Abridgment of the Book of Acts and Monuments by Timothy Bright, Volume 1 · Book 7 · Account 5
A note of Italian Martirs.
Anno 1546. N. Encenas, 1546 N. Encenas.otherwiſe Dryander a Spaniard, brother to Franciſcus Encenas, a man of great learning; he was alſo inſtructour to Diazius the Godly Martir aboue mentioned: this man was firſt offred the Sanbenita made in forme of a mantell before and behind him, with ſignes of ye red croſſe: which when he refuſed, hee was adiudged to be burnt: & ſo was, at Rome, in ſight of the Cardinals, and face of the Apoſtolicall ſea. Pantal. lib. 6. Criſpin. &c.
Franciſcus Encenas Franciſcus Encenas.brother to this Nicholas, beyng in the Emperours court at Bruxels, offered vntounto Charles the fifth the New teſtament tranſlated into Spaniſh: for the which cauſe hée was caſt into priſon, where hée indured ſorowfull captiuitie and calamitie, the ſpace of 15. moneths, looking for no other but death. At laſt, thorough the maruellous prouidence of almighty God, the firſt day of February, Anno 1545. at eight of the clocke after ſupper, hée found the dores of the pryſon open, and ſo tooke the occaſion, and eſcaped, and went into Germany.
Anno 1550. Fauinus 1550 Fauinus.borne in Fauentia, was burned at Ferraria: by the earneſt perſwaſions of his wife, & friends, he did firſt relent: wherof he conceiued ſuch ſorow of mind, yt he could not bée quiet, till hée had fixed his minde to venture his life for the teſtimonie of the trueth: wherevpon, he went about all the countrey of Romaigna, publikely preaching the doctrine of Chriſt. So anno 1547. hée was apprehended againe in a place called Bagnacauallo: where alſo hée was condemned to bée burned: but hée ſayd, his houre was not yet come, and the ſame to bée but the beginning of his doctrine, and ſo it was: for ſhortly after, hée was remooued to Ferraria, where hée was deteyned two yeres. At laſt, the Popes Inquiſitors condemned him to death, an. 1549. And yet his time being not come, he remayned after that, till the monethmonth of September, an. 1550. At length, being brought to a priſon, where diuers Lordes, and Captains were, that ſtirred vp factions. They firſt ſcorned him, and tooke him to be of a melancholike braine: but after, he ſo wrought with them, that their merrie cheare was altered into a newe kinde of countenance: hauing him now in admiration, whom before they had in deriſion.
When the impriſonment of this Fauinus was knowen to his parents & kinſfolk, his wife and friends came to him wt wéeping perſwaſions: to whom he anſwered, that it was enough for them that he had once for their ſake fallen into that cowardlineſſe they knew,A conſtant martyr. wherefore he deſired them to depart in peace, and ſolicite him no more therein.
About the ſame time died Pope Paulus the 3. and after him ſuccéeded Iulius the 3.Pope Paulus the 3. died. Pope Iulius 3. which then ſent letters that Fauinus ſhould be executed: the newes wherof beyng brought him, he gaue the meſſenger thankes. So early in the morning, after he had praied moſt earneſtly vntounto God, he was ſtrangled thrée houres before day in the citie of Ferraria, to the intent the people ſhould not ſée him, nor heare him ſpeake. Afterward about dinner time, his body in the ſame place was burned: at the burning whereof came ſuch a fragrant ſmel to all them there preſent. and ſo ſtroke their ſenſes, that they were therewith maruellouſly refreſhed. Pant. lib, 7. & Criſp.
Anno 1550. Dominicus de Baſuna, 1550 Dominicus de Baſuna.was hanged at Placentia, after certayne monethes impriſonment, for preaching of true confeſſion, againſt Purgatorie, Pardons, &c. Hee was offered pardon, if hée woulde recant: but he refuſed ſo to doe, and receiued martyrdome. Pantal. lib. 7.
Anno 1551. Galeazius Trecius, 1551 Galeazius.a Gentleman of good calling, was burned at Laus Pompeia in Italie. A litle before he ſhould be burned, there was a controuerſie betwixte the mayor of the citie, and the Biſhops Clergie, for the expences of wood which ſhould goe to his burning. He hearing thereof, ſent worde to both parties to agrée, for he himſelfe of his owne goods, would ſée the coſt of that matter diſcharged. But at the ſuite of his friendes, and by perſwaſions, (after thrée ſeuerall examinations, and teſtimonies geuen to the trueth) he relented. Whereupon, he fell into ſuch gréefe of minde, that he could not be quiet, till he had occaſion offered to recouer himſelfe: which afterward he did, denying to the Iudges agayn that which before he had yelded vntounto them. This Galleazius was firſte inſtructed in the truth by an Auguſtine Frier, named Maniardus, and afterwards more throughly confirmed by Celius Secundus, Ex Celio.
Anno 1538. Did one Iohannes Mollins, 1558 I. Mollins.a Gray Frier, ſecretely expound the Epiſtle of S. Paul to the Romans, to a few. Which being knowen, his auditors increaſed, ſo that he was compelled to read openly in the Temple.
