monethes, lookyng for nothyng more, then present death. At last throughe the meruelous Prouidence of almyghty God, þ^e first day of February. an. 1545. at eyght of the clocke after supper, he founde thee doores of the prison standyng open, and hee secretly was aunswered in hys mynde, to take the occasion offered, and to shyft for him self: & so he issuing out of the prison without any hasty pase, but goyng as leisurely as he could, escaped from thence and went straight to Germany.

ought in no case to hyde the same in silence, as a candle vnder a bushell: And therfore beyng occupied diligen ly in that behalf, albeit he vsed not publikely to preach, but by priuate conference to teach, he was at length by the Popes clients espied, apprehended, and committed to prison. Albeit MarginaliaFaninus ouercome by his wyfe and brethren. he remayned not long in that prison: For by the earnest persuasions & prayers of his wyfe, his children, and other friendes, he was so ouercome, that he gaue ouer, and so was dimissed shortly out of prison. After this, it was not long, but he fell into horrible perturbation of mynde: In so much that vnlesse the great mercy of God had kepte him vp, he had fallen in vtter desperation, for slipping from the truth, and preferring the loue of his frendes and kinrede, before the seruice of Iesus Christ, whō he so earnestly before had professed. This woūd went so depe into his hart, that he could in no case be quieted before he had fully fixed and determined in hys minde to aduenture his life more faithfully in the seruice of the Lord.

Wherupon he beyng thus inflamed with zeale of spirit, went about all the country of Romaigna, publikely preaching the pure doctrine of the Gospell, not without great fruit and effect in places as he went. As he was thus MarginaliaFaninus agayne imprisoned. labouring it so fel out, that he was apprehended againe, an. 1547. in a place called Bagnacauallo, where also he was condemned to be burned: but he said his houre was not yet come, and the same to be but the beginning of his doctrine, and so it was, for shortly after he was remoued vnto Ferraria, where he was deteined ij. yeres. At last the Inquisitors of the Popes heresies condemned hym to death. an. 1549. and yet his tyme beyng not come, he remayned after that to the moneth of September, an. 1550. In the meane tyme many faithfull and good men came to visite hym: for the which the Pope cōmaūded hym to be inclosed in straiter custody: wherin he suffred great torments the space of 18. monethes and yet had suffred greater, if the Dominicke Friers might haue got hym into theyr house, as they went about. Thus Fanius remoued from prisō to prison, many tymes chaunged hys place, but neuer altered his constancy.

At length he was brought into a prison, where were diuers great Lordes, Captaines, and noble personages there committed, for stirring vp commotions and factions (as that countrey of Italy is full of such) who at first, hearyng him speake, be-

gan to set him at light, and to deride him, supposing that it was but a melācholy humour that troubled his brayne, wherupon, such as semed more sage amongest them, began to exhort him to leaue his opinion, and to liue with men as other men do, and not to vexe his mynde, but to suspende hys iudgement, till the matter were decided in a generall Councell. To whom Faninus agayn, first geuing thē thanks for their frendly good willes, wherewith they semed to respect his wel MarginaliaThe modest aunswere of Faninus to his felow prisoners. doyng, modestly and quietly declared vnto them, how the doctrine which he professed was no humore nor opinion of mans brayne, but the pure veritie of God, founded in his 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 mynde neuer to renye to beleue the lying phantasies of men. And as in hys soule, which was redemed by the bloud of the sonne of God, he was free from all bondage: so likewise as touchyng Councels, he looked for no other sentence nor authoritie (he sayd) but that onely whiche hee knew to be declared to vs by Christe Iesus, in hys Gospell, whiche both he preached with his worde, and confirmed with his bloud. &c. With these & such other wordes, he so moued their myndes, that they were cleane altered vnto a new kynde of life, hauing hym 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 declaryng and confessing him selfe to be a miserable sinner, but by the fayth of thee Lorde Iesus, and through the grace onely of hym, hee was fully persuaded and well assured his sinnes to bee forgiuen: like as all their sinnes also shalbe remitted to them through their fayth onely in Christe, beleuyng hys Gospell.

MarginaliaPrisoners conuerted by Faninus. There were other also beside these, who hauing vsed before, a more delicate kynd of life, could not wel away with the sharpnes and hardnes of thee 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 thee prisonment of this Faninus was knowen to hys parentes and kynsfolke, hys wyfe & sister came to him with weepyng persuasions, to moue him to consider and care for hys poore familie, To whō he answered again, þ^t his lord & maister had cōmaunded him not to deny hym for loking to his family, & that it was enough for thē that he had once for theyr sakes fallē into þ^t cowardlines. which they knew: Wherfore he desired them to depart in peace, and sollicite hym no more therein: for his ende (he sayd) he knew to draw neare, and so he commended them vnto the Lord.

About the same tyme dyed Pope Paulus the 3. and after MarginaliaPope Iulius the 3. hym succeded Iulius the 3. which thē sent letters and commaundement, that Faninus should be executed. Wherof, when one of the magistrates officers brought hym worde the next day, he reioyced thereat, and gaue the messenger thanks, and began to preach a long Sermon to them that were aboute hym, of the felicitie and beatitude of the lyfe to come. Then the messenger exhorted him, þ^t in case he would chaunge hys opinion, he should saue both this lyfe, and enioy that to come. Another asked hym in what case he should leaue hys little children and hys wyfe, or what stay should they be at, he so leauyng them: wherfore he desired hym to haue respect both MarginaliaChrist preferred before wife and children. to hymselfe, and to them. Faninus answered, that he had left thē with an ouerseer, which would see vnto them sufficiently. And beyng asked who he was, the Lord Iesus Christ (sayd he) a faythfull keper and conseruer of all that is committed to hym. After that the messenger was thus departed from Faninus all full of teares and sorow: the next day following he was remooued into the common prison, and deliuered to the secular Magistrate. Who in all hys wayes, hys wordes, hys gestures and countenaunce, declared such constancie of fayth, such modestie of manners, and tranquillitie of mynde, that they which before were extreme agaynst hym, thinkyng hym rather to haue a Deuill, beganne now fauorably to harken to him, and to commend him. With such grace and swetenes hee talked, euer speaking of the worde of God, that diuers of the Magistrates wiues in hea-