had their refuge to their wonted place of saint Iames Confesse your faults one to another Iames 5. 16. Answer The Apostle would have us to confesse our faults to such as we have wronged by word or déed Also God enjoynes us to reconcile ourselves one with another by such a confession Mat. 6. 12. Mat. 16. 19. if we would obtaine pardon of him Then they alledged that place of saint Mathew That whatsoever they bound on earth was bound in heaven Answer Christ speakes there of Ecclesiasticall discipline which ought to bée observed amongst Christians by admonitions and then by applying the censures according to the doctrine of the Gospell that so obstinate sinners may be cast out of the Church But all the world may sée that you know not what this true discipline of Christ meaneth nor what a right Ministry is in your Churches Quest At least you acknowledge Extreme unction Extreme unction to bée a Sacrament séeing Saint Iames speaks so cléerly of it Answer The anointing that Saint Iames Iames 5. 14. Marke 〈◊〉 13. speakes of is nothing like to your anointings For that was a miraculous anointing for healing of the body and that whilst the gift of healing was usuall in the Church But you anoint such as lye drawing on and doe it for the salvation of their soules It is néedfull I grant to send for the Minister to comfort the sicke and to pray with them and for them but not to besmeare and grease them Quest Well what say you to Confirmation Confirmation is not that a Sacrament Answer In all the Scripture said Iames do I not finde such a thing as your confirmation as you now use it and therefore I know not what it is Here they caused the Register to write Non credit Then came they to the order of priesthood and asked if that were not a Sacrament Answer No no more than the rest I am not 1 Pet. 2. 9. ignorant that S. Peter cals the faithfull a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people nor yet where Saint Iohn saith that Christ hath made us Kings and Priests but what is all this to your Bishops and Priests Rev. 1. 6. Quest What thinkest thou of the Pope Answer I thinke him to be the same that Daniel and Saint Paul foretold he should be For he Anno 1560. shewes himselfe such a one as they have described him to be comming with false signes and lying 2 Thess 2. 9 10. wonders sitting in the Temple of God and exalting himselfe above all that is called God forbidding marriage which God hath ordained and 1 Tim. 4 3. meat which God hath commanded to be received with giving of thankes Question What say you then unto Purgatory Purgatory 1 Iohn 17. Answer We acknowledge none other Purgatory but the blood of Christ which only cleanseth us from all our sinnes Quest Doe not the Saints pray for us and ought we not to pray to them Answer God alone is to be worshipped and Prayer to Saints prayed unto Whilest the Saints were on earth they would not endure to be adored Acts 10. 25 26. Which they then would rather have permitted being clothed with corruption and with naturall desires of being honoured then now when they have put off all carnall and humane affections The Angels themselves would not accept of Divine worship Revelat. 19. 10. and 22. 9. They had many other disputes which Iames could not write for want of paper as he intimated to them of the Church The fourtéenth of August they were examined the third time by Peter Titleman Dean of Renay Inquisitor generall of Flanders whose cruelties and extortions were exercised upon all the faithfull in all the persecutions and deaths which they suffered in the said Countrey This morning was brought before him Iane Solomez of whom he diligently enquired of these of the City of Stéenewerke where she was borne but especially if she knew one Charles Vanderkaw a man renowned among the faithfull there She answered she knew him but he was now dead After he had asked her name he questioned with her especially about the Sacraments yea somewhat concerning the Lords Supper holding her in these discourses about two houres before him To Iames Diensart he propounded no questions but came about him with these flattering spéeches My son you are yong and in the prime of your youth Therefore the Magistrate of this City is very desirous you should be withdrawne from holding this new doctrine that so you might be brought againe into the right way but as I understand you so persist therein that there is no removing of you Iames answered that it could not be called a new doctrine which was built upon the Prophets and Apostles To whom the Inquisitor replyed That Martin Luther was the first that broached it Answer And what say you then to so many learned men which lived before him as Io. Wickliffe Iohn Hus c. and some after him as Calvin Iohn Alasco Martin Micron and others in England France and Friesland And though neither you nor I knew them God knowes them as well as he did the seven thousand of the godly 1 Kin. 19. 28. whom Elias in his dayes was ignorant of The Inquisitor persisting in his old song pressed him with the succession of his Prelates and Bishops Iames put him in minde of another marke of the true Church namely that it was alwaies under persecution and thence inferred that himselfe was a true member thereof The Inquisitor said we are now persecuted in England for now they begin to imprison some of our Priests there Answer It is true that Boner late Bishop of London was committed to prison but not for his good déeds The rest of them have their liberty Now this Inquisitor among other matters willing him to shew what service was due to the Virgine Mary said Is it not written Honour 1 Pet. 2. 