as the salvation of mens souls wherein he must obey God rather then man Then did the Arch-Bishop seek to have him apprehended but could not effect it Valdo having many great friends and being generally beloved whereby he continued though closely in Lions three years Pope Alexander the third being informed that divers persons in Lions questioned his soveraign Authority over the whole Church cursed Valdo and his Adherents commanding the Arch-Bishop to proceed against them by Ecclesiastical censures to their utter extirpation whereupon they were wholly chased out of Lions Valdo and his followers were called Waldenses which afterwards spread themselves into divers Countries and Companies The opinions of these Waldenses for which they were so declaimed against and cruelty persecuted by the Romanists were these 1. That holy oyl is not to be mingled in Baptism 2. That all such prayers are superstitious and vain which are made over the oyl salt wax incense boughs of Olives and Palms Ecclesiastical garments calices Church-yards and such like things 3. That time is spent in vain in Ecclesiastical singings and saying the Canonical hours 4. That flesh and eggs may be eaten in Lent and that there is no merit in abstinence at such times 5. That when necessity requires all sorts of persons may marry Ministers as well as others 6. That auricular confession is not necessary 7. That Confirmation is not a Sacrament 8. That Obedience is not to be performed to the Pope 9. That Ministers should live upon Tithes and Offerings 10. That there is no difference between a Bishop and a Minister 11. That it is not the dignity but deserts of a Presbyter that makes him a better man 12. That they administer the Sacrament without the accustomed form of the Roman Church 13. They say that Images are to be taken out of Churches and that to adore them was Idolatry 14. They contemned the Popes indulgences and say that they were of no vertue 15. They refused to take any oath whereby they should be enforced to accuse themselves or their friends 16. They maintained their Ministers out of their own purses thinking it unreasonable that such should be diverted from their studies whilst they were forced to get their livings with their own hands 17. They held that the Miracles done in the Church of Rome were false Miracles 18. That the Religion of the Frier Mendicants was invented by the Devil 19. That the Pope of Rome was not to be obeyed 20. That whoredom and stews were not to be permitted under pretense of avoiding Adultery and Rapes 21. That there is no Purgatory wherein the souls of the deceased are to be purged before they be admitted into heaven 22. That a Presbyter falling into scandalous sin ought to be suspended from his office till he had sufficiently testified his Repentance 23. That the Saints deceased are not to be worshiped and prayed unto 24. That it matters not for the place of their burial whether it were holy or no. 25. They admitted no extream unction amongst the Sacraments of the Church 26. They say that Masses Indulgences and prayers do not profit the dead 27. They admitted no prayers but such as did correspond with the Lords prayer which they made the rule of all their Prayers 28. Lastly Though their adversaries charged them with holding that every lay-man might freely preach to the people yet they had Bishops and orders amongst themselves as the Order of Bulgarie the order of Druguria and they who were their Ministers were ordained thereunto though they were not of the Romish Institution as Nicolus Viguierius and others report of them Valdo himself went into Dauphiney conversing in the mountains of the same Province with certain rude persons yet capable of receiving his belief his Disciples also spread into Picardy whence they were called Picards against whom afterwards K. Philip enforced by the Ecclesiastical persons took arms and overthrew three hundred gentlemens houses that followed their part and destroied some walled Towns pursuing them into Flanders whether they fled and causing many of them there to be burnt to death This persecution caused many of them to flie into Germany and Alsatia where they spread their Doctrine and shortly after the Bishops of Mayence and Strasburg raised up a great persecution against them causing five and thirty Burgesses of Mayence to be burnt in one fire and eighteen in another who with great constancy suffered death At Strasburg eighty were burnt at the instance of the Bishop yet multitudes of people received such edification by the exhortations constancy and patience of the Martyrs that Anno 1315. in the County of Passau and about Bohemia there were above eighty thousand persons that made profession of the same faith Anno Christi 1160. some of them came into England and at Oxford were punished in the most barbarous and cruel manner as ever were any Christians for Religion-sake before the time as you may see in my English Martyrologie And three years after in the Council of Turon or Towers in France viz. 1163. Pope Alexander the third made a decree that these Gospellers and all their favourers should be excommunicated and that none should sell them any thing or buy any thing of them according as it was fore-prophesied Rev. 13.17 But notwithstanding all these devises they had goodly Churches in Bulgary Croatia Dalmatia and Hungary The Popish Monks to make them odious and to have the better occasion to persecute them raised up many foul slanders of them as they were sorcerers buggerers c. that they assembled themselves in the night time and that the Pastors commanded the lights to be put out saying Qui potest capere capiat catch who catch can whereupon they committed abominable incest the son with the mother the brother with the sister the father with his daughter c. they charged them also with many foul and false opinions from which accusations they by a publick Apology and vindication cleared themselves which they published both in French and their own language Rainerus the Monk saith of them that amongst all those which have risen up against the Church of Rome the Waldenses were the most dangerous in regard of their long continuance for some say that it hath continued from the time of Pope Silvester and some say from the Apostles time and because this Sect saith he is more general and there is scarce any Countrey in which it hath not taken footing and because it hath a great appearance of piety for they carry themselves uprightly before men and believe rightly touching God in all things holding all the Articles of the Creed only they hate and revile the Church of Rome and therein saith he they are easily believed of the people Cesarius saith that this Heresie so encreased that in a short time it infected usque ad mille civitates a thousand Cities Parsons saith that they had an Army of seventy thousand men to fight for
he said Why do you create unprofitable labour to your selves and trouble to us Then said they one to another they are hard rocks and will not suffer themselves to be removed to whom he answered You saâ— true Christ is an hard rock and we are firmly fixed on him Afterwards he said to his fellow-Martyrs I understand that I must be hanged but whether by the neck middle or feet I know not nor caâ—e not this only is my grief that my bloud may not be mingled with yours that we might be made one sacrifice to God When he was called forth to execution he was besprinckled with the tears of his friends to whom he said Play the men brethren and refrain fron weeping I go before but it is but a short time and we shall meet in the heavenly glory When he was upon the ladder he said I have plotted no Treason committed no murder I have done nothing worthy of death but I die because I have been faithfull to the Gospel and my country O God pardon my enemies for they know not what they do but thou O Christ have pity on me for I commit my soul unto thee and so he slept in the Lord. The next was Simeon Sussickey who when he saw the Jesuites comming he said to his companions These birds of prey are flying hither but they shall not feed on these carcasses but return hungry For God hath promised to perserve his own as the apple of his eye and therefore he will not suffer us to be seduced The last night he had a great conflict with the flesh because the Scripture saith Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree but when the Minister told him that that curse was taken away by the death of Christ he was well satisfied He went to his death praying and singing and being hanged next to Kutnaur which was his son in law after he was dead he turned towards him and so near that their mouths touched each other so that their enemies said These were such obstinate Rebels that they cease not to plot after death The next was Nathaneel Wodnianskey who when the Jesuites sollicited him to Apostacy he said to them You take away our lives under pretence of Rebellion and not content with that you seek to destroy our souls Glut your selues with sight of our bloud and be satisfied with that but we shall leave a sting in your consciences Afterwards his own son saying to him My Father if hope of life should be proffered you upon condition of Apostacy I pray you be mindefull of keeping your faith to Christ He answered It is very acceptable to me my son to be exhorted to constancy by you but what makes you to suspect me I rather advise and exhort you to follow your fathers steps and to exhort your brethren sisters and children to that constancy whereof I shall leave you an example and so he patiently ended his life upon the Gallows The next was Wenceslaus Gisbitzky to whom were given great hopes of life but the Minister fearing Satans stratagems advised him to take heed of security and to prepare himself for the encounter of death Upon the Scaffold seeing his hopes frustrate he fell on his knees and said We are prostrate before thee O eternal Father do not forsake us have pity on us through Jesus Christ We would say more but we are not able to expresse it Into thy hands doe we commend our souls perfect that which thou hast begun to work in us Render to us our inheritance that we may sing Holy Holy Holy c. and so in the midst of his prayers he ended his life There was also one Martin Fruin an eminent Citizen of Pâ—ague who being taken in his own house was scoffed at by the souldiers beaten with their fists and afterward cruelly tortured and so burnt in the privy parts that for six moneths he was troubled with most grievous pain he was shut up in prison from all company and at last was found dead in the Castle ditch under the Tower Presently after the execution of these holy Martyrs all their goods were confiscated as also of those that were driven into banishment Then was a Proclamation published wherein a generall pardon of all crimes was offered to all the Inhabitants of the Kingdom only their goods were confiscated either in whole or in part which must be brought into his Majesties Treasury to pay his debts which were contracted by this necessary war besides which they were to make a confession of their faults in a form prescribed before Cardinall Lichtenstein who was Caesars Viceroy and if any did not appear he should lose this favour Hence it was that the enemies publikely boasted that none were punished but such as were convicted by their own confession Then by Edict all were forbidden to diminish or waste their goods by selling them or conveying them over to others and if any man should send away his goods to another place all should be lost and whosoever received such goods should pay so much of his own to the Emperour Yet the merry Judges turned all this to a jest saying to divers that pleaded their innocency from having any hand in bringing in Frederick That though they had not actuall sins yet they were infected with the Original sin of heresie and wealth and therefore could not be exempted from punishment Then did they proceed to take from the Protestants all their Castles Towns and Villages whereby they were deprived of their livelihoods and driven into strange places Some were forced to cast themselves upon their Popish friends others to become servants to their own destroyers Afterwards all their personall Estates were sequestred scarce leaving so much as a garment for them wherewith to cover their nakedness And lest any man should should have money at use they commanded all to bring in all their bonds upon pain of losing all their debts if they concealed the least And when any considerable sum was brought in the Kings Treasurers were at hand who protesting that the Emperour had need of it to defray his charges of war took it away giving to the party a note that so much was due to him from the Emperour which yet was never repaied And thus the Protestants being commanded to depart the Kingdom the Popish party divided their confiscated goods and lands amongst themselves and as it lay commodious for any of them they added this or that Village Town Castle or Lordship to their own but the greatest part fell to strangers shares Spaniards Italians or Germans which were Commanders in the Imperiall Army instead of their pay If any widows or Orphans had lands or goods not taken away their popish neighbours would either circumvent them by craft or weary them out by quartering souldiers upon them and so enforced them to sell them their lands at what prices themselves listed
was neither town nor City in all the Countrey wherein some were not banished beheaded or condemned to perpetual imprisonment neither was there any respect either of age or sex But especially at Gaunt many of the chief men were burned for Religion Also at the Emperours going to Bruxels there was a terrible persecution and slaughter made of Gods People in Brabant Artois c. so that two hundred men and women were apprehended at one time whereof some were drowned some buried quick some privily made away others sent to perpetual prison yea so many others were put to death that the hands of the hangman were tired with slaying of men Anno 1545. There was one Martin at Gaunt a Fishmonger who lived very dissolutely to his old age but it pleased God by a Sermon that he heard to bring him to the knowledge of the truth and to repentance for his former sins whereupon he left Gaunt and sought out the company of godly Christians who used much reading of the Scriptures by whom he was further instructed and grounded in the truth Then after three moneths he returned to the City again where he visited the Captives in prison comforted them in persecution and confirmed them in the truth which were led to the fire The Friars seeing this though formerly he had been very bountiful to them yet now they conspired against him whereby he was laid in bands and by sharp and cruel torments they would have enforced him to recant but not prevailing he was condemned and his goods confiscated as he stood at the stake a Friar said to him Martin except thou dost turn thou shalt go from this temporal to everlasting fire to whom he answered It is not for you to judge me and so he quietly slept in the Lord. The next day after two other men were burned and a woman buried alive for the same cause who joyfully and cheerfully suffered Martyrdome At Delden two Virgins of a noble stock who frequently and diligently attended Sermons being apprehended and examined couragiously confessed and maintained the truth whereupon they were condemned and the younger was first burned In the fire she prayed so ardently for her enemies that the Judges greatly marvelled at it Then did they exhort the elder that if she would not recant yet at least that she would petition to have her punishment changed into beheading instead of burning whereupon she answered that she held no errour of which she had cause to repent but the truth which was consonant to the Scriptures in which she trusted to persevere unto the end And for the kind of her punishment she feared not the fire but would rather follow the example of her dear sister and so being put into the fire she quietly slept in the Lord. But this was marvellous that after their death the bodies of them both remained white and unhurt by the fire whereupon some Christians privily in the night buried them Anno Christi 1545. There was in Mechlin one Andrew Thiessen who had three sonnes and a daughter whom he carefully brought up in the knowledge of the truth after which he went into England and there died Two of his sonnes went into Germany to study there and after a time returned home again instructing their mother brother and sister in the right knowledge of Christ which being taken notice of they were all carried before the Magistrate and exhorted to returne to the Church of Rome again The younger brother and sister being not so throughly grounded in the truth by reason of their yeares yielded something and so were sent home again the mother who remained constant was adjudged to perpetual imprisonment the two elder brethren defended the truth stoutly against the Friars Disputation not prevailing they proceeded to torments endeavouring to know of them who was their Master and what fellows they had they answered that their Master was Christ who bare his Crosse before them and for fellows they had innumerable dispersed in all places At last they were condemned to the fire and at the place of execution they began to exhort the people whereupon bals were put into their mouths which through vehemency in desiring to speak they thrust out again intreating them for the Lords sake that they might have leave to speak and so singing with a loud voice they were fastened to the stake where they prayed for their Persecutors exhorted one another and endured the fire patiently One of them feeling the violence of the flame said O what a small pain is this compared with the glory to come and so committing their spirits into the hands of God they finished their race Anno 1545. There was a great persecution in Dornick and amongst others there was one Adrian Tailor and his Wife apprehended and upon their examination the man being somewhat timorous relented something and so was beheaded but the woman being more constant was put into an iron grate and so buried alive There was also one Master Peter Bruly about the same time sometimes a Preacher in Strasburg but now at the request of the faithful in Dornick a diligent Preacher there He used to preach in houses the door standing open the Magistrate hearing of it laid wait for him shutting up the City gates and searching three days for him but the brethren in the night time let him down in a basket over the wall and when he was down one of them leaning over the wall to bid him farewel unawares threw down a loose stone which falling upon his leg brake it in pieces He complaining of his hurt the watchmen heard him and apprehended him Then did he give thanks to Almighty God who by that providence staid him there to bear witnesse to his truth whilst he was in prison he ceased not to instruct and confirm all them that came to him in the Word of grace after four moneths imprisonment he was condemned to be burnt and his ashes to be cast into the river The Friars took care that he should have but a small fire that his pain might be the more increased yet he constantly and chearfully suffered Martyrdom God made the Ministry of this good man very powerful to many amongst others there was one Peter Mioce who had lived long in all manner of wickedness and licenciousness but being through Gods grace converted he excelled all the rest of the brethren in zeale and holinesse at last he was apprehended and being asked whether he was one of Peter Brulies disciples he said that he was and that he had received much benefit by his Doctrine withall professing that his doctrine was consonant to the holy Scriptures whereupon he was let down into a deep dungeon full of Toads and other vermine Afterwards he was brought forth before the Senate who had provided some Friars to convert him To whom he said When I lived an ungodly life in all manner of
