Pope Al'xander the third his wrath did smoke When they shook off his Antichristian yoke He them condemn'd as Het'ticks yet they spred And many potent Towns inhabited Nay many Lords and Earls did with them side Against the Pope and constantly deny'd The Romish faith and resolutely spake Their willingness to suffer for Christs sake Beziers was stormed by the Pilgrim train And in it sixty thousand persons slain The Legat saies Souldiers kill old and young For why God knoweth those to him belong The Catholicks besieg'd and batter'd down On the inhab'tants heads Carcasson Town When Baron Castle was surpriz'd th' enclos'd Of th' Albigenses were disey'd disnos'd Then sent to Cab'ret with an one-ey'd guide Yet still like gold that 's in a furnace tri'd The Saints appear'd their sparkling zeal like fire Blown by afflictions bellows blaz'd the higher Now Luther rose the Antichristian terror And those that were seduc'd reduc'd from error SECT XXI The Persecution of the Church of God in Bohemia which began Anno Christi 894. BOrivojus Duke of Bohemia Entring the confines of Moravia By a strange providence was Christianiz'd And with him thirty Pal'tines were baptiz'd At his return he raised from the ground Churches and Schools and all the Country round Flock'd thither many of the Noble race As well as Commons did the Truth embrace Malicious Satan env'ing the progress The Gospel made gainst those that it profess Rais'd persecution up Borivojus Is sent into exile Sanguineous Drahomira ' the Christian temples locks Forbidding Ministers to tend their flocks And in the silent night three hundred lives Pay'd tribute to the bloody cut-throats knives But Gods just Judgement Drahomira follow'd The opening earth her and her Cart up swallow'd The Popish party having got the day Did all the obvious Bohemians slay At Cuttenburge four Thousand souls were thrown Into the Metal-Mines O hearts of stone The Priests cry out Blow out good people blow These sparks before into a flame they grow Water is us'd the more they did endeavour To drown the Saints they flamed more then ever Many are scourg'd some sent into exile Two German Merchants brought unto the pile Exceedingly encourag'd one another One sayes Since Christ hath suffered dear brother For wretched us let 's do the same likewise For him and such a high-bred savour prize That we are counted worthy so to die For his sweet sake the other did reply The joy that in my Marriage-day I found Was small to this O this doth more abound Both cry'd aloud the Faggots set on fire Blest Christ thou in thy torments didst desire Thine en'mies peace the like we also crave Forgive the King let not the Clergy have Thy scalding vengeance O forbear to plague The poor misled inhabitants of Prague O be thou pleas'd to let them Scot-free go For Ah! poor souls they know not what they do Their hands are full of blood they pray'd and wept And wept and pray'd till in the Lord they slept On Noble-men intolerable Fines Were laid two hundred eminent Divines Are exil'd some are burned others brain'd Some shot to death with blood the earth 's destain'd The Martyrs one by one that were in hold Are called forth who resolutely bold Hast to their sufferings with as great content As if they had unto a banquet went When one was called for he thus exprest Himself in taking leave of all the rest Farewel dear friends Farewel the Lord support Your spirits that you may maintain the fort Against the common foe and make you stout And resolute to keep all batt'ry out That what you lately with your mouths profest You may by your so glorious death attest Behold I lead the way that I may see My Saviours glory you will follow me To the fruition of my fathers sight O how my soul is ravish'd with delight This very hour all sorrow bids adieu To my glad heart O now my joyes renew Transcendent joyes heaven and eternity Is mine is mine Then did the rest reply God go along with you O heaven we pray Assist thy servant in his thorn-pav'd way O may the willing Angells come to meet Thy obvious body and direct thy feet Into thine and our Fathers Mansion Go go dear brother go and we anon Shall follow after and be all receiv'd To bliss through Christ in whom we have believ'd Farewel farewel let equal joyes betide To us that follow and to you our guide First the Lord Schlick a man as wise as grave Condemned to be quarter'd did behave Himself most