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
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
upon him whereupon he resolved the same night to break into the enemies Army whilest they were thus divided Having therefore refreshed himself and Army leaving many fires in his Camp thereby to deceive the enemy he marched all night to seek them out Gorgias finding that the Jews had forsaken their Camp conceited that for fear they were fled into the mountains and therefore he resolved to search them out diligently But in the morning â—udas accompanied only with three thousand men and those but ill armed because of their poverty shewed himself to the enemies that were at Emmaus and having viewed their warlike discipline and mighty number and how well they were incamped he encouraged his followers to fight vâ—liantly telling them that God would deliver their enemies into their hands and thereupon causing his Trumpets to sound he rushed in upon his enemies with such fury and resolution as altogether affrighted and discouraged them and having slaine such as resisted he pursued the rest as farre as the plains of Idumaea c. In this fight â—bout three thousand of the enemies were slain yet would he not suffer his souldiers to take the spoil telling them that as yet they were to fight with Gorgias and his Army but so soon as they had through Gods mercy with the likâ— valâ—ur beaten them they might then securely enrich themselves by the prey of all their enemies Gorgias with his Army being upon an hill and discovering the flight of their friends and the Jews readinesse to give them battell were so affrighted that they also fled whereupon Judas with his men returned to gather the pillage and having found great store of gold silver scarlet and purple he returned to his dwelling with joy praising God for their happy success Lysias hearing of this overthrow was much enraged and presently assembled another army of neer sixthy thousand chosen foot and five thousand horsemen wherewith he went to invade Judaea and encamped in Bethsura Judas hearing of it came forth against him with ten thousand men and seeing the number of his enemies so farre to exceed his he earnestly cried unto God that it would please him to fight with and for him and then charged the vanguard of the enemy with so great force that he discomfited and slew about five thousand of them Lysias perceiving hereby the resolution of the Jews who would rather die then lose their liberty he returned with the rest of his Army unto Antioch where he continued and entertained many mercenaries to make a greater Army for the conquest of the Jews In the meane time Judas assembled the people and told them that having obtained so many victories through the mercy of God they ought now to go up to Jerusalem and purifie the Temple that was desolate and to offer unto God the sacrifices that were ordained by the Law Then going up with a great multitude of people he found the Temple desolate the gates burned and grass growing within the same grieving therefore at so sad a spectacle he began to weep and all the people that were with him and having chosen out some of his best souldiers he commanded them to force the garisons which were in the fortresses whilest himself purged the Temple Then he caused to be made a Table a Candlestick and Altar for incense all of gold he put up a rail also and set gates to the Temple and having thrown down the Altar of burnt-offerings that was profaned by Antiochus he built a new one of stones neither hewed nor hammered Then on the twenty fifth of Chasleu September were lights set in the Candlestick perfumes laid upon the Altar loaves set upon the Table and sacrifices offered upon the new Altar which was the same day three years wherein before the sacred service was changed into profane and hatefull impiety Then did Judas with his country-men celebrate a feast unto the Lord for eight daies praising God with Hymns and Psalms He enclosed the City also with a wall and built high Towers thereon in which he planted Garisons against the incursions of the enemies He fortified also the City of Betsura that it might serve as a Fort against the enemy But the nations round about them being greatly displeased with this prosperity of the Jews oppressed divers whom they surprised by ambushes and treachery whereupon Judas warred against them to hinder their incursions he slew many of the Idumaeans and brought away a great prey out of their country and shut up the sonnes of Baan their Prince who lay in waite for the Jews and after a siege he overcame them setting fire on their Towers and killing all the men that where therein After this he made warre upon the Ammonites who had a mighty Army under the conduct of Timotheus with these he fought and overcame them and took their City of Jazor and burned it leading their wives and children into captivity and so returned into Judaea But the neighbouring nations hearing of his departure assembled themselves together against the Jews in Galaad who retiring into the sort of Dathema sent to Judas requesting him to come and relieve them and whilest he was reading their Letters other messengers came out of Galile informing him that they were assaulted by the inhabitants of Ptolomais Tyre and Sidon and others there abouts Hereupon Judas commanded his brother Simon to take three thousand chosen men and with them to relieve those Jews that were assailed in Galile and himself with his brother Jonathan accompanied with eight thousand fighting men marched into Galaad leaving the rest of his forces under two other Captains whom he commanded to have a watchfull eye over Judaea yet not to joyn battell with any enemy till his returne Simeon in Galile fought against his enemies discomfited them pursued them to the gates of Ptolemais and slew about three thousand and having gathered their spoils he released many Jews that were prisoners restored their goods to them and so returned home But Judas having passed Jordan and marched three daies journey he met the Naâ—athians who told him that his brethren were besieged in their Castles and Cities and some of them were already brought into great exrteamity and penury Hereupon he first assailed the Inhabitants of Bosra tooke their City set it on fire and killed all the men that were able to beaâ— arms then marching all night he came early in the morning to the Castle where the Jews were besieged by Tymothies Army The enemies were just then raising their ladders to scale the walls and applying their engins for battery Then did he incourage his men to fight valiantly for their brethren that were in danger and causing his Trumpets to sound he distributed his forces into three battalions wherewith he assaulted the enemies but they hearing that it was Macâ—abaeus were struck with so great a fear that immediately they fled Judas with his men pursuing them slew about eight thousand
the Arrian Vandals which began Anno Christi 427. THE cruel Vandals passing out of Spain into Africk under Genserick their Captain finding the Province peaceable and quiet set upon the flourishingest part of the land wasting and destroying all before them with fire and sword not sparing so much as the shrubs and bushes which bare fruit lest they should minister relief to those poor Christians which hid themselves in dens in mountains and steep cliffs But especially they raged against the Churches and Temples of the Saints burning all them to the ground and where they found any of them shut they brake them open with their Maces The Bishops and Ministers they destroyed especially with many kinds of torments seeking by tortures to force them to deliver up whatsoever gold and silver they had of their own or belonging to the Church and where they gat any they still tormented them afresh to inforce them to confess more The mouths of some they wrested open with iron thrusting into them stinking mire and dirt Some they tormented by wresting their fore-heads and legs with bow-strings till they crackt again Into the mouths of others they poured sea-water vinegar with the dregâ— of oyl and grease and neither weakness of sex nor respect of nobility nor reverence of their Ministry mitigated their cruel minds yea their fury most abounded where there appeared any dignity or worthiness Many of the Ministers and Nobles they loaded with mighty burthens as if they had been Camels or Horses and made them carry them after them and if they went slowly they hasted them with iron pricks and goads so that some of them under their burthens gave up the ghost Reverend gray hairs found no priviledge of Mercy guiltless Infants felt their barbarous rage whom they dashed against the ground violently pulling little ones from their mothers breasts to brain them of others by wide stretching of their tender legs they tore them in pieces from the fundament the stately buildings they burnt down and levelled with the earth The chief Churches in Carthage they imployed to their own heretical worship Where any strong Castles were held against them they brought multitudes of Christians slew them and left their bodies lying about the Castles that by the stench thereof they might force them to surrender Who can express the number of Ministers that were by them tortured Pampinian the Bishop of Mansuetus was tortured with burning plates of iron all over his body The Bishop of Urice was burnt to death Then did they also besiege the City of Hippo where St. Augustine was who before that time had compiled two hundred thirty two Books Epistles innumerable besides his Expositions on the Psalms and Gospels and his Homilies to the people See more of this in my first part of lives in the life of St. Austine When they had taken the Regal City of Carthage they enslaved the Citizens and Senators publishing a decree that they should presently bring forth whatsoever gold silver precious stones or rich apparel they possessed and thereby dispoiled them of all in one day Then did they take the Bishop and all the Ministers of that City and thrust them naked into weather broken-ships and so banished them whom yet the Lord of his great Mercy directed and brought in safety to the City of Naples The Senators and Nobles they first banished from the City and then drave them beyond-sea The dead bodies of the Christians they would not suffer to be buried but in the night and without any solemnity The Bishops and Ministers through all the Province being dispoiled of all their substance and turned out of their Churches assembled together and presented a petition to Genserick that they might at least in private be suffered to instruct their people to whom he proudly answered I have decreed that none of your profession shall remain in the countrey how then dare you prefer such a request and withal he would at that instant have drowned them all in the sea but that the importunity of some about him stopt him There was also a noble Earl called Sebastian a man of great wisdom and courage whom Genserick much feared and therefore sought occasion to put him to death which that he might the better effect he moved him to be re-baptized by one of his Priests and to turn Arrian the Earl therefore requested him to call for a fine manchet which being done he said This loaf that it might be fine and white hath been boulted from the bran moistened with liquor and baked but if you now cause it to be broken in pieces steeped in water kneaded and baked again if it come out better I will do as you would have me Genserick understanding his meaning could not tell what to answer for the present yet afterwards he caused him to be put to death If any Minister in his Sermon occasionally did but mention Pharaoh Nebuchadrezzer Herod c presently it was laid to his charge that he meant it by the King and thereupon he was banished Yet notwithstanding all this cruelty the people of God stood fast in their holy profession and rather increased then otherwise Afterwards at the request of Valentinian the Emperour Genserick suffered the Orthodox in Carthage to choose them a Bishop which they did and not long after Genserick with his Vandals took the famous City of Rome carrying away with him not only all the treasure that of a long time had been stored up there but many of the people also who when they were brought into Africk were shared between the Vandals and the Moors so that husbands were separated from their wives parents from their children which this godly Bishop hearing of he caused all the gold and silver vessels belonging to the Church to be sold for their Redemption that so married persons and parents and children might enjoy the comfort of their relations Then also did he provide food and lodging for them and night and day went amongst them himself to see how they did to minister to their wants and comfort them But this procured him such hatred amongst the Arrians that they sought to slay him but the Lord about this time took him to himself whereby he escaped their malice One of the Gensericks Colonels having some Christian slaves and a beautifull and a godly Virgin amongst them he took occasion to vex them with fetters and torments thereby to force them to re-baptization which they constantly refusing he caused them to be stripped and beaten with ragged cudgels till their flesh was torn in pieces c. At last they were banished to Capsur an heathen Kingdom of the Moors where it pleased God so to bless their labours that many of them were converted and sending for an Orthodox Minister were baptized This coming to Gensericks ears he commanded these servants of God to be drawn at a Chariots tail thorow thickets
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
repentance obtained mercy of God Thereupon he cried unto God a whole year together night and day watering his bed with his tears because he thought himself damned but at last God saith he sent his Angel to me and I saw this glory brighter then the sun and I had gods Spirit bestowed upon me c. After which he was apprehended beheaded and quartered The pictures of John Husse and Jerom of Prague they defaced all the Bibles that they could meet with they burned the graves of the Ministers they opened took out their bones and burnt them The Statutes of King Frederick they beat in pieces and trampled them under their feet One man they fined at five hundred Dollars for giving his son the name of Frederick Before these calamities befell the Bohemians God gave them warning by sundry Prodigies In severall places divers Suns were seen together At Prague the Sun seemed to dart out bals of fire Also a flying Dragon flaming horribly was seen throughout all Bohemia and Silesia Also a spring flowed with bloud for an whole moneth together In another place a Fish-pond was wholly turned into bloud for the space of three daies A great flock of Crows and Daws fought together for a whole daies space whereby multitudes of them were slain At Prague it rained brimstone and the Image of the crucifix being set up was struck down with a thunderbolt The gates of some Cities opened of their own accord Many Bibles being thrown into a great fire were untouched only the margin a little scorched Many Apostates tormented by the sting of conscience cried out They were damned Some to avoid these terrors hanged themselves others drowned themselves Some died in fearfull despaire others died suddenly One as he was about to abjure was stricken dumb and being carried home was possessed with a great trembling all over and gnawing his own tongue he died miserably Dr Knapper a great persecutor was slain by the appointment of his wife an adultresse for which she was afterwards hanged Another vomited out his ungodly soul with bloud Another ran mad and cast him self down from the top of his house and so roaring fearfully he breathed his last Another shot himself to death with his own Pistoll Another ran mad fell into such a disease that none could come near him for stink and at last was choaked with vomiting up abundance of bloud Another being taken with a sudden disease waxed as black as a cole uttered his speech like the barking of a dog and within three daies died with terrible pains Another by the breaking of a great gun was torn all to pieces Another had a terrible disease in his throat his tongue rotted many holes were eaten in his throat whereout his food and medicines came so that he died myserably Collected out of a Book called Historia Persecutionum Ecclesiae Bohem. written by some Bohemian exiles HAving thus given you a brief Narrative of the Persecutions of the Church in Bohemia from the first planting of the Gospel amongst them to our present times Before I proceed any further let us a little look back to see how God fought