ought to be Compelled to accuse himself or purge himself by Oath VI. Some remarkable Collections out of Doctor Taylors Book entituled OEOAOTIA EKAEKTIKH A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying shewing the unreasonableness of prescribing to other mens Faith and the Iniquity of persecuting different Opinions VII Instances out of divers Authors treating on the same subject by W. C. deceased VIII Several Reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of Faith and Religion by R. H. S. F. and F. H. deceased IX Several Sayings Collected from the Speeches and writings of King Charles the first X. Several Promises and Declarations for the Liberty of tender Consciences taken out of the Speeches of King Charles the second SECT I. Persecution for the cause of Conscience is against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ the King of Kings as these Scriptures and Reasons following do demonstrate The first Reason against Persecution is because it is contrary to Scripture FOr Christ commanded that the Tares and Wheat should be let alone in the World Matth. 13.30.38 c and not pluckt up until the Harvest which is the End of the World Christ also commandeth Matth. 15.14 that they that are blind should be let alone referring their punishment unto the falling into the Ditch Again he reproved his Disciples who would have had Fire come down from Heaven Luke 9.54 59. and devour those Samaritans who would not receive him in these Words Ye know not of what Spirit ye are the Son of man is not come to destroy mens Lives but to save them Paul the Apostle taught 2 Tim. 24.2 that the Servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evil men instructing them with meekness that are contrary-minded proving if God at any time will give them Repentance that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of that Snare of the Devil According to these blessed Commandments the Prophets foretold Esa 2.4 Mica 4.3.4 that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdom be established they should break their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Then shall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountains of my holiness And when he came the same he taught and practised as before Esa 11.9 so did his Disciples afterâ—him for the Weapons of his Warfare are nor carnal saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 But he chargeth straitly that his Disciples should be so far from persecuting those that would not be of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray when they were Cursed Matth. 5. they should Bless c. And the reason seems to be because they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat they who are now Blind may hereafter see they that now resist him may hereafter receive him they that are now in the Devils snare in adversness to the Truth may hereafter come to Repentance they that are now Blasphemers and Persecutors as Paul was may in time become faithful as he they that are now Idolatrous as the Corinthians once were 1 Cor. 6.9 may hereafter become true Worshippers as they they that are now no people of God nor under Mercy as the Saints sometimes were 1 Pet. 2 20. may hereafter become the People of God and obtain Mercy as they Some come not till the eleventh hour Matt. 20. 〈◊〉 If those that come not till the last hour should be destroyed because they come not at the first then should they never come but be prevented SECT II. The second Reason against Persecution for cause of Conscience is because it is against the Profession and Practice of famous Princes FIrst Consider the speech of King James to the Parliament 1609. he saith It is a sure Rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by Violence and Bloodshed and that it was usually the Condition of Christians to be persecuted but not to persecute Again he saith page four speaking of the Papists I gave good proof that I intended no Persecution against them for Conscience Cause And in the same Kings Exposition of the Revelation the twentith printed 1588. he writes thus Compassing of the Saints and beseiging of the beloved City declareth unto us a certain Note of a false Church to be Persecution for they come to seek the faithful the Faithful are them that are sought the Wicked are the Besiegers the Faithful are the Besieged And the King of Bohemia hath thus written And notwithstanding the success of the latter Times wherein Sundry Opinions have been hatched about the subject of Religion may make one clearly discern with his Eye and as it were to touch with his Finger that according to the Truth of the Scripture and a Maxime heretofore maintained by the antient Doctors of the Church that mens Consciences ought in no fort to be violated urged or constrained and whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret means the issue hath been Pernitious and the cause of great and wonderful Innovations in the Principalest and Mightiest Kingdoms and Countries of all Christendom And further he saith So that once more we do profess before God and the whole World that from this time forward we are firmly resolved not to persecute or molest or suffer to be persecuted or molested any person whosoever for matter of Religion no not those who profess themselves to be of the Romish Church neither to trouble nor disturb them in the Exercise of their Religion so they live conformable to the Laws of the States c. SECT III. The Third Reason because Persecution for Cause of Conscience is condemned by the antient and later Writers HIlary against Auxentius saith thus The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted And Lamentable it is to see the folly of these Times and the foolish Opinion of this World in that men think by humane Aid to help God and with Wordly Pomp and Power to undertake to defend the Christian Church I ask the Bishops what help used the Apostles in the publishing the Gospel with the Aid of what power did they Preach Christ and converted the Heathen from their Idolatry to God When they were in Prisons and lay in Chaines did they praise and give thanks to God for any dignities or favours received from the Court or do you think that Paul went about with regal Mandates or kingly Authority to gather and establish the Church of Christ Sought he Protection from Nero Vespatian The Apostles wrought with their hands for their own Maintenance travelling by Land and Water from Town to City to preach Christ yea the more they were forbidden the more they taught and preached Christ but now alas humane help must assist and protect the Faith and give the same Countenance too and by vain and worldly Honours do men seek to defend the Church of Christ
Vestry and cut off his Right Hand then he was had into the Market-place and there they cut off his Left Hand then his Arms were bound behind him and his Feet under the Horses Belley and so was carryed to the place of Execution where he was let down by a pulley into the Fire and then pluckt up and let down again all which cruelty he endured with a constant Spirit saying O Eternal God Father of all Mercies look down upon thy Servant and with patience he suffered till at last the Rope burning he fell down into the Fre and was consumed This was in the year 1552. Persecutions in the Reign of Queen Mary beginning Anno 1553. After the Death of Edward the fixth Queen Mary succeeded and after the was setled in her Throne a Sinod was assembled for consulting about matters of Religion and the point especially of the real Presence in the Sacrament after a long Disputation where Reason and Scriptures were not so much weighed as Voices numbred the Papal side as having most voices carried it and thereupon was that Religion again restored and the Mass commanded again in all Churches so called to be celebrated after the antâ—â—â— mâ—â—â— And shortly after Cardinal Poole and English man that 〈◊〉 fed to Rome for Succour in the former time Q. Mary was sent for over again to England by the Queen who was no sooner come but the Attaindor upon Record against him was by Act of Parliament taken off and he restored and a few days after coming to the Parliament before the Queen and both Houses assembled after the Bishop of VVinchester who was Chancellor had made a short speech to them signifying the presence of the Cardinal and that he was sent from the Pope as his Legate for their good and benefit Then the Cardinal stood up and made a long Oration to them thanking them for restoring him whereby he was made a Member of their Society Then Exhorting them to return into the Bossom of the Church for which end he was come not to Condemn but to Reconcile not to compell but to call and require and for their first work of Reconcilement requiring them to repeal and abrogate all such Laws as had formerly been made in derogation of the Catholick Religion After which Speech the Parliament going together drew up a Supplication which within two dayes after they presented to the King and Queen wherein they shewed themselves to be very penitent for their former Errors and humbly desired them to interceed for them to the Cardinal and the See Apostolick that they might be pardoned of all they had done amiss and be received into the Bossom of the Church being themselves most ready to abrogate all Laws prejudicial to the See of Rome This Supplication being delivered to the Cardinal he then gave them Absolution in these words We by the Apostolick Authority given unto us by the most holy Lord Pope Julius the third Christs Vicegerent on Earth do absolve and deliver you and every of you with the whole Realm and Dominions thereof from all Heresie and Schism and from all Judgments Censures and Pains for that cause incurred and also we do restore you again to the unity of our Mother the holy Church The report hereof coming to Rome was cause that a solemn Procession was made for Joy of the Conversion of England to the Church of Rome And now all Bishops which had been deprived in the time of Edward the sixth were restored to their Bishopricks and the new removed and all that would not turn and forsake their Religion were turned out of their Livings and Stephen Gardner and Bonner became again to be had in favour and were restored to their former places and several old Laws were again revived by Act of Parliament for the tryal of Heresie and Commissions and Inquisitors were sent abroad into all parts of the Realm whereupon many were apprehended and brought to London and there Imprisoned and afterwards most of them burnt to death or else through cruel usage died in Prison and were buryed in Dunghils in the Fields to the Number of near three Hundred Persons Men and Women in the short Reign of this Queen And now Bonner being re-invested into his Bishoprick he sends forth Injunctions that six in every Parish upon their Oaths should present before him such as would not conform and soon after about threescore Inhabitants of the City of London were apprehended and imprisoned for dispersing and selling certain Books sent over into England out of Germany and other Countries About this time the people going a Procession in Smithfield and the Priest being under the Canopy with the Box John Street persecuted according to the usual Custom one John Street a Joyner in Coleman-Street going by in haste about his business by chance went under the Canopy by the Priest at which the Priest was so surprized and overcome with fear that he let the Pix fall down the people being amazed presently apprehended the poor man and committed he was to the Compter and the Priest accused him to the Council as if he came to slay him from the Compter he was removed to Newgate where he was cast into the Dungeon and there chained to a Post and so miserably used till he lost his Sences and then they sent him to Bedlam Roods Commaded to be again set up in the places called Churches These were but in the beginnings of Bonners Cruelty in this Queens time the next thing he did was he put out a Mandate to the Curates within his Diocess requiring them to abrogate and blot out all Scripture Texts wrot upon the Walls in Churches so called in Edward the sixths time which he said was opening a Window to all Vice and further commanded that comely Roods should be again set up in all Churches The same Injunction for setting up Roods was published in other Diocesses at this time for at Cockram in Lancashire the Parishoners and Wardens had agreed with a Carver to make them a Rood and to set it up in that they called their Church at a certain prise which the Carver did but the Rood being made of an ugly grim Countenance they disliked it and refused to pay the Work-man that made it whereupon by Warrant he brought them before the Mayor of Lancaster who was a favourer of the Protestants and a man against Images when they came before the Mayor he askt them Why they did not pay the man according to their Agreement they replyed they did not like the grimness of its Vissage saying they had a man formerly with a hansome Face and they would have had such another now well said the Mayor though you like not the Rood the Poor-mans Labour has been never the less and its pity he shold loose but I tell you what you shall do pay him the Money you promised him and if it will not serve you for a God you may make a Devil of it at which they
THE Spirit of the Martyrs REVIVED In a Brief COMPENDIOUS COLLECTION Of the Most Remarkable PASSAGES and Living Testimonies OF THE True Church Seed of God AND FAITHFUL MARTYRS In All AGES Contained in several Ecclesiastical Histories Chronological Accounts of the Succession of the TRUE CHURCH from the Creation the Times of the Fathers Patriarchs Prophets CHRIST and the Apostles Call to Remembrance what Acts our Fathers did in their time so shall ye receive great Honour and an everlasting Name 1 Mac. 2.51 Their Seed shall remain forever and their Glory shall not be blotted out but their Name liveth forevermore the People will tell of their Wisdom Eccles 44.13 14 15. Thy Testimonies are my Delight and Councellor Psal 1 19. Go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come TO THE READER Reader I Have hear Collected and brought together that which hath been scattered in divers great Vollums writ by several Authors judging these my Labours may prove more profitable to such who have a desire to be informed in these things those great Books being too Voluminous and costly for the generality to read or buy I have therefore for the sake of such who have but little leisure and cannot read much brought the History of these things into a nearer compass that so the meanest capacity may easily comprehend the Lords dealings with the Sons of men in all Generations and my chief aim in this work is for the good and information of all People that they may see how the Lord preserved his Church in all times and what great things he hath done for them who led the Ancient Fathers Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles by his mighty Power in which they served and worshipped him whereby they left a sweet Savour behind them as the Reader may see at large in the ensuing Treatise which containeth a Cloud of Witnesses to the Lords Work and Power And though these Testimonies may be slighted and dis-esteemed by the sensual wisdom which is from below yet I know it will be acceptable and a confirming and strengthening to the Faith of some who are Innocent and Upright to the Lord and have a delight in reading and meditating upon his Wayes and of his tender dealings with his Church and People who in all Ages preserved his little Remnant whom he raised up as righteous Branches to bring forth Fruits of Holiness in the middest of a perverse Generation And on the other hand the Reader many see in this ensuing Tract Satan's cruelty the great Enemy to mans good who hath in all Ages used all his Power to stop the increase and growth of this holy Seed by Persecuting Murdering and Destroying their Bodies and using his utmost indeavours by Cruelties to stop the least good Inclination that might at any time stir in any and this hath been the work of the Evil one ever since he got footing in mens hearts he hath alwayes sought to extinguish the Work of God and hath deceived Nations and all the World wondered after the Beast and John in his time saw a Terrible Day was to come on the Inhabitants of the Earth for the Devil was come down having great Wrath and when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the Earth he Persecuted the Woman which brought forth the Man Child the Woman fled into the Wilderness for a time and times and half a time and the Earth helped the Woman and the Earth opened her Mouth and swollowed up the Flood which the Dragon cast out of his Mouth and the Dragon was Wrath with the Woman and went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which kept the Commandments of God and have the Testimonies of Jesus Christ but they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and the Lord still preserv'd a Remnant that bow'd not their knees to Baal And the Lord said David shall never want'a man to sit upon the Thrown of the House of Israel and this hath been fulfilled in that the Lord hath from time to time raised up his Living Witnesses both to testifie to and suffer for his Name and Truth as will appear in this Book to which I refer the Reader for satisfaction and remain a Lover of all the Upright in Heart Ellis Hookes The Author to the Book it self GO forth O Book and let the World reveiw The Blood-shed by a Persecuting Crew Let Popish Bishops and the Prelates see The dying Martyrs Words revived be Who though their Bodies for the Truth were slain Their Living Testimonies still remain Their Souls under the Altar still do Cry How long O Lord most just that rules on High Ere thou avenge our Cause who for thy sake Foyfully imbrace the Fire and the Stake Fear not O Book the Frowns of Mortal Foes Who alwayes did the blessed Truth oppose Though Foes enough thou shalt be sure to find 'Mong Priests that have the Souls of many pin'd And scornful Prelates too who will not preach Nor suffer those that carefully would teach Gods Truth and give Christs Sheep their wholesom Food All such Restrainers make the sinful Brood And of that Rank not one of them is found That feeds the Flock in wholsome Pasture Ground The Food they give they Poyson give withall Which proveth worse then Wormwood mixt with Gall They suffer not the Milk of Gods Word pure To work upon the Souls of men a Cure Though sincere Milk the same is it Which wakes for God the Soul of each man sit It made the Martyrs witnessing the same Rejoyce when that they suffered in the Flame Part I. The year of the World Sheweth how God under the several Dispensations of himself to Mankind alwayes led and guided his Church and Seed by his Spirit and Power to Worship and Serve him and to bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness which was acceptable to him And how the Serpent and Evil-One hath from the beginning made it his work to deceive and lead man from God to Sin and work wickedness which alwayes brought the Wrath and Judgments of God upon Man AFter that God had Created Heaven and Earth Man at first created in Innocency and all things in them at last he created Man in his own Image that is to say pure holy and innocent giving him Power to Govern and Rule the Creation to God's Glory and God said It is not good for man to be alone I will make him an Help Meet for him and he caused a deep Sleep to fall upon Adam and he took one of his Ribs Woman made to be a help meet for man and closed up the Flesh thereof and of the Rib he made Woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said This is now Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh she shall be called Woman And the Lord placed them in the Garden of Eden there to live in a blessed
Christ Lord I have heard by many how much evil he hath done unto thy Saints at Jerusalem yea in this place he hath Authority from the chief Priests to bind all that call upon thy Name and the Lord said unto him Go thy way for he is a chosen Vessel unto me to carry my Name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel for I will shew unto him how great things he must suffer for my Name He layes his hand on him And Ananias went and entered into the House and laying his hands on him said Brother Saul the Lord Jesus who appeared unto thee in the Way as thou camest hath sent me that thou mayest receive thy sight and be filled with the holy Ghost His sight is restored and strait-way their fell from his Eyes as it were scales and he received his sight forth-with And Ananias said The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldest know his Will and see that Just One and shouldest hear the Voice from his Mouth for thou shalt be a Witness before all men of those things that thou hast heard and seen and now why tarriest thou Arise and be Baptized and Washed from thy Sins calling on the Name of the Lord and Saul arose and was Baptized and when he had received meat he was strengthened But what was revealed to Saul at Damascus that he should do Luke shews not in the Acts but out of those things which in the Epistle to the Galatians he saith happened unto him immediately after his Conversion it appears that among other things it was commanded him that he should not confer with flesh and blood nor return to Jerusalem to them that were Apostles before him but that he should go for some time into Arabia or places neer Damascus where he should Receive the Knowledge of the Gospel not being taught of men but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Saul then returns to Damascus and tarries with the Disciples there a few dayes and strait-way in the Synagogue he Preacheth that Christ is the Son of God and they were all amazed who heard these things and said Is not this he that destroyed at Jerusalem those that called on this Name and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the chief Priest and Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus teaching that Jesus is the Christ for to the Jews that dwelt at Damascus was the Gospel first preached by him Tiberius being certified by Pilate out of Palestine concerning the Affairs of Christ he proposeth to the Senate that Christ might be reckoned among the Gods which the Senate opposing he remaining in his Opinion threatens that it should be dangerous for any to accuse a Christian as Tertullian relates in Apologetic Chap. 5 and 21. and others that follow him as Eusebius in Chronic. and Hestor Eccles lib. 2.2 and our Gildas in an Epistle of the destruction of Brittain which being granted we may lawfully say that the first Persecution after the Murther of Stephen that arose in Judea ceased partly by the Conversion of Saul who greatly promoted it and partty through the fear of Tiberius When Saul had preached the Gospel a long time at Damascus the Jews took counsel to kill him and watching the Gates of the City day and night that they might take him and kill him but being let down by a rope by night in a Baskit escaped from them The first three years after his conversion being finished Saul returned to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen dayes and he then assaying to joyn himself to the Disciples they all were affraid of him not believing him to be a Disciple but Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles viz. Peter and James the Brother of the Lord he declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the Name of Jesus Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of Jesus at Jerusalem but the Jews went about to kill him Saul being in the Temple praying was in a Trance and saw the Lord speaking unto him saying Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy Testimony of me to whom he answered Lord they know that I imprisoned and beat in every Synagogue those that believed on thee and when the Blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and kept the Garments of them that killed him and the Lord said unto him Go and I will send thee to the Gentiles The Brethren at Jerusalem brought him to Cesarea years since Christ 38 and sent him into his own Country of Tarsus and he came into the Countries of Syria and Cilicia hitherto he was unknown by face to the Churches of Judea but they heard only that he preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed and they glorified God in him and the Churches had rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplyed About this time King Herod troubled the Church years since Christ 44 laying hands upon some for contradicting the Institutions and Rites of the Country of which he was a most religious observer as Josephius Lib. 19. Cap. ult relates He slew James the Brother of John with the Sword and seeing the death of James Peter imprisoned pleased the people he cast Peter into prison in the dayes of Azincus delivering him to four Quaturnions that is sixteen Souldiers to guaâ—d him intending after the Passover to bring him out to the People He is wounderfully delivered but there were Prayers made daily in the Church for him and an Angel of the Lord delivered him miraculously in the night and he went to the house of Mary the Mother of John Marcus where many were Congregated and at Prayer and telling them that they might certifie James the Son of Alphâ—as and Brother of our Lord and the rest of the manner of his deliverance he went into another Place Herod rage against the Prison Kepers Herod being frustrate of his hope in his rage commands the Innocent Keepers to be dragg'd to Execution and he going down to Caesarea stayed there he was prejudiced in his mind against the Syrians and Sidonians whose Land being not sufficient to maintain them Especially in that year of scarcity they were forced to seek for themselves sustentation from Galilee and other places under Herods Jurisdiction they came therefore Unanimously to him by the mediation of Blastus the Kings Chamberlain whom they had made their Friend desiring Peace of him a day being appointed Herod in his royal attire and sitting before the Tribunal made a Speech to them the People with Acclamations shouting out 'T is the Voice of a God and not a Man Herod is smote and dâ—ed but