gallantly and said My doom Me pleaseth well what care I for a Tombe A Sepulchre is but an easie loss Fear death not I welcom my crown my cross Let let these limbs be scatter'd here and there I have Gods favour and I do not fear The worst that foes can do see how the Sun Displaies his shining beams Jesuites be gon And build not Castles in the empty air For I dare die for Christ I that I dare Be pleas'd blest Jesus thorough deaths dark night To Manu-duct me to eternal light Eternal light O what a happy sound That word reports my soul at a rebound Catch heaven catch heaven no sooner had he spoke But he submitted to the fatal stroke His right hand and his head lop'd off his shoulders Are hung on high to terrify beholders The Lord Wenceslaus seventy years old B'ing next was asked why he was so bold In Fred'ricks cause he said My conscience run Along with me and what is done is done My God lo here I am dispose of me Thine aged servant as best pleaseth thee O send that grim-look'd messenger that staies For none to end these miserable dayes May I not see the ruines that do wait Upon our sinking our declining State Behold this Book my Paradise was never So cordial as now Judges persever In sucking Christian blood but know Gods ire Shall smoak you for 't Up starts a cowled Fryer And said Your Judgement errs With this reply He answer'd him I on the truth rely And not on bare opinion Christ's the Way The Truth the Life in him I cannot stray Then stroaking his prolixed beard he said My gray hairs honour serves you having pray'd And giv'n his soul to Christ his Saviour His cut-off head was fixed on the Tower Lord Harant next was call'd who bravely said I 've travell'd far and many journeys made Through barb'rous countries and escaped dangers By sea and land yet was my life by strangers Surrepted not b'ing safe returned home My friends and Country-men my foes become For whom I and my Grandsires have let fall And wasted our estates our lives and all Forgive them father I O Lord have grounded My faith in thee let me not be confounded Then on the Scaffold thus O Lord I give My spir't into thine hands in hope to live By Christ his death according to thy word And so he yielded to the murth'rous sword Sir Caspar Kaplitz eighty six years old Said to the Minister
I will not Urge me no more for do it I will never This I resolve and will herein persever Expose me to the ravenous Lyons paw Yet I 'le not make a rupture in the Law Rip up my Entrails do and when that 's done Fling fling m'into an hate-light Dungeon Pluck out these eyes with Pinsers let the flame Burn me to cinders I 'll be still the same Think not that I 'll recant because I 'm old And feeble no torments shall make me bold I am content to suffer for my God And patiently sustain his chastning rod The zeal I bear is not a zeal that founds It's happiness on such unstable grounds As once to move me or to make me totter No Tyrant were thy fury ten times hotter I 'le laugh death in the face when I lay down This life to take up an immortal Crown Blest I shall be although by thee accurst Tyrant I challenge thee do do thy worst With that the soldiers hale him to the place Of torment strip him whip him and do lace His back with stripes till bloody streams out-gush And in the face of the tormentor blush While he was under the afflicter's hand One stood and cry'd Obey the Kings command But patiently this worthy man endur'd A world of wounds too dang'rous to be cur'd And darting up his venerable eyes He knew for whom he was a sacrifice In whom he did believe then casts a look On his afflicted self and sees a brook A bubbling brook with uncontrouled tides Crimson their passage from his mangled sides And when his sufferance over-flow'd the banks Of torment he admir'd gave God the thanks They loathsome liquor in t ' his nostrils pouring Did then commit him to the flames devouring Yet when his nat'ral life began to fail And his approaching death would take no bail Having his wasting eyes on Heaven laid His dying breath breath'd forth these words said Thou O my God art he who bringest down To th' grave giv'st life and with that life a Crown Behold dear Lord I 'm swallow'd by deaths jaws For the strict keeping of thine own-made Laws Sweet Father hear me O be pleas'd to keep Thy bosome Nation suffer not thy Sheep To be devour'd by Wolves that are too bold To worry them or scare them from