1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1108 
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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 Jtalian Martyrs.
| Persecuters | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
band, and with the Senate, for Galeazius life. Whiche mo- ney when they had thus iuggled into their handes, so was the sely woman robbed and defeated both of her husband, and also of her money. Ex Cælio. |
MarginaliaD. Ioan. Mollius, Martyr.Corneli- us, pro- fessor of Bononie. Campei- us, Card. Cardi- nall de Capo. Bonauen tura, Ge- nerall. Vj. Car- dinalls. Pope Iu- lius the thyrd. | D. Ioan- nes Mol- lius, a gray frier. A certein Weauer of Perusiū. At Rome. an. 1553, | Ioan. Mollius Montilci- nus, beyng but xij. yeares olde, with his brother Augustinus, was set of his parentes, in the house of the Gray Friers: where he in short tyme hauyng a fresh wytte, far excelled his felowes in all tongues and liberall sciences. So growyng vp to the age of 18. he was ordeined priest, and sang his first Masse. After that hee was sent to Ferraria to studye, where he so profited in the space of vj. yeres, that he was assigned by Vigerius, Generall of that or- der, to be Doctour, & thē reader in Diuinitie: who then with his sophistrie opposed him self as an vtter enemye agaynst the Gos- pell. From thence he went to Bri xia, & the next yeare folowyng, to Millain, where he read or professed openly. Agayne, from thence he was taken by Francis- cus Sfortia, and brought to the |
Vniuersitie of Papia, there openly to professe Philosophie, where he remayned iiij. yeares. After that he was called to MarginaliaLaurentius Spatha, Generall of the Gray Friers.the Vniuersitie of Bononie by Laurētius Spatha, Generall of that order, whereas he was occupied in readyng the bookes of Aristotle De Anima. In the meane tyme God wrought in his soule such light of his worde, and of true religion, that he waxing weary of professing Philosophie, began secretly to expound the Epistle of S. Paul to the Rom. to a few: which beyng knowen, his auditors encreased so fast, that he was cō- pelled to read openly in the Temple. Whereas the number of his audience dayly augmented, so the eger feruencie of theyr mindes so mightly encreased withall, that euery man almost, came with his penne & ynke to write, & great diligēce was bestowed, howe to come betyme, to take vp the first places, where they might best heare: whiche was aboute the yeare of our Lorde. 1538. There was the same tyme at Bono- MarginaliaCornelius and Card. Campeius, persecutors.nie, one Cornelius an arrogant babbler, who enuying the doynges of this Ioannes, toke vpō him, at the request of Car- dinall Campeius, to expound the sayd Epistle of S. Paule, confutyng and disprouyng the explanation of the sayd Iohn, and extolling the Pope with all his traditiōs. Contrary, Iohn extolled and commended onely Christ, and his merities to the people. But the purpose of Cornelius came to small effect. For the auditors, whiche first came to him, began by litle and litle, to fall from him, and the concourse of the other mans auditors, more and more encreased. Whiche when Cornelius perceaued, he persuaded Campeius, that vnles he prouided that man to be dispatched, the estimation of the Churche of Rome would thereby greatly decay. But when they could not openly bryng their purpose about, secretly this way was deuised, that Cornelius and Ioannes should come to open dis- putation: whiche disputation endured till iij. of the clocke after midnight. At length, when neither part could agree, Ioannes was bid to returne home to his house. Who as he was come downe to the lower steppes, where the place was most straitest, so that his frendes could not come to rescue him (al- though by drawyng their swordes they declared their good MarginaliaMollius taken and imprisoned by Card. Campeius.willes) was there takē and layd fast in prison. When the day came, such tumulte and styrre was in the whole Citie, that Cornelius was driuen to hyde him selfe. Also Campeius the Cardinall, with the Bishop there, were both contemned of the studentes. The next day, the Bishop of Bononie sent his chan celour to Iohn in the prison, to signifie vnto him, that either he must recante, or els burne. But he beyng of a bold and |
| Persecuters | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
