the cause of the Gospel but afterwards Apostatizing to Poperie he began to be much troubled in minde and from thence fell into despaire against which he wrestled a great while but at length being wholly overcome by it as he was drawn to walk into the fields with some scholars his familiar friends he feigned wearinesse and so sat down by a springs side and his friends being gone a little before he drew out a dagger and stabbed himself into the breast his friends seeing him shrinking down and the water discoloured with his blood ran to him took him up searched his wound and carried him to the next house but whilest they were busie about him he espied a knife by one of their sides whereupon he plucked it forth and suddenly stobbed himself to the heart whereby he died miserably Act. Mon. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester cried out on his death-bed that he had denied his Master with Peter but not repented with Peter and so stinking above ground ended his wretched life See my English Martyrolgy Master West Chaplaine to Bishop Ridley and a Preacher and Professour of the truth in King Edward the sixths dayes afterwards in Queen Maries time he turned Papist forsook his Master and said Masse though it were against his conscience For which he fell into such torment of conscience that he pined away and so died Act. Mon. Of Hardings Apostacie See in my second Part in the Life of the Lady Jane Gray As also divers other examples in my Martyrologies Theoderick an Arian King of the Vandals did exceedingly affect and love a certaine Orthodox Deacon but the Deacon thinking farther to ingratiate himself and to get greater preferment Apostatized from the truth and turned Arian which when the Emperour understood he turned his love into hatred and commanded his head to be struck off saying That if he proved false and unfaithful to his God how could he expect any good or faithful service from him Adam Neucerus sometimes a professour of the truth and Pastour of a Church in Heidleberg afterwards plaid the Apostate upon some discontent and turned Turk But not long after he died miserably in Constantinople Mel. Adam in vit Gerl. See the History of Francis Spira A Treasurer of Julians to please his Lord and Master Apostatized from the faith and coming into a Church where he saw the holy vessels scoffingly said Behold with what vessels they minister to the Son of Mary but shortly after he vomited all the blood in his body out at his mouth whereby he died miserablis Theod. L. 3. During the Heptarchy of the Saxons in England there were in Northumberland two Kings Ostrich and Eaufride who before their coming to the Crown had been instructed and trained up in the Christian Religion by Paulinus a worthy and godly Bishop But after they came to their Kingly dignities they renounced Christ and returned to the service of their filthy Idols Whereupon as they forsook Christ he forsook them and within one yeares space both of them were slaine by Cedwalla King of the Britanes Beda Cardinal Poole whilest he was in Italy was informed of the truth and was a savourer of it as you may see in Peter Martyrs Life in my first Part but afterwards he became a cruel Persecutor of it here in England in Queen Maries dayes but it pleased God that about two dayes after the Queens death he died in horrible fear and terrour Peter Castellan Bishop of Maston who sometimes had been a forward professour of the truth but afterwards turning to Popery in a Sermon at Orleance he enveighed bitterly against the profession and professors of the true Religion whereupon it pleased God to strike him with a strange and terrible disease unknown to Physicians for one halfe of his body burned like fire and the other halfe was as cold as ice and in this torment with horrible cries and groans he ended his wretched life A Gray Frier called Picard who sometimes made a Profession of the truth afterwards fell away and preached against it adding infinite blasphemies against the truth But presently after God struck him speechlesse and so being carried to his bed half dead he presently after died without the least signe of Repentance Lambespine a Counsellor in the Parliament of Grenoble had formerly been a professour of the Reformed Religion but falling from the truth he became a Persecutour of the godly in Valence of Daulphine and amongst others of two godly Ministers which suffered Martyrdome But shortly after he fell passionately in love with a young maide whom shamefully he followed up and down whithersoever she went and seeing his love and labour despised he pined away with grief and being regardlesse of himself multitudes of lice bred and fed upon him yea they issued out abundantly from every part of his body So that feeling Gods heavy vengeance upon him he began to despaire of mercy and resolved to pine himself which purpose the lice seemed to further for they clustered so many in his throat as almost choaked him and when some of his friends pittying his condition set open his mouth with a gag to poure in broth the lice went down with it and choaked him so that as he had gagged the godly Ministers at their death himself died with a gag in his mouth King Henry the fourth of France who had all his life-time before been a Protestant shortly after he came to the Crown of France when he had almost subdued all his enemies