mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes about an hundred pound weight they took therefore the Body of Jesus ad wound it in a Linnen Cloath with the Spices as the manner of the Jews is to bury and Joseph when he had wrapped him in a clean Linnen Cloth laid it in his own Sepulchre which he had hewn out of a Rock wherein never man was laid Joseph buries Jesus his Body and which was in a Garden in a place where Jesus was Crucified and Joseph roled a great Stone to the door of the Sepulchre and Mary Magdelene and Mary the Mother of Joses which came with him from Galilee beheld where they had laid him and sat over against the Sepulchre and they returned and prepared Spices and Oyntments and rested the Sabboth day The Sepulcher is watched by Pilate Command according to the commandments the next day the Pharisees besought Pilate that he would command the Sepulchre to be made sure until the third day shewing him a reason which when he had yielded unto they went and made the Sepulchre sure sealing the Stone and setting a Watch. In the end of the Sabboth or when the Sabboth was now past when it dawned towards the first day of the week in the Morning very early whiles it wâ—â— yet dark came Mary Magdelene and Mary the Mother of James and Salome bringing Spices which they had bought that they might see the Sepulchre and anoint Jesus and they said among themselves who shall role away the Stone from the door for us and when the Sun was risen coming to the Sepulchre they saw the stone was roled away for behold there was a great Earth quake for the Angel of the Lord came down from Heaven and roled away the Stone and sate upon it and they went in and found not the Body of the Lord Jesus and it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereat that behold two men came to them in shining Raiment their Countinances was as Lightening and their Garments white as Snow Matthew and Mark speak but of one Angel and the Keepers for fear did shake and became as dead men and when the Woman were afraid and bowed their faces to the Earth the Angel said unto them fear not ye I know ye seek Jesus which was Crucified why seek ye the living among the dead he is not here he is risen as he said come and see the place where the Lord was laid and remember what he said while he was yet in Galilee with you saying the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinfull men and be Crucified and the third day rise again but go ye quickly and tell his Disciples and Peter that he is risen again from the dead and behold he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him behold I have told you then the Woman remembered the Words of Jesus and they departed quickly out of the Sepulchre with fear and wonder and great joy and ran that they might tell his Disciples but they said nothing to any man as they went for they were afraid and when the Women told these things to the Eleven and to all the rest their words seemed unto them as idle Tales but Mary Magdelene telling Peter and the other Disciple whom Jesus loved they have taken away the Lord and we know not where they have laid him Peter therefore and that other Disciple went out and came to the Sepulchre but that other Disciple out-ran Peter and came first to the Sepulchre and when he stooped down he saw the Linnen Cloathes lying but went not in then came Peter following him and went into the Sepulchre and seeth the Linnen Cloathes lie and the Napkin that was about his head not lying with the Linnen Cloaths but wrapped together in a place by it self then went in that other Disciple and saw and believed and Peter went unto his own home wondering at what was done for as yet they knew not the Scriptures that he must rise again from the dead and the Disciples went unto their own home But Mary Magdelene stood without at the Sepulchre weeping and whilest she yet wept she stooped down into the Sepulchre and seeth two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain who said unto her Woman why weepest thou she said unto them They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and when she had said thus she turned her self back and saw Jesus standing but knew not that it was him and Jesus said unto her Why weepest thou Whom seekest thou she supposing him to be the Gardner answered and said If thou hast born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away Jesus saith unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go and tell my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father unto my God and your God and she came and told his Disciples and those that had been with him She goes and tells the Disciples of it The Disciples believed her not as they were weeping and mourning that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things unto her but they when they heard that he was alive and had been seen of her believed not And as the Women went from the Sepulchre that they might tell his Disciples behold Jesus meets them and spake unto them saying Be not afraid go ye and tell my Brethren that I go into Galilee there shall they see me Now when they were going behold some of the Watch came into the City and shewed unto the High-Priests all things that were done and when they were assembled with the Elders they took Counsel that they should give large Money to the Souldiers that they should say that his Disciples came by night and stole him away whilest they slept and if this comes to the Governors Ears we say they will perswade him and secure you so they took their Money and did as they were taught and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews to this day And behold two of them went into the Country that same day to a Village sixty Furlongs from Jerusalem called Emmaus Christ appear'd to two of the Disciples as they were going to Emmaus and as they journyed Jesus went along with them and they telling what things were done in those dayes concerning Jesus of Nazareth how he was Crucified and that he rose again Jesus shews them out of the Sciptures that it behoved Christ to suffer and to enter into his Glory And in the Village when he had taken Bread and given thanks and brake it and given it unto them he was known unto them their Eyes being opened although he appeared in another Form but he vanished out of their sight and they rose up that same hour and returned to
Jerusalem to the Eleven and those that were with them who told them The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto Simon then they told them what things were done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of Bread but neither believed they them But whilest they yet spake whilest it was Evening in the first day of the week the Door being shut where the Disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews He appears again to his Disciples cometh Jesus himself and stood in the midest of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you but they were terrified and affrighted supposing they had seen a Spirit but he upbreaded them with their unbelief and heardness of heart He reproveth their unbelief because they believed not them that had seen him since he was risen and he said unto them Why are ye troubled See my Hands and my Feet a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones and he shewed them his Hands and his Feet and his Side and when they believed not for joy and wondered he said unto them Have ye here any meat and he eat a piece of boiled Fish and an Hony-Comb and the Disciples rejoyced that they had seen the Lord and he said unto them These are the words that I spake unto you that all things must be fullfilled that was written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms of me then opened he their understandings He opens their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behooveth Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations and ye are witnesses of these things and behold I send the Promise of my Father among you He sendâ— them forth but tarry ye at Jerusalem till ye be endued with Power from on High He saith unto them again Peace be unto you as my Father sent me so send I you go ye into the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned and these signs shall follow them that believe in my Name they shall cast out Devils and they shall speak with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover And when he had said these things he breathed on them and said unto them Receive the holy Ghost whose Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose Sins ye retain they are retained and thus Jesus appeared five times in the very first day of his Resurrection but Thomas who is called Dydimus one of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came and the rest of the Disciples telling him we have seen the Lord he very confidently professed he would not believe it about eight dayes after Thomas being then together with the rest Jesus comes the doors being shut and stands in the midest and saith unto them Peace be unto you and aboundantly satisfies Thomas his unbelief Then the Eleven Disciples went into Galilee unto the Mountain that he had appointed them and when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted and when Jesus came unto them he said All Power is given unto me both in Heaven and in Earth go therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them c. and I am with you to the end of the World After that Jesus was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once after that by James 1 Cor. 15.6 7. Afterwards Jesus shewed himself to his Disciples again at the Sea at Tiberias or at the least to seven of them as they were Fishing after they had fished all night and caught nothing in the morning Jâ—â—â—â— unknown to them stands upon the Shore and bids them cast their Net on the right side of the Ship where they took a great Number of Fish Last of all he appeared to his Disciples in Jerusalem and led them out as far as Bethany and he lift up his Hands and blessed them and it came to pass as he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven Hitherto reacheth the History of the four Evangelists declaring the Sufferings of Christ and now I shall give the Reader a short account what Josephus the Jewish Historian in his eighteenth Book of Antiquity writeth of John the Baptist and Christ concerning the Baptist Cap. 7. he saith thus Herod the Tetrarch killed John Sur-named the Baptist Josephus his Testimony Concerning Iohn a most excellent man who stirred up the Jews to the