AN ACCOUNT OF THE Sufferings AND Dying Words, Of Several French Protestants, Under this present PERSECUTION As it was received from the Hands of several Protestant Ministers, who Arrived lately in England.  
LONDON Printed, and reprinted at Edinburgh 1699   

A Brief Account of the Sufferings and Last Words of several French Protestants, under this present Persecution.  
MOnsieur de Hamlin (a young Gentleman of very good Parentage, and very Zealous in the Protestant Religion) living long privately in his own House, with an other Gentleman, and his Host, whom he instructed in all the Principles of the Protestant Religion; at last they were Apprehended, and cast into Prison: And while they lay there, in came a Priest, with all his Accoutrements, to say Mass: But Monsieur de Hamlin, inflamed with Zeal against such Ridiculous Fopperies, went and overthrew the Chalice and Candlesticks, saying, Is it not enough to you to Blaspheme God in the Church, but you must also pollute the Prison with your Idolatries? The Jailer seeing this, fell upon him, and beat him most desperately, & also removed him into a Dungeon, loading him with Irons, which made his Legs to swell, where he lay Eight Days in a most pitiful manner: The other Gentleman, and his Host terrified with the Prison, and Fear of Death, Renounced their Profession. Whereupon M. de Hamlin said to the other Gentleman, O Unhappy, and more than Miserable Man! is it possible that you shall be so Foolish, as to save your Life for a few Days? Dost thou think Eternal Life so mean a thing, as to prefer the Present Life before it? Remember Man, that the sufferings of this present Life are not comparable with the Glory that shall be revealed: If thou suffer with him thou shalt also Reign with him. Thou canst not answer for what thou hast already done; yet the Gate of Mercy is not quite shut: Heap not Sin upon Sin, lest thou epentest when it is too late, and be an Example to all Apostates. Having ended his Speech, the other young Gentleman with the Priest going out of Prison; The Priest informed grievously against M. de Hamlin: And he being Condemned, and carried to the place of Execution, and there tied to the Stake, he cried out with a loud Voice, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. How long shall Darkness overwhelm this Realm? How long wilt Thou suffer the Tyranny of these wicked Men? They endeavoured to drown his Voice with the Sound of Trumpets, but in the midst of the Flame he Prayed and Exhorted the People to Constancy and Truth. The Fire was slow, therefore put him to the greater Torment: But that which most troubled him, was the Clamorous and Wicked Men set on by the Jesuits and Friars, who continually cried, Turn thou Heretic, call on our Lady, say, Salve Regina. To whom he Answered, Depart from me, and trouble me not, ye Messengers of Satan: For the Fool hath said in his Heart, there is not a God: The Men of Sin have hardened themselves to do Evil continually; But those that Suffer with Christ shall also Reign with Him. So he rendered up his Soul unto God in the midst of the Flames, At Mascon in France, the 17 of April 1697.  
TWO Ministers who fled out of France in the time of the late Persecution, into Germany, where they continued a long time: But returning to Valence in France to see some particular Friends; thinking to pass unknown; They being discovered, and cast into Prison, the Judge commanded them to be brought before him; where they were accused of Instructing and Encouraging the Protestants to continue in their Profession: To whom the Judge said, Are ye the Authors of this Sedition? Are ye the Cause that so many lose their Lives? By God I swear, that ye shall suffer for them all, and shall suffer the Torments ye encourage them to undergo, To whom they answered, Thy Sentence we joyfully embrace; and we are most willing to be Sacrificed for our Brethren, and resolve to shed our dearest Blood in the Profession of the Protestant Religion, and unanimously offer up our Lives for the same. The Judge being much in rage with this stout Answer, commanded their sides to be Lanced with Knives, till their Bones were laid open: But the Holy Ministers preached the Living God▪ and the Lord Jesus Christ, and exhorted the People to continue in the Protestant Religion, and to Abstain from the Idolatrous Worship of the Church