Praelates might be admitted into the City swearing with a great oath that he had continued the sieg so long only that he might seek the salvation of their souls The Citizens giving credit to his promise not suspecting his treachery after mutuall Oaths given on either side admitted him with the Praelates and their followers into the City but contrary to their oaths the Frenchmen followed violently rushing into the City when the Gates were open and seizing upon the Citizens they bound them plundered their houses and slew many and having thus by treachery made themselves Masters of the City they brake downe the walls and the strong towers of that noble City During this sieg their perished more then 22000. of the Pilgrims by famine sword pestilence and other waies and so the rest returned to their owne homes Anno Christi 1228. The Pope now Gregory being implacably bent to rout out the Albingenses stirred up the young King of France against them who sent a great Army into Provence vtterly to destroy them which Army hearing that the Earle of Tholouse was in the castle called Saracen they purposed to besieg him as being there shut up But the Earl having notice of their intent with strong troopes he lay in ambush in a wood through which they were to passe when they were come to the place he gallantly assaulted them after a bloudy fight slew many took two hundred Knights about two thousand men at Arms The Knights he imprisoned but of the other he caused some of their eyes to be pulled out others to have their noses cut off and so dismissed them That summer the King of France sent three Armies against them all which were either put to flight or taken and imprisoned by the said Earl Mathew Paris Yet the same yeare Imbert of Beavim went against them with a great Army of Crossed souldiers amongst whom were three Arch-bishops every one with the Pilgrimes of his Jurisdiction And the Earl of Tholouse being as it sâ—emes unprovided was faigne to shut up himselfe within the wals of Tholouse where he was strongly besieged by the Pilgrimes who also wasted and spoiled his country and harvest far and nere on every side And the siege continuing the Citizens suffered great Famine and when they were brought to this extremity the Abbat of Grandsylue went from the Popes Legate to offer peace to Earl Remund and the Tholousians Some of the Earls Captains disswaded him from it knowing the perfidiousnesse of the Papists but the cries of the hunger starved multitude prevailed so that a Truce was agreed upon for certaine daies and Earl Remund upon the day appointed went to the place where the peace should be concluded But when he came thither the Abbat perswaded him that it was necessary that the agreement should be perfected in the presence of the Queen Mothers who was regent of France and pawned his faith to him that if he would go to her she should go and returne in safety The Earl overcome by these promises assented and Meaux was the place chosen by the Queen for their meeting But as soone as Earl Remund came thither contrary to all oaths and engagements he was made a prisoner and had a guard set upon him that he might not start aside and instead of a treaty he must submit to whatsoever should be enjoyned It was a lamentable thing saith the Historiographer of Languedock to see so brave a man that for so long a time was able to resist the whole power of France to come in his shirt and linnen breeches barefoot and bare-leged to the Altar in the presence of the Cardinals and their to accept of such hard and unreasonable conditions as they were pleased to impose upon him Amongst which these were some that he should abjure the Heresie which hitherto he had defended That for the future he should be subject to the Church of Rome That he should cast all the Hereticks out of his dominions That he should give his only daughter Joane in marriage to one of the King of France his brethren That he should pay a yearly stipend to six Popish Professors of the liberall Arts and to two Grammarians at Tholouse That he should take upon him the Crosse and for five years wage warre against the Saracens and other enemies of the Faith and Church And lastly that he should levell with the ground the walls of the City of Tholouse and the walls of 30. other Cities and Castles at the appointment of the Legate and fill up their ditches and so remaine a prisoner in the Louver at Paris till his daughter Joane was discovered to the Kings messengers at Carcasson Anno Christi 1229. diverse Councils were held against the Albingenses One at Tholouse the Acts whereof were proclaimed in that City by Romanus the Popes Legate another at Narbonne where more and more cruell decrees were made against them A third at Beziers exceeding in rigour both the former and amongst the rest an oath of abjuration whereby all persons Males at fourteen yeares old Females at twelve yeares old were to abjure all Heresie as they called it and to swear that they would keep the Faith and defend the Catholike Church and persecute all the opposers of the same and that all that took not this oath within fifteen daeis should be held suspected of Heresie and proceeded against accordingly also another Article was in these words Item we forbid the use of the Old and New Testament to the Lay people Forbidding expressely that they have not the said books turned into the vulgar tongue Also the same yeare on Munday Thursday Pope Gregory proclaimed Ecclesastical censures against them and sent the prime Inquisitors of Dominicks order into France to put the same in execution he wrote also to Lewis King of France to cast all those Hereticks out of France and to cause the Earl of Tholouse to do the like in his Dominions and to place new counsellors about him that might instruct him in the Catholike Faith and Manners and to cast all such from about him as might corrupt him And whereas the Kingdom of Arragon was infected with Heresie Pope Gregory gave the Arch-Bishop thereof and his Suffragans power to erect an inquisition against them Anno Christi 1232. Died Fulco Arch-Bishop of Tholouse who had labored twenty six years in extinguishing the Gospellers whom Remund of Fulgaerio succeeded and so manfully behaved himself that in his first year he caused nineteen of the Albingenses to be apprehended and put to cruell deaths within his Diocess Anno Christi 1233. Queen Blanch and the Popes Legate so over awed the Earl of Tholouse that they caused him to make cruell edicts against his owne subjects of the Albingensian Religion That they should be persecuted searched out and taken That whosoever could apprehend any one of them should have a Mark for each of them so taken that all that were
in a dunghil as wheat amongst chaff as gold in the fire till it pleased God to disperse the Gospell in a more generall and publick way by the Ministry of Luther and his associates and fellow-labourers in the Lord at which time these Albingenses received with greediness the Doctrine of the Gospel and so became more eminent in their profession of piety then they were formerly Laus Deo Collected out of a Book called Luthers Forerunners and out of Cades Justification of the Church of England and diverse other Authors Here place the sixth Figure CHAP. XXV The Persecution of the Church of God in Bohemia which began Anno Christi 894. THe Bohemians were Heathens and Idolaters till their Duke or Captain Borivoius going into Moravia Anno Cristi 894. by a strange providence of God was converted to the knowledge and faith of Christ whereupon he together with thirty other Palatines was baptized At his return into Bohemia he took along with him Methudius Bishop of Moravia by whose Ministry Ludomilla the Dukes wife was converted and baptized Borivoius busying himself in erecting divers Schooles and Churches it pleased God that in a short time a great harvest was gathered many of the Nobility and Commons being daily converted and baptized but Satan envying the progresse of the Gospel presently raised up persecution against the Professors of it For first of all Borivoius was banished by the wicked faction of the Idolaters and then compelled to resign his Dominion to his Eldest Son who being dead his younger son Boratislaus succeeded who was a very holy man yet was drawn to marry Drahomira famous for nobility and beauty but a Heathen yet she promised after instruction to be baptized and during her husbands life she cunningly concealed her hatred against Christians but he being dead the grandmother Ludomilla educated the elder son Wenceslaus and Drahomira took the younger Bolislaus and usurped the government commanding the Christian Churches to be shut up the exercises of their worship to cease prohibiting Ministers from instructing the people and Schoolemasters from teaching youth such as disobeyed were imprisoned banished and put to death At Prague the Magistrates were changed and cruell Idolaters substituted in the rooms of Christians by whose incitements the poor Christians were secretly openly and unworthily murthered and abused whilest the murtherers went away with impunity but if any Christian killed a Heathen though in his own defence ten Christians were massacred for that one Yet the insatiable cruelty of Drahomira was not satisfied herewith but that she might destroy all the Christians she dealt with one Balloius a cruell wretch whom she had set over the City of Prague earnestly entreating him by fraud or force to effect it promising him a great reward if he did it He thereupon arms six hundred Conspirators at his own house with whom he hastens to those that were designed for slaughter but the plot through Gods mercy being discovered to the Christians four hundred of them met to defend their own lives the issue of the fight was victory to the Christians the streets being polluted with the bloud of eight hundred that were slain Then did Drahomira pretend that she was much displeased with the tumult commanding that the Arms of both parties should be brought in to the City magazine severely forbidding any man to walk with dart or sword the Christians though suspecting her fraud yet that they might not seem disobedient brought their arms to the Magazine the enemies pretending also to do the like This being done Drahomira imploies her cut-throats in the night to set upon the unarmed Christians whereby above three hundred of them were slain in one night This Drahomira much rejoyceth at but yet not satisfied she commands the Major of Prague to destroy all the Christians whereupon he besets all the streets and passages and slaies all that he meets withall till the Christians gathering themselves together encounter with him put him to flight and in the pursuit slew this wicked person This so enraged Drahomira that she commanded the two Churches to be burnt down in one of which her husband was interred Whilest she thus raged against the Christians Wenceslaus now grown to years by the advice of his grand-mother and the Christian Nobility took upon him the government and the better to establish peace he assigned the City of Bolislavia and the adjacent parts to his mother and younger brother Drahomira yet laid not aside her hatred and bloudy designs against the Christians which she first shewed against holy Ludumella substituting two wicked villains in the night to murther her these fellows finding her at her prayers in her Oratory strangled her Some there were that much provoked Wenceslaus to revenge that wicked act which he refused because he judged it contrary to that duty which he owed to a mother and to the modesty and patience of a Christian. But he was shortly after ill requited by this unnaturall monster who affecting domination began to defame Wenceslaus as sluggish and unfit for government but when she perceived that his subjects loved him exceedingly she waited a fitter opportunity which thus fell out Bolislaus having a son she invited Wenceslaus to the baptising of this his Nephew at Bolislavia he going thither she entertained him with much dissembled love but in the night as he was making his prayers to God His brother Bolislaus assaults him and beeing assisted with some other cut-throats slew him Anno 929. Bolislaus having by this fratricide obtained the government threatned imprisonment and death to all the Ministers and Christians if they did not presently depart Bohemia his mother added that their dead bodies should not be buried Hereupon many fled others were seized on and tormented to death diverse waies but God suffered not Drahomira to escape his revenging hand for in that place where the ministers bones lay unburied the earth opened of it self and swallowed her up alive with her Chariot and all that were in it which place is to be seen before the Castle of Prague to this day Others also who were her instruments in massacring the innocent Christians some of them ran mad and threw themselves down from high places others slew themselves with their own swords wherewith they had murthered the innocent men and the place where Wenceslaus blood was shed could never be washed off but remained as a perpetuall witnesse of that villany These things so affrighted Bolislaus that he became more milde to the Chistians Anno. 970. Woytich the second Bishop of Prague labouring seriously in converting the reliques of the Gentiles and reforming their wicked lives they raised so great a sedition against him as enforced Woytich to a voluntary banishment Then did the Pagans rise up against his brethren and murthered five of them and then conspired against their prince but were overcome in battel c. Not long after the Pope having usurped domination
the Cathedral which he refused because of a great fit of sicknesse which had made him very weak but he was forced to undertake it though he was so weak a creature that sometimes he was fain to be carried to Church and by reason of his faintnesse was necessitated once or twice in a Sermon to drink a draught of wine to refresh himself About this time there was one Scobario a man famous for life and learning chosen by the Magistrates of the City to the Government of the Colledge of Children who out of his zeal to promote the Gospel converted his Stipend to the erecting of a Divinity-lecture in the Cathedral Church and Constantine having recovered his health was chosen to read it who performed it excellently well beginning with the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Canticles which having passed through very learnedly he began upon the book of Job and proceeded to expound more than half of it But some evil spirit envying the Progresse of the Gospel in that City under a pretence of fervent zeal caused him to forsake this course and encombred him so many ways that he was never clear of those troubles to his dying day For not long after he was brought before the Inquisitors and had many things laid to his charge yet by his quick and ready answers he easily avoided them and they could not by any means bring him to make an open Protestation of his faith by which all their hope was to circumvent him and so he might have escaped had not God by a special Providence compelled him as it were briefly and plainly to confesse his faith The occasion was this There was one Isabel Martin apprehended in whose house Constantine had hid some special books for fear of the Inquisitors This womans goods being sequestred her son conveyed divers chests of her best goods away to another place This coming to the Inquisitors ears by means of an unfaithful servant they sent their Officer immediately to demand those Chests The womans sonne supposing that the Officer came for Constantines books said unto him I know what you come for and therefore if you will promise me upon your honest word to depart quietly I will bring you to them the Officer supposing that he meant the Chests promised him so to do Then did he carry him into a secret place and plucking forth a stone or two in the wall shewed him Constantines Jewels of paper indeed but farre more precious than gold or pearle the Officer astonished to finde that which he looked not for told him that he came for no such thing but for certain Chests of his mothers goods which he had purloined from the Sequestrators and that notwithstanding his promise he must carry both him and his books to the Inquisitors Thus came Constantines writings into the Inquisitors hands out of which they quickly found matter enough against him Then did they send for him before them and demanded if he knew his own hand he shifted it off at the first but afterwards perceiving that it was the Will of God that he should bear witnesse to the truth he confessed it to be his own writing protesting openly that all things therein contained were full of truth and sincerity Therefore said he trouble your selves no further in seeking Witnesses against me seeing you have so plain and apert a Confession of my judgment and faith but deal with me as you shall please Then was he cast into prison and kept there two whole years where partly by occasion of his corrupt dyet but chiefly of grief to see such havock made of the poor Church of Christ which himself and his brethren had with so great pains and care planted and watered he began first to be crazy and then not being able to endure the extream heat of the Sunne which made his prison like an hot house he was forced to strip himself to his very shirt wherein he lay day and night by occasion whereof he fell into the bloody flux and within fifteen days died in the stinking prison rendring up his soul to Christ for promoting of whose glory he had oft times manfully adventured it He never indeed felt those cruel torments which the Inquisitors used to inflict upon others but it was not because they regarded such a man of eminency as he was but because they intended to delay his punishment by keeping him long in prison not expecting that he should so suddenly have been taken out of their hands Yet did these Imps of Satan spread abroad a report that before his death upon the Rack he had confessed to them who were his disciples and this they did to make men come in and accuse themselves upon hope to finde the more favour with the Inquisitors They reported also that he opened one of his veins with a broken glasse whereof he died that so he might avoid the shame and punishment of his heresies And against the day of their solemn triumph his corps was taken out of his grave and set in a Pulpit with one hand resting on the Desk and holding up the other just as he used to do when he preached Then they passed sentence upon him and so afterwards caused him to be burned Thus we have seen in some few examples the rage of these bloody Inquisitors against the poor Saints and Servants of Jesus Christ whereof a great number were cruelly murthered in a few years space in that one City of Sivil whereby we may partly guesse how great numbers have suffered in all other places since the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ brake forth untill this day under their cruel and bloody tyranny Collected out of a book called The Discovery of the Spanish Inquisition c. First written in Latin by Reynold Gonsalvius Montanus and afterwards translated into English The Persecution of Nicholas Burton Englishman by the Inquisitors in Spain Anno 1560. THis Burton was a Citizen of London who being about his merchandise at Cadiz in Spain there came to his lodging one of the Familiars desiring to take lading to London in the ship which Burton had fraited and this he did that he might learn where his goods were Presently after came a Serjeant who apprehended Burâ—ton and carried him away to the Inquisitors who though they could charge him with nothing spoken or written against them since he came to Spain yet they sent him to the filthy common prison where he remained in irons fourteen dayes amongst Thieves In which time he so instructed the poor Prisoners in the Word of God that in short space he had well reclaimed many of those ignorant and superstitious souls which being known to the Inquisitors they presently removed him laden with irons from thence to Sivil and put him into the more cruel prison in the Castle of Triana where the Inquisitors proceeded against him after their accustomed cruel manner by racking c. Neither could he
after another by the hand and so dispatching them all no otherwise than as a Butcher doth kill his Calves and Sheep This was in Calabâ—ia Anno Christi 1560. Persecution raised by the Pope in Venice THe City of Venice was a long while from the cruel Inquisition whereby the face of a Church was discerned there from the year 1530. to the year 1542. yea and multitudes of good Christians flocked thither from other parts which so provoked the Divel to envy that he stirred up the Pope to send Inquisitors which erected an Inquisition in that City and for divers years the Pope sent them money to distribute amongst their Flies and such persons as would betray the faithful to them By this means many of the worthy servants of Jesus Christ were apprehended imprisoned and after a while sent to Rome to be there butchered Then was a new-found manner of death inflicted upon divers others never till then heard of whereby they were drowned in the bottome of the Sea The manner of it was thus After any of them had received the sentence of death by the Inquisitors an iron chain was fastned about their middle with a very heavy stone tyed thereto then were they laid upon a plank between two boats and so rowed to an appointed place in the Sea where the boats parting asudder the Martyrs presently sunk into the bottome of the Sea and were drowned Yet notwithstanding this cruelty many godly persons ceased not to assemble together in a place appointed for that purpose where they talked and discoursed of heavenly matters for their spiritual edification and made collections for the relief of the poor amongst them And Anno 1566. they called to them a Minister of the Gospel and constituted a Church where they enjoyed all the Ordinances with much comfort but some false brethren creeping in amongst them after a while betrayed them then were many apprehended cast into the Sea and drowned Others were sent to Rome where they were cast into prison till they rotted and dyed there Amongst others that were condemned to be drowned at Venice was one Mr. Anthony Ricetto to whom after his condemnation his sonne a youth about twelve years old came beseeching him with tears to yield that his life might be saved and himself not left fatherlesse To whom he answered A good Christian is bound to forgoe children goods yea and life it self for the maintenance of Gods honour and glory For which cause said he I am now resolved to lay down my life the Lord assisting me The Lords of Venice offered to restore to him his Patrimony which was partly morgaged and partly sold if he would submit to the Church of Rome but he resolutely refused that condition Not long after came a Captain to him and told him of one Francis Sega his prison-fellow that waâ— resolved to recant To whom he answered What tell you me of Sega I am resolved to performe my vows to the Lord my God Then was he carried forth bound to the boats and by the way a Priest presented him with a wooden Crosse exhorting him to recant c. But he on the contrary perswaded him and others to come out of the snares of the Divel and to cleave to Jesus Christ and to live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit For said he otherwise your unbelief will bring you into the lake of fire that never shall be quenched When he came to the place where he was to suffer the Captain lastned the chain and stone to him whereupon lifting his eyes to heaven he said Father forgive them they know not what they do Lord Jesus into thy hands do I commend my spirit and so in the sea he ended his life A few dayes after one Mr. Francis Spinola was apprehended and committed to prison and when he was brought forth before the Inquisitors they shewed him a Treatise about the Lords Supper demanding whether he was the Author of it which he acknowledged avouching that the doctrine that was contained therein was agreeable to the holy Scriptures Then was he return'd to his prison where the aforementioned Sega was who waiting for his coming as he passed by saluted him by his name after which they conferred together about the doctrine of the Gospel and Sega having heard that Spinola had stood stoutly in the Confession of the truth he was much comforted saying that God had reserved him for such a time as this to make him Partaker of so great consolation Shortly after the Jailor told Sega that he was to die one hour within night at the hearing whereof he entreated Spinola to pray with him and after prayer he said that his soul was heavy unto death Spinola answered Fear not for it will not be long before your soul shall partake of those joyes which shall endure for ever At the appointed time he was fetched out of the dungeon where he took his leave of Spinola and the other Prisoners As he went into the boat a Friar perswaded him to return to the Church of Rome Sega answered that he was already in the way to our Lord Jesus Christ and so passing on he called upon the name of God He seemed to be a little amazed at the fastning of the chaine and stone to his body yet presently recollecting his spirits he took it patiently and so commending his soul into the hands of God he quietly slept in the Lord. Spinola being again called before the Inquisitors he boldly reproved the Popes Legate and the other Judges for that contrary to their consciences they persecuted the truth of God calling them the off-spring of the Pharisees c. The third time that he was called before them they asked him if he would not recant his errours he answered that the doctrine which he maintained was not erroneous but the same truth which Christ and his holy Apostles taught and for which all the Martyrs both in former and later times did willingly lay down their lives and endured the pains of death Yet after all this Spinola by the crafty perswasions of some seeming friends began to strike saile and to faint but through Gods goodnesse he soon recovered again and being called before the Judges he openly confirmed the truth and so had sentence passed upon him that he should be drowned as an Heretick To which he answered I am no Heretick but the servant of Jesus Christ at which words the Popes Legate commanded him silence and told him that he lyed the night after he was conveyed into the sea and there drowned praising and blessing God with invincible constancy Anno 1595. There was at Rome a young Englishman who going into a Church and seeing their grosse idolatry was so inflamed with zeal that he could not endure the sight of those horrible impieties and therefore he went out into the Church porch and as the Procession passed by him he waited till the Bishop came
