The History of the Bohemian Persecution/Chapter 83
Chap. 83.
Martin Fruweyn de Podoli.
AN eminent Citizen of Prague, and famous for pleading in the Courts of the Kingdom, whose Councell the States had used for many yeares. He upon the taking of Prague was taken at his own house, and scoffed at by the Souldiers, who had the possession of the whole house, beaten with their fists, and at length by an unheard of and exquisite kind of torture, he was so cruelly burnt even to the privy parts, that for six moneths being troubled with most grievous pains, he could neither live nor die. When the rest were imprisoned the 21. of February, he was brought from his own house first, into the Court of the old City, and from thence carried into a Tower of the Castle, which they call the White-Tower, and there shut up from all company. Lastly the 7. of June he was found dead in the Castle-Ditch under that Tower.
2. The enemies reported that being driven into despaire by the remembrance of his wickedness, he had thrown himself down headlong; therefore they commanded, that he should be taken by the Executioner,carried into the White-mountain, and there beheaded, and quartered, his entrailes to be buried, and the other parts to be set upon staves in the four quarters of the world before the City, and his head to be fastned to a Gibbet in the Horse-market. But it seemed doubtfull to many how he could throw himself down, being always guarded by Souldiers. It is most likely that he was cast down by some privily design’d to that purpose, which God knowes.
3. This one thing is not unknown to us, that he was troubled with great temptations all that time. For when being confin’d to his house, the Minister of the word (Adam Hartman with Dr. Erasmus a Physician then with him) did visit him, he heard these words proceed from him, O my brether Adam, I hoped that in these late transactions, I was serviceable to God and the Church. Now seeing the event contrary, and considering how great a slaughter of many thousand men there hath been, I think that we have done something erroneously which hath displeased God. The coming of the Souldiers interrupted him being about to speak more: and he desiring them to visit him againe, before that could be done, he was removed into the aforesaid Tower of the Castle, none being afterwards admitted to him, but his Wife sometimes; Who visiting him the day before his death being the 6. of June, (which she often afterwards related) found him very sad, and troubled by the Monkes, which did infest him (as he complain’d) and desiring comfort, there lay by chance upon the Table, a great Cantionall of the Brethrens, to which reaching out his hand, Seeke faith he comforts for my soul, She not being able presently to satisfie his desire, he opened it himself, and sung these verses with weeping out of the penitentiall song which is under the letter G. XVIII. where God is brought in speaking to the contrite soule (out of 30. Jer. 15. Why cryest thou for thine affliction? Thy sorrow is incurable, there is none to help, (out of the 2 Kings 14.26.) I will bind up thy wound, and heale thy stripes and will not take away my chastisement till I have healed thee. Then he continued in the Apostrophe which was in the same song. Lift up thy self thou beleeving soul, who art cast down with a sence of thy sinne and misery! He is faithfull that hath promised, who hath partly fulfilled his promise, having sent a Physitian to thee, viz. his sonne, who hath by his own bloud provided a plaister for thy sore. He will restore thee to the full, when he shall raise thee up and glorifie thee, &c. Which are all signes of a soul wrestling with despaire though not as yet despairing.
4. But although he had perhaps cast himself down for a fear of greater evills, or with a hope to escape a resolution to dye; yet the glory of Martyrdom doth not perish with them, who (as long as it is Christs cause) fearing the enemies fury, do themselves anticipate death; which may be made probable to the Papists themselves, by the authority of the Fathers, to whom they in other cases attribute much. Let them look upon Ambrose (in his third book of Virgins) relating such a thing of the Virgin Pelagia, & also praysing the deed. Let them resort to Augustin, although he answers more, doubtfully of the like businesse. But something may be had out of Eusebius to cause a milder opinion, who in the 8. Book 12. ch. writes thus, What need we revive the memory of those who were burnt at Antioch With bot coals not to death, but to lengthen out the punishmet? (which also happened to Freweynius) And of others who would sooner put their right hands into the fire then touch the prophane sacrifice? The tryall of which some avoiding, throwes themselves headlong from the house-tops, before they would be taken and fall into the enemies hands; and thought rather to hasten their death then to undergo the malice of wicked men. More may be there seene.