednesse raised an Army went against him overcame him twice and at last caused him to be put to death as you may see in Constantines life in my second part whereby the Church obtained a generall peace Yet in this tenth Persecution many other eminent Christians suffered Martryrdom besides those before-named Galerius in his time invaded Antioch intending to force all Christians to renounce Christ at what time they were assembled together whereupon one Romanus ran to them declaring that the wolves were at hand which would devour them yet he exhorted them not to fear by reason of the perill and through Gods grace the Christians were greatly encouraged by him so that old men and matrons fathers mothers young men and maidens were all of one minde being willing to shed their bloud in defence of their profession A band of armed men were sent against them which were not able to wrest the staff of faith out of their hands hereupon they sent word to their Captain that they could not inforce the Christians to deny their faith by reason of Romanus who did so mightily encourage them then did the Captain command that he should be brought before him which was done accordingly What saith the Captain art thou the author of this sedition art thou the cause that so many lose there lives By the Gods I swear thou shalt answer for them all and shalt suffer those torments that thou encouragest
not I pray you for me but for the enemies of God which fight against the Christians weep I say for them which prepare a fire for us purchasing hell-fire thereby for themselves in the day of vengeance and cease I pray you thus to molest my quiet and setled mind for truly for the name of Christ I am ready to suffer a thousand deaths c. Others perswaded him to deny Christ with his mouth and to keep his conscience to himself My tongue saith he which by Gods goodnesse I have cannot be brought to deny the author and giver of the same for with the heart we beleeve unto righteousnesse and with the tongue we confesse unto salvation and thus perswading and encouraging the people to be willing to die in the like cause with an unappalled countenance he willingly gave himself to be burnt Also Menas an Egyptian and a souldier by profession in this persecution forsook all and went into a desart where he gave himself to fasting prayer meditation and reading of the Scriptures at last returning into the city of Cotis when the people were at their pastimes he with a loud voice proclaimed himself to be a Christian and thereupon was carried before the President and being demanded of his faith he said Convenient it is that I confesse God in whom is light and no darknesse for with the heart we beleeve to righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Then was he pinched and excruciated with sundry torments But said he there is nothing in my minde that can be compared to the Kingdom of heaven neither is all the world if it were weighed in a balance comparable to the price of one soul and further said Who can separate us from the love of Christ can tribulation or anguish c. and again I have learned of my Lord Christ not to feare them that can kill the body and have no power to kill the soul c. Having endured manifold torments he received the sentence of death and at the place of execution he said I give thee thanks my Lord God which hast accepted me to be a partaker of thy precious death and hast not suffered me to be devoured of my fierce enemies but hast made me constant in thy true faith unto the end and so he lost hiâ— head but found a crown Basil relates a story that the Emperours officer brought the Edict against the Christians to a place to be published and then privily suborned some to detect and accuse the Christians then he caused the sword gibbet wheel and whips to be brought forth at the sight whereof the hearts of all the beholders did shake and tremble Some for fear fled others stood in doubt what to do Some again for fear denied their faith others suffered cruell torments but at last vanquished by the intollerable pain they made shipwrack of their consciences and lost the glory of their confession Amongst others fourty young gentlemen that were souldiers freely and boldly confessed themselves to be Christians declaring to the Marshall their names who amazed at this their boldnesse stood in doubt what to do then he assaied with fair words and flatteries to win them perswading them to consider their youth and not to change a pleasant life for a painfull and untimely death promising them honour money c. But they boldly answered that they neither desired money honour nor life but only the celestiall Kingdom of Christ for the love of which they were ready to endure the wheel crosse fire c. The Marshall being much offended herewith devised a new torment for spying a pond in the street that did lie open to the Northen winde it being in the cold winter time he caused them to be put into it all night but they being merry comforted one another as they put off their clothes saying We put not off now our cloths but our old man corrupt with the deceit of concupiscence for which we blesse and praise God for by meanes of the serpent we once put on the old man but by the means of Jesus Christ we now put him off and being brought naked to the place where they felt the vehement cold they were put into the pond so that all their members were stark and stiffe with it and as soon as it was day they hauing breath yet remaining in them were brought to the fire wherein they were consumed into ashes which ashes were thrown into the floud It happened that one of the company being more lively and not so near death as the rest the executioners pitied him and delivered him to his mother who stood by to save his life but she led him to the piles of wood where the other starved creatures lay ready to be burnt admonishing him to accomplish the blessed journey he had taken in hand which accordingly he did and was burnt with his companions Syrus a Physician of Alexandria in this persecution fled into Syria where he lived a private life unto whom one John a souldier adjoined himlelf but not long after one Athanasia with her three daughters being virgins were cast into prison at Canope in Egypt for the profession of their faith Cyrus being of their acquaintance fearing lest through infirmity they should fall he together with his partner John went thither to the prison to comfort and confirm them for which he was accused to the President who thereupon condemned them all and so they were beheaded Sebastian also borne in France and Captain of the avaunt-guard of the Emperour encouraged many Martyrs by his exhortations unto constancy and kept them in the faith for which being accused to the Emperour he caused him to be brought forth into the open field where by his own souldiers he was thrust through with arrows Basil also maketh mention of one Barlaam who having endured all sorts of tortures to the point of death was then by the tormentors laid upon the altar and they put fire and frankincense in his right hand hoping that the burning of the fire would have forced him to scatter the incense upon the altar and so to have sacrificed but his hand enduring the fire remained steady the Martyr in the mean time singing Blessed be the Lord my God which teacheth my hands to fight c. Ambrose mentioneth one Agricola and Vitalis his servant who agreed betwixt themselves to give their lives with other Martyrs for the name of Christ Vitalis first offering himself to Martyrdom the persecutors laboured by all means to draw him to deny Christ but not prevailing they exercised upon him all sorts of torments so that he had no whole skin left on all his body Vitalis in the midst of his sufferings having by prayer commended himself to God gave up the ghost Then was Agricola set upon by the tormentors whose vertuous life and gentle conditions had won him such respect that they delayed tormenting of him
but he provoking them to make quicker speed they fastened him to the crosse where he finished his Martyrdom Augustine writes of one Vincentius a Spaniard who by Dacianus the President was first laid upon the rack till all the joints of his body crackt then were all his members slasht and indented with deadly wounds then they miserably scratched all his body with iron combs filed very sharp then they laid his body being all out of joint upon an iron grate opened it with iron hooks seared it with fiery plates and then besprinkled it with hot burning salt lastly they drew him and cast him into a vile dungeon the floore whereof was thick-spread with the sharpest shels his feet were fast locked in the stocks and so left him without all wordly comfort but the Lord his God was with him the holy Spirit of God whose office it is to comfort the afflicted filled his heart with joy unspeakable so that he there ended his life with much comfort Also Procopius in Palestine after his conversion brake his Images of gold and silver and distributed them amongst the poor whereupon he had all sorts of torments inflicted on him racking cording tearing of his flesh firing goring stabbing and lastly had his head cut off George a young man of Cappadocia stoutly inveighing against the impious Idolatry of the Emperor was apprehended torn with hooked irons burnt with hot lime stretched out with cords after had his hands and feet cut off and lastly was beheaded Hermogenes the President of Athens being converted by beholding the patience and constancy of two Martyrs in their torments suffered himself for the same faith In Portugall a noble virgin named Eulalia not much above twelve years old had profers of great marriages made unto her but she seeing the fâ—rious rage of this Persecution had a great minde to join her self to the number of the Martyrs for which end she poured out her heart in prayer to God for strength and faith to enable her thereunto But her godly parents fearing that her ready minde to die for Christs cause might make her guilty of her own death they kept her close at their country-house a great way from the City there she lived quietly for a while but at last detesting to make such dealy she stole out of her fathers house in the night and travelled all alone through by-waies with much difficulty and wearinesse towards the City whither she came in the morning and going before the Judge she with a loud voice said I pray you What a shame is it for you thus wickedly to kill mens souls and to breake their bodies in pieces to compell them to deny the omnipotent God Would you know what I am I am a Christian and an enemy to your devilish sacrifices I spurn your Idols under my feet I confesse God omnipotent with my heart and mouth c. Go to therefore thou hangman burne cut and mangle these my earthly members thou maist easily break a brittle substance but thou canst not hurt my inward minde by any thing thou canst doe The Judge enraged herewith said to the hangman Take her and pull her out by the hair of her head to torments let her feel the power of our gods and know what we can do But yet O sturdy girl I would fain have thee before thou diest to revoke thy wickednesse Remember the honourable house of which thou art come and thy friends tears Wilt thou kill thy self in the flower of thy youth so near honourable marriages Doth not the glistering pomp of the bride-bed move thee c. Behold here the engines prepared for thy death either thou shalt be beheaded with the sword or torn with wilde beasts or consumed with fire to ashes c. yet this thou maiest escape if thou wilt What greate matter is it for thee with thy fingers to put a little incense into the censers yet thereby thou shalt be delivered To this Eulalia answered not being in a great passion but spit in the Tyrants face and spurned abroad the heap of incâ—nse Whereupon without further delay the hangmen with both their strengths pulled out her joints scratched her with the talons of wilde beasts to the hard bones she singing and praising God in the mean time saying Behâ—ld O Lord I will not forget thee What a pleasure is it for them O Christ that remember thy triumphant victories to ataine to these high dignities c. Yea when as out of a warm fountain her fair and white skin was discoloured with the purple bloud that flowed from her torn members she wept not but chearfully sang praises unto God then they gored her mangled body with the iron grate terribly harrowed her flesh and burned her brest with flaming torches then setting fire to her long hair which covered her naked body when it came to her face she opened her mouth and sucked in the flame and so peaceably slept in the Lord. Also Agnes a young virgin being accused for a Christian was brought before the Judge who first laboured by flatteries then by threatning her with cruell torments to draw her to the deniall of her faith but she being strengthened by Christ told him that she feared not his torments which she was willing to undergo yea and death it self for Christs sake then said the Judge if it be so easie with thee to undergo torments yet I know that thou prizest thy virginity therefore it is fully determined that except thou sacrificest to the gods thou shalt be put into the common Stews Then did many youths flock together craving that Agnes might be exposed as a prey to there filthy lusts to whom she said Christ is not forgetfull of those that are his neither will he leave me destitute of his help nor suffer my unspotted chastity to be defiled by you c. you shall willingly bathe your swords in my blood but you shall not defile my body with filthy lust for any thing that you can do Then the Judge commanded that she should be â—et naked at the corner of a street whereupon the multitude sorrowed and were ashamed to see so shamelesse a sight turning away their face and so departing but one amongst the rest looking upon her in a shamelesse manner behold a flame of fire like a flash of lightining struck out both his eies and he falling down wallowed in the kennell dirt whereupon Agnes sang praises unto God Then the cruel Tyrant enraged hereby commanded the executioner to draw out his sword and dispatch her She seeing a sturdy souldier coming towards her with a naked sword rejoyced saying This O this is he that I love I will make hast to meet him and no longer protract my longing desires I well willingly receive the length of his sword into my breast O eternall father vouchsafe to open the gates of heaven to my soul that seeketh thee
sent an Earl after him to bring him back again who pursuing him with sails and ores had almost overtaken his ship whereupon the Marriners would have run her ashore and fled into a wilderness that was hard by to whom Athanasius said Quid turbamini filii quin in occursum eamus persecutori nostro ut intelligat quia longe major est qui nos defendit quam qui persequitur My sons why are you thus affrighted Let us rather turn and meet our pursuer that he may know that he is greater which defends us then he that follows to apprehend us Hereupon the Marriners turned back again and the Earl supposing nothing less then that Athanasius was in the ship that came towards him he only called to them and enquired whether they had not heard of Athanasius they answered that they had seen Athanasius a little before whereupon he hastned forward to overtake him and Athanasius in his ship returned back privately into Alexandria where he lay hid till that persecution was over Julians Officers in exacting the fines of the Christians demanded more then they were assessed at and sometimes tormented their bodies also of which wrongs when they complained to the Emperour he scoffingly answered them It s your part when you are injured to take it patiently for so your God commandeth you At Meris in Phrygia the Governor Commanded the Idol-Temple to be set open and cleansed and began himself to worship the Idols Whereupon some Christians inflamed with zeal in the night time brake into the Temple threw down the Idols and stamped them to powder The Governour being wonderfully incensed herewith purposed to execute some Christian Citizens which were innocent and guiltless whereupon the Authors of their own accord presented themselves before him chusing rather to die for the truth then that others should suffer for their sakes Thereupon the Governor commanded them to sacrifice to the Idols or else he would severely punish them but they setting at nought his threats prepared themselves to suffer what he could inflict Then did he assay them with all kinds of torments and at last laid them on the grid-iron and broiled them to death to whom they said If thou long O Tyrant for broiled meat turn up the other side lest in eating the blood run about thy teeth When Julian went against the Persians of very malice and hatred against the Christians whom scornfully he called Galilaeans he made a vow that if he obtained the victory he would sacrifice to his gods the blood of those Christians which would not sacrifice to the Idols But what the issue of that exepdition was See in my second part in the Life of Jovianus Collected out of the imperial History and Socrates Scholasticus Theodor. and the Magd. Hist. Cent. 4. CHAP. XIX The Persecution of the Church under the Arrian Hereticks which began An. Christi 339. COnstantine the Great dying divided his Empire amongst his three sons Constantius Constans and Constantine Constantius that governed the East was seduced by an Arrian Presbyter who had been in his fathers Court with his Aunt Constantia So pernicious a thing it is to have deceitfull Hereticks lurking in Princes Courts and Ladies Chambers This Presbyter complained to Constantius that the Return of Athanasius from banishment was very dangerous to the peace of the Common-wealth Yea he so far incensed the Emperour against him that he sent a Captain with five thousand armed men to slay him but the Lord delivered him miraculously out of their hands for the armed souldiers being placed round about the Church where he was he went safely through the midst of them undiscerned though many Arrians were present on purpose to point him out to the souldiers as a sheep ordained for the slaughter But neither in banishment could he enjoy peace and safety for this Arrian Emperour sent to all the officers in his Army to search him out wheresoever he was proposing a great Reward to those that could bring Athanasius to him either alive or dead whereupon he was forced to hide himself in a deep pit where he lay six years never so much as seeing the light of the Sun till at last a Maid that used to carry him his food was corrupted by those which sought for him to betray him to them but it pleased God by his Spirit to reveal to him his danger whereby he escaped a little before they came to apprehend him Afterwards Constans forced his brother Constantius though much against his will to restore Athanasius to his Church at Alexandria But after the death of that good Emperour Constans Constantius drave him into banishment again yet the Lord stirred up a godly woman to hide him in her house till the death of Constantius In Alexandria in the room of Athanasius was George an Arrian Bishop placed who also was furnished with armed souldiers to assist him in his devillish devices Thereupon he caused a great fire to be made took many Christian Virgins caused them to be stripped naked requiring them to renounce their faith or else they should be burned but when the sight of the fire could not terrifie them he caused their faces to be so dashed with strokes that their countenances were disfigured yet like patient souldiers of Christ they endured all kind of rebuke for his names sake Thirty Bishops of Egypt and Lybia were slain in the fury of this Arrian Persecution Fourteen Bishops were banished whereof some of them died in the way the rest in exile Forty Orthodox Christians in Alexandria were scourged with rods because they would not communicate with the Arrian Bishop George and so pitiously handled that some pieces of the rods were so deeply fixed in their flesh that they could not be drawn out and many through excessive pain of their wounded bodies died The like cruelty did the Arrians exercise in Constantinople Paul the good Bishop was banished to Cucusus where he was strangled by the Arrians Macedonius a notable heretick was placed in his room who used no less cruelty in forcing men to communicate with him then was used formerly to force them to sacrifice to Idols These Hereticks used also great diligence in procuring Councels to establish their Errors But not long after the Emperor died sorrowing much that he had changed the form of the Nicene faith After the death of Jovian Valentinian succeeded in the Empire who associated to himself his brother Valens and made him Emperor of the East This Valens was an Arrian and raised up a cruel Persecution against the Orthodox Concerning which Greg. Nazianzen in his Oration of the praise of Basil thus writeth Insurrexit repente nebula grandine plena perniciose stridens quae omnes Ecclesias in quas incidit contâ—ivit postravit Christi Cultor pariter osâ—r qui post persecutorem persecutor fuit post Apostatam non quidem Apostata sed
afflicted what evil have we done If we be called to dispute Why are we spoiled of all we have Why are we slandred Why are we forced to remain here amongst the dung-hills afflicted with hunger and nakedness far from our Churches and houses Herewith the Tyrant was so enraged that he commanded his horsemen to ride over them whereby many of them were sore bruised and wounded especially the aged and weak men Then did he command them to meet him at the Temple of Memory and when they came thither they had this writing delivered to them Our Lord King Hunrick lamenting your obstinacy in refusing to obey his will and to embrace his Religion yet intends to deal graciously with you and if you will take this oath he will send you back to your Churches and houses Then they all said with one consent We are all Christians and Bishops and hold the Apostolical and only true faith and thereupon they made a brief confession of their faith But the Kings Commissioners urged them without any further delay to take the oath contained in that paper Whereupon they answered Do you think us bruit beasts that we should so easily swear to a writing wherein we know not what is contained Then was the Oath read unto them which was this You shall swear that after the death of the Lord our King his son Hilderick shall succeed him in the Kingdom and that none of you shall send letters beyond the seas If you take this oath he will restore you to your Churches They that were plain-meaning men amongst them were willing to take it but others that saw further into the subtilty of it refused it Then were those which would take it commanded to separate themselves from the other which being done a Notary presently took their names and of what Cities they were he did the like also by the Refusers and so both parties were committed to ward and shortly after the King sent them word first to those that would have taken the oath Because that you contrary to the rule of the Gospel which saith Thou shalt not swear at all would have sworn The Kings Will is that you shall never see your Churches more but shall be banished into the wilderness and never perform any Ministerial office again and there you shall till the ground But to the Refusers of the oath he said because you desire not the reign of our Lords son you shall therefore be immediately sent away to the Isle of Corse there to hew timber for the ships He also sent abroad through all Africk his cruel tormentors So that no place no house remained free from lamentation screeching and out-cryes They spared neither age nor sex but only such as yielded to their will Some they cudgelled with staves some they hung up others they burned Women and especially gentlewomen they openly tortured stark naked without all shame Amongst whom was Dionysia whom when they saw bolder and more beautifull then the rest they first commanded her to be stript naked and made ready for the cudgels who spake boldly to them saying I am assured of the love of my God vâ—x me how you will only my woman-hood disclose you not But they with greater rage set her naked upon an high place for a publick spectacle Then did they whip her till the streams of blood flowed all over her body Whereupon she boldly said Ye Ministers of Satan that which you do for my reproach is to me an honour And beholding her only son that was young and tender and seemed fearfull of torments checking him with a motherly Authority she so encouraged him that he became much more constant then before To whom in the midst of his terrible torments she said Remember O my child that we were baptized in the name of the holy Trinity Let us not lose the garment of our salvation least it be said Cast them into outer darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth For that pain is to be dreaded that never endeth and that life to be desired that alwayes lasteth The youth was so encouraged hereby that he persevered patient in all his sufferings till in the midst of his torments he gave up the Ghost Many by her exhortations and example were gained to God and animated in their sufferings Not long after Cyrillas the Arrian Bishop at Carthage stirred up the Tyrant against the Christians telling him that he could never expect to enjoy his Kingdom in peace so long as he suffered any of them to live Hereupon he sent for seven eminent Christians from Capsa to Carthage whom he first assaulted with flattery and large promises of honour riches c. if so be they would imbrace his faith But these servants of Christ rejected all those profers crying out One Lord one faith one Baptism saying also Do with our bodies what you please torment them at your will it s better for us to suffer these momentary pains then to endure everlasting torments Hereupon they were sent to prison loaded with great iron chains and thrust into a stinking Dungeon But God stirred up the hearts of many godly persons by great bribes to the Jayler to procure daily access to them and by their exhortations they were so corroborated in the faith that they much desired to suffer the like things for Christ with these men and would willingly have laid down their necks to the Persecutors swords The Tyrant hearing of it was exceedingly enraged caused them to be kept closer loaden with more chains and to be put to great torments Then did he cause a ship to be filled with combustible matter commanding that these holy Martyrs should be put into it and fast bound in the same and fire to be set to the ship in the sea that they might be burned to death When they were brought out of the prison the multitude of Gods people accompanied them to the ship who as innocent Lambs were led to be sacrificed looking upon their weighty irons as rare Jewels and Ornaments With chearfulness and alacrity they went towards the place of execution as if they had gone to a banket singing with one voice unto the Lord as they went along the street saying This is our desired day more festival then any feâ—â—ivity Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation when for the faith of our Lord God we endure death that we may not loose the garment of obtained faith The people also with one voice cried Fear not O servants of God neither dread the threats of your enemies Die for Christ who died for us that he might redeem us with the price of his saving blood Amongst these was a pretty boy to whom a subtil Seducer said Why hastest thou my pretty boy unto death let them go they are mad Take my counsel and thou shalt not only have life but great advancement in the
