Narrative of the War between the Papists and Protestants there 431 Who interceded to the D. of Savoy in the behalf of the Protestants 442 A Description of Piemont and the valleys thereof 447 The late persecution of the Church of Christ in Poland 451 The Destruction of Lesna 452 The cause of Religion as it stands now in Germany 454 THE PERSECUTIONS Mentioned in the Old Testament CHAP. I. The Persecution of the Church in the first Ages of the World and so forward till the Incarnation of Christ. THE first Murtherer and Persecutor that was in the World was the Devil and the first method and means that he made use of to carry on this persecution was by subtilty and large promises that by eating the forbidden fruit they should have their eyes opened and should be as gods knowing good and evil and hereby he drew our first Parents from their Obedience unto God and cheated them of that blessed and happy estate which God had created them in Since which time his enmity against the Church and Children of God hath never ceased but by his effectual working in the Children of disobedience he hath provoked and stirred up one man to be the Persecutor and Devourer of another Thus he provoked Cain to rise up against and to slay his brother Abel and though the Scripture be silent how the wicked Cainites the sons of men behaved themselves towards the sons of God yet doubtless they persecuted them with the tongue if they proceeded no further Can we imagine that Noah that was a Preacher of Righteousness in the midst of a perverse generation could escape without hatred scorn and contempt How many jeers think ye had he whilest he was building the Ark as doting and dreaming not of a dry Summer but of a wet winter the earth in his days was said to be corrupt and filled with violence which violence certainly was principally exercised against the Church of God And afterwards when the world was reduced to a very small number yet then Satan had his cursed Ham that persecuted and mocked his own father the righteous Noah Was not Lot also persecuted and scoffed at in Sodom Gen. 19.9 Isaac in Abrahams house mocked by Ismael Gen. 21.9 Was not Jacob hated and persecuted by his brother Esau Gen. 27.41 Joseph by his brethren Gen. 37.4 and that because he brought unto his father their evil report verse 2. Was he not afterwards cast into a pit by them ver 24. Then sold to the Ishmaelitish Merchants who carried him into Egypt ver 28. There he was persecuted by his whorish Mistriss Gen. 39.17 18. Cast into prison where his feet were hurt with fetters and he was laid in irons Psal. 105.18 But these were but small persecutions in comparison of those which followed For when the Children of Israel were multiplied in Egypt Pharaoh King of Egypt set over them Task-masters to afflict them with their burdens Exod. 1.11 thinking thereby to eat up and wear them out and when that prevailed not they made them serve with rigour and they made their lives bitter with the hard bondage in Mortar and in Brick and in all manner of service in the field all the service wherein they made them serve was with rigour ver 13 14. And when this prevailed not the King commanded the Midwives Siphrah and Puah when they did the office of a Midwife to the Hebrew women and saw them upon the stools if they were delivered of a son they should presently kill him ver 15 16. and when these Midwives neglected his commands he charged all his people that every son that was born to the Israelites should be cast into the river Nilus v. 22. Moses was persecuted by Pharaoh who sought to slay him which caused him to fly into the Land of Midian Exodus 2.15 And when God sent him back into Egypt to deliver his people from the house of bondage how did Pharaoh persevere and proceed in his persecuting the people of God he caused straw to be taken from them and yet the number of Bricks to be continued and when the task was not done the Officers of the Children of Israel were cruelly beaten ver 14. And when God had brought out his people with an high hand from under the Tyranny of the Egyptians and carried them into the wilderness how did Satan stir up some sons of Belial against Moses and Aaron even Korah and his complicies two hundred and fifty Princes who cried out against them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy even every one of them Numb 16.3 Afterwards when the children of Israel were setled in the land of Canaan they were often grievously oppressed and persecuted by the wicked and Idolatrous nations that lived amongst them and round about them as first by Chushan-Rishathaim King of Mesopotamia who tyrannized over them eight years Judg. 3.8 Then by Eglon King of Moab who slew many of them and oppressed them eighteen years v. 13 14. Then by the Philistines v. 32. Then were they mightily oppressed for twenty years together by Jabin King of Canaan Judg. 4.2 3. Then did the Midianites persecute them with so much cruelty that they were forced to forsake their houses and to make them Dens and Caves in the Mountains to shelter and hide themselves from them Judg. 6.2 yea for seven years together they tyrannized over them and when the Israelits had sowen their land they came up in such multitudes that they destroyed the increase of the earth and left no sustenance for Israel neither sheep nor oxe nor asse ver 3 4. Then the Philistines again and the Ammonites Lorded it over Israel and brought them into great distresse for eighteen years Judg. 10. â— After that the Philistines yet againe oppressed them for forty years together Judg. 13.1 And afterwards they slew of them in two battels thirty four thousand and carried away the Ark of God also 1 Sam. 4.2 10 11. Then in Sauls time these Philistines so distressed Israel that the people were forced to hide themselves in caves and thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits yea some of them forsook their own country and fled beyond Jordan 1 Sam. 13.6 7. and the land was so enslaved to them that there was not a Smith to be found in Israel but the Philistines either slew them or carried them away captives so that the Israelites were fain to go to the Philistines to have their instruments of husbandry set in order ver 19 20. How David was persecuted by Saul all his time the Scripture doth amply set forth 1 Sam 19. c. and was not he persecuted grievously when cursed and railed upon by Shimei 2 Sam. 16.5 6 c. The Church of God was afterward persecuted under Rehoboams reign by Shishak King of Egypt who took Jerusalem and carried away the Treasures of the Lords house and
purged him but to no purpose for by degrees he so faded away as caused great astonishment to many He long strugled against his disease but at last was faine to betake himself to his bed and the two last weeks of his sicknesse much blood issued from divers parts of his body and once he rolled himself in his own blood and a little before he died he desired his mother to pursue his enemies to the uttermost with great vehemency reiterating his speeches saying Madam I pray you heartily to do it and so he breathed forth his soul May the thirtieth Anno Christi 1574. I shall here adde a few words also of the great miseries which the people of God endured in Rochel Anno Christi 1628. expecting help from England which proved but a staffe of reed which whilst they leaned upon it ran into their hands The City being besieged by the King of France his Army the inhabitants were brought to such extremity that for want of other meat the Citizens and Souldiers having eaten up all the horses dogs cats rats and mice lived two moneths with nothing but Cow-hides and Goats-skins boiled then did they eat up all the old gloves and whatsoever was made of leather yea the poor people cut off the buttocks of the dead and did eat them Young maids of fourteen or sixteen years old did look like old women of one hundred years old All the English that came out after the surrender of the City looked like Anatomies The prizes of things were as followeth a Bushel of Wheat twenty pounds A pound of bread twenty shillings a quarter of mutton above sixe pounds A pound of butter thirty shillings An egge eight shillings An ounce of Sugar two shillings and six pence A dried fish twenty shillings A pint of French wine twenty shillings A pint of milk thirty shillings A pound of grapes three shillings c. Anno 1593. There was one Margaret Pierron of the Town of Sansay in France who by her maid-servant was accused to the Jesuites for not going to Masse and for keeping a Bible in her house in reading whereof was her whole delight The Jesuites complaining hereof to the Magistrate caused her to be apprehended yet had she some notice of it before-hand from her friends that advised her to flie from the danger but God had a purpose that she should bear witness to his truth so that she was taken and cast into prison After a while the Judges sent for her saying Margaret Are you not willing to returne home to your house and there to enjoy your husband and children Yes said she if it may stand with the good Will of God Then said they if thou wilt do but a small matter thou shalt be set at liberty If said she it be not contrary to Gods glory and mine own salvation you shall hear what I will say to you No such thing said they for all that we require is but this that a Scaffold being set up in the chief part of the City you shall there crave pardon for offending the Law and a fire being by you shall burne your Bible in it without speaking a word I pray you my Masters said she Tell me is my Bible a good Book or no Yea said they we confesse it is Why then said she would you have me cast it into the fire Only said they to give the Jesuites content imagine it to be but paper and then you may burne it and you may buy you another Bible at any time and hereby you may save your life Thus they spent above two hours in perswading her that thereby she might do a lesse evil and a greater good would come of it But she confidently answered that by the help of God she would never do it What will the people say said she will they not say Yonder is a wrethed woman indeed that burns the Bible wherein all the Articles of Christian Religion are contained I will certainly burne my body rather than my Bible Then did they commit her close prisoner fed her only with bread and water and her friends were debarred from coming to her but when nothing could remove her from her constancy she was condemned to be set upon a scaffold to have her Bible burnt before her face her self to be strangled and her body to be dragged through the streets to a dunghil which sentence she underwent cheerfully and so slept in the Lord. Collected out of the History of the Tragical Massacres of France under Henry the second Francis the second Charles the ninth Henry the third and Henry the fourth Translated out of French Here place the ninth Figure CHAP. XXXVII The Persecution of the Church of Christ in the Valtoline Anno Christi 1620. THe Grison Lords who were the Soveraign Magistrates of this Countrey had by sundry Decrees granted liberty to the Protestants to exercise their Religion freely But when as the Minister of Tell with his Congregation were met together about the service of God the bloody Papists rising in arms set upon them slew one and beate others so cruelly with staves that they were forced to desist from their purpose Shortly after they murthered some others and conspiring with some other bloody villaines they set guards upon all the passages of the valley that so none of the Protestants should escape them then ringing their bells they raised all the Countrey and if any Protestants stirred out of their houses they murthered them in the streets they also brake into the houses of others drew them out of their beds and murthered them Some of the Protestants retired to the houses of Papists that were neer of kin or otherwise engaged to them to secure themselves but there they were betrayed and murthered Some they strangled some they shot Of some they beate out their brains and others they drowned in the river Alba. A noble Gentleman that had hid himself in the river was found by them who requested them to spare his life for his dear childrens sake But they told him that this was no time for pity except he would abjure his faith and swear by the Popes Bull Nay said he God forbid that to save this temporal life I should deny my Lord Jesus Christ who with his precious blood upon the Crosse redeemed me at so dear a rate and having through his grace so long freely and publikely professed him that I should now hazard the losse of eternal life to which I was elected before the foundation of the world I say God forbid Hereupon in a barbarous and savage manner they murthered him They brake also into the Palace of the Governour and murthered him women and maidens they defloured and of all the Protestants in that part of the Countrey there were onely three that escaped over the horrid and vast mountains of the Alps into Rhetia These wicked villaines having thus dispatched the Protestants in this place they
all former actings and restoring them into his favor as if they had never acted any thing against his Highness receiving them into his safegard and protection He granted them also to have preaching Assemblies and other Ministerial Offices according to their Religion in their wonted places c. But in the year 1565. Another Edict was published at the instigation of the Popish party whereby all men who lived in the Duke of Savoy's Dominions and would not conform to the Romish Religion were enjoyned to come and declare the same to their respective Magistrates within ten dayes after the publication thereof and two moneths after to leave the Country having one years time given them to dispose of their goods movable and unmovable during which time they should enjoy the revenue thereof c. The tidings of this cruelty so wrought upon the hearts of the Protestant Princes of Germany that they sent an Embassie to the Duke of Savoy to intercede in their behalf Amongst whom the Prince Elector Palatine was exceeding zealous sending one of his Counsellours of State a person of singular worth to the Duke of Savoy to mediate in their behalf at whose return the Prince being informed by him of the unworthy dealing of that Court and finding that notwithstanding all their faire promises they did not at all cease from persecuting these poor people he wrote a very smart and pathetical letter to the said Duke challenging him for breach of promise to himself and the other Germane Princes in that he suffered his Ministers still to persecute and banish those poore innocent people meerely upon the account of Religion concluding that such severity was neither pleasing to God nor man neither saith he is it the way to bring men to the true knowledge of God which should be done by perswasions and Scripture-proofs not by persecutions c. Wherefore I pray your Highnesse that you will give us an evidence of that which you have for us by delivering those poor people who are now in the Gallies and by recalling those who have been lately banished as you promised by your Letters Have compassion upon so many poore wandring Exiles deprived of all their goods and estates Call them home and restore them to their habitations and grant them and the other inhabitants of your Highness Countries the publick exercise of their Religion which they prefer before their necessary food Free them from their false accusations that they may live in peace under your Highnesse Government c. If your Highness will grant me this request I doubt not but you shall experimentally finde the favour and blessing of God and you shall oblige us to you in all things If otherwise you will both provoke God to lift up his hand against you and estrange from you the affections of those who desire to do you pleasure and service c. Dated 1566. Now that you may see upon what occasion the Prince wrote this letter you are to understand that Castrocaro one of their Popish Governours being extreamly troubled that the Prince Electors Ambassador had obtained several promises at the Court for the poor peoples advantage did immediately after the said Ambassadors departure publish through the Valley of Lucerna two Ordinances By the one he commanded all the inhabitants throughout his Government that were not Natives to depart within a day after the publication thereof upon paine of death and confiscation of their goods By the other he prohibited upon the same penalty those of the reformed Religion inhabiting Lucerna Bubbiana Campiglione and Fenile to hear Sermons at Saint Giovanni and for their not submitting he imprisoned and tormented a great number of them in the Castle of La Torre which dealing made the poor people to make their addresse to the Dutchess of Savoy who pittying their condition wrote to the said Castrocaro in their behalf commanding him in the Dukes name to set at liberty the imprisoned and to cease to molest them in the enjoyment of their ancient habitations and priviledges This Letter stopped the fury of Castrocaro for the present but it was far from working any change of affections in him as was evident by his after-actings For in the year 1571. he did so incense the Governour of Bobio against the poor inhabitants of the Valley that he did not only grievously molest them upon all occasions as they came under his clutches but also wrote bitter Letters to the Duke against them improving the uttermost of his parts and power for their ruine and extirpation and certainly Castrocaro had then effected his designe had not the Dutches upon the joynt supplications of the Evangelical Churches very effectually interposed for them and procured the continuation of their just and undoubted priviledges Anno 1571. Many of the poor Protestants of the Valleyes were grievously molested under pretext that in the former War of France against those of the Religion they had joyned themselves to the Protestant Troops But King Charles the 9th being moved with compassion towards them wrote a Letter to the Duke of Savoy in their behalf requesting him to receive them with gentleness into his grace and favour and to re-establish them in their estates c. The subject of which Letter was not only satisfactory to those for whom it interceded but also to all other faithfull ones of the Valleyes out of the great hopes they had of future tranquillity But it endured no longer than till their Enemies had an opportunity of molesting them which they greedily embraced upon the news of the horrible massacres in France For Castrocaro did thereupon so threaten the poor Protestants that they retired themselves with their families and movables to the tops of the neighbouring Mountains and into all other places where they hoped for safety But the Duke of Savoy not approving the cruelties exercised against the Protestants in France sent to those his Subjects who were thus withdrawn commanding them to return to their houses and habitations promising that they should suffer no prejudice nor incur the least danger thereby Neither indeed were their sufferings great afterwards so long as Madam the Dutchess was living who was a refuge to them upon all occasions After the death of this Princess which happened Octob. 19. 1574. the Popish party came forth like Lions improving the uttermost of their endeavours to devoure and destroy this poor people upon all occasions but the goodness of God was so great towards them that they always found some considerable friends about the Duke who inclined his heart to gentleness and moderation But after the death of this 〈◊〉 Emanuel who died Aug. 30. 1580. Charles Emanuel his son having invaded the Marquisate of Saluces Monsieur L' Esdiguierâ—s by way of retaliation seized upon the Valleys of Piemont But the French Army was no sooner gone home than there was a rumour spread throughout the Valleys that the Duke was resolved to take this occasion to