which opposed him thereâ—n suddenly turned Papist Not long after as he was taking his leave of his Nobles to begin his Progresse one John Castile suborded by the Jesuites intended to have stabbed him into the body with a knife but the King at the same instant stooping to take up one of his Lords who was on his knees before him the blow fell upon his right upper jaw cutting out one of his teeth and somewhat wounding his tongue It is reported that in his progresse a Protestant Minister in private conference said unto him You have denied God with your tongue and have received a wound in the same take heed of denying him with your heart lest you receive a wound in that also which indeed proved a prophecie for riding abroad in his Coach to refresh himself one Ravilliac watched his opportunity and stabbed him first into the left pap and with a second blow struck him between the fifth and sixth rib cutting asunder the veine leading to the heart the knife entering into the vena cava of which wound he died French Hâ—st Read also the history of Francis Spira lately printed and observe Gods severe judgements upon him for his Apostasie In the year 1287 the King of Hungary forsaking the Christian saith became an Apostata and when he had called fraudulently to a Parliament the great Potentates of his land Meramomelius a puissant Saracene came upon them with twenty thousand souldiers carrying away with him the King with all the
Christians there assembled but as they were journeying the weather that was clear and faire became cloudy and suddenly a tempest of haile killed many of the Infidels whereby the Christians escaped to their own homes and the Apostate King alone was carried away by the Saracenes Camb. Brit. Irel. p. 1â—8 A Smith in King Edward the sixths dayes called Richard Denson was a forward professor of Religion and by his Christian instructions the happy instrument of the conversion of a young man to the faith Afterwards in the reigne of Queen Mary this young man was cast into prison for his religion who remembring his old friend the Smith to whom he alwayes carried a reverend respect for the good that he had received by him sent to know whether he was not imprisoned also and finding that he was not desired to speak with him and when he came asked his advice whether he thought it comfortable for him to remaine in prison and whether he would encourage him to burne at a stake for his religion To whom the Smith answered that his cause was good and he might with comfort suffer for it But for my 〈◊〉 saith he I cannot burne But he that could 〈◊〉 burne for religion by Gods just judgement was burned for his Apostasie For shortly after his shop and house being set on fire whilest over-eâ—gerly be sought to save his goods himself was burned Under the fourth Persecution there were some Christians who for fear of torments and death denied their faith and sacrificed to Idols yet did not thâ—â— bloody persecutors spare them and it was observed that being full of guilt they went to their death 〈◊〉 dejected and ill-favoured countenanâ—es so â—hâ—â— the very Gentiles took notice of it and reproached them as degenerous persons and worthy to suffer 〈…〉 doers See my Gen. Martyr p. 43. In the late Persecution in Bohemia a godly maâ—…ing tired out with imprisonment promised to 〈◊〉 Catholick and thereupon was released But preâ—…ly after God chastized him for this fault holding 〈◊〉 conscience in captivity so that he could have 〈◊〉 hope of mercy for a whole year together c. 〈◊〉 p. 190. One Philbert Hamlin in France having converted â— Priest to the profession of the truth was together with the Priest apprehended and cast into prison at Burdeaux But after a while the Priest being terrified with the prison and fear of death renounced Christ and was set at liberty whereupon Philbert said to him O unhappy and more then miserable man Is it possible that to save your life for a few dayes you should so deny the truth Know therefore that though you have avoided the corporal sire yet your life shall not be prolonged for you shall die before me and you shall not have the honour to die for the cause of God but you shall be an Example to all Apostates And accordingly as he went out of the prison two Gentlemen that had a former quarrel to him met him and slew him Eodem p. 292. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. CHAP. XXI Examples of Gods judgements upon Atheists Complained of Ps. 14. 1. Rom. 3. 18. That there are such See Job 18. 21. Eph. 2. 12. Ps 50. 21. and 10. 11 13. Such are they that are spoken of Job 21. 14 15. Ps. 73. 11. and 10. 4 11 13. and 59. 7. and 64. 5. and 78. 19 20. and â—4 7. Job 22. 13 14 17. and 34. 9. and 35. 3. Ezek. 8. 12. Tit. 1. 16. Scriptural examples Pharaoh Exod. 5. 2. The fool Psal. 14. 1. The rich glutton Luk. 12. 