A BREVIARY OF THE LATER PERSECUTIONS Of the Professors of the Gospel of CHRIST JESUS under the Romish and Antichristian Prelats through Christendome from the time of John VVickliff in the year of God 1371. to the Raign of Queen Elizabeth of England and the reformation of Religion in Scotland And of the cruell Persecutions of the Christians under the Turkish Emperors with some memorable occurrences that fell out in these times through diverse Realmes Countreys Collected out of the Ecclesisticall History and Book of Martyrs By Mr. Robert Young Luke 9 23. And he said unto them all if any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his crosse daily follow me Vers 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake the same shal save it Verse 25. For what advantageth it a man if he gain the whole World and destroy himself or lose himself Verse 26. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shalt the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy Angels GLASGOW Printed by ROBERT SANDERS Printer to the City and are to be Sold at his Shop 1674. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Rome is not now as it was in the Primitive times it was then the seat of the true service and worship of God where the Word or God was truly and purely preached professed and maintained but now Rome is full of errors superstition and idolatry of all iniquitie and wickednesse full of vile abominations Petrark Mantuan and many others call Rome the Shop of all wickedness Babylon Sodom the School of errors the Church of heresies an harlot with a shameless face Mantuan thus noteth the vice there used Pudor in villas si non patiantur easdem Et villae vomicas Roma est jam tota lupanar that is go shame to the Villages if they be yet as free from the same filth or now all Rome is nought save boâ—therlie And Pasquil confirmeth the same when one having bâ—en at Rome at his departure taketh his leave thus Roma vale vidi satis est vidisse revertar Cum leno aut mertrix scurra cynedus ero That is Rome farewell I have seen and now I am glutâ—ed wi h the fight I will return when I am baud gester catamit All things are now saleable at Rome saith Mantuan Venalia nobis Templa Sacerdotes Altaria Sacra Coranae Ignis Thura Preces Coelum est venale deusque Temples Priests Altars rites I tell not tale Crowns Sacrifices Heaven and God are set to sale and the souls of men Tecelius the Popes pardon-monger perswaded the people in Germany that whosoever would give ten shillings should at his pleasure deliver one soul out of the pains of Purgatory and assoon as the money rang in the Basen that soul was set at liberty but if it were one jot lesse then ten shillings it would profite them nothing This gainfull gulâ—eâ—â—e Luther cryed down with all his might and so marred the Market and therefore it is said by onâ— very well Vivere qui sanctè cupitis discedite Roma Omnia cum liceant non licet essepium that is ye that desire to live holy depart from Rome for when all things are lawfull it is not lawfull to be holy And as Rome is not now as it was of old so neither are the Bishops of Rome such men as were in the primitive times they were then Preachers of the Gospel of Christ Jesus maintainers and defenders of it and gave their lives to Martyrdome for the cause of Christ and his Gospel so that there were 25. of them that died Martyrs in order one after another But now the Bishops of Rome â—re become Tyrants and cruel persecuters of the Saints of God and Professors of the Gospel of Christ Jesus with fire and sword as we may see in the Martyrdome of John Hus and Jerome of Prage and thousands â—â—oe And as this insuing Treatise doth declare they are men of wicked and vicious lives given to unlawfull Arts and Sciences as to Necromancy There were eighteen Popes Necromancers one succeeding another they are lifted up in intollerable pride and claim and take to themselves high and arrogant titles as universall Bishops Princes of Priests supream head of the Universall Church and Vicars of Christ here one earth which must not be judged of any having all knowledge of Scriptures and all Laws contained within the Chest of their breasts chief Magistrates of the world they exalt themselves above Kings Princes and Emperours causing some of them to ly under their feet some to hold their stirrop some to lead their horse by the bridle some to kisse their feet placing and displacing Emperors Kings Dukes and Earles whom and when they pleased Was it not a presumptuous thing in Gregorius the seventh to cause the Emperor Henry the fourth to stand at his gate three dayes and three nights bare-foot and bare-legged with his wife and childe in the deep of Winter both frost and snow entreating for his absolution and after did Excommunicate him again so that he was twise Excommunicate in his dayes And did not I Paschalis after Gregorie set up the son of the said Henricus against his father in war to possesse the Empire and to put down his father and so he did And did not I Gregorius set up Robert Wysard and make him King of Sicilia and Duke of Capua Did not I Pope Alexander bring under Henry the second King of England for the death of Thomas Becket and cause him to go bare foot to his Tomb at Caunterbury with bleeding feet Did not I Innocentius the third cause King John to kneel down at the feet of Pandolphus my Legat and offer up his Crown to his hands and to kisse the feet of Stephen Langtoun Bishop of Canterburie and besides merced him in a thousand Meâ—ks be year Did not I Alexander bring the valiant Emperor Frederick the first to Venice by reason of his son Otho there taken prisoner and there in St. Marks Church made him fall down flat upon the ground while I set my feet upon his neck saying that verse of the Psalm Super aspidem Basiliscum ambulubis c. Did not I Adrianus Pope an Englishman born controle and correct the forsaid Frederick the Emperor for holding the left stirrop of my horse when he should have holden the right and afterward did I not Excommunicate him and curse him for that he was so sâ—wcy to set up his own name in writing before mine Did not I Pope Celestine Crown Henry the fifth Emperour with my foot and with my foot spurned the Crown from his head again in St. Peters Church to make him know that the Popes of Rome have power both to Crown Emperors and to dispose them again And briefly sayes the Pope who is able to comprehend the greatnesse of my power