Plain Perosa and Saint Martino are on the North of Lucerna Angrognia and Roccapiatta situated in such sort that the Valley of Perosa is at the lower end and on the East are the Valleys of Saint Martino and Pragela The Valley of Perosa is about six miles long and it s distributed part in the mountains and part in the Plains and very fruitful hills At the lower end of it are the Communalties of Porte Saint Germano and Villaro In the middle Pinachia and in the higher part that of Perosa where is the City and Citadel of Perosa whence the Valley takes its name The Valley of Saint Martino is eighth miles in length on the West of the Valley of Perosa included between the Valleys of Lucerna and Clusone in the highest part of the Alps which border upon the Valley of Queyras containing eleven Communalties viz. Rioclaret Faet Rodoreto Salsa Macel Maneglia Chabrans Traverses Bovile and Saint Martino which gives the name to this Valley This indeed is the poorest yet the strongest of all by reason of its situtation In these Valleys before the late horrid Massacâ—â—â— 1655. there were fourteen Churches of the Protestants which Coâ—â—â—â—â—ed two Classes or Colloques and those two Classes one Synod for their Ecclesiastical Government The one was the Colloque of Lucerna consisting of the Churches of Saint Giovanni La Torre Villaro Bobi Rorata and Angrognia to which was annexed that of Roccapiatta which is between the Valley of Lucerna and Perosa situated upon those little hills which separate the two valleys The other was the Colloque of the valley of Perosa and Saint Martino containg four Churches in the valley of Perosa viz. Villaro Saint Germano which made but one Church Pinachia La Cappella and Pramoh in the valley of Saint Martino were three Churches viz. Villa Secca Maneglius Prasi The Church of Saint Giovanni contains within it a very fair Plain and little hills very fruitful and abounding with Corn Vines Chestnuts Figgs Olives and other fruits but it wants Pastures and Woods so that they have not many Cattel but only some Oxen to till the ground and to carry their wine to Turin and other places to sell. This Church hath annexed unto it Lucerna Lucernetta the Vineyards of Lucerna Fenile Bubiana and Bricheras In the City of Lucerna the third part of the Inhabitants were Protestants In Lucernetta and the Vineyard of Lucerna almost all the Inhabitants professed the Reformed Religion time out of mind Fenile is lower on the other side of the River Pelice towards the South being a more fatt and fertile soil than any place in St. Giovanni in all sorts of Fruit and Grain Bubiana as to the Plain is like to Fenile and neerly adjoyning to it but the Protestants have often been driven out of it so that what they possessed was mostly in the hills where they have little Corn Wine but abundance of Chestnuts So that the inhabitants which were about fifty Families were generally poor living by their hard labour and by their profit which they made of wood which they carried to sell to the towns of Babiana and Lucerna The hills of Bricheras where there have been alwayes Protestant Families are like those of Saint Giovanni The Church of La Torre is the same for situation and quality with that of Saint Giovanni containing one Plain where is the Town of La Torre and hills adorned with the same kind of fruits as those of Saint Giovanni The Church of Villaro adjoyns to that of La Torre but is a little higher towards Dauphine containing a little Plain where is the Town and the hills adorned with Vines and Chestnuts The Church of Bobio is near to that of Villaro being a little higher towards the Mountain on the West but as fertile as that of Villaro and being environed with many Mountains and having fat Pastures the Inhabitants had many oxen Kine and smaller Cattel together with milk and wool in abundance as also they had many Chestnuts which being cleansed and dried they sold or exchanged for other Commodities The Church of Rorata is a little Valley situated on the other side of the River Pelice on the West of Lucerna being bounded by the Mountains of Villaro It abounds in Pastures and is very fruitful especially in Chestnuts The Church of Angrogna is North-West to that of St. Giovanni towards Perosa in a Mountainous Countâ—y but fruitfull in Chestnuts Corn and Pastures environed with fruitfull Mountains which yielded good Pastures in the Summer season The Church of Roccapiatta contains four parcels viz. that of Roccapiatta St. Bartholomeo Perustine and La Inverso delle Porte In these three latter there grow abundance of rich Wines Chestnuts and other good fruits In Roccapiatta they have Corn Pasture and Fruits but no Wine The Church of Villaro and St. Germano is situated in the lowest part of Perosa about a mile from Pignorolio the West and North part of Villaro on this side the River Clusone belong to the King of France and St. Germano to the Duke of Savoy on the other side of the said River which running through the whole length of the said Valley separates the Kings Territories from those of the Dukes These two places of Villaro and St. Germano contain a little Pâ—ain on both sides the River the rest is in hills yielding Corn Wine and Fruits The Church of Pinachia is within the French Dominions adjoyning on the VVest part to that of Villaro and contains a fair and beautifull Plain on the North-side fenced with pleasant hills On the VVest is the Town and fort of Perosa on the South the River Clusone and some hills but scarce any Plain at all It abounds with Corn Wine Nuts Grass and other Fruits The Church of La Capella is on the VVest of that of Pinachia in the upper end of the Valley of Perosa on the West it joyns to the Valley of Pragela which belongs to the King of France On the East to the Citadel of Perosa It hath several very fruitfull hills in it It hath annexed to it Pomare and Inverso del Perosa and some other small Villages called Le Mean making a little Communalty at the foot of the Valley of Pragela The Church of Pramol is situated on a Mountain between the Valleys of Lucerna and Perosa at the feet whereof grow a few 〈◊〉 and good Fruits In the highest part is Corn and much wood and Pasture ground The Church of Villa Secca is at the lowest part of the Valley of St. Martino where there is almost no Plaine but where the river Germanasco takes its course the Hills which lie South from the said River are very cold so that there grow no Vines but those on the North which lie open to the South-sun are hot and so have many Vines In general it s tolerably fruitful in Corne Fruits and Pasture The Church of Maneglia which is on the West part of
hither out of the neighbouring Silesia and so the use of the German tongue was brought in together with them As for Religion it was reformed in Lesna about the same time by the most illustrious Count Andrew Palatine of Bernstien according to the rites of the Bohemian Confession which it hath retained to this day and became as it were the Metropolis of the Churches of that Confession throughout all the greater Poland And when after the year 1620. a very sharp persecution was raised against the Professors of the Gospel in Bohemia and not long after the Ministers and Nobility were banished they were fain to seek refuge in Poland whom that most pious Noble man the Lord Raphael de Lesna Palatine of Belse received under his protection appointing Lesna Wlodava Baranovia for their places of refuge But for as much as the greater part did seat themselves at Lesna because of the neernesse thereof and not long after a far greater company flocked thither out of Silesia for there also the butchery of souls grew wonderful fierce in the years 1628. and 1629. it came to passe that Lesna by the addition of many streets grew into a large City having three market places four Churches a large School above twenty streets one thousand six hundred houses two thousand freemen of the City and abundance of other company There was built also a very fair Church for the service of God according to the rites of the Augustane Confession which had over it three Pastors learned men and a School for the mother tongue with some Schoolmasters beside the Free-schoole which had a learned man of the forementioned Confession appointed over it by the title of Prorector The Citizens also having ordered themselves according to the best policy they could there were found out handsome wayes for a publick revenue that made no noise and were little felt and without any mans dammage or burden so that they were able for some years to maintaine workmen for the compassing of the City about with a Bulwark and Trench and for the building of gates with walls and faire turrets And lastly there was built a very fair Court-house in the middle of the market-place of the old City there was scarce the like in all great Poland except at Posnania In a word Civility trading merchandize for all things were here bought and sold and Religion did so flourish here that this City did not come behinde any City in Poland for its admirable pleasantnesse All this was matter of joy not only to those pious Christians that were scattered out of several places for the Gospels sake and here gathered together under the protection of God but to others also that came hither from all parts as strangers but it galled the enemies of the Gospel extremely so that it made them leave no designe unassayed for the overthrow of this City of refuge for the godly At the first Annis 1628 1629. they made use of several accusations and slanders to King Sigismund the third suggesting to him that it was a confluence of all sorts of men that were enemies and traytors to his Majesty that it was good to nip them in the bud c. But through the prudence of that great Senator the Lord of the place whose wisdome went beyond their envy and who knew well enough how to counter-work all malicious projects of that kinde all those their battering-rams were at that time used in vain But Anno 1653. after that the Swedes were broken by the Emperours army in Germany and were driven out of Silesia new plots were hatched at Glogaw to send out one or two of the Emperours regiments who should suddenly invade Lesna sack the town and put the inhabitants to the sword or at least scatter them But it pleased God so to order it that this plot was discovered by some of themselves two days before the appointed time and so vanished into smoak though the smoak of their devices did not yet cease to rise For after the death of the most illustrious Prince Palatine of Belse when his estate was divided amongst his sons and heirs and the County of Lesna fell to the illustrious Lord Boguslaus his third son then newly returned from travelling the Plotters were not wanting so to lie in wait to insnare this candidate of great wisdome and vertue that after they had wearied him for some years with the promises of honours unto which there was no door of entrance but by entertaining the Roman-Catholick Religion at last they enticed him to professe Popery But however they heaped many honours upon him procuring him some Captainships afterwards the Generalship of great Poland and lastly the Arch-treasurership of the Realme yet could they not procure his hatred of the Professors of the Gospel and the dissipation of his subjects which was the thing they hoped for but he still preserved intire to his Lesna those priviledges both Civil and Religious which his father of blessed memory had promised offered or confirmed to them They attempted therefore this other device The Bishop of Posnania ventured to redemand the old Parish-Church because it was of ancient foundation and pretended that it might not any longer be left to the use of Hereticks The Lord Treasurer answered that his Grandfather Andrew Palatine of Brenstien had built another Church for the Catholicks whose number was very small in the town scarce ever above three or four Citizens to exercise their Religion in and endowed it with revenues to that purpose that the greater number of Citizens might enjoy the greater Church But all was in vain though he doubled the maintenance of the Roman Parish-priest for Anno 1652. they brought the Lord Count before the tribunal of the Realme where the cause must needs go against him the very same persons being accusers witnesses and Judges yet he obtained that this Church should not suddenly be taken away from his Subjects the inhabitants of old Lesna until they had built themselves a new one This building they presently set about with the help of forrein Churches according as they were in a capacity to help things being every where in confusion But when the adversaries saw that it went on apace and that this was like to be bigger than the other for so great now was the multitude of Citizens of this Confession that the old Church was not able to contain them they began again to mutter and threaten that this might not be endured that the Hereticks should have a bigger Church than the Catholicks that they did but build this also for the Catholicks c. At length the irruption of the Swedes into Poland Anno 1655. gave them the long wished for occasion of oppressing and rooting out not only the Lesnians but also all the Professors of the Gospel or as they were wont to be called the Dissenters from the Roman Religion throughout Poland For although the Papists themselves had transacted with the Swedes at their coming out of
High-Priest worshipeth for in my sleep I saw him in such an habit when I was in Macedonia consulting with my self how I might conquer Asia and he bad me to make no delay assuring me that he would both guide me and my Army and would deliver the Empire of the Persians into my hands Then gave he the High-Priest his hand and went with him to the City and comming to the Temple he offered sacrifice according to the direction of the High-Priest then did Jaddus shew him Daniels Prophecy wherein his victories over the Persians and his Monarchy were foretold which much rejoyced Alexander then did he command the Jews to ask some favours at his hands the High-Priest requested onely that they might live after the Ordinances of their forefathers and that every seventh year they might be exempted from taxes and tributes which he fully granted they besought him likewise that the Jews which were in Media and Babilon might be permitted to live after their own Laws which he willingly promised and so departed this was about the year of the world 3632. and before Christs nativity 332. After the death of Alexander his Kingdom was divided amongst his Captains amongst whom Ptolemy the son of Lagus held Egypt who falling out with Antigonus that held Asia minor there grew great wars between them wherein Ptolemy won from him all Syria and going to Jerusalem on a Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice the Jews suspecting nothing he surprised the City carrying away many of the Jews into captivity into Egypt but after his death his son Ptolemy Philadelphus at his owne cost redeemed an hundred and twenty thousand of them paying twelve Crowns apeece for each of them and sent them back into their owne countrey He sent also by them fifty talents of gold for the temple and obtained of Eleazer the High Priest the Law of the Jews and 72 Interpreters out of every Tribe some who translated it into Greek in 72 daies and having finished their work Ptolemy returned them with great rewards for themselves and with many rich presents to Eleazer Antiochus and Ptolemy being at war each against other the Jews suffered much by them Mach. 1. Collected out of Josephus CHAP. III. The persecution of the Church of God under Antiochus Epiphanes before the nativity of Christ about 168 years AFterwards the Jews being divided amongst themselves one part of them went to Antiochus telling him that their purpose was to forsake the Religion and Ordinances of their forefathers and to follow that of the Kings and to live after the manner of the Greeks entreating him to license them to live in Jerusalem which Antiochus assenting to they went to Jerusalem where they behaved themselves very wickedly but finding opposition from the other party of the Jews they sent for Antiochus who led his army against Jerusalem and encamped before it and by his faction within had the gates opened and the City betraied to him about the year of the world 3796. and before the nativity of Christ 168. Being entred Jerusalem he slew many of the faithfull Jews and having taken great spoils he returned back to Antioch Two years after he came to Jerusalem again and having seen what quantity of gold was in the Temple and what a huge number of Presents and precious Ornaments were in the same he was so overcome with covetousness that he violated all conventions and conditions formerly made equally raging against his own and the adverse party sparing neither friend nor foe then he spoiled the Temple and carried away the Vessels dedicated unto God the golden Table the golden Candlestick the Censers c. leaving nothing behind him of any value yea he inhibited the godly Jews from offering their usual and dailie sacrifices to God and having spoiled the whole City he slew many of the Inhabitants and carried the rest away into Captivity with their Wives and Children to the number of ten thousand He also burned the fairest buildings of the City and brake down the wals and raised a Fortress in the lower City and having inclosed it with high wals he planted a Garison of Macedonians therein with whom remained the scum of the Apostate Jews He also caused an Altar to be erected in the Temple on which he commanded swine to be offered in Sacrifice contrary to the Law He constrained the Jews to forsake God and adore those Idols which himself vvorshiped he forbad them to circumcise their Children and appointed Over-seers to constrain them to fulfill his Commandments so that many for fear of punishment conformed themselves to his will But such as were of upright hearts and valiant minds little respected his menaces whereupon they were beaten and exposed to cruel punishment many days together in the midst of which they yielded up the ghost for after they were whipt and maimed in their bodies they were tortured and crucified the women vvere strangled and the circumcised children vvere hung up about the necks of their parents and vvhere any books of the sacred Scriptures vvere found they defaced and burnt them and such with vvhom they vvere found vvere put to most cruel deaths At this time there dvvelt at Modin a Village of Jury one vvhose name was Matthias a Priest of the rank of Joarib that had five sons John called Gaddis Simon called Matthes Judas called Maccabeus Eleazer called Aaron and Jonathan called Apphas This Matthias often complained to his sons of the miserable state of their Countrey of the sacking of their City the profanation of the Temple and the miseries of the people telling them that it was better for them to die for the Law then to live in Ignominy When therefore the Kings Commisaries came unto Modin and commanded the people to sacrifice according to the Kings Edict they first applied themselves to Matthias as to the most Honourable person amongst them requiring him first to offer sacrifice that others might follow his example promising that the King vvould much honour him for it Matthias ansvvered that he vvould by no means commit that Idolatry assuring them that though all other Nations either for love or fear should obey the Edicts of Antiochus yet that he nor his children could be induced to forsake the Religion of their fathers As soon as he had thus spoken a certain Jew stepped forth to offer sacrifice according to the command of the King wherewith Matthias inflamed with zeal was so displeased that he and his sons fell upon him and with their swords hewed him to pieces he also slew Apelles the Kings Captain and some other souldiers who would have withstood him Then he overthrew the Altar and with a loud voice he said If any one be affected to the Laws of their fathers and to the service of God let him follow me and so he retired into the deserts with his sons the like did the rest with their wives and children hiding themselves in caves and
