any such intent but to reprove the great misorder of their lives which said he I grieve to hear and pity to behold I came also to let your proud Antichrist understand that he doth rob God of his honour and poyseneth the whole world with his Blasphemies So declaming against their Idolatry he was put into the Inquisition by one Hugh Griffith a Welchman and a Student in that Colledge where after a few days he was set at liberty But one day going in the Streets and meeting a Priest which carried the Sacrament which offended his Conscience he catched at it to have pulled it down but missing of it he was let pass A while after he seeing divers persons in S. Peter's Church at Mass he stept up without any reverence and threw down the Chalice of Wine and would have gotten the Wafer-Cake out of the Priest's hands for which he was much beaten with persons Fists and cast into Prison and upon Examination why he would do such a Crime he said I came for that intent to rebuke the Popes wickedness and your Idolatry Upon this he was condemned to be burned Which Sentence he gladly received he said because the sum of his offence pertained to the glory of God A while after he was set on the bare back of an Ass stript from the head to the waist and so carried in the Streets who called to the people and told them they were in a wrong way and willed them for Christ's sake to have regard to the saving of their Souls all the way as he went he had four men that did nothing else but thrust at his body with burning Torches whereat he never moved nor shrunk but with a chearful countenance often bended his body to meet the Torches and would take them in his own hand and hold them burnig to his own body which posture he continued in near the space of half a mile till he came at the place of Execution before S. Peter's Church Then made they a device not to make the fire about him but to burn his Legs first which he suffered marvellously chearfully then they offered him a Cross but he put it away telling them they did ill to trouble him with such paltry when he was preparing himself for God whom he beheld in majesty and mercy ready to receive him into the Eternal Rest And so he dyed Vol. 3. p. 1022. Francis d' Alost in Flanders beheaded May 1. 1566. said to his apprehenders Now ye think to deprive me of life and so to do me a great hurt but ye are deceived for it is all one as if ye took Counters from me to fill my hand with a great sum of Gold Being at the place of Execution he said Seeing ye thirst after my blood I willingly yield it unto your hands and my Soul into the hands of my merciful Lord God Almighty And so he was beheaded and his body given for a prey to the Fowls of the air Addition to Vol. 3. of Massacre in France and Flanders p. 34 35. B B BArtholomew the Apostle is said to have preached to the Indians and to have converted the Gospel of S. Mathew into their Tongue He continued there a great space doing miracles at last in Albania a City of Greater Armenia after divers persecutions he was beaten down with Staves and then crucified and after being excoreate was at length beheaded Vol. 1. p. 42. Blandina a Woman under the Fourth Persecution was so tormented that the Tormentors for weariness gave her over admiring at her strength and courage who became stronger and stronger and as oft as she spake these words I am a Christian neither have we done any evil it was a marvellous comfort and emboldened her to abide the Torments Vol. 1. p. 60. She afterwards was fastned to a Stake and cast to ravening Beasts but no Beast would come near her so the Persecutors took her down and laid her in Prison till another time At length she was put in a Net and cast to the wild Bull and after she was sufficiently gored with his Horns she felt nothing of pain but was thus slain of whom the very Persecutors said Never Woman was put to death of them that suffered so much as she did Vol. 1. p. 62 63. Barlaam a Martyr under the Tenth Persecution having endured many Torments was at last laid on the Altar by the Persecutors where Incense was offered to their Idols and they put Incense into his hand thinking that fire would cause his hand to scatter the Incense and so he have sacrificed but the flame eat round about his hand which remained as though it had been covered with hot Embers when as Barlaam recited that of the Psalmist Blessed be God who teacheth my hands to fight Vol. 1. p. 118 119. Ioane Boughton Mother to the Lady Young was burned April 28. 