the Revelation in these words And I saw an Angel descending from Heaven having a key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chain in his hand and he took the Dragon the old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years and put him into the bottomlesse dungeon and shut him up and signed him with his seal that he should no more seduce the Gentiles till a thousand years were expired and after that he must be loosed again for a little space of time c. The thousand years being now expired Satan let loose he begins again to persecute the Church of God and the professors of the truth in the person of Wickliff in the year of our Lord 1371. in the dayes of Edward the third King of England This Wickliff was an English-man and a Professor of Divinity in Oxford a man of great spirit and of great learning he came to such a degree or erudition that he was thought the most excellent amongst all the Theologians at that time he perceiving the true Doctrine of Christs Gospel to be aduldeâ—at and defiled with so many filthy inventions of Bishops Sects of Monks and dark errors and after long debating and deliberating with himself with many secret sighs and bewalings in his mind the generall ignorance of the whole world could no longer sâ—ffer or abide the same he at the last determined with himself to help and remedy such things as he saw to be wide and out of the way and so he began as from a deep night to draw out the truth of the Doctrine of the Son of God with the purity of the Doctrine which hee taught he also lively touched the abuses of the Popedome in so much that the Locusts that is to say the Monks and begging Friers listed themselves up against him to persecute him with all the rable of the Popish Clergie but the Lord gave him for a Protector King Edward the third the Duke of Lancaster the Kings son and Lord Henery Peircy the Marshaâ—l of England for all the time of King Edwards raign he had great liberty of his profession and that the King carried a speciall favour and good-will to him appears in this that he sent him with his Ambassadour over into the parts of Italy to treat with the Popes Legats concerning affairs betwixt the King and the Pope with full commission This King Edward was a good man and hath this commendation that he was Orphanis quasi Pater afflictis compations miseris condolâ—ns oppressis relevaâ—s cunctis indigentibus impendens auxilia opportuna that is to the Orphans he was a Father competient to the afflicted mourning with the miserable releiving the oppressed and to all them that wanted a helper in the time of need c. Pope Gregory being informed of Wickliffs Doctrine that was pred abroad through the land He wrot to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the Bishop of London to cause apprehend the said John Wickliffe and to cast him into prison and that the King and Nobles of England should be admonished not to give any trust to the said John VVickliffe or to his Doctrine in any wayes As also he wrote unto King Edward or rather unto King Richard who succeeded King Edward to persecute this VVickliff but God shortned the rage and fury of this cruel Prelate against him for that in the same year or in the beginning of the next year following the forsaid Pope Gergory the eleventh turn'd up his heels and died Yet the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London did vex trouble him and held sundry meetings of the Clergy against him to condemne him and his Doctrine And here is not to be past over the great miracle of Gods Divine admonition or warning for when as the Archbishop and Suffraganes with the other Doctors and Lawiers with a great company of babling Friers and Religious persons were gathered together to consult as touching John VVickliffs books and that whole sect When as I say they were gathered together at the Gray-friers in London to begin their businesse upon St. Dunstanes day after dinner about two in the cloak the very hour and instant that they should go forward with their businesse a wonderfull and terrible earthquake fell throughout all England whereupon diverse of the Suffraganes being feard by the strange and wonderfull demonstration doubting what it should mean thought it good to leave off from their determinat purpose But the Archbishop as the chief Captain of that Army more rash and bold then wise interpreting the change which had happened clean contrary to another meaning and purpose did confirm and strengthen hearts and minds which are almost danted with fear stoutly to proceed and to go forward in their attempted enterprise who then discoursing VVickliffs Articles not according to the sacred Cannons of the Holy Scripture but unto their own private affections and traditions pronounced and gave sentence that some of them were simply and plainly Hereticall other some false erroneous other irreligious some seditious and not consonant to the Church of Rome John VVickliff a long time after this returning again either from his banishment being banished by King Richard or from some other place where he was secretly keeped repaired to his Parish at Lutterworth where hee was Parson and there quyetly departing this mortall Life