thrown into the River Also in this persecution Justin Martyr through the malice of Crescens the Philosopher suffered Martyrdom Also one Alcibiades a man of a strict life eating only bread and water was cast into the prison where Attalus and other Christians lay and Alcibiades continued the same strict diet in prison but it was from God revealed to Attalus that he did not well in refusing the other good Creatures of God and that it was scandalous to his brethren whereupon he reformed and ate of all things boldly with thanksgiving About this time Clandius Apolinaris Bishop of Hieropolis and Melito Bishop of Sardis eloquent and learned men delivered to the Emperour excellent Apologies written by them in defence of the Christian Religion whereby they prevailed with him somewhat to stay the rage of his Persecution which also was furthered upon this occasion Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Antonius the Emperors going to War against the Quades Vandals Sarmates and Germans their Army by the multitude of their enemies was coopt up in some strait dry and hot places where the souldiers having been destitute of water for five days together were all like to perish Hereupon a Legion of Christian souldiers being in the Army with-drew apart from the rest and falling prostrate upon the earth by ardent prayer obtained of God a double relief for the Lord sent the Romans such showers as satisfied their necessities and flashed such lightnings against their enemies that thereby they were discomfited and put to flight This Miracle so pleased the Emperor that ever after he used the Christians gentler writing also to divers Rulers commanding them to give thanks to the Christians as for their victory so for the preservation of himself and his Army His letters was to this purpose That whereas himself and Army were invironed with nine hundred seventy five thousand fighting men and were like to perish for want of water the Christians praying to a God that he knew not obtained relief for him and by hail and lightning Destruction to his enemies whereby he perceived their God to be a mighty God Hereupon he decreed that none should be punished for the Christian Profession being guilty of no other crime and that the Accusers of the Christians should be burned alive Which degree he commanded to be recorded in the Senate-house proclaimed publickly in the Court of Trajan and sent diligently into all his Provinces that all might take notice of the same Yet not long after Apollonius a noble Senator of Rome was accused by his own servant before the Judge for being a Christian The Accuser according to the the Decree had his legs broken and was put to death But Apollonius having rendred an accocnt of his faith before the Senate was condemned to be beheaded notwithstanding the Decree because there was an old Law that any that was arraigned for professing Christ without a recantation could not be released Commodus the Emperor upon his birth-day calling the people of Rome together in a great royalty clothed in his Lions skin sacrificed to Hercules causing it to be proclaimed that Hercules was the Patron of the City whereupon Vincentius Eusebius Peregrinus and Pontentianus learned men and Pastors of the Congregations being stirred up with zeal went about from place to place converting the Gentiles to the faith of Christ and hearing of the madness of the Emperor and people they reproved that Idolatrous blindness exhorting them to believe in the true and living God and that forsaking the worshipping of devils they should honour God alone The Emperor hearing thereof caused them to be apprehended and required them to sacrifice to Hercules which they refusing to do he caused them to be grievously tormented and at last to be pressed to death with weights of lead Julius a Roman Senator having been converted by the preaching of these men afterwards sent for Ruffinus a Minister by whom himself and all his family were baptized and burning with holy zeal he made an open profession of the faith of Christ praying that he might not only believe but that he might have the honour to suffer for his Name The Emperor hearing that he was become a Christian sent for him to whom he said O Julius What madness possesseth thee thus to forsake the Religion of thy Fore-fathers to embrace a new and fond kind of Religion of the Christians Hereupon Julius made before him a free and open profession of his faith affirming that the Roman gods were false gods and that they that worshipped them should be punished with everlasting damnation The Emperor hearing that he despised his gods was much enraged and committed him to Vitellius a cruel and fierce man to compell him either to sacrifice to Hercules or to slay him But Julius nothing discouraged and perswading Vitellius to acknowledge and serve the true God was at his command with Cudgels beaten to death CHAP. XI The Fifth Primitive Persecution which began An. Christi 205. COmmodus being dead Pertinax succeeded in the Empire under whom the Church enjoyed peace and flourished exceedingly so that many of the Nobles of Rome embraced the true faith together with their whole housholds Pertinax being dead Severus succeeded and in the first ten years of his reign he was very mild and gentle to the Christians But afterwards through sinister suggestions and malicious accusations he was so incensed that by his proclamations he commanded that no Christians should any more be suffered to live Hereby great peâ—secution was stirred up on every side and an infinite number of Martyrs were slain The crimes objected against the Christians were sedition rebellion against the Emperor Sacriledge Murthering of Infants incestuous pollutions eating raw flesh worshipping the head of an Asse c. but especially that they would not worship their Idols The Places where this persecution most raged were Africa Capadocia Alexandria and Carthage The number of them that suffered was innumerable amongst whom was Leonides the father of Origen with whom Origen his son being but seventeen years old would have suffered such a fervent desire he had of Martyrdom had not his mother privily in the night conveyed away his shirt and cloths whereupon more for shame to be seen then for fear to die he was constrained to remain at home Origen was afterwards a Professor of Divinity at Alexandria and out of his school one Plutarch suffered Martyrdom as also Serenus his brother who was burned and another Serenus who was beheaded Potamiena also who was tormented with boiling pitch poured upon her and afterwards with her mother Marcella and Rhais burned in the fire This Potamiena being a beautifull Virgin was committed to Captain Basilides to see execution done upon her and as he led her to the place of Execution he repressed the rage of the multitude who followed her with many railings and revilings whereupon to requite his kindness she prayed to the Lord for his
enchantments they had procured her sickness to revenge the death of Simeon This accusation being beleived they were both condemned and with a Saw cut in sunder by the middle whose quarters were hung upon stakes the Queen going betwixt them thinking thereby to be freed of her sickness Then ensued a great Persecution against the Bishops and Ministers who were daily dragged forth to the slaughter but first they cruelly scourged them and put them to other great torments because they would not worship the Sun Miserable and almost innumerable were the slaughters under this Sapores of Bishops Ministers Deacons and other religious men and holy virgins so that the Persians themselves reckon up above sixteen thousand men and women that suffered Martyrdom The report of the miserable condition of the Christians coming to the ears of Constantine the Great put the good Emperour into great heaviness who studying how to relieve them it so fell out that about that time there came Ambassadors to him to Rome from Sapores whom he entertained courteously and granted all their requests and then by them wrote his Letters to Sapores in the behalf of the Christians whereby he did something mitigate the heat of the Persian Persecution Yet afterwards it was renewed again at which time suffered Andas the Bishop and Hormisda a noble mans son of great reputation amongst the Persians whom when the King understood to be a Christian and resolute in his profession he condemned him to keep his Elephants naked afterwards the King looking out and seeing him all swart and tanned with the sun he commanded that a shirt should be put upon him and that he should be brought before him Then did the King ask him if he would yet deny Christ Hormisda hearing this tare off his shirt and cast it from him saying if you think that I will deny my faith for a shirt have here your gift again c. whereupon he was banished the Countrey Also Suenes a noble man that had under him one hundred servants because he would not deny his Christian Profession was so hated by the King that he made the worst of his servants Lord over him and over all that he had and coupled his wife to him and made Suenes himself to serve him Also Benjamin a Deacon was thrust into prison where he was kept two years but at the length at the request of the Roman Ambassadors he was released yet afterwards when contrary to the Kings Commandment he preached and taught every where the Gospel of Christ he was again apprehended and miserably tormented having twenty sharp reeds thrust under the nails of his fingers and toes but he laughing at it had a sharper reed thrust into his yard with horrible pain and lastly and a long ragged thorny stalk thrust through his fundament into his bowels whereof he died These Primitive Persecutions are collected out of Eusebius Socrates Scholast Evagrius Nicepho Theod. the Imperial History and the Magd. History CHAP. XVIII The Persecution of the Church under Julian the Apostata 365· IUlian was Nephew to Constantius the son of Constantine and was by him made Caesar and sent against the Germans where after some smaller victories having overcome his enemies in a great and bloody battel he was by his Army made Augustus and after Constantius his death succeeded in the whole Empire both of the East and West He was brought up in the Christian Religion and was endowed with excellent parts but when be came to the Empire he Apostatized from his former profession and turned Heathen and became a deadly enemy to the Church of Christ and a great persecutor of it The first thing that he did was to open the Idol Temples shut up by his Predecessors and to suffer the Gentiles to commit their superstitious Idolatries and publickly to adore their Idols Then his next design was to supplant the true Christian Religion being induced thereto by the devil and his own wickedness And the better to effect the same he practised a means never before used by any which was to shew himself pitifull and not cruel perceiving that by means of the torments inflicted on the Martyrs the holy Christian Faith was greatly increased and therefore he took a contrary course and sought by gifts favours flatteries and by bestowing offices and dignities to draw them to renounce the Christian Faith and to sacrifice to false gods and by this means there were not a few who being covetous and ambitious desiring to be rich and honoured fell from their Christian profession Then did he make Laws and general Decrees that no Christian should be Master of any Arts or Sciences neither should study in any Schools that so through the desire of Learning they might turn Idolaters or else they should remain ignorant and illiterate and so be insufficient to preach the Christian faith He also ordained that no Christian should have any charge or hold any office of Justice neither should be a Captain in the Wars nor enjoy any other dignity Thus he used all the inventions that possibly he could devise to make War against Jesus Christ without shedding any Christian blood that so he might take the Crown from the holy Martyrs which they formerly obtained by the persecution of the sword and indeed this was the greatest and most dangerous Persecution that ever the Church endured Amongst other of his subtill devises to bring Christianity into contempt this was one He entertained about him many witty but wicked persons who made it their business to scoff at and deride the Christians with all manner of base jears and those which excelled most in this wicked practise he most loved and honoured advancing them to offices both in his Court and Army During his short reign though himself put none to death as is before specified yet the heathen Idolaters in sundry places proceeded far otherwise especially in Palestine where they burnt many Christians alive others they stripped naked and tying cords to their feet dragged them up and down the paved streets till their flesh was torn from their bones Upon others they poured scalding water Some they stoned or beat out their brains with clubs and having thus murthered them they burnt their bodies and then took their bones and mingled them with the bones of Camels and Asses that they might not be known for mens bones The Christians in Alexandria were most cruelly used by the Ethnicks or Pagans Some were slain with the sword some were fastned to the Cross some brained some stoned and such was their rage against Christianity that one brother spared not another nor parents their children nor children their parents Emilianus was burned in Thracia Domitius was slain in his cave Theodorus for singing a Psalm at the removing of the body of Babilas being apprehended was examined with exquisite torments and so cruelly excruciated from morning till almost noon that hardly he
as the salvation of mens souls wherein he must obey God rather then man Then did the Arch-Bishop seek to have him apprehended but could not effect it Valdo having many great friends and being generally beloved whereby he continued though closely in Lions three years Pope Alexander the third being informed that divers persons in Lions questioned his soveraign Authority over the whole Church cursed Valdo and his Adherents commanding the Arch-Bishop to proceed against them by Ecclesiastical censures to their utter extirpation whereupon they were wholly chased out of Lions Valdo and his followers were called Waldenses which afterwards spread themselves into divers Countries and Companies The opinions of these Waldenses for which they were so declaimed against and cruelty persecuted by the Romanists were these 1. That holy oyl is not to be mingled in Baptism 2. That all such prayers are superstitious and vain which are made over the oyl salt wax incense boughs of Olives and Palms Ecclesiastical garments calices Church-yards and such like things 3. That time is spent in vain in Ecclesiastical singings and saying the Canonical hours 4. That flesh and eggs may be eaten in Lent and that there is no merit in abstinence at such times 5. That when necessity requires all sorts of persons may marry Ministers as well as others 6. That auricular confession is not necessary 7. That Confirmation is not a Sacrament 8. That Obedience is not to be performed to the Pope 9. That Ministers should live upon Tithes and Offerings 10. That there is no difference between a Bishop and a Minister 11. That it is not the dignity but deserts of a Presbyter that makes him a better man 12. That they administer the Sacrament without the accustomed form of the Roman Church 13. They say that Images are to be taken out of Churches and that to adore them was Idolatry 14. They contemned the Popes indulgences and say that they were of no vertue 15. They refused to take any oath whereby they should be enforced to accuse themselves or their friends 16. They maintained their Ministers out of their own purses thinking it unreasonable that such should be diverted from their studies whilst they were forced to get their livings with their own hands 17. They held that the Miracles done in the Church of Rome were false Miracles 18. That the Religion of the Frier Mendicants was invented by the Devil 19. That the Pope of Rome was not to be obeyed 20. That whoredom and stews were not to be permitted under pretense of avoiding Adultery and Rapes 21. That there is no Purgatory wherein the souls of the deceased are to be purged before they be admitted into heaven 22. That a Presbyter falling into scandalous sin ought to be suspended from his office till he had sufficiently testified his Repentance 23. That the Saints deceased are not to be worshiped and prayed unto 24. That it matters not for the place of their burial whether it were holy or no. 25. They admitted no extream unction amongst the Sacraments of the Church 26. They say that Masses Indulgences and prayers do not profit the dead 27. They admitted no prayers but such as did correspond with the Lords prayer which they made the rule of all their Prayers 28. Lastly Though their adversaries charged them with holding that every lay-man might freely preach to the people yet they had Bishops and orders amongst themselves as the Order of Bulgarie the order of Druguria and they who were their Ministers were ordained thereunto though they were not of the Romish Institution as Nicolus Viguierius and others report of them Valdo himself went into Dauphiney conversing in the mountains of the same Province with certain rude persons yet capable of receiving his belief his Disciples also spread into Picardy whence they were called Picards against whom afterwards K. Philip enforced by the Ecclesiastical persons took arms and overthrew three hundred gentlemens houses that followed their part and destroied some walled Towns pursuing them into Flanders whether they fled and causing many of them there to be burnt to death This persecution caused many of them to flie into Germany and Alsatia where they spread their Doctrine and shortly after the Bishops of Mayence and Strasburg raised up a great persecution against them causing five and thirty Burgesses of Mayence to be burnt in one fire and eighteen in another who with great constancy suffered death At Strasburg eighty were burnt at the instance of the Bishop yet multitudes of people received such edification by the exhortations constancy and patience of the Martyrs that Anno 1315. in the County of Passau and about Bohemia there were above eighty thousand persons that made profession of the same faith Anno Christi 1160. some of them came into England and at Oxford were punished in the most barbarous and cruel manner as ever were any Christians for Religion-sake before the time as you may see in my English Martyrologie And three years after in the Council of Turon or Towers in France viz. 1163. Pope Alexander the third made a decree that these Gospellers and all their favourers should be excommunicated and that none should sell them any thing or buy any thing of them according as it was fore-prophesied Rev. 13.17 But notwithstanding all these devises they had goodly Churches in Bulgary Croatia Dalmatia and Hungary The Popish Monks to make them odious and to have the better occasion to persecute them raised up many foul slanders of them as they were sorcerers buggerers c. that they assembled themselves in the night time and that the Pastors commanded the lights to be put out saying Qui potest capere capiat catch who catch can whereupon they committed abominable incest the son with the mother the brother with the sister the father with his daughter c. they charged them also with many foul and false opinions from which accusations they by a publick Apology and vindication cleared themselves which they published both in French and their own language Rainerus the Monk saith of them that amongst all those which have risen up against the Church of Rome the Waldenses were the most dangerous in regard of their long continuance for some say that it hath continued from the time of Pope Silvester and some say from the Apostles time and because this Sect saith he is more general and there is scarce any Countrey in which it hath not taken footing and because it hath a great appearance of piety for they carry themselves uprightly before men and believe rightly touching God in all things holding all the Articles of the Creed only they hate and revile the Church of Rome and therein saith he they are easily believed of the people Cesarius saith that this Heresie so encreased that in a short time it infected usque ad mille civitates a thousand Cities Parsons saith that they had an Army of seventy thousand men to fight for