Lords body but the people making a tumult carried him out of the Church in a croud and he had not gone far before he was apprehended by an Officer and carried to prison Then came divers Friars to reason with him and he stood to the trial of the Scriptures only which they refused During his imprisonment he wrote a consolatory letter to his wife exhorting her to bring up his children in the fear of God Being condemned he was commanded not to speak to the people being bound to the stake he prayed for his enemies and was first strangled and then burnt The same year there was at Dornick one Bertrand who to enjoy the freedome of his conscience went to Wesell but being desirous to draw his wife and children thither he went thrice to Dornick to perswade her to go with him yet could he by no means prevail with her Then did he set his house in order desiring her to pray that God would establish him in the work that he went about and on Christmas day he went to the great Church at Dornick and the Priest being at Masse when he was about to elevate the Host Bertrand took the cake out of his hand and trampled it under his feet saying that he did it to shew the glory of that god that they worshipped or rather what little power he had labouring to perswade them that the cake was not their Saviour At first the people stood amazed but presently they raised such a tumult that Bertrand hardly escaped with life The Governour hearing of it was exceedingly enraged and sent for Bertrand into the Castle asking him whether he was sorry for his fact and whether he would do it if it were to do again Bertrand answered That he would and if he had a hundred lives to lose he would lose them all in that quarrel Then was he thrice put to the rack and tormented cruelly to draw from him who were his setters on yet could they get nothing from him Then was he condemned and drawn from the Castle to the Market-place with a Ball of iron in his mouth There he was set upon a stage and had his right hand wherewith he did the fact crushed between two hot irons with sharp edges till the form of his hand was quite changed Then did they bring other red hot irons for his right foot which they used as they had done his hand which he with marvellous patience and constancy underwent putting out his foot of his own accord to them Then taking the ball of Iron out of his mouth they cut out his tongue notwithstanding which he continually called and cryed unto God which caused them to thrust in the ball of iron again Then was he let down in an iron chaine upon the fire and pulled up again and so they continued pulling up and letting him down till he was burnt to ashes which ashes they threw into the river From Locrane in Helvetia the Ministers were banished but were entertained by the Tigurines Two other good men born in Dornick went into divers reformâ—d Churches where they increased much in knowledge and godlinesse and at last resolved to return to Dornick to do what good they could in their own Country and it so fell out that on a day when many good people were gone to a wood to hear the Word of God preached to them by a Minister of Jesus Christ their Adversaries having intelligence of it followed them thither and took about thirty of them amongst whom were these two men who fell to singing of Psalms supposing that they should be presently burned but afterwards they were condemned to be beheaded and so they comfortably ended their lives Also divers godly men and women suffered Martyrdome at Valence amongst whom was James Faber an old man who when they argued with him about his religion said Though I cannot satisfie you by reasoning yet I can constantly abide and suffer for the truth of the Gospel Also one Godfride being condemned at Dornick for an Heretick Nay said he Not an Heretick but an unprofitable servant of Jesus Christ. When the Hangman would have strangled him to ease his pain in burning he refused saying that he would abide the sentence of death which was passed upon him Besides these there were both in the upper and lower Germany many others secretly made away some drowned some bured quick some murthered in prison c. A godly Minister was also poisoned by a Priest at Erford for preaching the truth of Christ Besides many others In the city of Lile the Gospel was secretly preached for three years together sometimes in houses then in woods fields and Caves of the earth not without hazard of their dearest lives if they had been discovered yet did not dangers cool the zeal of Gods people but what was preached was accordingly practised amongst them works of mercy and charity were their exercise not only towards those of the houshold of faith but towards those which were without also so as many by means hereof were drawn and brought to the knovvledge of Christ. This so enraged Satan and his instruments that Anno 1556 the time being come wherein God had given them power to try and exercise the faith of his people they neglected not to shew their cruelty upon them and for that end one night about ten of the clock the Provost of the City with his armed Sergeants made search to see if they could find any met together but by Gods Providence there was no meeting of Gods People at that time then went they to the house of one Robert Oguire which was a little Church for all in it both small and great were familiarly instructed in the knowledge and fear of God Being violently entred into the house seeking up and down for their prey they found certain books which they took away with them but Baudizon the son of Robert whom they principally sought after was not then at home being gone abroad to confer of the word with some of the brethren Before the Provost was departed Baudizon came home and knocked at the door Martin his younger brother who watched for his coming bade him presently to be gone but he thinking that he had mistaken him for some other continued knocking saying It is I open the door Then came the Sergeants and opened the door and laying hold on him said Ah Sir you are well met and with that the Provost arrested him in the Emperours name withall causing the Father Mother and two sons to be bound and so carried them away towards the prison As they went through the streets Baudizon said aloud Oh Lord assist us by thy grace not only to be prisoners for thy names sake but to confess thy holy truth in all purity before men so far as to seal the same with our blood for the edification of thy poor Church they were all
cast into several prisons yet remained chearfull praising God for accounting them worthy to suffer for his truth and after a few dayes they were all brought forth before the Magistrates who speaking to Robert Oguire said We hear that you never come to Masse That you disswade others from it That you keep Conventicles in your house where erroneous doctrine is preached c. Robert answered I indeed refuse to go to Mass because the death and precious blood of Christ is utterly abolished there and troden under foot c. And I cannot deny but there have met together in my house honest people fearing God Not with intention to harm any I assure you but for the advancement of Gods glory and the good of many c. Then one demanded what they did when they met together To which Baudizon ansvvered When vve meet together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to hear the Word of God vve first falling on our knees before God in the humility of our spirits do make confession of our sins before his Divine Majesty then we pray that the Word of God may be rightly divided and purely preached then we pray for our Soveraign Lord the Emperour that the Common-wealth may be peaceably governed to the glory of God yea we forget not you whom we acknowledge our Superiours intreating our good God that you may maintain this City in tranquillity c. Thus you hear what we do in our Assemblies and if you will not be offended to hear the summe of our prayers I am ready to recite the same unto you One of the Magistrates wished him to go on whereupon kneeling down he prayed before them all with such fervency of affection and ardency of zeal that it forced the Magistrates to break forth into tears Baudizon rising up said Your Masterships may hereby take a scantling how we are imployed in our meetings Being further examined every one of them made an open Confession of his faith and so were returned to prison again And not long after they were tortured upon the Rack to make them confesse who they were that met at their house but they would discover none but such as they knew were at that time out of their reach Four or five dayes after the men were again convented before the Magistrates who asked them if they would submit themselves to the will of the Magistrates Robert and Baudizon said they would but Martin the younger sonne said he would not submit thereto but would accompany his Mother and so he was sent back to prison and the Father with his eldest son were presently adjudged to be burnt alive Sentence being pronounced one of the Judges said This day shall you go to dwell with all the Divels in hell fire Then were they returned to prison praising God and by their patience and constancy conquerred the rage and fury of their enemies In prison there came some Friars to them telling them that the hour was come wherein they must finish their dayes They answered Blessed be the Lord our God who now delivering our bodies out of this vile prison will receive our souls into his glorious and heavenly Kingdom Then said one of the Friars Father Robert thou art an old man I intreat thee in this thy last hour think of saving thy soule and if thou wilt give ear to me I le warrant thee thou shalt do well Robert answered Poor man how darest thou assume that to thy self which belongs to God alone and so rob him of his honour c. Another wishing him to pity his soul he said Dost thou not see what pity I have on it when for the name of Christ I am willing to give my body to the fire hoping to day to be with him in Paradise c. Then said a Friar Out Dog thou art not worthy the name of a Christian thou and thy sonne are resolved to damne your soules with all the Divels in hell Then would they have severed the Father from his son which Baudizon perceiving said Pray you let my Father alone he is an old man hinder him not from receiving the Crown of Martyrdome Another Friar said Away Varlet thou art the cause of thy Fathers perdition Whilst Baudizon was stripping and fitting himself to be sacrificed some of the Friars had fastned a Crucifix in the old mans hands perswading him that it would please the People and that for all that he might lift up his heart to God c. But so soon as Baudizon saw it he said Alasse Father what do you now will you play the Idolater at your last hour and so pulling the Idol out of his hand he threw it away At the place of execution they were set upon a Scaffold and Baudizon desired leave to make a Confession of his faith answer was made that he might confess himself to a Friar if he would which he refusing was readily haled to the stake where he began to sing the 16. Psalm then said a Friar Do you not hear what wicked errors these Hereticks sing to beguile the people withall Baudizon hearing him replyed Thou simple Idiot callest thou the Psalms of David errours but no marvel for thus are ye wont to blaspheme against the Spirit of God Then seeing them about to chain his Father to the stake he said to him Be of good courage Father the worst will be past by and by Then did he often breath forth Oh God Father everlasting accept the sacrifice of our bodies for thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ his sake A Friar cryed Out Heretick thou liest God is none of thy Father the Divel is thy Father Baudizon fixing his eys upon heaven said to his Father Behold I see the heavens open and millions of Angels ready to receive us and rejoycing to see us thus bearing witness to the truth in the view of the world Father let us rejoyce and be glad for the joys of heaven are opened to us Then said a Friar I see Hell open and millions of Divels are ready to carry you thither A poor man in the croud cryed out Be of good comfort Baudizon stand to it thou fightest in a good quarrel I am on thy side which words so soon as he had spoken he departed and so hastened himself from danger The fire being kindled Baudizon oft said to his Father Yet a very little while and we shall enter into the heavenly mansions the fire encreasing the last words which they spake were Jesus Christ thou Sonne of God into thy hands we commend our spirits and so they sweetly slept in the Lord. After the death of these worthy champions of Christ many of the Popish rabble were sent if possible to seduce the Mother and son remaining in prison and coming to them the first subtilty they used was to separate them asunder then they set upon the woman as the weaker vessel and so wrought upon her
that she began to waver and let go her first faith this the adversaries much rejoyced in and the poor flock of Christ in that place hearing of it were as much afflicted with the news but God left them not in this mournful condition long For a Monk one day going to her perswaded her to draw her sonne Martin to the same recantation with her self which she promised to do but when they came together Martin perceiving the grievous Apostacy of his Mother bewailed it with many tears saying to her Oh Mother what have you done have you denied him that redeemed you Alas what injury hath he done you that you should requite him with so great an injury and dishonour Now am I plunged into that woe which I most feared Ah good God that I should live to see this which pierceth me to the very heart His mother hearing his pittiful complaints and seeing him drowned in tears for her sake began again to renew her strength in the Lord and with tears cryed out Oh Father of mercies be merciful to me miserable sinner and cover my transgression under the righteousnesse of thy blessed Son Lord enable me with strength from above to stand to my first confession and make me to abide stedfast therein even to my last breath Presently in came the seducers hoping to finde her in the same minde that they left her but she no sooner saw them but cryed Avoid Satan get thee behind me for henceforth thou hast nether part nor portion in me I will by the help of God stand to my first Confession and if I may not sign it with ink I will seal it with my blood and so after this time through Gods gracious assistance she grew stronger and stronger Then were they both condemned to be burnt alive and their ashes to be sprinkled in the aire When the sentence was passed as they returned to prison they said Now blessed be God who causeth us thus to triumph over our enemies This is the wished hour our gladsome day is come let us not therefore forget to be thankfull for that honour that God doth us in thus conforming us to the image of his Sonne Let us remember those that have troden this path before us for this is the high-way to the Kingdom of heaven c. Hereupon some of the Friars being ready to burst for anger said unto Martin that was most valiant We see now Heretick that thou art wholly possest body and soul with a Divel as were thy father and brother who are now in hell Martin answered As for your railings and cursings God will this day turn them into blessings in the sight of himself and all his holy Angels When they came into prison there came to them two persons of great quality of whom one of them said to Martin Young man I have compassion on thee if thou wilt be ruled by me and return to the Church of Rome thou shalt not only be freed from this shameful death but I will also give thee an hundred pounds Martin presently replyed Sir you present before me many temporal commodities But alas do you think me so simple as to forsake an eternal Kingdome for the enjoyment of a short temporal life No Sir it s now too late to speak to me of worldly commodities I will hearken to no other speech but of those spiritual commodities which I shall enjoy this day in Gods Kingdome c. Soon after Martin and his mother were carried to the place of their Martyrdome and being bound to the stake the woman said We are Christians and that which we now suffer is not for murther nor theft but because we will believe no more than the Word of God teacheth us The fire being kindled the heat of it did nothing abate the fervency of their seal but they continued crying Lord Jesus into thy hands we commend our spirits and so they blessedly slept in the Lord. A Friar at Gaunt called Charles Coninck being through Gods mercy converted to the truth left his Friars weed and joyned himself to the brethren for which he was apprehended and remaining constant was condemned then came a special friend perswading him to recant and he would procure him a Cannonship To whom Charles answered Sir I thank you for your good will and kind offer but I cannot accept them without offending God and that rest is no true rest and quietnesse which is obtained against the peace of a good conscience Shortly after his death one of his adversaries which had the greatest hand in procuring of it fell into grievous terrour and horrour of conscience whereof within a few dayes he died The Persecution of the Duke de Alva in the Netherlands WHen the light of the Gospel was much spread abroad in the Netherlands King Philip of Spaine sent the Duke de Alva with a great Army to root out the Professors of it who exercised unparalell'd cruelty against all sorts of persons both of the Nobility and Commons permitting his souldiers to ravish honest Matrons and Virgins many times causing their husbands and Parents to stand by and behold it This Duke on a time boasted at his own table that he had been diligent to root out heresie for that beside those which he had slain in war in the space of six years he had put into the hands of the common hangman above eighteen thousand persons His sonne also Don Frederick being sent by him to Zutphen was re-received by the Bourgers without any opposition yet was he no sooner entred but he fell to murther hang and drown a number of the inhabitants with infinite cruelties shewed upon wives and virgins yea not sparing the very infants From thence marching to Naerden in Holland the inhabitants made an agreement with him and he entred the town peaceably but never did Turks or Scythians or the most barbarous and inhumane Nations in the world commit more abominable cruelties than Don Frederick did in this town for when the Bourgers had given the best entertainment that they could to him and his souldiers he caused it to be proclaimed that they should all assemble themselves together in the Chappel of the Hospital where they should be made acquainted with such Laws according to which they should hereafter govern themselves but when these poor people were thus assembled he commanded his souldiers to murther them all without sparing any one the men were massacred the women were first ravished and then murthered most cruelly the children and infants had their throats cut and in some houses they tied the inhabitants to posts and then set fire on the houses and burnt them alive so that in the whole town neither man wife maid nor child old nor young were spared and then the town was wholly razed to the ground without pity or mercy After this Don Frederick besieged Harlem which held out against him for a long time