Lords body but the people making a tumult carried him out of the Church in a croud and he had not gone far before he was apprehended by an Officer and carried to prison Then came divers Friars to reason with him and he stood to the trial of the Scriptures only which they refused During his imprisonment he wrote a consolatory letter to his wife exhorting her to bring up his children in the fear of God Being condemned he was commanded not to speak to the people being bound to the stake he prayed for his enemies and was first strangled and then burnt The same year there was at Dornick one Bertrand who to enjoy the freedome of his conscience went to Wesell but being desirous to draw his wife and children thither he went thrice to Dornick to perswade her to go with him yet could he by no means prevail with her Then did he set his house in order desiring her to pray that God would establish him in the work that he went about and on Christmas day he went to the great Church at Dornick and the Priest being at Masse when he was about to elevate the Host Bertrand took the cake out of his hand and trampled it under his feet saying that he did it to shew the glory of that god that they worshipped or rather what little power he had labouring to perswade them that the cake was not their Saviour At first the people stood amazed but presently they raised such a tumult that Bertrand hardly escaped with life The Governour hearing of it was exceedingly enraged and sent for Bertrand into the Castle asking him whether he was sorry for his fact and whether he would do it if it were to do again Bertrand answered That he would and if he had a hundred lives to lose he would lose them all in that quarrel Then was he thrice put to the rack and tormented cruelly to draw from him who were his setters on yet could they get nothing from him Then was he condemned and drawn from the Castle to the Market-place with a Ball of iron in his mouth There he was set upon a stage and had his right hand wherewith he did the fact crushed between two hot irons with sharp edges till the form of his hand was quite changed Then did they bring other red hot irons for his right foot which they used as they had done his hand which he with marvellous patience and constancy underwent putting out his foot of his own accord to them Then taking the ball of Iron out of his mouth they cut out his tongue notwithstanding which he continually called and cryed unto God which caused them to thrust in the ball of iron again Then was he let down in an iron chaine upon the fire and pulled up again and so they continued pulling up and letting him down till he was burnt to ashes which ashes they threw into the river From Locrane in Helvetia the Ministers were banished but were entertained by the Tigurines Two other good men born in Dornick went into divers reformâ—d Churches where they increased much in knowledge and godlinesse and at last resolved to return to Dornick to do what good they could in their own Country and it so fell out that on a day when many good people were gone to a wood to hear the Word of God preached to them by a Minister of Jesus Christ their Adversaries having intelligence of it followed them thither and took about thirty of them amongst whom were these two men who fell to singing of Psalms supposing that they should be presently burned but afterwards they were condemned to be beheaded and so they comfortably ended their lives Also divers godly men and women suffered Martyrdome at Valence amongst whom was James Faber an old man who when they argued with him about his religion said Though I cannot satisfie you by reasoning yet I can constantly abide and suffer for the truth of the Gospel Also one Godfride being condemned at Dornick for an Heretick Nay said he Not an Heretick but an unprofitable servant of Jesus Christ. When the Hangman would have strangled him to ease his pain in burning he refused saying that he would abide the sentence of death which was passed upon him Besides these there were both in the upper and lower Germany many others secretly made away some drowned some bured quick some murthered in prison c. A godly Minister was also poisoned by a Priest at Erford for preaching the truth of Christ Besides many others In the city of Lile the Gospel was secretly preached for three years together sometimes in houses then in woods fields and Caves of the earth not without hazard of their dearest lives if they had been discovered yet did not dangers cool the zeal of Gods people but what was preached was accordingly practised amongst them works of mercy and charity were their exercise not only towards those of the houshold of faith but towards those which were without also so as many by means hereof were drawn and brought to the knovvledge of Christ. This so enraged Satan and his instruments that Anno 1556 the time being come wherein God had given them power to try and exercise the faith of his people they neglected not to shew their cruelty upon them and for that end one night about ten of the clock the Provost of the City with his armed Sergeants made search to see if they could find any met together but by Gods Providence there was no meeting of Gods People at that time then went they to the house of one Robert Oguire which was a little Church for all in it both small and great were familiarly instructed in the knowledge and fear of God Being violently entred into the house seeking up and down for their prey they found certain books which they took away with them but Baudizon the son of Robert whom they principally sought after was not then at home being gone abroad to confer of the word with some of the brethren Before the Provost was departed Baudizon came home and knocked at the door Martin his younger brother who watched for his coming bade him presently to be gone but he thinking that he had mistaken him for some other continued knocking saying It is I open the door Then came the Sergeants and opened the door and laying hold on him said Ah Sir you are well met and with that the Provost arrested him in the Emperours name withall causing the Father Mother and two sons to be bound and so carried them away towards the prison As they went through the streets Baudizon said aloud Oh Lord assist us by thy grace not only to be prisoners for thy names sake but to confess thy holy truth in all purity before men so far as to seal the same with our blood for the edification of thy poor Church they were all
a mark burned in his forehead as a note of infamy his mother a good woman when she saw her son so pitiously scourged branded encouraged him crying with a loud voice Blessed be Christ and welcome be these marks for his sake Afterwards he removed from thence and went to Metz in Lorrain where for a time he followed his calling of a Woolcarder But the people of the City used once a year all of them to go forth into the Suburbs to worship some Idols there whereupon John Clark inflamed with an holy zeal went the night before and brake down all those images The next morning when all the Clergy and people came to the place to worship them they found all their Idols broken upon the ground This set all in a tumult and great searching there was after the Author of this deed and quickly was John Clark suspected and apprehended he presently confessed the fact and told them the reasons why he did it The people hereupon cried out against him in a great rage Before the Judges he professed the pure doctrine of the Sonne of God and thereupon was condemned to a cruel death which he sustained with admirable patience and constancy First his right hand was cut off then was his nose with sharp pincers pulled violently from his face then were his armes and breasts pulled off with the same instrument yet he through Gods grace endured all with great quietnesse pronouncing the while that of Psalm 115. Their Idols are silver and gold the works of mens hands Lastly he was cast into the fire and there consumed Not long after Master John Castellane Doctor in Divinity borne at Tourney being through Gods mercy called to the knowledge of the truth became a zealous fervent and faithful Preacher of it in divers places and at last he was taken Prisoner by the Cardinal of Lorrains servants by whom he was carried to the Castle of Nommenie where he endured much cruel usage yet still he persevered in confessing the true doctrine of the Sonne of God then was he carried to the Castle of Vik and after a time was condemned degraded and delivered over to the secular power with this hypocritical speech My Lord Judge we pray you as heartily as we can for the love of God and the contemplation of tender pity and mercy and for respect to our Prayers that you will not in any point do any thing that shall be hurtful to this miserable man or tending to his death or the maiming of his body Then was he burnt alive which death he underwent with much patience and comfort At Paris one James Panane a Schoolmaster was burnt for the truth Also at Melda Dennis de Reux was burned for saying that the Masse was a plain denial of the death and passion of Christ He used often to meditate of and to repeat those words of Christ He that denies me before men him will I deny also before my Father he was burnt in a slow fire and so abode much torment John de Cadurco preaching to his Countrymen of Limosine was apprehended and degraded The Friar that was to preace at his degradation took that text 1 Tim. 4. The spirit speaks expresly that in the latter dayes men shall depart from the faith giving heed to lying spirits and doctrines of errors Then did John call to him to read on but the Friar stood dumb and could not speak a word more Then did John read on Teaching false doctrine in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with an hot iron forbidding to marry and to eat meats created by God to be received with thanksgiving c. Presently after he was burned About the same time five men for scattering about certain papers against the Masse and other popish superstitions were apprehended and burnt at Paris One of them for speaking freely had his tongue burned through and with a wire tied fast to one of his cheeks Alexander Canus a godly Minister for preaching and confessing the truth of Christ was burned at Paris with a small fire whereby he endured great paine Also John Pointer a Chirurgeon had his tongue first cut out and then was burnt about the same time Peter Gaudet living at Geneva was by a popish Uncle trained into France apprehended condemned and after many and long torments sustained in prison was burned Divers others were apprehended condemned and burned at Arras A godly Virgin was burned at Fountains Anno 1534. As also one John Cornon an husbandman but one endowed with such wisdome by God that all his Judges were amazed at it yet was he condemned and burned Martin Gonin was cast into the river and drowned Anno 1540. One Claudius endeavouring to convert his friends and kinsfolk in Paris was by them betrayed adjudged to have his tongue cut out and then burned Stephen Brune at Rutiers being for the constant Profession of his faith condemned to be burned when the fire was kindled a great winde so drave away the flame from him that he stood for ean hours space exhorting and instructing the people Then did they bring oile vessels and more fagots yet still was the flame driven from him Whereupon the hangman took a staffe and struck him on the head to whom he said I am condemned to be burned and do you strike me with staves like a dog with that the hangman with a pike thrust him through the belly and threw him down into the fire and afterwards scattered his ashes in the wind At Roan four Christians were condemned to be burned and being carried to the stake in a dung-cart they said Blessed be God we are here reputed as the excrements of this world but yet our death is a sweet savour unto God John de Beck a godly Minister being condemned for the doctrine of the Gospel constantly endured the torment of the fire at Troyes Aymond de Lavoy a godly Minister preaching the truths of God faithfully was complained of by the Popish Clergy to the Magistrates of Bourdeaux who sent to apprehend him hereupon some of his friends perswaded him to flie but he refused saying that thereby he might cause the People to think that he had fed them with dreames and fables and not with the pure Word of God whereas he feared not to yield up both soul and body in the quarrel of the truth which he had taught saying That with Paul he was ready not onely to be bound for the testimony of Christ in the City of Bourdeaux but to die also After the Sumner came he stayed three dayes and preached three Sermons and whereas the people would have rescued him out of the Sumners hand he desired them not to stop his Martyrdome for said he Since it is the Will of God that I shall suffer for him I will not resist his will At Bourdeaux many witnesses came in
hither out of the neighbouring Silesia and so the use of the German tongue was brought in together with them As for Religion it was reformed in Lesna about the same time by the most illustrious Count Andrew Palatine of Bernstien according to the rites of the Bohemian Confession which it hath retained to this day and became as it were the Metropolis of the Churches of that Confession throughout all the greater Poland And when after the year 1620. a very sharp persecution was raised against the Professors of the Gospel in Bohemia and not long after the Ministers and Nobility were banished they were fain to seek refuge in Poland whom that most pious Noble man the Lord Raphael de Lesna Palatine of Belse received under his protection appointing Lesna Wlodava Baranovia for their places of refuge But for as much as the greater part did seat themselves at Lesna because of the neernesse thereof and not long after a far greater company flocked thither out of Silesia for there also the butchery of souls grew wonderful fierce in the years 1628. and 1629. it came to passe that Lesna by the addition of many streets grew into a large City having three market places four Churches a large School above twenty streets one thousand six hundred houses two thousand freemen of the City and abundance of other company There was built also a very fair Church for the service of God according to the rites of the Augustane Confession which had over it three Pastors learned men and a School for the mother tongue with some Schoolmasters beside the Free-schoole which had a learned man of the forementioned Confession appointed over it by the title of Prorector The Citizens also having ordered themselves according to the best policy they could there were found out handsome wayes for a publick revenue that made no noise and were little felt and without any mans dammage or burden so that they were able for some years to maintaine workmen for the compassing of the City about with a Bulwark and Trench and for the building of gates with walls and faire turrets And lastly there was built a very fair Court-house in the middle of the market-place of the old City there was scarce the like in all great Poland except at Posnania In a word Civility trading merchandize for all things were here bought and sold and Religion did so flourish here that this City did not come behinde any City in Poland for its admirable pleasantnesse All this was matter of joy not only to those pious Christians that were scattered out of several places for the Gospels sake and here gathered together under the protection of God but to others also that came hither from all parts as strangers but it galled the enemies of the Gospel extremely so that it made them leave no designe unassayed for the overthrow of this City of refuge for the godly At the first Annis 1628 1629. they made use of several accusations and slanders to King Sigismund the third suggesting to him that it was a confluence of all sorts of men that were enemies and traytors to his Majesty that it was good to nip them in the bud c. But through the prudence of that great Senator the Lord of the place whose wisdome went beyond their envy and who knew well enough how to counter-work all malicious projects of that kinde all those their battering-rams were at that time used in vain But Anno 1653. after that the Swedes were broken by the Emperours army in Germany and were driven out of Silesia new plots were hatched at Glogaw to send out one or two of the Emperours regiments who should suddenly invade Lesna sack the town and put the inhabitants to the sword or at least scatter them But it pleased God so to order it that this plot was discovered by some of themselves two days before the appointed time and so vanished into smoak though the smoak of their devices did not yet cease to rise For after the death of the most illustrious Prince Palatine of Belse when his estate was divided amongst his sons and heirs and the County of Lesna fell to the illustrious Lord Boguslaus his third son then newly returned from travelling the Plotters were not wanting so to lie in wait to insnare this candidate of great wisdome and vertue that after they had wearied him for some years with the promises of honours unto which there was no door of entrance but by entertaining the Roman-Catholick Religion at last they enticed him to professe Popery But however they heaped many honours upon him procuring him some Captainships afterwards the Generalship of great Poland and lastly the Arch-treasurership of the Realme yet could they not procure his hatred of the Professors of the Gospel and the dissipation of his subjects which was the thing they hoped for but he still preserved intire to his Lesna those priviledges both Civil and Religious which his father of blessed memory had promised offered or confirmed to them They attempted therefore this other device The Bishop of Posnania ventured to redemand the old Parish-Church because it was of ancient foundation and pretended that it might not any longer be left to the use of Hereticks The Lord Treasurer answered that his Grandfather Andrew Palatine of Brenstien had built another Church for the Catholicks whose number was very small in the town scarce ever above three or four Citizens to exercise their Religion in and endowed it with revenues to that purpose that the greater number of Citizens might enjoy the greater Church But all was in vain though he doubled the maintenance of the Roman Parish-priest for Anno 1652. they brought the Lord Count before the tribunal of the Realme where the cause must needs go against him the very same persons being accusers witnesses and Judges yet he obtained that this Church should not suddenly be taken away from his Subjects the inhabitants of old Lesna until they had built themselves a new one This building they presently set about with the help of forrein Churches according as they were in a capacity to help things being every where in confusion But when the adversaries saw that it went on apace and that this was like to be bigger than the other for so great now was the multitude of Citizens of this Confession that the old Church was not able to contain them they began again to mutter and threaten that this might not be endured that the Hereticks should have a bigger Church than the Catholicks that they did but build this also for the Catholicks c. At length the irruption of the Swedes into Poland Anno 1655. gave them the long wished for occasion of oppressing and rooting out not only the Lesnians but also all the Professors of the Gospel or as they were wont to be called the Dissenters from the Roman Religion throughout Poland For although the Papists themselves had transacted with the Swedes at their coming out of
High-Priest worshipeth for in my sleep I saw him in such an habit when I was in Macedonia consulting with my self how I might conquer Asia and he bad me to make no delay assuring me that he would both guide me and my Army and would deliver the Empire of the Persians into my hands Then gave he the High-Priest his hand and went with him to the City and comming to the Temple he offered sacrifice according to the direction of the High-Priest then did Jaddus shew him Daniels Prophecy wherein his victories over the Persians and his Monarchy were foretold which much rejoyced Alexander then did he command the Jews to ask some favours at his hands the High-Priest requested onely that they might live after the Ordinances of their forefathers and that every seventh year they might be exempted from taxes and tributes which he fully granted they besought him likewise that the Jews which were in Media and Babilon might be permitted to live after their own Laws which he willingly promised and so departed this was about the year of the world 3632. and before Christs nativity 332. After the death of Alexander his Kingdom was divided amongst his Captains amongst whom Ptolemy the son of Lagus held Egypt who falling out with Antigonus that held Asia minor there grew great wars between them wherein Ptolemy won from him all Syria and going to Jerusalem on a Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice the Jews suspecting nothing he surprised the City carrying away many of the Jews into captivity into Egypt but after his death his son Ptolemy Philadelphus at his owne cost redeemed an hundred and twenty thousand of them paying twelve Crowns apeece for each of them and sent them back into their owne countrey He sent also by them fifty talents of gold for the temple and obtained of Eleazer the High Priest the Law of the Jews and 72 Interpreters out of every Tribe some who translated it into Greek in 72 daies and having finished their work Ptolemy returned them with great rewards for themselves and with many rich presents to Eleazer Antiochus and Ptolemy being at war each against other the Jews suffered much by them Mach. 1. Collected out of Josephus CHAP. III. The persecution of the Church of God under Antiochus Epiphanes before the nativity of Christ about 168 years AFterwards the Jews being divided amongst themselves one part of them went to Antiochus telling him that their purpose was to forsake the Religion and Ordinances of their forefathers and to follow that of the Kings and to live after the manner of the Greeks entreating him to license them to live in Jerusalem which Antiochus assenting to they went to Jerusalem where they behaved themselves very wickedly but finding opposition from the other party of the Jews they sent for Antiochus who led his army against Jerusalem and encamped before it and by his faction within had the gates opened and the City betraied to him about the year of the world 3796. and before the nativity of Christ 168. Being entred Jerusalem he slew many of the faithfull Jews and having taken great spoils he returned back to Antioch Two years after he came to Jerusalem again and having seen what quantity of gold was in the Temple and what a huge number of Presents and precious Ornaments were in the same he was so overcome with covetousness that he violated all conventions and conditions formerly made equally raging against his own and the adverse party sparing neither friend nor foe then he spoiled the Temple and carried away the Vessels dedicated unto God the golden Table the golden Candlestick the Censers c. leaving nothing behind him of any value yea he inhibited the godly Jews from offering their usual and dailie sacrifices to God and having spoiled the whole City he slew many of the Inhabitants and carried the rest away into Captivity with their Wives and Children to the number of ten thousand He also burned the fairest buildings of the City and brake down the wals and raised a Fortress in the lower City and having inclosed it with high wals he planted a Garison of Macedonians therein with whom remained the scum of the Apostate Jews He also caused an Altar to be erected in the Temple on which he commanded swine to be offered in Sacrifice contrary to the Law He constrained the Jews to forsake God and adore those Idols which himself vvorshiped he forbad them to circumcise their Children and appointed Over-seers to constrain them to fulfill his Commandments so that many for fear of punishment conformed themselves to his will But such as were of upright hearts and valiant minds little respected his menaces whereupon they were beaten and exposed to cruel punishment many days together in the midst of which they yielded up the ghost for after they were whipt and maimed in their bodies they were tortured and crucified the women vvere strangled and the circumcised children vvere hung up about the necks of their parents and vvhere any books of the sacred Scriptures vvere found they defaced and burnt them and such with vvhom they vvere found vvere put to most cruel deaths At this time there dvvelt at Modin a Village of Jury one vvhose name was Matthias a Priest of the rank of Joarib that had five sons John called Gaddis Simon called Matthes Judas called Maccabeus Eleazer called Aaron and Jonathan called Apphas This Matthias often complained to his sons of the miserable state of their Countrey of the sacking of their City the profanation of the Temple and the miseries of the people telling them that it was better for them to die for the Law then to live in Ignominy When therefore the Kings Commisaries came unto Modin and commanded the people to sacrifice according to the Kings Edict they first applied themselves to Matthias as to the most Honourable person amongst them requiring him first to offer sacrifice that others might follow his example promising that the King vvould much honour him for it Matthias ansvvered that he vvould by no means commit that Idolatry assuring them that though all other Nations either for love or fear should obey the Edicts of Antiochus yet that he nor his children could be induced to forsake the Religion of their fathers As soon as he had thus spoken a certain Jew stepped forth to offer sacrifice according to the command of the King wherewith Matthias inflamed with zeal was so displeased that he and his sons fell upon him and with their swords hewed him to pieces he also slew Apelles the Kings Captain and some other souldiers who would have withstood him Then he overthrew the Altar and with a loud voice he said If any one be affected to the Laws of their fathers and to the service of God let him follow me and so he retired into the deserts with his sons the like did the rest with their wives and children hiding themselves in caves and
