and was afterwards sent for to Rome by the Pope where many endeavours were used to tempt him to desert and deny the Truth which not prevailing he was Condemned to be burnt alive which he constantly suffered to the Admiration of all that saw him In the year 1559. John Aloysius a Minister being sent from Geneva to Calabria was sent for to Rome by the Pope where he suffered Martyrdom and at that time James Bovellus a worthy Minister was Martyred by the Popes Order at Messina Pope Pius the Fourth ralsed in hot persecution against the Protestants in all he Territories of the Church of Rome which was the destruction of many faithful Christians yea the Persecution was so hot in the Kingdom of Naples that many Noblemen and their Wives with divers others were slain And a Papist writing to a Noble Lord about the Cruelties shewed to some Christians â—n Calabria in the year 1560 hath these expressions When I think upon it I verily quake and tremble for their manner of putting to death may be fitly resembled to the slaughter of Calves and Sheep for Fourscore and Eight of them being thrust up together in one House as in a Sheepfold the Executioner cometh in takes one and blindfolds him and then leading him forth to a larger place commands him to kneel down and then cuts his Threat and leaving him half dead he takes his Butchers Knife and Muffler all goâ—e blood and fetches the rest and so one after another dispatches them all How sad this spectacle was I leave to your Lordship to Judge for my own part I cannot but weep to think of it neither were there any Spectators who seeing one to die could endure to behold another But truly so humbly and patiently they went to their deaths as is almost incredible to believe All the Aged Persons went more cheerfully the younger were something more timorous I tremble and shake to remember how the Hangman held his bloody Knife between his Teeth and his bloody Muffler in his hand and his Arms all gore blood up to the Elbows going to the Fold and taking every one of them one after another by the hand and so dispatching them all no otherwise than a Butcher doth his Calves and Sheep The City of Venice kept it self free a long time from this Plague of the Inquisition so that multitudes of Christians flocked thither from other places but in the year 1542 the Pope so far prevailed as to introduce it there likewise and then began a Terrible Persecution of the poor protestants there and they found out a new kind of death for them â—hich was to drown them in the bottom of the 〈◊〉 in the manner following when they â—ere condemned to die by the Inquisitors â—here was an Iron Chain fastened round their waste and a heavy stone was tyed thereto then they were laid upon a Plank between two Boats and so rowed to an appointed place in the Sea where the Boats parting asunder the Person immediately sunk into the Sea and was drowned notwithstanding which divers good Christians met together and had a Minister who preached the Gospel Administred the Sacrament to them but some false brethren creeping in among them betrayed them upon which many of them were apprehended and cast into the Sea others were imprisoned at Rome till they died Among others who were condemned to be drowned at Venice there was one Seignior Anthony Ricetto To whom after his condemnation his son of about Twelve years of Age came and with Tears beseeched his Father to recant for the saving of his own Life and that he himself might not be left fatherless To whom his Father answered A good Christian is bound to forgo Children goods yea and Life it self for the maintenance of Gods Honour and Glory for which cause said he I am now resolved with Gods assistance to lay down my Life When he came to the place where he was to suffer the Stone and Chain were fastned to him whereupon lifting up his Eyes to Heaven he said Father forgive them they know what they do Lord Jesus into thy hands I do commend my Spirit And so he ended his Life in the Sea A while after one Francis Spinola was apprehended and committed to Prison and being called before the Inquisitors he boldly reproved the Popes Legate and the other Judges in that contrary to their Consciences they persecuted the Truth of God and told them they were the Off-spring of the Pharisees c. Whereupon he had sentence passed upon him That he should be drown'd as an Heretick to whom he answered I am no Heretick but the Servant of Jesus Christ At which words the Popes Legate bid him be silent and told him that he lied The night after he was conveyed into the Sea and there drowned blessing and praising God with invincible Constancy In the year 1595 There was a young English Protestant at Rome who going into a Church and seeing their gross Idolatry he was so moved that he could not endure the sight of those impieties and therefore as the Procession passed by him he stept to him that bare the Host and Sacrament and plucking it out of his hands threw it on the Ground saying Ye wretched Idolaters do ye