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
thee to wrath by our infinite sinnings against thee yea by our rebellions which now testifie against us For alas Lord our life hath no way béen answerable to that perfect obedience which thou in thy holy Law justly requirest at our hands which we from day to day do transgresse and therefore doe here cast downe our selves at this time before thy glorious presence unfeignedly acknowledging our misery and wretchednesse from the very bottome of our hearts Yet Lord mercy is with thee and because thou art our father therefore thou desirest not the death of sinners but rather that they should convert and live For this cause we now fall downe before the throne of thy grace with confidence of obtaining thy wonted mercy which thou hast promised to such as call upon thee in truth beséeching thee which art the Father of mercies to haue compassion on all such whom thou hast humbled under thy mighty hand by any of thy rods and chastisements but more especially this thy servant the Quéene who lieth here before thee sicke of a dangerous disease that as thou hast righteously afflicted her for her sinnes which she also doth with us acknowledge so it would please thee in pardoning them all unto her for thy beloved sone sake to grant that she may profit by this thy correcting hand for the time to come Above all give her a swéet sense yea a full assurance of thy eternall loves that so she may with the greater patience take downe this bitter potion ministred unto her from thy hand and that the sole desire of enjoying thy presence may cause her to forget all worldly greatnes and magnificence knowing that they are nothing in respect of the glory which is now set before her Endure her also with méekenesse of minde to beare the tediousnesse of her affliction for howsoever the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weake yea full of resisting and unbeliefe that so receiving all things from thee as from as father she may the more willingly submit her will unto thine And because O good God thou hast made her hitherto an happy instrument for the advancement of thy glory and the defence of thy poore afflicted people we pray thee if it may stand with thy good pleasure restore her to health againe that so the excellent work which thou hast by her means begun may not be left unperfect but by vertue of this her deliverance she may with renewed forces undertake the same in better sort than ever heretofore especially for the well educating and training up the children which thou hast given her But Lord if thou have a purpose now to call her home to thy selfe who are we that we should contradict thy holy will onely we pray thee that thou wouldst confirme her more and more in the knowledge of thy blessed Gospell and thereby also in the certainty of her salvation which thou hast given her by faith in thy sonne Jesus Christ that thus she may not cease to sanctifie and call upon thy holy name unto her last breath And as touching our selves who are here by thy good providence gathered together about her being in bodily health give us to know the uncertainty and brevity of our life that so according to our duty we may behold the same in this mirrour which thou hast set before us as knowing that even the greatest in the world are subject to the same calamities as well as the small that so our chiefe care may be to imploy the remainder of our time to thy honor and service all which we craâ—e of thee in the name of Jesus Christ thy son our only Mediator and Advocate Amen Thus we have as néere as we could gathered the summe of the prayer During which she ceased not with hands and eies stedfastly lifted up to heaven to fetch many déep sighes especially when mention was made of that mercy of God in Christ which he extendeth towards poore sinners So as there was not any there present that might not evidently perceive that her heart and affections were joyned to the prayer which we pronounced in her presence And while she thus lay she still continued in her godly resolution to depart hence that shee might be with Christ taking great delight in the holy and Christian exhortations which were usually made unto her by many godly and learned men who came in to visit her to whom shee also manifested no small testimony of that faith and hope which she had in God touching the salvation of her soule by her holy and Christian spéeches which for brevities sake are here omitted Yea albeit the Lord exercised her much with the sense of her inward disease yet could you not at any time discerne any spéech lavouring of discontentment or impatience to procéed out of her mouth nay scaâ—sely a groane which not only those of her owne family but many others can testifie even the Quéene Mother with others also who now and then came in to see her But if at any time she felt any refreshings from the violence of her disease there being no malady so vehement which hath not some intermission and breathing time she manifested to all her willingnesse to obtaine the recovery of her former health refusing to that end no good meanes prescribed for her by the learned Physitians Againe when she perceived her sicknesse to encrease upon her and that she grew worse and worse she was no whit appalled thereat but shewed her selfe to be armed with an invincible Anno 1568. constancy