then doubt whether we are in the straight way or no when ye behold our sufferings would you have a better signe then this to know whether we are in the right way or no Compare our Doctrine with that of your Priests and Monkes we for our parts are determined to have but one Christ and him crucified we onely embrace the Scriptures of the old and new Testament Are we deceived in beléeving that which the holy Prophets and Apostles have taught One of the Fryers turning towards Martin said youngman be well advised for thy father and thy brother have acknowledged the seven Sacraments of the Church together with us and thou poore silly youth hast heard some wicked Heretique who hath deluded thée thinkest thou thy selfe wiser then so many learned Doctors as have lived in so many ages Martin answered I pray you Sir doth not Christ our Lord tell us that his Father hath hid the secrets of his Kingdome from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Mat. 11. 25. Iob 5. 13. babes And doth not the Lord oftentimes catch the wise in their owne craftinesse And whereas you say my Father and Brother have confessed seven Sacraments I well perceive by this that I ought not to give credit to ought you say knowye not that the Devill is the father of lies and all liers Is it not sufficient that I acknowledge so many Sacraments as God himselfe hath instituted and ordained to wit Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Then came there into the prison two men of great authority in the City of Lisle the one called Mounsieur Barras the other Beaufremes who promised Martin great matters if he would recant and returne to the Roman Church Beaufremes among other spéeches said thus unto him Young man I have compassion on thy tender yéeres if thou wilt be ruled by us I will 100 〈◊〉 amount to two hundred crownes but this faithfull Martyr of Christ was not like Iudas who for love of money sold his Master promise thée thou shalt not die this shamefull death moreover I will give thée one hundred pounds sterling Martin gave him this answere Sir you present before me many temporall commodities but alas doe you thinke me so simple as to forsake an eternall Kingdome for enioying of a short transitory life No sir it is too late to speake to me now of worldly commodities but of those spirituall which God hath prepared for me today in his Kingdome nor doe I purpose to hearken after any other onely I pray you let me crave one houres respite to give my selfe to prayer and calling upon the Name of my God for you know now it is eight daies since my father departed this world and hitherto I have scarce enioyed an hours rest That which I have had hath rather béen to slumber in then have any quiet sléepe having continually had eight or nine persons invironing me about and talking unto me After these great men were forced to goe even as they came Martin declared the effect of this his combat to certaine Brethren who were there detained with him in prison saying moreover Let us lift up our heads Brethren the brunt is over this I hope is their last assault forget not I pray you the holy doctrine of the Gospell nor those good lessons which you have learned from our Brother Guy It is very likely hee meanes Guy de Brez a godly Minister of whom you shall read more God willing hereafter Manifest it now to all that you have received them not only into your eares but also into your hearts follow me we leade you the way feare not God will never leave nor forsake you farewell Brethren said he and so departed from them Soone after Martin and his mother were bound and brought to the place of their Martyrdome His mother having ascended the scaffold cryed to Martin Come up Come up my sonne And as he was speaking to the people she said Speake out Martin saith she that it may appeare to all that we die not Heretiques Martin would have made a confession of his faith but could not be suffered His mother being bound to the stake spake in the hearing of the Spectators We are Christians and that which we now suffer is not for murther or theft but because we will beléeve no more than that which the Word of God teacheth us Both reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the same The fire being kindled the vehemency thereof did nothing coole or abate the fervency of their zeale but they continued constant in the faith and with lifting up their hands to heaven in an holy accord said Lord Iesus into thy hands we The happy death of the mother and her sonne commend our spirits And thus they blessedly slept in the Lord. These were the fruits which these holy assemblies in the City of Lisle brought forth None néed to enquire whether the rest were suffered to live in peace for what other spectacles were to be espied in the high waies and fields but poore fugitives flying hither and thither for safegard of their lives So great was the cruelty which was then and there exercised among them and yet when all is done God will be glorified in his Saints and children ¶ Iohn Rebec Martyr burned at Aniers in France the 24 of Aprill 1556. THis Robert had his tongue cut out because he A Martyrs tongue cut out for refusing to call upon the virgin Mary would not pronounce Iesus Maria to joyne them both in one prayer for being urged thereunto with great threats he boldly answered that if his tongue should but offer to utter those words at their bidding himselfe would bite it asunder with his téeth ¶ Bartholomew Hector Martyr was burned according to the sentence of the parliament of Turin in Piedmont in the yeer 1556. Iune the 19. BEing called before Authority to be examined ' The Martyr would not answer the Adversary till he had first craved assistance from God he would answer them to nothing before he had made his prayer to God Whereupon falling downe there on his knées he besought him to open his mouth and to direct his spéech onely to utter that which might tend to his honor and glory and to the edification of his Church Afterwards when he was bound to the stake gunpowder and brimstone was brought to be placed about him he lifing up his eyes to heaven and saying Lord how sweet and welcome is this to me ¶ Charles Covincke or le Roy de Gand once Anno 1557. a Friar Carmelite at Gand in Flanders was apprehended and executed at Bruges in the same Countrey Anno 1557. Aprill 27. BEing perswaded by his brother to returne Charles would none of his popish habit which he had once rejected againe to his Order and take upon him his fryers habit he made him this direct answer what néeds that saith he now I have cast off that popish wéed I
was in his body And thus yée have heard the godly life and blessed end of this constant martyr ¶ Martin Bayart Claude du Flot with Io. Dantricourt borne in the Countrey of Artois and Noel Tournemine of Hering neere Seclin Martyrs 1566. YOu may easily discerne by the former Histories that the cruelties exercised against the Faithfull in Flanders nothing diminished the increasing of them for the innocent bloud thus shed was a meanes to bring many ignorant soules to the knowledge of the Truth These foure above named dwelling in the City of Lisle walked in the feare of the Lord with zeale according to knowledge as the event well manifested There was a Iesuit in the said City who had a servant that was cousin to one of the Martyrs with whom they laboured not without some perill first to shew him the odiousnesse of that sect and then to instruct him in the doctrine of the Gospell To which purpose they lent him a booke containing good instructions drawne out of the holy Scriptures The silly fellow not considering the hurt that might follow shewed it soone after to his Master The false Prophet by and by knew that this booke was not forged upon his anvile and therefore diligently enquired of his man where he had it Now that he might with the more expedition attaine his desire he gave him a piece of seven stivers telling him he should do well to bring him to the knowledge of them from whom he had received it which was not hard to doe in regard they all foure wrought upon their Trade which was to dresse sayes in an honest widowes house who professed the same Religion with them The Iesuite comming to the knowledge hereof failed not according to their guise to reveale it to the Magistrate Now lest he might be suspected to be the betrayer of them the Fox withdrew himselfe the same time out of the City whilst on a saturday morning about two of the clocke these foure were apprehended and imprisoned by the Magistrate It fell out the same day that certain writings were set up upon the Towne-house against the horrible tyranny of the Spanish Inquisition which was then intended to be brought in and executed throughout the Low-Countries which no doubt was the meanes wherby the Magistrates were the rather incensed against the prisoners But forasmuch as they were not found guilty of having any hand in this businesse they were onely examined about matters concerning their Faith To which they answered with such Anno 1566. courage and constancy without varying or wavering that the Iailour wondred how they could answer the Iudges so directly and pertinently as it were with one consent being notwithstanding severed one from another in the prison The second of March 1566. they were condemned for heretiques by the Provost of the City to which they replyed that if they were Heretiques then Gods word must néeds be heresie which could not be and therefore they fréely protested before all that they were Christians and held nothing but that which was agréeable to the word of God They were asked if they would submit themselves to the will of the Magistrates They answered they would submit themselves to the will of God Then was sentence of death forthwith pronounced upon them which was that they should be burned alive before the Towne-house When they were brought out of Prison to be executed Noels father came and embraced him and kissing him said Art thou led my son in this sort unto death This is nothing Father said hée for now am I going to life And howsoever Noel wept in going up to the Scaffold séeing his father so dissolved into teares yet recovering himselfe and being armed with new courage he cryed O yée Priests if we would have gone to your Masse we néeded not to have béen here but Iesus Christ never commanded nor instituted any such thing The Priests standing at the foot of the scaffold laboured to make the people beéeve they were Heretiques and that their faith was the faith of devills because they rejected the Sacraments But to that one of them answered that their Faith was nothing like to that of devills and as touching the Sacraments they held so many as Christ ordained Then said Martin suffer us to die in peace for we are in the right way and are going to Iesus Christ hinder us not in this our journey with these and the like spéeches the Priests mouthes were stopped not daring to come up upon the Scaffold as they were wont to doe Iohn Dauticourt comming up recited the articles of the Créed adding somewhat by way of exposition upon every Article Those who knew him before his imprisonment marvelled to heare him speake so judiciously The executioner thinking to please his Masters offered to gag him but the patient promised to hold his peace Yet being straitly fastened to the stake by the necke he said to the people O my friends were it for speaking wickedly that they commanded me to be silent it were somewhat but I cannot be permitted to speake unto you the word of God and with a loud voice said Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or anguish O Lord we are delivered to death for thy sake and are appointed as sheepe for the slaughter But let us be of good cheere my brethren for wee shall be more than conquerours through him that loved us The other thrée on their parts cryed and said Mat. 7. 14. This this is the way that leads to life this is the strait way by which we must enter thereinto as Christ our Lord hath taught us Noel likewise said Enter you my brethren and whilest I am alive pray for me for after death prayers prevaile not When all of them were fastened to their stakes and covered with fagots with fire ready to set thereto they began with one voice to sing the first part of the seven and twentieth Psalme and after that the song of Simeon to the end after which the fire began to be kindled in the middest whereof they were heard to cry ten or twelve times to the Lord especially Iohn and Noel with loud voices calling and saying Lord receive us this day unto mercy and unto thy kingdome And thus ceasing to cry any more they yéelded up their soules into the hands of God This constancy of theirs procéeding from the worke of Gods Spirit was not without singular fruit for the inlarging of the Church for many being touched therewith went home thence as if they had gone from a powerfull sermon ¶ Francis D' Alost in Flanders Martyr in the yeare 1566. THis yong man being by his trade a Cutler during the time of his ignorance frequented the Court much and tooke great delight in the vanity of this world which gat him much respect of many but chiefly among those of the Romish Religion namely Priests and Monkes who willingly conversed with him taking much contentment in his carriage and course
when the time was now come that God had given them power to prove and try his Church they foreflowed not to exercise their cruelty upon if which long before they had plotted and contrived Upon Saturday then the sixth of March Ann. 1556. betwéene nine and ten of the Clocke in the night the Provost of the City with his Sergeants armed themselves to make search if they could finde any met together â—t houses but as then there was no assembly Therfore they came to the house of one whose name was Robert Oguier which was a little Church for all both great and small men-servants and maâ—ds were familiarly instruded thers in the knowledge of God as the issue well manifested Being violently entred into the said house and séeking here and there for their prey they found certaine bookes which they carried away But he whom they principally aimed at was not then in the house viz. Baudicon the sonne of the said Robert Oâ—â—uler who at that time was gone abroad to commune and talke of the word of God with some of the brethren as he oft used to do Returning home he knocked at the dore Martin his younger brother watching his conunting bad him be gone willing him not to come in But Baâ—dicon thinking his brother mistooke him for some other said it is I open the dore with that the sergeants approching nigh unto it opened the same and causing him to enter in said Ah Sir you are well met to whom he answered I thank you my friends you also are welcome hither Then said the Provost I arrest you all in the Emperors name and with that commanded each of them to be bound to wit the husband his wife with their two sons leaving their two daughters to looke to the house Now as they conveied them along through the stréets Baudicon with a voice somewhat extended which might easily be heard The prayer which Baudicon made as he was led to prison at that time of the night said O Lord assist us by thy grace not onely to be prisoners for thy name sake but to confesse thy holy truth in all purity before men so farre as to seale the same with our blouds for the edification of thy poore Church Thus were they brought into severall prisons where they were severally handled yet ceased they not to praise and blesse the Lord with one consent within a few daies after the prisoners were presented before the Magistrates of the City and examined as touching their course of life who directed their spéech first to Robert Oguier in these words It is told us that you never come to masse yea and also dissuade others from comming thereto wee are further informed that you maintain conventicles in your house causing erroneous doctrines to be preached there contrary to the ordinance of our holy Mother the Church whereby you have transgressed the lawes of the Imperiall Maiesty Robert Oguier answered whereas first of all you lay to my charge that I goe not to Masse I refuse so to do indéed because the death and pretious bloud of the sonne of God and his sacrifice is utterly abolished there and troden under foot For Christ by one sacrifice hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified The Apostle saith by Heb. 10. 