was stript seven times in one day and they bade her go and look for her God and bid him give her cloaths again In Kilkenny they cruelly beat an English woman till they forced her into a ditch where she died then they took her child a girle of about six years old ript her belly and let out her guts One they forced to go to Masse with them yet afterwards wounded him ript his belly took out his guts and so left him alive A Scottish man they stripped and knocked on the head who afterwards coming to himself went into the Town naked Then did they again take him and hewed him all to pieces They also ript up his Wives belly so that a Child dropped out of her womb Many other women great with childe they hung up then ript their bellies and let the Infants fall out Sometimes they gave their children to be devoured of Swine and Dogs One John Stone with his son two sons in law and their wives they took and hung them all up and one of the young women being great with child they ript her belly took forth her child and used such beastly barbarous actions to her as are not fit to be mentioned At the Newry they ript up a womans belly that was great with two children throwing them to be devoured of swine Also another woman being delivered of a childe in the fields they which had formerly killed her Father and Husband killed her also with two of her children and gave the new-born infant to be devoured of Dogs In the County of Armagh they Robbed stripped and murthered abundance of Protestants whereof some they burned some they slew with the sword some they hanged and some they starved to death and meeting Mistris Howard and Mistris Frankland with six of their children and themselves both great with child with their pikes they killed and murthered them all ript open the Gentlewomens bellies took out their children and threw them into a ditch A young Scottish womans child they took by the heeles and dashed the braines out against a tree the like they did to many other children Anne Hill going with a young child on her back and four more by her side these cruel persecutors pulled the child off her back trod on it till it died stripped her self and the other four children starke naked whereby they died of cold Some others they met with hanged them up upon a Windmill and before they were half dead cut them in pieces with their Skeins Many other Protestants especially women and children they pricked and stabbed with their Skeins Forks and Swords slashing cutting and mangling them in their heads faces breasts armes and other parts yet killed them not but left them wallowing in their blood to languish starve and pine to death and when they desired them to kill them out of their paine they refused yet sometimes after a day or two they would dash out their braines with stones or clubs which they accounted as a great favour One goodwife Harvey at Kilkenny was forced to go to Masse yet afterwards together with her children was stripped and one of her daughters had her belly ripped that her intrails fell out and her self was so beaten and wounded that she hardly escaped with life The Castle of Lisgoole being set on fire by these mercilesse Papists a woman leaped out at a window to save her self from burning but they presently murthered her the next morning her child was found sucking at her breast which they murthered also And whereas many Protestants with their wives and children fled into vauls and cellars to hide themselves they were all murthered there One Jane Addis they stabbed and then putting her child of a quarter old to her breast bid it suck English bastard and so left it to perish there One Mary Barlow had her husband hanged before her face and her self with six children were all stript stark naked in frost and snow after which sheltring themselves in a Cave they had nothing to eat for three weeks but two old Calves skins which they beat with stones and so eat them hair and all her children crying to her rather to go out and be killed than to famish there In the cold weather many thousands of Protestants of all ranks ages and sexes being turned out stark naked perished of cold and hunger thousands of others were drowned cast into ditches bogs and turf-pits Multitudes were inclosed in houses which being set on fire they were burnt miserably Some that lay sick of feavors they drew out of their beds and hanged them Some men women and children they drove into boggie pits and if any of them endeavoured to get out they knockt them on the heads Some aged men and women these Barbarians enforced their own children to carry them to the river where they were drowned yea some children were compelled unnaturally to be the Executioners of their own Parents wives were forced to help to hang their own husbands and mothers to cast their own children into the water after all which themselves were murthered In Sligo they forced a young man to kill his own father and then hanged him up In another place they forced a woman to kill her husband then caused her son to kill her and then immediatly hanged the son and this they did that they might destroy both soul and body Yea such was their detestable malice against the English Protestants that they taught their children to kill English children One of these Villains wives was very angry with their souldiers because they did not bring the grease of a fat Gentlewoman whom they had slaine with them for her to make candles of The Irish women that followed the Camp egged on the men to cruelty always crying out kill them all spare neither man woman nor child They took the child of one Tkomas Straton being about twelve years old and boiled him to death in a Cauldron One Goodwife Lin and her daughter were carried into a Wood where they first hanged the mother and then the daughter in the hair of the mothers head Some women and children of the Irish meeting an English woman great with child stript her to her smock then pulled off her smock and so rent and abused her that the poor woman falling into labour both she and her child died under their hands In some places they plucked out the eyes and cut off the hands of the Protestants and so turned them out into the fields to wander up and down till they perished The very women in some places stoned the English women to death together with their children One man they shot through both his thighs then digging a hole in the ground they set him in it upright upon his feet and then filled up the hole leaving out only his head where they left him till he pined and languished to death Of another man they held his feet in the fire till he was
The skilfull'st Physiognomers who Scan Each line and wrinkle in the face of man Can tell no more what Soules dwell there then wee By Seing Stars can tell what Angels be Then ask not at the door who 't is if so This Shadow cannot tell thee Read and know A Generall Martyrologie CONTAINING A COLLECTION Of all the greatest PERSECUTIONS which have befallen the CHURCH OF CHRIST From the Creation to our present Times Both in England and all other Nations Whereunto are added two and twenty LIVES OF ENGLISH Modern Divines Famous in their Generations for Learning and Piety and most of them great Sufferers in the Cause of CHRIST As also the Life of the Heroical Admiral of France slain in the Parisian Massacre and of Joane Queen of Navar poisoned a little before By Sa. Clarke Pastor in Bennet Fink London The second Edition Corrected and Enlarged having the two late Persecutions inserted the one in Piemont the other in Poland PSAL. 44.22 For thy sake are we kiâ—â—led all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nihil crus seâ—tit in nervo cum animus est in caelo Tertul. Printed by Tho. Ratcliffe for 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 in Saint Pauls Church-yard near the little North-door MDCLX TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Especially to the suffering Saints in these three Nations Christian Reader THou hast here presented to thy view that strange sight which so much astonished Moses Exod. 8.3 A bush burning with fire and not consumed A lively Emblem of the Church oft times all on a light flame with the fire of Persecution and yet so far from being consumed that The bloud of the Martyrs proves the seed of the Church And indeed she is the only and true Salamander that can live in the fire Yet this not by any strength of her own but because the Angel of the Covenant even the Lord Jesus Christ is in the bush either to slack the fire or to strengthen the bush and make it incombustible In this Book thou maiest see as in a Mirrour what hath been the lot and portion of the Church and people of God from the Creation hitherto viz. Through many tribulations to enter into the kingdom of heaven Here thou hast a certaine and infallible mark of the true Church of Christ viz. To be hated and persecuted by the Devil and his instruments Here thou maiest see what is the constant concommitant of the Gospel when it is received in the love and power of it viz. Persecution according to that of the Apostle Ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction c. Neither yet is God an hard Master in dealing thus with his faithfull servants He knows that heavy afflictions are the best benefactors to heavenly affections and that grace is hid in nature here as sweet water in rose leaves which must have the fire of affliction put under to distill it out He knows that when afflictions hang heaviest corrupt affections hang loosest upon his children Yet doth not the Lord afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth but he will hereby try who are his indeed and in truth not in name and profession only For as the Eagle tries her young ones by turning their faces to the sun beams so those Christians that can outface the sun of Persecution are sincere indeed One thing is very remarkable in this History that usually before any great Persecution befell the Church the holy men of those times observed that there was some great decay of zeal and of the power of godliness or some mutuall contentions and quarrels amongst the people of God or some such sin or other that provoked God against them and then as the shepherd sets his dog upon his sheep when they go astray to bring them in and then rates him off again So God le ts loose wicked Persecutors upon his own children but it 's only to bring them in unto him and then he not only restrains their rage but casts the rod into the fire If judgement begin at the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God Much excellent use may be made of this History As teaching us That whosoever will take Christ truly must take his Crosse as well as his Crown his Sufferings as well as his Salvation That persecution is the bellows of the Gospel blowing every spark into a flame and that Martyrs ashes are the best compost to manure the Church their bloud to water it and make it fertill That Gods children are like Starres that shine brightest in the darkest night Like Torches that are the better for beating Like Grapes that come not to the proof till they come to the presse Likes Spices that smell sweetest when pounded Like young Trees that root the faster for shaking Like Vines that are the better for bleeding Like Gold that looks the brighter for scouring Like Glow worms that shine best in the dark Like Juniper that smels sweetest in the fire Like the Pomander which becomes more fragrant for chafing Like the Palm tree which proves the better for pressing Like the Camomile which the more you tread it the more you spread it Yea God knoweth that we are best when we are worst and live holiest when we die fastest and therefore he frames his dealing to our disposition seeking rather to profit then to please us That when God exposeth us to Persecution he expects our speedy and thorow Reformation if we desire the affliction to be removed For as it were to no purpose for the Finer to put his gold into the fire except it lie there till it be refined So were it to small purpose for God to lay afflictions on us if so soon as we whine and groan under his hand he should remove them before we be bettered thereby Whereas afflictions like Lots Angels will soon away when they have done their errand Like plaisters when the sore is once whole they will fall off of their own accoâ—d That we should with patience submit to the afflicting hand of the all wise God and our mercifull Father saying with the Church I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Considering also that impatience under affliction makes it much more grievous As a man in a feaver that by tossing and tumbling exasperates the disease and encreaseth his own grief That all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution It hath been the portion of all the Saints from the creation hitherto What son is there whom the Father chasteneth not One son indeed God had without sin but not without sorrow for though Christ his naturall Son was sine corruptione without corruption yet not sine correctione without correction though he was sine flagitio with out crime yet not sine flagello without a scourge
High-Priest worshipeth for in my sleep I saw him in such an habit when I was in Macedonia consulting with my self how I might conquer Asia and he bad me to make no delay assuring me that he would both guide me and my Army and would deliver the Empire of the Persians into my hands Then gave he the High-Priest his hand and went with him to the City and comming to the Temple he offered sacrifice according to the direction of the High-Priest then did Jaddus shew him Daniels Prophecy wherein his victories over the Persians and his Monarchy were foretold which much rejoyced Alexander then did he command the Jews to ask some favours at his hands the High-Priest requested onely that they might live after the Ordinances of their forefathers and that every seventh year they might be exempted from taxes and tributes which he fully granted they besought him likewise that the Jews which were in Media and Babilon might be permitted to live after their own Laws which he willingly promised and so departed this was about the year of the world 3632. and before Christs nativity 332. After the death of Alexander his Kingdom was divided amongst his Captains amongst whom Ptolemy the son of Lagus held Egypt who falling out with Antigonus that held Asia minor there grew great wars between them wherein Ptolemy won from him all Syria and going to Jerusalem on a Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice the Jews suspecting nothing he surprised the City carrying away many of the Jews into captivity into Egypt but after his death his son Ptolemy Philadelphus at his owne cost redeemed an hundred and twenty thousand of them paying twelve Crowns apeece for each of them and sent them back into their owne countrey He sent also by them fifty talents of gold for the temple and obtained of Eleazer the High Priest the Law of the Jews and 72 Interpreters out of every Tribe some who translated it into Greek in 72 daies and having finished their work Ptolemy returned them with great rewards for themselves and with many rich presents to Eleazer Antiochus and Ptolemy being at war each against other the Jews suffered much by them Mach. 1. Collected out of Josephus CHAP. III. The persecution of the Church of God under Antiochus Epiphanes before the nativity of Christ about 168 years AFterwards the Jews being divided amongst themselves one part of them went to Antiochus telling him that their purpose was to forsake the Religion and Ordinances of their forefathers and to follow that of the Kings and to live after the manner of the Greeks entreating him to license them to live in Jerusalem which Antiochus assenting to they went to Jerusalem where they behaved themselves very wickedly but finding opposition from the other party of the Jews they sent for Antiochus who led his army against Jerusalem and encamped before it and by his faction within had the gates opened and the City betraied to him about the year of the world 3796. and before the nativity of Christ 168. Being entred Jerusalem he slew many of the faithfull Jews and having taken great spoils he returned back to Antioch Two years after he came to Jerusalem again and having seen what quantity of gold was in the Temple and what a huge number of Presents and precious Ornaments were in the same he was so overcome with covetousness that he violated all conventions and conditions formerly made equally raging against his own and the adverse party sparing neither friend nor foe then he spoiled the Temple and carried away the Vessels dedicated unto God the golden Table the golden Candlestick the Censers c. leaving nothing behind him of any value yea he inhibited the godly Jews from offering their usual and dailie sacrifices to God and having spoiled the whole City he slew many of the Inhabitants and carried the rest away into Captivity with their Wives and Children to the number of ten thousand He also burned the fairest buildings of the City and brake down the wals and raised a Fortress in the lower City and having inclosed it with high wals he planted a Garison of Macedonians therein with whom remained the scum of the Apostate Jews He also caused an Altar to be erected in the Temple on which he commanded swine to be offered in Sacrifice contrary to the Law He constrained the Jews to forsake God and adore those Idols which himself vvorshiped he forbad them to circumcise their Children and appointed Over-seers to constrain them to fulfill his Commandments so that many for fear of punishment conformed themselves to his will But such as were of upright hearts and valiant minds little respected his menaces whereupon they were beaten and exposed to cruel punishment many days together in the midst of which they yielded up the ghost for after they were whipt and maimed in their bodies they were tortured and crucified the women vvere strangled and the circumcised children vvere hung up about the necks of their parents and vvhere any books of the sacred Scriptures vvere found they defaced and burnt them and such with vvhom they vvere found vvere put to most cruel deaths At this time there dvvelt at Modin a Village of Jury one vvhose name was Matthias a Priest of the rank of Joarib that had five sons John called Gaddis Simon called Matthes Judas called Maccabeus Eleazer called Aaron and Jonathan called Apphas This Matthias often complained to his sons of the miserable state of their Countrey of the sacking of their City the profanation of the Temple and the miseries of the people telling them that it was better for them to die for the Law then to live in Ignominy When therefore the Kings Commisaries came unto Modin and commanded the people to sacrifice according to the Kings Edict they first applied themselves to Matthias as to the most Honourable person amongst them requiring him first to offer sacrifice that others might follow his example promising that the King vvould much honour him for it Matthias ansvvered that he vvould by no means commit that Idolatry assuring them that though all other Nations either for love or fear should obey the Edicts of Antiochus yet that he nor his children could be induced to forsake the Religion of their fathers As soon as he had thus spoken a certain Jew stepped forth to offer sacrifice according to the command of the King wherewith Matthias inflamed with zeal was so displeased that he and his sons fell upon him and with their swords hewed him to pieces he also slew Apelles the Kings Captain and some other souldiers who would have withstood him Then he overthrew the Altar and with a loud voice he said If any one be affected to the Laws of their fathers and to the service of God let him follow me and so he retired into the deserts with his sons the like did the rest with their wives and children hiding themselves in caves and
