The Saints Encouragement in Evil Times, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Observations concerning the Martyrs in generall.
A Martyr in common use of speech,Vide Bezam in Act. 22. 20 Heb. 12. 4. Rev. 2. 13. & 6. 9. means one which seals his witnesse to the Gospel with his bloud, suffers death for Christ. That's a Martyr, foreign in the highest*Martyrū nomen bodiè duntaxat illis attribuitur qui mortem pro Christo perpessi sunt. Olim verò & potiss… mum aetate Cypriani, etiam illis qui à confessione nominis Christi nulla tormentorum atrocitate abduci poterant; quos eleganter Tertullianus lib▪ ad Martyres, designatos martyres nuncupat. Pamelius ad Cypriani▪ epist. 9. degree. But the word in Grammar sense, means but a witnesse. Tertullian cals confessours to Christ, Martyrs.
He must suffer in a good cause for the name of Christ, 1 Pet. 4 14. Causa non poena facit martyrem. Non debet quid quis que patiatur, sed quare patiatur, attendi. Aug. contra Crescon. lib. 4. cap. 46. The cause not the punishment makes a martyr. When I consider the cause of my condemnation (said Mr Bradford) I cannot but lament, that I do no more rejoyce then I doe. For it is for God… verity and truth, so that the condemnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply,M… Bradford to all that professe the Gospel in Lancashire. but rather a condemnation of Christ and of his truth Bradford is nothing but an instrumen… in which Christ and his doctrine i… condemned.
How early did martyrdome come into the world?D. Halls contempl. The first man that died, died for religion.
One saith,M. Pinkes fourth Sermon on that Text▪ Luke 14. 26. See more there. None are saved but Martyrs; martyrs either actually or habitually; having faith enough to encourage, and love to constrain them to be martyrs, if the honour of their profession should require it. The habit of martyrdome is included in the most fundamentall principle of Christianity, love of Christ better then our selves, self-resignation or deniall.
To suffer death for Christ is the greatest honour which can befall a man,Phil. 1. 29. Carelesse in his letter to Agnes. and such a promotion that the highest Angel in heaven is not permitted to have.Glascock. Foxes 3. vol p. 29. And Guide Bree 3 vo. p. 38.
In the primitive times they were wont to call martyrdome by the name of Corona Martyrij, the crown of martyrdome, and Stephen the protomartyr had his name in Greek from a crown.Magnificus martyrij titulus foreign. One woman martyr having her childe in her hand, gave it to another, and offered her self to martyrdome; Grot. in 21. Joh. 19.Crowns (saith she) are to be dealt this day, and I mean to have one.
Luther writing to those which were condemned to death, saith, the Lord will not do me that honour, I who have made all this busle: It was very strange*Hic (sc. amor spon…) leonis faucibus … eripuit, & …uod meritò stupebat mu…dus, in medio tot ac etiam potentum hostium, infimo homuncioni & longam vitam prorogavit, & placidam mortem intra domesticos parictes concessit. Brightman in cant. 6. 2 that one who had so provoked the Pope and all his potent party, should die quietly in his bed.
Bernard saith there are three sorts of martyrs, 1. Martyrs voluntate solùm, in will only, so all the godly are martyrs. 2. Voluntate & opere, in will and act; those who chearfully lay down their life for Christs cause. 3. Opere solum, in act only; so the children of Bethlehem, Spanhom. Dub. Evan p…r …. Dub 84.Mat. 2. 16. This was rather a passive then an active martyrdome, and improperly so called, since to true martyrdome not only slaughter and a good cause are requisite, but a will and intention of undergoing death for Christs sake.
It is a question among the Schoolmen why Christ should so complain in his sufferings, as in the garden and on the crosse, and yet the martyrs suffer so chearfully.
1. They suffered for God, and Christ from God.
2. They suffered in their bodies, Christ in his soul, and the wrath of God, Isa. 43. 10.
3. Their sufferings were mixed with joy and comfort, exuberance of joy sometimes. Christs sufferings on the crosse were void of all comfort, Mat. 27. 46. and there was a suspension of divine influence.
