which were in Bethlem nurs'd Upon my blessing I saac record Proff'ring his neck unto his father's sword Then did the barbarous tormentor pull The hair the skin and all from the childs scull The mother cryes This pain will soon be gon Suffer my child my sweet-sac'd child anon Thou 'lt pass to him who will adorn thy head With an eternal crown a crown indeed Thus doth the mother chear the child the child Takes heart to grass and in his pains he smil'd The Tyrant seeing how the Child stood fast Himself subdu'd commands him to be cast Into a stinking Dungeon whilst that pain Unto Romanus was renew'd again Romanus is drag'd forth to have a fresh Supply of stripes on his bemangled flesh Discovering the bare bones a second smart Augmenteth each already-wounded part Nor was this yet enough cut prick'd and pounc'd He suddenly must be then was denounc'd A final sentence ' gainst him and the child Both must be burn'd their torments were too milde The tort'rers did too favourably deal Romanus boldly said I do appeal From this ungodly sentence of thine own To Christ his righteous Tribunal Throne Who is an upright Judge not that I fear Thy merc'less handling no I more can bear Then thou canst lay upon me but that I May shew thy judgments to be cruelty The childe 's demanded of his mother she Embracing it deliver'd it to be Bereav'd of life and when the fatal stroke Was given Farewel sweet child Farewel she spoke All praise O Lord with heart and word Vnto thy name we render The Saints that dye are in thine eye Most precious dear and tender The childs head 's off the mother tender-hearted Enwrap'd it in her lap and so departed Romanus then into the fire is flung A storm extinguish'd it and now his tongue Must take a farewel of his head his neck Becomes the subject of a halters check One Gordius having liv'd a certain time In deserts counted it at last a crime Not to endure he therefore when a game Was celebrated unto Mars forth came And up in a conspicuous place b'ing got He said I 'm found of those that sought me not Then apprehended he his faith confesses And in the midst of torment this expresses God 's my adjutor Ah! why should I than Fear in the least the Tyranny of man Nothing shall me dismay that can fall out Thou Lord art with me fencing me about With Bullwarks of thy love thy favour still Surrounds me Ah! how can I then fear ill These torments are but light which I endure Let heavier come Tormentors pray procure Substantialler then these these are too small Gibbits and racks as good have none at all VVhen foul means could not shake his faith in Christ He was by specious promises entic'd But Gordius said I do expect in heaven Greater preferments then on earth are given Now for this good man going to be burn'd How many tender-hearted persons mourn'd To whom he thus Let not your brimfill'd-eyes Weep showres for me but for God's enemies VVho make a fire for us But in conclusion Purchase a greater to their own confusion O weep for them or none good people curb Those gliding streams and do not thus disturb My calmed minde for truely I could bear A thousand deaths for Christ and never fear Some pity'd him while others standing by Perswade him to deny Christ verbally And to himself reserve his conscience My tongue said he will under no pretence Deny its donor unto righteousness Our hearts believe but 't is our tongues confess Unto salvation O let me excite You all to suffer for a cause so right Good folks fulfill a dying mans desire So said he ceas'd and leap'd into the fire One Menas an Egyptian born and bred Leaving his temporal subsistence led A solitary life in desert places Where he might wholly exercise his graces In fasting prayer meditation fit And dil ' gent reading of the sacred Writ At last return'd to Cot is when the croud Were at their pastimes he proclaim'd aloud Himself to be a Christian then surpriz'd His faith in God more boldly he agniz'd Torments ensu'd no torments could revoke His minde but thus he confidently spoke In my minde nothing comparable is To the enjoyment of eternal bliss Nay all the world if put into one scale Is lighter then one soul VVho can prevail To disunite us from the love of Christ Can tribulation anguish he 's the high'st To him will I look up he bids me fear not Those that can kill me bodily but are not Able to hurt the soul but fear him who Hath pow'r to slay the soul and body too And fling them into hell Having receiv'd The final sentence up to heaven he heav'd His eyes hands heart and said O Lord my maker Thanks be to thee in that I am partaker Of Christ his precious blood thou hast not let My foes devour me but hast beset My heav'n-fix'd soul with such true constancy That in the faith I liv'd for that I die The lift up axe upon his neck falls down And so he lost his head but found a Crown In Portugal a Noble Virgin nam'd Eulalia of twelve years old enflam'd With holy zeal most earnestly desir'd To suffer death and heartily requir'd The blest assistance of Gods willing arm And faith all her corruptions to charm Her godly Parents fearing she should come T'antimely death did keep her close at home But she not brooking long delay by night Stole out of doors by that time it was light She came into the City and appearing Before