sleept in peace in the Lord 1384. Here is to be noted in this Man as in diverse others whom the Lord so long preserved in such rages of so many enemies from all their hands even to his old age This VVickliff had written diverse and sundry works the which in the year of our Lord 1410. were burnt at Oxford And not only in England but in Bohemia Likewise the Books of the said VVickliff were set on fire by the Archbishop of Prage who made diligent inquisiition for the same and burned them The numbers of the Volumes which he is said to have burned most excellently written and richly adorned with bosses of Gold and coverings as Aeneas Silvius writes were about the number of two hundred Great was the testimony given out by the Vniversity of Oxford touching the commendation of the great Learning and good Life of John VVickliff as also great was the testimony and commendation of Master John Hus concerning John VVickliff who affirmed that he was no Heretick and yet the Counsel of Constance condemned him for an Heretick and caused his Body and Bones to bee raised and burnt 41. years after his Death and took his Ashes and threw into the River thinking thereby utterly to extinguish and abolish both the Name and Doctrine of VVickliff for ever for though they digged up his Body and burnt his Bones and drowned his Ashes yet the Word of God and truth of his Doctrine with the fruit and successe thereof they could not burn which yet to this day for the most part of his Articles do remain After the Death of Pope Gregory
the eleventh there ensued such a great Schisme in Rome between two Popes Urban and Clement and other succeeding after them one striving against another that the Schisme thereof indured the space of 39. years or there about untill the time of the Counsell of Constance As touching this pestilent and miserable Schisme It would require here another Iliad to comprehend in order all the circumstances and tragicall parts thereof what trouble in the whole Church what parts taking in every country what apprehending and imprisoning of Priests and Prelats taken by land and sea what shedding of Blood did follow thereoff how Otho Duke of Brunswick and Prince of Tarentum was taken and murthered how Joan his wife Queen of Jerusalem and Sicilia who before had sent to Pope Urban beside other gifts at his Coronation 40. m. Duckets in pure Gold was after by the said Urban committed to prison and in the same prison strangled What Cardinals were racked and miserably without all mercy tormented on Gibbets to death what slaughter of men what Battels were fought between the Popes whereof 5000. on the one side were slain beside the number of them who are taken Prisoners of the beheading of five Cardinals together after long torments And how the Bishop of Aquilonensis being suspected of Pope Urban for not ryding faster with the Pope his horse not being so good was there slain by the Popes commandement sending his Souldiers unto him to slay him and cut him in pieces with many moe acts of horrible cruelty happening in the time of this abominable Schisme About the same time aâ—so or about three years after there fell a cruell dissention in England between the common people and the Nobility the which did not a little disturb and trouble the Common-wealth In this tumult Simon of Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury was taken by the Rusticall and rude people and was beheaded In the year of God 1397. there was a battel foughteen betwixt Tamerlane the Tartarian Prince and Bajazet the fourth King of the Turks not far from the Mount Stella where Bajazer there lost his son Mustapha with two hundred thousand of his men and Tamerlane not many fewer Bajazet himself was taken and being brought to Tamerlane and after sundry things asked of him he inqired of him what he would have done with him if it had been his fortune to have fallen into his hands as thou art now in mine I would said Bajazer have inclosed thee in a Cage of Iron and so in triumph have carried thee up and down my Kingdom Even so said Tamerlane shalt thou be served And so he made him to be schaked in fetters and chains of gold and to be shut up in an Iron Cage made like a Grat in such sort as that he might on every side be seen and so carried him up and down as he passed through Asia to be of his own people scorned and derided And to his own further disgrace upon Festival dayes used him for a footstool to tread upon when he mounted to horse and at other times scornfully feed him like a Dog with crumes fallen from his Table A rare example of the uncertainty of worldly honour that he unto whose ambitious mind Asia and Europe two great parts of the world were too little should be now carried up and down cooped up in a little Iron Cage like some perillous wild beast all which Tamerlane did not so much for the hatred to the man as to manifest the just judgement of God against the arrogant folly of the proud It is reported that Tamerlane being requested by one of his Noblemen that might be bold to speak unto him to remit some part of his severity against the person of so great a Prince answered that he did not use that rigour against him as a King but rathet did punish him as proud ambitious Tyrant polluted with the blood of his own brother About this time Berthold Schwartz and Alchimist invented the Guns and Artilery After the death of John Wickliff many were persecuted and suffered most cruel death in England and many moe did forsake the Realm and weâ—e persecuted for the embracing professing and maintaining of VVckliffs doctrine And first of all we begin at one VVilliam Sawtre a good man and a faithfull Priest of the Churrh of St. Margaret in the Town of Lin and zealous of the true Religion he is brought before Thomas Arnndell Archbishop of Canterbury and his Clergie and is