presently the Angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give the Glory to God and being eaten up of Worms he gave up the Ghost The very same History Josephius Examplifies saying he had now finished the third year of his reign the fourth now beginning when he came to Caesaria which was formerly called Stratons Tower where he Solemnized some yearly Playes for Caesars health to which Festivity a great multitude of Noble Men and Youngsters came together out of the Province on the second day of this Celebrity he goes all attired with his Princely Robe richly and curiously wrought with Silver which by the reflection of the rising Sun yeilding an Angelical or extraordinary lusture struck reverence into the Spectators and presently some wicked Parasites with acclamations from a far off saluted him God desiring him to be propitious to them for that hitherto they had only honored him as a man but now they saw there was something more in him than humane This Impious Adulation he neither refused nor repelled he was suddenly struck to the very heart afterwards his Belly began to torment him more and more grievously wherefore turning to his Friends he said Behold I who by your appellation am a God am commanded out of this Life my certain fate giving the Lye to your flattery and I who you saluted Immortal am forced to death but I must endure the pleasure of the Heavens Having spoken these things his pain grew worse and worse and presently these things being divulged about the Country the rumour went that he was a dying and in the end his pain lasted in great extremity and without intermition for five dayes space and he then ended his life Joseph Lib. 19. Chap. ult Saulâ— name is changed to Paul About this time Saul is alwayes found named by his new name Paul Paul and Barnabas coming to Antioch and entering into the Synagogues almost the whole City came to hear the Word of God but the Jews seeing the multitude were filled with envy and contradicted what Paul spoke with whose Blasphemies Paul and Barnabas being grievously offended they left the Jews and preached only to the Gentiles who with joy embraced the Gospel and the Word of God was divulged over that whole Nation they stayed an Antioch a great while and suffered those things which in his latter Epistle to the Corinthians he writes of to wit that as at Phillippy afterwards so twice elsewhere by the Gentiles he had been whipped with rods and received five times four hundred stripes from the Jews Certain Professors of the Name of Christ of the Sect of the Pharisees came down from Judea to Antioch years since Christ 52 and said that the Christians of the Gentiles ought to be Circumcised and keep the law of Moses if they would be saved disturbing the Souls of many of the Brethren in Syria and Ciliâ—iâ— with their perverse Doctrine against whom Paul and Barnabas stifly oppose themselves Paul calls them Brethren brought in unâ—wards Philastrius de Heres Cap. 87. and Epiphanius Heres 28 say that Cerinthus that arch Heretick was the first Broacher of this Opinion Paul fourteen years after his going to Jerusalem undertaken three years after his Conversation goes again to Jerusalem with Barnabas Paul goes to Jerusalem being both sent from the Church at Antioch with some others that they might ask the Judgment of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem whose names those Disturbers had abused to bolster out their Opinion concerning the Controversie newly risen but Paul would not compel Titus to be Circumcised least he should seem to give place to the false Brethren for a moment Peter and Paul had foretold at Rome that it should come to pass years since Christ 67 that after a little time God would send a King that should overcome the Jews and that should lay their City equal with the Ground and should Beseige them being pined with hunger and thirst and then it should come to pass that they should eat each other and consume one the other and at last that they should come into their Enemies hands and should see their Wives most grievously Tormented in their sight and their Virgins to be Violated and Prostituted their Sons to be torn asunder and their little Ones to be dashed in pieces and to be short all things to be wasted by Fire and Sword and themselves forever banished out of their own Land and all this because they exalted themselves against the Son of God Lactan. lib. 4. Chap. 21. On the 29th day of the Moneth call'd June which last day of that Moneth falls to be within the reign of Nero. Paul was beheaded at Rome as the Records both of the Eastern and Western Churches confirm whereupon Chrysostom undoubtedly affirms that the day of his death was more certainly known then that of Alexander himself in 2 Cor. Homil. 26. Dionysius the Bishop of the Corinthians affirms in an Epistle to the Romans that Peter also suffered Martyrdom at the same time with him in Eusebius lâ—b 2. Histor Ecclesiast Chap. 24. whom also Origen relates in the third Tome of his Comentaries upon Genesis that at Rome he was Crucified with his head downwards as he had desired Ibid. lib. 3. Hist Chap. 1. Four Years before the Jewish War that was managed by Vespasian when the City of Jerusalem enjoyed both Peace and Plenty one Jesus the Son of Ananus a Country-man and one of the common People coming to the Feast of Tabernacles began suddainly to cry out A Voice from the East a Voice from the West A prophesy against the â—ews a Voice from the four Winds a Voice against Jerusalem and the Temple a Voice against New Married Men and Women a Voice against all this People and crying thus night and day through all the Streets of the City some of the Nobility disdaining any token of adversity took the Fellow and scourged him with many stripes but he spake nothing secretly for himself nor unto them that scourged him but continued still in the same Cry but the Magistrates thinking it rather to be some Motion in him from God brought him to the Roman Captain where being beaten till his Bones appeared he made no intreaty but with a weeping Voice at every stroke he said Wo Wo to Jerusalem Albinus then asked them who he was and where he was born and why he still cryed after this manner but he answered nothing yet he ceased not to bewaile the City till Albinus thinking he was mad suffered him to depart he crying thus most on the Feast dayes and that for seven years space or rather six as it is in Phot. Biblioth Cod. 47. and five Moneths and yet was neither hoarse nor weary at last he was killed by a stone shot out of an Engine in the time of the seige Jeseph lib. 7. bel Chap. 12. And according to these and many other Prophecies concerning the destruction that was to come upon the Jews for
the hardness of their hearts it accordingly came to pass for Cornelius and Suetonius relate that there were six hundred thousand of the Jews killed in this war between Vespasian the Emperor and the Jews but Josephius a Jew and a Commander in that war writes that ten hundred thousand perished by Sword and Famine and of the rest of the Jews that were dispersed all the World over and put to death divers wayes the number is said to be ninty thousands so Orolius lib. 7. Chap. 9. but I find not the number of six hundred thousand of them that were killed in Suetonius in Josephius lib. 6. belli Chap. 17. the number of Captives is ninty seven thousand but the other number eleven hundred thousand is only the number that perished in the six months seige in Jerusalem and thus did the Lord afflict with Wars and Destruction these Apostatized and stiff-necked people the Jews until they were a scattered and dispersed people as at this day they are throughout the World Part II. Sheweth the corrupt Fruits of the false Church and Seed of the Serpent in the time of Apostacy Darkness Contention and Persecution got up amongst them called Christians ALthough the Sufferings of the Christians were very great after the death of the Apostles for some time and it cannot be denyed but there was a sincerity in some of the Christian Churches yet as John testified in his day he saw the true Church flee into the Wilderness and the Apostle foretold 2. Tim. 3. that there would be a departing from the Faith and Paul saw the Apostacy coming in in his day The Apostles prophesie of the Apostacy and said perillous Times should come and that men should be lovers of themselves Covetous c and reprobate concerning the Truth So it was not long after the Apostles time before these Prophesies were fulfiled for if the Reader peruseth this following Discourse he will find a great Decay and Apostacy from that Life and Power that the Apostles were in and the corrupt Fruits of many of these called Christians brought forth manifested the great Degeneration that was come upon the Christian Church for as Eusebius writes Lib. 4. Chap 6. when Persecution at any time ceased then began Heresie to spring apace among the Christians until at last there was continual Discord and Contention and they broke out into Sects and Opinions and persecuted one another about their several Forms of Faith and became so far degenerated from the Doctrine of Christ which taught to Love Enemies that they became haters of one another and manifested to the World that they had lost the blessed Love and unity that was amongst the Apostles and Brethren of the Christian Church in the beginning but before a perticular Account be given of that its necessary that the Reader understand that the Estate of the Christians in the first Times after the Apostles was their most suffering Times when as yet the Christian Religion was accounted by the Heathen but an upstart thing and therefore they presecuted them greatly as may be seen at large in the Testimony of the Martyrs hereunto annexed But through the tenderness of Adrian the Emperour Cap. 13. Adrians tenderness to the Christians the Christians had some intermission from their Sufferings and they began to be in some request for after Adrians death Antonius Pius succeeding he continued that peace with the Christians he found begun in Adrians last dayes for which he had the name of Pius yet by the peoples tumult without the Emperours consent some were martyred To this Emperour Justin made an Apology on the behalf of the Christians divers other Supplications were also made unto him on their behalf which Supplications produced an Edict from the Emperor remitting the Persecutions against the Christians The Copy of the Edict is as followeth The Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antonius Augustus Amenicus Pontifex Maximus The Edict of Aurelius Antonius on the behalf of the Christians fifteen times Trybune thrice Consul unto the Commonalty of Asia sendeth greeting I know the Gods are careful to disclose hurtful persons for they punish such as will not worship them more grievously then you do them you bring in trouble concerning that Opinion which they conceive of you to be wicked and ungodly men it is their desire in Gods quarrel to dye rather then to live so that they became Conquerors yeilding their lives unto the death rather then to obey your Edicts it shall seem very necessary to admonish you of the Earth-quakes which have and do happen among us that being therewith moved you may compare our Estate with theirs They have more confidence towards God then you have you during the time of your ignorance dispise other Gods condemn the Religion of the Immortal God banish the Christians which worship him and persecute them unto death in the behalf of these men many of the Provintials Presidents have written heretofore unto our Father of famous memory whom he answered in writing again that they were no longer to be molested unless they had practized Treason against the Roman Empire and many have given notice unto us of the same matter whom we answered as our Father did before If any therefore hereafter be found thus busied in other mens affairs we command that the Accused be absolute and free though he be found such a one I mean faulty and that the Accuser be grievously punished In the hearing of the great Assembly of Asia this Edict was Porclaimed at Ephesus The Edict proclaimed Thus far of Antonius Pius who was so called for his gentile and good disposition of whom it is recorded that this quiet Emperor in Life of all other Emperors of those times dyed the most quietest death But Verus one of his Successors was a wicked and cruel man under whom multitudes of Christians suffered The Christians suffer again as may be seen in my Testimony of the Martyrs which may give the Reader a taste of what they endured who were faithful to give a Testimony concerning their Faith About this time the Christians began to have a little respite and peace again from the Heathens Persecution of them years since Christ 195 and having a little They have respite again peace they now began to jangle about the Celebration of Easter but though they differed in this Ceremony they were not yet grown so bad as to be out of Charity one with another but left it as an indifferent thing in the Church until the time of Victor Now this Victor was so violent set upon upholding the Roman Determination of his former Predecessor as unnecessary that he would Excommunicate all the Bishops and Churcheâ— of Asia unless they would be of his Opinion had not Ireneus restrained him who though he was of Victors Opinion concerning the Celebration of Easter yet seeing Policratus Bishop of Ephesus and divers other Bishops of Asia of another Opinion allegding for their Practice
side that the Emperor took part with prevailed and kept the other under and thus matters of Religion began to be guided by pollicy and to be enforced to be believed by the Emperors Sword Having a little peace they fall into heaps again or else great Persecution followed and now the Christians were divided into diversity of Opinions viz. Arians Novations Macedonians and Eunomians one severing himself from another Cap. 20. and these Schisms and Rents were many and too long here to repeat as it usual where the Unity of the Spirit is not known in the bond of Peace where Logick and Wit and the Wisdom which is from beneath takes upon it the Determination of Truth The other chief matters in which they differed was concerning the time of Observing of Easter their Lent Communion Dayes of Fasting setting of their Altar Priests Marrying The matters in which they differed and such like Trumpery Concerning Easter the greater part throughout the lesser Asia held no discord with them that held the contrary Opinion until Victor Cap. 21. Bishop of Rome through broiling heat and chollor had excomunicated all Asia for not believing his Opinion in the same for which Irenius envyed bitterly by Letter against him and rebuked him for his furnish dealing and furious rage Though many Councils were called thinking thereby to make reconcilement in the matter of difference yet the breach rather grew wider Deposing and Banishing one another for refusing to subject to the Decrees and Canons of Councils for they were so strict that they would not admit of the change of one Syllable avoiding the Company and refusing to communicate with them that were otherwise minded on the other hand others condemned the Council and their Decrees and accursed them contending among themselves whether Christ had one or two Natures insomuch that all the Churches were divided into sundry Factions and the Bishops refusing to communicate one with another They refuse to Communicate one with another And thus the Reader may see how far the Christians were degenerated from the Life that the Apostles and first Chrisrians were in contending with and destroying one another about their Forms and outward Observations as if they had wholly forgotten the Doctrine of the Apostles who wrote after this manner how turn you again to these weak and beggerly Elements whereinto ye desire again to be in bondage ye observe Dayes Moneths Times and Years I am afraid of you least I have bestowed on you labour in vain Yet at this time there were some sincere Persons raised up to testifie against the loosness and evils the pretended Christians were run into years since Christ 390 Hiâ—tor tripor Lib 10. Cha. 6. For Chrisostome saith the History was bold and free in rebuking sin especially in his publick preaching and for that cause was he hated of the Clergy he withstood Gainas who requested of the Emperor that he might obtain a Temple at Constantinople for his People About this time was John Patriark of Alexandria years since Christ 664 who of a hard sparing man became bountiful in Hospitality to the poor he would twice a week sit all the day at his door to take up matters and make unity where was any variance he lamented much one day because none came that day to him as having done no good but his Deacon perswaded him rather to rejoyce that he had brought the City into that good order that it needed no reconcilement About this time died Gregory Bishop of Rome in whose time it is recorded that the purity of the Ecclesiastical Doctrine was almost lost for it was imbrued and darkned with humane Traditions for Monkery began to take root and flourish and many and sundry sort of Supersitions were daily brought in and there grew horrible and bitter darkness yet saith my Author the Lord raised up some good men by â—imes in this Bishops time there hapned a great Controversie about the Primacy of the Church for John Bishop of Constantionple was declared in the whole Synod of the Greeks Universal Patriark and Mauritius the Emperor commanded Gregory to obey the said Patriark of Constantinople Grego Epist to Mâ—u 32 38. but Gregory would not abide that any Bishop should be Universal above all the rest It is further said of this Gregory that he was the basest of all his Predecessors and the best of all his Successors Boniface the third being Bishop of Rome years since Christ 670 Its said he did more hurt in one year Palatinâ— Chris Misseas Epist lib. 4 Epist 32. cap. 76. then Gregory could do good in many he obtained of Phocas the wicked Emperor who had murthered Mauritius his Master that he and his Successors in that See should have an Universal Headship over all the Churches in Christendom And it is observable that as in the time of Constantine the Christians had more liberty so they grew more Ambitious for then the Bishops began first to think on Miters that before time thought nothing else but to be Martyrs and now no less will satisfie the ambition of the Bishop of Rome but to be Head of all other Bishops The years of Christ amounting to a thousand Religion was wholy decayed to what it was in former times and from the year three hundred to that time many dark Institutions and Ceremonies were set up in the Church of the pretended Christians insomuch that it became mid-night for darkness and the Popes began to draw their Swords to War in defence of Peters Keyes years since Christ 1076 And now Henry the fourth Emperour attends upon Pope Hidlebrand with his Wife and Children bare foot at his Palace-Gate and then he is made to swear unreasonable subjection to the Pope in all things and when all is done the Pope gives away his Crown to Redulph Duke of Swevia with these words The Rock to Peter gave the Diademe And Peter gives it unto Redulphs Reame The Emperor this while sitting quietly at home and considering how the Pope had wrested his power in Elections of Popes inevsting of Prelates c. how he peeled had poled all Nations by his Legates and sown discord in his Empire hereupon he requires homage and oath of Allegiance of all his Bishops and forbids the Popes Legates to enter into his Empire without his sending for and all appeals to Rome finally in his Letters he prefixed his Name before the Popes hereupon the Pope writes a rebuking Letter to the Emperour the Emperour writes back in defence of his doings an Appologetical Epistle the Pope replies with a Bull of Excommunication the Emperor makes answer to that with accusatory Letters against the Viloness Pride c. of the Sea of Rome then the Pope writes to the Germain Bishops to work against the Empeorur the Bishops they write their Excusing of the Emperour This Pope towards the end of his Life who dyed amidest these broyls being choaked with a flye as he was walking abroad was
leave his great words and fall to ask him forgiveness so as taking off his Crown from his head he laid it down at the Legates feet to be disposed of as the Pope should please and the Legate stuck not to take up his Crown and to keep it three or four dayes in his hands before he restored it and did not then neither but upon Condition that he and his Successors should hold the Kingdom of the See of Rome at the Annual Tribute of a Thousand Marks This King John was shortly after as it is Recorded poysoned by one Simon a Monk who being absolved of his Abbot before hand for doing this fact to accomptish his Design he finds a Toad in the Garden and pricks him with a Pen-Knife until he had made him vomit up all his Poyson which he having conveyed into a Cup of Wine began to the King with a smiling countinance speaking these words If it shall please your Princely Majesty here is such a Cup of Wine as you never drank a better I turst this Wassel shall make all England glad The King having drunk and anon being ill enquired for Simon the Monk to whom some answered that he was departed this life for his Guts gushed out of his Belly the King replyed then God have mercy on my Soul and so he dyed much repenting of his former life About this time several persons were stirred up by the Lord to declare against the Pope as an Heretick and were by him condemned for their pains viz. Arnoldus Johannes Semeca Gulielmus de Santo amorie Gallus and Grosthead great Writers against the Popes Decrees giving many signs of false Teachers of whom see more in my Testimonies of the Martyrs The Pope being at odds with the Emperor Fredrick the second years since Christ 1248 would not at any hand be reconciled though the King of France strongly interceed and the Emperor himself cleared himself of all imputation and offered full saitsfaction for all pretended wrongs and to go out of his Empire if the Pope would not endure him there to the holy Land never to return into Europe again so as his Son Henry Nephew to King Henry of England might succeed him with offer of other most reasonable conditions These Oppositions of the Pope against Christian Emperours and Kings gave the Turks great advantage of prevailing against those called Christians and the grand Cause that God did not prosper the Christians in their wars in the holy-Land was imputed to the Christians adhering to their Masses and other Superstitions And thus having given a brief Relation of the most material Passages in the Affairs of the pretended Christian Church till this time I shall now Proceed to give a Discovery of the beginning and proceedings of the Monks Fryars and Jesuites who now began to swarm in the Apostized Church of the Papists We read that many Religious men heretofore contemning the World and all the Pomp Pride and Vanity thereof withdrew themselves into the Wilderness and Desart places in Syria Aegypt and other Countries it being in the time of great Persecution to the end they might the better being not troubled in the worldly cares and incumbrance bestow their time in reading the Scriptures Fasting Praying Meditating and such divine Exercises whereof Paul sirnamed the first Hermit Anthony Hilarion Basil and Jerome were the first and chiefest among the Christians who for their Sanctity of Life were in those dayes had in great Honour for then this kind of life was simple and free and not bound or Tyed to Unlawful Vows and Ridiculous Ceremonies as afterwards came to be observed by such as were called Monks and Fryars their Habit was then homely and yet decent as every man best pleased to wear neither were they bound to abide or remain in any one particular place nor tyed to one kind of life by Vow but free to stay there where they liked best or to go into any City or Country where they would at their own pleasure they sought out the most Desart place as they could find that is in the Wilderness working with their hands and getting their living with the sweat of their Brows gave a singular good Example to all men to live Virtuously and Godly instructing their Families and others that resorted unto them to lead a godly and Christian Life and were admired and honoured of all good men for their Doctrine Integrity of Life and godly zeal for as yet saith the History the Christians had but one Law and one Religion which afterwards fell out otherwise to the Grief and Sorrow of the Upright among them to see what Rents and Divisions Sects and Factions Superstitions and Ceremonies were brought in amongst them although good stirrings there might be amongst these that lived this private life Their Successors and Imitators were far unlike them for the words of Philo cited by Eusebius are these Now let our Monks saith he who live like Kings who swim in all manner of delights and pleasures who affect nothing more then Promotion and Honour and whose chiefest care and studdy is to gather Wealth and to hoord up Gold Silver c. About this time several Sects of Monks began to spread forth out of the Order of Benedictus years since Christ 562 their Habit was to wear a black loose Coat of Stuff reaching down to their heels with a Cowle or Hood to cover their bald Pates which hangs down to their Shoulders and under that Coat another white Habit as large as the former they shave the hairs off their heads except one little round Circle which they leave round about their heads which they call Corona they are bound to abstain from Flesh unless it be when they are sick These Benedictine Monks would have the World believe that they are godly and religious men and would not be ranked with the Jesuites who were States men for they poor Monks meddle not with matters of State or with Kings Affairs but for all their counterfeit holiness an English Benedictine Monk of Swinsted Abby Poysoned King John as is before related for the which fact he was still is highly honoured by all Papist in general and one saith on him thus Regem perimere Meritorium ratus est he thought it a meritorious deed for to kill the King About this time began to peep out another Sect of Monks years since Christ 1047 called Montelinetences at the time when there were three several Popes living who troubled all Christendom for their Papacy the Institutor of this Family of Monks was one Bernardus Ptolomeus they lived at the first at Sienna in Italy but afterwards having gathered their Crumbs together they built an Abby on the top of a hill not far from thence they wear a white Habit this Family was approved by Pope Gregory the twelfth The Bethlemite Fryars began 1257. their first dwelling was at Cambridge years since Christ 1257 and their Habit was like the Dominican Fryars saving that these did wear a Star
Persecution against the Christians Orosius lib. 5. and not only in Rome but in all the Provinces thereof thinking thereby to abolish the Name of Christians in all places In this Persecution the Apostle Peter suffered death Hien lib. de viris just with many more Christians as Hierome said Simon Peter the Son of Jona of the province of Galilee and of the Town of Bethsaida the Brother of Andrew about the year 44. after Christ's birth came to Rome to withstand Simon Magus in the time of Nero and was crucified with his Head downwards and his Feet upwards himself so requiring because said he I am unworthy to be crucified after the same manner as the Lord was Paul the Apostle after his great travail and labours in preaching the Gospel in divers Countries at last suffered Martyrdom in this first Persecution under Nero and was beheaded some writers say on the same day on which Peter was Crucified although not in the same year but in the next year following which was the thirty seventh year after the Passion of Christ that which he spake at his death is written as followeth Paul being delivered by Nero bound unto Longimus and Magistus the cheif Officers and Acestus the Centurion that they should lead him without the City and cause him to be beheaded and Paul being full of the holy Ghost spake the words of Eternal life that both Nero and all should believe in Jesus Christ who was King of Heaven and Earth who would destroy the glory of the world with fire when they had led him away Longimus Magistus and Acestus began to say unto him Tell us O Paul where is that King and where will he appear unto you and how will you know him and what will he give unto you or what good will he bestow upon you that you Christians so mightily love him that by no means you will consent unto our Religion that you may live and enjoy the good of this life but rather then all the pleasures of delight to be led to die for him with divers Torments for this seems to us to be a great error to hate this joyfull life and to imbrace with all your desire punishment and death Paul therefore said O ye wise men and flourishing in knowledge depart out of the darkness and error wherein the nobility of your understanding is clouded with darkness lest you should see the Truth which lyeth hid in you return the eyes of your minds to the Eternal true Light that ye may be able first to know your selves and so come to the knowledge of that King with gladness and to be saved from the fire which is to came upon the world and to remain unhurt for we do not War as you think for some earthly King but the living God the Kingdom without end who by reason of the Iniquities that is done in this World he will come a Judge and will judge it by fire happy will that man be who will believe in him he shall have Eternal life and shall live World without end and most unhappy is he who dispising the Riches of his Bounties and long Suffering will not return unto him for he shall Perish Eternally The first Persecution beginning under Nero as aforesaid ceased under Vespatian who gave some rest to the poor Christians after whose reign was moved not long after the second Persecution by the Emperor Domitian Brother of Titus his Tyrany was unmeasurable he put to death all the Nephews of Jude called the Lords Brother and caused to be sought out and to be slain all that could be found of the Stock of David In the time of this Persecution Simon Bishop of Jerusalem after other Torments was Crucified to death In this Persecution John the Evangelist was Banished into Pathmos for the Testimony of the Word and after the death of Domitian in the Reign of Pertinax the Emperor he came to Ephesus being released in the year 100. He lived to a great age some write till he was 120. And this was his constant practice to his dying day when age weakness grew upon him at Ephesus Hierom Comiâ— in C. 6. ad Galat Tom. 9. p. 200. that he was no longer able to Preach to them he used at every Publick Meeting to be led to the Meeting and say no more to them then Little Children love one another He expressed great care for the good of souls unweariedly spending himself in the service of the Gospel and to beget People to the Truth Euseb lib. 3. Chap. 10. p. 92. witness one instance in his visitation of the Churches neer Ephesus he made choice of a young man of goodly body gratious face and fervent mind whom with a special Charge for his Instruction and Education he commited to the Bishop of that place so John returned to Ephesus But in process of time the young man became very dissolute perniciously accompanied himself with idle dissolute persons of ill behaviour who put him in a way to steal and rob so after he forsooke the right way he brought himself unto a bottomless Pit of all misorder and outrage and a rout of Theeves being gathered together he became their Captain which John at his return understanding was sorely troubled and said I have left a wise keeper of our Brothers soul prepare me a Horse and let me have a Guide he hastned and rode in post being come to the place appointed he is straitwayes taken of the Theevish watch he neither fled nor resisted but said bring me to your Captain who in the mean time as he was armed beheld him coming but as soon as he saw his face and knew it was John he was striken with shame and fled away the Old man persued and cryed my Son why fleest thou O Son tender my case be not afraid as yet there remaineth hope of Salvation I will undertake for thee with Christ I will die for thee if need be as Christ did for us which words seized so on the young man that his Countenance changed and he shook off his Armor and trembled and wept bitterly and imbraced the Old man and answered as well as he could for weeping so afterwards the Apostle brought him into the Church again Ex Nicephâ—ro Lib. 3. Chap. 32. Yet notwithstanding all these continual Persecutions and horible Punishments the Christians daily encreased deeply rooted in the Doctrine of the Apostles and watred plentiously with the Blood of Saints as saith Necephâ—rus Everastuâ— persâ—â—â—ed Everastus Bishop of Rome was Martyred under Trajanus in the year 102. after Christ and Ignatius Bishop of Antiâ—ch was Martyred in his Regin with many more Christians This Trajanus was very impious towards the Christian Religion and cruel towards the Christians and caused the Third Persecution in which Persecution Pliny the second a Heathen Philosopher a man learned and famous seeing the lamentable Slaughter of Christians and moved therewith to pity wrot to Trajanus of the