the Judge spake boldly in his hearing What no Shame in you will you still be bent To shoot your arrowes at the innocent Never have done because no power controuls To break their bodies and afflict their souls Are you desirous what I am to know I am a Christian and an open foe Unto your diabolick sacrifices As for your Idols them my soul despises I do aknowledge with my voice and hert Th'all-powerfull God Hangman in ev'ry part Come cut and mangle me dishead me burn me What ever thou canst do shall never turn me Alas alas my flesh is too too weak And may be conquer'd thou maist eas'ly break This brittle Casket but my inward minde A jewel is which thou shalt never finde Then thus the angry Judge Here Hangman take her Drag her out by the hair to torments make her Be sensible of what our Gods can do And we But yet before thou undergo A miserable end O sturdy girle I 'de fain have thee recant life is a pearl Too precious to lose call but to minde Thy Noble Birth and be not so unkinde To thine own self as to neglect thy fortune Methinks the glist'ring Bride-bed should importune Thee to preserve thy life bar not thine ears But be entreated by thy Parents tears Not to contemn th' Aurora of thy time The flower of thy youth is in its prime And wilt thou slight it now well if thou
these things are too far above thy reach Said they the shrub is lower then the Beach I am said she indeed and yet my breath I 'll give in witness of my Saviours death O do not put me off with longer stay For Ah! I am impatient of delay My love hath wings it hovers up and down Nor can it rest till glory is her own My heart is fixed I will never go From what I said nor do as others do Then said the Bishop There 's no hopes to win her The devil leadeth her the devil is in her Not so my Lord quoth she Christ is my guide His Spirit upholds me that I cannot slide She when she heard deaths sentence past upon her Advanc'd her voice and said Unmated honour The Proverb 's true Long look'd for comes at last My Lord my God I thank thee that thou hast Granted to me this day my hearts desire In listing me with thy celestial Quire Woman said one be thou a happy wife By thy recanting O the sweets of life No said she by no means my life is hid With Christ in God now the good Lord forbid That for this life at best but transitory I should lose heaven and eternal glory I have two husbands but will onely cleave Unto my heavenly and my earthly leave The fellowship of Saints in heaven I trow Exceeds the having children here below And if my husband and my children prove Faithful then am I theirs they have my love God my good father is God is my mother God is my sister and God is my brother God is my kinsman God 's my faithful friend Who will stick close unto me till the end To execution then led along She was attended with a num'rous throng Bound to the stake she by the Popish Priests Was set upon again unwelcom guests To whom she thus for God's sake now give o're Your bibble babble trouble me no more With empty sounds fain would I Oh! divorce My self from your impertinent discourse O God be merciful to sinful me For Ah! I onely do depend on thee She stood with admirable patience Amidst the flames and so her soul flew hence Sh 'had such a cheerful look that one would say It was her wedding not her burning day She had been alwayes sober in her diet Neat in apparel peaceable and quiet Alwayes a doing never fitting still During her health and limbs by her good will Chain'd to her house she ever would refuse To gad abroad as most ill-houswives use To all that came to her her gracious heart Would streams of consolation impart Gods word was her delight she gave good heed Ther husband in the Lord a wife indeed According to her power she at her door And at their sev'ral homes reliev'd the poor And in the time of her calamity Would take no proff'red coyne for said she I Am going now to Heaven a City where No mony any Mastery doth bear And whilst I here remain the Lord will feed My craving stomack and supply my need It is his promise and full sure I be That he which feeds the Ravens will feed mâ— One Richard Sharp a Weaver by his trade In Bristel City apprehended made A large confession of his faith before One Dr. Dalby the there-Chancellour Who by perswasive Arguments so wrought Upon his weakness that he soon was brought To make a promise That he would appear And publickely recan and when and where But after this Apostacy Sharp felt His conscience gall'd hell's horrour so indwelt His soul that he his calling could not minde His colour went away his body pin'd Next Sabbath day going to Church he made To the Quire-door and with a loud voice said That Altar neighbours pray bear me record Is the Great Idol I deny'd my Lord But from the bottom of my heart am sorry For what I don in hazarding my Glory He caught condemn'd and burn'd with Thomas Hale Climb'd up to heaven from this tearful vale One Thomas Benson of the same town went To pris'n for saying That the Sacrament Was as they us'd it nothing else but bread And not the body of the Lord indeed As for the Sacraments which you call seven Five were ordain'd by men but two by heaven Give me the two which I acknowledge true And all the other five I 'll leave to you Soon after