J I , 5CC t JINGO! JOAN OF ARC. THE ILLUSTRATED CHRISTIAN MA1TYR0L0GY BEING AN AUTHENTIC AND GENUINE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE PRINCIPAL PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. BY PAGANS AND PAPISTS. COMPILED FROM THE LATEST SOURCES, BY REV. C. SPARRY. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY LEARY & GETZ. NO. 138 NORTH SECOND STREET. 18 54. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://www.archive.org/details/illustratedchris1854spar INTRODUCTION T is the design of this work to open an honest page of the history of the church of Rome. It makes no attempt to con- ceal the deformity, or excuse the wrong which that history discloses. If Romanism is worth knowing at all, it is worth knowing as it is. If the voice of the past utters any lesson, it should be fully stated and fairly learned. The editor does not possess, and therefore has not practised upon, that false liberality which shrinks from calling things by their right names. Truth is good enough and kind enough for him ; and if the faithful recital of the deeds of Rome pain the ear and shock the heart, it can not be the fault of him who makes it, but of the system whose records constitute the revolting de- tails. We desire to create a salutary dread of popery, by showing how naturally and inevitably it leads to cruelty, intolerance, and superstition. Such has always been its history, and, from its very nature, al- ! ways will be. The assumptions and prin- j ciples of the system render persecution ; unavoidable. The idea that the church is ; infallible, and that there can be no salva- tion out of her, almost sanctifies the perse- cution of what she esteems heresy, and turns the cruelties and bloodshed, which may be requisite to suppress it, to guard the church from supposed corruption, into positive virtue and benevolence. Thus the purest and most compassionate, under the influence of the system, are equally liable to practise upon the revolting principle, as the ambitious or the cruel. Our design is to illustrate this truth by showing that, through all the periods of her history, per- secution has been the doctrine and prac- tice of the church, as well those of a mild as of an inhuman temper ; it is an unalter- able and essential feature of popery, which no change or modification can destroy, and no circumstances for a time suppress. We shall be happy if the sad and mournful tale we have to tell shall produce a conviction of this truth. The aspect of the times both favor and demand a general and thorough discussion of the character and claims of popery. It is no longer a question of speculation or theory. The encroachments which popery has made upon every department of society, and the position of influence, respectability, and force, which it is fast assuming, render it fearfully practical. It has become the great question of the age, and whatever may be our reluctance to enter upon it, it can no longer be avoided. At such a time, it is the belief of the editor, that a work, presenting the system in the form and as- pect of impartial history, will be both ac- ceptable and useful. The work is a diligent and laborious compilation of Christian Martyrology, from the earliest period to the present time. Access has been had to a great variety of materials, and the editor's aim has been to select and present, in a succinct and striking form, the principal instances of persecution and cruelty practised by the Romish church. The work will contain many facts and il- lustrations which have never appeared be- fore, and will, when completed, form a complete and accurate portraiture of Rome as it was and Rome as it it. Great ex- 6 INTRODUCTION. pense and care have been incurred to em- •> and its encroachments, the editor will think bellish it with engravings, whicn will often > his toil well expended, be found to carry as striking a lesson, and > In the following pages, we have aimed as forcible an idea, as any description could I to observe a spirit of candor, and have not do. It is the result of much labor and care, > recorded a single word too highly colored and if it shall accomplish something tow- > for sober truth. We have aimed to give a ard making known the great mystery of > faithful history of wicked acts — acts which iniquity, and of guarding against its wiles \ every honest papist in his heart condemns. Our work's begun ! we'll trace through each sad stage The bloody bigotry of every age ; And with truth's pencil paint to all mankind, How superstition clouds the human mind ; While popish errors mount on reason's throne, And war with all opinions but their own ; Then common sense, and charity, and truth, Without regard to sex, to age, or youth, Are sacrificed at prejudice's shrine, While pampered priests on cruelties refine. ] What instruments by bigot zeal are used ! How grossly human nature is abused. The rack, exhausted patience to control, J The ensanguined dagger, and the poisoned bowl ; The bloody sword, bestained with pious gore ; The axe with martyrs' crimson covered o'er ; The boiling caldron, where the just expired ; The flaming pile, by popish malice fired ; The bending gibbet, innocence to bear; The red-hot pincers, harmless flesh to tear ; The precipice, from whence the victim's thrown ; The famined death, immured in walls of stone; Fierce bulls, to toss the object into air; Sharp dogs to worry, and wild beasts to tear ; The dreadful pits, where dangerous serpents lurk, To finish inhumanity's great work ; The melted draughts of lead, the thorny croicn; The stones to bruise, the rapid stream to drown; The slings to dislocate, the bloody knife, That by incision drains the sap of life; Slowyira to broil, and dry pans to destroy; With other arts that popish fiends employ : All, all the Romish bigotry disclose, And bid you such a bloody faith oppose; A faith vindictive, holding endless strife With Liberty, Compassion, Truth, and Life. Hu, ■a CONTENTS, Introduction page 5 Persecutions in the first Ages of the World 1 ] Life of Jesus Christ, with his Sufferings and Martyrdom , 13 Lives, Sufferings, and Martyrdom, of the Apostles 15 The First Primitive Persecutions, under Nero 19 ! The Second Primitive Persecutions, under Domitian 23 $ The Third Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 25 \ The Fourth Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 27 > The Fifth Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 34 I The Sixth Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 36 ) The Seventh Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 39 1 The Eighth Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 42 \ The Ninth Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 47 ', The Tenth Primitive Persecutions, under the Roman Emperors 50 \ The Persecutions against the Christians of Persia 63 ! The Persecutions under the Arian Heretics 65 \ The Persecutions under Julian the Apostate 68 £ The Persecutions of the Christians by the Goths, etc , 74 \ The Persecutions under the Arian Vandals 77 ; Persecutions from the Sixth to the Tenth Centuries 80 : Persecutions in the Eleventh Century 89 \ Horrible Massacre in France, A. D. 1572 94 The Siege of Sancerre 102 \ Persecutions of the Waldenses, in the Valleys of Piedmont 104 < Further Persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont 1 13 More Persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont 115 ; Persecutions in Germany 117 Persecutions in Lithuania 120 \ Persecutions in Poland — Destruction of the City of Lesna 124 '■ Rise and Progress of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal • 127 j The Inquisition of Spain and Portugal 141 The Lives of Doctor iEgidio, Doctor Constantine, Nicholas Burton, and William Gardener.. 147 The Persecutions in Italy 153 The first Persecutions under the Papacy in Italy 154 The Persecutions in Calabria 156 Individuals martyred in different parts of Italy 158 The Persecutions of the Marquisate of Saluces 163 i 8 CONTENTS. < The Persecutions in the Valtoline , page 164 s A Protestant Minister torn in Pieces by Dogs 165 [ Persecutions in Bohemia 166 '. Persecutions in Bohemia, after the High Court of Reformers 173 '. General Persecutions in Germany 174 I Persecutions in England during the Reign of Henry IV 176 I Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester 181 Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London 187 Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury 190 Persecutions in England during the Reign of Queen Mary 199 Persecutions in Scotland during the Reign of Henry VIII 212 The Life, Sufferings, and Martyrdom, of George Wishart 220 Persecutions of Protestants in Ireland — The Irish Massacre 229 Popish Cruelties in Mexico and South America 242 Judgments of God on Persecutors 250 THE CHRISTIAN IARTYROLOGY. PERSECUTIONS IN THE FIRST AGES OF THE WORLD, MONG primitive persecu- tions of an individual na- ture, we may reckon that of Abel, who was per- secuted and slain by his brother Cain ; the perse- cution of the righteous Noah by the ac- cursed Ham, his son ; the persecution of Lot at Sodom, and that of Joseph by his brethren. In these early ages, the first general per- secutions may be deemed that of the chil- dren of Israel by Pharaoh. This tyrant not only afflicted both sexes of all ages, by means of the most cruel task-masters, but even ordered the new born infants of the Hebrew women to be murdered. He was, however, punished for his persecutions ; first by ten dreadful plagues, and afterward by being swallowed up in the Red sea, with all his host. The children of Israel, after being freed < from bondage, were successively per- < secuted by the Philistines, Ammonites, \ Egyptians, Ethiopians, Arabians, and As- \ Syrians ; and many of the prophets and < chosen of God were persecuted by several | of the kings of Judah and Israel. ] The three righteous children were thrown < into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar ; < Daniel was cast into the lion's den by order \ of Darius ; and Mordecai was persecuted < by the malicious Haman : but these were ; all respectively saved by the Almighty, and their persecutors punished for their perfidy. The Jews were persecuted by the neigh- boring idolaters during the time of their building and fortifying Jerusalem, till that great work was finished by the care of Nehemiah ; but after its completion they were frequently disturbed by the Persians, and the successors of Alexander the Great, though that monarch himself had granted the most unlimited favors. But a little more than a century and a half before the birth of Christ, Antiochus seized upon and sacked the city of Jerusa- lem, plundered the temple, and murdered many of the Jews who refused to conform to his idolatry, by scourging, strangling, crucifying, and stifling them, and by closing up the mouths of the caves to which they fled for shelter. Antiochus and his idolatrous tormentors '■■ were, however, at length bravely opposed \ by Matthias, a priest, and his valiant sons, \ the principal of whom was Judas Macca- \ beus. This able commander, Judas, with \ his brave brothers, inspired the dispirited j Jews with new courage, defeated the gene- \ rals of Antiochus, freed their country from \ bondage, and afterward turned their arms against the Edomites and Ammonites, over whom they were equally successful. At length Antiochus died a terrible death, 12 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. his flesh having been for some time before quite putrid, and producing maggots, so that he became loathsome to himself, and nauseous to all about him. His succes- sors, however, continued their enmity to the Jews ; but they were opposed, with various success, by the Maccabees. The Jews now entered into a treaty offensive and defensive with the Romans ; but soon after lost their worthy champion, Judas Maccabeus, who was slain in a bloody battle fought with the Greeks, under the command of their general, Bacchides. Antiochus Epiphanes, now reigning in Syria, and having some success against the Jews, went to Jerusalem, where he ordered Eleazer the priest to be put to death in the most cruel manner, for refusing to eat swine's flesh. Then seizing on a family of Maccabees, consisting of a matron named Salamona, and her seven sons, he carried them all to Antioch. Here he would fain have persuaded them to embrace his idol- atry, which they nobly and unanimously refusing, he ordered them all to be put to death. Maccabeus, the eldest, was accordingly stripped, stretched on the rack, and severely beaten. He was next fastened to a wheel, and weights hung to his feet till his sinews cracked. Afterward his tormenters threw him into a fire till he was dreadfully scorch- ed ; then they drew him out, cut out his tongue, and put him into a frying-pan, with a slow fire under it, till he died. As long as he had life, and power of expression, under these exquisite torments, he fervently called upon God, and exhorted his brothers to a similar perseverance. After the second son had his hands fast- ened with chains, with which he was hung up, his skin was flayed off from the crown of his head to his knees, lie was then cast to a leopard, but the beast refusing to touch him, he was suffered to languish till he expired with the excruciating pain and loss of blood. Machir, the third son, was bound to a globe till his bones were all dislocated ; his head and face were then flayed, his tongue cut out, and being cast into a pan he was fried to death. Judas, the fourth son, after having his tongue cut out, was beat with ropes, and then racked upon a wheel. Achas, the fifth son, was pounded in a large brazen mortar. Aieth, the sixth son, was fastened to a pillar with his head downward, slowly roasted by a fire kindled at some distance ; ] his tongue was then cut out, and he was lastly fried in a pan. Jacob, the seventh and youngest son, had his arms cut off, his tongue plucked out, and was then fried to death. They all bore their fate with the same intrepidity as their elder brother, and called upon the Almighty to receive them into heaven. Salamona, the mother, after having in a manner died seven deaths in beholding the martyrdom of her children, was, by the tyrant's order, stripped naked, severely scourged, her breasts cut off, and her body fried till she expired. The tyrant who inflicted these cruelties was afterward struck with madness ; and then his flesh became corrupted, and his bowels mortified, which put an end to his wicked life. " Thus the afflicted innocent expire, Calm in their sufferings, cheerful in the fire ; Expecting, for a momentary pain, Eternal joys, and everlasting gain. While the the tyrannic and the wicked find, A tortured body, and tormented mind ; And when their vile atrocious lives they closp, A hell of horrors, and eternal woes." s THE CHRISTIAN HARTYROLOGY. 