their fold O let my death conclude all miserie And grant in dying I may live to thee Now I am found in thee can I be lost He ceas'd and ceasing yeilded up the Ghost The Kings displeasure waxing now more strong Sent for sev'n Hebrew children who being young He thought them weak unable pains to bear He therefore either by entreats or fear Presum'd he should induce them to abjure Their Law and eat what by their Law 's impure The crafty Tyrant ambushing his guile Beholdeth them with a dissembling smile And thus reveal'd himself Admir'd young men I wish your good O do not madly then Shun my Behests prevent the torments due Unto the refractory not to you As for my part I desire nothing more Then to advance you and increase your store Contemn your superstitious vanities And come along our tracts if you be wise T is no such crime if you your Law fulfil not If you neglect ours as I hope you will not With ling'ring deaths I 'll study to torment you You may it may be then too late repent you Am I a King and shall contempt accrue To me a King from such low worms as you Racks Bring forth those Wheels Rods Cauldrons Hooks Grid-irons Cages here 's not all here lacks Let 's see the Engines to torment the hands Gauntlets Auls Bellowes Brass-pots Frying-pans Obey young men if I enforce a fact Not good 't is not your voluntary act You do not sin be prudent then I say Not actively but passively obey The zeal-inflam'd young men do vilify His threats intreats retorting this reply Speak Tyrant say say why art thou so bent To persecute us that are innocent We will observe for all afflictions rod What Moses taught us from the mouth of God Know we detest your sense-deluding shows Nor will we be seduc'd by words or blows No Tyrant no do thou the best you can To do thy worst we will fear God not man Our cause is God's and death is our desire Heaven is our portion yours eternal fire Th' enraged Tyrant after one another Lop'd off these hopeful sprouts the eldest brother Named Macchabons first was stretched out Upon a Rack and beaten round about His naked ribs with a Bulle-pizle till His wearyed tormentors had their fill Of long continued strokes and did desire Rather to leave then he did them require Nor was this all fresh tort'rers have extended Him on a wheel weights at his heels appended While yet his sinews and his entrails brake He call'd on God then to the Tyrant spake Blood-guilty wretch who labor'st to disthrone Gods Majesty it self know I am one Am for the cause of God a sufferer And no witch nor inhuman murtherer When the afflicter with compassion sway'd Bid him submit unto the King he said Accursed ministers of Tyranny Your wheels as yet are not so sharp that I Should thereby be enforced to abjure Heaven wherein is my foundation sure See tyrant see how resolute I am Winde off my flesh with pinsers do and cram Young Vultures with the bits before mine eyes Put put me to the worst of cruelties Rost if you please by a soft fire my flesh And if that will not serve invent a fresh Inflict inflict till there cannot be fonnd A place whereon t' inflict another wound So said thus rack'd into a fire he 's thrown And now his wasting bowels stared on The Tyrants face yet with an unmov'd brest He to his brethren thus himself exprest Beloved brethren learn by my example To scorn the worlds alluring baits and trample All torments under foot obey God rather Then this proud Tyrant God 's a gracious father And when him pleases with a smile or frown Can raise the humble strike the lofty down This torment 's not enough to end his pain For he is snatch'd out of the fire and flame Alive his tongue was plucked out and then His life he ended in a frying pan And now his soul enjoy'd what he desir'd His friends rejoyced and his foes admir'd Then was the second brother Aber call'd Who with the tort'ring Engines unappal'd Refus'd to eat chains did his hands restrain His skin the garment of his flesh was flain From head to knees the tort'rer did devest His intrails peeping from his unglaz'd brest Too grievous to behold and him at last Unto a famine-pined Leopard cast The beast though truculent did onely smell And went her way forgetting to be fell Nor was sh ' injurious to him in the least The Kings displeasure but the more increas'd And Aber grown more constant by his pain Thus thus his dying voice did loudly strain How sweet How pleasant is this death to me Yea