to undergooe the utmost that death could doe against her preparing her selfe willingly for that last conflict Moreover séeing her Ladies and Gentlewomen wéeping about her bed she would forthwith rebuke them saying I pray you wéep not for me forasmuch as you sée God doth now by this sicknesse call me hence to enjoy a better life and to enter in at the desired haven towards which this fraile vessel of mine hath for a long time béene stéering only she shewed her selfe somewhat grieved that she lacked opportunity to reward them and many more of her family and train which had done her faithful service as she could have wished excusing her selfe with these words unto them that it was not for want of good will but by being overtaken and so prevented by this her unexpected sicknesse But saith shée I will not faile to give order concerning the same to my uttermost ability In the end féeling her strength to decay more and more she gave order to have her last will and testament made wherin she above all wished that her children might have but the grace to honor and feare the Lord exhorting them constantly to continue in the profession of the Gospell in which they had béen trained up from their youth ordaining especially that her daughter the Princesse should be educated and instructed therein by the foure Ladies which she had appointed and brought with her out of Bearne for that end and purpose And being come
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
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
by the will of my heavenly Father humbly thanking his Majesty in that hée is pleased to honor me so farre as to suffer any thing for his holy name Let us pray unto him that he would grant unto me the gift of perseverance Then looking upon the said Minister who wept This Merlin was miracylously delivered in the massacre of Paris over him Oh Master Merlin saith he what will not you comfort me Yes sir said he for wherein may you take greater comfort then in calling to mind how greatly God hath alwaies honored you in estéeining you worthy to suffer rebuke for his names sake and true religion The Admirall replied alas if God should deale with me according to my deserts he might have put mée to worse forments then these But blessed be his holy name in that he is pleased to take pity on mée his poore and unworthy servant Be of good chéere sir then said another unto him for séeing God hath spared your more noble part whole you have cause therein to magniste his goodnes In these wounds you have received from God a testimony of his love rather then of his displeasure séeing hée hath preserved your head and understanding safe Then said Merlin sir you doe well in turning your thoughts away from him who hath committed this outrage upon you in looking onely unto God for no doubt it is his hand that hath smitten you therefore for the present cease to thinke on the malefector I assure you said the Admirall I doe fréely forgive him from the bottome of my heart and those also that are his abettors being fully perswaded that none of them all could have done me the least hurt no though with violent hands they had put me to death For what is death it selfe in Gods children but an assured passage to an eternall rest and life Now as the said Minister declared how the evils which happen to the children of God in this present life doe often incite and quicken them up to poure out their prayers into the bosome of the Almighty the Admirall presently with a loud voice and ardent affection prayed thus ¶ The admirals godly and devout Prayer LOrd God and heavenly father have pity upon The admirals godly and debout prayer me for thy goodnesse and mercies sake remember not Lord the sinnes of my life past nor the offences which I have committed against thée for if thou narrowly marke our sinnes the loosenes of our behaviour and distoyalties in transgressing thy holy commandements Lord who shall stand who is able to beare the weight of thy displeasure I renounce all Idoll Gods I acknowledge thée to be the onely true God and worship thée alone O Eternall Father in thine Eternall some Iesus Christ I beséech thée for his sake that thou wouldest give unto mée thy holy spirit and therewithall the gift of patience I put my trust in thy frée mercy for therein consists the stay and prop of all my hope whether I die now at this present or live for the time to come Behold Lord here I am doe with me as it pleaseth thée having this confidence in thée that if I now depart hence thou wilt receive me into the blessed rest of thy kingdome If it please thée to lengthen out my daies here on earth O heavenly Father give me grace that I may spend the residue thereof in setting forth the glory of thy holy name and in maintaining to the utmost of my power thy pure worship and service Amen Having ended this prayer Merlin asked him The Ministers pray with him if it pleased him that the Ministers of Christ should now pray with him and for him To whom hée said yes with all my heart I pray you begion Whilest Merlin pronounced the prayer applying the same to the present occasion the Admirall with his eles looking up to heaven expressed the ardency of his affection in consenting thereunto Prayer being ended Merlin began to propound unto the Admirall the examples of the Martyrs shewing that from Abel to Abraham and consequently