them yea they were so spread in Germany that they could travel from Collen to Milan in Italy and every night lodge with Hosts of their own profession Hereupon the Pope hath always used all his art for their utter extirpation by his Thunder-bolts Curses Canons Constitutions Decrees and whatsoever else might make them odious to Kings Princes and people giving them over to Satan interdicting them all Communion and society with others making them incapable of any charges honours profits to inherit lands to make wills to be buried in Church-yards yea confiscating their goods dis-inheriting their heirs and where they could apprehend any of them they condemned them to be delivered to the secular power their houses to be razed their lands and goods to be confiscated commanding Kings Princes Magistrates Consuls and people to make an exact inquisition to shut the City-gates to ring the Toll-bell to arm themselves to apprehend kill or use any other violence to them giving to their Accusers a third part of their Estates condemning all favorers of them to the same punishment Anno Christ 1163. came some of these godly persons to Collen in Germany out of the parts of Flanders where they secretly remained for a time in a barn near the City But the diligence of the Popish Clergy found them out by their not coming to their Church and so caused them to be apprehended and brought before them and after examination because they constantly adhered to the truth and would by no means be brought to recant the same they condemned them and delivered them to the secular power who carrying them out of the City being four men and one young woman they first bound the four men to a stake and set fire to them The people much pitied the young woman and would fain have saved her hoping that the burning of her companions would have wrought her to a recantation but she perceiving their drift strugled out of the hands of those that held her and voluntarily leaped into the fire whereby she was burned with them Godfridus Monachus Anno Christi 1194. Aldephonsus King of Arragon probably by the instigation of Pope Celestine and mis-information of his Clergy published this evil Edict against them Aldephonsus by the grace of God King of Arragon c. to all Arch-Bishops Bishops and the rest of the Prelates of the Church in his Kingdom to Earls Vicounts Knights and all the people of his Kingdom and to all that are in Authority health c. Because God would have us to be over his people it is a worthy and just thing that we take continual care as far as in us lies of the salvation and defence of them Wherefore being imitators of our Predecessors and in obedience to the Canons we judge that all Hereticks cast out of the sight of God and of all Catholicks are to be condemned and persecuted every where namely the Waldenses or poor men of Lyons whereof there is no number who being cursed by his holy Church We also command to depart and flie from all our Kingdoms and places within our power as enemies to the Cross of Christ our selves and this Kingdom Therefore from this day forward shall presume to receive the foresaid Waldenses into their houses or to hear their doleful preaching or to give them meat or any other relief let him know that he hath incurred the indignation of God and of us and that he shall be punished as a Traitor and all his goods shall be confiscated without remedy or appeal And this our Edict we command to be published upon Sundays by Bishops and all Rectors of Churches c. through all our Dominions And we command that the foresaid punishments be inflicted upon all Transgressors of it by our Bailyffs Justices c. And if any of the foresaid naughty people whether noble or ignoble shall presume to stay three days after the publication hereof and not hast their removal we will and command all men to bring upon them all mischief disgrace and agrievance except death or cutting off their members which shall be gratefull and acceptable to us neither shall they fear any punishment for the same c. But this same Aldephonsus that made this cruel Edict by the just retribution of God the very next year lost part of his Kingdom to the Moors and his son having also fifty thousand of his men slain in one battel Hoveden The Popelings exercising such cruelty against the Gospellers they began to defend themselves by arms repelling force with force and when being overpowred by multitude they could defend themselves no longer they left their places and became souldiers abroad and many of them became very helpfull to our King Henry the second in his Wars when he was molested about Arch-Bishop Beckets death Also our King Richard the first at his return out of the Holy land as they called it made good use of them who though they were cursed by the Pope yet were they blessed by God for the recovery of his right and for the defence of his people Valdo notwithstanding all the curses of the Pope continued to publish that the Pope was Anti-Christ the Mass an abomination the Host an Idol and Purgatory a fable whereupon Pope Innocent the third Anno 1198 seeing that the other remedies were not sufficient to suppress these Hereticks as he called them authorized certain Monks Inquisitors who by process should apprehend and deliver them to the secular power by a far shorter but much more cruel way then was used formerly for by this means the people were delivered by thousands into the Magistrates hands and by them to the Executioners whereby in a few years all Christendom was moved with compassion to see all those burnt and hanged that did trust only in Christ for salvation The Pope seeing that this suppressed not but rather increased the number of his enemies sent certain Bishops and Monks to preach in those places of the Waldenses but their preaching converted not any of them from their former opinions Amongst those Monks was Dominick who was a zealous persecutor of these Saints of God both in word and deed who seeing himself to be in Authority instituted an Order of begging Monks called after his name Dominicans which order was confirmed by the Pope for their zealous assisting of him against the Waldenses and this Dominick laboured in the inquisition with such contentment to the Popes that from that time forward the Monks of his order have always been imploied in the inquisition The power of these Inquisitors was without limitation they could assemble the people by the sound of a bell when they pleased proceed against the Bishops themselves they could imprison and release without controul Any accusation was sufficient with them A sorcerer a whore was a sufficient witness in the case of pretended Heresie It mattered not who accused or whether by word of mouth or ticket thrown in before the
Inquisitors for process was thereby framed without party without witness or without other Law then the pleasure of the Inquisitors To be rich was a crime near to Heresie and he that had any thing to lose was in the way to be undone either as an Heretick or as a favourer of them yea bare suspition stopped the mouths of parents kinsfolk and friends that they durst not intercede each for other If any did but convey a cup of cold water or a pad of straw to the poor Saints that lay in stinking dungeons he was condemned as a favourer of the Hereticks and brought to the same or worse extremities No Advocate durst undertake the defence of his nearest kinsman or friends no Notary durst receive any Act in his favour yea death it self made not an end of their punishment for sometimes they passed sentence against the bones of the dead to dis-inter and burn them it may be thirty years after the death of the party accused Such as were heirs had nothing certain for if their fathers or kindred were accused they durst not undertake the defence of their own right possess their own inheritance without the crime or suspition of Heresie The greatest and richest amongst the people were constrained even to adore these Monks Inquisitors and to give them great sums for the building of their Convents houses for fear to be accused of Heresie And the better to keep the people in aw these Inquisitors would sometimes lead in Triumph their prisoners in their processions enjoyning some of them to whip themselves others to go in their shirts bare-foot and bare-headed having a With about their necks and a torch in their hands for the greater terrour to the beholders seeing persons of all estates and sexes in so miserable a condition Some of these accused persons were sent into the holy Land or enrolled for some other expedition against the Turks and Infidels where they were to serve for a certain time at their own charge in the mean time these Fathers Inquisitors took possession of their houses and goods and when they returned home they must not so much as enquire whether these Monks had in their absence lain with their wives lest they would be condemned as back-sliders and unworthy of favour Anno Christi 1201. A gallant Knight that was one of these Waldenses called Enraudus whom Henry Earl of Nivers had made Gonour of his land was accused of Heresie and brought before the Popes Legat who called a Common Council at Paris against him consisting of the Arch-Bishop Bishops and Ministers of Paris who after examination of witnesses condemned him for an Heretick and so delivered him to the secular power by whom he was burned in the flames Chron. Rol. Altissiodorensis In Octo. Anno Christi 1207. in the Town of Mont-royal near Carcasson in the Earldom of Tholouse there was held a famous disputation between Didacus Bishop of Oxon a Spaniard Frier Dominick Peter of the New Castle the Popes Legat and Raph his Colleague on the one party and Arnold Hot Pastor of the Albingenses with some other of his fellow-labourers on the other party The Arbitrators were two noble men viz Bernard de villa nova and Pernail of Arras and two Plebians viz. Raimond Godius and Arnold Riberia The Questions disputed upon were these First that the Church of Rome is not the Spouse of Christ nor an holy Church but an impure one and instructed by the Doctrine of Satan Secondly That their Ecclesiastical Polity is not good nor holy nor established by Jesus Christ. Thirdly That the Mass as it is celebrated therein was not instituted by Christ or his Apostles The Bishop undertook to prove the contrary but after three days disputation he desired fifteen days to commit his Arguments to writing and Arnold Hot required eight days to put in his Answer At the day appointed the Bishop brought in a very long writing and Hot desired to answer by word of mouth intreating his Auditors that he might not seem troublesom to them if he were long in answering so long a discourse and it was granted that he should be heard with patience without interruption and so he discoursed for divers hours four days together to the great admiration of all that heard him and so ready was he therein that all the Bishops Abbats Monks and Priests wished themselves elsewhere For he framed his answer to each point in order as it was set down in the writing and that with such plainness and perspicuity that he gave all that were present to understand that this Bishop though he had writen much yet had he concluded nothing that might truly turn to the advantage of the Church of Rome against his Assertions Then did Arnold request that forasmuch as the Bishops and himself in the beginning of the conference were bound to prove whatsoever they affirmed by the Word of God only it might now be imposed upon the Bishops and Priests to make good their Mass as they sing it part by part to have been instituted by the son of God and so used by the Apostles c. But the Bishops were not able to prove that the Mass or any part of it was so ordained or used whereupon they were much discontented and ashamed Arnold proceeded to prove that it was not instituted by Christ or his Apostles For said he if the Mass were the holy Supper instituted by our Saviour there would remain after the consecration that which was in the supper of our Lord viz. Bread But in the Mass there is no bread For by transubstantiation the bread is vanished therefore the Mass is not the holy Supper of the Lord c. The Bishops Legats Monks and Priests having nothing to answer to these things retired themselves not being willing to here any more and fearing least these Gospellers should work such an impression on the hearts of those that were present as might shake their beliefe touching the Masse they dessolved the Assembly Nich Vignerius Between the years 1176. which was the time when this Inquisition was first erected to the year 1228. there was so great a havock made of poor Christians that the Arch-Bishops of Aix Arles and Narbonne being assembled at the request of the said Inquisitors to conferre with them about divers difficulties in the execution of their offices had compassion of the great number that were accused cast into prison saying We hear that you have apprehended such a multitude of the Waldenses that it is not only impossible to defray the charge of their food but to provide lime and stone to build prisons for them we therefore advise you to forbear this rigour till the Pope be advertised and direct what he will have done in this case c. Yet notwithstanding all this cruelty there was in the year 1260. according to the report of George Morrel in his memorials p. 54. above eight hundred thousand persons that made profession
the effecting of it but as soon as the men were in Arms it pleased God by the death of King Francis to put an end to that design whereby the Waldensian Churches in Dauphine enjoyed peace and were well furnished with godly Pastors who held them in the exercise of religion though they were in continuall danger of being persecuted to the death for the same The Waldenses in Dauphine many years before being multiplyed so that the countrey could not feed them dispersed themselves abroad into divers parts whereof some went into Piedmont who lived in great love with those of Daâ—phine and though they were alwaies oppressed with troubles yet with hearty love and charity they ever-succoured one another not sparing their lives and goods for their mutuall conservation The first Persecution in Piedmont were occasioned by the Preists who complained to the Arch-Bishop of Turin that these people lived not according to the manner and belief of the Church of Rome that they offered not for the dead cared not for Masses Absolutions or to get any of theirs out of the pains of Purgatory c. Hereupon the Arch-Bishop persecuted them complaining of them to their Princes to make them odious But the Prince enquiring of their neighbours heard that they were of a good conversation fearing God without deceit or malice loving plain dealing alwaies ready to serve their Prince with alacrity c. He therefore purposed not to molest them But the Priests and Monks gaining nothing by their belief charged them with an infinite number of calumnies and ever and anon catching one or other of them they delivered them to the Inquisitors and the Inquisitors to the executioners so that there was scarce a Town or City in Piedmont wherein some of them had not been put to death At Turin one of them had his bowels torn out of his belly and put into a bason before his face and then was he cruelly martyred At Revel in the Marquisat of Saluces one Catelin Girard being on the block whereon he should be burnt requested his Executioner to give him two stones which he refused to do fearing least he would throw them at some body but he protesting the contrary at last they gave him two stones which he held in his hands and said When I shall have eaten these stones then shall you see an end of our Religion for â—hich you now put me to death and so he threw them on the ground and died cheerfully Thus they burnt many of them in the fire till Anno 1488. and then they resolved to assault them by open force because they saw that otherwise they should never be able to extirpate them besides their constant sufferings converted many to the faith Hereupon they levied an Army of eighteen thousand men besides many inhabitants of Piedmont who ran to the pillage from all parts These marched all at once to Angrogne Lâ—cerne La Perouse c. They raised also forces in Dauphine where with they over-ran the Valley of Pragela so that they being put to defend themselves could not assist their friends in Piedmont But the enemy by this division of his forces being weakned was every where beaten especially in the Valley of Angrogne where the VValdensians having been informed of the levies of their enemies against them prepared themselves to receive and resist them keeping the strait passages where few men might defend themselves against many They defended themselves with long Targets of wood whereby they covered themselves from the hurt of their enemies arrows Whilst they were thus bickering with their enemies the women and children upon their knees cried out O God help us The enemies made themselves merry with this fight and amongst them one Capt. Saquet who as he was imitating the woman was slain and tumbled down into a very deep valley Another Captain crying out to the women in derision was killed with the shot of an arrow in the throat Hereupon the souldiers betook themselves all to their heels and the greatest part slew themselves by tumbling down from the rocks Another providence of God was this that the enemies approaching to the stongest entrance by nature might their have fortified themselves and so made themselves masters of that Valley But God sent so thick a cloud and dark a fog that they could scarce see one another whereby they wanted opportunity to discover their advantage and therefore departed which the VValdenses seeing couragiously pursued them and by that means the enemy being dispersed and not seeing which waies they went the greatest part fell headlong down the mountains quitting their arms and booty which they had gotten at their first entrance into the Valley by which means the Waldenses recovered it again Then it pleased God to move the Princes heart which was Philip the seventh Duke of Savoy and Lord of Piedmont with pity towards these poor people saying That he would not have that people which had been alwaies true faithfull and obedient to him to be unjustly destroyed by Arms being content that twelve of the Principall should come to him to Pignerol to crave pardon for all the rest for taking arms in their own defence without his authority These he entertained lovingly forgiving all that was past during the warre And having been informed that all their children were born with black throats with foure rows of teeth and all hairy he caused some of them to be brought to him and seeing them fair and perfect creatures he was much displeased with himself for beleeving so easily the reports which were brought to him against them giving command that none should hereafter molest them but that they should enjoy all the priviledges which they rest of his subjects in Piedmont did Notwithstanding which the Monks Inquisitors daily sent out processe against them lay in wait for them and as they could aprehend any of them delievered them over to the secular power This Persecution lasted to Anno. 1532. at which time the Waldenses ordered that there exercises of religion should be performed no more in covert as formerly they had been but in publick that every one might know them and that their Pastors should preach the Gospell openly not fearing any persecution that might happen unto them The prince being advertised hereof was highly offended with them and thereupon caused one of his Commanders to hast with his Troops into the said Vallies which was performed with such diligence that he was entred with five hundred horse and Foot before they were aware ransacking plundering and wasting all before them Then did the Waldenses leave their ploughs putting themselves into passes and with their slings charged their enemies with such multitudes of stones that they were constraned to flie and to abandon their prey many remaining dead upon the ground This news was presently carried to the Prince and withall he was told that these people were not to
and Tailleret The lesser part went towards Villars the people seeing their enemies approaching called upon God with fervent prayer then set upon their enemies slew some hurt others and the rest fled The other company going towards Tailleret they of that place were but few in number yet making their prayers to God and commending their cause to him they set valiantly upon their enemies during which bickering they of Villars encouraged by their late success came to help their friends and set so lustily upon their enemies that they put them to flight but in the pursuit of them they fell into an ambush and were environed by their enemies yet through Gods mercy they all escaped without the losse of one man on the enemies side there were so many slain that they were laid together by whole Cart-loads Another party of the enemies going to spoil a rich mans house some of his neighbours not being above seventy set upon them put them to flight took away their Drum and recovered their booty from them Then did the Lord of Trinity send to them telling them how much the Duke and his Dutchesse favoured them and promised himselfe to mediate for them that they might live in peace But whilest by these pretences he sought to make them secure he sent part of his Army to get the hill of Tailleret and another part had already gotten the way that led to the meddow of Tour whereby the Angrognians might have been easily enclosed but they perceiving it immediatly sent some to encounter with their enemies who gat the victory pursued them to their camp and slew very many of them without the losse of one man The Lord of Trinity cunningly excused this attempt and sent to them to draw up a supplication to the Duke which was accordingly done wherein they promised to render all honour and reverence unto God according to his Word and all due obedience to the Duk c. But in the mean time Trinity grievously vexed them of Tailleret upon pretence that they had not presented themselves to treat of this agreement taking their arms from them and causing them to ask pardon on their knees But presently after news was brought them that the enemies had gotten to the top of the mountaine and had taken all the passages whereat they were sore amazed and ran with all speed to defend their wives and children some they saved but the most of their goods were already in the enemies hands who at this time did them much mischiefe Yet after this the Lord of Trinity sent word again to them that were fled that if they would return he would receive them to mercy The poor people most of them trusting to his promise returned but the next morning the enemies came to apprehend them and their Ministers besetting the place on every side Then they that were swift of foot escaped all the rest were taken yet God miraculously delivered them for an old man that could not run so fast as the other was espied by a souldier who ran with a naked sword to have slain him the old man seeing the iminent danger caught him by the legs overthrew him and drew him by the heels down the hill the souldier cryed Help help this villain will kill me hereupon his fellows ran to his rescue but in the mean time the old man escaped and the rest seeing what the old man had done though they had lost their weapons yet took heart of grass and with stones and slings drave away their enemies and thereby they all escaped The next day the souldiers went again to Tailleret robbing spoiling and carrying away all that they could find but most of the people were retired towards Villars Then did the souldiers range all about and took divers prisoners whom they used cruelly and one souldier bit off one of their ears saying I will carry the flesh of this wicked Heretick with me into my Country They found also two women the mother and the daughter in a cave whom they wounded to death and in another cave an old man of an hundred years old with his grand-daughter of eighteen years old that fed him the man they slew the maid they would have ravished who flying from them tumbled down the mountains and died About the same time there was one John Martin that made his boasts every where that if he could meet with the Minister of Angrogne he would slit his nose but shortly after a wolf met him and setting upon him bit off his nose whereupon he ran mad and died miserably A certain souldier promised the Lord of Trinity to bring to him the Minister of Tailleret and accordingly never ceased till he found him but as he was pursuing of him some out of the mountains rescued the Minister and slew the souldier with stones These souldiers were so extream abusive to women that many Papists that lived by sent their daughters into the mountains to the Waldenses to preserve their chastity Then did the Lord of Trinity promise that if they would pay him eight thousand Crowns he would with-draw his Army and be gone They being desirous of Peace sold their Cattel to raise the money but when he had received it he continued his Army there still Then did the Lord of Trinity require them to send away their Ministers till the matter were determined before the Duke or else by his Army he would force them to it whereupon by mutual consent they agreed that the Ministers should with-draw for the present till the Army was retired which was not done without great sighs and lamentations and tears At that time there fell an extraordinary snow so that the people with great difficulty were fain to make way for their Ministers to pass But the Army hearing that the Ministers were gathered together they sent out a company of harquebushers to apprehend them who came but one hour too late to have taken them Then did they search every cave house and chest to seek them whereby they robbed the poor people of all their best things Then did they beset the Ministers house of Angrogne to whom the Lord of Trinity had promised safety but it pleased God that he escaped the souldiers pursued him into the mountains but could not overtake him whereupon they plundred his house burnt his books and writings and so returned The next morning command was given to the Rulers of Angrogne within twenty four hours to deliver up their Minister or else Angrogne should be put to fire and sword They answered that they knew not where he was for the souldiers had driven him over the mountains Then did the souldiers burn houses break the mils spoil the people and do all the mischief they could and so departed The Lord of Trinity left Garisons in the Fortresses and caused the poor Waldenses to maintain them who not content with their wages pillaged and robbed all about them and
