scriptures the diffrence of the persons in one and indiuisible substance of Godhoode the Father the Sunne and the Hollye ghost but hée impugneth and raileth at the blessed Trinitie Likewise hée confesseth that Christ was a great prophet borne of the holy and vndefiled virgin who was taken also vp into heauen but as for that poynct which is peculiar to the true and liuelye faith hee doth not confesse that Iesus Christe is the euerlastinge sunne of God very God and man the only mediatour of God and men who being crucified slayne for our sake arose again from y dead sitteth on y right hand of god being of one power w the father in heauen These things he blasphemeth and impugneth deneing y christ was crucified wherefore he teacheth also erroniously touching remission of sins which onli we obtaine by faith in christ which was crucified ye he is altogether ignoraÌ„t of faith iustification by faith in Christ deuising sundrie woorshippinges and meanes to attayne saluation namely by fastinge praying giuinge of almes sustaininge many great labours suffring mutch trouble valientlye fightinge for the Machometan religion and dyinge in batteill Hée is also of opinion that a man may fulfill the law and demerite saluation by his owne woorkes hée hath his Moonkes Priestes in whose merites hée reposeth the hope of his saluation Hée confesseth the resurrection of the bodie but hée speaketh altogether carnally and impurely of felicitie as though in Paradise wée shoulde enioye bodely pleasures meat drincke beutie of the body as if it were in the blessed Ilands called Beatorum insulae or else in a certein Vtopia Hée despiseth the Euangelicall and apostolicall doctrine as hée doth also our holly assembles and congregations coÌ„maundynge all that béeléeue in him to bee circumcised after the Iewish maner nothyng regarding our Baptisme hée raueth and rayleth at the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and al the fourme and ordre of the Lordes supper which was instituted and appointed by Christe hée contemneth all christian vsedges and hath instituted peculiar congregations temples rightes and ceremonies hée commandeth the sixt day of the wéeke which we cal Friday to bée kept holiday he apointed fasting daies purging with water hée commaunded them to pray fiue times in a day he forbid to pray vnto saincts creatures but vnto God only which is trueth in déed but hée teacheth to pray vnto others beside Christe Sutch praiers are not acceptable vnto God bicause they are not made through Christe through whom wée pray vnto God our father in heauen wherat hée mocketh But S. Iohn saith Who so hath not the Sun hath not the Father Hée altogether prophaneth holly matrimonie for vnto men hée giueth licence to marie as many wiues as they liste and that which is iniurious and dishonest to forsake them without cause at their pleasure and discretioÌ„ Hée forbiddeth them after the Iewish maner to eate swynes fleash hée debarreth them also from wine howbeit the ritcher sort haue deuised certen costlye kinds of drinks wherby they becoÌ„e nolesse drunk then with wine And this is the doctrine of the diuell wherof Paul intreateth in the first of Timothy the. 4. chapter And whatsoeuer I haue sayd of the Machometan faith the same ar al to be vnderstood of the Turkishe religion or supersticion which at this day is vsuall among the Turkes And as for these thinges I haue reported them verye bréeflye that those that knowe not the Turkish religion may haue a brief extract not of the whole relygion but of the chiefest poynts and opinions therof Now through indifferent view of these things which we haue recited who doth not vnderstande that through the moste gréeuous yet most iuste wrath of God the world is by him most sharply punished since y he hath suffred so absurde filthy wicked relygion to take place and here withall let vs also beholde and weigh what a cruell and continuall persecution which indureth also to this day this impiouâ— â–ª and Machometan faith hath raised againste the holly Church of Christe and the true faith Machomet that false prophet and murdrous seductour of the worlde had persuaded his Sarracens that they are the true children heiers of sarra wife to Abraham and that in respect therof béelonged vnto them all the promises made vnto Abraham namely that his séede should rule all the world and therfore hée exhorted the Sarracens that takyng weapon in hand they should valyently assay to possesse al the kingdoms of the world as their owne inheritaunce The Sarracens were a barbarus and rough people of Arabia whiche before that time were called Agareni the same receauinge stipende of the Romanes fought vnder them in the warre against the Persians But when hée which bare the name of generall had the charge of the army in geuing them their pay had reprochefully called them dogs saying who shal giue mony enough to this coÌ„pany of dogs thei reuoulted froÌ„ y RomaÌ„s and beinge perswaded by Homer