of the faith of the Waldenses Besides the Churches that they had in Valentinois where their faith was propagated from the father to the son their religion spread also beyond the Alps into the valley of Pragela within the jurisdiction of the Arch-Bishop of Turin from whence were peopled the Waldensian Valleys of Piedmont La Perouse S. Martain Angrogne c. This valley of Pargela was one of the safest retiring places that the Waldenses had being environed on all sides with mountains almost inaccessible into the caves whereof they retired themselves in the times of persecution and though they were weakned on all sides environed with enemies and in danger of being apprehended if they looked but forth of their doors yet was there never any wordly respect that had power to alter their holy resolution from the father to the sonne to serve God taking his Word for the rule of their faith his Law for the rule of their obedience yea no sooner were the infants weaned from their mothers breasts but their parents took a singular delight to instruct them in the Christian faith There Pastors also did not only preach to them on the Sabbath daies but went in the week daies to instruct them in the villages and hamlets not sparing themselves for the roughnesse of the rocks the coldnesse of the ayr and the cragginesse of the country where they were fain to climbe up high mountains to visit their flocks There was also holy Discipline exercised amongst them The people praied with fervency at night when they went to their rest and in the morning before the went about their labour They had Schools wherein their children were taught and nurtured Bâ—t whilest they thus busily sought the advancement of Gods glory and their own salvation the devil raised up a persecution against them Anno 1380. by a Monk Inquisitor called Francis Boralli who had a commission to enquire after the Waldenses in Aix Arles Ambrun Viene Geneva Aubone Savoy the Venetian County the Principality of Orenge the City of Avignion c. which commission he received from Pope Clement the seventh This Monk cited to appeare before him at Ambrun all the Inhabitants of Frassiniere Argentire and of the valley Pute upon pain of excommunication but they appeared not whereupon they were condemned of contumacy and excommunicated and for the space of thirteen years as he caught any of them he delivered them up to the secular power to be burnt at Grenoble the number of whom was an hundred and fifty men divers women with many of their sons and daughters besides about eighty persons of Argentire The Inquisitors also adjudged to themselves two parâ—s of all their goods and the third part to the temporal powers they forbad all their bordering neighbours also to assist receive visit or defend them or to converse with them in any sort upon pain of being attainted and punished as favourers of Hereticks c. The Waldenses of the valley of Pragela Anno 1400. were assaulted by their enemies on the side of Susa in Piedmont but most of their assaults proved in vain because these Waldenses retired into the high mountains hiding themselves in the caves and hollow places thereof from whence they much endamaged those that came to assail them Their enemies seing this came upon them in the depth of winter when those poor people never suspected it all the mountains being covered over with snow and thereupon they retired into the highest mountain of all the Alps together with their wives and children the mothers carrying some in their cradles and leading others by the hand yet the enemy followed them till night and slew many before they could recover the mountain and they which were so slain had the better bargain for night coming on these poor people being in the snow without any meanes to make a fire for their infants many of them were benummed and in the morning above eighty of them were frozen to death in their cradles and most of their mothers died also and divrese others were giving up the last gasp The enemies lay all night in these peoples houses which they ransacked and pillaged and so returned to Susa but by the way meeting with a poor Waldensian woman they hanged her upon a tree and so departed The VValdenses of the valley of Frassiniere were greatly persecuted by the Arch-Bishop of Ambrun Anno 1460. who made a Monk called John Vayleti his Commissioner against them which Monk proceeded with such diligence and violence that scarce any person could escape his hands but that he was either apprehended for an Heretick or a favourer of them whereby many Papists suffered amongst the rest which caused them to petition King Lewis the eleventh of France by his authority to stay the course of that persecution and thereupon the King wrote his Letter to the Governour of Dauphine signifying that whereas the Inquisitors had daily sent forth their processe against many poor people in those parts without reasonable cause putting some to the rack and condemning them for matters whereof they were never guilty and which they could not prove by any witnesse and of others they had exacted great sums of money and divers waies had unjustly vexed and molested them he therefore decreed that for the time to come all such processe should be void and of none effect nor any wrong done to them in body goods or good name except there were any that obstinately maintained and affirmed any thing against the holy Catholicke Faith But the Arch-Bishop was so far from ceasing the persecution upon this Edict that he grew more violent by reason of the last clause pretending that he did not any thing contrary to the Kings precept seeing they which were cited appeared not to justifie themselves c. He also suborned many Priests which were his own Officers to depose that all they which had petitioned the King were VValdenses He also hired one John Pelegrin to accuse them for assembling themselves in dark places to commit whoredom c. and then he sent to the Court to justifie himself from the complaint made to the King against him that he had persecuted the Waldenses rather out of covteousness to get their goods then out of zeal to the Catholick Faith but this single witness prevailed but litle seeing there were many other who deposed that they had never seen any such villany amongst the Waldenses nor any the least appearance of the same Yet did not the Archbishop cease to prosecute them to the uttermost of his power so that he caused most of them to flie away only one James Pateneri stood to it averring before the Court that he was unjustly vexed contrary to the Kings Letters demanding a copy of the proceedings that he might right himself by Law â—hereupon the Archbishop left him and fell upon those that wanted the like courage citing the Consuls of Frassiniere
the effecting of it but as soon as the men were in Arms it pleased God by the death of King Francis to put an end to that design whereby the Waldensian Churches in Dauphine enjoyed peace and were well furnished with godly Pastors who held them in the exercise of religion though they were in continuall danger of being persecuted to the death for the same The Waldenses in Dauphine many years before being multiplyed so that the countrey could not feed them dispersed themselves abroad into divers parts whereof some went into Piedmont who lived in great love with those of Daâ—phine and though they were alwaies oppressed with troubles yet with hearty love and charity they ever-succoured one another not sparing their lives and goods for their mutuall conservation The first Persecution in Piedmont were occasioned by the Preists who complained to the Arch-Bishop of Turin that these people lived not according to the manner and belief of the Church of Rome that they offered not for the dead cared not for Masses Absolutions or to get any of theirs out of the pains of Purgatory c. Hereupon the Arch-Bishop persecuted them complaining of them to their Princes to make them odious But the Prince enquiring of their neighbours heard that they were of a good conversation fearing God without deceit or malice loving plain dealing alwaies ready to serve their Prince with alacrity c. He therefore purposed not to molest them But the Priests and Monks gaining nothing by their belief charged them with an infinite number of calumnies and ever and anon catching one or other of them they delivered them to the Inquisitors and the Inquisitors to the executioners so that there was scarce a Town or City in Piedmont wherein some of them had not been put to death At Turin one of them had his bowels torn out of his belly and put into a bason before his face and then was he cruelly martyred At Revel in the Marquisat of Saluces one Catelin Girard being on the block whereon he should be burnt requested his Executioner to give him two stones which he refused to do fearing least he would throw them at some body but he protesting the contrary at last they gave him two stones which he held in his hands and said When I shall have eaten these stones then shall you see an end of our Religion for â—hich you now put me to death and so he threw them on the ground and died cheerfully Thus they burnt many of them in the fire till Anno 1488. and then they resolved to assault them by open force because they saw that otherwise they should never be able to extirpate them besides their constant sufferings converted many to the faith Hereupon they levied an Army of eighteen thousand men besides many inhabitants of Piedmont who ran to the pillage from all parts These marched all at once to Angrogne Lâ—cerne La Perouse c. They raised also forces in Dauphine where with they over-ran the Valley of Pragela so that they being put to defend themselves could not assist their friends in Piedmont But the enemy by this division of his forces being weakned was every where beaten especially in the Valley of Angrogne where the VValdensians having been informed of the levies of their enemies against them prepared themselves to receive and resist them keeping the strait passages where few men might defend themselves against many They defended themselves with long Targets of wood whereby they covered themselves from the hurt of their enemies arrows Whilst they were thus bickering with their enemies the women and children upon their knees cried out O God help us The enemies made themselves merry with this fight and amongst them one Capt. Saquet who as he was imitating the woman was slain and tumbled down into a very deep valley Another Captain crying out to the women in derision was killed with the shot of an arrow in the throat Hereupon the souldiers betook themselves all to their heels and the greatest part slew themselves by tumbling down from the rocks Another providence of God was this that the enemies approaching to the stongest entrance by nature might their have fortified themselves and so made themselves masters of that Valley But God sent so thick a cloud and dark a fog that they could scarce see one another whereby they wanted opportunity to discover their advantage and therefore departed which the VValdenses seeing couragiously pursued them and by that means the enemy being dispersed and not seeing which waies they went the greatest part fell headlong down the mountains quitting their arms and booty which they had gotten at their first entrance into the Valley by which means the Waldenses recovered it again Then it pleased God to move the Princes heart which was Philip the seventh Duke of Savoy and Lord of Piedmont with pity towards these poor people saying That he would not have that people which had been alwaies true faithfull and obedient to him to be unjustly destroyed by Arms being content that twelve of the Principall should come to him to Pignerol to crave pardon for all the rest for taking arms in their own defence without his authority These he entertained lovingly forgiving all that was past during the warre And having been informed that all their children were born with black throats with foure rows of teeth and all hairy he caused some of them to be brought to him and seeing them fair and perfect creatures he was much displeased with himself for beleeving so easily the reports which were brought to him against them giving command that none should hereafter molest them but that they should enjoy all the priviledges which they rest of his subjects in Piedmont did Notwithstanding which the Monks Inquisitors daily sent out processe against them lay in wait for them and as they could aprehend any of them delievered them over to the secular power This Persecution lasted to Anno. 1532. at which time the Waldenses ordered that there exercises of religion should be performed no more in covert as formerly they had been but in publick that every one might know them and that their Pastors should preach the Gospell openly not fearing any persecution that might happen unto them The prince being advertised hereof was highly offended with them and thereupon caused one of his Commanders to hast with his Troops into the said Vallies which was performed with such diligence that he was entred with five hundred horse and Foot before they were aware ransacking plundering and wasting all before them Then did the Waldenses leave their ploughs putting themselves into passes and with their slings charged their enemies with such multitudes of stones that they were constraned to flie and to abandon their prey many remaining dead upon the ground This news was presently carried to the Prince and withall he was told that these people were not to
be subdued with Arms they knowing bettter the straits of their Country then the assailants and that the skin of one of the Waldenses would cost him the lives of a dozen of his other subjects where upon he vsed Arms no more against them but as any of them was caught in Piedmont he put them to death if they changed not their belief Notwithstanding with rigour they persisted in their resolution and that things might be carried on in the better order they assembled out of all their Vallies to Angrogne Anno 1535. viz. the heads of all their families with their Pastors where they heard that their brethren of Provence and Dauphine had sent two of their Pastors George Morrell and Peter Masson into Germany to confere with Oecolampadius Bucer and others about their relief which they had held from father to son time out of minde Where also the Germane Divines acknowledged that God had been very mercifull and gracious to them in preserving them undefiled in the midst of so many superstitions which had defiled all Christendom under the tyranny of Antichrist encouraging and exhorting them not to bury those Talents which God had given them onely they blamed them for delaying so long to make a publick profession of their adhering to the Gospel and causing it to be preached publickly leaving the success to God c. Then were the Letters of Oecolampadius and Bucer which they sent to them openly read together with the Propositions and Articles of Religion which they had agreed upon which were all approved signed and sworn to by all the assistants with one consent to perform observe beleeve and retain amongst them inviolably as being conformable to the Doctrine which they had been taught from their fore-fathers for many hundred years and all taken out of the Word of god When this Agreement came abroad to the ears of the Priests they were much astonished despairing to see these people reclaimed and brought back to the Church of Rome whereupon they retired from amongst them without speaking a word The Waldenses because they had only the New Testament and some books of the old amongst them in the Waldensian Tongue resolved speedily to send the whole Bible to the Press all their books hitherto being but Manuscripts and those but a few They sent therefore some to Newcastle in Suitzerland where they gave 1500. Crowns in gold to a Printer who brought to light the first Impression of the Freâ—ch Bible that was seen in France They sent also to Geneva to make a large supply of books fit for the instruction of the people but their messenger as he passed over the hill de Gap was apprehended for a spy by the Lord of Champelion and as soon as they knew him to be a Waldensian they sent him to Grenople where he was first imprisoned and then in the night drowned in the river least he should speak of his belief before the people Shortly after there happened warres between King Francis the first and the Princes of Piedmont which through Gods grace turned to the great peace and quiet of these poor people which peace continued till Pope Paul the third sollicited the Parliament of Turin to persecute them as pernicious Hereticks Whereupon the Parliament caused a great number of them to be burnt at Turin Then these Waldenses petitioned the King that they might not be persecuted for their Religion in which they and their Ancestors had lived for many hundred years But the King reiected their petition commanding them to live according to the Laws of the Roman Church upon pain of being punished as Hereticks adding that he did not burn the Lutherans through his whole Kingdom of France to let them amongst the Alps escape Hereupon the Parliament of Turin commanded them presently to send away all their Ministers and receive the Priests to sing Masse c. To which they answered that they could not receive any such commandment it being contrary to Gods Word whom they would rather obey then men But through Gods mercy the King had other imploiments elsewhere whereby they wanted leasure to prosecute these servants of Christ and therefore they only proceeded by the Inquisition receiving such as the Monks condemned to the fire Anno 1555. They increased the persecution condemning to the fire Bartholmew Hector a Stationer to be executed at Turin who died with admirable constancy and so edifying the spectators that they wept and compassionated him justifying him in their speeches and praying for him Hereupon the Parliament resolved wholly to extirpate them and for that end sent two men with authority either to reform or root them out These persons went first to Perouse where by Proclamation in the Kings name they command all to go to Masse upon pain of loosing their lives Then they went to Pignorol where they cited many to appear before them and amongst others a poor simple labouring man appeared whom the President commanded to have his childe re-bapzed by a Priest The man requested respite to pray to God before he answered him which with great laughter was granted Then falling down on his knees he prayed unto God and when he had done he said to the President I will cause my child to be rebaptised upon condition that you will give me a bill signed with your own hand that you will discharge me of the sin which I shall commit hereby and bear one day before God the punishment and condemnation which should befall me for the same taking this iniquity upon you and yours The President hearing this commanded him out of his presence and pressed him no further The President framed diverse Indictments against sundry persons in the Vallies and collected whatsoever he thought might hurt them and going to one of their Churches he caused a Monk that he brought along with him to preach in the presence of the people and when he had ended the people desired that some one of their Pastors there present might answer his discourse but that was denied by the President whereupon there was such a murmur amongst the people that the President without any more speech gat him away to Turin where he reported all to the Parliament and withall told them that if they sought by violence to reclaime this people they were resolued to defend themselves and that the places of their abode were of such strength that it was a work for a King of France to root them out Thereupon this report and the Indictments were sent to the King who having other occasions returned no answer that year Only the Inquisitors proceeded as they could catch any to deliver them to the secular power At the years end the King commanded the Parliament to cause them to do that by force which they would not by words be brought to Then did the Parliament send the President again to Angrogne where he commanded them in the name of