passing by before he was dead and hearing him implore Gods mercy kickt him on the head saying Is this dog yet living take him and cast him to the hogs Sixtly women were racked so violently that the cords pierced into their arms and legs and being then cast into prison they died there only nine of the handsomest being delievered to the fathers of the Inquisition were never heard off after Many others were delivered to the secular power to be burnt and if any interceded for them he was presently put on the rack as a favourer of Hereticks Pope Pius the fourth sent the Marquesse of Butiane promising that if he would wholly cleare Calabria of these Waldenses he would make his son a Cardinall But he was put to no great pains to do it for the Inquisitors and the Vice-roy of Naples had by sundry deaths killed all the men women and children that they could light of One of their Ministers was famished in prison Another was carried to Rome where he was condemned to be burnt The Pope and his Cardinals would needs see that pleasing spectacle But the Minister spake so many things out of Gods Word against the Pope that the Pope gnashed his teeth for anger wishing that he had been some where else And thus were these godly people wholly rooted out of Calabria CHAP. XXIII The Persecutions of the Waldenses in Provence THese came from Piedmont when their vallies were over-peopled The country of Provence at their first arrival was a desert but within few years by Gods blessing upon their labours it-abounded with Corn Wine Oil Chesnuts and other fruites There Habitations being near to Avignion many times the Popes seat they were exposed to sundry persecutions as Anno 1380. and at other times but the greatest of all began about the year 1360. in the time of King Lewis the twelfth who being informed that in Provence was a certain kind of people that lived not according to the Laws of the Church of Rome but were an accursed people committing all kindes of wickednesse and villanies He gave Commission to his Parliament in Provence to take cognizance of it and to punish them according to their demerits The Court prosecuting this order with rigour and the King hearing that diverse innocent persons were put to death he sent his Master of Requests and Confessor into Provence to finde out what kinde of persons these were who at their return certified him that all the former suggestions were untrue that they were neither Socerers nor Whoremongers but lived honestly did hurt to none caused their children to be Baptized taught them their Belief and the ten Commandments and that they carefully kept the Lords day and had the Word of God purely expounded to them Whereupon the King swore an oath That they were honester then himself and his Catholik subjects Upon this information he sent and staâ—ed the Persecution Then did the Waldenses send two of their Ministers George Morrell and Peter Masson to Oecolampadius Capito Bâ—cer and Haller to confer with them about matters of Religion and to have there advice in many things In their return Masson was apprehended at Dijon where he was condemned and put to death for a Lutheran Morrell escaped with his Letters and Papers and came safe to Provence where he much comforted and confirmed the Churches Yet all this while did the Parliament of Aix apprehend one or other of them condemning some to the fire others to the gibbet they which scaped best returned with marks in their forheads Anno Christi 1540. The inhabitants of Merindoll were summoned and some of the chief appearing for the rest they were all condemned to be burned alive their children and families to be outlawed and that the place of their habitation should be laid waste the woods cut down two hundred paces round about and so left desolate The King being informed of the rigour of this Edict and of the innocency of the people countermanded the execution of it but his Letters were suppressed and the Cardinall of Tournon obtained for a great some of money the revocation of them Anno 1545. The President of Opede proclaimed war against them both at Aix and Marseilles Divers companies of souldiers were listed and five bands of the old souldiers of Piedmont were joyned with them and presently they began to set fire on the Villages of Cabrieres Pepin c. The poor people without any resistance were slain women and their daughters ravished some great with child murthered the breasts of many women were cut off after whose death their poor infants died of famine Opede also proclaimed that on pain of death no man should give any relief or sustenance to them All their habitations were pillaged sacked and burnt and none of their persons spared but such as were reserved for the Gallies Opede comming to Merindol found none there but one simple lad who had yielded himselfe prisoner to a souldier and promised two Crowns for his ransom but Opede paid the money to the souldier and caused the lad to be shot to death then he utterly razed the Town and laid it levell with the ground Then did he march against Cabrieres and with the Cannon battered the wals There was within only about sixty poor sick Pesants who sent him word that he needed not to spend powder to batter the wals for they were ready to open the gates and quit the Country if they might but have leave with their wives and children to go to Geneva or Germany and to leave all their goods behinde them Opede entring the Town caused all the men to be brought into a field and to be cut in pieces the souldiers striving who should shew the best manhood in cutting off heads arms and legs The women he caused to be locked in a barn with much straw and so put fire to it where many women great with childe were burnt One souldier moved with pity opening a hole in the wall that some of them might come out but Opede made them to be beaten back againe into the fire with Pikes and Halberts Some of them that came forth he slew with his own hands ripping open their bellies so that their children came forth whom he trod under his feet many were fled into cellers and caves whom he caused to be dragged out had into the field stripped stark naked and then slain Others were bound by two and two together and slain by the Captains who rejoyced in their bloudy butchery Then did this Tyrant worse then Herod command one of his Captaines to go into Church into which many women children and infants were fled and to kill them all which the Captain at first refused saying that it was a cruelty unbeseeming men of warre Whereat Miniers being displeased charged him upon pain of rebellion against the King to do it The Captain fearing what might be the issue entred with his souldiers and destroyed them all sparing
to be of their opinion whereupon Conradius Bishop of Portua the Popes Legate wrote to the Arch-Bishop of Roan and his Suffragan Bishops to meet with others Bishops at a Councill to be held at Sens against the said Bartholmew who saith the Legate in his letters stiles himself servant of the servants of God and runs about Creating Bishops and endeavoring perfidiously to gather Churches Mathew Paris Anno Christi 1226. saith the same Author the Crosse was preached all over France by Romanus the Popes Legate against the Albingenses where in he commanded all that were able to beare arms to signe them selves with the signe of the Crosse against the Earl of Tholouse and his people and at his preaching a great multitude of Prelates and Lay men tooke upon them the signe of the Crosse yet more for fear of the King of France and for favour of the Legate then induced by the justness of the cause But the King of France being signed with the Crosse would not take upon him the expedition unlesse the Pope would forbid the King of England under paine of excommunication to move war against him for any land that he possessed at that present either iustly or unjustly which accordingly the Pope did and our King Henry the third upon receipt of the Popes letters assembled his Nobles to consult with them what he should do upon this inhibition at which time their was present one Mr William Perepund skilfull in Astronomy who constantly affirmed before the King That if the King of France took upon him this expedition he should either never returne alive or else should meet with as greate confusion as might be both of his person estate and followers The King of France having thus settled his affaires at home he together with the Legate appointed a Peremptory day for the Crossed-souldiers to come to a rendevous with their horses and Arms at Lyons from which at the time appointed he began his expidition with an huge Army which was accounted Invincible whom the Legate followed with Arch-Bishops Bishops c. In the Army there were reckoned to be fifty thousand Knights and men at Arms on horsback besides an innumerable company of footmen and then did the Legate publickly excommunicate the Earl of Tholouse putting all his favourers and lands under Interdict The King thus marching with his glittering Arms and terrible Army on Whitson-Eve came to Avignion the first City in Tholouse purposing to destroy the whole land of the Earl from one end to the other and utterly to root out the Inhabitants thereof yet very cunningly the King and the Legate sent to the Citizens only desiring passage through the City that they might follow their iourney the neerest way The Citizens consulting together returned answer That they suspected fraud neither would they admit them into the City where upon the King in a great rage swore that he would not depart thence till he had taken the City The Citizens valiantly defended themselves so that the sieg lasted long and the Earl of Tholouse being a skilfull warrior before the comming of the French Army had withdrawne all kind of victualls together with the women children and cattell into places of safety Hereupon the Kings Army fell into great wants so that multitudes perished by famine Their horses and beasts also were starved for the Earl had caused all the meddowes to be plowed up in the whole country so that they had no fodder but what was brought out of France And their wants daily increasing many Legions went out of the Kings Camp to seek for food and fodder but the Earl of Tholouse with a flying Army many times lay in ambush for them and cut off multitudes of them They also that lay in the siege before the City were miserably wasted by darts and stones shot in ingines from the walls by the Citizens valiantly defending themselves and a generall famine overspread all but it raged most amongst the poorer sort who had neither food nor money Also out of the dead carkasses of men and beasts their bred certaine great and blackflies which comming into there tents by swarms with an horible humming infected their meat and drink and when they were not able to drive them from their cupps and dishes many of the Pilgrims perished suddenly by their meanes But the King and Legate were especially troubled and confounded to think what reproach it would be to them and to the Church of Rome that so gallant and numerous an Army should vndertake such an expedition and be able to effect nothing Then the chiefe Princes and Captains being weary of the long siege amongst so many deaths sollicit that a generall storme might be given to the City hoping by their multitudes to oppresse the Citizens which being resolved upon such a great multitude of Armed men thronged upon the bridge that goes over the river of Rhodanus that the bridge breaking under them three thousand of them were drowned in that swift river Presently after as the French were one day at dinner the Citizens discovering there carlesness suddenly sallied forth violently setting upon them suddenly slew Twenty thousand of them with out any losse to themselves and so retired and the King of France commanded the dead bodies to be throwne into the River affording them no other buriall Then did he also remove his sieg to afarther distance and to prevent the like attempts caused a great ditch to be cast up between the City and his camp and the Legate with his Prelates not knowing how otherwise to reveng themselves Anathematized the Earl of Tholouse and all the subjects But whom they cursed the Lord blessed For shortly after he sent a very great plague into the French campe so that king Lewis to escape the same retired himself into the neighbouring Abbey of Monpensier where he resolved to remain till the City should be taken unto whom came Henry Earl of Compaigne desiring to be dismissed having now sereved his fourty daies but the King denyed his request To whom the Earl said that having performead what was injoyned he neither might nor would be staid any longer The King being very angry hereat swore that if he departed he would wast his whole land with fire and sword yet the Earl according to his former resolution went his waies and shortly after the Lord struck the King with sickness whereof he dyed The Legate and great Captaines concealed his death for a month together and in the interim sent messengers laboring to draw the Citizens to a composition and Commissioners being sent to the Camp the Legate perswaded them to resigne up their City to him upon promise that they should injoy their lives estates and liberties in a better manner then they had formerly but they answered that they would not live under the power of the Frenchmen whose pride and insolency they had often tryed After along Parlee the Legate desired that himself and the
Praelates might be admitted into the City swearing with a great oath that he had continued the sieg so long only that he might seek the salvation of their souls The Citizens giving credit to his promise not suspecting his treachery after mutuall Oaths given on either side admitted him with the Praelates and their followers into the City but contrary to their oaths the Frenchmen followed violently rushing into the City when the Gates were open and seizing upon the Citizens they bound them plundered their houses and slew many and having thus by treachery made themselves Masters of the City they brake downe the walls and the strong towers of that noble City During this sieg their perished more then 22000. of the Pilgrims by famine sword pestilence and other waies and so the rest returned to their owne homes Anno Christi 1228. The Pope now Gregory being implacably bent to rout out the Albingenses stirred up the young King of France against them who sent a great Army into Provence vtterly to destroy them which Army hearing that the Earle of Tholouse was in the castle called Saracen they purposed to besieg him as being there shut up But the Earl having notice of their intent with strong troopes he lay in ambush in a wood through which they were to passe when they were come to the place he gallantly assaulted them after a bloudy fight slew many took two hundred Knights about two thousand men at Arms The Knights he imprisoned but of the other he caused some of their eyes to be pulled out others to have their noses cut off and so dismissed them That summer the King of France sent three Armies against them all which were either put to flight or taken and imprisoned by the said Earl Mathew Paris Yet the same yeare Imbert of Beavim went against them with a great Army of Crossed souldiers amongst whom were three Arch-bishops every one with the Pilgrimes of his Jurisdiction And the Earl of Tholouse being as it sâ—emes unprovided was faigne to shut up himselfe within the wals of Tholouse where he was strongly besieged by the Pilgrimes who also wasted and spoiled his country and harvest far and nere on every side And the siege continuing the Citizens suffered great Famine and when they were brought to this extremity the Abbat of Grandsylue went from the Popes Legate to offer peace to Earl Remund and the Tholousians Some of the Earls Captains disswaded him from it knowing the perfidiousnesse of the Papists but the cries of the hunger starved multitude prevailed so that a Truce was agreed upon for certaine daies and Earl Remund upon the day appointed went to the place where the peace should be concluded But when he came thither the Abbat perswaded him that it was necessary that the agreement should be perfected in the presence of the Queen Mothers who was regent of France and pawned his faith to him that if he would go to her she should go and returne in safety The Earl overcome by these promises assented and Meaux was the place chosen by the Queen for their meeting But as soone as Earl Remund came thither contrary to all oaths and engagements he was made a prisoner and had a guard set upon him that he might not start aside and instead of a treaty he must submit to whatsoever should be enjoyned It was a lamentable thing saith the Historiographer of Languedock to see so brave a man that for so long a time was able to resist the whole power of France to come in his shirt and linnen breeches barefoot and bare-leged to the Altar in the presence of the Cardinals and their to accept of such hard and unreasonable conditions as they were pleased to impose upon him Amongst which these were some that he should abjure the Heresie which hitherto he had defended That for the future he should be subject to the Church of Rome That he should cast all the Hereticks out of his dominions That he should give his only daughter Joane in marriage to one of the King of France his brethren That he should pay a yearly stipend to six Popish Professors of the liberall Arts and to two Grammarians at Tholouse That he should take upon him the Crosse and for five years wage warre against the Saracens and other enemies of the Faith and Church And lastly that he should levell with the ground the walls of the City of Tholouse and the walls of 30. other Cities and Castles at the appointment of the Legate and fill up their ditches and so remaine a prisoner in the Louver at Paris till his daughter Joane was discovered to the Kings messengers at Carcasson Anno Christi 1229. diverse Councils were held against the Albingenses One at Tholouse the Acts whereof were proclaimed in that City by Romanus the Popes Legate another at Narbonne where more and more cruell decrees were made against them A third at Beziers exceeding in rigour both the former and amongst the rest an oath of abjuration whereby all persons Males at fourteen yeares old Females at twelve yeares old were to abjure all Heresie as they called it and to swear that they would keep the Faith and defend the Catholike Church and persecute all the opposers of the same and that all that took not this oath within fifteen daeis should be held suspected of Heresie and proceeded against accordingly also another Article was in these words Item we forbid the use of the Old and New Testament to the Lay people Forbidding expressely that they have not the said books turned into the vulgar tongue Also the same yeare on Munday Thursday Pope Gregory proclaimed Ecclesastical censures against them and sent the prime Inquisitors of Dominicks order into France to put the same in execution he wrote also to Lewis King of France to cast all those Hereticks out of France and to cause the Earl of Tholouse to do the like in his Dominions and to place new counsellors about him that might instruct him in the Catholike Faith and Manners and to cast all such from about him as might corrupt him And whereas the Kingdom of Arragon was infected with Heresie Pope Gregory gave the Arch-Bishop thereof and his Suffragans power to erect an inquisition against them Anno Christi 1232. Died Fulco Arch-Bishop of Tholouse who had labored twenty six years in extinguishing the Gospellers whom Remund of Fulgaerio succeeded and so manfully behaved himself that in his first year he caused nineteen of the Albingenses to be apprehended and put to cruell deaths within his Diocess Anno Christi 1233. Queen Blanch and the Popes Legate so over awed the Earl of Tholouse that they caused him to make cruell edicts against his owne subjects of the Albingensian Religion That they should be persecuted searched out and taken That whosoever could apprehend any one of them should have a Mark for each of them so taken that all that were
suspected to be of their Religion should be excluded from office bearing that all houses should be pulled downe wherein any of them should be found that all their goods and inheritances should be confiiscated That the like should be done to all that should aid or abett them or that should hinder or not assist the Inquisitors in the execution of their office That whosoever should be suspected of their Heresie should have an oath given him to keep the peace and the Catholike Faith That the houses of such as should be detected of Heresie after their death should be pulled downe That whosoever should refuse to weare the Cross should have his goods seized on c. The same year the Inquisitors were informed that in the territories of Brixia there had lately lived one Guido de Lacha who was much honoured for his austerity and integrity of life but that he dyed out of the communion of the Church of Rome having been infected with Heresie whereupon they ordered his bones to be digged up and burned The Earl of Foix and Comminges and the Prince of Bearne yet remained to be conquered and the Popes Legate thought that the Earl of Tholouse was the fittest person to deale with them whereupon he caused him to write to them to perswade them to embrace the Catholike Faith c. But the Earl of Foix returned answer That he could not forsake his faith in such a time wherein men might think that he did it rather out of feare then from any good grounds and that it was fitter for them to convince him of the truth of their way then to allure him by promises or force him thereto by Armes And that if they brought that world of Pilgrims against him which they threatned he trusted in God that he should make them know the Justice of his cause and repent of the rashnesse of their vow But the Earls subjects fearing that their Lord being aged and without wife and children should leave them to the mercy of the first Conqueror intreated him to come to a composition with the Legat whereupon he began to treat and at last yielded up diverse Castles into the hands of the King of France upon promise that he would rule with justice and equity Anno Christi 1234. the opinions of the Albingenses were much spread abroad in the parts of Spaiâ—â— and other adjacent countries and they had Bishops among them who boldly preached against the Romish errors and especially against Transubstantiation whereupon a Croisado was preached against them and a very great Army of Pilgrims being assembled together were by Pope Gregory sent against them who slew them all with their Bishops seized of their City and plundered them whereby saith Mathew Paris they returned rich and joyfully into their own countries Also about the same time another Army of these Pilgrims went against others of them on the borders of Germany who retiring into a Fenny place for there security were their all slaine But the same yeare the Lord raised up Trancavel the natural son of the Earl of Beziers deceased who was encouraged and assisted by a number of valiant Captaines as Oliver de Fumes Bertrand Hugon de Serrelong Bertrand de villenense Jordaine de Satiat who told him that they would assist him to revenge the outrages done to his father who was deprived of his land betrayed imprisoned and poisoned whereupon he resolved to recover by the sword what was so unjustly taken from him and before the enemies had notice of his designe he took in diverse strong Castles so that the Popes Legate and Bishop of Tholouse were much astonished to see these men stand up for the Albingenses whom they supposed to have been utterly suppressed Then did the Popes agents cause the cross to be preached and the Bishop of Narbonne animated the people of his Diocess to go against them and to make an end of the poor remainder of the Albingenses An army being raised the Popes Legate led it to Tholouse and when the Citizens appeared upon their ramparts he told them that he was come thither for their preservation They thanked him but withall told him that if he did not instantly retire himselfe they would give him the chase And presently came Trancavell who so bravely and valiantly set upon the Legates Troops that he quickly overthrew them and chased them to the very gates of Carcasson and the Legate had much adoe to save himselfe but that which most angered the Legate was that Trancavell found intertainement in some part of Carcasson so that the Pilgrims durst hardly peep out of the City gates and when he heard of any more Pilgrims comming to the Legate he used to meet them to lay Ambushes for them so that usually overthrowing them their designes were marred This man kept the field till the year 1242. and still prevailed against all the crossed souldiers that came against him whereupon Ameline the Popes Legate wrote to the Pope that if he caused not the cross to be preached in many parts of Europe the Church was like to sustain much damage by this enemy For saith he he is more cruell and subtile then any before him But a little before the Bishop of Tholouse was informed of a certain Matron who having her children brethren and friends about her was dying an Heretick whereupon he ran to her and found it even so by the confession of the woman her selfe who desired to die in the faith of the Albingenses and doubted not to be saved then did the Bishop condemne her and delivered her to the secular power who presently carried her forth in the bed wherein she lay sick and burned her Anno Christi 1235. Earl Remund getting from Paris returned into his owne country and forbad the Citizens of Tholouse to company with the Friers predicant and shortly after expelled them the City And the Monastery of Narbonne belonging to the same order of Friers was pulled down by the Albingenses And in June following Pope Gregory the ninth made new Inquisitors against the Albingenses in Arragon and France Anno Christi 1236. King Lewis of France wrote to the Pope that Earl Remund had violated the Covenants which he had made with the Church and had cast the Bishops Clergy and Friers out of Tholouse and brought Hereticks into their roomes whereupon he desired that he might be reduced into order c. And indeed by the power of the Pope and King he was forced to recall the Popish Clergy and to banish the Albingenses and to take upon him the signe of the Cross for the aid of the Holy land by way of Penance for his former deeds The same year many imbracing the faith of the Albingenses be-beyond the Alps Inquisitors were sent against them especially one Frier Robert who caused many of both sexes to be apprehended and when they continued constant in the true faith and would not renounce the same in
that nothing should be done either against law or equity till he had further knowledge of the cause In the mean time the Brethren being much encouraged by letters from Luther Bucer and Capito went on constantly and through Gods mercy a great nummber was added to the Church till that fatal year 1547. At which time Charles the fifth putting in execution the decrees of the Counsell of Trent raised warres against the Protestant Princes in Germany At which time his brother Ferdinand sollicited the Bohemians for aid but they refused it in regard of their ancient league with the house of Saxony But the German Protestants being overcome in warre Ferdinand entred Bohemia with an Army seizeth on Prague imprisoneth the principall Nobles Barons and Citizens some he scourged some he beheaded and upon others he laid grievous Fines and of others he sequestred all their Estates Also he disarmed the City of Prague took away their privileges banishing some whilst others went into voluntary exile Then did the Devil raise up some to lay all the blame upon the Brethren to which malicious suggestions the King giving heed first by open Proclamation commanded all their Churches to be shut up and then he took away their Peers and banished them all out of his Realms When this Thunderbolt came abroad the brethren agreed amongst themselves that they would be more faithfull to God and their consciences then they had been and so by common consent dividing themselves into three companies they went into Poland and all of them had experience of an admirable divine protection in their journey escaping some that might and would have robbed them but that they were restrained by God as also in most places where they came they found Christian commiseration and liberality of men towards them and courteous entertainment in Poland though most of them were Papists Yet not long after the Bishop of that part where they were got a Mandate from the King to drive them away Then were they forced to goe into the farthest parts of Prusia whereby D. Albert Brandenburg they had a place of habitation alloted to them and one Paul Speratus a Protestant Bishop having conferred with them about their faith was very courteous and charitable to them The next Edict that Ferdinand set forth against the brethren was for the apprehending of all their Ministers whereupon some of them retired into Moravia others that they might be near their flocks hid themselves in private places in the night-time they visited the faithfull which continued for some years but at last three of them fell into their enemies hands yet one of them through the admirable providence of God escaped out of a deep dungeon in the Castle of Prague and fled to his brethren in Borussia and he sometimes passing through Polonia and preaching the Gospel through Gods mercy many of the Nobility and others were converted by his Ministry so that in a few years he erected twenty Churches in Poland The enemies having imprisoned John Augusta they much rejoyced at it because he was a chief Minister amongst the Brethren and as Luther in Germany against the Pope so he both by his Ministry and writings had mightily confuted the Calixtines and thereupon they laid to his charge his refusall to raise Forces for the assistance of Ferdinand and intentions of bringing in John Frederick Elector of Saxony to be King in Bohemia and for the discovery of this pretended conspiracy he was cruelly racked three times but when they could draw nothing from him they yet kept him in prison seventeen years Anno 1549. Ferdinand published another decree for the extirpating both of the brethren and Lutherans and the Ministers that had received Ordination in Germany or that were married were banished out of the Kingdom to the number of about two hundred Also the Baron of Schanow a man of much experience and learning being apprehended under the pretence of some conspiracy against Ferdinand was imprisoned examined and then laid on the rack he with an heroical indignation cut out his tongue and cast it away and being asked why he did it he wrote on the wall I did it because I would not by any tortures be brought to say any thing falsly against my selfe or others He also in a writing taxed the Tyrannical proceedings against himselfe and other innocents citing the King and his Counsellors to appear and answer it before the Tribunall of God and so shortly after died About that time Ferdinand brought Jesuites into Prague and built a stately College for them who sought by all means to overthrow the Church of Christ and added fuell to the fire of persecution After the death of Ferdinand Maximilian succeeded Anno 1562. who being of a peaceable disposition could by no means be induced that any should suffer for their faith After him Rodulphus succeeded Anno 1676. who treading in his Father steps the Church of Christ enjoyed peace under him yea pure religion so flourished through the whole Kingdom that there was scarce one amongst an hundred that did not professe the Reformed Religion But alas with liberty of Religion by little and little men began to be licentious in their lives and carnal security so encreased that some began to presage that an horrible tempest should again overwhelm them After the death of Rodulphus succeeded Mathias who comming into Bohemia Anno 1617. he called an Assembly of the States but it being harvest time few appeared To them that did appear Mathias complained that since he had no issue he would adopt Ferdinand for his son commendeth his vertues and desires that he may be crowned The Orders assembled affirmed that a matter of that consequence could not be done in the absence of the united Provinces Caesar urged that what Bohemia should do would be confirmed by all the rest that he grew faint and it could not be deferred till another time In brief the Oorders protested that the Term of Receiving him King was new that he ought first to be chosen and then received and some perceiving that there was no place for a free voice departed others partly allured by promises and partly deterred by threats staid and were present at the Cronation of Ferdinand after which he presently went into Moravia Silesia and Lusatia requesting to be received for their King The Persecution of the Church in Bohemia which began Anno Christi 1617. FErdinand the second Emperour of Germany being thus obtruded upon the Bohemians for their King contrary to the ancient constitutions and customes of the Kingdom and not lawfully elected thereunto as he ought to have been retired presently into Germany And thereupon the enemies of the truth began to crow and openly to threaten the Protestants and it appeared sufficiently that Ferdinand sware to the Orders with his mouth but in his heart to the Pope and presently after his