for them against their Popish adversaries and thereby after a wonderfull manner plagued their persecutors Much may be read hereof in my second Part in the Life of Zisca but after his death there was a great fear and sorrow seized on his Army and the souldiers being divided amongst themselves one part of them chose for their Captain Procopius Magnus who still retained the name of Thaborites The other part thinking none worthy to succeed Zisca named themselves the Orphanes by reason of the losse of their Captain yet whensoever their Popish adversaries came against them they both joyned together to defend themselves and the liberty of the Gospel in Bohemia About this time Pope Martin perceiving the Gospel and the Professors of it to increase daily in Bohemia he sent the Cardinall of Winchester an English man into Germany to stirre up the Emperour and German Princes to make war against the Bohemians Hereupon three Armies were levied one under the Duke of Saxony the second under the Marquesse of Brandenburg the third under Otho Archbishop of Trevers These three Armies entred Bohemia three waies and at last joyning all into one besieged the City of Misna which but the night before was won from the Papists by one Prichicho a learned and zealous Protestant and therefore the Popish Armies resolved to take that place before they marched any further But so soon as news came that the Protestants had raised an Army and were hasting to the relief of Misna they speedily fled before they ever saw an enemy leaving all their Engines of warre and a great booty behinde them The Cardinall meeting them in their flight used all the arguments that possibly he could to the Nobles and Captains to turn them back again magnifying their number and prowesse and vilifying their enemies but when nothing would prevail himselfe was fain to accompany them in the flight Presently the Bohemians pursuing fell upon their rereward which made their flight much more fearfull and disordered then it was before neither did they leave flying till the Bohemians left pursuing of them The Emperour hearing of this shamefull flight went to Noremberg and by the assistance of the Cardinall a new Army was raised under the Command of Frederick Marquesse of Brandenburg which entred Bohemia one way and another great Army under Albert Arch-Duke of Austria which entred another way In these two Armies were all the chiefest Nobles and Bishops in Germany being above fourty thousand horsemen besides foot The Bohemians as soon as they heard of their enemies approach gathered their Host with all speed to encounter them But God marvellously fought for them for before the Bohemians came near them the Popish Army was struck with such a marvellous sudden fear that they began most shamefully to run away the Cardinall wondering at it went up and down to the Captains exhorting and encouraging of them telling them that they were to fight for their Lives Honour Religion and the salvation of souls c. but notwithstanding all that he could say and do the Ensignes were suddenly snatched up and every man ran headlong away so that the Cardinall was forced to do the like The Protestants encouraged hereby speedily pursued them and obtained a very great booty This so astonished both the Pope and Emperour that afterwards they sought rather by subtilty to entrap them then by force to compell them to forsake their religion as we have seen in the foregoing story CHAP. XXVI The Persecution of the Church in Spaine which began Anno Christi 1540. ANno 1540. there was one Francis Romane sent by the Spanish Merchants of Antwerp to Breme to take up some money that was due to them where being at a Sermon through the marvelous working of Gods Spirit he was so effectually wrought upon that after
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
execution he said to the people See here how this wicked world rewards the poor servants of Jesus Christ whilst I was a drunkard a player at Cards and Dice living in all dissolutenesse and ungodly behaviour I was never in danger of these bonds yea I was then counted a good fellow and at that time Who but I But no sooner began I through Gods grace to seek after a godly life but presently the world made war upon me and became mine enemy c. yet this discourageth me not for the servant is not better than his Lord seeing they persecuted him no question but they will persecute us At the place of execution one gave him his hand and comforted him then began he to sing the 30. Psalm whereupon a Friar interrupted him saying Oh John turn there is yet time and space the Martyr disregarding his words turned his back upon him and some of the company said to the Friar Turn thou thou hypocrite and so Herwin quietly finished his Psalm many joyning with him in singing of it then said the Friar Be not offended good people to hear this Heretick to sing of God The people answered Hold thy peace thou Balaamite here is no body offended There were present at least four hundred that encouraged the Martyr to continue to the end as he had well begun To whom he answered Brethren I fight under the Standard and in the quarrel of my great Lord and Captain Jesus Christ. Then he prayed and so went into his Cabin made with fagots saying to the people I am now going to be sacrificed Follow you me when God of his goodnesse shall call you to it and so he was first strangled and then burnt to ashes Anno 1561. There was apprehended in Antwerp one John de Boscane who for his constancy in Religion was condemned to death But the Magistrate fearing an uproare if he should put him to death publickly knowing that he was a man free of speech and beloved of the people he resolved for this cause secretly to drown him in the prison and for this end a tub with water was provided and an Executioner sent to drown him but the water was so shallow and the Martyr so tall that he could not possibly be drowned therein whereupon the Executioner gave him many wounds and stabs with a dagger and so this holy Martyr ended his life About the same time another servant of Jesus Christ having made a bold Profession of his faith was in the same City sentenced to death and because they duâ—st not execute him publickly they privately sent and beheaded him in prison his name was John de Buisons The godly in this City of Antwerp being desirous to take all opportunities to meet together in the fear of God on a day when the Popish party was met to behold great triumphs they withdrew themselves out of the City and went into a Wood where their Minister preached the Word of God to them The Drosart of Marksem being advertised hereof took his officers and went thitherward by the way he met with some poor boyes that were cowherds to whom he promised new cloaths if if they would bring him to the place in the Wood where their assembly was which they undertaking he sent some of his officers along with them into the Wood who coming to the place like wolves the sheep of Christ began to flie the Minister seeing their fear admonished them not to stir The Persecutors were not above five or six and the persecuted four or five hundred so that they might easily have resisted them but they would not The officers chiefly aimed to apprehend the Minister and having caught one of the Assembly they thought him to be the man crying one to another Hold the Priest fast striking him with their Pistols and staves and so carried him to the Drosart they caught also two or three more which afterwards made an escape the man only that remained with the Drosart whose name was Bartholomew was often set upon to be turned aside from his holy Profession Why say they cannot such a young man as thou art content thy self with our Religion and glorious Church adorned with gold silver precious stones in which there is such melodious musick both of voices and instruments but thou must needs joyn thy self to that Church that is hated despised and exposed to all manner of contempt Bartholomew overcame all these tentations by the power of the Almighty saying That which is greatly esteemed amongst men is altogether abominable in the sight of God Then was he condemned and beheaded by which death he glorified God Anno 1568. There were apprehended in Antwerp one Scoblant John de Hues and Joris Coomans who being cast into prison were very oyful confessing that nothing befell them but by Gods divine Providence as they acknowledge in a letter which they wrote to the brethren wherein they thus write Seeing it is the will of God that we should suffer for his name and in the quarrel of his Gospel we certifie you dear brethren that we are joyful and however the flesh continually rebels against the spirit counselling ever and anon according to the advice of the old Serpent yet we are well assured that Christ who hath bruised will still bruise the Serpents head and not leave us comfortlesse we are indeed sometimes pricked in the heele yet we are not discouraged but keep our faith close to the promises of God c. Be not therefore dismayed for our bands and imprisonment for it is the good Will of God towards us and therefore we pray that he will give us grace to persevere constantly unto the end Shortly after Scoblant was brought to his trial where he made a good confession of his faith and so was condemned Returning to prison he earnestly requested the Jailor that he would not suffer the Friars to come and trouble him for said he they can do me no good seeing the Lord hath already sealed up the assurance of my salvation in my heart by his holy Spirit I am now going to my Spouse and putting off this earthly mantle to enter into his celestial glory where I shall be freed from all superstitions Would to God that I might be the last that these tyrants should put to death and that their thirst might be so quenched with my blood that the poor Church of Christ might henceforth enjoy rest and quiet When he was to go forth to execution he sung the fourtieth Psalme with his fellow prisoners then said the Lords Prayer and so kissing each other they commended one another unto God with many teares Being tied to the stake he was burned alive calling upon the name of the Lord. John Hues died in prison whereupon Joris wrote thus to his friends Brethren I am now left alone whereas we were three in number John Hues is now dead in the Lord and yet I am
children The mouths of some they set wide open with gags and then poured down their throats stinking water urine and other liquid things till they grew sick and their bellies swelled like tuns whereby they died leasurely with greater torment Down the throats of some they violently thrust knotted clouts and then with a string pulled them up again whereby they displaced their bowels and put them to miserable torment insomuch as some were made dumb others deaf others blind and others lame If the Husband intreated for his Wife or the Wife for the Husband they would take the intercessour and torture him in the same manner before the others eyes and when any of these poor creatures in their torments or agonies of death called and cryed unto God for mercy they would command and seek to force them to pray and cry unto the devil Yea their divellishnesse proceeded so far that they studied to find out new and unheard of torments Some they bound hung up and sawed off their leggs Of others they rubbed off the flesh off their leggs to the very bones Of others they tied the armes backwards and so hanged them up by those distorted parts Many they drew through the streets of the Cities stark naked then brake and wounded them with axes and hammers and generally used them with such barbarous cruelty that many begged to be shot or slain instantly rather than to live and be partakers of such miseries In most places they took away all the corn and provision of victuals leaving the places so bare that many of the best Rank for the space of divers dayes after saw not one bit of bread but were glad to live with roots and water In other places they spoiled the inhabitants of their garments exposing them to that nakednesse that neither Man Woman nor Child had clothes to put on Hereby fruitful Countries were totally ruinated Cities Towns and Villages were spoiled and turned into pillars of fire and smoake Churches lay desolate the Woods were cut down the ground lay wast and untilled One reverend aged Divine they stripped bound him backwards upon a Table and set a big Cat upon his naked belley beating and pricking the Cat to make her fix her teeth and claws therein So that both man and Cat with hunger pain and anguish breathed their last The Crabats laboured much to teach their Horses not only to kill men but to eat humane flesh and consulted how to find out more new and exquisite torments than ever were before used At the taking of Magdenburg a godly Minister of great esteem was found in one of the Churches whom they dragged out to his own house where they ravished his Wife and Daughters before his face his tender Infant they snatched from the Mothers breast and stuck it upon the top of a Lance and when his eyes and heart were glutted with this so cruel a spectacle they brought him forth bound into the street and there burned him with his own Books Rapes and Ravishings were committed beyond all humane modesty Maids and Matrons Wives and Widdows they forced and violated without distinction yea and that in the presence of their Parents Husbands and Neighbours yea Women great with child and others in Child-bed Their beastliness was such that no pen can write it no Faith can believe it Chappels and Churches were not freed from their filthy pollutions yea Hospitals and Bedlam-houses were not spared In Hessen land they took divers poor women some mad some dumb some lame and tying up their coats about their ears so used them as a modest pen cannot expresse In Pomeren they took the fairest maids and ravished them before their Parents faces making them sing Psalms the while One beautiful maid being hid by her Parents in a dunghil they found her out had their pleasure of her then cut her in pieces and hung up her quarters in the Church Yea very girles of ten years old and under they ravished till some of them died vertuous and chast women they would threaten to kill to throw their children into the fire if they would not yield to their lusts Divers maids and women to avoid the lusts of these Hell-born furies have leaped into Rivers and Wells and some have otherwise killed themselves and that which was never before heard of they did not only violate sickly and weak maids and women till they died but committed the like filthinesse with the dead corpses The Merchants of Basil returning from Strasburg Mart were set upon by the Imperialists in their lodging and though they craved their lives upon their knees yet they killed ten of them saying they must die for that they were Hereticks the rest leaving their goods and garments escaped by flight stark-naked in the night Two Noble Countesses with their faire Daughters were rifled in their Coaches of all that they had nor sparing the very garments that covered them Neer Friburg these bloody miscreants cut in piecs a Reverend Minister a man of rare learning and piety after whose death the Dogs would not lick his blood nor touch his flesh For the common people they made not so much account of them as of Dogs murthering them upon every trifling occasion neither pitying old nor young men women nor innocent babes whom sometimes most barbarously they used to eat even when other meat might be had yea such inhumane cruelty they used that in some places they scarce left any remaining alive to relate the sufferings of the dead Many times they cut off the Noses and Ears of the living carrying them about in bravery Collected out of a Booke composed by Doctor Vincent a Divine who was an eye-witnesse of many of these things Before this great persecution befell the Church of God in Germany God gave his people warning of it by many and strange prodigies For October the 26. Anno Christi 1618. there appeared a terrible Comet with a great blazing tayle at first of a red afterwards of a pale-red colour which continued for the space of twenty seven dayes and in some places it was seen longer This fearfull and ominous Link or Torch the Lord sent to those who had long despised and sleighted his voice in his sacred Word preached by his vigilant and faithful Ministers to awaken them from their dead sleep of sin and by repentance to bring them to the reformation of their lives or otherwise to assure them that he would come suddenly upon them and plague them with all those evils and miseries which he had denounced against them by his messengers and whereof he gave them warning by this dreadfull sign Anno 1619. At Groningen in the Dukedome of Brunswick was seen a great blazing star and two Armies one in the East and another in the North fighting together till one of them was defeated and slain At Wien in Austria the water in a Dith was seen to be like blood for the space of eight dayes