14. one offering For do we read in all the scriptures that either the Prophets Christ or any of his Apostles ever said masse for they knew not what it meant Christ indéed instituted the holy Supper in which all Christian people doe communicate together but they sacrificed not If you please to read the Bible over you shall never finde the Masse once mentioned therein And therefore it is the méer invention of men You know then what Christ saith In vain do they worship me Mat. 15. 9. teaching for doctrines the commandements of men If either my selfe or any of mine had béene at Masse which is ordained by the commandement of men Christ would have told us we had worshipped him in vaine As for the second accusation I cannot nor will deny but there have met together in my house honest people fearing God I assure you not with intention to wrong or harme any but rather for the advancement of Gods glory and the good of many I knew indéed that the Emperor had forbidden it but what then I knew also that Christ in his Gospell had commanded it Where two or Mat. 18. 20. three saith he are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Thus you sée I could not well obey the Emperour but I must disobey Christ In this case then I choose rather to obey my God then man One of the Magistrates demanded what they did when they met together To which Baudicon the eldest son of Robert Oguier answered if it please you my Masters to give mée leave I will open the businesse at large unto you The Sheriffes séeing his promptnes looking one upon another said well let us heare it then Baudicon lifting up his eies to heaven began thus when we méet together in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ to heare the word of God we first of all prostrate upon our knées before God and in the humility of our Spirits doe make a confession of our sinnes before his divine Maiestie Then we pray that the word of God may be rightly divided and purely preached wee also pray for our Soveraigne Lord the Emperour and for all his honourable Counsellors that the Common-wealth may be peaceably governed to the glory of God yea we forget not you whom we acknowledge our superiors intreating our good God for you and for this whole City that you may maintaine it in all tranquility Thus I have summarily related unto you what we do thinke you now whether wée have offended so highly in this matter of our assemblies Moreover if you will not be offended to heare the tenour of the prayers we make there I am ready to recite the same unto you One of the Magistrates gave him a signe by which hée might understand that they desired to heare it Baudicon then knéeling downe before them prayed with such fervency of affection that the like ardency of zeale never appeared in him in so admirable a maner as at that time Insomuch that the Magistrates were forced to burst forth into tears beholding what a gratious Spirit the yong man was endued withall Then standing up hée said now your Masterships may take a scantling by this how wée are imployed in our méetings Whilst they were thus examined ech of them made an open confession of the faith which they held After this being returned againe into prison they not long after were put to the torture to make them confesse who they were that frequenteÌ„d their house but they would discover none unlesse such as were well knowne to the Iudges or else were at that time absent About foure or five daies after they were convented againe before their Iudges namely the
had we feared the same we had never exposed our bodies to this so shamefull and painfull a kinde of death Then he often reiterated these short breathings O God Father everlasting accept the sacrifice of our bodies for thy well beloved Sonne Iesus Christs sake One of the Friers cried Heretike thou liest he is none of thy father the Devill is thy father And thus during these conflicts he bent his eyes to heaven and speaking to his father said Behold for I sée the heavens open and millions of Angels ready prest to receive us rejoycing to sée us thus witnessing the truth in the view of the World Father let us be glad and rejoyce for the joyes of heaven are set open unto us Then said one of the Fryers I sée hell open and millions of Devils present to carry you thither But the Lord who never forsakes any that put their trustin him stirred up the heart and opened the mouth of a poore man who stood among the multitude beholding this spectacle who being moved with compassion cryed aloud Be of good comfort Baudicon stand thou to it thou 〈◊〉 in a good quarrell I am on thy side after which words he departed thence and a way being made for him saved himselfe from danger Fire was forthwith put to the straw and wood which burnt beneath whilest they not shrinking for the paines spake one to another Baudicon often repeating this in his fathers eares Faint not father nor be afraid Yet a very little while and wee shall enter into the heavenly mansions In the end the fire growing hot upon them the last words they were heard to pronounce were Iesus Christ thou Sonne of God into thy hands we commend our spirits And thus these two slept swéetly in the Lord. Within eight dayes after Iane the mother and Martin her sonne were executed in the same City of Lile but of this more hereafter Iane the wife of Robert Oguier and Martin her sonne Martyrs THe wife here followes her husband and accompanies her sonne her conversion is admirable for being severed from him the Friers having seduced her laboured with her to turne her some also out of the right way but he understanding thereof recovers his mother againe and so they both gaue their lives for the truth to the great confusion of their enemies But before we come to describe their happy ends we will as briefely as may be note by the way the great conflicts of spirit which both of them sustained There were sent unto them many of the popish rabble to turne them from their faith Now that this their devillish enterprise might the rather be effected they sundred one of them from the other so as by the politique deuice of a Monke the poore woman began to waver and let goe her first faith At this their enemies rejoyced not a little whilest the poore little flocke of Christ hearing such sad newes were in continuall perplexity but the Lord left them not in this mournfull condition For on a day one of the Monkes resorted to her in the prison counselling her to win her sonne Martin and to draw him from his errors which she promised to doe But when he was come to his Mother and perceiued that she was not onely fallen but also quite turned out of the right way he began with teares to bewayle her miserable estate O Mother saith he what have you done Have you denyed him who hath redéemed you Alas what evill hath he done you that you should requite him with this so great an iniury and dishonour Now I am plunged into that woe which I have most feared Ah good God that I should live to sée this which pierceth me to the very heart His Mother hearing these his pittifull complaints and séeing the teares which her sonne shed for her began againe to renue her strength in the Lord and with teares cryed out O Father of mercies be mercifull unto me miserable sinner and cover my transgression under the righteousnesse of thy blessed Sonne Lord enable me with strength from above to stand to my first confession and make me to abide stedfast therein even unto my last breath It was not long after this her change but the same instruments of Satan who had seduced her came in supposing to finde her in the same minde wherein they left her whom she no sooner espied but with detestation said Avoyd Satan get thee behinde me for henceforth thou hast neither part nor portion in me I will by the help of God stand to my first confession And if I may not signe it with Inke I will seale it with my blood And so from that time this fraile vessell who for a while relented after her recovery grew stronger and stronger The Iudges séeing their constancy delayed not to dispatch them out of the way condemning them to be burned alive and their bodies being reduced to ashes the same to be scattered and dispersed in the aire The mother and the sonne having heard their sentence read in the way as they were going backe againe to prison said now blessed be our God who causeth us thus to triumph over our enemies This is the wished houre our gladsome day is come Let us not then said Martin forget to be thankefull for the honour he doth us in thus conforming us unto the Image of his Sonne Let us remember those who have traced this path before us for this is the high way to the Kingdome of heaven Let us then good Mother goe on boldly out of the Campe with the Son Heb. 13. 13. of God bearing his reproach with all his holy Martyrs for so we shall finde passage into the glorious Kingdome of the everliving God Some of the company hearing but not being able to brooke these words said we sée now thou heretique that thou art wholly possessed body and soule with a divell as was thy father and brother who are both in Hell Martin said Sirs as for your railings and cursings our God will this day turne them into blessings in the sight of himselfe and of all his holy Angels A certaine temporizer said to Martin thou silly See here the sundry â—ights of Satan youth thou sayest thou knowest not what thou art too well conceited of thy selfe and of thy cause Séest thou not all this people here about thée what thinkest thou of them they beléeve not as thou doest and yet I doubt not but they shall be saved But you imagine to doe that which will never come to passe though you pretend never so much that you are in the faith and have the Scriptures for you The good woman hearing this answered Sir Christ Iesus our Lord saith that it is the wide gate and broad way which leades to destruction Mat. 7. 12. and therefore many gooe in thereat but the gate saith he is narrow that leades to life and few How we may know we are in the right way there be that finde it Doe ye
doth not our Lord Iesus Christ say blessed are you when men persecute you and speake all manner of evill falsly against you for my name sake Rejoice therefore and be glad for great is your reward in heaven Now whereto serveth all this my beloved but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Iesus Christ For Christ hath suffered for us saith the Apostle saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 21. leaving us an example that we should walke in his steps who also endured the crosse and despised Heb. 12 2. the shame for the obtaining of that joy which was set before him and became poore to make us rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. By him also are we brought by faith into that Rom. 5 2. state of grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. Wherefore deare brother and sister be not afrayd of the fiery tryall which is now sent amongst us to prove us For what Father loving his childe doth not correct it Heb. 12. Even so doth the Lord chastise those whom he loveth for if we should be without correction wherof all true Christians are partakers then were we bastards and not sons And therefore Salomon saith my sonne despise not the chastening of the Prov. 3. 11 12. Lord neither faint when thou are corrected of him for whom the Lord loveth the same he correcteth even as a Father the sonne in whom he delighteth Feare not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the head and we are his members Even as Christ then hath obtained full joy glory by suffering of anguishes and sorrowes so we also according to his example must through Acts 14 21. many tribulations enter into the heavenly places even into the new Ierusalem Let us then say Phil. 1. 21. with saint Paul Christ unto me is in life and in death advantage Let us cry out with him O Rom. 7 24. wretched creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death Sée here how the faithfull have desired to be with Christ for with Abraham they had an eye to that holy City Anno 1562. which hath foundations whose builder and maker Heb. 11. 10. is God Let vs then my beloved chéerefully and willingly follow the Lord possessing our soules by patience For it is a good thing as saith the Prophet Ieremiah both to hope and quietly to Lam. 3. 26. waite for the salvation of the Lord and good also it is for a man to beare the yoke in his youth for such the Lord will comfort in the end and restore unto them the joy of his salvation Loe here deare brother and sister what consolations our God hath treasured up for us in his holy word for us I say whose desire it is to feare the Lord and to trust in his grace and mercy For Psal 37. 39. the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord hée is their strength in the time of trouble Wherfore q giving all diligence let us adde to faith vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse love for if these things be in us and abound they will cause us neither to be idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ The which God our Father grant us for his Sonnes sake our Lord Amen Out of my hole December the eleventh 1562. Wouter Oom prisoner for the truth Now because ye may see that this Letter was not without its happy effect hearken to the relation of the History following THere was one Iohn Wolfe of the City of Audenard who because he could no longer inhabite there without either the danger of his life or wounding of his conscience his wife being great with childe and as yet but weake in the knowledge of the Gospell he was forced for these respects to joyne himselfe to the assembly of the Church in Antwerpe where thinking himselfe in safety a neighbour of his owing him ill will accused him to the Margrave about the baptising of his childe Whereupon being then committed and examined where and in whose presence his childe was baptized he without staggering answered that he had it baptised according to the institution of Christ by a Minister set apart to that Office The Margrave not content with this answer often pressed him with sundry threats of the torture to accuse such as he knew But the sharpest combat he endured was from his owne flesh counselling him during his imprisonment for the safegard of his life to dissemble and halt betwéen two opinions The cause was from the inward affection he bore towards his wife and childe being yet but young and of singular beauty in regard whereof many of the congregation expected no other but that he would sinke under this tryall But in the middest of these assaults hée was heard with prayers and sighes to cry mightily to God to bée delivered from this temptation Which prayers of his were heard in due season even then Whither wee ought to fly in time of temptation when in the judgement of man he was supposed to be overcome thereof meanes was made of bringing to his hands consolatory letters as also the said Wouter Dom then prisoner with him comforted him not a little by his letters Whereby in the end he continued so strong in the Lord as also constant in the confession of the truth that in conclusion he received the sentence of death with the aforesaid Wouter After which his wife came unto him and they were permitted to talke together bursting out each of them into such abundance of teares that it would have moved the most stony heart that ever was At parting with a bitter cry hée commended her to Gods mighty protection and his childe to be trained up in the true Religion Soone after hée was drowned in the tub or fat of the prison and the next day hanged upon one of the Gibbets néer unto the City ¶ A relation of the troubles and martyrdome of Christian Quekere Iaques Dionssart and Iean de Salomez of Steenwerk in Flanders To whom God gave such ability to answer their enemies demands as if they had come from persons much more learned Which shewes that God measures out to all the gifts and graces of his holy Spirit according to his good will and pleasure WHilest the persecution continued at this time in sundry places of Flanders under Philip King of Spaine and that many fled into England under the protection of Quéene Elizabeth these thrée above mentioned were of the same number who joyned themselves to the Dutch Church in London having given publique testimony of their faith before all the Congregation In which place they continuod not long but they were constrained upon some speciall occasions to