1494. and in the ninth year of King Hen. 7. King of England in Smithfield for holding of Wickliffe's Opinions from which all the Doctors in London could not turn her And being told that she should be burnt she defied them saying She was so beloved of God and his holy Angels that she passed not for the fire and in the midst of it she cryed to God to take her Soul into his holy hands Vol. 1. p. 956. Iohn Brown of Ashford was burned 1517. at Ashford being taken away by force from his own House the same day his Wife was Churched and he was carried to Prison at Canterbury for no Crime but for asking a Mass-Priest where the Soul was when he began Mass and when he had done Mass who answering he knew not Iohn Brown asked him then how he could save the Soul For which he was continued in Prison from Low-Sunday till Fryday before Whitsontide his Wife not knowing where he was all this time till the night before he was burned being set in the Stocks at Ashford she came and sat up by him to whom he declared the whole passage and said that the Bishops Warham and Fisher heated his Feet on the Coals and burned them to the bones to make him deny his Lord which I will never do added he for if I should deny him in this world he would deny me hereafter I pray thee said he further good Elizabeth continue as thou hast begun and bring up thy Children vertuously in the fear of God And the next day being Whitsonday-Eve this godly Martyr was burned standing at the Stake he thus prayed holding up his hands O Lord I yield me to thy grace Grant me mercy for my trespass Let never the Fiend my Soul chase Lord I will bow and thou shalt beat Let never my Soul come in Hell heat Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord of truth And so he ended Vol. 2. p. 13. Iohn Bertrand a Forester in France 1556. being condemned for the Gospel's sake he being to enter a Cart to be carried to Execution gave thanks he was not
the Countrey of Brisgois 1525. a vigilant Preacher and a peaceable good Man often reconciling differences with great prudence and much lamenting the corruptness of Principles and Practises of the Popish Monks and especially their Vow of single Life and its consequents which moved him to marry for which crime chiefly he was afterwards apprehended and condemned to die And being led to Execution he answer'd all Persons gently but desir'd the Monks to let him alone who troubled him with their babling about Confession when he was striving in his Spirit against the horror of death and making his prayer to God to whom he said also that he had confessed his sins to God not doubting but he had received absolution and forgiveness of them And I said he shall be an acceptable sacrifice to my Saviour Jesus Christ for I have done no such things whereof I am condemned which might displease my God who in this behalf hath given me a good and quiet Conscience Saying also he being very lean It is all one for I must shortly have forsaken my Skin which scarce cleaves to my bones I know I am a mortal and corruptible worm I have oft desired my last day and have made my request that I might be delivered out of this mortal Body to be joyned with my Saviour Jesus Christ. I have deserved through my sins my Cross and my Saviour hath born the Cross and for my part I will not glory in any other thing but in the Cross of Christ. Presently he was cast into the River he strugling a while in it the water was red with blood which the People looked to be a miraculous sign to shew that innocent blood was that day shed This was done at Enshesheim 1525. Vol. 2. p. 111 112. Wolfgangus Schuch a German at St. Hyppolite 1525. a Town in Lotharing a Reverend and godly Pastor there preached he Justification through Christ by Faith He was apprehended willingly offering himself to Tryal by Scripture rather than to see the Town of St. Hyppolite be exposed to the danger threatn'd to it by Anthony Duke of Lorrain for his sake and being apprehended he was imprisoned in sad misery a year where disputing with divers Friars he confounded them all by Scripture At last he was condemned to be burnt at which Sentence he sang and being at the place of Execution he sang the 51. Psalm till smoke and fire choak'd him Vol. 2. pag. 112. George Scherler a German Preacher near Saltzburg was taken and imprisoned and condemned to be burnt alive but at last it was granted he should be first beheaded He going to his death said That ye may know that I die a true Christian I will give you a manifest sign Which he did by God's power for after his head was off his body falling on his belly and so lying a good while it easily turn'd it self on the back and crossed the right foot over the left and the right hand over the left at which sight the Spectators marvelled and the Magigistrates burned not but buried the Body amongst the Christians and many were hereby brought to believe the Gospel Vol. 2. p. 117. Peter Serre was burned 1553. in France who having his tongue cut out stood so quiet looking up to Heaven at the time of his burning as though he had felt no pain bringing such admiration to the People that one of the Parliament of France that condemned him said That way was not best to bring Lutherans to the fire for that would do more hurt than good Vol. 2. p. 143. Mrs. Smith near Coventry condemned and burnt for having the Lord's Prayer in English April 4. 