a contrary Engine Their only want was of victuals because it being the seventh year the Land had not been tilled whereupon divers of them fled away secretly so that very few remained for the defence of the Temple But behold the good providence of God! just then came tidings to Antiochus that Philip coming out of Persia intended to make himself Lord and Master of the country Antiochus concluded to give over the siege and to march against Philip but first he sent an Herauld to Judas promising them peace and liberty to live according to their Religion which conditions Judas accepting of took an oath from the King for performance and so surrendred up the Temple Whereupon Antiochus entred the same and seeing it so impregnable a plâ—ce contrary to his oah he commanded his Army to levell the wall that environed it and then he returned to Antioch leading away with him Onias surnamed Mâ—nalaus the High-Priest whom by the counsell of Lysias he put to death because he had advised his father to enforce the Jews to forsake their Religion A just reward for so wicked a fact Antiochus finding that Philip had already conquered much of his country went straite against him fought with him and slew him Presently after Demetrius the son of Seleucus took possession of Tripolis in Syria and setting the Diadem upon his own head he leavied an Army and invaded the Kingdom of Antiochus The people generally submitted themselves to him and laying hold of Antiochus and Lysias they brought them both to Demetrius who caused them to be slain To this new King divers Jews banished for their impiety together with Alcimus their High-Priest resorted aâ—cusing their Nation and in particular Judas and his brethren for killing their friends and banishing such as were friends to Demetrius Demetrius was much moved with these reports and therefore he sent a greate Army under Bacchides a valiant and experienced Captain with commission to kill Judas and his confederates Bacchides with his Army marched into Judea sending an Herauld to Judas and his brethren pretending peace when he intended to surprize them by subtilty and treachery But Judas seeing that he came with so great an Army found out his drift and would not trust him yet many of the people were deceived with his Proclamation of peace and therefore submitted to live under his government first having received an oath from him that neither they nor any of their followers should be endamaged but when they had committed themselves to him he falsified his oath and slew sixty of them Then removing his Army from Jerusalem he came to the village of Bethzeth where apprehending many of the Jews he slew them all and commanded the rest in the country to obey Alcimus with whom he left a part of his Army and so returned to Antioch unto demetrius Alcimus by his feigned and familiar deportment drew many more of the wicked Jews to joyn with him and then he went with his Army thorow the country and slew all that took part with Judas Judas perceiving that hereby many upright men and such as feared God were slain he also with his Army went thorow the Land and slew all the Apostates that were of Alcimus his faction Whereupon Alcimus repaired to Demetrius and made greivous complaints against Judas who fearing that if Judas prospered it would be prejudiciall to his estate he sent Nicanor to make warre against him and having furnished him with a sufficient Army he commanded him that he should not spare any one of that Nation Nicanor coming to Jerusalem offered no act of hostility endeavouring to entrap Judas by subtilty sending him a peaceable message wherein he protested that he would do him no injury and that he came only to express the good affections of Demetrius to the Nation of the Jews Judas and his brethren being deceived with this glozing message entertained him and his Army Nicanor then saluted Judas but whilest he was conferring with him he gave a sign to his souldiers to lay hands on him but Judas discovering the treason brake from him and escaped to his Army Then did Nicanor resolve to make open war upon him and bad him battel near to a Burrough called Capar-salama where he obtained the victory and constrained Judas to retreat into the Fortress at Jerusalem there did Nicanor besiege him for a while and then retired at which time certain of the Priests and Elders met him and having done their reverence they shewed him those sacrifices which they intended to offer to God for the Kings prosperity but he blaspheming threatned them that if they did not deliver Judas into his hands he would destroy the Temple at his return Hereupon the Priests wept abundantly praying unto God to defend the Temple together with those which called on his Name therein from the outrage of their enemies Nicanor coming neer to Bethoron received a greate supply of souldiers out of Syria Judas also was about thirty furlongs distant from him not having above a thousand men yet he exhorted them not to fear the multitude of their enemies but to set couragiously upon them expecting help from God and so encountering with Nicanor there was a very doubtfull conflict yet Judas had the upper hand and slew a great number of the enemies Nicanor himselfe also fighting valiantly was slain whereupon his Army fled but Judas speedily pursuing made a great slaughter and by sound of trumpet giving notice to the neighbouring places the inhabitants thereof betook themselves to their weapons and meeting those that fled they slew them so that no one escaped from this battel though they were at least nine thousand men Then ensued a little peace to the Jews Shortly after Alcimus the High-priest intending to beat down an old wall of the Sanctuary was suddenly striken by God became speechless and fell to the ground and having endured many grievous torments for many dayes he died miserably Then did the people by a generall consent give his place to Judas who hearing of the great power and victories of the Romans sent two of his intimate friends to Rome to intreate the Romans to be their Allies and Confederates and to write to Demetrius to give over his wars against the Jews The Embassadors coming to Rome were intertained by the Senate and friendship concluded betwixt them upon these conditions That none under the Romans should war against the Jews nor furnish their enemies with Victuals Ships or Silver That if any enemies should assail the Jevvs the Romans should succour them to the uttermost of their povver that if any made vvar upon the Romans the Jevvs should succour them that if the Jevvs vvould add or diminish any thing from this Association it should be done vvith the common advice of the Romans and that vvhat should so be ordained should remain irrevocable Nicanors death and the discomfiture of his
shalt suffer eternal torments though thou art above others yet he that made other men made thee also of the same nature for all are born and must die alike He that kils another sheweth that he himself may be killed thou tearest and tormentest thine own Image all in vain In thy fury thou killest him whom God created like thy self c. thou pullest out our tongues tearest our bodies with flesh-hooks and consumest us with fire but they that have already suffered have received everlasting joyes and everlasting punishments attend thee Think not that I expect any favour I will follow my brethren and remain constant in keeping Gods Law The Tyrant herewith inraged caused him to be tormented but his mother comforted him and with her kind hands held his head when through violence of the torturers the blood issued out of his mouth nose and privy parts the tormentors not ceasing till his life was almost spent but then giving over God gave him strength to recover and to endure more then any of his brethren had done At last his hands and arms being cut off with his eyes lift up to heaven he cryed O Adonai be mercifull unto me and receive me into the company of my brethren c. Then was his tongue pulled out and he of his own accord going into the fiery frying pan to the great admirarion of Antiochus died The mother seeing all her Children dead was inflamed with a holy zeal to suffer Martyrdom also and despising the Tyrants threats she offered her motherly brest to those torments which her Children had suffered before her Indeed herein she excelled them all in that she had suffered seven painfull deaths before she came to suffer in her own person and feared in every one of them lest she should have been overcome She alone with dry eyes did look upon them whilst they were torn in pieces yea she exhorted them thereunto rejoycing to see one torn with flesh-hooks another racked upon the wheel a third bound and beaten a fourth burned and yet she exhorted the rest not to be terrified thereby and though her grief in beholding their torments was greater then that which she had in child-birth yet did she frame a chearfull countenance as if it had been one triumphing wishing rather the torments of their bodies then of their souls for she knew that nothing was more frail then our lives which are often taken away by Agues Fluxes and a thousand other ways Therefore when they were first apprehended she thus exhorted them in the Hebrew tongue O my most dear and loving Children let us hasten to that Agony which may credit our profession and be rewarded by God with eternal life Let us fearlesly present our bodies to those torments which aged Eleazer endured Let us call to mind our father Abraham who having but one only son willingly sacrificed him at Gods command and feared not to bring him to the Altar whom with many prayers he had obtained in his old age Remember Daniel the three Children c. Antiochus being enraged against her caused her to be stripped naked hanged up by the hands and cruelly whipt then were her dugs and paps pulled off and her self put into the red hot frying pan where lifting up her eyes and hands to heaven in the midst of her prayers she yielded up her chast soul unto God But God suffered not the cruel Tyrant to escape unpunished for in his wars against the Persians the Lord struck him with madness his intrals were devoured with worms and stinking like a Carrion in the extremity of his torments he gave up the ghost Concerning this Antiochus Daniel chap. 8.9 10. c. saw in the vision that there came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding great towards the south and towards the East and towards the pleasant Land and it waxeth great even towards the host of heaven and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them Yea he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away and the place of the Sanctuary was cast down And an host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression and it cast down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered Which afterwards is thus interpreted by the Angel unto Daniel verse 23. c. In the latter time of their Kingdom when the Transgressors are come to the full a King of fiery countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up and his power shall be mighty but not by his own power and he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practise and shall destroy the mighty and holy people And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand and he shall magnifie himself in his heart and by peace shall destroy many He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes but he shall he broken without hand Collected out of Josephus and the Books of the Maccabees Here place the first Figure CHAP. VI. The Persecution of the Church from Christs time to our present Age and first of those mentioned in the New Testament HErod the great hearing by the wise men of one that was born King of the Jews and being informed by the chief Priests and the Scribes that the place of his birth should be Bethlehem of Judah he sent forth souldiers and slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under hoping thereby to have destroyed Christ for which cruel fact the Lord gave him over to such a spirit of phrensie that he slew his own wife his Children and nearest kins-folks and familiar friends And shortly after Gods heavy Judgement fell upon him by a grievous sickness which was a slow and slack fire in his inward parts and withal he had a greedy appetite after food and yet nothing sufficed him he had also a rotting in his Bowels and a greivous flux in his fundament a moist and running humour about his feet and the like malady vexed him about his bladder his privy members putrified engendring abundance of worms which continually swarmed out He had a short and stinking breath with a great pain in breathing and through all the parts of his body such a violent cramp as humane strength was not able to endure Yet longing after life he sent for Physitians from all parts by whose advice he went to the hot bathes of Calliroe but finding no ease thereby his torments still encreasing he sought to lay violent hands upon himself if he had not been prevented by his friends and so in extream misery he ended his wretched life Then Herod the less having married the daughter of Aretas King of Arabia put her away and took Herodias who had forsaken her husband Philip brother to Herod for which incestuous and adulterous marriage John Baptist
condemned and saith he We glory on the behalf of our sufferings that they had such a dedicator as he but this great Persecution like a blast did spread the Religion that it blew and having continued four years from the first rising is expired in two most shining blazes viz. in the Martyrdom of the two great Apostles Peter and Paul Peter was crucified with his head down-wards which manner of death himself made choice of and whilst he thus hung upon the Cross he saw his wife going to her Martyrdom whereupon he much rejoyced and calling her by her name he bad her remember the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time also Paul before Nero made a confession of his faith and of the Doctrine which he taught whereupon he was condemned to be beheaded and the Emperor sent two of his Esquires Ferega and Parthemius to bring him word of his death they coming to Paul heard him instruct the people and thereupon desired him to pray for them that they might believe who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptized then the souldiers led him out of the City to the place of execution where he prayed and then gave his neck to the sword and so was beheaded This was done in the fourteenth which was the last year of Nero. Collected out of the life of Nero Caesar Eusebius and the Book of Martyrs CHAP. VIII The second Primitive Persecution which began Anno 96. AFter the death of Nero there succeeded first Vespasian and then his son Titus in the Empire under both whom the Church had rest but Titus associating to himself his brother Flavius Domitian in the Government of the Empire This wicked Monster first slew his brother and then raised the second persecution against the Church of Christ. His pride was so great that he commanded himself to be worshiped as God and that Imaâ—es of gold and silver should be set up for his honour in the Capitoll His cruelty was unmeasurable The chiefest Nobles of the Roman Senators either upon envy or for their goods he caused to be put to death Having also heard some rumors of Christs Kingdom he was afraid as Herod had been before him and thereupon commanded all of the linage of David to be sought out and slain At last two poor Christians that came of Judas the brother of Christ according to the flesh were brought before Domitian and accused to be of the Tribe of Juda and of the line of David Then did the Emperour demand of them what stock of money and possessions they had To whom they answered that they two had not above thirty nine Acres of land out of which they payed Tribute and relieved themselves by their labour and industry withal shewing him their hard and brawny hands by reason of their labour Then did he ask them of Christ and of his Kingdom to whom they answered that Christs Kingdom was not of this world but spiritual and celestial and that he would come at the last day to judge the quick and the dead Hereupon he despised them as simple and contemptible persons and so dismissed them He punished an infinite company of Christians that were famous in the Church with exile and loss of their substance Under this persecution it was that St. John the beloved Disciple was first put into a vessel of boiling oyl and coming safe without hurt out of the same he was then banished into the Isle of Patmos Anno 97. where he continued till after the death of Domitian but was released under Pertinax At which time he returned to Ephesus where he lived till he was a hundred and twenty years old During his abode there he was requested to repaire to some place not farre off to order their Ecclesiasticall affairs and being in a certain City he beheld in the Congregation a young man mighty of body of a beautifull countenance and fervent minde whereupon calling the chief Bishop unto him he said I commend this man unto thee with great diligence in the witness here of Christ and of the Church The Bishop having received this charge and promised his faithfull diligence therein John spake the like words to him the second time also after which he returned unto Ephesus The Bishop having received this young man thus committed to his charge brought him home kept nourished instructed and Baptized him and the young man so profited under him that at last he was made the Pastor of a Congregation But having by this means more liberty then before some of his old companions began to resort unto him who first drew him forth to sumptuous and riotous banquets then inticed him to go abroad with them in the nights to rob and steal and to much other wickedness And he being of a good wit and stout courage ran like an unbridled horse to all manner of disorders and outrage And associating to himself many loose and dissolute companions he became their Head and Captain in committing all kindes of murther and felonies Not long after upon some urgent occasions St John was again sent for into those parts where having decided those controversies and dispatched those businesses for which he came meeting with the afore-mentioned Bishop he required of him the pledge which before Christ and the Congregation he had committed to his custody The Bishop herewith amazed supposing that he meant it of some money committed to him which yet he had not received not daring to contradict the Apostle he thereupon stood mute Then John perceiving that he was not understood said The young man and the soul of our brother committed to your custody I do require Whereupon the Bishop with many tears said He is dead To whom John replyed How and by what death The Bishop answered He is dead to God for he is become a wicked and vicious man and a thief and now he doth frequent these mountains with a company of thieves and villains like himself c. The Apostle rending his garments with a great lamentation said I left a good keeper of my brothers soul get me an horse and guide presently which being done he went strait to the mountains and was no sooner come thither but he was taken by the thieves that watched for their prey to whom he said I came hither for this cause Lead me to your Captain and so being brought before him the Captain all armed looked fiercely upon him and soon coming to the knowledge of him he was striken with such shame and confusion that he began to flie but the old man followed him as fast as he could crying My son why dost thou flie from thy father an armed man from one naked a young man from an old man Have pity upon me my son and feare not there is yet hope of salvation I will answer for thee to Christ I will die for thee if need be as Christ died for us I will give my life for thee Believe me Christ hath