returne into their owne countrey againe taking boat about the end of Iune Anno 1560. They were no sooner arrived at Nieuport but two of them to wit Iames and Ieane endeavored to passe on to Honscot leaving Christian to come at his leisure because he was not well at ease having also a fardel of small books of religion The Bailife with some others méting him upon the way asked him whence he came and whither he was going as also what he was Christian framed them such an answer that they could take no advantage against him travelling as hée did upon the way onely they spied about him that fardell of books by occasion whereof they brought him backe into the City and having learned that he came over wish two others the Bailiffe forthwith sent his lievtenant towards Honscot who so wilily handled the matter that in the end he caught them and brought them bound to the City of Furn. Where for a few daies they were prisoners together with the foresaid Christian in which condition they mutually comforted and encouraged one another but their adversaries soone separated them thinking therby to weaken their strength constancy and fortitude Upon the first of their interrogatories which was about the third and fourth of Iuly they asked Iames why he separated from the church of Rome Ans Because it is not the church of Christ Quest How know you that Answer Because it hath neither the Word of God soundly preached the Sacraments duly administred nor the Ecclesiasticall Discipline after a right manner executed Iames gave good and solid reasons hereof shewing that in their Church was taught that soules must bée saved by saying of Masses long prayers invocation of saints pilgrimages with other such vaine and deceivable hopes yea said the Priest doe you thus judge of those who give to Iesus Christ bread when he is hungry and drinke when he is thirsty and cloath Anno 1563. him being naked c. And so went on with multiplying many words not suffering the said Iames to finish what he was about to have said Others asked him if he could prove that they had not the true administration of Baptisme Answer You have so obscured it with your owne additions that a man can scarce discerne it to be Baptisme Quest What thinke you then of your owne Baptisme Answ Were I now to be baptised I would not receive it from your Church so well it likes me that I have received it from you Being demanded what he said to the Sacrament of the Altar he proved evidently how farre off it was from the first institution of the Lords supper And as concerning the Ecclesiasticall discipline hée uttered more of their corrupting of it then they were willing to heare After this they were examined by two friers who were chosen out for the purpose one of them was Iohn Campo superintendent of the Gray Friers of Dixmude the other was called Peter Pennet Prior of the Carmelites in Ypre These two examined the thrée prisoners first upon the articles of the faith and then if they beléeved that Christ was made of the séed of the woman Iames answered we are all perswaded that Iesus Christ was made of the séed of the woman according as God hath promised Gen. 3. 15. Moreover of the séed of Abraham add of David and Gal. 4. 4. Rom. 1. 3. Heb. 4. 15. that he was in all things made like unto his brethren sinne onely excepted After many other questions upon divers points they were asked whether in the consecration of the Masse the body of Christ was present there or no No said Iames It is nothing like the Lords Supper which Christ gave to them that sate at table with him According to which institution the faithfull being assembled together Acts 2. 42. brake bread c. Nor shall ye find in the Scriptures that one alone receiveth or that the rest stood and looked on And if Saint Paul justly challenged the Corinthians because every oue was forward to eat his owne supper apart 1 Cor. 11. 20. much more are you worthy of their reprehension I doe therefore ranke you amongst those false prophets which our Lord Iesus Christ hath warned Mat. 24 23. us of who will say thus unto us Lo here is Christ and there he is Hereunto the adversaries replyed Doth not Christ in expresse words say This is my body This is my bloud Answer The words must not be taken as they sound in a literall sence for so they shall have no agréement with other like places of Scripture You know the words belonging to the antient Sacraments were expounded by the holy Ghost himselfe Circumcision is called the Covenant and the Lambe is called the Passeover albeit they were but the signes thereof They asked if God were not omnipotent Yes said Iames but yet he will doe nothing against his Word Quest If the bread be not changed why doth 1 Cor. 11. 29. Saint Paul affirme That whosoever eats of this bread unworthily eats judgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body Wée acknowledge all this said they because a man ought to examine himselfe before he presume to come to that holy banquet for in the Supper we receive not only bread and wine but doe also truly partake of the body and bloud of Christ as Saint Paul teacheth us 1 Cor. 10. 16. Matrimony In the fourth place they were asked if mariage were not a Sacrament No said Iames for sacraments are not things indifferent to Christians as mariage is for Saint Paul saith he that gives 1 Cor. 7. 8. 29. 38. his Virgin in mariage doth well but hee that gives her not in mariage doth better We hâ— wedlocke to be an holy ordinance of God instituted in Paradise from the beginning of the world Gen. 2. Iohn 〈◊〉 Heb. â—3 4. honoured by Iesus Christ with his first miracle yea we adde further that as mariage is honourable among all and the bed undefiled so whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Quest But saint Paul saith it is a great Sacrament Answer Why doe you forbid it then But that place of Paul by you alledged is not to bée understood Ephes 5. 32. of mariage but is meant of that speciall mysticall union and Communion which is betwéen Christ and his Church Quest They asked him if confession were a Confession Sacrament Answer I finde but two Sacraments mentioned in the New Testament If you can finde out any more you shall doe well to shew them But as touching confession it is to God to whom we must confesse our sinnes according to Davids Psal 32. 5. Luke 15. 18. 21. example and of the Prodigall sonne and sundry others who with true repentance acknowledged their offences to God who is faithfull and just to 1 Iohn 1. 9. pardon and forgive them But to confesse them to a priest it is so farre off from being necessary that I hold it altogether unlawfull These Fathers
to deprive them of mutuall comfort and consolation Secondly gave charge that in visiting them none should be so bold as to bring them ought to eate or drink Thirdly They were sollicited by wicked ones to yéeld and not wilfully to hazard their lives Moreover they had many other greaf provocations and therefore by their Letters instantly requested the continuall prayers of the Churches to God for them When the godly strangers in England were advertised of these their assaults they sollicited their Superintendent Edmund Bishop of London at the request of the Archbish of Canterbury and others to send Letters to the Magistrates of Furne intreating that they would release these thrée prisoners whom they had apprehended as they passed along by the high waies side without any misbehaving of themselves or holding any dispute with any and were innocent in regard of committing ought against the Lawes of the Countrey As touching their Faith which some called into question they should not for that bée molested because in like manner her Majesty hath given frée power and leave in case of Religion hitherto that none of the Subjects of the Low-Countries comming into England and carrying themselves modestly should be medled withall But if they shall deale so hardly with those of the Religion who have submitted themselves as her Majesties subjects under her protection then she shall be constrained though to her great sorrow to mete out the same measure to those of other Nations but she hoped and expected the contrary both from the wisdome and equity of the Magistrates of Furne These Letters were dated the 26. of Iuly 1560. and subscribed Matthew Archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Bishop of London William Meyne William Haddon Master of the Requests c. THe Magistrates of Furne having received these Letters sent them to Bruxels where they were read before the Kings privy Counsell But to extenuate the authority thereof it was noised that they were forged by some Lutherans so as in the end they resolved notwithstanding to procéed against the said prisoners according to extremity of the Lawes established by the King Now these of Furne having in vaine by all Anno 1562. meanes assayed to turne the prisoners from their Faith they resolved to execute them Many of the City and others not dwelling far off hearing the report of their purposed dispatch prepared to come to the sight thereof thinking it would have béen on Wednesday which was Market-day But the Magistrates taking notice of the multitude were somewhat amased and caused him that was to doe execution to ride through the middest of the Market at high noone as if he had béen taking his journey out of the City and so to make the people beléeve that they intended not their execution as yet But on Wednesday towards the evening the chiefe Bailiffe accompanied with some of the Magistrates came secretly into the prison solliciting each of the said prisoners with many intreaties and intising perswasions to recant promising to set them free forthwith if they would speake but one word to that purpose But the Lord strengthned them so that they overcame this dangerous assault The adversaries séeing their expectations frustrated caused all things the same night to be made ready for their execution the next day to wit chaines stakes fagots c. Now the Lord who hath the disposing of the moments of time in his owne hands disappointed this project by a vehement shower of raine which he sent continuing all the forenoone The two Fryers formerly mentioned were called for each of them accompanied with one of their own coat These began to assaile the prisoners from morning till eight of the clock either to weaken or else to turne them from their faith Which because they could effect neither upon Iames nor Christian they dealt with Iane thinking to have prevailed with her but to as little purpose as with the two others Being thus disappointed of their hopes then they fled to their accustomed lies which they term Fraudes pieuses pious beguilings saying thus unto her Will you only shew your selfe singular in cleaving to this opinion whereas your prison fellowes have renounced it The holy Virgin was nothing abashed thereat but gave them this answer That she could not beléeve it and albeit it were so yet would shée never goe back from so certaine a truth grounded not upon man but upon Iesus Christ These lying Fryers nothing prevailing with her neither went their way Then the prisoners encouraging one another and preparing themselves for death sang the seventy fourth Psalme The Magistrates of Furne that they might with the more security execute their sentence caused the gates of the city to be shut and yet many got in leaving their swords and staves at the gate Now as they brought the prisoners along to the towne-house every one as they went reached forth their hand to them and bad them that they should be of good courage Appearing before the Magistrates they were denounced heretiques To which Christian in the name of the rest said Not one of your doctors can prove us heretiques nor can they convince us by Scripture It was replyed that they sleighted the Sacraments To which they fréely answered We hold and allow those Sacraments instituted by God in much more reverence than you Upon this the Magistrates consulted together apart and after a while came to their seats again pronoucing sentence against these thrée viz. to be strangled and then burned or scortched and the remainder of the bodies to be hanged on the gibbet They thanked the judges for their sentence yet advertising them well to bethinke themselves of what they had done As they were passing forth of the house to be led to the slaughter many of the godly bad them farewell comforting incouraging and exhorting them to continue constant Whereat the head Bailiffe being much vexed pushed Iane so violently with his foot that she fell downe the staires at which the people were much moved Christian went formost Iane next and Iames followed In beholding of which spectacle few there were which brake not forth into sighings cryings and teares whilest they gave the people so holy and godly exhortations One of the Monks called Iohn â—els being by gave to Iane many of good credit hearing it this counsell in his Language Fight valiantly the crowne of immortality is ready for you Whilest the executioner began to fasten their neck and féet with chanes to the stake they sung the hundred and thirtieth Psalme Out of the deep Fryer Iohn Campone being impatient of such an harmony yelled out like a mad man saying This shewes you are not Christians for Christ went to his death wéeping One in the middle of the assembly cryed as fast on the other side Thou liest thou false Prophet Having finished the two first staves of the Psalme the hangman being about to strangle Christian the other two ceased crying to their brother Be of good chéere and play the man And Christian lifting