17. all men And what honour owe we then to the mother of our Lord Iesus Christ You give her said Iames a goodly honour in bowing the knée before an Image of wood or stone praying thereto as to your God You may be ashamed of such abhominable practises and blasphemies Much other reasonings they had which the said Iames for lacke of paper and leisure could not commit to writing The same day in the afternoon Christian Luckere who was put into prison apart was also presented before this inquisitor and examined upon many Articles In all his answers he shewed much courage and when the other went about to prove that Iesus Christ was corporally present in the Sacraments Christian used sixe or seven strong reasons to the contrary drawne out of the holy Scriptures That it could by no meanes be granted being repugnant to the truth The adversaries perceiving the constancy of these thrée prisoners sought by all meanes to vexe and weaken them First they severed them one from another
Clavenno afterwards meaning to returne with the Land of Grisons to the Valtoline and to accompany the said Theosina to Sondres was murdered being twenty yeares of age He was a young man of singular expectation CHAP. 5. ¶ The Massacre of Caspano and Trahon wherein there were murdered eleven persons or thereabouts BUt for all this the Trahonesse could not passe in the lower Valtoline but that he received his part in this persecution with the persecution of divers persons which the Reader may sée by the Catalogue insuing Iosua the son of Hortensio Malacrida comming from Gaspano in his journey to Bulio being encountred at the bridge of Masino and being demanded if he would goe to Masse answering that he would not was forthwith slaine and cast into the river of Masino being of the age of thirty yeares The like befell to his brother Plinit he was sought for in Bulio by 25. persons and not being found there was met in his return betwixt Arden and Bulio and killed being 26. yeares of age Andrea Paravicino of Bugo of Caspano Sarto by his trade a Tailor stayed there from the 9. of Iuly untill the comming of the Grison Band into the Valtoline but after the sudden departure of the said Band being discovered by his countrimen and kinsfolkes was taken and carried to Morbegnio and being solicited to forsake the true Religion and to embrace the Romane and standing constantly with great manfulnesse thereto was condemned to the fire and was placed betwéene two heapes of wood to make him to recant But all was in vaine for being asked if he were a Catholike he answered That he was Then if he were a Romane Catholike he also affirmed likewise that he was so But being demanded if he held the Romane faith as it is at this day he answered no. It is true said he that I hold the ancient Catholique Romane faith which was preached by S. Paul That a man is saved hy grace by the meanes of faith and not by workes lest any man should boast Being demanded if he beléeved the Pope to be head of the Church he answered No because Christ only is the head of the Church according to the promise I will be with you unto the end of the world And although the fire was first kindled and then put out of purpose to draw him to a recantation neverthelesse he persevered and endured that cruell death with admirable consâ—â—ncy the 15. of August being sixty yeares old Giovan Pietro Malacrida although he were little of stature yet was he great and mighty in the confession of the truth insomuch that for the love of his Saviour he suffered death with singular chéerefulnesse being forty yeares of age His example was devoutly and constantly imirated by Elizabeth his wife who was killed in the eight and thirtieth yeare of her age and moreover these Herodian murderers not therewith content but joyning one barbarous inhumanity to another observing a daughter of hers being an infant of thrée yeares old to lie in the cradle although it was a childe of a swéet countenance and these wretches séeing that the babe did looke lovingly and chéerefully on them which would have béen enough to have moved any adamantine heart to compassion notwithstanding they tooke the poore babe by the féete and pashed her against the wall and in this manner most barbarously murdered the same Thomaso Maestreilla Carpenter and a principall enginer excellent in building of mills and other buildings was murdered in one of his mils at Melle being eighty yeares of age Dominico of Paguno called Luther of Scermele of the hundred of Canvicke in Trahonesse being at his worke at Morbegno was killed the fourtéenth of August age forty eight he was followed by his son Iacomo age eightéene and Peter his son of age fiftéene also of Maria his sister all which in one day being the fourtéenth day of August were for the faith of the Gospell professed by them sacrificed to God their Creator and Saviour CHAP. 6. ¶ The Massacre of Bruse in which were murdered to the number of 27. persons THese wretched murderers were not contented in the places abovenamed which were subjects to the Lords Grisons at Tyrane Tell Sondres Monte di Sondrio Berbenno and Malenco to have massacred so many persons who feared God honorable noble learned wise and sober of authority and reverence young and old men women yea even their next alliance straitest friends and kinsfolks by shooting them by throwing them headlong from mountaines by stoning them by hewing them in péeces by casting them in rivers by burning by mangling them and by all cruell meanes making