19. Other examples Some are atheists out of sensuality as Epicurus Lucretius c. Or out of stomack as Diagoras who having written a Poem and prepared it for the publick one stole it from him whereupon he brought him before the Senate of Athens where the man forswore it and was dismissed and afterwards published the Poem in his own name Diagoras seeing this turned Atheist because this fellow was not smitten with some visible vengeance from heaven that had so forsworn himself Porphyrie was at first a Christian but having received some injury from the Christians he became an Atheist and wrote a book against the Scriptures Aristotle reading the history of the creation in Genesis said Egregiè dicis Domine Moses sed quomodo probas You speak of strange matters Sir Moses but how do you prove them Lucian impudently derided not only all the Heathen gods but with the same blasphemous mouth railed upon Christ as a crucified cousener and upon Christians as mad men because they were so forward to suffer Martyrdom and scoffingly said That Jupiter at certain times looked down through some certain cranies in Heaven at which times if men were praying they might be heard otherwise not he was at last torn in pieces by dogs Suidas Caligula the Romane Emperour fancied himselfe a god and would needs finde out a way to imitate Ioves thunder He commanded himselfe to be worshipped and set up his Images every where He dedicated the Temple at Hierusalem to his own worship But when the true God gave forth his voice of Majesty from heaven he that before was so high was now as low and of a poor spirit covering his eyes with his cap running under a bed or creeping into a bench-hole for safety Yet did Gods judgement finde out this Atheist for he reigned but three yeares and three moneths and was slaine by a Tribune Suet. in Calig Herod Agrippa when he suffered himselfe to be honoured as a god was smitten by an Angel because he gave not God the glory and was eaten up of wormes Acts 12. 22 23. Daphida the Sophister going to Apollo's Oracle at Delphos enquired whether he should finde his horse or no whereas he had no horse but did it out of an Atheistical humour to deride the Oracle He was answered that he should finde his horse but being thrown from him he should breake his neck with this answer he made himselfe very merry and so went homewards but by the way he met with King Attalus whom he had sormerly much abused who caused his servants to carry Daphida upon a great rock which was called The horse and from thence to throw him down whereby he was broken in pieces Val. Max. L. 1. Commodus the Emperour was a very Atheist and a great contemner of the Romane gods for which he became hatefull both to God and man and was slaine by his servants as he lay upon his bed his body was cast out into the streets where he was made the object of every ones scorne and at last was thrown into the river Tyber Fulgen. l. 1. c. 2. Heliog abalus forced a Vest all Virgin to marry him made warre against all the gods and contemned all religious serving of them for which he was slaine by his own horsemen his body being dragged up and down the streets and at last thrown into Tyber Ibid. It is said
and contempt of the Word of God For which cause the Lord sent amongst them such a contagious plague that the living were scarce able to bury the dead and when by this judgement they were not reclaimed the Lord brought upon them the fierce and cruel Nations of the Saxons and Angli out of Germany who though at first they came to help them yet after a while they turned against them and after much blood-shed drave them out of their Countrey into the mountaines of Wales where they remaine unto this day See this more fully in my English Martyrologie Gildes a godly and learned man was at another time raised up by God to exhort the Britanes to repentance and amendment of life but they laughed him to scorn and took him for a false Prophet for which cause the Lord plagued them delivering them into the hands of their enemies on every side In the Reigne of King Edward the third God raised up John Wickliffs to preach repentance to the English to exhort them to turn from their Idolatry and supersticion But his Ministery was contemned and his body and books were burned after his death For which a heavy judgement befell them They slew their lawfull King and set up three Usurpers on a row by which most of the Nobles of the Land were slaine and one halfe of the Commons so that Cities and Townes were decayed and much of the Land turned to a wildernesse Nicholas Hemingius relates a story of a lewd fellow in Denmark Anno Christi 1550. which usually made a mock at Religion and the professors of it and on a time coming into a Church where a godly Minister was preaching by his countenance and gestures shewed a great contempt against the Word but as he passed out of the Church a tile fell upon his head and slew him in the place Anno Christi 1547. one Christopher Turk a Councellour of estate in Germany mocked a godly Noble-man that was taken prisoner saying See what hecomes of these gallants that use to sing when any one wrongs us God is our succour and defence but assoon as the words were out of his mouth God struck him with a grievous disease and being carried to his bed he died in despaire Beards Theat A profane Priest in Misnia that used to mock at the Sacrament of Baptisme and when a woman-childe came to be baptized would wish them that brought it to throw it into the river as he was looking over the bridge of Elbe at the boats that passed by by Gods just judgement he fell over the bridge and was drowned Beard Two schismatical Donatists at Thipasa in Mauritania commanded the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be thrown to the dogs but immediatly the dogs growing mad fell upon them and rent them to pieces Optat. Melevit l. â— Theopompus a Philosopher being about to