trust in my God that he will graciously accept my contrite spirit When upon the Scaffold the Jesuites exhorted him he listned not to them but turned from the Crucifix and falling down on his knees he prayed softly Then looking up towards heaven he cried They can take away the body but they cannot take away the soul O Lord Jesus I commend that unto thee and so he ended his life being fifty six years old The next was an aged man about seventy years old that had been long lame his crime was that he had assisted Frederick with his counsel and wealth at the time of his death he said O Lord Jesus who being innocent didst undergo death grant that I may die the death of the righteous and receive my soul into thy hands The next was the Lord of Rugenia a man of excellent parts and full of zeal for God when he was iudged to die he said that it was more welcome to him then if the Emperour had given him life and restored him to his estate with addition of more afterwards he said to the Minister God is our witnesse that we fought for nothing but the Liberty of Religion and in that we are overcome and condemned to die we acknowledge and finde that God will not have his truth defended by our swords but by our bloud c. When he saw divers called out before him he said What is the matter my God thou knowest that I resign my self wholly unto thee Ah do not despise thy servant but make haste to take me away and when the Sheriff came for him he rejoyced and said Praised be my God that I shall now be taken out of the world that I may be with Christ and so he went to meet him On the Scaffold he comforted himself with that promise Father I will that where I am my servants may also be to behold that glory which thou gavest me Therefore said he I make haste to die that I may be with Christ and see his glory and so he suffered Martyrdom couragiously The next was Valentine Cockan of about sixty years old During his imprisonment he was full of heavenly discourse and at the Scaffold he said Grant me O God to passe through this valley of death that I may presently see thee for thou knowest my God that I have loved thy word bring me O God through the paths of life that I may see fulnesse of joy in thy presence and kneeling down he said into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit and so holily ended his life The next was Toby Steffick a man of a composed temper and sincere in Religion he spent most of the time of his imprisonment in silent sighs and tears Before his Execution he said I have received many good things of the Lord all my life long shall I not therefore receive this cup of affliction I imbrace the will of God who by this ignominious death makes me conformable to his son and by a narrow way brings me to his heavenly Kingdom I praise God who hath joyned me undeservedly to these excellent men that I might receive with them the crown of martyrdom When he was called to die he said My Saviour being about to die said Father not as I will but as thou wilt thy will be done Shall I therefore who am but a worm yea dust and a shadow contradict his will far be it from me yea I come willingly my God only have mercy on me and cleanse me from my sins that no spot or rinckle may appear in me but that I may appear pure in thy sight and so he lifted up himself full of sighs yet full of hope and as he was praying he rendered up his spirit unto God Then was Jessenius a Doctor of Phisick called forth a man famous for piety and learning all over Europe Having hard his sentence he said You use us too cruelly and disgracefully but know that our heads shall be buried which you ignominiously expose for a spectacle which afterwards came to passe Anno 1631. when the King of Sweden with his Army took prague and caused the Martyrs heads to be taken from the Tower and solemnly and honourably buried When the Hangman required his tongue to cut it off he willingly put it out and falling upon his knees as he was praying his head was cut off his body quartered and set upon four stakes The next was Christopher Chober who much encouraged his fellow-Martyrs and then cited the words of Ignatius I am Gods corn and shall be ground with the teeth of wilde beasts So we saith he are Gods corn sown in the field of the Church and that we may be for our Masters use we are now to be torn by beasts but be of good chear the Church is founded in bloud and hath ever encreased by bloud God is able to raise up a thousand worshippers of himself out of every drop of our bloud for though truth now suffers violence yet Christ reigns and no man shall throw him from his Throne Being called to execution he said I come in the name of my God neither am I ashamed to suffer these things for his glory for I know whom I have beleeved I have fought the good fight of faith and finished my course c. then praying into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit he received the Crown of Martyrdom John Shultis was next who on the Scaffold said Why art thou so sad O my soul Hope thou in God for thou shalt yet praise him c. The righteous seem to die in the eyes of fools but indeed they go to their rest Lord Jesus thou hast promised that whoso comes to thee thou willt not cast off Behold I now come look on me pity me pardon my sins and receive my soul to thy self then kneeling down he said Come come Lord Jesus and doe not tarry and so he was he headed The next was Maximillian Hostialick a learned and pious man after his condemnation he was sadder then the rest and being asked by the Minister the reason of it he said The sins of my youth doe now come into my minde for though I know that nothing remains to condemn them which are in Christ Jesus yet I know that God exerciseth justice as well as mercy towards his own Being called to death he said Look upon me O Lord my God and lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death and lest mine enemies say We have prevailed Afterward repeating the words of Simeon Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation he was beheaded The next was John Kutnaur who when the Jesuites began to speak to them said Pray you trouble not our consciences we are sufficiently furnished against the fear of death we need none of your help and when they would have proceeded
imprisoned and whipt Some godly persons being met together with a Minister in a private Chappel two Colonels with some troops came upon them encompassed the Church rusht in with their drawn swords took the Minister from the Communion-table stript off his cloaths and sent him away to prison then they cast the bread upon the earth poured out the wine and trampled upon it Then they fell upon the people stripping men and women naked it being fâ—â—st and snow so that many of them died some were wounded others so affrighted that they fell into diseases Modestly forbids to tell how they used the women even in the Church Then came out an Edict that whosever refused to turn Papist whether men or women young or old bond or free their names should be returned to the Council of State who would give instructions what should be done with their persons and estates Marriage Buriall and Baptism were forbidden to the Protestants and if any did it privately they were imprisoned and not dismissed without Apostasie or a great fine Then was all trading inhibited or means of getting their living and at last buying of food so that the poor people being oppressed with hunger and want were either forced to fly or to Apostatize The countrymen they fetched out of their houses yea out of their beds by troopes of souldiers driving them like beasts before them in the sharpest cold and filled the common prisons towers cellers stables yea and hogsties with them where they were killed with hunger cold and thirst A godly Chirurgion with others was cast into a place full of snakes Another company was thrust into a stable and all the windows stopt up that the were almost stifled for want of breath In some places they shut them up in privies that they might be poisoned with the stink In some places they mad holes and knockt them full of iron spikes wherein those that were shut could neither sit nor stand but bending and crooked It was not possible that any man could endure this posture above two or three hours their sinews in the mean time trembling and their members quivering and their hearts ready to faint with anguish so that some were forced to promise to turn Catholiks others that refused were brought back to torture Then the devised a prison upon the water very narow and not above a cubit and an half in length wherein the prisoner could by no meanes lay himself at length and if he turned himself unawares he must fall into the water Another design was first to assault men of greatest authority to make them an example to the rest In the town of Minion the Commissioner demanded of the people a positive answer whether they would turn Catholicks And one of them in the name of the rest saying that conscience neither would nor could be forced he was presently laid upon the ground and beaten and still denying to turn Catholick when he could hardly speak he was torn in pieces The rest affrighted at this terrible spectacle promised obedience if time were given them In another place the Senator refusing to turn Apostates the cheifest of them was made to ride the wooden horse in the market-place for six hours space though he was very ancient so that he was lame and half dead when he was taken off When any desired to die raâ—her then to forsake their Religion it was answered that the Emperour did not thirst after their bloud but rather after the welfare of their souls To others they said Oh you affect the glory of Martyrdom but you are base knaves and are unworthy to have any thing to glory in There were many who would have died in the maintenance of their Christian faith but there were none that would inflict death upon them for these cruel Tyrants brought up in the devils school would not kill the body but the soul and therefore they sought by lingring and continual punishments to bring them first to stagger and then to deny the truth When any man desired to be convinced by Scripture they answered with scoffs and jears accusing the Scripture of imperfection of obscurity of ambiguity saying that it was the Fountain of Heresie the Sanctuary of Hereticks and that Laymen had nothing to do with it They called the Bible Wiblia which in the Bohemian language signifies vomit They took away all Orthodox books from the people that thereby they might be the more easily led into error In some places they shut up the people in the Church and forced them to receive in one kinde and if they would not fall down to the Host they used to beat their legs with clubs till they fell down Some they imprisoned and racked severall times to force them to auricular confession Of others they set open their mouths with gags and thrust the Host down their throates In other places they forced the people not only to abjure the Cup but to throw it down and to spit upon it and tread it under â—oot If any to avoid this Tyranny fled into the woods and secret places hunger drave them out again whereby they became a prey to their adversaries if they went to neighbouring places some or other would betray them Edicts also were published forbidding all to entertain such as fled upon pain of forfeiting a hundred pieces of silver for every nights entertainment Yet these miserable people could not go out of the Kingdom not being acquainted with any other language besides they were told that ere long the like tragedy should be acted every where Four men of Kossenberg continuing constant after long imprisonment they were first exposed to cold for five weeks together in the depth of winter Then for nine daies they were pined with hunger they having only a small portion of bread that kept life and soul together and drinking their own urine and when they were threatned harder usage if they turned not they answered We willingly imbrace all afflictions of famin hanging burning or any thing rather then we would sin against God Thereupon only twice a week there was given them a mouthfull of bread and a draught of water Then were they parted asunder one thrust into the sink of the prison another into a furnace and none permited to visit them and when nothing would prevail they set a fine upon them and banished them Others were kept in prisons and bonds till they died One was kept in a filthy prison till his feet rotted off and yet he passed away the time with singing of Psalms as if he injoyed all manner of deligths Another man being tired out with imprisonement promised to turn Catholick and was released but presently as himself wrote afterwards God chastened him for this his fault holding his conscience captive for an whole year together so that he could have no hope in Gods mercy Yet he recalled to minde former sinners who upon their
and so was led from the stage to the stake with a merry and chearful countenance where by the notable example of his repentance at his death he made satisfaction to the Church of Christ for all his former unfaithful and hypocritical dealing with them and so quietly slept in the Lord. The Life of Doctor Aegidio DR Aegidio who is before mentioned was brought up in the University of Alcala where he took all his degrees and was a hard Student in School-divinity but the study of the holy Scriptures was there so neglected and contemned that if any one read it he was in contempt and scorn called a good Bibler Afterwards being publick Reader of Divinity in that University he grew famous all over Christendome and was sent for to Sivil to be Divinity-Reader in the Cathedral Church where he was so highly esteemed that soon after he was chosen Sub-Deane yet did he not attempt to preach openly nor had once so much as opened the Bible to read and study the Scriptures And therefore the first time that he came into the Pulpit contrary to all mens expectations he was found so unfit for such a function that he grew out of conceit with himself and was contemned by others insomuch as they fell to repent themselves the one for admitting him so unadvisedly the other for taking upon him that office so arrogantly But having passed over some time it so fell out that he met with a plain man which gave him such instructions that after a few hours conference he learned by him what the office and duty of a Preacher was and by what means he might attain thereto and through Gods blessing his advice was so effectual that now Dr. Aegidio was quite altered and become a new man thinking all his former life and labour ill spent and therefore he resolved to steer another course He also fell into acquaintance with Doctor Constantino a man excellently well learned by whose conference and advice he profited marvellously in his studies fell to the reading of good Authors and grew to profound knowledge in the holy Scriptures so that after a time he began to preach as learnedly godly and zealously as he had before done coldly foolishly and unskilfully Then did his hearers finde the marvellous force of that doctrine which was taught them by these three worthy men Aegidio Constantino and Varquia so that the more they crept out of their former ignorance and grew in knowledge the more they esteemed and honoured them Hereupon there were daily complaints made against them to the Inquisitors especially against Doctor Aegidio who did more openly than the rest inveigh against the adversaries of the truth But it so fell out by Gods Providence that just at the same time the Emperour Charles the fifth in respect of his singular learning and integrity of life elected him to the Bishoprick of Dortois Then did those hypocritical Inquisitors bestir themselves on all hands citing him to come before them where articles were exhibited against him and thereupon they cast him into prison and examined him But the Emperour who had elected him to the Bishoprick and the whole Chapter of the Cathedral Church in Sivil became very earnest Sutors to the Inquisitors in his behalf It fell out also that just at the same time whilst Aegidio was in prison three of his greatest adversaries amongst the Inquisitors and the prime enemies against the truth sickned and died shortly one after another whereby he was released and lived foure or five years after at the end whereof he was sent upon an Embassie in which journey he visited the brethren that professed the truth in Validolid and much comforted and confirmed them but in his return home his aged body being sore shaken in that long journey having not been used to travel of a long while before he sickned and within a few days departed out of this troublesome life to everlasting rest But within three years after the new Inquisitors thinking that the former had dealt too gently with him digged him out of his grave and buried in his place a puppet of straw then they brought his corps upon the Scaffold and used it in the same sort as they would have used himself if he had been alive The life of Doctor Constantino Doctor Constantino of whom mention hath been made before was a most famous Divine and endued by God with such rare abilities as the like were hardly found in that age he was a man of a very pleasant wit and wondrous facetious which he especially used against the hypocritical Monks and Friars and though he lived in a barbarous age wherein all good learning was almost lost yet by his wit and industry he attained to a great deal of skill both in Latin Greek and Hebrew and was also an excellent Oratour and studied the Scriptures so hard that he grew very exquisite therein He was also so eloquent in his own language that all his Auditors were brought into a great admiration of him He was very discreet in all his doings which parts he attained to both by his study and long practice and experience but especially by profound knowledge in the holy Scriptures Whensoever he preached there was so great a resort to his Sermons that three or foure houres before he began there was scarce a place in the Church to be gotten He was farre from covetousnesse and ambition insomuch as having a good Canonship in the Church of Toledo proffered him he refused it together with divers other Preferments In his Ministry in Sivil he did so plainly set forth and so sharply rebuke those hucksters that sold indulgences pardons c. That they were much incensed against him fearing that he would prove a plague to the whole generation of them so that they hated him deadly yet could finde nothing whereof to accuse him but what would redound to their own shame But for all this he neglected not to preach the truth faithfully though he knew that they lay at catch waiting for an opportunity to ensnare him And it was the singular Providence of God that that City should enjoy such preaching when there were so many powerful and malicious enemies to oppose it For at this time Varquio read upon the Gospel according to Matthew and upon the Psalmes Aegidio preached daily and Constantine though not so often yet to as great fruit and edification thus continuing till God sent storms to try each mans faith In the midst of which tempest Varquio dyed and Constantine was sent for by the Emperour to be his houshold Chaplain only Aegidio was left alone like a Lamb amongst wolves to be the object of their fury of whose end we have heard before after whose death Constantine left the Emperours Court and returned to Sivil where he preached the Gospel with as much zeale as ever he did before Then was he chosen to preach every other day in
years no man being suffered to come to him yet at last by the mediation of some friends he was again released and went to Ravenna where he preached the Gospel of Christ with such affections that he never spake of Jesus Christ but tears dropped from his eyes After a short time he was again cast into prison but foure persons of quality proffering to be his Bail through Gods mercy he was released after which so many flocked to him that his adversaries consulted to kill him lest his doctrine should spread further and apprehending him they sent him bound to Rome where again he was cast into prison for eighteen moneths in which time he was often assaulted sometimes with flatteries and faire promises sometimes with terrible threats but his constancy could not be shaken by either whereupon he with some others were brought forth to receive the sentence of condemnation at which time with great earnestnesse he confirmed his former doctrine affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist c. citing them to appear before the Tribunal of Christ. Being condemned and carried to the place of execution he exhorted the People to have no Saviours but Christ alone the only Mediatour betwixt God and man and so he was first hanged and then burned This was Anno Christi 1553. The year after Francis Gamba born in Lombardy having through Gods grace received the knowledge of the Gospel went to Geneva where he was much confirmed in the truth and received the Sacrament with them then returning into his own country he was apprehended and cast into prison whither many Nobles Doctors and Priests resorted to him labouring by all means to disswade him from his opinions But he disputing with them constantly affirmed that what he held was consonant to the Word of God and the evident doctrine of Jesus Christ and necessary for all men to believe if they would be saved Assuring them that rather than he would be found false to Christ and his Word he was there ready to shed his blood He was long assailed by the intreaties of his friends and threatenings of his enemies but could by no means be discouraged yea he gave thanks to God for accounting him worthy to suffer rebukes and death for the testimony of Jesus Christ and so by order of the Senate of Millain he was had forth to execution He went with a great deal of chearfulnesse and when a Crosse was brought him by a Friar he said that his mind was so replenished with joy and comfort in Christ that he needed neither his Crosse nor him then because he declared many comfortable things to the people his tongue was bored through and he was first strangled and then burnt undergoing death with admirable patience and constancy Anno 1555. There was one Algerius a Student in Padua a young man of excellent learning who having attained to the knowledge of the truth ceased not by instruction and example to inform others that he might bring them to the saving knowledge of Christ for this he was accused of heresie to the Pope by whose command he was apprehended and cast into prison at Venice where he lay long during which time he wrote an excellent letter to the afflicted Saints wherein amongst many other excellent expressions he thus writeth I cannot but impart unto you some portion of my delectations and joyes which I feel and find I have found hony in the intrals of a Lion Who will believe that in the dark dungeon I should find a Paradise of pleasure In a place of sorrow and death dwells tranquillity and hope of life· In an infernal Cave I have joy of soul where others weep I rejoyce where others shake and tremble there is strength and boldnesse c. All these things the sweet hand of the Lord doth minister to me Behold he that was once far from me is now present with me whom I could scarce feel before now I see more apparently whom once I saw afarre off I now behold near at hand whom once I hungred for he now approaches and reaches his hand to me he doth comfort me and fills me with gladness he drives away all sorrow strengthens encourageth heals refresheth and advanceth me O how good is the Lord who suffers not his servants to be tempted above their strength Oh how easie and sweet is his yoke c. learn therefore how amiable and merciful the Lord is who visiteth his servants in tentations and disdains not to keep them company in such vile and stinking dungeons c. And in conclusion he subscribes his letter From the delectable Orchard of the Leonine prison c. After this the Pope sent for him to Rome where by manifold perswasions and allurements he was tempted to desert and deny the truth which not prevailing he was adjudged to be burnt alive which death he most constantly endured to the great admiration of all that beheld him Anno 1559. John Aloysius being sent from Geneva to be a Pastor in Calabria was thence sent for by the Pope to Rome where he suffered Martyrdome Also James Bovellus a godly Minister in the same place and at the same time was sent for by the Pope by whom he was sent to Messina and there Martyred Pope Pius the fourth raised an hot persecution against the people of God in all the Territories of the Church of Rome whereby many constant Christians suffered Martyrdome Yea this persecution was so hot in the Kingdome of Naples that many Noblemen with their wives and divers others were there slain Anno 1560. A Papist writing to a Noble Lord about the cruelty shewed to some Christians hath these expressions When I think upon it I verily quake and tremble for their manner of putting to death may fitly be resembled to the slaughter of Calves and Sheep for eighty eight of them being thrust up together in one house as in a sheepfold the Executioner cometh in taketh one and blindfoldeth him and so leads him forth to a larger place adjoyning where commanding him to kneel down he cuts his throat and leaving him half dead he takes his Butchers knife and muffler all gore blood and goeth back to the rest and so leading one after another he dispatches them all How sad this spectacle was I leave to your Lordship to judge for my own part I cannot but weep to think of it neither was there any of the Spectators which seeing one to dye could endure to behold another But truly so humbly and patiently they went to their death as is almost incredible to believe All the aged Persons went to death more cheerfully the younger were something more timerous I tremble and shake to remember how the Executioner held his bloody knife between his teeth with the bloody muffler in his hand and his armes all gore blood up to the elbows going to the fold and taking every one of them one