set in on the Fire bind the Rebel hand and foot and when the Grate is red hot on with him roast him broyl him toss him turn him upon pain of our high displeasure do every man his office Oh ye Tormentors Immediately his command was obeyed and after many cruel handlings this meek Lamb was laid on the Gridiron but what he indured was with such patience that the Emperour seemed to be tormented more then him though his Flesn broyled the other 's Heart burned and when he had been pressed down with Forks for a great space in the mighty Spirit of God he spake to the Tyrant thus This side is now roasted enough turn up Oh Tyrant great Assay whether roasted or Raw thou thinkst the better Meat Dioniceous writeth that the number of those that suffered Martyrdom about that time was great Men Women young Men Maidens old Wives and Men of all sorts and ages of whom some with Scourgings and Fire and some with the Sword abtained the Vâ—ctory and got the Crown neither saith he to this day doth the President cease cruelly Murdering such as be brought before him tearing some with Torments Imprisoning others and commanding that no man should come to them yet God with the daily resort of the Brethren doth comfort the afflicted Not long after this time the Church had Peace for about the space of forty four years during which time it did mightily encrease and flourish and divers of the Christians were preferred both to Court and elsewhere but through this great prosperity the Christians began to degenerate and to grow Idle striving and contending among themselves upon every occasion with railing words bespattering one another in a despiteful manner Bishops against Bishops and People against People moving hatred and sedition each against other besides cursed Hyposrisie and Dissimulation more and more by reason whereof Gods Judgments brake forth against them the Pastours being inflamed in mutual comtempt against each other then did the Lord raise up Adversaries against his People then did Dioclecian the Emperour raise a great and grievous Persecution against the Church commanding all the Meeting places of the Christians to be spoiled and cast down and the Book of the Scripture to be burnt which was executed with all rigour and contempt that might be giving out Edicts for the displacing of all Christian Magistrates and for Imprisoning of the Elders and Bishops and a great Persecution ensued But the Christians manfully passed through exceeding bitter Torments by Scouging Whipping and Racking and being put to death so that it cannot be expressed what number of Martyrs suffered what Blood was shed through all Cities and Regions for the Name of Christ in this Emperours time by divers Torments some being hanged up by the Feet and by the smoke of a small Fire strangled One Peter was hoysted up naked and so beaten and torn with Whips that his Bones might be seen then they poured on Salt and Vineger and after Roasted him with a soft Fire Also many Christians being met together Maximinian the Emperour sent some to burn the Meeting place and burn them all but first they commanded a Cryer to Proclaim that whosoever would have life should come out and sacrifice to Jupiter otherwise they should be all burnt then one steping up boldly in the name of all the rest said We are all Christians and believe that Christ is our only God and King and we will sacrifice to none but him hereupon the Fire was kindled and many Men Women and Children were burnt in that place And the punishments these Christians endured were so great and horrible as no Tongue is able to express as Whippings Scourgings Rackings horrible Scrapings Sword Fireship-boats whereinto many were put and sunk into the Sea as also hanging upon Crosses binding some to the bodies of Trees with their Head hanging downwards hanging others by the middles upon Gallowses till they dyed of hunger throwing divers alive to Bears Leopards wilde Bulls pricking others with bodkins and tallens of Beasts till they were almost dead The Christians being assembled at Antioch where one Romanus ran to them declaring to them that the Wolves were at hand which would devour them yet he exhorted them not to fear A Band of armed men were sent against them but they kept their Faith whereupon the Souldiers sent word to their Captain that they could not force the Christians to deny their Faith by reason of Romanus who did so mightily encourage them The Captain commanded that he should be brought before him which was done accordingly What saith the Captain Art thou the Author of this Sedition Art thou the cause that so many lose their lives Romanâ—â— Persecuted by the Gods I Swear thou shalt answer for them all and shalt suffer those Torments that thou encouragest them to undergo Romanus answered Thy Sentance O Emperor I willingly embrace I refuse not to be sacrificed for my Brethren and that by as cruel Torments as thou canst invent The Captain being much enraged with this his stout answer commanded him to be trust up and his bowels drawn out whereupon the Executionor said not to Sir this man is of noble pâ—rantage and therefore be may not be put to so ignoble a death scourge him then quoth the Captain with whips having knobs of lead at the end but Romamus song all the time of his whipping requiring not to favour him for nobilities sake not the blood of Progenitors saith he but the Christian Profession makes me Noble Then did he deride their Idol Gods which inraged the Tyrant so that he commanded his sides to be lanced with Knives till the Bones were laid open yet still did the holy Martyr preach the living God and the Lord Jesus Christ to him for which the Tyrant commanded them to strike out his teeth also his face was buffetted his Eye-lids torn his Cheeks gashed with Knives the skin of his Beard pulled off yet the meek Martyr said I thank thee O Captain that thou hast opened to me so many Mouthes as Wounds whereby I may Preach my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Look how many Wounds I have so many mouths I have landing and praising God The Captain astonished at his constancy bad them give over tormenting him yet he threatned to burn him reviled him and blasphemod God saying Thy crucified Christ is but a yesterdayes God the Gods of the Gentiles are of greatest Antiquity But Romanus taking occasion from hence declared to him the Eternity of Christ withall saying give me a Christian Child of seven years old and thou shalt hear what he will say hereupon a Boy was called out of the Multitude to whom Romanus said Tell me my pretty Babe whether thou think it reason that we worship Christ and in Christ one Father or else that we worship infinite Gods the Child answered that certainly what we affirm to be God must needs be one which with one is one and the same and inasmuch as this one is
constancy and so embracing the Fire she sweetly slept in the Lord. Thus near the space of three hundred years was the Church of Christ assaulted on every side had small rest no joy nor outward safety in this present World but in much bitterness of Heart in continual tears and mourning under the Cross passed over their days being spoiled imprisoned contemned reviled famished tormented and martyred every where by night assembling to sing Praises to God in all which their dreadful dangers and sorrowful afflictions notwithstanding the goodness of the Lord left them not desolate but the more their outward Tribulations did increase the more their inward Consolations did abound and the farther off they seemed from the joyes of this Life the more present was the Lord with them with Gracâ— and fortitude to confirm and rejoyce their Souls and though their possessions and riches in this World were lost and spoiled yet were they inriched with heavenly Gifts and Treasures from above an hundredfold then was true Religion truely felt in the Heart then was Christianity not in outward appearance shewed only but in inward affection received then was the Name and Fear of God true in Heart not in Lips alone dwelling Faith then was fervent Zeal ardent Prayer not swiming in the Lips but groaned out to God from the bottom of the Spirit then was no Pride in the Church nor leisure to seek riches nor time to keep them contention for Trifles was then so far from Christians that well were they when they could meet to pray together against the Devil the author of all dissention But after this the Christians coming to be in favour with the Emperours and riches and worldly wealth crept into the Clergy and the Devil poured his venom into the Church so that true humility began to decay and Pride to set in his Foot and after the Church through favour of the Emperours was indued with Lands Donations Possessions and Patrimonies and the Bishops feeling the smack of Wealth ease and prosperity began to swell in pomp and pride and the more they flourished in this World the more Gods holy Spirit forsook them till at last the Bishops who were for a long time kept low and persecuted as before is related now of persecuted People began to be Persecutors of others and through their pride and riches were wholy degenerated from the true Religion and became Adversaties to God and persecuted and destroyed his living Witnesses and Members as any were raised up from time to time to bear a Testimony against their Apostacy as in this following History will appear Part III Containing an Account of the grievous Sufferings Persecutions and Martyrdom of the Servants of the Lord inflicted on them by the Papists after the Apostacy from the antient Primitive Gospel of Truth preached by Christ and his Apostles IOhn saw there would be an Apostacy from the blessed Faith in his daies Rev. 13. for he saw a Beast rise out of the Sea and the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority and all the World wondered after the Beast and they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is aâ—le to make War with him And he opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to Blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and it was given unto him to make War with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World After this great Darkness had spread over Nations and People for some years the Lord raised up some from time to time to bare Testimony according to their measures of light and knowledge they had received against the blindness and ignorance that the World was under as in the following instances the Reader may observe Robert Grosthead living in the year 1240 wrot sharply to the Pope especially for the evils he committed in England that he was opposite to Christ a Murderer of Souls and an Heretick and complained on his death-bed of the corruptions which were sprung up in the Church and inveighed bitterly against the manifold abominations of the Church and Court of Rome saying well may these verses be applied to them The whole World cannot suffice their greedy covetous mind Nor all their drabs and naughty pack their filthy lusting kind For his thundring against the Romish Church and for his publick reproving of the covetousness pride and manifold Tyrannies of the Pope he was excommunicated to the pit of Hell by Innocent the fourth and cited to come to his bloody Court but he appealed from the Popes Tyranny to the Eternal Tribunal of Jesus Christ and shortly after died Yea before this there were some found in England who testified against the corruptions of the Church of Rome and suffered for the same for in the year 884. John Patrick Erigena wrot a Book about the Lords Supper which was afterwards condemned by the Pope and he martyred for it In the year 960. some were braned in the Face at Oxford and banished for saying That the Church of Rome was the Whore of Babilon Monkery a stinking Carion their Vows nurses of sodomy Purgatory and Masses c. inventions of the Devil In the year 1126. there was one Arnold an English Preacher was cruelly butchered for preaching against Prelates pride and Priest wicked lives About the year 1160. about thirty Waldenses came into England one Gerrard being their Minister these People labouring to win Disciples to Christ were quickly smelt out by the Popish Clergy and great complaints were made against them to the King being Henry the Second who caused them to be brought before an Assembly of Bishops at Oxford where Gerrard speaking for them said to this effect we are Christians holding the Doctrine of the Apostles in their Examinations they would not admit of Salt Spittle and Exorcisms in Baptism and the Eucharist nor of binding with the stool in Marriage and being admonished to repent and return to the unity of the Church they despised that counsel and scorned threats saying Blessed are they which Suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Then did the Bishops excomunicate them and so delivered them over to be corporally Punished by the King who caused them to be burnt as Hereticks in the forehead and to be whipt through Oxford they singing all the while Blessed are ye when men hate you and dispitefully use you and the King further commanded that none should persume to receive them to house nor to cherish them with any comfort whereby they miserably perished with hunger and cold none affording any comfort to them These Wâ—ldenses are repâ—ted the first Reformers after the darkness of Popery had overspread the
Christian World as before is related And Pope Alexander the third being informed that divers persons in Lyons 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 Lyons Valdo and his followers were called Waldenses who afterwards spread themselves into divers Countries and Companies and for their Religion many of them were Burnt to death and fleeing into Germany and other Countries many of them were put to death Pope Alexander 〈◊〉 de a Decree that these Gospellers and all their Favourers should 〈◊〉 comunicated and that none should sell them any thing or buy 〈◊〉 â—hing of them 〈◊〉 the Waldenses notwithstanding all the Popes Curses continued publishing that the Pope was Antichrist the Mass an Abomination the Host an Idol and Purgatory a Fable whereupon Pope Innocent the third Anno 1198. seeing that the other remedies were not sufficient to suppress these Hereticks as he called them authorized certain Monks Inquisitors who by process should apprehend and deliver them to the secular power by a far shorter but much more cruel way then was used formerly for by this means they were by thousands delivered into the Magistrates hands and by them to the Executioners whereby in a few years all Christendom was moved with compassion to see so many burnt and hanged that did trust only in Christ for Salvation And from the year 1170. to the year 1470. many noble Witnesses were raised up in England and elsewhere to write against the Popes pride calling him Antichrist c. and to bear a publick Testimony in these dark times against the corruption and abominable Idolatry which was crept into the Church with the hazard of their Lives and Liberties amongst which were the Lollards of the increase of whom the Pope had often complained in Richard the second 's time but could not prevail and King Henry the fourth coming to the Crown by Usurpation to ingratiate himself with the Clergy made a Law that Lollards should be burnt at the discretion of the Bishops whereupon divers suffered Martyrdom as followeth William Sawtery of London in the year 1400. William Sawtery Suffered was imprisoned by Thomas Arondell Arch-Bishop of Canterbury VVilliam Sawtry desired his cause might be heard by the Parliament then sitting for the commodity of the whole Realm but the Bishops would not allow it but caused him to be brought before them who examined him upon eight Articles the last whereof was about Transubstantiation to which he answered that after the words of Consecration there remained very bread the same bread which it was before the words were spoken whereupon he was condemned by Robert Hall the Bishops Chancellour after which they got a warrant from the King directed to the Mayor and Sheriff of London for his burning William Thorp for the same cause was examined and imprisoned and after a long examination before the Arch-Bishop was committed to another foul bad Prison where he never was before of which place he writeth as followeth After I was brought to Prison when all men were gone forth from me the Prison doors fast being by my self I began to Think on God and to thank him for his goodness and I was then greatly comforted not only for that I was then delivered for a time from the presence of the Scorning and from the Menacing of my Enemies but much more I rejoyced in the Lord because that through his Grace he kept me so both among the flattering especially and among the menacing of mine Adversaries that without heaviness and anguish of my Conscience I passed away from them In his examination the Bishop told him that it was certified against him that he preached openly and boldly in Shrewsoury that Priests have no title to Tythes the substance of his Answer was There was one came to Prison to me and asked what I said of Tythes to whom I said ask the Priests and Clerks of the Town the man replyed our Prelates say they are cursed that withdraw their Tythes I said I wonder any Priest say men are cursed without the ground of Gods Word and put the man to enquire of the Priest of that Town where the sentence of cursing them that Tythed not was written in Gods Law and I said further in the old Law which ending not fully till Christ rose up from death to life God commanded Tythes to be given to the Levites but the Priests were to have but the tenth part of those Tythes given to the Levites now said I in the new Law neither Christ nor any of his Apostles took Tythes of the People nor commanded the People to pay Tythes but Christ taught the People to shew works of mercy and I said not of Tythes but of pure Almes of the People Christ and the Apostles lived when they were so busie in preaching the word to the People that they could not otherwise work to get their livelihood Then the Bishop said thou preachedst openly at Shrowsbury that it is not lawful to swear in any case Thorp said by the Authority of the Epistle of James and by witness of divers others The Martyr against swearing oâ— a Book I have preached openly in one place or other that it is not lawful for any to swear in any case by any Creature Then the Clerk asked him whether it were not lawful for a Subject at the command of his Prelate to kneel down and touch the holy Gospel book and kiss it saying so help me God and this holy Dome Thorp said Ye speak full largly what if a Prelate command his Subject to do an unlawful thing should he obey Arch-Bishop a Subject ought not to suppose that his Prelate will bid him do an unlawful thing Thorp But to our purpose related the Opinion of a master in Divinity in the matter of Swearing who said it was not lawful either to give or take any such charge upon a Book for every Book is nothing else but divers Creatures of which it is made of Therefore to sware upon a Book is to swear by Creatures and this swearing is ever unlawful this Sentence saith Thorp witnesseth Chrysostom plainly blaming them greatly that bring forth a book to swear upon charging Clerks that in no wise they constrain any Body to sware whether they think a man to sware true or false Then the Arch-Bishop scorned me and threatened me with sharp and great Punishment except I left this Opinion of swearing Thorp said It is not only my opinion but the opinion of Christ James and Chrysostom and divers others The Clerk said Wilt thou tarry my Lord longer submit thee here meekly to the Ordinance of holy Church and lay thy hand upon a Book touching the holy Gospel of God promising not only with thy Mouth but also with thine Heart to stand to my Lords ordinance Thorp said have I not told you here how that I
of Penance were nongth and that he would have none of them and likewise that the Colledge of Carpinals were Limbs of Antichrist and the Priests the Synogogue of Satan and that the Doctors of the Church had Subverted the truth of Holy Scripture expounding it after their own minds and that he should say he would abide by these Doctrines and dye for it and wisht there were twenty thousand of his Opinion to witness against them Scribes and Pharisees For his constant persevereing in these Principles Doctors Head Vicar-general past sentence against him as an Heritick and so delivered him to the Sheriffs of London to be openly burnt in Smithfield Thomas man martyr The next that suffered was Tho. Man who for saying the Popish Church was not the Church of God but a Synagogue and for holding several other Articles contrary to the Popish Church he was a long time imprisoned but through frailty and fear having an oppertunity he fled the Diocess of Lincoln but not long after was again apprehended and brought before the Bishop of London and was shorty after delivered by Dr. Head to the Sheriff of London to be presently burnt with this protestation that he might not consent to the death of any This Popish Chancellor would not seem to consent to his death Note but yet sent him to the Shambles to be Killed for these were the words he sent to the Sheriff Receive this Person and we desire in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ that the punishment and execution of due severity of him and against him in this part may be so moderate that there be no rigorous Rigor nor yet no dissolute mansuetude but to the health and wealth of his Soul c. Thomas Man was burnt by the Sheriff without any warrant for Head delivered him to the Sheriff in Paternoster-Row protesting he had no power to put him to death and therefore desired the Sheriff to see him punisht et tamen citra mortem that is without death but the Sheriff had him to Smithfield and there caused him to be burnt This Tho. Man after he had escaped out of the Diocess of Lincoln traveled about in divers places and Counties in England and instructed many into the Truth as at Amersham London Biâ—â—erycay Chelmsford Stratford Uxbridge Henly Newberry Suffolk and Norfolk and divers other places and he teftified himself that as he went westward he found a great Company of well disposed persons of the same Judgment with him especially at Newberry where he said were a glorious and sweet Society of faithful favourers three or four of which were burnt for Religion And he travailed divers other places where he found many faithful Brethren who at that time were called by the name of Known Men or Just Fast Men. This Thomas Man confessed as it is Registred in the Bishops Book that he had turned seven hundred People to his Religion for which he thanked God which People were afterwards called by the name of Protestants William Sweeting and James Brewster had the like Catholick Charity shewed to them by the Bishop who being imprisoned for their Zeal to the Truth and Religion being surprised with fear said they submitted themselves to the mercy of Almighty God and to the favourable goodness of the Judge upon which submission the Popish Fathers were contented to give out a Sollemn Commission to reâ—â—ase and pardon them from the Sentence of Excommunication but immediatly the Bishop pronounced upon them the Sentance of death and condemnation whereupon they were both delivered to the Secular power and both burnt together as one Fire in Smithfield I find further upon Record that as the Light of the Gospel began more and more to appear and the number of the Professers thereof to grow so Persecution increased and the Bishops bestired themselves to keep the Truth from increasing and growing whereupon ensued great Persecutions and grievous Affliction upon divers in several Counties especially about Buckinghamshire Norfolk Suffolk and Essex but although they were thus afflicted outwardly yet their inward fervency and zeal for the Truth was very great as appeared by their sitting up all Night in Reading and Hearing and by their Expences in giving great prizes for a few Chapters of James and Paul in English And further their great Travails earness Seeking their burning Zeal their Reading their Watchings their sweet Assemblies their Love and Concord their Godly Living their faithful Marrying only with the faithful all which it is written that they were faithfully practising and observing being noted or known among themselves by the name of Known Men or Just fast Men the Bishop of Lincoln in his Inquisitions and Examinations of those Known Men was so strict and cruel that he caused the Wife to detect the Husband and the Husband the Wife the Father the Daughter and the Daughter the Father Brother against Brother and Neighbour against Neighbour to witness one against another and that to death causing them to Swear upon the Evangelists whether they knew the persons to be Known Men. Agnis Ashford being one of the said People for preaching these words following was Articled against viz. We be the Salt of the Earth if it be putrified and vanisht away it is nothing worth a City set upon a Hill may not be hid ye light not a Candle and put it under a Bushel but set it on a Candle stick that it may give a Light to all in the House so shine your Light before men that they may see your works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And further she did teach saying Jesus feeing his People as he went up a Hill was set and his Disciples came to him he opened his Mouth and taught them saying Blessed be the poor men in Spirit for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs blessed be mild men for they shall weld the Earth For teaching this Doctrine the Bishop strictly enjoyned and commanded her to teach no more such Lessons to any man especially to her Children There were three persons accused for sitting up all night reading in a Book of Scriptures in the House of one Durdant in Iven Court near Stanes either were accused for having of certain English Books as Wickliffs Wicket in which was contained how that man could not make the Body of Christ which made us another Crime was for having fome part of the New-Testament and a Book called The Prick of Conscience for these and such like Allegations did these men greatly suffer but the Lords Hand did work marvelously amongst them so that in a short space they did exceedingly increase in such sort that the Bishop was driven to make his Complaint to the King to require his aid to suppress them the King being then young and easily incensed with the Bishops Suggestions and cruel Complaints sent Letters to the Sheriffs to aid the Bishop against these Known Men whom he termed Hereticks upon the Kings Letter he renewed his former sierceness and began