that nothing should be done either against law or equity till he had further knowledge of the cause In the mean time the Brethren being much encouraged by letters from Luther Bucer and Capito went on constantly and through Gods mercy a great nummber was added to the Church till that fatal year 1547. At which time Charles the fifth putting in execution the decrees of the Counsell of Trent raised warres against the Protestant Princes in Germany At which time his brother Ferdinand sollicited the Bohemians for aid but they refused it in regard of their ancient league with the house of Saxony But the German Protestants being overcome in warre Ferdinand entred Bohemia with an Army seizeth on Prague imprisoneth the principall Nobles Barons and Citizens some he scourged some he beheaded and upon others he laid grievous Fines and of others he sequestred all their Estates Also he disarmed the City of Prague took away their privileges banishing some whilst others went into voluntary exile Then did the Devil raise up some to lay all the blame upon the Brethren to which malicious suggestions the King giving heed first by open Proclamation commanded all their Churches to be shut up and then he took away their Peers and banished them all out of his Realms When this Thunderbolt came abroad the brethren agreed amongst themselves that they would be more faithfull to God and their consciences then they had been and so by common consent dividing themselves into three companies they went into Poland and all of them had experience of an admirable divine protection in their journey escaping some that might and would have robbed them but that they were restrained by God as also in most places where they came they found Christian commiseration and liberality of men towards them and courteous entertainment in Poland though most of them were Papists Yet not long after the Bishop of that part where they were got a Mandate from the King to drive them away Then were they forced to goe into the farthest parts of Prusia whereby D. Albert Brandenburg they had a place of habitation alloted to them and one Paul Speratus a Protestant Bishop having conferred with them about their faith was very courteous and charitable to them The next Edict that Ferdinand set forth against the brethren was for the apprehending of all their Ministers whereupon some of them retired into Moravia others that they might be near their flocks hid themselves in private places in the night-time they visited the faithfull which continued for some years but at last three of them fell into their enemies hands yet one of them through the admirable providence of God escaped out of a deep dungeon in the Castle of Prague and fled to his brethren in Borussia and he sometimes passing through Polonia and preaching the Gospel through Gods mercy many of the Nobility and others were converted by his Ministry so that in a few years he erected twenty Churches in Poland The enemies having imprisoned John Augusta they much rejoyced at it because he was a chief Minister amongst the Brethren and as Luther in Germany against the Pope so he both by his Ministry and writings had mightily confuted the Calixtines and thereupon they laid to his charge his refusall to raise Forces for the assistance of Ferdinand and intentions of bringing in John Frederick Elector of Saxony to be King in Bohemia and for the discovery of this pretended conspiracy he was cruelly racked three times but when they could draw nothing from him they yet kept him in prison seventeen years Anno 1549. Ferdinand published another decree for the extirpating both of the brethren and Lutherans and the Ministers that had received Ordination in Germany or that were married were banished out of the Kingdom to the number of about two hundred Also the Baron of Schanow a man of much experience and learning being apprehended under the pretence of some conspiracy against Ferdinand was imprisoned examined and then laid on the rack he with an heroical indignation cut out his tongue and cast it away and being asked why he did it he wrote on the wall I did it because I would not by any tortures be brought to say any thing falsly against my selfe or others He also in a writing taxed the Tyrannical proceedings against himselfe and other innocents citing the King and his Counsellors to appear and answer it before the Tribunall of God and so shortly after died About that time Ferdinand brought Jesuites into Prague and built a stately College for them who sought by all means to overthrow the Church of Christ and added fuell to the fire of persecution After the death of Ferdinand Maximilian succeeded Anno 1562. who being of a peaceable disposition could by no means be induced that any should suffer for their faith After him Rodulphus succeeded Anno 1676. who treading in his Father steps the Church of Christ enjoyed peace under him yea pure religion so flourished through the whole Kingdom that there was scarce one amongst an hundred that did not professe the Reformed Religion But alas with liberty of Religion by little and little men began to be licentious in their lives and carnal security so encreased that some began to presage that an horrible tempest should again overwhelm them After the death of Rodulphus succeeded Mathias who comming into Bohemia Anno 1617. he called an Assembly of the States but it being harvest time few appeared To them that did appear Mathias complained that since he had no issue he would adopt Ferdinand for his son commendeth his vertues and desires that he may be crowned The Orders assembled affirmed that a matter of that consequence could not be done in the absence of the united Provinces Caesar urged that what Bohemia should do would be confirmed by all the rest that he grew faint and it could not be deferred till another time In brief the Oorders protested that the Term of Receiving him King was new that he ought first to be chosen and then received and some perceiving that there was no place for a free voice departed others partly allured by promises and partly deterred by threats staid and were present at the Cronation of Ferdinand after which he presently went into Moravia Silesia and Lusatia requesting to be received for their King The Persecution of the Church in Bohemia which began Anno Christi 1617. FErdinand the second Emperour of Germany being thus obtruded upon the Bohemians for their King contrary to the ancient constitutions and customes of the Kingdom and not lawfully elected thereunto as he ought to have been retired presently into Germany And thereupon the enemies of the truth began to crow and openly to threaten the Protestants and it appeared sufficiently that Ferdinand sware to the Orders with his mouth but in his heart to the Pope and presently after his
best Citizens did desire banishment but the City gates were kept strictly least any should get out or carry out their housholdstuff whereupon many escaped by the mines of the wall and among these a Lords wife leaving all her rich housholdstuff behinde her crept out at the common sewer to follow her husband into banishment Many of the exiles in Misnia having spent all that little which they carried with them were forced to seek alms in Bohemia where being betrayed they were cast into prison and so tormented till some of them were almost distracted and then they were sent away to other places some of these were persons of good quality At Tusta a chief Officer of the Kingdome sollicited the Citizens to turn Catholicks which they refusing to do he complained of it to the Jesuites at Prague whereupon Don Martin is sent thither who entring the City sends his souldiers into the Senators houses licensing them to abuse them at their pleasure so that in a short time many were forced to Apostasie Then did that other Officer set a great fine upon the City because they turned Catholicks for another mans sake and would not do it for his And thus the poor Protestants were abused on every hand to satisfie the lusts of these Tyrants Then did another Noble man with a band of souldiers go to the City of Rokizan and tyrannically abuse them for their Religion forbearing no kinde of insolency that they could think of Amongst other projects this was one He caused all the Citizens to write their names in three books In the first such as were already Catholicks which were but six late Apostates In the second the names of such as would become Apostates within a fortnight which were very few In the third such as absolutely refused and so were opposite to God and Caesar and in this were almost all the names which so enraged him that he resolved to use all manner of cruelties saying that they deserved the crosse the wheel yea and hell it self Then did he command all the Citizens to come to the Church the next day to receive the Sacrament in one kinde but when coming himself to Church he found few or none there he runs through the streets and into the houses driving all that he met with to the Church with his stick When he came thither again he espied one John Foelix a chief Citizen but a Calvinist he therefore fell upon him with a knotty club beating him about the head shoulders and hands till he was all gore bloud and then he said to him Get thee hence thou beast with thy cursed Calvin-bloud Then did he rage against the other Citizens cursing them beating some and spitted in the faces of others and from one of the grave Citizens he pulled off his beard and strewed it on the floor After this he again sent word to Foelix that except he changed his minde by the morrow he would act a new tragedy with him but that night he escaped leaving behinde him his dear wife and children and an aged mother of eighty years old Then did the Earl imprison his wife and sequestred his estate and enforced the rest of the Citizens to subscribe that they did freely and with all readinesse of minde imbrace the Catholick religion One Martinitz was appointed to reforme the City of Slana who substituted one Hansbursky an Apostate to see this work done This man that he might ingratiate himself with the Jesuites appointed a solemn Procession and either by fraud or force brought to it most of the Citizens Amongst others he required one John Blyssa to accompany him but he refused saying As oft as I have received the Lords Supper so oft have I obliged my self to God and against these abominations Then said the other Thou shalt not resist the Emperours pleasure But said he In those things which belong to Caesar I will not but here Gods business is in hand Then said the other Thou shalt be forced to it God replied he seeks willing not forced worshippers whereupon he was presently committed to prison for nine weeks and so was another godly Citizen and fined and then together with his wife driven out of the City Afterwards also was Blyssa and his wife banished for procuring his childe to be Baptized by a Protestant Minister privately and his estate was sequestred having nothing left him to support him in his banishment Then by divers kindes of torments he compelled some to a forced obedience as he did fifty men whom he shut up in a narrow room where they could neither stand sit nor lie nor have leave to go forth to ease nature So that after three daies enduring of this pain and stink they were forced to promise to learn the Roman religion The like dealing he used to divers women in his own chamber but so soon as they could most of them went into voluntary banishment The City of Prachatice they entred by force and slew the Major who was bringing to them the keys together with a thousand six hundred men women and children sparing none but such as fled or hid themselves in secret places The karcasses they left unburied for divers daies all dirty and shamefully naked Afterwards when the City began again to be inhabited the Commissioners of Reformation came thither promising them that if they would turn Catholicks they should have their Liberties restored to them but if they refused they should be restrained from all trading and when this prevailed not they thrust men and women young and old into prisons where they miserably afflicted them for four whole moneths The like cruely they used to all other Cities where they shewed and used all manner of impostures deceits tyrannies and impudent practices till they had rooted out the reformed Religion and set up their idolatrous and superstitious worship in the stead of it The godly Ministers being generally removed the next design of the enemies was to take all Bibles and other profitable books out of the peoples hands that so the heat of Religion might in time grow cold The Friers also which were placed in the Churches did not presently thunder but dealt fairly beseeching and confirming the truth of their Religion with oaths and dreadfull cursing of themselves promising also the Emperours favour and easing of their burthens yea they sought by works of charity to oblige the poorer sort to them One Frier promised a bushell of Wheat to every one that would come to Confession but when his Garners began to waste he gave but half the measure whereupon one flang away in anger saying What is my soul viler then the rest But when they perceived that they gained but few by their Fox-like subtilty they returned to their Wolvish cruelty compelling men to come to Masse and taking the names of all such as absented themselves and if any went to private religious meetings they were fined
repentance obtained mercy of God Thereupon he cried unto God a whole year together night and day watering his bed with his tears because he thought himself damned but at last God saith he sent his Angel to me and I saw this glory brighter then the sun and I had gods Spirit bestowed upon me c. After which he was apprehended beheaded and quartered The pictures of John Husse and Jerom of Prague they defaced all the Bibles that they could meet with they burned the graves of the Ministers they opened took out their bones and burnt them The Statutes of King Frederick they beat in pieces and trampled them under their feet One man they fined at five hundred Dollars for giving his son the name of Frederick Before these calamities befell the Bohemians God gave them warning by sundry Prodigies In severall places divers Suns were seen together At Prague the Sun seemed to dart out bals of fire Also a flying Dragon flaming horribly was seen throughout all Bohemia and Silesia Also a spring flowed with bloud for an whole moneth together In another place a Fish-pond was wholly turned into bloud for the space of three daies A great flock of Crows and Daws fought together for a whole daies space whereby multitudes of them were slain At Prague it rained brimstone and the Image of the crucifix being set up was struck down with a thunderbolt The gates of some Cities opened of their own accord Many Bibles being thrown into a great fire were untouched only the margin a little scorched Many Apostates tormented by the sting of conscience cried out They were damned Some to avoid these terrors hanged themselves others drowned themselves Some died in fearfull despaire others died suddenly One as he was about to abjure was stricken dumb and being carried home was possessed with a great trembling all over and gnawing his own tongue he died miserably Dr Knapper a great persecutor was slain by the appointment of his wife an adultresse for which she was afterwards hanged Another vomited out his ungodly soul with bloud Another ran mad and cast him self down from the top of his house and so roaring fearfully he breathed his last Another shot himself to death with his own Pistoll Another ran mad fell into such a disease that none could come near him for stink and at last was choaked with vomiting up abundance of bloud Another being taken with a sudden disease waxed as black as a cole uttered his speech like the barking of a dog and within three daies died with terrible pains Another by the breaking of a great gun was torn all to pieces Another had a terrible disease in his throat his tongue rotted many holes were eaten in his throat whereout his food and medicines came so that he died myserably Collected out of a Book called Historia Persecutionum Ecclesiae Bohem. written by some Bohemian exiles HAving thus given you a brief Narrative of the Persecutions of the Church in Bohemia from the first planting of the Gospel amongst them to our present times Before I proceed any further let us a little look back to see how God fought for them against their Popish adversaries and thereby after a wonderfull manner plagued their persecutors Much may be read hereof in my second Part in the Life of Zisca but after his death there was a great fear and sorrow seized on his Army and the souldiers being divided amongst themselves one part of them chose for their Captain Procopius Magnus who still retained the name of Thaborites The other part thinking none worthy to succeed Zisca named themselves the Orphanes by reason of the losse of their Captain yet whensoever their Popish adversaries came against them they both joyned together to defend themselves and the liberty of the Gospel in Bohemia About this time Pope Martin perceiving the Gospel and the Professors of it to increase daily in Bohemia he sent the Cardinall of Winchester an English man into Germany to stirre up the Emperour and German Princes to make war against the Bohemians Hereupon three Armies were levied one under the Duke of Saxony the second under the Marquesse of Brandenburg the third under Otho Archbishop of Trevers These three Armies entred Bohemia three waies and at last joyning all into one besieged the City of Misna which but the night before was won from the Papists by one Prichicho a learned and zealous Protestant and therefore the Popish Armies resolved to take that place before they marched any further But so soon as news came that the Protestants had raised an Army and were hasting to the relief of Misna they speedily fled before they ever saw an enemy leaving all their Engines of warre and a great booty behinde them The Cardinall meeting them in their flight used all the arguments that possibly he could to the Nobles and Captains to turn them back again magnifying their number and prowesse and vilifying their enemies but when nothing would prevail himselfe was fain to accompany them in the flight Presently the Bohemians pursuing fell upon their rereward which made their flight much more fearfull and disordered then it was before neither did they leave flying till the Bohemians left pursuing of them The Emperour hearing of this shamefull flight went to Noremberg and by the assistance of the Cardinall a new Army was raised under the Command of Frederick Marquesse of Brandenburg which entred Bohemia one way and another great Army under Albert Arch-Duke of Austria which entred another way In these two Armies were all the chiefest Nobles and Bishops in Germany being above fourty thousand horsemen besides foot The Bohemians as soon as they heard of their enemies approach gathered their Host with all speed to encounter them But God marvellously fought for them for before the Bohemians came near them the Popish Army was struck with such a marvellous sudden fear that they began most shamefully to run away the Cardinall wondering at it went up and down to the Captains exhorting and encouraging of them telling them that they were to fight for their Lives Honour Religion and the salvation of souls c. but notwithstanding all that he could say and do the Ensignes were suddenly snatched up and every man ran headlong away so that the Cardinall was forced to do the like The Protestants encouraged hereby speedily pursued them and obtained a very great booty This so astonished both the Pope and Emperour that afterwards they sought rather by subtilty to entrap them then by force to compell them to forsake their religion as we have seen in the foregoing story CHAP. XXVI The Persecution of the Church in Spaine which began Anno Christi 1540. ANno 1540. there was one Francis Romane sent by the Spanish Merchants of Antwerp to Breme to take up some money that was due to them where being at a Sermon through the marvelous working of Gods Spirit he was so effectually wrought upon that after