study of Virtues especially of Piety and Justice and also to the washing of Baptism which he said then would be acceptable to God if not abstaining from some one or two Sins but having their minds first purged through righteousness they also added cleanness of body And whereas there was great resort unto him the Common people being greedy of such Doctrine Herod fearing least the great Authority of the man should raise some Rebellion because they seemed as though they would decline nothing to which he advised them thought it safer to take him out of the way before there was any alteration in the State then to repent too late when the State was once imbroyled wherefore he commanded him to be sent Prisoner to Macharas and then to be put to death Concerning Christ he saith thus Chap. 45. In the same time there was a wise man named Jesus if we may call him a man Iosephus his Testimony concerning Christ he was a worker of miracles and a Teacher of them that willingly receive the Truth he had many both Jews and Gentiles that were his Followers and was believed to be the Christ and when Pilate had crucified him through the envy of our Rulers nevertheless those that loved him continued constant in their affections for he appeared to them alive the third day the Prophets in their Prophesies foretelling both these and many other wonderful things concerning him and the Christians from him so called continue to this very day After the Apostles had seen Christ and had worshipped him after his Resurrection they returned to Jerusalem with great joy from the mount of Olives which is from thence a Sabboth dayes journey and in Jerusalem they abode in an uper Room The holy Ghost fell upon the Apostles and continued with one accord in Prayer with the Women and Mary his Mother and his Brethren and they were filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak with Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and many received the Truth and continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and breaking bread from House to House did eat their Meat with gladness and singleness of Heart praising God and having favour with all the people
could not believe in him though he did such great works and miracles amongst them that never man did the like yet they sought to kill him nevertheless they would be accounted of Abrahams seed and called him their Father but saith Christ if ye were Abrahams Children ye would do Abrahams works but now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the Truth ye are said he or your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth because there is no truth in him And this blessed Lamb of God Christ Jesus did these persecuting Jews put to death crucifying of him as may be read at large in the Scriptures After they had Crucified the Lord of life then they persecuted his Disciples and Apostles as followeth When the Jews heard what Stephen had declared Acts. 7 54â— they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their Teeth but he being full of the holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right Hand of God then they cryed out with aloud voice and stopped their Ears and run upon him with one accord and cast him out of the City and stoned him and they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit and he kneeled down and crying with a loud voice Lord lay not this Sin to their charge and when he had said this he fell asleep James the Brother of John Martyred After the Martyrdom of this blessed Stephen the Apostle James suffered next mention of which is in the Acts of the Apostles how that not long after the stoning of Stephen King Herod stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church who slew James the Brother of John with the Sword of this James Eusebius also maketh mention alleadging Clement thus writing a memorable story of him this James saith Clement when he was brought to the Tribunal Seat Euseb Lib. 2. Chap. 9. he that brought him and was the cause of his trouble seeing him to condemned and that he should suffer death as he went to the Execution he being moved therewith in Heart and Conscience confessed himself also of his own accord to be a Christian And so were they led forth together where in the way he desired of James to forgive him that he had done after that James had a little paused upon the matter turning to him said Peace be unto thee Brother and kissed him and both were beheaded together in the Year 36. James the Brother of Christ Martyred James the Brother of Christ was termed a just and perfect man it is said that he took in hand the Goverment of the Church after the Apostles and when many of the Princes were perswaded there arose a Tumult of the Jews Scribes and Pharisees saying It is very dangerous lest the whole People look after this Jesus as though he were Christ and being gathered together they said to James we pray thee stay this people for they err in Jesus as though he were the true Christ We pray thee perswade this people concerning Jesus Euseb Lib. 2. Chap. 23. for we all obey thee yea we and all the people testifie of thee that thou art just and respectest not the person of any man stand therefore upon the Pinacle of the Temple that thou mayst be seen aloft and that thy word may be heard plainly of all the people The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees placed James upon the Pinacle of the Temple and shouted to him and said Thou just man at whose commandment we are all here insomuch as this people are seduced after Jesus who was crucified declare unto us which is the Door or way of Jesus crucified and he answered with a loud Voice why ask ye me of Jesus the Son of man when as he fitteth at the right Hand in the great Power in Heaven When as he had perswaded many so that they glorified God at the Testimony of James and said Hosanna in the highest to the Son of David Then the Scribes and Pharisees said among themselves We have done very ill in causing such a Testimony of Jesus to be brought forth but let us climb up and take him to the end that the people may be striken with fear and so may be brought to renounce his Faith and they shouted saying O O and the just also is seduced so they climbed up and threw Justus down dead long saying let us stone James Justus and they began to throw stones at him for after his fall he was not fully dead and he fell upon his Knees saying I beseech thee Lord God and Father forgive them for they wot not what they do And as they were stoning of him one of the Priests the Son of Rachab the Son of Cherabim spake to them the Testimony which is in Jeremiah the Prophet and cryed out Cease what do you this just man prayeth for you And one of them that were present taking a fullers Club struck Justus on the head and brained him This James was so notable a man that for his justness he was had in honour of all men insomuch that the wise man of the Jews shortly after his Martyrdom did impute the cause of the besieging Jerusalem and other Calamities which hapned unto them to no other cause but unto the violence and injury done to this man also Josephus hath not left this out of his History where he speaketh of him after this manner Jos Lib. 10. these things so chanced unto the Jews for a vengeance because of that Just man James which was the Brother of Jesus for shortly after his suffering Vespatianus the Emperour destroyed the Land of Jury and brought them into Captivity A Relation of the Persecutions raised by the Romans against the Christians in the Primitive Age of the Church dureing the space of three hundred Years Eusebius and the most part of Writers do number the first Persecutions to be Ten wherein great Numbers of the Christians were slain and tormented some slain with the Sword some burnt with Fire some with whips scourged some stabed with Forks of Iron some fastned to the Cross or Gibbet some drowned in the Sea some their Skins pluck off some their Tongues cut out some stoned to death some killed with cold some starved with hunger some their Hands cut off or otherwise dis-membred have been so left naked to the open shame of the World whose kinds of punishment although they were divers yet the manner of constancy in all these Martyrs was one The first of the Ten Persecutions The first of these Ten Persecutions was stired up by Nero Domitias about the year 67. after the Birth of Christ Orosius writeth of Nero that he was the first within Rome did raise up
of Penance were nongth and that he would have none of them and likewise that the Colledge of Carpinals were Limbs of Antichrist and the Priests the Synogogue of Satan and that the Doctors of the Church had Subverted the truth of Holy Scripture expounding it after their own minds and that he should say he would abide by these Doctrines and dye for it and wisht there were twenty thousand of his Opinion to witness against them Scribes and Pharisees For his constant persevereing in these Principles Doctors Head Vicar-general past sentence against him as an Heritick and so delivered him to the Sheriffs of London to be openly burnt in Smithfield Thomas man martyr The next that suffered was Tho. Man who for saying the Popish Church was not the Church of God but a Synagogue and for holding several other Articles contrary to the Popish Church he was a long time imprisoned but through frailty and fear having an oppertunity he fled the Diocess of Lincoln but not long after was again apprehended and brought before the Bishop of London and was shorty after delivered by Dr. Head to the Sheriff of London to be presently burnt with this protestation that he might not consent to the death of any This Popish Chancellor would not seem to consent to his death Note but yet sent him to the Shambles to be Killed for these were the words he sent to the Sheriff Receive this Person and we desire in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ that the punishment and execution of due severity of him and against him in this part may be so moderate that there be no rigorous Rigor nor yet no dissolute mansuetude but to the health and wealth of his Soul c. Thomas Man was burnt by the Sheriff without any warrant for Head delivered him to the Sheriff in Paternoster-Row protesting he had no power to put him to death and therefore desired the Sheriff to see him punisht et tamen citra mortem that is without death but the Sheriff had him to Smithfield and there caused him to be burnt This Tho. Man after he had escaped out of the Diocess of Lincoln traveled about