thrown into the River Also in this persecution Justin Martyr through the malice of Crescens the Philosopher suffered Martyrdom Also one Alcibiades a man of a strict life eating only bread and water was cast into the prison where Attalus and other Christians lay and Alcibiades continued the same strict diet in prison but it was from God revealed to Attalus that he did not well in refusing the other good Creatures of God and that it was scandalous to his brethren whereupon he reformed and ate of all things boldly with thanksgiving About this time Clandius Apolinaris Bishop of Hieropolis and Melito Bishop of Sardis eloquent and learned men delivered to the Emperour excellent Apologies written by them in defence of the Christian Religion whereby they prevailed with him somewhat to stay the rage of his Persecution which also was furthered upon this occasion Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Antonius the Emperors going to War against the Quades Vandals Sarmates and Germans their Army by the multitude of their enemies was coopt up in some strait dry and hot places where the souldiers having been destitute of water for five days together were all like to perish Hereupon a Legion of Christian souldiers being in the Army with-drew apart from the rest and falling prostrate upon the earth by ardent prayer obtained of God a double relief for the Lord sent the Romans such showers as satisfied their necessities and flashed such lightnings against their enemies that thereby they were discomfited and put to flight This Miracle so pleased the Emperor that ever after he used the Christians gentler writing also to divers Rulers commanding them to give thanks to the Christians as for their victory so for the preservation of himself and his Army His letters was to this purpose That whereas himself and Army were invironed with nine hundred seventy five thousand fighting men and were like to perish for want of water the Christians praying to a God that he knew not obtained relief for him and by hail and lightning Destruction to his enemies whereby he perceived their God to be a mighty God Hereupon he decreed that none should be punished for the Christian Profession being guilty of no other crime and that the Accusers of the Christians should be burned alive Which degree he commanded to be recorded in the Senate-house proclaimed publickly in the Court of Trajan and sent diligently into all his Provinces that all might take notice of the same Yet not long after Apollonius a noble Senator of Rome was accused by his own servant before the Judge for being a Christian The Accuser according to the the Decree had his legs broken and was put to death But Apollonius having rendred an accocnt of his faith before the Senate was condemned to be beheaded notwithstanding the Decree because there was an old Law that any that was arraigned for professing Christ without a recantation could not be released Commodus the Emperor upon his birth-day calling the people of Rome together in a great royalty clothed in his Lions skin sacrificed to Hercules causing it to be proclaimed that Hercules was the Patron of the City whereupon Vincentius Eusebius Peregrinus and Pontentianus learned men and Pastors of the Congregations being stirred up with zeal went about from place to place converting the Gentiles to the faith of Christ and hearing of the madness of the Emperor and people they reproved that Idolatrous blindness exhorting them to believe in the true and living God and that forsaking the worshipping of devils they should honour God alone The Emperor hearing thereof caused them to be apprehended and required them to sacrifice to Hercules which they refusing to do he caused them to be grievously tormented and at last to be pressed to death with weights of lead Julius a Roman Senator having been converted by the preaching of these men afterwards sent for Ruffinus a Minister by whom himself and all his family were baptized and burning with holy zeal he made an open profession of the faith of Christ praying that he might not only believe but that he might have the honour to suffer for his Name The Emperor hearing that he was become a Christian sent for him to whom he said O Julius What madness possesseth thee thus to forsake the Religion of thy Fore-fathers to embrace a new and fond kind of Religion of the Christians Hereupon Julius made before him a free and open profession of his faith affirming that the Roman gods were false gods and that they that worshipped them should be punished with everlasting damnation The Emperor hearing that he despised his gods was much enraged and committed him to Vitellius a cruel and fierce man to compell him either to sacrifice to Hercules or to slay him But Julius nothing discouraged and perswading Vitellius to acknowledge and serve the true God was at his command with Cudgels beaten to death CHAP. XI The Fifth Primitive Persecution which began An. Christi 205. COmmodus being dead Pertinax succeeded in the Empire under whom the Church enjoyed peace and flourished exceedingly so that many of the Nobles of Rome embraced the true faith together with their whole housholds Pertinax being dead Severus succeeded and in the first ten years of his reign he was very mild and gentle to the Christians But afterwards through sinister suggestions and malicious accusations he was so incensed that by his proclamations he commanded that no Christians should any more be suffered to live Hereby great peâ—secution was stirred up on every side and an infinite number of Martyrs were slain The crimes objected against the Christians were sedition rebellion against the Emperor Sacriledge Murthering of Infants incestuous pollutions eating raw flesh worshipping the head of an Asse c. but especially that they would not worship their Idols The Places where this persecution most raged were Africa Capadocia Alexandria and Carthage The number of them that suffered was innumerable amongst whom was Leonides the father of Origen with whom Origen his son being but seventeen years old would have suffered such a fervent desire he had of Martyrdom had not his mother privily in the night conveyed away his shirt and cloths whereupon more for shame to be seen then for fear to die he was constrained to remain at home Origen was afterwards a Professor of Divinity at Alexandria and out of his school one Plutarch suffered Martyrdom as also Serenus his brother who was burned and another Serenus who was beheaded Potamiena also who was tormented with boiling pitch poured upon her and afterwards with her mother Marcella and Rhais burned in the fire This Potamiena being a beautifull Virgin was committed to Captain Basilides to see execution done upon her and as he led her to the place of Execution he repressed the rage of the multitude who followed her with many railings and revilings whereupon to requite his kindness she prayed to the Lord for his
which Dioclesian would needs be worshipped as God saying that he was brother to the Sun and Moon and adoring his shoes with gold and precious stones he commanded the people to kiss his feet Then also did he raise a great and grievous Persecution against the Church of God and the Feast of Easter drawing nigh he commanded all the Churches of the Christians to be spoiled and cast down and the books of the holy Scriptures to be burnt which was executed with all rigour and contempt that might be Then he sent forth his Edicts for the displacing of all Christian Magistrates and put all others out of their Offices imprisoning such of the common people as would not abjure Christianity and subscribe to the heathen Idolatries Then were cruel Edicts sent abroad for the imprisoning of the Elders and Bishops and constraining them by sundry kinds of torments to sacrifice to the Idols whereupon insued a great persecution against the Governors of the Church amongst whom many of them manfully passed through exceeding bitter torments Some were scourged all over their bodies with whips some with racks and tearings of their flesh were exceedingly cruciated some one way others another way were put to death Some were violently drawn to the impure sacrifices and as though they had sacrificed when indeed they did not were let go Others neither coming to their Altars nor touching any piece of their sacrifice yet were born in hand by those which stood by that they had sacrificed and so being defamed by their adversaries were let go Others as dead men were carried out and cast away being but half dead Some were cast down on the pavement and trailed a great space by the legs and the people made to believe that they had sacrificed Others with-stood them stoutly affirming with a loud voice that they had not sacrificed withal saying that they were Christians and glorying in the profession of that name Some cryed that they neither had nor ever would be partakers of that Idolatry who were buffetted on the face and mouth by the souldiers that they might hold their peace But if the Saints seemed never so little to do what their enemies would have them they were made much of yet none of these devices prevailed against the constant servants of Jesus Christ but of the weaker sort through frailty many fell at the first brunt When these Edicts were first set up at Nicomedia a Christian a noble man born moved with an holy zeal ran and took them down and tare them in pieces though the Emperors were present in the City for which he was put to a most bitter death which with great constancy and patience he endured to the last These furious Tyrants Dioclesian in the West and Maximian in the East raged exceedingly against the poor Saints of Christ. But Dioclesian proceeded more subtilly first beginning with the souldiers in his Camp to whom the Marshal of the field proposed that they should either offer sacrifice or leave their places and offices and lay down their arms whereunto the Christians resolutely answered that they were not only ready to lay down their weapons but to suffer death if it was imposed upon them rather then so to sin against God In the beginning of this persecution few were tormented but afterwards the Emperor grew to greater cruelty It cannot be expressed what number of Martyrs suffered what blood was shed through all Cities and Regions for the name of Christ. In Tyre certain Christians were given to the most cruel wild beasts which would not hurt them and the Lions Bears and Leopards which were kept hungry for the purpose would not touch them Yet did they vehemently rage against those that brought the Christians into the stage who though they stood as they thought without their reach yet were they caught and devoured by them Afterwards these Martyrs were slain with the sword and cast into the sea Silvanus Bishop of Gazenses with thirty nine more were slain in the Mettal-Mynes Pamphilus of Caesarea dyed a glorious Martyr In Syria all the chief Pastors were first cast into prison together with the Bishops Elders and Deacons Tiranion was throwen into the sea Zenobius a Physitian was slain with Brickbats At Antioch two young Maidens were thrown into the sea Also an aged Matron and her two beautifull daughters being sought after and at last found rather then they would be drawn to do sacrifice threw themselves head-long into a river Sylvanus Bishop of Emissa with some others were thrown to the wild beasts The Christians in Mesopotamia were tormented divers ways some of them were hanged up by the feet and with the smoak of a small fire strangled So out-ragious was the Emperor in the beginning of this Persecution that in Nicomedia he slew the chiefest Princes of his Court whom a little before he prized as his own Children Also one Peter was hoisted up naked and so beaten and torn with whips that his bones might be seen then they poured upon him salt and Vinegar and lastly rosted him with a soft fire Dorotheus and Gorgonius men of great Authority under the Emperor after divers torments were strangled with an halter Anthimus Bishop of Nicomedia with divers others having made a good confession were beheaded Yea Serena the wife of Dioclesian the Emperor was martyred for her Religion Some others were bound hand and foot to a post and so burnt Also many Christians of all ages and sorts being met together in a Church to celebrate the memorial of Christs Nativity Maximian the Emperor sent some to fire the Church 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 stepping 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 some thousands of men women and children were burnt in that place In Arabia many Martyrs were slain with Axes In Phrygia the Emperor sent his Edicts to a City commanding them to sacrifice to the Idols but the Major and all the Citizens professed themselves to be Christians whereupon the Emperor made his Army environ the City and set it on fire whereby all the inhabitants were burnt together in it Eustratius an Armenian and skilfull in the Greek tongue highly honoured and advanced by the Emperor who also had executed many Christians beholding the marvellous constancy of the Martyrs privately learned the Christian Religion burned exceedingly with a desire of Martyrdom and not staying for Accusers professed himself to be a Christian openly execrating the vanity and madness of the heathens Being therefore apprehended he was tied up and bitterly beaten afterwards he was parched with fire put
but he provoking them to make quicker speed they fastened him to the crosse where he finished his Martyrdom Augustine writes of one Vincentius a Spaniard who by Dacianus the President was first laid upon the rack till all the joints of his body crackt then were all his members slasht and indented with deadly wounds then they miserably scratched all his body with iron combs filed very sharp then they laid his body being all out of joint upon an iron grate opened it with iron hooks seared it with fiery plates and then besprinkled it with hot burning salt lastly they drew him and cast him into a vile dungeon the floore whereof was thick-spread with the sharpest shels his feet were fast locked in the stocks and so left him without all wordly comfort but the Lord his God was with him the holy Spirit of God whose office it is to comfort the afflicted filled his heart with joy unspeakable so that he there ended his life with much comfort Also Procopius in Palestine after his conversion brake his Images of gold and silver and distributed them amongst the poor whereupon he had all sorts of torments inflicted on him racking cording tearing of his flesh firing goring stabbing and lastly had his head cut off George a young man of Cappadocia stoutly inveighing against the impious Idolatry of the Emperor was apprehended torn with hooked irons burnt with hot lime stretched out with cords after had his hands and feet cut off and lastly was beheaded Hermogenes the President of Athens being converted by beholding the patience and constancy of two Martyrs in their torments suffered himself for the same faith In Portugall a noble virgin named Eulalia not much above twelve years old had profers of great marriages made unto her but she seeing the fâ—rious rage of this Persecution had a great minde to join her self to the number of the Martyrs for which end she poured out her heart in prayer to God for strength and faith to enable her thereunto But her godly parents fearing that her ready minde to die for Christs cause might make her guilty of her own death they kept her close at their country-house a great way from the City there she lived quietly for a while but at last detesting to make such dealy she stole out of her fathers house in the night and travelled all alone through by-waies with much difficulty and wearinesse towards the City whither she came in the morning and going before the Judge she with a loud voice said I pray you What a shame is it for you thus wickedly to kill mens souls and to breake their bodies in pieces to compell them to deny the omnipotent God Would you know what I am I am a Christian and an enemy to your devilish sacrifices I spurn your Idols under my feet I confesse God omnipotent with my heart and mouth c. Go to therefore thou hangman burne cut and mangle these my earthly members thou maist easily break a brittle substance but thou canst not hurt my inward minde by any thing thou canst doe The Judge enraged herewith said to the hangman Take her and pull her out by the hair of her head to torments let her feel the power of our gods and know what we can do But yet O sturdy girl I would fain have thee before thou diest to revoke thy wickednesse Remember the honourable house of which thou art come and thy friends tears Wilt thou kill thy self in the flower of thy youth so near honourable marriages Doth not the glistering pomp of the bride-bed move thee c. Behold here the engines prepared for thy death either thou shalt be beheaded with the sword or torn with wilde beasts or consumed with fire to ashes c. yet this thou maiest escape if thou wilt What greate matter is it for thee with thy fingers to put a little incense into the censers yet thereby thou shalt be delivered To this Eulalia answered not being in a great passion but spit in the Tyrants face and spurned abroad the heap of incâ—nse Whereupon without further delay the hangmen with both their strengths pulled out her joints scratched her with the talons of wilde beasts to the hard bones she singing and praising God in the mean time saying Behâ—ld O Lord I will not forget thee What a pleasure is it for them O Christ that remember thy triumphant victories to ataine to these high dignities c. Yea when as out of a warm fountain her fair and white skin was discoloured with the purple bloud that flowed from her torn members she wept not but chearfully sang praises unto God then they gored her mangled body with the iron grate terribly harrowed her flesh and burned her brest with flaming torches then setting fire to her long hair which covered her naked body when it came to her face she opened her mouth and sucked in the flame and so peaceably slept in the Lord. Also Agnes a young virgin being accused for a Christian was brought before the Judge who first laboured by flatteries then by threatning her with cruell torments to draw her to the deniall of her faith but she being strengthened by Christ told him that she feared not his torments which she was willing to undergo yea and death it self for Christs sake then said the Judge if it be so easie with thee to undergo torments yet I know that thou prizest thy virginity therefore it is fully determined that except thou sacrificest to the gods thou shalt be put into the common Stews Then did many youths flock together craving that Agnes might be exposed as a prey to there filthy lusts to whom she said Christ is not forgetfull of those that are his neither will he leave me destitute of his help nor suffer my unspotted chastity to be defiled by you c. you shall willingly bathe your swords in my blood but you shall not defile my body with filthy lust for any thing that you can do Then the Judge commanded that she should be â—et naked at the corner of a street whereupon the multitude sorrowed and were ashamed to see so shamelesse a sight turning away their face and so departing but one amongst the rest looking upon her in a shamelesse manner behold a flame of fire like a flash of lightining struck out both his eies and he falling down wallowed in the kennell dirt whereupon Agnes sang praises unto God Then the cruel Tyrant enraged hereby commanded the executioner to draw out his sword and dispatch her She seeing a sturdy souldier coming towards her with a naked sword rejoyced saying This O this is he that I love I will make hast to meet him and no longer protract my longing desires I well willingly receive the length of his sword into my breast O eternall father vouchsafe to open the gates of heaven to my soul that seeketh thee