Behold behold Me a decrepit wretch whose frequent pray'rs Have beg'd deliverance from this vale of tears But all in vaine for to be gaz'd upon By the worlds eyes I 'm kept God's will be done Not mine my death to mortal eyes may seem Disgraceful but 't is rich in Gods esteem Oh Lord my God my trembling feet support For fear my sudden fall occasion sport To my observing foes The Minister Perceiving that the excutioner Could not perform his office as he meant His crookedness b'ing an impediment Bespake him thus My Noble Lord as you Commended have your soul to Christ so now Advance your hoary head to God he try'd What he could do his head struck off he dy'd Then the Lord Oito a judicious man Having receiv'd the sentence thus began And do you then O Caesar still think good For to stabilitate your throne with blood Can God be pleas'd with this say Tyrant say How will you answer 't at that dreadful day Kill this my body do let my blood fill Your veins disperse my members where you will Yet this is my belief My loving father Will be so pleas'd as them together gather And cloath them with their skin these very eyes Shall see my Lord where e're my body lies These ears shall hear him and this very tongue Ring peals of joy his praises shall be sung By this same heart of mine I must confess I was perplex'd at first but now I bless My God I finde a change I was not troubled So much but now my joyes are more redoubled I fear not death now death hath lost her sting To die with joy O 't is a pious thing Am nor I sure Christ and his Angels will Guide me to heaven where I shall drink my fill Of those Celestial cups those cups of pleasure And measure drinking though not drink by measure Shall then this death have power to divide My soul from him the heavens open wide See where my finger points The standers by Beheld eye-dazeling cortuscancy After a silent prayer made he spake Lord save thy servant Oh some pity take I am thy creature O let me inherit Christ-purchas'd glory Lord receive my spirit Next Dionysius Zervius that storm'd Against the saints but when he was inform'd Of Gospel-truths how Christ procured rest For those believ'd he forthwith smote his brest And fetch'd a sigh while tears ran down did cry This is my faith and in this faith I 'll die Through Christ alone I can acceptance finde Yet God will not despise my contrite minde Upon these knees these bended knees I call For mercy mercy Lord although I fall Help me to rise in thee My foes controul May hurt my body but not hurt my soul An aged man b'ing brought both these commended Their souls unto the Lord so their lives ended Next was the Lord of Rugenice arraign'd Who said I have a greater priv'ledge gain'd Then if the King had spar'd me and augmented My restor'd substance and am more contented God is our witness that we onely sought Religions Liberty for that we fought Who though w' are worsted and must end our days The Lord is righteous in all his ways His Truth we must defend as he sees good Not by our naked Swords but by our Blood What is the cause my God O tell me why So soon as others do I may not die For ah thou knowst thou knowst that I resign My self unto thee and am wholly thine Put not thy servant off with long delay But take me hence sweet Jesu come away The Sheriff came for him he rejoycing said Blessed be God then towards him he made Upon the Scaffold he himself did chear With that of Christ Father I will that where I am thy servants may there also be That they may my heaven-given glory see I haste to lose this life so transitory That I may be with Christ and see his glory Climbe up my soul climbe up to be embrac'd In Christ his arms and so he breath'd his last Valentine Cockan spake to this effect Upon the Scaffold Gracious Lord direct My feeble steps O let deaths valley be A Pasport to the clearer view of thee For why thy word hath bin my hidden treasure O what satiety of joy and pleasure Take residence with thee there 's nothing can Afford my soul more satisfaction than Thy self's fruition Lord my spirit flies Into thy Courts so having said he dies Next Toby Steffick's brought a man whose heart Walk'd upright with his God though like a cart Press'd with afflictions sheaves to heaven he heav'd His wasted eyes and said I have receiv'd From the beginning of my life till now Good things of God and shall not I then bow My will to his but his