their cheifteine they chose Machomet to be their prince speciallye since he had perswaded them that they shoulde not bée called Agareni of Agar the handmaide but rather Sarraceni of Sarra the lawful wyfe by reason whereof as it is sayde they were the Lordes and heirs of all kingdomes These things were done in the yéere of Christe 623. But this seditious murderous and wicked villaine Machomet so soone as hée had obtayned the Empire began to enlarge and set foorth his abhominable religion with the sword and to enforce men to receaue it persecutyng also and opprâ—ssing the true Christian faith And for the better ratefiyng hereof hée continued in this trauaile the space of 9. yéeres vnto the yéere of our Lorde 632. Vnto al that would follow his relygion he promised felycitie glory Empire victori ritches and after this life the pleasure of Paradice And by this menes he gat vnto him great multitudes of men specially when at the beginning things prospered so wel with him for why the common people followeth good fortune victory and ritchesse hatinge as mutch the crosse and persecutions Hée willed them moreouer to persecute all sutch as spake agaynst and reprehended the Alcoran Wherfore many reuoulted from the Christian faith and all vertuous and true Christians were oppressed with gréeuous persecutions this was the begiÌ„ning of the Sarracens kingdome After the death of Machomet the Sarracens called their chief princes Amiras which as some saye signifieth as mutch as the name of Emperour Whose names and most famous conquestes are described in histories vnto the yéere of Christe 870. They made many great warres and fought sundry battailes and obtayned conquestes against y Emperours of ConstaÌ„tinople and other kinges and princes They subdued Persia Babilon Syria the citie of Ierusalem and gat sundry great victoryes in Asia and Affrica in whiche places they terme their Princes Souldans or Sultans and Caliphas
and at length confirmed with their bloud For after manie and diuerse torments they were slayn with the sworde by Decius the Romane lieutenant that dwelte in the castle of zuirick And these most holly Germans haue left vnto vs the most holly and precious treasure of the Gospell and Christian fayth These our Apostles or rather teachers sent vnto vs from heauen are farre more auncient then y counsailes These liued and taught and are blesledly departed this life béefore the Papisticall Churche was establyshed in forme and manner as it is for at theyr time there was not that Papacie which afterwarde ensued there were then no Images in Churches there was no sacryfice of Mas no inuocatiō of saints no Munks no institutiōs or foūdations of Abbeies for they lyued in those yeres after Christe whiche wée haue before noted so that the Christyan fayth hath contynued amongst vs and also the auntient Congregation of Zuirick aboue 1270. yeares whiche I praye God alwayes with his grace to preserue But when this losse whiche the Churche had sustayned and this token of the wrath of God against his people had mooued but fewe in the Churche to repentaunce the more parte remaynynge carelesse and impenitent and alwayes procéedynge farther in theyr vnthankefulnesse God also increased the correction suffryng the Churche to bée oppressed with a moste sharpe persecution For in the .xix. yéere of Dioclecian which was the. 306. after the birth of Christe in the month of March euen on Easter day were published euery where edictes from y emperours againste the Christians wherin was charge giuen that Churches and Oratories of the Christians shoulde bée plucked downe to the grownd the Bibles and all bookes of holly scripture burned and whosoeuer of the Christians hée were that were in any honour office and dignite should bée disgraded and made imfamous with many other commaundmentes of that sorte Shortly after it was commaunded by another edict from the emperours that in euery place the bysshops and ministers of the Church should bée apprehended and constrained to do sacrifice to the Gods if anie spake against it they should be enforced therto or slaine Héerevpon ensued a miserable and cruell slaughter For the christian byshops doctours and ministers of the Churches were thicke and thréefolde led and drawn to the temples of Idols to do sacrifice and manie times those that lead them mooued with certein compassion exhorted them whom they lead to holde their peace and if they woulde but dissemble as though they dyd sacrifice they woulde then lette them departe But they declared with a loude voyce that they neither had Sacrificed neither woulde Sacrifice but that they were the seruantes and ministers of Christe wherfore vnaccustomed and new tormentes and diuerse tortures and punishments were laid vpon the Christians in execution wherof the tormenters and officers were more wery in appliyng then the Christians in suffringe them For they through thée goodnes of God continnued constant in the Christian faith