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
to the Castle for more powder and more combustible matter which being at last kindled with a loud voice he cryed Lord Jesus receive my spirit how long shall darknesse overwhelme this Realme and how long wilt thou suffer the tyranny of these men The fire was slow and therefore put him to the greater torment but that which most grieved him was the clamour of some wicked men set on by the Friars who continually cryed Turn thou Heretick call upon our Lady say Salve Regina c. To whom he answered Depart from me and trouble me not thou messenger of Satan And speaking to one Campbel a Friar that was the Ringleader who still roared on him with great vehemency he said to him Wicked man thou knowest the contrary and hast confessed the contrary to me I appeale thee before the Tribunal seat of Jesus Christ after which words he resigned up his spirit unto God Anno Christi 1527. And within few dayes after the said Friar died in a phrensie and as one that despaired Anno 1534. The said Arch-bishop of Saint Andrews convented before him David Straton a Gentleman and Master Norman Gourlay The first of these having a Fisher-boat that went to sea the Bishop of Murray demanded tithe fish of him to whom he answered that if they would have tithe of that which his servants caught in the sea they should take it in the place where it was caught and so caused his servants to throw the tenth fish into the sea again All this while he had nothing in him for Religion But when hereupon he was summoned to answer for Herâ—sie it troubled him exceedingly and then he began to frequent the company of such as were godly and there appeared a wonderful change in him so that whereas before he despised the word of God now all his delight was in hearing of it read to him and he was a vehement exhorter of all men to peace and concord and contempt of the world He much frequented the company of the Laird of Dun Areskin whom God in those dayes had marvellously illuminated hearing the text read for he could not read himself He that denieth me before men or is ashamed of me in the midst of this wicked generation I will deny him before my Father and his holy Angels At those words being suddenly as one revived he fell upon his knees and stedfastly lifting up his eyes and hands to heaven at length he burst forth into these words O Lord I have been wicked and justly mayst thou withdraw thy grace from me but Lord for thy mercy sake let me never deny thee nor thy truth for fear of death or any corporal paine Being afterwards together with Master Norman brought to judgement in holy Rood-house the King himself being present much means was used to draw this David Straton to make a recantation but he persevered in his constancy still denying that he had offended and so they were both condemned to the fire and after dinner Anno 1534. they were both first hanged and afterwards burnt Not long after the burning of these two holy men There was one Deane Thomas Forret who used to preach every Lords day to his Parishoners out of the Epistles and Gospels as they fell in order This was counted a great novelty for none used to preach but the Friars and therefore they envying him accused him to the Bishop of Dunkelden for an Heretick and one that shewed the mysteries of Scripture to the vulgar people The Bishop instigated by the complaint of the Friars called the said Deane Thomas before him to whom he said My joy Deane Thomas I love you well and therefore I must give you counsel how to govern your self The Deane thanked him and then he proceeded My joy Deane Thomas I am informed that you preach the Epistle and Gospel every Sunday to your people and that you take not your dues from them which is very prejudicial to the Churchmen and therefore my joy Deane Thomas I would have you take your dues or else it s too much to preach every sunday for by so doing you make the people think that we should do so also It s enough for you when you find a good Epistle or Gospel to set forth and preach the liberty of holy Church and let the rest alone Thomas answered My Lord I presume none of my Parishoners complaine for my not taking my dues and whereas you say it s too much to preach every Sunday I think it is too little and wish that your Lordship would do the like Nay nay Deane Thomas said the Bishop let that be for we 〈◊〉 not ordained to preach Then said Thomas whereas you bid me preach when I meet with a good Epistle and Gospel I have read them all over and I know 〈◊〉 â—ad ones amongst them but when your Lordship shews me such I will passe by them Then said the Bishop I thank God I never knew what the Old and New Testament was and Deane Thomas I will know nothing but my Portuise and Pontifical Go your wayes and let all these fancies be for if you persevere herein you will repent you when t is too late I trust said Thomas my cause is good and just in the presence of God and therefore I care not what follows thereupon and so he went his way But shortly after he was summoned to appear before the Cardinal by whom he was condemned and burned for a chief Heretick and teacher of Heresies But notwithstanding all their bloody tyranny the knowledge of God did wonderfully encrease in that Kingdom partly by reading partly by brotherly conference which in those dangerous days was much used to the comfort of many which so enraged the Popish party that Anno 1538. there were burned in one fire foure persons of good quality The year after there were apprehended Jerome Russel a man of a meek and quiet naturâ— and Alexander Kennedy of about eighteen years old these two poor servants of Jesus Christ being brought before the Arch-bishop and his Associates to judgement Kennedy at first was faint and would faine have recanted but when all place of repentance was denied him the Spirit of God which seasonably comes in with comfort began to refresh him yea the inward comfort began to burst forth as well in his visage as in tongue and words for with a chearful countenance and joyful voice falling on his knees he said O eternal God how wonderful is that love and mercy that thou bearest unto mankind and to me a vile Caitiffe and miserable wretch above all others for even now when I would have denied thee and thy Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ my only Saviour and so have cast my self into everlasting damnation thou by thine own hand hast pulled me from the very bottome of Hell and made me to feele that heavenly comfort which takes from me that ungodly feare wherewith before
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
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