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
to live with him for ever and so they all quietly slept in the Lord. Four others about the same time were condemned and cruelly burnt at Paris for the same cause Anno 1548. There was one Blondel a Merchant of precious stones that frequented many great Fairs in France and was well-known both in Court and Countrey he was a man of singular integrity and a Favourer of Gods Word being at an Inne in Lions he freely reproved the filthy talk and superstitious behaviour which he there heard and saw hereupon the Host complained of him to an officer withal informing him of his rich Coller of Jewels These two suborned one to borrow money of him which because Blondel refused to lend the fellow caused him to be apprehended for heresie thinking thereby to attach his goods but Blondels friends prevented it privily conveying them away Blondel being examined of his faith gave a plain and full Confession of it whereupon he was sent to prison in which he did much good amongst the Prisoners paying the debts of some and so loosing them feeding others cloathing others c. At length through the importunity of his Parents and friends he changed his Confession yet was he sent to the High Court at Paris where being examined again concerning his faith he adhered to his first Confession much bewailing his former fall Then was he condemned to be burnt and great haste was made for his execution left his friends at Court should save his life Anno 1549. One Hubert a young man of nineteen years old was so constant in the faith that neither the perswasions of his Parents nor the threats of his adversaries could remove him from his stedfastnesse for which he was burned at Dyion The same year there was a godly Minister called Florent Venote cast into prison at Paris where he lay above four years in which time there was no kind of torment which he did not endure and overcome amongst others he was put in to so narrow a place that he could neither stand nor lieâ— in which he remained seven weeks whereas there was never any Malefactor that could endure it fifteen dayes but he either grew mad or died At last when a great shew was made at the Kings coming into the City and divers other Martyrs in sundry places of it were put to death Florent also having his tongue cut out was brought forth to see their execution and lastly was himselfe burnt About the same time one Anne Audebert as she was going to Geneva was apprehended and brought to Paris where she was adjudged to be sent to Orleance and burned there when she was had forth to execution a rope being put about her she called it her wedding girdle wherewith she should be married to Christ and being to be burried upon a Saturday she said On a Saturday I was first married and on a Saturday I shall be married again She much rejoyced when she was put into the dung-cart and shewed such patience and constancy in the fire as made all the Spectators to wonder at it Not long after the Coronation of Henry the second King of France at whose coming into the City of Paris divers godly Martyrs were burned there was a poor Tailor that dwelt not farre from the Kings Palace apprehended for working upon an holy day Being by the Officer asked why he wrought upon that day He answered that he was a poor man living only upon his labour and that he knew no day but the Sabbath whereupon he might not work his necessity requiring it Then was he clapt up in prison this being noised in the Court some would needs have the Tailor sent for that the King might have the hearing of him Then was the Tailor brought thither and the King sitting in his chair of State commanded the Bishop of Mascon to question with him The Tailor being nothing amated at the Kings presence after he had done reverence to his Prince gave thanks to God for honouring him so greatly being such a wretch as to bring him where he might bear witnesse to his truth before so great a Prince The Bishop questioned with him about the greatest matters of Religion and he with an undaunted spirit so answered for the sincere truth and with such pregnant proofs of Scripture as was wonderfull and though the Nobles that were present jeered and taunted at him yet could they not dash him out of countenance but that still with much liberty and freedome of speech he defended the truth of Christ neither flattering their persons nor fearing their threats The King seeming to muse much within himself that so mean and simple a person should shew such audacity in such a presence the Bishop and Popish Lords taking notice of cryed out that he was an obstinate and impudent Heretick and therefore remanded him back to prison and within a few dayes after he was condemned to be burnt alive and left the King should be affected with what he heard from the Tailor the Bishops often suggested that the Lutherans were such as carried a vaine smoake in their mouthes which being put to the fire would soon vanish They also would needs have the King present at his execution but it pleased God to give such strength and courage to the Tailor at his execution as much more astonished the King than all his former carriage for having espied the King in the window where he sate he beheld him with so stedfast a countenance that his eyes were never off him yea when the fire was kindled about him he still kept his eyes so fixed upon the King that the King was constrained to leave the window and to withdraw himself and was so wrought upon thereby that he confessed that he thought the shadow of the Tailor followed him whithersoever he went and for many nights after he was so terrified with the apparition thereof that he protested with an oath that he would never see nor hear any more of those Lutherans though afterwards he brake his oath as it follows in the story of Anne Du Bourg About the same time one Claudius a godly man was apprehended as he came from Geneva and burned at Orleance Anno 1551. One Thomas a young man of about eighteen years old coming from Geneva to Paris rebuked one for swearing whereupon he was apprehended for a Lutherane and carried before the high Court by them he was committed to prison and cruelly racked to confesse his companions which he still refused to do whereupon they continued to rack him till one of the bloody Inquisitors turned his back and wept and till the Hangman was a weary then was he carried to be burned and was let down with a pully into the fire and after a while being pulled up again they asked him if he would yet turn To whom he said That he was in his
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
Grzymaltowsky with many of the Nobility to the same Gate and when the aforesaid Kolechen with another in his company had gone out to them and scarcely perswaded them that the City was forsaken and that there was no treachery they went in and when they were disposed into the next fair houses they were entertained with a noble supper which was prepared to sweeten them a little if it might be and had plenty of Wine out of Dlugosses Cellar who was a rich Senator At last when they were half Drunk they set upon Kolechen with threats and would have made him their Prisoner but that he escaped wonderfully out of their hands and saved himself by flight But they durst not stay all night in the City for fear the Swedes and Citizens should set upon them unawares out of some Ambuscado and so they returned to their own company and in the morning with many hundred Waggons they came back killing all they met and setting themselves to plunder the City Here then you might have seen strange examples of barbarous cruelty on the one side and blockish folly on the other For though no man made resistance yet like Mad Dogs they flew upon all that either came out or were drawn out of the holes wherein they had hid themselves Of some they pulled out their eyes Of some they cut off their Noses and Tongues Of others they cut off their Hands and Feet others they stabbed and slashed and so butchered them with innumerable wounds that it could not be known who they were And which was more they spared not his Highness Prince Frederick Landgrave of Hassia though dead whom they had slain half a year before at Costena and who was decently Embalmed by the Lessians and kept laid up in the Chappel of the New-Church upon a Scaffold till he might be transported to his own Country They first rifled his Coffin which was handsomely adorned taking away his silver and guilt keyes and all the silk that was about it then they set upon the Princes corps and took away his silk robe lined with Ermines and so left him once again naked and lying on the ground But after the burning of the City his body being found in the same place untouched by the fire he was cloathed again by the ancient Lesnians and put up in his Coffin and buried in a certain place where he is still honourably kept But that mad rabble shewed abundance of folly in this that whereas they might have made Lesna their nest the Swedes having Garrisoned themselves in the strongest places of the Province or at least might have gathered together the richest of the plunder for there was such abundance of victuals wares housholdstuff of all sorts and treasure that was brought hither from other places as to a place of safety that a thousand Waggons could scarce have carried it away in many dayes yet such was their over-eager desire of their destroying this hated City that the very same day yea before noon they set fire to the City and Suburbs in every street for the Waggons which they brought with them were not empty but loaded with Torches Pitch Straw and such other combustible matter and so cruelly destroyed that most pleasant City together with all that abundance of all sorts of things that was in it This fire lasted three whole dayes and there were those that took care that nothing should scape it for when the New-buildings of the New-churches did not easily take fire they brought Straw Pitch and dry wood and put under the roofs and the in-side of the steeples and so forced them to take fire And they came again upon the third day 1. May and whatsoever was left they set fire to again They burnt also the very Wind-mills whereof there were seventy about the City and a very pleasant Park of the Countesses which lay close by the Castle that every place might be filled with spectacles of cruelty and at length it might come to be said En cineres ubi Lesna fuit Where fairest Lesna stood of old Now nought but Ashes we behold The Citizens sadly beholding these flames some miles off ran thither next day by Troops whether out of a desire of quenching the fire if it were possible or else to save something out of the flames for most through fear had gone away empty handed but the Enemy came upon them and although they stoutly defended themselves and slew many of their Enemies yet many of themselves were slain and many others also on the dayes following when some Villages that belonged to the County of Lesna and were inhabited by professors of the Gospel were in like manner burnt down There perished in these flames many aged and sick people that could not get away besides such abundance of houses houshold-stuff of all sorts precious wares corn many thousand bushels whereof were brought hither libraries and other things that the loss would amount to many Tuns of gold and many thousands were thereby reduced to meer beggery But that which was saddest of all was that the Church of the faithful that was here gathered together out of divers places and Countryes to enjoy the pure worship of God was so utterly overthrown that it cannot but cry out with Sion of old when it was rased by the Babylonians Lament 1. and 3. O all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger For he hath sent a fire into my bones and it prevaileth against me he hath made me a desolation so that I am not able to rise up my children are desolate because the Enemy prevailed Sion spreadeth forth her hands and there is none to comfort her I called for my lovers but they deceived me Mine Enemies chased me sore like a Bird without cause They have cut off my life in the Dungeon Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee Thou saidst Fear not It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not It must not be concealed what wonder hapned the first day of the burning of the City about evening at Czirna which is the first Town of Silesia next to Lesna about two miles distant Some of the Lesnians went out to look upon the sad smoke of their Country and as they were looking there fell from the clouds which carried the smoke over Silesia together with the soot a leaf of burnt paper which when they took up they found to be a leaf of the Bohemian Bible containing the 6 th and part of the 7 th chapters of Matthew where those words of Christ came first to sight With what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again with many other of Christs exhortations to trust in the fatherly Providence of God This leaf was presented to the Lord of the place and a Lesnian Physitian who was there by chance that read and
and then marching to Malla a City of the enemies he surprised it slew all the men therein and burnt it with fire after which he destroyed Chaspomo Bosor and divers other places Shortly after Timothy leavied another great Army hired many of the Syrians and drew forth all his allies to his assistance with these he marched to Jordan exhorting them valiantly to oppose the Jews and to hinder their passage over the river telling them that if the Jews gat over they were sure to be put to the worst Judas hearing hereof marched hastily against his enemies and having passed the river he presently set upon them killing some and grievously affrighting the rest who casting away their arms immediately fled some of them to save themselves fled into a Temple called Carnain but Judas having taken the City and Temple slew them and burnt the same Then did he lead away with him all the Jews that lived in Galaad together with their wives children and substance and brought them into Judaea When he drew near to the town of Ephron they had baricadoed up his way that he could not pass then did he send Ambassadors to them to desire them to open his passage which when they refused he besieged the City took it by assault burned it down and slew all the men that were therein After having passed over Jordan they came into Judaea with great joy and gladnesse praising God and offering sacrifices of thanksgiving to him for the safe return of his Army for that in all those battels and encounters he had not lost one Jew But whilest Judas and Simon were gone upon these expeditions the two Captains which he had left to command the Garisons of Judaea being desirous to obtain the reputation of valiant men tooke their forces and went towards Jamnia against whom Gorgias Governor of that place issued out and slew two thousand of them the rest fled to Judaea Afterwards Judas and his brethren warred against the Idumaeans took divers of their Cities and with a great booty returned home with great joy Antiochus in the meane time being in Persia heard of a wealthy City called Elymais in which was a rich Temple of Diana c. thither he went and besieged it but the inhabitants sallied out and with great losse drave him from thence whereupon he returned to Babylon there also news was brought unto him of the overthrow of his Captains in Judaea and that the Jews were grown strong which together with his former defeat so wrought upon him that he fell sick and finding no hope of recovery he called his most familiar friends to him and told them that his sicknesse was violent and desperate and that he was plagued with this grevous affliction for that he had tormented the people of the Jews destroyed their Temple committed horrible sacriledge and contemned the reverence of God but now he vowed that if it would please the Lord to restore him he would become a Jew and do many great things for the people of God as also that he would goe through all the known world to declare the power of God Notwithstanding which the Lord knowing his hypocrisie continued to plague him after a terrible manner he had a remedilesse pain in his bowels and intollerable torments in all his inward parts His body bred abundance of worms which continually crawled out of the same yea he so rotted above ground that by reason of the intollerable stink no man could endure