thrown into the River Also in this persecution Justin Martyr through the malice of Crescens the Philosopher suffered Martyrdom Also one Alcibiades a man of a strict life eating only bread and water was cast into the prison where Attalus and other Christians lay and Alcibiades continued the same strict diet in prison but it was from God revealed to Attalus that he did not well in refusing the other good Creatures of God and that it was scandalous to his brethren whereupon he reformed and ate of all things boldly with thanksgiving About this time Clandius Apolinaris Bishop of Hieropolis and Melito Bishop of Sardis eloquent and learned men delivered to the Emperour excellent Apologies written by them in defence of the Christian Religion whereby they prevailed with him somewhat to stay the rage of his Persecution which also was furthered upon this occasion Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Antonius the Emperors going to War against the Quades Vandals Sarmates and Germans their Army by the multitude of their enemies was coopt up in some strait dry and hot places where the souldiers having been destitute of water for five days together were all like to perish Hereupon a Legion of Christian souldiers being in the Army with-drew apart from the rest and falling prostrate upon the earth by ardent prayer obtained of God a double relief for the Lord sent the Romans such showers as satisfied their necessities and flashed such lightnings against their enemies that thereby they were discomfited and put to flight This Miracle so pleased the Emperor that ever after he used the Christians gentler writing also to divers Rulers commanding them to give thanks to the Christians as for their victory so for the preservation of himself and his Army His letters was to this purpose That whereas himself and Army were invironed with nine hundred seventy five thousand fighting men and were like to perish for want of water the Christians praying to a God that he knew not obtained relief for him and by hail and lightning Destruction to his enemies whereby he perceived their God to be a mighty God Hereupon he decreed that none should be punished for the Christian Profession being guilty of no other crime and that the Accusers of the Christians should be burned alive Which degree he commanded to be recorded in the Senate-house proclaimed publickly in the Court of Trajan and sent diligently into all his Provinces that all might take notice of the same Yet not long after Apollonius a noble Senator of Rome was accused by his own servant before the Judge for being a Christian The Accuser according to the the Decree had his legs broken and was put to death But Apollonius having rendred an accocnt of his faith before the Senate was condemned to be beheaded notwithstanding the Decree because there was an old Law that any that was arraigned for professing Christ without a recantation could not be released Commodus the Emperor upon his birth-day calling the people of Rome together in a great royalty clothed in his Lions skin sacrificed to Hercules causing it to be proclaimed that Hercules was the Patron of the City whereupon Vincentius Eusebius Peregrinus and Pontentianus learned men and Pastors of the Congregations being stirred up with zeal went about from place to place converting the Gentiles to the faith of Christ and hearing of the madness of the Emperor and people they reproved that Idolatrous blindness exhorting them to believe in the true and living God and that forsaking the worshipping of devils they should honour God alone The Emperor hearing thereof caused them to be apprehended and required them to sacrifice to Hercules which they refusing to do he caused them to be grievously tormented and at last to be pressed to death with weights of lead Julius a Roman Senator having been converted by the preaching of these men afterwards sent for Ruffinus a Minister by whom himself and all his family were baptized and burning with holy zeal he made an open profession of the faith of Christ praying that he might not only believe but that he might have the honour to suffer for his Name The Emperor hearing that he was become a Christian sent for him to whom he said O Julius What madness possesseth thee thus to forsake the Religion of thy Fore-fathers to embrace a new and fond kind of Religion of the Christians Hereupon Julius made before him a free and open profession of his faith affirming that the Roman gods were false gods and that they that worshipped them should be punished with everlasting damnation The Emperor hearing that he despised his gods was much enraged and committed him to Vitellius a cruel and fierce man to compell him either to sacrifice to Hercules or to slay him But Julius nothing discouraged and perswading Vitellius to acknowledge and serve the true God was at his command with Cudgels beaten to death CHAP. XI The Fifth Primitive Persecution which began An. Christi 205. COmmodus being dead Pertinax succeeded in the Empire under whom the Church enjoyed peace and flourished exceedingly so that many of the Nobles of Rome embraced the true faith together with their whole housholds Pertinax being dead Severus succeeded and in the first ten years of his reign he was very mild and gentle to the Christians But afterwards through sinister suggestions and malicious accusations he was so incensed that by his proclamations he commanded that no Christians should any more be suffered to live Hereby great peâ—secution was stirred up on every side and an infinite number of Martyrs were slain The crimes objected against the Christians were sedition rebellion against the Emperor Sacriledge Murthering of Infants incestuous pollutions eating raw flesh worshipping the head of an Asse c. but especially that they would not worship their Idols The Places where this persecution most raged were Africa Capadocia Alexandria and Carthage The number of them that suffered was innumerable amongst whom was Leonides the father of Origen with whom Origen his son being but seventeen years old would have suffered such a fervent desire he had of Martyrdom had not his mother privily in the night conveyed away his shirt and cloths whereupon more for shame to be seen then for fear to die he was constrained to remain at home Origen was afterwards a Professor of Divinity at Alexandria and out of his school one Plutarch suffered Martyrdom as also Serenus his brother who was burned and another Serenus who was beheaded Potamiena also who was tormented with boiling pitch poured upon her and afterwards with her mother Marcella and Rhais burned in the fire This Potamiena being a beautifull Virgin was committed to Captain Basilides to see execution done upon her and as he led her to the place of Execution he repressed the rage of the multitude who followed her with many railings and revilings whereupon to requite his kindness she prayed to the Lord for his
of the faith of the Waldenses Besides the Churches that they had in Valentinois where their faith was propagated from the father to the son their religion spread also beyond the Alps into the valley of Pragela within the jurisdiction of the Arch-Bishop of Turin from whence were peopled the Waldensian Valleys of Piedmont La Perouse S. Martain Angrogne c. This valley of Pargela was one of the safest retiring places that the Waldenses had being environed on all sides with mountains almost inaccessible into the caves whereof they retired themselves in the times of persecution and though they were weakned on all sides environed with enemies and in danger of being apprehended if they looked but forth of their doors yet was there never any wordly respect that had power to alter their holy resolution from the father to the sonne to serve God taking his Word for the rule of their faith his Law for the rule of their obedience yea no sooner were the infants weaned from their mothers breasts but their parents took a singular delight to instruct them in the Christian faith There Pastors also did not only preach to them on the Sabbath daies but went in the week daies to instruct them in the villages and hamlets not sparing themselves for the roughnesse of the rocks the coldnesse of the ayr and the cragginesse of the country where they were fain to climbe up high mountains to visit their flocks There was also holy Discipline exercised amongst them The people praied with fervency at night when they went to their rest and in the morning before the went about their labour They had Schools wherein their children were taught and nurtured Bâ—t whilest they thus busily sought the advancement of Gods glory and their own salvation the devil raised up a persecution against them Anno 1380. by a Monk Inquisitor called Francis Boralli who had a commission to enquire after the Waldenses in Aix Arles Ambrun Viene Geneva Aubone Savoy the Venetian County the Principality of Orenge the City of Avignion c. which commission he received from Pope Clement the seventh This Monk cited to appeare before him at Ambrun all the Inhabitants of Frassiniere Argentire and of the valley Pute upon pain of excommunication but they appeared not whereupon they were condemned of contumacy and excommunicated and for the space of thirteen years as he caught any of them he delivered them up to the secular power to be burnt at Grenoble the number of whom was an hundred and fifty men divers women with many of their sons and daughters besides about eighty persons of Argentire The Inquisitors also adjudged to themselves two parâ—s of all their goods and the third part to the temporal powers they forbad all their bordering neighbours also to assist receive visit or defend them or to converse with them in any sort upon pain of being attainted and punished as favourers of Hereticks c. The Waldenses of the valley of Pragela Anno 1400. were assaulted by their enemies on the side of Susa in Piedmont but most of their assaults proved in vain because these Waldenses retired into the high mountains hiding themselves in the caves and hollow places thereof from whence they much endamaged those that came to assail them Their enemies seing this came upon them in the depth of winter when those poor people never suspected it all the mountains being covered over with snow and thereupon they retired into the highest mountain of all the Alps together with their wives and children the mothers carrying some in their cradles and leading others by the hand yet the enemy followed them till night and slew many before they could recover the mountain and they which were so slain had the better bargain for night coming on these poor people being in the snow without any meanes to make a fire for their infants many of them were benummed and in the morning above eighty of them were frozen to death in their cradles and most of their mothers died also and divrese others were giving up the last gasp The enemies lay all night in these peoples houses which they ransacked and pillaged and so returned to Susa but by the way meeting with a poor Waldensian woman they hanged her upon a tree and so departed The VValdenses of the valley of Frassiniere were greatly persecuted by the Arch-Bishop of Ambrun Anno 1460. who made a Monk called John Vayleti his Commissioner against them which Monk proceeded with such diligence and violence that scarce any person could escape his hands but that he was either apprehended for an Heretick or a favourer of them whereby many Papists suffered amongst the rest which caused them to petition King Lewis the eleventh of France by his authority to stay the course of that persecution and thereupon the King wrote his Letter to the Governour of Dauphine signifying that whereas the Inquisitors had daily sent forth their processe against many poor people in those parts without reasonable cause putting some to the rack and condemning them for matters whereof they were never guilty and which they could not prove by any witnesse and of others they had exacted great sums of money and divers waies had unjustly vexed and molested them he therefore decreed that for the time to come all such processe should be void and of none effect nor any wrong done to them in body goods or good name except there were any that obstinately maintained and affirmed any thing against the holy Catholicke Faith But the Arch-Bishop was so far from ceasing the persecution upon this Edict that he grew more violent by reason of the last clause pretending that he did not any thing contrary to the Kings precept seeing they which were cited appeared not to justifie themselves c. He also suborned many Priests which were his own Officers to depose that all they which had petitioned the King were VValdenses He also hired one John Pelegrin to accuse them for assembling themselves in dark places to commit whoredom c. and then he sent to the Court to justifie himself from the complaint made to the King against him that he had persecuted the Waldenses rather out of covteousness to get their goods then out of zeal to the Catholick Faith but this single witness prevailed but litle seeing there were many other who deposed that they had never seen any such villany amongst the Waldenses nor any the least appearance of the same Yet did not the Archbishop cease to prosecute them to the uttermost of his power so that he caused most of them to flie away only one James Pateneri stood to it averring before the Court that he was unjustly vexed contrary to the Kings Letters demanding a copy of the proceedings that he might right himself by Law â—hereupon the Archbishop left him and fell upon those that wanted the like courage citing the Consuls of Frassiniere
be subdued with Arms they knowing bettter the straits of their Country then the assailants and that the skin of one of the Waldenses would cost him the lives of a dozen of his other subjects where upon he vsed Arms no more against them but as any of them was caught in Piedmont he put them to death if they changed not their belief Notwithstanding with rigour they persisted in their resolution and that things might be carried on in the better order they assembled out of all their Vallies to Angrogne Anno 1535. viz. the heads of all their families with their Pastors where they heard that their brethren of Provence and Dauphine had sent two of their Pastors George Morrell and Peter Masson into Germany to confere with Oecolampadius Bucer and others about their relief which they had held from father to son time out of minde Where also the Germane Divines acknowledged that God had been very mercifull and gracious to them in preserving them undefiled in the midst of so many superstitions which had defiled all Christendom under the tyranny of Antichrist encouraging and exhorting them not to bury those Talents which God had given them onely they blamed them for delaying so long to make a publick profession of their adhering to the Gospel and causing it to be preached publickly leaving the success to God c. Then were the Letters of Oecolampadius and Bucer which they sent to them openly read together with the Propositions and Articles of Religion which they had agreed upon which were all approved signed and sworn to by all the assistants with one consent to perform observe beleeve and retain amongst them inviolably as being conformable to the Doctrine which they had been taught from their fore-fathers for many hundred years and all taken out of the Word of god When this Agreement came abroad to the ears of the Priests they were much astonished despairing to see these people reclaimed and brought back to the Church of Rome whereupon they retired from amongst them without speaking a word The Waldenses because they had only the New Testament and some books of the old amongst them in the Waldensian Tongue resolved speedily to send the whole Bible to the Press all their books hitherto being but Manuscripts and those but a few They sent therefore some to Newcastle in Suitzerland where they gave 1500. Crowns in gold to a Printer who brought to light the first Impression of the Freâ—ch Bible that was seen in France They sent also to Geneva to make a large supply of books fit for the instruction of the people but their messenger as he passed over the hill de Gap was apprehended for a spy by the Lord of Champelion and as soon as they knew him to be a Waldensian they sent him to Grenople where he was first imprisoned and then in the night drowned in the river least he should speak of his belief before the people Shortly after there happened warres between King Francis the first and the Princes of Piedmont which through Gods grace turned to the great peace and quiet of these poor people which peace continued till Pope Paul the third sollicited the Parliament of Turin to persecute them as pernicious Hereticks Whereupon the Parliament caused a great number of them to be burnt at Turin Then these Waldenses petitioned the King that they might not be persecuted for their Religion in which they and their Ancestors had lived for many hundred years But the King reiected their petition commanding them to live