of Rome. Upon which the Judge commanded to strike out their Teeth, that their speech might be hindered. His Orders were obeyed, and their Faces also buffeted, their Eye lids torn off, their Cheeks Cut and Gashed with Knives, the Skin of their Beards by degrees plucked off, and their comely countenances wholly defaced and deformed. Yet for all this, the Meek and Patiented Ministers and Marryers' said only this; We thank thee, O Sir, that thou hast opened to us so many Mouths to Preach our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and to Confess the Truth of His reformed Religion: For as many Wounds as we have, so many Mouths have we to Bless and Praise God, and Jesus Christ our Redeemer, for giving us Patience and Constancy in the Truth. The Judge being enraged with their Constancy, ordered the one called Monsieur Perued, to go back to Prison, from the place of Execution, & cast in a Dungeon, & there Strangled: And the others Body to be teared and rend in Pieces with a Hurdle and an Iron Grate: But he being no way affrighted or daunted therewith, did sing. The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what Man can do unto me; I will fear no evil, because Thou, O Lord, art with me. As for thee, O unjust Judge! I appeal from this thy Tyranny, to the Righteous Throne and Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ the Righteous Judge; where it will appear ye are but Bloody Tyrants to inflict such horrid Tortures upon us innocent Protestants. Then coming to the place of Execution, the Judge cried to the Hangman or Executioner, Dispatch the Heretic Rebel: He nothing troubled therewith sang aloud,  
— O Lord I yield to Thee,  
To whom the Death of all Thy Saints  
We know most dear to be.  
Thus persuading and encouraging the People to die in the like Cause, he with a cheerful countenance, gave up his Body to the Torments, and his Soul unto God: And is one of these before the Altar that cries, How long, etc. At Valence in France the 27 of June 1698.  
ANother young Gentleman at Calis, who upon professing himself to be a Protestant, was apprehended and cast into Prison. And being brought before the Judge, boldly acknowledged, He believed in Christ, and in the Protestant Reform Religion, and valued not what they could inflict on him for his Profession. Then the Judge called for several Tortures, and all manner of Torments to be inflicted on him. To whom he said, It would be a Loss and Damnage to me, if I did not suffer divers Torments and Punishments for Christ in his Cause. The Sheriff more incensed▪ hereby, commanded all the Torments usual to be inflicted on him; with which he was nothing disturbed, but sung. The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear what Men can do unto me; I will fear no Evil, because Thou art with me, O Lord. Then he blamed the Tormentors for favouring of him, and desired them to do their outmost. The Sheriff not prevailing that way. He, with some Jesuits and Priests, though by Flattery to Seduce him. promising him Preferment, Riches, and Honour, if he would deny his Profession: But he dreaded them as Foolish and Mad, saying, I look for greater Preferment in Heaven than ye can give me here on Earth. He was then Condemned, and carried out of the City to be Burnt; Multitudes of Friends and others, following him, some Kissing him; Weeping for him, and entreating him with Tears to pity himself: To whom he Answered, Weep not I pray you for me, but weep for the Enemies of God, who fight against the Protestants: Weep, I say, for them who prepare a Fire for us, purchasing Hell Fire for themselves in the Day of Vengeance. Cease, I pray you, thus to molest my settled and quiet Mind: For truly, for the Name of Christ, and the Protestant Reform Religion, I am ready and willing to suffer a Thousand Deaths. Others persuaded him to deny his Religion with his Mouth, and to keep his Conscience to himself. To which he Answered, O Fools! my Tongue, which by God's Goodness I have, cannot be brought to deny the ●ame: For with the Heart we believe unto Righteousness, and with the Tongue we Confess unto Salvation. And thus persuading and encouraging the People to be willing to Die in the like Cause, and not to forsake their Profession for earthly Enjoyments; with an unparalelled Countenance; he gave up his Body to the Flames, March. 18. 1698.  