vnto death notwithstandinge certen through feare and greatnes of paine and torment renounced their faith to the wounderfull sorowe and greif all the godlie At Nicomedia in Bythynia when the emperours commaundement and proclamation was openly set abroade and both emperours at that present soiurned at Nicomedia a certen noble citizen and of great dignitie in that city rent downe the emperours edict and tore it all to péeces wherfore with out delaye hée was brought vnto the emperours Who after that hée had confessed that hée was a Christian and that whiche hée had doone hée did it on a feruent zeale hée was deliuered vnto the hangemen and Iurmagantes who tormented him with sundrie torments vntill hée died But amonge the outragious tormentes wherewith they martyred him there neuer appéered any one sygne of sorrowe in his countenaunce At the same tyme were tormented and slayne the chéeife Prynces and nobles of the Emperours householde amonge whom Peter after sundrie vexations and tortures was layde vpon a Gridyron and roasted with this moste cruell kynde of deathe endynge his lyfe Lykewyse Dorotheus and Gorgonius Gentilmen of the Emperours Chamber after the bitter taste of sundrie tormentes were laste of all hanged Anthimus also bysshop of Nicomedia was at that time slayne with the sword and with him a great numbre of cityzens as shéepe followynge their sheapheard through tormentes and death with a most constant faith In Nicomedia at that time there arose a great fire suddeinly within the kinges palace as who should say that God ment to punishe the extreame crueltie of the emperours and the heathen people which had burned and broiled so manie innocent and godlie men But the same chaunced which befell at Rome in the time of Nero for like as hée imputed the cause of burninge the citie vnto the giltlesse Christians beeinge cause therof himselfe so these emperours published new commaundementes wherby they strayghtly charged y the Christians should bée extinguished with fier sword in euery place In Syria likewise the faithfull Doctours noble and vnnoble men and women younge and ould were drawen by heapes into prison in so mutch that the prisons and common places of the citie were full of prisoners and but few men there were that walked abroade the place resemblyng the shew of a forlorne wildernesse Wherof when the Emperours were aduertised they willed that sutche as would do sacrifice to the gods should bée released the residew that continued in the christian béeléefe should bée put to death with moste cruell kindes of tormentes The people of Tyrus also in the land of Palestine whole flockes as it were of men and women in places of common resorte for shewes were thrown vnto wylde beastes and when the wild beastes were more gentyl towards the Christians then the men neither forced vpon them to teare them yea rather teare their kéepers and maisters that egged them to others notwithstanding these faithlesse tyrants crueller then all beastes ranne vpon the miserable christians woundyng them stabbyng them and cruelly without all pittie murtheryng them A strainge kynde of crueltye also the vngodly in Egipt and Thebais practized against the faithfull wherwith they slew infinite numbers of them They vsed in certayne places to bend downe two Trées and to bynde the faithfull vnto eche trée by the legge then to let them rise agayne and so tearyng the men in péeces And Vspurgensis reporteth how at the same time in one monethes space were seuentéene thousand men martyred and slayne Eusebius in the. 9. and. 10. Chapters of the 8. booke describeth the strange torments and punishments of many christians which he himselfe dyd beholde amonge whom he mentioneth one Phileas a worthy man who was a Martir himselfe and had wroten of Martirs There was also in Phrigia a certen famous Citie wherein all the people highest and lowest young and old professed the Christian faith The same Citie the Emperours army beseidged round about and set it on fire burninge
Catholicke bishops were by him sent into banishment and many of theÌ„ tormented and finally slayne Since therfore at that time there reigned such tirranny in euery place and the ministers of the churches other faithfull men were nowher in salftye but were commonly reprochefully intreted spoyled plucked out of their houses and stayne at length the Church decréed to send some notable embassedge vnto the Emperour complaynyng of their iniuries and requiryng his maiesties clemency helpe and protection To which purpose were sent 80. of the chiefest the their countinaunce and credit might be the greater Who when they were com to Nicomedia to the Emperour had exhibited their supplication the Emperour was greuously mooued against theÌ„ yet dissemblyng his anger charged priuely Modestus one of his seruants that he should destroy al those byshops But because hée doubted lest if they shoulde be openly executed the people might chance to raise a tumult they were