of thorns till they were torn in pieces and these newly converted Moors he caused their naked bodies to be haled backwards and forwards thorow bushes and brambles and others of them to be tied to wild beasts and so to be rent in sunder the poor Christians saying thus each to other O brother pray for me God hath fulfilled our desire O this is the way to the kingdom of heaven Genserick further raging against the Orthodox sent one Proculus into the Zeugian Province to dispoil all the Churches of their Ornaments and the Ministers of their books that thereby they might be disabled to holy services which command was executed with all rigour and whereas the Bishop of Habensa refused to deliver them up he was expelled the City and all men at great penalty were forbidden to harbour him so that being above eighty years old he lay naked for a long time under the open skie About Easter when the Christians were met together in a Church to celebrate the remembrance of Christs Resurrection the Arrians with a great power of armed men set upon this innocent company who with their naked swords slew many The Minister that was preaching they shot through the throat with an arrow and such of them as escaped death were by the command of the King executed by sundry kinds of torments In other places when the Christians were administring the Sacrament the Hereticks rushed in amongst them taking the bread and wine and trampling them under their profane feet Then did Genserick command that none but Arrians should bear any office either about himself or his children And a Bishop called Armogastes they took and first nipped his fore-head and legs with bow-strings then did they hang him up by one foot with his head downward yet did he seem to all men as if he slept in a feather-bed which so enraged Theoderick the Kings son that he commanded him to be beheaded but some about him disswaded him from it because said they he will be accounted a Martyr Then was he banished to dig in Mynes yet afterwards he was sent for again and made a Cow-heard near to Carthage that he might be a continual object of scorn There was also one Saturus a noble man eminent for holiness whom the Tyrant much laboured to draw to the Arrian profession but he refusing the King told him that if he presently consented not he should forfeit his house and goods that his Children and slaves should be sould and his wife should be given to the Camel-driver Yet no menaces could shake his faith His wife hearing of her doom went to her husband as he was praying with her garments rent her hair disheveled her Children at her heels and a sucking infant in her hands whom she cast at her husbands feet and took him about the knees saying Have compassion O my sweetest of me thy poor wife and of these thy Children look upon them let them not be made slaves let not me be yoaked to a base Marriage c. that which thou art required to do thou dost it not willingly but by constraint and therefore it will not be laid to thy charge He gave her an answer in the words of Job Thou speakest like a foolish woman thou actest the devils part if thou lovest thy husband thou wouldst never seek to draw him to sin which will procure the second death I am resolved therefore as my Lord commands me to forsake wife children lands house c. that I may be his Disciple and accordingly he was dispoiled of all and turned out a begging yet all were forbidden to harbour him Genserick having reigned thirty seven years and three moneths died Genserick being dead his son Hunrick succeeded him who at first was more moderate to the Christians insomuch as they began to hold their meetings as before time The Manichaean Hereticks he sought out and though most of them were of his own Religion yet he burnt some and banished others At the request of the Emperour Zeno and Placidia his wife he suffered the Church of Carthage to chuse their own Bishop having been destitute of one for twenty four years Then they chose Eugenius an humble holy and charitable man whose fame increasing the Arrian Bishops much envied him and put into the Kings head to forbid him to preach and not to suffer any to enter into the Church that were attired after the manner of the Vandals To which command Eugenius thus answered The house of God is free for all those which enter no man may drive forth The King being incensed with this answer placed tortures at the Church door who when they espied any man or woman in a Vandals habit about to go into the Church clapping flesh-hooks on their heads and twisting them in their hair with a strong twitch they pulled off hair scalp and all whereby some lost their eies and some their lives The women besides these torments they carried thorow the streets to be made a publick laughing-stock yet could they not force them to altar their Religion Then did Hunrick ordain that none of his Countries which dissented from his Religion should receive their ordinary pensions and salaries Then did he send many of them who had been delicately brought up to Utica in the parching heat of the sun to dig the land for corn yet they went cheerfully and comforted themselves in the Lord. Then did he command that no man should be a Knight or bear any publick office except he turned Arrian whereupon very many with invincible courage forsook their honours and offices rather then their faith Many Virgins he caused to be proved by the Midwives in a most shamefull manner hanging them up from the ground with mighty weights at their feet and putting to their sides breasts back and bellies red hot plates of iron to compell them to confess that their Bishops and Ministers lay with them that so he might from thence have an occasion to persecute them Many of these died under the pain and others remained lame and crooked all their lives after yet would they not confess any such thing Then did he banish into the wilderness of Bishops Ministers Deacons and other Members of Christ four thousand nine hundred seventy six some of them being lame with the gout others blind with age Amongst whom also was Foelix Bishop of Abiris possessed with a dead palsie and therefore unable either to go or ride which the cruel King being informed of and requested that he might be suffered to stay he answered if he be not able to ride let wild bulls be coupled to drag him to the place appointed So that they were fain to carry him on a Mules back across as if he had been a sack Then were all these holy Confessors brought to the City of Sicca where the Moors were to receive them and transport them thence to
afflicted what evil have we done If we be called to dispute Why are we spoiled of all we have Why are we slandred Why are we forced to remain here amongst the dung-hills afflicted with hunger and nakedness far from our Churches and houses Herewith the Tyrant was so enraged that he commanded his horsemen to ride over them whereby many of them were sore bruised and wounded especially the aged and weak men Then did he command them to meet him at the Temple of Memory and when they came thither they had this writing delivered to them Our Lord King Hunrick lamenting your obstinacy in refusing to obey his will and to embrace his Religion yet intends to deal graciously with you and if you will take this oath he will send you back to your Churches and houses Then they all said with one consent We are all Christians and Bishops and hold the Apostolical and only true faith and thereupon they made a brief confession of their faith But the Kings Commissioners urged them without any further delay to take the oath contained in that paper Whereupon they answered Do you think us bruit beasts that we should so easily swear to a writing wherein we know not what is contained Then was the Oath read unto them which was this You shall swear that after the death of the Lord our King his son Hilderick shall succeed him in the Kingdom and that none of you shall send letters beyond the seas If you take this oath he will restore you to your Churches They that were plain-meaning men amongst them were willing to take it but others that saw further into the subtilty of it refused it Then were those which would take it commanded to separate themselves from the other which being done a Notary presently took their names and of what Cities they were he did the like also by the Refusers and so both parties were committed to ward and shortly after the King sent them word first to those that would have taken the oath Because that you contrary to the rule of the Gospel which saith Thou shalt not swear at all would have sworn The Kings Will is that you shall never see your Churches more but shall be banished into the wilderness and never perform any Ministerial office again and there you shall till the ground But to the Refusers of the oath he said because you desire not the reign of our Lords son you shall therefore be immediately sent away to the Isle of Corse there to hew timber for the ships He also sent abroad through all Africk his cruel tormentors So that no place no house remained free from lamentation screeching and out-cryes They spared neither age nor sex but only such as yielded to their will Some they cudgelled with staves some they hung up others they burned Women and especially gentlewomen they openly tortured stark naked without all shame Amongst whom was Dionysia whom when they saw bolder and more beautifull then the rest they first commanded her to be stript naked and made ready for the cudgels who spake boldly to them saying I am assured of the love of my God vâ—x me how you will only my woman-hood disclose you not But they with greater rage set her naked upon an high place for a publick spectacle Then did they whip her till the streams of blood flowed all over her body Whereupon she boldly said Ye Ministers of Satan that which you do for my reproach is to me an honour And beholding her only son that was young and tender and seemed fearfull of torments checking him with a motherly Authority she so encouraged him that he became much more constant then before To whom in the midst of his terrible torments she said Remember O my child that we were baptized in the name of the holy Trinity Let us not lose the garment of our salvation least it be said Cast them into outer darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth For that pain is to be dreaded that never endeth and that life to be desired that alwayes lasteth The youth was so encouraged hereby that he persevered patient in all his sufferings till in the midst of his torments he gave up the Ghost Many by her exhortations and example were gained to God and animated in their sufferings Not long after Cyrillas the Arrian Bishop at Carthage stirred up the Tyrant against the Christians telling him that he could never expect to enjoy his Kingdom in peace so long as he suffered any of them to live Hereupon he sent for seven eminent Christians from Capsa to Carthage whom he first assaulted with flattery and large promises of honour riches c. if so be they would imbrace his faith But these servants of Christ rejected all those profers crying out One Lord one faith one Baptism saying also Do with our bodies what you please torment them at your will it s better for us to suffer these momentary pains then to endure everlasting torments Hereupon they were sent to prison loaded with great iron chains and thrust into a stinking Dungeon But God stirred up the hearts of many godly persons by great bribes to the Jayler to procure daily access to them and by their exhortations they were so corroborated in the faith that they much desired to suffer the like things for Christ with these men and would willingly have laid down their necks to the Persecutors swords The Tyrant hearing of it was exceedingly enraged caused them to be kept closer loaden with more chains and to be put to great torments Then did he cause a ship to be filled with combustible matter commanding that these holy Martyrs should be put into it and fast bound in the same and fire to be set to the ship in the sea that they might be burned to death When they were brought out of the prison the multitude of Gods people accompanied them to the ship who as innocent Lambs were led to be sacrificed looking upon their weighty irons as rare Jewels and Ornaments With chearfulness and alacrity they went towards the place of execution as if they had gone to a banket singing with one voice unto the Lord as they went along the street saying This is our desired day more festival then any feâ—â—ivity Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation when for the faith of our Lord God we endure death that we may not loose the garment of obtained faith The people also with one voice cried Fear not O servants of God neither dread the threats of your enemies Die for Christ who died for us that he might redeem us with the price of his saving blood Amongst these was a pretty boy to whom a subtil Seducer said Why hastest thou my pretty boy unto death let them go they are mad Take my counsel and thou shalt not only have life but great advancement in the
as the salvation of mens souls wherein he must obey God rather then man Then did the Arch-Bishop seek to have him apprehended but could not effect it Valdo having many great friends and being generally beloved whereby he continued though closely in Lions three years Pope Alexander the third being informed that divers persons in Lions questioned his soveraign Authority over the whole Church cursed Valdo and his Adherents commanding the Arch-Bishop to proceed against them by Ecclesiastical censures to their utter extirpation whereupon they were wholly chased out of Lions Valdo and his followers were called Waldenses which afterwards spread themselves into divers Countries and Companies The opinions of these Waldenses for which they were so declaimed against and cruelty persecuted by the Romanists were these 1. That holy oyl is not to be mingled in Baptism 2. That all such prayers are superstitious and vain which are made over the oyl salt wax incense boughs of Olives and Palms Ecclesiastical garments calices Church-yards and such like things 3. That time is spent in vain in Ecclesiastical singings and saying the Canonical hours 4. That flesh and eggs may be eaten in Lent and that there is no merit in abstinence at such times 5. That when necessity requires all sorts of persons may marry Ministers as well as others 6. That auricular confession is not necessary 7. That Confirmation is not a Sacrament 8. That Obedience is not to be performed to the Pope 9. That Ministers should live upon Tithes and Offerings 10. That there is no difference between a Bishop and a Minister 11. That it is not the dignity but deserts of a Presbyter that makes him a better man 12. That they administer the Sacrament without the accustomed form of the Roman Church 13. They say that Images are to be taken out of Churches and that to adore them was Idolatry 14. They contemned the Popes indulgences and say that they were of no vertue 15. They refused to take any oath whereby they should be enforced to accuse themselves or their friends 16. They maintained their Ministers out of their own purses thinking it unreasonable that such should be diverted from their studies whilst they were forced to get their livings with their own hands 17. They held that the Miracles done in the Church of Rome were false Miracles 18. That the Religion of the Frier Mendicants was invented by the Devil 19. That the Pope of Rome was not to be obeyed 20. That whoredom and stews were not to be permitted under pretense of avoiding Adultery and Rapes 21. That there is no Purgatory wherein the souls of the deceased are to be purged before they be admitted into heaven 22. That a Presbyter falling into scandalous sin ought to be suspended from his office till he had sufficiently testified his Repentance 23. That the Saints deceased are not to be worshiped and prayed unto 24. That it matters not for the place of their burial whether it were holy or no. 25. They admitted no extream unction amongst the Sacraments of the Church 26. They say that Masses Indulgences and prayers do not profit the dead 27. They admitted no prayers but such as did correspond with the Lords prayer which they made the rule of all their Prayers 28. Lastly Though their adversaries charged them with holding that every lay-man might freely preach to the people yet they had Bishops and orders amongst themselves as the Order of Bulgarie the order of Druguria and they who were their Ministers were ordained thereunto though they were not of the Romish Institution as Nicolus Viguierius and others report of them Valdo himself went into Dauphiney conversing in the mountains of the same Province with certain rude persons yet capable of receiving his belief his Disciples also spread into Picardy whence they were called Picards against whom afterwards K. Philip enforced by the Ecclesiastical persons took arms and overthrew three hundred gentlemens houses that followed their part and destroied some walled Towns pursuing them into Flanders whether they fled and causing many of them there to be burnt to death This persecution caused many of them to flie into Germany and Alsatia where they spread their Doctrine and shortly after the Bishops of Mayence and Strasburg raised up a great persecution against them causing five and thirty Burgesses of Mayence to be burnt in one fire and eighteen in another who with great constancy suffered death At Strasburg eighty were burnt at the instance of the Bishop yet multitudes of people received such edification by the exhortations constancy and patience of the Martyrs that Anno 1315. in the County of Passau and about Bohemia there were above eighty thousand persons that made profession of the same faith Anno Christi 1160. some of them came into England and at Oxford were punished in the most barbarous and cruel manner as ever were any Christians for Religion-sake before the time as you may see in my English Martyrologie And three years after in the Council of Turon or Towers in France viz. 1163. Pope Alexander the third made a decree that these Gospellers and all their favourers should be excommunicated and that none should sell them any thing or buy any thing of them according as it was fore-prophesied Rev. 13.17 But notwithstanding all these devises they had goodly Churches in Bulgary Croatia Dalmatia and Hungary The Popish Monks to make them odious and to have the better occasion to persecute them raised up many foul slanders of them as they were sorcerers buggerers c. that they assembled themselves in the night time and that the Pastors commanded the lights to be put out saying Qui potest capere capiat catch who catch can whereupon they committed abominable incest the son with the mother the brother with the sister the father with his daughter c. they charged them also with many foul and false opinions from which accusations they by a publick Apology and vindication cleared themselves which they published both in French and their own language Rainerus the Monk saith of them that amongst all those which have risen up against the Church of Rome the Waldenses were the most dangerous in regard of their long continuance for some say that it hath continued from the time of Pope Silvester and some say from the Apostles time and because this Sect saith he is more general and there is scarce any Countrey in which it hath not taken footing and because it hath a great appearance of piety for they carry themselves uprightly before men and believe rightly touching God in all things holding all the Articles of the Creed only they hate and revile the Church of Rome and therein saith he they are easily believed of the people Cesarius saith that this Heresie so encreased that in a short time it infected usque ad mille civitates a thousand Cities Parsons saith that they had an Army of seventy thousand men to fight for
them yea they were so spread in Germany that they could travel from Collen to Milan in Italy and every night lodge with Hosts of their own profession Hereupon the Pope hath always used all his art for their utter extirpation by his Thunder-bolts Curses Canons Constitutions Decrees and whatsoever else might make them odious to Kings Princes and people giving them over to Satan interdicting them all Communion and society with others making them incapable of any charges honours profits to inherit lands to make wills to be buried in Church-yards yea confiscating their goods dis-inheriting their heirs and where they could apprehend any of them they condemned them to be delivered to the secular power their houses to be razed their lands and goods to be confiscated commanding Kings Princes Magistrates Consuls and people to make an exact inquisition to shut the City-gates to ring the Toll-bell to arm themselves to apprehend kill or use any other violence to them giving to their Accusers a third part of their Estates condemning all favorers of them to the same punishment Anno Christ 1163. came some of these godly persons to Collen in Germany out of the parts of Flanders where they secretly remained for a time in a barn near the City But the diligence of the Popish Clergy found them out by their not coming to their Church and so caused them to be apprehended and brought before them and after examination because they constantly adhered to the truth and would by no means be brought to recant the same they condemned them and delivered them to the secular power who carrying them out of the City being four men and one young woman they first bound the four men to a stake and set fire to them The people much pitied the young woman and would fain have saved her hoping that the burning of her companions would have wrought her to a recantation but she perceiving their drift strugled out of the hands of those that held her and voluntarily leaped into the fire whereby she was burned with them Godfridus Monachus Anno Christi 1194. Aldephonsus King of Arragon probably by the instigation of Pope Celestine and mis-information of his Clergy published this evil Edict against them Aldephonsus by the grace of God King of Arragon c. to all Arch-Bishops Bishops and the rest of the Prelates of the Church in his Kingdom to Earls Vicounts Knights and all the people of his Kingdom and to all that are in Authority health c. Because God would have us to be over his people it is a worthy and just thing that we take continual care as far as in us lies of the salvation and defence of them Wherefore being imitators of our Predecessors and in obedience to the Canons we judge that all Hereticks cast out of the sight of God and of all Catholicks are to be condemned and persecuted every where namely the Waldenses or poor men of Lyons whereof there is no number who being cursed by his holy Church We also command to depart and flie from all our Kingdoms and places within our power as enemies to the Cross of Christ our selves and this Kingdom Therefore from this day forward shall presume to receive the foresaid Waldenses into their houses or to hear their doleful preaching or to give them meat or any other relief let him know that he hath incurred the indignation of God and of us and that he shall be punished as a Traitor and all his goods shall be confiscated without remedy or appeal And this our Edict we command to be published upon Sundays by Bishops and all Rectors of Churches c. through all our Dominions And we command that the foresaid punishments be inflicted upon all Transgressors of it by our Bailyffs Justices c. And if any of the foresaid naughty people whether noble or ignoble shall presume to stay three days after the publication hereof and not hast their removal we will and command all men to bring upon them all mischief disgrace and agrievance except death or cutting off their members which shall be gratefull and acceptable to us neither shall they fear any punishment for the same c. But this same Aldephonsus that made this cruel Edict by the just retribution of God the very next year lost part of his Kingdom to the Moors and his son having also fifty thousand of his men slain in one battel Hoveden The Popelings exercising such cruelty against the Gospellers they began to defend themselves by arms repelling force with force and when being overpowred by multitude they could defend themselves no longer they left their places and became souldiers abroad and many of them became very helpfull to our King Henry the second in his Wars when he was molested about Arch-Bishop Beckets death Also our King Richard the first at his return out of the Holy land as they called it made good use of them who though they were cursed by the Pope yet were they blessed by God for the recovery of his right and for the defence of his people Valdo notwithstanding all the curses of the Pope continued to publish that the Pope was Anti-Christ 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 the people were delivered by thousands into the Magistrates hands and by them to the Executioners whereby in a few years all Christendom was moved with compassion to see all those burnt and hanged that did trust only in Christ for salvation The Pope seeing that this suppressed not but rather increased the number of his enemies sent certain Bishops and Monks to preach in those places of the Waldenses but their preaching converted not any of them from their former opinions Amongst those Monks was Dominick who was a zealous persecutor of these Saints of God both in word and deed who seeing himself to be in Authority instituted an Order of begging Monks called after his name Dominicans which order was confirmed by the Pope for their zealous assisting of him against the Waldenses and this Dominick laboured in the inquisition with such contentment to the Popes that from that time forward the Monks of his order have always been imploied in the inquisition The power of these Inquisitors was without limitation they could assemble the people by the sound of a bell when they pleased proceed against the Bishops themselves they could imprison and release without controul Any accusation was sufficient with them A sorcerer a whore was a sufficient witness in the case of pretended Heresie It mattered not who accused or whether by word of mouth or ticket thrown in before the