1519. Vol. 2. p. 225. Hellen Stirk a Scottish Woman seeing her Husband go to the Stake 1543. for Christ's cause and being her self condemned did desire to suffer with her Husband but when it was not permitted she went to him and exhorted him to perseverance and with a kiss parted saying Husband rejoyce for we have lived many a joyful day together but this day in which we must die together ought to be most joyful unto us both because we must have joy for ever therefore I will not bid you good night for we shall suddenly meet with joy in the Kingdom of Heaven And after that she parting with her sucking Child from her breast recommended her self to God and the Child to Nurse and so was drowned Vol. 2. pag. 615 616. Laurence Saunders brought up at Eaton and then at King's Colledge in Cambridge three years then by his Mother having a great Estate was bound Apprentice in London to a Merchant Sir William Chester but he not liking his Apprentiship his Master gave him his Indentures perceiving his inclinations to Study and being himself a good Man he wrote Letters to his Mother and Friends who were great Persons about it whereby he went again to King's Colledge and after several years was a Minister in Leicestershire and then in London till Queen Mary's dayes when he had two Livings not being permitted to lay down either of them by reason of the troubles and as well as he could he Preached at both though at length at London he going to Preach was disswaded for fear of danger but he would not cease and Preaching he did as he often had speak against Popish Tenets for which he was examined by Bishop Bonner and Gardiner and at last imprisoned he prayed much and in all spiritual assaults he prayed and found present relief and he said while Bishop Gardiner examined him he found a great consolation in spirit and also in body he received a certain taste of the Communion of Saints whilst a pleasant refreshing issued from all parts of his body to his heart and thence did ebb and flow to and fro He in a Letter to Bishop Gardiner proved Popery a Whoreish and ravening Religion robbing God of his honour and worship in truth and also our Consciences of peace and true comfort He disswaded his Wife and Friends from sueing for his liberty He in his Letters spoke much of his own experience through God's grace of Christ's sweetness and how loath his Flesh was to go forward in God's Path and also his hopes with the godly to be shortly singing Halelujah in Heaven and as he saluted those to whom he wrote with grace and mercy and peace and assured them of his Prayers for them so also he generally begg'd their Prayers ending his Letters with pray pray pray and after 15 months imprisonment he was condemned who said My dear Lord Iesus Christ hath begun to me a more bitter Cup than mine can be and shall not I pledge my most sweet Saviour yes I hope As he went to Stake he oft fell down and prayed and at the Stake he took it in his arms and kissed it saying Welcome the Cross of Christ welcome everlasting life and so being fastned was burned with green Wood to make his torments greater yet he stood quietly and slept sweetly in the fire
621. Adam Wallace a Scotchman burnt 1549. as an Heretick He passed over the night of his condemnation in singing and lauding God having learned David's Psalter by heart to his great consolation and being tempted by several to recant he though a poor mean learnned Man said He would adhere to whatsoever could be proved by Scripture but he would consent to nothing that had not Scripture evidence though an Angel from Heaven came to perswade him And on the day of his sufferings he asked whether the fire was fit saying As it pleaseth God I am ready soon or late and so desired the Faithful to remember him to all the Brethren being sure to meet together with them in Heaven As he went to the fire the People said God have mercy on you And on you too said he At the fire he lifting up his eyes two or three times said to the People Let it not offend you that I suffer for the truth's sake for the Disciple is not greater than his Master But he was not permitted to speak and so was burned Vol. 2. p. 623. Rawlins White a Welchman a Fisherman of Cardiff was very superstitious in time of Popery till afterwards through God's Grace he upon the Reformation began to give ear to good Men and searched out the Truth but being a very poor ignorant Person he knew not how to be informed and so resolved to put his Child to learn to read whom he caused when he could read to read every night Summer and Winter after Supper a piece of Scripture or some good Book which profited him so much through God's grace and the blessing of a good memory that he soon became very perfect in Scriptures did see his former errours and was enabled to admonish others by which means he was instrumental for the conversion of many others whom he instructed for which he expected to be apprehended and his Friends desired him to fly but he said No He had learned That if he should presume to deny his Master Christ Christ in the last day would deny and condemn him I will therefore by his favourable Grace bear witness of him before Men that I may find him in Everlasting Life And at last was taken and imprisoned for a year where as oft as his Friends visited him he would spend the time in prayer and Exhortation And after many means of threats and flatteries used by Bishop of Landaffe to bring him to a conformity but in vain he resolved to condemn him yet exhorted he his Fellow-Assistants to pray to God for Grace for Rawlins to convert him Whereat Rawlins rejoyced and commending them said Go and pray and I also will pray After prayer the Bishop asked him If he would recant and he said No. Rawlins ye left me and Rawlins ye find me and by God's Grace Rawlins I will continue Certainly if your petitions were just and lawful God would have heard you but ye honour a false God and pray not as ye ought to pray and