to come near him neither could he himselfe indure the same and thus this vile person who had formerly in a proud and insolent manner protested that he would make Jerusalem a common burying place and the streets thereof to run with the bloud of Gods people by Gods just judgement ended his life in extream misery but before his death he called Philip one of his chief Captains and made him governour of his kingdom requiring him to be very carefull of his son Antiochus Then was Antiochus proclaimed King and sirnamed Eupator About which time the Garisons and Apostates that were in the Fortress at Jerusalem did much mischief to the Jews for setting unawares upon those that came to the Temple to worship and to offer their sacrifices they slew them Hereupon Judas resolved to cut off these Garisons and to that end he assembled all the people and besieged them and having made certain Engins and raised divers Rams he earnestly prosecuted the siege but divers of those Apostates escaping by night went to Antiochus desiring him not to suffer them to perish who for his fathers sake had forsaken their Religion c. Then did Antiochus send for his Captains commanding them to raise a mighty Army which accordingly they did gathering together a hundred thousand footmen and twenty thousand horsemen and thirty two Elephants with these Forces he departed out of Antioch and made Lysias Generall of his Army Then did he besiege Bethsura a strong City but the inhabitants valiantly resisted him and sallying out burned his Engines which he had prepared for battery The King continuing the siege for a longe time Judas hearing of it raised his siege from before the Castle of Jerusalem and marched towards Antiochus his Army and when he came neer to the enemies Camp he lodged his Army in certain streights called Beth-zacharia The King hearing thereof raised his siege from Bethsura and marched to wards the streight where Judas with his Army was The King first caused his Elephants to march thorow the streight about each Elephant were a thousand Footmen and a hundred Horsemen for his guard each Elephant carried a Tower on his back furnished with Archers the rest of his Forces he caused to march two waies by the mountaines commanding them with huge shouts and cries to assail their enemies and to uncover their golden and brazen bucklers that the reflection thereof might dazle the eies of the Jews yet was not Judas at all amated but entertained the Army with a noble courage slaying about six hnundred of the forlorn hope But Eleazer Judas brother seeing a huge Elephant armed with royall trappings supposing that the King was upon him he ran against him with a noble courage and having slain divers that were about the Elephant he thrust his sword into the belly of the beast so that the Elephant falling upon him slew him with his weight Judas seeing the great strength of his enemies retired back to Jerusalem and Antiochus sent back part of his Army against Bethsura and with the rest he marched on towards Jerusalem The Bethsurites despairing of relief and their provisions failing them surrendred their City having the Kings oath that no out-rage should be offered to them yet he thrust them out of the City and placed a Garison in it He spent also along time in besieging the Temple at Jerusalem they within defending it gallantly for against every Engine that the King erected they set up
Conversion to the true faith and so with admirable patience she suffered Martyrdom Shortly after Basilides being required to give an oath in the behalf of his fellow-souldiers he denied the same plainly affirming that he vvas a Christian and therefore he could not swear by the Idols c. They vvhich heard him thought that he jested at first but when he had constantly affirmed it they had him before the Judge vvho committed him to vvard the Christians vvondring at it vvent to him and enquiring the cause of his Conversion he told them that Potamiena had prayed for him and so he savv a Crovvn put upon his head adding that it should not be long before he received it and accordingly the next day he was beheaded As many suffered death in this persecution so others there were who through Gods providence suffered great torments and yet escaped vvith life of whom there vvas one Alexander vvho for his constant confession and torments suffered vvas afterwards made Bishop of Jerusalem Also Narcissus against vvhom three vvicked persons conspired to accuse him binding their accusations vvith oaths and curses one vvishing to be destroyed vvith fire if it vvere not true another to be consumed vvith a grievous disease the other to lose both his eyes Narcissus being unable to vvith-stand so vvicked an accusation retired himself into a desert In the mean time Gods vengeance follovved these perjured Wretches for the first by a small spark of fire vvas himself vvith all his family and goods burned the second vvas taken vvith a grievous sickness vvhich tormented him from the top to the toe whereof he died the third being vvarned by these Judgements confessed his fault but by reason of his abundant sorrovv and vveeping he lost both his eyes Narcissus being hereby cleared from their false accusation returned home and vvas received into his Congregation again Also one Andoclus vvas sent by Polycarp into France vvho because he spread there the Doctrine of Christ vvas apprehended by the command of Severus and first beaten vvith staves and bats and aftervvards beheaded Asclepiades also aftervvards Bishop of Antioch suffered much in this Persecution Then did Irenaeus and many others vvith him suffer Martyrdom and shortly after Tertullian also Perpetua and Felicitas tvvo godly vvomen vvith Revocatus their brother and Satyrus vvere throvvn to the vvild beasts and devoured by them Saturninus vvas beheaded Secundulus cast into prison where he died all these suffered Martyrdom at Carthage Also Zepherinus and after him Urbanus both Bishops of Rome vvere martyred in this Persecution This Urbanus by preaching and holiness of life converted many heathens unto Christ amongst vvhom vvere Tiburtius and Valerianus tvvo noble men of Rome vvho both suffered Martyrdom Also Cecilia a Virgin vvho vvas espoused to Valerian vvas apprehended carried to the Idols to offer sacrifice vvhich she refusing to do should have been carried to the Judge to receive the sentence of condemnation but the Serjeants and Officers beholding her excellent beauty and prudent behaviour began vvith many persvvasions to solicit her to favour her self c. but she so replied vvith wisedom and godly exhortations that by the grace of Almighty God their hearts began to relent and at length to yield to that Religion which before they persecuted which she perceiving desired leave to go home and sending for Urbanus the Bishop to her house he so grounded and established them in the faith of Christ that about four hundred persons believed and were baptized amongst whom was Gordianus a noble man Afterwards this blessed Martyr was brought before the Judge by whom she was condemned then she was enclosed in an hot bath for twenty four hours yet remaining alive she was there beheaded At Preneste in Italy was one Agapetus of fifteen years old apprehended and because he refused to sacrifice to Idols he was first scourged with whips then hanged up by the feet and had scalding water poured on him then he was cast to the wild beasts but because they would not hurt him he was lastly beheaded Antiochus that executed these torments on him suddenly fell down from his judicial seat crying out that all his bowels burned within him and so he died miserably Calepodius a Minister of Christ in Rome was first dragged thorow the streets and after cast into Tyber Pamachius a Senator of Rome with his wife and Children and other men and women to the number of forty two vvere all beheaded in one day together with another noble man all whose heads vvere hung up over the gates of the City to deter others from the profession of Christianity Also Martina a Christian Virgin having suffered many other bitter torments vvas at last slain vvith the sword CHAP. XII The sixth Primitive Persecution which began Anno Christi 237. THe Emperor Maximinus raised the sixth persecution against the Christians especially against the Teachers and Leaders of the Church thinking that if these Captains were removed out of the way he should the easilier prevail against the rest In the time of this Persecution Origen vvrote his book De Martyrio vvhich being lost the names of most that suffered Martyrdom in those times are buried in oblivion yet were they very many Amongst whom Urbanus Bishop of Rome and Philippus one of his Ministers were banished into Sardinia where they both died About this time one Natalius that had formerly suffered great persecution for the cause of Christ was seduced by Asclepiodotus and Theodorus two Sectaries to be the Bishop of their Sect promising to pay him a hundred and fifty crowns of silver every moneth and so he joined himself to them but the Lord in mercy not intending to lose him that had suffered so much for his sake admonished him by a vision to adjoin himself to the true Church again which the good man for the present blinded with lucre and honour did not regard as he ought to have done The night after he was scourged by Angels whereupon in the morning purting on Sack-cloth with much weeping and lamentation he went to the Christian Congregation praying them for the tender mercies of Christ that he might be received into their Communion again which request was accordingly granted unto him Hippolitus was drawn thorow the fields with wild horses till he died Many others were martyred and buried by sixty in a pit CHAP. XIII The seventh Primitive Persecution which began Anno Christi 250. DEcius the Emperor raised this seventh terrible persecution against the Christians which was first occasioned by reason of the treasures of the Emperor which were committed to Fabian the Bishop of Rome who thereupon by the command of Decius was put to death and moreover his Proclamations were sent into all quarters that all which professed the name of Christ should be slain In the time of this Persecution Origen suffered many and great torments for
and so kneeling down and praying unto Christ the executioner with his bloudy hand finished her hope Basil in one of his Orations relates a story of one Jullitta from whom one of the Emperours officers tooke all her goods lands and servants contrary to all equity whereupon she complained to the Judges and a day of hearing was appointed where the spoiled woman lamentably declared her cause But the wicked villain that had robbed her said that her Action was of no force for she was an outlaw for not observing the Emperours gods and that she was a Christian His allegation was allowed incense was prepared for her to offer to the gods which if she refused she should neither have protection nor benefit of the Emperours Laws nor continue her life She hearing this in the mighty strength of God said Farewell riches welcome pouerty farewell life welcome death All that I have were it a thousand times more would I lose rather then speak one wicked word against God my Creator I yield thee most hearty thanks O my God for this gift of grace that I can contemn and despise this frail and transitory world esteeming the profession of Christ above all treasures And thenceforth when any question was proposed to her her answer was I am the servant of Jesus Christ. Her kindred and friends earnestly sollicited her to change her minde but she constantly refused with detestation of their Idolatry Then did the cruel Judge condemn her to be burnt which sentence she embraced joyfully as a thing most sweet and delectable and so she addressed her self to the flames in countenance gesture and words declaring the joy of her heart coupled with singular constancy and so embracing the fire she sweetly slept in the Lotd Barbara a noble woman in Thuscia after miserable imprisonment sharp cords and burning flames put to her sides was as last beheaded together with many others Here place the fourth Figure CHAP. XVII The Persecution of the Christians in Persia under Sapores about the same time THE Idolatrous Magicians in Persia taking counsell together against the Christians accused them to Sapores for keeping correspondence with and favoring the Roman Emperour which was Constantine the Great The King being much moved herewith took occasion to oppress them with taxes and tributes to their utter undoing and killed there Ministers with the sword Then he called before him Simeon their Bishop who remaining constant and valiant he commanded him to be led forth to torment yet did he neither shrink for fear nor make any humble suit for pardon which the King being offended at required him either to worship him after the countrey manner or else he would destroy him and all other Christians in his land But Simeon neither allured with promises nor terrified with threatnings could be induced to the Idolatrous worship for which cause he was sent away to prison and as he was going there was sitting at the Court-gate an Eunuch an old Tutor of the Kings named Usthazares once a Christian but now fallen from his profession who seeing Simeon led by rose up and did him reverence Simeon on the contrary rebuked him crying out against him for revolting from his profession Whereupon the Eunuch burst forth into tears layd aside his costly apparell and put on black mourning weeds and sitting at the Court-gate weeping he said to himself Wo is me with what face hereafter shall I look upon God seeing Simeon disdaineth with one gentle word to salute me This being carried to the Kings ears he was exceeding angry and sending for him he first with gentle words and large promises spake him fair and asked him why he mourned Whether there was any thing in his house that was denied him c. Whereunto Usthazares answered that there was nothing in that earthly house that was detained from him Yea said he O King would God any other grief or calamity in the world had happened to me rather then this for which I justly sorrow For this is my grief that I am alive this day who should have died long since and that I see this sun which dissemblingly to pleasure you I have seemed to worship for which I have deserved a double death First for dissembling with you secondly for that thereby I have denied Christ withall vowing that he would never hereafter forsake the Creator to worship the creature c. Sapores was much astonished hereat and doubted whether to use him gently or with rigour but at last in his mood he commanded him to be beheaded But as he was going to execution he requested an Eunuch that attended on the King to desire him for all the old and faithfull service that he had done to his father and him that he would cause it to be proclaimed openly at his death that he was beheaded not for any treachery against the King or Realm but for that he was a Christian and would not deny his God this the King yielded to and so it was performed and this he desired because by his former Apostacy he dad discouraged many Christians and therefore he sought by his profession and example to encourage them to the like sufferings Simeon in prison hearing of his death much rejoyced and praised God for it and the very next day he with above an hundred more Christians were beheaded likewise There was present at their Martyrdom one Pusices an officer to the King who beholding an aged Minister to tremble when he saw the others beheaded before him said unto him O father shut thine eys for a little moment and be strong and shortly thou shallt see God in glory Hereupon Pusices was apprehended and carried before the King in whose presence he made a bold confession of his faith for which cause they made a hole in his neck and pulled out his tongue backward and so he was put to death together with one of his daughters that was a virgin The year after when the Christians were met together to celebrate the memoriall of Christs passion Sapores sent forth a cruel Edict that all they should be put to death that professed the Name of Christ and this he did at the instigation of the wiâ—ked Magicians whereupon an innumerable company of Christians both in Cities and Towns were slain by the sword some being sought for others offering themselves willingly least they should seem to deny Christ In this Persecution many of the Kings own Court and houshold-servants suffered Martyrdom amongst whom was Azades an Eunuch whom the King entirely loved insomuch as hearing that he was slain he was so offended and grieved that he commanded that thenceforth no more Christians should be slain but only the Doctors and Teachers of the Church About this time the Queen fell very sick upon which occasion the wicked Jews and Magicians accused two of Simeons sisters which were godly virgins that by charms and