before them convict and condemned for Heresie he is first desposed and degraded from his Office and thereafter delivered to the secular power to be burned This it may appear how tKings and Princes have been blinded and abused by â—he false Prelates of the Church in so much that they have been their slaves and butchers to slay Christs poor innocent members See therefore what danger it is for princes not to have knowledge and understanding themselves but to be led by other mens eyes and especially trusting to such guides who through hypocrisie both deceive them and through cruelty devour the people As this King Henry the fourth was the first of English Kings that began the unmercifull burning of Christs Saints for standing against the Pope so was this VVilliam Sawtre the true and faithfull Martyr the first of all them after VVickliffs death which I find to be burned in the raign of the forsaid King which was in the year of our Lord 1400. After the Martyrdome of this godly man the rest of the same company began to keep themselves more clearly for fear of the King who was altogether bent to hold up the Popes Prelacie Such was the raign of this Prince that to the godly he was ever terrible in his actions immeasurable of few men heartily beloved but Princes never lack flatters about them neither was the time of his raigne very quiet but full of trouble of blood and misery After the death of VVilliam Sawtre was apprehended one John Badby a Taylor a Lay-man he was accused of heresie and other Articles repugnant to the determination of the Church of Rome before Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury and other his assiants both Lords Spirituall and Temporall and was condemned for an Heritick and delivered over to the Secular power to be burnt the Kings warrand is given for his burning he is brought into Smithfield and there being put in an empty Barrell was bound with Iron Chains fastened to an Stake having dry Wood put about him And as he was thus standing in the Pipe or Tun it happened that the Prince the Kings eldest son was there present who shewing some part of the good Samaritan began to endeavour and essay how to save his life he admonished counselled him that having respect unto himself he would speedily withdrawn himself out of these dangerous Labyrinths of opinions adding oftentimes threatnings the which might have daunted any mans stomack but hee hearkened not thereunto and then was the Tun put over him and fire put
handled in hatred of Christ The spoyl and havock of the city lasted three days together while the barbarous Souldiours murthered and rispled what them listed These things thus beâ—ng done and the tumult ceased after three dayes Mahomets the Turk entreth into the city and first calling for the Heads and Ancients of the city such as he found to be left alive he commanded them to be mangled and cut in pieces It is also reported that in the feasts of the Turks honest Matrons and Virgins and such as were of the Kings stock after other contumelies were hewen and cut in pieces for their disport And this was the end of that princely and famous city of Constantinople beginning first by Constantinos and ending also with Constantinus This terrible destruction of the city of Constantinople the Queen of cities may be a warning to all Christendome Rynold Peacock Bishop of Chichester is greatly afflicted persecuted by the Pops Prelats for his faith and profession he is forced by menaces and threatnings to recant and notwithstanding his recantation he is deteined still in prison where some say that hee was privately made away to death In the Reign of King Edward the fourth Joh Goose or John Hus a goodly constant servant of Christ was unjustly condemned and burnt at the Tower-hill Thus had England also this John Hus as well as Bohemia John Goose in Englsh is as much as John Hus in the Bohemian Language This John Goose being delivered to Robert Belisdon one of the Sheriffs to see him burnt in the afternoon The Sheriffliffe a charitable man had him home to his house and there exhorted him to deny saith the Story his error But the godly man after long exhortation heard desired the Sheriff to be content for he was satisfied in his conscience notwithstanding this he desired of the Sheriff for Gods sake to give him some meat saying tha the was very sore hungred Then the Sheriff commanded him meat whereof he took and did eat as if he had been toward no manner of danger and said to such as stood about him I eat now a good and compleat Dinner for I shall passe a little sharp showre ere I go to Supper and when he had Dined he gave thanks and requested that he might shortly be led to the place where he should yeeld up his spirit unto the Lord and so he was burned In the time of this King Edward the fourth this is not to be passed by that one Burdet a Merchand dwelling in Cheapside at the Sign of the Crown which is now the Sign of the Flower deluce merrily speaking to his son that he would make him Inheritor of the Crown meaning indeed his own house for the which words King Edward causing them to be misconstrued and interpreted as though he had meant the Crown of the Realm within leffe then four houres he was apprehended judged drawn and quartered at Cheapside here is Tyrannie in misconstruing a mans words and the Laws of the Realm misconstrued for the Kings pleasure In the ninth year of the Reign of Henry the seventh was burned a very old Woman above fourscore years named Joan Boughton Widow and Mother to Lady Young which Lady was also suspect to be of that opinon that her Mother was she was a Disciple of Wickliff and held so fast and firmly eight of his opinions that all the Doctors of London could not turn her from one of them And when it was told her that she should be burnt for her obstinacy and self-belief