all imbarked in a Ship as yf they shoulde be sent into banishment And when the Ship was come into the midest of the déepe sea the mariners setting it on fler theÌ„selues escaped away in boates thus in one Ship were 80. holy seruants of God consumed with fire Which most cruell tragedie and impious fact stroak the Church of God into most greuous sorowe and heauinesse But who so is delighted to vnderstand the most firce Barbarousnes and most outragious tragedies heinous murthers which haue bin coÌ„mitted against the holy faithfull of Christ let him read the. 7 booke of the Tripartite historye and the fourth of Socrates and Theodoretus where these thinges are setfoorth at large I omitte in this place to set out the persecution of Athanaricus King of the Gothes whome others call Athalaricus Hée persecuted the Christians about the yéere of Christe 373. whereof some he flewe some hée banished But because some reporte that they whiche suffred these thinges were Arrians therefore I thought it not conuenient to recken this among the persecutions of the holye Catholick Churche Howbeit after that the Vandales had possessed Affrica driuyng the Romans thence about the yéere of Christ 443. being then peace throughout all the empyre Genserick King of Vandales and Lord of Affrica being infected with the Arrian heresie as were Constantinus and Valens the Emperours intended to enforce the christians to the Arrian heresie whervpon there began a bloudy and butcherly slaughter For he shut vp the Churches of the faithful and spoiled the Ministers whereof many hée killed with hunger and to be short he left nothing vndone whatsoeuer before him Dioclecian and Maximian the most cruell tyrants had practized against the faithfull Whom notwithstanding hée could not enforce to reuoult for all their most greuous and cruell punishments After Genserick there succéeded him both in his kingdome and tyrrannie his sunne Honorius in the yéere of Christe 476. who persecuted also the Christians most cruelly for the profession of the trew faith The whole storie of this persecution is described by Victor bysshop of vtica which liued in those bloody times After Honoricus there succcded in the kingdome Gundamundus in the yéere of Christe 484. who likewise as his predicessours did persecuted the Christians The like afterward also did Trasimundus the yéere of Christe 503. by whom were at one time 220. bysshoppes banished into Sardinia but Hildericus sunne to Trasimundus recallinge them home again out of exile restored them to their churches in the yeere of Christe 523. This Hildericus was a good prince sound in the Christian religion but in the yéere of Christe 530. he was by Gilimer takeÌ„ by a trayn and cast into prison and reprochefully vsed Howbeit Gilimer enioyed the crowne not longe but was by Bellisarius as Procopius reporteth about the yéere of Christe 535. vanquished and stain with whom the kingdome of Vandales also toke his ende This persecution vnder the Vandales continued in Affrica about fouerscore yéeres Of the 19. Tragical acte or persecution which was the longest and most greeuous of all other vnder Machomet which the Sarracens and Turkes haue mantayned agaynst the Churche of Christe Chapter xi BY meanes of these persecutions which wée haue heatherto declared which are to bée accoumpted as certen Chastisement and corrections of God few in the Church were brought to any repentance or amendment but many became rather the worse for sundry heresies and schismes as namely of the Macedonians Nestorians Pelagians with diuerse other arose increasinge more and more the recitall whereof were now to tedious by occasion wherof gréeuous contentions troubles and disagréement fell out not only amongst the learned but also amongst the common people and the vnlearned sort giuinge occasion of great and outragious diuisions in religion ouer all the East Béesides in the west the bysshop of Rome wickedly aduaunced himself and his Church aboue al Churches and ministers of Churches throughout all Christianitie and that expresly against the holy doctrine of the Gospell and the writinges of Gregory the pope Wherfore while matters continued in this state God suffred his Churche to bee touched with most sharpe troubles and oppressed with greeuous persecutions For in the yéere of Christe 613. was first knowne and béecame famous in Arabia the wicked hypocrite and most craftie verlet Machomet whom some terme Muhammat the same from his youth vpward was a merchant but afterward hée boasted that he was a prophet sent from god There had ioyned themselues vnto him certen wicked and stubberne Iewes and also one Sergius a munke an apostata and an heretick â—i whose aduice and ayd he deuised a new lawe which hée called Alcoranus for this woord Alcoran signifieth a mingle-mangle of lawes In whiche hee erred directly from the scriptures of both testamentes wherin are set downe the true lawes prescribed by God béeside whom wée haue