of Tholouse sent some Deputies to Earl Simon to profer him the keyes of their City whom he received honourably and presently wrote to Lewis son of King Philip that the City of Tholouse was offered to him but his desire was that he should come and have the honour of taking it The Prince went thither immediately and had Tholouse delivered to him Yet the Legate resolved that the pillage of it should be given to his Pilgrims and the City dismantled which was presently executed though contrary to the promise made to the Citizens that no wrong should be done to the City Then came there a new Legate of the Popes called Bonaventure with those that had taken on them the Crosse. Viz. the Earle of Saint Paul the Earle of Savoy the Earle of Alenzon the vicount of Melun Mathew de Montmorency and other great Lords The Legate seeing so many Pilgrims feared least Prince Lewis should take upon him to dispose of divers places held by the Albingenses to the prejudice of the Church Whereupon he presently sent to all those places Absolution and protection so that when the Prince came against them they shewed that they were under the protection of the Church Yea the Legate told the Prince that since he had taken upon him the Crosse he was to be subject to his commands because he presented the person of the Pope whose Pardons saith he you come to obtaine by obeying the Church and not by commanding as the son of a King The Prince dissembled his displeasure at this audaciousnesse and the poore Albingenses were so oppressed by new Armies of Pilgrims that they sunk under the burthen of it The Prince when his fourty daies service were expired retired himself being much discontented to see so much tyranny exercised against the Albingenses Then did Earl Simon besieg the Castle of Foix but having lain ten dayes before it he found to his cost that the place was not to be won by him For where as Earl Simons brother quartered at varilles the Earl of Foix dislodged him and slew him with his launce putting to flight all his men News hereof being brought to Earl Simon he swore that he would drive the Earl of Foix behinde the Pyrenaean Mountaines but presently he had intelligence that a great Army of the Arrogonois and Catalunians were come into the Earldom of Beziers threatning to be revenged on him for the death of their good King where upon he levied his siege in hast and marched thitherwards But the Earle of Foix who knew the passages better then he lay in ambush for him in a place fit for his turne and suddenly setting upon his Pilgrims slew a great number of them only Earl Simon with a few others escaped and went to Carcasson but before he came thither the Arrogonois were gone else might they easily have discomfited him yet shortly after they returned again and Earle Simon was foundly beaten by them so that he was forced to shut himself up in Carcasson till he had a new supply of Pilgrims Shortly after came Remund the son of Earl Remund out of England where he had been bred under his uncle King John with an Army and quickly made himself Master of the City of Beaucaire and almost famished them that held the Castle so that they yeelded it up to depart with their baggage There Earl Simon lost a hundred Gentlemen that he had laid in ambush neer unto the City whom young Remund in a sally cut in pieces Anno 1214. The Legate called a Councel at Montpelier for renuing of the Army of the Church and to confirm the authority of Earle Simon where they declared him to be Prince of all the Countries conquered from the Albingenses which title was confirmed to him by the Pope also Who stiled him the active and dexterous soldier of Jesus Christ and the invincible defender of the Catholick Faith But whilest Earl Simon was in the Council receiving this his new honour a great rumour was heard in the City and a messenger brought word that the people hearing that Earl Simon was there betook themselves to their Arms purposing to kill him whereupon he stole away by the walls of the City on foot without any company and so escaped so that in one houre he saw himself honoured as a God and flying disguised hiding himself like a base scoundrell for feare of the rascall multitude Anno Christi 1215. Their was a Councill held by the Pope at Lateran where they gave the Inquisitors such power against the Gospellers that poor people were every where horribly tortured that were but suspected for Heresie and as Tritemius saith Frier Conradus of Marpurg the Popes Inquisitor if he but suspected any as guilty of Heresie vsed to trie them by the judgment of red hot irons and such as were burned by the irons he delivered as Hereticks to the secular power to be burned in the flames whereupon most of those that were accused were by him condemned to be burnt few escaping the hot irons In so much as Noble Ignoble Clerks Monks Nuns Burgesses Citizens and countrymen were under the name of Heresie by too headlong a sentence of the Inquisitor on the same day where on they were accused cast into the cruell flames no refuge of appeale or defence doing them any good By the same Lateran Councill Earle Simon had the forementioned lands of the Albingenses confirmed to him and thereupon he hastened to the King of France to receive investiture and as he went saith the Monk of Sernay in every City and towne the Popish Clergy and people met him crying Blessed is he that commeth to us in the name of the Lord and every man thought himself happy that could but touch the hem of his garment When he had recived his Investiture from the King of France being attended with an hundred Bishops that had preached the Crosse in their Diocess and with an exceding great Army of Pilgrims he hasted to make himself Lord of all those countries which the Pope had given him So that all men trembled at his reproach and with this great Army of Pilgrims he took in divers places using great cruelty putting men women and children to the sword Then was he marching to Tholouse purposing to pillage and raze it to the ground But by the way his wife sent him word that he must speedily come to her relief being besieged in the Castle of Narbonnes by the Earl of Tholouse but by this time many of his Pilgrims were returned into France Yet Earl Simon hasted to the relief of his wife and being come before Tholouse the people by their frequent sallies made that place too hot for his abode The Legate perceiving that he was much astonished at it said unto him Fear nothing we shall quickly recover the City and then we will destroy all the inhabitants and if any of our Pilgrims are in the fight they
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
any shall work upon Catholick holidaies he shall be imprisoned and pay ten Florences 4. It shall not be lawfull for any Non Catholick to make a Will if he do it shall be null 5. No youth shall be bound Apprentice or learn any Art or Trade unlesse he learn the Catholick Religion 6. The poor people in Hospitals except they be converted by such a day shall be turned out c. After the taking of the City of Prague Papists were examined upon oath to declare what they knew or heard that the Protestants had spoken or done against Caesar. Then was an Act published to the rest of the Citizens that though they had forfeited their whole estates yet they should not be wholly sequestred but every one should contribute part of his Estate to support the Army all men also were required upon oath to discover what their Estates were according to which they were injoyned to pay a ransome to obtain a pardon yea all trading inhibited to such as were not Catholicks In the City of Kutterberg were abundance of silver mines and the Inhabitants generally were zealous professors hereupon so soon as they began to be molested for Religion the Kings Revenue began to diminish most of the workmen giving over the work The King seeing this he farms his Revenues to the Citizens for ten years promising that in the interim they should not be troubled with souldiers nor for their Religion and hereto he set his hand and seal But Satan envying their place and liberties stirs up the Jesuits to move the King to break his Covenant within four mouths after and the souldiers were sent thither again and they began again to be questioned about their religion The Citizens astonished at this manifest breach of Covenant humbly petition that no violence might be offered to them which would overthrow the mettall-works But instead of answer the Major and chief Aldermen had twenty Musquetiers apiece put into their houses upon free quarter till they had shriven themselves to a Priest the Souldiers domineered exceedingly wasting these mens estates by their profuseness and abusing them divers other waies at their pleasure yet the patience of the one overcame the tyranicall behaviour of the other These godly men so long as they had it provided for the souldiers but when all was gone some of them withdrew themselves from danger by flight others resigned their houses and goods to these domineering villains delivering the keys to them and so departing When yet this prevailed not the task of reforming that City was committed to Don Martin who accompanied with a Troop of Curiassiers and himself brandishing a naked sword entred into the City the Citizens trembling at his coming hearing of the cruelty which he had exercised in other places whereupon that very night multitudes of them betook themselves to flight thinking to hide themselves in neighbouring villages this caused Don Martin to get an Edict that none should harbour exiles upon a great penalty The year after a Senate at Kutterberg was elected out of the Apostates the Major being a base and illiterate person so that all the Citizens being still oppressed with the souldiers either fled with their wives and children leaving all behinde them or else were fain to submit their necks to the Antichristian yoke The next City whither these reformers went was Bolislavia where the Orthodox Religion had continued for two hundred years and it was the Principall seat of the brethren The Ministers being ejected they placed in their rooms two crafty Friers that by all means sought to pervert the people but when this prevailed not they brought in three companies of souldiers to quarter upon them Then were some of the Citizens banished others cast into prison and three of the principal was sequestered to strike a terror into the rest the cause pretended was because they said as was alledged That none had power to command their consciences c. But when yet the Citizens remained constant they were all warned to appear in the Court and being come they were shut up in severall rooms and called out and examined one by one The first was the Town-clerk a weak and timorous man and therefore they had set a Ruffian in a corner with a sword in his hand whom the fearfull man seeing was so terrified that he promised to turn Catholick they so rejoyced at this beginning that they dismissed all the rest bad them consider of it and do as the Town-clerk had set them an example Amongst these there were two Burgomasters learned men who exhorted their fellow Citizens not to be affrighted with these imaginary terrors Afterwards one of them being called for was partly with threats partly with flatteries so wearied out that at last he tooke time to consider of it The other being called for an old man proposing the others example to him he spit in his face saying Traytor is this your constancy And so both he and the rest of the Citizens remained as unmoveable as a Rock The first Burgomaster considering what he had done and being ashamed of it came and gave them such a positive answer as that with the rest he was sent to prison One Bartholomew Lang told them to their faces that he had rather die by the sword then deny his faith whereupon with divers others he was thrust into a stinking dungeon where they kept them prisoners for seventeen weeks their houses in the meane time being possessed by the barbarous souldiers One of these godly persons died in prison And about that time Bethlem Gabor warring with the Emperour and Count Mansfield entring Silesia with the King of Denmarks Army these Tyrants were struck with such a terrour that presently Proclamations came forth that it was not his Majesties pleasure that any man should be forced to the faith by violent meanes by which Proclamation the inhabitans of Bolislavia had some respit But the year after when Gabor was retired and the King of Denmark beaten out of Silesia their tyranny againe revived and a new Proclamation came forth to inhibit the Protestants all Trade and Commerce and to command them to abjure their Heresies under pain of the severest and inevitable punishment Hereupon some were banished others voluntarily went into exile others were denied traffique the Friers taking away such commodities as they set to sale so that the Citizens which stayed were forced to take the mark of the Beast that they might buy and sell. In the City of Litomericia Anno 1517. there was an unanimous agreement amongst the Citizens that none should be made free amongst them but such as professed the reformed Religion and that whosoever should move for the nulling of this act should be disfranchised This continued inviolate for a hundred years till two Jesuites sued to be made free men of the City which being denied they entred their complaint in the Chancery whether some of
the principall Aldermen were summoned and kept for nine weeks space till by threats they had obtained from them to make these two men free Five moneths after one of them is made an Alderman that so they might have their spies in every place there were also cunning seducers sent thither to withdraw the people from their Religion But when this prevailed not Anno 1625. they took the names of every Citizen commanding them constantly to come to the Masse and every one to sâ—ew his name to the Sexton that they might know that all were there present or else for every omission they should forfeit five pound Then bringing in more souldiers they commanded all the inhabitants to be present at their idolatrous Procession and because the Recorder came not they sent a whole company of souldiers to plunder his house who also abused and threatned his wife The year after they brought more in souldiers quartering them in the principall mens houses in some ten in some twenty and in others thirty who abused them fearefully but through Gods assistance they bore it with such admirable patience that the enemies were weary with plaguing them and began to be more moderate yet they published an order that whosoever would not turn Catholick should with their wives and children depart the City Kingdom by a certain day wherevpon many of them removed into Misnia At the City of Radecium they drave away the Ministers and placed there a merry Archdeacon who protested that all violent means were displeasing to him and therefore he entertained the Citizens with jests and merry speeches and would draw them to Taverns and Gameing houses But when after four years triall he found that he had not converted any one of them by these means he brought in souldiers for his help Then did he assemble the people requiring them to go in Procession with him but when none would follow the souldiers rushed in amongst them with their drawn swords whereupon the people ran some one way some another others were forced to follow the Procession whether they would or no and some for refusing were slain Then was a whole Regiment of souldiers sent thither with expresse charge not to depart till the City was reformed The Archdeacon taking some of these went to a Physitian that had been lame for some years and asketh him whether he would become a Catholick which he stoutly refused saying that he had rather his half rotten carkasse should be drawn through the fields and torn in pieces then to do any thing against his conscience Then were all the inhabitants called together the City gates shut and the people grievously threatned if they would not turn and such as refused were thrust into prisons and souldiers were sent to their houses who raged and domineered over their wives and children wherupon they ran to their husbands with tears and intreaties and prevailed with many of them to desire time to be given them to learn the Romish religion only twenty eight of them together with their wives and children forsook their earthly Estate and went into banishment to preserve their consciences clear Don Martin went also to Bidsove ten-miles from