according to the Laws of the Roman Church upon pain of being punished as Hereticks adding that he did not burn the Lutherans through his whole Kingdom of France to let them amongst the Alps escape Hereupon the Parliament of Turin commanded them presently to send away all their Ministers and receive the Priests to sing Masse c. To which they answered that they could not receive any such commandment it being contrary to Gods Word whom they would rather obey then men But through Gods mercy the King had other imploiments elsewhere whereby they wanted leasure to prosecute these servants of Christ and therefore they only proceeded by the Inquisition receiving such as the Monks condemned to the fire Anno 1555. They increased the persecution condemning to the fire Bartholmew Hector a Stationer to be executed at Turin who died with admirable constancy and so edifying the spectators that they wept and compassionated him justifying him in their speeches and praying for him Hereupon the Parliament resolved wholly to extirpate them and for that end sent two men with authority either to reform or root them out These persons went first to Perouse where by Proclamation in the Kings name they command all to go to Masse upon pain of loosing their lives Then they went to Pignorol where they cited many to appear before them and amongst others a poor simple labouring man appeared whom the President commanded to have his childe re-bapzed by a Priest The man requested respite to pray to God before he answered him which with great laughter was granted Then falling down on his knees he prayed unto God and when he had done he said to the President I will cause my child to be rebaptised upon condition that you will give me a bill signed with your own hand that you will discharge me of the sin which I shall commit hereby and bear one day before God the punishment and condemnation which should befall me for the same taking this iniquity upon you and yours The President hearing this commanded him out of his presence and pressed him no further The President framed diverse Indictments against sundry persons in the Vallies and collected whatsoever he thought might hurt them and going to one of their Churches he caused a Monk that he brought along with him to preach in the presence of the people and when he had ended the people desired that some one of their Pastors there present might answer his discourse but that was denied by the President whereupon there was such a murmur amongst the people that the President without any more speech gat him away to Turin where he reported all to the Parliament and withall told them that if they sought by violence to reclaime this people they were resolued to defend themselves and that the places of their abode were of such strength that it was a work for a King of France to root them out Thereupon this report and the Indictments were sent to the King who having other occasions returned no answer that year Only the Inquisitors proceeded as they could catch any to deliver them to the secular power At the years end the King commanded the Parliament to cause them to do that by force which they would not by words be brought to Then did the Parliament send the President again to Angrogne where he commanded them in the name of
In all that conflict there were but two of the Waldenses slain and two hurt whereas they never shot at their enemies but they killed some and sometimes two at one shot The souldiers confessed that they were so astonished that they could not fight Others said that the Ministers by their prayers conjured and bewitched them It was a wonderfull work of God that shepherds and cowherds should encounter with so mighty a power of strong and brave souldiers well furnished with ammunition and themselves having nothing but slings stones and a few harquebushes and yet should beat them and in all those fights they lost not above fourteen men Shortly after a company of souldiers went to Angrogne to destroy the Vines c. and mocking the Waldenses they said that they were valiant men behinde their bulworks but if they came into the plain how they would beat them Then came thirty of the Waldenses and set upon them in the plain and fought with them a long time hand to hand slew many of them and at last forced them to run away and that with the losse of one only man of their own The night after some thought that it would have been an easie matter to take the Lord of Trinity and to have spoiled his whole Army but the Waldenses would not do it least they should offend God and passe the bounds of their vocation intending only to defend themselves Then did Trinity betake himself to his old shifts of entertaining a treaty for agreement but in the Interim he sent a company of Spaniards one way and other companies other waies to surprise the meddow of Tour. The Spaniards were entred the meddow before they were perceived but when the people spied them they betook themselves to prayer then winded their horns and so prepared for resistance The first that opposed themselves were but twelve men who yet stoped them in a Passe and others rolled down stones from the mountains upon them whereby many of the Spaniards were slain the rest were forced to retreat Shortly after the Ministers and chief Rulers of the Waldenses requested the Lord of Raconis to deliver a petition which they had drawn up to the Dutches of Savoy wherein they declared the equity of their cause protesting all due obedience c. and at last through Gods mercy they came to a good agreement and according to the promise of God all things turned to the best to those that feared him that were called according to his purpose After the death of the Duke and Dutchesse of Savoy Charles Emmanuel their son succeeded who maintained them in peace according to the treaty formerly made Yet the Inquisitors were alwaies watchfull to apprehend one or other of them and amongst others one Bartholmew Copin of Luserne being at Ast in Piedmont with his Merchandize and at evening supping with some other company one began to speak much to the disgrace of the Waldenses for their Religion Copin thought that he was bound not to be silent when he heard such blasphemies Whereupon he began to argue in their defence Are you then a Waldensian said the other to him he answered Yea. And do you not beleeve that God is in the Host No said Copin Fie upon you said the other what a false Religion is yours My Religion said Copin is as true as it 's true that God is God c. The next morning Copin was called before the Bishop of Ast who told him that he must either recant the opinions he held over night or be punished Copin said he had been provoked to that discourse yet he said nothing but what he would maintaine with his life Adding that he had some goods and a wife and children yet he had lost the affections that he bare unto those things neither were they dear to him to the prejudice of his conscience Yet said that behaving himself honestly he ought not to be molested when he came about his merchandize the Turks and Jews being permitâ—ed to come to Fairs without molestation Notwithstanding which the Bishop presently sent him to prison The next day the Bishops Secretary went to him professing great love and telling him that except he acknowledged his fault he was in great danger of his life Copin answered That his life was in the hands of God and he desired not to preserve it to the prejudice of his glory and having but a few paces to walk in his journey to heaven his hearty prayer to God was to give him grace not to turn back Some few daies after he was examined by an Inquisitor in the presence of the Bishop who exceedingly tormented him with sweet and gentle perswasions by fair words seeking to draw him to an abjuration But Copin alwaies convinced him by the word of God alleadging that if he should be ashamed of or deny Christ before men Christ would be ashamed of and deny him before his heavenly Father Then said the Monk Go thy waies thou cursed Heretick to all the devils in hell and when thou shalt be there tormented by them thou wilt remember this good and holy counsel that we have given thee c. After many violent encounters they caused his wife and son to come to him promising if he would confesse his fault he should have liberty to depart with them They suffered them also to sup together which time he spent in exhorting them to patience telling them that God would be more then a husband and father to them for his own part he was not bounde to love wife or childe more then Christ and that they should esteem it their happiness that God was pleased to do him the honour to be a witnesse to his truth with the losse of his life c. He enjoyned his wife to bring up his children in the fear of God his son he commanded to obey his mother he desired them to pray for him that God would strengthen him against all tentations and so taking leave of his wife and blessing his son he dismissed them his wife and son shedding fountains of tears and crying out in so lamentable a manner as would have moved the hardest hart to compassion The Bishop knew not well what to do with him If he let him go he feared a scandall and that many would be encouraged by his impunity If he punished him he offended against the agreement betwixt the Duke and the Waldenses And thereupon he sent his indictment to the Pope to know his pleasure Shortly after Copin was found dead in prison it appearing manifestly that he was strangled and after his death he was condemned to be burnt which was accordingly executed CHAP. XXII The Persecution of the VValdenses in Calabria ANno Christi 1370. The Waldenses of Pragela and Dauphine grew so numerous that they sent their younger people to seek some other country to inhabit In their travell they found in Calabria some wast and untilled
the City for ten years with this writing on her head A favourer and aider of Hereticks And whereas all other sort of persons in prison and bondage are allowed to recreate and refresh themselves with singing at their pleasure these poor souls are forbidden this small solace in their great misery for if any of them sing a Psalm or openly recite any portion of Scripture the Inquisitors take it very hainously and presently send to them requiring them to be silent upon the pain of Excommunication and if the prisoner make light of this warning he shall have a bit set on his tongue to teach him obedience and this they do both to deprive the poor souls of all kind of solace and to keep other Prisoners from knowing how their friends do So that it often falls out that a man and his friend the Father and Sonne yea the husband and wife shall be in one prison-house two or three years together and not know of each others being there till they meet upon the scaffold upon the great day of triumph By reason of this cruel usage many of the Prisoners die some of their torments others of the stink of the prison and others of diseases contracted by hunger cold ill diet c. They have also an Hospital unto which they remove such as fall sick in their prisons where yet they are not dealt more gently with in any thing save that they have Physick allowed them for their healths sake But none are suffered to come to them but the Physician and the servants of the Hospital And as soon as the Patient is on the mending hand he is carried back to the place whence he came If the Prisoner be half naked or want something to lie on and thereupon pray the Inquisitor that his necessity may be considered The answer which he receives is this Well now the weather is warm you may live full well without either cloaths or couch And if it be winter time his answer is True it hath been a great frost of late but now the cold is come down again and it will be more seasonable weather Care you for the garments wherewithal you should cloath your soul which consisteth in uttering the truth and discharging your conscienâ—e before this holy house And if the Prisoner desire to have some good book or the holy Bible to enable him to passe that troublesome and careful time to some profit The Inquisitor answers him that the true book is to speak the truth and to discharge his conscience to that holy Court and that he ought to be occupied in laying open his wounds to their Lordships who are ready to give him a plaister whereby it appears that all their care and desire is that the poor Prisoner may have nothing to look on or think on but his present miserable state that the grief thereof grating upon him may force him to satisfie their requests The last act of the Tragedy remaineth wherein both Parties are pleased and have their desire the Inquisitors in obtaining their prey the Prisoners in finding some end of their miserable usage but two or three dayes before the solemnity they use severally to call before them all such whose estates are confiscated examining them what lands or goods they have where they lie charging them upon great penalties not to conceal one jot telling them that if any thing be afterwards found felony shall be laid to their charge and he with whom it is found shall pay foundly for it and when all is confessed they are returned to prison again The night before the Festival they cause all the Prisoners to be brought into a large roome where they are informed of the several kinds of pennances that they are to do the next day The next morning very early the Familiars come and attire the Prisoners in their several habits in which they are to appear before the people Some in Sambenito's which is a long garment painted all over with ugly devils on his head he hath an high-crown'd hat whereon a man is painted burning in the fire with many devils about him plying him with fire and fagots Besides their tongues have a cleft piece of wood put upon them which nips and pincheth them that they cannot speak they have about their necks cords and their hands fast bound behind them On this sort come these constant Martyrs disguised first to the stage and then to the stake and in the like sort do all the rest come forth arraied as the other and set forth with the like notes of infamy either more or lesse as the Inquisitors please to disgrace them in the sight of the people On each hand of every Prisoner goeth a Familiar all armed to guard him as also two Friars with every one that is to die who perswade him tooth and nail to deny that doctrine that formerly he hath professed now at their going out of this world which wicked importunity is a great grief to the poor servants of Jesus Christ. The Inquisitors also passe in great pomp from the Castle of Triana to their scaffold And when all are set in their places a Sermon begins framed on purpose in commendations of the holy house and in confutation of such Heriticks as are presently to suffer but the greatest part is spent in slanderous reproaches wherewith they vilifie and disgrace the truth and the Professors of it The Sermon being ended the sentences against the Prisoners are read First against such as have easiest punishments and so in order to the greater Which sentences are commonly these Death without mercy Whipping in such extremity that the Persons seldome escape with their lives Condemnation to the Gally Forfeiture of all their estates c. Then doth the chief Inquisitor absolve all such as have forsaken Christ and are come home to the Church of Rome from all the errours for which they shewed themselves penitent but though hereby they are absolved from the fault yet not from the punishment for notwithstanding their Recantation they must abide the punishment without mercy And whereas multitudes of people resort to this spectacle some coming twenty Leagues to see it The Inquisitors have this trick to uphold their Kingdome They cause all the people present to take an oath to live and die in the service of the Church of Rome hazarding both life and goods against any that shall oppose it as also to their power to uphold and maintain the holy Inquisition and to defend all the officers thereof c. Then if there be any amongst the Prisoners to be degraded they proceed after this manner First they apparel him in his massing Robes then they despoil him again of every part thereof then are his hands lips and the Crown of his head scraped with a piece of glasse or a sharp knife till they bleed again to scrape off the holy oyle wherewith he was anointed at his ordination In the end of