13 THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST, WITH HIS SUFFERINGS AND MARTYRDOM. AVING briefly brought down accounts of the earliest persecutions, from the remotest pe- riods to the time of our Savior's birth, we shall now enter into the most important point of human and divine history. But it is neces- sary, ere we engage in delineating the birth, actions, sufferings and death Of the Redeemer of the World, to mention some circumstances, which are either in- troductory to our subject, or should be pre- liminary to it, in order not to break in upon the uniformity of the narrative. Herod the Great being informed that a king of the Jews should be born in Bethle- hem, sent a number of troops to destroy all the children under two years of age, in that place, and throughout the neighboring coast. By this cruel order he hoped to have destroyed the child Jesus ; but in this he was not only disappointed, but punished with such a spirit of lunacy, that he slew his own wife, children, relations, friends, &c. He was afterward visited by the most grievous maladies, particularly an in- ward burning, slow, but unremitting ; an uncommon appetite, continually craving, but ever unsatisfied ; a cramp that racked him with pain ; a flux that reduced him to weakness ; worms that bred in him and gnawed him ; vermin that engendered about him and devoured him ; a general putrefaction that consumed him ; and in fine, all those complicated disorders which could possibly render him hateful to him- self, and odious to others. His torments at length became so intolerable, that not having either the comforts of religion or the support of a good conscience to sus- tain his sinking spirits, he attempted to lay violent hands upon himself. Being pre- vented in this attempt by those about him, he at last sunk under the oppression of his afflictions, and expired in the most miser- able manner. Herod the Less having married the daughter of the king of Arabia, repudiated her, and espoused Herodias, his brother Philip's wife ; for which marriage, full of incest and adultery, John the Baptist boldly and severely reproved him. This freedom greatly incensed Herodias, for we are in- formed by St. Matthew, in the xivth chap- ter of his gospel, that " When Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod : whereupon he promised, with an oath, to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a char- ger. And the king was sorry ; nevertheless, for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger and given to the damsel : and she brought it to her mother." The authors of this cruelty were, however, all severely punished ; for the daughter of Herodias being afterward dancing upon the ice, it broke, and she falling in, had her head sev- ered from her body by its again closing ; and Herod, and the incestuous adulteress He- rodiaSj falling under the displeasure of the Roman emperor, were banished, and died miserably in exile. This martyr's nativity happened on the 24th of June. But to proceed to the history of our blessed Redeemer. In the reign of Herod the Great already mentioned, the angel Gabriel was sent by the Almighty to a holy virgin, called Mary. This maiden was betrothed to a carpenter, named Jo- seph, who resided at Nazareth, a city of Galilee, but the consummation had not then taken place ; for it was the custom of 14 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. the eastern nations to contract persons of each sex from their childhood. The angel informed Mary how highly she was favored of God, and that she should conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, which happened accordingly ; for travel- ling to Bethlehem to pay the capitation-tax then levied, the town was so crowded that they could only get lodgings in a stable, where the holy virgin brought forth our blessed Redeemer, which was announced to the world by a star and an angel : the wise men of the east saw the first, and the shepherds the latter. After Jesus had been circumcised, he was presented in the tem- ple by the holy virgin ; upon which occa- sion Simeon broke out into the celebrated words : " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for \ mine eyes have seen thy salvation." — Luke ii. 29, 30. Jesus, in his youth, disputed with the most learned doctors in the temple, and soon after was baptized at the river Jordan by John, when the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and a voice was heard audibly to pronounce these words : " This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Christ afterward fasted forty days and nights in the wilderness, when he was tempted by the devil, but resisted all his allurements. He then performed his first miracle at Cana, in Galilee ; he likewise conversed with the good Samaritan, and restored to life a nobleman's dead child. Travelling through Galilee he restored the blind to sight, cured the lame, the lepers, &c Among other benevolent actions, at the pool of Bethesda he cured a paralytic man who had been lame thirty-eight years, bid- ding him take up his bed and walk ; and he afterward cured a man whose right hand was shrunk up and withered. Having chosen his twelve apostles, he preached the celebrated sermon upon the Mount after which he performed several miracles, particularly the feeding of the multitude, and the walking on the surface of the water. At the time of the passover Jesus sup- \ ped with his disciples ; informed them that one of them would betray him and another deny him, and preached his fare- well sermon. Soon after, a multitude of armed men surrounded him, and Judas kissed him, in order to point him out to the soldiers who did not know him person- ally. In the scuffle occasioned by the ap- prehending of Jesus, Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high-priest, for which Jesus reproved him, and healed the wound by touching it. Peter and John followed Jesus to the house of Annas, who, refusing to judge him, sent him bound to Caiaphas, where Peter denied Christ, as the latter had predicted ; but on Christ's reminding him of his perfidy, Peter went out and wept bitterly. When the council assembled in the morning, the Jews mocked Jesus, and the elders suborned false witnesses against him ; the principal accusation against him being, that he had said, " / will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another, made without hands." — Mark xiv. 58. Caiaphas then asked him if he was Christ, the son of God, or no ; being answered in the af- firmative, he was accused of blasphemy, and condemned to death by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who, though con- scious of his innocence, yielded to the so- licitation of the Jews, and condemned him to be crucified. Previous to the crucifixion, the Jews, by way of derision, clothed Christ in a regal robe, put a crown of thorns upon his head? and a reed, for a sceptre, in his hand ; they then mocked him, with ironi- cal compliments, spit in his face, slapped his cheeks, and taking the reed out of his hand, they struck him with it upon the head. Pilate would fain have released him, but the general cry was " Crucify him! crucify him !" which occasioned the governor to call for a basin of water, and m- ■« THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 15 having washed his hands, he declared him- self innocent of the blood of Christ, whom he justly termed a just person. The Jews, however said, " Let his blood be upon us and our children ;" which wish has mani- festly taken place, as they have never since been a collected people. In leading Christ to the place of cruci- fixion, they obliged him to bear the cross, which he being unable to sustain, they ; compelled one Simon, a native of Cyrenia, to carry the cross the rest of the way. ; Mount Calvary was the place of execution, where being arrived, the soldiers offered him a mixture of gall and vinegar to drink, which he refused. Having stripped him, they nailed him to the cross, and crucified him between two malefactors. After being ; fastened to the cross, he uttered this benev- olent prayer for his enemies, " Father, for- give them, for they know not what they; do." The soldiers who crucified him being four in number, now cut his mantle to pieces, and divided it between them ; but his coat being without seam, they cast lots for it. While Christ remained in the agonies of death, the Jews mocked him and said, " If thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross." The chief priests and scribes also reviled him, and said, "He saved others, but can not save himself." Indeed, one of the malefactois who was crucified with him, cried out and said, " If you are the Messiah, save your- self and us ;" but the other malefactor, having the greatest reliance upon Jesus, exclaimed, " Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." To which Christ replied, " This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." While Christ was upon the cross, the earth was covered with darkness, and the stars appeared at noonday, which struck even the Jews with terror. In the midst of his tortures, Christ cried out, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me !" and then expressed a desire to drink, when one of the soldiers gave him, upon the point of a reed, a sponge dipped in vinegar, which, however, Jesus refused. About three o'clock in the afternoon he gave up the ghost, and at the same time a violent earthquake happened, when the rocks were rent, the mountains trembled, and the graves gave up their dead. These were the signal prodigies that attended the death of Christ, and such was the mortal end of the Redeemer of mankind. OF THE LIVES, SUFFERINGS, AND MARTYRDOM OF THE APOSTLES, ETC, AINT STEPHEN, the pro- to or first martyr, was elect- ed, with six others, as a dea- con, out of the Lord's sev- enty disciples. Stephen was an able and successful preacher. The principal persons belong- ing to five Jewish synagogues entered into many altercations with him ; but he, by the soundness of his doctrine, and the strength of his arguments, overcame them all, which so much irritated them, that they suborned false witnesses to accuse him of blaspheming God and Moses. Being car- ried before the council, he made a noble defence, but that so much exasperated his judges, that they resolved to condemn him. At this instant Stephen saw a vision from heaven, of Jesus, in his glorified state, sit- ting at the right hand of God. This vision so greatly rejoiced him, that he exclaimed in raptures, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." They then con- demned him, and having dragged him out of the city, stoned him to death. On the M 16 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. spot where he was martyred, Eudocia, the empress of the emperor Theodosius, erect- ed a superb church. The death of Stephen was succeeded by a severe persecution in Jerusalem, in which 2,000 Christians, with Nicar the deacon, were martyred ; and many others obliged to leave the place. ST. JAMES THE GREAT, a Gali- lean, was the son of Zebedee, a fisherman, the elder brother of St. John, and a rela- tion to Christ himself ; for his mother Sa- lome was cousin-german to the Virgin Mary. Being one day with his father, fishing in the sea of Galilee, he, and his brother John were called by our Savior to become his disciples. They cheerfully obeyed the mandate, and leaving their fa- ther, followed Jesus. It is to be observed, that Christ placed a greater confidence in them than in any other of the apostles, Peter excepted. Christ called these brothers Boanerges, or the sons of thunder, on account of their fiery spirits and impetuous tempers. Herod Agrippa, being made governor of Judea by the emperor Caligula, raised a persecution against the Christians, and particularly singled out James as an object of revenge. James, being condemned to death, show- ed such an intrepidity of spirit, and con- stancy of mind, that his very accuser was struck with admiration, and became a con- vert to Christianity. This transition so enraged the people in power, that they likewise condemned him to death; when James the apostle, and his penitent accu- ser, were both beheaded on the same day, and with the same sword. These events took place in the year of Christ 44 ; and the 25th of July was fixed by the church for the commemoration of this saint's martyr- dom. Much about the same period, Timon and Parmenas, two of the seven deacons, suffered martyrdom ; the former at Cor- inth, and the latter at Philippi, in Mace- donia. ST. PHILIP. This apostle and martyr was born at Bethsaida, in Galilee, and was the first called by the name of disciple. He was honored with several important commissions by Christ, and being deputed to preach in Upper Asia, labored very dil- igently in his apostleship. He then trav- elled into Phrygia, and arriving at Heli- opolis, was greatly grieved to find the in- habitants so sunk in idolatry as to worship a large serpent. St. Philip, however, con- verted many of them to Christianity, and even procured the death of the serpent. This so enraged the magistrates, that they committed him to prison, had him severely scourged, and afterward crucified. His friend, St. Bartholemew, found an oppor- tunity of taking down the body and bury- ing it ; for which, however, he was very near suffering the same fate. His martyr- dom happened eight years after that of St. James the Great, A. D. 52 ; and his name, together with that of St. James the Less, is commemorated on the 1st of May. ST. MATTHEW. This evangelist, apostle, and martyr, was born at Nazareth in Galilee, but resided chiefly at Caper- naum, on account of his business, which was that of a toll-gatherer, to collect trib- ute of such as had occasion to pass the sea of Galilee. On being called as a dis- ciple, he immediately complied, and left everything to follow Christ. After the as- cension of his master, he continued preach- ing the gospel in Judea about nine years. Designing to leave Judea, in order to go and preach among the Gentiles, he wrote his gospel in Hebrew, for the use of the Jewish converts, but it was afterward trans- lated into Greek by St. James the Less. Going to Ethiopia, he ordained preachers, settled churches, and made many converts He then proceeded to Parthia, where he had the same success ; but returning to Ethiopia, he was slain by a halberd in the city of Nadabar, about the year of Chris' 60 ; and his festival is kept by the church on the 21st day of September. He wa? remarkably inoffensive in his conduct, and THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 17 < | temperate in his mode of living. Hence I we may say, Well might this great apostle mend the age, Whose life was but a comment on his page. j ST. MARK. This evangelist and mar- | tyr was born of Jewish parents, of the < tribe of Levi. It is imagined that he was \ converted to Christianity by St. Peter, \ whom he served as an amanuensis, and I whom he attended in all his travels. Be- l ing entreated by the converts at Rome to I commit to writing the admirable discourses s they had heard from St. Peter and him- < self, this request he complied with, and 5 composed his gospel accordingly, in the Greek language. He then went to Egypt, and constituted a bishopric at Alexandria ; afterward he proceeded to Lybia, where he made many converts. Returning to Alex- andria, some of the Egyptians, exasperated at his success, determined on his death. To accomplish this they tied his feet, dragged him through the streets, left him to remain, bruised as he was, in a dungeon all night, and the next day burnt his body. This happened on the 25th of April, on which day the church commemorates his martyrdom. His bones were carefully gathered up by the Christians, decently interred, and afterward removed to Venice, where he is considered as the titular saint, and pa f ron of the state. ST. JAMES THE LESS. This apostle and martyr was called so to distinguish him from St. James the Great. He was the son, by a first wife, of Joseph, the re- puted father of Christ. He was, after the Lord's ascension, elected bishop of Jeru- salem. He wrote his general epistle to all Christians, and converts whatever, to sup- \ press a dangerous error then propagating, | viz. : that " a faith in Christ was alone ', sufficient for salvation, without good \ works." The Jews being, at this time, tist, and afterward not only one of the ing impatient with his doctrines, severely > twelve apostles, but one of the three to beat, crucified, and flayed him, and then cut off his head. The anniversary of his martyrdom is on the 24th of August. ST. THOMAS, as he was called in Syriac, but Didymus in Greek, was an apostle and martyr. He preached in Par- thia and India, where, displeasing the pa- gan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear. His death is commemorated on the 21st of December. ST. LUKE, the evangelist and martyr, was the author of a most excellent gospel. He travelled with St. Paul to Rome, and whom Christ communicated the most se- cret passages of his life. The churches in Asia founded by St. John were, Smyrna, Pergamus, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatyra, to whom he directs his book of Revelations. Being at Ephesus, he was ordered by the emperor Domitian to be sent bound to Rome, where he was con- demned to be cast into a caldron of boiling oil. But here a miracle appeared in his favor ; the oil did him no injury, and Domitian therefore not being able to put him to death, banished him to Patmos to preached to divers barbarous nations, till < work at the mines. He was, however, re- the priests in Greece hanged him on an olive-tree. The anniversary of his mar- tyrdom is on the 18th of October. ST. SIMON, the apostle and martyr, was distinguished by the name of Zelotes, called by Nerva, who succeeded Domitian after his decease, but was deemed a martyr on account of having undergone the mode of an execution, though it did not take ef- fect. He wrote his epistles, gospel, and from his zeal. He preached with great \ revelations, all in a different style, but they success in Mauritania, and other parts of s are all equally admired. He was the only Africa, and even in Britain, where, though s apostle who escaped a violent death ; lived he made many converts, he was crucified s the longest of any of them, being near 100 \ by the then barbarous inhabitants of that I years of age at the time of his death ; and island, A. D. 74; and the church, joining 5 the church commemorates the 27th day of him with St. Jude, commemorates his fes- 5 December to his memory, tival on the 28th day of October. I ST. BARNABAS was a native of Cy- ST. JOHN. This saint was, at once, as prus, but of Jewish parents : the time of prophet, apostle, divine, evangelist, and i his death is uncertain, but supposed to be martyr. He is called the beloved disciple, \ about the year of Christ 73 ; and his festi- and was brother to James the Great. He j val is kept on the 11th of June. THE FIRST PRIMITIVE PERSECUTIONS UNDER NERO. HE first persecution, in 5 space of five years, with tolerable credit to the primitive ages of \ himself, but then gave way to the greatest the church, was begun \ extravagance of temper, and to the most by that cruel tyrant Nero < atrocious barbarities. Among other dia- Domitius, the sixth em- \ bolical outrages, he ordered that the city peror of Rome, and A. of Rome should be set on fire, which was This monarch reigned, for the \ done by his officers, guards, and servants, j 20 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. While the city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Maecenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and declared that " he wished the ruin of all things before his death." Among the noble buildings burnt was the circus, or place appropriated to horse-races. It was half a mile in length, of an oval form, with rows of seats rising above each other, and capable of receiving, with ease, upward of 100,000 spectators. Many other palaces and houses were consumed ; and several thousands of the people perished in the flames, were smothered or buried beneath the ruins. This dreadful conflagration continued nine days ; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians, at once to ex- cuse himself, and have an opportunity of witnessing new cruelties. The barbarities exercised upon the Christians, during the first persecution, were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans them- selves. Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians. In particular, he had some sewed up in the skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs till they expired ; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens. This persecution was gene- ral throughout the whole Roman empire but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. Besides Paul and Peter, many others, whose names have not been transmitted to posterity, and who were some of their converts and followers, suf- fered ; the facts concerning the principal of whom we shall proceed to describe. Erastus, the chamberlain of Corinth, was converted by Paul, and determined to follow the fortune of that apostle. For this reason he resigned his office, and accom- panied Paul in his voyages and travels, till the latter left him at Macedonia, where he was first made bishop of that province by the Christians ; and afterward suffered martyr- dom, being tortured to death by the pagans at Philippi. Aristarchus, the Macedonian, was born in Thessalonica, and being converted by Paul, became his constant companion. He was with that apostle at Ephesus, during a commotion raised in that city by De- metrius, the silversmith. They both re- ceived several insults upon the occasion from the populace, which they bore with Christian patience, giving good advice in return for ill-usage, and not in the least re- senting any indignity. Aristarchus accom- panied Paul from Ephesus into Greece, where they were very successful in prop- agating the gospel, and bringing over many to Christianity. Having left Greece, they traversed a great part of Asia, and made a considerable stay in Judea, where they were very successful in making converts. After this, Aristarchus went, with Paul to Rome, where he suffered the same fate as the apostle ; for, being seized as a Christian, he was beheaded by the command of Nero. Trophimus, an Ephesian by birth, and a Gentile by religion, was converted by Paul to the Christian faith, and accompanied his master in his travels. Upon his account the Jews raised a great disturbance in the temple at Jerusalem, the last time Paul was in that city. They even attempted to mur- der the apostle, for having introduced him, being a Greek, into the temple. Lysias, the captain of the guard, however, inter- posed, and rescued Paul by force from their hands. On quitting Jerusalem, Trophimus attended his master first to Rome, and then to Spain ; passing through Gaul, the apos- tle made him bishop of that province, and left him in the city of Aries. About a twelvemonth after, he paid a visit to Paul in Asia, and went with him, for the last time, to Rome, where he was witness to his martyrdom, which was but the forerun- ner of his own ; for, being soon after seized on account of his faith, he was beheaded by order of Nero. Joseph, commonly called Barsabas, was a primitive disciple, and is usually deemed BURNING OF THE CITY OF ROME. — Page 21. *m THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 23 one of the seventy. He was, in some de- l gree, related to the Redeemer ; and he be- came a candidate, together with Matthias, to fill the office of Judas Iscariot. The ecclesiastical writings make very little other mention of him ; but Papias informs us, that he was once compelled to drink poison, which did not do him the least injury, agreeably to the promise of the Lord, to those who believe in him. He was, during his life, a zealous preacher of the gospel ; and having received many insults from the Jews, at length obtained martyrdom, being murdered by the pagans in Judea. Ananias, bishop of Damascus, is cele- brated in the sacred writings for being the person who cured Paul of the blindness with which he was struck by the amazing brightness which happened at his conver- sion. He was one of the seventy, and was martyred in the city of Damascus. After his death, a Christian church was built over the place of his burial, which is now converted into a Turkish mosque. THE SECOND PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER DOMITIAN. HE emperor Domitian was naturally of a cruel dispo- sition : he first slew his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the Christians. His rage was such, that he even put to death some of the Roman senators ; some through malice, and others to confiscate their estates ; and he then commanded all the lineage of David to be extirpa- ted. Two Christians were brought be- fore him, accused of being of the tribe of Judah, and line of David ; but from their answers, he despised them as idiots, and dismissed them accordingly. He, howev- er, was determined to be more secure upon other occasions ; for he took away the property of many Christians, put several to death, and banished others. Among the numerous martyrs that suf- fered during this persecution, was Simeon, j bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified ; i and John, who was boiled in oil, and after- ! ward banished to Patmos. Flavia, the ! daughter of a Roman senator, was likewise t banished to Pontus ; and a law was made, that " no Christian, once brought before J their tribunal, should be exempted from ! punishment without renouncing his reli- \ gion." During this reign, there were a vaiiety of tales composed, in order to injure the Christians. Among other falsehoods, they were accused of indecent nightly meetings ; of a rebellious, turbulent spirit ; of being inimical to the Roman empire ; of mur- dering their children, and even" of being cannibals ; and at this time, such was the infatuation of the pagans, that if famine, pestilence, or earthquakes, afflicted any of the Roman provinces, these calamities were said to be manifestations of the Divine wrath occasioned by their impieties. These persecutions increased the number of in- formers ; and many, for the sake of gain, swore away the lives of the innocent. When any Christians were brought before the magistrates, a test oath was proposed, when, if they refused it, death was pro- nounced against them ; and if they con- fessed themselves Christians, the sentence was the same. The various kinds of pun- ishments and inflicted cruelties, were, im- prisonment, racking, searing, broiling, burn- ing, scourging, stoning, hanging, and wor- rying. Many were torn piecemeal with red-hot pincers, and others were thrown upon the horns of wild bulls. After hav- | ing suffered these cruelties, the friends of £ the deceased were refused the privilege of * burying their remains. a 7s 24 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. The following were the most remarka- ble among the numerous martyrs who suf- fered during this persecution : — Dionysius, the Areopagite, was an Athe- nian by birth, and educated in all the use- ful and ornamental literature of Greece. He then travelled to Egypt to study as- tronomy, and made very particular obser- vations on the great and supernatural eclipse which happened at the time of our Savior's crucifixion. On his return to Athens he was highly honored by the people, and at length pro- moted to the dignity of senator of that cel- ebrated city. Becoming a convert to the gospel, he changed from the worthy pagan magistrate to the pious Christian pastor; for even while involved in the darkness of idolatry, he was as just as the gross errors of paganism would permit. His words were bonds ; his oaths were oracles ; His love sincere ; his thoughts benevolent ; His tears pure messengers sent from his heart ; His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth. It is easy to be imagined, that a soul which could appear with some lustre while loaded with original sin, and tainted with superstition, must, when illuminated with the light of the gospel, shine with the most, splendid brilliancy. The sanctity of his conversation, and purity of his manners, recommended him so strongly to the Christians in general, that he was appointed bishop of Athens. He discharged his duty with the utmost dili- gence till the second year of this persecu- tion, viz. A. D. 96, when he was appre- hended, and received the crown of mar- tyrdom, by being beheaded. Nicomedes, a Christian of some dis- tinction at Rome, during the rage of Dorni- tian's persecution, did all he could to serve the afflicted, comforting the poor, visiting those confined, exhorting the wavering, and confirming the faithful. For those and other pious actions he was seized as a Christian, and being sentenced, was scourged to death. Protasius and Gervasius were mar- tyred at Milan ; but the particular circum- stances of their deaths are not recorded. Timothy, the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, was born at Lystra, in the province of Lycaonia, his father being a Gentile, and his mother a Jewess. But both his parents and his grandmother embraced Christianity, by which means young Timothy was taught the precepts of the gospel from his infancy. St. Paul coming to Lycaonia, ordained Timothy, and then made him the compan- ion of his pious labors. It appears, that while he attended the apostle, his zeal could be only equalled by his fidelity ; for St. Paul mentions him with peculiar re- spect, and declares that he could find none so truly united to him, both in heart and mind, as Timothy. Indeed the apostle, upon various occasions, speaks of him in the most affectionate terms, which is a suf- ficient proof of his great merit, and evinces that he was a disinterested and diligent servant of Christ- Timothy attended St. Paul to Macedo- nia, and there, with the apostle and Silas, he labored with assiduity in the propa- gation of the gospel. When St. Paul went to Achaia, Timothy was left behind to strengthen the faith of those already converted, or to induce others to quit the darkness of ignorance for the light of gos- pel knowledge. At length St. Paul sent for Timothy to Athens, and then despatched him to Thes- salonica, to strengthen the suffering Chris tians there against the terrors of the perse cution which then raged. When Timothy arrived at the place of his destination, he did all that a zealous Christian could for the service of his Redeemer. Having performed his mis- sion, he returned to Athens, and there assisted St. Paul and Silas in composing the two epistles to the Thessalonians. H« then accompanied St. Paul to Corinth, Je- rusalem, and Ephesus. After performing several other commis sions for St. Paul, and attending him upoi THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 25 ^ various other journeys, the apostle consti- \ tuted him bishop of Ephesus, though he \ was only thirty years of age ; and in two \ admirable epistles gave him proper instruc- \ tions for his conduct in so important a; | charge. 5 Timothy was so very temperate in his < living, that St. Paul blames him for being \ too abstemious, and recommends to him > the moderate use of wine to recruit his I strength and spirits. \ St. Paul sent to Timothy while he was I in his last confinement at Rome, to come ^ to him ; and after that great apostle's mar- tyrdom, he returned to Ephesus, where he zealously governed the church till A. D. 97. At this period the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, the principal ceremonies of which were, that the people should carry battoons in their hands, go masked, and bear about the streets the images of their gods. Timothy, meeting the procession, se- verely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner, that he expired of the bruises two days after. THE THIRD PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. 'ERVA succeeding Do- mitian, gave a respite to the Christians ; but reigning only thirteen months, his successor Trajan, in the 10th ', year of his reign, and in A. D. 108, began 1 the third persecution against the Christians. i While the persecution raged, Plinius Se- ? cundus, a heathen philosopher, wrote to ? the emperor in favor of the Christians, to > whose epistle Trajan returned this indeci- $ sive answer, " The Christians ought not ; j to be sought after, but when brought before 5 the magistracy, they should be punished." I This absurd reply made Tertullian ex- | claim, in the following words, " 0, con- ? fused sentence ; he would not have them > sought for as innocent, and yet would have > them punished as guilty." The emperor's I incoherent answer, however, occasioned ] the persecution in some measure to abate, \ as his officers were uncertain, if they car- ried it on with severity, how he might choose to wrest his own meaning. Trajan, however, soon after wrote to Jerusalem, and gave orders to his officers to extermi- nate the stock of David ; in consequence ; of which, all that could be found of that race were put to death. Symphorosa, a widow, and her seven sons, were commanded by the emperor to sacrifice to the heathen deities. Unani- mously refusing to comply with such an impious request, the emperor, in a rage, told her, that for her obstinacy, herself and her sons should be slain, to appease the wrath of his offended deities ; to which she answered, that if he murdered her and her children, the idols he adored would only be held in the greater detestation. The emperor, being greatly exasperated at this, ordered her to be carried to the temple of Hercules, where she was scourg- ed, and hung up, for some time, by the hair of her head ; then being taken down, a large stone was fastened to her neck, and she was thrown into the river, where she expired. With respect to the sons, they were fastened to seven posts, and being drawn up by pulleys, their limbs were dis- located. These tortures, not affecting their resolution, they were thus martyred : Cres- centius, the eldest, was stabbed in the throat ; Julian, the second, in the breast ; Nemesius, the third, in the heart ; Primi- I 26 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. tius, the fourth, in the navel ; Justice, the S sacrifice to Neptune, was, by the imme- fifth, in the back ; Stacteus, the sixth, in I diate order of Trajan, cast first into a hot the side; and Eugenius, the youngest, Mime-kiln, and being drawn from thence, was sawed asunder. > was thrown into a scalding bath till he Phocas, bishop of Pontus, refusing to 'i expired. IGNATIUS (died Trajan likewise commanded the martyr- dom of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. This holy man was the person whom, when an infant, Christ took into his arms, and showed to his disciples, as one that would be a pattern of humility and innocence. He received the gospel afterward from St. \ John the Evangelist, and was exceedingly zealous in his mission. He boldly vindi- cated the faith of Christ before the emperor, for which, being cast into prison, he was tormented in a most cruel manner ; for after being dreadfully scourged, he was com- pelled to hold fire in his hands, and at the same time, papers dipped in oil were put to his sides, and set on light. His flesh was then torn with red hot pincers, and at last he was despatched, by being torn to pieces by wild beasts. Trajan being succeeded by Adrian, the latter continued this third persecution with as much severity as his predecessor. About this time Alexander, bishop of Rome, in the year 111). with his two deacons } were martyred ; as were Quirinus and Hermes, with their fam- ilies, Zenon, a Roman nobleman, and about ten thousand other Christians. In Mount Ararat many were crucified, crowned with thorns, and spears ran into their sides, in imitation of Christ's passion. Eustachius, a brave and successful Roman commander, was by the emperor ordered to join in an idolatrous sacrifice to cele- brate some of his own victories ; but his faith (being a Christian in his heart) was so much greater than his vanity, that he nobly refused it. Enraged at the denial, the ungrateful emperor forgot the services of this skilful commander, and ordered him and his whole family to be martyred. At the martyrdom of Faustinus and Jovita, brothers and citizens of Bressia, their torments were so many, and their pa- tience so great, that Calocerius, a pagan, beholding them, was struck with admira- tion, and exclaimed in a kind of ecstasy, M s THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 27 " Great is the God of the Christians ;" for which he was apprehended, and suffered! a similar fate. < Many other similar cruelties and rigors j were exercised against the Christians, till < Quadratus, bishop of Athens, made a learned « apology in their favor before the emperor, who happened to be there ; and Aristides, a philosopher of the same city, wrote an j elegant epistle, which caused Adrian to relax in his severities, and relent in their favor. He indeed went so far as to com- mand that no Christian should be punished on the score of religion or