in divers places and Counties in England and instructed many into the Truth as at Amersham London Biâ—â—erycay Chelmsford Stratford Uxbridge Henly Newberry Suffolk and Norfolk and divers other places and he teftified himself that as he went westward he found a great Company of well disposed persons of the same Judgment with him especially at Newberry where he said were a glorious and sweet Society of faithful favourers three or four of which were burnt for Religion And he travailed divers other places where he found many faithful Brethren who at that time were called by the name of Known Men or Just Fast Men. This Thomas Man confessed as it is Registred in the Bishops Book that he had turned seven hundred People to his Religion for which he thanked God which People were afterwards called by the name of Protestants William Sweeting and James Brewster had the like Catholick Charity shewed to them by the Bishop who being imprisoned for their Zeal to the Truth and Religion being surprised with fear said they submitted themselves to the mercy of Almighty God and to the favourable goodness of the Judge upon which submission the Popish Fathers were contented to give out a Sollemn Commission to reâ—â—ase and pardon them from the Sentence of Excommunication but immediatly the Bishop pronounced upon them the Sentance of death and condemnation whereupon they were both delivered to the Secular power and both burnt together as one Fire in Smithfield I find further upon Record that as the Light of the Gospel began more and more to appear and the number of the Professers thereof to grow so Persecution increased and the Bishops bestired themselves to keep the Truth from increasing and growing whereupon ensued great Persecutions and grievous Affliction upon divers in several Counties especially about Buckinghamshire Norfolk Suffolk and Essex but although they were thus afflicted outwardly yet their inward fervency and zeal for the Truth was very great as appeared by their sitting up all Night in Reading and Hearing and by their Expences in giving great prizes for a few Chapters of James and Paul in English And further their great Travails earness Seeking their burning Zeal their Reading their Watchings their sweet Assemblies their Love and Concord their Godly Living their faithful Marrying only with the faithful all which it is written that they were faithfully practising and observing being noted or known among themselves by the name of Known Men or Just fast Men the Bishop of Lincoln in his Inquisitions and Examinations of those Known Men was so strict and cruel that he caused the Wife to detect the Husband and the Husband the Wife the Father the Daughter and the Daughter the Father Brother against Brother and Neighbour against Neighbour to witness one against another and that to death causing them to Swear upon the Evangelists whether they knew the persons to be Known Men. Agnis Ashford being one of the said People for preaching these words following was Articled against viz. We be the Salt of the Earth if it be putrified and vanisht away it is nothing worth a City set upon a Hill may not be hid ye light not a Candle and put it under a Bushel but set it on a Candle stick that it may give a Light to all in the House so shine your Light before men that they may see your works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And further she did teach saying Jesus feeing his People as he went up a Hill was set and his Disciples came to him he opened his Mouth and taught them saying Blessed be the poor men in Spirit for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs blessed be mild men for they shall weld the Earth For teaching this Doctrine the Bishop strictly enjoyned and commanded her to teach no more such Lessons to any man especially to her Children There were three persons accused for sitting up all night reading in a Book of Scriptures in the House of one Durdant in Iven Court near Stanes either were accused for having of certain English Books as Wickliffs Wicket in which was contained how that man could not make the Body of Christ which made us another Crime was for having fome part of the New-Testament and a Book called The Prick of Conscience for these and such like Allegations did these men greatly suffer but the Lords Hand did work marvelously amongst them so that in a short space they did exceedingly increase in such sort that the Bishop was driven to make his Complaint to the King to require his aid to suppress them the King being then young and easily incensed with the Bishops Suggestions and cruel Complaints sent Letters to the Sheriffs to aid the Bishop against these Known Men whom he termed Hereticks upon the Kings Letter he renewed his former sierceness and began
pray to his God and preach if he could the Priests stuffing the dead Mouth with the leaves of Bibles and said to the dead Corps Preach the Truth of your God and call upon him now to help you A Letter written by Wouter Oom Prisoner and Martyr in the City of Antwerp full of Consolation against the fear of Persecution directed to a Brother and Sister of his Grace and Peace from God the Father and from his Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Well beloved Brother and Sister whom I love dearly for the Truths sake and for your Faith in Christ Jesus these are to certifie you that I am in bodily health and enjoy the comfort of a good Conscience I praise my Lord God therefore who is able to encrease the same more and more by the powerful Operation of his holy Spirit whosoever they be that will forsake this present evil World and become Followers of their Captain Christ must make account to meet with many Persecutions and Afflictions for Christ hath told us afore-hand That we should be Hated Persecuted and Banished out of the for his Names sake An. 1562. and this they will do saith he Because they have neither known the Father nor me but be not afraid saith he for I have overcome the World St. Paul also Witnesseth the same thing saying All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution And again To you it is given for Jesus Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake And doth not our Lord Jesus Christ say Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly against you for my Names sake Rejoyce therefore and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven Now whereto serveth all this my beloved but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ For Christ hath suffered for us saith the Apostle Saint Peter leaving us an Example that we should walk in his steps who also endured the Cross and despised the shame for the obtaining of that joy which was set before him and became Poor to make us Rich 2 Cor. 8 9. By him also are we brought by faith into that state of Grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience c. Wherefore dear Brother and Sister be not afraid of the fiery Tryal which is now sent among us to prove us for what Father loving his Child doth not correct it Even so doth the Lord chastice those whom he loveth for if we should be without correction whereof all true Christians are partakers then were we Bastards and not Sons And therefore Solomon faith My Son despise not the Chastning of the Lord neither faint when thou art corrected of him for whom the Lord loveth the same he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth fear not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the Head and we are his Members even as Christ then hath obtained full Joy and Glory by suffering of Anguishes and Sorrows so we also according to his Example must through many Tribulations enter into the heavenly places even into the New Jerusalem Let us then say with Saint Paul Christ unto me is in life and in death advantage Let us cry out with him O wretched Creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this Body of Death See here how the Faithful have desired to be with Christ for with Abraham they had an Eye to that holy City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Let us then my beloved cheerfully and willingly follow the Lord possessing our Souls by Patience For it is a good thing as saith the Prophet Jeremiah both to hope and quietly to wait for the Salvation of the Lord and good also it is for a man to bear the Yoke in his Youth for such the Lord will comfort in the end and restore unto them the joy of his Salvation Lo here dear Brother and Sister what Consolations our God hath treasured up for us in his holy Word for us I say whose desire it is to fear the Lord and to trust in his Grace and Mercy for the Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of Trouble wherefore giving all diligence let us add to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Love for if these thing be in us and abound An. 1567. they will cause us neither to be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ The which God our Father grant us for his Sons sake our Lord Amen Out of my Hole December the 11th 1562. Wouter Oom Prisoner for the Truth A Relation of such things as fell out under the Goverment of Alva And of many men put to death Anno 1567. The Afflictions of the Protestants in the Low-Countries were multiplyed this year under the Dominion of Ferdinando of Toledo Duke of Alva It is well known that the Spaniards using all their endeavorus to rule over this Country at their pleasures had no better opertunity to accomplish their designs then to establish among them their Inquisition thereby todomineer over the goods honors and lives of every one the noble Citizens and Commons did what they could to oppose the same to which purpose they had instantly besought the King to afford them his Royal presence that hearing once their Complaints his Majesty might take some order for matters of so great Importance alledging to this end the Example of the Emperour Charles his Father who upon a business far inferiour to this adventured himself with much diligence to pass through the Enemies Country who were but a while before reconciled only to stay some Mutinies begun in the City of Cand. These things had so moved the King that he made them a promise by Letters of his coming but his intentions were broken of by such as were the upholders of the Inquisition that so they might with the more facility attain the end of their desires instead of their King then they had sent unto them the Duke of Alva who at his Entrance found the Prisons replenished with Gentlemen and other Personages of note whom the Dutchess of Parma had left in bonds after her death Long did they languish in this Captivity whilst the Duke of Alva by fair promises dissembled a kind of meek and gentle carriage of mind towards them giving them some hope of a General pardon proceeding from the Kings Clemency that thus he might catch the Lords and Governours the more cunningly into his Nets whereof the Lord Lemoral Earl of Egmond Prince of Gaud Governour of Planders and Artois and others of quality gave but too Lamentable experience who being led with vain hopes were at length inhumanly put to death The