them away but they also executed the like cruelty in Retia it selfe the countrey of their naturall Lords and Commanders For example on Sunday the ninth of Iuly a young man called Iohn the son of Dominico of Ada a Romane Catholike early in the morning travelled to the bridge of the castle of Bruse being the way to Tyrane to buy corn for his house there he met Ambrosio the son of Baruffino his host in Tyrane with a company of people who were at the time endeavouring to breake down the bridge not suffering any passage to the said Iohn but commanded him to returne back again At which the man wondering and asking the reason they answered That they meant not only to stop the passage of the Lutheraues of Bruse but also at once utterly to root them out This young man suddenly returned to Bruse and reported unto Martine Martino the son of Dominico this which he had séen and heard Vdillo being then his servant who was a Protestant runs with great spéed to give warning to the Protestants not thinking that they were in the Church but although they were diligently attending the sermon he was bold to publish the notice thereof to them all The people were much astonished at the newes and were about to depart out of the church but they were earnestly desired by the Pastor to stay still protesting that he would not forsake them but would live and die with them So they continued still untill the Sermon and Prayers were ended Then they armed themselves and assembled in the house of Michael Montio Soone after they marched in their armes toward another bridge which was nèere to the countrey of Bruse and there they descryed soone of their enemies who then were comming to cut off that bridge But perceiving the Protestants ready to resist them they returned back without any further attempt On Sunday and Munday the Protestants stood upon their guard on the Tuesday following in the evening came the enemies with a multitude of people being accompanied with a great company of the Roman Catholikes of Bruse They set fire on the house of Anthonto Montino and Pietro Agestino and other houses adjoyning The protestants seeing so great a multitude of enemies finding themselves fewer in number and weaker in strength some of them tooke themselves to their heeles the rest were slaine
father his two sons and after many words passed they asked them whether they would submit themselves to the will of the Magistrates Robert Oguier and Baudicon his sonne with some deliberation said yes we will Then demanding the same of Mart. the younger brother he answered that he would not submit himselfe thereto but would accompany his Mother so he was sent backe againe to prison whilest the father and the son were aduidged to be burned alive to ashes Now as they went to receive the sentence one of the Iudges sitting in his place after sentence pronounced said to day you shall go to divell with all the Devils in hell fiâ—e which he spake as one transported with fury in beholding the great patience of these two servants of Christ for they tooke all things quietly vanquishing their enemies cruelty by patient bearing the Crosse and in praysing God for the same Having received the sentence of death they were returned to the prison whence they came being ioyfull that the Lord did them that honor to be enrolled in the number of his Martyrs No sooner entred they the prison but a band of fryers came in thither one amongst the rest told them the houre was come in which they must finish their daies Robert Oguier and his son answered we know it well But blessed be the Lord our God who now delivering our bodies out of this vile prison will receive our soules into his glorious and heavenly kingdome One of the Fryers whose name was Lazard a notable limme of Antichrist endeavoured to turnâ— them from their faith saying Father Robert thou art an old man let mée intreat thée in this thy last houre to think of saving thine owne soule And if thou wilt give eare to mée I warrant thée thou shalt do well The old man answered poore man how darest thou attribute that to thy selfe which belongs to the eternall God and so rob him of his honour for it séemes by thy spéech that if I will hearken to thée thou wilt become my Saviour No no I have one only Saviour Iesus Christ who by and by will deliver me from this miserable world I have one Doctor whom the heavenly Father Mat. 17 5. hath commanded me to heare and I purpose to hearken to none other A Fryer called the Father of Saint Clare exhorting him to take pitty of his soule which Christ had redéemed Thou willest me said Robert to pitty mine owne soule doest thou not sée what pitty I have on it when for the name of Christ I wiâ—ngly abandon this body of mine to the fire hoping to day to be with him in Paradise I have put all my confidence in God and my hope wholly is fixed upon the merits of Christ his death and passion he will direct me the right way to his Kingdome I beléeve whatsoever the holy Prophets and Apostles have written and in that faith will I live and die The Fryer hearing this said Out Dog thou art not worthy the name of a Christian thou and thy son with thée are both resolved to damne your bodies and soules with all the devills in the bottome of hell As they were about to sever Baudicon from his father he said Let my father alone and trouble him not thus he is an old man and hath an infirme body hinder him not I pray you from receiving the Crowne of Martyrdome Another of the Fryers said Away varlet thou art the cause of thy fathers perdition The Friers then turning