punishment for the truth which I have professed I esteem not of this world nor the treasures of it more than for my necessary uses and the rest to bestow in the propagation and maintenance of the Gospel And I beseech God daily upon my knees for my wife and children that they may all continue in this quarrel even to the death And when he came to his execution he patiently and comfortably slept in the Lord. At the same time there was also brought forth one John Gonsalvo formerly a Priest but by his diligent study of the Scripture it pleased God to reveal his truth to him so that he became a zealous Preacher of it labouring in all his Sermons to beat into mens minds the true way and means of our Justification to consist in Christ alone and in stedfast faith in him for which he was apprehended and cast into prison where he endured all their cruely with a Christian courage At last with two of his Sisters he was condemned His mother and one of his brothers were also imprisoned with him for the truth and executed shortly after When he with his sisters went out at the Castle gate having his tongue at liberty he began to sing the 106. Psalm before all the People who had oft heard him make many godly Sermons He also condemned all hypocrites as the worst sort of People Whereupon they stocked his tongue Upon the stage he never changed countenance nor was at all daunted When they all came to the stake they had their tongues loosed and were commanded to say their Creed which they did chearfully when they came to those words The holy Catholick Church They were commanded to adde Of Rome but that they all refused whereupon their necks were broken in a trice and then 't was noised abroad that they had added those words and died confessing the Church of Rome to be the true Catholick Church There was in Sivil a private Congregation of Gods people most of which the Inquisitors consumed in the fire as they could discover any of them amongst others that were apprehended they took four women famous above the rest for their holy and godly conversation but especially the youngest of them who was not above one and twenty years old who by her diligent and frequent reading of the Scriptures and by conference with godly and learned men had attained to a very great measure of knowledge so that whilst she was in Prison she non-plus'd and put to shame many of those Friars that came to seduce her Another of these women was a grave Matron whose house was a School of vertue and a place where the Saints used to meet serve God day and night but the time being come wherein they were ripe for God they together with other of their neighbours were apprehended and cast into prison where they were kept in dark dungeons and forced to endure all the cruel and extream torments which are before mentioned At last they were condemned and brought forth to the scaffold amongst other Prisoners The young maid especially came with a merry and cheerful countenance as it were triumphing over the Inquisitors and having her tongue at liberty she began to sing Psalms to God whereupon the Inquisitors caused her tongue to be nipped by setting a Barnacle upon it After sentence read they were carried to the place of execution where with much constancy and courage they ended their lives Yet the Inquisitors not satisfied herewith caused the house of the Matron where the Church used to meet to be pulled down and the ground to be laid waste and a pillar to be erected upon it with an inscription shewing the cause There was also apprehended another worthy member of the same Congregation called Ferdinando he was of a fervent spirit and very zealous in doing good A young man but for integrity of life very famous He had spent eight years in educating of youth and had endeavoured to sow the seeds of Piety in the hearts of his Scholars as much as lay in him to do in a time of so great persecution and tyranny being at the last apprehended for a Lutheran he was cast into prison and terribly tormented upon the Jeobit and in the Trough whereby he was so shaken in every joynt that when he was taken down he was not able to move any part of his body yet did those cruel tormentors draw him by the heels into his prison as if he had been a dead dog But notwithstanding all his torments he answered the Inquisitors very stoutly and would not yield to them one jot During his imprisonment God used him as an instrument to recal and confirme a Monk who had been cast into prison for confessing the Gospel openly But by means of the Inquisitors flatteries and fair promises he had somewhat relented Gods Providence so ordering it that Ferdinando was cast into the same prison and finding the Monk wavering he rebuked him sharply and afterwards having drawn him to a sight of and sorrow for his sinne he at last strengthned him in the promises of free grace and mercy Hereupon the Monk desired a day of hearing where before the Inquisitors he solemnly renounced his recantation desiring that his former confession might stand whereupon the sentence of death passed against them both after which the Inquisitors asked Ferdinando whether he would revoke his former heresies to which he answered That he had professed nothing but what was agreeable to the pure and perfect Word of God and ought to be the profession of every Christian man and therefore he would stick to it to the death Then did they clap a Barnacle upon his tongue and so they were burned together There was also one Juliano called The little because he was of a small and weak body who going into Germany was there conversant with divers learned and godly men by which means he attained to the knowledge of the truth and became a zealous Professor of it and earnestly longing after the salvation of his Countreymen he undertook a very dangerous work which was to convey two great dry Fat 's full of Bibles printed in Spanish into his own Countrey In this attempt he had much cause of fear the Inquisitors had so stopped every Port and kept such strict watch to prevent the coming in of all such commodities but through Gods mighty protection he brought his burden safely thither and which was almost miraculous he conveyed them safe into Sivil notwithstanding the busie searchers and catch-poles that watched in every corner These Bibles being dispersed were most joyfully and thankfully received and through Gods blessing wrought wonderfully amongst Gods people to ripen them against the time of harvest But at last the matter broke out by the means of a false brother who going to the Inquisitors played the Judas and betrayed the whole Church to them So that there