not altogether alone seeing the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is with me he is my exceeding great reward and will not fail to reward me so soon as I shall have laid down this earthly tabernacle Pray unto God that he will strengthen me to the end for every hour I expect the dissolution of this house of clay When he was brought forth before the Judges and examined of his faith he answered freely and proved what he said by the holy Scriptures and being asked whether he was resolved to die for the faith which he professed he answered I will not only venture to give my body but my soul also for the confirmation of it and so being condemned he was shortly after burned dying with much comfort The persecution growing hot in Flanders one Giles Annik and John his sonne removed to Emden but by reason of their sudden departure they could not take their wives with them whereupon in the year 1568. they returned back to fetch their wives who were at Renay yet in regard of the danger they durst not go into the town openly but took up their lodging in the evening at an honest mans house called Lewis Meulin Now it so fell out that that very night the enemies had appointed to make a secret search after such as professed the Gospel and so passing by this house and seeing the light of a candle in it expecting their prey they forced open the door and took these two together with their Host prisoners God having appointed them to bear witnesse to his truth After they had been in prison awhile they were all three condemned for Hereticks and presently after Giles the father was burned John the son being fetched to execution when he saw the man that first apprehended him he called him to him saying I forgive thee my death and so he with Lewis Meulin were both beheaded About the same time there was also a godly widow apprehended and cast into prison her crime was for that about two years before she had suffered a Minister to preach in an out-house on the backside of her dwelling She was very charitable in relieving the poor and every way shewed forth the fruits of a true saving faith After seven moneths imprisonment she was condemned to die and a Priest coming to her to hear Confession she spake to him with such a divine grace and with a spirit so replenished with zeal that he went from her with teares trickling down his cheeks saying I came to comfort you but I have more need to be comforted of you when she was carried forth to execution she went with much boldnesse and joy of heart and having her head cut off she sweetly slept in the Lord. There was also one Christopher Gauderin that at first was brought up under the Abbat of Hename but the Abbat dying he betook himself to the weaving of linnen and quickly grew expert in his trade But having been trained up in a bad schoole when the Sabbath came he spent riotously what he had gotten all the week by his labour Now through Gods mercy it so fell out that a godly man working with him would often tell him of the danger of his present condition exhorting him rather to distribute his gettings to the poor assuring him that if he spent his money so wastfully God would call him to an account for it These with the like exhortations so wrought upon him through the grace of God that he began to change his course and in stead of frequenting Taverns he became a diligent hearer of Sermons and gave himself much to reading of the holy Scriptures so that not long after he was called by the Church to the office of a Deacon which he discharged carefully and faithfully Shortly after having occasion to go to a place called Audenard to distribute some almes to the poor there he was apprehended and the Bailiffe that had formerly seene him in the Abbats house asked him how he came to turn Heretick Nay said he I am no Heretick but a right believing Christian and what I learned of him I am now ashamed to remember In prison he had many disputes about his faith which he so maintained and defended by the Word of God that he silenced all his adversaries Some told him that he would cast away himsef in his youth being but thirty years old to whom he answered That mans life consisted but of two dayes viz. The day of his birth and the day of his death and therefore he must needs die once And for my part said he I am now willing by death to passe into eternal life When news was brought him in the evening that he must die the next day he retired himself and poured out his soul in prayer unto God till ten a clock and after his rest the like he did the next morning Having ended his Prayer he put on a clean shirt and washed himself saying to his fellow-prisoners Brethren I am now going to be married I hope ere noon to drink of the wine of the Kingdome of heaven When he came down he found three other prisoners that were to suffer with him These four exhorted and encouraged one another to suffer patiently and constantly Then came a Friar saying that he came to convert them To whom Christopher said Away from us thou seducer of souls for we have nothing to do with thee The Hangman coming to put gagges into their mouths one of them said What shall we not have liberty at this our last hour to praise God with our tongues Christopher answered Let not this discourage us the more wrong our enemies do to us the more assistance we shall finde from God and so ceased not to comfort them till himself was gagged also Their sentence was that they should be hanged for hearing Sermons and so with admirable constancy they yielded up their souls to God One of them being a woman was condemned to be beheaded because she had sung Psalms and exhorted her neighbours out of the Word of God at a womans upsitting Her body was grown very feeble so that she was caused to sit on a stool where she received three blows with a sword overthwart her teeth yet did she constantly sit still till she received the Crown of Martyrdom Anno 1568. About the same time there was in a town a mile distant from Gand a Minister whom it pleased the Lord to illuminate with the saving knowledge of his Gospel whereupon he became a diligent and faithful Preacher of it both in his life and doctrine yea he went from house to house exhorting and comforting every one as he had occasion out of the Word of God and above all labouring with them to beware of the abominable superstitions of the Papacy The Popish Clergy of Gand having intelligence hereof fearing lest by this means their doctrine and authority
grace brought to the knowledge of the truth whereupon he went to Geneva where he exercised Printing and sent books abroad Afterwards he was made a Minister and preached at the Town of Alenart in which and in some other places he did much good At last he with his Host a Priest whom he had instructed in the knowledge of the Gospel were apprehended and cast into prison at Bourdeaux and whilst they lay there in came a Priest with his furniture to say Masse but Philbert inflamed with a holy zeal went and plucked the garments from his back and overthrew the Chalice and Candlesticks saying Is it not enough for you to blaspheme God in the Churches but you must also pollute the prison with your idolatry the Jailor seeing this fell upon him and beat him with his staffe and also removed him into a dungeon loading him with irons which made his legs to swell there he lay eight dayes The Priest his Host terrified with the prison and fear of death renounced Christ and his Word and was set at liberty whereupon Philbert said to him O unhappy and more then miserable man Is it possible that you should be so foolish as for to save your life a few dayes you should so start away from and deny the truth Know you therefore that although hereby you have avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall be never the longer for you shall dye before me and yet shall not have the honour to die for the cause of God and you shall be an example to all Apostates Having ended his speech and the Priest going out of Prison he was presently slain by two Gentlemen who formerly had a quarrel to him Philbert hearing of it professed that he knew of no such thing before but spake as it pleased God to guide his tongue Philbert being condemned and had to execution they laboured to drown his voice by sounding of trumpets and so in the midst of the flames praying and exhorting the people he rendred up his soul unto God Anno 1558. Nicholas of Jenvile a young man that had lived at Geneva coming into France to get up some mony that was owing to him was betrayed by a Lady apprehended and condemned and being carried in a Cart to execution his Father met him and would have beaten him with a staffe but the Officers not suffering it were about to have stricken the old man the son seeing it cryed to them to let his father alone saying that he had power over him to do to him what he would At the place of execution he had an iron ball put into his mouth and so he patiently took his Martyrdom at Jenvile About the same time a company of the faithful of about three or four hundred were met together at an house in Paris in the beginning of the night to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper some Priests getting intelligence of it gathered many of that faction together and came and beset the house making an outcry that the watch might come and apprehend them so that in a short time most of the City of Paris was up in armes supposing that there had been some conspiracy The people following the noise and perceiving that they were Lutherans they grew into a great rage seeking to murther them and thereupon stopped the streets and lanes with Carts and made fires that none might escape them but through Gods mercy before this tumult began the faithful had finished their administration and prayers with as much quiet as ever they had done and now seeing this sudden danger they were somewhat amazed whereupon the Pastors of the Congregation exhorted them and fell to prayer after which considering the cowardliness of the multitude it was resolved that such as had weapons should adventure through the press which being put in practice the admirable power of God appeared in that notwithstanding the fires and stopping of the passages yet they all escaped safe only one was beaten down with stones and slain The rest which wanted weapons being about one hundred and twenty stayed in the house with the women and children some of which leaped into Gardens where they remained till the Magistrates came The women which were all persons of good quality save six or seven perceiving their danger by reason of the fury of the people went up into the windows shewed their innocency and desired that they might be tryed in an ordinary way of Justice yet there they were inclosed by the rabble for six or seven houres At last came the Kings Atturney with many Serjeants and Officers who with much ado appeasing the people entred into the house and their seeing the quality of the persons and their innocency the Atturney much pitied them yet carried them to prison in the little Castle but as they went the furious multitude plucked and haled the Gentlewomen tore their garments pulled their hoods from their heads and all besmeared their faces with dust and dirt In the prison they were used no better for the Villains and Thieves being let out of their holes and stinking Caves these Lambs of Christ were put into their rooms Then followed the cruel and slanderous reports of the Friars who in their Sermons railed upon them told the people that they were assembled to make a banquet in the night after which putting out the candles they went together Jack with Jill after a filthy and beastly manner they charged them also with sedition as if they conspired against the King c. And these cursed defamations were no sooner vented but they were spread abroad farre and wide yea in the Court itself and the Cardinal of Lorraine procured a certain Judge to come to the King who testified that he found in the House divers Couches upon which they intended to commit their whoredomes and adulteries which much enflamed the King against them These things made the enemies to triumph exceedingly and on the contrary the brethren which escaped were full of perplexity and lamentations sorrowing not so much for themselves as for the imprisonment of their friends yet they much comforted themselves in the consideration of ther own wonderful deliverance They upon debate also resolved First that all of them should humble themselves before God in their own families Secondly That they might stop the false rumours to write two Apologies one to the King and another to the People Thirdly to write consolatory letters to their friends in prison The Apology to the King was written and conveyed privily into his Chamber where it was met with and read openly before the King and his Nobles yet this prevailed little for their adversaries suggested to him that all was false and a pretence to hide their wickedness But that to the people did very much good and so did their consolatory letter to their friends in prison The adversaries all this while did bestir themselves to bring them
horrible blasphemies they murthered him and then plundred his house About the Ramparts of the wall inhabited many of the Religion amongst whom all night was heard nothing but shooting of guns and pistols breaking open of doors fearful out-cries of the men women and children that were massacred trampling of horses rumbling of Carts that carried the dead bodies away and the cryings out of the murtherers that went up and down howling out Kill kill them all and then take the spoile This Massacre continued all the week long the bloody beasts crying out to those whom they murthered Where is now your God What is become of all your Prayers and Psalms now Let your God whom you call'd upon save you if he can Others sang in scorn to them the 43. Psalm Judge and revenge my cause O Lord. Others Have mercy on me O God c. Yet notwithstanding all these taunts the faithful died couragiously In this Massacre the Papists boasted that they had slain above twelve thousand men besides women and children some of them said eighteen thousand On Tuesday night some of these murtherers came and knocked at the door of a Doctor of the Civil Law and when he opened it to them they told him that he must die whereupon he fell to Prayer with such ardency and affection that they being amazed and over-ruled by a divine power only robbed him and went away The next day came some Scholars to his house desiring to see his Library which he shewed them then they asked some one book some another which he gave them yet they told him they were not satisfied but they must kill him whereupon betaking himself to prayer when he had done he desired them to kill him there which they refused forcing him out into the streets leading him by the schools and there he again desired them to kill him in that place where he had taught so long but they still refused and when they had led him a little farther they knockt him on the head Others meeting with an Apothecary who had brought Physick to a Patient cut off one of his armes and then had him forth into the market-place where they murthered him A Cook that had hid himself three dayes was at last through hunger forced to come forth and so was slain And to fulfil the measure of their cruelty such Protestants as through fear revolted to them they placed them in the fore-front of their companies putting weapons in their hands compelling them to give the first onset crying Smite them smite them are they not your holy brethren and sisters and if any refused they presently slew him In Lyons Mandolet Governour thereof hearing of the Massacre at Paris presently caused the City gates to be shut raised forces commanding them that if any of the Protestants came out of their houses though but with swords they should presently kill them but the Protestants seeing a storme coming which they knew could not arise without the special providence of God set themselves to bear it with invincible patience The day following if any of them did but go abroad about their necessary occasions they were presently clapt up in prison and when night came the murtherers entred their houses which they rifled and plundred and pretending to carry the Protestants to prison some they stabbed in the streets others they threw into the river whereof some were carried down the stream half a mile below the City by which means they escaped The day after Proclamation was made by sound of Trumpet that all of the Religion should appear at such a place to know the Kings pleasure concerning them many went but so soon as they came they were sent to several prisons and the night following every corner and part of the City was full of lamentable cries and shreekings partly of such as were massacred in their houses partly of such as were but half murthered and so haled to be thrown into the river and from that time there were such horrible murthers committed in the City as if the Divels in the likenesse of men ran roaring about to do mischief The Sabbath morning following those that had hitherto escaped massacring were then dispatched In the Arch-bishops house there were three hunded and fifty Prisoners shut up and a bloody crue of cutthroats were appointed to murther them to whom the keyes were delivered and they rushing into the great Court gave notice to the prisoners with a loud voice that they must die then having first taken all the Prisoners purses they fell upon them with barbarous cruelty hacking and hewing them in a furious manner so that within an hour and an half they were every one cut in pieces The prisoners were all slain with their eyes and hands lift up to heaven whilst their hands and fingers were cut off There was a Merchant called Francis de Bossu that had two sonnes the father seeing the horrible Massacres said to his sons Children we are not now to learn that it hath alwayes been the portion of believers to be hated persecuted and devoured by unbelievers as Christs sheep of ravening wolves if we suffer with Christ we shall also reign with him let not therefore these drawn swords terrifie us they will be but as a bridge whereby we shall passe to eternal life we have lived long enough amonst the wicked let us now go and live with our God let us joyfully go after this great company that is gone before us c. When he saw the murtherers come he clasped his armes about his two sons and they theirs about him as if they strove mutually to ward off the blows each from other who were afterwards found dead in these mutual imbraces The murtherers went up and down the City boasting that they had died their white doublets red in the blood of the Huguenots one bragging that he had killed an hundred and some more and some lesse when the people went into the Arch-bishops house and saw the slaughter that had been made there though they were Papists yet they said that surely they were not men but Devils in the habit of men that had done this The dead corpses were carried out and lay spread like dung upon the face of the earth and when they were about to throw them into the river an Apothecary told them that much money might be made of their grease whereupon all the fat bodies were sought out ripped up and their grease sold for three shillings a pound which being done after many jears bestowed upon the dead carcasses some were tumbled into a great pit others thrown into the river The Countries which lay below upon the river were amazed to see such multitudes of dead bodies to come down the streame some with their eyes pulled out others their noses eares and hands cut off stabbed into every part of their bodies so that some had no part of humane shape remaining Shortly after