themselves towards the Executioner said On on Officer doe thine Office for we will be gone we lose but our labour séeing the devill hath bewitched them Baudicon was then conveyed into a chamber apart and there being stripped of his clothes was fitted to be sacrificed now as one brought him Gunpowder to put to his breast an odde fellow standing by said Wert thou my brother I would sell all that I am worth to buy Fagots to burne thée thou findest but too much favour The yong man answered Well Sir the Lord shew you more mercy Some that were present saying Good God is it not a pittifull sight to behold these poore men A Doctor being by answered And what pity would you have shewed towards them I would in stead of allowing them this powder Saint Laurence was rosted on a gridiron by Pagans In this age the godly find in a manner the like from faiâ—e and fained Christians A gentle perswasion have them fryed on Gridirons as S. Laurence was Whilest they spake thus to Baudicon some of the Fryers closed in with the old man perswading him at least to take a Crucifixe into his hands lest the people said they should murmure against you adding further that he might for all that lift up his heart to God because you know said they it is but a péece of wood Thus they fastened it betwéen his hands but as soone as Baudicon was come downe and espied what they had done to his father he said Alas father what doe you now will you play the Idolater even at your last houre And then pulling the idoll out of his hands which they had fastned therein he threw it away saying What cause hath the people to be offended at us for not receiving a Iesus Christ of wood We beare upon our hearts the Crosse of Christ the Son of the everliving God féeling his holy word written therein in Letters of Gold As they were led to execution a band of souldiers were attendant upon them no lesse then if a Prince had béen conducted into his kingdome Béeing come to the place where they were to suffer they ascended up the scaffold which was there prepared for them Then Baudicon asked leave of the Sheriffes to make a confession of his faith before the people Answer was made That hée was to looke unto his ghostly Father and Confessor confesse your selfe said they to him He was then haled rudely to the stake where he began to sing the sixtéenth Psalme The Fryer cryed out Doe you not heare my Masters what wicked errours these hereticks sing to beâ—ile the people withall Baudicon hearing what he said replyed thus Now simple idiot callest thou the Psalmes of the Prophet David errors But no marvell for thus you are wont to blaspeme against the Spirit of God Then turning his eye towards his father who was about to be chained to the stake he said Be of good courage father the worst will be past by and by As the executioner was fastening him to the post he chanced to hit him with his hammer on the foot to make him stand néerer to the same The old man being sensible of the blow said Friend thou hurtest my foot why doest thou abuse me thus The Frier hearing this said Ah these heretickes They would be counted Martyrs forsooth but if they be but touched a little they cry out as they were killed To which Baudicon thus replyed Thinke you then that we feare the tormentors No such matter for
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
of life But as soone as God of his goodnesse by the meanes of his word had revealed unto him his son Iesus Christ he by and by altered and changed his former conversation for having before lived in great dissolutenesse he now sharply reproved such as he knew to follow sinfull wayes yea he often taxed the Priests as well for their scandalous living as for their false doctrine wherewith they abused the people but principally for making them to fall downe to such a god as could not defend nor kéep himselfe from Rats and Nice and which is worse to offer it up for the sins of the quick and the dead For these with other such like spéeches those who erewhiles loved him began now to turne their love into hatred insomuch as he was faine to flie from them yea and out of the Countrey also being banished thence threatning him that if he were taken there againe he should be put to death not as an heretike but as one having offended the penall Lawes But not long after the Lord wrought such an alteration not only in the Politicall but in the Ecclesiasticall state also that not the Lawes concerning heresie alone were disanulled but frée liberty was granted to the Faithfull of the Low-countries to returne home into their houses againe and to have the exercises of Religion publikely and openly Among these Francis returned at that time unto the City in which he was borne But this fréedome so suddenly granted lasted not long For the devill not enduring the light so to shine out stirred up Imps afresh to oppresse the godly Francis then apprehending the danger was minded one morning to depart out of the City but God had another worke for him to doe For as he was passing along he was apprehended in the stréete by one of the City who with the Bailiffe met him The Bailiffe would faine have baulked him as if he had not séene him but said the other here he is hold him fast so they took him Being conducted to prison among other spéeches he said now yée have taken me you thinke to deprive me of life and so have your will of me purposing my great dammage and hurt but you are deceived for it is all one as if you tooke Counters from me to fill my hand with a great summe of gold In prison he had many disputes