she set nothing by their menacing words but defyed them for she said that she was so beloved of God and his holy Angels that she passed not for the fire And in the mids thereof she cried to God to take her soul into his holy hands and so she was burnt he night following the most part of her ashes were had away of such as had a love unto the Doctrine she died for In the next year following was a Priest burnt which was so strong in his opinion that all the Clerks and Doctors then there being could not remove him from his Faith whereof the King being informed he caused the said Priest to be brought before his presence who by his perswasion caused him to revolt and so he was burnt immediatly The storm of persecution which had raged long in England against many good and godly men brake forth likewise in other parts of Christendome as in Germany Italy and France In Germany and other parts there about after the burning of John Hus were many put to death for religion In Italy one Thomas Rhedone a French-man and a Camelit Frier was burnt for the profession of Christ at Rome At this time also fell out the Martyrdome and burning of Hieronymus Savanatola a man no lesse godly in heart then constant in his profession he was a Monk in Italy and singularly well learned he Preached sore against the evill life and living of the Spirituality and especially of his own Order complaining sore upon them as the Springs and Authors of all mischiefs and wickednesse c. He with his two companions was hanged and burnt for the Gospels truth This man foreshewed many things to come as the destruction of Florence and Rome and the renewing of the Church which three things have happened in these times in this our remembrance also he foreshewed that the Turks and Mores in the latter dayes should be converted unto Christ he also declared that one should passe the Alps into Italy like unto Cyrus who should subvert and destroy all Italy whereupon Johannes Franciscus Picus Earl of Mirandula called him a holy Prophet and defended him by his Writtings against the Pope as many other learned men also defended the innocency of the said Savanarola And speaking of this Joannes Picus Earl of Mirandula it shall not be amisse to shew this Story of him This Picus being but a young man was so excellently witred and so singularly learned in all Sciences and in all Tongues both Latine Greek and Hebrew Chaldie and Arabie that coming to Rome Booted and Spurred he set up nine Conclusions to Dispute in the same with any in all Christenstome whosoever would come against him Of which Conclusions diverse were touching the matter of the Sacrament And when none was found in all Rome or in Europe that openly would Dispute with him privily and in corners certain of the Popes Clergy Prelat Lawyers and Friers by the Pope appointed consulted together to enquire upon his Conclusions whereupon they did Articulat against him for suspition of Heresie And thus the unlearned Clergy of Rome privily circumvented and intangled this learned Earl in their snare of Heresie against whom they durst never openly Dispute he died being of the age of thirty two years of such wit and towardnesse as is hard to say whither ever Italy bred up a better In his sicknesse Charles the eight then French King moved with fame of his Learning came to visite him
Prince of Spain and Mary Queen of England were married together by the Bishop of Winchester in the presence of a great number of Noblemen of both the Realms in the year of God 1554. Cardinal Pool is sent legate to the King and Queen to reconcile England to their mother Church Rome the Parliament suâ—mit themselves to the Pope his authority is restored which was matter of great joy to Rome Great was the bloody murthering of Gods Saints in the time of Queen Mary And first to begin with Master John Rogers he is condemned of the Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor for two articles first for that he affirmed the Romish Catholick Church to be the Church of Antichrist and that he denied the reality of their Sacrament he cursed him to be disgraded and condâ—mned and put into the hands of the Lâ—itie and so he gave him over into the Shireffs hand which were much better then his 2. That in the Sacrament of the Altar there is not substantially nor really the natural body and blood of Christ After that this John Rodgers had been long and straitly imprisoned by the space of an year and an half at New-gate amongst Theeves often examined and very uncharitably entreated and at length unjustly and most cruelly by wicked Winchester condemned Such was the Bishop of Winchester and Boner Bishop of London their charity that he could not obtain of them that favour as to talk a little with his wife before his burning for his wife and children being eleven in number ten able to go and on sucking on her breast met him by the way as he went towards Smithfield this sorrowfull sight of his own flesh blood could nothing move him but that he constantly and chearfully took his death with wonderful patience in the defence and quarrel of Christs Gospel As he was going to Smithfield he said the Psalm Miserere by the was all the people wonderfully rejoycing at his constancy with great praises and thanks to God for the same A littâ—e before his burning at the stake his pardon was brought if he would have recanted but he utterly refused it so he was burned into ashes washing his hands in the flamme as he was in burning he was the first Protomartyr of all that blessed company that suffered in Queen Maries time that got the first adventure upon the fire he was viccar of St. Pulchers and Reader of Pauls in London After that Mâ—ster Rodgers had broken the yce here under Queen Mary there suffered in like sort an Archbishop four Bishops twenty one Divines eight Gentlemen eighty