get leave to write to or speak with any of his Countreymen Afterwards they brought him forth with many other godly persons upon their publick day of triumph in his Sambito painted all over with ugly devils tormenting a soul in flames of fire and with a Barnacle upon his tongue where he received sentence of death and so with the rest was carried to the place of execution to be burnt and he endured the flames with so much patience and cheerfulnesse of countenance that his Popish adversaries said that the Devil had his soul before he came to the fire whereby his sense of feeling was taken away They also sequestred all his goods which could never be recovered out of their hands though great means were used for the same This was in Queen Maries days There was burned with him at the same time another Englishman and not long after two more called John Baker and William Burgate And about the same time William Burges Master of an English ship was burned there also and William Hooker a youth of about sixteen was there stoned to death for the bold profession of his faith Here place the seventh Figure CHAP. XXVIII The Persecution of the Church of Christ in Italy which began Anno Christi 1155. ANno Christi 1155. Adrian the fourth an English man being Pope there was one Arnald of Brixia who coming to Rome preached boldly against the corruptions which were crept into the Church and found great favour amongst the Senators and people insomuch as when the Pope commanded this Arnald to be driven away as an Heretick they resisted his command and defended Arnald till at last the Pope interdicting the whole City at the importunity of the Clergy the Senators and Citizens were forced to send him away and shortly after he was apprehended by the Popes Legat Cardinal of St. Nicholas out of whose hands he was rescued by the Vicounts of Campany with whom he remained and to whom he preached the Gospel of Christ and was had in such esteem that he was accounted a Prophet Shortly after Frederick Barbarossa the Emperour coming unto Italy to be crowned the Pope sent some Cardinals to him requesting that he would deliver Arnald of Brixia into their hands whom the Vicounts of Campania had taken from his Legat at Otriculi whom they held for a Prophet in their Countrey and greatly honoured him The Emperour receiving these commands from the Pope presently sent forth his Apparitors and took one of the Vicounts prisoner wherewith the other were so terrified that they delivered up Arnald to the Cardinals and this the Emperour did to gratifie the Pope that was to set the Imperial Crown upon his head Not long after the Pope being in his Ruff marching with a brave Army into Apulia commanded his Prefect at Rome to do execution upon Arnald who accordingly most cruelly first hanged and then burned him for an Arch-heretick at the appointment of the Pope This Arnald was born in Italy and was trained up under Peter Abailardus in France His heresies were that he preached against the Pride and Covetousnesse of the Clergy and Monks That he inveighed against the corruptions which were crept into the Sacraments c. He first Preached in Brixia and expounded to the people the sacred Scriptures who earnestly embraced his doctrine whereupon the Bishops and Monks of that City complained of him to the Council that was held at Rome by Pope Innocent who to prevent the spreading of his Doctrine injoyned him silence and banished him Italy Then did he go beyond the Alps into a Town of Germany called Turengum where for a time he preached the truth and did much good till he heard of the death of Pope Innocent his old Adversary at which time he returned into Italy and went to Rome where what his successe was we heard before after his body was burnt they gathered up his ashes and threw them into the River Tybur Otho Frising Anno Christi 1546. There was one Encenas or Driander a Spaniard born in Bruges who in his youth was sent by his superstitious Parents to be educated in Rome where in process of time through God mercy he came to the knowledge of the truth and thereupon manifesting his dislikes of the impure doctrine of the Church of Rome he was betrayed by some of his own Countrymen and houshold friends and by them carried before the Cardinals who committed him to strait prison and afterwards being called forth to declare his judgement in matters of Religion he gave a notable testimony to the truth before the Cardinals and the Popes whole retinue whereupon they cried out upon him that he should be burned yet the Cardinals proffered him life if he would wear the Sambito but he constantly refused to wear any other badge save the badge of our Lord Jesus Christ which was to seal his Profession with his blood Hereupon he was condemned to the fire and suffered Martyrdome with great patience and constancy His brother Francis Encenas a very learned and godly man as any was in Spain being in the Emperours Court at Bruxels offered to Charles the fifth the New Testament translated into Spanish for which he was cast into prison 〈…〉 remained in great misery for the space of fifteen months looking for nothing but present death but at last through the marvellous Providence of God at eight a clock at night he found the prison doors standing wide open and a secret motion in his minde to make an escape whereupon going out of prison with a leasurely pace he went without interruption and so from thence went strait into Germany Anno 1550. There was at Ferrara one Faninus who by reading of good books was through Gods grace converted to the knowledge of the truth wherein he found such sweetnesse that by constant reading meditation and prayer he grew so expert in the Scriptures that he was able to instruct others and though he durst not go out of the bounds of his calling to preach openly yet by conference and private exhortations he did good to many This coming to the knowledge of the Popes Clients they apprehended and committed him to prison where by the earnest solicitations of his wife and children and other friends he was so overcome that he renounced the truth and so was dismissed out of prison But it was not long before the Lord met with him so that falling into horrible torture of conscience he was near unto utter despair for his Apostacy and for preferring the love of his kindred and friends before the service of Jesus Christ neither could he possibly by any means be free from these terrours before he had fully resolved to adventure his life more faithfully in the service of the Lord. Wherefore being thus inflamed with an holy zeal he went about all the Countrey doing much good wheresoever he came whereupon he was again apprehended and cast into prison and
but the Prince as God would have it turning at the same instant the bullet entred in at his throat under the right chap being so near that the fire entred with the bullet into the wound burning his Ruffe and Beard it brake out one of his teeth pierced the jugular vein but hurt not his toungue and so came out at his left cheek hard by his nose the blow being given one with an Halberd could not contain himself but thrust the Villain through and slew him The Chirurgions being sent for found that the fire which entred the wound had cauterized the jugular vein and had done him much good so that the wound was not mortal The Friar was afterwards apprehended and executed Anno 1584. The Spaniards thinking they had no greater enemy in the world than the Prince of Orange and that if he were dead they should quickly attain their desires in the Netherlands they suborned one Baltazar Gerard an high Burguignon to murther him who bought a good paire of Pistols and on the tenth of July watched when the Prince should go down into the Hall to dinner at Delpht in Holland and as he passed by he demanded a Pasport of him the Princesse observing that he spake with an hollow and unsetled voice she asked her husband who he was saying that she did not like his countenance the Prince answered that he demanded a Pasport which he should presently have After dinner the Prince going out of the Hall the murtherer stood behind a Pillar in the Gallery and as the Prince passed by suddenly shot him from the left side to the right through the stomack and the vital parts who said no more but O my God take pity of my soul I am sore wounded my God take pity of my soul and of this poor people and presently after he gave up the Ghost Collected out of Sleidens Commentaries and the History of the Netherlands c. CHAP. XXXII The Modern Persecutions of the Church in Germany since the year 1630. THe Swedes being possessed of a Town called Pasewalck the Imperialists took it by storm beat killed and drave out the Swedes and not content therewith they fell to torturing of the townsmen ravishing women and gilrs in the open streets and Church-yards yea women in child-bed then they killed the men fired their houses and burnt many in them thrust straw into Cellars where children were hidden and so burnt and smothered them Then they burnt the Churches and massacred the Ministers and at last burn down the whole Town The like cruelty was used against the City of Magdenburg famous for Religion which being taken by Tilly and Pappenheim Anno 1631. was in twelve hours space wholly turned into cindars except one hundred thirty nine houses by which fire six godly Churches were burnt down no mercy was shewed to any age sex or condition above twenty thousand persons were slain burnt and smothered to death six thousand were drowned in the river Elve Ladies and Gentlewomen like beasts were yoked together all about the Country and driven into woods to be ravished and such as resisted were stript stark naked whipt had their ears cropt and so were turned up Anno 1634. The Popish Army having taken the town of Hoxter they spared neither man woman nor child most inhumanely butchering and hewing in pieces all without respect of age sexe or condition and what the sword could not spoile they caused the fire to consume and the dead corpses they cast into the Weser At Griphenburg they kept the Senators shut up in a Chamber macecrating and tormenting them so long with hunger and smoak that divers of them died In Heidleberg they shut up divers Reverend Ministers and Bourgers in prison allowing them nothing to eat but bread and water Frankendall being surrendred upon Articles contrary to Covenants the grave Counsellors and other Electoral Ministers were forced to endure such conditions as were fitter for Dogs than men Some were cast into prison and so abused that they died there others were forced to redeem themselves with unreasonable ransoms the goods of such as were fled were confiscated and though the inhabitants were willing to have left their houses and all their goods yet were they detained in the City and their destruction most cruelly plotted Their rage was so great against the Professors of the Gospel that neither Turks nor Heathens did ever exceed them Princes sacred Person were not exempted from their fury The old Lantgrave of Hessen and the old Dutchesse Dowager of Wittenburgh were taken prisoners reviled and abused In Saxoni Tillies Souldiers tortured the Protestants by half strangling them and pressing their thumbs with wheels In Pomeren they forced the people to eat their own excrements and if they refused they thrust them down their throat whereby some of them were choaked If they suspected that any had hidden their gold or silver they used exquisite torments to make them to confesse it They wound and tied about the heads of some strong matches or cords and with short truncheons twisted them till blood came out of their eyes ears and noses yea sometimes till their eyes started out of their heads to others they tied burning matches between their fingers yea to their eyes ears noses tongues cheeks breasts leggs and secret parts yea such parts that nature hideth they either stuffed with gunpowder or hung bags of powder to them and so giving fire to it in an horrible manner they burst their bellies and killed them With bodkins they made holes or with knives they cut the skin and flesh of many They drew strings and cords through the fleshie parts of some and through the muscles of their thighs leggs armes c. or through their noses ears lips c. Some they hung up in the smoak drying them with small fires and sometimes refreshing them with small drink or water taking care lest in their torments they should die too soon Some they put into hot Ovens roasting or smothering them there Some they roasted with fires of straw Some they stifled strangled or hanged and this was a great favour so soon to rid them out of their pain Of many they bound their hands and feet so hard that the blood spirted out their fingers and toes ends Of some they tied their hands and feet backwards together stopping their mouths with clouts to hinder them from praying Some they hung up with ropes fastened to their privy parts and hearing their cries strove by their roarings to drown their cries as in sport Where they found poor creatures troubled with ruptures they enlarged them by villanous means filling them with gunpowder and blowing them up as a Mine by giving fire thereto Many they drew up on high hanging great weights at their feet to pull their bodies out of joynt Of some they plained their faces with Chisels Some men they openly gelded in the presence of their wives and
that were in prison to execution and procured a Commission from the King to certain Judges to hasten their trial But it fell out by Gods Providence that at this time the Protestant Princes of Germany were met at a Colloquy at Wormes to whom divers learned men resorted from Geneva requesting them to send their Ambassadors to the French King in the behalf of these poor Christians thus imprisoned by whose mediation and the Kings other business who was now in war with the King of Spain many of them were delivered yet some of them were executed before the coming of the Ambassodors Amongst them were Nicholas Clivet and one Granvelle both of them elders of the Congregation who stoutly defended the truth against the Sorbone Doctors and afterwards patiently resigned up their soules to God in the cruel flames Also a young Gentlewoman of about twenty three years old which came from Gascoigne to joyn her self to the Church at Paris was brought forth with the former and endured many conflicts with the Judges and Sorbonists who when she was urged to recant said That she had learned her faith from the Word of God and therefore therein she would live and die Her neighbours testified against her that there was much singing of Psalms in her house and that sometimes they had seen abundance of people come out of it and that at the death of her husband no Priest was called for c. But presently after two of these witnesses fell out and one slew the other with a knife The Cardinal of Sens much hastened this Gentlewomans death that he might have her estate When she was condemned she had her tongue cut as the two former also were served Going to execution she dressed her self like a Bride being that day to be married to her Spouse Jesus Christ she went to the fire without ever changing countenance and so quietly yielded up her spirit to God Divers others of this Congregation suffered in the like sort the rest at the mediation of the Prince Elector Palatine and the Protestant Switzers were released In other parts of France also sundry faithful Christians were imprisoned cruelly racked had their tongues cut out and finally were burned concerning whom because I find nothing extraordinary I have forborn to mention them Anno 1559. The King of France Henry the second coming into the the Parliament in Paris there was one Anne Du Bourg a noble Counsellour a man of singular understanding and knowledge bred and nursed up in the bosome of the Church of Christ who made a bold speech before him wherein he rendred thanks to Almighty God for moving the Kings heart to be present at the decision of so weighty a cause as that of Religion was humbly intreating him to consider well thereof being the cause of Christ himself which of good right ought to be maintained by Princes c. But the King instead of hearkening to his good advice was so far incensed against him that he caused him to be apprehended by the County of Montgomery Constable of France and to be carried to prison protesting to him in these words These eyes of mine shall see thee burnt and presently after he sent a Commission to the Judges to make his processe During his imprisonment there was a godly woman who was Prisoner also in a Chamber just over against his who at her window sometimes by words other sometimes by signes did much encourage him to persevere constantly in the truth whereby he was so comforted that when some of his friends perswaded him to recant he said God forbid for a woman hath taught me my lesson how I ought to carry my self in this business He was often examined about sundry points of Religion and being once asked whether he had conferred with any one about them he answered that he had conferred with his books especially with the holy Scriptures Having drawn up a confession of his Faith he intended to present it to the Parliament but some Advocates that belonged to that Court who pretended great love to him laboured to draw him to make another confession not contrary to the truth but in such ambiguous terms as might satisfie his Judges who would not stand strictly to examine it Du Bourg long resisted but at last was prevailed with to draw up such a confession supposing it sufficient that himself knew his own meaning So soon as this his confession came into the hands of his Judges great hopes were conceived of his enlargement but when the Christian Congregation had gotten a copy of it they were much grieved whereupon they ordered Master Augustine Marlorate a learned and godly Minister to write a large discourse concerning the duty of such as were called to bear witnesse to the truth of God before Magistrates wherein he set down Gods threatnings and judgements against such as either directy or indirecty deny the truth exhorting him more highly to prize the glory of God then his own liberty the truth of his Gospel then a short and transitory life shewing that he ought not now to give over having made so happy a beginning and progresse in his Christian course That the same of his constancy was spread not only through France but all Christendom over that he had been a means to confirm many weak ones and caused others to enquire after the means of salvation that all mens eyes were fixed on him to enquire by what means he gat out of prison so that if through fear and faint-heartedness he should enterprize ought that should contradict his first Profession he would give much scandal and offence and therefore he exhorted him to give glory to God to edifie his Church telling him that then he might assure himself that God would neither leave nor forsake him These Letters brought Du Bourg to a sight of his sin for which asking pardon of God without any further delay he wrote to the Judges retracting his last and protesting to stand to his first confession so that shortly after he was condemned In the mean time great feasts were preparing in the Court for joy of the marriages that should be of the Kings daughter and sister The day whereof being come the King imployed all the morning in examining the President and other Counsellors of the Parliament against Du Bourg and other his companions that were charged with the same doctrine intending to glut his eys in seeing their execution and then went to dinner After dinner the King being one of the Defendants at the Tilting which was near the prison where Du Bourg and his fellows lay entred the lists and behaved himself valiantly breaking many spears against Count Montgomery and others whereupon he was highly commended of the Spectators and all thinking that he had done enough desired him to give over with praise But he being puffed up with their commendations would needs run another course with Montgomery who kneeling