ANother young Gentleman, a Soldier in the Garrison at Dunkirk, forsook all Company, gave himself to Fasting and Prayer, Meditation and Reading of the Holy Scripture; Coming into the City upon a Holiday, and seeing the People at their Pastimes, and other Ceremonial Follies, declared himself a Protestant, and cried, Away with such Ridiculous Idolatrous Foppries: For God will not be mocked with your Superstitions; For These that Worship Him, must Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. He was apprehended, and tormented with divers Torments, which he regarded not, saying, There is nothing in my Mind that can be compared to the Kingdom of Heaven: Neither is all the World, if it were weighted in a Balance, comparable to the price of one Soul. And further said, Who can separate us from the Love of Christ? Can Tribulation or Anguish? And again, I have learned of my Lord Jesus Christ, not to fear them that can kill the Body, and have no power to kill the Soul. Having endured a Multitude of Torments, he received Sentence of Death: And at the place of Execution he said I give Thee Thanks, O my Lord God, who hast accepted me to be a Partaker of Thy Death. and has not suffered me to be Devoured of my fierce Enemies, Satan & a subtle World, but hast kept me constant in Thy true Faith unto the end. And so he lost his Head, but found a Crown of Glory; Dunkirk, Agust 3. 1698.  
ANother young Gentleman, seeing the Persecution of the Protestants in Piedmont, being of eminent Religious Parents, and he himself being most Zealous in the Protestant Religion: His Parents fearing, that his Zeal might make him Guilty of his own Death, keeped him closely at their Country House, a great way from the City of Turin. But he hearing of the great many persecutions of the Protestants, both in City and Country, detasting any further delay, went all along through Byways, and much Danger and Weariness, toward the City, where he came in the Morning: And going before the Judge, said, What a Shame is it for you, thus wickedly to take away men's Lives by all manner of Cruelties? And also endeavour to destroy their Souls, by compelling them to deny their Religion? Would you know. O ignorant Souls, what I am? Behold I am a Protestant, and an Enemy to your Devilish Sacrifices: I scorn and despise your Idols, and tread them under my Feet; and acknowledge only God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven & Earth, & Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord: But for your prayers to Saints and your devilish dead Idols, which are the work of men's hands, none but Fools will own and worship the same, etc. Come on therefore, and let the Hangman. Burn, Cut, and Mangle this poor Mortal Carcase; it is very easy to break and destroy a weak and brittle perishing Body, but the Mind and Soul, you cannot touch with all that you can do, The Judge enraged ●herewith, said to the Executioner, Take him and let him feel the power of our Torments, and know what we can do: Yet, O sturdy youth. I would fain have thee before thou diest, to Recant this thy Wickedness, and to save thyself from a wretched Death Consider what Pleasures thou mayest enjoy in the House of thy honourable Parents: Consider the Lamentations and Tears of thy miserable Family and Relations, which by thy Perverseness will be brought to Ruin: Consider thou art in thy youth, in the flower of thine Age, in the way to Honour and Preferment, by an Honourable Marriage agreeable to thy Quality and Estate; do not these glistering Glories, and the Delights of this World move thee? Does not the Terror and extreme Grief of thy dear Parents incline thee to pity thyself and them? Yea, who is there doth not lament thy madness and folly. If this doth not prevail, consider the terrible Death that thou art like to suffer: Consider what variety of Torments are prepared for thee; for thou shalt either be Beheaded by the Sword, or thou shalt be torn in pieces by the Teeth of wild Beasts; or else thou shalt be thrown alive into the burning Flames. Now, how easy and small a matter is required of thee to avoid all this punishment, and take a little Incense between thy Fingers, and put into the censure in honour of the Romish Religion, thou shalt be set free promising always to desert from the Hugon● Religion. When he heard him thus speak: being extremely moved, he spit in the Tyrant's Face, and presently threw down the Censure, and kicked the Incense, and said; Away with your Idols out of my sight: Whereupon the judge commanded the Hangman, without further delay to pluck his Limbs out of joint, and then with the Claws of wild Beasts, tore off the flesh from his Bo●es; while he not in the least daunted with their cruel Torments, fell a singing and praising in this manner▪ O Lord, I will never forget Thy Goodness and Mercy; what a pleasure is it, O Lord Jesus, to remember thy triumphant Victories, who by suffering hast attained the height of Glory? Thus with great Constancy and Courage he continued joyful, and cheerfully sang Praises to God, when he was all overstained and embrued in his own Blood, and cruelly tormented in all parts of his Body. Then they proceeded to the last Torments, which was to cast him alive into the burning Flames; where he died a joyful Marty▪ singing Praises and Hallelujahs to God. Turin October 27. 1698.  
FINIS.