many great Provinces to shake off his Antichristan yoak and therefore he condemned them for Hereticks in the Councel of Lateran Yet did they so multiply that Anno 1200. they possessed many and great Cities yea they had many great Lords that took part with them as Earl Remund of Tholouse Remund Earl of Foix the Vicount of Bezieres c. Pope Innocent the third pretended a great desire to reclaime them by preaching and conference and thereupon there was a famous Disputation at Montreall wherein the Popish Doctors were shamefully baffled by Arnold But the Popes pollicy was thus to rock them asleep whilest he raised Armies against them to destroy them The pretended occasion whereof was this There was one Frier Peter that was slain in the dominions of the Earl of Tholouse whereupon the Pope sent preachers abroad through all Europe to assemble men together to take vengeance on the Hereticks for the innocent bloud of Friar Peter slain amongst them promising Paradise to all that would come to this warre and bear arms for fourty daies This he called the holy warre and gave the same Pardons and Indulgences to those that came to this war as to those which went into the Holy land against the Saracens Then did he thunder against Earl Remund charging all Arch-bishops and Bishops through their Diocesse to pronounce him accursed and excommunicated and that with the sound of a Bell and extinction of Candles every Sabbath and festivall day for murthering of a good servant of God He also absolved all his subjects from their oaths of allegiance to him commanding every good Catholike to pursue his person and to take and possesse his land c. He also wrote to all Christian Princes to stirre them up to get this pardon rather by fighting against these Albingenses then by going against the Turks Earl Remund hearing of all these preparations against him sent to the Pope humbly beseeching him not to condemn him before he was heard assuring him that he was no way guilty of the death of Frier Peter but that he was slain by a Gentleman who immediatly fled out of his Country otherwise he would have severely punished him for it But all was in vain for presently came Armies of crossed souldiers to pour down their vengeance on him and his lands Amongst these were many noble men and Ecclesiasticall persons Arch-bishops Bishops Abbots c. to all which the Pope promised Paradise but gave them not a peny The Earl of Tholouse perceived that he must either prepare for defence or submit the latter he thought the safer and therefore he went presently to the Popes Legate at Valance to whom he began to say that he thought it strange that so many armed men should be brought against him who used no other arms for his defence but his own innocency And that concerning the death of the Frier they should first have enquired the truth of the fact before they thus moved heaven and earth against him yea if he had been guilty yet there was an ordinary course of justice to be used against him and not to wreak their anger on his innocent Subjects and therefore Sir said he since I come voluntarily to you armed only with the testimony of a good conscience what further use is there of these armed Pilgrims pray you therefore counteâ—mand these souldiers before they go to make any further spoil in my territories for my own person may serve for a sufficient pledge c. The Legate answered that he had done well in coming to him yet could he not send back the souldiers except he would put seven of his best castles into his hands which should serve for a hostage Now did the Earl when it was too late see his own folly in putting himself into the Legates hands and thereby making himself a prisoner but there was no remedy now he must take Laws from him that had him in his power and therefore be told him that both his person and possessions were at his disposall beseeching him that his Subjects might receive no more damage by the Souldiers The Legate presently sent to put Garisons in those seven Castles commanding all the Consuls of every City presently to appear before him and when they were come he told them that Earl Remund had delivered up his Castles to the Pope and therefore they were to take notice of it that so they might acknowledge themselves lawfull Subjects to his Holinesse in case the Earl should falsifie his Oath to the Pope The Consuls were much astonished thus to see their Lord devested of all his possessions but that which most afflicted them was to see him led to S. Giles to be reconciled to the Church where the Legate commanded the Earl to strip himself stark naked all but his linnen drawers then did he put a cord about his neck whereby he led him nine times about the grave of Frier Peter scourging him with rods all the while The Earl demanded satisfaction for so sharp a penance seeing he was not guilty of the fact the Legate answered that he must submit if he would be reconciled to the Pope yea he must be thus scourged before the Earls Barons Marquesses Prelates and all the people he made him also to swear to be obedient all his life to the Pope and Church of Rome and to make irreconcileable warre against the Albingenses c Then did the Legate make him General of the crossed Souldiers for the seige of Beziers The Earl knew not what to do For to conduct an Army to fight against the Albingenses was to sin against his conscience and if he should fly away it would furnisâ— them with new matter of persecution against him and his subjects In this extremity he stayed in the Army a few daies and then went towards Rome to reconcile himself to the Pope Then did the Army come before the City of Beziers and provided all manner of Engines for battery reared up ladders for a general Escalado this the Earl of Beziers beholding and judging it impossible to defend the City he went out and cast himself down at the Legates feet beseeching him not to punish the innocent with the nocent which must needs be if the Town were taken by storm he told him that there were in the City great numbers of good Catholicks which would be subject to the same ruine with the Albingenses he desired him also to commiserate him now in his minority that was a most obedient servant to the Pope and had been brought up in the Romish Church in which he would live and die The Legate told him that all his excuses prevailed nothing and that he must do as he may The Earl returned into the City assembled the people and told them that he could obtain no mercy from the Legat except all the Albingenses would come and abjure their religion and promise to live according to the Laws of the Church of Rome The Popish party
requested the Albingenses to yield to this but the Albingenses answered that they would not forsake their religion for the base price of their frail life that God was able if he pleased to defend them but if he would be glorified by the confession of their faith it should be a great honour to them to die for his sake that they had rather displease the Pope who could but kill their bodies then God who could cast both body and soul into hell c. Then did the Popish party send their Bishop to the Legate beseeching him not to include them in the chastisement of the Albingenses and that the best way to win the others was by gentle means not by rigour the Legate grew into great choler at this swearing that if all the City diâ— not acknowledg their fault they should all taste of one cup without distinction of religion sex or age and accordingly he summoned the City presently to yield to his discretion which they refusing he caused that his Engines should play and that a generall assault should be given It was impossible for them within the City to resist so great violence being assaulted by above an hundred thousand Pilgrims so that the enemies entred and slew a great multitude and set the City on fire and burnt it to ashes When the City was first taken the Priests and Monks came forth of the great Church with Banners and Crosses singing Te Deum laudamus but the Souldiers who were commanded by the Legate to kill all ran upon them made their heads and arms to fly about the streets so that they were all cut in pieces In this City of Beziers they slew sixty thousand persons the Popes Legate saying to the Captains and souldiers Caedite eos omnes novit enim Dominus qui sunt ejus Kill them all Catholicks and Hereticks for the Lord knoweth who are his Then were these Pilgrims presently conducted to Carcasson before the fourty daies of service which they had vowed to the Church of Rome were expired The Earl of Beziers when he saw that he could obtain no favour of the Legate before the City was taken left his charge to the Bishop and went to Carcasson endeavouring to prepare and furnish it for a long siege but the Legates Army followed him presently unto which there came a new supply of crossed souldiers out of sundry Countries so that his Army now consisted of three hundred thousand fighting men Near to the City of Carcasson was a Town of the same name the City was seated on an hill and fenced with a double wall yet the Pilgrims thought to take it at the first sight and therefore ran with great violence upon the first Rampier filling the ditch with fagots but they were beaten back with such courage that the ground was covered with their dead bodies The young Earl of Beziers won much honor in this first encounter encouraging his men and telling them that it was better to die fighting then to fal into the hands of such cruel and merciless enemies c. The Albingenses much encouraged hereby swore to him that they would spend their lives for the preservation of the City The next morning the Legate commanded a general assault to be made upon the Town of Carcasson which was two miles from the City The people valiantly defended themselves but being oppressed with multitudes the souldiers entred the Town putting all to the sword and fire as they had done at Beziers Then came the King of Arragon to the Camp and told the Legate that he understood that his kinsman the Earl of Beziers was in the City and that with his leave he would go to him not doubting but that he should prevail with him to do his duty to the Pope and Church The Legate gave him leave and the King approaching to the Rampier called for the Earl who came to him then said the King that he desired to know of him what moved him to shut up himself in that City against so great an Army of Pilgrims the Earl answered that it was to defend his life goods and Subjects that he knew well that the Pope under the pretence of religion resolved to destroy his Uncle Remund and himselfe that he saw the cruelty which they had used at Beziers even against the Priests themselves adding also what they had done to the Town of Carcasson and that they must look for no mercy from the Legate or his Army and that therefore he rather chose to die defending himself with his subjects then to fall into the hands of so inexorable an enemy as the Legate was that though he had in his City some that were of another religion yet they were such as had wronged none and were come to his succour in his greatest extremity and for their good service he was resolved not to abandon them and that his trust was in God the defender of the oppressed that he would assist them against that world of ill advised men who forsook their own houses to burn sack and ransack and kill in their houses other men without reason judgement or mercy The King returning to the Legate told him that his cozen was much discontented with his former dealings against his Subjects of Beziers Carcasson that he believed seeing they spared not the Romish Priests their war was not for Religion but a kinde of theevery that he would not yield himselfe to the descretion of such mercilesse men c. The Legate after some debate told the King that for his sake he would receive the Earl of Beziers to mercy and that with him twelve more might come out with bag and baggage but for the rest he would have them wholly at his discretion and that they should all come forth stark naked men women maids and children without shirts smocks or other covering and that then they might hope well of his mercy he being the Popes Legate c. The King much distasted this propositions yet reported it to the Earl of Beziers who returned answer that he would not come forth upon such unreasonable and unjust propositions but would defend himself and his Subjects as God should enable him Then did the Legate cause all his Engines to play commanding that they should take the City by storm but he was little pleased when he saw the losse of a great number of his Pilgrims for they in the City threw down stones fire pitch brimstone and boiling water wherewith they so galled the assailants that the earthâ—â—s covered and the ditches filled with their deads bodies which 〈◊〉 a wondrous noysom stink both in the City an Camp This overthrow caused divers of the crossed souldiers having accomplished their fourty daies service and thereby gained Paradise to refuse to conquer more after so faire a purchase and therefore they returned home The Legate being much troubled to see his Army so decreased thought of this Stratagem he sent for
a gentleman telling him that he might do a piece of service whereby he might not only merit heaven but gain a great reward here which was by going to the Earl of Bezires endeavouring to put him into great fears and then to perswade him to have recourse to the Legates mercy and withall that he should perswade him with great Oaths and Execrations whereof he could absolve him at his pleasure to come with him to the Legate with assurance that he should be dismissed safe and sound This Gentleman plaied his part so well that he brought the young Earl with him The Legate presently told him that he was now his prisoner till Carcasson was taken and till his Subjects had better learned their duty the Earl astonished hereat cried out that he was betraied and that faith was violated with him c. but this nothing prevailed for he was presently committed to the guard and custody of the Duke of Burgonne The inhabitants of Carcasson understanding this brake forth into tears and were so astonished that they now thought of nothing but how by flight to escape the danger but that seemed impossible being environed with such an Army at last one told them that he heard some old men say that there was a certain vault under ground great and large which went to the Castle of Cameret three leagues off Then were all the Citizens imploied to search for this vault and having at last found it they began their flight in the evening with their wives and children carrying with them only some victuals for a few daies This departure was accompanied with much sorrow thus to leave all their worldly enjoyments The next morning they came to the Castle and from thence dispersed themselves some to Arragon others to Catalonia others to Tholouse whether it pleased God to conduct them In the morning the Pilgrims were strangely astonished hearing no noise nor seeing any man stirring in the City yet they approached the wals with much fear lest it should be but a stratagem to endanger them but finding no opposition they mounted the wals crying out that the Albingenses were fled and thus was the City with all the spoils taken and the Earl of Beziers committed to prison in one of the strongest Towers of Carcasson Then did the Legate call all the Prelates and great Lords of his Army together telling them that though it was requisite that there should be alwaies a Legate in the Army yet it was likewise necessary that there should be a secular General wise and valiant to command in all their affairs c. This charge was first proffered to the Duke of Burgonne then to the Earl of Ennevers and to the Earl of S. Paul but they all refused it Lastly it was proffered to Earl Simon of Montfort who after some excuses accepted of it The Earl being made general settled himself at Carcasson with four thousand Pilgrims all the remainders of that huge Army After this Earl Remund of Tholouse went to the French King for his Letters of commendation to the Pope to be by him fully cleared from the death of Frier Peter and the Pope thereupon received him courteously gave him full remission and absolution and thereby declared him sufficiently justified Shortly after the Earl of Beziers died in prison and Earl Simon was put into possession of his lands whereupon all that bordered upon him began to fear him for that he gave it out that the Spring following he would have a great Army of Pilgrims wherewith he would chastise those that had not acknowledged his authority given him by the Church Upon this occasion Castris sent unto him the keys of their City the Castle of Pinies yielded to him and so did all round about Carcasson But the King of Arragon secretly encouraged the Gentlemen of the Vicounty of Beziers telling them that his Pilgrims would be uncertain and would not stay long with him and that if in the mean time they would but keep themselves in their Garisons when he was weak by the departure of his Pilgrims they might then set upon him and reduce him to reason These messages gave such encouragement to the Gentry that the Earl Simon being gone to Montpelliar they took arms to shake off his yoak besieging some of his souldiers in a Tower near to Carcasson the Earl hearing of it presently returned to succor them but the Tower was taken before he came which affront brought him into some contempt Then Captain Boucard belonging to Earl Simon attempted to surprise the strong Castle of Cabeâ—et making his approach thereto as secretly as he could Captain Roger commanding therein for Earl Remund was come forth with eighty horse to forrage Boucard on the sudden charged him but Roger doubled the charge in so furious a manner that he overcame Boucards party and brought him prisoner into that Castle that he came to surprise Gerad of Pepios took part with the Albingenses so that the warre grew hot but all the men that Earl Simon took he caused a great fire to be made and cast them into it neither did his men escape scot-free when they fell into their enemies hands The City of Carcasson was hereupon stricken with great fear having little hope to defend themselves but by flight being environed on all sides by their enemies About this time Earl Simon wrote to all the Prelates through Europe that if in the Spring following they did not send him good store of Pilgrims he could hold out no longer against his enemies having since the last departure of his Pilgrims lost above fourty Towns and Castles And whilest that he waited for these new succours he surprised the Castle of Beron where he pulled out the eyes of above a hundred Albingenses and cut off their noses leaving only one with one eye to guide the rest to Cabaret Anno 1210. Earl Simon being shut up in Carcasson for want of souldiers heard that his wife was comming from France with many Pilgrims whereupon he went out to meet her These Pilgrims he imployed against the Castle of Menerbe which at last was yielded up to him for want of water This Castle was defended by Remund Lord of Termes and was scituated in Narbonne one argument which Earl Simon used to stirre up his crossed souldiers to fight manfully against it was For that saith he there hath been no Masse sung in it since the yeare 1180. which is now thirty years Upon the surrender of the Castle they laboured to draw this noble Lord to recant his religion and turne Papist but finding him immovable they shut him up in a straight prison where shortly after he died they also took his wife sister and daughter who was a maid and other Noble women with whom they laboured to withdraw them from the truth both by flattery and frowns by faire speeches and cruell threats but when they saw that nothing would prevaile they made an huge
to be of their opinion whereupon Conradius Bishop of Portua the Popes Legate wrote to the Arch-Bishop of Roan and his Suffragan Bishops to meet with others Bishops at a Councill to be held at Sens against the said Bartholmew who saith the Legate in his letters stiles himself servant of the servants of God and runs about Creating Bishops and endeavoring perfidiously to gather Churches Mathew Paris Anno Christi 1226. saith the same Author the Crosse was preached all over France by Romanus the Popes Legate against the Albingenses where in he commanded all that were able to beare arms to signe them selves with the signe of the Crosse against the Earl of Tholouse and his people and at his preaching a great multitude of Prelates and Lay men tooke upon them the signe of the Crosse yet more for fear of the King of France and for favour of the Legate then induced by the justness of the cause But the King of France being signed with the Crosse would not take upon him the expedition unlesse the Pope would forbid the King of England under paine of excommunication to move war against him for any land that he possessed at that present either iustly or unjustly which accordingly the Pope did and our King Henry the third upon receipt of the Popes letters assembled his Nobles to consult with them what he should do upon this inhibition at which time their was present one Mr William Perepund skilfull in Astronomy who constantly affirmed before the King That if the King of France took upon him this expedition he should either never returne alive or else should meet with as greate confusion as might be both of his person estate and followers The King of France having thus settled his affaires at home he together with the Legate appointed a Peremptory day for the Crossed-souldiers to come to a rendevous with their horses and Arms at Lyons from which at the time appointed he began his expidition with an huge Army which was accounted Invincible whom the Legate followed with Arch-Bishops Bishops c. In the Army there were reckoned to be fifty thousand Knights and men at Arms on horsback besides an innumerable company of footmen and then did the Legate publickly excommunicate the Earl of Tholouse putting all his favourers and lands under Interdict The King thus marching with his glittering Arms and terrible Army on Whitson-Eve came to Avignion the first City in Tholouse purposing to destroy the whole land of the Earl from one end to the other and utterly to root out the Inhabitants thereof yet very cunningly the King and the Legate sent to the Citizens only desiring passage through the City that they might follow their iourney the neerest way The Citizens consulting together returned answer That they suspected fraud neither would they admit them into the City where upon the King in a great rage swore that he would not depart thence till he had taken the City The Citizens valiantly defended themselves so that the sieg lasted long and the Earl of Tholouse being a skilfull warrior before the comming of the French Army had withdrawne all kind of victualls together with the women children and cattell into places of safety Hereupon the Kings Army fell into great wants so that multitudes perished by famine Their horses and beasts also were starved for the Earl had caused all the meddowes to be plowed up in the whole country so that they had no fodder but what was brought out of France And their wants daily increasing many Legions went out of the Kings Camp to seek for food and fodder but the Earl of Tholouse with a flying Army many times lay in ambush for them and cut off multitudes of them They also that lay in the siege before the City were miserably wasted by darts and stones shot in ingines from the walls by the Citizens valiantly defending themselves and a generall famine overspread all but it raged most amongst the poorer sort who had neither food nor money Also out of the dead carkasses of men and beasts their bred certaine great and blackflies which comming into there tents by swarms with an horible humming infected their meat and drink and when they were not able to drive them from their cupps and dishes many of the Pilgrims perished suddenly by their meanes But the King and Legate were especially troubled and confounded to think what reproach it would be to them and to the Church of Rome that so gallant and numerous an Army should vndertake such an expedition and be able to effect nothing Then the chiefe Princes and Captains being weary of the long siege amongst so many deaths sollicit that a generall storme might be given to the City hoping by their multitudes to oppresse the Citizens which being resolved upon such a great multitude of Armed men thronged upon the bridge that goes over the river of Rhodanus that the bridge breaking under them three thousand of them were drowned in that swift river Presently after as the French were one day at dinner the Citizens discovering there carlesness suddenly sallied forth violently setting upon them suddenly slew Twenty thousand of them with out any losse to themselves and so retired and the King of France commanded the dead bodies to be throwne into the River affording them no other buriall Then did he also remove his sieg to afarther distance and to prevent the like attempts caused a great ditch to be cast up between the City and his camp and the Legate with his Prelates not knowing how otherwise to reveng themselves Anathematized the Earl of Tholouse and all the subjects But whom they cursed the Lord blessed For shortly after he sent a very great plague into the French campe so that king Lewis to escape the same retired himself into the neighbouring Abbey of Monpensier where he resolved to remain till the City should be taken unto whom came Henry Earl of Compaigne desiring to be dismissed having now sereved his fourty daies but the King denyed his request To whom the Earl said that having performead what was injoyned he neither might nor would be staid any longer The King being very angry hereat swore that if he departed he would wast his whole land with fire and sword yet the Earl according to his former resolution went his waies and shortly after the Lord struck the King with sickness whereof he dyed The Legate and great Captaines concealed his death for a month together and in the interim sent messengers laboring to draw the Citizens to a composition and Commissioners being sent to the Camp the Legate perswaded them to resigne up their City to him upon promise that they should injoy their lives estates and liberties in a better manner then they had formerly but they answered that they would not live under the power of the Frenchmen whose pride and insolency they had often tryed After along Parlee the Legate desired that himself and the