M. Ball in his catechisme saith, The testimony of conscience is a strong argument to prove that there is a God, and the constancy of the Saints*Ex illa tanta multitudine omnis generis sexus que hominū tot locis ac saeculis distinctorum, qui pro hac religione mori non dubitarunt, colligendum, magnam aliquam tantae constantiae fuisse causam, quae alia cogitart non potest, quam lux veritatis Grot. de veritate Rel. Christ. l. 2. is a good reason to prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God, both these main principles of religion may be then confirmed from the carriage and courage of the Martyrs.
First,See Foxes 1. volume in Bilney, and 2. vol. p. 300. How forcible was the working of conscience in some of them! Bilny and Bainham at first recanted, but what a hell did they feel in their consciences till they returned to God and bewailed their abjuration! On the contrary, what ravishing comfort did Robert Glover injoy a little before his martyrdome? Dear wife (saith Sanders *In a letter to his wife Fox. 3. vol. p. p. 138.) riches I have none to leave behinde me, wherewith to endow you after this worldly manner, but the treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is unto hungry consciences (whereof I thank my Christ I feel part, and would feel more) I bequeath unto you, and to the rest of my beloved in Christ to retain the same in sense of heart alwaies.
Secondly,See Rawlins and William Sparrow. The Martyrs constant suffering may much establish us in the assurance of the Scriptures coming from God.
1. Observe the number of those which suffered for the truth, of all sorts and conditions, stout and tender, noble and base.
Famesius departing out of Italy is reported to have said,Sleid con… l 17. That he would make such a slaughter in Germany that his very horse might swim in the bloud of the Lutherans. So much bloud of the Protestants was spilt in France that the very rivers in the streets flowed with bloud. The Duke of Alba sitting at his Table*Meter. hist. de reb. Belg. l. 15. said, that he had taken diligent pains in rooting out the tares of heresies, having delivered 18000 men in the space of six years only to the hands of the hangman.From the beginning of the Jesuites to 1580. (being the space of 30 years) almost 900 thousand Protestants were put to death in France, England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and other parts of Christendome. Reverend Cranmer, learned Ridley, Down right Latimer, zealous Bradford, pious Philpot, patient Hooper. Fuller. on Heb. 9. 10.
Within the compas…e of lesse then four years continuance, there died in England in Q. Maries reign 277 persons, without regard*Speeds chron. in Q. Mary. Neither in Q Elizabeths reign, nor in the reign of K. James, nor King Charles, vvas any Papist put to death meerly for his conscience. of degree, sex or age. In the heat of those flames were consumed five Bishops, one and twenty Divines, eight Gentlemen, eighty four Artificers, one hundred husbandmen, servants and labourers, twenty six wives, twenty widdows, nine virgins, two boies, and two infants.
Secondly, The persecutours could neither by torments nor pleasures induce them to deny the truth.
When Valens the Emperour coming to Caesarea commanded Basil to assent to the Arians, and threatned to banish and punish him if he obeyed not, Pueris (saith Basil) illa terriculamenta proponenda sunt, sibi verò vita eripi potest, sed confessio veritatis eripi non potest. Those bug-bears were to be propounded to children, but for his part (said he) though they might take away his life, yet they could not hinder him from professing the truth. When King Lysimachus threatned Cyrenaeus Theodorus with hanging,Cic quest. Tusc. l. 1. Istis quaeso (saith he) ista horribilia minitare purpuratis tuis: Theodori quidem nihil interest, humine an sublimè putrescat. Threaten those terrible things to thy brave Courtiers, Theodorus cares not whether he rot in the air, or on the ground. Cyprian said Amen *S. Cyprian… senten…i…m in se latam audiens, dixit gratias ago Deo omnipotenti, qui me à vinculis hujus corporis dignatur absolvere▪ Pont. in vita Cypriani.to his own sentence of martyrdome, and the Proconsul bidding him consult about it, he answered, In re tam justa *Aug Ser. de Cypr.nulla est consultatio.