up his eyes to heaven said twice or thrice Lord God heavenly father into thy hands I commend my spirit And then againe Lord forgive their sin who have put us to death Iames and the maide made the like prayer But because Iames was last strangled and the people moved with compassion began to stir the hangman kindled the fire upon Iames being but halfe strangled The people séeing him to die in the midst of the fire were yet more moved so as the tormentor being in a maze got a staffe out of a Boat headed with iron and smote the Martyr twice or thrice on the right side to make an end of him These thrée having a while lien in the fire they were carried thence in a cart to the gibbet where being put apart upon thrée poles they were afterward taken downe and buried Nicaise of Tombe born in Tournay Martyr Whose constancy is to be imitated and followed of every good Christian in suffering for the truth of the Gospell NIcaise dwelling in Tournay and following the trade of Say-making towards the end of his life was then by the mercy of God brought to the knowledge of true religion Now that he might be the more throughly instructed therein he went with his wife and family into the City of Wesell in base Almaine In which City there was at that time an assembly of strangers and especially of those who are called Wallons exercising themselves in hearing the word of God purely preached and in receiving the holy sacraments But Satan the mortall enemy of Gods children envying their happinesse soon after troubled this assembly in such wise with sundry questions that some retyred to Frankfort others to Strausburg and some to other places Nicaise returned to Tournay whence he came not to communicate there with the superstitions and abhominations in which he had formerly béen inwrapped but to joyne himselfe to the Christian assembly which met together in that place to manifest the truth of that heavenly knowledge which he had received out of the word of God Where notice being taken of him they received him into their society amongst whom he carried himselfe in so Christian a sort as they well perceived him to be a man of an holy conversation joyned Anno 1566. with an earnest desire to advance the glory of God and the kingdome of Christ in the edification of his Church Now forasmuch as affliction 2 Thes 2. 9. 10. is the true touchstone whereby the faithfull are discerned from Hypocrites Nicaise then shewed outwardly what he was within For being importuned to take an oath from those who were deputed thereunto by the King of Spaine to live according to the custome of the Romish Church and to observe the traditions invented by her he notwithstanding the threats and injuries done unto him constantly held out against the said oath not casting how deare it might cost him in the end Some of his kindred wished him at leastwise to withdraw himselfe aside for awhile into another City till the urging of this oath was over as also that his wife should change her lodging in his absence To this counsell he consented but the Lord who governes all our intentions and purposes had otherwise determined of him namely to set him forth as an example of constancy unto others and to beare witnesse so farre to the truth of the Gospell as to seale the same with his bloud by staying him at that time in the City For being ready to take his journey a néere neighbour of his being an enemy of the Gospell accused him to the commissioners for one that neither had nor would take the oath according to the forme appointed Nicaise requiring to heare the tenour of the oath before he would make them an answer they told him that he must sweare to kéep observe all antient customes to receive in the sacrament of the altar his creatour thrice in the yeare and on Sundaies and Holidaies to heare Masse morning and evening As soone as hée had understood their meaning hée told them hée intended not at all to take any such oath nor to wound his conscience in consenting to things so manifestly contradicting the word of God therewithall yéelding them the reasons of this his resolution accusing as well them for urging such an oath as those also who gave their consents thereto Upon this he was committed and laid amongst fellons in the Gaole called Pipigne untill Friday the twelfth of November on which day he received sentence of death namely to be bound and so led into the Market place of the City and there upon a Scaffold to be burned and consumed to ashes Having heard this sentence as he rose up hée said now praised be God and as he was about to have spoken more at large the Procurer fiscall bing present prevented him and thrusting him forward bad him march on By and by they brought him to the place of execution and as it well fell out having no Priest accompanying him when he was come downe to the Market place a néere friend of his comming to him commended him to God and so they kissed each other Being come nigh to the * Which is a watch tower standing bofore the City hall where the Clocke is Befroy of the City séeing there a great multitude of people who were assembled together to sée him passe by lifting up his voice he spake thus O yee men of Tournay open your eyes awake ye that sleepe and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give you light He also prayed all whom he had any way offended to forgive him as he for his part was ready to forgive all the world The people hearing him say so began to be moved and to make a great muttering The multitude also that were come together were so many that the souldiers who incompassed the Patient being now ready to suffer could neither march nor kéep ranke so as they were about to shoot Which the people perceiving began to be moved so much the more so as there had like to have béen a great tnmult But going on they drew nigh to the place where the scaffold was Nicaise all the while spent the time in prayer unto God and being at the place of execution hée uttered these words Lord they have hated mee without a cause and ascended up joyfully to the scaffold where the Tormentors readily received him and led him to the stake and as they were fastening him to it he said Eternall Father have pitty and compassion upon me according as thou hast promised to all that aske the same of thee in thy sonnes name Other prayers he made there to his God and so continued to his last gaspe And albeit the multitude made such a noise and the beating of the drummes hindred his words from being all fully heard yet he so often pronounced and that with such vehemency the word Iesus that it notwithstanding might plainly be understood as long as the breath
from the Faith But Smetius being a man learned and of a quick understanding remained constant which so confounded his opposite that hée went away with shame The Fryer invented a recantation to which it was reported that Smetius had subscribed But an Elder of the Church whose name was Cornelius Specox comming to the knowledge thereof by the helpe of friends got a sight of the said Recantation Who in the presence of divers friends conferring a certaine Letter which Smetius had put his name unto with that writing found it in nothing to agree therewith and therefore the recantation to bée méerely counterfeited The eighth of February being Saturday Smetius having his feete tied under an horses belly on which he was set was thus brought to Vilvourd to the * Hee was apprehended by his Provost with 20. horsemen as he was preaching at Malives When Smetins saw them he exhorted the congregation to be quiet for they are come said he to take me but the assembly was by and by scattered Provost who himselfe was afterwards hanged for his villanies His Sergeants passing immediatly along with him through Malives went towards Malladery of Wallen where finding a ladder set up to an oake they hanged him thereon Smetius being on the Ladder used these words Lord forgive them for they know not what they doe And then singing certaine verses of a Psalme he yéelded up his soule into the hands of the Lord. ¶ Master Iohn Goris and Ioris of Asschen Martyrs Anno 1567. IOhn Goris Chirurgion borne in Audenard travelling towards Gaud was betrayed by two spies who signified the same to the Bayliffe himselfe also going the same way whither Goris was travelling him The Bailiffe hirsting after the bloud of this poore innocent rid on till hee had overtaken him asking him whether hée went I am going said Goris to the Parish of Nazaret And I purpose also said the Bayliffe to goe thither wee will beare you company Having passed on thus a little way the Bayliffe thinking himselfe sure of Goris began to lay hands upon him Goris séeing that leaped over a ditch and got into a little wood The wood was presently beset with Countrey people and being there apprehended he was carried to Audenard as a shéep to the slaughter where he was committed to prison They layed many things to his charge which they were not able to prove Being examined the second time upon divers articles hee answered thereunto with such wisedome that the Counsell admired how a man of so meane account could defend his cause in so good a manner But after they came to question with him concerning matters of Religion now I see saith he that you seek my bloud The night following hee was overtaken with By this we see that man stands not by his owne strength such an apprehension of the feare of death that for saving his life hee was almost resolved to deny the truth But by the assistance of Gods holy spirit calling his thoughts together hee instantly and ardently besought the Lord to deliver him out of this temptation that by the power of his grace he might overcome the infirmity of his flesh which prayer of faith the Lord had such respect unto that from that time he manifestly resisted all Satans assaults and maintained the truth Though I fall saith the Church yet I shall arise Mâ—ch 7. 8. Act. 7 60. unto his last breath Having received sentence he was nothing appalled thereat but like the holy Martyr S. Stephen prayed God that he would not lay his death to their charge Comming to the place where he was to be executed casting himselfe downe prostrate he made his prayer to God in which prayer albeit he sought the Lord to forgive his Enemies yet added he this withall I am perswaded that God being a just Iudge will not leave their sinne unpunished Which prediction fell out not long after for the Bailife who apprehended him rejoyced in standing by whilst the martyr was executed was not long after shot with a harquebuse whereof he presently died like a wretch After Goris was thus executed they brought forth his fellow prisoner called Ioris of Asschen who the same day suffered the same kind of death that is to say he was hanged upon a gibbet which death he endured for the name of Christ with like constancy as did the former Which courage of his he thus manifested to his parents and friends in a letter written to them a little before his death ¶ A Letter written by Ioris of Asschen to his Parents and Friends a little before the time of his Martyrdome MOst deare Father and Mother Sister and Brother I write here unto you comfortable newes namely that in all my life I never saw any day so pleasing to me as this is in which the Lord hath counted me worthy to be one of his Champions and to suffer for his holy Name For which I give him most humble and hearty thanks I also thanke you much good Father and Mother that in all my distresses you have beene beneficiall and helpfull unto me and carefull for me for which the Lord aboundantly reward you in his kingdome Rejoyce with me I pray you that God hath now called me to such a glorious and welcome marriage day Oh how precious in the sight of the Lord our God is the death of his Martyrs Deare friends two Priests yea and some of the Magistrates also have sought to terrifie me with many threats thinking to turne me aside from my holy profession but the Lord of his great mercy hath given me his grace to withstand them all for I plainly told them I was not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ but would be willing and ready to die in the defence thereof following my Lord and Master Iesus Christ thorow all afflictions to be made partaker with him at the last of his eternall joyes in his celestiall Tabernacle Wherefore if God shal cal any of you forth to suffer ought for his Names sake beare the same I beseech you with meeknesse and patience not declining from the Truth for feare or favour to the right hand or to the left but feare him rather who is able to cast soule and body into hell The time which God hath lent us to converse in this world is but short and therefore let us begin to abandon the love thereof with all things that are therein betimes that so we may be ready to follow the call of God Deare Father and Mother I doe take my last farewell of you untill we meet together againe in the Kingdome of heaven where we shall partake of that joy which shall last for ever all sorrowes teares and griefes being wiped away Be ye not therefore grieved I pray you but be patient for the affliction which is befalne me is most acceptable unto me for which also I blesse and praise the Lord. The Lord prosper you in all your wayes to his glory and your good Thanke all
this chaine and thus fettered with Irons I doubt not but they have given such a reason of their faith that whosoever shall read their answers and weigh the same without partiality must néeds judge thereof even as wée doe And for my owne part I am ready to make it good before any whom it conceres that the doctrine I now hold and 1. Tim. 6. 3. Deut. 12. 32. teach is according to godlinesse taken out of the pure fountaines of the holy scriptures without adding diminishing or varying any way therefrom Bishop We reade that in all times men have béen wont to shelter themselves under the Title of Gods word in so much that all the old heresies maintained by heretiques have run to this covert so as great héed is to be taken lest under this pretence men rush into errors La Grange I am not ignorant sir hereof in regard that Satan knows how to transform himselfe into an Angel of light thereby to establish his delusions causing darknesse thereby to be taken 2. Cor. 11. 14. Iohn 14. 17. for light But the holy Ghost who is the Spirit of truth hath in such wise discovered his jugglings that none are deluded thereby but those who at noone day close their eyes that they may 2 Cor. 4. 4. not behold the light Bishop Doe you thinke that the holy Ghost hath given you such an illumination that the truth should only be revealed to you and to none other La Grange God forbid sir I should have any such thought I am not of the minde of those dreamers who at this day bragge of their having particular revelations of the holy Spirit He means the Anabaptists and their like Eph. 2. 20. But I speake of an ordinary and generall revelation such as is taught us out of the Bible which we call the holy Scriptures according as it is therein declared unto us by the Prophets and Apostles This was the effect of the Bishops first communication with de la Grange after which hée was heard to say twice or thrice to the Kings Commissioners that hée had no will to meddle any further with him Being called for to be examined elsewhere before the said Commissioners Peregrine tooke his leave of the Bishop entreating him to intercede for him that hée might be eased of his irons alledging that the Prison was strong enough and sufficiently garded The second time they met together the Bishop having a prompt memory made a rehearsall of what passed betwéen them the day before and after began thus with the said Peregrine Bishop Séeing that which I hold as touching the Sacrament of the Altar is agréeable to the Scriptures confirmed so long since by the consent of all the ancient fathers wherefore doe you not agrée with us therein Had you rather hold with these Novelists as with Calvin and with the confession of Auspourge Grange Sir I am neither Calvinist nor Papist I am a Christian and what I hold concerning religion is taken out of Christs doctrine who to the only Doctor of his Church What Calvin hath taught conformable to the word of God I am of the same minde with him and whereas you call your Religion the old Religion and ours the new it troubles me not at all since the Father of lies hath long since forged the same to disgrace the truth and to establish and maintaine the multitudes of falshoods and absurdities of your Tenents which you hold For example because Christ in giving his disciples bread in the Sacrament said This is my body thence they would make us beléeve that the bread is become the body of Christ as if the verbe est signified a change of the bread into another substance which is found in no language whatsoever Bishop We maintaine not the Transubstantiation of the bread from this Verbe est knowing that the Hebrews use the Participle of the Present tense in stead of a Verbe but rather from hence because Christ said This is my body La Grange I told * For they had many disputes touching this point which are not here inserted you that Iesus Christ in his Supper gives us that body which was conceived by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the virgin Mary which was crucified dead and buried raised againe the third day and is ascended into heaven yet wee utterly deny that there is any change made of the bread Therefore if you would have us beéeve it let us have some proofe of scripture for it Bish To speake properly the Transubstantiation of the bread cannot be proved by the Word of God and yet we must beléeve it for the reasons above said La Grange Your glorying then that you have the Word of God on your side is as you sée come to nothing And why have you then burned so many of Gods saints for denying that which you cannot maintaine by the scriptures For our parts we should blush to affirme that the substance of bread remaines after the words of consecration if we could not prove the same from the very forme of the institution of the sacrament wherein Christ tooke bread and having given thankes hee brake bread and gave to his Disciples bread and they tooke and did eat bread yea Saint Paul rehearsing 1 Cor. 11. 