no néede of anye other booke of lawes howbeit Machomet hath set foorth a new and peculiar lawe to his Sarracens Turkes and all that shall hereafter béeléeue in him which law of his is in very déede a miserable feined deuise impure false and full of filthy fables that it was great meruell how wise men could giue credite to such absurde and doubtfull trifles Howbeit therin appeareth the dreadfull wrath of God against al such as ar not contented with the doctrine of Christ the holy scriptures for it followeth deseruedly that al the are not contented w the truth to beléeue it afterward they giue credit vnto lies ar shamefully deceued seduced In this his law Machomet the diuellish and false prophet hath instituted and diuised a new religion altogither repugnant to the faith of Christ He acknowledgeth the ther is one God maker of heauen and earth whom onlie we must adore and call vpon and that wée must not worship or honour any other Gods Idols or Images whiche the Sarracens and Turkes doo hate excéedingly But hée doth not acknowledge according to the effect of the holly
vngodlye séeke to rule There is also very great difference béetwéene the auntient Churche of Rome and the firste Bisshoppes thereof and the Churche of Rome Pope Cardinalles and byshops which be now at this day The antient Byshopes of the Church of Rome whiche lyued and sate there from the yere of Christ 70. vnto y yere 314. and during the time of Constantine the great were in number 32. who wer all faithfull in their callyng profitynge the Churche by teachinge and otheir meanes and for christe and his Gospels sake were martyred and slayne They medled not at all with the ciuill gouerment there was no Court of Rome no senat of scarlet Cardinalles no guarde for the body no other superfluities which now adayes are frequented by Popes Histories of credit do confirme this same such as were not writen in flatterie of the Popes Also the name of Pope at that time was not proper onely to the Bysshoppe of Rome but other Bishoppes also abroade in other Prouinces were called by the same name For Aurelius and Ciprian Byshops of Carthage Ambrose Byshop of Millaine and other Byshops in other places were also called Popes And lykewise Saincte Ierome termeth S. Augustine whiche was Bysshop of Hippo in certen Epistles by the name of Pope For this woorde Papa Pope in the Syracusian tounge signifieth as mutch as this word Pater a Father as Suidas testifieth For it behooueth the Ministers of the church to be faithfull fathers of the people as Sainct Paule writeth Moreouer amonge all the Byshops of Rome from Constantinus the great and Pope Syluester vnto Gregorye the firste which were in number xxxvi ther was not one within compasse of 280. yéeres that vsed y pompe pride maiestie and power which the Popes vse accustomably now now a daies Their aucthoritie was great amonge other Churches and Byshops because for the most parte they were learned and skilfull men neither infected with heresies as some other Byshops in other Churches were but principally because thei were Ministers of the same Churche whiche the Apostles planted at the béeginninge which was therfore called the Apostolick Churche and the Apostolick seate and Sainct Peters Chaer. Howbeit the title and name of the Apostolick seat was not giuen only to the Romane Church but vnto other Churches also namely Ierusalem and Antioche And this woord seate signifieth not a iudgment seat or a princes throne but an ecclesiasticall preachers pulpit So that our forefathers in the ould time termed the aboue named churches Apostolike seates of the Apostolicke doctrine bycause the Apostles taught in those places and from those Apostolick Churches the Apostolick doctrine stretched foorth vnto other Churches aswell farre as nere Wherfore those places in which is not the Apostolick doctrine can not glory of the Apostolick seat although indéed it were ther many hundred yéeres béefore For there is also a seate of the Diuell as Saynt Iohn declareth in the 2. Chapter of the Reuelation But in the time of Pope Gregory the first whiche was within 300. yéeres after the birth of Christe the Church of Rome was so farre from the dominion which now it obtaineth that Gregorye very vehemently with stood Iohn which was bisshop of Constantinople who ambitiously sought to haue cheif place and superioritie in the Church would also bée called vniuersal bysshop Which title notwithstandinge and greater to the bysshops of Rome do vse at this day but Gregorie said that this was a Deuilish pride and the malice of Antichriste Hée that lust let him reade the fourth sixte books of Saint Gregories Epistles touchinge this matter Howbeit not longe after the death of Gregory Bonifacius the 3. vsurped that title which was graunted vnto him by Phocas the emperour a naughtie and wicked man For Otho bysshop of Frisingen a writer of Cronacles in the v. booke and eight Chapter reporteth how Pope Bonifacius the 3. had obtained