Page:The History of the Bohemian Persecution (1650).djvu/362

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328
The Hiſtory of

had John Elius of Stubnecimus, and others in other places and this was the true cauſe why in all theſe daily perſecutions of Ferdinand, Bohemia as alſo all Germany did not produce more Martyrs, there were not wanting who would have died in maintenance of the Chriſtian faith; but there were none who would inflict death upon bare account, for it was determined by theſe cruel Tyrants, brought up in the Devills Schoole, not to kill the body but the ſoule, and therefore they had rather by lingring and continued puniſhments, render men unſtable and wavering in the truth, then by their patiently maintaining the faith, make them victorious, they onely put them to death, upon whom they had any colour of a civil crime, as is manifeſt in theſe Martyrs of Prague. Andreas Chebdovius, a ſweet and hopefull young man, was thus dealt with, whom they apprehended at Dorbuſta, as he was in his journey from Podebradium his native Countrey, going to the Court of Inowen, into his ſervice he had ingaged himſelf at Faradiſſium, they faſtened him to a ſharpe ſtake, becauſe he was a Meſſenger, to carry about ſeverall treaſonable deſignes, when nevertheleſſe they found nothing about him, but a few Letters written from friends to friends, nor by any tortures could they force him to confeſſe any thing, and this was done in the year 1622.

14. They