23 26. 17. the institution calls it bread thrice Bish You know that in the Hebrew Tongue bread is taken for the remainders of what was eaten Paul therefore in that place speakes of those viands which the Corinthians did eate in their Love-feaste reproving their abuse So also howsoever Paul calls it bread there and that in the second of the Acts of the Apostles mention is Act. 〈◊〉 42. made of the breaking of bread all this serves not your turne La Grange I grant that bread is taken in the Scripture in this sence but be it that bread be taken for the meat that was left yet you reade not that the substance was changed into the substance of other meate or lost the property thereof It is certaine that the Scripture useth not this phrase of breaking of bread in the use of the Lords supper for nothing for thereby we are given to understand that it is not a signe onely in appearance or shew but the true substance of bread Bish Let it be what it will wee hold close to the words of Iesus Christ where he saith This is my body and therefore also beéeve what wee speake I care not if I be deceived in this matter nor for bearing reproofe for the same either Vnderstand the words sacramentally and all is wel before God or men for before God himself I will pleade thus Lord thou hast said it and I beleeve it La Grange We rest in the same thing also but withall we have an eie unto Christs meaning and intent which was to establish a sacrament we also receive from his mouth the same words as well as you but sacramentally where the outward signe beares the name
chamber as we call it Bish These words must be taken of our ordinary eating which is cast saving your presence after it is eaten into the draught La Grange What becomes then of this swallowed flesh Bish The formes are turned into it and the flesh of Iesus Christ is gone but these things must not be too curiously examined La Grange This answer cannot stand the accidents which you call kindes cannot be changed thereinto it is the substance which is changed But let us come to a more substantiall argument you teach That whosoever receives this Bread which you call flesh receives Iesus Christ How 1 Cor 11. 27. 29. is it then that Saint Paul saith Hee that eateth and drinketh unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himselfe c. Bish This argument hath some weight in it for thus you reason hee that receives Christ doth therewithall receive eternall life but by our Doctrine all receive Christ in the sacrament therefore they must needs have eternall life I confesse it is true according to your minor proposition that they receive him but I deny that all receive him unto life everlasting for if they receive not the flesh by the holy Ghost it profits them nothing La Grange I have taken the first part of my Iohn 11. 25. proposition out of Saint Iohn where Christ saith he is the life but séeing wée cannot receive so much as a common hearbe without the vertue of it much lesse can wee receive Christ without that life which is comprehended in him otherwise Simile we should receive a dead body without efficacy and not Iesus Christ who causeth those that eate him to live â—ternally For this sacrament was instituted of God by his sonne to manifest and set Iohn 6 51. forth his fatherly good will towards us not contenting himself to have received us once as strangers into his houshold by baptisme but as his owne Children and therefore hath ordained this Why the Lords supper was ordained We partake of Christ in the Sacrament by the effectuall working of the holy Ghost second sacrament of the holy supper that in his house wee might have wherewith to nourish and féed us continually Now as touching the holy Ghost it is by him that we eate the flesh of Iesus Christ and drinke his bloud conjoyning by his powerfull working those things together which by distance of place are severed farre off one from another causing all that is in Christ to become ours and as by a conduit pipe conveying unto us the true partaking of Christs flesh and bloud so as whosoever receives Christ hath eternall life Bishop That is if hee receive him by the holy spirit for otherwise the flesh profiteth nothing as Iohn 6. 63. saint Iohn saith La Grange Sir the place you alledge makes against you for Christ there reproves his disciples for thinking they should eate his flesh after a carnall manner as it appeares by the words following for the words said hée which I speake to you are spirit and life If then wee are so wise as to observe that the Sunne sending downe its substance on earth by the beames thereof doth after a sort cause the hearbes to spring forth and Simile grow shall not the influence of the spirit of Christ be of much more efficacy to bring us to the true participation of his flesh and bloud Bishop Then the Bishop was desirous to bée gone saying it grew late and so for want of time our conference ended The Bishop commended me to God and then tooke his leave of the company This is the summe of our communication so farre as I can remember By this briefe recitall we may observe what holy boldnesse mixed with meekenesse the Lord had indued this his worthy servant with even in the flower of his age being drawne from his studies and from the place of his birth to preach the Gospell to the Valencians and at length to seale up the same with his bloud A short narration of the life and death of these two valiant Champions of Christ Guy de Brez and Peregrin de La Grange Ministers and martyrs NExt to the pure preaching of the word nothing so much commends those whom the Lord culls out to give their lives for the same as doth an holy and blamelesse conversation continued unto their happy departure out of this world It remaines then in few words that we set forth the conversations of these two holy personages that thereby the mercies and graces of the Lord be stowed upon them may have the greater lustre Guy de Brez borne in Mons in Hainault béeing in his younger yeares much addicted to Popish superstitions came by continually reading of the Scriptures to taste the swéetnes of Christian Religion which knowledge brought forth no smal fruit in him in due season Yet so as it could by no meanes be relished or received by them of his Nation Whereupon he departed from Mons and having learned the art of painting Glasse came to London whilest good King Edward the sixth raigned who gave persecuted strangers leave to have harbour within his realme of England After his abode there a while and understanding that the preaching of the Gospell obtained some entertainment in the Low-Countries he went over to give his assistance to those of his owne Country The first fruits of his labours were most an end in bestwong some exhortations in such places where he found any willing to give him audience though never so few in number But above all he clave to them of the City of Lisle because he found there a great number of beléevers who desired nothing more than to heare the Gospell publiquely preached unto them At that time began also an holy conflict * Against which this godly man published a learned confutation in French which booke I have in my hands against the pestilent sect of the Anabaptists which as cockle mingled it selfe amongst the good corne In this city he continued untill the flock of Christ wer dispersed by reason of persecution and then went to Gaud where hée wrote his booke called the Staffe of Faith extracted out of the ancient Fathers After that béeing desirous to profit more and more in the knowledg of such things as were requisite to be in a Minister of the Gospell hée travelled towards Lausanna and thence to Geneva to furnish himselfe with the tongues and thence withdrawing himselfe into the Low-countries hée there established the churches of Lisle Tournay and of the Valencians in which cities God so prospered his labours that he was preserved by his divine providence as it were in the middest of the fiery flames from falling into the hands of his enemies And not to stand longer in relating the paines and travels of this faithfull servant of Christ not onely the reformed Churches of the said country can testifie but also these of Diex Mondidier and Amiens also which hée was an happy instrument to support whilest the
gagged also Then the Executioner brought them to the Towne house to heare their sentence read which in summe was this That they should be hanged because they had béen present at the hearing of sermons Thus these thrée men yéelded up their soules to God with admirable constancy at the Gallowes The woman being every way veriuously given was condemned to be beheaded because shée had sung Psalmes and made a certaine exhortation out of the word of God to her neighbours at a womans up-sitting She was beheaded on the back side of the Townehouse Now because her body was much enféebled she was caused to sit upon a stoole receiving thrée blowes with the sword overthwart the téeth Yet shée constantly sate still till she obtained the Crowne of Martyrdome the same day in which the forementioned Martyrs dyed which was the second of Iune Anno 1568. ¶ Piere Coulogue and Betken his Maid servant Martyrs Anno 1568. THis Peter Coulogue by his Trade being a Goldsmith dwelling in Bzeda had long served the Church there in the office of a Deacon wherein he caried himselfe with the good approbation of all His house also was frée for the assembly to méet in as oft as the exercises of Christian religion were performed amongst them But the enemies of the truth not enduring the swéet favour hereof imprisones him and laid him in irons which the faithfull there tooke very heavily using all the meanes they could to have accesse to visit him But the enemies taking knowledge thereof caused him to be conveyed into the Castle whence both his and the Churches sorrow was yet further encreased because they could not now come to be a comfort one to another His servant Betken being very zealous and well read in the Scriptures brought him his ordinary dyet from day to day never ceasing to comfort and confirme him out of the Word of God All which she had liberty to do nine moneths together At length they imprisoned her also whereof she was right glad thinking her self happy to suffer ought for righteousness sake Not long after Peter was put to the torture which after he had endured they came in like manner to his maid servant Betken who spake unto them after this maner My masters wherefore will you put me to this torture séeing I have no way offended you Is it for my faiths sake You néed not torment me for that for as I was never ashamed to make a confession thereof no more will I be now at this present before you I willfréely shew you any minde therein But for all this they procéeded on with that which they intended Which she perceiving said Alas my Masters it it be so that I must suffer this paine then give me leave first to call upon God To which her request they yéelded Now whilest she was making her prayer one of the Commissioners was so surprised with feare and terror that by and by he swouned and could not be fetched again And thus the poore maid escaped the torture Soone after being examined touching her faith they condemned these two innocents to be burned Now as they were led to be executed great sorrowings and complaints were heard among the people But as for Peter and his Maid they praied to God with ardent affection that he would perfect the good work which he had begun in them and assist them with the power of his holy spirit untill they had finished their course The courage and constancy of the said Betken did so move many of the godly both men and women that not casting what perill or danger might ensue thereof they brake through the multitude embracing the Prisoners and praising God for their constancy saying Fight manfully for the crowne is ready prepared for you After they were come where they should suffer Betken began to speake unto the people with an Anno 1568 amiable countenance saying thus unto them Brethren and sisters be you alwaies obedient to the word of God and feare not those that can kill the body for on the soule they can have no power as for me I am now going to méet my glorious Spouse the Lord Iesus Christ And then falling both downe upon their knées they prayed to the Lord with great devotion Being risen up from prayer the executioner laying hold of them bound them with chaines to the stake and then stranled Peter but would not strangle the other who encouraged her Master till he had yéelded up the ghost and till the fire had taken hold of her selfe Then was she heard and séen to magnifie the Lord out of the middest of the flames so as many among the multitude were ravished at her invincible constancy Thus did these two Martyrs of the Lord give up their last breath in the fire May the 29. Anno 1568. Giles Meyere Martyr Anno 1568. IN. Flanders at a place called Vinderhout distant from Gand about a mile there was a certaine Curate called Giles de Meyere whom it pleased God illuminate with the true knowledge of his Gospell Now having received a talent from God he would not hide it with the Evill servant but sought all meanes how to imploy Mat. 25. 18. the same He had the feare of God alwaies before his eyes manifesting the same as well in his Doctrine as in his conversation being carefull to instruct those whom God had committed to his charge Yea he went from house to house comforting Acts 20. 20. and exhorting every one as occasion served out of the word of God above all labouring with them to beware of the abhominable superstitions of the Papacy He taught them that forgivenesse of sins the grace of God and eternall life was not to be obtained by our own merits but by the frée and only grace of God in Iesus Christ The Clergy of Gand having notice given them hereof namely that their Doctrine and authority would come to be little set by if this Curate should procéed on thus in his course without let they never rested untill they had pursued him to the death They imprisoned him then in the moneth of March anno 1567. casting him into a déep and dark hole where for a certaine space hée remained bearing this his affliction patiently and constantly calling upon God night and day praising him for estéeming him worthy to suffer for his sake In which his afflictions many good people who came often to visite him received such instruction and consolation from him that they were hardly drawn to leave him till of necessity they must their departure was alwayes accompanied with abundance of teares The Priests and others of that rabble ceased not likewise to ply him with disputations thinking by that meanes to make him renounce his Faith but to no purpose for he remained still firme and constant kéeping himselfe close to the word of God written which so vexed them that they procured him to be laid in the Castle where his sentence was to be hanged The Spaniards being then