Prague attended with his souldiers and assembling the Citizens he made an Oration to them to turn Catholicks they answered that they could not unlearn that in an hour which they had been learning all their life this so enraged Martin that he assaulted the man that answered for all the rest with a club beating him extreamly and then he commanded the chief Officer to carry him out of the City not suffering him so much as to visit his house before his departure This so terrified the rest that they promised to be taught within a certaine time and whereas some of them thought to save themselves by flight sending their wives and some of their goods privately before with whom went also some godly widows Martin having intelligence of it sent some souldiers after them that stript them of their goods and brought them back and cast them into fetters refusing to release them till both they and their husbands turned Catholicks At Zaticum another City famous for religion the Minister being banished Friers were put into his place who being assisted with souldiers used to cane those that would not bow to the Host and because the Major and some of the Aldermen were absent at a solemn Procession they sined them Then came thither Don Martin and proclaimed that whosoever had any Bibles or other Evangelicall bookes if they brought them not in 〈◊〉 they should be fined at a hundred florences or suffer five weeks imprisonment As also whosoever refused to come to Masse should pay five Florences and three pounds of wax All the books that were so brought he burnt them without the wals and for such as still stood out he quartered Troopers upon them which extorted mony from them day by day Hereupon many forsook their houses and betook themselves to the hardship of a banished life Then did he proclaim that without his leave none should go out of the gates upon pain of death The next day he arrested the Major and would not release him but upon the promise of Apostacy Two of the Aldermen he bound with iron chains for refusing to adore the Host and for fourteen daies together tormented them grievously till he had forced their consent to the like Apostacy Then assembling the whole Senate he commands them presently to submit to Caesars will to go to auricular confession and to communicate in one kinde promising that such as obeyed should be eased of souldiers that the others should have their burthens doubled requiring every one in order to answer for himselfe whether he would promise to perform this within three weeks One of them modestly pleading to be excused in regard of his conscience the furious beast fell upon him beat him about the head and abused him with cursed words saying Thou art an unworthy knave to be in this place I will have thee bound hand and foot and cast into a deep dungeon and when thou hast vomited out thy wicked soul I will deliver thee to the hangman to be buried c. Then he cals to his souldiers for chains and fetters with which they bound his hands and feet and put an iron coller about his neck with a thick chaine and so brought him to the Dungeon where he was tormented for three weeks neither wife nor children being suffered to come to him and fed with bread and water the Jesuites also were daily molesting him Then was he sentenced to death which he chose before Apostacy Then said one of the Jesuites he is possessed with the devil therefore he commanded him to be bound more straitely whereby at last he was forced to go to auricular confession but by that means getting out of the Prison he fled into Misnia to escape their tyranny All the
best Citizens did desire banishment but the City gates were kept strictly least any should get out or carry out their housholdstuff whereupon many escaped by the mines of the wall and among these a Lords wife leaving all her rich housholdstuff behinde her crept out at the common sewer to follow her husband into banishment Many of the exiles in Misnia having spent all that little which they carried with them were forced to seek alms in Bohemia where being betrayed they were cast into prison and so tormented till some of them were almost distracted and then they were sent away to other places some of these were persons of good quality At Tusta a chief Officer of the Kingdome sollicited the Citizens to turn Catholicks which they refusing to do he complained of it to the Jesuites at Prague whereupon Don Martin is sent thither who entring the City sends his souldiers into the Senators houses licensing them to abuse them at their pleasure so that in a short time many were forced to Apostasie Then did that other Officer set a great fine upon the City because they turned Catholicks for another mans sake and would not do it for his And thus the poor Protestants were abused on every hand to satisfie the lusts of these Tyrants Then did another Noble man with a band of souldiers go to the City of Rokizan and tyrannically abuse them for their Religion forbearing no kinde of insolency that they could think of Amongst other projects this was one He caused all the Citizens to write their names in three books In the first such as were already Catholicks which were but six late Apostates In the second the names of such as would become Apostates within a fortnight which were very few In the third such as absolutely refused and so were opposite to God and Caesar and in this were almost all the names which so enraged him that he resolved to use all manner of cruelties saying that they deserved the crosse the wheel yea and hell it self Then did he command all the Citizens to come to the Church the next day to receive the Sacrament in one kinde but when coming himself to Church he found few or none there he runs through the streets and into the houses driving all that he met with to the Church with his stick When he came thither again he espied one John Foelix a chief Citizen but a Calvinist he therefore fell upon him with a knotty club beating him about the head shoulders and hands till he was all gore bloud and then he said to him Get thee hence thou beast with thy cursed Calvin-bloud Then did he rage against the other Citizens cursing them beating some and spitted in the faces of others and from one of the grave Citizens he pulled off his beard and strewed it on the floor After this he again sent word to Foelix that except he changed his minde by the morrow he would act a new tragedy with him but that night he escaped leaving behinde him his dear wife and children and an aged mother of eighty years old Then did the Earl imprison his wife and sequestred his estate and enforced the rest of the Citizens to subscribe that they did freely and with all readinesse of minde imbrace the Catholick religion One Martinitz was appointed to reforme the City of Slana who substituted one Hansbursky an Apostate to see this work done This man that he might ingratiate himself with the Jesuites appointed a solemn Procession and either by fraud or force brought to it most of the Citizens Amongst others he required one John Blyssa to accompany him but he refused saying As oft as I have received the Lords Supper so oft have I obliged my self to God and against these abominations Then said the other Thou shalt not resist the Emperours pleasure But said he In those things which belong to Caesar I will not but here Gods business is in hand Then said the other Thou shalt be forced to it God replied he seeks willing not forced worshippers whereupon he was presently committed to prison for nine weeks and so was another godly Citizen and fined and then together with his wife driven out of the City Afterwards also was Blyssa and his wife banished for procuring his childe to be Baptized by a Protestant Minister privately and his estate was sequestred having nothing left him to support him in his banishment Then by divers kindes of torments he compelled some to a forced obedience as he did fifty men whom he shut up in a narrow room where they could neither stand sit nor lie nor have leave to go forth to ease nature So that after three daies enduring of this pain and stink they were forced to promise to learn the Roman religion The like dealing he used to divers women in his own chamber but so soon as they could most of them went into voluntary banishment The City of Prachatice they entred by force and slew the Major who was bringing to them the keys together with a thousand six hundred men women and children sparing none but such as fled or hid themselves in secret places The karcasses they left unburied for divers daies all dirty and shamefully naked Afterwards when the City began again to be inhabited the Commissioners of Reformation came thither promising them that if they would turn Catholicks they should have their Liberties restored to them but if they refused they should be restrained from all trading and when this prevailed not they thrust men and women young and old into prisons where they miserably afflicted them for four whole moneths The like cruely they used to all other Cities where they shewed and used all manner of impostures deceits tyrannies and impudent practices till they had rooted out the reformed Religion and set up their idolatrous and superstitious worship in the stead of it The godly Ministers being generally removed the next design of the enemies was to take all Bibles and other profitable books out of the peoples hands that so the heat of Religion might in time grow cold The Friers also which were placed in the Churches did not presently thunder but dealt fairly beseeching and confirming the truth of their Religion with oaths and dreadfull cursing of themselves promising also the Emperours favour and easing of their burthens yea they sought by works of charity to oblige the poorer sort to them One Frier promised a bushell of Wheat to every one that would come to Confession but when his Garners began to waste he gave but half the measure whereupon one flang away in anger saying What is my soul viler then the rest But when they perceived that they gained but few by their Fox-like subtilty they returned to their Wolvish cruelty compelling men to come to Masse and taking the names of all such as absented themselves and if any went to private religious meetings they were fined
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
famous Assembly I neither ought nor could any longer suffer it neither could I forbear doing what you have seen which thing most noble Prince was not done in contempt of your Presence God is my witness but to seek the salvation of this People The King hearing that he was an Englishman and considering what alteration of Religion King Edward had made presently conceited that he was suborned by some body to do this in scorn to their Religion wherefore he asked him who was the Authour and procurer of this act Gardiner answered that he was not moved thereunto by any man but only by his own conscience For saith he there is no man under heaven for whose sake I would put my self into such manifest danger but that I owed this service first to God and then to your salvation and if I have done any thing which is dispeasing to you you ought to impute it to no man but to your self who so iâ—reverently use the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper to so great Idolatry c. Whilst he thus stoutly spake to the King by reason of the losse of much blood by his wound he was ready to faint Whereupon Chirurgions were sent for to cure him that he might be reserved for further torments Then were all other Englishmen in the City clapped up in prison especially his bed-fellow who was grievously tormented and examined more then all the rest and scarcely delivered after two years imprisonment the rest got off sooner They searched also all his writings and letters to see if they could find out any confederates then they went to him seeking by torments to extort the Author of this fact They also invented a new kind of torment exceeding Phalaris his brazen Bull which was this They made a ball of linnen cloth which with violence they thrust down his throat to the bottom of his stomack and with a string fastned to it they pulled it up again and this they did divers times which caused as bitter pains as the pains of death but when by this means they could get no confession from him they asked him if he did not repent of his wicked fact whereto he answered that he was so far from repenting that if it were to do again he should do it yet was he somewhat sorry that it was done in the Kings presence to his disturbance but they were not to blame him for it but the King was rather to be blamed who having power would not prohibit so great Idolatry When they had used all kinds of torments and that he was so weakned thereby that he was not like to live long they first cut off his right hand then carried him into the market-place where they cut off his other hand also then fastning a rope about his middle with a Pully they hoisted him up an high and making a great fire under him they let him down so that his feet only felt the fire and so often pulling him up and down they burned him by degrees and yet in all these great torments he remained constant and the more terribly that he burnt the more earnestly he prayed When his feet were consumed they asked him whether he yet did not repent him of his deed exhorting him to call upon our Lady and the Saints He answered that what torments soever they used the truth was the same that which he had confessed in his life he would not deny at his death and that when Christ ceased to be our Advocate he would pray to our Lady c. And when they laboured to stop his pâ—aying to and praising of God he with a loud voice reheased the 34. Psalm which being almost ended the rope was burned in sunder so that his body fell down into the fire where he changed his momentany pains for eternal rest But the Lord suffered not this cruelty to go altogether unpunished in this life for a spark of the fire wherewith he was burned was driven by the wind into the Haven where it set on fire one of the Kings great ships and consumed it The new-married Prince also died within half a year and the King himself not long after The Martyrdom of a Christian Jew in Constantinople Anno Christi 1528. THis Jew dwelling ar Constantinople through Gods grace was there converted baptized and became a good Christian which the Turks understanding were vehemently exasperated against him for it fearing lest his conversion should prove very prejudicial to their Mahumetan Religion and therefore they apprehended and cruelly murthered him and for his greater infamy they cast out his dead body into the open streets forbidding all strictly to bury it Thus his dead body lay in the streets nine dayes yet through the power of God it corrupted not at all yea there proceeded from it a certain delectable sent or odour which much astonished the Turks so that at last they took it up and carried it out of the City and buried it CHAP. XXX The Persecution of the Church in Germany which began Anno Christi 1523. THe Gospel being spread abroad in Germany by the means and ministry of Luther and his fellow-labourers the Pope having tried all other means for the suppressing of it and finding them ineffectual he at last provokes the Emperour Charles the fifth by war to destroy the Protestants and for that end gives him two hundred thousand crowns in money for the maintenance of these Wars and ties himself at his own cost to maintain twelve thousand foot and five hundred horse for six moneths yea out of his zeale for the cause he allows the Emperour the one half of the Revenues of the Clergy and gives him leave to sell off Abby-lands to the value of five hundred thousand crowns whereupon great preparation was made for this War both in Germany Spain and Italy the consideration wherereof caused the confederate Protestant Princes to raise a great Army also for their own defence upon which occasion they were proclaimed guilty of high treason by the Emperour The two Armies lay near together and the Protestants offered battel to the Emperour but he refused assuring himself that they could not long continue together The Army of the Protestants was commanded by the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgrave of Hessen who did not concur very well in their counsels besides they wanted both victuals and money so as they were forced to dislodge and retire further off the Emperour following forced the Elector to fight with disadvantage and God who doth not alwaies prosper the better cause gave the victory to the Emperour the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgrave being taken prisoners Anno 1547. Presently after ensued a great persecution in many places authority armed with laws and rigour striving against simple verity It was lamentable to hear how many poor men were troubled both Ministers and Christians some tossed from place to place others exiled out of their own Countryes some driven into