hitherto whosoever carried themselves in any degrée of faithfulnesse in the house of God felt at one time or other the smart of afflictions in divers kinds The Admirall answered that when hée called to minde the sufferings of the Patriarchs and Martyrs it much comforted him and helped him somewhat to allay the fartnesse of his afflicted estate The King of Naverre and the Prince of Conde having bitterly bewayled this outrags committed upon the Admirall as you heard before about two of the clocke in the afternoone the King accompanied The King Queene Mother came to visit the Admirall with the Quéene MOther his Brother and other of the Lords went to visite the Admirall The King with teares séemed to be excéeding sorry for that which was come to passe promising him with one blasphemous oath upon another to revenge the fact no lesse than if it had béen committed upon his owne person praying him to come and take up his lodging with him in the louvre for his greater security and safety Wherupon the Admirall after some discourse made to the King in secret gave him most humble thankes for so great a favour as to visite him in his owne person Upon the motion made by the King Mazilles his chiefe Physitian was called demanding of him whither the Admirall might safely be removed thence into the Louvre or no His Answer to the King was that it could not be done without danger Some of the Admirals friends thought if fitting to request a guard of souldiers to be assigned by the King unto him for his better security The King answered he liked well of that device being fully determined to provide for the admirals safety as his owne and would preserve him no lesse then the apply of his eie After this the King called for the bullet of brasse wherewith the Admirall was hurt that he might sée it asking whither hée was not put to great paine when his finger was cut off as likewise touching the dressing of his arme Now as Cornaton shewed the bullet having his sléeve all bloudy because he was appointed to hold the Admirals arme while it was in dressing the King asked if that were of the Admirals bloud and whither so much bloud issued out of his wounds adding after Cornatons answer he never saw man in his life shew greater constancy and magnanimity of spirit then the Admirall did Then was the Quéene Mother desirous to sée the Bullet saying I am glad the bullet is taken out for I remember when the Duke of Guise was killed before Orleance the Phisitian told me that if the Bullet were gotten out there was no danger of death though it were poysoned Then Cornaton answered we have foreséene that Madame for being carefull to prevent that danger the 〈…〉 him 〈…〉 the poison if 〈◊〉 any such thing should be Some good hopes of the Admirals recovery The Saturday before the Admirall was 〈◊〉 he
to Rome and there to encounter with the adversary of Christ Thither they came and after a few daies two of them behaving themselves modestly did in secret manifest to some there the truth of the Gospell who being betrayed were imprisoned and put to death without any further adoe The third having resolved to act his part in publique gave over himselfe to suffer all the extremities the wit of man could invent It came to passe one day that this man espying the Pope in the middest of his massing devotion stept quickly unto him plucked the consecrated Host out of his hands cast it to the ground trod it under foot uttering invective spéeches against the Masse and Antichrist The people in a rage fell upon the Englishman who being altogether bruised with their fists and féet said you hangman finde out as many forments as you can the hand of the Almighty will shew it self the more gloriously My soule is resolved to vanquish death valiantly He was forthwith bound and set upon an Asse sixe Torches were lighted and from stréet to stréet the erecutioners bare them by him burning therewith his face mouth and tongue first for he had said before to one of the formentors thou hast no power over my soule thou wretch knowest thou not that God understands the voice of my secret thought and complaint When the flames came overthwart his chéekes he was heard to cry Lord forgive these men for they know not what they doe After they had burned all his face put out his eyes scorched and rosted his body in the end they consumed it wholly to ashes The learned author who set forth this History in a notable work of his notes neither the yeare nor the names of these Englishmen It should séeme to be about the time of Pope Clement the eighth in Anno 1595. for in his ample discourse he mentions an old wise man le sage veillard burned at Rome after these English men who before he went to the fire spake with such efficacy to his confessor sent unto him who also left him not till he yéelded up his spirit in the middest of the flames into the hands of Christ that this confessor going the next day into the Pulpit maintained tâ—â—â—rause of the old wise man with such boldnesseâ—nd zeale that all the audience hearing him attentively without any resistance understood his meaning and never accused the Preacher But in Lent following a Capuchin Fryer An admirable Eapuchin preaching before Pope Clement the eighth called him Antichrist and during that Lent ceased not to Preach the truth of the Gospell in the Chaire of postlience under the robe and habit