at Gand tooke him thence bound him girding and straining him strangely with cords and would néeds have him burned As he was led thither they abused him shamefully with mockes thrusting him forward and striking him cruelly The Captaine of the band gave him a blow over the face with his Gantlet which much disfigured him Finally these tyrants handled him worse then any dog only because his patient and constant carriage of himselfe tormented and enraged them Being come to the place they thrust him into his little Cabbin piled up with fagots and wood and then set fire unto him where he was heard distinctly and plainly to use these words albeit they had gagged him Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Thus this faithfull witnesse of Ieuss Christ dyed quiently and constantly in the Lord April the fourth Anno 1568. ¶ Among these sad relations a little to quicken and refresh the spirit of the reader I will here insert a Letter full of consolations written out of prison to the faithfull by one William Touart Merchant who had his dwelling in the City of Lisle in Flanders THis honourable personage being come to the age of eighty yeares or thereabouts used his house for the space of fourtéene or fiftéene yeares as a Church wherein the assembly in the City of Lisle commonly met Being chased and banished thence in the yeare 1561. he withdrew himself for a while to Tournay whence he was constrained to flie and to goe to Amiens and Moundedier Cities of Picardy that there he might enjoy the pure preaching of the Gospell Afterward returning into his owne countrey he came to reside in the City of Antwerpe where after he had continued many yeares he was at length imprisoned and condenmed to be burned with two others who suffered for the same cause But it pleased God so to dispose of him that he dyed another kinde of death to shew that his chosen servants have to triumph over the same some one way and some another For being plunged into a cisterne or tub full of water he was drowned in prison and then they carried his body out of the City to a place called Berken where the dead bodies of the condemned are laid upon the whéels or crutch Among many letters which he wrote during the time of his imprisonment my author hath selected out this one which here followeth DE are brethren and sisters in Iesus Christ I most humbly thank my good God that he hath so fortified and comforted me by his grace that I féele my selfe more cheared by lying in this darke prison then if I were walking in the open stréets or fields I say this I féele according to the spirit for as touching the flesh what doth it apprehend here but stinking vapors and smoke Wherefore my beloved if it so fall out that you be apprehended for the name of Iesus Christ feare not the prison nor those that have power to kill the body for having done that they can goe no further Be yée not afraid then séeing it is the reward which our good Captaine Iesus Christ hath promised to all his faithfull soldiers and servants He who turnes his backe in this conflict goes by the losse but whosoever fights manfully obtaines in the end the crowne not a crowne of gold but of glory immortall We here lay downe Rev. 2. 10. a fading life filled with griefes and troubles to change the some for a life everlasting we put off the ragges of this mortall flesh to be clothed with robes immortall we forsake a loathsome life for joy and felicity eternall ought any gaine or exchange to be compared with this O swéet and happy Martyrdome how dost thou dignifie and enrich us in despite of the world devill and our owne flesh And which of us now can complaine séeing our Soveraigne Lord and Master hath Anno 1569. so expressely foretold it to all his followers will any man come after me saith he Let him then Mat. 16 24. take up his crosse and follow me Let us beare Oh let us then beare the crosse chéerefully and with ioyfulnesse that we may be received in the presence of his heavenly Father for it is not only Phil. 1 21. 1 Tim. 2. 12. given us to beleeve in Christ but also to suffer for his sake and if we suffer with him then wée shall also raigne with him Oh that wée could admire his bounty who no sooner imployes us in his worke but hath the wages ready in his hand wherewith to recompence Iohn 16. 20. Heb 12. 1. us Your sorrow saith he shall be turned into joy Let us then cast off every weight that presseth downe and whatsoever else that stands in our way to heaven-ward be if father mother Mat. 19 29. Mat. 13 45 46. brother sisters husband childe yea and our own life also Let us with the wise Merchant man sell all that with him we may purchase that pretious pearle How happy doe I estéeme them who are called to suffer and leave their life for confessing the name of Iesus Christ For the eternall Son of God will confesse their names before his heavenly Mar. 10. 23. Luke 12. 8. Father and his holy Angels They shall be clad with white robes and shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of Heaven filled with gladnesse in the presence of the Lambe They shal eat of the fruit of the trée of life which is in the midst of the Rev. 27. Paradise of God Let us fixe the eyes of our minds upon these so great pretious promises of Iesus Christ which he hath made to all those which persevere in well doing unto the end O how happy shall wée be when we are delivered from these bodies of death to live for ever with our God Let us continually pray then with the Disciples Lord increase Luke 15. 7. our faith O deare brethren remember mée alwayes in your prayers who am bound here in the Heb. 13. 3. bonds of Antichrist Remember those also who are in bonds as if you were bound with them pray Pet. 4. 5 I say without ceasing for our adversary the Devill is alwayes compassing us about with his fetches to cause our hearts to faint And you are not ignorant what a potent enemy our owne flesh Gal. 5. 17. Phil. 1. 6. is unto us But I confidently beléeve that our good God who hath begun this good worke in me will perfect the same even unto the day of Christ Fare ye well It was strange to see what spectacles of dead bodies saline by the bloudy Inquisition were to be gazed on in a manner in every place especially in the Cities of Tournay and of the Valencians in regard of the multitudes of beléevers both of men and women who had long languished in sundry prisons in great misery and necessities Now that we may not forget what fell out in the beginning of this yeare 1569. thus it happened In the City
as now we may cry out with saint Paul O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory She was often admonished by him to make confession of her sinnes before God shewing that bodily diseases tended to the dissolution of nature and that death was the wages of sinne declaring Rom 6. 23. moreover that by this her chastisement she might discerne what she had deserved if God should now enter into iudgement with her not onely in regard of the fall of our first Parents in which guilt Rom. 5. 12. she was enwrapped as well as others but also by her owne personall sinnes séeing the best of men or women in the world are in themselves but poore miserable and wretched offendors yea if the Lord should punish us according to our demerits we could expect nothing at his hands but eternall death and condemnation At these words she began with her hands and eies lifted up to heaven to acknowledge that her Psal 19. â— sinnes which she had committed against the Lord were innumerable and therefore more then she was able to reckon up But yet she hoped that God for Christs sake in whom she put her whole affiance would be mercifull unto her From the later clause of her spéech the Minister tooke occasion to declare at large upon what ground she was to expect the fruit of this mercy of God in Christ séeing the whole have no need Mar. 2. 17. of Phisitian but they that are sicke and therfore Christ saith in that place Hee came not to call the righteous but sinners unto repentance And that he is ready to fill the hungry with good things Luke 1. 53. whereas in the meane while he sends the rich empty away Of all which said he you ought so much the rather to be perswaded in your conscience by how much the more the holy spirit witnesseth to your spirit that you are the childe of God Crying in you Abba Father For what is Rom. 8. 15. What faith is faith else but a firme trust and assurance of the good will of God manifested towards us in his blessed sonne Now the Minister fearing he might some way offend her by his overlong discourse held his peace the rather because the Physitians thought that a long continued spéech might bee hurtfull unto her but she on the contrary earnestly requested him not to forbeare speaking unto her about these matters of life and eternall salvation adding that she wow felt the want of it in regard that since her comming to Paris shee had béen somewhat remisse in hearing such exhortations out of the word of God And therefore I am now the more glad saith she to receive comfort out of it in this my so great extremity The Minister then endeavoured to set before her the happinesse of heaven and what those joyes Psal 16. 11. were which the faithfull there possesse in the presence of God which when the scriptures intend to discover unto us they onely tell us that the eie 1 Cor. 259. hath not seene nor hath the eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what these things are which God hath prepared for them that love him To which purpose he used this simllitude as if a King minding greatly to honor Simile some noble persome noble personage should bring him to his court and there shew him his state and attendance his Treasures with all his most precious Iewels even so saith he will the Lord one day reveale to all his elect and faithfull people his magniâ—cence and glory with all the treasures of his Kingdome after he hath gathered them home to himselfe decking and adorning them with light incorruption and immortality This happiness therefore being so great her highnesse he said ought to be the lesse carefull about the leaving of this transitory life seeing that for an earthly kingdome which she was now to forgoe she should inherit an heavenly and for temporall good things which vanish and come to nothing in the using she should for even enjoy those that were eterenall and everlasting For her faith being now firmely setled upon our Lord Iesus Christ she might be suffered to obtaine eternall salvation by him on which words he tooke occasion to direct his speech in more particualar manner unto her saying Madame doe you verily beleeve that Iesus Christ come into the world to save you and doe you expect the full forgivenesse of all your sinnes by the shedding of his bloud for you To which she readily answered she did believing that he was her only Saviour and Mediator looking for salvation from none other knowing that he hath abundantly satisfied for the sinnes of the whole world and therefore was assured that God for his sake according to his gracious promises in him would have mercy upon her Thus you have in part the goodly speeches which passed from this religious Lady in the beginning of her sicknesse all which was within the space of three or foure daies Howsoever before that and since also she ceased not to continue the same her fruitfull and comfortable communications now and then sending forth most affectionate slighings to God as a testimony of that hope and desire Anno 1567. she had in enjoying his presence often uttering these words O my God in thy good time deliver me from this body of death and from the miseries of this present life that I may no more offend thee and that I may attain to that felicity which thou in thy Word hast promised me Neither did she manifest her pious affection by these her words onely but therewithall shewed a joyfull and resolute countenance as the vehemency of her sicknesse could beare which gave sufficient proofe to all that beheld her that the feare of death could not drive her from the stedfastnesse of her Faith When she had finished these her consolatory spéeches they usually went to prayer intreating the Lord that he would arme her with constant patience and have mercy upon her Which praier it shall not be altogether impertinent to insert in this place serving as a forme of praier upon the like occasion ¶ The Prayer O Lord our God we confesse hee before thy Divine Majesty that wee are altogether unworthy of thy infinite mercies by reason of our manifold iniquities and that we are so farre off from deserving to be heard of thée in our requests that we are rather worthie thou shouldest reject both our persons and our sutes but séeing it hath pleased thée to make us a gracious promise of hearing and granting our requests we humbly beséech thee fréely to forgive all our offences and to cover them under the obedience and righteousnesse of thy deare Sonne that through him our selves and poore services may be well pleasing before thee For Lord we acknowledge that all our afflictions are measured out unto us by thine hand who art a most just Iudge in regard we have every way provoked