after another by the hand and so dispatching them all no otherwise than as a Butcher doth kill his Calves and Sheep This was in Calabâ—ia Anno Christi 1560. Persecution raised by the Pope in Venice THe City of Venice was a long while from the cruel Inquisition whereby the face of a Church was discerned there from the year 1530. to the year 1542. yea and multitudes of good Christians flocked thither from other parts which so provoked the Divel to envy that he stirred up the Pope to send Inquisitors which erected an Inquisition in that City and for divers years the Pope sent them money to distribute amongst their Flies and such persons as would betray the faithful to them By this means many of the worthy servants of Jesus Christ were apprehended imprisoned and after a while sent to Rome to be there butchered Then was a new-found manner of death inflicted upon divers others never till then heard of whereby they were drowned in the bottome of the Sea The manner of it was thus After any of them had received the sentence of death by the Inquisitors an iron chain was fastned about their middle with a very heavy stone tyed thereto then were they laid upon a plank between two boats and so rowed to an appointed place in the Sea where the boats parting asudder the Martyrs presently sunk into the bottome of the Sea and were drowned Yet notwithstanding this cruelty many godly persons ceased not to assemble together in a place appointed for that purpose where they talked and discoursed of heavenly matters for their spiritual edification and made collections for the relief of the poor amongst them And Anno 1566. they called to them a Minister of the Gospel and constituted a Church where they enjoyed all the Ordinances with much comfort but some false brethren creeping in amongst them after a while betrayed them then were many apprehended cast into the Sea and drowned Others were sent to Rome where they were cast into prison till they rotted and dyed there Amongst others that were condemned to be drowned at Venice was one Mr. Anthony Ricetto to whom after his condemnation his sonne a youth about twelve years old came beseeching him with tears to yield that his life might be saved and himself not left fatherlesse To whom he answered A good Christian is bound to forgoe children goods yea and life it self for the maintenance of Gods honour and glory For which cause said he I am now resolved to lay down my life the Lord assisting me The Lords of Venice offered to restore to him his Patrimony which was partly morgaged and partly sold if he would submit to the Church of Rome but he resolutely refused that condition Not long after came a Captain to him and told him of one Francis Sega his prison-fellow that waâ— resolved to recant To whom he answered What tell you me of Sega I am resolved to performe my vows to the Lord my God Then was he carried forth bound to the boats and by the way a Priest presented him with a wooden Crosse exhorting him to recant c. But he on the contrary perswaded him and others to come out of the snares of the Divel and to cleave to Jesus Christ and to live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit For said he otherwise your unbelief will bring you into the lake of fire that never shall be quenched When he came to the place where he was to suffer the Captain lastned the chain and stone to him whereupon lifting his eyes to heaven he said Father forgive them they know not what they do Lord Jesus into thy hands do I commend my spirit and so in the sea he ended his life A few dayes after one Mr. Francis Spinola was apprehended and committed to prison and when he was brought forth before the Inquisitors they shewed him a Treatise about the Lords Supper demanding whether he was the Author of it which he acknowledged avouching that the doctrine that was contained therein was agreeable to the holy Scriptures Then was he return'd to his prison where the aforementioned Sega was who waiting for his coming as he passed by saluted him by his name after which they conferred together about the doctrine of the Gospel and Sega having heard that Spinola had stood stoutly in the Confession of the truth he was much comforted saying that God had reserved him for such a time as this to make him Partaker of so great consolation Shortly after the Jailor told Sega that he was to die one hour within night at the hearing whereof he entreated Spinola to pray with him and after prayer he said that his soul was heavy unto death Spinola answered Fear not for it will not be long before your soul shall partake of those joyes which shall endure for ever At the appointed time he was fetched out of the dungeon where he took his leave of Spinola and the other Prisoners As he went into the boat a Friar perswaded him to return to the Church of Rome Sega answered that he was already in the way to our Lord Jesus Christ and so passing on he called upon the name of God He seemed to be a little amazed at the fastning of the chaine and stone to his body yet presently recollecting his spirits he took it patiently and so commending his soul into the hands of God he quietly slept in the Lord. Spinola being again called before the Inquisitors he boldly reproved the Popes Legate and the other Judges for that contrary to their consciences they persecuted the truth of God calling them the off-spring of the Pharisees c. The third time that he was called before them they asked him if he would not recant his errours he answered that the doctrine which he maintained was not erroneous but the same truth which Christ and his holy Apostles taught and for which all the Martyrs both in former and later times did willingly lay down their lives and endured the pains of death Yet after all this Spinola by the crafty perswasions of some seeming friends began to strike saile and to faint but through Gods goodnesse he soon recovered again and being called before the Judges he openly confirmed the truth and so had sentence passed upon him that he should be drowned as an Heretick To which he answered I am no Heretick but the servant of Jesus Christ at which words the Popes Legate commanded him silence and told him that he lyed the night after he was conveyed into the sea and there drowned praising and blessing God with invincible constancy Anno 1595. There was at Rome a young Englishman who going into a Church and seeing their grosse idolatry was so inflamed with zeal that he could not endure the sight of those horrible impieties and therefore he went out into the Church porch and as the Procession passed by him he waited till the Bishop came
Popish Clergy preached that the way to pacifie Gods wrath and to remove the plague was to cut off Hereticks whereupon these two godly men were brought out and condemned and presently after burned Also one Nicholas a godly man was apprehended at Antwerp bound up in a sack cast into the river and drowned Also Pistorius a learned and godly Preacher coming from Wittenburg into Holland preached against the Masse Popish pardons c. Whereupon he was cast into prison amongst Malefactors whom he instructed and much comforted in their distressed condition and one of them being half naked he gave him his gown His father visiting him in prison encouraged him to constancy At last he was condemned and carried forth to execution with a fools coat on his back when he was tied to the stake he said O death where is thy victory and so he was first strangled and then burned Another for speaking against the Masse and Reliques was hanged in Suevia Another godly Minister being commanded to go to sixteen men that were to be beheaded to counsel and comfort them at their death when they were executed was himself bidden to kneel down and so they cut off his head Also George Scherter a godly Minister that took great pains in instructing his people in the knowledge of the Gospel in a town near Salizburg was apprehended and cast into prison where he wrote a Confession of his faith and afterwards was condemned first to be beheaded and then burned As he went to the execution he said to the Spectators That you may know that I die a true Christian I will give you a signe and accordingly when his head had been cut off so long as whilst a man might eat an egge his body all the while lying upon the belly it turned it self upon the back crossing the right foot over the left and the right hand over the left by which miracle many were induced to believe the Gospel Another godly man was burned at Dornick Anno 1539. A godly minister not far from Basil was murthered in his own house by a Popish Priest whom he had kindly entertained many other Ministers about that time were some drowned some beheaded Anno 1543. Notice was taken that there were divers godly persons in Lovain whereupon an Inquisitor came from Bruxels thither and having gotten a company of souldiers in the night time he brake into their houses plucking men and women out of their beds from their children and casting them into prison Thither the Doctors of Lovain came thinking either to convert them or confound them but the spirit of God assisting his Saints the doctors went away confounded themselves Then did they cruelly torment every one of them by themselves amongst these an aged Minister of about sixty years old was condemned to perpetual imprisonment in a dark and stinking dungeon where he could neither read nor write nor might any man come to him and he was fed onely with bread and water Two were burnt alive in the fire an aged man was beheaded Two aged women were buried quick others for refusing to do pennance were burned also All which took their death very patiently and cheerfully The year after in the same University of Lovain was one Master Persival a very learned and godly man cast into prison and because he could by no means be brought to recant he was adjudged to perpetual imprisonment and there to be fed only with bread and water neither would they suffer the Citizens to send any relief to him shortly after he was made away in prison Also one Justus Insberg in the same city for having a New Testament and some of Luthers Sermons found in his house was cast into prison and command given that none should speak with him At the same time there were prisoners in a room under him Aegidius and Encenas metioned before whose door being left open accidentally they went to this poor man and much confirmed and strengthned him in the faith insomuch as when the Lovain Doctors came to perswade him to recant he before them all made a bold confession of his faith from which he would not be disswaded whereupon he was condemned and beheaded About the same time there was one Giles Tilleman a Cutler at Bruxels who by diligent reading of the Scriptures through Gods grace was converted and became very zealous for the truth he was also very humble mild and merciful whatsoever he could spare from his own necessity he gave it to the poor living by his trade himself Some he refreshed with meat others with cloathing to others he gave shooes to others houshold-stuffe to others he ministred godly exhortations for their edification One poor woman being delivered of a child and wanting a bed to lye on he sent her his bed and himself was content to lie on the straw At last he was discovered and cast into prison where much pains was taken to bring him back to Popery but alwayes his adversaries went away with shame After eight months imprisonment he was sent to Bruxels to be judged in which place he comforted many that he found in prison there exhorting them to constancy that they might attain the Crown Most of his food he divided amongst them contenting himself with some few scraps He was so ardent in Prayer kneeling by himself in some secret place that often he forgat himself and being many times called to his meat he neither heard nor saw them that stood by him till he was lifted up by the armes Divers Friars coming to reduce him he would still request them to go their wayes for he was at a point and when they reviled him he would not answer them again insomuch as they reported abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him But when they spake of matters of Religion he answered them freely mightily confuting them by the Scriptures Often he might have escaped the prison doors being set open but he would not that he might not bring his Keeper into trouble Afterwards he was removed to another prison where they sought by torments to enforce him to recant and when all would not prevail he was condemned to the fire which when he heard of he gave hearty thanks to God for that the hour was come wherein he might glorifie his name Seeing a great pile of wood prepared for his burning he desired that most of it might be taken away and given to the poor for a little said he will serve to burn me and seeing a poor man by that lacked shoos he gave him his Being tied to the stake the hangman would have strangled him but he refused saying It needs not I fear not the fire and so in the midst of the flames he gave up the Ghost Anno 1543. and 1544. There was a great persecution all over Flanders so that there
but the Prince as God would have it turning at the same instant the bullet entred in at his throat under the right chap being so near that the fire entred with the bullet into the wound burning his Ruffe and Beard it brake out one of his teeth pierced the jugular vein but hurt not his toungue and so came out at his left cheek hard by his nose the blow being given one with an Halberd could not contain himself but thrust the Villain through and slew him The Chirurgions being sent for found that the fire which entred the wound had cauterized the jugular vein and had done him much good so that the wound was not mortal The Friar was afterwards apprehended and executed Anno 1584. The Spaniards thinking they had no greater enemy in the world than the Prince of Orange and that if he were dead they should quickly attain their desires in the Netherlands they suborned one Baltazar Gerard an high Burguignon to murther him who bought a good paire of Pistols and on the tenth of July watched when the Prince should go down into the Hall to dinner at Delpht in Holland and as he passed by he demanded a Pasport of him the Princesse observing that he spake with an hollow and unsetled voice she asked her husband who he was saying that she did not like his countenance the Prince answered that he demanded a Pasport which he should presently have After dinner the Prince going out of the Hall the murtherer stood behind a Pillar in the Gallery and as the Prince passed by suddenly shot him from the left side to the right through the stomack and the vital parts who said no more but O my God take pity of my soul I am sore wounded my God take pity of my soul and of this poor people and presently after he gave up the Ghost Collected out of Sleidens Commentaries and the History of the Netherlands c. CHAP. XXXII The Modern Persecutions of the Church in Germany since the year 1630. THe Swedes being possessed of a Town called Pasewalck the Imperialists took it by storm beat killed and drave out the Swedes and not content therewith they fell to torturing of the townsmen ravishing women and gilrs in the open streets and Church-yards yea women in child-bed then they killed the men fired their houses and burnt many in them thrust straw into Cellars where children were hidden and so burnt and smothered them Then they burnt the Churches and massacred the Ministers and at last burn down the whole Town The like cruelty was used against the City of Magdenburg famous for Religion which being taken by Tilly and Pappenheim Anno 1631. was in twelve hours space wholly turned into cindars except one hundred thirty nine houses by which fire six godly Churches were burnt down no mercy was shewed to any age sex or condition above twenty thousand persons were slain burnt and smothered to death six thousand were drowned in the river Elve Ladies and Gentlewomen like beasts were yoked together all about the Country and driven into woods to be ravished and such as resisted were stript stark naked whipt had their ears cropt and so were turned up Anno 1634. The Popish Army having taken the town of Hoxter they spared neither man woman nor child most inhumanely butchering and hewing in pieces all without respect of age sexe or condition and what the sword could not spoile they caused the fire to consume and the dead corpses they cast into the Weser At Griphenburg they kept the Senators shut up in a Chamber macecrating and tormenting them so long with hunger and smoak that divers of them died In Heidleberg they shut up divers Reverend Ministers and Bourgers in prison allowing them nothing to eat but bread and water Frankendall being surrendred upon Articles contrary to Covenants the grave Counsellors and other Electoral Ministers were forced to endure such conditions as were fitter for Dogs than men Some were cast into prison and so abused that they died there others were forced to redeem themselves with unreasonable ransoms the goods of such as were fled were confiscated and though the inhabitants were willing to have left their houses and all their goods yet were they detained in the City and their destruction most cruelly plotted Their rage was so great against the Professors of the Gospel that neither Turks nor Heathens did ever exceed them Princes sacred Person were not exempted from their fury The old Lantgrave of Hessen and the old Dutchesse Dowager of Wittenburgh were taken prisoners reviled and abused In Saxoni Tillies Souldiers tortured the Protestants by half strangling them and pressing their thumbs with wheels In Pomeren they forced the people to eat their own excrements and if they refused they thrust them down their throat whereby some of them were choaked If they suspected that any had hidden their gold or silver they used exquisite torments to make them to confesse it They wound and tied about the heads of some strong matches or cords and with short truncheons twisted them till blood came out of their eyes ears and noses yea sometimes till their eyes started out of their heads to others they tied burning matches between their fingers yea to their eyes ears noses tongues cheeks breasts leggs and secret parts yea such parts that nature hideth they either stuffed with gunpowder or hung bags of powder to them and so giving fire to it in an horrible manner they burst their bellies and killed them With bodkins they made holes or with knives they cut the skin and flesh of many They drew strings and cords through the fleshie parts of some and through the muscles of their thighs leggs armes c. or through their noses ears lips c. Some they hung up in the smoak drying them with small fires and sometimes refreshing them with small drink or water taking care lest in their torments they should die too soon Some they put into hot Ovens roasting or smothering them there Some they roasted with fires of straw Some they stifled strangled or hanged and this was a great favour so soon to rid them out of their pain Of many they bound their hands and feet so hard that the blood spirted out their fingers and toes ends Of some they tied their hands and feet backwards together stopping their mouths with clouts to hinder them from praying Some they hung up with ropes fastened to their privy parts and hearing their cries strove by their roarings to drown their cries as in sport Where they found poor creatures troubled with ruptures they enlarged them by villanous means filling them with gunpowder and blowing them up as a Mine by giving fire thereto Many they drew up on high hanging great weights at their feet to pull their bodies out of joynt Of some they plained their faces with Chisels Some men they openly gelded in the presence of their wives and
and shortly after three Suns appeared in the Heavens In the beginning of April Anno 1619. and Anno 1621. in March in the same Country of Austria were two Armies seen in the Heavens by clear day-light fighting furiously together with great thundering of Ordnance and Canons In the same Country Anno 1623. in the moneth of January just over the City of Lintz two swords were seen one over against the other and two great Armies fighting a pitched battel together which caused great terrour to the beholders At Heidleberg in February Anno 1622. were seen three Suns and three Rainbows Shortly after which that City was besieged by the Inperialists and at last taken where a grear slaughter was made of the Imhabitants and in Neckergemund three miles off all the inhabitants Men Women and Children were put to the sword In April Anno 1622. In the Country of Darmstad were trees whose leaves drop't blood and the year after in the same Country in divers Towns and Villages were seen bloody signes on Houses and stone-walls About Meyenfield and Malants as men were reaping their Corne their Hands and Sickles were all bloody In July Anno 1622. In the Dukedome of Wittemburgh it rained so much blood that it fell upon the hands and cloaths of people in the fields and was seen upon Trees Stones and other places May the twelfth Anno 1624. in the Dukedome of Anhalt there appeared a strange prodigie in the Heavens which continued from six till eight a clock at night First there came out of the clouds an Ancient-bearer After him came forth a grave man in the same habit then came forth a Chariot drawn with two particouloured Horses Then another Chariot with four armed Horses Then suddenly there brake out of the Clouds an infinite number of people like a swarm of Bees After them followed a man sitting on horseback with a long Robe putting the people before him A quarter of an houre after came forth another Army consisting of many horse and foot c. The two Armies fought till one of them was routed and presently after all vanished away Anno 1624. In May a strange tempest happened at Ratisbone The weather being very calme with little raine two dark clouds met together which suddenly belched out a great wind mingled with fire which raised such a tempest that near to the City it tore up trees by the roots and in a moment drave them into divers places and thence extending it self to the City it overturned above two hundred houses in the Towne and Suburbs not leaving a Chimney standing nor a roof to cover an house The Church of Emerans besides the shattered windows had one of the steeples laid flat to the ground and the other broke off in the middle two other of the chiefest steeples in the City were also broken down This tempest lasted not above a quarter of an hour nor extended beyond the City neither were there above four men slain by it Anno 1625. Near Troppash a great multitude of Jack-dawes met in the aire where they fought a great battel and that with so great eagernesse that many of them fell down dead so that the Countrey-men gathered up whole sackfuls of them Anno 1628. In Pomerland the heavens seemed to open and an Army came forth of the Northern part the Avauntguard consisting of Pioneres Musqueteres then followed great peeces of Ordnance and in the Reare came the Cavalry Another Army came forth on the other side and betwixt them there became a cruel battel The victory inclining to the Northern Army And at last a fiery beame followed upon the Northern Conquerour which continued for the space of some hours Anno 1631. At Hall in Saxony the water was turned into blood to the great astonishment of the inhabitants During the siege of Magdenburg a Captains wife being in travel when she could not be delivered and was near death she desired that when she was dead her body might be opened which being done there was found in her womb a boy almost as big as one of three years old with an head-piece and breastplate upon him great boots after the French fashion and a bag by his side with twoo things in it like musket bullets June the nineteenth Anno 1631. In the lower Saxony two great Armies appeared in the aire one in the North the other in the South which fought a great battel together After long fighting the Northern Army obtained the victory After the battel was ended there appeared a man in a long coat bearing a bow with which he shot at and overthrew the Commander of the Southern Army In the same Countrey a woman having bought a loafe of bread when she came home was dividing it and in the cutting of it there came forth blood Anno. 1633. In the Countrey of Altenburgh a fish-pond was turned into blood which stank so extreamly that if any Passengers did but touch it they could not wash off the stink thereof in three days space Anno 1634. At Berlin in Brandenburg it rained blood and brimstone Anno 1635. In Hessen there met two armies of strange birds which fought a set battel And not far off about that same time a multitude of dogs had their Randevouz which fought so eagerly that they would not be reconciled and when the Governour of a neighbour Garrison sent out four companies of Musqueteers against them they seeing a common enemy joyned together and in despight of their guns beat them away and devoured nine of them Here place the eighth Figure CHAP. XXXIII The Persecution of the Church in France which began Anno Christi 1524. ANno Christi 1209. There were certain learned men in France disciples of one Almericus at Paris whose names were Master William a sub-deacon of Poictiers well studied in the Arts and Divinity Bernard another sub-deacon William Goldsmith Steven a Priest Steven of the Seller and one John a Priest who upon examination held That God was no otherwise present in the Sacramental bread than in any other bread That it was Idolatry to build Altars to Saints or to cense their Images They mocked those that kissed the Reliques They said that the Pope was Antichrist and Rome Babylon That God was not seene in himself but by his creatures For which when they could not be drawn to recant they were condemned to be burnt at Paris which accordingly was executed Bzorius out of Caesarius And Almenneus who had been their Master had his body digged up in the Church-yard and was buried in the field And all French books of Divinity were for ever condemned and burned Anno Christi 1524. At Melden in France there was one John Clark who set up a Bill upon the Church-door against the Popes pardons lately come thither wherein he called the Pope Antichrist for which being apprehended he was adjudged three several days to be whipt then to have