chastisements shun I will not no God's holy will be done Can I poor dust and ashes have the face To plead with God I chearfully embrace Thy pleasure Lord I come to bear the cross O be thou pleas'd to purge away my dross Calcine my soul obliterate my sins And make me pure against that day begins He pray'd and having drunke the lethal cup His spirit into heaven ascended up Doctor Jessenius after him was Martyr'd His tongue cut out head off his body quarter'd Citing the saying of Ignatius Chears his co-sufferers We are Gods corn Sown in the Churches field and must be torn By beasts to fit us for our Masters use But here 's our comfort one a bloody sluce The Church is founded and hath been augmented By blood nor shall the opened vein be stented The blow must now be fetch'd his soul he gave To heav'n his body to the gaping grave Then being call'd to execution I come said he a pious resolution Takes up my heart I 'm not asham'd nor sory To suffer these nay worse things for his glory I have I have by my heav'n-borrow'd force Fought faith's good fight and finished my course Then praying Father in thy hands I leave My spir't he did a Martyrs crown receive John Shunlt is while he on the Scaffold stood Said thus Leave off this melancholy mood Dejected soul O be not so cast down Hope thou in God though for a time he frown Yet will he smile again and thou shalt yet Praise him though Nature do receive her debt The righteous are among the dead enrold By fools whenas they rest Behold behold I come sweet Jesus O some pity take Unon thy creature for thy promise sake Cast me not off my misery condole My sins O pardon and receive my soul Make no long tarriance come Lord Jesus come And so he underwent his Martyrdome Next Maximilian Hoslialeck Whom Learning Worth and Piety did deck After the sentence past one asked him The reason why he look'd so dull so grim And sadder then the rest To rell the truth The sins said he I acted in my youth Come now afresh into my minde for though I know that no remainder can o'rethrow Them which with Jesus Christ have made a close
of thine Amidst these flames their spirits did ascend To glory which shall never have AN END Gloria Deo in Excelsis SECT Vlt. God's Judgements upon the Persecutors of hic Church and children SInce first the Gospel in the Ears did ring Of England under Lucius the King Never did King or Queen the Land so stain With Christian blood as in her four years reign Queen Mary did she burned in her fury An Arch-Bishop and he of Canterbury Four Bishops twenty one Divines or more Eight Gentlemen Artis'cers eighty soure Husbandmen Servants and poor Labouring men Five score Wives twenty six Widdowes twice ten to Nine Maids two Boyes and two young Babes heaven VVere sent in all two hundred seventy seven Sixty four more for Jesus Christ his sake VVere persecuted sore which could not shake Their heaven-built faith seven whereof were strip'd Stark naked and most mercilesly whip'd Sixteen in prison perishing had dung After the Nabathoean custom flung Upon their outcast bodies Some did lie In captivated chains condemn'd to die But were deliv'red from approaching death By th' happy entrance of Elizabeth Our glorious Queen our Pallas and Astraea Of Grace and Virtue the divine Idea Many did spend by reason of exile Their dayes in trouble and their years in toile But as Queen Mary lavished the blood Of her best subjects and the truth withstood Unto the utmost of her power so God Scourged her soundly with his flaming rod Both in her life and death for whilst she liv'd What did she prosper in which she atchiev'd To instance in a few particulars And first her fair'st and greatest man of War Unmatch'd i' th' Christian world cal'd the great Harry Was burnt by heavenly flames Then would she marry Spanish King Philip so expose to dangers Poor England under barb'rous foes and strangers She labour'd much but never could attain To joyn the English to the Spanish Raign Then did she set about the restauration Of Abbey-lands throughout the British nation Her self began according to the Popes Directions yet frustrate were all her hopes God o're her land then such a famine spred That her poor subjects upon Acorns fed Then Calice where the English did remain During eleven Kings reigns from her was ta'in Which loss so griev'd her as she did impart That Calice was engraven in her heart Again in child-birth never