commending his soul to Christ his head was cut off and set on the Tower The next was the Lord Harant a man that had gained much experience by his travels in Asia Africa and Europe his crime was that he had taken an oath to be true to Frederick and durst not violate it As he was going to suffer he called the Minister to him and told him that he much feared his wives inconstancy in Religion and therefore desired him to exhort her to constancy and not to suffer her self to be drawn from her Religion by any allurements assuring her that it is the infallible way to salvation Then to exhort her to use more clemency to his subjects rather easing then over-charging them with burthens Lastly to require her to have a care of his children and to bring them up in the pure Religion c. Being called to execution he said I have travelled through many Countries through many barbarous Nations escaped many perils by sea and land and now suffer innocently in my own Countrey and by them for whose sake I and my forefathers have spent our Estates and Lives Father forgive them Then he said In thee O Lord have I hoped let me not be confounded On the Scaffold he said Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit In the O Lord have I trusted from my youth I am confident that I shall be accepted by that ignominious death of my Saviour and falling upon his knees he said To thee O Lord I commend my spirit for thou O God just and true hast redeemed me and so he received the fatall stroke with the sword The next was Casper Kaplitz a Knight of eighty six years old When the Minister came to him after his condemnation he said See me a miserable old man who have often intreated my God that he would have mercy upon me and take me out of this miserable life but have not obtained it for God hath reserved me to be a spectacle to the world and a sacrifice to himselfe Gods will be done My death indeed is disgracefull in the eyes of men but glorious in the sight of God for God will account that death precious in his sight which I suffer for his glory and truth And when it was told him that he might have his life if he would ask pardon he answered That he would ask pardon of him against whom he had committed many sins all his life but he never offended the Prince and therefore would not give occasion to suspect that he had committed some crime for which he had deserved death c. God forbid therefore said he that I should be separated from this holy company of Martyrs As he was going to the Scaffold being feeble with age he said Oh my God strengthen me lest I fall down and become matter of scorn to the enemies Being crooked with age and hanging down his head the executioner could not well come at his neck whereupon the Minister said to him My noble Lord as you haâ—e commended your soul to Christ so now offer up your heavy head chearfully to God and lift up your selâ—e towards heaven Then lifting up his head as well as he could he said Lord Jesus into thy hand I commend my spirit and so is head was cut off The next was Procopius Dorzecki who after his condemnation said to the Minister I haâ—e had a great contention all night with old Adam so that it made me sweat againe but thanks be to my God by whom my soul hath overcome all tentations saying further O Almighty God strengthen thy servant that I may not be made a derision to mine enemies by any fear of death and as thou waâ—â— wont to encourage thy holy Martyrs so I â—trongly beleeâ—e thou wilt comfort me When he was called forth to execution he said Thanks be to my God who doth now call me to himselfe to him I have lived and for him I will die for my Saviour hath therefore died and risen again that he might be Lord both of the living and the dead I know that my soul shall liâ—e and my body shall be raised like to his glorious body Upon the Scaffold he said to the Imperiâ—ll judges Tell Caesar that we are now under his â—udgement buâ— he shall undergoe a more grievous yet just judgement of God And seeing a gold Medal hanging about his neck wherein was ingraven the Coronation of Frederick he delivered it to one that stood by saying I require â—hee that when my dear King Frederick shall recover the Throne of this Kingdom thou deliver him this and tell him that for his sake I wore it till my death and that now I lay down my life willingly for God and my King and so presently after he lost his head The next was the L. Frederick de Bile who suffered death likewise patiently and piously The next was the L. Hen. Otto a man of great judgment who having received the sentence of condemnâ—tion said O Caesar do you indeed establish your Throne by our bloud but what account will you make to God of it in the day of judgement c. kill my body dispâ—â—se my members whither you please yet dâ— I beleeâ—e â—hat my Saviour will gather them together againe and clothe 〈…〉 so that with thâ—sâ— eyes I shall see hâ—m with these ears I shall hear him with â—his toâ—gue I shall praise him and rejoyce with this heart fâ—reâ—er Afterwards when the Minister came to him amongst other 〈◊〉 he saiâ— I was â—roubled but now I feel a wonderfull refreshing in mâ— heart adding with his hands lift up to heaven I give thee thanks O most mercifull Saviour who hast beâ—n pleased to fill me with so much 〈◊〉 now I fear death no longer I will die with joy As he was going to the â—caâ—fold he said to the Ministâ—r I am sure that Christ Jesus will meet my soul with his Angels that he may bring it to an everlasting marriage where I shall drink of a new cup a cup of joy for ever This death I know shall not separate me from him Upon the Scaffold lifting up his eyes to heaven he said Behold I see the Heavens open pointing with his hand to the place where others also observed a certain brightnesse which dazled their eyes after he had prayed silently he said Into thy hands O Lord God I commend my spirit have pitty on me through Jesus Christ and receive me that I may see thy glory and so he received the stroak of the sword The next was Dionysius Zervius formerly a Papist but being told of the promises made to the people of God concerning the pardon of sins and assurance of salvation to those that believe in Christ he struck his breast and with tears in his eyes cried out This is my faith and in this I die I rest in the grace of Christ and I