four Artificers one hundred Husband-men Servants and Labourers twenty six Wives twenty Widows nine Virgins two boyes and two Infants with many moe yea it is recorded that in lesse then four years they sacrificed the lives of eight hundred innocents here to their Idols in Queen Maries daies We shall take a view of them that are most memorable Lawrence Sanders Preacher a man of worshipfull Parentage was burned for the defence of the Gospel at Coventree being led to the place of Execution he went in an old Gown and a Shirt bare-footed and oftentimes fell flat on the ground and prayed When he came to the fire he fell to the ground and prayed he rose up again and took the Stake to which he should be chained in his arms and kissed it saying welcome the Crosse of Christ welcome everlasting life and being fastned to the Stake and fire put to him full sweetly he sleeped in the Lord. Mr. John Hooper Bishop of Worchester and Glocester was burnt for the defence of the Gospel at Glocester he was a worthy Bishop endued with these qualities that St. Paul requires in a Bishop he was condemned at London and degraded by Bishop Winchester and others and sent to Glocester to be burnt As he went to the fire he was led between two Sheriffs as it were a Lamb to the place of slaughter in a Gown of his Hosts his Hat upon his head and a staff in his hand to stay himself withall for the grief of the Sciatica which he had taken in prison caused him sometimes to halt All the way he was straitly charged not to speak the people mourned bitterly for him After he was entred into his prayer a Box was brought and laid before him upon a Stool with his pardon or at the least wise it was fained to be his pardon from the Queen if he would he at the sight thereof cryed if ye love my soul away with it if ye love my soul away with it the Box being taken away the Lord Shandois said seeing there is no remedy dispatch him quickly Mr. Hooper said God my Lord I trust your Lady will give me leave to make an end of my prayers Then said the Lord Shandois to Sir Edmund Bridges take heed that he do nothing else but pray if he do tell me and I shall quickly dispatch him so he prayed in these words following Lord said he I am hell but thou art heaven I am swill and a stink of sin but thou art a gracious God and a merciful Redeemer have mercy therefore upon me most miserable and wretched offender after thy great mercie and according to thy inestimable goodnesse Thou that art ascended into heaven receive me hell to be partaker of thy joyes where thou sittest in equall glory with tâ—y Father for well knowest thou Lord whereof I am come hither to sâ—ffer and why the wicked do â—â—â—secute this thy poor servant not for my sins and â—â—â—sgressions committed against thee but because I will not allow their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy blood and to the denyall of the knowledge of thy truth wherewith it did please thee by thy holy Spirit to instruct me the which with as much diligence as a poor wretch might being thereto called I have set forth to thy glory And well seest thou my Lord and God what terrible pains and cruel torments be prepared for thy creature such Lord as without thy strength none is able to bear or patiently to passe but all things that are impossible with man are possible with thee Therefore strengthen me of thy goodnesse that in the fire I break-not the rules of patience or else aswage the terrour of the pains as shall seem most to thy glory After he had done he was put to the fire and he abode three quarters of an hour in the fire for it was slow in burnning and thrise it was kindled before he was consumed In the midst of the fire he prayed with a loud voice Lord Jesus have mercy upon me Lord Jesus have mercy upon me Lord Jesus receive my spirit and these were the last words that he was heard to utter But when he was black in the mouth and his tongue swollen that he could not speak yet his lips went til they were shrunk to the Gams and he knocked his breast with his hands untill one of his arms fell off and then knocked
this Disputation continued fifty dayes where many things were alledged on either part In end after long dispute and reasoning between the Bohemians and the Counsel there was a concord and unity concluded between them The Counsel permitted the Bohemians to Communicate under both kindes as a thing lawfull by the authority of Christ and profitable and healthfull to all such as duely received it As for the other three Articles the Bohemians promised to receive the Declaration of the Church touching them and confirmed it setting to their hands what the determination was of these three Articles I find it not Thus the Bohemians did constantly defend and maintain their Religion that Bishop of Rome could never yet divert them from it especially from the Communion of both kinds In the year of God 1438. The noble Art of Printing with Letters made in Brasse was found out a very Divine Invention worthy of memory and admiration yet were it more admirable if it ware not so much prophaned The Invention was Germanick and very strange at the beginning and of great profit John Gutemberge Knight was the first Author of this goodly Invention The thing was first essayed at Magance sixteen years before it was divulged in Italy One saith that John Faustus called Gutman Invented it with Peter Scheffer Now to leave the estate of the Church of Bohemia for a while we return to speak of the Persecutions in England and elsewhere for if we will read and mark and take a view of the stirres that have been from time to time for Religion we shall finde that in England is more burning and slaying for Religion and more blood shed amongst them then in any other Countrey or Nation in Christendome besides and because we cannot name all that hath been