with Priests and Cloister-men But the Iailour of all other dealt harshly with him who could not endure to heare him speake of God But if at any time he heard him sing Psalmes and spirituall Songs he would rage like a Bedlam Once being very drunke he set open the prison doores and sitting on a bench he called to Francis saying come out thou naughty and wicked heretique I will now sée if thy God can deliver thée out of my hands Francis said as the case stands it might easily be effected If I were minded to escape away now as I was heretofore I could easily doe it but I will not for God hath called me to suffer and not to flie away and therefore I will not resist but rather obey his will The drunkard hearing him speake with such mildnes and moderation and séeing that he would not come forth being provoked thereto by him in his fury he tooke up his stoole on which he sat and laid at him therewith so as he had felled him to the ground if the servant had not stepped betwéene who tooke it out of his Masters hands by force yet was the poore prisoner very sorely hurt and lay long in the Chirurgions hands before his head could bée healed But to make him amends this cruell jaylour dieted him so strictly both for meate and drinke that hée had died with hunger had not God inclined the heart of his servant now and then to relieve him by conveying meate to him in secret After the Lord had thus by sundry trials prooved the patience and constancy of this his good servant the Magistrates of the City of Alost consulted how to put him to death having oft called the Executioner to this their consultation but they could not agrée in the manner how to effect it Some were of opinion it were best to have him put to death secretly in the prison others advised to execute him openly lest they should incurre the blot of being murderers In the end waxing more hardy having long detained him in bonds they called him forth into judgment and pronounced sentence upon him which was that because he had done contrary to the Kings Lawes in returning againe to the City from which he was banished he had therefore deserved to die séeing also hée held certaine opinions directly opposite to the Church of Rome Francis hearing his sentence read without any shew of distemper said Now seeing you are so thirsty after bloud I willingly yeeld it into your hands and my soule into the hands of my mercifull Lord God Almighty Francis said they we command you to hold your peace for if you will not wée will take order to bridle your tongue Hée then promised them to obey their command As hée went to suffer hée used that spéech of the Apostle saint Peter I must now shortly put off this my earthly tabernacle which 2 Pet. 1. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 14. the love of Christ Iesus my Lord constraines me to doe Being come into the market place where he was to be offered up a sacrifice he knéeled downe and having ended his prayer he sayed to the executioner doe now what you are commandded the will of God bée done and so presenting himselfe chéerefully to the stroke of death he was beheaded the first of May in the yéere 1566. his body being afterwards exposed to the foules of the aire for a prey ¶ Iohn Tuscaen of Andenard in Flaunders Martyr Iune the eighth Anno 1566. Behold here how God meant to awaken the men of this time out of their brutish security as it were with a thunder clap from heaven THis young man a maker of Tapistry about the age of two and twenty yéeres the son of one called Simeon Tuscaen dwelling in the suburbs of Andenard was trained up from his youth in all godly nurtrature He hearing news that things went more aukly to passe in Bruxels then hée could have wished determined in himselfe to make it knowne by the effect that the adoring of a breaden God which the Roman Church so much worshipped was nothing else but an abhominable and execrable sacriledge Having cast to and fro in his minde and thoughts the weightinesse of the busines he was to undertake at length hée determined to demonstrate the same more fully and apparently in a publike assembly which was the thirtieth day of May in the said yeare 1566. which after the custome of the Romanists is called the feast of God or Corpus Christi day Now by reason that two Cities of Andenard and Pamelle are joyned as it were in one there were two Temples dedicated there not to
Iames the Quéen the Prince and all the royall branches with the nobility clergy and commons of this realme assembled together at this present in Parliament by popish treachery appointed as shéep to the slaughter and that in most barbarous and savage maner no age yéelding example of the like cruelty intended towards the Lords annointed and his people Can this thy goodnesse O Lord be forgotten worthy to be written in a pillar of Marble that we may ever remember to praise thée for the same as the fact is worthy a lasting monument that all posterify may learn to detest it From this unnaturall conspiracy not our merit but thy mercy not our foresight but thy providence hath delivered us not our love to thée but thy love to thine annointed servant and thy poore Church with whom thou hast promised to be present to the end of the world And therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy name be ascribed all honor and glory in all Churches of the saints throughout all generations for thou Lord hast discovered the snares of death Thou hast broken them and we are delivered Be thou still our mighty protector and scatter our cruell enemies which delight in