Iudges: on that condition he would come out, although he had fully determined neuer to haue remoued from thence, but to haue ended his life in that dungeon.MarginaliaThe false promises of the Papistes not to be trusted. There were present certaine councellours which promised to perfourme his request. And thereupon he was taken out of the dungeon. As soone as he sawe the Fryer, he cryed out with a loude voyce, saying O miserable and wretched man that I am: nowe am I betrayed and deceiued, for my latter houre is at hande. I see wel the dreame which I haue dreamed this night wyll come to effecte: for they doo handle me tyranously and cōdemne me, not being heard. The fryer brake hym of from his purpose and pulling a wooden crosse out of his sleeue, presented it vnto hym, declaryng that he must be quiet, because they had alreadye geuen sentence against hym, & that he should gaine nothing by so much talke. Poore man (said the Fryer) thou hast had good and gentle Iudges at the least thou shalt go to God, therfore confesse thy sinnes in my eare, and after thou hast receyued absolution at my handes, doubt not but this daye thou shalt goe straight to the kingdome of heauen.MarginaliaThe Christian poore man refuseth the Fryers wodden crosse. The poore man answered, Thou wicked frier, get thee away from me, for I haue long since bewayled my sinnes and offences, and that before the face of my Lord Iesus, who hath already forgeuen me all that which I haue committed against his maiestie, wherfore I haue no neede of thy absolution, which thou thy self doost not vnderstād. This is most certaine, that long tyme since, þ^u shouldest haue amēded thine owne wicked & hypocriticall lyfe. I knowe well ynough what thou art, thou playest the Ape with me, but thou hast a subtyll and craftye harte, whiche hath deceyued muche simple people. If thou haste any comfort or consolation out of the Gospell to comfort me with al, let me haue it, if not, get thee away from me, with thy Portesse. The fryer was so confused and amased with these woordes, that he knewe not what to doo or say. The hangman being wiser then the fryer, bade hym reade vnto the poore man something of the Passion, wherein the poore man would take great pleasure.MarginaliaThe Crucifixe of woode falsely called a Sauiour. This folish fryer had no other consolation to comfort hym withal, but to hold the Crucifixe of wood before him, saying, Beholde thy saueour whiche dyed for thee, looke vpon hym, & thou shalt be comforted. Then said the poore man, I haue an other saueour, this is none of my Saueour: get thee awaye from me thou naughty person, with thy marmoset of wood. My saueour dwelleth in heauen, in whom I trust that he wil not deliuer my soule to eternal death. The fryer crossed hym selfe, shewing the semblance of a man that were very sory & agreeued, thinking with hym selfe, that this poore man was fallen into desperation.MarginaliaThe innocent man condemned for ill will. Then he was led forth into the market place, wheras accordyng to the custome, openly before al the people, his confession was read with a loude voyce, whiche conteined no other thing, but only that the man had ben a seditious person, and that in the tyme of truice he had cryed Alarme, euen in the night, when al men were at rest.

When he was come to the place where he shoulde suffer, beyng compassed in with Gleues and Halbardes, hyred for the purpose, after he had sayd the Lords prayer, þ^e hangman bade hym kneele downe, but he refused so to do, declaryng that he had yet something more to saye before the people, thinking that he shoulde not be denyed to speake in that place, as he was before the wicked Iudges. Those (sayde he, whiche knowe me, shalbe sufficient good witnesses on my behalfe, that from my youth vpwarde I haue alwayes lyued in good name, fame, & honestie, being neuer before accused for any offence, sedition, or periurie.

In an euil time haue I happened in to these cursed daies, when as alwayes both of God and man are turned topsy turuy. I was adherent to the tumult and sedition of the men of the countrey, as many other were whiche dwell thereabout, but what then? are there not also many Gentlemen which folowed the pesants army, and many strong townes which went also with them?MarginaliaNihil peccauit Agnus Sed Lupus esurijt. I was not the authour of any sedition, which alwayes I haue mortally hated. I neuer gaue counsell vnto any man to moue any broyle or tumult in any place. We asked counsell of our Gentlemen what we should do, when the bandes of the pesantes were assembled in the fields: but they gaue vs neither counsel nor comfort. And to speake of my selfe. I did neuer vnderstand or know what the articles were that were published, neyther was there euer any man that tolde me wherefore they were published: neither did I know wherfore the bands of the countrey mē were risen, neither wherefore euery man moued his neighbour to put on armour. Wherfore thē haue ye takē me as a seditous man, & made me to endure so great torments? He continued a long time in declaring his innocencie, but notwithstanding all his excuses & defences,MarginaliaThys blessed Martyr beheaded. the hangman drue his sworde, & at the commaundement of the iudge, strake of his head, as he had made an end of his prayers. His tongue moued a long tyme afterward in his head, by meanes of the force of the woordes whiche he had before spoken.