of a Liar c In the same work my author saith our Historian mentions another Italian preacher called Nâ— Montalchin who in describing his History hath these words The Pope perceiving that by executing the Martyrs thus opénly in the sight of the people in stead of terrifying them thereby many were the more encouraged he resolved with himselfe thenceforward to conceale his open violence out of the sight of the Sun and to exercise it rather in the dark and in the night season The inquisitors who had Montalchin in their hands were preparing a way to murther him privâ—ly according to the Popes intention It so fell out that the Iaylour smelling the injustice which these reverend Fathers were devising against the poore prisoner adventured to give him notice of it to the end he making his peace with God might fit himselfe for death This experienced souldier of Iesus Christ plotted a way under hand by a spirituall wile to catch the wise in their craftinesse faining therefore a repentance he called for his judges telling them he was now minded to revoke his errors after they had pronounced sentence against him and would in the hearing of all recant what he had in publike maintained against the truth His Iudges beléeving he had spoken in good earnest promised him his life upon those tearmes Now that they might the rather satisfie their pride they made known to every one the time and place appointed for his abjuration All the city assembled together to take knowledge of this so unexpected a novelty Montalchin was brought and placed on a scaffold for that purpose He stood there in his shirt holding in his hands two torches lighted then silence being obtained he began to speake to the people as followeth Deare brethren and Children I have a long time taught you such a doctrine as hath troubled you I am now brought hither to open my minde unto you Montalchin is a sinfull man and therefore may erre But lend me your attention a while and I will let you sée the difference betwéen both opinions Thrée words seul seule seulement will serve to distinguish betwéene falshood and truth 1 I have taught you that Christ is our only sacrifice our only priest who only was once offered for us But the Doctors teach the contrary to wit that the true body of Christ without bread is offered up for the living and for the dead that the priests ought daily to offer up the naturall body of Christ really in the Masse 2 I have taught that in taking the visible signes in the Sacrament we doe therein by faith only take the spirituall and heavenly bread of our soules The Doctors say that Christs body is taken flesh and blood into the mouth and belly of the communicant 3 I have preached that Iesus Christ is our only mediator and that by him alone we have accesse unto the Father But the Doctors goe further and will have us to come to the Virgin Mary making her and all the Saints departed our Mediators and Intercessors 4 I have declared that we are justified only by faith in Iesus Christ and that the frée mercy of God is the foundation of our salvation The Doctors would have us to help out faith and grace by good workes as meritorious causes of salvation 5 You have heard me preach that Christ only gives grace and that he alone pardons this They affirm that the Church hath a Coffer or Chest of which the Pope kéeps the keyes whereinto are put the merits of saints which he largely distributed abroad to such as will buy his pardons Anno 1611. with money 6 I have told you that the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament are the onely ground of our faith and salvation The Doctors adde thereto their unwritten verities 7 I have taught you that after this life ended there are only two places prepared for them to goe unto who die and depart out of this world One the place of joy and comfort the other of torment The Doctors say there are foure viz. Paradise Hell Limbus and Purgatory 8 I have preached that the Pope is not a god on earth but only a Bishop and that only of one place if he therein behave himselfe as a good Biship ought to doe The Doctors make him Lord of the world and
the pikes of tribulations than theirs who never knew what such tryalls meant Yet I affirme not that persecutions have alwaies this effect in all who have but once burnt their fingers in this fire of afflictions as if they should not cause them sometimes to grow cold and forsake their standing for as concerning such their faith was never truly grounded in them they have only had the outside and shadow of Faith Even as the seed sowed upon the stones easily drieth away for lack of good moisture and rooting by the excessive heating of the Sun so this formall professor with his painted shewes of Religion and outward appearance of faith when the heat of persecution approcheth vanisheth away and comes to nothing But where faith is livily rooted in the heart of the Beleever and alwaies watered by the holy Ghost although through stormes and tempests it may come to be shaken yet doe the roots thereof grow more strong and setled as the root of a tree planted in a high place which hath the winds still beating upon it is fortified and growes daily by the sap which the other wants that is seated in a low and shady place In a word persecution may be compared to fire which hardens the clay and melts the waxe and consumes the stubble so it works divers effects according as it meets with sundry subjects for either it addes courage to one strong in faith or else softens such as are yet weake or in the end ruines such as are Backsliders and Apostata's So did the red Sea save the people of God Exo. 14. 