this he did receive death's sentence And executed to his God he sent hence His blessed soul which left its bodie 's jail For Paradise death having put in bail Now to conclude The last that did maintain The Gospel with their hearts-blood in the Raign Of Mary Queen that hell-begotten fury Were these five Citizens of Canterbury John Hurst John Cornford Captains in the fight Christopher Brown Alice Swoth and Kath'rine knight The things imputed to their charge were that Christs real presence they denyed flat Affirming onely those that do believe Not wicked men Christs body do receive The Pope they said was Antichrist the Mass Abominable that a sin it was To pray to Saints that cringing to a cross Was meer Idol'try and an errour gross c. Sentence of condemnation being heard Forthwith John Cornford was in spirit stirr'd And with an ardent zeal for God express'd In the name of himself and all the rest This doom I'th'name of Christ our Saviour The Son of God the High'st and by the power Of his most Holy-Ghost as also by The Holy and Divine authority Of the Apostolick and Cath'lick Church Never yet totally left in the lurch We here turn over to the Prince of hell As slaves eternally to howle and yell In sulph'ry flames the bodies of all those Blasphemers Hereticks who do oppose The living God and bolster up their errours Against the Truth hence to the King of Terrours So that by this thy righteous judgement shown Against thy foes great God thou mayst make known Thy true religion to thy greater glory And our souls comfort when we read the story Of thy great power and to th'edification Of all our well-nigh ruinated Nation Good Lord so be it be it so Amen And this his excommunication then Took great effect against truth's enemies Queen Mary within six dayes after dies And Tyrannie with her there is no hope Of any longer footing for the Pope In England now great joy betides to all The faith-ey'd Saints who wish'd proud Babels fall Yet the Archdeacon and 's associates quick Knowing the Queen was dangerously sick Condemn'd those pious persons to the flame And hurri'd them away When there they came In Christ his name they offer'd up their prayers As holocausis to the Almighties ears To God they pray'd to God for ever blest Preferring this request amongst the rest That if it were his will their blood might be The last that should be shed so Lord pray we No sooner had they pray'd but heaven return'd A gracious answer they the last that burn'd Great God said they we cheerfully resign Our souls into those blessed hands
Yet have they alwayes held up their heads above water The more these Grapes have been pressed the more Wine have they yielded Juniper burnt smells savouriest so do they Chamomile trod growes fastest so do they pounded Spices smell sweetest so do they Affliction is Gods furnace the Saints are Gold put into it not to be consumed but to return more glorious That saying Veritas premi potest opprimi nunqam Truth may be blam'd but never sham'd herein is verifi'd Though Antiochus commanded the Book of Gods Law to be burnt in the fire and cut in pieces making it death for any man to keep it by him Though Dioclesian caused them to be burned in the streets and made the Churches and houses of God even with the ground as Euseb Lib. 8. Cap. 4. hath it the more it hath been suppressed the more it hath spread and encreased to the spiritual edification of the house of God whereof Jesus Christ is the Corner-Stone Hierom in his Epistle to Cormatius reports That in an whole years space there passed not one day the Calends of January excepted wherein five thousand Christians were not made away with And But I will not detain thee Gentle Reader in my Porch like a stranger lest I be thought churlish Well then in a few words for I will not now stand to strain complements with thee I have made no great preparation for thee And if thou wilt be pleased to accept of such poor entertainment as my Muse is able to afford thee she gives thee an invitation Come in fall to eat freely with a good will and thou art heartily welcome But if thy dainty palate be so nice as to make thee hanker after the most exquisit dishes and costli'st viands that can be got for love or mony I tell thee truly friend I han't it for thee thou had'st best go where such is to be had and that is all the harm I wish thee and so I bid thee Farewel In Amici sui charissimi NICH O LAI BILLINGSLY Brachy-hagio-Martyrologiam Distichon Panegyricum Hîc magnum in parvo veterū Monument a virorū Et Mortem Mores candide Lector habes IT skills no less large Tomest ' Epitomize Then at the first the same for to devise 'T was Homers praise his Iliads to indite Anothers in a Nut-shell them to write Like worth belongs to thee to thy book Wherein as in an Optick if we look We may at once more briefly far behold What Fox and others have at large us told Touching such Martyrs as did live and die I' th' faith of Christ whose sacred memory Thou do'st receive that they on earth again May live with us we'n heaven with them may raign God grant us this and so to make an end Thou them I thee cannot too much commend Aug. 11. 