1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1110 
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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 comfortable letter of a Martyr in Italie.
| Persecuters | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
The Ma gistrates of Ve- nice. | At Rome. an. 1555. | Venice, caused hym to be appre- hended at Padua, and caryed to Venyce, where hee was long de- teined in prison and bandes, till at last the Pope commaunded the Magistrates there to send him vp boūd vnto Rome: which the Venitians eftsones accompli- shed. After he was brought to Rome, manifold persuasions and alurementes were assayed to re- moue the vertuous and blessed yong man, from his sentence. But |
when no worldly persuasions could preuaile agaynst the ope- ration of Gods spirite in him, then was he adiudged to bee burned alyue, whiche death most constantly he susteined to the great admiration of all that behelde him. Beyng in prison at Venyce, he wrote an Epistle to the af- flicted Sainctes, which for the notable swetenes and most |
| Persecuters | Martyrs | The Causes. |
wonderfull consolation conteined in the same, in shewyng forth the mightie operation of Gods holy power working in his afflicted Sainctes, that suffer for his sake: I haue thought good and expedient, to communicate, as a princi- pall monument amongest all other Martyrs letters, not onely with the other letters, whiche shalbe inserted hereaf- ter (the Lord willing) in the end of the boke, but also in this present place to be redde, to the entent that both they whiche be, or shalbe hereafter in affliction, may take consolation, and also that they whiche yet folowe the trade of this present worlde, in comparyng the ioyes and commodities therof, with these ioyes here expressed, maye learne and consi- der with them selues, what difference there is, betwene them both, and therby maye learne to dispose them sel- ues, in such sort, as may be to their edification, and perpetuall felicitie of their soules. The copie of the letter, first written in Latine, we haue translated into Englishe: the tenour wherof here vnder ensueth. |
¶ A comfortable letter of Pomponius Algerius, an Italian Martyr. |
¶ To his most dearely beloued brethren, and felow ser- uauntes in Christ, whiche are departed out of Babylon, into Moūt Sion: Grace, peace, and health, from God our father, by Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour. |
TO mitigate your sorowe, whiche you take for me, I can not but imparte vnto you some portion of my delectations and ioyes, whiche I feele and finde, to the entent you with me, may reioyce, and sing before the Lord, geuyng thankes vnto hym. I shall vtter that, whiche no man will beleue, when I shall declare it. I haue founde, a neste of hony and hony combe in the in- trals of a Lyon. 
CloseJudges 14:2 what mā will euer thinke, in the deape darke dungeon, to finde a Paradise of pleasure? in the place of sorowe and death, to dwell tranquillitie and hope of lyfe? in a caue infernall, to bee founde ioye of soule? and where other mē do weepe, there to be reioysing? where other do shake and tremble, there strength and boldnes to be plentie? Who will euer thinke, or who will beleue this? in such a wofull state, such delectation? in a place so desolate, such societie of good men? in straite bandes and cold yrons, such rest to be had? All these things, the swete hand of the Lord (my swete brethren) doth mini- ster vnto me. Behold, he þt was once farre frō me, now is present with me. Whō once scarse I could feele, now I see more apparantly: whō once I saw a farre of, now I beholde nere at hand: whom once I hungered for, the same now approcheth & reacheth his hand vnto me. He doth comfort me, & heapeth me vp with gladnes: he driueth away al bitternes: he ministreth strēgth & cou- rage: he healeth me, refresheth, auaunceth, & comforteth me.
Close1 Corinthians 10: 13 seruauntes to be tempted aboue their strength?
CloseMatthew 11: 13 easy and swete is his yoke? Is there any like vnto the hyghest, who receaueth þe afflicted, healeth þe woūded, & nourisheth them? Is there any like vnto hym? Learne ye welbeloued, how amiable the Lord is, how meake and mercifull he is, whiche visiteth his seruauntes in tentatiōs, neither disdayneth he to kepe company with vs in such vile and stinkyng caues. Will the blynd and incredulous world (thinke you) beleue this? or rather will it not say thus? No thou wilt neuer be able to a- byde long, the burnyng heate, the cold snow, and the pinchyng hardnes of that place: the manifold miseries, and other greuaunces innumerable: the rebukes, and frownyng faces of men how wilt thou suffer? Doest thou not consider and reuolue in thy minde thy plea- saunt countrey, the riches of the world, thy kinsfolkes, the delicate pleasures, and honours of this life? Doest thou forget the solace of thy Sciences, & fruite of all thy labours? Wilt thou thus loose all thy labours, which |
thou hast hetherto susteined? so many nightes watched? thy painefull trauails, and all thy laudable enterprises, wherin thou hast bene exercised continually, euen from thy childhode? Finally, fearest thou not death, which hā geth ouer thee, and that for no crime cōmitted? O what a foole art thou, which for one word speakyng, mayst salue all this, and wilt not? What a rude and vnmaner- ly thyng is this, not to be entreated at the instant peti- ons and desires of such, so many and so mighty, so iust, so vertuous, so prudent, and gracious Senatours, and such noble personages? &c. But now to aūswere, let this blind world hearken to this agayne: What heate can there be more burning, thē that fire, which is prepared for thee hereafter? And like- wise what snow cā be more cold, thē thy hart which is in darkenes, & hath no light? What thing is more hard and sharpe, or crooked, thē this present life, which here we lead? what thyng more odious & hatefull, then this world here present? And let these worldly men here aun swere me: what countrey can we haue more swete, then the heauenly countrey aboue? what treasures more rich or precious, thē euerlastyng life? And who be our kins- men, but they whiche heare the word of God? where be greater riches, or dignities more honorable, then in hea uen? And as touchyng these Sciences, let this foolishe world consider, be they not ordeined to learne to know God? whom vnles we do knowe, all our labours, our nyght watchynges, our studies, and all our enter- prises serue to no vse nor purpose, all is but labour lost. Furthermore let the miserable worldly man aunswere me, what remedy or safe refuge can there be vnto him, if he lacke God, who is the life and medicine of all men? And how cā he be sayd to flye from death, when he him self is already dead in sinne?
CloseJohn 14: 6 tie, & life, how cā there be any lyfe then, without Christ? The soolye heate of þe prison, to me is coldnes: the colde wynter to me is a freshe spryng tyme in the Lord. He that feareth not to bee burned in the fire, how will hee feare the heate of weather? or what careth he for the pin chyng frost, whiche burneth with the loue of the Lord? the place is sharpe and tedious to them that bee gyltie, but to the innocent and giltles, it is mellifluous. Here droppeth the delectable dew, here floweth the pleasaunt nectar, here runneth the swete milke, here is plentie of all good thinges. And although the place it selfe bee de- serte and barren, yet to me it semeth a large walke, and a valley of pleasure: here to me is the better and more noble part of the worlde. Let the miserable worldlyng say & confesse, if there be any plotte, pasture, or medowe so delightfull to the minde of man, as here? Here I see kynges, princes, cities, and people: here I see warres, where some be ouerthrowen, some be victours, some |
thrust
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