At the ſame time was one Cornelius at Bononie, a vaine babler: him did Cardinall Campeius require to interprete the ſame Epiſtle alſo, to diſgrace Mollins. But Mollins excelled him, and drew to him his auditors. Which when Cornelius perceiued, hee perſwaded the Cardinall to diſpatch Mollins. So, a diſputation was appointed betwixt them, which indured till thrée of the clock after midnight. From which diſputation Iohannes departing, was taken, comming downe at the loweſt ſteppes, and caried to priſon. In the meane ſeaſon, Laurentius Spatha, L. Spatha.generall of his order, in moſt ſpéedie wiſe poſted vp to Rome, and ſo preuayled in Mollins behalfe, that the P. wrote downe his letters to Cā peius, that Iohannes ſhould be deliuered out of priſon: ſo yt within 3. monethes after, he ſhoulde perſonally appeare at Rome. Thus, the 30. day of his impriſonment, he was deliuered: who, but for the comming of the Popes letters, had béene burned within 3. dayes after. Whē he came to Rome, he was not permitted (as he deſired) to diſpute openly, but enioined to write his mind in articles, & to bring his proofes: which he diligently performed, intreating of original ſinne, iuſtification by faith, frée will, purgatorie, &c. VponUpon this, certaine Cardinals and Biſhoppes were aſſigned to hauehave the cauſe in hearing: who diſputed with him. 3. dayes, and could not refell that which he had proued: At ye laſt, anſwere was made him, that it was trueth which he affirmed, neuertheleſſe, the ſame was not méete for this preſent time: for that it could not be taught nor publiſhed, without the detriment of the Apoſtolike ſea: wherfore he ſhould abſtaine hereafter from the epiſtles of S. Paul, and ſo again return ſafe to Bononie, and there profeſſe philoſophie. Thus being returned home, he declareth all the matter in the pulpit: wherewith Campeius more offended then before, obteyned of the pope, that the generall of the order, ſhoulde remoue Molins from Bononia, and place him elſwhere. So, from thence he was ſent to Naples, and there was appointed preacher in ye Monaſterie of S. Laurence. But Petrus the viceroy there, could not abide his doctrine, and ſo néerely ſought his life, that hee departed, and went wandring into Italie from place to place, preaching Chriſt. Not long after this, Campeius being dead, he returned again to Bononia, being called thether by a good Abbot, named de Craſsis, an. 1543.De Craſsis. 1543 where he renued againe the reading of Paules Epiſtles, after a ſecrete forte: but that could not long be vndiſcouered. Whereupon, by meanes of Cardinal de Capo, and by Bonauentora the Generall he was apprehended the ſecond time, and brought to Fauentia, and there layd in a filthie ſtinking priſon: where he continued 4. yeres, no man hauing leaue once to come to him. During which time, he wrote a Commentarie vponupon ye bookes of Moſes: which labor was ſuppreſſed by the aduerſaries. At length, through the interceſſion of the Earle Petilianus, and the good Abbot de Caſsis, he was againe deliuered, and ſent to Rauenna, where he made his abode a while wt the Abbot, after at Vitalem: and there againe taught the goſpel of Chriſt, as before. And whenſoeuer he ſpake of the name of Ieſu, his eyes dropt teares, he was ſo fraught with a mightie feruentnes of Gods ſpirite. In proces of time, whē ye abbot was dead,The zeale of Molins. his ſureties begā to be weary of their bond, and ſo was he againe the third time impriſoned by the Popes Legats. There were then 4. men of great authority, who bayled him out of priſon againe: of whom, one took him home to inſtruct his childrē: at whoſe fame, ſuch a concourſe came to ſée him, that the aduerſaries conſulted wt themſelues to kill him: wherevpon commaundement was ſent to the Popes Legates, to lay hands vponupon him, and to ſend him vp faſt bound to Rome, where againe the fourth time he was impriſoned in the caſtle of Nouie, and there continued eightéene moneths, and at laſt the 5. of September, anno 1553. there ſat vponupon him 6. Cardinals, beſide the iudge, and condemned him with a weauer of Peruſium, in the temple of S. Mary, called De Minerua: firſt to be hanged & then burned: which ſentence beyng pronounced againſt him, he cited them vp to the tribunall ſeat of Chriſt: and ſo they were both had to the place of execution, and ſuffered méekely for the teſtimony of the truth. Pantal. lib. 19.
Anno 1554 two monkes of S Auſtine in Rome, were found in their ſelles, with their tongues & heads cut off, only for rebuking the outragious exceſſe of the Cardinals. Manlius in dictis P. Melanct.
The ſame yéere, Franciſcus Ganiba Franciſcus Ganiba.was firſt ſtrangled, and then burned at the city of Canum, in the dioces of Millain, for the teſtimony of the trueth: hauing his tongue firſt boared, that he might not ſpeake. Pantal. lib. 10.
Anno 1555. Pomponius Algerius 1555 Pomponius Algerius.was burned aliue at Rome, after he had bin long deteined in priſon at Venice: where being in priſon, he wrote a notable Epiſtle to the afflicted Saints, full of conſolation.
An. 1559. Iohannes Aloiſius 1559 I. Aloiſius.ſuffered at Rome. And the ſame yere Iacobus Bouellus I. Bouellus.at Meſſina. They were both ſent downe from Geneua, to the parties of Calabria, there to miniſter, Ex Epiſt. Sim. Flo.
After Pope Iulius 3.1560 Iulius 3. came Marcellus 2.Marcellus 2. After him Paulus 4.Paulus 4. After whom, Pius 4. Who rayſed ſuch ſharpe perſecution in the kingdome of Naples, that many Noble men, with their wiues, & others, were reported there to be ſlaine. Pantal. lib. 11.
The ſame yere, 1560. 88.88. Martirs together. perſons put together into one houſe, both young & old, one after another, were taken out of the houſe: and ſo being laid vponupon the butchers ſtall, with one blouddy knife were all killed in order in Calabria. Pantal. lib. 11.
The Pope promiſeth.It is to be noted, that the Pope did promiſe Marques Buccianus gouernour of the prouince of Calabria, to make his ſonne a Cardinall of Rome, if all the Lutheranes of that prouince were rooted out: which might be the cauſe of this butcherly crueltie.