1656. T. C. de Ospringe Cleri◠DEO Opt. Max. GReat God who grasp'st in thine eternal fists The world boundest with appointed lists The swag'ring billowes thou who hast enroll'd Thy Marble Gallery with studs of Gold Whose throne the face-veild Seraphims on high Advance above the Porph'ry-Arched skie Who all things did'st and do ' st and wilt fulfill According to the counsel of thy will O shew thy power in thy servant weak Rouze my dull Muse enable her to speak Divinely of thy Saints that in this story The World as in a glass may see thy glory Finish this work this work in thee begun And make it live when I am dead and gon Those looser Poets who begin betimes To please vain fancies with lascivious Rhimes Thinking there by to eternize their name What do they leave but Monuments of shame Their works shall rot while such as have a sure Foundation shall eternally endure Let no man deck with Apollinean Bayes My browes thine be the Glory thine the Praise THE PERSECUTIONS Mentioned in the Old Testament SECT I. The Persecution of the Church in the first Ages of the World and so forward till Christ's Incarnation ADam being left unto his own free-will Satan the Primo-genitor of ill Maligning his so prosperous estate Did exercise his Diabolick hate Under the hood of friendship to o'rethrow Both root and branch at one pestiferous blow VVith large-pretending promises his suit He varnish'd thus if the forbidden fruit But kiss their lips they should more clearly see And full as wise as their Creator be Thus Satan's Engines play'd till in conclusion He took the Fort by his so smooth delusion Poor man made shipwrack of his Innocence Thwarting his God-requir'd Obedience Thus Adam fell and by his hapless fall Hath lost his happiness his God and all For ever Ah! he cannot any more Enjoy those blessings he enjoy'd before In his first state and all that he can win Is death Death is the VVages due to sin But what of that yet hath it pleas'd the High'st To give eternal life through Jesus Christ Our blessed Lord whoever do believe In him alone are certain to receive A glorious Crown O see what God hath done To save poor sinners he hath sent his Son His onely Son who willingly came down To bear the cross that we might wear the Crown Strange condescention the great God above Is pleas'd t' embrace us in the armes of love O groundless depths O love beyond degree The guiltless dies to set the guilty free Nor ceas'd the malice of the black-brow'd Prince Of the Low-Countries hell for ever since Mans forfeiture of his heav'n-granted lease He hath been active to molest the Peace Of Christ-confiding Saints and like a Lyon Hath seiz'd on those who bear good will to Siont Amongst the wheat he sows seditious tares And setteth men together by the ears Nay more unnatural then that one brother He instigates to persecute another VVitness nefandous Cain whose brothers bloud To heaven for vengeance cry'd and cry'd aloud Did not curs'd Ham his naked Father mock A graceless branch sprung from a righteous stock Did not the Sodomites deride Just Lot And spurious Ishm'el I saac did he not Jacob rough Esau hates young Joseph's sold To lshma ' itish Merchants and behold Oppressed Isr'el how their shoulder grones Beneath their massy loads hard hearted ones And must the new-born Males be stifled by The Mid-wives O unheard-of cruelty And if these fail may they not live a while No drown'd they must be in sepemfluous Nile Breast-hardned Phar'oh what did Moses do VVorthy thy wrath and may not Isr'el go From thy enslaving hands but bear the print Thy scourges leave O heart wall'd round with flint Years not a few the Isra'lites were drudges Unto th' I dolatrous and self-law'd Judges Compel'd to leave their homes and hide themselves In dens and caves from persecuting Elves And when Gods bounty fertiliz'd their land All was destroyed by the Midian band The Philistins thirty four thousand slay Of them and carryed Gods Ark away A Smith in Israel
Pope Al'xander the third his wrath did smoke When they shook off his Antichristian yoke He them condemn'd as Het'ticks yet they spred And many potent Towns inhabited Nay many Lords and Earls did with them side Against the Pope and constantly deny'd The Romish faith and resolutely spake Their willingness to suffer for Christs sake Beziers was stormed by the Pilgrim train And in it sixty thousand persons slain The Legat saies Souldiers kill old and young For why God knoweth those to him belong The Catholicks besieg'd and batter'd down On the inhab'tants heads Carcasson Town When Baron Castle was surpriz'd th' enclos'd Of th' Albigenses were disey'd disnos'd Then sent to Cab'ret with an one-ey'd guide Yet still like gold that 's in a furnace tri'd The Saints appear'd their sparkling zeal like fire Blown by afflictions bellows blaz'd the higher Now Luther rose the Antichristian terror And those that were seduc'd reduc'd from error SECT XXI The Persecution of the Church of God in Bohemia which began Anno Christi 894. BOrivojus Duke of Bohemia Entring the confines of Moravia By a strange providence was Christianiz'd And with him thirty Pal'tines were baptiz'd At his return he raised from the ground Churches and Schools and all the Country round Flock'd thither many of the Noble race As well as Commons did the Truth embrace Malicious Satan env'ing the progress The Gospel made gainst those that it