Persecution against the Christians Orosius lib. 5. and not only in Rome but in all the Provinces thereof thinking thereby to abolish the Name of Christians in all places In this Persecution the Apostle Peter suffered death Hien lib. de viris just with many more Christians as Hierome said Simon Peter the Son of Jona of the province of Galilee and of the Town of Bethsaida the Brother of Andrew about the year 44. after Christ's birth came to Rome to withstand Simon Magus in the time of Nero and was crucified with his Head downwards and his Feet upwards himself so requiring because said he I am unworthy to be crucified after the same manner as the Lord was Paul the Apostle after his great travail and labours in preaching the Gospel in divers Countries at last suffered Martyrdom in this first Persecution under Nero and was beheaded some writers say on the same day on which Peter was Crucified although not in the same year but in the next year following which was the thirty seventh year after the Passion of Christ that which he spake at his death is written as followeth Paul being delivered by Nero bound unto Longimus and Magistus the cheif Officers and Acestus the Centurion that they should lead him without the City and cause him to be beheaded and Paul being full of the holy Ghost spake the words of Eternal life that both Nero and all should believe in Jesus Christ who was King of Heaven and Earth who would destroy the glory of the world with fire when they had led him away Longimus Magistus and Acestus began to say unto him Tell us O Paul where is that King and where will he appear unto you and how will you know him and what will he give unto you or what good will he bestow upon you that you Christians so mightily love him that by no means you will consent unto our Religion that you may live and enjoy the good of this life but rather then all the pleasures of delight to be led to die for him with divers Torments for this seems to us to be a great error to hate this joyfull life and to imbrace with all your desire punishment and death Paul therefore said O ye wise men and flourishing in knowledge depart out of the darkness and error wherein the nobility of your understanding is clouded with darkness lest you should see the Truth which lyeth hid in you return the eyes of your minds to the Eternal true Light that ye may be able first to know your selves and so come to the knowledge of that King with gladness and to be saved from the fire which is to came upon the world and to remain unhurt for we do not War as you think for some earthly King but the living God the Kingdom without end who by reason of the Iniquities that is done in this World he will come a Judge and will judge it by fire happy will that man be who will believe in him he shall have Eternal life and shall live World without end and most unhappy is he who dispising the Riches of his Bounties and long Suffering will not return unto him for he shall Perish Eternally The first Persecution beginning under Nero as aforesaid ceased under Vespatian who gave some rest to the poor Christians after whose reign was moved not long after the second Persecution by the Emperor Domitian Brother of Titus his Tyrany was unmeasurable he put to death all the Nephews of Jude called the Lords Brother and caused to be sought out and to be slain all that could be found of the Stock of David In the time of this Persecution Simon Bishop of Jerusalem after other Torments was Crucified to death In this Persecution John the Evangelist was Banished into Pathmos for the Testimony of the Word and after the death of Domitian in the Reign of Pertinax the Emperor he came to Ephesus being released in the year 100. He lived to a great age some write till he was 120. And this was his constant practice to his dying day when age weakness grew upon him at Ephesus Hierom Comiâ— in C. 6. ad Galat Tom. 9. p. 200. that he was no longer able to Preach to them he used at every Publick Meeting to be led to the Meeting and say no more to them then Little Children love one another He expressed great care for the good of souls unweariedly spending himself in the service of the Gospel and to beget People to the Truth Euseb lib. 3. Chap. 10. p. 92. witness one instance in his visitation of the Churches neer Ephesus he made choice of a young man of goodly body gratious face and fervent mind whom with a special Charge for his Instruction and Education he commited to the Bishop of that place so John returned to Ephesus But in process of time the young man became very dissolute perniciously accompanied himself with idle dissolute persons of ill behaviour who put him in a way to steal and rob so after he forsooke the right way he brought himself unto a bottomless Pit of all misorder and outrage and a rout of Theeves being gathered together he became their Captain which John at his return understanding was sorely troubled and said I have left a wise keeper of our Brothers soul prepare me a Horse and let me have a Guide he hastned and rode in post being come to the place appointed he is straitwayes taken of the Theevish watch he neither fled nor resisted but said bring me to your Captain who in the mean time as he was armed beheld him coming but as soon as he saw his face and knew it was John he was striken with shame and fled away the Old man persued and cryed my Son why fleest thou O Son tender my case be not afraid as yet there remaineth hope of Salvation I will undertake for thee with Christ I will die for thee if need be as Christ did for us which words seized so on the young man that his Countenance changed and he shook off his Armor and trembled and wept bitterly and imbraced the Old man and answered as well as he could for weeping so afterwards the Apostle brought him into the Church again Ex Nicephâ—ro Lib. 3. Chap. 32. Yet notwithstanding all these continual Persecutions and horible Punishments the Christians daily encreased deeply rooted in the Doctrine of the Apostles and watred plentiously with the Blood of Saints as saith Necephâ—rus Everastuâ— persâ—â—â—ed Everastus Bishop of Rome was Martyred under Trajanus in the year 102. after Christ and Ignatius Bishop of Antiâ—ch was Martyred in his Regin with many more Christians This Trajanus was very impious towards the Christian Religion and cruel towards the Christians and caused the Third Persecution in which Persecution Pliny the second a Heathen Philosopher a man learned and famous seeing the lamentable Slaughter of Christians and moved therewith to pity wrot to Trajanus of the
accused on several Articles by the Bishops and afterwards Condemned by them as an Heretick to be burnt when he came to the fire he said Father of Heaven I commend my Spirit into thy holy Hands and then turned him to the People and said these Words I beseech you Christian Brethren and Sisters that you be not offended in the Word of God for the affliction and Torments which you see already prepared for me but I Exhort you that you Love the Word of God and suffer patiently and with a comfortable heart for the Words sake which is your undoubted Salvation and Everlasting Comfort Moreover I pray you shew my Brethren and Sisters which have heard me oft before that they cease not nor lâ—â—ve off the Word of God which I taught unto them after the Grace given to me for any Persecutions or Troubles in this World which lasts not and shew unto them that my Doctrine was no Old Wives Fable after the Constitution made by men and if I had taught mens Doctrine I had gotten great thanks of men but for the Word and true Gospels sake I suffer this day by men not sorowfully but with a glad Heart and Mind for this cause I was sent that I should Suffer this Fire for Christs Sake this grim Fire I fear not and so I pray you to do if that any Persecution come unto you for the Word's sake and fear not them that Kill the Body and afterwards have no power to Kill the Soul Then he prayed for them which accused him saying I beseech thee Father of Heaven to forgive them that have through Ignorance or an evil Mind forged Lyes against me I forgive them with all my heart and I beseech Christ to forgive them who have Condemned me to death this day ignorantly So being first Hanged he was then burnt many People bewailing his death VVabter Mille amongst the rest of the Martyrs of Scotland his Constancy is not to be past over with silence out of whose Ashes Sprung thousands of his Religion in Scotland many Articles were drawn up against him for which he had sentance pronounced against him that he should be delivered to the Temporal Judge and punisht as an Heretick which was to be burnt Now when all things were ready for his death and he conveyed with Armed men to the Fire Andrew Olifant Judge that past sentence upon him bad him Go to the Stake he said Nay except thou pull me up with thy hand for I am forbidden by the Law of God to lay hands of my self then Olifant put him up with his hand thereupon he went gladly saying I will go to the Altar of God and desired that he might have time to speak to the People which his Executioner denyed saying That he had spoken over-much and that the Bishops were oâ—fended that the matter was so long continued but some young men that stood by desired him to speak what he please so after he had prayed he rose up and standing upon the Coles said on this wise Dear Friends the Cause why I suffer this day is not for any Crime laid to my Charge but only for the defence of the Faith of Christ Jesus for which as the faithful Martyrs have heretofore gladly offered themselves being assured after the Death of their Bodies of Eternal Felicity so this day I praise God that he hath called me of his Mercy among the rest of his Servants to seal his Truth with my Life which as I received it of him so willingly I offer it to his Glory Therefore as you will escape the eternal death be no more seduced by the Lyes of Priests Monks and Bishops and the rest of the Sect of