to live with him for ever and so they all quietly slept in the Lord. Four others about the same time were condemned and cruelly burnt at Paris for the same cause Anno 1548. There was one Blondel a Merchant of precious stones that frequented many great Fairs in France and was well-known both in Court and Countrey he was a man of singular integrity and a Favourer of Gods Word being at an Inne in Lions he freely reproved the filthy talk and superstitious behaviour which he there heard and saw hereupon the Host complained of him to an officer withal informing him of his rich Coller of Jewels These two suborned one to borrow money of him which because Blondel refused to lend the fellow caused him to be apprehended for heresie thinking thereby to attach his goods but Blondels friends prevented it privily conveying them away Blondel being examined of his faith gave a plain and full Confession of it whereupon he was sent to prison in which he did much good amongst the Prisoners paying the debts of some and so loosing them feeding others cloathing others c. At length through the importunity of his Parents and friends he changed his Confession yet was he sent to the High Court at Paris where being examined again concerning his faith he adhered to his first Confession much bewailing his former fall Then was he condemned to be burnt and great haste was made for his execution left his friends at Court should save his life Anno 1549. One Hubert a young man of nineteen years old was so constant in the faith that neither the perswasions of his Parents nor the threats of his adversaries could remove him from his stedfastnesse for which he was burned at Dyion The same year there was a godly Minister called Florent Venote cast into prison at Paris where he lay above four years in which time there was no kind of torment which he did not endure and overcome amongst others he was put in to so narrow a place that he could neither stand nor lieâ— in which he remained seven weeks whereas there was never any Malefactor that could endure it fifteen dayes but he either grew mad or died At last when a great shew was made at the Kings coming into the City and divers other Martyrs in sundry places of it were put to death Florent also having his tongue cut out was brought forth to see their execution and lastly was himselfe burnt About the same time one Anne Audebert as she was going to Geneva was apprehended and brought to Paris where she was adjudged to be sent to Orleance and burned there when she was had forth to execution a rope being put about her she called it her wedding girdle wherewith she should be married to Christ and being to be burried upon a Saturday she said On a Saturday I was first married and on a Saturday I shall be married again She much rejoyced when she was put into the dung-cart and shewed such patience and constancy in the fire as made all the Spectators to wonder at it Not long after the Coronation of Henry the second King of France at whose coming into the City of Paris divers godly Martyrs were burned there was a poor Tailor that dwelt not farre from the Kings Palace apprehended for working upon an holy day Being by the Officer asked why he wrought upon that day He answered that he was a poor man living only upon his labour and that he knew no day but the Sabbath whereupon he might not work his necessity requiring it Then was he clapt up in prison this being noised in the Court some would needs have the Tailor sent for that the King might have the hearing of him Then was the Tailor brought thither and the King sitting in his chair of State commanded the Bishop of Mascon to question with him The Tailor being nothing amated at the Kings presence after he had done reverence to his Prince gave thanks to God for honouring him so greatly being such a wretch as to bring him where he might bear witnesse to his truth before so great a Prince The Bishop questioned with him about the greatest matters of Religion and he with an undaunted spirit so answered for the sincere truth and with such pregnant proofs of Scripture as was wonderfull and though the Nobles that were present jeered and taunted at him yet could they not dash him out of countenance but that still with much liberty and freedome of speech he defended the truth of Christ neither flattering their persons nor fearing their threats The King seeming to muse much within himself that so mean and simple a person should shew such audacity in such a presence the Bishop and Popish Lords taking notice of cryed out that he was an obstinate and impudent Heretick and therefore remanded him back to prison and within a few dayes after he was condemned to be burnt alive and left the King should be affected with what he heard from the Tailor the Bishops often suggested that the Lutherans were such as carried a vaine smoake in their mouthes which being put to the fire would soon vanish They also would needs have the King present at his execution but it pleased God to give such strength and courage to the Tailor at his execution as much more astonished the King than all his former carriage for having espied the King in the window where he sate he beheld him with so stedfast a countenance that his eyes were never off him yea when the fire was kindled about him he still kept his eyes so fixed upon the King that the King was constrained to leave the window and to withdraw himself and was so wrought upon thereby that he confessed that he thought the shadow of the Tailor followed him whithersoever he went and for many nights after he was so terrified with the apparition thereof that he protested with an oath that he would never see nor hear any more of those Lutherans though afterwards he brake his oath as it follows in the story of Anne Du Bourg About the same time one Claudius a godly man was apprehended as he came from Geneva and burned at Orleance Anno 1551. One Thomas a young man of about eighteen years old coming from Geneva to Paris rebuked one for swearing whereupon he was apprehended for a Lutherane and carried before the high Court by them he was committed to prison and cruelly racked to confesse his companions which he still refused to do whereupon they continued to rack him till one of the bloody Inquisitors turned his back and wept and till the Hangman was a weary then was he carried to be burned and was let down with a pully into the fire and after a while being pulled up again they asked him if he would yet turn To whom he said That he was in his
that were in prison to execution and procured a Commission from the King to certain Judges to hasten their trial But it fell out by Gods Providence that at this time the Protestant Princes of Germany were met at a Colloquy at Wormes to whom divers learned men resorted from Geneva requesting them to send their Ambassadors to the French King in the behalf of these poor Christians thus imprisoned by whose mediation and the Kings other business who was now in war with the King of Spain many of them were delivered yet some of them were executed before the coming of the Ambassodors Amongst them were Nicholas Clivet and one Granvelle both of them elders of the Congregation who stoutly defended the truth against the Sorbone Doctors and afterwards patiently resigned up their soules to God in the cruel flames Also a young Gentlewoman of about twenty three years old which came from Gascoigne to joyn her self to the Church at Paris was brought forth with the former and endured many conflicts with the Judges and Sorbonists who when she was urged to recant said That she had learned her faith from the Word of God and therefore therein she would live and die Her neighbours testified against her that there was much singing of Psalms in her house and that sometimes they had seen abundance of people come out of it and that at the death of her husband no Priest was called for c. But presently after two of these witnesses fell out and one slew the other with a knife The Cardinal of Sens much hastened this Gentlewomans death that he might have her estate When she was condemned she had her tongue cut as the two former also were served Going to execution she dressed her self like a Bride being that day to be married to her Spouse Jesus Christ she went to the fire without ever changing countenance and so quietly yielded up her spirit to God Divers others of this Congregation suffered in the like sort the rest at the mediation of the Prince Elector Palatine and the Protestant Switzers were released In other parts of France also sundry faithful Christians were imprisoned cruelly racked had their tongues cut out and finally were burned concerning whom because I find nothing extraordinary I have forborn to mention them Anno 1559. The King of France Henry the second coming into the the Parliament in Paris there was one Anne Du Bourg a noble Counsellour a man of singular understanding and knowledge bred and nursed up in the bosome of the Church of Christ who made a bold speech before him wherein he rendred thanks to Almighty God for moving the Kings heart to be present at the decision of so weighty a cause as that of Religion was humbly intreating him to consider well thereof being the cause of Christ himself which of good right ought to be maintained by Princes c. But the King instead of hearkening to his good advice was so far incensed against him that he caused him to be apprehended by the County of Montgomery Constable of France and to be carried to prison protesting to him in these words These eyes of mine shall see thee burnt and presently after he sent a Commission to the Judges to make his processe During his imprisonment there was a godly woman who was Prisoner also in a Chamber just over against his who at her window sometimes by words other sometimes by signes did much encourage him to persevere constantly in the truth whereby he was so comforted that when some of his friends perswaded him to recant he said God forbid for a woman hath taught me my lesson how I ought to carry my self in this business He was often examined about sundry points of Religion and being once asked whether he had conferred with any one about them he answered that he had conferred with his books especially with the holy Scriptures Having drawn up a confession of his Faith he intended to present it to the Parliament but some Advocates that belonged to that Court who pretended great love to him laboured to draw him to make another confession not contrary to the truth but in such ambiguous terms as might satisfie his Judges who would not stand strictly to examine it Du Bourg long resisted but at last was prevailed with to draw up such a confession supposing it sufficient that himself knew his own meaning So soon as this his confession came into the hands of his Judges great hopes were conceived of his enlargement but when the Christian Congregation had gotten a copy of it they were much grieved whereupon they ordered Master Augustine Marlorate a learned and godly Minister to write a large discourse concerning the duty of such as were called to bear witnesse to the truth of God before Magistrates wherein he set down Gods threatnings and judgements against such as either directy or indirecty deny the truth exhorting him more highly to prize the glory of God then his own liberty the truth of his Gospel then a short and transitory life shewing that he ought not now to give over having made so happy a beginning and progresse in his Christian course That the same of his constancy was spread not only through France but all Christendom over that he had been a means to confirm many weak ones and caused others to enquire after the means of salvation that all mens eyes were fixed on him to enquire by what means he gat out of prison so that if through fear and faint-heartedness he should enterprize ought that should contradict his first Profession he would give much scandal and offence and therefore he exhorted him to give glory to God to edifie his Church telling him that then he might assure himself that God would neither leave nor forsake him These Letters brought Du Bourg to a sight of his sin for which asking pardon of God without any further delay he wrote to the Judges retracting his last and protesting to stand to his first confession so that shortly after he was condemned In the mean time great feasts were preparing in the Court for joy of the marriages that should be of the Kings daughter and sister The day whereof being come the King imployed all the morning in examining the President and other Counsellors of the Parliament against Du Bourg and other his companions that were charged with the same doctrine intending to glut his eys in seeing their execution and then went to dinner After dinner the King being one of the Defendants at the Tilting which was near the prison where Du Bourg and his fellows lay entred the lists and behaved himself valiantly breaking many spears against Count Montgomery and others whereupon he was highly commended of the Spectators and all thinking that he had done enough desired him to give over with praise But he being puffed up with their commendations would needs run another course with Montgomery who kneeling
a young Gentleman named John Poltrot who watching his opportunity shot him with his pistol laden with three bullets whereof he shortly after died and Poltrot declared at his death that he did it to deliver France and especially the City of Orleance from the violence of the Duke of Guise After whose death peace was shortly after concluded between the Queen-mother and the Protestants But before this peace took place those of the Religion suffered much in sundry parts of the Realm In Paris they were persecuted cruelly the Popish people being wholly set upon blood and the Parliament there sparing neither great nor small that fell into their hands either of that City or such as were brought thither upon appeal or summons At Senlis many godly Christians suffered much some were beheaded some murthered in a popular tumult some were whipt some imprisoned some fined and others sent to the Gallies not sparing the simple women Yet through Gods mercy some escaped amongst whom was one Iohn Gardens and his Wife who living with his Wife and child in the fileds at length determined to go back into the City casting themselves upon Gods providence but when they came into the suburbs they met some who bade the souldiers to put them to the sword The woman kneeling down begged of the souldiers that if they must needs dye they would kill her child first saying that so she should die with the more comfort which speech of hers so wrought upon the souldiers that they spared all their lives In Chaalons there was a godly Minister called Fournier apprehended and spoiled of all that he had They stripped him also of his apparel instead whereof they put on him a thredbare cloak and so carried him away in a Cart by reason of an hurt that he had gotten in one of his feet by the way they did nothing but jeere and scoffe at him and every moment he was in danger of his life the rude people also had almost pulled him in pieces but it pleased God that he was preserved by those which had designed him to death When he came to Munchon he was cast into prison and after a while there came a Captain to him with many souldiers who mixing mocks and threatnings together sware that within three houres he should be hewen in pieces After them came in some of the Judges commanding the Jailor to load him with irons saying to him You are no better I am sure then Saint Peter whom they laid in irons but if you have as much faith as he God will then deliver you as he did him by sending an Angel to you I will not said Fournier compare my self with Saint Peter yet it is not twelve years ago since for preaching the same doctrine that Peter did I was imprisoned at Tholouse and there was admirably delivered And though Peter was delivered out of prison yet in the end he glorified God by his death and if I should be counted worthy with him to suffer for the truth may it not be said that I have the like precious Faith with Saint Peter When they were gone the Jailor forbore putting bolts upon him because of his sore legg yet did he put him into a straiter prison Afterwars the Duke of Guise being made Governour in that place he was put to the torture where first they strained his thumbs so hard with a small cord that blood came forth Then turning his armes behind his back they hoisted him up with a rope put between his thumbs twitching him up and letting him down five or six times they tied also great stones to both his great toes and let him hang till his spirits failed then they let him fall with such violence upon his face that he was grievously hurt thereby Then was he thrown into prison and they would not suffer him to have a Chirurgion to cure him of the gashes which the cords had made in his flesh even to the bare bones so that his torment and anguish was very great neither could he lift his hands to his mouth which he was likely to lose the use of But it so fell out by Gods Providence that after he was condemned news coming of the Duke of Guise his death his enemies began to tremble and some of his Judges coming to him in prison asked him if he did not bear them ill will He answered that men of his Profession and Religion ought not to bear malice to any being enjoyned by God to love and pray for those that persecuted them Shewing also that whatsoever troubles had befallen him were none other but such as God had fore-ordained for the setting forth of his own glory for which he esteemed himself most happy yet he warned them to lay to heart the wrong that they had done him lest the vengeance of God did sooner or later overtake them for it The next day Bussi one of his persecutors having received letters from the Constable of France to release him swore that he should be delivered indeed but into the hands of the multitude But it pleased God that just at that time there came by the Prince of Portion with his Germane Souldiers which were for the Protestants who sent word that they would not leave so much as a house standing except they would deliver Fournier This so affrighted his enemies that they released him out of prison protected him from the violence of the multitude and conveyed him in safety to the Prince There he was kindly welcomed and entertained all grieving for the miseries which he had endured and two dayes after he preached before the Prince and his followers and the day after at the instant request of the Protestants of Vitri he went to them to preach and baptize their children and shortly after was called to Ver where he gathered a Congregation and spent some time amongst them with wonderful fruit but by reason he was so extreamly weakned by his strait imprisonment and tortures being above fifty years old he soon after finished his course and quietly resigned up his soul unto God At Amiens all Bibles New Testaments and Psalm-books were sought for and openly burnt as also the Ministers Pulpit Then did the Guisians proceed to killing of the Christians and casting them into the River some they shot to death and others they hanged At Abbevilli they slew the Lord of Haucourt with divers others one Beliart they dragged along the streets with his face downwards and then drowned him in the river At Meaux the Protestants were the stronger Party and therefore continued the free exercise of their Religion for a while but the Parliament of Paris gave judgment against them and exposed them to the spoil of such as would undertake it Then a company of Souldiers entring the Town disarmed the Citizens and slew about foure hundred of the Religion Then Mounsieur de Boisy entring with more Souldiers committed a
the President of the Huguenots Shortly after came thither the Duke de Monpensier who caused gibbets wheels and stakes to be set up whereupon many more especially of the richer sort were murthered to the number of some hundreds when they put any man or woman to death they entred their houses murthered their children and took all their goods A poor woman whose husband was a little before drowned having a young infant sucking at her breasts and a beautiful daughter of about sixteen years old in her hand These bloody villains drew them to the River there the woman on her knees prayed ardently unto God then took her infant and shifting it in the Sun laid it upon the grasse In the mean while this hellish Rabble endeavoured partly by threats partly by fair promises to seduce the young maid and one of them finer then the rest promised to marry her if she would do it so that the poor wench stood in a disway which her mother perceiving who was now ready to be thrown into the River she earnestly exhorted her daughter to persist in the truth the daughter hereupon cryed out I will live and die with my Mother whom I know to be a vertuous woman as for your threats and promises I regard them not do with me what you please The mother was not yet dead when they threw in the daughter after her where making towards her mother they mutually embraced each other and so yielded up their souls into the hands of God Also in the same City there was a godly Matron called Glee who was carried before the Captain where she gave a reason of her Faith and confirmed it by evident testimonies of Scripture She dispuited also with some Friars whom she so silenced that they had nothing to say but that she was in a damnable condition It seems so indeed saith she being in your hands But I have a God that will not faile nor forsake me c. Then was she committed to prison where she was much sollicited to recant but all in vain for she spake her mind freely and comforted the prisoners which were in the same Prison for Religion News being brought her that she was condemned to be hanged when the rope was put about her neck she kneeled down praising and magnifying the name of God in that he shewed her such mercy as by this death to deliver her out of the troubles of this wretched world as also for that it pleased the Lord to honor her so far as to die for his truth and to wear his livery meaning the halter Then she brake her fast with the rest of the company and giving thanks to God she exhorted them to be of good courage and to trust to the end in his free mercy c. As she went to execution a Kinswoman met her with her little children perswading her to recant telling her that thereby she might preserve her life and see those her Babes provided for This meeting wrought so upon her motherly affection as made her shed plenty of tears but presently taking new courage she said I love my children dearly yet neither for love to them nor for any thing else in the world will I renounce my God or his truth God will be a Father to these my children and will provide better for them then I could have done and therefore to his providence and protection I commend and leave them At the place of execution having prayed to and praised God with a chearful heart and voice she quietly resigned up her spirit unto God The Duke de Aumale in Normandy took Pontea de Mer by subtilty where he used all kinds of cruelty especially against the Minister Master Brione Shortly after Roan was besieged and two Forts taken wherein they put all to the sword the Queen-mother in an impudent manner leading the King who was but twelve years old to shew him the naked bodies of the women weltring in their own blood After divers assaults the City of Roan was taken wherein the Kings souldiers used all kinds of monstrous cruelty massacring all they met many English and Scots souldiers were hanged the sick and wounded were cast into the river Divers Ministers were retreated into a strong Tower which they yielded upon promise of safety but contrary therereto they were cast into prison Augustine Marlorat with three Counsellors were condemned to be hanged which was presently executed with many opprobrious speeches against Marlorat The sackage of this Town lasted foure moneths together in which space divers were executed In Valougnes divers persons of good quality were massacred and the houses of the Protestants were filled with souldiers that did what they listed therein Amongst other outrages they slew a godly Minister called Monsieur de Valougnes whose body they stripped naked dragd it up and down his house with many scorns and jears at last bringing it into the chamber where he used to preach to his people they spurned his corpse saying Now pray to God and preach if thou canst The Priests that were present stuffed his mouth and wounds with the leaves of his Bible saying to him Preach the truth of thy God and call upon him now to help thee In Vire as they came from a Sermon some were slain some stoned and a while after many were put to the sword In and about Agen Monluc killed and massacred many two young children were roasted In the Castle of Reime Monluc used great cruelty against those of the Religion sparing none but murthering young children in their mothers armes and then killing the mothers some other women they reserved for their lust which they so abused that saith mine Author I abhorre to write it Above five hundred men were hanged upon gibbets amongst whom was a grave Counsellor in his long gown and square cap. One poor man they cut and mangled in several parts of his body filling all his wounds with salt In the City of Blois there was a godly woman called Nichola at whose house some holy people used to meet to pray and confer together for their mutual edification and comfort The murtherers hearing of it came rushing in thinking to have found a Minister preaching but being disappointed in their expectations they dragged these good women out by the haire of the head loaded them with many stripes and then threw them into the river but behold a singular Providence God so endowed them with strength and skill that they swam safely to an Island yet after a while some watermen finding them there they stript them stark naked and threw them again into the river yet they still sought to save themselves by swimming and coming at last to the Suburbs of Vienne they were there most cruelly knocked on the head by the bloody Papists Monluc having defeated a party of the Protestants under Monsieur Duras he took divers Prisoners most of which he hanged
purged him but to no purpose for by degrees he so faded away as caused great astonishment to many He long strugled against his disease but at last was faine to betake himself to his bed and the two last weeks of his sicknesse much blood issued from divers parts of his body and once he rolled himself in his own blood and a little before he died he desired his mother to pursue his enemies to the uttermost with great vehemency reiterating his speeches saying Madam I pray you heartily to do it and so he breathed forth his soul May the thirtieth Anno Christi 1574. I shall here adde a few words also of the great miseries which the people of God endured in Rochel Anno Christi 1628. expecting help from England which proved but a staffe of reed which whilst they leaned upon it ran into their hands The City being besieged by the King of France his Army the inhabitants were brought to such extremity that for want of other meat the Citizens and Souldiers having eaten up all the horses dogs cats rats and mice lived two moneths with nothing but Cow-hides and Goats-skins boiled then did they eat up all the old gloves and whatsoever was made of leather yea the poor people cut off the buttocks of the dead and did eat them Young maids of fourteen or sixteen years old did look like old women of one hundred years old All the English that came out after the surrender of the City looked like Anatomies The prizes of things were as followeth a Bushel of Wheat twenty pounds A pound of bread twenty shillings a quarter of mutton above sixe pounds A pound of butter thirty shillings An egge eight shillings An ounce of Sugar two shillings and six pence A dried fish twenty shillings A pint of French wine twenty shillings A pint of milk thirty shillings A pound of grapes three shillings c. Anno 1593. There was one Margaret Pierron of the Town of Sansay in France who by her maid-servant was accused to the Jesuites for not going to Masse and for keeping a Bible in her house in reading whereof was her whole delight The Jesuites complaining hereof to the Magistrate caused her to be apprehended yet had she some notice of it before-hand from her friends that advised her to flie from the danger but God had a purpose that she should bear witness to his truth so that she was taken and cast into prison After a while the Judges sent for her saying Margaret Are you not willing to returne home to your house and there to enjoy your husband and children Yes said she if it may stand with the good Will of God Then said they if thou wilt do but a small matter thou shalt be set at liberty If said she it be not contrary to Gods glory and mine own salvation you shall hear what I will say to you No such thing said they for all that we require is but this that a Scaffold being set up in the chief part of the City you shall there crave pardon for offending the Law and a fire being by you shall burne your Bible in it without speaking a word I pray you my Masters said she Tell me is my Bible a good Book or no Yea said they we confesse it is Why then said she would you have me cast it into the fire Only said they to give the Jesuites content imagine it to be but paper and then you may burne it and you may buy you another Bible at any time and hereby you may save your life Thus they spent above two hours in perswading her that thereby she might do a lesse evil and a greater good would come of it But she confidently answered that by the help of God she would never do it What will the people say said she will they not say Yonder is a wrethed woman indeed that burns the Bible wherein all the Articles of Christian Religion are contained I will certainly burne my body rather than my Bible Then did they commit her close prisoner fed her only with bread and water and her friends were debarred from coming to her but when nothing could remove her from her constancy she was condemned to be set upon a scaffold to have her Bible burnt before her face her self to be strangled and her body to be dragged through the streets to a dunghil which sentence she underwent cheerfully and so slept in the Lord. Collected out of the History of the Tragical Massacres of France under Henry the second Francis the second Charles the ninth Henry the third and Henry the fourth Translated out of French Here place the ninth Figure CHAP. XXXVII The Persecution of the Church of Christ in the Valtoline Anno Christi 1620. THe Grison Lords who were the Soveraign Magistrates of this Countrey had by sundry Decrees granted liberty to the Protestants to exercise their Religion freely But when as the Minister of Tell with his Congregation were met together about the service of God the bloody Papists rising in arms set upon them slew one and beate others so cruelly with staves that they were forced to desist from their purpose Shortly after they murthered some others and conspiring with some other bloody villaines they set guards upon all the passages of the valley that so none of the Protestants should escape them then ringing their bells they raised all the Countrey and if any Protestants stirred out of their houses they murthered them in the streets they also brake into the houses of others drew them out of their beds and murthered them Some of the Protestants retired to the houses of Papists that were neer of kin or otherwise engaged to them to secure themselves but there they were betrayed and murthered Some they strangled some they shot Of some they beate out their brains and others they drowned in the river Alba. A noble Gentleman that had hid himself in the river was found by them who requested them to spare his life for his dear childrens sake But they told him that this was no time for pity except he would abjure his faith and swear by the Popes Bull Nay said he God forbid that to save this temporal life I should deny my Lord Jesus Christ who with his precious blood upon the Crosse redeemed me at so dear a rate and having through his grace so long freely and publikely professed him that I should now hazard the losse of eternal life to which I was elected before the foundation of the world I say God forbid Hereupon in a barbarous and savage manner they murthered him They brake also into the Palace of the Governour and murthered him women and maidens they defloured and of all the Protestants in that part of the Countrey there were onely three that escaped over the horrid and vast mountains of the Alps into Rhetia These wicked villaines having thus dispatched the Protestants in this place they