22. 28. who beleeved in him and his promises and drowned Pharaoh and his host being Infidels in the bottome thereof as a stone Now whereas I said That persecutions doe cause unto us the multiplying of Gods spirituall gifts and graces my meaning is not only concerning the spirituall but even of temporall good things also for howsoever the latter of these happens not so usuall to the faithfull as the first because the Lord according to his wise dispensation knowing mans nature to be altogether corrupted would not occasion such by enriching them to forget him and fixing their minds on things earthly to make them their treasure yet hath it oft come to passe that the Faithfull have been greatly enriched even by persecutions Among others Abraham prospered more in power and worldly substance amongst Gen. 13 2. 6. Heathens and strangers than ever he had like to have done in his owne countrey Also Ioseph in his Fathers house but a silly Shepheard being banished thence by the hatred Gen. 27. 21. 41. 45. and persecutions of his Brethren became the Governour of a whole kingdom Gen. 42. 6. Did not Daniel also obtaine such honours and dignities in Babylon among Idolaters as Dan. 2. 48. 5. 29. he could never have expected to be raised to be raised to the like in the land of Iudaea But to say no more of antient examples I could alleadge many the like and that of late yeares But these formerly mentioned may suffice but only this I thinke that of all such as have been persecuted for the Truths sake there is not one if he would speake uprightly but must acknowledge that he was never unprovided for in his afflictions nor left altogether without necessaries God therby teaching him by experience what care he had over him Let not persecution therefore too much daunt us lest we or our posterity should by means thereof fall into poverty For as we read in the history of Iob after the Sabeans and Chaldeans had stripped him of all that ever he had yet God in the end restored to him more than he had lost Say then that our goods be confiscated by Tyrants let us not feare we shall be utterly impoverished thereby for it is the course which God takes in providing us of food and raiment by way of rendring us us a reward when we have lost our livelihood in his service Kings are usually wont to recompence such as have ventured the losse of their Simile and Livings in their quarrell And do we not see many Italians banished out of Naples and other parts who have obtained great pensions in France Shall we thinke then that God hath lesse love or respect of his who shew themselves forward to defend his Kingdome and honour We may therefore assure our selves that if we walke with a right foot in the way of Gods commandements it is in a manner impossible for us to escape persecution but yet on the other side wee ought much more to beleeve that his blessings shall never cease to accompany us and to restore unto us an hundred fold backe againe that which Tyrants either can or would snatch away from us be it food or rayment The third fruit which we may reap out of our afflictions is That God useth them as Afflictions sâ—ive in the church as rods hanged up here and there in schooles his fatherly rods to correct the offences which we his children have and daily doe commit against him So as they are no lesse needfull for a Church than rods in a schoole or houshold discipline in a well governed Family For we cannot long persist in the right way without them our nature being so corrupt as it is we should grow to be disordered if we were not held in by persecutions and afflictions What should become of a Commonwealth if every one were left to do as him listed So if God should forbeare to correct his children the city of God would in time come to be a Sodome and the sheepfold of Christ an Hog-stie or a Colledge of a Devils A loving father that puts forth his sonne to be a scholler intreats his Master now and Simile then to correct him And if through indulgency he neglects to doe it the father will complaine of him that he marres his child Would we be Schoolers in Christs School and not suffer him to doe that to us which we would a Schoolemaster should do to our children So indeed if we shall refuse to beare the yoke in our youth we may worthily be condemned with the world when we are old It is good for a man saith the holy Prophet That he beare the yoke in his youth for such is the untamednesse of our simple nature Lam. 3. 27. that if it be not betimes curbed continually kept short it will hardly be reclaimed or brought within compasse But if God once take the rod into his hands we begin then to have some feare of offending him and if we doe we are ready to confesse it The rod wakens the dead and drowsie conscience It makes us mourn and weep as also to accuse and condemne our selves for our ingratitude towards so good and gracious a Father we begin to tosse and roule our selves this way and that way to find ease waiting from whence it will spring forth unto us In this perturbation and anxiety of
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