The spirit of the martyrs revived in a brief compendious collection of the most remarkable passages and living testimonies of the true church, seed of God, and faithful martyrs in all ages: contained in several ecclesiastical histories & chronological accounts of the succession of the true church from the creation, the times of the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Christ and the Apostles.

Great Persecution in Gaunt, and other parts of Flanders Anno, 1543, 1544.

* 1.1 Charles the Emperor lying in Gaunt, the Fryars and Docters obtain∣ed, that the Edict made against the Lutherans might be read openly twice a year, which caused a great Persecution to follow; so that there was no City nor Town in all Flanders wherein some were not either Expulsed, Beheaded, Condemned to perpetual Imprisonment, or their Goods Confiscate, without respect either to Age or Sex, espe∣cially at Gaunt where some of the cheif men in the Town were burnt for their Religion.

Afterward the Emperor coming to Brussels, there also was terrible Slaughter and Persecution of Gods People, namely in Brabant, Hone∣gow and Artois, the horror and cruelty whereof is almost incredible; insomuch that two hundred Men and Women were brought out of the Country into the City, some of whom were drowned, others buried Quick, others privately made away, others sent to perpetual Imprisonment, whereby the Prisons were filled to the great sorrow of them which knew the Gospel, the Professors whereof being now compelled either to deny the same, or confirm it with their blood; the Story whereof was at large set forth by Francis Ensenes in Latine, who himself was a Prisoner at the same time in Brussels for the Truth Sake.

* 1.2 Martin Hoeurblock Fishmonger in Gaint 1545. being converted to the Truth from the Superstitious Idolatry of the Papists, and a great change wrought in him, having all his time till then lived a wicked and a fleshly life, was a wonder to his Neighbours to see such a sudden change; the Franciscan Friars, who before knew him, and remembring how beneficial he had been to them, now seeing him so altered, and taking notice of his visiting the Prisoners, and comfor∣ting them in Persecution, and confirming them that went to the Fire, they soon caused him to be detected and imprisoned, and with grie∣vous and sharp Torments would have constrained him to utter more

of the same Religion, to whom he answered, That if they could prove by the Scripture, that his detecting and accusing of his Bre∣thren, whom they would afflict with the like Torments, were not against the Law of God, then he would not refuse to prefer the ho∣nour of God before the safegard of his Brethren; he was soon after had to the Council in Flanders, where the Causes laid against him were, the Sacrament, Purgatory, &c. for which he was condemned and burn at Gaunt, all his goods being Confiscate.

* 1.3 Nicholas and Francis Thiesten Anno 1545. for standing firm in the Truth, and bearing witness against the Church of Rome, and their Auriculer Confession, Purgatory, &c. were condemned to be burnt, and coming to the place of Execution, for exhorting the People, they put Wooden-gags in their Mouths; when they were fastned to the Stake they patiently endured the Fire; the Mother of these two men was for her stedfastness to the Truth condemned to perpetual Imprisonment.

* 1.4 Adrian Tayler and Marion his wife of Dornick Anno 1545. by reason of the Emperors decree at Worms against the Lutherans, were appre∣hended and persecuted; Adrian not so strang as a man, for fear gave back, and was but only beheated; the wife stronger then a Woman, withstood their threats, and abode the uttermost, and being inclosed in an Iron grate, formed in shape of a Pasty, was laid in the Earth, and buried quick; when the Adversaries first told her that her Hus∣band had relented she believed them not, but as she was going to the place where she was to die, passing by the Tower where he was, she called to him to take her leave, but he was gone before.

* 1.5 Peter Bruly, of Stratsburge, at the earnest request of faithful Bre∣thren, went down to visit the Lower Counties, about Artois, which the Magistrates of Dornick hearing, shot the gates of the Town, and made search for him three days, he was privately let down the Wall in the night by a basket, and as he was let down into the Ditch, rea∣dy to take his way, one of them which let him down leaning over the wall, to bid him farewel, caused unawares a stone to slip out of the wall, which falling upon him brake his Leg, by reason whereof he was heard of the watchmen, complaining of his wound, and so was taken: So long as he remained in Prison he ceased not to preach the Truth to all that came unto him, he wrote his own Confession, and Examination, and sent it to the Brethren, he wrote also another Epistle to them that were in Persecution, another he wrote to all the faithful, another Letter he wrote to his wife the same day he was burned; he remained four Months in Prison before he was sentence∣ed to be burnt; Letters were sent from Duke Frederick, of the Lant-grave to intreat for him, but he was burnt before the Letters came.