marched to another coming just at the time when the Protestants were at Church hearing a Sermon They were guided to the place by two Friers the Protestants seeing them coming shut the Church doors barricadoing them up with benches these villaines laboured to break open the door but when they could not readily do it they clambred up into the windows through which they shot with their musquets at the people whereby they wounded and killed many The Minister beiâ—g a man rarely endued with learning and piety according to the shortnesse of time exhorted them with lively reasons to persevere in the truth notwithstanding all the danger but in the mean time these barbarous Papists had forced open the door where they fell to murthering of all without respect of quality sex or age Some Lords and Gentlemen were here slaine the Minister was shot to death divers Ladies and children gate into the Belfree to save themselves but these hell-hounds set fire to the place and miserably burnt them all These savage wretches having thus glutted themselves with innocent blood in this place they marched to Sondresse The Papists in that place hearing of their coming went to the Justice protesting that they would guard him from danger and that they would not suffer such villanies to be committed amongst them Then did they beat their Drums ring their Bells and arme themselves under pretence of securing the Protestants who trusting to their promises mixed themselves amongst them to stand for their own defence These Popelings concealing their mischievous intent killed now one then another as if it had been by accident so that though divers of them were slain yet they found not out the mystery of the practice yet some both men and Gentlewomen sought to escape but all passages being shut up they were met with and cruelly murthered Then did they more openly discover their malice killing the Protestants where ever they met them hereupon some eighteen of the Protestants together with some Ladies and young children gat together and the men being well armed they marched close together repulsing their enemies and at last came to a Church in the mountain of Sondresse unto which place a Minister and some others in all about seventy three men were gathered together and after their prayers made unto God they passed the Valley of Malaneo which was beset by the enemy on two sides but such as kept the passages were by Gods special providence so astonished that they fled away and the Protestants though they were pursued to the tops of the mountains yet did miraculously escape with safety Then did the Pesants joyne with these villaines to rob and plunder the houses of the Protestants and amongst them divers Noblemens houses richly furnished with great abundance They ran up and down also through fields woods and mountains searching every bush for the Protestants and as they found any of them they presently murthered them There was an honorable Lady that not long before came out of Italy to enjoy her liberty of conscience whom they exhorted to change her Religion which she refusing they advised her that yet at least she would do it out of a care of her young infant which she held in her armes which otherwise together with her self should presently be slain But she with an undaunted courage answered I have not departed out of Italy my native countrey nor forsaken all the estate that I had there to renounce now the faith which I had wrought in me by the Lord Jesus Christ yea I will rather suffer if it were possible a thousand deaths And how shall I have regard in this case to my infant since God my heavenly Father spared not his own Sonne my Lord Jesus Christ but delivered him up to death for his love to me and such sinners as I am and so giving her childe to one she said Behold my child the Lord God who hath care of the birds of the aire is much more able to save this poore creature although by you it should be left to these wild mountains Then unlacing her gown she opened her breast saying Here is the body which you have power to kill but my soul on which you have no power to lay your hands that I commend to my God and so she was presently slain and hewed in pieces The infant being a lovely and sweet Child they spared and delivered it to a Popish Nurse to be brought up These miscreants finding such sweetnesse by the plunder of the Protestants they spared none plundering their houses twice or thrice over Some noble Matrons had their rings pul'd off their fingers and if they refused presently to draw them off they would cut off either their hands or fingers from them Some women with their children were dragged to the tops of high Mountains and threatned to be thrown down headlong with their children if they would not promise to go to Masse and though one amongst them was found that through terrour promised them to do it yet did they throw her down with the rest without all pity One Dominico Berto of sixteen years old they set upon an Asse with his face to the tayle and the tayle in his hands for the bridle and thus with many jears they led him to the Market-place then they cut off his nose ears and cheeks then burned many holes in several parts of his body with hot irons continuing these torments till in that barbarous manner they had killed him Yet through the wonderful goodnesse of God some Ministers with their wives and children by great travel dangers and difficulties amongst the craggy and high mountains were delivered out of the hands of these bloody persecutors Theophilus Messino was shot with a Musket but being not slain they set open his mouth with a gag filled it with gunpowder and giving fire to it tore his head miserably his son was slain with many wounds Another being wounded and stripped naked was carried out and thrown into the woods yet afterwards he gat up and went home to his own house where he had mountains of gold profered him if he would turn Papist yet through Gods mercy he continued faithful to the death A young Gentleman too much addicted to the vanities of the world being earnestly sollicited to forsake the Protestant Religion stoutly refused whereupon they shot him with a Musket and having layn a while and then raising himself up he besought them to dispatch him that he might render his soul to his Creator Divers men and women were thrown down from Bridges into the river Adda and drowned for their constancy in the truth Some had their mouthes sâ—iâ— up to their ears others had the flesh cut from their faces others were slashed in other parts of their body till they dyed and others were often put to the strappado and then hewen in pieces A noble Virgin that was come to Sondres for
the very bottome of our souls we grieve and sorrow for it and that in the presence of God and of his holy Angels and in the sight of those who have been witnesses of our conversion we do abjure and detest the Masse the authority of the Pope and in general all sorts of beliefs and worships dependent upon them we recant whatsoever we may have pronounced to the prejudice of the Evangelical Truth and promise for the future through the Grace of God to persevere in the profession of the Reformed Religion to the last moment of our life and rather to suffer Death and Torments than to renounce that holy Doctrine that is taught in our Church according unto the word of God even as we swear and promise with our bended knees upon the earth and our hands lifted up to the Eternal our Almighty God and Father Sonne and Holy Spirit As we desire his assistance to do this even so help us God Amen The Motives of the late Persecution in the Valleys of Piemont Anno Christi 1655. with the publication of that bloody Order of Gastaldo and the flight of the Protestants in the middest of Winter THe chief Officers and Gentry of Savoy are moved to endeavour the extirpation of the Reformed party chiefly for these Causes 1. That by evil entreating the Reformed Churches they may conserve the Papal authority of which they have oft-times so much need to cover and cloke their Incestuous marriages contracted by Dispensations from the Pope and thus they become engaged to maintaine Popery for fear of being declared guilty of Incest 2. Because the Courtiers for persecuting the Reformed party are rewarded with Prebendaries Bishopricks Abbies and Priories especially such as are members of the Council for extirpating of Hereticks 3. Under this pretext the poor people of the Valleys become a prey to the said Courtiers who daily rob and spoil them extorting the best part of their livelishood by sundry subtile devices 4. The Gentry of Lucerna who are very poor promote this work all they can by perpetual calumnies against them rendring themselves by such good Offices capable of meriting and receiving those pensions which are assigned them by the Court of Rome for the same purpose 5. For this end of late they have made the Gentlemen of the respective Valleys subordinate to the Monks and Masse-Priests who teach and appoint them what to do as to the bearing of false-witnesse against their Neighbours sowing discord amongst them murthering of some procuring the Assasination of others stealing and carrying away their children c. without the performance whereof they refuse to pay them their yearly Pensions 6. But the chief ground of all why the Court of Savoy strives so much to extirpate this poor people is the Designe that they have to wrest Pignorolio out of the hands of the King of France to which the habitation and liberty of those people are a great hindrance For they inhabiting the neighbouring parts of Pignorolio both in the Plaine and Mountains cannot upon the account of conscience be brought to make any agreement with the Spanish party for assaulting and surprizing that place Hence the Court of Savoy seeks all manner of occasions to root them out especially those of Lucerne Fenile Bobio Campiglione Bricheras and Saint Secondo which are near Pignorolio and to deprive it thereby of all sorts of commodities which it receives from the Valleys which alone doth furnish it with more than all the neighbouring Valleys which belong to the Duke Now if these people were extirpated and others put in their places men forward to execute their Designes they might easily seize on Malange a narrow passage above Pignorolio on that side which looks towards France where a very few persons would be able to hinder the French Armies from relieving Pignorolio Upon these and the like grounds the Court of Savoy hath sought their destruction though its true that in all the persecutions which they have raised against them especially in this last 1655. those ravening wolves approached in sheeps cloathing the better to deceive and destroy the innocent Lambs of Christ. For these Evangelical Churches had long before that fatal year cleared themselves of all those calumnies which the Council for the extirpation of Hereticks to the end that they might enjoy their promised Pensions had cast upon them Yea his Royal Highnesse had now given an ample testimony of his being fully satisfied in this point and by an authentick Decree published Anno Christi 1649. had confirmed all former Confessions which confirmation was again renewed Anno 1653. confirming the Grants made to them in the years 1603. and 1620. without any addition or diminution amplification or restriction whatsoever Now as these poor people sought for an Interination of these Grants His Royal Highness knowing that the delay thereof proceeded not from any negligence of their part but was occasioned by the multitude of Troops that were then quartered upon them whereby they could not possibly have the convenience of assembling c. out of his goodness towards them he declared by an Edict of May 19. 1654. that his intention was that they should enjoy the Concessions as effectually as if they had been again interinated upon condition that they did procure the Interination thereof within three moneths following So that till this time of May 19. 1654. none can say that those of the Reformed Religion had committed any thing whereby to be deprived of the benefit of their Concessions yet contrary to all their expectations shortly after viz. January 25. 1655. this infamous Order was published by Andrew Gastaldo Doctor of the Civil Law Mr. Auditor Ordinary c. That every Head of a Family with its members of the Reformed Religion of what rank degree or condition soever none excepted inhabiting and possessing estates in the places of Lucerna Lucernetta St. Giovanni La Torre Bubbiana and Fenile Campiglione Bricherassio and S. Secondo within three days after the publication therof should withdraw and depart and to be with their families withdrawn out of the said places and translated into the places and limits tolerated by his Highness during his pleasure as namely Bobbio Villaro Angrogna Rorata and the Country of Bonetti under pain of death and confiscation of houses and goods situated or being out of the said limits Provided if they make it not appear to us within twenty days following that they are turned Catholicks or that they have sold their goods to the Catholicks And that it was not the mind of his Royal Highness by any Act whatsoever to enlarge the said limits But on the contrary he declares by these presents that the said Acts are meer usurpations contrary to the intention as well of his Orders as of his Magistrates published to that end and that therefore the transgressors have incurred the punishment therein contained Besides in the aforesaid places favorably tolerated he wills that in every one of them shall be celebrated
Providence His delivery His death At Amiens Bibles burnt At Abbevilly At Meaux Abominable villanies At Troys Bibles burnt At Bar. Popish cruelty At Crant At Sens. At Auxerre At Nevers At Chastillon At Guyen At Montargis A brave answer of the Lady Rene. At Monlius At Mans. At Anger 's Bibles burnt Horrible blasphemies Popish perfidiousnesse A bloody Edict In Ligueul John de Tour. At Tours Barbarous cruelties Popish subtilty The Mother and her daughter drowned Glee Vincit veritâ—â— Joy in tribulation Tentation resisted Faith Her Martyrdome Ponteou de Mer Impudence Marliorat hanged At Valougnes Monsieur Valougnes Popish profaneness and blasphemy At Vire At Agen. At Reime At Blâ—is Blasphemy A miracle In Guillac Horrid cruelties Peter Domo Popish perfidiousnesse In Souraize Prodigious villanies Blasphemy Faith and patience Faith A special Providence Peter Roch buried quick Two crowned with thorns Janetta Calvin At Mont de Marson In Tholouse Horrible cruelties Popish perfidiousness Carcasson Popish lies At Limox Abominable villany At Nonnay Blasphemy Barbarous cruelties At Foix. At Aurange Horrible cruelties Perfidiousness At Grenoble At Cisterno At Beaune At Mascon Bonnet Bor a godly Minister Barbarous cruelty Courage and constancy His martyrdome See this more fully in the life of the Admiral at the end of this book Divellish dissimulation Sin the forerunner of persecution The Queen of Navar dieth Dissimulation The K. of Navar married The Admiral shot Dissimulation Good counsel neglected Deep dissimulation The Massacre suspected The Kings Commission shewed for it The Massacre begins Of Merlins miraculous escape see in my book of Examples The Admiral slain His head imbalmed and sent to the Pope Popish cruelty Ten thousand slain in Paris Popish lies The river died red with blood Prince of Conde's zeal and courage Divellish dissimulation Above thirty thousand massacred in three moneths The Lord de la Place hâ—s holy zeal The Lord de la Place murthered Peter Ramus murthered A dutiful and loving son Two Ministers murthered Hellish cruelty An Infant murthered At Meaux Two hundred Protestants murthered At Troys Gods Providence Prodigious wickednesse and cruelty Courage and constancy of Gods people The Massacre at Orleance A Noble Counsellor Monstrous ingratitude Blasphemy A Doctor of the Law An Apothecary A Cook The reward of Apostates The patience of the Saints Gods providence Popish malice and cruelty Three hundred and fifty murthered Francis de Bossu and his two sons The father encourageth his sons to die Prodigious cruelty Their grease is sold. The murtherers absolved At Angiers Hypocrisie A Minister murthered A godly Minister pistolled And his wife murthered At Roan six thousand murthered At Tholouse Popish subtilty And cruelty Three hundred murthered At Bourdeaux A special Providence A bloody Jesuite The Lord of Obiers murthered and a Minister An holy speech Gods providence Gods care of his people A special Providence A terrible Famine Two executed for eating part of their own daughter A remarkable story A wicked oath An admirable Providence Gods judgement on a bloody Persecutor A famine An extraordinary Providence Rochel delivered Gods judgements on Persecutors Gods judgement on the Duke of Aâ—jou see in my book of Examples The Kings sicknesse and death Anger implacable Rochel besieged Anno 1628 A terible famine Margaret Pierrone Tentation She chooses to be burnt rather than to burne her Bible Popish treachery Cruelty A Noble Gentleman murthered Christ preferred before all Protestants murthered at Church At Sondres Popish treachery A special Providence A noble Lady Courage and constancy Faith A special Providence Horrible cruelties Dominico Berto Barbarous cruelty A special providence Theophilus Messino Constancy Tentation resisted Prodigious cruelties A noble Virgin An excellent speech A wicked Edict Popish perfidiousnesse Courage and constancy Patrick Hamilton Zeale Popish subtilty His condemnation Constancy His Martyrdome Gods judgement on a persecutor David Straton Norman Gourlay Stratons conversion His prayer Tentation resisted Thomas Forret Grosse ignorance His martyrdom Jerome Russel Alexander Kennedy Humane infirmity Joy in tribulation Their condemnation and martyrdome Popish cruelty John Rogers His Character His charity A special providence Popisâ— malice A Prophesie He goeth into the West He is opposed by the Bishop The power of the Word His Prohesie accomplished His second coming to Dundee Charity He is in danger of being murthered Gods Providence He preserves the murtherer He goes to Montrosse Meditation Popish malice A Prophesie His fervent Prayer in the night A Prophesie He comes to Leith Faith and Courage Hiâ— departvre from Leith Popish malice A Prophesie He goes to Haddington John Knox See his liâ—e in my first part A Prophesie His apprehension by Bothwell Bothwels promise He is carried to Edenburgh Bothwel falsifies his promise He is carried to St. Andrews His accusation His patience His Prayer Popish subtilty He administreth the Sacrament The Cardinals feare His Prayer at death His exhortation to the People He prayes for his Persecutors A Prophesie The Cardinals pride and carnal confidence The Castle surprized Popish uncleannesse The Cardinal slain Adam Wallace His accusation The Ministers work His Martyrdome Henry Forrest Popish perfidiousnesse His Martyrdome Walter Mill. Popish uncleanness His speech at death His Martyrdome Popish malice Popish lyes The malice against the English Popish malice and cruelty Popish perfidiousnesse Prodigious cruelties Many starved and stripâ— Horrible murthers Popish perfidiousness An Irish Monster Multitudes drowned Popish treachery A just reward Prodigious cruelties They deny them liberty to pray Some buried alive Some were hung upon tenter-hooks Blasphemy Many had their bellies ript Children had their brains dashed out Many burned Some perish by famine Unnatural cruelties Children kill English children Some boiled in Cauldrons Some had their eyes pulled out Prodigious cruelties Bibles burnt Blasphemies Aposttaes murthered Constancy and Courage Gods judgements on Persecutors Popish perfidousnesse Many knocked on the head A boy murthered by his Master Berbarous cruelty and impudence Many drowned They made candles of their grease Prodigious cruelties Popish uncleannesse Their cruelty to the cattel Henry Cowel Constancy Robert Ecklin A childs constancy Childrens beastly cruelty Popish uncleannesse Monstrous câ—ueâ—ty to a boy Many burnt One hundred and fifty thousand murtheâ—red in Ulster Gods judgements on persecutors Boys and women murderers Souldiers hanged Constancy Popish perfidiousnesse Gods judgements on Persecutors Some worried with dogs The Munster Remonstrance Gods judgements on Persecutors Apparitions at Portendown Bâ—idge A Miracle An Edict in favour of the Protestants A cruel Edict The Elector Palatine intercedes for them They are cruelâ—y dealt with Gods Providence for them King of France intercede for them Popish malice Gods mercy The Duke favours them Satans malicâ— Popish subtilty prevented Courage and Constancy They are favoured but again molested They are encouraged Their prudence Satans policy Dissembling Hypocrites They are confuted Popish policy Persecution renewed Gods Providence Gods mercy The massacre of Paris A special providence The Dukes letter to draw them to Popery Their answer A cruel Edict Popish subtâ—â—ty Courage and constancy They are banished Popish subtilty They are forced to flie They are forced to flie Popish subtilty Popish subtilty Humane frailty Repentance Reason why they persecuted the Protestants A bloody Order Popish cruelty They go into banishment Constancy Popish cruelty Popish dissimulation Popish injustice Popish subtilty Popish cruelty The Protestants defend themselves Popish subtilty Barbarous cruelty Women tipt up Base cruelty Horrid cruelty Courage and Constancy Popish subtilty and perfidiousnesse A special Providence Gods Judgements on persecutors Many Irish slaine A special Providence His Charactea A special Providence