the space of two or three moneths he caused fifty of them saith Mathew Paris either to be burnt or burned alive Anno Christi 1239. the King of France having garisoned divers Castles within the country of Albingenses who greatly oppressed them they betook themselves to Armes besieging those Garisons whereupon they sent to the King of France craving that present aid might be sent to them Then did the King of France send the Lord Iohn of Bellemont with a great Army to aid them who comming into that Country besieged the strong Castle of Mont-reall and at last took it together with divers others belonging to the Albingenses whereby the were suppressed for that â—ime But the year after the Earl of Tholouse took Armes againe and assaulted the Earl of Provence who presently sent to the French King for aid and the French that were about Avignion hasted to the reliefe of the Earl of Provence which the Earl of Tholouse hearing of he lay in Ambush in their way and suddenly setting upon them slew many and dispersed the rest and the war so prospered in his hand that in a short space he recovered to his former dominion above 20. Castles from the French and Earl of Provence and sharply punished his Rebels About the same time the Citizens of Millan being provoked thereunto by the Pope and Emperor burnt many of the Albingenses who were their fellow-Citizens Anno Christi 1241. The Earl of Tholouse continuing his warrs against the Earl of Provence almost beat him out of his country so that the Earl of Provence was feigne to send to the Kings of England and France who had married his second daughters to mediate for him and they writing to the Earl of Tholouse obtained peace for their Father in law Anno Christi 1242. the Bishops of Narbonne and Albium and the Seneschall of Carcasson apprehended two hundred of the Albingenses in a certaine Castle of Tholouse who had Bernard Martine of Cathavell and Raimund Agulbuerus for their Pastors and Ministers All these upon examination adhering constantly to the true faith without wavering were cruelly burnt in the flames Vignier Hist. Eccles. And the year following there were 224. more of them burnt likewise Shortly after it pleased God that great contentions arose between the Pope and Emperor whereby the Gospellers enjoyed some breathing time from their former miseries yet Anno Christi 1262. Pope Vrban hearing that through that peace their Doctrine was spread exceedingly he made a Decree in this tenour Albeit we be bound by our office alwaies to endeavour the rooting out the deadly poison of Hereticall pravity from all parts in the Christian world yet now in a speciall manner this duty is incumbent upon us when we perceive this plague to be growne up in our neighborhood through the iniquity of the times to the detriment of the Catho-Faith That therefore the office of the Inquisition may be the more effectually executed against the Hereticks in the province of Lombardy and parts adjacent we enjoyne you upon remission of your sins that you doe your uttermost endeavours for the extirpation of it and that you see that all Papall and Imperiall Lawes be executed against them and for my owne part I will implore the aid of Christian Kings and Princes that Heaven and Earth may be moved against them Anno Christi 1270 Petrus Cadarita and Gulielmus Calonicus were sent as Inquisitors from the Pope into the Kingdom of Arragon severely to punish those that had imbraced the Faith of the Albingenses and amongst others they condemned Arnaldus Castlebonius the viscount and his daughter Ermesenda Countess of Foix They also decreed their memory to be detestable commanding their bones to be digged out of their graves and to be burned They also called Roger the nephew of Ermesenda into judgement for the same crime Anno Christi 1281. There was a great persecution raised against the Gospellers in the Country of Albi by one William de gurdon Captain and president of Carcasson under Phillip the French King who by a proclamation commanded all the Albingenses to be extirpated and searched out of their dens and lurking holes and all such as favoured them to be utterly rooted out as also that the innumerable company of their children which would not be reduced to the Catholike faith and unity of the Church of Rome should not be admitted unto the City of Realmont or the territory thereof nor to the place of any honour or office That such likewise as favoured or concealed any of them should be banished forever from the City of Realmont and their goods wholly confiscated and their children be excluded from all honours and dignities Yet notwithstanding the severity of this Edict God hid and preserved many of them even in Realmont it selfe as Diamonds in dunghils though many of them fled into Arragon and Sicily where they might enjoy more freedom of Conscience Anno Christi 1285. Gareldus and Segarellus of Parma and Dulcinus of Noudria preached and spread the Doctrine of the Albingenses in Parma and in many cities of Lumbardy whereupon Pope Honorius by a publick Edict condemned their Doctrine and commanded them to be rooted out Bzorius Anno Christi 1300. Pope Boniface commanded Guido the Inquisitor to dig up the bodie of Hermanus one of the Albingenses and to condemne and burn it in Ferrara twenty yeares after his death Anno Christi 1315 The Friers Inquisitors raised a great persecution against the Gospellers in Passaw in Austria and burned many of them who continued very constant in the faith took their death very cherefully Amongst the rest one of them that was burnt at Vienna confessed that their were eighty thousand of them in Bohemia and Austria at that time their cheifest Ministers were Bartholomew Faustus Iames Iustus Bononatus William and Gilbert of whom James was murthered between two walls by the Mercilesse Inquisitors Bononatus was burned alive and William Gilbert and Bartholomew were condemned after their death the house where they used to preach was pulled to the ground and all that adhered to them were Anathematized Anno Christi 1322. Lollard Walterus from whom our English professors were called Lollards was taken at Collen where he had privately preached and through Gods blessings drawne many from ignorance and errors to imbrace the truth persisting constantly in his opinions he was condemned and burned alive Yet notwithstanding all cruelties used against them their enemies could never prevail to a totall extirpation of them but they still lay hid like sparkles under the ashes desiring and longing to see that wich now through Gods grace their posterity do injoy viz. The liberty to call upon God in purity of conscience without being inforced to any superstition and idolatry and so instructing their children in the service of God the Lord was pleased to preserve a Church amongst them in the middest of the Romish corruptions as a Diamond
notable Papist was ran thorow with a spear But all this was done through military licentiousnesse Now we come to what was acted by processe of Law Anno 1621. Six Articles were exhibited to the Protestant Congregations in Prague 1. That they should lend some thousands of pounds to Caesar for the paiment of his Army 2. That they should publickly renounce the coming in of Frederick 3. That they should bring into the Church the Popish Rites and Ceremonies 4. That their Ministers should be ordained anew 5. That the Ministers should leave their wives or get a dispensation from the Archbishop 6. That such as would renounce their Ecclesiasticall functions should have publick promotions and the favour of Caesar. But they answered unanimously that they would doe nothing against their consciences Then came forth an Edict wherein the blame of all the former rebellion as they called it was laid upon the Ministers of Prague because they had stired up by their seditious and lying Sermons as they pleased to stile them and by their writings not only the common people but the Nobles also against Caesar and that they were the authors of the choice of Frederick and that they still laboured to stirre up in the people an hatred against Caesar. Thereupon all the Ministers within Prague were required within three daies to depart out of Prague and within eight daies to depart out of all the Kingdom and the Provinces belonging thereto and never to return again and if any under what pretence soever should stay or returne again or if any should presume to harbour or conceal any of them that both the one and the other should suffer death this was Anno 1621. Then were their Churches in Prague given to the Jesuits It can not be expressed what lamentations and mournings there were amongst the people when thus they must leave their Pastors and that for ever Yet the German Ministers whereof there were two were suffered to continue in favour to the Duke of Saxony Then did as many as understood Dutch flock to their Congregations which so vexed the Jesuits that they obtained not a banishment but a gracious dismission of them as they would have it called Multitudes of people followed them with great lamentations and tears and in the field they heard their farewell sermon The next design was to remove the Ministers out of other free Cities and the Commissioners of Reformation were imployed herein One of them with a Troop of horse coming to Slana and going to Church the Minister a godly and learned man was reading the Gospel The Commissioner sent a souldiers to him to bid him give over but the Minister still going on himself went to him with his sword drawn crying out Thou foolish Preacher leave off thy babling and withall he dashed the Bible out of his hand with his sword The Minister with eies hands and voice lift up to heaven repeated often Woe woe unto you you enter not into heaven your selves and forbid them that would Woe woe woe unto you But they mocking at these words presently laid hands on him justling him to and fro whereupon he said I for the name of my Lord Jesus Christ am ready to suffer all this and what else you shall impose The people were much affrighted but the chief Magistrates and many good women interceding for him he was at last dismissed provided that he should depart the City within three daies and thus was this faithfull shepherd not without the greate lamentations of his people banished where about three years after he died In a neighbouring City the Minister for fear of these barbarous proceedings went a way of himself yet the Commissioners extorted a great summe of money from his Church and banished him in his absence In another place they commanded the Minister to depart from his Parish within three daies and from the City within eight daies he modestly asking the reason of his banishment they told him Caesar by conquest was Master of all the Churches and that therefore he would put into them whom he pleased But into the rooms of these godly Preachers were put in unclean men wicked blasphemers and men illiterate and of no worth and yet they could not provide for all places so that one of their hirelings supplied divers Churches and in stead of the wholesome food of Gods Word he fed them with poison Then brought the ignorant Monks out of Poland unprofitable burthens to the earth yet fit enough to be scourges to unprofitable and common Gospellers Then a Commissioner with some Troops of horse entring into Ctutenburg a place famous for maintaining the Orthodox Faith cals before him the Ministers casts them out of their places and puts Jesuits into their Churches And these Jesuits urging it the Ministers were commanded to depart out of the City gates before break of day and out of the Kingdom within eight daies Hereby were twenty one Ministers driven away many Citizens accompanying them One of them at the parting preached upon that Text They shall cast you out of the Synagogues exhorting them to perseverance All the multitude much bewailed their losse and with great lamentations wailing and kissing each other they recommended themselves to the blessing and protection of the Almighty In every place the Ministers were cast out of their livings some imprisonned and after a while dismissed and all commanded to depart the Kingdom upon pain of death Some were stifled with stink whilest they lay in prison At last Anno 1624. an other Decree came forth from the King whereby all the Ministers of the Gospel were commanded to depart the Kingdom by a peremptory day prefixed because as was alledged they were seditious men and seducers of the people Yet herein they used this Artifice that in most places this Edict was concealed till the time was almost or altogether elapsed so that by this means the Ministers not having time to communicate their counsels together went into severall Provinces and some were faigne to hide themselves in caves dens and those either returned privately and visited their auditors or comforted such as came to them in the mountains and woods preaching and administring the Sacraments to them But as soon as the enemies understood it they presently published a new decree wherein a punishment was preposed to those that should conceal the Ministers and a rewarde to such as should betray them Whereupon some of the Ministers were taken and cast into prison Then by the Jesuits were they by all waies sollicited to Apostacy and fear of death hunger cold the stink of the prison c. prevailed with some to renounce their Ministery But most bore up couragiously against all storms and at last some by paying great fines others by giving it under their hands that they would never returne into Bohemia were dismissed One godly Minister was examined by tortures when where and to whom he had administred
get leave to write to or speak with any of his Countreymen Afterwards they brought him forth with many other godly persons upon their publick day of triumph in his Sambito painted all over with ugly devils tormenting a soul in flames of fire and with a Barnacle upon his tongue where he received sentence of death and so with the rest was carried to the place of execution to be burnt and he endured the flames with so much patience and cheerfulnesse of countenance that his Popish adversaries said that the Devil had his soul before he came to the fire whereby his sense of feeling was taken away They also sequestred all his goods which could never be recovered out of their hands though great means were used for the same This was in Queen Maries days There was burned with him at the same time another Englishman and not long after two more called John Baker and William Burgate And about the same time William Burges Master of an English ship was burned there also and William Hooker a youth of about sixteen was there stoned to death for the bold profession of his faith Here place the seventh Figure CHAP. XXVIII The Persecution of the Church of Christ in Italy which began Anno Christi 1155. ANno Christi 1155. Adrian the fourth an English man being Pope there was one Arnald of Brixia who coming to Rome preached boldly against the corruptions which were crept into the Church and found great favour amongst the Senators and people insomuch as when the Pope commanded this Arnald to be driven away as an Heretick they resisted his command and defended Arnald till at last the Pope interdicting the whole City at the importunity of the Clergy the Senators and Citizens were forced to send him away and shortly after he was apprehended by the Popes Legat Cardinal of St. Nicholas out of whose hands he was rescued by the Vicounts of Campany with whom he remained and to whom he preached the Gospel of Christ and was had in such esteem that he was accounted a Prophet Shortly after Frederick Barbarossa the Emperour coming unto Italy to be crowned the Pope sent some Cardinals to him requesting that he would deliver Arnald of Brixia into their hands whom the Vicounts of Campania had taken from his Legat at Otriculi whom they held for a Prophet in their Countrey and greatly honoured him The Emperour receiving these commands from the Pope presently sent forth his Apparitors and took one of the Vicounts prisoner wherewith the other were so terrified that they delivered up Arnald to the Cardinals and this the Emperour did to gratifie the Pope that was to set the Imperial Crown upon his head Not long after the Pope being in his Ruff marching with a brave Army into Apulia commanded his Prefect at Rome to do execution upon Arnald who accordingly most cruelly first hanged and then burned him for an Arch-heretick at the appointment of the Pope This Arnald was born in Italy and was trained up under Peter Abailardus in France His heresies were that he preached against the Pride and Covetousnesse of the Clergy and Monks That he inveighed against the corruptions which were crept into the Sacraments c. He first Preached in Brixia and expounded to the people the sacred Scriptures who earnestly embraced his doctrine whereupon the Bishops and Monks of that City complained of him to the Council that was held at Rome by Pope Innocent who to prevent the spreading of his Doctrine injoyned him silence and banished him Italy Then did he go beyond the Alps into a Town of Germany called Turengum where for a time he preached the truth and did much good till he heard of the death of Pope Innocent his old Adversary at which time he returned into Italy and went to Rome where what his successe was we heard before after his body was burnt they gathered up his ashes and threw them into the River Tybur Otho Frising Anno Christi 1546. There was one Encenas or Driander a Spaniard born in Bruges who in his youth was sent by his superstitious Parents to be educated in Rome where in process of time through God mercy he came to the knowledge of the truth and thereupon manifesting his dislikes of the impure doctrine of the Church of Rome he was betrayed by some of his own Countrymen and houshold friends and by them carried before the Cardinals who committed him to strait prison and afterwards being called forth to declare his judgement in matters of Religion he gave a notable testimony to the truth before the Cardinals and the Popes whole retinue whereupon they cried out upon him that he should be burned yet the Cardinals proffered him life if he would wear the Sambito but he constantly refused to wear any other badge save the badge of our Lord Jesus Christ which was to seal his Profession with his blood Hereupon he was condemned to the fire and suffered Martyrdome with great patience and constancy His brother Francis Encenas a very learned and godly man as any was in Spain being in the Emperours Court at Bruxels offered to Charles the fifth the New Testament translated into Spanish for which he was cast into prison 〈…〉 remained in great misery for the space of fifteen months looking for nothing but present death but at last through the marvellous Providence of God at eight a clock at night he found the prison doors standing wide open and a secret motion in his minde to make an escape whereupon going out of prison with a leasurely pace he went without interruption and so from thence went strait into Germany Anno 1550. There was at Ferrara one Faninus who by reading of good books was through Gods grace converted to the knowledge of the truth wherein he found such sweetnesse that by constant reading meditation and prayer he grew so expert in the Scriptures that he was able to instruct others and though he durst not go out of the bounds of his calling to preach openly yet by conference and private exhortations he did good to many This coming to the knowledge of the Popes Clients they apprehended and committed him to prison where by the earnest solicitations of his wife and children and other friends he was so overcome that he renounced the truth and so was dismissed out of prison But it was not long before the Lord met with him so that falling into horrible torture of conscience he was near unto utter despair for his Apostacy and for preferring the love of his kindred and friends before the service of Jesus Christ neither could he possibly by any means be free from these terrours before he had fully resolved to adventure his life more faithfully in the service of the Lord. Wherefore being thus inflamed with an holy zeal he went about all the Countrey doing much good wheresoever he came whereupon he was again apprehended and cast into prison and
that did bear the Host and then stepping forwards he plucked it out of his hands threw it to the ground saying aloud Ye wretched Idolaters do ye fall down to a morsel of bread This so provoked the People that they had almost torn him in pieces and yet they spared him and sent him to prison Complaint being made to Pope Clement the eighth he was so incensed that he appointed him to be burnt the same day but some of the Cardinals advised that he should rather be kept in prison and examined by exquisite torments to find out his abettors and setters on This accordingly was put in practice yet could they draw nothing from him but these words Such was the will of God Then was he adjudged to be led from the Capitol naked to his middle and to wear on his head the form of a Devil his breeches to be painted over with flames of fire and so to be carried all about the City and then to be burnt alive When he heard this sentence he lift up his eyes to heaven and implored the help of Almighty God As he passed through the streets he was mocked and derided of all the People but he continued his fervent Prayers to God At last he spake something against the filthy lives of the Cardinals which so enraged them that they caused him to be gagged which cruelty he patiently endured When he came before the Church where he cast down the idol the hangman cut off his right hand and set it on a pole in the Cart to which he was tied then did two Tormentors with flaming torches scorch and burn his flesh all the way as he went through the City of Rome all which he bore with admirable patience By that he came to the place where he was to be executed his body was all over scorched blistred and bloody having no part free but his head Then was he taken from the Cart and seeing the Post to which he should be tied he went of himself to it and kneeling down kissed the chains which should bind him to it The Friars urged him to worship an idol which they presented to him but he turning away his face shewed his detestation of it holding on his Christian course unto the end and when the flames of fire seized on him he bowed his head and quietly yielded up his soul to God The same year there was an old godly man that had long lain in the Inquisitors dungeons who was at last brought forth and condemned after which the Friars brought to him a Crucifix importuning him to kisse and adore it He seeing their impudence said unto them If you take not this idol out of my sight ye will constrain me to spit upon it The Friars hearing this sent him away immediately to the fire where with great courage and constancy he resigned up his spirit unto God CHAP. XXIX The Life and Martyrdom of William Gardiner in Portugal Anno Christi 1552. WIlliam Gardiner was born at Bristol and well educated and when he was grown up was placed with one Master Paget a Merchant by whom when he was twenty six years old he was sent into Portugal to Lisbone the regal City to be a Factor there he learned the countrey language and became a profitable servant both to his Master and others He was careful to keep close to God and to avoid the superstitions of that countrey and there being divers good men in that City he associated himself with them used good conference and often bewailed to them his own weaknesse as being neither sufficiently humbled for his sins nor yet enflamed with a love of godlinesse as he ought he had also good books which privately he made much use of Now whilst he was here abiding it so fell out that a great marriage was to be solemnized betwixt the King of Portugals sonne and the King of Spains daughter Great preparations were made for it and a great concourse there was of Persons of all Ranks that came to it and upon the wedding day they went to Church in great pomp and amongst multitudes of Spectators William Gardiner made one rather for the novelty of the businesse than for any desire that he had to see their Ceremonies and going to Church early in the morning he got a convenient place to hear and see in When all were come to Church a Cardinal began to say Masse The People standing with great silence and devotion The fight of these superstitions did wonderfully grieve the mind of William Gardiner not so much to see the folly of the common People as to see that the King himself and so many sage Nobles should be led away with such abominable idolatry wherewith he was so exceedingly moved in his spirit that he had much ado to refrain himself from doing something whereby he might manifest his dislike but the great throng that he was in hindred him that he could not come neere to the Altar When all was ended he returned home very sad seeking out solitary places where falling down prostrate before God with many tears he bewailed the neglect of his duty and studied how he might revoke that People from their impiety and superstition At length his mind was fully setlet not to defer the matter any longer whereupon he renounced the world exactly made up all his accounts both what he owed and what was owing to him to a farthing Then did he continue night and day in Prayer unto God and in continual meditation of the holy Scriptures so that he would scarce take any meat by day or sleep by night as one Pendigrace his bed-fellow testified The Sabbath following Masse was to be celebrated with the like solemnity Whereupon William Gardiner went early in the morning handsomely apparalled to Church setting himself neer to the Altar After a while the King and States came Gardiner with a New Testament in his hand stood near the Altar privately reading it all the while A Cardinal began the Masse consecrated the Host lifted it up an high shewed his God to the people they adored it yet Gardiner contained himself all this while Then the Cardinal took the Host tossed it to and fro about the Chalice made divers circles c. With that Gardiner stept to him took the Host out of his hand and trampled it under his feet and with his other hand overthrew the Chalice At first all that were present stood amazed then arose a great tumult and one drawing his dagger wounded Gardiner in the shoulder and as he was about to have slain him the King commanded him to forbear whereby his life was saved for the present the tumult being ceased the King demanded of him what Countryman he was He answered Most noble King I am not ashamed of my Countrey I am an Englishmam by birth and Religion and came hither as a Merchant and seeing so great idolatry committed in this