not yet satisfied But going from house to house with their associats Anno 1569. where they thought to find any Huguenots they brake open the doores then cruelly murthered whomsoever they met sparing neither sex nor age The pretence was this Report was raised there that a treason of the Huguenots was discovered who had conspired to kill the King his Mother his brethren having already killed fifteene of the guard Carts were laden with dead bodies of yong maidens women men and children which were discharged into the river covered in a maner all over with the slain and dyed red with their bloud which also streamed down the stréets from sudry parts thereof whereat the Courtezans laughed their fill saying That the warres were now ended and that hereafter they should live in peace c. But it would take up too much time to recite all the lamentable passages of this so sad and tuefull a tragedy ¶ This with some others which follow belonging to this History because they could not bee omitted are here under inserted TO begin then with Monsieur Pierre de la Place President of the Court of Requests whose story we will relate somewhat at large because his singular piety requires the same On Sunday morning about six of the clock one called Captaine Michael harquebusier of the king came into his lodging into which he had the more easie accesse for divers private respects This Captaine being armed having a harquebuse This was a token by which the murtherers were distinguished form others on his shoulder apâ—stoll at his girdle and his handkerchiefe tyed about his left arme presenting himself before the said De la Place the first words he spake were that the Duke of Guise had slaine the Admirall by the Kings appointment with many Huguenots besides and because the rest of them of what quality soever were destinated to death he was come to his lodging to exempt him from the common destruction onely he desired to have a sight of that gold and silver which was in the house The Lord de la Place somwhat amased at the audacious malapartnesse of the man who in the midst of ten or twelve persons which were there present in the roome durst presume to utter such language askt him if he knew where he was or whether he thought there was a King or no To this the Captaine blaspheming answered that he willed him to goe with him to know the kings pleasure The said Lord de la Place hearing this fearing also some danger to be towards by sedition in the City slipped forth at a backe doore behind his lodging purposing to get into a neighbors house In the meane while most of his servants vanished out of sight and this Captaine having stored himselfe with a thousand crowns was intreated by the Lady Marets daughter to the said Lord to convey her father with the Lord Marets her husband into the house of some Romane Catholike which he consented to doe and also performed it After this de la Place being refused at thrée severall houses was constrained to retire backe againe into his own where he found his wife very pensive and grieved beyond measure fearing lest this Captaine in the end would cast her sonne in law and daughter into the river as also for the imminent danger wherein her deare husband and all his family were But the said Lord de la Place being strengthened by the spirit of God with incredible constancy in the inner man sharply rebuked her and afterwards mildely demonstrated unto her that we must receive these and the like afflictions from the hand of God and so having discoursed a while upon the promises of God comforted her Then he commanded such servants and maids as remained in the house to be called togeher who being come into his Chamber according to his custome on the Lords dayes he made a forme of exhortation to his family then went to prayer and began to read a Chapter out of the booke of Iob with the exposition or sermon of Master Iohn Calvin upon it So having spoken somewhat of Gods mercy and justice which as a good and wise father useth to exercise his elect with sundry chastisements lest they should bée intangled here below with the things of this World he shewed how néedfull afflictions were for Christians and that it was beyond the power of Satan or men to hurt or wrong them unlesse the Lord of his good pleasure gave them leave What néed have we then said he to dread their authority which at the most can but prevaile over our bodies Then he went to prayer againe preparing himselfe and his whole family rather to endure all sorts of torments yea death it selfe than to speake or doe ought that might tend to the dishonour of God Having finished his prayer word was brought him that Senecay the Provost Marihall with many archers were at the doore of his lodging commanding the same to be opened in the Kings name saying that he came to secure the person of the Lord de la Place and to preserve his house from being pillaged by the common sort The Lord de la Place having intelligence of this spéech commanded the doore to be opened to him who entring in declared the great slaughter that was made upon the Huguenots every where in the city by the Kings command adding this withall in Latine that he would not suffer one to live Qui mingat ad Parietem Yet have I expresse charge from his Majesty saith he to sée that you shall sustaine no wrong but only conduct you to the Louvre because the King is desirous to be informed touching many things about the affairs of those of the Religion which he hath now in hand and therfore willed him to make himself ready to goe to his Majesty The Lord de la Place answered That he alwaies thought himselfe happy before he left this life to gaine any opportunity by which hée might render an account to his Majesty of his behaviour and actions But in regard such horrible Massacres were every where committed it was impossible for him to passe to the Louvre without the certaine danger of his person praying him to assure his Majesty of his willingnesse to come the whilest leaving in his lodging as many Archers as hee thought fitting untill the fury of theâ— people was somewhat pacified The Provost agréed to his request and left with him one of his Lieutenants called Toute Voye with some foure of his archers Not long after comes into his lodging Prestdent Charron then provost of the merchants with whom conferring a little in secret going his way he left with the foure archers which were there before foure more of the city archers The whole night following was spent in stopping up and fortifying of all passages from entring the house with logs and provision of Flint-stones damming up the windowes so as if séemed by this so exact and diligent a defence the
a Letter which he drew out of one sléeve which whilst the King attentively read the Frier pulled forth a poysoned knife out of his other sléeve wherewith he stabbed the King into the lower part of his belly The King féeling himselfe hurt therewith snaching it out of the wound strucke the same into the Friers eye who hasting to get away the King crying out His Lords and Gentlemen perceiving what the Frier had done slew him presently with rapiers and swords The King before hee died having raigned fourtéene yeares and seven moneths called for the King of Navarre all the Princes Lords and Noblemen that were in his campe and declared that the King of Navarre was the true lawfull heire to the Crowne of France willing them all to acknowledge him for their King and that notice should likewise be given throughout all his camp and Kingdome also Thus the soveraigne Iudge of the world made The raigne of Henry the fourth over the kingdome of France way for the entrance of Henry the fourth to have dominion over the Kingdome of France Now howsoever from the yeare 1589. to this present yeare 1598. the Churches of Christ have séene marvellous changes and how the league for a time made many furious onsets yet it pleased God so to moderate things that the faithfull were preserved from being persecuted yea they obtained of their Prince many priviledges and favors For the King in the first yeres of his raigne continuing in the profession of the true Religion wherein he had béen bred and brought up did manfully resist both these of the league and the Spaniards the great God of battels blessing the right and just wars undertaken by this Prince to the confusion of all his enemies till he fell to side with Popery though the affairs of his Kingdome gained but little thereby ¶ A Note touching the Popes Bull. THe Leaguers séeing what prosperous successe God gave King Henry the fourth in his wars undertaken against them fearing that in the end all would yéeld unto him they procured a new excommunication from Rome against him and all his faithfull subjects causing the same to bee published at Pontâ—e I'Arch in Normandy by Marcellus Laudriaâ—us a malapert Iesuite The king being advertised thereof commanded his Court of Parliament holden at Cane to proceed against Pope Gregory the fourtéenth who sent it and his Nuncio that brought it as against Tyrants conspirators with Rebels perturbers of the state sowers of seditions and the common and notorious enemies of God and all goodnesse Then taking the Popes Bull he caused it to be fastened to a Gibbet at Tours by the common hangman of the towne and there to be consumed to ashes to the great rejoycing of all the beholders ¶ The History of one Margaret Pierrone who chose rather to be burned her selfe than willingly to burne her Bible Anno 1593. THere was one Margaret Pierrone borne in a village of Cambray called Sansay who with her husband retired into the City of the Valencians Now because she could not endure the bad qualities of a maid servant of hers shee was by her said maid accused to the new sect-Masters sirnamed the Iesuites for that shee had not béen in many yeares at the masse as also for kéeping in her house a Bible in reading whereof was her whole delight They acquainting the Magistrate herewith she was by and by apprehended some friends sent her an inckling thereof before hand once or twice that shée should get her some where out of the way but the errand was not done God having a purpose that she should beare â—vitnes of his truth to fill up the number of those that were to die for the name of Iesus Being in prison the Iudges calling her before them said Margaret are you not willing to returne home unto your house and there live with your husband and children Yes saith she if it may stand with the good will of God They added further that they had so wrought with their Fathers the Iesuites that in doing a small matter she might be set at liberty If saith she it be not a thing contrary to Gods glory and mine owne salvation you shall heare what I will say No such thing Margaret said they for a scaffold shall be erected in the chiefe place of the City upon which you are to present your self and there to crave pardon for your offending the Law then a fire being kindled you must cast your bible therein to bee consumed without speaking any word at all I pray you my masters tell me saith shee Is my Bible a good booke or no Yes we confesse it is said they If you allow it to be good said the woman why would you have me cast it into the fire Only said they to give the Iesuits content Imagine it to be but paper that you burne and then all is well enough doe so much for saving your life and we will meddle no more with you you may buy you another when you will They spent about two houres in perswading her hereunto shewing how she might doe a lesse evill that a greater good might come of it By the help of God saith shee I will never consent to doe it What would the people say when they sée me burne my Bible will they not exclaime and say yonder is a wretched woman indéed that will burne the Bible wherein are contained all the Articles of our Christian faith I will burne my body sure before that I will burne my Bible Then séeing she would in no sort conforme her selfe either to the will of the Iesuites or to theirs they caused her to be committed close prisoner and to be fed only with bread and water none to be permitted so much as to speake unto her thinking by this hard usage to overcome her but all was to no purpose Being thus long shut up and no newes heard of her one way or other every one imagned that they had put her to death privily Her Iudges were wiâ—â—ing to have saved her life sending often a Doctor unte her called N. of Vivendyne to turne her from her resolution Anno 1593. but he found it too hard a taske for him to effect often confessing to them that sent him that he found no cause at all in her why they should put her to death But on Wednesday the two and twentieth of Ianuary 1593. shee was condemned to be brought upon a stage set up in the Market place before the towne-house there to sée her books burnt then her selfe to be strangled at a post and her body dragged to the dunghill without the City Shee comming to the place and ascending the Scaffold distinctly pronounced the Lords Prayer Then seeing her books burned in her presence she uttered these words with an audible voice you burne there the word of God which your selves have acknowledged to be good and holy Having againe repeated the Lords Prayer she was strangled and died peaceably in the
though he séemed so to neglect it to his Majesty yet his customable and watchfull care of the King and the State still bolling within him And having with the blessed Virgin Mary laid up in Anno 1605. his heart the Kings so strange judgement and construction of it he could not be at rest till hée acquainted the foresaid Lords what had passed between the King and him in private Whereupon they were all so earnest to renew againe the memory of the same purpose unto his Majesty as it was agréed that he should the next day being Saturday repaire to his Highnesse which he did in the said privy Gallery and renewed the memory thereof the Lord Chamberlaine The determination to search the Parliament house and the rooius under it then being present with the King At what time it was determined That the said L. Chamberlaine should according to his custome and office view all the parliament houses both above and below and consider what likelihood or appearance of any such danger might possibly be gathered by the sight of them but yet as well for staying of idle rumors as for being the more able to discern any mystery the nearer that things were in readinesse his journey thither was ordained to be deferred till the afternoone before the sitting downe of the Parliament which was upon the Munday following At what time he according to this conclusion went to the Parliament house accompanied with my Lord Mountegle being in zeale to the Kings service earnest and curious to sée the event of that accident whereof he had the fortune to be the first discoverer where having viewed all Wood and coale found by the L. Chamberlaine in the Vault the lower roomes he found in the vault under the upper house great store and provision of billets fagois and coales and inquiring of Whyneard kéeper of the Wardrobe to what use he had put those lower roomes and cellars he told him that Thomas Percy had hired both the house and part of the Cellar or Vault under the same and that the wood and coale under which were hidden thirty sixe barrels of powder great and small besides great barres of Iron péeces of Timber and massie stones covered over with Fagots therein was the said Gentlemans owne provision Whereupon the Lord Chamberlaine casting his eye aside perceived a fellow standing in a corner there calling himselfe the said Percies man and kéeper of that house for him but indéed was Guido Fawkes the owner of that hand which should have acted that monstrous and hellish Tragedy The Lord Chamberlaine looking upon all things with a héedfull indéed yet in outward appearance with but a carelesse and recklesse eye as became so wise and diligent a minister he presently addressed himselfe to the King in the privy Gallery where in the presence of the Lord Treasurer the Lord Admirall the Earles of Worcester Northampton and Salisbury he made his report what he had séen and observed there noting The Lord Chamberlaines report and judgment of what he had observed in the search that Montegle had told him That he no sooner heard Thomas Percy named to be the possessor of that house but considering both his backwardnesse in Religion and the old dearenesse in friendship betwéene himselfe and the said Percy he did greatly suspect the matter and that the letter should come from him The said Lord Chamberlaine also told That he did not wonder a little at the extraordinary great provision of wood and coale in that house where Thomas Percy had so seldome occasion to remaine as likewise it gave him in his minde that this man looked like a very tall and desperate fellow This could not but increase the Kings former apprehension and jealousie whereupon he insisted as before that the house was narrowly to be searched and that those billets and coales would be searched to the bottom it being most suspitious that they were laid there onely for covering of the powder Of this same minde also were all the Counsellors then present But upon the fashion of making of the search was it long debated for upon the one side they were all so jealous of the Disputation about the maner of the further search Kings safety that they all agréed that there could not be too much caution used for preventing his danger And yet upon the other part they