Of the persecutions of the faithful in most ages, even by professed christians themselves, and God's disowning that spirit of cruelty by his special providences, all church history maketh mention: and how the names of such persecuting hypocrites have stunk in the nostrils of all sober men when their tragedy was fully acted and understood. Especially the poor churches called Waldenses, Picards, and Albigenses, have felt the grievousest effects of this tyranny, and yet have the testimony of the best and wisest men, to have been the purest and the nearest to the apostolic simplicity in all the world; and the memory of their enemies and persecutors is an abhorrence to the sons of charity and peace. Read Lasitius and Commenius of their discipline, and Bishop Usher de Eccles. succes. et statu. I will recite one notable passage mentioned by Thuanus and Commenius, the one Hist. lib. xxxvi. the other de bono Unit. et Ord. Discipl. p. 59. Maximilian, that good and moderate emperor, being one day in the coach with Joh. Crato only, (his chief physician and a learned protestant), lamenting the divisions of christians, asked Crato, which sort he thought came nearest to the apostolic simplicity: he answered, He thought that honour belonged to the brethren called Picards. The emperor said, He thought so too: which Crato acquainting them with, encouraged them to dedicate to him a book of part of their devotions; for the year before God had thus marvellously saved him from having a hand in their blood. Joachimus a Nova Domo, chancellor of Bohemia, went to Vienna, and gave the emperor no rest, till he had procured him to subscribe a mandate for the reviving of a former persecuting mandate against them: having got his commission, and passing just out of the gates of Vienna, as he was upon the bridge over the Danubius, the bridge brake under him, and he and all his retinue fell into that great and terrible water; and all were drowned except six horsemen, and one young nobleman, who, seeing his lord in the waves, catched hold of his gold chain, and held him till some fishermen came in boats, but found him dead, and his box with the commission sunk past recovery. This nobleman who survived, was sensible of God's judgment, and turned to the brethren in religion, and the mandate was no further prosecuted. (Such another story Bishop Usher was wont to tell how Ireland was saved from persecution in Queen Mary's days.)