extirpate all the Protestant Churches because they had taken an Oath of fidelity to the French King neither was it groundless for the thing was really propounded in the Dukes Councel but it pleased God so to order affairs that the leading men amongst them did not at all approve of the business yea the Duke himself did extreamly mislike it and after he had retaken Mirebuc he did not a little revive the spirits of the Representatives of the Protestants of Lucerna who met with him at Villaro on purpose to assure his Highness of their fidelity and to beg the continuance of his grace and favour to whom in the presence of a great number of his Lords he returned this Answer Be but faithfull unto me and I will be sure to be a good Princâ— nay a Father unto 〈◊〉 and as to the liberty of your Conscience and the exercises of your Religion I shall be so far from innovating any thing against those liberties in which you have lived unto this present that if any offer to molest you have recourse to me and I shall effectually relieve and protect you These words being spoken in such a presence and in so obliging a manner were very advantagious to the poor peoples interest for some time after they served to counterballance the threats of their fiercest Enemies Yet were there some amongst the Popish party that thought it an unpardonable sinne to suffer them to live one year in peace and on the contrary an acceptable service to molest them either by secret stratagems or by open force and violence Such was the condition of this poor people from the year 1595. to the year 1602. at which time all the Masters of Families in the Valley of Lucerna professing the Protestant Religion were cited to appear before Count Charles of Lucerna the Governour Ponte the Arch Bishop Broglia and others and were by them commanded in the Dukes name either to go to Masse or to quit Lucerna and all their pretensions thereto without the least hopes of ever obtaining favour to return or in case of disobedience to prepare themselves for inevitable mischiefs and calamities which threats were pressed with so much violence that it caused many of the poor creatures to submit at least seemingly to the change of their Religion though many others of them were the deeplier rooted by these shakings From Lucerna the aforenamed Lords removed their seat to Bubiana where they found the Reformed so stiff in their Principles that they could not remove them an hairs bredth from the same wherefore they caused the chief of them to be summoned to appear at Turin thinking that the Dukes presence might prevaile more with them than all their threatning speeches The persons thus summoned were Master Valentine and Mr. Boules his brother with one Peter Morese and Samuel Falc who were brought one after another before hi Hisghnesse Mr. Valentine was the first whom the Duke perswaded to embrace the Roman Catholick Religion and to draw others to do the like promising him great rewards and preferments if he obeyed c. To this Mr. Valentine answered that next to the service of God he had no greater desire then to obey and please his Highness in whose service he would willingly adventure his person and estate when ever there should be occasion But as for his Religion which he knew to be true and confirmed by the Word of God he could not abandon it without disobeying God and wounding his own Conscience so as never to enjoy any comfort in his soul afterwards and therefore he humbly intreated his Highness to be satisfied with what he could do with a good conscience and to leave him to the liberty of his Religion which he valued above his life the Duke replyed that he also doubted not of the truth of that Religion which he professed and that such as embraced it should find how much they had gratified him in so doing yet would he not force the Conscience of any man and so he gave them leave to depart CHAP. XLII The Marquisate of Saluces described with its several troubles and Persecutions THe Marquisate of Saluces is on the South side of the Valleys of Predmont containing in it several Cities and considerable Valleys very fruitfull in all sorts of fruits It s most Northerly Valley is that of Po where the famous River Po hath its rise and source one onely Mountain separates this from the Valley of Lucerna on the North side In this Valley were those ancient Churches viz. Pravillem Biolets and Bietone who retained the purity of Christian Religion for several hundreds of years and lived in great union with their neighbouring Churches Anno Christi 1561. The Church of Dronier which was one of the most flourishing understanding that the publick exercise of the Reformed religion was permitted in France obtained Letters from the Kings Council to Sieur Lovis of Birague Governour of that Country in the Duke of Nevers absence whereby he was ordered to provide for the Petitioners a convenient place for the publick exercise of their Religion But not long after their Adversaries by their importunity prevailed so far that the said letters were revoked This occasioned the said Church to send Monsieur Francis Galatee their Minister into France with some others to recover if it were possible their former priviledges But this falling out in the time of their troubles in France all that they could obtaine was only bare promises In the mean time they received many hortatory and consolatory letters from the chief Ministers in the Churches of France and amongst others from those of Grenoble Lions c. to perswade them to patience and perseverance in that truth which they had embraced which accordingly they did notwithstanding all the malice and subtilty of their adversaries So that their Churches were continued and upheld convenient order being had for the preaching of the Word administration of the Sacraments exercise of their discipline c. only there wanted in some places liberty of having General Assemblies and publick Sermons For the better safety of their Ministers in the places that were most dangerous one Pastor had the charge of the faithful in several Cities and Communalties which rendred their residence and exercises less visible to their Adversaries Hereby the Gospel through Gods mercy made a very considerable progress at Dronier Verzo and some other places of moâ—e noâ—e The Church of Aceil in the Valley de Mairi was extraordinarily peopled and enjoyed more liberty than the others by reason of the scituation of the place but Satan the Enemy of Christs Church and Kingdom perceiving such a growth of the reformed Religion in those places ceased not to imploy all his power and policy to hinder the same and therein he made use of instruments for the effecting of it viz. first the Anticodemites whose ringleader was Baronius who lived at Valgrane and thereabouts accommodating himself to
of the reformed Religion in the Marquisate were not a little troubled when they heard of the cruel massacre of their brethren in France without distinction of age sex or quality insomuch as divers of them fled many Papists also secretly caused the families of their kindâ—ed and friends of the Religion to retire their families and themselves till such time as Birague had published the Kings pleasure after which they returned by little and little and though their publick exercises were prohibited yet they were well satisfied with the assurance of their lives and estates besides that they had the liberty of private exercises in their families This was the condition of the Protestant Churches in Saluces during the time that it was under the Dominion of the King of France which continued to the year 1588. at which time the Duke of Savoy took the possession who for a while suffered them to enjoy their priviledges in general But in particular some of the chief Members of the Church of Dromier being cited to Turin were so befooled with subtile Artifices that one part of them promised to go to Masse which gave a considerable blow to the said Church yet it lost not its courage in general although the great failings of the former encouraged their adversaries to attempt the like upon others by both words and letters Anno Christi 1597. the Duke of Savoy wrote his Letter to them wherein he told them how desirous he was that all his Subjects in the Marquisat of Saluces should embrace the Romish Religion and finding that his exhortations had prevailed with some he hoped that they would have the same effect upon the rest desiring that laying aside their Heretical obstinacie they would embrace the true Religion out of respect to Gods glory and their own good making large promises to such as should submit and telling them that it should return to their great advantage The Churches of the Marquisat having received this letter they answered first that they returned his Highness many thanks for that he had suffered them to enjoy their Religion hitherto as he had found them in the year 1588. when he took possession of the Marquisat Secondly they humbly intreated him to continue to them the said benefit as also to grant them his protection seeing that they knew that their Religion was founded upon the holy Scriptures according to which they ordered their lives and conversations so as none had any just occasion of offence and considering that even the Jews and other enemies of Christ were suffered to live in peace and to enjoy their Religion they hoped that those which were found Christians faithful to God and loyal to their Prince should not be denyed the same priviledge After this aâ—swer they lived a while in peace and the Duke took a voyage into 〈◊〉 after which followed a War so that they continued as aforetime But after the exchange of the Marquisat was established upon him his soft Letters were turned into sharp Edicts wherein he commanded all those of the Religion within the Marquisat that every one should go and declare to his ordinary Magistrate within the space of fifteen dayes whether he would renounce his religion or go to Mass or no which if they would do they should not only enjoy their habitations and Estates but many other favours also But if they resolved to persist in their Religion they were enjoyned to depart out of his Highness Dominions within the space of two moneths and never to return without expresse permission and that upon pain of death and confiscation of all their goods yet they were permitted within the said term of two months to transport their goods as they should think meet This unexpected Edict being published through the Marquisate July 1601. much troubled those of the reformed Religion who immediately sent Deputies to his Highness to obtain a revocation or at least a moderation of it and indeed they had some hopes given them by divers persons of quality so that many of the poor people resting upon this broken reed let slip much of the said prefixed time without preparing for their departure whereby they were the more amazed when they understood not many dayes before the time was expired that all hope of favour was now wholly taken away yet most of them prepared for their departure some recommending their goods to their kindred and friends who remained in the Country others leaving all they had at random except what they could carry with them to serve for their present necessities In these two moneths space they who were resolved to depart were continually set upon by their friends and kindred with all manner of perswasions to divert them from their purposes especially when they presented themselves to the Magistrate to give in their answer in writing For then they were caused to stand in a certain Pew in publick view where the Magistrates had either Monks or other Ecclesiasticks who ceased not to urge them by all possible arguments and motives thereby to shake their faith and constancy Amongst others a certain Capuchin Friar called Philip Ribo who a little before had been imployed in the same manner in the Valley of Perosa being now imployed in this place ran up and down using all subtilties imaginable especially among those who through feebleness of age weakness of sex or want of estates might probably make them more easie to be seduced they caused them also to be brought before the Magistrate one by one that so the constancy of some might not encourage others Yea hardly were Husbands permitted to declare for their Wives and Children and they so sifted the tender ones that it was hard for them to escape without making shipwrack of their Faith and Religion and to promote their design they prohibited all upon pain of death not to disswade others from revolting Yet through Gods mercy they were so fortified in their spirits that most of them withstood the tentations and went forth as Providence guided them not knowing whither they went Some steered their course beyond the Alps to France Geneva and other places Others retired themselves into the Valleys of Piedmont and remained there without trouble though the Edict required that they should depart out of his Highnesses Dominions In the beginning of this Persecution the adversaries fearing some resolute union amongst these poor persecuted souls to prevent any combustion they gave it out in the Churches of the Mountains that though the Edict was general yet the intention thereof was only to unlodg those in the lower Plains in the great Villages and other publick places and that such as inhabited amongst the Mountains might be sure to live in peace and quiet This indeed was a cause that at the first there was not such an universal union amongst those of the Reformed Religion that were destinated for slaughter as they could have desired But this fraud at length appearing occasioned a
the holy Mass forbidding those of the pretended Reformed Religion any ways to molest either by deed or word the Missionary Fathers or their Attendants much less to disswade any that would turn Catholicks under the same pain of death giving it in charge particularly to the Ministers of the said pretended Religion inviolably to observe the same upon pain of answering it in their proper names c. It 's easie to conjecture the miserable inconveniencies of a flight in the midst of winter especially to such a people amongst whom were many aged and decrepit many sick and diseased besides a multitude of women big with childe or newly brought to bed together with a number of tender Infants yet all forced to flye and none being in capacity to succor another Yet did these bloody beasts in the most violent and rigorous winter-season chase and drive out of their houses all on a sudden those poor people who scarce had clothes to cover their nakedness much less were they provided to resist the extremities of cold and hunger thinking hereby either to force them to change their Religion or to cause them to dye in the craggy Rocks and snowy Mountains yea they were so subtilly malicious as to chuse those very days when by reason of the multitude of violent waters in the Plain and of snow upon the Mountains they judged it impossible for those silly sheep ever to escape But these poor people considering that the Apostacy propounded was the way to eternal damnation chose rather to follow Christ in bearing his cross and to hazard their temporary lives rather than to lose their souls for ever yet that they might leave no lawful means unattempted they presently dispatched their Deputies to the Governor to represent to him the strangeness of this command to force them with their Families to abandon their antient habitations as also that it was impossible for so many souls as there were in number to subsist in the said place to which by the Edict they were confined they being scarce sufficient to supply in any sort those that inhabited them As likewise that this command was contrary to all their former Concessions upon which account they protested and appealed to his Royal Highness But the Governor knowing well the intention of the Council for the extirpating of Hereticks would neither admit of the one or of the other Hereupon the poor people seeing they could obtain nothing of him entreated him to grant them at least some time to have recourse to the Duke by humble supplications but this also was denied unless they would draw up their Petition by a model which he should prescribe which indeed was prejudicial both to their just Rights and Consciences These poor people I say seeing this to the end that they might remove all pretext for accusing them of Rebellion under that colour to ruine and destroy them hoping also that at last they might finde some means to lay their griefs at the feet of his Royal Highness and that his Clemency and Justice would in the end re-establish them in their ancient habitations they chose rather to suffer this violence and therefore recalling their Protestation thereby to testifie their profound respect to their Prince they quitted their houses and goods and retired with their Familes their Wives and Children great and small young and old whole and sick yea halt lame and blind draging after them such as were infirm by sickness or age through Rain Snow Ice Waters and a thousand difficulties Oh think with your selves what bitter tears what wringing of hands what smitting upon the breasts what mournings sighings and lamentations there were in the families of these miserable and distressed Creatures who were now reduced to the utmost of extremities before them were a multitude of violent and roaring waters on each hand most barbarous and snowy mountains behinde them men sevenfold worse than the Egyptians ready to butcher and destroy them yet recommending themselves Souls and Bodies to Gods protection they are resolved to undergo the worst of temporary miseries rather than by denying their Religion to damn their Souls This their Constancy and Resolution was no small comfort to other Churches and a matter of great astonishment to their Persecutors the rather considering the great advantages they might have purchased by quitting their Religion as Pardon for all crimes Liberty if in Prisons exemption from all manner of Taxes c. They were no sooner departed from their houses but a number of Thieves and Robbers entred them spoiling and pillaging whatever the people had left behinde them pulling down their houses cuting down all their trees and turning their habitation into a desolate wilderness of which violence the poor people complained to the Duke and received from him such an answer that they apprehended his intentions were not that they should wholly quit their houses till their cause might be heard and judged in confidence hereof they sometimes returned to their houses to guard them from these Robbers and to husband their ground that so they might have wherewithal to pay their Taxes yet for this they were branded with Rebellion though they had neither taken up arms nor acted any other hostility every one living peaceably without giving any cause of offence Gastaldo having thus driven these poor people from their antient inheritance without legal citing them hearing their plea or giving them the least time to provide for so sad a flight their last refuge was to have recourse to the Lord by fervent prayers and to their Prince by humble supplications which was done not only by those that were driven from their houses but by the other Churches of the Reforned Religion the cause being common to them all But alas they found both his and all other his Ministers ears stopped to their wosull crys neither could they obtain so much as admittance into the presence of his Royal Highness Amongst other cunning Artifices used by their malicious Adversaries to imbitter the spirits of his Highness and the Dutchess his Mother against these poor Protestants this was one John Ressan President of the Province of Pignorolio having for many years born a deadly spleen against the popish Priest of Fenile hired one to assassinate him and then by his Secretary he spread it abroad all over the Country that the Protestants were the Authors of the murther who yet five days before were driven out of Fenile which report flew far and near being entertained as an undoubted truth by those Papists who lived far off encreasing also with carriage though upon the place the author of this murther was well known so that by all their reports they were not able to fasten any blemish in the minds of the dead Priests friends and Kindred nor to hinder them from apprehending both the Master and his Secretary by which means the innocency of the Reformed party was so cleared to the world that the Marquess of Pionessa in his