* 1.6 Peter Moice being converted to the Truth by Peter Bruly, was ap∣prehended and let down into a deep Dungeon under the Castle-Dirch, which was full of filthy Vermine, the Friars coming to ex∣amine him, he told them, whilst he lived an ungodly life they never concerned themselves with him, but now for favouring the Word

of God they sought his blood; being brought before the Senate, he would have boldly answered to what they objected against him, but they interrupted him, to whom he said, if you will not suffer me to answer for my self, send me back to Prison among the Toads and Frogs, which will not interrupt me, while I talk with my God, and continuing constant in the Truth was at last burnt to death.

* 1.7 Nicholas Frenchman having been at Geneva, intending to go into England, but in his way was apprehended by the Lieutenant of Dornick and being bound hands and feet was brought to Burgis, and there laid in a Dungeon, the Friars when they came to examin him, went away in a shamefull rage, saying, he had a Devil; and cry∣ing, to the fire with him. Soon after the Judges condemned him to be burnt to Ashes, at which sentence giving, he blessed the Lord which had counted him worthy to be a witness in the cause of his beloved Son; going to the place of Execution he was threatned, that if he spake they would put a wooden ball in his mouth, never∣theless, being at the Stake, he minded not their threats but cryed out with a loud voice, saying, Oh Charls, Charls, how long shall thy heart be heardned; with that one of the Souldiers gave him a blow; then he said, O miserable People, who are not worthy, to whom the Word of God should be Preached; then the Friers cryed out, he hath a Devil, to whom he said, depart from me all you Wicked, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my Weeping: So in the midst of the fire commended his Spirit unto God, and ended this life.

* 1.8 Bertrand Le Blais at Dornick in the year 1555. Suffered lamentably, his Torments being almost incredible that the Tyrants shewed unto him, his constancy was admirable. This Bertrand being a Silk-Weaver, having something upon his Spirit, set his House in order, and desired his Wife and Brother to pray that God would esta∣blish him in his enterprise, that he was going about, which was, upon Christ-mass (day so called) he went to the high place at Dornick, where he took the Cake out of the Priests hands, as he would have lifted it over his head, at Mass, and stampt it under his feet, saying, that he did it to shew the Glory of that God, and what little power he hath; at the sight hereof the People were amazed, and he hardly escaped with his life; it was not long before the Governor of the Castle heard of this passage, who like a mad man threatned he should be an example to all posterity; Bertrand being brought before him, he askt him if he repented of his fact, who answered no, and if he had a hundred lives he could give them in that Quarrel; then was he thrice put to the Pin-bank and Tormented most miserably, to utter his Setters on, then they past sentence against him, and this was executed; First he was drawn from the Castle of Dornick to the Market place having a ball of Iron put in his mouth, then he was set upon a Stage where his Right hand was Crusht and prest between two hot Irons, with sharp Iron edges fiery red, in the like manner they served his right foot, which Torments he endured with mar∣velous constancy, that done, they took the ball of Iron out of his

mouth, and cut out his Tongue; notwithstanding his Tongue was cut out, he still called upon God as well as he could, whereby the hearts of the people were greatly moved, whereupon the Tormen∣tors thrust the Iron ball into his mouth again, from thence they brought him down to a lower Stage, where his legs and hands were bound behind him, with an Iron Chain going about his body, and so he was let down flat upon the Fire, the Governer standing by, caused him to be plucked up again, and so down and up again, till at last the whole body was consumed to Ashes.

* 1.9 James Faber and three others suffered at Valens, James Faber be∣ing an old man, said, that though he could not answer nor saisfie them in Reasoning, yet he would constantly abide in the Truth of the Gospel.

* 1.10 Godfry Hamell a Taylor taken and condemned at Dornick, when they had condemned him by the Name of an Heretick, nay, said he, not an Heretick, but a Servant of Jesus Christ; when the Hang∣man went about to Strangle him, to diminish his punishment, he refused, saying, that he would abide the Sentence that the Judges had given.

Besides these that suffered in Germany before mentioned, a great number there was, both in the Higher and Lower Countries of Ger∣many, which were put to death for Religion, many of them were burnt, some buryed alive, some secretly drowned, many of their Names are mentioned in the Acts and Monuments, but little of the circumstances of their Tryal and Execution being mentioned I have omitted them for brevities sake.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Edict against the Lutherans to be read twice a year.
• * 1.2

  Martin Hoeurblock Martyr.
• * 1.3

  Nicholas and Francis Thiesten Martyrs.
• * 1.4

  Adrian Tay∣ler and Ma∣rion his wife Martyr.
• * 1.5

  Peter Bruly Martyrs.
• * 1.6

  Peter Moice Martyr.
• * 1.7

  Nicholas Frenchman Martyr.
• * 1.8

  Bertrand Le Blais Martyr.
• * 1.9

  James Fa∣ber and three others Martyrs.
• * 1.10

  Godfry Ha∣mell Martyr.