King for Reformation in Religion and he was the great Instrument in overthrowing Abbies Monasteries and Friaries which were a little before by Act of Parliament given into the Kings hands Whereupon not only their Houses were rased but their Possessions were divided amongst the Nobility insomuch that all Friars Monks Cannons Nuns and other such Sects were so rooted out of this Land from the Foundation that there seemed to be no room left for such Weeds to grow here any more But as this Thomas Cromwell was raised up for good and being so greatly in favour with the King used all means he could to perswade him to reform the enormities in the Church on the other hand Satan raised up his Instrument which was Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester who used all wilds and subtill means he could to perswade the King against the same casting upon the Professors of Truth the name of Hereticks Sectaries Anabaptists and Sacramentaries and so far prevailed with the King that by the Kings Authority certain Injunctions were published prohibiting the publishing any Books in English written by the Sectaries and Sacramentaries under the pain of the forfeiture of all their goods and Chattels and their Bodies to be Imprisoned during the Kings pleasure And further this Stephen Gardner instigated the King not only against the Queen who was a favourer of Religion and Reformation but also against this Thomas Lord Cromwell who no doubt had brought the encrease of true Religion according to his understanding to more prefection had not this Gardner and other Malignant Opposers thereof set themselves against it to hinder the prosperity thereof but now through the said Gardners evill advise the King who before had raised the said Thomas Cromwell for his worth and integrity now for his pleasure took him off and suffered him to be Beheaded After his death Religion and the Reformation more and more decayed whereby the Reader may see how variable the State of things stood in reference to Religion at this time and with what difficulty any thing of Light and Truth came forth how often things changed even as the King was ruled and gave ear sometimes it went a little forward and then backward again according as the persons prevailed that were about the King And now the King being led through Gardners suggestions began to withdraw shewing any favour to the Reformation in Religion concluding so to do was most for his safety both at home and abroad having so much displeased the Pope and other Popish Princes in what he had already done and though he had rejected the Popes Authority he would declare himself nevertheless to be a good Catholick Son of the Mother Church and a withstander of new Heresies and then calling a new Parliament and Convocation of Prelates there was six Articles decreed concerning Religion which was afterwards commonly called a whip with six Srings it was pretended for the Unity of the Church but what Unity followed the groaning hearts of many that suffered death by the same both in this Kings time and in Queen Maries time may declare The Six Articles of the Bishops Condemning all to be burnt as Hereticks that should hold First That the Body of Christ was not really present in the Sacrament after Consecration Secondly That the Sacrament might not truely be administred under one Kind Thirdly That Priests entred into holy Orders might Marry Fourthly That Vows of Chastity entred into upon mature deliberation were not to be kept Fifthly That private Masses were not to be used Sixthly That Auricular Confession was not to be used in the Church Before these Articles were published Bishop Gardener having obtained his desire with the King he and the rest of the Prelates began again fresh to persecute the Protestants the first they stretched forth their Hands against was John Lambert a Norfolk man and one zealous for the Spreading of the Truth according to the Manifestation of it then broke forth and to that end was conversant with Tindal and Frith at Antweep until by the Instigation of Sr. Thomas Moor he was apprehended and brought to London where he was first brought to Examination at Lambeth and then at the Bishops House at Oxford before Worham Arch-bishop of Canterbury and others where fourty five Articles were objected against him to all which he answered in writing very fully and wisely both according to the Scriptures and Reason the Articles and his Answers may be read at large in Foxe's Acts and Monuments The Bishop of Canterbury shortly after dying whereby Lambort for that time was delivered out of Prison and coming to London it was not long before he fell into trouble again for having a private Conference with one Doctor Tayler what past between them in their dispute in private grew at last a publick and common talk which coming to the Arch-bishops Ear he sent for Lambort and forced him to defend his Cause openly in that Disputation Lambort appealed to the King from the Bishops Upon this appeal Bishop Gardener goes to the King and privately possesses him that now he had an opportunity to quiet the minds of the people who were offended with him for abolishing the Bishop of Rome's Authority and subverting of Monasteries and Abbies c. he might now remedy these troubles if he would manifestly appear in this matter against Lambort and shew himself stoutly to resist the Hereticks the King immediately received this wicked Counsel of the Bishop and forth with sent out a general Commission commanding all the Bishops and Nobles of the Land to come with all speed to London to assist the King against Hereticks these preparations being made a day was set upon which Lambort should appear before the King and the rest assembled with him to be Tryed and Judged The day being come the King ascended his Throne clothed all in white he lookt upon the Prisoner with a sterne Countenance as if his mind was full of Indignation and then called forth the Bishop of Chichester and commanded him to declare to the People the Causes of that Assembly the Substance of the Bishops Speech tended to this That the King would have none to conceive that whereas the Authority and Name of the Bishop of Rome being utterly abolished he would also extinguish all Religion or give Liberty to Hereticks to trouble the Churches of England without punishment the Bishop having ended his Speech the chief thing that the King prest Lambort to declare was what Opinion he held touching the Sacrament of the Altar to which he answered fully and the Dispute held chiefly concerning that point for some hours until the King and Bishops enraged against him forced him to silence at last The King being minded to end the Dispute said to Lambort What sayest thou after all these Labours and Reasons of these learned Men Art thou yet satisfied Wilt thou live or die thou hast yet free choice Lambort answered I yield and submit my self wholly unto the will of your Majesty
Rich and the Bishop of London used all their power by flattering words to perswade her from God but they prevailed not with her one Nicholas Shaxton counselled her to recant as he had done she told him it had been good for him he had never been born then Rich sent her to the Tower to be racked where first he and one of the Councel examined her telling of her that the King was informed that if she would she could name a great number of her Sect she answered that the King was as well deceived in that as he was in other Matters The manner of her Racking was thus she was first lead down into a Dungeon where the Lievtenant of the Tower commanded the Goaler to pinch her with the Rack which being done so much as he thought sufficient he went about to take her down but Wristley the Chancellor not contented that she was loosed so soon confessing nothing but lay still and did not cry commanded the Lievtenant to strain her on the Rack again which because he denyed to do tendering the weakness of the Woman the Chancellor threatened him he would signifie his disobedience to the King Then Rich and the Chanceller took pains to Rack her themselves till she was near dead first asking her whether she was with Child to whom she answered you â—hall not need to spare for that but do your wills upon me and so quietly and patiently praying unto the Lord she abode their Tyranny till her Bones and Joynts were almost pluckt assunder after she was loosed from the Rack she swooned but they recovered her again and she was carried away in a Chair to a house and laid in a bed with weary and painful Bones the Chancellor sent her word that if she would leave her Opinion she should want for nothing if she would not she should be forthwith sent to Newgate and so be burned she sent him word again that she would rather die then break her Faith The Prayer of Anne Askew before her Death O Lord I have more Enemies now then there be Hairs on my Head yet Lord let them never overcome me with vain words but fight thou Lord in my stead for on thee cast I my Care with all the spite they can imagine they fall upon me which am thy poor Creature yet Lord let me not set by them which are against me for in thee is my whole delight and Lord I heartily desire of thee that thou wilt of thy most merciful Goodness forgive them that Violence which they do and have done unto me open also thou their blind Hearts that they may hereafter do that thing in thy Sight which is only acceptable before thee and to set forth thy Truth aright without all vain Fantasie of sinful men So be it O Lord so be it The day of her Execution being appointed she was brought into Smithfield in a Chair because she could not go on her feet by means of her great Torments when she was brought to the stake she was tied by the middle with a Chain that held up her Body and so encompassed with the Flames of Fire as a blessed Sacrifice unto God she resigned up her life in the Year 1546. leaving behind her a singular example of Christian-Constancy for all men to follow there was at the same time three others burnt with her in Smithfield After the death of this Woman the Ponish Clergy consulted together how they might further proceed to keep the Truth under and down and to that end obtained another Proclamation in the Kings name for the abolishing the Scriptures in English and all other English Books which might give any light to the People which made sore work and caused Persecution for a time but it was not long that it continued by reason of the Kings death which was shortly after But before there be a full Conclusion of the Transactions in this Kings reign its necessary a short Account be given of the rise and fall of Thom is Cromwel of whom mention is made before especially seeing he was a man so Zealous for Reformation of both Church and Common-wealth He was born at Putney his Father being a Smith as is before related in his youthful dayes it is said he had little regard to God and Religion but travelled beyond Seas and for a time was there a Souldier at length getting the New Testament in English by often reading in it he began to be touched and something opened in his understanding and coming into England again Cardinal Woolsey entertained him in his service where after some yoars remaining he was preferred to be Solicitor to the Cardinal After the fall of Cardinal Woolsey he was by the Master of the Roles preferred to the King who had then to do against the Pope as a fit person to be imployed by him and being brought to the King at his Garden in Westminster where he possessed the King that his Authority was abused by the Clergy and by being sworn to the Pope they had run themselves into a Premunire and that now the King had an Opertunity to inrich himself To this the King gave ear and liked well his advice and admited him into his service and sent him to the Convocation-house amongst the Bishops where he made a Speech to this effect that in asmuch as they had sworn to the Pope contrary to their Fealty due to the King they had forfeited all their Goods Chattels Lands Possessions to the King c. This amazed the Bishops at first but after a little pause they began to shrink and before they could be quit of the Premunire by Act of Parliament it cost them to the King no less then One hundred eighteen thousand eight hundred and forty pounds After this Cromwel grew greatly in favour with the King and was made one of his Privy Council and Master of the Rolls and afterwards Knight of the Garter and Earl of Essex and now being come into such Authority and seeing the Superstition Blindness Hypocrisie and Idolatry of the Monks and Fryars and Papists whose filthy stink did breath up a most pestiferous fume as Matthew Paris said in the like case of Rome Wherefore Cromwel like a Champion was raised up to root them up which while the King favoured him he prosecuted with effect as before is related but when the Popish Bishops saw the Popes power abolished out of England they never gave over using all their uttmost Endeavours and Politick Contrivances till they had laid a Plaister to his Wounded Head It would be too long to recite what benefit this Cromwel by his Prudence and Zeal wrought in a little time for the publick good what good Orders he established what Wickedness and Vices he suppressed what Corruptions he reformed what Abuses he brought to light and Popish Idolatry and Images he suppressed One called The Rood of Grace wherein a man stood inclosed with a hundred Wyres within the Rood to make the Image goggle its Eyes
much offended that they should come so neer him as his Privy-Chamber without his knowledge and Consent sent for the Chancellor and commanded him presently to draw up his Pardon himself whereby he was set at liberty George Blague afterwards coming into the Kings Presence the King said to him Oh my Pig for so he used to call him Yea said he if your Majesty had not been better to me then your Bishops were your Pig had been roasted before this time The Troubles of the Queen Katherine Parr for showing favour to the Professors of the Truth and how the Lord made way for her Deliverance About this time the King coming from Bullein information was given him that the Queen Katherine Parr was much given to reading the Scriptures and entertained divers godly persons in conference about spiritual Matters At first the King seemed to like well of it Her Council to the King which made her the more bold sometimes freely to debate with the King about Religion often beseeching him That as he had to the glory of God and his own Eternal Fame began a good work in banishing the Popes supremacy that he would perfect what he had begun and thorowly to cleanse away the dregs of Popery whereof much remained yet behind The King though he was grown very teasty and froward yet out of his singular Affection to her was content to bear with her for never did Maid more seek to please her Mistriss then she did withal painful endeavour apply her self by all virtuous means in all things to please his Humor She was a Woman very beautiful virtuous and of a comely personage which greatly delighted the King But some subtil and malicious Instruments of Satan Popish Subtilty fearing what might be the Issue of it sought by all means to set the King against her these were the Bishop of Winchester Wrisly the Chancellor and others of the Council and Privy-Chamber hoping that if they could but take away her that was such an Encourager of the Professors of the Truth they might soon destroy the rest The King growing sickly and froward left off his accustomed manner of visiting the Queen and therefore she took all opportunities to visit him and did earnestly solicite him to be Zealous in the Reformation of the Church Winchester being present at one time and perceiving the King not to be very well pleased with her when she was gone he maliciously endeavoured to stir up the Kings Indignation against her possessing the King That under his Favour he with others of the Council could in a short time disclose such Treason cloaked with the vail of Heresie that his Majesty should easily perceive how dangerous it was to nourish such a Serpent in his Bossom this so stirred up the King that he gave them leave to draw up Articles against her and thus far they got their end the next thing was to suborn Witnesses to betray and accuse her and to find out what Books she had in her Closets that were forbidden by Law and to search her Closets and to apprehend the Queen and send her by Barge to the Tower The King being made privy to this devise by Winchester and Wrisly he politickly seemed to approve it that he might see how far the malice of the Bishop would carry him and thus the Day Time and place for the Apprehending the Queen and some about her was concluded of The King at this time lay at White-hall and by reason of his distemper seldom stirred abroad and the time approaching for the apprehension of the Queen she suspected nothing of it and therefore used after her accustomed manner when she came to the King still to deal with him about Religion as formerly she had done but one night after she had taken her Leave of him the King imparted the whole design to Doctor VVendy enjoyning him not to spake of it to any Creature but by Providence these Articles drawn up against her signed by the King fell from of the Bosom one of these Councellors and was immediately carried to the Queen who reading the Articles knowing the Kings hand was supprised with such a sudden fear that she made pitious Mean and Lamentation The King hearing that she was in peril of her Life sent his Physicians to her and Doctor VVendy knowing the cause better then the other began secretly to break with her about the Articles tilling her that he knew well of them though he stood in danger of his Life by revealing of them yet to quiet his Conscience he could not but give her Warning of them intreating her somewhat to conform her self to the Kings mind not doubting but that by her humble submission she should find him favourable to her shortly after the King hearing of her dangerous Condition went to her to him therefore she uttered her Greif fearing as she said lest he had taken displeasure against her Whereupon he like a loving Husband with sweet and comfortable Words somewhat eased her perplexed Mind so that she began to recover the King being departed she caused all her Books which the Law was against to be conveyed away and taking a fit season in an Evening she went to visit the King who was confering with some of his Bed-Chamber When he saw her he intertained her Courteously and began to Commnue with her about Religion seeming desirous to be resolved by the Queen of certain doubts which he proposed to her she perceiving his drift with mild and reverend Conutenance answered him thus Your Majesty knows right well neither am I ignorant what weakness attends our Sex and therefore we are inferiour and Subject to man our Head whence all our directions must proâ—eed God hath made man in his own Likeness endued him with more exellent Gifts c. But he hath made Woman of Man by whom she is to be governed and directed seeing therefore that God hath appointed such a Naturall Difference and you being of so excellent Wisdom and I a poor sily VVoman so much in feriour to you why should your Majesty propose such difficult Cases to me yea when I have said what I can I must and will refer my self unto your Wisdom as my Supream Hâ—ad under God by whom I must be dâ—rected This that she declared and other discourse that passed between them at that time so pleased the King that he shewed great favour unto her as heretofore he had done Her Adversaries knew nothing of this and therefore were providing for her Apprehension which was to be next day at which time they intended to carry her to the Tower the Day and almost the Hour being come the King intending to take the Air went into the Garden whither the Queen also went to him being sent for by him where the King being merrily disposed with her on a sudden in the middst of the mirth in came VVrisly the Chancellor with forty of the Kings Guard at his heels whom the King sternly beholding went to him
accused on several Articles by the Bishops and afterwards Condemned by them as an Heretick to be burnt when he came to the fire he said Father of Heaven I commend my Spirit into thy holy Hands and then turned him to the People and said these Words I beseech you Christian Brethren and Sisters that you be not offended in the Word of God for the affliction and Torments which you see already prepared for me but I Exhort you that you Love the Word of God and suffer patiently and with a comfortable heart for the Words sake which is your undoubted Salvation and Everlasting Comfort Moreover I pray you shew my Brethren and Sisters which have heard me oft before that they cease not nor lâ—â—ve off the Word of God which I taught unto them after the Grace given to me for any Persecutions or Troubles in this World which lasts not and shew unto them that my Doctrine was no Old Wives Fable after the Constitution made by men and if I had taught mens Doctrine I had gotten great thanks of men but for the Word and true Gospels sake I suffer this day by men not sorowfully but with a glad Heart and Mind for this cause I was sent that I should Suffer this Fire for Christs Sake this grim Fire I fear not and so I pray you to do if that any Persecution come unto you for the Word's sake and fear not them that Kill the Body and afterwards have no power to Kill the Soul Then he prayed for them which accused him saying I beseech thee Father of Heaven to forgive them that have through Ignorance or an evil Mind forged Lyes against me I forgive them with all my heart and I beseech Christ to forgive them who have Condemned me to death this day ignorantly So being first Hanged he was then burnt many People bewailing his death VVabter Mille amongst the rest of the Martyrs of Scotland his Constancy is not to be past over with silence out of whose Ashes Sprung thousands of his Religion in Scotland many Articles were drawn up against him for which he had sentance pronounced against him that he should be delivered to the Temporal Judge and punisht as an Heretick which was to be burnt Now when all things were ready for his death and he conveyed with Armed men to the Fire Andrew Olifant Judge that past sentence upon him bad him Go to the Stake he said Nay except thou pull me up with thy hand for I am forbidden by the Law of God to lay hands of my self then Olifant put him up with his hand thereupon he went gladly saying I will go to the Altar of God and desired that he might have time to speak to the People which his Executioner denyed saying That he had spoken over-much and that the Bishops were oâ—fended that the matter was so long continued but some young men that stood by desired him to speak what he please so after he had prayed he rose up and standing upon the Coles said on this wise Dear Friends the Cause why I suffer this day is not for any Crime laid to my Charge but only for the defence of the Faith of Christ Jesus for which as the faithful Martyrs have heretofore gladly offered themselves being assured after the Death of their Bodies of Eternal Felicity so this day I praise God that he hath called me of his Mercy among the rest of his Servants to seal his Truth with my Life which as I received it of him so willingly I offer it to his Glory Therefore as you will escape the eternal death be no more seduced by the Lyes of Priests Monks and Bishops and the rest of the Sect of Antichrist but depend only upon Jesus Christ and his Mercy that you may be delivered from Condemnation All that while there was great Mourning and Lamentation of the multitude for they perceiving his Patience Stoutness Boldness and Constancy were not only moved and stirred up but their hearts also were so inflamed that he was the last Martyr that died in Scotland for Religion after his prayer he was hoised up on the Stake and being in the Fire he said Lord have Mercy on me pray People while there is time and so be constantly departed The Persecutions in the Reign of Edward the sixth Henry the Eighth being dead Edward the sixth succeeded him at the Age of nine years he was a Youth of a meek nature and disposition much inclined to Clemency and Mercy yea so much that when one Joan Butcher being condemned to be burnt for Heresie all the Council could not move him to set his hand saying to Cranmer what will you send her quick to the Devil in her Error Doctor Cranmer perswaded him with much ado at last to put his hand to whom he said He would lay all the charge thereof upon Cranmer as before the Lord. But though this King was of so mild a Nature and a Person inclining to love Religion from a Child being very Zealous for a further Reformation in the Church abolishing the Mass c. and a Protector being appointed during his Nonage which was his uncle the Duke of Somerset a man also very Zealous for Reformation and an Encourager of such as profest the Gospel but in the midst of these meek and gentle times on the other hand the Pâ—pish party having a great power in the Kingdom used all the Means and Endeavours to stir up Persecution and to hinder that good they found the King and his Uncle inclinable to yet the most of this Kings Reign which was but short the Sword was taken out of their hands so that they had not power to shed much Blood all his Reign yet some there were that suffered for Religion viz. Joan of Kent an English woman and one George a Dutchman and one Thomâ—s Dobb who was apprehended for speaking against the Idolatry of the Mass and committed to Prison where he died The cause of the Imprisonment of Thomas Dobb was as followeth The said Thomas Dobb being a Man fervent and zealous for Religion and as it is recorded of him a man so Innocent that he was like a Dove without any Gall or Bitterness and more apt to receive Injury then do wrong to any one It happened that as he was passing by Pauls in London seeing the Priest at Mass being at the Elevation as he passed by the young man filled with godly Zeal pitying the Ignorance and Idolatry of the People in honouring that so devoutly which the Priest lifted up was not able to forbear but opened his Mouth and turning to the People exhorted them testifying against their Idolatry for which cause he was presently apprehended by the Mayor and being accused by the Bishop of Canterbury was Committed to the Counter in Bredstreet where falling sick he soon after died In this Kings time there was also one John Hume a servant to one Lewnax accused by his Master of denying the Sacrament of the Altar to be the real