but the Prince as God would have it turning at the same instant the bullet entred in at his throat under the right chap being so near that the fire entred with the bullet into the wound burning his Ruffe and Beard it brake out one of his teeth pierced the jugular vein but hurt not his toungue and so came out at his left cheek hard by his nose the blow being given one with an Halberd could not contain himself but thrust the Villain through and slew him The Chirurgions being sent for found that the fire which entred the wound had cauterized the jugular vein and had done him much good so that the wound was not mortal The Friar was afterwards apprehended and executed Anno 1584. The Spaniards thinking they had no greater enemy in the world than the Prince of Orange and that if he were dead they should quickly attain their desires in the Netherlands they suborned one Baltazar Gerard an high Burguignon to murther him who bought a good paire of Pistols and on the tenth of July watched when the Prince should go down into the Hall to dinner at Delpht in Holland and as he passed by he demanded a Pasport of him the Princesse observing that he spake with an hollow and unsetled voice she asked her husband who he was saying that she did not like his countenance the Prince answered that he demanded a Pasport which he should presently have After dinner the Prince going out of the Hall the murtherer stood behind a Pillar in the Gallery and as the Prince passed by suddenly shot him from the left side to the right through the stomack and the vital parts who said no more but O my God take pity of my soul I am sore wounded my God take pity of my soul and of this poor people and presently after he gave up the Ghost Collected out of Sleidens Commentaries and the History of the Netherlands c. CHAP. XXXII The Modern Persecutions of the Church in Germany since the year 1630. THe Swedes being possessed of a Town called Pasewalck the Imperialists took it by storm beat killed and drave out the Swedes and not content therewith they fell to torturing of the townsmen ravishing women and gilrs in the open streets and Church-yards yea women in child-bed then they killed the men fired their houses and burnt many in them thrust straw into Cellars where children were hidden and so burnt and smothered them Then they burnt the Churches and massacred the Ministers and at last burn down the whole Town The like cruelty was used against the City of Magdenburg famous for Religion which being taken by Tilly and Pappenheim Anno 1631. was in twelve hours space wholly turned into cindars except one hundred thirty nine houses by which fire six godly Churches were burnt down no mercy was shewed to any age sex or condition above twenty thousand persons were slain burnt and smothered to death six thousand were drowned in the river Elve Ladies and Gentlewomen like beasts were yoked together all about the Country and driven into woods to be ravished and such as resisted were stript stark naked whipt had their ears cropt and so were turned up Anno 1634. The Popish Army having taken the town of Hoxter they spared neither man woman nor child most inhumanely butchering and hewing in pieces all without respect of age sexe or condition and what the sword could not spoile they caused the fire to consume and the dead corpses they cast into the Weser At Griphenburg they kept the Senators shut up in a Chamber macecrating and tormenting them so long with hunger and smoak that divers of them died In Heidleberg they shut up divers Reverend Ministers and Bourgers in prison allowing them nothing to eat but bread and water Frankendall being surrendred upon Articles contrary to Covenants the grave Counsellors and other Electoral Ministers were forced to endure such conditions as were fitter for Dogs than men Some were cast into prison and so abused that they died there others were forced to redeem themselves with unreasonable ransoms the goods of such as were fled were confiscated and though the inhabitants were willing to have left their houses and all their goods yet were they detained in the City and their destruction most cruelly plotted Their rage was so great against the Professors of the Gospel that neither Turks nor Heathens did ever exceed them Princes sacred Person were not exempted from their fury The old Lantgrave of Hessen and the old Dutchesse Dowager of Wittenburgh were taken prisoners reviled and abused In Saxoni Tillies Souldiers tortured the Protestants by half strangling them and pressing their thumbs with wheels In Pomeren they forced the people to eat their own excrements and if they refused they thrust them down their throat whereby some of them were choaked If they suspected that any had hidden their gold or silver they used exquisite torments to make them to confesse it They wound and tied about the heads of some strong matches or cords and with short truncheons twisted them till blood came out of their eyes ears and noses yea sometimes till their eyes started out of their heads to others they tied burning matches between their fingers yea to their eyes ears noses tongues cheeks breasts leggs and secret parts yea such parts that nature hideth they either stuffed with gunpowder or hung bags of powder to them and so giving fire to it in an horrible manner they burst their bellies and killed them With bodkins they made holes or with knives they cut the skin and flesh of many They drew strings and cords through the fleshie parts of some and through the muscles of their thighs leggs armes c. or through their noses ears lips c. Some they hung up in the smoak drying them with small fires and sometimes refreshing them with small drink or water taking care lest in their torments they should die too soon Some they put into hot Ovens roasting or smothering them there Some they roasted with fires of straw Some they stifled strangled or hanged and this was a great favour so soon to rid them out of their pain Of many they bound their hands and feet so hard that the blood spirted out their fingers and toes ends Of some they tied their hands and feet backwards together stopping their mouths with clouts to hinder them from praying Some they hung up with ropes fastened to their privy parts and hearing their cries strove by their roarings to drown their cries as in sport Where they found poor creatures troubled with ruptures they enlarged them by villanous means filling them with gunpowder and blowing them up as a Mine by giving fire thereto Many they drew up on high hanging great weights at their feet to pull their bodies out of joynt Of some they plained their faces with Chisels Some men they openly gelded in the presence of their wives and
and shortly after three Suns appeared in the Heavens In the beginning of April Anno 1619. and Anno 1621. in March in the same Country of Austria were two Armies seen in the Heavens by clear day-light fighting furiously together with great thundering of Ordnance and Canons In the same Country Anno 1623. in the moneth of January just over the City of Lintz two swords were seen one over against the other and two great Armies fighting a pitched battel together which caused great terrour to the beholders At Heidleberg in February Anno 1622. were seen three Suns and three Rainbows Shortly after which that City was besieged by the Inperialists and at last taken where a grear slaughter was made of the Imhabitants and in Neckergemund three miles off all the inhabitants Men Women and Children were put to the sword In April Anno 1622. In the Country of Darmstad were trees whose leaves drop't blood and the year after in the same Country in divers Towns and Villages were seen bloody signes on Houses and stone-walls About Meyenfield and Malants as men were reaping their Corne their Hands and Sickles were all bloody In July Anno 1622. In the Dukedome of Wittemburgh it rained so much blood that it fell upon the hands and cloaths of people in the fields and was seen upon Trees Stones and other places May the twelfth Anno 1624. in the Dukedome of Anhalt there appeared a strange prodigie in the Heavens which continued from six till eight a clock at night First there came out of the clouds an Ancient-bearer After him came forth a grave man in the same habit then came forth a Chariot drawn with two particouloured Horses Then another Chariot with four armed Horses Then suddenly there brake out of the Clouds an infinite number of people like a swarm of Bees After them followed a man sitting on horseback with a long Robe putting the people before him A quarter of an houre after came forth another Army consisting of many horse and foot c. The two Armies fought till one of them was routed and presently after all vanished away Anno 1624. In May a strange tempest happened at Ratisbone The weather being very calme with little raine two dark clouds met together which suddenly belched out a great wind mingled with fire which raised such a tempest that near to the City it tore up trees by the roots and in a moment drave them into divers places and thence extending it self to the City it overturned above two hundred houses in the Towne and Suburbs not leaving a Chimney standing nor a roof to cover an house The Church of Emerans besides the shattered windows had one of the steeples laid flat to the ground and the other broke off in the middle two other of the chiefest steeples in the City were also broken down This tempest lasted not above a quarter of an hour nor extended beyond the City neither were there above four men slain by it Anno 1625. Near Troppash a great multitude of Jack-dawes met in the aire where they fought a great battel and that with so great eagernesse that many of them fell down dead so that the Countrey-men gathered up whole sackfuls of them Anno 1628. In Pomerland the heavens seemed to open and an Army came forth of the Northern part the Avauntguard consisting of Pioneres Musqueteres then followed great peeces of Ordnance and in the Reare came the Cavalry Another Army came forth on the other side and betwixt them there became a cruel battel The victory inclining to the Northern Army And at last a fiery beame followed upon the Northern Conquerour which continued for the space of some hours Anno 1631. At Hall in Saxony the water was turned into blood to the great astonishment of the inhabitants During the siege of Magdenburg a Captains wife being in travel when she could not be delivered and was near death she desired that when she was dead her body might be opened which being done there was found in her womb a boy almost as big as one of three years old with an head-piece and breastplate upon him great boots after the French fashion and a bag by his side with twoo things in it like musket bullets June the nineteenth Anno 1631. In the lower Saxony two great Armies appeared in the aire one in the North the other in the South which fought a great battel together After long fighting the Northern Army obtained the victory After the battel was ended there appeared a man in a long coat bearing a bow with which he shot at and overthrew the Commander of the Southern Army In the same Countrey a woman having bought a loafe of bread when she came home was dividing it and in the cutting of it there came forth blood Anno. 1633. In the Countrey of Altenburgh a fish-pond was turned into blood which stank so extreamly that if any Passengers did but touch it they could not wash off the stink thereof in three days space Anno 1634. At Berlin in Brandenburg it rained blood and brimstone Anno 1635. In Hessen there met two armies of strange birds which fought a set battel And not far off about that same time a multitude of dogs had their Randevouz which fought so eagerly that they would not be reconciled and when the Governour of a neighbour Garrison sent out four companies of Musqueteers against them they seeing a common enemy joyned together and in despight of their guns beat them away and devoured nine of them Here place the eighth Figure CHAP. XXXIII The Persecution of the Church in France which began Anno Christi 1524. ANno Christi 1209. There were certain learned men in France disciples of one Almericus at Paris whose names were Master William a sub-deacon of Poictiers well studied in the Arts and Divinity Bernard another sub-deacon William Goldsmith Steven a Priest Steven of the Seller and one John a Priest who upon examination held That God was no otherwise present in the Sacramental bread than in any other bread That it was Idolatry to build Altars to Saints or to cense their Images They mocked those that kissed the Reliques They said that the Pope was Antichrist and Rome Babylon That God was not seene in himself but by his creatures For which when they could not be drawn to recant they were condemned to be burnt at Paris which accordingly was executed Bzorius out of Caesarius And Almenneus who had been their Master had his body digged up in the Church-yard and was buried in the field And all French books of Divinity were for ever condemned and burned Anno Christi 1524. At Melden in France there was one John Clark who set up a Bill upon the Church-door against the Popes pardons lately come thither wherein he called the Pope Antichrist for which being apprehended he was adjudged three several days to be whipt then to have
head that he received his blood into his own hands and when they had killed him they threw him into the river Two Ministers belonging to the King of Navar were also murthered and thrown into the river God miraculously preserving all the other Ministers in the City A Jeweller being in bed with his wife who at that time had the midwife with her being near the time of her delivery these bloody Villains came knocking at the door and in the Kings name demanded entrance the woman as ill was she was opened the door whereupon rushing in they stabbed her husband in his bed the Midwife seeing that they were bent to murther the woman also earnestly entreated them to tarry at least so long till the infant which would be the twentieth child that God had given her was born but notwithstanding her request they took the woman and thrust a dagger into her fundament up to the hilts the woman finding her self mortally wounded yet desirous to bring forth her fruit fled into a corn-loft whither these tygers persuing her gave her another stob into the belly and so cast her out of the window into the street and upon the fall the childe came forth of her body the head formost gaping and yauning in a pitiful manner One of these murtherers snatching up a little childe in his armes the poor babe began to play with his beard and to smile upon him but instead of being moved to compassion this villain whose heart was harder than the rocks wounded it with his dagger and cast it all gore blood into the river The Kings letters being come to Meaux upon the same Sabbath to Cosset the Kings Atturny there upon the sight of them he presently went about to his cutthroats warning them to come to him armed at seven a clock at night withal causing the gates of the City to be shut up The hour being come he with his Partizans went up and down cruelly murthering the innocent servants of Jesus Christ in which bloody employment they spent all that night The next day they pillaged their houses and took above two hundred Protestants more and shut them up in prison the next day towards evening Cosset with his companions went to the prison where having a Catalogue of the prisoners names Cosset called them out one by one and then they murthered them till they were aweary Then they went to supper that so they might breath and refresh themselves and then filling themselves with wine they went back to glut themselves with blood also They took with them butchers axes that they might dispatch them the more easily with which as they called them forth they knocked them down and murthered them Amongst those that were thus butchered was an Elder of the Reformed Church who praying for his enemies they laughed him to scorn and because he had a Buffe-coat on which they were loth to spoil they opened it before and stabbed him into the breast Another was an ancient man that had been sheriffe of the City him they were not content to kill out-right but first cut off his nose ears and privy members then they gave him several small thrusts into the body tossing him up and down till through losse of blood he fell down calling upon the name of the Lord and so with many wounds he was slain The Kings letters being come to Troys the Protestants were all shut up in prison Then did the Bailiffe send for the common Hangman to murther them but he refused saying That his office was only to execute such as were legally condemned and so went his way Then was the Keeper of the prison sent for who being sick he sent one Martin to know what the businesse was to whom the Bailiffe imparted the matter wishing him to murther all the Prisoners and that their blood might not run out into the street he bade him to make a great trench in the midst of the prison and to cause certain vessels to be set into it to receive the blood This Martin going back with abhorrency of the fact concealed it from the Jailor The next day the Bailiffe came to the prison and smiling asked the Jailor if it was done but he being ignorant of his meaning asked him what should be done Hereupon the Bailiffe was so enraged that he was ready to strike him with his dagger till he promised to perform his Will Then did the Jailor go to the Prisoners who were in the Court recreating themselves and shut them up one by one in their several Cels which made them suspect that they were destinated to slaughter and therefore they betook themselves to prayer The Jailor called his companions about him acquainted them what was given him in charge and caused them to swear to execute it but when they approached to the prisoners they were so surprized with feare that they stood gazing one upon another having not hearts to act so horrid a deed whereupon they returned to the Jailors Lodge and sent for eight quarts of the strongest wine with other things to intoxicate their brains then they took a Catalogue of all their prisoners and gave it to one Martin to call them forth in order The first prisoner being called for presented himself with a cheerful countenance calling upon the name of the Lord then opened his breast to them receiving the mortal stroke whereof he died Another being called forth one of them thrust at him several times with the point of his Halbard wounding but not killing him whereupon the prisoner took the point of the Halbard and set it against his heart saying with a stedfast voice Here souldier here right at the heart right at the heart and so finished his life The rest were all murthered in the like manner after which the murtherers made a great pit in the back-side of the prison into which they cast the bodies one upon another some of them yet breathing yea one of them raised up himself above his fellows whereupon they threw in earth and so smothered him But the Bailiffs order of making a trench being not observed the blood of the slain ran so abundantly out of the prison door that thence through the channel it ran into the river and turned it into the colour of blood which bred an horror in the very Papists themselves which saw it At Orleance the Kings Edict for observing the Treaty of Peace was solemnly published which made those of the Religion very secure whereupon above three hundred of them men women and children met together at a Sermon but the same night came the Kings letters for the massacring of them all Then did the Major and Sheriffs raise the companies in Armes to put it in execution One of these murtherers with some of his companions went to a Noble Counsellors house bidding themselves to supper The Counsellor ignorant of their intents made them good cheere but when supper was ended with