to the slaughter as well by reason of its being very much frequented and grown famous as also because of the Synod there usually celebrated as likewise a famous University and Printing-house and books frequently published to the world When therefore in the year 1655. the Swedish Army out of Pomerania drew near to the borders of Poland and the Nobility were summoned to Arms according to the custome of the Countrey it came to passe that the Papists brake forth into many furious expressions crying out That the Hereticks had invited the Enemy and therefore they were first of all to be put to the sword and extirpated which reports though most falsly scattered abroad for the searcher of the heart and the reins knoweth that we never so much as dreamt of it yet they easily found credit among the sworn Enemies of the Gospel who sought nothing more than our ruine Hereupon they who first consulted to agree with the Swedish Army being terrified by its power concluded about the surrender of all Great Poland into the Kings protection and namely the Royal Cities of Posen Calissen Meserick c. to which also Lesna was expressely added In a little time after they endeavoured to cast off the Swedish Yoke and turned their Arms not against the Swedes but first against our Evangelical Professors as conspiring with the Swedes upon the account of Religion and none of them scrupled to take revenge upon them They first of all set upon those of Lesna with resolution of putting all to the sword and destroying that Heretical City by fire and they had effected both unlesse God had by sending some persons before who by signifying the coming of the Enemy and with what intent they came had possest the Citizens with a Panick fear so that leaving all their Estates they every man fled and thus within the space of one hour a most populous City abounding with all manner of wealth was left without Inhabitants who in a miserable condition wandered then into the neighbouring Woods and Marishes into Silesia But the Polish Nobility with their Army entring the City did what they pleased slaying a number of decrepit old people and sick persons that were not able to save themselves by flight then the City it self was first plundred and afterwards so destroyed by fire for three dayes together that no part of it remained beside rubbish and ashes In what manner they would have handled the Citizens especially their Pastors they shewed by their heroick actions performed in other places by the most savage slaughtering of divers Ministers of the Church and other faithful Members of Christ of both Sexes for of all that they laid hold on they gave not one man quarter but very cruelly put them to death with most exquisite tortures They endeavoured to force Master Samuel Cardus Pastor of the Church of Czuertzinen to renounce his Religion after they had taken him and miserably handled him with all manner of cruelty but he stoutly resisting they first put out his Eyes and led him about for a spectacle then they pulled off his Fingers-ends with pincers but he not yet condescending to their mad Fury they found out a new kinde of torment poured molten Lead into his mouth and at length while he was yet half alive they clapt his Neck between folding Doors and violently pulling them together severed his Head from his Body They took John Jacobides Pastor of the Church of Dembnick and Alexander Wartens his Colleague and another that was in company with them as they passed through the Toun of LUBIN and hurrying them up and down for divers hours and grievously handling them after the manner of Tyrants then last of all cutting their Throats with a Razor threw them headlong while they were yet breathing into a great pit which had been before-hand prepared for their Martyrs and stifled them by casting down Dung and Dirt upon them They a great while pursued Andrew Oxlitius a young man designed for the Ministery whom after long seeking they at last found in the open field and in the end having taken him they cut off his Head with a Sithe chopping it into smal pieces and the dead carcase also they slasht in a barbarous manner The same fate befell Adam Milta a Citizen of Lesna but they more grievously handled an old man of above seventy whose name was Simon Priten and many others whose names it were too tedious to relate Of that barbarous execution which they did upon the weaker Sex there were besides other examples horrid Trophies of Cruelty erected in the said City of Lesna a pious Matron there who was the mother of three children not being able quick enough to leave the City and being slain in the open street they cut off her hands feet cutting off her childrens heads they laid two of them at her breasts and the third by her side In like manner another woman having her hands and feet cut off and her tongue cut out being inclosed and bound in a Sack lived the space of two dayes making most miserable lamentation Grief forbids us to adde more for they behaved themselves so furiously towards us that there remains not an example of any one man saved of all those that happened to fall into their hands It is notoriously known how that fury of theirs tyrannized also over the dead some they dragg'd out of their graves and cut in pieces as at Zichlin others they exposed naked for a publick Spectacle as at Lesna of which outragious action we had an example even in the dead body of the most Serene Landgrave of Hassia which was drawn out of the grave who was heretofore slain in a most barbarous and tyrannical manner at Koscian but buried by our Friends at Lesna The like was acted also upon the Body of the most Noble Arciszevius heretofore the valiant Admiral of the Hollanders in Brazile which was likewise dragg'd out of the grave and being stript of the grave-clothes was found after the firing of Lesna There are divers other examples which the Christian Reader may finde in the Book Entituled Lesnae Excidium faithfully written and lately set forth in print but they are such examples onely as are commonly known for who is able to relate all things in particular as burning men alive drowning others with stones tied about their necks c. Now Lesna being destroyed the fury of the Enemy proceeded to the persecutions of others they in a short time utterly demolished all our Congegations not onely driving away the Pastors but also either burning or leaving most of the Temples desolate as at Karmin Dembnick Skochy Czriuczin c yea and the Auditories themselves were either slain as in the Town of Skochy where there was a very flourishing Church of the Bohemian Exiles Sixty persons both men and women were cruelly put to death or else they were scattered abroad so that there remained not one place wherein the Worship of God may be celebrated Lo
many great Provinces to shake off his Antichristan yoak and therefore he condemned them for Hereticks in the Councel of Lateran Yet did they so multiply that Anno 1200. they possessed many and great Cities yea they had many great Lords that took part with them as Earl Remund of Tholouse Remund Earl of Foix the Vicount of Bezieres c. Pope Innocent the third pretended a great desire to reclaime them by preaching and conference and thereupon there was a famous Disputation at Montreall wherein the Popish Doctors were shamefully baffled by Arnold But the Popes pollicy was thus to rock them asleep whilest he raised Armies against them to destroy them The pretended occasion whereof was this There was one Frier Peter that was slain in the dominions of the Earl of Tholouse whereupon the Pope sent preachers abroad through all Europe to assemble men together to take vengeance on the Hereticks for the innocent bloud of Friar Peter slain amongst them promising Paradise to all that would come to this warre and bear arms for fourty daies This he called the holy warre and gave the same Pardons and Indulgences to those that came to this war as to those which went into the Holy land against the Saracens Then did he thunder against Earl Remund charging all Arch-bishops and Bishops through their Diocesse to pronounce him accursed and excommunicated and that with the sound of a Bell and extinction of Candles every Sabbath and festivall day for murthering of a good servant of God He also absolved all his subjects from their oaths of allegiance to him commanding every good Catholike to pursue his person and to take and possesse his land c. He also wrote to all Christian Princes to stirre them up to get this pardon rather by fighting against these Albingenses then by going against the Turks Earl Remund hearing of all these preparations against him sent to the Pope humbly beseeching him not to condemn him before he was heard assuring him that he was no way guilty of the death of Frier Peter but that he was slain by a Gentleman who immediatly fled out of his Country otherwise he would have severely punished him for it But all was in vain for presently came Armies of crossed souldiers to pour down their vengeance on him and his lands Amongst these were many noble men and Ecclesiasticall persons Arch-bishops Bishops Abbots c. to all which the Pope promised Paradise but gave them not a peny The Earl of Tholouse perceived that he must either prepare for defence or submit the latter he thought the safer and therefore he went presently to the Popes Legate at Valance to whom he began to say that he thought it strange that so many armed men should be brought against him who used no other arms for his defence but his own innocency And that concerning the death of the Frier they should first have enquired the truth of the fact before they thus moved heaven and earth against him yea if he had been guilty yet there was an ordinary course of justice to be used against him and not to wreak their anger on his innocent Subjects and therefore Sir said he since I come voluntarily to you armed only with the testimony of a good conscience what further use is there of these armed Pilgrims pray you therefore counteâ—mand these souldiers before they go to make any further spoil in my territories for my own person may serve for a sufficient pledge c. The Legate answered that he had done well in coming to him yet could he not send back the souldiers except he would put seven of his best castles into his hands which should serve for a hostage Now did the Earl when it was too late see his own folly in putting himself into the Legates hands and thereby making himself a prisoner but there was no remedy now he must take Laws from him that had him in his power and therefore be told him that both his person and possessions were at his disposall beseeching him that his Subjects might receive no more damage by the Souldiers The Legate presently sent to put Garisons in those seven Castles commanding all the Consuls of every City presently to appear before him and when they were come he told them that Earl Remund had delivered up his Castles to the Pope and therefore they were to take notice of it that so they might acknowledge themselves lawfull Subjects to his Holinesse in case the Earl should falsifie his Oath to the Pope The Consuls were much astonished thus to see their Lord devested of all his possessions but that which most afflicted them was to see him led to S. Giles to be reconciled to the Church where the Legate commanded the Earl to strip himself stark naked all but his linnen drawers then did he put a cord about his neck whereby he led him nine times about the grave of Frier Peter scourging him with rods all the while The Earl demanded satisfaction for so sharp a penance seeing he was not guilty of the fact the Legate answered that he must submit if he would be reconciled to the Pope yea he must be thus scourged before the Earls Barons Marquesses Prelates and all the people he made him also to swear to be obedient all his life to the Pope and Church of Rome and to make irreconcileable warre against the Albingenses c Then did the Legate make him General of the crossed Souldiers for the seige of Beziers The Earl knew not what to do For to conduct an Army to fight against the Albingenses was to sin against his conscience and if he should fly away it would furnisâ— them with new matter of persecution against him and his subjects In this extremity he stayed in the Army a few daies and then went towards Rome to reconcile himself to the Pope Then did the Army come before the City of Beziers and provided all manner of Engines for battery reared up ladders for a general Escalado this the Earl of Beziers beholding and judging it impossible to defend the City he went out and cast himself down at the Legates feet beseeching him not to punish the innocent with the nocent which must needs be if the Town were taken by storm he told him that there were in the City great numbers of good Catholicks which would be subject to the same ruine with the Albingenses he desired him also to commiserate him now in his minority that was a most obedient servant to the Pope and had been brought up in the Romish Church in which he would live and die The Legate told him that all his excuses prevailed nothing and that he must do as he may The Earl returned into the City assembled the people and told them that he could obtain no mercy from the Legat except all the Albingenses would come and abjure their religion and promise to live according to the Laws of the Church of Rome The Popish party
requested the Albingenses to yield to this but the Albingenses answered that they would not forsake their religion for the base price of their frail life that God was able if he pleased to defend them but if he would be glorified by the confession of their faith it should be a great honour to them to die for his sake that they had rather displease the Pope who could but kill their bodies then God who could cast both body and soul into hell c. Then did the Popish party send their Bishop to the Legate beseeching him not to include them in the chastisement of the Albingenses and that the best way to win the others was by gentle means not by rigour the Legate grew into great choler at this swearing that if all the City diâ— not acknowledg their fault they should all taste of one cup without distinction of religion sex or age and accordingly he summoned the City presently to yield to his discretion which they refusing he caused that his Engines should play and that a generall assault should be given It was impossible for them within the City to resist so great violence being assaulted by above an hundred thousand Pilgrims so that the enemies entred and slew a great multitude and set the City on fire and burnt it to ashes When the City was first taken the Priests and Monks came forth of the great Church with Banners and Crosses singing Te Deum laudamus but the Souldiers who were commanded by the Legate to kill all ran upon them made their heads and arms to fly about the streets so that they were all cut in pieces In this City of Beziers they slew sixty thousand persons the Popes Legate saying to the Captains and souldiers Caedite eos omnes novit enim Dominus qui sunt ejus Kill them all Catholicks and Hereticks for the Lord knoweth who are his Then were these Pilgrims presently conducted to Carcasson before the fourty daies of service which they had vowed to the Church of Rome were expired The Earl of Beziers when he saw that he could obtain no favour of the Legate before the City was taken left his charge to the Bishop and went to Carcasson endeavouring to prepare and furnish it for a long siege but the Legates Army followed him presently unto which there came a new supply of crossed souldiers out of sundry Countries so that his Army now consisted of three hundred thousand fighting men Near to the City of Carcasson was a Town of the same name the City was seated on an hill and fenced with a double wall yet the Pilgrims thought to take it at the first sight and therefore ran with great violence upon the first Rampier filling the ditch with fagots but they were beaten back with such courage that the ground was covered with their dead bodies The young Earl of Beziers won much honor in this first encounter encouraging his men and telling them that it was better to die fighting then to fal into the hands of such cruel and merciless enemies c. The Albingenses much encouraged hereby swore to him that they would spend their lives for the preservation of the City The next morning the Legate commanded a general assault to be made upon the Town of Carcasson which was two miles from the City The people valiantly defended themselves but being oppressed with multitudes the souldiers entred the Town putting all to the sword and fire as they had done at Beziers Then came the King of Arragon to the Camp and told the Legate that he understood that his kinsman the Earl of Beziers was in the City and that with his leave he would go to him not doubting but that he should prevail with him to do his duty to the Pope and Church The Legate gave him leave and the King approaching to the Rampier called for the Earl who came to him then said the King that he desired to know of him what moved him to shut up himself in that City against so great an Army of Pilgrims the Earl answered that it was to defend his life goods and Subjects that he knew well that the Pope under the pretence of religion resolved to destroy his Uncle Remund and himselfe that he saw the cruelty which they had used at Beziers even against the Priests themselves adding also what they had done to the Town of Carcasson and that they must look for no mercy from the Legate or his Army and that therefore he rather chose to die defending himself with his subjects then to fall into the hands of so inexorable an enemy as the Legate was that though he had in his City some that were of another religion yet they were such as had wronged none and were come to his succour in his greatest extremity and for their good service he was resolved not to abandon them and that his trust was in God the defender of the oppressed that he would assist them against that world of ill advised men who forsook their own houses to burn sack and ransack and kill in their houses other men without reason judgement or mercy The King returning to the Legate told him that his cozen was much discontented with his former dealings against his Subjects of Beziers Carcasson that he believed seeing they spared not the Romish Priests their war was not for Religion but a kinde of theevery that he would not yield himselfe to the descretion of such mercilesse men c. The Legate after some debate told the King that for his sake he would receive the Earl of Beziers to mercy and that with him twelve more might come out with bag and baggage but for the rest he would have them wholly at his discretion and that they should all come forth stark naked men women maids and children without shirts smocks or other covering and that then they might hope well of his mercy he being the Popes Legate c. The King much distasted this propositions yet reported it to the Earl of Beziers who returned answer that he would not come forth upon such unreasonable and unjust propositions but would defend himself and his Subjects as God should enable him Then did the Legate cause all his Engines to play commanding that they should take the City by storm but he was little pleased when he saw the losse of a great number of his Pilgrims for they in the City threw down stones fire pitch brimstone and boiling water wherewith they so galled the assailants that the earthâ—â—s covered and the ditches filled with their deads bodies which 〈◊〉 a wondrous noysom stink both in the City an Camp This overthrow caused divers of the crossed souldiers having accomplished their fourty daies service and thereby gained Paradise to refuse to conquer more after so faire a purchase and therefore they returned home The Legate being much troubled to see his Army so decreased thought of this Stratagem he sent for