1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1106 
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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
A Table of the Jtalian Martyrs.
| Persecuters | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
upon, such as semed more sage amōgest them, began to exhort him to leaue his opinion, and to lyue with men as other men do, and not to vexe his minde, but to suspende his iudge- ment, till the matter were decided in a generall Councell. To whom Faninus agayn, first geuyng them thankes for their frendly good willes, wherwith they semed to respect his well MarginaliaThe modest aunswer of Faninus, to his follow prisoners.doyng, modestly and quietly declared vnto them, how the do- ctrine whiche hee professed, was no humore nor opinion of mans brayne, but the pure veritie of God, founded in hys worde, and reueled to men in the Gospell of Iesus Christ, and especially now in these dayes, restored: whiche veritie he had fully determined in his minde neuer to renye, to beleue the lying phantasies of men. And as in his soule, whiche was re- demed by the bloud of the sonne of God, he was free from all bondage: so likewise as touchyng Councels, he loked for no o- ther sentence nor authoritie (he sayd) but that onely whiche he knew to be declared to vs by Christ Iesus, in his Gospell, whiche both he preached with his woorde, and confirmed with his bloud. &c. With these and such other wordes, he so moued their mindes, that they were cleane altered vnto a new kind of life, hauing him now in admiration, whom they had before in derision, and recounted him for an holy person. To whom he proceded still to preache the worde of grace, de- claryng and confeßing him selfe to be a miserble sinner, but by the faith of the Lord Iesus, & through the grace onely of him, he was fully persuaded and well assured his sinnes to bee forgiuen: like as all their sinnes also shalbe remitted to them through their faith onely in Christ, beleuyng his Gospell. MarginaliaPrisoners conuerted by Faninus.There were other also beside these, who hauyng vsed be- fore, a more delicate kind of life, could not well away with the sharpnes and hardnes of the prison. These also receaued such comfort by the sayd Faninus, that not onely they were quietly contented, but also reioysed in this their captiuitie, by the occasion wherof they had receaued and learned a better libertie, then euer they knew before. When the prisonment of this Faninus was knowen to his parentes and kinsfolkes, his wife and sister came to him with wepyng persuasions, to moue him to consider and care for hys poore familie, To whom he aunswered agayne, that his Lord and Master had commaunded him not to denye him, for loo- king to his familie: and that it was enough for them, that he had once for their sakes, fallen into that cowardlynes, whiche they knew: Wherfore he desired them to departe in peace, and sollicite him no more therin: for his ende (he sayd) he knew to draw nere, and so he commended them vnto the Lord. About the same tyme, dyed Pope Paulus the 3. and after MarginaliaPope Iulius the 3.him succeded Iulius the thyrd, whiche then sent letters and commaundement, that Faninus should be executed. Wherof, when one of the Magistrates officers brought him worde the next day, he reioysed thereat, and gaue the messenger thākes, and began to preach a long Sermon to them that were about him, of the felicitie and beatitude of the life to come. Thē the messenger exhorted him, that in case he would chaunge hys opinion, he should saue both this life, and enioy that to come. An other asked him, in what case he should leaue his litle children, and his wife, or what stay should they be at, hee so leauyng them: wherfore he desired him to haue respect both MarginaliaChrist preferred before wife & children.to him selfe, and to them. Faninus aunswered, that he had left them with an ouerseer, which would see vnto them suf- ficientlye. And beyng asked who hee was, the Lord Iesus Christ (sayd he) a faithfull keper and conseruer of all that is cōmitted to him. After that the messenger was thus departed frō Faninus, all full of teares, & sorow, the next day folowing, he was remoued into the cōmon prison, & deliuered to the se- cular Magistrate. Who in all his wayes, his wordes, his ge- stures and countenance, declared such constancie of fayth, such modestie of maners, and tranquillitie of minde, that they whiche before were extreme agaynst him, thinking hym ra- ther to haue a Deuill, began now fauorably to harkē to him, and to commend him. With such grace and swetenes hee tal- ked, euer speaking of the word of God, that diuers of the Ma- gistrates wiues in hearing him, could not absteined frō we- pyng. The executioner also wept him self. One of the publike Scribes thē came to him, & sayd, that if he would relent frō |