Plain Perosa and Saint Martino are on the North of Lucerna Angrognia and Roccapiatta situated in such sort that the Valley of Perosa is at the lower end and on the East are the Valleys of Saint Martino and Pragela The Valley of Perosa is about six miles long and it s distributed part in the mountains and part in the Plains and very fruitful hills At the lower end of it are the Communalties of Porte Saint Germano and Villaro In the middle Pinachia and in the higher part that of Perosa where is the City and Citadel of Perosa whence the Valley takes its name The Valley of Saint Martino is eighth miles in length on the West of the Valley of Perosa included between the Valleys of Lucerna and Clusone in the highest part of the Alps which border upon the Valley of Queyras containing eleven Communalties viz. Rioclaret Faet Rodoreto Salsa Macel Maneglia Chabrans Traverses Bovile and Saint Martino which gives the name to this Valley This indeed is the poorest yet the strongest of all by reason of its situtation In these Valleys before the late horrid Massacâ—â—â— 1655. there were fourteen Churches of the Protestants which Coâ—â—â—â—â—ed two Classes or Colloques and those two Classes one Synod for their Ecclesiastical Government The one was the Colloque of Lucerna consisting of the Churches of Saint Giovanni La Torre Villaro Bobi Rorata and Angrognia to which was annexed that of Roccapiatta which is between the Valley of Lucerna and Perosa situated upon those little hills which separate the two valleys The other was the Colloque of the valley of Perosa and Saint Martino containg four Churches in the valley of Perosa viz. Villaro Saint Germano which made but one Church Pinachia La Cappella and Pramoh in the valley of Saint Martino were three Churches viz. Villa Secca Maneglius Prasi The Church of Saint Giovanni contains within it a very fair Plain and little hills very fruitful and abounding with Corn Vines Chestnuts Figgs Olives and other fruits but it wants Pastures and Woods so that they have not many Cattel but only some Oxen to till the ground and to carry their wine to Turin and other places to sell. This Church hath annexed unto it Lucerna Lucernetta the Vineyards of Lucerna Fenile Bubiana and Bricheras In the City of Lucerna the third part of the Inhabitants were Protestants In Lucernetta and the Vineyard of Lucerna almost all the Inhabitants professed the Reformed Religion time out of mind Fenile is lower on the other side of the River Pelice towards the South being a more fatt and fertile soil than any place in St. Giovanni in all sorts of Fruit and Grain Bubiana as to the Plain is like to Fenile and neerly adjoyning to it but the Protestants have often been driven out of it so that what they possessed was mostly in the hills where they have little Corn Wine but abundance of Chestnuts So that the inhabitants which were about fifty Families were generally poor living by their hard labour and by their profit which they made of wood which they carried to sell to the towns of Babiana and Lucerna The hills of Bricheras where there have been alwayes Protestant Families are like those of Saint Giovanni The Church of La Torre is the same for situation and quality with that of Saint Giovanni containing one Plain where is the Town of La Torre and hills adorned with the same kind of fruits as those of Saint Giovanni The Church of Villaro adjoyns to that of La Torre but is a little higher towards Dauphine containing a little Plain where is the Town and the hills adorned with Vines and Chestnuts The Church of Bobio is near to that of Villaro being a little higher towards the Mountain on the West but as fertile as that of Villaro and being environed with many Mountains and having fat Pastures the Inhabitants had many oxen Kine and smaller Cattel together with milk and wool in abundance as also they had many Chestnuts which being cleansed and dried they sold or exchanged for other Commodities The Church of Rorata is a little Valley situated on the other side of the River Pelice on the West of Lucerna being bounded by the Mountains of Villaro It abounds in Pastures and is very fruitful especially in Chestnuts The Church of Angrogna is North-West to that of St. Giovanni towards Perosa in a Mountainous Countâ—y but fruitfull in Chestnuts Corn and Pastures environed with fruitfull Mountains which yielded good Pastures in the Summer season The Church of Roccapiatta contains four parcels viz. that of Roccapiatta St. Bartholomeo Perustine and La Inverso delle Porte In these three latter there grow abundance of rich Wines Chestnuts and other good fruits In Roccapiatta they have Corn Pasture and Fruits but no Wine The Church of Villaro and St. Germano is situated in the lowest part of Perosa about a mile from Pignorolio the West and North part of Villaro on this side the River Clusone belong to the King of France and St. Germano to the Duke of Savoy on the other side of the said River which running through the whole length of the said Valley separates the Kings Territories from those of the Dukes These two places of Villaro and St. Germano contain a little Pâ—ain on both sides the River the rest is in hills yielding Corn Wine and Fruits The Church of Pinachia is within the French Dominions adjoyning on the VVest part to that of Villaro and contains a fair and beautifull Plain on the North-side fenced with pleasant hills On the VVest is the Town and fort of Perosa on the South the River Clusone and some hills but scarce any Plain at all It abounds with Corn Wine Nuts Grass and other Fruits The Church of La Capella is on the VVest of that of Pinachia in the upper end of the Valley of Perosa on the West it joyns to the Valley of Pragela which belongs to the King of France On the East to the Citadel of Perosa It hath several very fruitfull hills in it It hath annexed to it Pomare and Inverso del Perosa and some other small Villages called Le Mean making a little Communalty at the foot of the Valley of Pragela The Church of Pramol is situated on a Mountain between the Valleys of Lucerna and Perosa at the feet whereof grow a few 〈◊〉 and good Fruits In the highest part is Corn and much wood and Pasture ground The Church of Villa Secca is at the lowest part of the Valley of St. Martino where there is almost no Plaine but where the river Germanasco takes its course the Hills which lie South from the said River are very cold so that there grow no Vines but those on the North which lie open to the South-sun are hot and so have many Vines In general it s tolerably fruitful in Corne Fruits and Pasture The Church of Maneglia which is on the West part of
Villa Secca comprehends three little Communalties viz. Maneglia Machel and Salsa All are in a mountainous place but exceeding fruitful in Corne Pasture c. except only in the highest parts thereof The Church of Prali is situated in the uppermost part of the Valley of Saint Martino and contains two Communalties viz. Prali and Rodoret bounded on the South with the Alps and the Valley of Lucerna On the West by the Valley Queyras in Dauphine and on the North by the Valley of Pragela Here is nothing but Hay and Grasse Generally in all these Churches except on the tops of the mountains there are plenty of Fruits especially of Chestnuts and in some places there are vast spaces of Ground yielding almost nothing else as in the little Hills of Bubiana and all along the Valley of Lucerna and in the South parts of the Valley of Perosa So that the Inhabitants in those places dry and clense great quantities of them part whereof they keep for their own use and the rest they sell or exchange for Corne and that quantity for quantity with the Inhabitants of the Plaine it being a great part of their food in Piemont They also dry these Nuts in an Oven or on a Kilne and make thereof an excellent sort of Bisquet which they first string as they do their Beades and so hang them up in a moist place the better to preserve them These they frequently make use of instead of Maqueroons and such sweetmeats Of the late Persecution of the Church of Christ in Poland Anno Christi 1656. THe All-wise and holy God whose wayes of Providence are alwayes righteous though often secret and unsearchable hath made it the constant lot and portion of his people in this world to follow his Sonne in bearing his Crosse and suffering persecutions For they that are borne after the flesh do alwayes persecute them that are borne after the spirit But scarcely have any sort of the Churches enemies more clearly followed the pernicious way of Caine herein than hath that Antichristian faction of Rome that Mother of Harlots and Abominations whose garments are died red with the blood of Saints which they have alwayes cruelly shed and made themselves drunk with And amongst those chosen and faithful witnesses the Lord seemeth very signally to have raised up those Christians who though dispersed in divers Countreys have been commonly known by the name of Waldenses who for some Centuries of years have lived amongst their enemies as Lambs amongst Wolves to bear their testimonies to the Truths of Christ against the Apostasies and Blasphemies of Rome for which they have been killed all the day long and accounted as sheep for the slaughter One part of this little flock and remnant which the Lord hath left reserved are scattered partly in the Valleys of Piemont of whose Tragical sufferings you have had a faithful account in the precedent Chapter the other part of this poor but precious remnant have been dispersed in the Kingdomes of Bohemia and Poland whose sufferings together with the Lords signal Providences about them are now to be spoken of as they have been related to the Lord Protector O.C. and the State here by two godly persons delegated by those persecuted Churches which are now the sad Monuments of their enemies rage and of the Lords sparing mercy These sometime flourishing Churches were by degrees worne out by the constant underminings and open outrages of the Antichristian party being first driven out of Bohemia into Poland and then after their taking root and spreading in Poland into a numerous company they were forced out of their chiefest Cities there and at last by the Jesuited and enraged Popish Army were persecuted in their few hiding places with fire and sword Their Ministers were tortured to death by most exquisite and unheard of Barbarisme by cutting out of the tongues of some pulling out the eyes and cruelly mangling the bodies of others Yet did not their rage and brutish cruelty reach only to the Ministers but to private persons also yea even to women and to young children whose heads they cut off and laid them at their dead mothers breasts Nay their rage brake out not only against the living not one of whom they spared that fell into their hands but also against the dead plucking the bodies of Honorable persons and others out of their graves tearing them to pieces and exposing them to publick scorne But the chiefest eye-sore and object of their fury was the City of Lesna which after plundering and murthering of all whom they found therein they burned to ashes and laid it in the rubbish Only the Lord in mercy having alarm'd the City by the report of their enemies approach the greatest part of the Inhabitants being three famous Churches saved themselves by flight and are now wandring up and down in Silesia the Marquisate of Brandenburg Lusatia and Hungary poor destitute afflicted and naked the relation whereof you have in this ensuing Narrative written in Latin by some of themselves and called Lesnae Excidium The History of the destruction of Lesna faithfully related LEsna a City of great Poland almost thirty years ago began to be famous both far and near but now being suddenly and utterly razed hath nothing left beside the name and fame thereof For the fuller discovery of this businesse from the beginning we must briefly relate the Original and progresse of this town When above seven hundred years ago Mieczislaus then Duke of Poland took to wife the daughter of Boleslaus Duke of Bohemia and together with her received the Christian Faith it happened that among those of the Bohemian Nobility that accompanied him there was one Peter de Bernstein whom because he was a person endowed with many vertues Mieczislaus was willing to detain him in Poland and to that end bestowed upon him rich possessions the chief whereof was a Village called Lezsyna i. e. a grove of hasle-trees upon the very confines of the lower Silesia being situate twelve miles from Wratislavia five from Glogaw and ten from Posnania From this place therefore of his residence Peter de Bernstein taking the rise of his denomination according to the custome of the Nation he and all his posterity were called Lezscynii and were afterwards admitted to all sorts of Dignities in the Realm so that of this family there were never wanting some or other that were Captains Governours of Castles Palatines Marshals Chancellours Bishops or Archbishops even to this day and besides this for their noble management of affairs in several Embassyes to the Roman Emperour they were adorned with the title of Earles of the Empire which they still enjoy But Leszcyna it self begun by little and little to change its name and by contraction was called Lessna and their neighbour Germans called it Lissa This Village something above one hundred of years ago had the dignity and title of a market town granted to it by the famous King Sigismund and tradesmen were invited
Pomerania in the agreement of Uscia and had delivered to them expressely and by name the chief Cities Posnania Kalisch Fraustat Meseritz and Lesna and the rest after some weak resistance had yielded themselves up to the Swedes yet while the King of Sweden was slowly and as it proved dangerously busied in Prusia they took counsel together for the resuming of their armes to fight for the liberty of their Countrey and the Catholick Religion as they call it to drive the Swedes out of the Countrey and to root out all the dissenters in grosse That this their purpose might make the quicker progresse and be set on the more strongly there were Jesuites and Monks sent out every way to intimate these things to the multitude and to encourage them to so glorious an undertaking compelling those that were slow with the thunderbolt of Excommunication and promising the relaxation of the pains of Purgatory and eternal rewards to them that were forward To this end King Casamire being recalled out of Silesia they commanded the Nobility to flock to him and to give the King of Sweden a meeting in his return out of Borussia The Commonalty also they stirred up against the Professors of the Gospel making themselves their furious leaders and such was their successe that in lower Poland a great number of families it is not yet known how many because the furious tumult still continues almost within the compasse of a moneth in February and March were miserably butchered men and women young and old being murthered without distinction all save such as could escape into the neighbouring parts of Hungary and so save their lives by flight But the Nobility of the greater Poland most of them having retired themselves into Silesia began there to gather themselves into small companies in the beginning of April and to break forth by whose coming the rest being encouraged made a great slaughter of the Swedes that were garrison'd in the small towns so that General Muller was fain to go forth with an army of Swedes to restrain them As for Lesna the hereditary Lord thereof the Treasurer of the Kingdome was gone into Borussia to salute the King of Sweden some way to take care for the safety of his Countrey But about the beginning of April he returned to Lesna without seeing him the King then being full of action and ranging up and down This businesse procured much more envy both to himself and the City as if he had plotted with the Swedes against his Countrey having never been true and faithful either to the Church or his Countrey therefore they breathed out flames and belched out threats so much the more fiercely both against him and his City However there were not wanting such as by private messages gave him hope of pardon if he would but withdraw himself from them as afterwards he did But the enemies prepared themselves to destroy that so populous a City by force if they could or else by flames furnishing themselves with many sorts of weapons for that purpose Of this doing although the inhabitants of Lesna had notice by several messengers yet a fatal security prevailed with them to think that there was no fear of such an enemy as was not furnished either with Infantry or Artilery for such a designe Upon Easter day a 〈◊〉 of Poles broke into some territories belonging to an eminent Professor of the Gospel neer Lesna for whom they made diligent search but finding that he was from home for he had retired himself to Lesna for Religion sake they plundered all his movable goods and took his â—ervant Martin Multz a Bohemian and hanging a great stone about his neck threw him into the river that ran by and so drowned him On the third Holy-day in Easter the report was very hot that the Swedes had lost all and that the King was slain upon which account when the Lord Treasurer did betake himself to Wratislavia in Silâ—sia the Citizens of Lesna were something afraid although the Commanders of the Swedes that were there in Garrison being three coâ—ours of horse did encourage them as did also the Administrator of the City and County of Lesna who requiring anew the oath of fidelity from the Citizens did promise them to stay with them and bid them be of good courage Being lifted up with this hope and drawn on with the promises of new Auxiliary forces to come very suddenly to them they promised themselves all manner of security so that no man took any care to get out of the way or to carry any thing of his goods to a safer place yet they kept strong guards night and day sometimes the third part of the Citizens and sometimes half being upon duty The Swedish horse also ever and anon made excursions to see what the enemy was a doing and whether they were neer But they never brought back any other news but that there were no footsteps or signes of any enemy appearing Yea even that very day in which the Poles came in the afternoon the Swedes returned with good booty but not a word of the enemy But about three dayes after upon Thursday April the 27. an army of the Polonian Nobility mixed with a rout of peasants shewed themselves unexpectedly out of the Woods and anon they drew forth into the open field and so set themselves within sight of the City about five or six furlongs from the Suburbs When this was perceived the alarm was given and the Citizens hasten to their armes and place themselves on the walls yet not knowing who they were and with what intent they came and wondring much why according to the custome they did not send forth a Trumpeter For that which they did bruit abroad afterwards and many perhaps beleeved that the Lesnians gave the occasion of hostility by killing their Trumpeter is just nothing Heaven and earth will bear witnesse that this was devised meerly to colour over the hainousness of the fact At length they begin their work with firing a Brick-kiln that stood not far from the Suburbs Then the Swedish Troopers about one hundred and fifty in number which were already mounted gone out of the City going a little farther encountered with the Enemy in light skirmishes for the space of two hours in which many of the Poles and some of the Swedes were slain But while the Swedes were earnest with the Citizens for some help as it were to defend the Suburbs from further burning some were drawn forth about seventy of the younger Citizens who mixed themselves rashly and confusedly among the Horse-men which when the Poles saw they feighned a flight returning towards the Wood But as soon as they perceived that they had drawn them far enough from the Walls they wheeled about some fetching a compass to come behind the Lesnians and so to get between them and home and the rest returning straight upon them fell on in a full body The Swedish Horse when they saw this turned their backs
Christianity accounted superstition Tertullians speech The stock of David sought for A just reward Phocus Martyr Sulpitius Nereus and Achilleus Martyrs Adrian Emp. Alexander Herenes and Quiriâ—us martyrs Zenon Ten thousand crucified Eustachius Martyr Monstrous ingratitude Faustinus and Jobita Martyrs More Eleutherius Anthea and Symphorissa Martyrs With her seven sons Quadratus his Apology for the Christians and Aristides and Serenus Christians falsly accused An. Pi. Emp. shews them â—avour An excellent Law Polycarp martyr Germanacus Constancy Metrodorus Pionus Apollggy and Martyrdom Carpus Papilus and Agathonica Felicitas and her seven children Justin Maâ—tyas Apology and Martyrdom Malice Ptolemaus Lucius Note Concordus Persecutions in France Gods Providence Patience Divers torments Vetius Epagathus his zeal Humane frailty Christians slandered Sanctus Maturus Attalus Blandina A miracle of Mercy Tormentors wearied Note Admirable constancy A miracle of Mercy Biblides Photinus Danger of Apostacy Recovery after fals Alexander Note Blasphemy Ponticus a boy of fifteen years old Joy unspeakable Blasphemy Justin Martyr Alcibiades Clau. Apolinaris and Melito Apologize for the Christians The thundring Legion A good Edict Apollonius A just reward of treachery Vincentius Eusebius Peregrinus and Potentianus Zeal Julius Zeal Severus Emperour Christians charged with sedition and rebellion c. Leonides father of Origen Zeal Plutarch Serenus Potamiena Marcella and Rhais Bâ—silides his strange conversion Narcissus False Witnesses plagued by God Andoclus Asclepiades Irenaeus Tertullian Perpetua Felicitas Revocatus Satyrus Secundulus Zepherinus Urbanus Tiburtius Valerianus Cecilia A great Conversion Agapeâ—us a boy of fifteen years old Gods judgement on a persecutor Calepodius Pamachius Martina Maximinus Emperor Urbanus and Philip. Sectaries dangerous Note Probably it was by the terrors of his own conscience Decius Emp. Fabian Martyr A cruel Edict Alexander Martyr Babilus Peter A South-sayer stirs up a persecution Metra Martyr Quinta The Christian houses plundred Apollinia leaps into the fire Serapion Persecutors divided amongst themselves The danger of riches Zeal Apostacy Julianus Martyr and Cronion Macar Epimâ—chus Alexander Ammonarion Mercuria Dioâ—ysia A boy of fifteen years old Nemesion Humane frailty Zeal Courage Ischirion The miseries of Christians Cheremon Dionysâ—us A miracle of Mercy Flight in persecution Courage of seven souldiers Nicetas his raâ—e chastity Theodora condemned to the Stews Her strange deliverance Cruelty Agathon Two Ministers Secundianus Zeal Gods Judgement on persecutors Serapions Apostacy and Recovery Danger of Apostacy Constancy A Vision The beginning of the Novatian schism Pride the cause of schism A Synod against Novatus Aurelius Mappalicus Gods Judgement on persecutors A terrible plague The brotherly love of Christians A special Providence Cyprians consolatory letter Persecution stirred up by a Sorcerer Sin the Forerunner of persecution A Vision Christians charged as the causes of all plagues Confuted by Cyprian and Tertullian Cyprian Martyr Sixtus and his Deacons The courage and constancy of Laurence The rage of Tyrants In all these things we are more then Conquerors Dionysia banished The power of the Word of God Gods Providence The cruel torments of the Christians Priscus Malchus Alexander Zeal Three hundred Christians put into a lime-kiln Three Virgins cruelly tormented Fructuosus Valerian Emâ—peror Gods Judgement on persecutors Marinus Asyrius Satans subtilty Power of prayer Peace in the Church A special Providence Pâ—ace causeth the Church to flourish Sin the Forerunner of persecution Contention amongst Christians Pâ—ide Bibles burnt Cruel Edicts Horrible torments False Accusations of Christians Courage Humane infirmity Zeal Subtilty Constancy A miracle of Mercy Silvanus Pamphilus Tiranion Zenobius Sylvanus Peter Dorotheus Gorgonius Anthimus Dioclesian's wife Christians burnt in a Church A Christian City burnt Eustratius a Persecutor converted and martyred Peter A legion of Christians martyred Inhumane câ—uelty Cruel torments Hellish cruelty Admirable patience Courage and constancy Tormentors wearied Humane infirmity The story of Mauritius and his legion A most Christian speech Christian courage The mercies of the wicked are cruelty Gods judgements on persecutors Hypocrisie Silvanus Lucianus Peter Quirinus Cruel torments Gods judgements on persecutors A terrible famine Pestilence Charity of Christians Gods judgements on persecutors Hypocrisie Wicked Laws Cruâ—lty Theodorius Romanus's noble courage True nobility Note Blasphemy A child tormented An appeal to Christ. The childes Martyrdom Gordius Courage Flattery Constancy Menas Note Humane infirmity Fourty young gentlemen Tentaâ—ion of flattery A mother encourageth her son to die Cyrius John Athanasia Sebastian Barlaam Vitalis Constancy Agricola Vincentius Horrible cruelty Joy unspeakable Procopius Georg. Zeal Hermogenes Eulalia Zeal Tentation Eulalia Horrible cruelty Agnes Tentation Courage Faith A remarkable judgement Faith Julitta An excellent story Strength of Faith Tentation Constancy Barbara Magitâ—aâ—s stâ—r up persecution Simeon The Persion King requâ—â—ed Divine worshâ—p Usthazares Zeal Recovery after fall Tentation Repentance His Martyrdom Simeon beheaded Pusices His Martyrdom Magicians authors of persecution Simeon sisters Slanders Bâ—shops and Minâ—steâ—s persecuted Andas Hormisda Constancy Suenes Benjamin His Apostacy Devilish subtilty Christians might not study They may be in no Offices The most dangerous persecution Christâ—ans made the object of scorn Barbarous cruelty Emilianus Domitius Theodorus A miracle of Mercy Artemius Two brethren Martyrs Barbarous cruelty Marcus Arâ—thusius Courage Barbarous cruelty Cyrillus God's judgement on Persecutors Marisâ—oldly â—oldly reproveth Julian Blasphemy Devilish subtilty Christian wisdom Juventius and Maxentius Christian courage Apollo's Image broken with lightning Christians fined Athanasius driven away Courage A special providence Blasphemy Zeal Courage Note Athanasâ—us accused of sedition His miraculous deliverance His banishment and danger His miraculous deliverance He is restored for a time and again banished Christian virgins shamefully abused The Arrians cruelty B. Paul banished Subtilty An. Christi 364 Persecution raised by Valens He succeeded Julian Miletius Eusebius Pelagius An admirable story Courage Gods Providence Eighty godly Ministers burned Cruelty of hereticks Peter Cruelty The Emperour refused admonition Gods judgement â—n persecutors Bloody schismaticks Profane Schismaticks Turbulent Schismaticks Profane Schismaticks Gods Judgement on them Impure schismaticks Profane Hereticks Cruelty of Hereticks Prodigious Ministers loaden with burthens Cruelty to Infants Pampinian Hippo besieged A special providence Pride A noble Earl martyred An evil conscience Constancy Rome sacked Charity Gods providence A special Providence Moors converted Cruelty of Hereticks The Bishop of Habensa Christians murthered at a Sermon Horrible profaness Armogastes tormented A special providence Saturu's noble courage Tentation Resisted Gensericks death Manichaeans punished Eugenius chosen Bishop Envy Cruelty of Hereticks Constancy Constancy Barbarous cruelty Multitudes banished Foelix Tentation Constancy An excellent story Cruelty of Hereticks Cyprians sympathy Charity Barbarous cruelty A special providence Subtilty of Hereticks Pride of Hereticks Unjust cruelty A confession of â—aith A wicked Edict Cruâ—lty of Hereticks Devillish subtilty A wicked sentence Dionysia Impudence of Hereticks Courage She encourageth her son The benefit of good examples Slanders Tentation Courage and constancy Gods Mercy Many burned in a ship Admirable courage