A Looking Glass for Persecutors, Part 4
Gods Judgements upon Popish Persecutors.
62. About the year 1488 some Popish Bishops in Bohemia, stirred up the Queen, who was then great with child, to move the King Uladislaus, severely to punish the Piccards, as the godly Christians were then called: and the Queen much pleased her self in thinking what grateful Spectacles she should have, when she should see some of them burnt, others beheaded, and others drowned in the River: But it pleased God that before she could see it effected, she fell in travel, and could by no means be delivered of her burden; whereupon the Physicians advised that the child should be cut out of her womb, which being done accordingly, the child lived, but the mother dyed.
63. Two years after, the Bishops by their importunity prevailed with the King to use sharp remedies against those growing evils, as they called them: whereupon an Edict was drawn up, that all the Piccards in the Kingdom, without distinction of Age, Sex, or Quality should be slain. This was brought to the Assembly of States, then met at Prague, to be confirmed by them. Many of the Nobles opposed it; but by the subtilty of the Chancellor, and his Associats, it was at last agreed upon by the major part: and the Chancellour as he returned homeward from the Parliament, visited a Nobleman of his acquaintance, and told him with much joy, what they had resolved upon. The Nobleman had a Servant standing by, who was a great favourer of the Brethren, he asked him, how he liked this Decree? The Servant answered, that sure all parties were not agreed. The Chancellour, suspecting some secret Treachery, asked him, who durst oppose the States of the Kingdom? The Servant answered, There is one in Heaven, who, if he were not present at your Counsels, you have consulted but in vain. The Chancellour replyed, thou Knave, thou shalt find that, as well as the rest: And so, rising up in a fury, immediately a Carbuncle arose upon his Foot, which turned to a disease called Ignis Sacer, whereby he dyed in much misery.
64. Another who was a great stickler in promoting this Decree, in his return home-wards, as he was alighting out of his Chariot to make water, struck his Member on a sharp Nail that was in the Boot, whereby, as he went forward, he drew out his Entrails, and not long after gave up the Ghost.
Also one Dr. Austin, who by slanderous Libels had stirred up the King to this Persecution, dyed suddenly as he sate at Supper.
65. Another Noble-man who promoted the aforesaid Decree, as he was a hunting, his Horse threw him, and his own Arrow ran into his Thigh, and came out at his Loins, whereby he dyed a very painful death. And many others of them met with the like Judgments from God, whereupon it grew into a Proverb: If you be a weary of your Life, attempt something aganst the Piccards, and you shall not escape a year to an end.
66. The year after two German Tradesmen were apprehended at Prague, and by the Monks there, were accused of Lutheranism, for which they were condemned and burnt: But one of their chief Persecutors, who wished that all the Piccards were hanged, burned, or beheaded by his hands' it pleased God that all these evils befell himself: For, being exceedingly in debt, for very vexation, he hanged himself: And when his friends had buried him privately, the common people, hearing of it, dig'd up his carcass, and threw it away, which, by the Magistrates command, was ordered to be burnt: But when the Wood was consumed. and the Body only scorched, his head was by one stricken off.
67. As John Huss was going to Constance, there was one Stanislaus Znoma, a Bohemian, who, as he was travelling toward the Council to accuse him, was stricken by God with a deadly Impostume whereof he dyed in his journey.
This Huss though he had the Emperors safe conduct, was condemned and burnt there: Shortly after whose Death the Bohemians rose in Arms under their undaunted General Zisca, and had admirable successes against the Emperor, and Popish Party. For they maintained war against the Emperor Sigismund by the space of seventeen years together, wherein he spent an infinite Treasure, lost many brave Armies, and gallant men. And during these wars a thousand Monasteries were overthrown and destroyed, many stately Castles demolished, and Cities plundered and burnt, which was Gods just revenging hand upon him for his perfidiousness.
68. In the late Bohemian Persecution, one Dr. Knapper, a great. Persecutor of the godly Protestants, was slain by conspiracy of his own wife, who was an Adulteress; for which she was hanged.
69. Another of those Persecutors vomited out his ungodly Soul together with his Blood.
70. Another ran mad, and threw himself down from his own house, and so roaring fearfully, breathed his last.
71. Another shot himself dead with his own Pistol.
72. Another ran mad, and withal fell into so loathsome a disease, that none could endure his stink, and at last he was choaked in vomiting up of abundance of Blood.
73. Another was seized with a strange Disease, wherein his Body turned as black as a coal, and he uttered his speech like the barking of a Dog, and within the space of three Days, dyed in terrible pains.
74. Another by the breaking of a great Gun was torn all to pieces.
75. Another was taken with a terrible Disease in the Throat, so that his Tongue rotted in his Mouth, and many holes were eaten in his Throat, by which both Food, and Physick came forth, so that he dyed in much misery.