Antichrist but depend only upon Jesus Christ and his Mercy that you may be delivered from Condemnation All that while there was great Mourning and Lamentation of the multitude for they perceiving his Patience Stoutness Boldness and Constancy were not only moved and stirred up but their hearts also were so inflamed that he was the last Martyr that died in Scotland for Religion after his prayer he was hoised up on the Stake and being in the Fire he said Lord have Mercy on me pray People while there is time and so be constantly departed The Persecutions in the Reign of Edward the sixth Henry the Eighth being dead Edward the sixth succeeded him at the Age of nine years he was a Youth of a meek nature and disposition much inclined to Clemency and Mercy yea so much that when one Joan Butcher being condemned to be burnt for Heresie all the Council could not move him to set his hand saying to Cranmer what will you send her quick to the Devil in her Error Doctor Cranmer perswaded him with much ado at last to put his hand to whom he said He would lay all the charge thereof upon Cranmer as before the Lord. But though this King was of so mild a Nature and a Person inclining to love Religion from a Child being very Zealous for a further Reformation in the Church abolishing the Mass c. and a Protector being appointed during his Nonage which was his uncle the Duke of Somerset a man also very Zealous for Reformation and an Encourager of such as profest the Gospel but in the midst of these meek and gentle times on the other hand the Pâ—pish party having a great power in the Kingdom used all the Means and Endeavours to stir up Persecution and to hinder that good they found the King and his Uncle inclinable to yet the most of this Kings Reign which was but short the Sword was taken out of their hands so that they had not power to shed much Blood all his Reign yet some there were that suffered for Religion viz. Joan of Kent an English woman and one George a Dutchman and one Thomâ—s Dobb who was apprehended for speaking against the Idolatry of the Mass and committed to Prison where he died The cause of the Imprisonment of Thomas Dobb was as followeth The said Thomas Dobb being a Man fervent and zealous for Religion and as it is recorded of him a man so Innocent that he was like a Dove without any Gall or Bitterness and more apt to receive Injury then do wrong to any one It happened that as he was passing by Pauls in London seeing the Priest at Mass being at the Elevation as he passed by the young man filled with godly Zeal pitying the Ignorance and Idolatry of the People in honouring that so devoutly which the Priest lifted up was not able to forbear but opened his Mouth and turning to the People exhorted them testifying against their Idolatry for which cause he was presently apprehended by the Mayor and being accused by the Bishop of Canterbury was Committed to the Counter in Bredstreet where falling sick he soon after died In this Kings time there was also one John Hume a servant to one Lewnax accused by his Master of denying the Sacrament of the Altar to be the real
penny for his pain And as ye would that other men against you should proceed Do you the same again to them when they do stand in need And part your portion with the poor in money and in meat And feed the fainted feeble soul with that which ye should eat That when your members lacketh meat and cloathing to your back You may the better think on them that now do live and lack Ask counsel at the wise give ear unto the end Refuse not you the sweet rebuke of him that is your Friend Be thankful alwayes to the Lord with prayer and with praise Desire you him in all your deeds for to direct your wayes And sin not like that swearing sort whose bellys being fed Consume their years upon the Earth from belly unto bed Seek first I say the living God set him alwayes before And then be sure that he will bless your hasket and your store And thus if you direct your dayes according to this book Then shall they say who see your wayes how like me you do look And when you have so perfectly upon your fingers ends Possessed all within your book then give it to your Friends And I beseech the living God replenish you with grace That I may have you in the Heavens and see you face to fact And though the sword have cut me off contrary to my kind That I could not enjoy your love according to my mind Yet do I hope when that the Heavens shall vanish like a scrole I shall receive your perfect shape in body and in soul And that I may enjoy your love and ye enjoy the the Land I do beseech the living God to hold you in his hand Farewel my Children from the World where ye must yet remain The Lord of Hosts be your defence till we do meet again Farewel my Love and loving Wife my Children and my Friends I hope to God to have you all when all things have their ends And if you do abide in God as you have now began Your course I le warrant will be short ye have not far to run God grant you so to end your years as he shall think it best That ye may enter into Heaven where I do hope to rest Robert Smith to his Brother AS Nature doth me bind because thou art my blood According to my kind to give thee of my good That thou mayst have in mind how I have run my race Although thou bide behind but for a little space I give thee here a Pearl the price of all my good For which I leave my life to buy it with my blood More worth then all the World or ought that I can note Although it be clad in such a simple Coate For when I had obtained this pearl of such a price Then was I sure I gained the way for to be wise It taught me for to fight for to dispise my flesh To stick unto the Light and for to leave the Lyes In sending out my Seed with bonds and bitter tears That I might reap with joy in Everlasting years And have for all my loss my travail and my pain A thousand times and more of better goods again And for because the good that hath been got and gain'd And that the Lords Elect hath evermore obtain'd Is closed in this book which I do give to thee Wherein I have my part as thou thy self mayst see In which I hope thou hast a stock also in sâ—ore And wilt not cease to sayle till God has made it more I will thee to beware be sure thou keep it well For if thou do it loose thy part shall be in Hell And here I testifie before the living God That I detest to do the things that are forbad And as my Judgment is my body to be brent My heart is surely set therewith to be content And sith it is his will to put me in his Power Upon his holy Hill to fight against this Whore Full well I am content if he allow it so To stand with all my might the Whore to overthrow Even with a willing mind the death I will out-face And as I am assured the Battel to imbrace That they which hear the Truth how I have past the pike May set aside their youth and learn to do the like And though it be my lot to let her suck my blood Yet am I well assured it shall do her no good For she is set to kill the thing she thinks accurst And shall not have her fill of blood until she burst And when as thou shalt see or hear of my decease Pray to the living God that I may pass in peace And when I am at rest and rid out of my pain Then will I do the like for thee to God again And to my woful wife and widdow desolate Whom I do leave behind in such a simple state And compassed with tears and mournings many one Be thou her staying staff when I am dead and gone My mouth may not express the dolours of my mind Nor yet my heaviness to leave her here behind But as thou art my Bone my Brother and my Blood So let her have thy heart if it may do her good I took her from the World and made her like the Cross But if she hold her own she shall not suffer loss For where she had before a man unto her make That by the force of fire was strangled at a Stake Now shall she have a King to be her helping hand To whom pertains all things that are within the Land And eke my Daughter dear whom I bequeath to thee To be brought up in fear and Learn the A B C That she may grow in Grace and Ruled by the Rod To learn to lead her Life within the fear of God And alwayes have in mind thy Brother being dead That thou art left behind a Father in my stead And thou my Brother Dear and eke my Mothers Son Come forth out of all fear and do us I have done And God shall be thy Guide and give thee such encrease That in the Flames of Fire thou shalt have perfect Peace Into Eternal Joy and pass out of all pain Where we shall meet with mirth and never part again If thou wilt do my Daughter good Be mindfull of they Brothers Blood Teach me O Lord to walk thy Wayes my living to amend And I shall keep it all my dayes even to my lives end Give me a mind to understand so shall I never start But I shall keep all thy precepts even wholy with my heart Make me to go a perfect pace in that I have begun For all my love and my delight is in thy Wayes to run Encline my heart unto thy Wayes set thou thereon my thought And let me not consume my dayes to covet that is nought O quicken me in all thy Wayes the VVorld for to despise And from all fond and foolish toyes turn thou away mine Eyes O plant in me thy
