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.

An English Man burnt at Rome.

In the year 1595 a young man, about the age of twenty five years being at Rome, was much stirred in a Religious Zeal, against their hornble Idolatry, as the Bishop was going a Procession the young man pluckt the Pix out of his hand, and threw it to the ground, cal∣ling, Wretched Idolater, for which he was apprehended and sent to pri∣son, and shortly after Pope Clement the eighth hearing of it, or∣dained, that he should be immediately burnt, but some of the Car∣dinals advised, that he might rather be kept till a further exami∣nation; and accordingly they kept him eight dayes in prison, but when they see nothing could be drawn from him, but these words, viz. such was the will of God: Then they stripped him naked to the middle, and put on the form of a Devil or Dragon upon his head, and then bound him in a Cart, and carried him to the place of Exe∣cution, where he was burnt alive.

* 1.1 I find also a Relation of three other English-men, put to death at Rome, the manner of their sufferings are as followeth: They meeting together entered into a Conference, concerning the state of the Church at that time, complaining that the Zeal of Gods Glory was wonderfully cooled amongst men; yea, and that even those of the Religion, were

grown but too worldly wise; that Sathan by little and little was sow∣ing the seed of Atheism every where, by rocking men asleep in the Cradle of Security; whereupon, commending themselves into the hands of God, they determined to take their Vogage to Rome, and there to encounter, with the Adversary of Christ; thither they came, and after two or three dayes, two of them behaving themselves mo∣destly, did in secret manifest to some the Truth of the Gospel, who being betrayed, were imprisoned and put to death, without any further ado; the third resolved to bear his Testimony more publick, and therefore taking an opportunity, when the Pope was in the midst of his Massing devotion, stept quickly to him, and pluckt the host out of his hands, and trod it under his feet, testifying against the Mass and Antichrist; the people in a rage fell upon him, beating and bruising of him, and he was forthwith bound and set upon an Ass, and the Executioners with lighted Torches burnt his Face, Mouth and Tongue first, when the flames came overthwart his Cheeks, he was heard to cry, Lord forgive them, they know not what they do; and then they consumed his body with Fire to Ashes.

And herein the Reader hath seen the invinceable Constancy, of these Martyrs, who in their burning Zeal for Religion, dryed up the Rivers of Persecution; and were never tyred in Suffering, until the Persecutors swords were blunt with the slaughter.

Blessed are they that are Persecuted for Righteousness sake, for their is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three Eng∣lish men put to death at Rome.