insert some of Moses writing into his profane works was immediately stricken with madnesse Joseph Theodectes a Poet that mingled his Tragedies with some of the holy Scriptures was stricken blinde Joseph A husbandman at â—tzsith in Germany being a great despiser of the Word of God on a time railing most bitterly against a godly Minister presently going into the fields to look to his sheep was found dead his body being burnt as black as a coal Luther in Col. Phil. Melancthon relates a story of a Tragedie that was to be acted of the death and passion of Christ But he that acted Christs part on the Crosse was wounded to death by one that should have thrust his sword into a bladder of blood and he with his fall killed one that acted a womans part lamenting under the Crosse His brother that was first slaine seeing this slew the murtherer for which himselfe by the order of justice was hanged February 3. Anno Christs 1652. a Play was acting at Witny in Oxfordshire at the White-Heart-Inne in a great long chamber supported by two strong and substantial beames the place having been formerly a maulting roome the matter of the play was scurrilous and blasphemous containing some bitter taunts against all godly persons under the name of Puritans and at religion it selfe under the name of observing fasting dayes But as they were acting of it it pleased God that the roome wherein the people was fell whereby five were slaine outright and above sixty were hurt and sorely bruised One woman had her leg broken which being cut off she died within three or four dayes besides there were about twelve broken armes and legs and others put out of joynt This is written at large by Mr. John Row a godly Minister and preacher in that place Apian scoffing at Religion and especially at circumcision had an ulcer rose at the same time in the same place Joseph A man in Queen Elizabeths Reigne for compiling a book wherein he had fastened some treasonable dishonours upon the Queen was condemned to die and before his death acknowledged that though he had not done any thing against the Queen which deserved death yet he deserved to die for that he had seduced many of her subjects from hearing the Word of life and though he saw the evil of it and reformed himselfe yet he could never prevaile to reclaime others whom he had seduced and therefore said he The blood of their soules is justly required at my hands He that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Thes. 4. 8. CHAP. XLVI Gods judgements upon Dicers and Card-players BY the Elibertine and Constantinopolitan Councils under Justinian Dice-players were punished with Excommunication And the same Emperour made a Law That no man should use Dice-play either in private or publick no nor approve the same by his presence under paine of punishment Cod. l. 3. Tit. 43. Lewis the eighth King of France made a Law that no Cardes or Dice should be made or sold by any thereby to take away all occasion of gaming And surely in these dayes of light under the Gospel all Merchants and Tradesmen should forbear the sale of them lest ministring fuel to the fire of other mens lusts they make themselves guilty of their sinnes In a town of Campania a Jew playing at Dice with a Christian lost a great summe of money to him upon which occasion he belched out most bitter curses against Jesus Christ and his mother the blessed Virgin whereupon the Lord struck him dead immediately in the place and his fellow-gamester the Christian was also stricken with madnesse whereof he died shortly after Blas l. 1. c. 31. Anno Christi 1533. neere to Belissiâ—a in Helvetia three men were playing at Dice on the Lords day and one of them called Ulrick Schraeterus having lost much money at last expecting a good cast brake out into this cursed speech If fortune deceive me now I will thrust my dagger into the very body of God as far as I can and the cast miscarrying he drew his dagger and threw it against heaven
good meat Others fed upon old leather and some women boiled their own children and did eat them Many thinking to save their lives by flying to the Romans were slit in pieces to search for gold and Jewels in their guts two thousand dyed thus miserably in one night 97000 were taken prisoners at the taking of the City by Titus eleven hundred thousand were slain As for the prisoners some of them were carried to Rome in triumph Others were slain in sundry places at the Conquerers will Some were torn in pieces and devoured by wild beasts Others were compelled to march in Troops against their fellowes and to kill one another to make the spectators sport The reliques of these wretched people were dispersed into all Nations under heaven having no Magistrates of their own to protect them but were and still are altogether at the will and discretion of the Lords of those Countries where they sojourn so that no Nation in the world is so vile and contemptible as the Jewes In the time of Julian the Apostate he gave leave to the Jewes to re-build the Temple at Jerusalem but so soon as they had laid the foundations thereof all was overthrown by an earthquake many thousands of them being overwhelmed with the mines and those which were left were slain and scattered by a tempest and thunder The Jewes at Imnester near Antioch celebrating their accustomed Playes and Feasts in the middest of their jollity