The History of the Bohemian Persecution/Chapter 57
Chap. LVII.
I. SOme of the Ministers were taken, and thrust into prison, with whom this was the common way of proceeding, they were solicited by the Jesuites and Monkes perswasions to Apostacy, or with their Sophistry in arguing and disputing, or promises, or threatnings, or affrightments, But the successe proved not alike in all, for fome either for feare of death, or perpetrall imprisonment, or else not being able to endure hunger, and the noysome stench of the prisons, before hand fainted, and renounced the Ministery, of which sort there were some: others bore up manfully, persevering in their firm and constant resolution, being fully perswaded, that although God had permitted them to fall into their enemies hands, yet they bridled their rage and madnesse; as happened to Wenceslaus Lipenius, and Daniel Tychikius, aged men, of seventy years of age, dwelling at Boslavia, Mr. Daniel Alginus of Strakonicium, Laurentius Schramius of Czalavia, Victorinus Adam of Prague, Joseph Thomaid, Petrus Grinæus, Jacobus Viterius, Johannes Hradsceus, Wenceslaus Pasovius of Niclaspurgum, Daniel Stephanidis of Znoyna, and many others in many other places, but none were dismissed, but such as gave something under their hands that they would never return into their Country againe. Some on the other side were fined, and compelled to pay a great summe of money, others in disgrace were led out of the City in a disgracefull manner, as Daniel Alginus and others.
2. There was one man whom the rage of Antichrist spared not, by name Matthæus Ulicius (Ulickie) Deacon of Czaslavia, who was on this occasion taken. A certaine nobleman of Bohemia, by name George Techemitz, who came with a Danish Army well appointed in the year 1927. and privately brought them into Silesia, and had gathered together about four hundred men in a wood near to Gurimia; the rumor of this came to Prague, that the Country people in those parts were drawing to head with an intent to rebell: for the surprising of which, some troops were sent against them: they apprehended neare unto that wood Mathew Ulickie, (but Techenitius with his men were escaped.) This Ulickie was not privie to this insurrection, onely came from visiting his wife, who at that time was sicke, and was returning to his owne place of refuge, being Kizchebla. But they bring him, with, one whole name was Michna with them to Czaslavia, unto the chiefe Commanders there assembled together. Of these he is examined whether he were in the company of these country men, who denying it, was immediately delivered to the executioner to be tormented. The overseeing of this torturing was committed to two Citizens, to wit Nicholas Holub, and George Kosischnik;, Apostates, they enquired of him not onely concerning the insurrection of the country men, but likewise concerning his function, When, where, to whom he had administred the Lords Supper or Baptisme. For they suspected that for three yeares past he had not beene farre off, and had encouraged the people of Czaslavia to perseverance, which suspicion of theirs proved not true, for being banished (he went through Moravia, Hungarie and Austria) but did returne within halfe a year, to the the same intent, that he might: not leave his auditors though in persecution.
3. They made a fair shew, and gave him some hope of life if he would turn Catholick, but the Lord so strengthned him that he sealed with his bloud the truth of the Doctrine in the same City wherein he taught it. He ingeniously confessed that hee neither quite laid down, nor for a time did lack those parts of the Ministry, which he had received from Christ not from Cæsar, being demanded of the Masse-Priest, whether after the manner, of the Calvinists he gave the bread instead of the Host, and gave the Cup into the Communicants hands? He answered; That was Christs institution; whose example to follom, and command to obey he accounted most sacred. When they endeavoured to extort from him the confession of the sedition against Cæsar, and Kosischink one of the examiners admonished him not to burthen his conscience by concealing what he knew, he answered, thou perfidious fellow I have a greater regard of my conscience than thou hast of thine, at which words he being astonished in Conscience within a small while after languished and died, being again promised hope of pardon if he would change his Religion, he answered, since this body of mine is subject to corruption, and now it doth begin to decay, why would you have me hinder it.
4. On the 11 day of September he is brought forth to be punished, and the cryer proclaimed with a loud voice that he was guilty of sedition, with a loud voice he said I suffer for the truth of Christ, when hee was going through the gate, one Iohn Aquile a Batchelor presented him with a book of Psalms, but was forced to fly for it, not without a beating from the Captain. Ulicius with a very cheerfull voice and ready memory singing that Psal. Hast thee O Lord, &c. None of the Citizens were permitted to accompany him, or looke out at the windows on him, whosoever should presume to do otherwise, was threatned to bee shot, and that his voice might not be heard what he sung, or said, the Trumpets sounded and the drums beat continually about him.
When he was led to the place of execution he cheered up himself saying, this day my soul shall be with Christ; the Captain Hlizowski, answered: with the Divell in Hell, but the Martyr turned backe againe these words upon him, but you with your impious crue will run headlong thither excep ye repent, and kneeling down on his knees he recomended his soul to Christ, presently after the executioner cut off his right hand, wherewith (say they) he gave the Cup into the hands of the Laity, after that they cut off his head, and cut out his bowels and wrapped them in his shirt, at the length he was quattered and his quarters set upon four stakes and his head on the fifth, and was set about the Gallowes to be seene. Some that have passed by affirm that the head and members have been seen fresh all the year after, and untouched by the birds.
6. After his death the enemies began to disperse themselves, and some letters were in his possession found, the which (if hee could have happily joined himselfe to the multitude of seditious countrymen) hee intended to have dispersed throughout the whole Kingdome, and incited all men to take up armes for the defence of administring the Cup in the Sacrament. But with those that knew the man better, this forgery got no credit; for that he was known to be of a quiet disposition, and truly Godly, and was wont to say very often that tears were the arms of the Church; nay, he was so far from any such thing, that he seemed not to approve that the Orders should defend their religion by armes. Unlesse by chance being mastered by impatience, he might happily join with them in their desperare Councells, which he only knows from whom nothing is hid. Thiswe are certain of, that it is no new device, for the enemies of the Church, to lay such notable aspersions upon the Godly, that they might put a fairer glosse upon their tyranny. We will hereafter acquaint you how the Father of this Martyr (a man of eighty yeares of age) laid his life downe for Religion in the same yeare at Prostanna in Moravia.