of Phocas the Emperour that by his aucthoritie power and commaundement the Churche of Rome might bée cauled and also bée indéede the head of all other Churches Beda also writeth the same And Vrspurgensis saith that Rome ought to bée mother of all other Churches Nauclerus writeth that al other Churches in the worlde ought to obey the Churche of Rome and the Bishop therof Wherby it may bée easely perceaued how that this decrée of Phocas the Emperour whom all Hystoricians do verie mutch reprooue was no decree or institution of the Apostles made by Peter or Paule The Sea of Rome béeyng exalted after this maner the bishops which consequently ensued began more more to busie and medle themselues with ciuile matters neither sought they only for power and dominion but deuised how they might plucke their necks from the emperours iurisoiction and extol themselues aboue them how they might challenge bryng in subiection vnder them their prouinces peoples and maiestie But in y meane season they quight forgot their submission and duty departing far wide from thence became altogether vnlike vnto y first bishops of Rome At length the matter proceeded so farre that they durst boldly withstande y emperours and rise agaynst them for euen so Gregory the .ij. and Gregory the .iij. Popes of Romes opposed themselues against Leo the .iij. and Constantine the .v. emperours For these calling certen coūsels vnto which there assembled a great numbre of learned men and bishops of Asia Grecia and other regions they argued the controuersie of Images namely whether it were lawfull to haue and to woorship the Images of Christe and the holly saincts in the Churches of the Christians Whereas at that time it was concluded and confirmed out of the holy scriptures and doctrine of the auncient fathers that Images ought not to be worshipped nor to be suffred in churches but to bée taken away whersoeuer they were founde But after that th' emperors had giuen foorth cōmaundment to the Popes and vnto other vnder the Roman Empire that all of them accordyng to the woord of God and the meaning therof discussed in this present coūseil should take downe th'images out of their Churches sutch was the presumption of the Popes that béeyng called to y counsel they neither appered and afterwarde by their owne aucthoritie contrary to the cōmandement of the Emperours they called peculyer Counsels of Italian Byshops wherein they decréede y Images ought bée to retained in churches and more worshipped then euer they had bin before Nether presumed they onely thus farre but withdrue the Emperours subiectes from due obedience towards hym excommuncaityng the Emperours themselues withoute cause raising morouer tumults great feditions wherein the Emperours lieutenantes and debites were slayne as namely Paulus at Rauenna and Mauritius with Adriane his sunne in Campania And by this meanes all dutifull seruice and obedience was denied to the Emperours they were driuen from the gouerment of Italye But by what right the Popes brought these thinges to passe by
true reformation reprehending the disorders and abuses and specially y popes vnlawfull aucthorytie the filthye and lecherous lyfe of the Clargye which all men are constrained to confesse to bée very culpable the same men neuerthelesse are condempned for scismatickes and Hereticks ar sharply persecuted For vnto them all are Heretickes whosoeuer do not submit themselues to the Sea of Rome and the Pope in all thinges and beléeue in althinges which that Sea beléeueth and commandeth to bée beléeued accordyng to the aboue named conspiracie and so Lucius the pope defineth Heretickes in his Decretall wherof we haue made mention before in the Chapter Ad aboliendum to abolyshe Wherefore with them it is not sufficient that a godlye man confesse all the articles of the antient true vndoubted and Apostolick faith saying that hée beléeueth in one God the father c. that hée also alowe and confesse the foure orders of our beléefe set foorth by the auntient counselles and S. Athanasius and whatsoeuer are taught and confirmed out of the holy scriptures of both Testaments moreouer doo condemne y heresies which were conuicted condemned in y antient counsels In ould time this kinde of confession was sufficient enough for christiās in y auntient church but amongst these men all these things aveile nothinge neither suffice to the confession of the faith but a man muste néedes confesse and beleue in the church of Rome as it is now vnder the Pope and follow the consent thereof or else he shall léese honour goodes bodie lyfe and all And therefore during the time of the Counsels before and after them haue bin many bateiles murthers and foule wastings committed nether were these things done onely against the Sarracens and vnfaithfull men but with mutche more extreamitie and crueltie against Christians which would bée indéed and named Christians and not papists and which disallowed and also be wayled the