troubled and persecuted amongst them for Religion we shall name some of the most memorable And first of all in the first year of King Henry the sixth his Raign was burned the constant witnesse-bearer and testis of Christs Doctrine William Taylor a Priest under Henry Chichelie Archbishop of Canterbury for maintaining erroneous and hereticall Doctrine as they alledged as that prayer ought to be directed to God alone and to pray to any creature is to commit idolatry After long imprisonment with great constancy did consumat his Martyrdome Next William White Priest he was a follower of Iohn Wickliff and a Priest not after the common sort of Priests but rather reputed amongst the number of them whom the Wise-man speaks he was as the Morning Star in the midst of a Cloud c. This man was well learned upright and a well spoken Pâ—iest he was apprehended and taken by the Bishop of Norwich and of him condemned and burnt in Norwich this man was of so divine and holy life that all the people had him in great reverence and desired him to pray for them insomuch that one Margret Wright confessed that if any Saints were to be prayed unto she would rather pray to him then any other when he was come unto the Stake thinking to open his mouth to speak unto the people to exhort and confirm them in the verity one of the Bishops Servants took him on the mouth thereby to force him to keep silence And thus this good man receiving the Crown of Martyrdome ended this mortall life to the great dolour and grief to all the good men of Norfolk About this time also was burned Father Abraham of Colchester and John Waddon Priest for suspected Heresie Many both men and women in those dayes in the time of King Henry the sixt being suspect of Heresie or Lollaroy were apprehended and accused and cast into prison and greatly vexed and after their abjuration brought into open shame in Churches and Markets the form of the Popish pennance was this three fuistgations or displings in procession about the Cathedrall church three severall Sundays and three displings about the market place three principall market dayes his head and neck and feet being bare and his Body covered only with a short shirt or vesture having in his hands a taper of Wax of a pound weight which the next Sunday after his pennance hee should offer to the Trinity and that for the space of three years after every Ash wednesday and Munday and thursday he should appear in the Cathedrall Church before the Bishop or his Vicegerents to do open pennance among the penetentiaries for his offences In the year of God 1430. shortly after the solemn coronation of King Henry the sixt a certain man named Richard Hoveden a woll-winder and a citizen of London was burnt for suspition of Heresie This man when hee could by no perswasions be withdrawn or plucked back from the opinions of Wickliff he was by the rules of the Church condemned for Heresie and burned hard by the town of London Thomas Bagely a Priest being a valiant Disciple and adherent of Wickliff was condemned by the Bishop of Heresies at London and was degraded burnt in Smithfield In the dayes of King James the first Anno 1431. was deprehended in the University of St. Andrews one named Paul Craw a Bohemian and delivered over to the Secular power to be burnt for holding contrary opinions unto the church of Rome touching the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the worshipping of Saints Auricular confession with others of Wickliffs opinion they put a ball of Brasse in his mouth to the end he should not give confession of his Faith to the people neither yet that they should understand the defence which they had against their unjust acculation and condemnation Richard Wich Priest a man suspect of Heresie was degraded and burned at the Tower-hill It is testified of him that before his death he spoke as prophesying that the posterior of the Tower should sink which also afterward came to passe wherefore of many of the people hee was counted for an holy man in so much as it is affirmed they came to the place where he was burnt and there made their oblations and prayers and a red great heap of stones and set up a crosse there by night so that by this means a great clamour ran upon the Church men and especially upon such as put him to death Then to cease therein more the King gave commandement to punish such as went thither on pilgrimage Here is to be remembred the lamentable losing of Constantinople in the year of God 1453. Constantinus Palaeologus being Emperor of Constantinople was taken by the Turk Mahometes after the siege of fifty four dayes which siege began in the beginning of April The Emperor was slain and the Turks sacking and ranging about streets houses and corners did put to the sword most unmercifully whomsoever they found both aged and young Matrons Virgins Children and Infants sparing none The Noble Matrons and Virgins were horriblie ravished the Goods of the City the Treasures in houses the Ornaments in the Churches were all sacked and spoyled the Pictures of Christ opprobriously