Popish Clergy preached that the way to pacifie Gods wrath and to remove the plague was to cut off Hereticks whereupon these two godly men were brought out and condemned and presently after burned Also one Nicholas a godly man was apprehended at Antwerp bound up in a sack cast into the river and drowned Also Pistorius a learned and godly Preacher coming from Wittenburg into Holland preached against the Masse Popish pardons c. Whereupon he was cast into prison amongst Malefactors whom he instructed and much comforted in their distressed condition and one of them being half naked he gave him his gown His father visiting him in prison encouraged him to constancy At last he was condemned and carried forth to execution with a fools coat on his back when he was tied to the stake he said O death where is thy victory and so he was first strangled and then burned Another for speaking against the Masse and Reliques was hanged in Suevia Another godly Minister being commanded to go to sixteen men that were to be beheaded to counsel and comfort them at their death when they were executed was himself bidden to kneel down and so they cut off his head Also George Scherter a godly Minister that took great pains in instructing his people in the knowledge of the Gospel in a town near Salizburg was apprehended and cast into prison where he wrote a Confession of his faith and afterwards was condemned first to be beheaded and then burned As he went to the execution he said to the Spectators That you may know that I die a true Christian I will give you a signe and accordingly when his head had been cut off so long as whilst a man might eat an egge his body all the while lying upon the belly it turned it self upon the back crossing the right foot over the left and the right hand over the left by which miracle many were induced to believe the Gospel Another godly man was burned at Dornick Anno 1539. A godly minister not far from Basil was murthered in his own house by a Popish Priest whom he had kindly entertained many other Ministers about that time were some drowned some beheaded Anno 1543. Notice was taken that there were divers godly persons in Lovain whereupon an Inquisitor came from Bruxels thither and having gotten a company of souldiers in the night time he brake into their houses plucking men and women out of their beds from their children and casting them into prison Thither the Doctors of Lovain came thinking either to convert them or confound them but the spirit of God assisting his Saints the doctors went away confounded themselves Then did they cruelly torment every one of them by themselves amongst these an aged Minister of about sixty years old was condemned to perpetual imprisonment in a dark and stinking dungeon where he could neither read nor write nor might any man come to him and he was fed onely with bread and water Two were burnt alive in the fire an aged man was beheaded Two aged women were buried quick others for refusing to do pennance were burned also All which took their death very patiently and cheerfully The year after in the same University of Lovain was one Master Persival a very learned and godly man cast into prison and because he could by no means be brought to recant he was adjudged to perpetual imprisonment and there to be fed only with bread and water neither would they suffer the Citizens to send any relief to him shortly after he was made away in prison Also one Justus Insberg in the same city for having a New Testament and some of Luthers Sermons found in his house was cast into prison and command given that none should speak with him At the same time there were prisoners in a room under him Aegidius and Encenas metioned before whose door being left open accidentally they went to this poor man and much confirmed and strengthned him in the faith insomuch as when the Lovain Doctors came to perswade him to recant he before them all made a bold confession of his faith from which he would not be disswaded whereupon he was condemned and beheaded About the same time there was one Giles Tilleman a Cutler at Bruxels who by diligent reading of the Scriptures through Gods grace was converted and became very zealous for the truth he was also very humble mild and merciful whatsoever he could spare from his own necessity he gave it to the poor living by his trade himself Some he refreshed with meat others with cloathing to others he gave shooes to others houshold-stuffe to others he ministred godly exhortations for their edification One poor woman being delivered of a child and wanting a bed to lye on he sent her his bed and himself was content to lie on the straw At last he was discovered and cast into prison where much pains was taken to bring him back to Popery but alwayes his adversaries went away with shame After eight months imprisonment he was sent to Bruxels to be judged in which place he comforted many that he found in prison there exhorting them to constancy that they might attain the Crown Most of his food he divided amongst them contenting himself with some few scraps He was so ardent in Prayer kneeling by himself in some secret place that often he forgat himself and being many times called to his meat he neither heard nor saw them that stood by him till he was lifted up by the armes Divers Friars coming to reduce him he would still request them to go their wayes for he was at a point and when they reviled him he would not answer them again insomuch as they reported abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him But when they spake of matters of Religion he answered them freely mightily confuting them by the Scriptures Often he might have escaped the prison doors being set open but he would not that he might not bring his Keeper into trouble Afterwards he was removed to another prison where they sought by torments to enforce him to recant and when all would not prevail he was condemned to the fire which when he heard of he gave hearty thanks to God for that the hour was come wherein he might glorifie his name Seeing a great pile of wood prepared for his burning he desired that most of it might be taken away and given to the poor for a little said he will serve to burn me and seeing a poor man by that lacked shoos he gave him his Being tied to the stake the hangman would have strangled him but he refused saying It needs not I fear not the fire and so in the midst of the flames he gave up the Ghost Anno 1543. and 1544. There was a great persecution all over Flanders so that there