fall down to a Morsel of Bread This so provoked the People that they were like to have torn him in Pieces but he escaped death was sent to Prison complaint thereof being made to Pope Clement the 8th he was so inraged that he commanded him to be burnt the same day but his Cardinals advised to have him kept in Prison and Examined with Exquisite Tortures who set him on This they accordingly practised tormenting him with the utmost severity but could get nothing from him but these words Such was the will of God Then was he adjudged to be led from the Capitol naked to his middle and to wear on his head the form of a Devil his breeches to be painted over with Flames of Fire and so to be carried all about the City and then burnt alive This was Executed upon him and as he passed through the Streets he was mocked and derided of the People but he prayed fervently to God and at last uttered something against the debauched Lives of the Cardinals which so inraged them that they gagged him When he came before the Church where he threw down the Idol his Right hand was cut off by the Hangman and set upon a Pole in the Cart to which he was tyed Then two Tormentors with flaming Torches scorcht and burnt his Flesh all the way so that his body was all over blistered and bloody having no part free but his head then was he taken from the Cart and went himself to the stake kissing the Chains that should bind him The Fryars urged him to worship an Idol but he turned away his Face and shew'd his Detestation of it and when the Fire seized on him he bowed his head and quietly resigned up his Spirit
of admirable wisdom and understanding who when the King came one time into his Parliament at Paris made a bold speech before him wherein he gave thanks to Almighty God for moving the Kings Heart to be prefent at such a weighty matter as that of Religion which it seems was then to be debated humbly intreating him to consider well thereof it being the Cause of Christ himself which of good Right ought to be maintained by Princes but the King was so far from bearkening to him that being in raged he commanded him to be committed to Prison and protested to him in these very words These Eyes of mine shall see thee burnt And a while after he was condemned to die In the mean time great Triumphs were preparing for the Marriage of the Kings Sister Daughter the day being come he spent all the morning in Examining matters against Du Bourg and some others charged with the same Doctrines intending to glut his Eyes with their Execution and then went to Dinner After Dinner the King ran at Tilt near the Prison where Du Bourg was and brake many Spears against the Count Montgomery and others and all thinking he had done enough desired him to give over with praise But the King being inflamed with their Commendations would needs run another course with Count Montgomery who upon his knees begg'd his Majesty pardon but the King being resolved commanded him to do it upon his Allegiance Montgomery being compel'd addrest himself to it and the King and he meeting broke their Spears and the Kings Helmet falling down at the same Instant one of the Splinters of Montgomeries Spear entred just into his right eye and so pierced his head that his brains were perished which wound being incurable he died thereof within Eleven days after whereby his great hopes of seeing the Death of Du Bourg were frustrated And the Execution of Du Bourg was deferr'd for six Months longer all which time persevering constantly in the truth he was first degraded and then accompanied with six or seven hundred Horse and Foot well arm'd he was guarded to Execution being first hang'd and then burnt to Ashes At Amiens in France all the Bibles Testaments and â—salm Books were burnt the Ministers Pulpit and several Men and Women At Abbeville they slew the Lord of Harcourt and dragg'd some along the Streets with their their faces in the Kennel At Meux above Four hundred Religious Citizens were slain the Women and Maids were openly ravished in the Streets and Market-places Men Women and Children were Massacred the very Popish Priests themselves slaying divers with their own hands At a place called Bar the same if not worse Villanies were committed for the Papists pull'd out the hearts of these poor Protestants and most barbarously gnawed them with their Teeth rejoycing that they tasted of an Hugâ—nots heart At another place seven Hundred Protestants were inhumanely massacred and their naked Bodies thrown into the River Their Houses and Church being likewise plundered and Burnt At Angies they murthered a Godly Minister and many others and finding a Fair Bible gilt they hung it upon an Halbert and carried it in procession blasphemously crying Behold Truth hang'd the Truth of the Hugonots The Truth of all the Devils behold the Mighty God behold the Everlasting God will speak and when they came to the Bridge they threw it into the River crying louder Behold the Truth of all the Devils drown'd At Tours