Flesh and Blood of Christ And for saying That he would never vail his Bonnet to it if he burnt therefore And for saying That if he heard Mass he should be damned For these things he was accused of his Master and Mistress and sent up by them to the Bishop of Canterbury with Letters desiring that he might be severely punished for the same but no mention is made of his Execution and so that may be past by and return may be to give a short account of the Reformation in this Kings time and how far it extended Injunctions were set out in his time viz that Bibles in English should be placed in some convenient place in the Church so called that the People might read in them when they pleased and rather be furthered to read them then hindred by the Priests or Curates And the Priests or Curates should not at any time haunt Taverns or Ale-houses neither spend their time Idly in unlawful Games but should give themselves to read and hear the Scriptures read and every Benificed-Preacher to preach twice a year and that all Monuments of Idolatry in Churches so called and Houses and Windows should be taken away and that Homilies should be read every Sunday He took away and abrogated all Acts made by former Kings for reformation of Hereticks and Lollords and the Act of the six Articles and all Acts published prohibiting the speading the Scriptures in English He also sent out a Letter to the Arch-Bishop signed by the Council to abolish Images and that the Altars should be taken down and a Table set up instead thereof Though this may be acounted but a little Reformation to what is since yet it so troubled the Popish Adversaries that they sought all the wayes and means they could to hinder its further proceeding and growth and would not be satisfied untill they had found out a way to answer their Wicked purposes And now the old Adversary of all good put it in the Heads of the Popish Party to charge the Duke of Somerset the Kings Vncle and Protector of his Person and the Realm as that he was the occasion of all the Sedition that had happened in the Realm c. And though he was in a high state yet that could not nor did not preserve him and indeed it is a vain thing for man to put Trust or Confidence upon the brickle Pillars of Worldly Prosperity how high soever it seemeth considering that where vertue is most prefect it is there most envied by Wicked men as in the Example of this Duke appears This Edward Seymour Duke of Somerset being Protector had a Brother who was high Admiral of England these two Brethren so long as they were knit and joyned together in Love and Concord preserved themselves the King and whole Common-Wealth from the Violenâ—e and Fear of Danger of all their Adversaries But the old Subtil Serpent alwayes envying mans felicity through Slanderous Tongues sought to sow matter first of discord between them then of Suspition and last of all of Extream Hatred insomuch that the Protector suffered his Brother being accused whether true or false the Lord knoweth to be Condemned and to lose his Head whereby it came to pass that not long after he himself was over-matched by his Adversaries and overthrown by them and being cast into the Tower at last lost his Head also to the great Lamentation of many good men and so the fall of one Brother was the Ruin of the other for it was not long after the Admiral was beheaded but that Insurrections began in several parts of the Kingdom but after they were subdued several of the Lords assembled at Baynard Castle and at the Mayor of Londons House and had great Consultations against the Protector who was then with the King at Hampton Court which the King hearing of sent the Secretary to them with a Message to which they made no answer and not long after published a Proclamation in the City against the Protector charging him with divers Crimes as that he should be the chief Occasion of all the Sedition that had of late happened in the Kingdom and that he did what in him lay to cause Variance between the King and the Nobles and desired the City to aid them the King also sent the Mayor and City a Letter requiring aid likewise This made the Mayor and Citizens in a strait some being for helping the King and some on the other side for helping the Lords and against the Protector the Recorder prest the Citizens to assist the Lords against the Protector who he said had abused the King and the whole Realm and prest the Common Council for an Answer and that they would declare what they would do but they were silent in the matter until one Geâ—rge Stadlow stood up and told them It is good to consider of things pâ—st to avoid dangers in things to come and then related to them what inconveniences damage befel the Citizens in assisting the Barons in their Wars against King Henry the third In conclusion the Lords hearing what past in the City assembled in the Star-Chamber next day sent a Messenger to the King to VVindsor who so ordered his matter with the King that the Protector was apprehended and shortly after was had to the Tower in London and there was charged with several Articles and a terrible Proclamation put out against him but through the Kings Love and labouring in his behalf he was shortly after let out of the Tower and the Proclamation called in again after which trouble he continued two years at Liberty though not restored to his former Office But after this respite he was again apprehended and committed to the Tower from whence he was in a short time after convey'd through the City with the Tower-Ax carried before him to VVestminster and there tryed by the Peers where in a quiet patient and Suffering Spirit he Modestly Behaved himself shewing himself an Example of Meekness yea wisely replying to the Articles objected against him and was at last cleared of the Treason laid to his charge which the People understanding were greatly rejoyced at but his Adversaries quickly found out another Snare for they charged him with Felony for intending and purposing the death of the Earl of Northumberland which was by them adjudged Felony according to a Law wherein it was enacted That it should be Felony for any Subject to seek or procure the death of any Pâ—â—â—y Councillor and being condemned he was again conveyed to the Tower and shortly after from thence was had to the place of Execution where neither his Voice nor countenance changed but after his usual manner he spake to the people to this effect Dearly beloved Friends I am brought hither to suffer death though I never offended the King neither in Word nor Deed and have been always as faithful and true to this Realm as any man hath been And after other words he said morecover Dearly beloved
that they had a Child that could lose his Life for Christ's sake Many people resorted to the Inn to see him whom he exhorted to leave the Abomination of Popisn Superstition and Idolatry At his Execution he desired the people to pray for him Justice Brown that first apprehended him standing by said I will pray no more for thee then I would for a Dog William answered Now you have what you sought for I pray God it be not laid to your charge at the last day I forgive you Brown said I ask no forgiveness of thee William If God forgive you not I shall require my Blood at your Hands The Fire being kindled William said I am not afraid and lifting up his Hands said Lord receive my Spirit and so sealed his Testimony with his Blood to the praise of God Justice Brown commanded an Officer to take Robert Hunter William's Brother and put him in the Stocks until he came back from the burning of Higbed at Hornden on the Hill on the same day after he was taken out of the Stocks and brought before the Justice he askt him If he would do as his Brother had done Robert Hunter answered If I do as my Brother hath done I shall have as he hath had Thou mayest be sure of that said the Justice But after some further Examination he bid him go home Higbed and Canston Martyr The next that suffured were Higbed and Canston both of Essex two men so fervent for Religion that in these blind and Idolatries times could not lie long hid in obscurity but were constrained to bear their Testimony though it were by Death Bonnet perceiving these men were men of repute in their Country and such as were called Gentlemen was so much the more concerned to bring them off their Profession that he went down to Colchester himself to seek to reclaim them sometimes using fair Promises and flattering Enticements other times threatning them with high words to terrifie them in fine seeing them both constant and unmoveable in their Zeal for their Religion he caused them and some others at the same time and for the same cause apprehended in that Country to be brought up to London Prisoners where they were committed close Prisoners where they were first privately examined and urged by all means to forsake their Opinions by the Bishop and his Chaplain But when the Bishop saw that way would work no alteration he caused them to be brought to open Examination at the Consistory at Pauls the seventeenth day of the Mouth called February 1555. where being further pressed to Recant of the Errors they said they held and to return to the unity of the Church which they still refused whereupon a great List of Articles were delivered them and their Answers thereunto the next day required of them At the second time of their publick appearance and tryal their Answers were read and Canston being first called was exhorted again to be conformable to the unity of the Church into which they said they were ready to receive him He replyed you lay Snares and Gins to catch us but mark what measure you meet shall be measured to you again Then Higbed was called to whom the like perswasions were used but to as little purpose as the other for he told them he had been sixteen years in that mind he was then in and should not alter now At their last appearance before them the Prisoners declared calling God to record that their persisting in that stedfastness was not in wilfulness as some might judge but for Conscience sake for said they we sought the Lord that we might do nothing contrary to his blessed Word and in that he hath shewed his Power in our weakness we cannot but praise him unto whom we give thanks through Christ Jesus our Lord. When they had thus spoken the Bishop began to pronounce the Sentence against Canston to whom Canston said it was a rash Judgment without Love and Mercy Then was sentence also pronounced against Higbed and both delivered to the Sheriffs who sent them to Newgate where they remained fourteen dayes contiunally praising God not so much concerned at their Afflictions as rejoyced in their Consolations praying and earnestly desiring they might persevere to the end to the praise of the Eternal God and Comfort of the Brethren The fourteen dayes being expired they were by four a Clock in the Morning led from Newgate to Algate and there delivered to the Sheriff of Essex who conveyed them to the places where they were Executed viz. Higbed to Hornden on the hill and Thomas Canston to Rayly where they both with great constancy finished their Testimonies in the Fire greatly rejoycing and giving the glory to God The next that suffered were William Pyget Stephen Knight and John Lawrence Pyget Knight Lawrenâ— Martyr at their Examinations it was demanded of them to declare their Opinion concerning the Sacrament of the Altar to which they answered to this effect That in the Sacrament of the Altar under the forms of Bread and Wine there is not the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ This Answer being given the Bishop caused Articles to be read against them to which they answered The second time they were brought before him he prest them to recant which they refusing saying They should stick to their Faith Wherefore the third time being brought before him he past Sentence upon them and committed them to the Custody of the Sheriffs of London who sent them to Newgate where they remained in much Joy and comfort and at last were had down to Essex and there burnt When Stephen Knight came to the Stake which was at Maulden he kneeled down and prayed some Sentances of which Prayer are as followeth O Lord Jesus Christ for whose Love I leave willingly this Life and desire rather the bitter Death of the Cross with the loss of all Earthly things then to abide the Blasphemy of thy most holy Name or to obey men in breaking thy holy Commandment Thou seest O Lord that where I might live in Wordly Wealth to Worship a false God and honour thine Enemy I choose rather the Torment of the Body and the loss of this Life and have counted all things but Vile Dust and Dung that I might Win thee which Death is Dearer unto me then thousand of Gold and Silver such Love O Lord hast thou laid up in my Breast that I Hunger for thee as the Deer that is Wounded desireth the Soil send thy holy Comforter O Lord to Aid Comfort and Strengthen this Weak piece of Earth which is empty of all strength of it self Thou rememberst O Lord that I am â—ut 〈◊〉 therefore as thou of thy Love hast bidden me to this Banquet and accounted me worthy to drink of thine own Cup amongst thine Elect even so give me strength O Lord that so through me strength of thy holy Spirit I may pass through the rage of this fire into thy Bossom according to
lay two nights without any bed saving a few great Canvas Tent Cloths and after two nights he had a pair of Sheets allowed him but no Woolen clothes and there was kept without any being suffered to come at him only twice a day the Keeper when he brought him Victualls shortly after he was brought before the Earl again who examined him of the Sacrament at his Answers the Earl seemed to be somewhat pleased and hoped he would be conformable and commanded that he should have a bed and fire and liberty to go amongst his Servants when he departed he was much troubled in his Spirit for fear lest he had given advantage to his Adversaries in not confessing Christ so boldly as he ought to have done and was much grieved but considering his condition he cryed earnestly unto the Lord saying Strengthen me with thy holy Spirit with boldness to confess thee and deliver me from their enticing words that I may not be spoiled through their Phylosoply and vain deceit A day or two after he was sent for before two Priests who began to discourse with him concerning the Mass asking him what part of the Mass offended him he answered the whole Mass did offend him upon which discourse and other matters that past between them Articles were drawn up against him and they exhorted him to recant his Opinions he told them he could not change nor alter and desired them to speak to the Earl that during his Imprisonment his Friends might be suffered to relieve him with necessaries they still presisted to advise him to forsake his Opinions not regarding any Worldly shame he answered what he did was not for avoiding Worldly shame nor yet for any vain praise of the World but in the reverent fear of God they told him it was pity such a well-favoured Young man should so foolishly cast away himself he answered them to this effect My Wife Children and other delights of this World are as Sweet to me as another mans may be to him and I am as unwilling to lose them as another would if I might enjoy them with a good Conscience but my trust is said he that God will strengthen me to lose them all for his sake for I do not say or do any thing either out of Stubbornness willfullness vain Glory or any other Worldly purpose but with a good Conscience in the fear of God and farther said I commit my cause unto God who hath numbered the hairs of my head and appointed the dayes of my life who is a Righteous Judge and will make inquisition for my blood From Latham he was carried to Lancaster Castle where he was threatened for preaching to the people out of the Prison shortly after he was carried to Lancaster the Bishop of Chester came thither and sent for the Goaler and rebuked him for suffering George Marsh to fare so well and from thence he was removed to Chester and being brought before the Bishop he was further examined concerning the Sacrament and other matters and Articles drawn up against him and the last time he was brought before the Bishop the Bishops Chanceller made a Speech to the people to this effect The Bishop said he as a good Shepherd doth see to his Flock that no Scabby diseased Sheep infect the other wherefore his Lordship hath sent for this George Marsh as a Scabby Sheep to weed him out lest he corrupt others and then read the Articles against him and askt him if he would have mercy Marsh said he durst not deny Christ then the Bishop read the Sentence against him and committed him to the Northgate Prison and there was he kept in a dark Dungeon where none dared to come to him that had any Friendship towards him for fear of the Bishops threats so that he was kept very strictly in Prison until the time that he suffered death having little comfort or relief from any worldly Creature sometimes in an Evening some Citizens at a hole upon the Wall of the City that looked into the dark Prison would call to him and ask him how he did he would answer them chearfully that he did well and thanked God that he of his Mercy had appointed him to be a Witness of his Truth and to suffer for the same wherein he did rejoyce desiring that he might not faint under the Cross but patiently bare the same to Gods Glory and the Comfort of his Church once he had ten pence cast him in at the said hole and another time two shillings which did help to supply his necessity shortly after he was led to the place of Execution with a Lock upon his Foot he began to exhort the people but one of the Sheriffs would not suffer him to speak saying We must have no Sermon now so with patience he ended his dayes in the Fire Whilst he was a Prisoner he wrot several Epistles to his Friends and Relations and such as had been assistant to him in the time of his Sufferings the Epistles being large I shall only insert some of the Principle heads of some of them which if the Reader pernseth he will find them to be worth â—oting considering the time they were wrot in and first I shall begin with a letter he wrot to the Faithful Professors at Langton An Epistle by George Marsh to his Friends at Langton Grace be unto you and Peace be multiplied in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen I thought it meet to write unto my beloved in the Lord at Langton to stir up your minds and to call to your remembrance the Words which have been told you before and to exhort you as that Good Man and full of the holy Ghost Barnabas did the Antiochians That with purpose of heart you continually cleave unto the Lord and that ye stand fast and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel when Persecution ariseth because of the word do not fall away like shrinking Children and forsake the Truth for after this life the Godly being delivered from their Tribulations and Pains shall have a most quiet and joyful rest whereas the Wicked and Ungodly contrary wise shall be tormented for evermore as Christ by the Parable of the rich Glutton and wretched Lazarus doth plainly declare these ought we to have before our Eyes alwayes that in the time of Adversity and Persecution we may stand stedfast in the Lord and endure even unto the end that we may be saved for unless we like good Warriors of Christ Jesus endeavour our selves to please him who hath chosen us to be his Souldiers and fight the good sight of Faith even unto the end we shall not obtain the Crown of Righteousness which the Lord that is a righteous Judge shall give to all them that love his Coming Let us therefore receive with meekness the word that is grafted in us which is able to save our Souls and ground our selves on the sure Rock Christ for as the Apostle saith Other Foundation
can no man lay then that which is already laid which is Jesus Christ if any man build on this Foundation Gold Silver Pretious-Sones Timber Nay Stubble every mans work shall appear for the day shall declare it and it shall be shewed in Fire and the Fire shall try every mans work what it is if any mans work which he hath builded upon abide he shall receive a Reward if any mans work burn he shall suffer Loss but he shall be saved himself yet as it were through Fire By Fire here the Apostle understands Persecution and Trouble for they which do truely preach and profess the Word of God which is called the Word of the Cross shall be railed upon and abhorred hated thrust out of the Company persecuted and tryed in the Furnace of Adversity as Gold and Silver are tryed in the Fire By Gold Silver and pretious Stones he understandeth them that in the midst of Persecution abode stedfast in the Word By Timber Hay and Stubble are meant such as in the time of Persecution do fall away from the Truth and when Christ doth purge his Floor with the Wind of Adversity these scatter away like Chaff which shall be burnt with unquenchable Fire Wherefore my beloved give diligent heed that ye as living Stones be built upon this sure Rock and be made a spiritual House and holy Preistood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ for we are the true Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwelleth in us if so be that we continue in the Doctrine of the Gospel we are also a holy and Royal Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices and Oblations And thus I commend you Brethren unto God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you further and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified beseeching you to help me and all them that be in bonds for the Gospel sake with your Prayers to God for us that we may be delivered from all them that believe not and from unreasonable and froward Men and that this our Imprisonment and Affliction may be to the glory and profit of our Christian Brethren in the World and that Christ may be magnified in our Bodies whether it be by death or by life Amen Salute me to all the faithful Brethren let them hear my Letters the Grace of our Lord be with you all Amen George Marsh In another Letter dated from Lancaster the thirtieth of August 1555. directed to his Friends at Manchester he writeth thus Confider what I say the Lord give us understanding in all things Brethren the time is short it remaineth that ye use this World as though you used it not for the fashions of this World vanisheth away see that ye Love not the World neither the things that are in the World but set your affections upon heavenly things be meek and long suffering serve and edifie one another with the gift that God hath given you beware of strange Doctrine lay aside the old conversation of greedy Lusts and walk in a New Life beware of uncleanness covetousness and foollish talking rejoyce and be thankful towards God and submit your selves one to another cease from sin be sober and apt to pray be patient in trouble love each other and let the Glory of God and profit of your Neighbour be the only mark you shoot at in all your doings repent ye of the life that is past and take better heed to your doings hereafter Another Letter to a Friend Grace be with you and Peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and Jesus the Lord. After hearty Commendations and Thanks to you for your large token but much more for your loving Letters full of Consolation to me as touching my person unknown to you these shall be to certifie you that I rejoyce greatly in the Lord when I perceive to see the minds of my Friends stirred up to bear part with me in this my costly imprisonment sending me things not only necessary for this persent life but also comfortable Letters encouraging exhorting me to continue grounded and established in the Faith and not to be moved away from the hope of the Gospel whereof according to my small Tallent I have been a Minister and daily I call and cry unto the Lord in whom is all my trust and without whom I can do nothing that he which hath begun a good work in me would go on with it until the day of Jesus Christ being surely certified in my Conscience of this that he will so do for as much as he hath given me that not only I should believe on him but also suffer for his sake The Lord strengthen me with his holy Spirit that I may be one of the number of those Blessed which enduring to the end shall be saved And whereas you say that my suffering of Persecution with Christ is a thing to you most comfortable I answer that in all my Adversities and Necessities nothing on your behalf is greater Consolation unto me then to hear of the Faith and Love of others and how they have good remembrance of us alwayes even as the Apostle said by the Thessalonians Now are we alive if ye stand stedfast in the Lord be strong let your hearts be of good comfort and wait ye still for the Lord he tarrieth not that will come look for him therefore and faint not and he will never fail you Yours George Marsh The next that suffered were John Cordmaker John Cordmaker and three other Martyrs John warn Upholster of London John Ardly and John Simson of Wigborrough in Essex husbandmen against these four persons many Articles were drawn up for not conforming to the Doctrine of the Popish Church according to common course of the Consistory Court they were several times called and the Articles against them read which Articles were much alike against them all and for refusing to recant they were all condemned and burat about the Month of May. The Examinations Sufferings and Martyrdom of Thomas Hawkes called a Gentleman written by himself The said Thomas Hawkes Thomas Hawkes Martyr was condemned when Thomkins and the rest with him were condemned which was in the Month called February but his Execution was not till the Month called June following and now coming in order to that Month it falls in course to relate his Tryals and Sufferings as followeth As touching his Education he was born in Essex of an honest stock and bred up a Courtier his Person and Stature very comly and his mind endued with excellent qualities a man of a gentle behaviour and of a fervent love to true Religion and godliness he was also singularly adorned with valour and courage whose Example therein was a good president to the rest of his Brethren and as it is recorded of him few men stood more notably or triumphed more gloriously then this young man for he was so wise in the Cause of God
do against me So I remained a Prisoner about ten daies in Coventry being never called to my Answer contrary to Law they having no Warrant to apprehend me but my elder Brother God lay not their extream doing against me to their charge at the great Day The second day after the Bishops coming to Coventry the Goaler was ordered to carry me before him when I came before the Bishop he said he was my Bishop for lack of a better and willed me to submit my self I said I am not come to Accuse my self what have you to lay to my charge He asked me whether I was learned I answered smally learned The Chancellor standing by said I was a Master of Art Then the Bishop laid to my charge my not coming to Church Here I might have dallied with him and put him to his proofs knowing that none of the Citizens were able to prove any such matter against me but I answered I neither had nor would come at their Church as long as their Mass was used there to save if I had them five hundred lives I willed him to shew me one jot or tittle in the Scripture for the proof and defence of the Mass He answered he came to teach and not to be taught I was content I said to learn of him so far as he was able to teach me by the Word of God Bishop Who shall judge the Word Glover Christ was contend the People should judge of his Doctrine by searching the Scriptures and so was Paul I am content the Primitive Church next the Apostles time shall judge betwixt you and me But he refused to be judged by these Then he said I am your Bishop and therefore you must believe me Glover If you say black is white must I say as you say Here the Chancellor noted me to be arrogant because I would not give place to my Bishop Glover If you must be believed because you are a Bishop why find you fault with the People that believed Lâ—timer Ridly and Hooper who were Bishops Bishop Because they were Hereticks Glover And may not you err To which the Bishop instead of making answer asserted his Authority c. The next day after I was had to Liechfield which at first discouraged me considering my weakness of body until I considered the same God that had preserved me was able to preserve me there so long as I put my trust in him When I came to Liechfield the same night I was put in a Prison where I continued until I was condemned in a place next to the Dungeon a narrow Room strong of building and very cold with small light and there I was allowed a bundle of Straw instead of my Bed without any thing to sit down upon but God of his great Mercy through prayer gave me great patience that night so that if it had been his pleasure I could have been contented to have ended my life the Bishops man came to me in the morning who was my Keeper to whom I said this is a great exteamity God send us patience and no more Then they were content that I should have a Bed of my own procuring but I was allowed no help night nor day nor company of any man notwithstanding my great sickness nor yet Paper Pen or Ink or Books save my new Testament in Latine and another little Book which I got in privately About two dayes after the Chancellor and one Temsey a Prebendary came to me to the Prison and exhorted me to conform to the Bishop and to the Church I said I refused not to be ordered by that Church that was ordered by the Word of God Chancellor How know you the Word of God but by the Church Glover said to the Chancellor The Church sheweth which is the Word of God therefore the Church is above the Word of God This is no good reason in Learning for its like unto this John shewed the People who was Christ â—ergo John was above Christ The Chancellor said he came not to reason with me so I remained without any further Conference with any man by the space of eight dayes till the Bishop came in which tiâ—â— I gave my self continually to prayer and meditation I found in my self daily an amendment of health in my body and increase of peace in Conscience and many consolations from God by the help of his holy Spirit and sometimes a taste and glimmering of the Life to come though the Enemy ceased not many times sundry wayes to assault me When the Bishop came to Liechfield I was had before him in a by Chamber next my Prison when I came and saw none but his Officers Chaplains and Servants except and Old Priest I was partly amazed and lifted up my heart to God for his mercifull help and assistance Some discourse at that time the Bishop had with this faithfull Martyr concerning the Sacrament and Confession the usual Snares but his last Examination when he was condemned I do not find upon Record but this I find noted that after Condemnation this Servant of the Lord was under some exercise of heaviness and dulness of Spirit and desolate of all Spiritual Consolation and full of much discomfort and unaptness to bear the bitter Cross of Martyrdom ready to be laid upon him Whereupon he fearing in himself lest the Lord had utterly withdrawn his wonted favour from him made his condition known to one Austen Bernher his faithfull Friend how that he had earnestly prayed day and night to the Lord and yet could receive no motion nor sense of any comfort from him Austen exhorted him patiently to wait the Lords pleasure and howsoever his present feeling was yet seeing his Cause was just and true to stick constantly to the same and not to doubt but the Lord in his good time would visit him and satisfie his desire with plenty of Consolation the next day as he was going to the place of Execution he was so mightily replenished with holy Comfort and Heavenly Joyes that he cryed out to Austen Bernher and said Austen He is come he is come In the same Fire with him was burned Cornelius Bongey of Coventry Cornelius Bongey burned and condemned by the said Radulph Bishop of Coventry and Liechfield The 9th day of the Moneth called October were condemned to be burnt William Woolsey Will. Woolsey and Rob. Pygot Martyrs and Robert Pygot of Wisbidge in the Isle of Ely by John Fuller the Chancellor to the Bishop of Ely and others Doctor Fuller and some others coming to visit William Woolsey in Prison VVilliam heard all they had to say to him and then spake these words Wâ— be unto you Scribes and Pharisees ye Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men ye your selves go not in neither suffer ye them that come to enter in Not long after the Doctor came to VVilliam again and said to him thou troublest my Conscience wherefore I pray thee depart and rule thy Tongue so