woman had S'unfortunate success as she so bad For if she was with child and had e're been In travel why why was it never seen If not why was the Kingdom so beguild Some in the Pulpit for her new-born child Returning thanks thus her desires b'ing crost She then th' affections of her husband lost She could not him enjoy nor might she smother This her first love by marrying another Although she did so many Judgements feel Yet would she not her bloody Laws repeal She had no minde to stop the opened vain Or close the bleeding Orifice again Of dying Saints At last the Lord did please To strike her with a languishing disease VVhereof she dy'd and having held the crown Five years and five months onely laid it down Horrible tempests mortal sicknesses Plagues famines burning fevers did perpess The grieved land the fourth year she did sway And swept a multitude of folks away So that in six weeks space in London there Dy'd seven Aldermen VVheat that same year Yielded four marks the Quarter Mault a Peck Fourty four shillings as much Pease did make Two pound six shillings eight pence to a crown The following year a Peck of VVheat came down Four shillings eight pence Mault of Ry a Strike Take for a groat you may if it you like In her fifth year a thundring tempest came And batt'red down two towns neer Notingham Flung sheets of lead abroad bells from the steeple Tore trees up by the roots slew divers people c. Also a great mortality was known In Autumn then Corn stood unreap'd unmown And rotted in the fields hence did ensue Great scarcity the lab'rours being few So much of her nor must my Muse pass by Her chiefest Instruments of cruelty First to begin with Stephen Gard'ner then Bishop of Winchester whose end my pen Disdains to mention twice I will therefore Add onely this That lying at the door Of merc'less death and being put in minde Of Peter his denying Christ he whin'd This answer out VVith Peter I deny'd The Lord but there is somewhat else beside VVanting in me Alas I never spent A tear nor can as Peter did repent Morgan St. Davids Bishop who high base Condemned Ferrar and usurp'd his place Did vomit up his meat through mouth and nose O horrible until his life did close Then Mr. Leyson high Sheriffe set away This Martyrs Cattel int'his own ground they No meant would eat nor touch a blade of grass But bellowed and roar'd till death Alas One Justice Morgan who condemned had Lady Jane Grey within a while fell mad Nothing but Lady Jane his voice did sound The Lady Jane Oh! how her name did wound The Lady Jane the Lady Jane O take The Lady Jane away no more he spake Dunnings the Norwich Chancellour for 's hate To the truth dy'd as in his chair he sate Berry of Norfolk Commissary one Burn'd harmless Saints fell with an heavy groan Down to the ground and never did recover One Bishop Thornton Suffragan of Dover A cruel man while on a Sabbath-day He looked o're his men to see them play At Bowles on him did the dead palsey fall Carry'd to bed he was defir'd to call The Lord to minde Yea said he so I do Not onely so but my Lord Card'nal too So desperately dy'd Another tool Of Hell at Greenwich went to Card'nal Pool To get his blessing but returning fast He fell down stairs and brake his neck for hast Grimwood a wretch who had himself forsworn Being in Harvest stacking of his corn His bowels suddenly fell out These two Capon and Jeff'ry Doctors undergo At Salsbury sudden deaths Mr. Woodroffe Sheriffe of London dyed soon enough One Clerk who did the Godly Saints devour Hanged himself at last in London-Tower Cox a Promoter going well t' his bed When the next morn arose was found stone dead Dale dy'd of lice One Troling Smith a great Foe to the truth dy'd suddenly â—'th'street Paul London Town-Clerk an accursed wretch Did voluntarily an halter stretch A lightning stroke did Robert Baldwin kill Cardinal Pool of an Italian Pill Dy'd as 't was thought Dr. Foxford Blomefield And Leland too to sudden deaths did yield One Dr. Williams Chanc'llour of Glocester Died the death before he was a ware One Lever said he had at Oxford been And that ill-favour'd knave Latimer seen Tooth'd like an horse but mark we what did follow His son soon hang'd himself One William Swallow Lost all his hair off all his nails did pill And 's wife was taken with the falling ill Brown Lardin Potto en'mies of George Eagles D'yd a dogs shameful death three pretty