of his Conscience being also hunted by force of the Law was constrained to leave his House and to go to Sea for a livelyhood an imployment he was unaccustomed to Agnes Wardal coming home one day to see her Children which she had left wholely to the care of the Maid-servant to look after one Doctor Argentine a great Persecutor having notice of her coming home stirred up the Constable and Watch to apprehend her who in the night beset the House and knocking at the door the the Maid heard them and awâ—ked her Mistriss who immediately got up and creeping through a ditch full of Nettles she got into a Parlour wherein stood a Cupbord with a fair Press Q. Mary An. 1556. into the which the Maid lockt her and then going into a Chamber next the Street spake to the Watch who threatned to break the door down if she did not open it with that she opened the door and the Watch searched the House very narrowly and came into the Room where Agnes was in the Press and one of them said here is a fair Cupbord and laid his hand on it she may be here for any thing that is done that is true said another yet they looked no further but went into another Room and when they had searcht the House they went into the Fields at the back-side of the House and in the mean time the poor Woman was almost smothered in the Press but at last by a Neighbour with much ado for being a stranger she could not in a long time unlock the Press was let out and being let out she got through the Garden Pales into the Fields and there hid her self in the Ditch whereby she escaped these envious Persecutors who sought in their cruelty to have Ruined her Thomas Moore The Examination and Martyrdom of Tho. More a Husbandman and a Servant in the Town of Leicester for saying that his Maker was in Heaven and 〈◊〉 in the Pix was apprehended the person that examined him poâ—ting to the high Altar asked him whether he did not believe his Maker to be there Thomas Moor said No. Bishop What is that thou seest above the Altar Thomas Moor I cannot tell what you would have me to see I see there fine Cloathes with golden Tassels and other gay gere hanging about the Pix what is within I cannot see Bishop Dost not thou believe Christ to be there Flesh Blood and Bone Thomas Moor No that I do not Whereupon he was immediately condemned to die and was the twenty sixth day of the Moneth called June burnt in the Town of Leicester The Examination of John Jackson before Doctor Cook When first I came before him The Examination of Jo. Jakson he railed and called me Heretick Jackson I said I am no Heretick Cook M. Read told me that thou wast the rankest Heretick of all them in the Kings-Bench Jackson I said I knew him not Cook No quoth he yes he examined thee at the Kings-Bench Jackson He examined five other but not me Cook what sayst thou to the blessed Sacrament of the Altar Jackson It is a diffuse question to ask me at the first Dash you promising to deliver me Cook What a Heretick is this Jackson It is easier to call a man a Heretick then to prove him one Cook What Church art thou of Jackson What Church quoth I I am of the same Church that is builded on the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the head Corner-stone Cook Thou art an Heretick Jackson How can that be seeing that I am of that Church I am sure you will not say that the Prophets and Apostles were Hereticks Cook No but what sayest thou to the blessed Sacrament of the Altar Jackson I find it not written Cook No Keeper away with him But I had some further discourse with him and then he called again to the Keeper to have me to Prison Jackson I am contented with that and so we parted and I answered no further in this matter because I thought he should not have my blood in a Corner but I hope in the living God that when the time shall come before the Congregation I shall shake their building in another manner of fashion for they build but upon Sand and their Walls be daubed with untempered Morter and therefore they cannot stand long Therefore good Brothers and Sisters be of good cheer for I trust in my God I and my other Prison-fellows shall go joyfully before you Praising God most heartily that we are counted worthy to be Witnesses of his Truth John Jackson The next that suffered was one Joan Wast a poor Blind Maid about twenty two years of Age. Joan Wast Martyr This poor Woman had such an esteem of the Scriptures that though she was blind and had little Money she saved so much Money together as would buy her a New-Testament which in those dayes was but scarce and she would give Money to some at their spare time to read to her whereby she became perfect in the Scripture so that she retained several Chapters in her memory and in King Edwards time she was zealous for the Religion then established and when he died she could not but continue constant in her Conscience and refused to back-slide with the Multitude to Popery but retained her Zeal until she was apprehended and being Examined was Condemned and was led from the place where she was condemned to a place called the Windmill-pit near to the Town of Derby and holding her Brother Roger Wast by the hand she desired the People to pray for her and called upon Christ to have mercy upon her and so with patience suffered Martyrdom The Sufferings of William Dangerfield William Dangerfield of Wooton near Bristol for fear of Persecution kept abroad from his House and Family and coming home to visit Wife and Children his House was soon beset and he apprehended and imprisoned where under Bishop Brook's his cruelty he was so handled for some time yea so long till the flesh was fretted off his Legs with Irons and after he was apprehended his Wife likewise was taken with a young Child but fourteen dayes old and was put into the Common Goal amongst Thieves and Murderers where she was kept without any fire but was forced to warm her Childs clothes in her own Bossom in the mean season while the Husband and Wife lay in two Prisons the Bishop began to practice not with the Woman first as the Serpent did with Eve but with the Man craftily deceiving his simplicity with fair words falsly perswading him that his Wife had recanted and when he perceived he was inclinable and consented he suffered him to go to his Wife in the Common Goal where they with melting hearts opened their minds one to another and he told his Wife how the Bishop with his subtil flatteries had circumvented him at the hearing of which the Womans heart clave assunder and she said Alack thus long have we
of this Mortal Flesh to be clothed with Robes Immortal we forsake a loathsome Life for joy and felicity eternal ought any gain or exchange to be compared with this O sweet and happy Martyrdom how dost thou dignifie and inrich us in despite of the World Devil and our own Flesh and which of us now can complain seeing our Soveraign Lord and Master has so expresly foretold it to all his Followers will any man come after me saith he Let him then take up his Cross and follow me Let us bear Oh let us then bear the Cross cheerfully and with joyfulness that we may be received in the presence of his heavenly Father for it is not only given us for to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake and if we suffer with him then we shall also Reign with him Oh that we could admire his bounty who no sooner imployes us in his Work but hath the Wages ready in his Hand wherewith to recompence us your sorrow saith he Shall be turned into joy let us then cast off every weight that presseth down and whatsoever else that stands in our way to Heavenward be it Father Mother Brother Sisters Husband Child yea and our own life also let us with the wise Merchant-man sell all that with him we may purchase that pretious Pearl how happy do I esteem them that are called to suffer and leave their Life for confessing the Name of Jesus Christ for the Eternal Son of God will confess their Names before his heavenly Father and his holy Angels they shall be clad with white Robes and shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of Heaven filled with gladness in the Presence of the Lamb they shall eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Let us fix the Eye of our Minds upon these so great and pretious Promises of Jesus Christ which he hath made to all those who persevere in well-doing unto the end Oh! how happy shall we be when we are delivered from these Bodies of Death to live forever with our God Let us then continually pray with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith Oh dear Brethren remember me alwayes in your prayers who am bound here in the Bonds of Anti-christ remember those also who are in Bonds as if you were bound with them Pray I say without ceasing for our Adversary the Devil is alwayes compassing us about to cause our Hearts to faint and you are not ignorant what a potent Enemy our own Flesh is unto us but I confidently believe that our God who hath begun this good Work in me will perfect the same even unto the Day of Christ Farewel When the Massacrees began to play their parts in Rovan they counselled those of the Religion Persecution and Massacree at Rovan to get themselves into the Prisons as into places of greatest security from the fury and rage of the people but such as followed this advice were there even ready to be devoured as poor Sheep by these greedy Wolves at their pleasure Those who were murdered in the City in a few dayes some in their Houses and others in the Prisons amounted to six thousand besides more then fifty Women unto whom they exercised no less Cruelty then upon men Their names for brevity sake are here omitted their dead bodies being piled together were conveyed out of the City in Tumbrils and thrown by heaps one upon another into great pits digged for that purpose Their garments being washed in the River from their Blood by certain poor Women were afterwards distributed here and there to the Poor by the Papists that they might seem with their merciless and unjust Cruelty to mingle some Works of Justice and Charity A Massacree at Tholouse Upon the eight day after the Massacree at Paris about eight of the Clock in the Morning the chief of the Papists at Tholouse received Advertisement of that which had passed with Letters directing them what they were to do then a Council was called at the breaking up whereof the great Gates of the City were shut only the little Wickets left open and shortly after they entered into the houses of those of the Religion whom they imprisoned in sundry Prisons of the City about three weeks after they put all these Prisoners together into the Consciergery which is a special Prison deferring the Slaughter of them until they received Warrant and Authority from Paris which having received the Prisoners were called down to the Stairs foot one after another and there Massacred not permitting them so much leasure as to speak the Councellors who were of the Religion after they had Massacred them they hanged them up in their Gowns upon a great Elm which was in the Court of the Palace and in the mean time sacked and pillaged their houses An English Man burnt at Rome In the year 1595 a young man about the age of twenty five years being at Rome was much stirred in a Religious Zeal against their hornble Idolatry as the Bishop was going a Procession the young man pluckt the Pix out of his hand and threw it to the ground calling Wretched Idolater for which he was apprehended and sent to prison and shortly after Pope Clement the eighth hearing of it ordained that he should be immediately burnt but some of the Cardinals advised that he might rather be kept till a further examination and accordingly they kept him eight dayes in prison but when they see nothing could be drawn from him but these words viz. such was the will of God Then they stripped him naked to the middle and put on the form of a Devil or Dragon upon his head and then bound him in a Cart and carried him to the place of Execution where he was burnt alive Three English men put to death at Rome I find also a Relation of three other English-men put to death at Rome the manner of their sufferings are as followeth They meeting together entered into a Conference concerning the state of the Church at that time complaining that the Zeal of Gods Glory was wonderfully cooled amongst men yea and that even those of the Religion were grown but too worldly wise that Sathan by little and little was sowing the seed of Atheism every where by rocking men asleep in the Cradle of Security whereupon commending themselves into the hands of God they determined to take their Vogage to Rome and there to encounter with the Adversary of Christ thither they came and after two or three dayes two of them behaving themselves modestly did in secret manifest to some the Truth of the Gospel who being betrayed were imprisoned and put to death without any further ado the third resolved to bear his Testimony more publick and therefore taking an opportunity when the Pope was in the midst of his Massing devotion stept quickly to him and pluckt the host out of his hands and trod it under his feet testifying