Then thou art an Heretick and shalt be burnt but who hath taught thee this Heresie Boy You. Chancellor Where I pray thee Boy Even in yonder place pointing towards the Pulpit the Court being held near it Chancellor When did I teach thee so Boy When you Preached there upon the Sacrament you said the Sacrament was to be received Spiritually by Faith and not carnally as the Papists have heretofore taught Chancellor Then do as I have done and thou shalt live as I do and escape burning Boy Though you can so easily dispence with your self and Mock with God the World and your Conscience yet I will not so do Chancellor Then God have Mercy upon thee for I will read the Sentance against thee Boy Gods will be fulfilled And soon after he and Thomas Croker were both burnt in Gloucester Tho. Spicer John Dunny and Edmund Fools Martyrs About the Moneth call May Thomas Spicer of Winston John Duny and Edmund Poole being brought to Examination before Duming Chancellor of Norwich who objected against them the common Articles and after they had answered because they would not recant he read the condemnation and delivered them to the Secular power and about the 21th of the aforesaid Moneth they were all burnt for their Testimony in one Fire in Beckless in the County of Suffolk In this Moneth William Slech Prisoner in the Kings-bench for the Confession of the Truth there died On the sixth day of the Moneth called June there were four persons burnt at Lewis Sufferers in Sussex in Sussex for the Profession of the Truth viz. Thomas Harland of Woodmancet Carpenter John Oswald of the same Husband-Man Thomas Auington of Ardingly Turner and Thomas Read These four after a long Imprisonment in the Kings-Bench Suffered at the aforesaid place John Oswald denied to answer any thing until his Accusers were brought face to face before him and said Fire and Faggots could not make him afraid but as many good men were gone before him he was ready to Suffer and follow after In the same Moneth and in the same Town of Lewis were burnt Thomas Wood and Thomas Mills William Adheral and John Clement being Prisoners died in the Kings-Bench about the 24th day of the same Moneth The 26th day of the same Moneth a Young man-servant to a Marchant was burnt by the Papists at Liecester The 27th day of the same Moneth there suffered thirteen Persons at one Fire at Stratford near Bow by London cleaven Men and two Women the cleaven Men were tyed to three Stakes and the two Women were loose in the midst without any Stake In the company of these thirteen were three more condemned to die viz. Thomas Freeman William Stamard William Adany The Names of the thirteen that were burnt were as followeth Ralph Jackson Henry Adlington Lyon Cawch Wil. Halnoell George Searles John Ronth John Darisall Henry Wye Edmund Hurst Lawrence Parnham Thomas Bowyer Ellis Pepper Agnes George After they were condemned the Dean of Pauls declared in his Sermon that they held as many Opinions as there were persons wherefore they drew up a Declaration of their Faith to which they all signed some particulars of which were That the Sea of Rome was the Sea of Anti-christ the Congregation of the Wicked c. Whereof the Pope is head under the Devil Also that the Mass was not only a prophanation of the Lords Supper but a Blasphemous Idol That God was neither Spiritually nor Corporally in the Sacrament of the Altar and there remaineth no Substance in the same but only the substance of Bread and Water for these Articles of our Belief said they we being condemned to die do willingly offer our corruptible Bodies to be dissolved in the Fire all with one Voice assenting and consenting thereunto When they were fixamined before the Bloody Bishop and said they would believe all he or they could prove by Scripture he said he would not stand to prove it with Hereticks but said they were the holy Church and you ought said he to believe us or else be cut off like withered Branches About this time Thomas Parres Martin Hunt and John Norrice died Prisoners in the Kings-Bench who were all buried in the back-side of the Prison Three burnt at Edmundsbury The 30th of the Moneth called June there were three persons burnt in one Fire at Edmundsbury in Suffolk whose names were Roger Bernard Adam Foster and Robert Lawson When Roger Bernard came before Doctor Hopton Bishop of Norwick upon Examination the Bishop askt him Whether he had been with the Priest at Easter to be shriven and whether he had received the Sacrament of the Altar or no Bernard said No I have not been to confess to the Priest but I have confessed mysinsto Almighty God and I trust he hath forgiven me wherefore I shall not need to go to the Priest for such matters who cannot help himself Bishop Surely Bernard thou must needs go and confess thy self unto him Bernard That shall I not do by the Grace of God while I live Bishop What a stout Boyly Heretick is this How malipertly he answereth Bernard It doth not grieve me I thank God to be called Heretick at your hands for so your Fore-fathers called the Prophets and Confessors of Christ long before this time After some other words past between them the Bishop rose up sore displeased and Commanded the Goaler to take him away and lay Irons enough on him for said he I will tame him ere he go from me The next day being brought before him again Bishop asked him if he remembred himself since the day before Bernard said Yes I remember my self very well for I am the same man I was yesterday and I hope shall be all the dayes of my life concerning the matter you talked with me of Then one of the Guard being by undertook to Examine him who had him to an Inn where many Priests were assembled together who first began to flatter Roger Bernard and then seeing that would not do they threatned him with Whipping Stocking Burning and such like Bernard tenderly replying said Friends I am no better then my Master Christ and the Prophets which your Fore-fathers served after such sort and I for his Names sake am content to suffer the like at your hands if God shall so permit trusting that he will strengthen me in the same according to his promise When they saw he would not relent or yield they said behold a right Schollar of John Fortune whom they had then in Prison so they carried him again to the Bishop who immediately condemned him as an Heretick and delivered him to the secular power he was a single man a Labourer dwelling in Fransden in Suffolk and was first apprehended for refusing to go the Church so called A Relation of the Examination of John Fortune of Hintlesham Suffolk Black-Smith about in the 20th day of the Moneth called April before ' Doctor Parker and the Bishop written with his own
continued one and hath Sathan so prevailed but the sence of the Action reflicted so much upon his Conscience that it brake the mans heart so that in a short time after he died after he had endured twelve weeks imprisonment Sometime after his Wife was had in Examination before the Bishop what her Answers were at her Examination are not recorded but she was kept in Prison with her tender Infant till they both died the Child was sent out of the Prison but it was past remedy first being almost starved with cold and want of things necessary and the Mans Mother a woman of eighty years of Age being left in the House after their apprehension for lack of comfort there perished also About this time there were five persons famished in Canterbury Castle by the unmerciful Tyranny of the Papists as by the Coppy of this following Letter which the Prisoners threw out of the Castle Window my appear The Letter Be it known to all men that shall read or hear read these our Letters that we the poor Prisoners of the Castle of Canterbury for Gods Truth are kept and lye in cold Irons and our Keepers will not suffer any meat to be brought to us to comfort us and if any do bring any Bread Butter Cheese or other Food the Keeper will charge them to carry it back or else keep it for himself so that we have nothing thereof insomuch that there are four of us Prisoners for Gods truth famished already and thus is it his mind to famish us all and we think he is appointed thereunto of the Bishops and Priests and Justices so to famish us and not only us of the said Castle but also all other Prisoners in other Prisons for the like Cause to be also famished notwithstanding we write not these our Letters to that intent we might not aford to be famished for the Lord Jesus sake but for this cause and intent that they having no Law so to famish us in Prison should not do it privily but that the Murderers hearts should be openly known to all the World that all men may know of what Church they are and who is their Father Out of the Castle of Canterbury About this time there was a consultation held at Cambridge by the Clergy concerning Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius The digging up and burning Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius's Bones two persons dead three or four year before and after much debating they agreed altogether in this determination that they were Sectaries and famous Hereticks and a supplication should be made to the Lords Commissioners in the Name of the whole University that their dead Carcases might forthwith be digged up for that it was against the rule of of holy Canons that their Bodies should be buried in Christian burial And Cardinal Poole sent a Commission to make inquest upon Heresie now after the aforesaid Condemnation was past and the said Commission was read from the Cardinal Doctor Pern desired process might be sent out for Bucer and Phagius to appear or any other that would take upon them to plead their Cause to which the Commissioners condecended and the next day process went out to cite the Offenders which Citation was fixed up in several publick places in Cambridge and soon after Witnesses were sworn and examined against Martin Bucer and Phagius and a time was set for a Jury to bring in their Verdict and in the mean time a Commandment was given forth by the Commissioners for bringing in all Heretical Books and a day there was appointed for Judgment to be given against these Hereticks but when the day came and that neither Bucer nor Phagius would appear at their call in the Court nor that any put forth himself to defend them yet the curteous Commissioners would not proceed to Judgment which for their contumacy in absenting themselves they might have done considering how that day was peremtory but to shew their mercy and equity had rather shew some favour then to take the extent of the Law Whereupon Vincent published the second Process and stuck it up in publick places as before putting off the day of Judgment from the eighteenth to the twenty sixth day of the same Moneth which day being come the Mayor and Burgesses were warned to be present when the Sentence was published which was done by Doctor Scot Bishop of Chester in which Sentence he condemned Bucer and Phagius of Heresie after the Sentence the Bishop commanded their Bodies to be digged out of their Graves and being degraded from holy Orders delivered them into the hands of the secular Power then the Cardinal was advertised how far they had proceeded and he was desired that the Writ De Heretico Comburendo might be sent to Smith Mayor of Cambridge else the business could not be finished in the mean time while the Writ was coming and order was made that the Books before commanded to be searcht for should be thrown into the Fire with them the Writ being come and the dead Bodies being taken up they were Guarded to the Market place a great train of People following them and there Chained to a Post Fire was set to them the Books were thrown in and burnt with them and thus ends this piece of Popish folly And because one University should not mock the other the like piece of folly was acted upon the dead Body of Peter Martyrs Wife at Oxford and honest grave and sober Woman while she lived and of poor People alway a great helper she died in the year 1552. The Cardinals Visitors coming to Oxford among other things had in Commission to take up this good Woman out of her Grave and to consume her Carcass with Fire Stephen Kemp William Hay William Walterer William Prowting William Lowick and Thomas Hudson were all burnt in Kent in the Month called January 1557. Five Persons burnt in Smithfield The next that suffered were these five persons following viz. Thomas Loseby Henry Ramsey Thomas Thirtet Margaret Hide and Agnes Stanley who were Examined upon the general Articles before Bonner's Chancellor to which they particularly answered being thereunto required before Sentence and to declare whether they would recant and what they had to say why he should not pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation Thomas Loseby first answered saying God give me strength to stand against you and your Sentence and your Law which is a devouring Law for it devoureth the Flock of Christ and I perceive there is no way with me but Death except I would consent to your devouring Law and believe in that Idol the Mass Thomas Thirtel said If you make me an Heretick then you make Christ and his Apostles Hereticks for I am in the true Faith and I will stand in it for I know full well I shall have Eternal life therefore Henry Ramsey said Will you have me to go from the Truth that I am in Margaret Hide said You have no cause to give Sentence against me for I
own hand which being large I could not avoid abreviating them for the benefit of the Reader as followeth Woodman Rich. Woodman apprehended the 15th day of the Moneth call'd March 1556. Reader hereby you shall see how the Scriptures are partly fulfilled on me being one of the least of his poor Lambs first you may understand that since I was delivered out of the Bishop of London's hands which was the 18th day of December 1555. which was the same day Philpot was burnt I lay in his Cole-house eight weeks lacking one day and before that I was almost a year and a half in the Kings-Bench after my first apprehending for reproving a Preacher in the Pulpit in the Parish of Warbleton where I dwelt for which I was had to two Sessions before I was sent to Prison and carried to two more Sessions while I was in Prison twice before the Bishop of Chichester and five times before the Commissioners and then sent to the Bishop of Londons Cole-house and many times called before him as it appeareth by my Examinations which the Bishop of Chichester now hath for they were found in my House when I was taken also several had Copies of the same of me when I was in the Cole-house And it pleased God to deliver me with four more out of the Butchers hands requiring nothing else of us but that we should be honest men and Members of the true Catholick Church which we affirmed we were Members of and purposed by Gods help therein to die hereupon we were delivered and he wisht us several times to speak well of him and no doubt he was worthy to be praised because he had been so faithfull a helper in his Master the Devils business for he had burnt John Philpot the same morning in whose blood his heart was so drunk that he could not tell what he did as it appeared to us Q. Mary An. 1556. both before and after for but two dayes before he promised us that we should be condemned that same day we were delivered and the next day after he had delivered us he sought earnestly to take some of us again he waxed dry after his great drunkenness wherefore he is like to have Blood to drink in Hell as he is worthy if he repent not with speed the Lord turn all their hearts if it be his Will After I was delivered the Papists said I had consented unto them rejoycing thereat the which I praised God was not the least in my thoughts but they perceived the contrary in a little time for I went from Parish to Parish and talked with them to thirteen at least and that of the chiefest in the County which so angered them that the Commissioners complained against me to Sr. John Gaye Lord Chamberlain who sent out four or five Warrant to apprehend me but having warning of their laying in wait for me I kept out of their way so that the Bailiffs mist of their prey and were much displeased but three dayes after the Lord Chamberlain sent three of his men to apprehend me I being at Plough with my Folks in the way coming to my House not mistrusting them came to them and spake to them they said that they Arrested me in the King and Queens Name and that I must go with them which suddain words made my Flesh to Tremble and Quake yet I answered them that I would go with them and desired them to go to my House first they said I should Then I remembered my self saying in my heart why am I thus afraid they can lay no evil to my charge if they Kill me for well doing I may think my self happy I remembred how I was formerly contented and glad to die in that Quarrel and so had continued ever since and should I now fear to die God forbid that I should for then were all my Labour in vain then I praised God I was satisfied having considered it was but the frailty of my Flesh which was loath to leave Wife Children and Goods I saw nothing but present Death before mine Eyes and as soon as I was perswaded in my mind to die I had regard of nothing in this World but was as joyfull as ever I was This Battel lasted not a quarter of an hour but I dare say it was sharper then Death it self for the time When I had got my Breakfast I desired them to shew me their Warrant thinking thereby I might see wherefore I was Arrested that I might be the better able to make my defence but one of them answered they had not their Warrant there at which words God put it into my minde that I need not to go with them unless they had their Warrant and I said it 's much you 'l come to take a man without a Warrant and therefore set your hearts at rest I will not go with you unless you carry me by force and so I rose up from the Board and stept into my Chamber thinking to go from them if I could possible seeing God had made the way so open for me I meant to play Peters part with them but God would not have it so but sent a fear amongst them that before I came out of my Chamber again they were gone out of my House When I saw that I knew it was Gods doing to set me at liberty once again yet I was compelled to spake to them saying if you have a Warrant I desire you to shew it me and I will go with you if not I defire you to depart in peace for surely I will not go without the order of the Law I have been too simple in such things already for when I was sent first to Prison the Justices sent for me by one of their men without any Warrant and I went gently to them to two Sessions and they sent me to Prison and kept me there almost a year and three quarters contrary to right and equity and it seemeth strange to me that I should be thus evilly handled therefore I will go to none of them hence forward without legal order Then one of them said we have not the Warrant here but it is at my House the worst is you can but make us fetch it Then said I fetch it if you will and so I shut my door and before they came back with a Constable as God would have it I was gone forth but they searched every corner of my House and at night there came seven men and a Constable to search again but I kept abroad and because I supposed they would lay wait for me and thinking they would not mistrust that I dare be nigh home I told my Wife I would make my Lodging in a Wood near my House as I did under a Tree and there had my Bible Pen and Ink and other necessaries and there I continued six or seven weeks then there came word into the Country that I was seen and spoken with in Flanders whereupon they left laying
Another Letter of John Rough's written to the Congregation two dayes before he suffered The Spirit of all Consolation be with you aid you and make you strong to run to the fight that is laid before you wherewithal God in all Ages hath tryed his Elect and hath found them worthy of himself by coupling to their Head Christ Jesus in whom who so desireth to live godly the same must needs suffer Persecution for it is given unto them not only to believe but also to suffer and the Servant or Scholler cannot be greater then his Lord or Master But by the same way the Head is entered the Members must follow no life is in the Members which are cut from the Body likewise we have no life but in Christ for in him we live move and have our being dear Hearts now departing this life to my great advantage I make change of Mortallity with Immortallity of Corruption to put on Incorruption to make my Body like to the Corn cast into the ground which except it die first can bring forth no good Fruit wherefore Death is to me great advantage for thereby the Body ceaseth from sin and afterwards turneth into the first Original but after it shall be changed and made brighter then the Sun or Moon what shall I writ of this corporal death seeing it is decreed of God that all men shall once dye happy are they that dye in the Lord which is to dye in the Faith of Christ professing and confessing the same before many Witnesses I praise my God I have past the same Journey by many Temptations the Devil is very busy to perswade the World to entice with promises and fair words which I omit to write least some might think I do hunt after vain glory which is farthest from my heart Lastly the danger of some false Brethren who before the Bishop of London purposed to confess an Untruth to my face yet the God that rul'd Balaam moved their hearts where they thought to speak to my Accusation he made them speak to my purgation what a Journey by Gods power I have made these eight dayes before this day it is above Flesh and Blood to bear but as Paul saith I may do all things in him which worketh in me Jesus Christ My course Brethren have I run I have fought a good fight the Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me my day to receive it is not long to pray Brethren for the Enemy doth yet assault stand constant unto the end then shall you possest your Souls walk worthily in that vocation wherewith you are called comfort the Brethren salute one another in my name be not ashamed of the Gospel of the Cross by me preached nor yet of my suffering for with my Blood I affirm the same I go before I suffer first the baiting of the Butchers dogs yet I have not done what I should have done but my weakness I doubt not is supplyed in the strength of Jesus Christ and your Wisdoms and Learning will accept that small Talent which I have distributed unto you as I trust as a faithful Steward and what was undone impute that to frailty and ignorance and with your love cover that which is and was naked in me God knoweth ye are all tender unto me my heart bursteth for the love of you ye are not without your great Pastour of your Souls who so loveth you that if men were not to be sought out as God be praised there is no want of men he would cause stones to Minister unto you cast your care upon that Rock the Wind of Temptation shall not prevail fast and pray for the dayes are evil look up with your Eyes of hope for the Redemption is not far off And also that which is behind of the blood of our Brethren which shall also be laid under the Altar shall cry for your relief time will not now suffer me to write longer Letters the Spirit of God guide you in and our rising and sitting cover you with the Shaddow of his Wings defend you against the Tyranny of the Wicked and bring you happily unto the Part of eternal felicity where all tears shall be wiped from your eyes and you shall alwayes abide with the Lamb. John Rough. The Sufferings and cruel Torments sustained by Cutbert Simson of London at the hands of the cruel Papists This Cuthbert Simsion was a man of a zealous and faithful Spirit for Christ and the true Flock in London Cuthbert Simson Martyr in that day wherein they greatly suffered he ceased not daily to labour and earnestly to endeavour their preservation from the corruption of the Popish Religion his pains zeal travil patience and sidelity was not easily to be expressed as saith the Record A Relation of his cruel Usage in the Tower is as followeth On the 13th day of the Moneth called December he was sent to the Tower by the Councel and on the Thursday following he was called into the Ware-house before the Constable of the Tower and the Recorder of London who prest him to discover the persons he had willed to come to the Meeting he belonged to but he answered he would declare nothing whereupon he was set in the Rack of Iron the space of three hours then they asked him If he would tell them he answered as before then was he loosed and carried to his Lodging and on the day called Sunday following was brought to the same place again before the Lievtenant and Chelmly Recorder of London who again Examined him he answered as before Then the Lievtenant swore by God he should tell and caused his two fore-fingers to be bound together and put a small Arrow betwixt them and drew it threw so fast that the blood followed and the Arrow broke then they Rackt him twice and then carried him to his Lodging again and ten dayes after the Lievtenant asked him If he would confess to whom he answered He had said as much as he would then about five weeks after he sent him to a high Priest who past the Popes curse upon him forbearing Witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ When he was brought before Bonner several Articles were objected against him as denying the Sacraments and Ceremonies of the Church and for being at several great Meetings Assemblies and Conventicles At the same time there were two other persons Examined before Bonner viz. Hugh Fox Hugh Fox and Jo. Devenish Martyrs and John Devenish against whom the general common Articles were produced and they were condemned and burnt with Cuthbert Simson in Smithfield upon the 28th day of the Moneth called March for whose constancy to the Lord in his Quarrel his Name be exalted for evermore Some Passages wrote in a Letter from Cuthbert Simson to his Wife out of the Cole-house are as followeth Dearly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ I cannot writ as I do wish unto you I beseech you with my Soul commit your self under the mighty hand of