| Persecuters. | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
his opinion, the Popes pleasure was, that he should be saued. MarginaliaLyfe refused.But that he refused. This was meruelous, that he hauyng but small skill in the Latine, yet recited so many and sondry pla- ces of the Scripture without booke, and that so truly and promptly, as though he had studied nothyng els. One seyng him so iocound and mery goyng to his death, asked why hee was so mery at his death, seyng Christ him selfe sweat bloud MarginaliaHow Christ feared death himselfe, and yet hath he taken away the feare of death from others.and water before his Paßion? Christ (sayd he) susteined in his body, all the sorowes and conflictes with hell and death, due into vs: by whose sufferyng we are deliuered from sorow and feare of them all. Finally, early in the mornyng he was brought forth where he should suffer. Who, after his prayers most earnestly made vnto the Lord, mekelye and pacientlye gaue him self to the stake, where, with a corde drawen about his necke, he was secretly strāgled of the hangman, in the Ci- tie of Ferraria, three houres before day, to entent the people shoulde not see him, nor heare him speake: and after, a- bout dyner time, his body in the same place was burned. At MarginaliaA miracle as it is reported.the burnyng wherof, such a fragrant and odoriferous sent came to all them there present, and so stroke their senses, that the swetnes therof semed to refreshe them no lesse, then his wordes would haue done, if they had heard him speake. MarginaliaThe death and martyrdome of Faninus.The custome is of that Citie, that the bones and ashes whiche be left, should be caried out of the Citie: but neither the Magistrate, nor the Bishop, nor his great Vicar or Chaū- celor, nor any Diuine els, would take any charge therof, eue- ry man transferryng that burden frō thē selues, to hym which was the cause of his death. Wherby it may appeare, what se- cret iudgement and estimation, all they had of that good and blessed man. At last the people tooke his burned bones, with the cinders, and caryed thē out of the streete of the Citie. Ex Henri. Pantal. lib. 7. Ex Ioan. Crisp. pag. 363. |
MarginaliaDominicus de Baßana.The name of the perse- cutour in the story appea- reth not. | Domini- cus de Basana. At Placen tia. an. 1550. | The same yeare that the fore- sayd Faninus suffered in Ferra- ria, Dominicus also suffered in the Citie of Placentia. This Do- minicus was Citizen in Basana, and folowed the warres of Char les the Emperour, in Germanie: where he receaued the first taste of Christes Gospell. Wherein he encreased more and more by con ferryng and reasoning with lear ned men, so that in short tyme, hee was able to instruct many: and so did, working, and traue- lyng in the church, till at length, in the yeare. 1550. he comming to the Citie of Neaples, there preached the worde, and from thence procedyng to Placentia, preached there likewise vnto the people, of true confeßion, of Pur- gatorie, & of Pardons. Further- more, the next day he entreated of true faith, & of good workes, how farre they are necessarie to saluation, promising moreouer the next day, to speake of Anti- christ and to paynt hym out in MarginaliaAntichrist can not abide to be detected.his colours. Whē the houre came that he should begin his Sermō, |
the Magistrate of the Citie cōmannded him to come downe frō the Chayre in the market place, & deliuered hym to the officers. Dominicus was willyng and ready to obey the com- maundement, saying that he did much meruell, that the de- uill could suffer him so long in that kinde of exercise. From thence he was led to the bishops Chaūcelour, and asked whe- ther he was a Priest, and how he was placed in that functiō. He aunswered, that hee was no Priest of the Pope, but of Iesu Christ, by whom he was lawfully called to that office. Then was he demaunded whether he would renounce his do ctrine. He aunswered, that he mainteined no doctrine of his |
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