The furniture of his Books cost him 70â—0 Florents a little before his death his mind was to give all away and to take a Towl and Preach but the Lord would not permit him With two Popes that is with Pope Innocent and Alexander the sixt he had much vexation Under the Raign of Fredericus the third Emperor of Germany was one Iohn a Pastor or a Neat herd which was a keeper of Cattel him the Bishop of Herbipolis condemned and burnt for an Heretick because he taught and held that the life of the Clergy was ignominious and abominable before God But to proceed in the Persecutions of the Godly in England in King Henry the seventh his Raign In the Diocesse of Lincoln in Buckinghame-shire William Smith being Bishop of the same Diocesse one William Tylesworth was burned in Amershame his only Daughter being a married Woman a Godly and a Faithfull Woman was compelled with her own hands to set fire to her dear father and at the same time her husband did penance at her fathers burning and bare a Fagot as did also many moe At the burning of this William Tylsworth were sixty and above that were put to bear Fagots for their Penance of whom diverse were injoyned to bear and wear Fagots at Lincoln for the space of seven years some at one time some at another c. In which number was also Robert Barlet a rich man who for his Possessions sake was put out of his Farm and Goods and was condemned to be kept in the Monasterie of Ashange were he did wear on his right Sleeve a square piece of Cloath the space of seven years together About the same time also of the burning of Wilâ—iam Tylesworth was one Father Roberts burned at Buckinghame he was a Miller and dwelt at Missenden and at his burning there were about twenty persons that were compelled to bear Faggots and to do such pennance as the wicked Pharisees did compell them After that by the space of two or three years was burned at Amersham Thomas Bernard a husband man and James Mordan a labourer and they two was burned both at one fire Also there were thirty burned on the right Cheek at the same time and bare Faggots the cause was that they would table against Superstition and Idolatrie and were desireous to hear and read the holy Scriptures The manner of their burning on the cheek was this their necks was tyed fast to a Poast or Stay with Towels and their hands holden that they might not stir and so the Iron being hot was put to their cheeks and thus bare they the Prints and Marks of the Lord Jesus about them At this time also in the dayes of King Henry the seventh was one Laurence Ghest which was burned in Salisbury for the matter of the Sacrament he was of a comely and tall Personage he was kept in Prison the space of two years This Laurence had a Wife and seven Children wherefore they thinking to expugne and perswade his mind by stirring his fatherly affection toward his Children when the time came which they appointed for his burning as he was at the Stake they brought before him his Wife and his foresaid seven Children at the sight whereof although Nature is commonly bent to work in other yet in him Religion overcoming Nature made his constancy to remain unmoveable in such sort as when his Wife began to exhort and desire him to favour himself he again desired her to be content and not to be a block in his way for he was in a good course running towards the mark of his Salvation and so fire being put to him he finished his life renouncing not only Wife and Children but also himself to follow Christ As he was in burning one of the Bishops men threw a fire-brand at his face whereat the brother of Laurence standing by ran at him with his Dagger and would have slain him had he not been otherwise stayed It is recorded likewise in the raign of this King Henry the seventh when the people was returning from the burning of a faithfull woman at Cheaping Sadbery for alledged Heresie by Doctor Whitington the Bishops Chancelour who was present at the execution as hee returned with the rest there happened that a Bull escaping from the Butcher into the street he passed through the throng of the people every one drawing aside and shifting for himself and touching neither man nor childe till hee came where the Chancelour was against whom the Bull as pricked with a sudden vehemency ran upon him with his horns and taking him upon the paunch gorred him throw and throw and so killed him immediatly carrying his guts and trailing them with his horns all the streets over to the great admiration and wonder of all them that saw it Here we see a plain miracle of Gods mighty power and judgement both in the punishing of this wretched Chancellour and also in admonishing all other like persecutors by his example to fear the Lord and to abstain from the like cruelty Besides these before mentioned many moe in this King Henry the seventh his raign were persecuted for their Religion specially in the diocesse of Coventree and Lich-field among whom we shall name these few First John Blomston was openly and publickly infamed accused reported and apeached that he was a very Heretick because he had preached taught holden and affirmed that the power attributed to St. Peter in the Church oâ— God by one Saviour Jesus Christ immediatly did not flitte or passe from him to remain with his Successors Item that there was as much vertue in an Herb as in the Image of the Virgine Mary Item that prayer and Alms avail not the dead for incontinent after death he goeth either to Heaven or hell whereupon hee concludeth there is no Purgatory c. Richard Heghame in the same City of Coventree was accused to be a very Heretick because that hee did hold that a Christian man being at the point of death should renounce all his own works good and ill and submit him to the mercy of God Item It was fondnesse to worship the images of our Lady of Tower in the forsaid City or of other Saints for they are but stocks and stones Item that if the image of our Lady of Tower were put into the fire it would make a good fire Item that it were better to deal money unto the poor folks than to offer to the Image of Christ and other Saints which are but dead stocks and stones John Smith was accused to be a very Heretick because he did hold every man is bound to know the Lords Prayer and the Creed in English if he might for these false Priests Thomas Butler was likewise accused to bee a very Heretick because he did hold that there were but two wayes that is to say to heaven and to hell Item that there was no Purgatory for every man immediatly after death passeth either to heaven or hell Item that prayers