opinion only ; but this gave other handles against them to the Jews and pagans, for then they began to employ and suborn false witnesses, to accuse them of crimes against the state or civil authority. Adrian dying in the year A. D. 138, was succeeded by Antoninus Pius, one of the most amiable monarchs that ever reigned ; for his people gave him a title which he justly deserved, viz : " The Father of Vir- tues." Immediately upon his accession to the imperial throne, he published an edict, forbidding any further persecutions against the Christians, and concluded it in these words : " If any hereafter shall vex or trouble the Christians, having no other cause but that they are such, let the ac- cused be released, and the accusers be punished." This stopped the persecution, and the Christians enjoyed a respite from their sufferings during this emperor's reign, though their enemies took every occasion to do them what injuries they could in an underhand manner. , THE FOURTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS, NTONINUS PIUS, was succeeded by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Verus, A. D. 162, who, being a strong pagan, be- gan the fourth persecu- tion, in which many Christians were mar- tyred, particularly in several parts of Asia, > and in France. < The cruelties used in this persecution s were such, that many of the spectators i shuddered with horror at the sight, and 5 were astonished at the intrepidity of the | sufferers. Some of the martyrs were 5 obliged to pass, with their already wounded s feet, over thorns, nails, sharp shells, &c, | with their points ; others were scourged till their sinews and veins lay bare ; and i after suffering the most excruciating tor- s tures that could be devised, they were S destroyed by the most terrible deaths. I Germanicus, a young man, but true s Christian, being delivered to the wild beasts on account of his faith, behaved with such astonishing courage, that several pagans be- came converts to a faith which inspired such fortitude. This enraged others so much, that they cried out, he merited death ; and many of the multitude, wondering at this beloved martyr for his constancy and vir- tue, began suddenly to cry out with a loud voice, saying, " Destroy the wicked men ; let Polycarpus be sought for." And while a great uproar and tumult began to be raised upon those cries, a certain Phrygian, named Quintus, lately arrived from his country, was so afflicted at the sight of the wild beasts, that he rushed to the judg- ment-seat and upbraided the judges, for which he was put to death. Polycarpus, hearing that he was sought after, escaped, but was discovered by a child. From this circumstance, and hav- ing dreamed that his bed suddenly became on fire, and was consumed in a moment, he concluded that it was God's will that he 28 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. should seal his faith with martyrdom. He j were amazed at his serene countenance therefore would not attempt to make a sec- > and comely gravity. After feasting them, ond escape when he had an opportunity of>he desired an hour in prayer, which being so doing. Those who apprehended him \ allowed, he prayed with such fervency, that POLYCARPUS (died in the year 170). his guards repented they had been instru- mental in taking him. He was, however, carried before the pro-consul, condemned, and conducted to the market-place. Wood being provided, the holy man earnestly prayed to Heaven, after being bound to the stake ; and as the flames grew vehement, the executioners gave way on both sides, the heat now becoming intolerable. In the meantime the bishop sung praises to God in the midst of the flames, but remained unconsumed therein, and the burning of the wood spreading a fragrance around, the guards were much surprised. Determined, however, to put an end to his life, they struck spears into his body, when the quantity of blood that issued from the wounds extinguished the flames. After! considerable attempts, however, they put : him to death, and burned his body when dead, not being able to consume it while alive. This extraordinary event had such: an effect upon the people, that they began ! to adore the martyr ; and the pro-consul , was admonished not to deliver his body, lest the people should leave Christ, and £ begin to worship him. Twelve other 'i Christians, who had been intimate with j Polycarpus, were soon after martyred. Metrodorus, a minister, who preached boldly, and Pionius, who made some ex- cellent apologies for the Christian faith, < were likewise burned. Felicitatas, an illustrious Roman lady \ of a considerable family, and great virtues, ; was a devout Christian. She had seven j sons, whom she had educated with the j most exemplary piety. The empire having j been about this time grievously troubled with earthquakes, famine, inundations, &c, i the Christians were accused as the cause, j and Felicitatas was included in the accu- j sation. The lady and her family being seized, the emperor gave orders to Publius, the Roman governor, to proceed against \ her. Upon this, Publius began with the < mother, thinking that if he could prevail > with her to change her religion, the exam- > a THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 29 pie would have great influence with her sons. Finding her inflexible, he turned his entreaties to menaces, and threatened her with destruction to herself and family. She despised his threats as she had done his promises ; he then caused her sons to be brought before him, whom he examined separately. They all, however, remained steadfast in their faith, and unanimous in their opinions, on which the whole family were ordered for execution. Januarius, the eldest, was scourged and pressed to death with weights ; Felix and Philip, the two next, had their brains dashed out with clubs ; Sylvanus, the fourth, was murdered by being thrown from a precipice ; and the three younger sons, viz : Alexander, Vka- lis, and Martial, were all beheaded. The mother was beheaded with the same sword as the three latter. JUSTIN MARTYR Justin Martyr, the celebrated philoso- pher, fell a martyr in this persecution. He was a native of Neapolis, in Samaria, and was born A. D. 103. He had the best education those times would afford, and travelled into Egypt, the country where the polite tour of that age was made for im- provement. At Alexandria he was inform- ed of everything relative to the seventy interpreters of the sacred writings, and shown the rooms, or rather cells, in which their work was performed. Justin was a great lover of truth, and a universal scholar ; he investigated the stoic and peri- patetic philosophy, and attempted the Pytha- gorean system ; but the behavior of one of ! its professors disgusting him, he applied | himself to the Platonic, in which he took (died in the year 139). £ great delight. About the year 133, when > I he was thirty years of age, he became a < > convert to Christianity, and then, for the < */ first time, perceived the real nature of truth. \ '/ He wrote an elegant epistle to the Gen- \ t tiles, to convert them to the faith he had ; ^ newly acquired, and lived in so pure and \ i; innocent a manner, that he well deserved < \ the title of a Christian philosopher. He <, i likewise employed his talents in convincing j | the Jews of the truth of the Christian rites, > ( and spent much time in travelling, till he \ I took up his abode in Rome, and fixed his ] > . . . \ ( habitation upon the Viminal mount. I He kept a public school, taught many l < I who afterward became great men, and < ', wrote a treatise to confute heresies of all > $ kinds. As the pagans began about this i* 30 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 3* j time to treat the Christians with great se- 1 Monarchy ; A Dialogue with Trypho the j verily, Justin wrote his first apology in j Jew, and an Epistle to Diagnetus. } their favor, and addressed it to the empe- 1 Several were beheaded for refusing to j ror, to two princes whom he had adopted < sacrifice to the image of Jupiter ; in par- as his sons, and to the senate and people < ticular Concordus, a deacon of the citv of of Rome in general. This piece displays Spoleto, being carried before the ima^e, great learning and genius, is written with ] and ordered to worship it, not only refused, a manly elegance, and occasioned the em- j but spit in its face ; for which he was se- peror to publish an edict in favor of the i verely tormented, and afterward had his I Christians. head cut off with a sword. I Soon after he entered into frequent con- < Some of the northern nations bein^ in ] tests with Crescens, a person of a vicious < arms against Rome, the emperor marched to ] life and conversation, but a celebrated cynic encounter them. He was, however, drawn I philosopher ; and his arguments appeared j into an ambuscade, and dreaded the loss i> so powerful, yet disgusting to the cynic, that \ of his whole army. Enveloped with moun- \ he resolved on, and in the sequel accom- tains, surrounded by enemies, and perish- > plished, his destruction. sing with thirst, the troops were driven to Justin's second apology was occasioned I the last extremities. All the pagan deities \ by the following circumstances : A man I were invoked in vain ; when the men be- ■ and his wife, who were both bad livers, > longing to the militine, or thundering le- ! resided at Rome. The woman, however, > gion, who were all Christians, were com- | becoming a convert to Christianity, at- '/ manded to call upon their God for succor : I tempted to reclaim her husband : but not \ they immediately withdrew from the rest, | succeeding, she sued for a divorce, which ) prostrated themselves upon the earth, and so exasperated him, that he accused her > prayed fervently. A miraculous deliver- \ of being a Christian. Upon her petition, \ ance immediately ensued ; a prodigious \ \ however, he dropped the prosecution, and i quantity of rain fell, which being caught ', >, levelled his malice at Ptolemeus, who had j by the men, and filling the dikes, afforded > \ converted her. Ptolemeus was condemned < a sudden and astonishing relief. The em- \ < to die ; and one Lucius, with another per- peror, in his epistle to the Roman senate, > \ son, met with the same fate, for expressing j wherein the expedition is described, after \ I themselves too freely upon the occasion. \ mentioning the difficulties to which he had j i The apology of Justin, upon these se- \ been driven, thus speaks of the Christians : I \ verities, gave Crescens the cynic an op- \ " When I saw myself not able to en- \ portunity of prejudicing the emperor against counter with the enemies, I craved aid of the writer of it ; upon which Justin, and \ our country gods ; but at their hands find- six of his companions, were apprehended. \ ing no relief, and being cooped up by the Being commanded as usual to deny their \ enemy, I caused those men, which we call faith, and sacrifice to the pagan idols, they i Christians, to be sent for ; who being mus- absolutely refused to do either. On their i tered, I found a considerable number of refusal, they were condemned to be first i them, against whom I was more incensed scourged and then beheaded ; which sen- \ than I had just cause, as I found afterward : tence was executed with all imaginable \ for by a marvellous power, they forthwith severity. ? used their endeavors, not with ammunition, Of the writings of this celebrated martyr \ drums, and trumpets, abhorring such prep- and great philosopher, only seven pieces \ arations and furniture, but only praying are now extant, viz : The two Apologies ; \ unto, and trusting in their God,. whom they An Exhortation to the Gentiles ; An Ora- \ carry about with them in their consciences. \ tion to the Greeks ; A Treatise on Divine \ It is therefore to be believed, although we R THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 31 ] call them wicked men, that they worship God in their hearts ; for they, falling pros- trate on the ground, prayed, not only for me, but for the army also which was with me, beseeching God to help me in that our extreme want of victuals and fresh water (for we had been five days without water, and in our enemy's land, even in the midst of Germany) ; I say, falling upon their faces, they prayed to God unknown to me, and immediately thereupon fell from heaven < a most pleasant and cold shower ; but among our enemies great store of hail, s mixed with thunder and lightning : so that we soon perceived the invincible aid of the \ most mighty God to be with us ; therefore s we give these men leave to profess Chris- 1 tianity, lest, by their prayers, we be pun- < ished by the like ; and I thereby make my- s self the author of all the evil that shall ac- 5 crue by the persecution of the Christian I religion." It appears that the storm which so mi- > raculously flashed in the faces of the enemy so intimidated them, that part deserted to the Roman army ; the rest were with ease defeated, and the revolted provinces were entirely recovered. This affair occasioned the persecution ? to subside for some time, at least in those \ parts, immediately under the inspection of the emperor ; for we find that it soon after raged in France, particularly at Lyons, where the tortures to which many of the Christians were put almost exceed the powers of description. The aspersions, ^ false accusations, taunts, threats, revilings, ? menacings, which were but forerunners to j all manner of punishments, torments, and t painful deaths ; such as being banished, t plundered, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, as- sassinated, hanged, burnt, &c, and even i the servants and slaves of opulent Chris- tians were racked and tortured, to make them accuse their masters and employers. The principal of these martyrs were the following : — ■ i Vetius Agathus, a young man, who >. having boldly pleaded the Christian cause, \ n d was asked if he was a Christian ? To which, answering in the affirmative, he was condemned to death, and suffered the crown of martyrdom accordingly. Many, animated by this young man's intrepidity, boldly owned their faith, and suffered as he had done. Blandinia, a Christian, but of a weak constitution, being seized and tortured upon the account of her religion, received so much strength from heaven, that her tor- turers became tired frequently, and were surprised at her being able to bear her tor- ments with such resolution, and for so great a length of time. Sanctus, a deacon of Vienna, was put to the torture, which he bore with great fortitude, and only cried, " I am a Chris- tian." Red-hot plates of brass were placed upon those parts of the body that were tenderest, which contracted the sinews , but he remaining inflexible, was reconduct- ed to prison. Being brought out from his place of confinement a few days afterward, his tormenters were astonished to find his wounds healed, and his person as perfect as before they tormented him : they, how- ever, again proceeded to torture him ; but not being able, at that time, to take away a life which was miraculously preserved, they only remanded him to prison, where he remained for some time after ; and hav- ing had this respite, received the crown of martyrdom by being beheaded. Biblias, a weak woman, had been an apostate, but having returned to the faith was martyred, and bore her sufferings with great patience. Attalus of Pergamus, was another sufferer; and Pothinus, the venera- ble bishop of Lyons, who was ninety years of age, was so unmercifully treated by the enraged pagan mob, that he expired two days after in prison. When the Christians, upon these occa- sions received martyrdom, they were orna- mented, and crowned with garlands of flowers ; for which they in heaven received eternal crowns of glory. The torments were various ; and, exclu- 32 THE CHRISTIAN MAKTYKOLOGY. < sive of those already mentioned, the mar- tyrs of Lyons were compelled to sit in red- hot iron chairs till their (lesh broiled. This was inflicted with peculiar severity on Sanctus already mentioned, and some oth- ers. Some were sewed up in nets, and thrown on the horns of wild bulls ; and the carcases of those who died in prison pre- vious to the appointed time of execution, were thrown to dogs. Indeed, so far did the malice of the pagans proceed, that they set guards over the bodies while the beasts were devouring them, lest the friends of the deceased should get them away by stealth ; and the offals left by the dogs were ordered to be burned. The martyrs of Lyons, according to the best accounts we could obtain, who suf- fered for the gospel, were forty-eight in number, and their executions happened in the year of Christ 177. They all died with great fortitude and serenity of mind, evidently evincing that they preferred the everlasting pleasures of an immortal and happy life, to the transitory scenes of one that was precarious, dashed with afflictions, and at best but short and fleeting. " Like to the falling of a star, Or as the flights of eagles are ; Or like the fresh spring's gaudy hue, Or silver drops of morning dew ; Or like a wind that chafes the flood, Or bubbles which on water stood ; Even such is man, whose borrowed light Is straight called in, and paid to night. The wind blows out ; the bubble dies ; The spring entombed in autumn lies; The dew dries