therefore hath not God granted your desire but God hath heard my complaint and I trust will strengthen me in his own cause Then the Bishop would have a Mass at which Rawlins went and begg'd the Brethren or but one Brother to bear witness that he did not worship that Idol the Host over the Priest's head and so soon after he was condemned who then sent to his Wife for a Shirt to be burnt in which he called a Wedding-garment And going to the Stake seeing his Wife and Children there who made great lamentation his heart was pierced and he wept but soon after being angry with himself for that infirmity he struck his breast saying Ah Flesh wouldest thou fain prevail Well I let thee do what thou canst thou shalt not through God's grace have the victory And being in the fire he cry'd whilst he could open his mouth O Lord receive my Soul O Lord receive my Spirit Vol. 3. p. 219 220 221. Thomas Watts an Essex Man a Linen-Draper expecting every day to be sent for and imprisoned for the Gospel did dispose of his things and sold and gave to the Poor his Cloath and at length was imprisoned and not recanting by the flatteries and threats of Bishop Bonner he was condemned and going to take leave of his Wife and six Children he said to them thus I must now depart from you therefore henceforth I know you no more but as the Lord hath given you to me I give you again to him whom I charge ye see to obey and beware ye turn not to Popery against which by God's grace I shall anon give my blood Let not the murdering of God's Saints cause you to relent but take occasion thereby to be strong in the Lord's quarrel and I doubt not but he will be a merciful Father to you and so he went to the Stake kissed it and was burned Iune 9. 1555. Vol. 3. p. 268. Christopher Ward burned at Dartford 1555. who coming to the Stake being in a Pitch Barrel fastned to it he held up his hands and eyes to Heaven saying with a chearful and loud voice the last Verse of the 86. Psalm Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast helped me and comforted me and the fire being kindled he cryed with a loud voice but without any impatience Lord Iesus receive my Soul and when his voice could not be heard his hands were held up and continued clasped together and held up towards Heaven even when he was dead and altogether roasted as though they had been stayed up by some Prop which token God granted as it were an answer to his Prayer Vol. 3. p. 382. Thomas Whittle a Priest burnt with six others Ian. 28. 1556. was by the perswasions of the Papists brought to recant but after that he felt such an horrour of Conscience that he did earnestly beg to see again the Bill he had subscribed and seeing it he rent out his Name and then was right glad and in a Letter after his condemnation he said Now I am condemned to dye my conscience and mind is I praise God quiet in Christ and I am willing and content to give this Body to death for a Testimony of his truth against Antichrist In another Letter he thus writes The World I do forsake To Christ I me take And for his Gospel's sake Patiently I Death take My Body to the Dust Now to return it must My Soul I know full well With my God shall dwell Vol. 3. p. 615.621 Ioan Waste of Derby born blind yet by hearing the Word of God did become knowing and purchased a New Testament which she gat sometimes one Prisoner to read and sometimes another by giving them often some Money to read a Chapter or two in it to her by which means she grew understanding in the Scriptures could say much of them by heart and at last was burned for the Gospel August
ΜΑΡΤΥΡΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΑΛΦΑΒΕΤΙΚΕ OR AN Alphabetical Martyrology CONTAINING THE Tryals and Dying Expressions OF MANY MARTYRS Of Note since CHRIST Extracted out of Foxe's Acts and Monuments of the Church WITH AN ALPHABETICAL LIST Of GOD'S JUDGEMENTS remarkably shown on many Noted and Cruel PERSECUTORS Together with an APPENDIX of things pertinent to the understanding this MARTYROLOGY By N. T. M. A. T. C. C. These all dyed in the Faith Hebr. 11.13 In all these things we are more than Conquerors Rom. 8.37 LONDON Printed for R. Butler in Barbican and are to be sold by Samuel Wooley Bookseller in Louth in Lincolnshire 1677. ERRATA IN the Epistile Page 3. read 2 Cor. 4 7 8 9. In the Book p. 25. l. 17. read Iames Bainham p. 27. l. 18. put out then p. 9. l. 5. read Pomponius p. 53. l. 21. put out so p. 69. l. 13. read cruel p. 79. l. 2. read sparer in words p. 80. l. 16. read Wind. p. 140. l. 20. read Wounds p. 150. l. 17. read trailed p. 167. l. 22. read must p. 169. and 170. read Thiessen p. 172. l. 24. read confuted p. 185. l. 8. read Fool. p. 224. l. 10. Concerning Dr. London's Punishment in the former part of the Book Add Page 174. p. 226. l. 12. read Maximinus p. 230. l. 7. read Sute ADVERTISEMENT TWO Sermons of Hypocrisie and the vain hope of self-deceiving Sinners A Vindication of Oaths and swearing in weighty cases as lawful and useful under the Gospel And the Quakers Opinion and Practice against Oaths and Oath-taking proved to be unscriptural and without any just Reason as also against their own Principles Both written by Iohn Cheney Minister of the Gospel Printed for R. Butler and are to be sold with the rest of his