but at last their Provision being spent they made bread of Linseed of Turnups and lived upon the flesh of horses dogs cats and such like and this also in the end failing them they were enforced to surrender the town upon composition by which they were to pay two hundred and fourty thousand florins to redeem themselves and town from spoil Don Frederick having thus got the town into his hands commanded that at the tolling of the great bell all the Bourgers and Souldiers should bring their armes into the state-house that the townsmen should go into the Cloister of Zyel the women into the Cathedral Church and the souldiers into another Church this done all the Ensigne-bearers were singled out and imprisoned and whilst the poor Bourgers were guarded in the Church the perfidious Spaniards plundered their houses The next day this bloody Don Frederick caused three hundred Walloons to be hanged and headed the next day Captain Riperda and his Lieutenant were beheaded and a godly Minister called Stembach was hanged and two hundred fourty seven souldiers were drowned in the sea of Harlem the next day a great number were executed and the day following three hundred more Souldiers and Bourgers lost their heads and with them a godly Minister called Simon Simonson presently after three of the principal men lost their heads and shortly after all the English and Scots were beheaded and to fill up this sea of blood all the wounded and sick were beheaded before the Hospital door In the mean time a Party of souldiers that lay without in a sconce were all starved to death Not long before the strong town of Valenciennes in Henault having set up the free exercise of the reformed Religion amongst them were presently besieged by an army under the Signior of Noircarmes the siege lasted about three months and the Citizens having no hope of relief at last treated and surrendred the City upon good conditions but Noircarmes being entred he kept the City gates shut for divers dayes and most perfidiously and barbarously hanged up all the French souldiers with all the Ministers and Protestant Merchants and confiscated their goods But besides these generals let us also view some particulars Anno 1560. There was in Flanders one John Herwin a souldier of a very dissolute life but God having a purpose to shew him mercy put it into his heart to go into England and accordingly he came to London in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reigne and by Gods good Providence was entertained in a Brewers family where both master and servants feared God His Master caused him often to go to the Dutch Church where by the Ministry of the Word he first began to tast and afterwards more and more to increase in the saving knowledge of Christ. After a while he returned back into Flanders and at Furne he was presently laid wait for by the Popish Bailiffe This occasioned his removal to Honscot and yet there also the Bailiffe being informed of him went in the night with his Sergeants and apprehended him By the way they met some drunkards in the streets whereupon the Bailiffe said We have as they say many Gospellers in this town but it little appears by these disorders Herwin hearing him said Is drunkennesse a sin Master Bailiffe The Bailiffe answered what of that Herwin replyed Why then do you not commit these men to prison seeing it is your office to punish vice and to protect them that fear God To this the Bailiffe answered not In the prison Herwin behaved himself so vertuously that every one admired him Being somewhat long before he was called before the Magistrate he was much troubled at it his heart being inflamed with an holy zeal to confesse Jesus Christ before his Judges Yet many of the brethren were very fearful of him considering what his former life had been and what a novice he as yet was in the Profession of the Gospel At last he had his hearts desire being brought before the Sheriffe there a Priest was provided to dispute with him to whose questions Herwin answered with such soundnesse of judgement and modesty that it easily appeared that he had profited well in Christs school Being asked of Christs real presence in the Sacrament he answered That the highest dwelleth not in Temples made with hands c. Whereupon he admonished his Judges to examine the doctrine of the Church of Rome by the true touchstone of Gods Word whereby they might easily see how contrary it is to the Scriptures c. And having made a free Profession of his faith he craved Justice one way or other but they still urged him to recant to which he answered My faith is not built upon mans opinion but the Lord hath taught me to eschew evil and to do good Then was he returned to prison again During his imprisonment he was dangerously assaulted by some subtile and cunning Friars who alledged the sayings of diverse of the Fathers to prove their transubstantiation but he through Gods mercy holding close to the Word of Christ overcame them In prison he used to recreate himself by singing of Psalms and the people used to flock together to the prison door to hear him This so angred the Popish Clergy that they sought to hinder him from singing and for this end they caused two desperate Malefactors to be put into the same room with him but within a few dayes these Villains brake prison and escaped leaving opportunity to Herwin to escape also but he fearing that his flight might be prejudicial to other godly persons in the City upon whom it would be charged resolved rather to remain there than to flie Presently after news was brought him that sentence of death was passed upon him whereupon he thanked God for advancing him to so high an honour as to be accounted worthy to suffer for his name Testifying the inward joy which he felt in his soul by a letter that he wrote to the brethren wherein he exhorted them to constancy and perseverance in the doctrine of the truth which they had received from God Within a few dayes after he was carried forth to hear his sentence at which time the Magistrate by earnest intreaties and large promises sought to bring him to a recantation and to worship their breaden God promising that thereupon he should be presently released but Herwin refusing their offer of life upon those termes was bound and carried into a Chappel where they celebrated the Masse at which time to shew his detestation of their idolatry he turned his back winked with his eyes and stopped his eares At the elevation of the Host one asked him if Jesus Christ was not now between the Priests hands To which he answered No he is in heaven at the right hand of his Father Then was the sentence of death read against him As he was going to
especially the Ministers Amongst the Prisoners was a Captain called La-mothe whom Monluc meeting with gave him divers stabs with a dagger and thrust him through with a rapier saying Villain thou shalt die in despite of God but he proved a lyar for the man being carried away though he had many mortal wounds yet he was wonderfully cured and lived after In Guillac the murthers committed upon the Protestants were many and horrible and amongst other this was one of their practices There was by the City the Abbey of St. Michael built upon a very high rock under which ran a swift and deep river called Tar. Many of the Protestants they forced to go up to the top of this rock whom they threw headlong down into the river by the way there was another rock upon which most of the bodies falling were dashed and broken all to pieces and if any escaped with life into the river they had their cut-throats waiting upon the river in boats to knock them on the head Amongst others there was one Peter Domo an Apothecaries servant who seeing them bent to murther him requested that he might have leave to cast himself down from the top of the Abbey provided that if God should preserve him in the fall they would suffer him to escape with life this they promised whereupon having made his Prayers to God he fetched his leap from the top of the Abby and flew so far that missing the rocks under him he fell safely into the river and endeavoured to swim out with life but these perfidious Villains contrary to their promise made knocked him on the head and slew him In Souraize there was one Captain Durre who with his souldiers going into the house of a godly widow called Castille Roques he caused her to be bound with cords and a rope to be put about her neck by which he haled her up and down almost strangling her then he asked her how oft she had played the whore with those of her Religion She answered That in their Christian meetings they had no such villanies committed Durre fretting and fuming at this answer took her by both the cheeks and oft dashed her head with such violence against the wall that he had almost beaten out her brains Then he required her to give him the seven hundred pieces of gold which she had hidden she told him that she was a poor woman and had onely one French penny This more enraged him whereupon he drew her again about by the neck and applyed burning hot egges to her arm-pits till they were all blistred bidding her in derision to cry to her Father which was in heaven She answered I will not cry aloud for thee and yet my God can hear me well enough and when his pleasure is he will deliver me out of thy hand This made him so to blaspheme that the poor woman was more afflicted to hear his blasphemies than with all her pains Then did he call her Huguenote whore telling her that these were but the beginnings of her sorrows except she fetched him out her gold which if she refused he would draw her cheeks and breasts with Lard and so roast her quick and afterwards throw her headlong from the highest steeple in the town Well said she If you throw my body never so low that shall not hinder my soul from ascending into heaven This her courage and constancy did still further enrage him Then did he open her mouth with his dagger and crammed lime down her throat after which he made her drink a glasse of Urine which himself had made before her withal throwing the glasse with the remainer into her face After this he carried her to his quarters where with strange cruelties he intended to have slain her but some of the neighbours pitying her sad condition redeemed her from him with ten Crowns and so conveyed her to her house where shortly after she finished her dayes Some other of these hell-hounds meeting with one Peter Roch constrained him to dig his own grave and then to try how it fitted him which whilst he was doing they buried him alive In Saint Martins in Castillon they took the wife of one Andrew Renaud stripped her stark naked and would have violated her chastity which she resisting they whipt her most cruelly wounded her with their swords crowned her with thorns and lastly shot her to death They took also one Ianetta Calvin whom they carried into the City of Brignole stripped her whipt her cruelly crowned her with thorns and first stoned and afterwards burned her In Mont de Marsan six of the principal men had their heads stricken off otheres were executed divers wayes One was buried quick and a young woman being pursued to be ravished threw her self out of a window and died In Tholouse the Papists fell upon the Protestants hurt many killed some outright divers they threw into a Well Then did some Counsellors proclaim that they should not spare to kill and spoil all them of the religion for that they were licensed by the King and Pope This soon ran through all the Villages and the Papists rang their bells In Tholouse were about thirty thousand Protestants so that there began one of the most horrible Massacres that was in those parts The prisons were presently filled and many were knocked on the head at the prison-doors because they could hold no more the river in a short space was covered with dead bodies many were thrown into the streets out at the windows if any sought to escape out of the water they were presently slain with swords or stones Some of the Protestants gat into the town-house where they stood upon their guard and at last it was agreed that leaving their Arms they should depart in safety and so after they had received the Sacrament commended themselves to God with prayers and tears they came forth but contrary to the faith and promise made to them the Popish party seised upon as many as they could whom they cast into prison of such as gat out of the City some escaped to Montaubon others in the way were spoiled and killed by the Souldiers and Pesants At Carcasson those of the Religion being gone out of the Town to hear a sermon when they returned the gates were shut and the Papists shot at them who afterwards issuing out against them slew some and hurt others One they beat down cutting off his nose and ears and pulling out his eyes some they took prisoners whom they hanged one they beheaded and put others to great ransomes One they took blacked his face hands and feet and gave it out that he had a Divel within him then hanged him and threw his body to the dogs Others they banished or condemned to the Gallies In Limoux the Papists used all manner of cruelty deflouring women and very girls in
apart a day of publick thanksgiving to God in the Church of St. Lewis and published a Bull of extraordinary Indulgences to such as should pray for the heavenly assistance to the King and Kingdome of France Strada The common people cut off the Admirals hands and privy members drawing his body about the streets three days and then hung it by the feet upon the Gallows All the Attendants of the King of Navar and Prince of Conde which lay in the Kings Palace were massacred the like was done to the Lords and Gentlemen that lay about the Admirals lodging and then through all the City were the Protestants murthered so that that night and the two next days there were slain in Paris about ten thousand persons of all ranks ages and sexes yea they spared not children in the Cradle nor infants in their mothers wombs But to colour this their villany they gave it out that the Huguenots had conspired to kill the King They boasted also that they had in one day done that which Processes sentences of Justice and open Warre could not do in twelve years The Lords and Gentlemen were most inhumanely muâ—thered some in their beds others on the roofs of their houses and in all other places wheresoever they were found There were at this time in Paris about sixty thousand men with pistols pikes curtelaces poinards knives and such other bloody instruments that ran up and down swearing and blaspheming the sacred Majesty of God cruelly massacring all that they met with The streets were covered with mangled bodies gates and doors defiled with blood Shoutings howlings of the murtherers mixed with the cries and groans of the dying the breaking open of doors and windows with the noise of guns and pistols all which made an hellish noise multitudes of dead bodies were thrown into the Seine which was died red with their blood The King certified the King of Navar and the Prince of Conde of all that was done saying that he saved their lives upon condition that they should renounce their Religion and turn Papists The King of Navar desired him not to force his conscience but to remember the Alliance so lately contracted betwixt them The Prince of Conde with more zeal told him that his body and estate were in his power to do with them what he pleased but for his Religion he was fully purposed not to forsake it but to remain constant therein to the losse of his life he put the King in minde also that he had given his faith to him and to those of the Religion and therefore he hoped he would not falsifie his oath c. This so enraged the King that he called him rebel and the sonne of a rebellious person with horrible threatnings that he should lose his head if within three days he altered not his mind The King and his Confidents perceiving that this Massacre would not quench the fire but rather stirre up the Protestants in other parts of the Kingdome to defend themselves they presently dispatched away letters to the Governours of Towns with expresse commands to masscacre all the Protestants yet at the same time the King wrote other letters wherein he laid the fault of the murther of the Admiral upon the Duke of Guise pretending that he had quieted all things in Paris and intended that his Edicts of pacification should hold inviolably Upon the receipt of the first letters the Papists fell upon the Protestants