cherefull spirite, would in no wise be brought to recant. This one thyng greued him, that he should be condemned, his cause beyng not heard. In the meane season, Laurentius Spatha aboue mentio- vned, beyng Generall of that order, in most spedy wise posted vp to Rome, and there so practised with the Cardinall S. Crucis, the proctor in the Court of Rome, for the Gray Fri- ers, that the Pope wrote downe his letters to Campeius, that he should deliuer the sayd Iohn out of prison: so that he not- withstādyng, within three monethes after, should personally MarginaliaMollius deliuered out of prison by meanes of Spatha the Generall.appeare at Rome. Thus the xxx. day of his enprisonment he was deliuered: who but for cōmyng of the popes letters, had bene burned within iij. dayes after. Moreouer, with the sayd Mollius, Cornelius also was cited, to make his appea- raunce likewise at Rome, and there was deteined in prison by the Cardinall S. Crucis, till his cause should be decided. The frendes of Mollius gaue him counsaile not to go to Rome, and offered him money to go to Germanie: but hee would not, saying that the Gospell must also bee preached at MarginaliaMollius appeareth before the Pope.Rome. After he was come to Rome, and appeared before Pope Paule iij. humbly he desired, that the cause beyng so weyghty, might come in publicke hearing, but that could not be obteined. Then was he commaunded to write his mynde in Articles, & to bryng his proufes: which he diligently per- formed, entreatyng of Originall sinne, Iustification by faith, Free will, Purgatorie, and other such like: prouyng the sayd articles by the authoritie of the Scripture, and of aūcient fa- thers, and so exhibited the same to the Bishop of Rome. Vpon this, certeine Cardinals & Bishops were assigned to haue the cause in hearyng, who disputed with him. 3. dayes, and could not refelle that which he had proued. At last, aunswere was made vnto him thus, that it was truth whiche he affirmed, neuerthelesse the same was not meete for this present tyme, for that it coulde not bee taught or published, without de- triment of the Apostolicke Sea: wherfore he should absteyne Marginalia* The popes church can not abyde S. Paules Epistles.hereafter from the * Epistles of S. Paul, and so to returne a- gain safe to Bononie, & there professe * Philosophie. Thus, asMarginalia* Paules Epistles must geue place to Philosophye. he was returned to Bononie, & all mē there were desirous to know of his case, how he sped at Rome, openly in the pulpet he declared all thinges in order as they were done, and gaue God thankes. Herewith Cāpeius being more offended then before, obtei- ned of the Pope, that the Generall of the order should remoue the sayd Iohn Mollius from Bononie, and place hym some MarginaliaMollius in great daunger at Neaples.other where. So Mollius from thence was sent to Neaples, and there was appointed reader and preacher in the mona- stery of S. Laurence. But Petrus the Viceroy there, not aby- dyng his doctrine, so nerely sought his death, that hee had much a do to escape with life: and so departyng frō thence, he went wanderyng in Italie from place to place, preachyng Christ, where soeuer he came. Not long after this, when Cardinall Campeius was dead, he was called agayne into Bononie by a good Abbot, named De Grassis. an. 1543. where he renued agayne the readyng of S. Paules Epistle, af- ter a secrete sorte, as he did before: but that could not be long MarginaliaMollius the second tyme apprehended for reading Sainct Paules Epistle.vndiscouered. Whereupon by the meanes of Cardinall de Capo, and by Bonauentura the Generall, he was apprehen- ded the second tyme, and brought to Fauētia, and layd there in a filthy & stinking prison, where he cōtinued 4. yeares, no man hauyng leaue once to come to him. Duryng whiche time of his induraūce, he wrote a Cōmentary vpon the bokes of Moses, but that labour by the malignitie of the aduersa- MarginaliaMollius againe deliuered.ries, was suppressed. At length, through the interceßion of the Earle Petilianus, and of the foresayd good Abbot De Gras- sis, he was agayne deliuered, and sent to Rauenna, where he made his abode a few monethes, with the Abbot ad S. Vitalem, and there agayne taught the Gospell of Christ, as MarginaliaThe feruent zeale of Mollius.before: and when soeuer he spake of the name of Iesu, his eyes dropt teares, for he was fraught with a mighty feruencie of Gods holy spirite. In proces of tyme, when this Abbot was dead, his sure- ties began to bee wery of their bond, and so was hee agayne nowe the thyrd tyme, reduced into prison by the Popes Le- |
gates.
NNn.ij.