profess Rais'd persecution up Borivojus Is sent into exile Sanguineous Drahomira ' the Christian temples locks Forbidding Ministers to tend their flocks And in the silent night three hundred lives Pay'd tribute to the bloody cut-throats knives But Gods just Judgement Drahomira follow'd The opening earth her and her Cart up swallow'd The Popish party having got the day Did all the obvious Bohemians slay At Cuttenburge four Thousand souls were thrown Into the Metal-Mines O hearts of stone The Priests cry out Blow out good people blow These sparks before into a flame they grow Water is us'd the more they did endeavour To drown the Saints they flamed more then ever Many are scourg'd some sent into exile Two German Merchants brought unto the pile Exceedingly encourag'd one another One sayes Since Christ hath suffered dear brother For wretched us let 's do the same likewise For him and such a high-bred savour prize That we are counted worthy so to die For his sweet sake the other did reply The joy that in my Marriage-day I found Was small to this O this doth more abound Both cry'd aloud the Faggots set on fire Blest Christ thou in thy torments didst desire Thine en'mies peace the like we also crave Forgive the King let not the Clergy have Thy scalding vengeance O forbear to plague The poor misled inhabitants of Prague O be thou pleas'd to let them Scot-free go For Ah! poor souls they know not what they do Their hands are full of blood they pray'd and wept And wept and pray'd till in the Lord they slept On Noble-men intolerable Fines Were laid two hundred eminent Divines Are exil'd some are burned others brain'd Some shot to death with blood the earth 's destain'd The Martyrs one by one that were in hold Are called forth who resolutely bold Hast to their sufferings with as great content As if they had unto a banquet went When one was called for he thus exprest Himself in taking leave of all the rest Farewel dear friends Farewel the Lord support Your spirits that you may maintain the fort Against the common foe and make you stout And resolute to keep all batt'ry out That what you lately with your mouths profest You may by your so glorious death attest Behold I lead the way that I may see My Saviours glory you will follow me To the fruition of my fathers sight O how my soul is ravish'd with delight This very hour all sorrow bids adieu To my glad heart O now my joyes renew Transcendent joyes heaven and eternity Is mine is mine Then did the rest reply God go along with you O heaven we pray Assist thy servant in his thorn-pav'd way O may the willing Angells come to meet Thy obvious body and direct thy feet Into thine and our Fathers Mansion Go go dear brother go and we anon Shall follow after and be all receiv'd To bliss through Christ in whom we have believ'd Farewel farewel let equal joyes betide To us that follow and to you our guide First the Lord Schlick a man as wise as grave Condemned to be quarter'd did behave Himself most gallantly and said My doom Me pleaseth well what care I for a Tombe A Sepulchre is but an easie loss Fear death not I welcom my crown my cross Let let these limbs be scatter'd here and there I have Gods favour and I do not fear The worst that foes can do see how the Sun Displaies his shining beams Jesuites be gon And build not Castles in the empty air For I dare die for Christ I that I dare Be pleas'd blest Jesus thorough deaths dark night To Manu-duct me to eternal light Eternal light O what a happy sound That word reports my soul at a rebound Catch heaven catch heaven no sooner had he spoke But he submitted to the fatal stroke His right hand and his head lop'd off his shoulders Are hung on high to terrify beholders The Lord Wenceslaus seventy years old B'ing next was asked why he was so bold In Fred'ricks cause he said My conscience run Along with me and what is done is done My God lo here I am dispose of me Thine aged servant as best pleaseth thee O send that grim-look'd messenger that staies For none to end these miserable dayes May I not see the ruines that do wait Upon our sinking our declining State Behold this Book my Paradise was never So cordial as now Judges persever In sucking Christian blood but know Gods ire Shall smoak you for 't Up starts a cowled Fryer And said Your Judgement errs With this reply He answer'd him I on the truth rely And not on bare opinion Christ's the Way The Truth the Life in him I cannot stray Then stroaking his prolixed beard he said My gray hairs honour serves you having pray'd And giv'n his soul to Christ his Saviour His cut-off head was fixed on the Tower Lord Harant next was call'd who bravely said I 've travell'd far and many journeys made Through barb'rous countries and escaped dangers By sea and land yet was my life by strangers Surrepted not b'ing safe returned home My friends and Country-men my foes become For whom I and my Grandsires have let fall And wasted our estates our lives and all Forgive them father I O Lord have grounded My faith in thee let me not be confounded Then on the Scaffold thus O Lord I give My spir't into thine hands in hope to live By Christ his death according to thy word And so he yielded to the murth'rous sword Sir Caspar Kaplitz eighty six years old Said to the Minister