an hundred and forty were murdered and cast into the River and neither Man Woman nor Child spared nay the President of the City being only suspected to be a Favourer of the Protestants was first beaten with Staves then stript to his shirt hang'd up by one Foot his Head in the Water up to the Breast and whilst he was yet alive they ript up his Belly pluckt out his Guts threw them into the River and sticking his heart on a Lance they carried it about saying This is the Heart of the President of the Hugonots A Poor Woman whose Husband was a while before drown'd having a young Infant sucking at her Breasts and a beautiful Daughter of about sixteen years old in her hand these bloody Villains drove them to a River and taking the Daughter aside some of the Rascals endeavoured to seduce her to Popery and one of them who was finer than the rest promised to marry her so that the poor Maid began to doubt which her Mother who was just going to be thrown into the River perceiving she earnestly exhorted her Daughter to persist in the Truth whereupon the Daughter cryed out I will live and die with my Mother whom I know to beâ—d Virtuous Woman and as for your Threats and Promises I regard them not do with me what you please Before the Mother was quite drowned the Daughter was likewise thrown in who making toward her Mother they mutually embraced each other and so yielded up their Souls into the hands of God In the same City of Tours there was a very Religious Woman who being brought before the Captain she there gave an Account of her Faith which she confirmed by Scripture insomuch that the Fryers who discoursed with her could not return any answer but only told her That she was in a damnable condition It seems so indeed said she being in your hands And being then committed to prison she declared her mind freely and comforted the other Protestant Prisoners she was afterward condemn'd to be hang'd and the Rope being put about her neck she kneeled down praising and magnifying the name of God in shewing her so much mercy as by that death to deliver her out of this wretched world and that she was so far honoured as to die for the Truth and to wear Gods Livery as she reckoned the halter to be she then brake her fast with the rest of the Company and exhorted them to be of good courage and to trust in the free mercy of God to the end As she went to Execution one of her kindred brought her own little Children to see her and perswaded her to recant and save her life to provide for these Innocent Babes This was a very great Temptation and wrought so upon her Motherly affection as drew plenty of Tears from her Eyes But a while after resuming her former Courage and Constancy she said I love my Children dearly yet neither for love to them nor for any thing else in this World will I renounce my God or his Truth God will be a Father to these my Children and will provide better for them than I could have done and therefore to his providence and protection I commend and leave them After which she went cheerfully to the place of Execution and having there prayed to and praised God she quietly resigned up her Spirit to him A while after the City of Roan was besieged and two of the Forts taken wherein they put all the Protestants to the Sword and the Queen Mother being at
He caused four men to be hanged upon suspicion that they had eaten a Goose upon a Friday And a Woman with a Child sucking at her breast was drown'd for refusing to pray to the Virgin Mary Many others were likewise Banished and Imprisoned for the Gospel and among the rest John Rogers a learned and godly Minister whom he caused to be murthered in Prison and then thrown over the Wall giving it out that by attempting to make his escape he broke his neck In the year 1546. Mr. George Wisheart a famous Minister was sent for to appear before Cardinal Beton and the other Bishops at St. Andrews where a Priest was ordered to curse him who called him Renegade Traitor Thief c. However Mr. Wisheart gave them an account of his Faith and Doctrine but they not being able to answer him immediately condemned him to be Burnt and presently a Fire was prepared over against the Castle and Velvet Cushions were laid in the Castle-windows for the Cardinal and the rest of the Prelates to see him suffer and for fear he should be rescued by his friends all the Castle Guns were mounted against the place of his Execution by the Cardinals order then with a Rope about his Neck and a Chain about his middle he was fastned to the Stake and having earnestly prayed and exhorted the People and forgiven his enemies and persecutors he said thus I Beseech you Brethren Exhort your Prelates to learn the Word of God that they may be ashamed to do evil and learn to do good or else there shall come upon them the Wrath of God which they shall not eschew Then the Hangman upon his knees said Sir I pray forgive me for I am not the cause of your Death Mr. Wisheart called him to him and kissing his Cheek said Lo here is