contrary to all Law Equity and Conscience where they alone are the Plantiffs the Accusers the Judges and the Executioners of their most fearful and barbarous Tyranny They should not by the Laws of this Land go any further in Cases of Religion then their own Ecclesiastical Censure and then refer us to the Civil power their Fore-fathers Gardner Bonner and Story dealt thus equally and we crave but this Equity Oh let her Excellent Majesty our Soveraign and your Wisdoms consider and accord unto this our just Petition for Streams of Innocent Blood are like to be spilt in secret by these Blood-thirsty-men except her Majesty and your Lordships do take order with their most cruel and inhuman proceedings We crave for all of us but the Liberty either to die openly or to live openly in the Land of our Nativity If we deserve death it beseemeth the Majesty of Justice not to see us closely murthered yea starved to death with hunger and cold and stifled in loathsome Dungeons If we be guiltless we crave but the benefit of onr Innocency viz. That we may have peace to serve our God and our Prince in the place of the Sepulcher of our Fathers Thus protesting our Innocency complaining of Violence and Wrong and crying for Justice on the behalf and on the name of that righteous Judge the God of Equity and Justice we continue our Prayers unto him for her Majesty and your Honours whose hearts we beseech him to incline towards this our most equal and just Suit This complaint was Penned by H. Barrow and is by me truly Copied Verbatim out of my Author through CHRIST JESUS our Lord. And now I find that besides many that ended their dayes in loathsome Prisons there were six executed who sealed up their Testimonies with their blood the six that were executed are these viz. Henry Barrow and John Greenwood at Tyburn John Penry at Thomas a Waterings neer London William Dennis at Thetford in Norfolk and Câ—ppin and Elias at Edmunds-Bury in Suffolk I have here inserted as followeth two Letters of John Penry which was all I could meet with by which Letters the Reader may see what a Zeal and religious Courage was stirring in these people at this day To the distressed faithful Congregation of Christ in London and all the Members thereof whether in bonds or at liberty these be delivered my beloved Brethren M. F. Johnson M. D. M. S. M. S. M. G. I. M. I. M. H. M. B. M. S. R. B. M. R. M. K. N. B. M. B. I. M. N. P. W. C. P. A. my Brethren M. I. C. W. B. A. P. M. M. M. E. C. C. D. G. M. A. B. with the rest of you both men and women as if particularly I named you all which stand members of this poor afflicted Congregation whether at liberty or in bonds Jesâ—â— Christ that great King and Prince of the Kings of the Earth bless you coâ—fâ—â—t you with his invinceable Spirit that you may be able to bear and over come these great Tryals which you are yet and I with you if I â—â—â—e to undergo for his Names sake in this Testimony Beloved let us think our Lot and Portion more then blessed that now are vouchsafed the favour not only to know and to profess but also to suffer for the sincerity of the Gospel and let us remember that great is our reward in Heaven if we endure unto the end I testifie unto you for mine own part as I shall answer before Jesus Christ and his Elect Angels that I never saw any Truth more clear and undoubted then this witness wherein we stand First Against false Offices Secondly The callings Thirdly The works Fourthly The maintenance left and retained in this Land by and from Popery Fifthly Against the obedience which spiritually either in Soul or in Body is yielded and the communion that is had with these inventions of darkness Sixthly The mingling of all sorts in these Assemblies Seventhly The worship done but scant in one of the three parts of the Commission given by our Saviour scant done I say in one of the three parts of the Commission by the best Teachers of this Land and I thank my God I am not only ready to be bound and banished but even to die in his Cause by his strength yea my Brethren I greatly long in regard of my self to be dissolved and â—o live iâ— the blessed Kingdom of Heaven with Jesus Christ and his Angels with Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Moses Job David Jeremiah Daniel Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles and with the rest of the holy Saints both men and women with the glorious Kings Prophets and Martyrs and Witnesses of Jesus Christ that have been from the beginning of the World particularly with my two dear Brethren Master Henry Barrow and Master John Greenwood which have last of all yielded their Blood for this pretious Testimony confessing unto you my Bretheren and Sisters that if I might live upon the Earth the dayes of Methusala twice told and that in no less Comfort then Peter James and John were in the Mount and after this life might be fure of the Kingdom of Heaven that yet to gain all this I durst not go from the former Testimony wherefore my Brethren I beseech you be of like mind herein with me I doubt not but you have the same pretious faith with me and are Partakers also of far more glorious Comfort then my barren and sinful Soul can be strive for me and with me that the Lord our God may make me and all us able to end our Cause with joy and patience strive also that he may stay his blessed hand if it be his good pleasure and not make any further breach in his Church by the taking away of any more of us as yet to the discouraging of the weak and the lifting up of the horn of our Adversaries I would indeed if it be his good pleasure live yet with you to help you to bear that grievous and hard Yoke which yet ye are like to sustain either here or in a strange Land and my good Brethren seeing Banishment with loss of goods is likely to betide you all prepare your selves for this hard entreaty and rejoyce that you are made worthy for CHRIST's Cause to suffer and bear all these things And I beseech you in the Bowels of Jesus Christ that none of you in this case look upon this particular Estate but regard the general state of the Church of God that the same may go and be kept together whithersoever it shall please God to send you Oh the Blessing will be great that shall ensue this care whereas if you go every man to provide for his own House and to look for his own Family first neglecting poor Sion the Lord will set his Face against you and scatter you from the one end of Heaven to the other neither shall you find a resting place for the Soles of your Feet or a
against him and Stoned him with Stones at the Commandment of the King in the Court of the House of the Lord and slew him but the Lord soon according unto this good mans Prayer at his Death lookt upon this evil and required it at his and their hands by executing Judgment upon the King and his evil Councellors for at the end of that Year the Lord sent the Host of Assyria against him even but a small Company and destroyed all the Princes of the People the Kings evil Councellors first from among the People and sent the spoil of them to the King of Damascus and delivered a very great Army into their hands Because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers and so they executed Judgment against Joash the King and when they had departed from him having left him in great Diâ—tress by reason of great Diseases his own Servant conspired against him for the blood of the Sons of Jehoida and slew him on his Bed that he died 2 Chron. 24. Proud Haman Persecutor Haman the Persecutor who persecuted Mordecai because he would not bow unto him and do him reverence according to the Kings Command who therefore sought to destroy all the Jews that were in the Kingdom promising to pay into the Kings Treasure ten thousand Talents of Silver if he would grant his Writing for their Destruction unto which the King consented to and in the mean time Haman builds a Gallows fifty Cubits high to hang Mordecai upon for not moving nor rising up nor doing reverence unto him but the Righteous God the Judge of Heaven and Earth who seeth all things soon overtook this Persecutor in his furious Pride and Blood-thirstiness and put a stop to his intended Persecution by turning the Kings Heart against him by the intercession of Esther the Queen whereby he came to be hanged himself upon the same Gallows he had set up for Mordecai the Jew Esther 3. Nebuchadnezar humbled Nebuchadnezzar that Proud Persecuting King of Babylon and Caldea how did the Lord humble him for his pride and cruelty exercised towards the three Children in casting then into the Fiery-Furnace which he caused to be heat seven times hotter then ordinary for them because they would not Worship the Golden Image which he had set up by renting his Kingdom from him and driving him from Men and making his dwelling with the Beasts of the Field and to eat grass as an Ox till seven times past over him and that his hands grew like Eagles Feathers and his nails like Birds Clawes that he and all might know that the Lord only changes times and seasons and Rules the Kingdoms of men and giveth to whomsoever he will and that his Wayes Works and Judgments are Truth as he afterwards confessed and that those that walk in pride he is able to abase Dan. 3.14 to the 18th verse The Executioners executâ—ed Those chosen men that were the most mighty men