blood infatuate their counsell and roote out that Babilonish and Antichristian sect which say with Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it even to the ground And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the land with judgement and iustice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose religion is rebellion whose faith is faction whose practise is murthering of soules and bodies and for oof them out of the confines and limits of this kingdome that they may never prevatle against us and triumph in the ruine of thy Church and give us grace by true and serious repentance to avert these and the like judgements from us This Lord we earnestly crave at thy mercifull hands together with the continuance of thy powerfull protection over our dread Soveraign the whole Church and these Realms and the spéedy confusion of our implacable enemies and that for thy deare Sons sake our only Mediatour and Advocate Amen ¶ Franco di Franco an Italian made away in secret in the City of Vilne IN the yeare 1611. on the day which the papists call the feast of God a young man of six and twenty yeares old being miraculously called unto the knowledge of the Gospel was by certain Italians led through a Church where masse was to be sung and being urged to shew how he liked it began to refuse their Idolatry with great zeale admonishing the people there present not to suffer themselves to be so seduced by the pompous splendor of such vaine superstitions Telling them That that God which the Priest held up was no God as those seducers made them beleeve but a méere Idoll séeing it was not able to remove it selfe from one place to another unlesse it were borne Iesus Christ the Son of God â—ir Saviour is to be sought saith he at the right hand of God the Father Almighty This yong man was forth with compassed about with an innumerable company of people who buffeting him often on the face and spurning him with their féete haled him thence into the common Gadle of the City After many daies the Bishop with sundry other Lords calling him before them asked him if the heretiques had not perswaded him to use such words as he had spoken also whether he had not a resolution to kill the Quéene or her son the King or the Bishop of Vilne The prisoner wisely and resolutely answered That no man had set him aworke to doe it but only the zeale he had of Gods glory his conscience provoking him thereto holding it impossible for him any longer so suffer that men should attribute that honour to a dead Idoll which is only due to Iesus Christ his Saviour As touching their other demand his answere was that Christian Religion teacheth us not to murther men as Papists have hitâ—erto done in France England in the Low-Countries and elsewhere as histories doe daily shew The prisoner also admonished the Biship of Vilne to forsake all Idolatry to preach Gods truth and verity and cease to be witch the poore people with humane inventions moreover this faithfull witnesse did with much vehemency and constancy maintaine the truth of God that the Bishop of Vilne droâ—e out of his Hall his servants and such as came in there to heare him But he â—oot little by it for as they went here and there in the City they thid it abroad how in all their lives they never heard man speake with that courage and boldnesse of divine things to so good purpose as this young man had done Not long after he was againe brought before the same Iudges and questioned as before but in stead of yéelding he â—ardened his face against the impudency of his adversaries They purposing to quaile this magnaâ—unity caused him to féele the forture When he had suffered the utmost of their cruelty he was so far off from abjuring the truth that on the contrary his confession discovered in him a greater resolution then ever before being desirous and shewing himselfe ready prest to receive the Crowne of Martyrdome To be short the last of Iune 1611. which was the same day twelve-month 1610. where in the City of Vilne being the capitall City of the great Duchesse of Lithuany at eight of the clock in the morning there happened as terrible a fire as hath béen heard of at the houre in which the said Bishops and a great company of Iesuâ—â—es there going on procession the fire was so vehement that within the space of seven houres it deboured â—â—re thousand 〈◊〉 hundred and 〈◊〉 houses which tell out as the Iesuites supposed because they spared the Hereâ—â—ues there Where upon the 〈◊〉 of Christ was cruelly butchered there by the enemies of the Gospell not in a publike place â—or by day though he instantly requested the same at the 〈◊〉 of his Iudges but privatly in the night hi apeare walled about nigh to the Governours house Before they put him to death he was â—ruelly torâ—â—ned and then bound by the executioner to a post where they drew out his tongue under his chinne which done cutting off Anno 1595 his head his body being divided into foure quarters was carried the next day through the City upon so many poles ¶ An history of three Englishmen put to death at Rome THrée English men méeting together entered into a conference concerning the state of the Church at that time complaining that the zeale of Gods glory was wonderfully cooled among men yea and that even those of the religion were growne but too worldly wise that satan by little was sowing the séeds of Atheisme every where by rocking men asléep in the cradle of security whereupon having in humble manner commended themselves into the hands of God they determined to take their voyage