Thus this good man of the countrey ended his dayes. Against whom the false Iudges could find no crime or offense to obiect, albeit they had diligently sought by witnesses to haue information of al his life & liuyng. The Lord graūt his spirite to al those which suffer for his name. Ex Ioan. Oecolampad.

MarginaliaThe story and Martyrdome of Wolfgangus Schuch WOlfgangus Schuchus comming to a certaine towne in Lotharing, bearing the name of saint Hippolitus, & being receaued in þ^e saide towne to be their Pastor, laboured by al meanes howe to extirpe out of the hartes of the people Idolatrie and superstition. Whiche through the grace of Christe working with hym, he in short tyme had brought prosperously to passe, according to his desire: In so muche that the obseruation of Lent, Images, and al Idols, with the abomination also of the Masse, in the same towne was vtterly abolished: So reformable God made the hartes of the people there, & such affection had they to their minister.MarginaliaFalse and pernitious tonges. It was not long but the rumour thereof came to the hearing of Duke Antony, prince of Loraine (vnder whose dominion they were) through the swift report of the aduersaries, falsely belying these Hyppolitans to the duke, as though they in relinquishing the doctrine and faction of the Pope, wēt about to reiect & shake of al authoritie & power of princes, & all superiour Gouernours.MarginaliaThe Duke of Loraine threatneth the towne of S. Hyppolitus. By þ^e meanes of whiche sinister report, they incensed the Prince to such displeasure and indignation, that he threatened to subuert and vtterly to destroye the towne with sworde and fire. Wolfgangus hauyng worde of this, wrote vnto the Duke his Epistle in most humble & obedient wise, in defence both of his ministerie, of his doctrine which he taught, and of the whole cause of the Gospell.

MarginaliaThe letter of Wolfgangus to the Duke. In which Epistle first he excused the people to be innocent and blameles, & rather those sclaunderous reporters to be both worthy to be blamed, and also punished for their false rumours & forged sclaunders raysed vp against them. After that he opened and explaned the cause and state of the Gospel, and of our saluation, consisting onely in the free grace of God, through fayth in Christ his sonne, comparing also the same doctrine of the Gospel, with the confused doctrine of the Church of Rome.

That done, thirdly he proceeded to our obedience, honour and worship which first we owe to God & to Christe: next vnder hym, to Princes here and Potestates, whom God hath placed in his roume, and endued with authoritie here in earth, vnto whom they offered them selues nowe & at al times, prest and most ready to obey with al seruice and dutie. &c.

But with this Epistle Wolfgangus dyd nothing preuaile, eyther for that it was intercepted by the waye, or els for the false accusations & wicked tongues of the aduersarie parte tooke more effecte to winne credite with the Duke, then could the simple defense of veritie. Whereupon Wolfgangus, when he sawe no other remedie, rather then the towne should come in any daūger for his cause, the good man of his owne accorde came to the citie of Nancey (which is the head towne of Loraine) there to render a confession of his doctrine, and also to deliuer the town of S. Hippolite out of peryll, deryuyng all the daunger vppon him selfe.

MarginaliaThe Constancie of Wolfgangus vnremoueable. As soone as he was come thyther, incontinent handes were layd vpon hym, and he layde fast in a strayte and stinking prison, where he was sharpely and bitterly handled, vnder the custodie of churlish and cruel keepers. Al this notwithstanding, Wolfgangus cōtinuyng in that prison the space of a whole yeare, yet woulde not be moued from his cōstancie, neither with the straitnes of the prison, nor with the hardnes of his keepers, nor yet with the compassion of his wife & children, which he had about sixe or seuen.MarginaliaWolfgangaus bad to the Gray Friers. Then was he had to the house of the Gray fryes, to professe there hys fayth:MarginaliaWolfgangus confuteth his aduersaries. where he both wittyly and learnedly confuted al them that stoode against him.

There was a fryer (named Bonauenture) prouinciall of that order,MarginaliaA right description of a frierly Cilenus or Cyclops. of face, bodye, and belly monstrous, but muche more grosse in blynde ignoraunce, and a man vtterly rude, a contemner of all ciuilitie and honestie. Who beyng long confessour to the Duke, and of great authoritie in Loraine, as he was an enemie to vertue and learnyng, so was he euer perswadyng the Duke to banishe out of his Courte and Countrey of Loraine all learned men, neyther coulde he abyde any person whiche seemed to knowe more, then his elders knewe before. The summe of all his Diuinitie was this, to be sufficient to saluation onely to knowe the