of all that King Nebuchadnezar had in his whole Army that were the appointed Executioners of the Kings cruelty in fulfilling his Commands in binding the three Children and casting them into the burning Fiery Furnace soon tasted the just Judgment of God for their frowardness to obey such commands of cruelty for the flames of the Fire slew those men that took the three Children up while the Saints of the most high themselves though bound in their Coats Hosen Hats and other Garments being cast into the midst of the burning Fiery Furnace where they fell down bound into the midst of it yet upon their Bodies the Fire had no power nor was one hair of their head singed neither were their Coats changed nor the smell of Fire past on them Dan. 3.20 Those Presidents and Princes of Media and Persia that were the Persecutors of Daniel in King Darius his time that sought the occasions to find something against Daniel The Presidents and Princes of Mâ—dia and Persâ—a that they might accuse him to the King concerning the Kingdom but could find no occasion nor fault forasmuch as he was Faithful neither was there any error or fault found in him save only in that matter concerning the Law of his God against whom that they might have something against him in that matter also they are constrained to procure a Degree that whosoever shall ask a Petition of any God or Man for three dayes save only the King he should be cast into the Den of Lions which he the said Daniel even as they thought would not obey but immediately as soon as he be understood it was signed he went into his House his Windows being opened in his Chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before God as he did before time for which those men aforesaid accused him before the King by whose means according to the said Decree he was cast into the Lions Den but God sent his Angels and shut the Lions Mouthes that they could not hurt him for no manner of hurt was found upon him because he was Innocent and believed in God but his Persecutors soon felt the just and righteous hand of God upon them for their so wicked persecuting the Innocent for Conscience sake for the King commanded those men to be brought that had accused Daniel and they cast them their Wives and their Children into the Lions Den and the Lions had the Mastery of them and break all their bones in pieces ere they came to the bottom of the Den Dan. 6. King Antiochus King Antiocuâ— surnamed Epiphanes a great Persecutor of the Jews who committed great Evils at Jerusalem and took all the Vessels of Gold and Silver that were therein and sent to destroy the Inhabitants of Judea without a cause and as himself confessed who in a Proud and insolent manner protested he would make Jerusalem a common burying place and the Streets thereof run with the blood of Gods People was by Gods just Judgment plagued with a grievous sickness having a remediless pain in his Bowels and an intolerable Torment in 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 an intolerable stink no man could endure to come neer him neither could he himself endure the same but in a flood of extream Misery ended his dayes which as he confessed came upon him for the evil aforesaid see the Life of Judas Maccabees in Clarkes Martrol page 13. as also the first Book of Maccabees Chap. 1 10. and Chap. 6 8 c. Sennacrib King of Assyria murthered by his own Sons Sennacrib King of Assyria the great Oppressor and Persecutor of Israel and Judah and horrible blasphemer and reproacher of the Living God the God of Israel and Judah though they were left of him for a time for their forsaking him and falling to Idolatry and a great Defyer of him by the Mouth of wicked
presently for I had often thought of the Prophesie that in the Gospel our Swords should be turned into Plow-shares and our Spears into Pruning-hooks I thought it my duty to plead for Peace and Charity and Forgiveness and Permissions mutual Although we must contend earnestly for the Faith yet this contention must be with Arms sit for the Christian Warfare the Sword of the Spirit the Shield of Faith c. but not with other Arms for a Church-man must not be a Striker for the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Spiritual I being most of all troubled that men should be persecuted and afflicted for disagreeing in such opinions which they cannot with sufficient grounds obtrude upon others necessarily because they cannot propound them infallibly Considerations are to be had to the Persons of men and to the Laws of Charity more then to the triumphing in any Opinion c. If the Persons be Christians in their life and Christians in their profession if they acknowledge the Eternal Son of God for their Master and the Lord and live in all relations as becomes Persons making such professions why then should I hate such Persons whom God loves and who love God who are pertakers of Christ and Christ hath a Title to them who dwell in Christ and Christ in them because their understandings have not been brought up like mine have not had the same Masters they have not met with the same Books have not the same Opinions that I have and do not determine their School Questions to the same sence of my Sect or Interest And whatsoever is against the Foundation of Faith or contrary to good Life or destructive to humane society is out of the limits of my Question and doth not pretend to compliance or toleration The fault I find and seek to remedy is That men are so dogmatical and resolute in their Opinions and impatient of others disagreeing in those things wherein is no sufficient means of Union and Determination but that men should let Opinions and Problems not be obtruded as Axioms nor Questions in the vast collection of the Systeme of divinity be adopted into the Family of Faith It s hard to say that he who would not have men put to death or punished corporally for such things for which no human Authority is sufficient for Cognizance or Determination or competent for infliction that he perfwades to an indifferency when he refers to another Judicatory which is competent sufficient infallible just and highly severe for God alone must be Judge of these matters who alone is Master of our Souls and hath the Dominion over humane understanding God alone is Judge of erring Persons I earnestly contend that another mans Opinion shall be no Rule to mine and that my Opinion shall be no Snare and Prejudice to my self that men use one another so charitably that no error or violence tempt men to Hypocrisie this very thing being one of the Arguments I used to perswade Permissions lest Compulsion introduce Hypocrisie and make Sincerity troublesom c. From the Dictates of holy Scriptures it is observable that this with its appendant degrees I mean restraint of Prophesying imposing upon other mens understandings being Masters of their Consciences and lording it over their Faith came in with the retinue and train of Antichrist as other abuses and corruptions of the Church did by reason of the iniquity of the times and the cooling of the first heats of Christianity and the increase of interest and the abatements of Christian simplicity when the Churches fortune grew better and her Sons grew worse and some of her Fathers worst of all For in the first three hundred Years there was no sign of persecuting any man for his Opinion though at that time there were very horrid Opinions commenced and they who used all means Christian and Spiritual for their disimprovement and conviction thought not of using corporal force and therefore I do not only urge their not doing it as an Argument of the unlawfulness of such proceeding but their defying it and speaking against such practises as unreasonable and destructive to Christianity for so Tertullina is express Humani juris naturalis potestatis uni cuique quod putaverit colere sed nec religionis est cogere religionem quae suscipi debet sponte non vi it s of humane right and natural power for every one to worship what he thinks but neither is it the part of Religion to compel Religion which ought to be undertaken of its own accord The same is the Doctrine of Cyprian Lactantius Hillary Minutius Faelix Sulpitius Severus Chrisostom Hierom Austin Damaseen Theophilact Socrates Scholasticus and Bernard All wise Princes till they were over-born with Faction and solicited by peevish persons gave Toleration to differing Sects But at first there were some heretical persons that were so impatient they were the men that first intreated the Emperor to persecute the Catholicks but till four hundred years after Christ no Catholick persons or very few did provoke the secular Arm or implore its aid against the Hereticks save only that Arrius behaved himself so seditiously and tumultuarily that the Nicene Fathers procured a temporary Decree for his relegation but it was soon taken off and God left to be his Judge But as the Ages grew worse so men grew more cruel and unchristian and in the Greek Church Atticus and Nestorius of Constantinople Theodocius of Synoda and some few others who had forgotten the mercies of their great master and their own duty grew implacable and furious and impatient of contradiction It was a bold and arrogant Speech which Nestorius made in his Sermon before Theodotius the younger Damihi O Emperator terram ab Haereticis repurgatam ego tibi vicissim coelum dabo disperde mecum Haereticos ego tecum disperdam Persas which is in English O Emperor give to me the Land purged from Hereticks and I instead thereof will give thee heaven destroy me the Hereticks and I will destroy with thee the Persians It was as groundless as unwarrantable as it was bloody and inhumane And we see the contrary events prove truer for Theodosius and Valentinian were prosperous Princes and have the reputation of great piety but they were so far from doing what Nestorius had suggested that they restrained him from his violence and immanity and Theodosius did highly commend B. Proclus for his sweetness of deportment towards erring persons far above the cruelty of his Predecessor Atticus And the experience which Christendom hath had in this last Age is Argument enough That Tole ration of differing Opinions is so far from disturbing the publick peace or destroying the Interest of Princes and Commonwealths that it doth advantage the Publick it secures the Peace because there is not so much as the Pretence of Religion left to such persons to contend for it being already indulged to them When France fought against the Hugonots the spilling of their own