Works by Iohn Miller at the Rose at the West-end of St. Paul's Church To the Christian READER all encrease of Grace here and all fulness of Glory hereafter SO great an enmity hath Satan evidenced ever since his own Apostasie against Mankind that he must be conceded to have bin very sedulous and vigilant in all Ages to destroy Souls one while alluring them to sin against God by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of worldly or sensual propositions or else deterring them from adhering to God vi armis by his assaults and persecutions the verity of which hath been continuedly evidenced in the successive Ages of God's Church wherein the first member dying dyed a Martyr on the account of his Religion and the several Prophets and Children of God before Christ have been so persecuted sawn asunder cast into Dungeons fiery Furnaces Lyons dens c. That if to these we add the consideration of St. Paul's Martyrology in Heb. 11. we may propose our Saviour's Enquiry Which of the Prophets have they not slain Nor did the fury of Satan and his Instruments terminate there but when Christ the Son of God was incarnated and became Man for our Salvation Satan the Arch-enemy of Man assails him as Tempter but being put to flight so he becomes Accuser and by his Instruments persecuted our dearest Saviour not desisting till they had crucified the Lord of Life Which being effected this Serpentine Seed continued its enmity againg Christ in his Members so that few of Christ's Apostles or Followers have escaped tribulation as the Writings of the Sacred Writ aver and the succeeding pages will much evidence which seem in respect of their matter to be serviceable to the Church of God many wayes 1. In demonstrating the verity of our Religion and the great and sure foundation of our Faith sealed by the Blood of many thousand Martyrs who have as witnesses thereof attested the verity of their Professions by their deaths 2. In evidencing the state of God's People here whose Life is but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a warfare whilst they remain Members of the Church Militant on Earth which may disswade us from singing Requiem's to our Souls and may excite our constant watch 3. In assuring us of the Triumph of Christ the Captain of our Salvation who in himself and Members hath verified that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Seed of the Woman's breaking the Serpent's head in that in the midst of all troubles the Saints of God have experienced joy which may engage our running with patience the Race that is set before us 4. In declaring God's fidelity to his People who in the greatest misery hath shown them the greatest mercy and often then hath most given his People assurance of their living with him when they were going to dye for him which may support our Spirits under pressures in that they cannot separate us from God here or hereafter Rom. 8.38 2 Cor. 7.8 9. 5. In proposing the Examples of many thousands of constant Martyrs who chose rather to suffer than sin and found more joy in dying for Christ than ever they did trouble in serving of Christ. 6. In shewing the sad effects of Apostasie upon many of God's People who found all the wordly enjoyments without a Christ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter sweets and have not acquiesced till through God's Spirit they did reassume the Profession of Christ and at last did dye for Christ which may incite our holy jealousie over our selves 7. In setting before us the care of God for his People in their Lives and Death and after death by supplying their wants comforting their Souls mitigating their pains and preserving their Names to succeeding Generations verifying his own assertion That the memory of the Just shall be blessed 8. In representing the efficacy of Christianity and its Champions constancy so as often to have influenced the very Persecutors of it and them not onely to pity them but also to close with their Principles and dye for the same Faith so that we have no need to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. 9. In demonstrating the frustration of the grand design of Christ's Enemies the extirpation of his Faith and Religion by Persecution it being evidently manifested that Christianity hath been more propagated the more it hath been persecuted and it was long since observed that Sanguis Martyrum was Semen Ecclesiae So that against all opposition the Faith of Christ and its Professors have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than Conquerors nor hath the gates of Hell hitherto prevailed against the Church of Christ. 10. In manifesting God's mercy and justice His Mercy in preserving his true Religion and its Professors amidst all their Enemies and his Iustice in his divers inflictions of punishments upon their Persecutors Insomuch that some have confessedly acknowledged Christ Conqueror his cause true and themselves because Persecutors of it damned This is the matter of the Pages humbly offer'd and unfeignedly recommended to thy perusal And as to the manner of the Epitome an Alphabetical method both as to Sufferers and Persecutors seemed most apt for thy reaping advantage The reasons moving the Epitomizing the voluminous works of the Author were these 1.