their Souls What was amongst them preached was accordingly practiced works of Mercy and Charity were there exercised not only towards those of the Houshold of Faith but even towards them which were without so as many by means hereof were drawn and brought on to the knowledge of Christ They ordained certain Persons who were men fearing God and approved of who went weekly from house to house to collect the Alms of such as they knew to be faithful admonishing every one how to carry themselves in their Vocations and of their duty in contributing towards the relief of the poor Saints And thus each one according to his place endeavouring to express and manifest his Faith by the Fruits thereof namely good works in a short time the Lord raised up a flourishing Meeting in this place so that they consisted of a competent number of Men Women and Children not only of the City but of the Villages nigh In the mean while Satan and his Adherance ceased not to storm and rage hereat not being able long to endure these their holy Meetings Upon the sixth of the Moneth called March about ten at night the Provest of the City with his Sergeants armed themselves to make search if they could find any met together in houses but as then there was no Assembly therefore they went to the house of Robert Ogvier and there violently entered seeking here and there for their prey they found certain Books which they carried away but he whom they principally aimed at was not then in the House viz. Baudicon the Son of the said Robert who according to his usual manner was gone abroad to visit some Brethren but returning home knocking at the Door his brother Martin watching his coming bid him be gone wishing him not to come in he thinking his Brother took him for some other said it is I open the Door with that the Sergeants drew nigh and opened it and he came in Then said the Provest I arrest you all in the Emperors name and commanded each of them to be bound to wit the Husband and his Wife with their two Sons leaving their two Daughters to look to the House now as they conveyed them along through the Streets Baudicon with a voice somewhat extended which might easily be heard at that time of the night said Assist us O Lord by thy Grace not only to be Prisoners for thy Name sake but to confess thy holy Truth in all purity before men so far as to seal the same with our Bloods for the edification of thy poor Church Thus were they brought into several Prisons where they were severally handled yet ceased they not to bless and praise the Lord with one consent within a few dayes after they were brought before the Magistrates of the City and Examined who first spoke to the Father in these words It is told us that you never come to Mass and also diswade others from coming thereto and that you maintain Conventicles in your House whereby you have Transgressed the Laws of the Emperial Majesty Robert answered to this effect We read not in all the Scriptures that either Christ or any of his Apostles ever said Mass for they knew not what it meant As for the second Accusation I cannot nor will deny but there have met together in my House Honest People fearing God I assure you not with intention to wrong or harm any but rather for the advancement of Gods Glory and the good of many I knew indeed that the Emperour had forbiden it but what then I know also that Christ had commanded it who said Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Thus you see I could not well obey the Emperour but I must disobey Christ in this case then I chose rather to obey my God then man When they were brought to the Fire the last words they were heard to pronounce were Jesus Christ thou Son of God into thy hands we commend our Spirits and so they ended their Testimony Within eight dayes after Jane the Mother and Martin her Son were both Executed in the same City The manner of the Merciless Inquisitors Tormenting such as are brought into the Popish Inquisition in Spain When they purpose to torture any one the Gaoler is commanded to bring forth his Prisoner into the accustomed place where it is to be given which place is under the Earth and very obscure then going thorow many turnings and thorow sundry Doors so as the horrible cries of those who are there tortured can in no wise be heard there is a Seat prepared for the Inquisitors on high with a Rigister also to behold their Tragical Act the Torches being lighted those who are to Act their parts in this woful Tragedy are brought in the Tormentor who attends their coming is covered all over with a black Garment close to his Body and on his Head a black Hood which hides his Face from being seen having only two or three holes made therein for himself to see and to breath at and all this is to terrifie the more the poor patient who beholdeth as it were a grim Devil ready to Torment him these Fathers being set upon their Seat begin again to charge the Prisoner voluntary to confess the Truth which if he refuse to do and if it then happen that Arm or any other Member of his Body be broken or that they die on the Torture for that is all the favour he hath shewed him they made it his own fault and none of theirs after they have used all the terrible threats that can be they cause him or her to be stripped stark naked whether Man Woman or Maid though they be never so modest and bashful many having fallen into their bloody fingers thus to to have their nakedness discovered in the sight of others was more greivous then all their Torments besides which they endured laying aside then all Humanity in unclothing them they put upon them linnen Bretches as if their secret parts were better and more honestly covered with Bretches then with Shirt or Smock or as if the Torments they meant to put them to would not pierce deep enough as well in the one as in the other with such shameless Spectacles the chast Inquisitors fed their Ages and with such cruel Lust satisfied their infamous and detestable virginity The Man or Woman standing naked then only covered with little Bretches they beckon to the Tormenter who is well aquainted with their secret sign and watch word and can readily discern what Torments the holy Fathers would have them put to to teach them the Faith of the Roman Church Then standing thus naked they exhort them once again to tell the truth If the Patient be to endure the Cord they tye his hands behind his back pulling him up eight or ten times according to the number of twitches limited by the Inquisitors to the Tormentor that so nothing may be done there
of this Mortal Flesh to be clothed with Robes Immortal we forsake a loathsome Life for joy and felicity eternal ought any gain or exchange to be compared with this O sweet and happy Martyrdom how dost thou dignifie and inrich us in despite of the World Devil and our own Flesh and which of us now can complain seeing our Soveraign Lord and Master has so expresly foretold it to all his Followers will any man come after me saith he Let him then take up his Cross and follow me Let us bear Oh let us then bear the Cross cheerfully and with joyfulness that we may be received in the presence of his heavenly Father for it is not only given us for to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake and if we suffer with him then we shall also Reign with him Oh that we could admire his bounty who no sooner imployes us in his Work but hath the Wages ready in his Hand wherewith to recompence us your sorrow saith he Shall be turned into joy let us then cast off every weight that presseth down and whatsoever else that stands in our way to Heavenward be it Father Mother Brother Sisters Husband Child yea and our own life also let us with the wise Merchant-man sell all that with him we may purchase that pretious Pearl how happy do I esteem them that are called to suffer and leave their Life for confessing the Name of Jesus Christ for the Eternal Son of God will confess their Names before his heavenly Father and his holy Angels they shall be clad with white Robes and shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of Heaven filled with gladness in the Presence of the Lamb they shall eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Let us fix the Eye of our Minds upon these so great and pretious Promises of Jesus Christ which he hath made to all those who persevere in well-doing unto the end Oh! how happy shall we be when we are delivered from these Bodies of Death to live forever with our God Let us then continually pray with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith Oh dear Brethren remember me alwayes in your prayers who am bound here in the Bonds of Anti-christ remember those also who are in Bonds as if you were bound with them Pray I say without ceasing for our Adversary the Devil is alwayes compassing us about to cause our Hearts to faint and you are not ignorant what a potent Enemy our own Flesh is unto us but I confidently believe that our God who hath begun this good Work in me will perfect the same even unto the Day of Christ Farewel When the Massacrees began to play their parts in Rovan they counselled those of the Religion Persecution and Massacree at Rovan to get themselves into the Prisons as into places of greatest security from the fury and rage of the people but such as followed this advice were there even ready to be devoured as poor Sheep by these greedy Wolves at their pleasure Those who were murdered in the City in a few dayes some in their Houses and others in the Prisons amounted to six thousand besides more then fifty Women unto whom they exercised no less Cruelty then upon men Their names for brevity sake are here omitted their dead bodies being piled together were conveyed out of the City in Tumbrils and thrown by heaps one upon another into great pits digged for that purpose Their garments being washed in the River from their Blood by certain poor Women were afterwards distributed here and there to the Poor by the Papists that they might seem with their merciless and unjust Cruelty to mingle some Works of Justice and Charity A Massacree at Tholouse Upon the eight day after the Massacree at Paris about eight of the Clock in the Morning the chief of the Papists at Tholouse received Advertisement of that which had passed with Letters directing them what they were to do then a Council was called at the breaking up whereof the great Gates of the City were shut only the little Wickets left open and shortly after they entered into the houses of those of the Religion whom they imprisoned in sundry Prisons of the City about three weeks after they put all these Prisoners together into the Consciergery which is a special Prison deferring the Slaughter of them until they received Warrant and Authority from Paris which having received the Prisoners were called down to the Stairs foot one after another and there Massacred not permitting them so much leasure as to speak the Councellors who were of the Religion after they had Massacred them they hanged them up in their Gowns upon a great Elm which was in the Court of the Palace and in the mean time sacked and pillaged their houses An English Man burnt at Rome In the year 1595 a young man about the age of twenty five years being at Rome was much stirred in a Religious Zeal against their hornble Idolatry as the Bishop was going a Procession the young man pluckt the Pix out of his hand and threw it to the ground calling Wretched Idolater for which he was apprehended and sent to prison and shortly after Pope Clement the eighth hearing of it ordained that he should be immediately burnt but some of the Cardinals advised that he might rather be kept till a further examination and accordingly they kept him eight dayes in prison but when they see nothing could be drawn from him but these words viz. such was the will of God Then they stripped him naked to the middle and put on the form of a Devil or Dragon upon his head and then bound him in a Cart and carried him to the place of Execution where he was burnt alive Three English men put to death at Rome I find also a Relation of three other English-men put to death at Rome the manner of their sufferings are as followeth They meeting together entered into a Conference concerning the state of the Church at that time complaining that the Zeal of Gods Glory was wonderfully cooled amongst men yea and that even those of the Religion were grown but too worldly wise that Sathan by little and little was sowing the seed of Atheism every where by rocking men asleep in the Cradle of Security whereupon commending themselves into the hands of God they determined to take their Vogage to Rome and there to encounter with the Adversary of Christ thither they came and after two or three dayes two of them behaving themselves modestly did in secret manifest to some the Truth of the Gospel who being betrayed were imprisoned and put to death without any further ado the third resolved to bear his Testimony more publick and therefore taking an opportunity when the Pope was in the midst of his Massing devotion stept quickly to him and pluckt the host out of his hands and trod it under his feet testifying
blessing upon any thing you take in hand The Lord my Brethren and Sisters hath not forgotten to be gracious unto Sion you shall yet find dayes of peace and rest if you continue faithful This standing and treading of us under his feet this subverting of our cause and right in Judgment is done by him to the end that we should search and try our wayes and repent us of our Carelesness Prophaneness and Rebellion in his sight but he will yet maintain the Cause of our Souls and redeem our lives if we return to him yea he will be with us in Fire and Water and will not forsake us if our Hearts be only and especially of the Building of Zion whithersoever we go Let not those of you then that either have Stocks in your hands or some likely Trades to live by dispose of your selves where it may be most commodious for your outward Estate and in the mean time suffer the poor ones that have no such means either to bear the whole Work upon their weak Shoulders or to end their dayes in sorrow and mourning for want of outward and inward comforts in the Land of Strangers for the Lord will be an Avenger of all such dealings but consult with the whole Church yea with the Brethren in other places how the Church may be kept together and built whithersoever they go let not the Poor and the Friendless be forced to stay behind here and to break a good Conscience for want of your support and kindness unto them that they may go with you And here I humbly beseech you not in any outward regard as I shall answer before my God that you would take my poor and desolate Widdow and my mess of Fatherless and Friendless Orphans with you into exile whithersoever you go and you shall find I doubt not that the blessed Promises of my God made unto me and mine will accompany them and even the whole Church for their sakes for this also is the Lords Promise unto the holy Seed as you shall not need much to demand what they shall eat or wherewith they shall be clothed and in short time I doubt not but they will be found helpful and not burthensome to the Church only I beseech you let them not continue after you in this Land where they must be inforced to go again unto Aegypt and my God will bless you even with a joyful return unto your own Country for it There are you who I doubt not will be careful of the performance of the will of your dead Brother in this point who may yet live to shew this kindness unto yours I will say no more Be kind loving and tender-hearted the one of you towards the other labour every way to encrease love and to shew the duties of love one of you towards another by visiting comforting and relieving one the other even for the reproach of the Heathen that are round about us as the Lord saith Be watching in prayer especially remember those of our Brethren that are especially endangered particularly those our two Brethren M. Studley and Robert Boule whom our God hath strengthned now to stand in the fore-front of the Battel I fear me that our carelesness was over great to sue unto our God for the lives of these two so notable Lights of his Church who now rest with him and that he took them away for many respects seeming good to his Wisdom so also that we might learn to become careful in prayer in all such causes pray for them then my Brethren and for our Brother M. Fran. Johnson and for me who am likely to end my dayes either with them or before them that our God may spare us unto his Church if it be his good pleasure or give us exceeding faithfulness and be every way comfortable unto the Sister and Wife of the dead I mean unto my beloved M. Barrow and M. Greenwood whom I most heartily salute and desire much to be comforted in their God who by his Blessings from above will countervail unto them the want of so notable a Brother and Husband I would with you earnestly to write yea to send if you may to comfort the Brethren in the West and North Countries that they faint not in these Troubles and that also you may have of their advice and they of yours what to do in these desolate times and if you think it any thing for their further comfort and direction send them conveniently a Copy of this my Letter and of the declaration of my Faith and Allegiance wishing them before whomsoever they be called that their own Mouthes be not had a Witness against them in any thing yea I would wish you and them to be together if you may whithersoever you shall be banished and to this purpose to bethink you before hand where to be yea to send some who may be meet to prepare you some resting place and be all of you assured that he who is your God in England will be your God in any Land under the whole Heaven for the Earth and the fulness thereof are his and blessed are they that for his Cause are bereaved of any part of the same Finally my Brethren the eternal God bless you and yours that I may meet with you all unto my comfort in the blessed Kingdom of Heaven Thus having from my Heart and with tears performed it may be my last duty towards you in this Life I salute you all in the Lord both men and women even those who I have not named as heartily as those whose names I have mentioned for all your names I know not And remember to stand stedfast and faithful in Jesus Christ as you have received him unto your Immortallity And he Confirm and Establish you to the end for the praise of his Glory Amen The 24th of the 4th Moneth April 1593. Your Loving Brother in the Patience and Sufferings of the Gospel John Penry a Witness of Christ in this Life and a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed I found also a Letter of the said Penry to his Wife which being large I have only inserted some particular sentences thereof as followeth To my beloved Wife Ellinor Penry Partaker with me in this life of the sufferings of the Gospel in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ and resting with me in undoubted hope of the glory that shall be revealed all strength and comfort with all other spiritual graces be multiplyed through Christ Jesus our Lord. I see my blood layd for my Beloved and so my dayes and Testimony drawing to an end for ought I know and therefore I think it my duty to leave behind me this Testimony of my love towards so dear a Sister and loving a Wife in the Lord as you have been unto me First then I beseech you stand fast in that Truth which you and I profess at this present in much outward discomfort and danger let nothing draw you to be subject
other Heresie Schism Rebellion Treason or Faction and whatsoever else is contrary to the wholsome Doctrine of the Gospel or the Prosperity and good estate of this Realm our only desire is so to serve God as that we may please him with reverence and fear abstaining and keeping our Souls and Bodies from all remnants of the Roman Religion Idolatry Imposition and vain will-worship of what sort soever We witness against the unlawful pompous Hierarchy and Priesthood of this Nation as utterly disagreeing from the Testament of Christ and Ministry there appointed in their Offices Callings Administrations and Lord like Livings and Maintenance against the confuse prophane and irreligious multitude of all sorts of vitious Livers baptized into and retained in the Body of the Church of England without voluntary profession of and holy walking in the Faith of the Gospel against their manner of Worship and Service by reading Prayers out of a Book instead of true Spiritual invocation on the Name of the Lord and briesly against all their Popish Abuses and Relicks of the man of sin whatsoever And because this our Testimony maketh against the irregular Authority of the Prelates reproveth their evil Actions and disproveth their Pomp Stateliness Rich Revenues Stipends c. therefore have they in all hostile manner set themselves against us Persecuting us unto Bands Exile and Death it self reproaching us as Schismaticks Donatists Prownists Seditions persons c. though they could never convince us of these or any the like crimes and though we have not ceased neither by Gods Grace will cease to wish and procure good to their Souls and Bodies in the Lord now therefore our humble Request is unto your Majesty Honours and Worships that notwithstanding these differences we may be suffered to return into our native Country there to live in Peace practizing the Faith of Christ which we profess and have long since set forth to the view of the World in our publick Confession wherein none hitherto have shewed us any Error and seeing the People of other Nations are by your Majesty and Honours suffered in this Realm though differing from the Ecclesiastical state of the same we hope that your Highness Natural and Loyal Subjects may find like favour at your hands for although we cannot but hold and Witness the Truth of God against the corruptions remaining yet hold we in no wise lawful for our selves or any Subjects to attempt the reforming or abolishing of these or any the like abuses for God hath committed the Sword into your Majesties hand alone who in his time will perswade we trust your Royal heart to fulfil his will and execute his Judgments upon the Remainders of the Spiritual Babylon which will turn to as great Honour to God Honour to your Majesty and good of this Realm as the abolishing of Abbats Munks Fryart Mass Images c. hath turned heretofore So the Lord of Lords and Ruler of Rulers of the Earth will establish your Crown and Kingdom unto Length of dayes and howsoever this our Suit shall be regarded we will not cease in all places of our Pilgrimage to pray for and procure the good of your Majesty your Honours Worships and all our Country whom God Almighty bless with Long Life and happy dayes on Earth and Crown with Everlasting Glory in the highest Heavens Amen I find that in the year 1604. in this Kings Reign four Persons were banished the Land of England after they had suffered three Moneths Imprisonment for no other cause but seperating themselves from the Church of England refusing to Communicate joyn or pertake with the same in their publick Ministry and Worship reputing many corruptions to be still remaining amongst them which were derived from Popery And thus I have given an Account of such as suffered for Religion in those times and now to conclude I have this further to write by what I have observed upon Histories in several Ages viz. That while any People were under Suffering and Oppression for their Consciences endeavouring to serve and worship God in that Way they believed to be most agreeable to the Scriptures of Truth then the publick Way established in the Kingdom whilst they travelled under this Bondage and Suffering they were low in their minds and the Lord had regard unto them for their hearts were tender and the Lord appeared for them and now when the Lord had tryed this People and at last put Power into their hands and raised them as it were from a low estate they soon forgot his kind dealings with them as for Example the Independants and Presbyterians some of whom I have seen neer forty years since dregged out of their Meetings in private Houses and their Cloathes tore and their Faces covered as it were with dirt and their blood spilt and in this suffering condition they made many Covenants and Vowes to the Lord but this very People afterwards coming into Places of Authority and killing and taking Possession got themselves into the High-Places of the Earth and soon forgot their time of deep Sufferings and being exalted into Goverment they tread in the same steps those had trodden that were their great Persecutors and then they turn'd as riggid Persecutors if not worse then those they had turned out as witness the Innocent Blood they shed both in Old-England and New whose Cruelty under the Visor of a more righteous Cloak is too large here to insert but will be matter sufficient for another Volum and therefore I here conclude this AN ACCOUNT OF THE Just Iudgments of God INFLICTED UPON PERSECUTORS Wherein is shewed The Wicked Lives and most horrible Untimely Deaths of many of the Persecutors of Old Collected out of Ancient Histories and out of the Scriptures CHAP. I The remarkable and righteous Judgments of God which have befaln several Persecutors for Conscience sake mentioned in the Old Testament THe Old Serpent the Devil The Old Serpent who was the first Persecutor for Righteousness sake that ever was in the World who for that very cause hath hunted after the blood of the Saints even from the beginning unto this day was for his Persecution cursed of God above all Creatures Gen. 3.14 Cain persecuted his godly Brother Abel until Death Cain and that for no other cause but for Righteousness sake even because his own works were Evil and his Brothers Good and Righteous 1 John 3. 12. was therefore cursed of God with a bitter curse even from the Presence of God and from the Earth and made a Fugative and Vagabond in the Earth yea so great was his punishment that he said It was greater then he could bear Gen. 4.11 12 13. Ishmael was another Persecutor for he was a Mocker of his Brother Isaac Ishmael the true Seed of God and therefore was cast out with his Mother out of the Family of the Faithful that he might have no part in the Inheritance in the true Seed unto whom the Promise was made Gen. 12.9 10
contrary to the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testimament and by that means ye shall guide your People in the true and pure Service of God not regarding in the mean time the cavelling pretences of the Papists which say that such Questions have been already answer'd at General Councils for it is known well enough that no Council hath been lawful since the Popes have usurped the Principallity and Tyranny upon mens Souls but they have made them serve to their Covetousness Ambition and Cruelty and the contrariety which is among those Councils maketh enough for their disproof beside a hundred thousand other absurdities against the Word of God which be in them the true proof for such matters is in the true and holy Scriptures to the which no times nor Age hath any prescription to be alledged against them for by them we receive the Councils founded upon the Word of God and also by the same we reject that Doctrine which is repugnant And if ye do thus Sir God will bless your enterprise he will encrease and confirm your Reign and Empire and your Posterity if otherwise Destruction is at your Gate and unhappy are the People which shall dwell under your Obedience there is no doubt but God will harden your heart as he did Pharaohs and take of the Crown from your head as he did to Jeroboam Nadah Baza Ahab and to many other Kings and give it your Enemies to triumph over you and your Children And if the Emperor Antonyne the meek although he was a Pagan and Idolator seeing himself bewrapt with so many wars ceased the Persecutions which were in his time against the Christians and determined in the end to hear their Cause and Reasons how much more ought you that bear the name of most Christian King to be careful and diligent to cease the Persecutions against the poor Christians seeing they have not troubled nor do trouble in any wise the Sate of your Kingdom and your Affairs Considering also that the Jews are suffered throughout all Christendom although they be mortal Enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ which we hold by common accord and consent for our God Redeemer and Saviour and that until you have heard lawfully debated and understand our Reasons taken out of the Holy Scriptures and that your Majesty have judged if we be worthy of such punishments for if we be not overcome by the Word of God the Fire the Sword nor the cruel Torments shall not make us afraid these are Exercises that God has promised his the which he fortold should come in the last times that they should not be troubled when such things came upon them Translated out of the French Book intituled Commentaries of the State of the Church and Publique Weale page 7. Notwithstanding the Letter and warning the King no whit abated his cruel Persecution against the Lords People but rather was the more hardened in heart and inflamed against them pouring out great Threatning against them But the Lord in whose hand the hearts of Kings are caused him to stoop for shortly after in a publick Triumph or Jusling Mountgomery and the King met together so stoutly that in breaking their Spears the King was stricken with a counter blow right in one of his Eyes and the shivers entered into his Head so that his Brains festered and perished and no remedy could be found but he dyed having reigned twelve years three moneths and ten dayes Amongst others it is not to be forgoten the Example of Gods just Scourge upon Sigismundus the Emperor A just Judgment upon Sigismundus the Emperour who after his wrongful condemnation of John Husse and Hierome of Prage nothing afterwards went prosperous with him but all contrary so that he died without issue and in his wars he ever had the worst and not long after Ladis Laus his Daughters son King of Hungary fighting against the Turk was slain in the Field so that in the time of one Generation all the Posterity and Off-spring of this Emperor perished besides this Barbara his Wife came to such ruin by her wicked Lewdness that she became a shame and slander to the name and state of all Queens whereby all Christian Princes may be warned how they defile themselves with the blood of Saints an Martyrs And thus the Reader may see all along throughout the Scriptures and by the record of Antient Histories The Conclusion how God hath avenged the the Cause of his People against all Persecutors for Conscience sake of every Age almost from the beginning unto these Times and now these Examples may be a Warning to the Persecutors of this Age who have made Spoil of the People of God and have the Spoil in their Houses and though such Oppressors may be lifted up because Judgment is not speedily executed yet let such consider their wayes and repent before it be too late for the Lord is at the Door and beholds the Actions of such as grind the face of his People and though he hath long forbearance yet his Judgments will come if there be not repentance in time Return therefore whilst ye have time O ye Persecutors and wicked Men for the day of the Lord is at hand It shall come as a Destruction from the Almighty therefore shall all hands be faint and every mans heart shall melt and they shall be afraid Pangs and Sorrows shall take hold upon them they shall be in Pain as a Woman that travelleth they shall be amazed one at an other their faces shall be as Flames Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel both with Wrath and fierce Anger to lay the Land desolate and he shall destroy the Sinners thereof out of it and will punish the World for their Evil and the wicked for their Iniquity and will cause the arrogancy of the Proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the Terrible A Christian Plea AGAINST PERSECUTION For the Cause of CONSCIENCE Grounded Upon Scripture Reason Experience and Testimonies OF Princes and learned Authors Acts 5.38 39. Now I say unto you Refrain from these Men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of Men it will come to nought but if it be of God you cannot overthrow it lest happily you be found Fighters against God Printed and Published for the Service of Truth The Contents I. REason against Persecution is because it is Contrary to the Scriptures II. Reason against Persecution for the cause of Conscience is because it is against the Profession and Practice of Famous Princes III. Reason against Persecution is because it is condemned by the antient and the later Writers IV. Reason It s no prejudice to a Kingdom or Common-wealth if Liberty of Conscience be suffered to such as fear God as is or will be manifested iâ— such mens Lives and Conversations as Scripture-Examples Testifie V. Several Testimonies shewing that Conscience ought to be free and not to be imposed upon and no person
