The History of the Bohemian Persecution/Chapter 1
HISTORY
Of the
BOHEMIAN PERSECUTION.
Chap. I.
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He Bohemians Being Idolaters lived without the knowledge of the true God, and of Religion, till the year of Christ 894. In that year, their Capraine Borivoius, being entertained by Swato Plaus, King of Moravia , by the strange providence of God, received the knowledge of Christ, and with thirty Palatines were baptized at the 23 of lune, who returned home with joy, taking with him Methudius, the Bishop of Moravia (who was an opposite to the Bohemians, amongst whom (when the seed of the Gospell was sowne suddenly a great harvest was gathered, partly in regard Ludomilla the Captains wife laid aside the Idol Rosina, which before she worshipped. Likewise a confluence of the Nobility and Commonalty were daily baptized, partly by reason of those Churches and Schooles which were in many places erected by Borivoius.
2. Thus the Bohemians received the first light of the Gospel; but the Crosse was the concomitant of it, according to the will of Christ, who as he did establish his Church by his own bloud; so he sprinkles it with the bloud of Martyrs, that it may be fruitfull: this is the counsell of Divine Wisedome, that we may hope in Christ, not for the things of this life. Therefore the Gospel cost the Bohemians some of their bloud. The chief of those that witnessed the truth were the Princes Ludomilla and Winceslaus, and some hundreds of the common People: the story of whom we shall briefly relate, chiefly out of Dubratius.
3. First of all Borivoius was banished by the wicked faction of Infidels; Stoinurus was placed in his room, who was banished thirteen years in Bavaria; but when they knew him to be a Christian, they sent him again into exile, Borivosus being recalled, they compelled him to resign the dominion to his son Spitigneus, who was more favorable to the Heathens. He being dead, Drahomera a heathen (made famous for Nobility and Beauty) was given in marriage to Worutislaus, the younger son of Borivoius, who at first was courteous to her Husband, and the Christian Nobility, and promised after her Catechisiug that she would be baptized: but this wicked woman did boldly deceive both those that instructed her, and those that were her Sponsers in baptise ; for she was more cruell against Christians, then Iezabel was against the Prophets.
§.4. Whilest her pious Husband lived, she cunningly dissembled that hatred which was evilly conceived against the Christians: but he being buried, when the Grandmother Ludomilla did undertake to educate the elder son Wenceslaus, Drahomira requiring the younger Bolislawes to be under her tuition, shee usurped the Government, and straightway commanded by a publike Edict, that the Churches should be shut against the Christians, that the exercise of their Worship should be hindred. She likewise prohibited Ministers from instructing the people, and Schoolmasters from teaching Youth: those that disobeyed were liable to imprisonment, banishment, and death. At Prague, the Magistrates were changed, and the most cruell Idolaters were substituted in the places of the Christians, by whoſe incitement the Christians were secretly, openly, unworthily abused and murthered, without any punishment to the perpetrators of that mischief; but if a Christian had killed another in his own defence, ten were massacred for one.
5. The insatiable crueltie of Drahomira could not be satisfied with this punishment, her great desire of driving away and sudden destroying all Christians excited her to deal with Ballioius, a most cruel Citizen, whom she had set over the City of Prague, under title of Pretor, to him she doth reveal her most execrable desire, and doth earnestly entreat him by fraud or force to effect this, promising him a rich reward for his labour done. He entertains the cursed motion,and aims six hundred conspirators at his own house, with them he hastens to those that were designed for slaughter; but the plot being discovered to the Christians, above four hundred mer to defend their own lives, the issue of the fight was victory on the Christians side the streets being poluted with the blood of about eight hundred that were slain.
6. Drahomira did much resent the evill successe of her councell, and therefore fained that tumults displeased her, she commanded that the armes should bee laid downe on both sides, and be laid in the city Magazine, severely prohibiting any person to walk with dart or sword.
7, The Christians although they suspected her treachery, yet least they should seem to disobey the commands of the Magistrate, brought their armes to that place to which the eneimie seemed to carry theirs. Drahomira commands in the silentest part of the night to let upon them being thus disarmed, least in the day as lately, there should be tumults made; there were killed in one night by alured Ruffins more then three hundred half asleep and half naked, Drahomira rejoycing at this slaughter, although no satisfied, speakes to the bloody Prœtor at Prague to destroy christians; he obeys and besets all passages and streets with Ruffins, and executes and slayes all that he meetes withall, (untill the Christians, who chose rather to dy valiantly in fighting then in slothfull idlenesse) gathered themselves together, who incountring with the Prœtor, overcame him and put him to flight, and in pursuit flew this wicked person.
8. Drahomira was enraged at the losse of this Minister of cruelty, and when she could not deftroy the Christians.at Prague; she intended the subversion of their Churches; there being but two left, in one of which the Sepulchre of her husband was, both which she commanded to be burnt.