was stript seven times in one day and they bade her go and look for her God and bid him give her cloaths again In Kilkenny they cruelly beat an English woman till they forced her into a ditch where she died then they took her child a girle of about six years old ript her belly and let out her guts One they forced to go to Masse with them yet afterwards wounded him ript his belly took out his guts and so left him alive A Scottish man they stripped and knocked on the head who afterwards coming to himself went into the Town naked Then did they again take him and hewed him all to pieces They also ript up his Wives belly so that a Child dropped out of her womb Many other women great with childe they hung up then ript their bellies and let the Infants fall out Sometimes they gave their children to be devoured of Swine and Dogs One John Stone with his son two sons in law and their wives they took and hung them all up and one of the young women being great with child they ript her belly took forth her child and used such beastly barbarous actions to her as are not fit to be mentioned At the Newry they ript up a womans belly that was great with two children throwing them to be devoured of swine Also another woman being delivered of a childe in the fields they which had formerly killed her Father and Husband killed her also with two of her children and gave the new-born infant to be devoured of Dogs In the County of Armagh they Robbed stripped and murthered abundance of Protestants whereof some they burned some they slew with the sword some they hanged and some they starved to death and meeting Mistris Howard and Mistris Frankland with six of their children and themselves both great with child with their pikes they killed and murthered them all ript open the Gentlewomens bellies took out their children and threw them into a ditch A young Scottish womans child they took by the heeles and dashed the braines out against a tree the like they did to many other children Anne Hill going with a young child on her back and four more by her side these cruel persecutors pulled the child off her back trod on it till it died stripped her self and the other four children starke naked whereby they died of cold Some others they met with hanged them up upon a Windmill and before they were half dead cut them in pieces with their Skeins Many other Protestants especially women and children they pricked and stabbed with their Skeins Forks and Swords slashing cutting and mangling them in their heads faces breasts armes and other parts yet killed them not but left them wallowing in their blood to languish starve and pine to death and when they desired them to kill them out of their paine they refused yet sometimes after a day or two they would dash out their braines with stones or clubs which they accounted as a great favour One goodwife Harvey at Kilkenny was forced to go to Masse yet afterwards together with her children was stripped and one of her daughters had her belly ripped that her intrails fell out and her self was so beaten and wounded that she hardly escaped with life The Castle of Lisgoole being set on fire by these mercilesse Papists a woman leaped out at a window to save her self from burning but they presently murthered her the next morning her child was found sucking at her breast which they murthered also And whereas many Protestants with their wives and children fled into vauls and cellars to hide themselves they were all murthered there One Jane Addis they stabbed and then putting her child of a quarter old to her breast bid it suck English bastard and so left it to perish there One Mary Barlow had her husband hanged before her face and her self with six children were all stript stark naked in frost and snow after which sheltring themselves in a Cave they had nothing to eat for three weeks but two old Calves skins which they beat with stones and so eat them hair and all her children crying to her rather to go out and be killed than to famish there In the cold weather many thousands of Protestants of all ranks ages and sexes being turned out stark naked perished of cold and hunger thousands of others were drowned cast into ditches bogs and turf-pits Multitudes were inclosed in houses which being set on fire they were burnt miserably Some that lay sick of feavors they drew out of their beds and hanged them Some men women and children they drove into boggie pits and if any of them endeavoured to get out they knockt them on the heads Some aged men and women these Barbarians enforced their own children to carry them to the river where they were drowned yea some children were compelled unnaturally to be the Executioners of their own Parents wives were forced to help to hang their own husbands and mothers to cast their own children into the water after all which themselves were murthered In Sligo they forced a young man to kill his own father and then hanged him up In another place they forced a woman to kill her husband then caused her son to kill her and then immediatly hanged the son and this they did that they might destroy both soul and body Yea such was their detestable malice against the English Protestants that they taught their children to kill English children One of these Villains wives was very angry with their souldiers because they did not bring the grease of a fat Gentlewoman whom they had slaine with them for her to make candles of The Irish women that followed the Camp egged on the men to cruelty always crying out kill them all spare neither man woman nor child They took the child of one Tkomas Straton being about twelve years old and boiled him to death in a Cauldron One Goodwife Lin and her daughter were carried into a Wood where they first hanged the mother and then the daughter in the hair of the mothers head Some women and children of the Irish meeting an English woman great with child stript her to her smock then pulled off her smock and so rent and abused her that the poor woman falling into labour both she and her child died under their hands In some places they plucked out the eyes and cut off the hands of the Protestants and so turned them out into the fields to wander up and down till they perished The very women in some places stoned the English women to death together with their children One man they shot through both his thighs then digging a hole in the ground they set him in it upright upon his feet and then filled up the hole leaving out only his head where they left him till he pined and languished to death Of another man they held his feet in the fire till he was
old snatched out of the mothers Arms stripped of its swadling cloaths and its brains dashed out against the Rocks Jacob Perrin an Elder of the Church of Villaro and David his brother being taken Prisoners in their Beds were carried to Lucerna and cast into the Marquesses Prison where they were most barbarously and cruelly handled the bloody Souldiers stripping off the skin on their Arms and Legs in long slices like leathern points till the flesh was left quite bare after which they were miserably starved to death in the same Prison and their Carcasses left to rot there Giovanni Pelanchion a young man about twenty five years old having been taken Prisoner made an escape but being taken again by the Souldiers they tyed one of his Legs to the taile of a Mule and so dragged him through all the streets of Lucerna and because the poor wretch sometimes lifted up his hands and head through pain and anguish that he suffered by the grating of his body against the ragged flints the bloody and mercilesse villains batterâ—d and bruised his body with stones and brick-bats crying that he was possessed with the Divel which kept him from dying After which they cut off his privy members and crammed them violently down the poor Creatures mouth and down his throat to stop his breath and at last chop 't off his head and so drawing him to the Rivers bank they left him there unburied Magdalen the daughter of Peter Fontana a beautiful Girle about ten years old being taken by some of these lecherous Brutes because her body was uncapable of being forced in an ordinary way they tore her in so inhumane a manner that afterwards she was found half dead wallowing in her own blood A poor woman apprehending her danger having a sucking child in the Cradle took the child and Cradle upon her head and fled some of the Souldiers seeing her pursued and she perceiving that she was like to be overtaken left her Cradle in the way supposing that those Butchers could not have such hearts of Adamant as to hurt her innocent babe and so hid her self in the cleft of a Rock not far off But these hell-hounds finding the Infant in the Cradle took it out and tore it in pieces and afterwards finding the Mother they first ravished her and then cut off her head and left her dead body upon the Snow At Villa Nova the daughter of Moses Long about ten years old as she was slying upon the Snow some Souldiers of Piemont took her broached her upon a Pike and roasted her alive with a fire made upon a broad stone and after a while they cut off a slice of her flesh intending to have eated it but finding it not well roasted their stomacks would not serve them to eat it Jacopo Michelino one of the chief Elders of the Church of Bobio being taken Prisoner had his two hands tyed to his privy members and so hung upon a Gate in a shameful posture but the shame was nothing to the torments the whole weight of his body hanging upon so tender a part which caused most exquisite and almost incredible pain and this they did to force him to renounce his Religion but when this prevailed not they took him down and carried him away amongst other Prisoners And afterwards having with incredible constancy endured a world of other cruelties he at last exchanged this life for a better Peter Gros during the time of his imprisonment saw two of these poor Protestants of La Sarcena hanging in a most hideous manner meerly by their privy members and their hands tyed behind them till their very bowels were almost torn out and so at last they dyed with horrible pain and anguish Giovanni Rostagnal of Bobio being eighty years old had his Nose Ears and other parts of his body cut off and so he was left languishing upon the Snow for a long time till at last he gave up the Ghost Daniel Salvagio and his Wife Giovanni Durant Daniel Revel Lodwick and Bartholomew Durant all brothers and Paolo Reynaud being taken by the Souldiers had their mouths and throats stuffed with Gunpowder and then setting fire to it their heads were torn all to pieces Jacob Di Rone a Schoolmaster of Roras being stript stark naked after they had torn off his Nails with Pincers and made a thousand holes in his hands with a Daggers Point they dragged him by a cord fastened about his middle through the Bourge of Lucerna and at every step he took one Souldier on one side cut off a piece of his flesh with a Fauchin and another on the other side gave him a great blow with a staffe crying What sayst thou now Barbet wilt thou go to Masse To which the poor creature with admirable constancy as long as he was able to speak answered Much rather death than the Masse dispatch me quickly for the love of God A while after came a notorious cut-throat who as soon as he saw him cryed out Lo here is the Minister of Roras withal giving him a deadly blow athwart the head with a Back-Sword From thence they dragged him to the Bridge and cutting off his head they threw him into the River of Pelis Paolo Garnier of Roras being taken by these murderers they first violently pulled out his eyes then cut off his privy members thrusting his yard into his mouth and in this posture they exposed him to publick scorn for several days together afterwards in a most inhumane manner they flead him alive and then cutting his skin in four parts they hung it in the windows of foure of the principal houses of Lucerna Daniel Cardon of Roccappiata being taken by some of the Souldiers they cut off his head took out his brains and frying them in a Pan eat them up they cut open his breast also and were taking out his heart to fry and eat that but that they were frighted by some of the poor peoples Troops that were coming that way Margaret Revel of La Cartere aged eighty five years Mary Di Pravillerm aged ninety years and blind both of S. Giovanni were taken and in a most barbarous manner were both burned alive Madona Lena aged eighty years and blind and Jeanna Batzan aged ninety years both of La Torre were used in the like cruel manner and burned A widow of La Torre who had lain very sick for three years together was taken by some of these bloody villains together with one of her daughters and were drawn upon a Carr through the streets of La Torre and as they passed along some of these blood-hounds stabbed their bodies with Pitchforks others bruised them with flints and stones and then they threw them into the River of Angrogna where they threw stones and bats at them till they dyed Paolo Giles of La Torre as he fled for his life was shot into the neck by one of them after which they slit his face through the chin and nose and when they had slain
him they left his carcasse to be eaten by the dogs Some of these Murderers having taken eleven men at Garcigliana heated a great Furnace red hot forced these poor creatures to throw one another into it and when it came to the last man they themselves threw him in also These sons of blood pursued and hunted out multitudes of these poor Protestants amongst the Rocks and Mountains by the traces of their bleeding legs and feet which were cut and mangled with the ice and flints which they met with in the way and having found them basely murdered them Michel Gonet of Lucernetta aged ninety years at least was burnt alive by the Mountains of Bobio whither he had fled to hide himself Bartholomew Frasche of Fenile was taken by the Souldiers and after they had slashed and mangled his legs they thrust a poysoned knife through his heels and in this woful plight they dragged and threw him into the common Prison at Turin where he lay in continual torment till he dyed Giovanni Baptista Oudri an Old man was cruelly murthered at La Sarcena after he had been barbarously abused by them Magdalena La Peire a woman of about thirty five years of age being pursued by these Villains and knowing what measure she should meet with if she fell into their hands chose rather to throw herself down a dreadfuly Precipice whereby she dyed Margeret Revella aged about eighty five years together with Marie Di Pravillerm about ninety years old and blind were both burnt alive Mary Davi was basely murdered by them Michel Bellino with Anna Di Pol Bochiardino and a servant of theirs were beheaded The daughter of Peter Mallonat a Councellor of Saint Giovanni together with her brother an infant of eight months old in her Arms were rolled down a steep hill and two days after they were found dead upon the Snow One Giovanni with his wife and child were hurled down a mighty Rock the mother holding the child in her Arms and three days after they were found dead only the child was alive and clasped so fast in the dead Mothers Arms that they had much ado to get it out Joseph Chiairet having received a wound in the flight was flayed alive and his grease taken out of his body The like was done to Paolo Carniero Mattheo Turin was massacred at Lucernetta and his body devoured by dogs Margeret Saretta was stoned to death and her dead body cast into the River Cypriano Bastia was cruelly starved to death and his body cast to the dogs Antonio Bertino had first his nose paps and privities cut off and then his head cleft in twain Two Children were first murdered and then burnt to ashes Joseph Pont was first wounded in his back and then had his body cut off in the middle Daniel De Maria being found in a place where he had hid himself and lay sick had first two of his children murdered before his eyes and then himself barbarously slain Judith a widow of eighty years old was dragged up and down upon the ground and at last had her head cut off Three Infants of Peter Fine were stifled in the Snow A maid that was an innocent was first stripped stark naked and then had a long stake driven through her belly whereof she dyed Luce the wife of Peter Besson being near the time of her lying down as she fled for her life was so affrighted with the shreeks of some that were massacred that she fell in travel upon the Mountains where she was and afterwards was found dead with the new born infant and two other sucking children lying by her Francis the son of Mr. Gros a Minister being taken had his body cut into small Gobbets whilst he was alive and that in the presence of his wife and then they took two of his small children and most inhumanely murdered them The Sieur Thomas Margher being forced to flye from his house being an Elder of La Torre was miserably starved to death with hunger and cold Judith Ravelin with her seven children were all barbarously murdered in their beds Anna a widow of about seventy five years old was cut in pieces by the souldiers The wife of Gaspar Fayol being taken was forced to labour hard for them by cutting down the corne and at last as she was so at work they came behind her and cut off her head Jacob Rosseno refusing to say Jesus Maria was first cruelly beaten with cudgels and clubs and having received several shots in his body they at last clave his head Two children both of them dumb were most unmercifully murthered Susanna the daughter of Pâ—olo Giacquin resisting a souldier that would have ravished her and by chance pushing him down a rock was hewed in pieces by others of them Giovanni Pullius a poor Pesant of La Torre being taken by the Souldiers after all manner of reproaches and scorns cast upon him by the Friers and others in words and actions was by the command of the Marquesse of Pionessa dragged by the hangman to a place near the Convent where the Marquesse commanded the hangman to place the ladder against a tree and to prepare for his Execution at which time the Monks and Priests ceased not to use all the arguments which the Devil and their own wicked wits could possibly furnish them with to shake the Faith and Constancie of this poor creature yet could they not prevaile yea by all his gestures and expressions he shewed the inward joy of his soul that he was counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ and though they oft pressed him to remember the sad estate that he should leave his children and family in yet he alwayes answered that it was his hearty Prayer to Almighty God that his children might follow their fathers steps and die like himself whereupon the Priests seeing all their labour lost assisted the Hangman to end this poor mans life and hasted to turn him off the ladder Sieur Paolo Clement an Elder of the Church of Rossana was shortly after brought by the Monks and Priests to this same place and shewed the dead body of the other thinking thereby to scare him from his Principles and profession but he answered them with undaunted courage that they might kill the body but could never be able to prejudice the soul of a true Believer He told them also that God would assuredly avenge the innocent blood that they had spilt and so having by some ejaculations prepared to resigne up his soul unto God he desired the Hangman to do his work three or four dayes after the Marquesse of Pianessa coming that way one of the souldiers discharged a Musquet at his dead body whereupon there gushed out a streame of fresh blood which the Marquesse observing said to some about him This blood cries for vengeance Afterwards they took both these dead bodies and hung them up naked by one foot neer to La Torre and when any prisoner of the Protestants passed that way they forced him
submitting to his good will and pleasure for the issue of their undertaking The Captaine of this valiant party was the aforesaid Gianavel who marching up with this little Band suddenly surprized and dexterously carried away their Court of Guard with their Centinel from off a little hill where they were placed At which bold attempt the enemy being not a little amazed withdrew from the place where they were resolving to march thorow a little meadow and so to get to Villaro or La Torre But being not nimble enough the others met with them at Piampra and there slew many of them without the losse of any one of their own and took from them all the Cattel and other things which they had plundered from the neighbouring places Pianessa seeing all his designes thus frustrated and that his specious promises were but as so many watchwords to bid these poor people to stand upon their guard he speedily sent to all those of Lucerna Bubbiana Barges Bagnol Famolas Cavors and the adjacent places who wete able to bear arms to come and joyn with a good part of his own Army to environ these poor people on every side But God who infatuates mens Counsels as he pleaseth though the time of their Rendezvouse was punctually assigned them yet they came two hours too late all except the Troop of Bagnol which was conducted by one Mario a notorious persecutor and an inveterate Enemy to the Reformed Churches This Mario with his ragged Regiment of Theives Outlaws and a great number of Irish Rebels assaulted this poor people on the upper and lower part of the Canton of Rumer who were not about Seventeen in number yet the Lord was pleased so to encourage them that they presently gat upon the top of the mountain and there after a long skirmish forced their enemies though full of fury and malice yet to give back and to flie as far as the Cliff called Pairo Capello in which fight and pursuit they killed above Sixty of them and wounded many more and many of them being laden with plunder as they fled amongst the Precipices of the Rocks fell down and were dashed in pieces Those of them that were lighter and nimbler gat safe to Pairo Capello but when they came there they found greater difficulties to contest with than before for being closly pursued and compassed in on every side they were forced to take the Ropes wherewith they had bund up their plunder and tying them to shrubs to slide down the Rocks by them and to fall into the River that ran below but by reason of the violence of the torrent and the great confusion that was amonst them one falling on the neck of another and such as could not swim catching hold of them that could the greatest part of them were there drowned Captain Mario also amongst the rest threw himself into the River and had not several of the Souldiers that could swim excellent well ventured their lives to fetch him out he had gone with the rest to receive present pay from the Devil This Captain Mario having thus escaped was carried to Lucerna in his shirt without either Hat or Shoos as a man at his wits end and shortly after he fell into a desperate disease whereof he died But before his death he oft cried out in a most despairing manner that he felt a grievous burning in his bowels as a just Judgement upon him for having burnt so many innocent persons and their habitations The Protestants after this gallant action being somewhat weary with their hard service as they were marching back to refresh themselves they spied another company of Murtherers coming from Villaro whereupon forgetting their weariness they placed themselves in Ambuscado when the Enemy drew near the place they perceived some of them but not being able by their colours to discern of what party they were they called to them for THE WORD the Protestants answered not but beckned to them to come nearer which they did in a careless posture supposing them to be friends and when they came near the others suddenly discharged upon them and slew many of them upon the place and the rest they pursued near to La Torre and Villaro After which signal Victory Captain Gianavel rallied his men upon an high ground not far off and in the very sight of his enemies he caused them to kneel down and with a loud voyce to give thanks unto the Lord for this very great mercy in their deliverance Three days after the Marquess of Pianessa being highly incensed by this success of the Protestants sent to the people of Roras expresly charging them to change their Religion within the space of Twenty four hours and that upon pain of death and of having their houses burnt to the ground To which they answered That they would much rather chuse death than to obey any such Order The Marquess vexed at their resolute answer presently dispatched away Eight thousand men besides the Militia Forces of the neighboring Commonalties who according to his order were divided into three Squadrons the one to set upon the poor people on the side of Villaro the other upon the Mountains of Bagnol and the third on that part which looks toward Lucerna which accordingly they did not only murthering man woman and childe but exercising all manner of cruelties upon them taking much pleasure like bloody villains in torturing those poor creatures and in tossing their little Infants from off their Pikes and Halberts and dashing their brains against the Rocks whose cryes would have melted an heart of Adamant but theirs were harder the number thus taken and slain was about One hundred twenty six the rest almost miraculously escaped their bloody hands Having thus shewn their valour upon naked men women and infants and being glutted with the prey that they found in the Country they turned their houses into ashes and such as survived they sent prisoners to Turin amongst whom was the Wife and Children of Captain Gianavel and so they marched back to Lucerna with great joy and acclamations Shortly after Pianessa wrote to Captain Gianavel promising him great preferment if he would change his Religion Otherwise threatning that his Wife and Children should be burnt He also promised a great sum of money to any that should bring him the said Gianavel either alive or dead To this Captain Gianavel presently answered That there was no torment so violent nor death so cruel that he did not much prefer before the abjuration of his Religion and that all these promises and threats did but the more fortifie him and strengthen his Faith And for his Wife and Children he told the Marquess that though he had gotten them into his power yet he could but kill their Bodies And as for their Souls he recommended them together with his own into the hands of God in case it so happened that he should fall into his power This Captain Gianavel having gotten together a small party of men