were all extream loath and dainty that in case this Letter should prove to be nothing but the evaporation of an idle brain then a curious search being made and nothing found should not only turne to the generall scandall of the King and the State as being so suspitious of every light and frivolous toy but likewise lay in ill favoured imputation upon the Earle of Northumberland one of his Majesties greatest subjects and Counsellors this Thomas Percy being his kinsman and most confident familiar And the rather were they curious upon this point knowing how far the King detested to be thought suspitious or jealous of any of his good subjects though of the meanest degrée And therefore though they all agréed upon the main ground which was to provide for the security of the Kings person yet did they much differ in the circumstances by which this action might be best carried with least dinne and occasion of slander But the King himselfe still persisting that there were divers shrewd appearances and that a narrow search of those places could prejudge no man that was innocent he at last plainly resolved them that either must all the parts of those roomes be narrowly searched and no possibility of danger left unexamined or else he and they all must resolve not to meddle in it at all but plainly to goe the next day to the Parliament and leave the successe to Fortune which he beléeved they would be loth to take upon their consciences for in such a case as this an halfe doing was worse than no doing at all Whereupon it was at last concluded That nothing should bée Agreed that the search should be under colour of seeking for Wardrobe stuffe missed by Whyneard left unsearched in those houses and yet for the better colour and stay of rumour in case nothing were found it was thought méet that upon a pretence of Whyneards missing some of the Kings stuffe or hangings which he had in kéeping all these roomes should be narrowly ripped for them And to this purpose was Sir Thomas Knevet a Gèntleman of his Majesties privy Chamber imployed being a Iustice of Peace in Westminster and one of whose ancient fidelity both the late Quéen and our now Soveraigne have had large proofe who according to the trust committed unto him went about the midnight next after to the Parliament house accompanied with such a small number as was fit for that errand But before his entry into the house finding Faux found at midnight without the house Thomas Percies alledged man standing without the doores his clothes and bootes on at so
conscience the holy spirit of God seeing us cast downe and humbled sets before our eies Gods mercy in Christ Whose bloud applyed by faith purgeth and heales the wound which is made therein This done he will carry such an hand over us as shall withhold us from vice and draw us on to the love of vertue And thus we see how the Lord doth by little and little correct our sinnefull disposition by exercising us with manifold afflictions whereby the whilest hee provides for his owne glory Let us therewith consider his admirable bounty seeing thus he covers our shame for whereas he might justly cause us to suffer for our sinnes which we have committed against his Majesty he in stead thereof turns it to suffering for his truth and holy names sake putting this honourable Title as a veile over us to shadow our nakednesse For first he alters the nature of the punishment which is due unto us for our misdeeds into an assured hope of recompensing all our labour and travell we undergoe for righteous causes And in the second place he turnes the dishonour which we ought to receive as a token of the vengeance which he might to our ignominy execute upon us into an immortall Trophee of Honour wherewith wee are crowned in the presence of God and of his Angels Thirdly hereby he graciously provides for the peace of our consciences which in stead of sorrow and griefe wherewith they might be wounded for guilt of sinne on the contrary do sensibly rejoice and glory in these sufferings for the name of Christ And fourthly in the midst of all these joyes and most singular consolations yet the conscience for all that ceaseth not to retain a scruple or dramme of Rubarb mingled herewith to purge out now and then some corrupt humors and by persecutions to put us in mind of our sinnes committed against the Lord in times past But yet he so tempers and moderates these his drugges and that in so exquisite and artificiall a manner that while he humbleth us with his left hand hee supporteth us with his right hand if he causeth griefe by and by he comforts us in smiting he heals us in which mixture and tempering of things so much diffring in nature and quality consists the salvation of our soules Even as the skilfull and expert Physitian by measuring out an equall and just proportion of contrary drugs meeting with our corrupt humors provides for the safety of our bodies We see that an hot or dry Summer or a faire Spring time brings many diseases therwith Sâ—mile and how fast weeds sprout forth among the good herbs besides filling our houses with flies fleas and like annoyances the aire and streets with unsavory and infectious smels all which in Winter in cold and frosty weather do take their leave and are gone So whilest outward joy and prosperity with other contentments last the body of the Church is pestered with sundry and divers spirituall bad humors and dangerous diseases which on the contrary it is preserved and freed from by the variety of Gods fatherly rods and chastisements Now to proceed to the fourth benefit of afflictions which is to kill the pride of our 4 rebellious nature The Hebrewes use these two words to afflict and humble for one and the same thing as if the latter were the fruit of the former Nor doe we want examples which may sufficiently admonish us that as worldly prosperity usually causeth our hearts to swell and to be puffed up so on the contrary adversities and afflictions deject and humble us Whilest Nebuchadnezzar abounded in all his delights his heart was Dan. 4. 30. Dan 315. swolne so farre with pride that he began not only to oppresse his subjects but to justle even against God himselfe by his blasphemies But when God had once cast him into the furnace of affliction hee then became as meeke and humble a person as was in all his kingdome Dan. 4. 37 2 Chr. 33. from verse 1. to vers 24. Manasses raigning in peace and liberty over the people of Iudah grew so inso lent that there was no impiety or injustice wherein he overflowed not but being surprised by his enemies and laid in yron bands and fetters he was changed in an instant and became as low in his owne esteeme as ever he thought himselfe high which appeareth in his prayer made to God in his affliction wherein he prostrates himselfe before him confessing his offences with great compunction of heart and humility Saint Paul bare himselfe like a fierce and cruell Lyon all the while hee enjoyed favor Acts 9. from verse 1. to verse 24. from the high Priests raging hither and thither breaking forcibly into houses and apprehending such as he found to be professors of the Gospell but the same man being touched by Gods hand in the way as he was journying towards Damascus intending there to exercise his Commission upon the Saints and servants of Christ suddenly became also as meeke as a Lambe and was ready to proffer his service in whatsoever the Lord would enjoyne him to doe Eusebius in his Prologue to the eighth booke of his Ecclesiasticall history relates how God seeing the pride which began to bud and spring forth in the Church and principally among the Pastors thereof who out of their ambition strove about dignities and preferments therein was moved for that very thing to raise up that great persecution which befell the Church under the reigne of Dioclesian and Maximinian to crack their pride and to provoke them to prayer yea rather to watch over their flocks than to contend who should be the greatest Wherein we may see that by the blessing of God there is a kind of vertue in afflictions to humble and bring those home who through prosperity have forgotten themselves and strayed out of the right way Nay so forcible are they to abate and take downe the pride of such who otherwise are hardened and growne obstinate that even Pharaoh as Exo. 8. 8. 9. 27. 10. 16. rebellious and stiffe necked as he was seemed somtimes to bend and bow under the mighty hand of God Whilst God gave him some respite it is true he still hardened his heart but when the next judgement fell upon him and his people he by and by became as pliable as a glove for ones hand Seeing then all of us naturally are thus inclined to waxe proud by prosperity a vice which God sets and opposeth himselfe against above other as most abhominable in his sight we ought not me thinkes so much to be terrified at the approach of persecutions forasmuch as they withhold from and correct in us the same our pride sooner than all the instructions which are taught us by word of mouth The next benefit afflictions bring us is to quicken us up to the prayer of faith which is never better discerned than when afflictions lie heaviest upon us In my distresse saith David Feried unto the
Lord. For as our desires to obtaine mercy grow stronger so are Psal 120. 1. our requests more or lesse servent our desire alway being according to our necessity Let a man be sicke poore or lie under any other greater tryall the prayers of such do beyond comparison exceed in earnestnesse and servour theirs who are well and at their hearts ease David in many of his Psalmes pressed the Lord in such wise by prayer Psal 17. 1 2. 28. 1 2. when troubles lay heavy upon him as if he meant to take no deniall With what vehemency prayed the Apostles to God for strength being persecuted Act. 4. 5 6. 24. 29. by the Rulers Elders and Scribes of Ierusalem insomuch as the place was shaken where they were assembled He that shall duely weigh with what prayers and teares our Lord Heb. 5. 7. Luke 22. 44. Iesus Christ solicited his father in his passion being nigh unto his death will confesse that fire is not more apt to be kindled by the winds which blow upon it than the prayer of Faith is fired and augmented by affliction Would any man have imagined that ever such voices of prayers and prayses should have been made in the belly of a Whale Ionah 2. reade the whole chapter as Ionas made being there as it were in the bottome of hell CHAP. IV. Wherein is shewed that afflictions are not onely profitable but pleasant also IGrant that afflictions considered in themselves are no way joyous but grievous as the Apostle declareth Heb. 12. 11. because they are rather messengers of Gods displeasure the root also from whence they spring being indeed our sins But as we see how our Apothecaries in their shops have the skill to mixe poisons with good and healthfull medicines So our God being infinitely more wise knows so to temper our afflictions for our good that our of things bitter and distastefull to us in the owne nature hee can compose not only a profitable but a most pleasant potion Yea even as Bees out of the bitterest herbs draw the most sweet honey so the Lord out of the tartest troubles extracts such sweets that at length wee shall with Sampson be Iudg. 14. 14. forced to say Out of the â—ater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetnesse Hunger in it self is sharp and hard to be endured yet our tast is greatly delighted when we can eat with an appetite Could any man judge how beneficiall a fire were if he were not some times pinched with cold Or with what delight could we accept of drink in the hear of Summer if we were not almost dried up with thirst Or how acceptable rest is if we were not tyred out with travell and labour As we see then that these accidents how grievous or incommodious soever now incident unto our nature corrupted by finne doe notwithstanding dispose us to receive exceeding contentments therefrom So persecutions albeit in and of themselves naturally abhorred proceeding partly as we have said from Gods displeasure and partly from Satan and his instruments yet doe they fit and prepare us for the injoying of those great consolations which God hath promised to his Elect. Afflictions cause us to feele first That God is the Father of mercies and of all comfort Secondly That the Office of Christ his Sonne is To revive the 2 Cor. 1. 1. desolate and broken in heart Thirdly That the holy Ghost is the comforter of his Mat. 11. 28. Iohn 14. 16 Rom. 15. 4. Church Fourthly That the word of God is it that ministers comfort to us in all our tribulations and adversities which for the most part befall us for adhering thereto For as he who would taste meat favoury to his palate useth falt therewith so if wee would to purpose finde the Word of God tastefull to us commonly it is when wee are in affliction When did the Apostles rejoyce more than after they had tasted of the whip Acts 5. 4. for the name of Christ When did Saint Stephens face appeare as if it had been the face of an Angell but when he stood before the Councell at Ierusalem to answer for his life Acts 6. 15. He that looked upon the three young men in the hot fiery furnace saw them walking up Dan. 3. 25. and downe there as in some pleasant and delightfull medow or garden Behold that antient father Ignatius who as himselfe records being led from Syria to Rome there to be devoured accompanied by sea and land with a band of souldiers which he tearmes ten Leopards wished by the way as he went that he were in the middest of those beasts which were ready to rent him in pieces and that their appetites might be whetted to dispatch him quickly fearing lest it should happen to him as to some other Martyrs that the beasts out of a kind of reverence and humanity would not dare to approch unto him being ready he said rather to provoke them to the fight than that they should suffer him so to escape Pardon me I pray you saith he for I know what is profitable for me I now begin to be a Disciple of Christ I affect nothing this world affords What is so deare to me as Christ If it be not sufficient for me to be torne with beasts let fires and all the tortures of men and Devils be prepared for me let all my body be dismembred my bones bruised to pieces so that I may enjoy communion with my God and come into the presence of my Saviour And when he heard the Lyons roaring he said I am the Lords wheat I must be ground with the teeth of wilde beasts that I may be found pure bread May we not now conjecture by the wishes of this holy Bishop what sweet delight hee Simile found in himselfe in approaching nigh unto his Martyrdome As a Queen then or great Lady takes no greater content than when she perceives in her husband some apparent signes of his favor especially then when she hath conceived some suspition of alienating his affection from her or it seems to be any way cooled or abated So the faithfull soule who loves the Lord entirely desires nothing more nor taketh at any time more delight than when she feeles from her husband Christ love for love but chiefly in the houre of temptation and tribulation which oft times causeth our heads and hearts to be possessed with jealousies and suspitions that we are out of his favour Let us conclude then that seeing in regard of the reasons heretofore alleadged persecutions are so honourable every way profitable and delectable to the true Christian What cause hath he either to be grieved or terrified when they befall him Nay he ought with the Apostles and Martyrs to triumph and rejoyce To which purpose may fitly bee applyed that saying of Themistocles to his children when hee saw the great honors that the King of Persia had conferred upon him by their exile