An Alphabetical Martyrology, Part G 1
G G
GErmanicus, a young devout Man, being by the Proconsul of Antoninus Verus in the 4th Persecution, perswaded to favour himself being in the flower of his age; he would not be allured, but constantly, and boldly, and of his own accord provoked the Beasts to come upon him to devour him, to be delivered the more speedily out of this wretched Life. Vol. 1. p. 57.
Gordius, a Centurion of Caesaria, in the 10th Persecution, willingly exiled himself, till a publick Feast of Mars was celebrated, and much People was assembled; and then appearing in the Theatre, cryed out, I am found of them that sought me not: And being examined by the Sheriff, he said, I came hither to publish that I set nothing by your Decrees against Christian Religion, but I profess Christ to be my hope and safety: Hereupon he was scourged, and he said, It would be an hindrance to him, if he could not suffer divers torments for Christ. And having more torments tryed on him, he sang, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear the thing that Man can do unto me; I will fear no evil, because thou Lord art with me. After this, being with prayers and entreaties dealt with, he derided the madness of the Magistrates; who being thereby incensed, condemned him. And he being much importuned by divers acquaintance to deny Christ with Tongue, and to keep his Conscience to himself; he said, My Tongue, which by the goodness of God I have, cannot be brought to deny the Author of it. And to those who wept for him, and by tears importuned him to save himself; he said, Weep not, I pray, for me: but weep for the Enemies of God, which always make war against the Christians, who prepare for these a fire, and purchase to themselves Hell fire; but molest not, I pray, my setled mind; truly I am ready to suffer for the Name of Christ a thousand deaths if need were. Vol. 1. p. 117.
Iohn Goose in the time of King Edward the 4th, being to be burnt, desired of the Sheriff somewhat to eat, and he did eat as if he had been towards no manner of danger, saying, I eat now a good and competent Dinner, for I shall pass a little sharp shower ere I go to Supper: And having dined, he gave thanks, and desired that he might be shortly led to the place where he should yield up his Spirit to God; and was burned on Tower-Hill in August 1473. Vol. 1. p. 939.
Lawrence Ghest, in King Henry the Seventh's days, being to be burnt at Salisbury, and having his Wife and seven Children shewn him, and his Wife desiring him to favour himself, he desired her to be content, and not to be a block in his way, for he was in a good course, running toward the mark of his salvation; and so he was burned. Vol. 1. p. 1012.
Galeasius Trecius, an Italian, burned at Aus Pompeia in Italy 1551. for professing the Gospel. He having professed it a while, and then by the perswasion of Friends denying it, felt great sorrow, and, as he declared, never greater in all his life; but recovering by the grace of God, he longed for a time to evidence his return by confession of his Faith again, affirming he never felt more joy of heart than when by Papists examined, nor more sorrow than when he recanted, declaring that death was much more sweet to him, with the testimony of the truth, than life with the least denyal of the truth and loss of a good conscience: And being imprisoned, he could not be prevailed with to recant, but confirmed his first Faith, and burned. Vol. 2. p. 167, 168.
Franciscus Gamba, an Italian, burn'd at Comun 1554. being accused for an Heretick, and importuned to recant; he defended his Doctrine by manifest Scriptures, and proved his Opinions to be the true Doctrine of Christ, and rather than he would deny them he was ready to stand to the effusion of his blood: And being long and often assailed by his Friends to recant, he could not be expugned, but gave thanks to God, that he was made worthy to suffer the rebukes of the world, and civil death for the testimony of his Son; and so went chearfully to death: And when at his death the Fryars held a Cross before him, he said that his mind was so replenished with joy and comfort in Christ, that he needed not them, nor their Cross: And declaring many comfortable things to the people, he was strangled and burned. Vol. 2. p. 180.
Garret, a great promoter of Christianity in Oxford, was at last Iuly 30. 1541. by Gardner Bishop of Winchester to be burnt, who professing his Faith, and detesting all Heresies, beg'd pardon of God for his sins, and of all persons whom he had offended: He resigned up his Soul to God, whom he believed would through Christ save him, and pardon his sins, and desired the persons present to pray for him; and dyed Christianly with Barus and Hierom. Vol. 2. p. 528.