according to their custome they reviled Christ and in contempt to him gat a Christian's child and hung him upon a Crosse and after many mocks and taunts whipt him to death So also they served a boy called Simeon Anno Christi 1476. And another in Fretulium five years after At another time they took a Carpenters sonne in Hungary in contempt of Christ whom they called the son of a Carpenter and cutting all his veines sucked out all his blood with quills And being apprehended and tortured they confessed that they had done the like at Thirna four years before and that they could not be without Christian blood for that therewith they anointed their Priests But at all these times their wickednesse being discovered they suffered just punishment by hanging burning or some other cruel death Anno Christi 1492. one Eleazar a Jew bought the holy Host of a Popish Priest and most despightfully thrust it through with his knife for which he was burned and the like have others of them done at several times Fincel Anno Christi 1407. a Jew stole the picture of Christ out of a Church and chrust it in contempt many times thorow with his sword out of which when blood miraculously issued the caitiffe would have burned it but being taken in the manner by some Christians they stoned him to death Gasp. AEdio l. 3. c. 6. The Jewes whilest they were suffered to live here in England used every year to steal some Christian's child and on Good-Priday to crucifie him in despite of Christ and the Christian Religion Thus they served a child at Lincoln Anno Christi 1255. under the Reign of King Henry the third And another at Norwich having first circumcised him and kept him a whole year For which being apprehended thirty two of them were put to death at Lincoln and twenty at Norwich Others of them being besieged at York when they could hold out no longer cut their own throats whereby fifteen hundred of them perished at that time At Northhampton many of them were burnt for attempting to set the City on fire with wildfire And at last for their many wicked practices they were utterly banished the Kingdome of England by King Edward the first Anno Christi 1291. for which the Commons gave the King a Fifteenth Judea hath now onely some few parcels of rich ground found in it that men may guesse the goodnesse of the cloth by the finenesse of the shreads wherein the Word of God is fulfilled Psal. 107. 34. He turneth a fruitful Land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein In the Reign of Adrianus the Emperour he sent Severus his General against the Jewes who by reason of their multitudes would not try it out in a set battel but proceeding more warily and taking his opportunitie he by degrees took fifty of their fortified Castles rased nine hundred and fourscore of their best Townes and slew five hundred and eighty thousand of their men besides innumerable multitudes which perished by famine sicknesse and fire so that almost all Judaea was left destitute and Adrian by an Edict prohibited the Jewes from coming neer to Hierusalem or once from any high place to look towards the same or the Region adjoyning Dion Salmanticensis saith that there was a decree made at Rome that no Jew should ever enter Cyprus the place where their rebellion began and that Adrian destroyed twice as many Jewes as Moses brought out of Egypt He rased Hierusalem and not far from it built another City the now Hierusalem and called it after his own name AElia And over the gate of this City he placed the Statues of swine which were faithful Porters to prohibit the superstitious Iewes from entrance This was about the year 135. St. Hierom tells us that in his time on that day wherein Hierusalem was taken by the Romans you may see decrepit women and old ragged men and many wretched people but pitied of none with blubbered cheeks black armes dishevelled hair howling and lamenting for the ruines of their Sanctuary in their bodies and habits bearing and wearing â—he sad characters of Divine vengeance of whom the Souldiers also exact their fee for liberty of further weeping so that they which formerly sold the blood of Christ are now fain to buy their own teares In the Reign of Trajan Adrian's predecessour the Jewes rebelled in Egypt and Cyrene where they slew many Greeks and Romans did eat their flesh girt themselves with their guts imbrewed themselves with their blood and clothed themselves with their skins many they sawed in sunder from the Crown downwards many they cast to the Beasts c. Hereupon Trajan sent against them Martius Turbo who destroved many thousands of them and fearing lest the Jewes in Mesopotamia should break out into the like outrages he commanded Lucius Quietus to destroy them utterly who so diligently executed his will that the Emperour to recompence his service made him President of Judea Dion In Creet there arose amongst them a false Prophet that affirmed himself to be Moses that led the Israelites through the Red-sea telling them that he was come to lead them through the Sea into the holy Land Thus for a whole year he went from City to City amongst them perswading them to leave their riches to any that would take them and to follow him and at a day appointed he went before them to a Promontorie of the Sea and there bidsthem leap in which many doing perished in the waves and more would have done but that some