Bonner said, A vengeance on them, I think they love to burn.
When the Proconsul threatned Andrew the Apostle with the crosse, if he left not off his preaching, I would never (said he) have preacht the doctrin of the crosse, if I had feared the suffering of the crosse.
Jerom in the life of Paulus the Heremite reciteth a story of a certain souldier, whom when the Pretor could not otherwise with torments remove from his Christianity, he devised another way, which was this: he commanded the souldier to be laid upon a soft bed in a pleasant garden among the flourishing lillies and red roses;Foxes Acts and Mon. vol. 1 p. 8…. which done, all others being removed away, and himself there left alone, a beautiful harlot came to him, who imbraced him, and with all other incitements of an harlot, laboured to provoke him to her naughtinesse. But the godly souldier fearing God more then obeying flesh, bit his own tongue with his teeth, and spit in the face of the harlot, as she was kissing him, and so got he the victory by the constant grace of the Lord assisting him.
Thirdly,See in Io. Hus. Ierom of Prague. Hen. Voes. Pet. Serre. Ia. Bainham. Anth. Person. An. Askew The Martyrs suffered with much comfort, courage and assurance of their salvation, going to the fire as to a feast, calling the coles roses, and the day of their martyrdome, their marriage day.
I am to die (said Bishop Ridley *In a letter to his kindred & friends at his farevvel. Fox. vol. 3. pa. 506.) in defence of Gods everlasting truth and verity, which death I shall by Gods grace willingly take with hearty thanks to God therefore, in certain hope without any doubting to receive at Gods hand again of his free mercy and grace everlasting life.
Rowland Taylour departing hence in sure hope without all doubting of eternall salvation,D. Tailour in his last vvill and testament. Fox. vol. 3. p. 175. I thank God my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ my certain Saviour. Amen.
They thanked their Judges for condemning them, Sententiis vestris gratias agimus, Crudelitas vestra gloria est nostra …ert. ad Scap. c. 5.cum damnamur à vobis à Deo absolvimur. Tertul. Apol. c. 5.
The Martyrs were eminent in many graces.
1. In humility. They neither called themselves martyrs, nor did they give way to others so to entitle them,Euseb. eccles. hist▪ l. 5. but if any in epistle or speech so named them, they did sharply reprove them, saying, That this appellation was due to Christ alone, which only is a faithfall witnes to the truth.
Ignatius in his Epistles saith, I salute you, who am ultimus, the last and least of all: and so in another Epistle, Tantillitas nostra.
Lord (said Hooper) I am hell,In a praie… a little before his death. but thou art heaven, I am a sink of sin, but thou art a gracious God, and a mercifull Redeemer.
2. In love to God and Christ.F…xes vol… 3. p. 154. See the subscriptions of Brad…ord… lett…rs. Ignatius called Christ his love, Amor meus crucifixus est, said he, My love was crucified.
None but Christ, none but Christ, said John Lambert.
They offered to some of them gifts and honors to take them off, to which one well answered, Do but offer me somewhat that is better then my Lord Jesus Christ, and you shal see what I will say unto you.
3. In love to the brethren, and one another.Tertul. Apolog. c, 39. Ejusmodi vel maximae dilectiovis operatio notam nobis inurit penes quosdam, vide inquiunt, ut invicem s… diligant. In the primitive times the cry of the Heathens was, See how they love one another, See how they are ready to die for one another. How did they express their affection to one another likewise by their gilt pence, nutmegs, and other tokens which they sent to one another, and by their hearty praiers?
4. In *See M. Kerby, Io. Rogers, D. Farrar,patience, Victi sunt Gentiles, & eorum Idololatria, non à repugnantibus, sed à morient…bus Christianis. Aust.
5. In liberality to the poor.*See in B. Hooper
6. In fidelity, John Bradford had often leave of his keeper, while he was in prison, to go see a friend, and he returned to his prison again rather before his time.
7. In zeal and fervency in*See B. …ati…er▪ praier.
8. In mildenes*See Archbishop Cran…er. and forgiving their enemies.