1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1101 
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1. Henry VIII's reign2. Dissension among mendicant orders3. Persecution of Lollards4. Richard Hun5. Lollard martyrs6. Persecution in diocese of Lincoln7. Colet, Chaucer and Gower8. Prophecies preceeding Luther9. Martin Luther10. Adrian VI11. Final years of Luther12. Swiss Reformation13. German martyrs14. French martyrs15. Spanish martyrs16. Italian martyrs17. Merindol and Cabriers18. Angrogne
K. Henry. 8. A Table of the Martyrs, and Inquisition of Spaine.
| Persecuters. | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
MarginaliaRochus Martyr.An Inqui sitour in Spaine. | Rochus. At San Lucar in Spayne. an. 1545. | Rochus was borne in Bra- bant, his father dwellyng in Ant werpe. By his science he was a caruer or grauer of Images. Who as soone as he began, first to tast the Gospell, he fell from making such Images as vse to serue for Idolatrie in temples, and occu- pied him selfe in making seales: saue onely that he kept standing on his stalle, an image of the vir gine Mary artificially grauen, for a signe of his occupation. It happened vnhappely, that a cer- teine Inquisitour paßing by in the strete, and beholding the car- ued Image, asked of Rochus what was the price thereof. Whiche when Rochus had set (not willing belike to sell it) the Inquisitor bad him scarce halfe the money. The other aun- swered agayne that he could not so lyue of that bargain. But still the Inquisitor vrged him to take |
his offer. To whom Rochus agayne, it shall be yours (sayd he) if you giue me that, whiche my labour and charges stand me in, but of that price I can not afforde it: yet had I rather breake it in peeces. Yea, sayth the Inquisitor? breake it, let MarginaliaA caruer burned for breaking his owne Image.me see thee. Rochus with that toke vp a Chysell, & dashed it vpon the face of his Image, wherwith the nose or some other part of the face was blemished. The Inquisitor seyng that, cryed out, as he were mad, and cōmaūded Rochus forthwith into prison. To whō Rochus cryed agayn, that he might do in hys own workes, what he listed. And if the workmāship of the Image were not after his phātasie, what was that to thē? But all this could not helpe Rochus, but within three dayes after, sentence was giuen vppon him that he should be bur- ned, and so was he committed to the executers. As Rochus was entryng the place, there to be burned, he cryed with a loud voyce, asking among the multitude, whiche there stode by, if any man of Flaunders, were there. It was aunswered, yea: and also that there were ij. shippes already fraught, and appointed to saile to Flanders. Then, sayd he, I would desire some of them to signifie to my father dwelling in Antwerpe, that I was burned here in this Citie, and for this cause, which MarginaliaThe death and Martyrdome of Rochus.you all haue heard. And thus after his prayers made to God, this good man beyng wrongfully condemned, after his godly life, made this blessed end. an. 1545. And lest this so rare and straunge example of crueltie, shall seme to lacke credite, in the fift booke of the history of Pantaleon, there is recorded that a certaine Spanyard com- myng to Antwerpe, made diligent inquisition there among the Image makers, to finde out the parentes of this Rochus, & signified to them what had happened toward their sonne, as hath bene by his sayd parentes and frendes, declared: In so much that it is also testified, that his father, at the hearing of the sayd message, for sorowe therof, dyed shortly after. Ex Pantal. lib. 5. |
MarginaliaDiuers good mē & martyrs of Spain, died in prison.☞ Furthermore, besides these aboue recited, and also before their tyme, I heare and vnderstand by faythfull relation, that diuers other haue bene in the sayd countrey of Spayne, whose hartes God had meruelously illuminate and stirred vp, both be- fore, and also since the cōmyng in of the Inquisition, to stand in defense of his Gospell, and whiche were also persecuted for the same, and are sayd to haue dyed in prison: Albeit their names as yet are vnknowen, for that the stories of that countrey bee not yet come to light, but I trust shortly shal, as partly some in- telligence I haue therof. In the meane tyme we will come now to the Inquisition of Spayne, speakyng some thyng of the ce- remoniall pompe, and also of the barbarous abuse and cruelty of the same. |
¶ The execrable Inquisition of Spayne. |
MarginaliaThe forme & maner of the Inquisition of Spaine.TH cruell and barbarous Inquisition of Spayne, first began by kyng Ferdinandus and Elisabeth his wife, & was instituted agaynst the Iewes, whiche after their Ba- |