pride and tyrany of the Pope his great and manifest abuses and deprauations of holy thinges Wherefore in the ould time it grewe into a prouerbe Euery counsell breedeth warre which is to be vnderstoode of Papisticall counsels and found indéed to be true by proofe For that I may passe ouer in this place warres and moste bloody persecutions of faithfull men but enemies to the Sea of Rome whiche were waged and committed in the reigne of Pope Innocentius the thirde and certen other Popes next ensuing let vs onli examin those thinges which are not farre past the memory of men that are aliue The counsel of Constance I pray you what warres persecutions burninges wastyngs and murthers purchased it vnto Boheme Germanie He that knoweth not this let him learne it at least wise out of Pope Pius the seconde who when he was called as yet Aeneas Syluius wroat these thinges very dilligently in his storye of Boheme The troubles seditions slaughters which the counsel of Basile brought forth are in part recited by Platina in the life of Eugenius the fourth But béesids this we haue a more fresh and certeine example of the Tridentine Counsel which beeing first appoynted at Mantua and afterwarde at Vincentia was at the last by Paule the thirde in the yeare of our Lord. 1542 called at Trident nigh Athesis wholy in manner and fourme as we haue béefore recited whiche was conluded and ended by Pope Pius the fourth in the yéere of our Lorde 1563. Howbeit what thinges were doone certen yéeres before this counsel and also since against holie and faithfull men which only beleeued in the Gospell but not in traditions of Popes nor in the sea of Rome by Leo. x. Clemēt 7. Paul. 3. and ▪ 4. Iulius the 3. Pius the 4. and. 5. and by this present Pope Gregorye the. 13. the space of 53. yéeres I néede not repeat For they are knowen vnto God and al the world and as it were writen in heauen vnto which place the blood of all innocents together with the blood of Abel crieth from the earth vnto God for vengeance Many gréeuous longe and bloodye warres for sundry causes were waged in those yéeres but at the same time no lesse gréeuous and bloody persecutions wer committed against the faithfull for faith and religions sake Faithfull and Godly men were reprochefully and iniuriously dealt withal apprehended thrown out of dores driuen into exile spoyled of their goods beheaded hanged on gallowes burned vexed with al kindes of tormentes and punishment And by this meanes were oppressed tormented slayne hundred thousands of faithfull men and professours of the Gospell both in the higher and lower Germanie in Scotlād England Spaine which found out the new practize of the inquisition in Italie and other regions But cheiflye what hath bin doone in France ther is no man at this day but knoweth And there are extant whole bookes written of the gréeuous and long Papisticall persecution and the thinge doone is yet fresh in memory wherfore it is not néedefull that I should specially declare it againe at large since yet at this present they make no end of their crueltie and sheding of blood Since therfore thei which would séeme to be Fathers and pastours of the church do make themselues executioners of this last papisticall persecution wée may not only compare it w the olde persecutions but in respect of the greatnes prefer it aboue it Moreouer as in auntient times the ould persecutors of the church were egged forwarde to rigour through an vnsatiable desire to rule to th' intent they might kéepe and increase their dignitie pleasures ritches and superstition so likewise is the Papisticall persecution committed for the same cause But like as the Christian faith in the ould time was no whit the lesse estéemed of for the persecutions so at this present the Euangelicall doctrine is nothinge the woorse nor viler bicause the Papists do persecute the professours of the Gospell and manie times ouercome them There are sundrie causes why God suffreth this to bée doone neither ought any man to accuse or call the iudgment of God into question And this mutch I had to saye of the persecutiōs which the Church of Christ hath suffred from the birth of our Sauiour vnto our time comprehendinge breefely the whole summe wherby the matter beeing otherwise verie large might seeme ouerlonge and tedious to the reader Howbeit much more might and oughte to haue bin written of thys manifold and ample argument Of the Sundry causes why God suffreth the Christian Church to be torne with Tyrantes and afflicted with persecutions Chapter xvii HEerafter I intende to declare the causes and effectes of the aboue recited persecutions of y christian church which doo worke in the faithfull And although I haue already almost in euery one shewed them notwithstandyng ther remaine some more speciall which are of vs with more diligence to bée considered Persecutions are sent to the Churche by the iust iudgment of god as the scripture plainely witnesseth were sent vnto Iob the