up ; the star is shot ; The light is past, and man forgot." Besides the above martyrs of Lyons, who are usually enumerated together, some others suffered in that city, and in the dif- ferent parts of the empire soon after. Of these the principal were : — Epipodius and Alexander, celebrated for their great friendship, and their Chris- tian union with each other. The first was born at Lyons, the latter in Greece ; they were of mutual assistance to each other, and prepared themselves for receiving a crown of martyrdom in this world, and a crown of glory in the next, by the continual practice of all manner of Christian virtues. When the persecution began first to rage at Lyons, they were in the prime of lift, and to avoid the effects of its severities, they thought proper to withdraw to a neigh- boring village. Here they were for some time concealed by a Christian widow, whose piety protected while her obscurity gave a sanction to their retreat. As they were eminent persons, the malice of their persecutors sought after them with indefatigable industry, and pursued them to their place of concealment with unre- mitting assiduity. Dragged from their re- tirement, they were committed to prison without examination : but their misfortunes did not oppress their spirits ; for, shielded by the gospel, they were secure against the woes incident to this life. " The gospel 'tis which streaks the morning bright, 'Tis this which gilds the honors of the uight. When wealth forsakes us, or when friends are few ;. When friends arc faithless, or when foes pursue ; 'Tis this u hich wards the blow, or stills the smart, Disarms affliction, or repels its dart ; Within the breast bids purest raptures r Bids awful conscience spread her cloudless skies. When the storm thickens, and the thunders roll, When the earth trembles to the allrighted pole, The virtuous mind, nor doubts nor fears assail, For storms are zephyrs, or a gentler gale ; But when disease obstructs the laboring breath, When the pulse thickens, and each gasp is death, Even then religion shall sustain the just, Grace their last moments, nor desert their dust." Being at the expiration of three days brought before the governor, they were ex- amined in the presence of a crowd of pa- gans. They confessed the divinity of Christ, when the governor, being enraged at what he termed their insolence, absurdly said, " What signifies all the former execu- tions, if some yet remain who dare ac- knowledge Christ !" Having separated them, that they should not console with, or fortify each other, he began to tamper with Epipodius, the young- est of the two. With a dissembled kind- ness, he pretended to pity his condition, and entreated him not u> ruin himself by obstinacy. " Our deities," continued he, " are worshipped by the greater part of the people in the universe, and their riders ; we adore them with feasting and mirth, while you adore a crucified man ; we, to ~K honor them, launch into pleasures ; you, by your faith, are debarred from all that in- dulges the senses. Our religion enjoins feasting, yours fasting ; ours the joys of licentious blandishments, yours the barren virtue of chastity. Can you expect pro- tection from one who could not secure himself from the persecutions of a con- temptible people ? Then quit a profession of such austerity, and enjoy those gratifica- tions which the world affords, and which your youthful years demand." To this illusive harangue Epipodius re- plied ; he contemned his compassion, as a heart full of faith could not want it. " Your pretended tenderness," said he, " is actual cruelty ; and the agreeable life you describe, is replete with everlasting death. j Christ suffered for us, that our pleasures should be immortal, and hath prepared for ; his followers an eternity of bliss. The ; frame of man being composed of two parts, ; body and soul ; the first, as mean and per- ; ishable, should be rendered subservient to ; the interests of the last. Your idolatrous ; feasts may gratify the mortal, but they in- ! jure the immortal part : that can not there- ! fore be enjoying life which destroys the most valuable moiety of your frame. Your pleasures lead to eternal death, and our pains to perpetual happiness." For this manly and rational speech, Epipodius was severely beaten, and then put to the rack, upon which being stretched, his flesh was torn with iron hooks. Hav- ing borne his torments with incredible pa- tience, and unshaken fortitude, he was taken from the rack and beheaded. Alexander, the companion of Epipodi- us, was brought before the judge two days after the execution of that excellent young man. On his absolute refusal to renounce Christianity, he was placed upon the rack and beat by three executioners, who re- lieved each other alternately. He bore his sufferings with as much fortitude as his friend had done, and at length received the conclusion of his glorious martyrdom by being crucified. These martyrs suf- fered A. D. 179 ; the first on the 22d of April, and the other on the 24th of the same month. Valerian and Marcellus, who were nearly related to each other, were impris- oned at Lyons in the year 177 for being Christians. By some means, however, of which we are not informed, they made their escape, and travelled different ways. Marcellus made several converts in the territories of Bezancon and Chalons, but being apprehended, was carried before Priscus, the governor of those parts. That magistrate, knowing Marcellus to be a Christian, ordered him to be fastened to some branches of a tree, which were drawn down for that purpose. When he was tied to different branches, they were let go, with the design that the suddenness of the jerks might tear him to pieces. This invention failing in its proposed end, he was conducted to Chalons, to be present at some idolatrous sacrifices, at which, refusing to assist, he was put to the torture, and afterward fixed up to the waist in the ground ; in which position, after re- maining three days, he expired, A. D. 179. Valerian was soon after apprehended, and by the order of Priscus was first put to the rack, and then beheaded, in the same year as his friend and relation. Much about the same time the following martyrs suffered, but we have not any cir- cumstantial or particular accounts of their deaths : — Benignus, at - - - Digon. Speusippus, and others, - Langres. Androches, ) Thyrseus, > Fexlic, ) Sympoviam, > Fiorella, ) Severinus, ) Felician, \ > Exuperus, ) Cecilia, the virgin, - Thraseus, bishop of Phrygia, Smyrna. The emperor Antoninus dying, was suc- ceeded A. D. 180, by his son, Co.wodus, who did not seem to copy his father in any Salieu. Antun. Vienna. Sicily. B. 34 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. particular. lie had neither his virtues nor his vices : he was without his learning and morality, and at the same time without his prejudices against Christianity. His prin- cipal foible was pride, and to this we chiefly ascribe the errors of his reign ; for, having taken it into his head to fancy him- self Hercules, he sacrificed those to his vanity who refused to subscribe to his ab- surdity. Apollonius, a Roman senator, became a martyr in his reign. This eminent per- son was at once skilled in all the polite literature of those times, and in all the purest precepts taught by our blessed Re- deemer. He was, indeed, an accomplished gentleman, and a sincere Christian. This worthy person was accused by his own slave Severus, upon an unjust and contradictory, but unrepealed edict, of the emperor Trajan's. This inconsistent law condemned the accused to die, unless he recanted his opinion ; and at the same time ordered the execution of the accuser for calumny. Upon this ridiculous statute was Apollo- nius accused ; for though his slave Seve- rus knew he must die for the accusation, yet such was his diabolical malice and de- sire of revenge, that he courted death, in order to involve his master in ruin. The accused Apollonius refusing to re- cant his opinions, was, by order of his / peers, the Roman senators, to whom he | had appealed, condemned to be beheaded. vThe sentence was executed on the 18th day of April, A. D. 186, his accuser hav- ing previously had his legs broken, and been put to death. EUSEBIUS, VlNCENTIUS, PoTEXTIANUS, and Peregrinus, were all martyred for re- fusing to worship Commodus as Hercules. Julius, a Roman senator, becoming a convert to Christianity, was ordered by the emperor to sacrifice to him as Hercules. This Julius absolutely refused, and publicly ) professed himself a Christian. On this account, after remaining in prison a con- siderable time, he was, in the year 190, pursuant to his sentence, beat to death with cudgels. Virtue, whose essence is religion, supported him, however, to the last, and he died a glorious martyr to the truth. " Thine, virtue ! thine is each persuasive charm. Thine every soul with heavenly raptures warm ; Thine all the bliss that innocence bestows, And thine the heart that feels another's woes. What though thy train neglected, or unknown. Have sought the silent vale, and sighed alone I Though torrents streamed from every melting eye ? Though from each bosom burst the unpitied sigh ? Though oft with life's distracting cares oppressed, They long to sleep in everlasting rest? O, envied misery ! what soft delight Breathed on the mind, and smoothed the gloom of night, When nobler prospects, an eternal train, Made rapture glow in every beating vein ; When heaven's bright domes the smiling eye surveyed, And joys that bloomed more sweetly from the shade." THE FIFTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. >HE emperor Commodus dying in the year 191, was succeeded by the short-reigned Perti- nax ; and he again was succeeded by the still shorter-reigned Julianus. On the death ol the last, in the year 192, Severus be- came emperor. Severus having been recovered from a severe fit of sickness by a Christian, be- : came a great favorer of Christians in gene- I ral ; and even permitted his son Caracalla ; to be nursed by a female Christian. \ Hence, during the reigns of the two em- ! perors already mentioned, who successive- ; ly succeeded Commodus, and some years ' of the latter's reign, the Christians were B THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 35 not persecuted ; for we find that they had a respite of several years. At length, however, the prejudice and fury of the ignorant multitude prevailed, and obsolete laws were revived and put in ex- ecution against the Christians. The progress of Christianity alarmed the pagans, and they revived the stale calumny of placing accidental misfortunes to the ac- count of its professors. Fire, sword, scourges, wild beasts, and cruel imprison- ments, were now used ; and even the dead bodies of Christians were torn from their graves with pagan prejudice, to be mangled by popular fury. But though persecuting malice raged, yet the gospel shone with resplendent bright- ness, and, firm as an impregnable rock, withstood the attacks of its boisterous ene- mies with success. Tertullian, who lived in this age, informs us, that if the Christians had collectively withdrawn them- selves from the Roman territories, the em- pire would have been greatly depopulated. Victor, bishop of Rome, suffered mar- tyrdom in the first year of the third cen- tury, viz: A. D. 201, though the circum- stances are not particularized. Leonidas, the father of the celebrated Origen, was beheaded for being a Chris- tian. Previous to the execution, the son, in order to encourage him, wrote to him in these remarkable words : " Beware, sir, that your care for us does not make you change your resolution." Many of Ori- gen's hearers likewise suffered martyrdom ; particularly two brothers named Plutar- chus and Serenus : another Serenus, Heron, and Heraclides, were beheaded; Rhais had boiling pitch poured upon her head, and was then burnt, as was Marcella, her mother. Potamiena, the sister of Rhais, was executed in the same manner as Rhais had been ; but Basilides, an officer belonging to the army, and one ordered to attend her execution, became her convert. Basilides being, as an officer, required to take a certain oath, refused, saying that he could not swear by the Roman idols, as he was a Christian. Struck with surprise, the people could not at first believe what they heard ; but he had no sooner con- firmed the same, than he was dragged be- fore the judge, committed to prison, and speedily afterward beheaded. IreNjEus, bishop of Lyons, was born in Greece, and received both a polite and a Christian education. It is generally sup- ^ posed that the account of the persecutions at Lyons was written by himself. He suc- ceeded the martyr Pothinus as bishop of Lyons, and ruled his diocese with great propriety: he was a zealous opposer of heresies in general, and about A. D. 187, wrote a celebrated tract against heresy ; and in A. D. 202, he was beheaded. Agapetus, a boy of Praeneste, in Italy, who was only fifteen years of age, abso- lutely refusing to sacrifice to the idols, was severely scourged, and then hanged up by the feet, and boiling water poured over him. He was afterward worried by wild beasts, and at last beheaded. The officer named Antiochus, who superintended this execution, while it was performing fell suddenly from his judicial seat, cried out that his bowels bnrnt him, and expired ; while the martyr patiently suffered, in hopes of a glorious resurrection, when the follow- ing picture shall be realized : — " Roused from their sleep unnumbered myriads come, All waked at once, and burst the yielding tomb ; O'er the broad deep the loosened members swim ; Each sweeping whirlwind bore the flying limb ; The living atoms, with peculiar care, Drawn from their cells, came speeding thro' the air ; Whether they lurked through ages undecayed, Deep in the rock, or clothed some smiling mead ; Or in the lily's snowy bosom grew ; Or tinged the sapphire with its lovely blue ; Or in some purling stream refreshed the plains ; Or formed the mountain's adamantine veins ; Or, gayly sporting in the breathing spring, Perfumed the whispering zephyr's balmy wing : All heard ; and now, in fairer prospect shown, Limb clung to limb, and bone rejoined its bone ; Here stood, improved in strength, the graceful frame ; There flowed the circling blood, a purer stream ; The beaming eye its dazzling light resumes, Soft on the lip the tinctured ruby blooms ; The beating pulse a keener ardor warms, And beauty triumphs in immortal charms." 36 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. THE SIXTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS, N A. D. 235, Maximums being emperor, he raised a persecu- tion against the Christians. In Cappadocia, the president, Seremianus, did all he could to exterminate the Christians from that province. A Roman soldier, refusing to wear a laurel crown bestowed on him by the em- peror, and confessing himself a Christian, was scourged, imprisoned, and afterward put to death. Pontianus, bishop of Rome, for preach- ing against idolatry, was banished to Sar- dinia, and there slain. Anteros, a Grecian, who succeeded the last-mentioned bishop in the see of Rome, gave so much offence to the gov- ernment, by collecting the acts of the mar- tyrs, that he suffered martyrdom himself, after having held his dignity only forty days. Pammachius, a Roman senator, with his family, and other Christians to the number of forty-two, were, on account of their re- ligion, all beheaded in one day, and their heads set up on the city gates. Simplicius, another senator, met with exactly the same fate. Calepodius, a Christian minister, after being inhumanly treated, and barbarously dragged about the streets, had a millstone fastened about his neck, and was thrown into the river Tiber. (See engraving.) Quiritus, a Roman nobleman, with his family and domestics, were, on account of all being Christians, put to the most ex- cruciating tortures, and then to the most painful deaths. Thus this nobleman suf- fered the confiscation of his effects, pov- erty, revilings, imprisonment, scourgings, tortures, and loss of his life, for the sake of his blessed Redeemer ; well knowing, that Our Savior came not with a gaudy show, Nor was his kingdom of the world below : Patience in want and poverty of mind, These marks the church of Christ designed, And living taught, and dying left behind. The crown he wore was of the pointed thorn, In purple he was crucified, not born : They who contend for place and high degree, Are not his sons but those of Zebedee." Martina, a noble and beautiful virgin, likewise suffered martyrdom for the sake of Christ, being variously tortured, and af- terward beheaded. Hippolitus, a Christian prelate, was tied to a wild horse, and dragged through fields, stony places, bushes, &c, till he expired. During this persecution, raised by Max- iminus, numberless Christians were slain without trial, and buried indiscriminately in heaps ; sometimes fifty or sixty being cast into a pit together, without the least decency. The tyrant Maximinus dying, A. D. 238, was succeeded by Gordian, during whose reign, and that of his successor, Philip, the church was free from persecution for the space of more than ten years ; but A. D. 249, a violent persecution broke out in Alexandria. It is to be observed, however, that this w r as done at the instigation of a pagan priest, without the knowledge of the emperor. The popular fury being let loose against the Christians, the mob broke open their houses, stole away the best of their prop- erty, destroyed the rest, and murdered the owners : the universal cry being, " Burn 'em, burn em; kill 'em, kill 'em." The names of the martyrs (three excepted) and the particulars of this affair, however, have not been transmitted to posterity. The three martyrs alluded to were the following : — Metrus, an aged and venerable Chris- tian, refusing to blaspheme his Savior, was beaten with clubs, pricked with sharp reeds, and at length stoned to death. Quinta, a Christian woman, being car- CALIPODIUS THROWN INTO THE RIVER TIBER. Pa«-e 37. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 39 | ried to the temple, and refusing to worship $ meant to recant, when, to their great sur- > the idols there, was dragged by her feet prise, she immediately threw herself into J over sharp flint-stones, scourged with j the flames and was there consumed ; which whips, and at last despatched in the same \ plainly evinced that she contemned the manner as Metrus. \ fears of death, and trusted to a lasting fu- Apollonia, an ancient maiden lady, con- $ ture reward, for a temporary punishment fessing herself a Christian, the mob dashed > in this life. out her teeth with their fists, and threatened i to burn her alive. A fire was accordingly i prepared for the purpose, and she fastened < to a stake ; but requesting to be unloosed, < it was granted, on a supposition that she \ Submit thy fate to Heaven's indulgent care, Though all seem lost, 'tis impious to despair: The tracks of Providence, like rivers, wind. Here run before us, there retreat behind : And though immerged in earth from human eyes, Again break forth, and more conspicuous rise." THE SEVENTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. ECIUS being now emperor of Rome, began a dread- ful persecution against the Christians, A. D. 249. This was occasioned, partly by the hatred he bore to his predecessor, Philip, who was deemed a Christian, and partly to his jealousy concerning the amazing increase of Christianity ; fur the heathen temples began to be forsaken, and the Christian churches thronged. These reasons stimulated Decius to at- tempt the very extirpation of the name of Christian ; and it was unfortunate for the cause of the gospel, that many errors had about this time crept into the church : the Christians were at variance with each other ; self-interest divided those whom social love ought to have united ; and the virulence of pride occasioned a variety of factions. The heathens, in general, were ambi- tious to enforce the imperial decrees upon this occasion, and looked upon the murder of a Christian as a merit in themselves. The martyrs, upon this occasion, were in- numerable ; but of the principal we shall give some account in their order. Fabian, the bishop of Rome, was the first person of eminence who felt the se- verity of this persecution. The deceased emperor Philip had, on account of his in- tegrity, committed his treasures to the care of this good man. But Decius, not finding as much as his avarice made him expect, determined to wreak his vengeance on the good prelate. He was accordingly seized, and on the 20th of January, A. D. 250, suffered martyrdom, by being beheaded. Abdon and Semen, two Persians, were seized on as strangers ; but being found Christians, were put to death, on account of their faith ; and Moyses, a priest was beheaded for the same reason. Julian, a native of Celicia, as we are informed by St. Chrysostom, was seized upon for being a Christian. He was fre- quently tortured, but still remained inflexi- ble ; and though often brought from prison for execution, was again remanded to be the object of greater cruelties. He at length was obliged to travel for twelve months together, from town to town, in order to be exposed to the insults of the ignorant populace. Finding the endeavors to make him re- cant his religion ineffectual, he was brought before his judge, stripped, and whipped in a most dreadful manner. He was then 40 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. — -a put into a leathern bag, together with a to gratify his revenge, as he could not his ( number of serpents and scorpions, and in that condition thrown into the sea. passion. Pursuant to his orders she was scourged, Agatha, a Sicilian lady, was not more ; burnt with red-hot irons, and torn with remarkable for her personal and acquired sharp hooks. Having borne these tor- endowments, than her piety: her beauty l ments with admirable fortitude, she was was such, that Quintain, governor of Sicily, \ next laid naked upon live coals intermin- ; $ became enamored of her, and made many < gled with glass, and then beino- carried \ attempts upon her chastity \ back to prison, she there expired on the As the governor was reputed to be a ■■ 5th of February, 251. > great libertine, and a bigoted pagan, the > Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, about '; lady very discreetly thought proper to ;. this time was cast into prison on account withdraw from two such dangerous enemies '' of his religion, where he died, by the se- \ as lust and superstition. She accordingly \ verity of his confinement. I retired from the town, but being discovered I Serapian, being apprehended at Alexan- ; in her retreat, she was seized, and brought ] dria, had all his bones broken, and was < to Catana. s then thrown from a high loft, when he was I Finding herself thus in the power of an ) killed by the fall. ] enemy, both to her soul and body, she I Julianus, an old man, lame with the \ recommended herself to the protection of '/ gout, and Cronion, another Christian, were \ the Almighty, and prayed for death, as a \ bound on the backs of camels, severely < scourged, and then thrown into a fire and relief from her miseries. The governor, in order to gratify his j consumed. A person who stood bv, and passions with the greater conveniency, put > seemed to commiserate them, was ordered the virtuous lady into the hands of Aphrod- / to be beheaded, as a punishment for enter- ica, a very infamous and licentious wo- ) taining sentiments of too tender a nature, man. This wretch tried every artifice to ? Macar, a Lybian Christian, was burnt ; win her to the desired prostitution, but > t Heron-Ater and Isidores, Egyptians, found all her efforts were vain ; for her t with Dioschorus, a boy of fifteen, after happiness. " Know then this truth (enough for man to know), Virtue alone is happiness below ! That only point where human bliss stands still, And tastes the good, without the fall to ill ; Where only merit constant pay receives, Is blessed in what it takes, and what it gives ; The joy unequalled, if its end it gain, And if it lose, attended with no pain : Without satiety, though e'er so blessed, And but more relished, as the more distressed: The broadest mirth unfeeling folly wears Less pleasing far than virtue's very tears : Good from each object, from each place acquired, For ever exercised, yet never tired ; Never elated, while one man's oppressed ; Never dejected, while another's blessed: And where no wants, no wishes can remain, Since but to wish more virtue, is to gain." > that she was a Christian, he determined < three, after having been tortured, were ] chastity was impregnable, and she well > suffering many other torments, met with a > knew that virtue alone could procure true ^ similar fate ; and Nemesion, another Egyp- tian, was first tried as a thief; but being ^acquitted, was accused of Christianity, ( which confessing, he was scourged, tor- \ tured, and burnt. | Isehyrian, the Christian servant of an Egyptian nobleman and magistrate, was run through with a pike by his own mas- ter, for refusing to sacrifice to idols; Ye- nantius, a youth of fifteen, was martyred in Italy ; and forty virgins at Antioch, after \ being imprisoned and scourged, were burnt. > Secundianus having been accused as a Christian, was conveyed to prison by some \ Aphrodica acquainted Quintain with the S soldiers. On the way, Veriaxus and i ineflicacy of her endeavors, who, enraged \ Marcellinus said, " Where are ye carry- 10 be foiled in his designs, changed his \ ing the innocent?" This interrogatory I lust into resentment. On her confessing \ occasioned them to be seized, and all j B 1 »■ m THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 41 < hanged ; and when dead their heads were < cut off. Cyril, bishop of Gortyna, was seized < by order of Lucius, the governor of that < place, who, nevertheless, exhorted him to I obey the imperial mandate, perform the i sacrifices, and save his venerable person < from destruction, for he was now eighty- < four years of age. The good prelate re- plied that he could not agree to any such < requisitions. J The governor then pronounced sentence \ against the venerable Christian in these re- < markable words : — i " / order and appoint, that Cyril, who has j < lost his senses, and is a declared enemy of \ our gods, shall be burnt alive." The worthy prelate heard this sentence \ without emotion, walked cheerfully to the < place of execution, and underwent his mar- \ tyrdom with great fortitude. Origen, the celebrated presbyter and 5 catechist of Alexandria, at the age of \ sixty-four, was seized, thrown into a loath- < some prison, laden with heavy fetters, his | feet placed in the stocks, and his legs ex- | tended to the utmost for several successive | days. He was threatened with fire, and ; tormented by every means that the most ! infernal imaginations could suggest. But '/ unappalled with dangers, and unshaken by > sufferings, his Christian fortitude bore him ) through all. Indeed, such was the rigor . of his judge, that his tortures were ordered <; to be lingering, that death might not too 't soon put a period to his miseries. During t this cruel temporizing, the emperor Decius | died, and Gallus, who succeeded him, en- X gaging in a war with the Goths, the Chris- \ tians met with a respite. In this interim \ Origen obtained his enlargement, and re- | tiring to Tyre, he there remained till his X death, which happened when he was in \ the sixty-ninth year of his age. Gallus, the emperor, having concluded '. I his wars, a plague broke out in the empire | sacrifices to the pagan deities were ordered X by the emperor, and superstition immedi- \ ately bowed the knee to idols. The Christians, refusing to comply with these rites, were charged with being au- thors of the calamity. Hence the storm of persecution spread from the interior to the extreme parts of the empire, and many fell martyrs to the impetuosity of the rab- ble, as well as the prejudice of the magis- trates. Cornelius, the Christian bishop of Rome, was among others seized upon this occasion. He was first banished to Cen- tum-Cellae, or Civita-Vecchia, as it is now called ; and after having been cruelly scourged, was, on the 14th of September, 252, beheaded, after having been bishop fifteen months and ten days. Lucius, who succeeded Cornelius as bishop of Rome, was the son of Porphyrius, and a Roman by birth. His vigilance, as a pastor, rendered him obnoxious to the foes of Christianity, which occasioned him to be banished ; but in a short time he was permitted to return from exile. Not long after, however, he was appre- hended, after having been bishop about six months, and beheaded March 4, A. D. 253. This bishop was succeeded by Stephanus, a man of a fiery temper, who held the dig- nity a few years, and might probably have fallen a martyr, had not the emperor been X murdered by his general iEmilian, when a profound peace succeeded throughout the whole empire, and the persecution of course ceased. Most of the errors which crept into the church at this time arose from placing hu- man reason in competition with revelation ; but the fallacy of such arguments being proved by the most able divines, the opin- ions they had created vanished away like stars before the sun. " Dim as the borrowed beams of moon and stars, To lonely, weary, wandering- travellers, Is reason to the soul ; and as on high, Those rolling fires discover but the sky, Nor light us here ; so reason's glimmering ray Was lent, not to assure our doubtful way, But guide us upward to a better day. And as those nightly tapers disappear, When day's bright lord ascends our hemisphere, ) So pale grows reason at religion's sight ; So dies, and so dissolves in supernatural light." j H 42 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. THE EIGHTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. FTER the death of Gallus, iEmilian, the general, not being properly supported by the army, was slain, and Valerian elected to the empire. For the space of four years this emperor governed with moderation, and treated the Christians with peculiar lenity and respect. But, A. D. 257, an Egyptian magician, named Macrianus, gained a great ascen- dency over him, and persuaded him to per- secute the Christians. Edicts being published, the ungovern- able rage of ignorance and superstition was let loose against the Christians. The per- secution began in the month of April, and continued for three years and six months. The martyrs that fell in this persecution were innumerable, and their tortures and deaths as various and painful. The most eminent martyrs were the following, though neither rank, sex, or age, was regarded : — Rufina and Secunda, were two beau- tiful and accomplished ladies, daughters of Asterius, a gentleman of eminence in Rome. Rufina, the elder, was designed in marriage for Armentarius, a young nobleman ; and Secunda, the younger, for Verinus, a per- son of rank and opulence. The suitors, at the time of the persecu- tion's commencing, were both Christians ; but when danger appeared, to save their fortunes, they renounced their faith. They took great pains to persuade the ladies to do the same, but failed in their purpose. Rufina and Secunda, though too just to change their religious sentiments, were too diffident of their own strength to remain longer the objects of such solicitations ; on which account they left the city. Disappointed in their purpose, the lovers were base enough to inform against the ladies, who being apprehended as Chris- tians, were brought before Junius Donatus, governor of Rome. Being inflexible to all remonstrances, and having passed through several tortures, they, A. D. 257, sealed their martyrdom with their blood, by being beheaded. Stephen, bishop of Rome, was behead- ed in the same year ; and about that time Saturninus, bishop of Thoulouse, was set upon and seized by the rabble of that place, for preventing, as they alleged, their oracles from speaking. On refusing to sacrifice to the idols, he was treated with all the barbarous indignities imaginable, and then fastened by the feet to the tail of a bull. Upon a signal given, the enraged animal was driven down the steps of the temple, by which the worthy martyr's brains were dashed out. The small num- ber of Christians in Thoulouse had not courage sufficient to carry off the dead body, till two women conveyed it away, and deposited it in a deep ditch. This martyr was a most orthodox and j worthy primitive Christian, and his doc- trines are to be firmly depended upon. (See engraving.) Sextus succeeded Stephen as bishop of Rome. He is supposed to have been a Greek by birth, or by extraction, and had for some time served in the capacity of a deacon under Stephen. His great fidelity singular wisdom, and uncommon courage, distinguished him upon many occasions ; and the happy conclusion of a controversy with some heretics, is generally ascribed to his piety and prudence. In the year 258, Marcianus, who had the management of the Roman government, procured an order from the emperor Valeri- an, to put to death all the Christian clergy in Rome. The senate testifying their obedience to the imperial mandate, Sextus was one of SATURNIUS FASTENED TO A BULL. — Page 43. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 45 the first who felt the severity of the rescript. Cyprian tells us that he was beheaded August 6, 258. We are likewise inform- ed that six of his deacons suffered with him. Laurentius, generally called St. Lau- rence, the principal of the deacons, who taught and praached under Sextus, follow- ed him to the place of execution ; when Sextus predicted, that he should, three days after, meet him in heaven. Laurentius looking upon this as a cer- tain indication of his own approaching martyrdom, at his return gathered together all the Christian poor, and distributed the treasures of the church, which had been committed to his care among them, think- ing the money could not be better disposed of, or less liable to fall into the hands of the pagans. This liberality alarmed the persecutors, who seized on him to make a discovery whence it arose, and commanded him to give an immediate account to the emperor of the church treasures. He promised he would do this, but beg- ged a short respite to put things in proper order ; when three days being granted him, he was suffered to depart ; where- upon, with great diligence, he collected to- gether a great number of aged, helpless, and impotent poor ; he repaired to the magistrate, and presenting them to him said, " These are the true treasures of the church." Incensed at the disappointment, and fan- cying the matter meant in ridicule, the governor ordered him to be immediately scourged. He was then beaten with iron rods, set upon a wooden horse, and had his limbs dislocated. These tortures he endured with fortitude and perseverance ; when he was ordered to be fastened to a large gridiron, with a slow fire under it, that his death might be the more lingering. His astonishing constancy during these trials, and serenity of countenance while under such excruciating torments, gave the I spectators so exalted an idea of the dignity I and truth of the Christian religion, that many became converts upon the occasion. After lying for some time upon this burning bed, the martyr called out to the emperor, who was present, in a kind of jocose distich, made extempore, which may be thus translated : — " This side enough is toasted, Then turn me, tyrant, and eat ; And see, whether raw or roasted I seem the better meat." The executioner turned him accordingly, and after having laid a considerable time longer, he had still strength and spirits suf- ficient left to triumph over the tyrant, by telling him, with great serenity, that he was dressed enough, and only wanted serving up. He then cheerfully lifted up his eyes to heaven, and with calmness yielded his spirit to the Almighty, on August 10, A. D. 258. Romanus, a soldier who attended the martyrdom of Laurentius, was one of the ] converts to his sufferings and fortitude ; for he could not help feeling the greatest vene- ration for a God who inspired his votaries with such courage, and rendered his mar- tyrs superior to all the cruelties of their persecutors. The brave Romanus, when the martyr Laurentius was remanded to prison, took that opportunity of fully inquiring into the nature of the Christian faith ; and being entirely satisfied by Laurentius, became firmly a Christian, received his baptism from the captive, and seemed to have his mind impressed with a lively idea of the kingdom of Christ ; a kingdom replete with eternal joys and everlasting happiness. In Africa the persecution raged with pe- culiar violence ; many thousands received the crown of martyrdom, among whom the following were the most distinguished characters : — Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, was an eminent prelate, and a pious ornament of the church. The brightness of his genius was tempered by the solidity of his judg- a 46 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. ment ; and with all the accomplishments of the gentleman he blended the virtues of the Christian. His doctrines were ortho- dox and pure ; his language easy and ele- gant; and his manners graceful and win- ning : in fine, he was both the pious and polite preacher. Indeed, an easy delivery, I and polished manner, are requisite in every j 1 preacher who would make an impression j Ion the hearts of his audience. This was \ 1 the practice of St. Paul, and this was tho } accomplishment of Cyprian. The latter, it is said, was so perfectly a j master of the rules of rhetoric, and the CYPRIAN (died in the year 259) precepts of logic, and so complete in the practice of elocution, and the principles of philosophy, that he was made professor j of those sciences in his native city of Car- thage, where he became so popular, and taught with such success, that many of his students afterward became shining orna- ments of polite learning. In his youth he was educated in the principles of gentilism, and having a con- siderable fortune, he lived in the very ex- travagance of splendor, and all the dignity of pomp. Gorgeous in attire, luxurious in feasting, vain of a numerous retinue, and fond of every kind of fashionable parade, he seemed to fancy that man was born to gratify all his appetites, and created for pleasure alone. ' Pleasure but cheats us with an empty name, Still seems to vary, yet is still the same ; Amusements all its utmost skill can boast, By use it lessens, and in thought is lost." About the yeai 246, Coelius, a Christian minister of Carthage, became the happy instrument of Cyprian's conversion ; on which account, and for the great love that he always afterward bore for the author of his conversion, he was termed Cceciliui Cyprian. Previous to his baptism he studied the Scriptures with care, and being struck with the beauties of the truths they contain- ed, he determined to practise the virtues therein recommended. Subsequent to his baptism he sold his estate, distributed the money among the poor, dressed himself in plain attire, and commenced a life of aus- terity. He was soon after made a presbyter ; and being greatly admired for his virtues, and his works, on the death of Donatus, in A. D. 248, he was almost unanimously elected bishop of Carthage. » THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 47 A. D. 250, Cyprian was publicly pro- scribed by the emperor Decius, under the appellation of Cascilius Cyprian, bishop of the Christians ; and the universal cry of the pagans was, " Cyprian to the lions ! Cyprian to the beasts !" The bishop, however, withdrew himself from the rage of the populace, and his ef- fects were immediately confiscated. During his retirement he wrote thirty pious and elegant letters to his flock ; but several schisms that then crept into the church gave him great uneasiness. The rigor of the persecution abating, he returned to Carthage, and did everything in his power to expunge erroneous opinions. A terrible plague breaking out at Car- thage, it was, as usual, laid to the charge of the Christians ; and the magistrates be- gan to persecute accordingly, which oc- casioned an epistle from them to Cyprian, in answer to which he vindicates the cause of Christianity. A. D. 257, Cyprian was brought before the pro-consul Aspasius Paternus, when being commanded to conform to the reli- gion of the empire, he boldly made a con- fession of his faith, and owned himself a Christian. This confession, however, did not occasion his death, but an order for his banishment, which exiled him to a little city on the Lybian sea. On the death of the pro-consul who banished him, he re- turned to Carthage, bnt was soon after seized and carried before the new gover- nor, who condemned him to be beheaded, which sentence was executed on the 14th of September, A. D. 258. THE NINTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS. HE emperor Aurelian, A. D. 274, commenced a perse- cution against the Chris- tians ; the principal suf- ferers being Felix, bishop of Rome. This prelate was advanced to the Roman see in 274. He was the first martyr to Aurelian's petulancy, being beheaded on the 22d of September, in the same year. Agapetus, a young gentleman who sold his estate and gave the money to the poor, was seized as a Christian, tortured, and then beheaded at Praeneste, a city within a day's journey of Rome. | These are the only martyrs left upon ; record during this reign, as it was soon j put a stop to by the emperor's being mur- \ dered by his own domestics at Byzantium. Aurelian was succeeded by Tacitus, who \ was followed by Probus, as the latter was ' by Carus : this emperor being killed by a thunder-storm, his sons, Carnius and Nu- merian, succeeded him ; and during all these reigns the church had peace. Dioclesian mounting the imperial throne, A. D. 284, at first showed great favor to the Christians. In the year 286 he associated Maximian with him in the empire ; and some Christians were put to death before any general persecution broke out. Among these were Felician and Primus, two brothers. These Christians were seized by an order from the imperial court : they owned them- selves Christians, and were accordingly scourged, tortured, and at length beheaded. Tiburtius, a native of Rome, was de- scended from a considerable family ; not that any merit was due to him on that ac- count, for " Those who on glorious ancestry enlarge, Produce their debt instead of their discharge." Being accused as a Christian, he was commanded either to sacrifice to idols, or to walk upon burning coals. He chose 48 THE CHRISTIAN MAKTYROLOGY. the latter, and passed over them without damage, when Fabian passed sentence upon him that he should be beheaded ; which sentence was performed in the | month of August, A. D. 286, and his body- was afterward buried by some Christians. In the year of Christ 286, a most re- markable affair occurred : a legion of sol- diers, consisting of 6,666 men, contained none but Christians. This legion was called the Theban legion, because the men had been raised in Thebaus : they were quartered in the east till the emperor Max- imian ordered them to march to Gaul, to assist him against the rebels of Burgundy. They passed the Alps into Gaul, under the command of Mauritius, Candidus, and Exupernis, their worthy commanders, and at length joined the emperor. Maximian, about this time, ordered a general sacrifice, at which the whole army were to assist ; and likewise he command- ed that they should take oaths of allegiance, and swear at the same time to assist him in the extirpation of Christianity in Gaul. Alarmed at these orders, each individual of the Theban legion absolutely refused either to sacrifice, or take the oaths pre- scribed. This so greatly enraged Max- imian, that he ordered the legion to be decimated, that is, every tenth man to be selected from the rest, and put to the sword. This bloody order having been put into execution, those who remained alive were still inflexible, when a second decimation took place, and every tenth man of those living were again put to death. This second severity made no more im- pression than the first had done ; the sol- diers preserved their fortitude and their principles, but by the advice of their of- ficers, drew up a remonstrance to the em- peror, in which they told him, that they were his subjects and his soldiers, but could not at the same time forget the Al- mighty ; that they received their pay from him, and their existence from God. " While your commands are not contradictory to those of our common Master, we shall al- ways be ready to obey, as we have been hitherto ; but when the orders of our prince \ and those of the Almighty differ, we must < always obey the latter. Our arms are de- ' voted to the emperor's use, and shall be j directed against his enemies ; but we can ' not submit to stain our hands with effusion of Christian blood ; and how, indeed, could I you, O emperor ! be secure of our allegi- ; ance and fidelity, should we violate our obligation to our God, in whose service we \ were solemnly engaged before we entered • in the army 1 You command us to search out and to destroy the Christians : it is not necessary to look any farther for persons ; of that denomination ; we ourselves are ; such, and we glory in the name. We saw ''. our companions fall without the least op- ; position or murmuring, and thought them happy in dying for the sake of Christ. .' Nothing shall make us lift up our hands against our sovereign ; we had rather die wrongfully, and by that means preserve our innocence, than live under a load of [ guilt ; whatever you command, we are ready to suffer ; we confess ourselves to be Christians, and therefore can not perse- cute Christians, nor sacrifice to idols." A declaration like this, it might be pre- ; sumed, would have softened the emperor, but it had the contrary effect : for, enraged at their perseverance and unanimity, he commanded that the whole legion sliould be put to death, which was accordingly executed by the other troops, who cut them to pieces with their swords. This affair happened on the 22d Sep- tember, A. D. 286 ; and such was the in- veterate malice of Maximian, that he sent \ to destroy every man of a few detachments \ that had been draughted from the Theban legion, and despatched to Italy. Alban, from whom St. Alban's, in Heit fordshire, received its name, was the first British martyr. This island had received the gospel of Christ from Lucius, the first i' Christian king, but did not suffer by the \ rage of persecution for many years after. Alban was originally a pagan, but being / THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 49 naturally of a very humane and tender dis- position, he sheltered a Christian ecclesi- astic named Amphibalus, when some of- ficers were in pursuit of him on account of his religion. The pious example and edifying dis- courses of the refugee, made a great im- pression on the mind of Alban ; he longed to become a member of a religion which charmed him, and to imitate what he ad- mired. The fugitive minister, happy in the opportunity, took great pains to instruct him ; and before his discovery, perfected Alban's conversion. Alban now took the firm resolution to preserve the sentiments of a Christian, or die the death of a martyr. The enemies of Amphibalus having intelligence of the place where he was secreted, came to the house of Alban in order to apprehend him. Alban, desirous of protecting his guest and instructor, changed clothes with him in order to facilitate his escape ; and when the soldiers came, offered himself up as the person they were seeking for. Being carried before the governor, the deceit was immediately discovered ; and Amphibalus being absent, that officer de- termined to wreak all his vengeance upon Alban. The prisoner was accordingly command- ed to advance to the altar, and to sacrifice to the pagan deities ; or threatened, in case of refusal, with the vengeance intend- ed to be exercised against the person who had escaped by his contrivance. Unterrified by these menaces, he de- clared that he would not comply with such idolatrous injunctions, but freely professed himself to be a Christian; and breathed out such sentiments as these : — " The Christian beam Illuminates my faith, and bids me trust All that may happen to the will of Heaven » » * * • New force inspires me, and my strengthened soul Feels energy divine : the fair example Of steadfast martyrs, and of dying saints, Has warmed me to better thoughts : I now Can with a smile behold misfortune's face, And think the weight of miseries a trial. The heavenly precepts brighten to my mind : 4 No useful part of duty left behind : Here the consenting principles unite, A beam divine directs our steps aright, And shows the moral in the Christian light." The governor ordered him to be scourged, which he bore with great fortitude, and seemed to acquire new resolution from bis sufferings : he then was sentenced to be beheaded. The venerable Bede assures us that, upon this occasion, the executioner sud- denly became a convert to Christianity, and entreated permission either to die for Alban, or with him. Obtaining tbe latter request, they were beheaded by a soldier, who voluntarily undertook the task of exe- cutioner. This happened on the 22d of June, A. D. 287, at Verulam, now St. Al- ban's, in Hertfordshire, where a magnifi- cent church was erected to his memory about the time of Constantine the Great. This edifice being destroyed in the Saxon wars, was rebuilt by Offa, king of Mercia, and a monastery erected adjoining to it, some remains of which are still visible, and the church is a noble Gothic structure. Quintin was a Christian, and a native of Rome, but determined to attempt the propagation of the gospel in Gaul, lie accordingly went to Picardy, attended by one Lucian : they preached together at Amiens ; after which Lucian went to Beawaris, where he was martyred. Quintin remained in Picardy, and was very zealous in his ministry. His con- tinual prayers to the Almighty were, to in- crease his faith, and strengthen his facul- ties to propagate the gospel. The breath- ings of his soul might be well expressed in the following lines : — u Awful heaven ! Great ruler of the various hearts of man ! Since thou hast raised me to conduct thy church Without the base cabal too often practised, Beyond my wish, my thought, give me the lights, The virtues, which that sacred trust requires : A loving, loved, unterrifying power, Such as becomes a father ; humble wisdom ; Plain, primitive sincerity ; kind zeal For truth and virtue rather than opinions ; And, above all, the charitable soul Of healing peace and Christian moderation." Being seized upon as a Christian, he was stretched with pulleys till his joints 50 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. were dislocated : his body was then torn \ Varus, the governor, being obliged to re- with wire scourges, and boiling oil and < pair to Vermandois, ordered Quintin to be pitch poured on his naked flesh : lighted < conducted thither under a strong guard, torches were applied to his sides and arm- < where he died of the barbarities he had pits; and after he had been thus tortured, \ suffered, on the 31st of October, A. D. 287 ; he was remanded back to prison. ' and his body was sunk in the Somme. THE TENTH PRIMITIVE PERSECUTION UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS, COMMONLY CALLED THE ERA OF THE MARTYRS. EVERAL reasons have been assigned for the occasion of this persecution, par- ticularly the great increase of the Christians, whose numbers rendered them formidable ; many of them having lost their humility, and given themselves up to vanity, by dressing gay, living sumptuously, build- ing stately edifices for churches, &c, which created envy ; and the hatred of Galerius, the adopted son of