ptisme, mainteined agayne, their owne ceremonies. But now it is practised agaynst them that be neuer so litle su- spected to fauour the veritie of þe Lorde. The Spanyardes, and especially the great diuines there do hold, that this MarginaliaThe Spanishe Inquisition can not erre.holy and sacrate Inquisition can not erre, and that the holy fathers the Inquisitours, can not be deceaued. MarginaliaThree sortes of men chiefly in daunger of the Inquisition.Three sortes of men most principally be in daūger of these Inquisitours. They that bee greatly riche, for the spoyle of their goods. They that be learned, because they will not haue their misdealynges and secret abuses to be espyed and detected. They that begyn to encrease in ho- nor and dignitie, leste they beyng in authoritie, should worke them some shame, or dishonor. The abuse of this Inquisition is most execrable. If any worde shall passe out of the mouth of any, whiche may bee taken in euill part: yea and thoughe no worde bee spoken, yet if they beare any grudge or euill will agaynst the partie, incon- tinent they commaunde him to be taken, and put in an horrible prison, and then finde out crimes agaynst himMarginaliaExample of the same wel appeareth in Rochus aboue mētioned. at leasure, and in the meane tyme no man liuyng so har- dye once to open his mouth for him. If the father speake one worde for his childe, he is also taken, and cast into prison, as a fauourer of heretickes. Neither is it per- mitted to any person, to enter to the prisoner: but there he is alone, in such a place, where he can not see so much as the groūde, where hee is, and is not suffred eithre to read or write, but there endureth in darkenes pal- pable, in horrors infinite, in feare miserable, wrastlyng with the assaultes of death. MarginaliaThe miserable handling of Gods people in Spaine.By this it may be estemed, what trouble and sorowe, what pensiue sighes & cogitations, they sustaine whiche are not thorowly instructed in holy doctrine. Adde more ouer to these distresses & horrors of the prison, the iniu- ries, threates, whippings & scourgings, yrons, tortures, & rackes, which they endure. Some tymes also they are brought out, and shewed forth in some higher place, to the people, as a spectacle, of rebuke and infamie. And thus are they deteined there, some many yeares, and murthered by longe tormentes, and whole dayes to- gether, entreated much more cruelly (out of all compari- son) then if they were in the hangmans handes to bee slayne at once. Duryng all this time, what is done in the proces, no persō knoweth, but onely the holy fathers and the tormentours, whiche are sworne to execute the tormentes. All is done in secret, and (as great misteries) passe not þe handes of those holy ones. And after all these tormentes so many yeares endured in the prison, if any man shall be saued, it muste bee by gessing: For all the procedynges of the Court of that execrable Inquisi- tiō is opē to no mā, but all is done in hugger mugger, & in close corners, by ambages, by couert wayes, & secrete counsailes. The accuser secret, the crime secret, the wit- nes secret: what soeuer is done, is secret, neither is the poore prisoner euer aduertised of any thyng. If he can gesse who accused hym, wherof & wherfore, he may bee pardoned perauenture, of his lyfe: but this is very sel- dome: & yet he shall not incontinent, be set at libertie, be- fore he hath endured long time, infinite torments (& this is called their penitence) & so is he let go: and yet not so, but þt he is enioyned, before he passe þe Inquisitors hāds, that he shall weare a garment with yellow colours, for a note of publicke infamie, to him, & his whole race. And if he can not gesse right, shewyng to the Inquisitours by whom he was accused, wherof, and wherfore (as is afore touched) incontinent the horrible sentence of condemna- tion is pronounced agaynst hym, that he shal be burned for an obstinate hereticke: and so yet the sentence is not executed by and by, but after that hee hath endured im- prisonment in some heynous prison. |
MarginaliaDiuers Martyrs in Spaine, since the tyme of Queene Elizabeth.¶ And thus haue ye heard the forme of the Spanish Inquisition. By the vigour and rigour of this Inquisi- tion, many good true seruauntes of Iesus Christ haue bene brought to death, especially in these later yeares, since the royall & peaceable reigne of thys our Queene Elizabeth. The names and stories of whom, partlye we will here recite, accordyng as we haue faythfull re- cordes of such as are come to our handes by wri- ting. The other which be not yet come to our know- ledge, we will differre, till further intelligēce and opor- tunitie, by þe Lordes ayde & leaue, shall serue hereafter. |
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