76. Ladislaus King of Bohemia, together with diverse other Popish Princes had conspired together, utterly to root out the Protestants in that Kingdom, which should have been put in execution at the time of the Kings marriage: But a little before, in the middle of his great preparations, he fell sick, and within the space of six and thirty hours, he dyed of a pestilent sore in his Groin.
77. In France, Minerius Governour of Provence was sent with an Army by the King against those ancient Christians, the Waldenses, who used much cruelty against them, burning some, killing others, driving others into Woods, and Mountains, whereby they perished of Famine, and depopulated whole Towns and Villages. Not long after the Lord smote him with a terrible Disease, so that he felt like a burning fire within him from the Navel upward: and his lower parts rotted and were consumed with Vermin, which mortification was attended with a grievous stink: he had also a profusion of Blood instead of his Urine, and in those extreme Torments, he ended his wretched Life.
78. Simon Monfort, Earl of Leicester, was a cruel Persecutor of the godly Albingenses under the King of France, and by the instigation of the Pope; But as he was besieging some of them in Tholous, his head was stricken off by a Stone, which a woman let flye out of an Engine.
79. Lewis, King of France, besieging Avignion, a City of the Albingenses, vowed that he would never depart till he had taken it: But suddenly after, God sent a dreadful Pestilence into his Army, which daily wasted great numbers of his men: and the King himself was forced to quarter at a distance in an Abby, to avoid the infection, where shortly after he dyed out of his wits.
80. Truchetus an old expert Captain was imployed by the Duke of Savoy against the Waldenses, who were a naked and unarmed people: But whilest he was prosecuting of them, he was first sore wounded with Stones, and afterwards, slain with his own sword by a poor Shepherd, who was keeping Cattel in the Field.
81. The Lord of Revest, Chief President of the Parliament at Aix in France, put many godly Persons to death: but shortly after, himself was put out of his Office, and was stricken by God with such an horrible Disease as made him run mad, that none of his Friends durst come near him, and so he perished miserably.
82. After him succeeded in his Office one Bartholomew Cassinaeus, who proved also a pestilent Persecutor, whom the Lord struck with a fearful and sudden Death.
83. Johannes de Roma, a Monk was a bloody and implacable Persecutor of the Waldenses. His manner was to fill Boots with boiling Oil and put their Legs into them, tying them backward over a Form, their Legs hanging down over a soft fire, and afterwards cruelly to put them to Death, and seized upon their Goods. But not long after his own Servants rob'd him of those ill-gotten Goods: and he fell into a horrible Disease unknown to any Phisician; the pains and torments whereof did so incessantly vex him, that he could, by no means have one minutes rest, neither could any endure to come near him by reason of his horrible stink. His body was full of Sores and Ulcers, which swarmed with Vermin, so that rotting, his flesh fell of by piece-meal. In which torment he often cryed out, O! who will deliver me, who will kill me, and deliver me out of these intollerable torments? and so languishing in anguish and despair, he ended his cursed Life.
84. John Martin, another great enemy to the Waldenses, used to boast every where that he would slit the nose of one of their chief Ministers: but before he could effect it, a Wolf meeting him, bit off his Nose, whereupon he ran mad, and died miserably.
85. The Cardinal of Lorrain, a principal Pillar of the House of Guise, a crafty and cruel Persecutor of the people of God, as he was coming from Rome with a purpose of stirring up the Kings of France and Poland utterly to root out the Protestants in their Dominions: It pleased God to work so▪ wonderfully for his peoples safety, that by the way he fell mad at Avignion, and dyed in the Flower of his youth. At the instant of whose Death, there fell out such a dreadful Tempest as made all to be amazed at it.
86. Bellemont, a Counsellor of the Parliament of Provence, was so hasty to condemn the poor people of God, that he went not from the Judgment Hall from Morning till Night, causing his Dinners to be brought to him. But whilest he was so busie in this way of Persecution, there began a little Sore to rise upon his Foot, which quickly grew red, and full of pain, and so encreased the first day, that by Judgment of Chyrurgeons, there was no hope of cure but by cutting off his Foot, which he refusing, they used all other means they could devise, yet the second day the whole Leg was infected, and the third day his whole Thigh, and the fourth day his whole Body, upon which day he dyed. His dead Body was all over parched as if it had been roasted by a fire.
87. A Judge of the City of Aix, who was a great Persecutor of the Protestants, drowned himself in the River.
A chief Judge, who was a principal Instrument in condemning the Waldenses in Merindol, and Cabriers, died suddenly, not living to see his bloody Sentence executed.
88. John Cranequin, a Lawyer of Bourges, who was a great Informer against the People of God, to bring them into the cruel Inquisition, was stricken by God with a marvellous strange Phrensie, so that whatever he saw seemed to him to be crawling Serpents: And having in vain used all sorts of Medicines, yea, and wicked Sorcery too, at length was quite bereaved of his Senses, and so ended his wretched Life in much misery.