a token that I forgive thee My heart do thine Office and so he was tyed to the Stake and the fire kindled The Captain of the Castle came to him and bid him be of good Courage to whom Mr. Wisheart said This fire Torments my Body but no whit abates my Spirits then looking towards the Cardinal he said He who in such State from that high place feeds his eyes with my Torments within few days shall be hanged out at the same Window with as much shame and ignominy as he there leans with Pride then his Breath being stopt with the Flames he gave up the Ghost This Prophecy was fulfilled in a short time after for the people being generally discontented at the Cruelty used against Mr. Wisheart several persons conspired against him and killed him in the Castle and the Provost raising the Town came to the Castle Gates crying What have you done with my Lord Cardinal where is he To whom they answered from within Return to your Houses for he hath received his reward and will trouble the World no more But they cryed We will never depart till we see him Then was he hanged out at that very window to satisfie them he was dead and so the people departed Shortly after one Adam Wallace was Burned likewise and Henry Forest suffered the same Cruel Death upon Account of Heresie One Walter Will was accused for Heresie and being bid to recant he said I am Corn and not Chaff I will not recant the Truth and being thereupon condemned to the Fire and all things made ready to that purpose they commanded him to go to the Stake No said he by the Laws of God I am forbidden to lay hands on my my self therefore do you put me in the Fire and you shall see my resolution Having then made his Prayer unto God he spake thus to the people Although I have been a Great Sinner yet it is not for that but for Gods Truth contained in his Word of the Old and New Testament that I now suffer and God out of his abundant Mercy doth honour me so far as to make me among other of his Servants to seal his Truth with my Blood Dear Friends as you would escape Eternal Death be no more seduced with the Lies of Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors c. but trust only in God After he had thus spoke he was tyed to the Stake and the Fire being kindled he quietly slept in the Lord and was the last person that died for the Protestant Religion in Scotland In the year of our Lord 1641. there brake forth a most horrid and Bloody Rebellion and Massacre of the Irish Papists committed on the English in Ireland a Nation famous for the Birth of divers worthy persons therein but none more renowned than that Excellent Learned and Religious Person James Usher late Ld. Archbishop of Armagh and Lord Primate of Ireland who amongst many other extraordinary Gifts and Graces which it pleased the Almighty to bestow upon him was wonderfully endued with a Spirit of Prophecy from which among many other things he foretold this bloody Rebellion forty years before it came to pass in a Sermon which he preached at Dublin in the Year 1601. where from Ezekiel 4.6 discoursing concerning the Prophets bearing the Iniquity of Judah forty days the Lord therein appointing a day for a Year he made this direct application in relation to the Connivance at Popery at that time From this Year says he will I reckon the sin of Ireland that those whom you now embrace shall be your Ruin and you shall bear your Iniquity which Prediction proved exactly true for from that time 1601. to the year 1641. was just forty years in which it is notoriously known that the Rebellion and destruction of Ireland happened and which was acted by those Popish Priests Jesuits and other Papists which were then connived at For the Jesuits Priests and Friars were the chief Instigators to this horrid Massacre by continually incensing and stirring up the Popish Gentry and Commonalty to shew the utmost of their Zeal therein and this without any provocation given by the English for it was observed that they had all the Liberty they could reasonably desire and that there was not any reason for such Cruel Proceedings against the English but only for that damnable and unpardonable sin of being Protestants And the Popish Clergy the more to engage the deluded Papists to murther them every where loudly declaimed That they were Hereticks and not fit to be suffered any longer amongst them that it was no more sin to kill one of them than to kill a Dog and that it was a mortal and unpardonable sin to relieve or protect any of them And when their business was so fixt that they did not fear any miscarriage the success of this Great Design was recommended in their Publick Prayers as tending very much to the advancement of the Catholick cause and they likewise maliciously represented to the People the severe proceedings against the Papists in England All things being in a readiness they proceeded to the Execution of this Damnable Contrivance but their proceeding therein was various some
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