this is the most miserable state and condition of our Churches moreover our Countrey-men to the number of five thousand besides youths and children being dispersed in banishment which hath now befallen most of us the second time especially throughout Silesia as also through the Marck Lusatia Hungary c. find no comfort but much misery and are there exposed to the hatred and envy of men We that are Pastors dare not openly minister to our Auditories with the Word and Sacraments but onely in private Meetings or in Woods among Fenny places God onely seeing us who is witnesse of these calamities and our comfort in extremities Indeed being thus destitute of all things we lead a wretched life in banishment being afflicted with hunger and nakednesse and are become next to the most miserable Waldenses the greatest spectacle of calamity to the Christian world for so it hath seemed good to that Soveraign Wisdome that governs all things that we should be inheritors of the Crosse and persecution of those men from whom we have derived the original of our Doctrine and external Succession For truly we are the remaining Progeny even of the Waldenses with whom being raised from the ashes of blessed Huss and with whom combining into the same holy Fellowship of the Faith and afflictions of Christ we have for two whole ages and more been perpetually subject to the like storms of Calamities until at length we fell into this calamity greater than ever was known in the memory of our Fathers and which threatens us with utter destruction unlesse God prevent it The truth is this businesse constrains us to amazement and tears greater than can be exprest in words to set forth our affliction and sorrow If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies we desire that this affliction of Joseph may be recommended especially to all that are of the houshold of Faith Let them not suffer those to perish whom the same Faith and the same Spirit of Christ hath joyned with them in so near a relation we beseech them in the name of Christ that they would rather make haste to relieve those who are ready to perish we being assured that we suffer this persecution upon no other account than for the confession of the Truth from those Enemies who have acted such things as these are against us in times past and are now at length by Gods permission pouring out their fury upon us Signed in the name of the said distressed Churches by their Delegates and now Exiles for the Cause of Christ Adam Samuel Hartman Pastor of the Church of Lesna in Poland and Rector of the famous University there Paul Cyril a late Member of the University of Lesna A BRIEF REPRESENTATION OF THE Protestant Cause in GERMANY In what Case it hath been since the Peace of MUNSTER and how it stood in the year 1657. and how it is now this present year 1659. THe Justice of the late civil warres in Germany which were composed at the Peace concluded in Munster and Osnaburgge in the year 1648. was grounded upon this That the Protestants were necessitated to enter into a League or mutual union together for the maintaining of their rights and priviledges in the Empire against the infections thereof and manifold disturbances of their profession which contrary to former agreements at Imperial Dyets did befal unto them in many places by the Popish and Jesuites practices whereof they could obtain no redresse by any peaceable Treaties Therefore finding that there was a design formed in the Conclave and by the house of Austria to be put in execution tending by little and little to wear out and deprive them of their liberties they formed an union among themselves to stand upon the defence of their rights and to oppose the power of the house of Austria by whose means both in Germany and in Bohemia the Jesuites did drive the design of rooting out Protestants The head of this union who by his place was bound to appear in it was the Elector Palatine but he being a soft man of no experience in war and beset in his Counsels and enterprises with such as did betray him the cause was soon overthrown and by his overthrow the intended persecution against Protestants to root them out what by power and what by policie was openly carried on by the house of Austria which moved the King of Denmark Christian the IV. and after him the King of Sweden to come upon the Stage the Dane was soon overthrown but God gave such successe unto the Swedes to the Landgrave of Hessen their associate and to the French who joyned with them to ballance the power of Austria after the Elector of Saxony had made his peace at Prague with the Emperour and deserted the Protestant interest that from the death of King Gustavus they continued the war with various successes till the year 1648. at which time the Swedish being masters in Bohemia and the Emperour brought so low that he saw little hopes to recover his strength without a Peace he yielded to the conditions which the Protestants and the French stood upon The Swedish stood upon their satisfaction and to keep a foot in the Empire to be able upon all occasions to secure or help the Protestant party And the Protestant Princes they stood upon the setling of all things and of themselves in their former rights and possessions as before the war and chiefly upon this point the reformed party and the Landgrave of Hessen who headed them stood that thence forward the reformed Protestants alias called Calvinists should have equal freedom and liberty of conscience for the exercise of their profession in the Empire with the Papists and Lutherans This condition being obtained and a way determined to give the agrieved parties in point of dammage further satisfaction Armies were dismissed a new convention of States was held at Nurenberg to settle the remaining matters within the Empire which at Munster and Osnabrugge could not well be handled by reason of the Treatie with forreigne States and afterward a Dyet was called at Ratisbon to confirme all what formerly had been treated on and concluded and to put the remainder of grievances in a way to be rectified To which effect at the dissolution or rather adjournment of the Imperial Dyet at Ratisbon a Committee of Deputies from all the States of the Empire of equal number of both parties that is so many of the Protestants as of the Popish partie were named to meet at Franckford and prepare by way of disquiry of rights the matters then remaining undecided that at the next Session of the Dyet there might be a full decision and determination of them but before these Delegates did meet the Elector of Mentz did broach a new quarrel with the Elector Palatine tending to abridge him of much of his right and to make him inconsiderable to the Protestant party but
forcibly made King of Bohemia Ferdinand a Usurper Popish malice The first Artifice The second Artifice The third Artifice The fourth Artifice The States inhibited their meeting The Jesuites banished by the States An Army raised against the Bohemians Frederick chosen King of Bohemia Anno 1620. Novemb. 8 Prague taken Anno 16â—7 Popish subtilty The fifth Artifice The sixth Artifice The seventh Artifice Plundering The eight Artifice The ninth Artifice The tenth Artifice Apostacy rewarded Popish perfidiousness The eleventh Artifice The twelfth Artifice The thirteenth Artifice The fourteenth Artifice The fifteenth Artifice The sixteenth Artifice Ministers persecuted Barbarous cruelty Gods providence A speciall providence Cruelty to Ministers Prodigious cruelty Ingratitude Anno 1622. Pescinus The seventeenth Artifice Ministers charged with treason Ministers banished The eighteenth Artifice The German Ministers banished Blaspâ—emy Illiterate persons put into the places of Christs Ministers Twenty one Ministers banished Ministers charged with sedition Tentation Constancy A Minister Martyred Popish cruelty The Vice-roy Courage and Constancy Couâ—age and Constancy The nineteenth Artifice Summa Papavera The chiefest Nobles imprisoned The Nobles examined A brave speech Success no sign of a good cause Their condemnation Profane blasphemy Tentaâ—â—tâ—n resisted Crede quod habes habes Blasphemy Joy in tribulation Faith Prayer Courage The Martyrs mutual farwell The L. Schlik His faith and courage His Martyrdom The L. Wenceslaus His patience Psal. 119.92 His Martyrdom The L. Harant His message to his wife His Martyrdom Sir Casper Kaplitz His courage and constancy His Martyrâ—â—m â—roâ—â—pâ—us Dorzecki His prayer and 〈◊〉 His fiâ—elity to hâ—s Pâ—ince His Martyrdom L Frederick de Bile L. Hen. Otto His â—aith Joy unspeakable His martyrdom Dion Zervius His Martyrdom An aged man His martyrdom The Lord of Rugenia His excellent speech His martyrdom Val. Cockan His Martyrdom Toby Steffick His prayer His Martyrdom D. Jessenius A Prophecy His Martyrdom Christâ— Chober His excellent speech His Martyrdom John Shultis His Martyrdom Maxim Hostialicâ— His Martyrdom John Kutnaur Hâ—s speech to the Jesuits His speech at death His Martyrdom Sim. Sussickey Tentation His Martyrdom Nath. Wodnianskey His speech to the Jâ—suâ—â—es His counsel to his son His Martyrdom Wen. Gesbitzky His prayer His martyrdom Martin Fruin He is murthered Their goods conâ—â—scated Recantation prescribed The twentieth Artifice The Protestants beggered Their debts and money seized on The sâ—uldiers get most The one and twentieth Artifice Charles de Zerotine Another Obediâ—â— The two and twentieth Artifice Protestant Tutors banished Successe makes the enemies proud The Protestants all baniâ—â—ed False testimonies bought Protestants chiâ—dren taken from them Popish subtilty Tentation Many seduced Lord de Zerotine goeth into exile A cruel Edâ—ct Protestants wives bâ—nished from their husbands The exiles sought after The three and twentieth Artifice Laws repealed The four and twentieth Artifice Apostates proâ—moted The five and twentieth Artifice The Protestants in the silveâ— Mines had a promise of favour Popish perfidiousness Souldiers quartered upon them Don Martins cruelty The Bolislavians persecuted Constancy Apostacy Constancy Recovery Bethlem Gabor Gods providence A new persecution In Litomeric Popish subtilty Patience in persecution In Radecium Tentation resisted Popish cruelty Constancy Humane infirmity Constancy At Bidsove Popish cruelty At Zaticum Bibles burnt Don Martins cruelty Exile denied to the Protestants At Tusta Apostacy At Rokizan Popish subtilty Constancy John Foelix Barbarous cruelty Foelix escapes At Slana John Blyssa Banished At Prachatice Prodigious cruelties The twenty sixth Artifice Popish subtilty Popish profanenesse Christians stript Popish uncleannesse The twenty seventh Artifice Prodigious cruelties The twenty eighth Artifice At Minion Popish malice Death denied them Prodigious wickednesse Blasphemy Prodigious wickedness Constancy Comfort in â—fflictions Danger of Apostacy Bibles burnt Prodiges Gods judgment on Apostates Gods judgement on persecutors The Pope stirs up persecution Gods judgements on persecutors The Popish Army flies A new Army raised They fly when none pursues F. Romanes Conversion Zeale Subtilty Treachery Good counsel Note He goeth to the Emperour Is imprisoned Carried into Spaine Condemned by the Inquisitors Burned Rochus Condemned Thiâ—ty Christians condemned A wicked Oath Cacalla condemned Popish malice Malice Many burnt together The Spanish Inquisition Invented by Dominicans Subtilty Their dealing with strangers Their Familiars Sequestration Stript of all in prison Subtilâ—y How Inquisitors deal with the prisoners They proceed to the Rack Their privy parts aâ—e only covered with linnen The Jeobit Inhumane cruelty Railâ—ngs Scoffs Threats Another cruel tormenâ— The trough Divellish cruelty Torment with fire Subtilty A woman and her tow daughters and neece A Judas Perjury Flie. Their cruel prisons All pity denied them A maid whipt for shewing them favour The prisoners denied leave to sing Psalmes Their hospital Cruel mercy Their condemnation Their habits A wicked oath Degradation Hypocrisie Abominable lyes Their cruelty concealed Flattery A Lady imprisoned Their crâ—el usage oâ— her They torment her in the trough She dyed John Pontio Humane frailty Recovery His speech at death John Gonsalvo Tormented in prison with a cleft stick A Church in Sivil Some of them cast into prison A cleft stick Their death Malice Ferdinando His torments A special Providence Humane infirmity Recovery Execution Juliano Zeale A special Providence A false brother Twenty burnt Juliano's torments and constancy His death John Leon. Leon goeth towaâ—ds England Is apprehended Sent to Spaine Tormented Martyred A maâ—ds sufferings and martyrdom Christopher Losada His constancy Death Arias He turns persecutor A special Providence Arias his Reâ—covery His courage His Martyrdome Scriptures contemned Grosse ignorance Ministers honoured Aegidio chosen Bishop He is persecuted Imprisoned Gods judgement on Persecutors Released His excellent vertues Zeale He goes to the Emperour His return to Sivil His weaknesse Chosen Divinity-Lecturer A strange Providence Courage Imprisoned His death His Corps burned Nicholas Burton Godâ— Providence He is sent to Sivil Condemned John Baker Will. Burgate Will. Burges Will. Hooker Encenas Treachery Courage Constancy Francis Encenas A special Providence Faninus Humane infirmity Danger of Apostacy Recovery after his fall A prophesie A special Providence Tentation resisted Proffer of life refused Faith Comfort in death Note A special Providence Dominicus Apprehended Constancy Thanks for sufferings Galeacius Trecius Cruelty Humane infirmity Recovery Note Joy unspeakable Tentation resisted Note His education His enmity to the truth Conversion Zeale His apprehension Constancy Hâ—s Release Courage His appeâ—ring at Rome Note Hâ—s return to Bonony A special Providence He is again apprehended His Release Love to Christ Manâ—fold afflictions Constancy His Martyrdâ—me Francis Gamba Constancy Tentations â—esisted Comfort at death Algerus Joy in afflictions Note Tentation resisted John Aloysius Iames Bovellus Persecution raised by the Pope Horrible Cruelty Patience of the Saints Anthony Ricetto Tentation reâ—sisted Constancy Francis Spinola Sega Sega's Martyrdome Humane infirmity Recovery Spinola's Martyrdome An English man at Rome An heroical act His cruel torments Patience His Martyrdome Idolatry detested His going to Lisbone
a most detestable manner The Minister was slain two Gentlemen and sixty others were hanged A widdow of great account redeemed the virginity of her only daughter with a great summe of mony but the villain that promised to defend her ravished her in her Mothers presence and then killed them both Yea after peace was proclaimed fourteen of the Religion coming thither were all slain In Nonnay Monsieur Chaumont having surprised the Town murthered many Protestants spitting out infinite and horrible blasphemies against God himself A Locksmith being commanded to despite and blaspheme God because he refused to do it was presently hewen in pieces for the same cause another was brained with the butt end of a musket A Naylor because he would not give himself to the Divel was drawn about his shop by the ears then being laid on his Anvile they beat his head in pieces with hammers yea all manner of cruelty was used that could be devised Three of the principal in the Town were thrown down from an high Tower many other were thrown down to make sport Some were burnt in their houses others thrown out at windows others stabbed in the streets women and maids were most shamefully handled a young woman that was found hid in an house with her husband was first ravished before her husbands face then forced to hold a Rapier wherewith one thrusting her arme made her kill her own husband In Foix many Protestants were cast into prison of whom some had their armes and legs cut off and then were beheaded Some burnt some hanged and others sent to the Gallies In Aurange they killed the Protestants without distinction of age sex or quality Some they stabbed others they threw upon the points of Halberds Some they hanged others they burnt in the Churches Of some they cut off their privy members sparing neither old nor bedrid nor the diseased in the Hospitals Women and maids were killed others hanged out at windows were harquebushed sucking children massacred at their mothers breasts girls of five or six years old ravished and spoiled the wounds of the dead were filled with leaves torne out of Bibles Those in the Castle yielding upon oath and promise of safety were all stabbed or thrown over the wals being one hundred and ninety of them In Grenoble they slew many of the Religion and others they cast from the Bridge into the River In Cisterno the men that were of the Religion being fled the popish party fell upon the women and children whereof they slew three or foure hundred Some women with child were rip 't up many were buried quick Some had their throats cut like sheep others were drawn through the streets and beaten to death with clubs In Beaune they were bereaved of the exercise of Religion their three Ministers imprisoned many were driven out of the Town to the number of eight hundred persons with women and children their houses were filled with souldiers who made spoile of all such as were found in their houses were vilely abused and some were slain In Mascon the bloody Persecutors having apprehended a godly and learned Minister called Bonnet Bor who was of a very unblameable life having served twenty years in the Ministry and in that time had been put to his ransome three times they carried him along the streets with a thousand scoffs and scorns smiting him with their fists thrusting him up and down and then made a Proclamation That whosoever would hear this holy man preach should come to the slaughter-house at which place they again buffeted and mocked him two hours together Hereupon he requested them that before his death they would permit him to pray to God Then one stepping to him cut off half his nose and one of his ears saying Now pray as long as thou wilt and then we will send thee to all the Divels and so this holy man kneeling down prayed with such fervency of spirit that drew sighs from some of the Murtherers and aftervvards directing his speech to him that had cut off his nose he said Friend I am now ready to suffer what thou hast further to inflict upon me But I intreat thee and thy companions to bethink you well of the outrages committed by you against this poor City for there is a God in heaven before whose Tribunal you must shortly give an account of these your cruelties A Captain passing by cryed send that wretched man to the Divel which one of them hearing took him by the hand pretending to have him to the river to wash off his blood but when he came thither he threw him into it battering him with stones till he was drowned CHAP. XXXV The History of the Massacre at Paris ANNO 1571. After the end of the third Civil War in France great means was used to draw the chief of the Protestants to Paris under pretence of a marriage between the Prince of Navar and the Lady Margaret sister to the King of France but in the mean time the Papists in Roan murthered divers Protestants as they came from a Sermon and grievously beat others this seemed much to displease the King and three or four were executed for the mutiny then were the Articles of marriage agreed upon The place for it Paris and the Admiral sent to by the King to be present at the wedding and to prevent all Jealousies those of the house of Guise were sent away whereat they seemed much discontented The Admiral was allowed to bring with him fifty Gentlemen armed for his greater security When he came to Paris he was honourably received and conducted to the King who calls him his Father protesting that in all his life he had not seen any day more agreeable to his mind than that wherein he assured himself to see the end of all troubles and the beginning of firm peace and quietness in his Realm the Queen-mother and the rest of the great Courtiers received him with greater favour than he expected Then did the King send him one hundred thousand Franks out of his treasury for the losses which he had received in the wars c. The Admiral had divers advertisements of the intended treachery yet God so blinded him at that time though a very prudent man that he gave little heed to them Yea such a general stupidity seized upon the Protestants that their minds were very wavering and few there were that shewed themselves zealously bent to Religion but all both great and small thinking deeply upon worldly matters built them goodly Castles in the aire Then was the Queen of Navar sent for by the King of France to Paris to prepare all things against the wedding but presently after her coming she fell sick of a Feavor made her will in a most Christian manner had much inward joy and comfort and at five dayes end died not without suspition of poison from certain perfumes
given to her and after her death the Chirurgions were not suffered to open her head where the mischief lay whereby it was the better concealed The Admiral was again advertised of his danger but he resting upon the testimony of a good conscience and the providence of God misinterpreted those advices as if they proceeded from men desirous of new troubles Many Lords and Gentlemen of the Religion accompanied the King of Navar and the Prince of Conde to Paris The King of France the better to delude the Protestants spake openly that he gave not his sister to the King of Navar only but as it were to the whole Church of the Protestants to joyn with them in an indissoluble union and as a tie to their peace and safety August 17. Anno 1572. The King of Navar and the Lady Margaret were married by the Cardinal of Bourborn upon a scaffold in the sight of all the people and that day was spent in banquets dances and masks with a strange mixture of Protestants and Papists together but in the mean time the Queen mother with her Privadoes as also the Duke of Anjou with the Guises consulted about killing the Admiral and dividing the Protestants Five dayes after as the Admiral came from the Court accompanied with about fifteen Gentlemen reading a petition as he went one shot at him with a Caliver the bullet taking away his right fore-finger hurt him in the left arm he that shot had a Spanish Jennet at the back-door of his lodging upon which he immediately mounted and escaped The door being burst open it was found that the Caliver left behind was brought to the house the day before by one Chally steward of the Kings house and a great dealer for the Duke of Guise the Admiral being conveyed to his lodging shewed most admirable piety patience and constancy The King complained of the mischief swearing and promising to execute such justice upon the offendor that the Admiral and all his friends should thinke themselves well satisfied He caused also all the gates of Paris to be shut swearing and blaspheming that he would not that they which had done the fact should escape he also appointed many Lords and Gentlemen of the Protestants to lodge in the Admirals quarter the better as he pretended to secure themselves against any danger After noon the King went to visit the Admiral and there with many Oaths and protestations assured him of his love to him care over him and them of the Religion and that he would severely punish the Authors of his present hurt Presently after the Vidame of Chartres John de Ferriers advised the King of Navar the Prince of Conde the Admiral and other chief Lords of the religion presently to depart out of Paris assuring them that that blow was but the beginning of the Tragedy which was soon to ensue but they trusting to the Kings word rested secure That day also the King wrote to the Ambassadors of forrein Princes and to the Governours of all his Provinces how much he was offended at the Admirals hurt how severely he would punish it yea he desired that all the world might know how much he was offended at it and the Queen-mother wrote the like In the mean time the Dukes of Anjou and Guise employed some to go from house to house to take the names of all the Protestants and to return the Catalogue to them so that presently after they of the Religion began to discover that some bloody intentions were hatching against the Admiral and his friend For the King set a guard of fifty Harquebushires at the Admirals gate Great store of Armes were carried into the Loure and about evening all the people were in Armes The chief of the Protestants hereupon assembled again in the Admirals lodging where the Vidame of Chartres advised as before that they should essay presently to carry the Admiral out of Paris and that the rest should presently dislodge yet all the rest refused this counsel resolving to relie upon the Kings word who had promised them Justice In the evening some Protestant Gentlemen proffered to watch with the Admiral but he would not suffer them At night the Duke of Guise sent for the Captain of the Switzers shewing him his Commission to kill the Admiral and all his partakers exhorting him and his men to be couragious in shedding of blood At midnight the Provost Sheriffs and Captains of every Ward had the same shewed them with assurance that through the whole Realm the like should be done to all the Protestants and that the watchword for the general Massacre should be the tolling of the Bell in the Palace to be rung at the break of day and the Badge of the Executioners should be a white Handkerchif tied on their armes and a white Crosse in their hats The Duke of Guise and his Associates were to begin at the Admirals lodging Some of the Protestants being awakened with the noise in the streets of men running up and down in armes and with torches gat up to enquire what was the matter but presently the Bell rung and the Duke of Guise with his cutthroats hasted to and knocked at the Admirals gates he that opened them was presently stabbed The Admiral hearing the noise gat out of bed and joyned with his Minister Master Merlin in fervent prayer commending his soul into the hands of God Then said he It is long since I disposed my self to die save you your selves if it be possible for you cannot save my life I commit my soul into the hands and mercy of God Then did Merlin his Minister and the rest get up to the top of the house and crept out of windows into the gutters to hide themselves yet most of them were slain in the next house Then seven or eight men brake into the Admirals chamber and one of them went to him with his naked sword offering him the point to whom he said Young man thou oughtest to respect any age and infirmity yet shalt thou not shorten my life with that he thrust him into the body and all the rest laid at him so that he fell to the ground where he lay gasping The Duke of Guise below called to them to throw his body out at window which they did his face being all bloody the Duke of Guise wiped it and looking on it said Now I know him it is he and so kicked him on the face with his foot whom all the murtherers in France feared so much when he was alive Then went he out into the streets crying Courage my fellows we have here made a good beginning let us now fall upon the rest the King commands it it is his expresse pleasure he commands it The Admirals head was sent to the King and queen-mother and by them sent to the Pope and Cardinal of Lorrain as a grateful present The Pope when he heard the newes set