at Meaux Trois Orleance and other places and murthered them without all pity besides such as were massacred in Villages and Fields where they thought to save themselves so that in a few weeks there were above thirty thousand persons massacred in France But besides this general account some particulars deserve remembrance which are these that follow Monsieur de la Place President of the Court of Requests had a Captain armed that came into his house telling him that the Duke of Guise had slain the Admiral at the Kings appointment with many other Huguenots and that he was come to protect him in that common destruction only he desired a sight of the Gold and Silver that was in his house The L. de la Place amazed at his audaciousnesse asked him whether he thought that there was a King or no The Captain blaspheming willed him to go with him to know the Kings pleasure Hereupon the Lord went from him to secure himself Then did the Captain rifle his house taking above one thousand Crowns The Lord would have secured himself in three several houses all which refused to entertain him which caused him to go back to his own house again where he found his wife very heavy whom he rebuked discoursed to her of the promises told her that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God c. which much comforted her Then calling his family together he made an exhortation to them went to prayer and began to read a chapter in Job with Calvins Exposition upon it Then went he to Prayer again resolving to suffer all torments or death rather than to do any thing that might be dishonorable to God Then came the Provost-Marshal with many Archers to his house pretending to secure him and safely to convey him to the King who would speak with him De la Place told him that he was most willing to do it but saw it impossible in regard of the horrible massacres committed every where without apparent danger of his life In brief presently after came the Provost of Merchants who would needs also have him to the King yet he would have excused it as before but the Provost would have no nay wherefore resolving upon death which he saw he could not avoid he embraced his wife wishing her above all things to continue in the fear of God and so went on his way boldly but in the street some murtherers that attended there for his coming with their daggers stabbed him and then pillaged him carrying his body into a stable and covering his face over with dung and the next day they threw him into the river Peter Ramus also the Kings Professor in Logick was not forgotten the murtherers breaking into the Colledge of Priests where he was massacred him then cast him out of the chamber-window so that his bowels issued out on the stones then was his body trailed through the streets and whipt by certain young Scholars who were set on by their Popish Tutors to do it A godly young man going early abroad on the Sabbath morning and hearing of the death of the Admiral and seeing the insurrection out of a singular child-like affection to his mother he hasted home informed her of the danger secured her in a place of great secresie after which he shut himself up in his study by Prayer to fit himself for death into which the murtherers breaking with battleaxes and staves so loaded him with blows on the
horrible blasphemies they murthered him and then plundred his house About the Ramparts of the wall inhabited many of the Religion amongst whom all night was heard nothing but shooting of guns and pistols breaking open of doors fearful out-cries of the men women and children that were massacred trampling of horses rumbling of Carts that carried the dead bodies away and the cryings out of the murtherers that went up and down howling out Kill kill them all and then take the spoile This Massacre continued all the week long the bloody beasts crying out to those whom they murthered Where is now your God What is become of all your Prayers and Psalms now Let your God whom you call'd upon save you if he can Others sang in scorn to them the 43. Psalm Judge and revenge my cause O Lord. Others Have mercy on me O God c. Yet notwithstanding all these taunts the faithful died couragiously In this Massacre the Papists boasted that they had slain above twelve thousand men besides women and children some of them said eighteen thousand On Tuesday night some of these murtherers came and knocked at the door of a Doctor of the Civil Law and when he opened it to them they told him that he must die whereupon he fell to Prayer with such ardency and affection that they being amazed and over-ruled by a divine power only robbed him and went away The next day came some Scholars to his house desiring to see his Library which he shewed them then they asked some one book some another which he gave them yet they told him they were not satisfied but they must kill him whereupon betaking himself to prayer when he had done he desired them to kill him there which they refused forcing him out into the streets leading him by the schools and there he again desired them to kill him in that place where he had taught so long but they still refused and when they had led him a little farther they knockt him on the head Others meeting with an Apothecary who had brought Physick to a Patient cut off one of his armes and then had him forth into the market-place where they murthered him A Cook that had hid himself three dayes was at last through hunger forced to come forth and so was slain And to fulfil the measure of their cruelty such Protestants as through fear revolted to them they placed them in the fore-front of their companies putting weapons in their hands compelling them to give the first onset crying Smite them smite them are they not your holy brethren and sisters and if any refused they presently slew him In Lyons Mandolet Governour thereof hearing of the Massacre at Paris presently caused the City gates to be shut raised forces commanding them that if any of the Protestants came out of their houses though but with swords they should presently kill them but the Protestants seeing a storme coming which they knew could not arise without the special providence of God set themselves to bear it with invincible patience The day following if any of them did but go abroad about their necessary occasions they were presently clapt up in prison and when night came the murtherers entred their houses which they rifled and plundred and pretending to carry the Protestants to prison some they stabbed in the streets others they threw into the river whereof some were carried down the stream half a mile below the City by which means they escaped The day after Proclamation was made by sound of Trumpet that all of the Religion should appear at such a place to know the Kings pleasure concerning them many went but so soon as they came they were sent to several prisons and the night following every corner and part of the City was full of lamentable cries and shreekings partly of such as were massacred in their houses partly of such as were but half murthered and so haled to be thrown into the river and from that time there were such horrible murthers committed in the City as if the Divels in the likenesse of men ran roaring about to do mischief The Sabbath morning following those that had hitherto escaped massacring were then dispatched In the Arch-bishops house there were three hunded and fifty Prisoners shut up and a bloody crue of cutthroats were appointed to murther them to whom the keyes were delivered and they rushing into the great Court gave notice to the prisoners with a loud voice that they must die then having first taken all the Prisoners purses they fell upon them with barbarous cruelty hacking and hewing them in a furious manner so that within an hour and an half they were every one cut in pieces The prisoners were all slain with their eyes and hands lift up to heaven whilst their hands and fingers were cut off There was a Merchant called Francis de Bossu that had two sonnes the father seeing the horrible Massacres said to his sons Children we are not now to learn that it hath alwayes been the portion of believers to be hated persecuted and devoured by unbelievers as Christs sheep of ravening wolves if we suffer with Christ we shall also reign with him let not therefore these drawn swords terrifie us they will be but as a bridge whereby we shall passe to eternal life we have lived long enough amonst the wicked let us now go and live with our God let us joyfully go after this great company that is gone before us c. When he saw the murtherers come he clasped his armes about his two sons and they theirs about him as if they strove mutually to ward off the blows each from other who were afterwards found dead in these mutual imbraces The murtherers went up and down the City boasting that they had died their white doublets red in the blood of the Huguenots one bragging that he had killed an hundred and some more and some lesse when the people went into the Arch-bishops house and saw the slaughter that had been made there though they were Papists yet they said that surely they were not men but Devils in the habit of men that had done this The dead corpses were carried out and lay spread like dung upon the face of the earth and when they were about to throw them into the river an Apothecary told them that much money might be made of their grease whereupon all the fat bodies were sought out ripped up and their grease sold for three shillings a pound which being done after many jears bestowed upon the dead carcasses some were tumbled into a great pit others thrown into the river The Countries which lay below upon the river were amazed to see such multitudes of dead bodies to come down the streame some with their eyes pulled out others their noses eares and hands cut off stabbed into every part of their bodies so that some had no part of humane shape remaining Shortly after
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
leaving the Foot to the mercy of the Enemy but the Poles followed them so close at heels that two Colours about four hundred men passed through the Suburbs to the very gate and wanted but little of entering the City it self with them had not some good confident fellow ventured to step in between and bar the Gate against them while others of the Citizens sent a showr of Bullets among them and so beat them back So the Poles being glad to stop yea and retire just at Sun-set set fire on the outward parts of the Suburbs and burnt some Granaries and Wind-mills thereby making the whole night light to us while themselves returned through the Wood to Oseczno which the Germans call Storoknest The City being thus filled with fear spent the whole night without sleep the men in watching upon the Walls and the women in gathering themselves together in the Market-places and Church-yards and other open places and there wearying Heaven with Psalms and Prayers to God When the morning came and no enemy appeared the Citizens went forth and fetched in the slain to bury them among whom were found about forty Citizens but above a hundred of the Poles and among them their chief Commander himself Cresky who formerly had taken Pay under the Swedish General Banier and was accounted more expert then the rest In the mean time it was hotly reported that the Administrator of the County and many of his Retinue were wanting and gone whereupon the courage of the Citizens began to fail and they went to the Senate to desire leave to send away their wives children that if the enemy should come again they might be the more couragious in defending themselves not being daunted with the out-cryes and tears of the women Some disswaded them with good reasons saying That those that should be sent forth under pretence of convoying the rest in safety would not return again and so the rest of the Citizens should be left in greater fears That the Spartans of old were wont to take their wives children to the war with them that having them in their eyes they might fight the more stoutly for their safety But all was in vain though the Swedish Commanders also endeavoured to hinder the flight of the richer sort which they could not do being overcome with the cryes of the multitude There were some Ecclesiasticks also who desired leave to depart for a few dayes because that the Antichristian fury was bent chiefly against them But the Senate left it to their consciences whether in such a case they could leave the people then when they would most need instruction and comfort especially if wounded and dying But the others persisted in their importunity and there went out before Noon about three hundred Waggons which were all that could be got in the City After this there followed some quietness with hopes that the Enemy would return no more having found by experience how well able the Lesnians were to defend themselves and theirs and perhaps they had never returned indeed as it was know afterwards had they not been encouraged by that Hight of the Citizens For two dayes after the twenty eight of April there was a Letter delivered to the Consul from the Commanders of the Polish Forces in which they demanded the surrender of the City and gave them hope of good usage but if they would not embrace that offer they then threatned to destroy them with fire and Sword having now such an addition of Foot souldiers that they were able to take the City by storm They added moreover that they had received a Letter from the Lord Treasurer wherein he intreated them to spare his Lesna upon their submission saying that he had already given them a command to set open their Gates If ever there were indeed any such command it must needs have been suppressed by some one so that the Citizens never knew of it otherwise they would have provided a little better for the safety of themselves and their goods But so it must needs be that our sins through others treachery should be brought to punishment This message of the Poles to the Senate did wonderfully daunt the Citizens For these things were not kept secret but before the Consul could call together the Senate and the Commanders of the souldiery the report thereof had run through the whole City as also that there was very little Gun-Powder left and they had not wherewithal to defend themselves so that the Citizens being taken with a pannick fear cast away their weapons and courage together and betook themselves to flight especially when presently after they who were on the Guard discovered the Body of the Enemies coming the same way they came before For they forsaking every man his station hasted home advising their wives children and neighbours to flye themselves leaving their weapons upon the Walls or at the Gates or afterwards casting them away in the fields that they might not be a burden to them When the Swedish souldiers saw the Citizens thus in amaze and running away they also soon mounted not to meet the Enemy as before but to run away too from the face of the Enemy Then followed the Senate in such a trembling fit of fear that every one run out at the Gate that was next him or over the very Forts and Ditches so that in one hours space a most populous City was left destitute of inhabitants Save a company of sick and aged people and a few others that could not so suddenly get away or for some other cause were necessitated to await the issue But all hastened to those Moorish woods by which Poland is parted from Silesia in such confusion that when the nearest passes towards Thorlang and Krosken were not wide enough they tumbled by Troops to other passes Strizwik Prybisch and Hundsloch that were more remote The Swedish Troops went to Fraustad and from thence taking the Garrison along with them towards Meseritz But the passage through the Moors was very difficult in regard that the company crouding one upon another as if the Enemy were just at their heels did not onely many of them stick in the deep Mud in vain crying out for help to those that passed by every one being solicitous only for his own preservation but were also mired and lost Here children lost their parents and parents their children wives their husbands and one friend another so that they could scarce find one another again in two three and four days time The Enemy by a Trumpeter who was sent to Posnania gate enquired what the Citizens meant to do to whom John Kolechen a learned Citizen and well acquainted with many of the Nobility in confidence whereof having sent away his wife he adventured to stay came forth and answered That the Gates stood open the Swedish Enemies were gone and the rest of the Citizens stood to their courtesie and desired their favour A little after that came the illustrious