presently for I had often thought of the Prophesie that in the Gospel our Swords should be turned into Plow-shares and our Spears into Pruning-hooks I thought it my duty to plead for Peace and Charity and Forgiveness and Permissions mutual Although we must contend earnestly for the Faith yet this contention must be with Arms sit for the Christian Warfare the Sword of the Spirit the Shield of Faith c. but not with other Arms for a Church-man must not be a Striker for the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Spiritual I being most of all troubled that men should be persecuted and afflicted for disagreeing in such opinions which they cannot with sufficient grounds obtrude upon others necessarily because they cannot propound them infallibly Considerations are to be had to the Persons of men and to the Laws of Charity more then to the triumphing in any Opinion c. If the Persons be Christians in their life and Christians in their profession if they acknowledge the Eternal Son of God for their Master and the Lord and live in all relations as becomes Persons making such professions why then should I hate such Persons whom God loves and who love God who are pertakers of Christ and Christ hath a Title to them who dwell in Christ and Christ in them because their understandings have not been brought up like mine have not had the same Masters they have not met with the same Books have not the same Opinions that I have and do not determine their School Questions to the same sence of my Sect or Interest And whatsoever is against the Foundation of Faith or contrary to good Life or destructive to humane society is out of the limits of my Question and doth not pretend to compliance or toleration The fault I find and seek to remedy is That men are so dogmatical and resolute in their Opinions and impatient of others disagreeing in those things wherein is no sufficient means of Union and Determination but that men should let Opinions and Problems not be obtruded as Axioms nor Questions in the vast collection of the Systeme of divinity be adopted into the Family of Faith It s hard to say that he who would not have men put to death or punished corporally for such things for which no human Authority is sufficient for Cognizance or Determination or competent for infliction that he perfwades to an indifferency when he refers to another Judicatory which is competent sufficient infallible just and highly severe for God alone must be Judge of these matters who alone is Master of our Souls and hath the Dominion over humane understanding God alone is Judge of erring Persons I earnestly contend that another mans Opinion shall be no Rule to mine and that my Opinion shall be no Snare and Prejudice to my self that men use one another so charitably that no error or violence tempt men to Hypocrisie this very thing being one of the Arguments I used to perswade Permissions lest Compulsion introduce Hypocrisie and make Sincerity troublesom c. From the Dictates of holy Scriptures it is observable that this with its appendant degrees I mean restraint of Prophesying imposing upon other mens understandings being Masters of their Consciences and lording it over their Faith came in with the retinue and train of Antichrist as other abuses and corruptions of the Church did by reason of the iniquity of the times and the cooling of the first heats of Christianity and the increase of interest and the abatements of Christian simplicity when the Churches fortune grew better and her Sons grew worse and some of her Fathers worst of all For in the first three hundred Years there was no sign of persecuting any man for his Opinion though at that time there were very horrid Opinions commenced and they who used all means Christian and Spiritual for their disimprovement and conviction thought not of using corporal force and therefore I do not only urge their not doing it as an Argument of the unlawfulness of such proceeding but their defying it and speaking against such practises as unreasonable and destructive to Christianity for so Tertullina is express Humani juris naturalis potestatis uni cuique quod putaverit colere sed nec religionis est cogere religionem quae suscipi debet sponte non vi it s of humane right and natural power for every one to worship what he thinks but neither is it the part of Religion to compel Religion which ought to be undertaken of its own accord The same is the Doctrine of Cyprian Lactantius Hillary Minutius Faelix Sulpitius Severus Chrisostom Hierom Austin Damaseen Theophilact Socrates Scholasticus and Bernard All wise Princes till they were over-born with Faction and solicited by peevish persons gave Toleration to differing Sects But at first there were some heretical persons that were so impatient they were the men that first intreated the Emperor to persecute the Catholicks but till four hundred years after Christ no Catholick persons or very few did provoke the secular Arm or implore its aid against the Hereticks save only that Arrius behaved himself so seditiously and tumultuarily that the Nicene Fathers procured a temporary Decree for his relegation but it was soon taken off and God left to be his Judge But as the Ages grew worse so men grew more cruel and unchristian and in the Greek Church Atticus and Nestorius of Constantinople Theodocius of Synoda and some few others who had forgotten the mercies of their great master and their own duty grew implacable and furious and impatient of contradiction It was a bold and arrogant Speech which Nestorius made in his Sermon before Theodotius the younger Damihi O Emperator terram ab Haereticis repurgatam ego tibi vicissim coelum dabo disperde mecum Haereticos ego tecum disperdam Persas which is in English O Emperor give to me the Land purged from Hereticks and I instead thereof will give thee heaven destroy me the Hereticks and I will destroy with thee the Persians It was as groundless as unwarrantable as it was bloody and inhumane And we see the contrary events prove truer for Theodosius and Valentinian were prosperous Princes and have the reputation of great piety but they were so far from doing what Nestorius had suggested that they restrained him from his violence and immanity and Theodosius did highly commend B. Proclus for his sweetness of deportment towards erring persons far above the cruelty of his Predecessor Atticus And the experience which Christendom hath had in this last Age is Argument enough That Tole ration of differing Opinions is so far from disturbing the publick peace or destroying the Interest of Princes and Commonwealths that it doth advantage the Publick it secures the Peace because there is not so much as the Pretence of Religion left to such persons to contend for it being already indulged to them When France fought against the Hugonots the spilling of their own
Blood was Arguments enough of the imprudence of that way of promoting Religion but since she hath given permission to them c. The great instance is in the differing Temper Government and Success which Margaret of Parma and the Duke of Alva had the clemency of the first had almost extinguished the Flame but when she was removed D. Alva succeeded and mannaged the matter of Religion with Fire and Sword he made the Flame so great that his Religion and his Prince too had both been almost turned out of the Countrey Pellie mediosapientiam quoties vi res agitur said Ennius Wisdom is driven out when the matter is acted by force And therefore the best of men and most glorious of Princes were alwayes ready to give Toleration Eusebeus in his second Book of the life of Constantine reports these words of the Emperor Parem cum fidelibus ij qui errant pacis quietis fruitionem gaudentes accipiant ipsa si quidem communicationis societatis restitutio ad rectam etiam veritat is viam perducere potest nemo cuiquam molestis sit quisque quod animo destinat hoc etiam faciat Let them which err with joy receive the like fruition of Peace and quietness with the Faithful sith the restoring of communication and society may bring them into the right Way of Truth Let none give molestation to any let every one do as he determines in his mind And indeed there is great reason for Princes to give Toleration to disagreeing persons whose Opinions cannot by fair means be altered for if the persons be confident they will serve God according to their perswasions and if they be publickly prohibited they will privately convene and then all those inconveniences and mischiefs which are Arguments against the permission of Conventicles are Arguments for the publick permissions of differing Religions c. they being restrained and made miserable indears the discontented persons mutual and makes more hearty and dangerous confederations King James in his Letters to the States of the United-Provinces dated March 6.1613 thus wrot Ita ut prohibeatis Ministros vestros ne eas disputationes in suggestum aut ad plebem ferant ac districte impertis ut pacem colant se in vicem tolerando in ista opinionum ac sententiarum discrepantia So that you may forbid your Ministers that they bring not those Disputations into the Pulpit or to the People and strictly command that they embrace peace among themselves by Tolerating in that difference of Opinions and Judgments The like Counsel in the divisions of Germany at the first Reformation was thought reasonable by the Emperor Ferdinand and his excellent Son Maximilian for they had observed That Violence did exasperate was unblest unsuccesful and unreasonable and therefore they made Decrees of Toleration And the Duke of Savoy repenting of his War undertaken for Religion against the Piedmontans promised them Toleration and was as good as his word As much is done by the Nobility of Polenia so that the best Princes and the best Bishops gave Toleration and Impunities but it is known that the first Persecution of disagreeing Persons was by the Arrians by Circumcellians and Donatists and from them they of the Church took Example c. And among the Greeks it became a publick and authorized practise till the question of Images grew hot and high for then the Worshippers of Images having taken their example from the Empreis Irene who put her son's eyes out for making an Edict against Images began to be as cruel as they were deceived especially being encouraged by the Pope of Rome who then blew the Coales to some purpose I may upon this occasion give account of this affair in the Church of Rome it is remarkable that till the time of Justinian the Emperor A. D. 525. the Catholicks and Novatians had Churches indifferently permitted even in Rome it self but the Bishops of Rome whose interest was much concerned in it spoke much against it and laboured the eradication of the Novatians and at last when they got power into their hands they served them accordingly but it is observed by Sâ—crates that when the first persecution was made against them at Rome by Pope Innocent the first at the same instant the Goths invaded Itally and became Lords of all it being just in God c. And I have heard it observed as a blessing upon S. Austin who was so merciful to erring Persons as the greatest part of his life to tolerate them and never to indure that they should be given over to the seculer power to be killed that the very night the Vandals set down before his City of Hippo to besiege it he died and went to God being taken from the miseries to come But in the Church of Rome the Popes were the first Preachers of Force and Violence in matters of Opinion and that so zealously that Pope Vigilius suffer'd himself to be imprisoned and handled roughly by the Emperor Justinian rather then he would consent to the restitution and peace of certain disagreeing persons c. The first that preached that Doctrine was dominick the Founder of the Begging Order of Friars The Friars Preachers in memory of which the Inquitision is intrusted only to the Fryars of his order and if there be any force in Dreams or truth in Legends c. This very thing might be signified by his mothers Dream who the night before Dominick was born dreamed she was brought to bed of a huge Dog with a Fire-brand in his mouth sure enough however his Disciples expound the Dream it was a better sign that he should prove a Rabid furious incendiary then any thing else what ever he might be in the other parts of this life in this Doctrine he was not much better as appears in his deportment towards the Abligences against whom he so preached Adeo quidem ut centum hereticorum millia ab octo millibus catholicorum fuse interfecta fuisse probiantur saith one of him and of those who were taken one hundred and eighty were burned to death because they would not abjure their Doctrine this was the first Example of putting erring Persons to death that I find in the Romish Church By this time I hope it will not be thought unreasonable to say He that teaches mercy to erring Persons teaches indifferency in Religion unless so many Fathers and so many Churches and the best of Emperors and all the World till they were abused by Tyranny Popery and Faction did teach indifferency For I have shewn that Christianity doth not punish corporally persons erring Spiritually but indeed Popery doth The Donatists and Circumcelians and Arrians and Itaciani they of old did in the middle Ages the Patrons of Images did and the Papists at this day do and have done ever since they were taught it by their St Dominick Let all Errors be as much and as zealously supprest as may be but let it be done by such means as are
Augastinus said Some disturbed the Peace of the Church while they went about to root out the TARES before the time and through this Error of Blindness said he are they themselves separated so much the more from being united unto Christ Retnaldus testified That he who with Imprisoning and Persecuting seeketh to spread the Gospel and greaseth his Hands with Blood shall much rather be looked upon for a wild Hunter then a Preacher or a Defender of the Christian Religion The State of Holland testified Dat waer vervolginghen Zijndatter daer al in roere is maer waer geen en sijdor verscheijden Religion dat dare alle saclren stilder sijn so oâ—lr in onse ijden is levon den that is Where there was Persecution there was all in distraction but where there was none though there were several Religions there all things were the quieter as hath been evident in our dayes said they Vide Urede Handel Van. Col. Fol. 53. Calvin said That those that are set over us must be obeyed if that the Command of God be not thereby disobeyed but if they lead us from obedience to God and presumptionsly strive against the Lord then must they not be regarded said he to the end that God with his Authority may retain the preheminence A Book written in French by N. M. Anno 1576. hath this Sentence in it Those Princes that have ruled by Gentleness and Clemency added to justice and have exercised Moderation and Meekness towards their Subjects alwayes greatly Prospered and Reigned long But on the contrary those Princes that have been Cruel Unjust Perfidious and Oppressors of their Subjects have soon fallen they and their Estate into danger or total ruin Veritus said Seeing Christ is a LAMB whom you profess to be your Head and Captain then it behoveth you to be Sheep and to use the same WEAPONS which he made use of for he will not be a Shepherd of Wolves and wild Beasts but only of SHEEP wherefore if you lose the Nature of Sheep said he and be changed into Wolves and wild Beasts and use fleshly Weapons then will you exclude your selves out of his Calling and forsake his Banner and then will he not be your Captain Stephanus King of Poland said It belongeth not to me to reform the Conscience I have alwayes gladly given that over to God which belongeth to him and so shall I do now and also for the future I will suffer the WEEDS to grew untill the time of Harvest for I know that the number of Believers are but small therefore said he when some were proceeding in persecution ' Ego sum Rex Populorum non Conscientiarum that is I am the King of the People not of their Consciences he also affirmed That Religion was not to be planted with FIRE and SWORD Chron. Van. de Rel. Urijh 2. deel Tindal said The New Testament of Christ suffered no Law of Compelling but alone of Perswading and Exhorting Fox Acts and Mon. page 1338. The Prince of Orange testified Anno 1579. That it was impossible that the Land should be kept in Peace except there was a free Toleration in the Exercise of Religion Where hast thou ever read in thy dayes said Menno in the Writings of the Apostles that Christ or the Apostles ever cryed out to the Magistrates for their Power against them that would not hear their Doctrine not obey their Words I know certainly said he that where the Magistrate shall Banish with the SWORD there is not the right Knowledge spiritual Word nor Church of Christ it is Invocare Brachium Seculare It is not Christian like but Tyrannical said D. Philipson to Banish and Persecute People about FAITH and Religion and they that so do are certainly of the Pharisaical Generation who resisted the Holy Ghost Erasmus said That though they take our Moneys and Goods they cannot therefore hurt our Salvation they afflict us much with Prisons but they do not thereby separate us from God In de Krijdges wrede Fol. 63. Lucernus said He that commandeth any thing wherewith he bindeth the Conscience this is an Antichrist Inde Benuse disp Fol. 71. It was Lather's Opinion That those that stirred up the Princes to persecure about Religion they raised the Uproar Thesaur pag. 679. SECT VIII Several Reasons rendred why no outward Force nor Imposition ought to he used in Matters of Faith and Religion by R. H. S. F. and F. H. LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE ought to be allowed in the dayes of the Gospel in the free Exercise of it to God-ward without Compulsion in all things relating to His Worship for these REASONS following 1. Because the General and Universal Royal-Law of Christ commands it Matthew 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and Prophets That which every man would have and receive from another he ought by Christ RULE to give and allow it to another But every man is willing to have the LIBERTY of his OWN CONSCIENCE therefore ought to ALLOW it to another 2. Because no man can perswade the Conscience of another either what God is or how he should be worshipped but by the Spirit which God hath given to instruct man in the Ways of Truth 3. Because all Obedience or Service that is obtained by force is for fear of Wrath and not from Love nor for Conscience sake and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them 4. Because that by forcing no man can make a Hypocrite to be a true Believer but on the contrary many may be made Hypocrites 5. Because that in all forced Impositions upon mens Consciences there is something of the wrath of man exercised which works not the Righteousness of God but rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another 6. Because that by forcing any thing upon mens Consciences as to matters of Faith and Worship many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed when as otherwise through Love and gentle Instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience 7. Because that Persecution for Conscience contradicteth Christs Charge Matthew 13. who bids that the Tares or false Worshippers be suffered to grow together in the Field or World till the Harvest or End of the World 8. Because Force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used viz. The preservation and safety of the Wheat which End is not answered by Persecution because the Wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby as Christ saith 9. Because to Force is inconsistant with the belief of the Jews Conversion and other false Worshippers which is prayed for by the publick Teachers and cannot be attained if Persecution for Conscience be prosecuted 10. Because they that impose upon mens Consciences exercise Dominion over mens Faith which the Apostles denied saying They had not Dominion over any mans Faith 11. Because Imposition upon mens Consciences necessitates them
miserably Also one named Claude De Astes a Councellor in the said Court the same day he gave his Opinion and Consent to burn a faithful Christian albeit it was not done indeed as he would have it after he had dined committed Whoredom with a Servant in the House and even in doing the Act was stricken with a disease called an Apoplexia whereof he died out of hand Peter Lyset chief President of the said Court and one of the Authors of the aforesaid burning Chamber was deposed from his Office for being known to be out of his right wit and bereaved of his understanding Also John Moren Lievtenant Crimnel of the Provost of Paris after he had been the cause of the Death of many Christians was finally stricken with a disease in the Legs called the Wolves whereby he lost the use of them and died also out of his wits many dayes before denying and blaspheming God Likewise John Andrew Book-Binder of the Palace a spie for the President Liset and of Bruseard the Kings Soliciter died in a Fury of Madness The Inquisitor John De Roma in Province his flesh fell from him by piece-meal and so stinking that no man might come near him for the smell thereof Also John Minerius of Province who was the cause of the death of a great Number of Men Women and Children at Cabriers and at Merindol died with bleeding in the lower parts the Fire having taken his Belly blaspheming and despising God besides many other whereof we might make recital which were punished with the like kind of death It may please your Majesty to remember your self that ye had no sooner determined to set upon us but new troubles were by and by moved by your Enemies with whom ye could make no Agreement which God would not suffer forasmuch as your Peace was grounded upon the Persecution which ye pretended against Gods Servants as also your Cardinals cannot let through their cruelty the course of the Gospel which hath taken such root in your Realm that if God should give you leave to destroy the Professers thereof you should be almost a King without Subjects Tertullian hath well said that the blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Gospel wherefore to take away all these evils coming of the riches of the Papists which cause so much Whoredom Sodomitry and Incest wherein they wallow like Hogs feeding their idle Bellies the best way were to put them from their Lands and Possessions as the Old Sacrificing Levites were according to the express Commandment given to Joshua for as long as the Commandment of God took place and that they were void of Ambition the purity of Religion remained whole and perfect but when they began to aspire to Principallity Riches and worldly Honours then began the Abomination of Desolation that Christ foretold It was even so in the Primitive Church for it flourished and continued in all pureness as long as the Ministers were of small wealth and sought not their particular profit but the Glory of God only but since the Pope began to be Prince like and to usurp the Dominion of the Empire under the colour of a false Donation of Constantine they have turned the Scriptures from their true sence and have attributed the service to themselves which we owe to God wherefore your Majesty may seize with good right upon all the Temperallities of the Benefices and that with a safe Conscience to Employ them to their true and right use First For the finding and maintaining of the faithful Ministers of the Word of God for such Livings shall be requisite for them according as the case shall require Secondly For the entertainment of your Justices that give Judgment Thirdly For the relieving of the poor and Maintenance of the Colledges to instruct the poor Youths in that which they shall be most apt unto and the rest which is infinite may remain for entertainment of your own Estate and Affairs to the great easment of your poor People which alone bear the Burden and possess in manner nothing In this doing an infinite Number of men and even of your Nobility which live of the Crucifex should imploy themselves to your Service and the Common Wealths so much the more diligently as they see that ye recompence none but those that have deserved whereas now there is an infinite Number of men in your Kingdom which occupy the chiefest and greatest Benifices which never deserved any part of them c. And thus much touching the Superfluous Possessions of the Popish Lordly Clergy Now proceeding further in this Exhortation to the King thus the Letter importeth But when the Papists see they have not to alledg for themselves any reason they say to make odious to your Majesty the Lutherans as they call us and say if their sayings take place ye shall be fain to remain a private person and that there is never change of Religion but there is also change of Princedom a thing as false as when they accuse us to be Sacramentaries and that we deny the Authority of Magistrates under the shaddow of a certain furious Anabaptist which Sathan hath raised in our time to Darken the Light of the Gospel for the Histories of the Emporors which have begun to receive the Christian Religion and that which is come to pass in our time shew the contrary Was there ever Prince more feared and obeyed then Constantine in receiving the Christian Religion Was he therefore put from the Empire No he was thereby the more confirmed and established in the same and also his Posterity which ruled themselves by his Providence but such as are fallen away and followed mens Traditions God hath destroyed and their Race is no more known in the Earth so much doth God detest them that forsake him and in our time the late Kings of England and Germany were they constrained in reproving Superstitions which the wickedness of the time hath brought in to forsake their Kingdoms and Princedoms All men see the contrary and what honour fidelity and obedience of the people in our time that have received the Reformation of the Gospel do under their Princes and Superiours yae I may say that the Princes knew not before what it was to be obeyed at that time when the rude and ignorant people received so readily the dispensations of the Pope to drive out their own Kings and Natural Lords The true and only remedy Sir is that ye cause to be holden a holy and free Council where ye should be chief and not the Pope and his who ought but only to defend their causes by the holy Scriptures that in the mean while ye may seek out men not corrupted suspected nor partial whom ye may charge to give report faithfully unto you of the true sence of the holy Scriptures and this done after the Example of the good King Jehosaphat Hezekias and Josiâ—â— ye shall take out of the Church all Idolatry Superstitions and Abuse which is found directly