89. Chancellour Prat, who put up the first Bill in the Parliament of France, against those of that Religion, and gave out the first Commissions for the putting of them to death; dyed himself not long after, fearfully swearing, and blaspheming the name of God, and had his Stomach gnawn in pieces by worms in a strange manner.
90. John Morin, a mighty Enemy to the Professors of the Truth, who made it his whole business to apprehend and accuse them, dyed himself in most grievous, and horrible torments.
91. The Chancellor Oliver, who had been himself a Professor of the truth, apostatizing from the same, was restored to his Office, in which he spared not to shed much innocent Blood: But whilest he was thus busied▪ a fearful Judgment befel him (as was foretold by some of those Innocents whom he condemned) for falling into extreme terrors of Conscience, he betook himself to his bed, sighing and sobing without intermission, and breathing forth murmurings against God; yea, his horrors were so violent that he shaked the Bed under him, as if a young man with all his Strength had done it. And a certain Cardinal coming to visit him, he could not endure his sight, crying out, that it was that Cardinal that had brought him to Damnation. He continued long under these dreadful torments, and dyed at last in despairing fear and anguish.
92. Poncher, Arch-Bishop of Tours, who condemned many godly persons to the Fire, was himself seized upon with a fire from God; which, beginning at his heel, could by no means be cured, till one Member after another being cut off, he dyed in much misery.
93. An Austin Friar called Lambert, a Dr. and Prior in the City of Lieg, and one of the bloody Inquisitors, as he was one day preaching bitterly against the Protestants, was stricken speechless, and being carried out of his Pulpit into his Cloister, he was shortly after found drowned in a Ditch.
94, Augustine Marlorat, a Learned, painful, and holy Preacher in Roan, was condemned to be hang'd, and drawn on a Hurdle to the place of execution: The Constable of France loaded him with a thousand reproaches and outrages, as also did Monsieur Monbrun, the Constables son, who shortly after was slain in the battel of Dreux: Also one Villibon gave him a switch with a wand, adding many reproachful speeches therewith, which Marlorat bore with admirable patience and meekness: And when he was executed and dead, the malice of his Adversaries rested not there: For one of the Soldiers struck on his Legs with his Sword: But speedy vengeance from God pursued his Persecntors: For the Popish Captain that apprehended him was slain within three weeks after, by the basest Soldier in all his Company: And two of his Judges dyed very strangely soon after; namely, the President of the Parliament, by a flux of blood, which could by no art, nor means be stopped: The other being a Counsellor, voided his Urine at his Fundament, which was accompanied with such an intollerable stink, that none could endure to come near him. Villebon also who switched him, sped no better. For a while after the Marshal Vielle Ville, coming to Roan about publick Affairs, invited Villebon to dinner, and in discourse, lamenting the miseries of that City, he exhorted him to reform many abuses, seeing he was the Kings Lievtenant there. Villebon took this so ill, that he said, If any man dare tax me for not behaving my self as I ought in my place, I would tell him to his face that he lyed. These words he repeated over so often, that the Marshal being much urged, struck at him with his Sword, with such violence, that, had he not received the blow with his Arm, his head had been clest to the Teeth. Thus for the present he escaped with the loss of that hand wherewith he had stricken Marlorat in so disgraceful a manner at the place of Execution.
95. A young Gentlewoman of about three and twenty years old, came from Gascoine to Paris, to join her-self to the Protestant Church there: And after a while, she among others, was apprehended, imprisoned, and condemned to be burnt, which she endured with admirable patience and constancy, but presently two of them that bore witness against her, falling out, the one slew the other with a knife.
96. Gharles Cominck who had been a Friar in the City of Gaunt, after his conversion, was apprehended, and condemned, but after his execution, one of his greatest Adversaries, who had a chief hand in his Death, fell into such grievous horrors and terrors of Conscience, that he dyed within a few days.
97. Dr. Aegidio, a godly Preacher in Sevil, being brought into the Inquisition, and used miserably by them, before they proceeded to condemn him, it pleased God, that three of the Inquisitors, who were his greatest adversaries, dyed, by which good Providence, he was released, and lived some years after.
98. The Emperor Ferdinand the second, was a great Persecutor of the Protestants in Bohemia and Germany, who after his Victory over Frederick, Prince Palatine, and the Bohemian States, made it his work to root out the Protestant Religion in those Countries, and turned them into a very shambles of Blood, sparing neither Age, Sex, nor Rank that refused to abjure the Truth. But whilest he was in his full Carier, God brought in against him a contemptible people [the Swedes,] under whose Swords most of those bloody wretches fell; who were the Bohemian Scourges, so that much of Germany, and of the Emperors Country was a very Aceldama, a Field of Blood. The Emperor's great Army, consisting of twenty four thousand, that had given Laws to Germany for many years together, and were looked upon as so many Captains by reason of their long practice and experience, was broken in the plain Field. And the Emperor himself being broken with breach upon breach, was forced to such terms as the Enemies could be drawn to.