The History of the Bohemian Persecution/Chapter 53
CHAP. LIII.
The Ministers are removed out of other Cities.
I. THe next thing that was in agitation was to remove the Ministers out of other free Cities, which immediately in the same year they attempted and with severall insolencies put it in execution. By Commissaries, whereof I will give you one or two instances.
2. Amongst those Commissaries of Reformation that were named in the Country of the Slanensians and Litomeritians, George Michna was one, who having a troope of horse went about the Cities; Assoone as he came to Slana on Saint Katharines day with his Guard, he enters into the Church, and there he beheld their Minister and Deacon Mr. John Kapillius, a learned man, and a man of a fervent spirit reading the Gospell, and sendeth one of his Souldiers to bid him desist, but he notwithstanding persisting, he himselfe goes to him, and having his sword drawn cries out aloud to him, Thou foolish Preacher leave off your babling; and withall dasheth the Bible out of his hands with his sword. The Minister with eyes hands and voyce lift unto Heaven, repeatteth often, Woe, woe, unto you, whe neither enter into heaven your selves, and forbid those that would enter, woe, woe, woe be to you. but those words were made a mock off, and presently they layd hands on him, and he was taken and thrust this way and that way. When againe he said. But I for the name of my Lord Jesus Christ am ready to suffer all this and whatsoever else. Some of those caitiffes repeated those words of my Lord Jesu, my Lord Jesu in scorn and derision, cast the words back againe and we have a Lord even Cæsar. In the meane while the people being affrighted, and lamenting their sad condition, The chiefe men of the Senate came, and undertooke before the Commissarie for the Minister, that he should appeare wheresoever they should command him, so that he would not suffer them to lay violent hands on him. He threatens him now being under arrest shat he will send him to Prague, but importuned by the intercession of good women, was the next day moved to let him goe, provided, that within three dayes he should depart the City, and thus the good & faithful shepheard, not without great lamentations banished, & about 3 years after dyes of the plague, lying on his death-bed, he told his dreame to his friends. He thought he saw himselfe placed in a very large Library, which when he had surveyed round about, he found a booke which had this Title in Latine, in golden letters, It is Just that the Just should be slaine and then crowned. Which booke he having an earnest desire to peruse, cunningly placed it under his left arme-pit, that he might read it over at a more convenient season. But as he awaked, in stead of the booke, he found in that place a Pestilentiall swelling, whereof within foure dayes he dyed. He wrote in the time of his banishment a booke concerning Apostacy, in his owne mother tongue: Also another, calling it the Idol of the world, and of the true knowledge of the Crucifix, which being printed have benefited very many, not onely teaching them perseverance, but alto stirring up their zeale in the known truth.
3. And in the neighbouring City Laimensis, when the Minister for feare of such barbarous proceedings went away, yet notwithstanding the Commissaries in the place of punishment extort a great summe of money from the Church, and banish him though absent.. 4. And they entring into Zatreum (Zaza) commanded the Deacon, Iohn Regius to appeare in the Consulls House, and immediately to forbeare going to the Church and to depart from his parish within three dayes, the City within eight dayes. Who when he had modestly required the cause of their so sudden proceeding, was answered, that Cæsar by victorie had made all the parishes of the Kingdome subject to his power, and that Preachers hitherto were tollerated, but now they must be packing, and he would put whom he pleased into their places. And thus his will stood for his deed, and the Ministers of the Gospell were expelled the Cities.