William Gardiner, born at Bristow, and there dealing in Merchandise under one Mr. Paget a Merchant, at 26 years of age sailed to Spain, but by chance the Ship arrived at Lisborne the chief City of Portugal, where he stayed and merchandised, and learning their tongue, he acted for many English Merchants, and had much knowledge in Scripture and the Reformed Religion: And being there, and happening to be at the solemnizing of a marriage between the King of Portugal's Son, and the King of Spain's Daughter, and beholding great Pomp and greater Idolatry acted by the Kings, and all the Assembly's adoring the Mass, praying, kneeling and worshipping the external Sacrament, he was much troubled, and could he have got near the Altar would have interrupted them; but being hindred by the throng of the people, he was very sorrowful for his neglect of that opportunity to declare against their Idolatry, which neglect he much lamented, and contrived how to redeem it; to effect which he cast up all his accounts, and bad adieu to worldly concerns; and giving himself to reading, meditating, fasting, weeping, and praying: He being cleanly drest the next Sunday, when the like Solemnity was to be done, he gat to the Altar betimes, and there stood with a Testament in his hand till the Cardinal came to solemnize it, and till he consecrated, sacrificed, and lifted up on high the Host, shewing his God to the people, who with the Kings and Nobles gave great reverence to it; and at last, when the Cardinal came to begin to toss it to and fro round the Chalice, making several Circles, this Gardner stept in, and with one hand took the Cake and trod it under foot, and with the other hand overthrew the Chalice, in the presence of the Kings, and the Nobles and Citizens, which abashed them all; and one cut him with a Sword, but the King commanded he should be saved; and being examined, he confessed himself to be an English-man and a Protestant, and decryed much against their Idolatry; for which after several torments to cause him to confess others, he taking all the blame on himself, they put a hard roul of Linen with a string into his throat, and so often pulled that up, and then cut of his right hand, which he took in his left and kist, then in the Marketplace they cut off his left hand, and he kneeling down kissed it, then was he carried to Execution, and being hung on high a fire was made under him, and he by degrees let down into it, so that only his legs at first felt the fire, yet would he not recant; and being bid to pray to Saints, he said, That when Christ leaves off to be our Mediator and Advocate, then he would pray to our Lady and the Saints. And then he prayed, O Eternal God, Father of all mercies; I beseech thee look down upon thy Servant. And the more terribly he burnt, the more vehemently he prayed; which his Enemies desiring to hinder, he said the 43. Psalm; before the close of which, the Rope was burnt asunder, and he fell down into the Fire, and was burned to death, 1552. whose death was not unpunished, for among the King of Portugal's Ships ready to sail, being in a Haven hard by, one was burnt by a Spark of Fire blown from the Martyrs Fire; and within half a Year the Kings Son dyed; and the King himself within a Year. Vol. 2. p. 745, 746, 747, 748.
Robert Glover was apprehended to be burnt at Coventry, being very sickly in Prison, said, he found daily amendment of body, and increase of peace in Conscience; many consolations from God, and sometimes, as it were, a taste and a glimmering of the life to come: But he was much assaulted by Satan, from his unworthiness, to do or suffer for Christ. Which Objection he answered from Gods mercies, and the unworthiness of like Servants in all Ages, who have been accepted. Yet, three days before he was burnt, he had a sad dulness of Spirit, and was desolate of all spiritual comfort; against which he prayed much, and earnestly; but yet finding no ease, nor comfort, he told it to his Friend, one Austin, who advised him to wait God's time for the manifestation of himself, and to continue stedfast in the Faith and willing to suffer; knowing his Cause to be right, not doubting but God in his due time would replenish his heart with spiritual joy; requesting him to shew it by some token, if he felt any such thing: And as he went to burning, as soon as he came in sight of the Stake▪ he cryed out, being suddenly full of comfort, clapping his hands together, Austin, He is come, he is come; with so great joy and alacrity, as if he had been one risen from some deadly danger, to liberty of life; and so dyed chearfully in September, 1555. Vol. 3. p. 427, 428.
Bartlet Green, a Londoner, brought up at Oxford; converted from Popery by Peter Martyr, Reader of Divinity in Oxford; and afterwards he was Student in the Temple, and at twenty five years of age, Ianuary 28. 1556. he was burnt, with six others, for the Gospel of Christ. He often repeated, as he went to the Stake, and at the Stake, this Distich.
Christe Deus sine te spes est mihi nulla salutis,
Te Duce vera sequor, te duce falsa nego.
In English thus.
O Christ my God, sure hope of health,
besides thee I have none;
The truth I love, and falshood hate,
by thee my guide alone.
Vol. 3. p. 627.
He wrote to one in a Letter, thus: Man of Woman is born in Travel, to live in misery; Man, through Christ, doth dye in joy, and live in felicity: he is born to dye, and dyes to live; whilst here he displeased God, when dead he fulfilled his Will. Vol. 3. p. 629.
Charles Le Roy de Gand, once a Fryar Carmelite, but reformed, had a Canonship promised him by the Magistrate, if he would but yield a little: to which, he said, You proffer me a Canonship, that I might live quietly, and be in security; but know, Sir, that rest is no true rest, which is obtained against peace of Conscience; and so he was burned at Bruges, April 27. 1557. Addit. to Vol 3. of Massacre of France, p. 5.