Dioclesian, who being stimulated by his mother, a bigoted pagan, never ceased persuading \ the emperor to enter upon the persecution < till he had accomplished his purpose. The fatal day fixed upon to commence the bloody work, was the 23d of February, A. D. 303, that being the day in which the Terminalia were celebrated, and on which, as the pagans boasted, they hoped to put a a termination to Christianity. $ On the day appointed, the persecution $ began in Nicomedia, on the morning of > which the prsefect of that city repaired, with a great number of officers and assist- ants, to the church of the Christians, where, having forced open the doors, they seized upon all the sacred books, and committed them to the flames. The whole of this transaction was in the \ presence of Dioclesian and Galerius, who,,: not content with burning the books, had < the church levelled with the ground. This \ was followed by a severe edict command- ing the destruction of all other Christian churches and books ; and an order soon succeeded to render Christians of all de- nominations outlaws, and consequently to make them incapable of holding any place of trust, profit, or dignity, or of receiving any protection from the legal institutions of the realm. The publication of this edict occasioned an immediate martyrdom ; for a bold Chris- tian not only tore it down from the place to which it was affixed, but execrated the name of the emperor for his injustice. A provocation like this was sufficient to call down pagan vengeance upon his head ; he was accordingly seized, severely tor- tured, and then burnt alive. All the Christian prelates were then ap- prehended and imprisoned ; and Galerius privately ordered the imperial palace to be set on fire, that the Christians might be charged as the incendiaries, and a plausi- ble pretence given for carrying on the per- secution with the greatest severities. A general sacrifice was commanded, which occasioned various martyrdoms. Among others a Christian named Peter was tortured, broiled, and then burnt ; seve- ral deacons and presbyters were seized upon and executed by various means ; and the bishop of Nicomedia, named Anthi- mus, was beheaded. No distinction was made of age or sex ; THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 51 the name of Christian was so obnoxious to the pagans, that all fell indiscriminately sacrifices to their opinions. Many houses were set on fire, and whole Christian fami- lies perished in the flames ; and others had stones fastened about their necks, and being tied together were driven into the sea. The persecution became general in all the Roman provinces, but more par- ticularly in the east ; and as it lasted ten years, it is impossible to ascertain the num- bers martyred, or to enumerate the various modes of martyrdom : some were beheaded in Arabia ; many devoured by wild beasts in Phoenicia ; great numbers were broiled on gridirons in Syria ; others had their bones broken, and in that manner were left to expire in Cappadocia ; and several in Mesopotamia were hung with their heads downward over slow fires, and suffocated. In Pontuo, a variety of tortures were used, in particular, pins were thrust under the nails of the prisoners, melted lead was poured upon them, and various modes were adopted in tormenting the Christians, the indecency of which could be only equalled by the savage barbarities practised in their execution. In Egypt the Christians were martyred by means of the four elements, some were buried alive in the earth, others were drown- ed in the waters of the Nile, many were hung up in the air till they perished, and great numbers received their death by being thrown into large fires. Racks, scourges, swords, daggers, crosses, poison, and famine, were made use of in various parts to despatch the Christians ; and invention was exhausted to devise tortures against such as had no crime, but thinking differently from the votaries of superstition. A city of Phrygia, consisting entirely of Christians, was surrounded by a number of pagan soldiers to prevent any from es- caping ; who setting it on fire, all the in- habitants perished in the flames. But though the sufferings of the Christians were many, their souls were serene : a perfect resignation to the chastisements of Heaven being one of the greatest Christian duties ; for, as a learned divine says : — " Naked as from the earth we came, And crept to life at first, We to the earth return again, And mingle with our dust. " The dear delights we here enjoy, And fondly call our own, Are but short favors borrowed now, To be repaid anon. " 'Tis God that lifts our comforts high, Or sinks them in the grave ; He gives, and blessed be his name, He takes but what he gave." Tired with slaughter, at length, several governors of provinces represented to the imperial court that it was " unfit to pollute the cities with the blood of the inhabitants, or to defame the government of the em- perors with the death of so many subjects." Hence many were respited from execu- tion, but though they did not put them to death, as much as possible was done to render their lives miserable. Accordingly, as marks of infamy, many of the Christians had their ears cut off, their noses slit, their right eyes put out, their limbs rendered useless by dreadful dislocations, and their flesh seared in con- spicuous places with red-hot irons. It is necessary now to particularize the most conspicuous persons who laid down their lives in martyrdom in this bloody per- secution. Vitus, a Sicilian of a considerable fam- ily, was brought up a Christian ; when his virtues increased with his years, his con- stancy supported him under all afflictions, and his faith was superior to the most dan- gerous perils. His father, Hylas, who was a pagan, finding that he had been instructed in the principles of Christianity by the nurse who brought him up, did all his endeavors to bring him back to paganism. Failing in his design, he forgot all the feelings of a parent, and informed against his son to Valerian, governor of Sicily, who was very active in persecuting the Christians. '\ 52 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. Vitus, at the time of his being appre- hended upon the information of his father, was little more that, twelve years of age ; Valerian, therefore, on account of his ten- der age, thought to frighten him out of his faitn. He was accordingly threatened with great anger, and ordered to be scourged j severely. Having received this punishment, the governor sent him back to his father, think- ing that what he had suffered would cer- tainly make him change his principles : but in this he was mistaken ; and Hylas, find- ing his son inflexible, suffered nature to sink under superstition, and determined to sacrifice his son to the idols. Vitus, on being apprized of his design, escaped to Lucania, where being seized, he was by order of Valerian put to death June 14, A. D. 303 ; but in what manner we are not informed. Crescentia, the nurse who brought him up as a Christian, and a person who escaped with him, called Modestus, were martyred at the same time. Victor was a Christian of a good family at Marseilles, in France ; he spent a great part of the night in visiting the afflicted, and confirming the weak, which pious work he could not, consistent with his own safety, perform in the daytime ; and his fortune he spent in relieving the distresses of poor Christians, thinking that riches were use- less unless subservient to works of charity, and otherwise employed, were a bane to mankind. " Mark where yon mines their radiant stores unfold, Peru's rich dust, or Chili's beds of gold : Insidious bane, that makes destruction smooth j Thou foe to virtue, liberty, and truth: Whose arts the fate of monarchies decide, Who gildst deceit, the darling child of pride : How oft allured by thy persuasive charms, Have earth's contending powers appeared in arms! I What nations bribed have owned thy powerful reign, | For thee what millions ploughed the stormy main, > Travelled from pole to pole with ceaseless toil, And felt their blood alternate freeze and boil !" He was at length, however, seized by I tho emperor's orders, and being carried be- I fore two prefects, they advised him to em- 1 brace paganism, and not forfeit the favor \ of his prince, on account of a dead man, as ; he styled Christ. In answer to which he replied, that he "preferred the service of that dead man, who was in reality the Son of God, and was risen from the grave, to all the advantages he could receive from the emperor's favor ; that he was a soldier of Christ, and would therefore take care that the post he held under an earthly prince, should never interfere with his duty to the King of heaven ; and that as for the gods, whose worship they recommended to him, he could not think them any better than evil spirits." He was loaded with reproaches for this reply, but being a man of rank, he was sent to the emperor to receive his final sen- tence. Being by order stretched upon the rack, he turned his eyes toward heaven, and prayed to God to endue him with patience ; after which he underwent the tortures with most admirable fortitude. After the execu- tioners were tired with inflicting torments on him, he was taken from the rack and conveyed to a close dark dungeon. He was afterward sentenced to be thrown into a mill, and crushed to pieces with the stones. This cruel sentence was, in some meas- ure, put into execution ; Victor was thrown into the mill, but part of the apparatus breaking, he was drawn from it terribly bruised ; and the emperor not having pa- tience to stay till it was mended, ordered his head to be struck off, which was ex- ecuted accordingly, A. D. 303. Andronicus was next brought up for examination, when being asked the usual questions, he said : " I am a Christian, a native of Ephesus, and descended from one of the first families in that city." After a great deal of altercation, in which the gov- ernor was unsuccessful in endeavoring to dissuade him from his fate, he was ordered to undergo punishments similar to those of Tarachus and Probus, and then to be re- manded to prison. After being confined some days, the three prisoners were brought before Max- THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 53 imus again, who began first to reason with Tarachus, saying that as old age was hon- ored from the supposition of its being ac- companied by wisdom, he was in hopes that what had already past must, upon delibera- tion, have caused a change in his senti- ments. Finding himself, however mista- ken, he ordered him to be tortured by vari- j ous means ; particularly, fire was placed | in the palms of his hands ; he was hung $ up by his feet, and smoked with wet straw ; i a mixture of salt and vinegar was poured I into his nostrils ; and he was then again | remanded to prison. Probus being then called for, and asked J if he would sacrifice, replied : " I come bet- ter prepared than before ; for what I have already suffered has only confirmed and strengthened me in my resolution. Em- ploy your whole power upon me, and you will find that neither you nor your masters, the emperors, nor the gods whom you serve, nor the devil who is your father, shall oblige me to adore gods whom I know not." The governor then attempted to reason with him on religious subjects ; for having a slender education, he was proud of show- ing his talents ; for those who know little are fond of talking much, and by mistaking casuistry for reason, would fain deceive others as they do themselves. He launched forth into the most extravagant praises of the pagan deities, and as he enumerated them described their respective powers and separate virtues ; and inferred, from what himself had said, that such deities, possessed of such admirable qualities, ought to be worshipped. " However," continues he, " as your chief objection is against a plurality of gods, I will not press you to sacrifice to all of them ; sacrifice only to Jupiter, the chief, the most power- ful, and most invincible, of our deities." Probus, however, easily confuted his arguments, turned his casuistry to r.dicule, and in particular said : " Shall I pay divine honors to Jupiter, to one who married his own sister to an infamous debauchee, as is K. > even acknowledged by your own poets and ■ priests V Incensed at this speech, the governor ordered him to be struck upon the mouth, for uttering what he called blasphemy ; his body was then seared with hot irons ; he was put to the rack and afterward scourged ; his head was then shaved, and hot coals > placed upon the crown ; and after all 5 these tortures he was again sent to con- \ finement. > Andronicus being again brought before > Maximus, the latter attempted to deceive ) him, by pretending that Tarachus and Pro- \ bus had repented of their obstinacy, and ) owned the gods of the empire. To this ) the prisoner answered : " Lay not, O gov- ? ernor, such a weakness to the charge of \ those, who have appeared here before me > in this cause ; nor imagine it in your pow- er to shake my fixed resolution with artful speeches. I can not believe that they have disobeyed the laws of their fathers, re- nounced their hopes in our God, and obey- ed your extravagant orders : nor will I ever fall short of them in faith and dependance upon our common Savior : thus armed, I neither know your gods, nor fear your au- thority ; fulfil your threats, execute your most sanguinary inventions, and employ every cruel art in your power on me ; I am prepared to bear it for the sake of Christ." This answer occasioned him to be cru- elly scourged, and his wounds were after- ward rubbed with salt. Being perfectly well again in a short time, the governor reproached the jailer for having suffered some physician to attend him. The jailer, in his own defence, declared that no person whatever had been near him, or the other prisoners, and that he would willingly for- feit his head if any allegation of the kind could be proved against him. Andronicus corroborated the testimony of the jailer, and added, that the God whom he served was the most powerful of physicians, and the plant of grace the most salutary of vegetables. " M 51 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 44 The sick and weak the healing plant shall aid, From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade ; No sigh, no murmur, t lie glad world shall hear, From every eye be wipes off every tear. The dumb shall speak, the lame his crutch forego, And leap exulting like the bounding roe ; In adamantine chains shall death be bound, And hell's grim tyrant feel the eternal wound." These three worthy Christians were brought to a third examination, when they retained their constancy, were again tor- tured, and at length ordered for execution. Being brought to the amphitheatre, sev- eral beasts were let loose upon them ; but none of the animals, though hungry, would touch them. This so greatly irritated Max- iinus, that he severely reprehended the keeper, and ordered him to produce a beast that would execute the business for which he was wanted. The keeper then brought out a large bear, that had that very day de- stroyed three men ; but this creature, and a fierce lioness, both refused to touch the prisoners. Finding the design of destroying them by the means of wild beasts ineffectual, Maximus ordered them to be slain by a sword, which was accordingly executed on the 11th of October, A. D. 303. They all declared, previous to their martyrdom, that as death was the common lot of all men, they wished to meet that for the sake of Christ, which they must of course fall a victim to on account of nature ; and to resign that life to faith, which must other- wise be the prey of disease. These sen- timents are noble, Christian-like, and phi- losophical ; for as death is certain, the time and mode are not of that importance commonly imagined. Even the world it- self will meet with death in its general dissolution. " Now in a broader range the deluge raves, And rolls triumphant through the boiling waves O'er all the hills the rising flames aspire, The mountains blaze a mighty ridge of fire, Where stood the snow-crowned Alps (an awful name !) Now rolled the doubling smoke, a spiry flame ; While o'er the Andes in a whirlwind driven, Burst the blue gleam, and darkness wrapt the heaven. Even Etna rocks, with a reluctant groan, Sunk in a flame more dreadful than its own : A fiery stream the deep volcano pours, And from its mouth incessant thunder roars. Each humbler vale partakes the general doom, The smiling meads resign their lovely bloom ; Not Asia's fields the impetuois flood retain ; ; It bounds with fury o'er the wide champaign ; What e'er to view revolving seasons bring, j Bach opening flower, the painted child of spring, ' Uleak winter's snow, with summer's rosy pride, > And autumn's ripening stores, augment the tide : 5 On its broad wave it bears the shining spoil, Hills burst, rocks melt, woods blaze, aud oceans boil." Marcellinus was an ecclesiastic at Rome : being apprehended on account of his religion, he was ordered to be privately executed in the forest, and was beheaded there accordingly. Peter, a Christian, apprehended for the same cause, was executed at the same time and place. Much about this period Smaragdus, Largus, and Cyriacus, a deacon of the Christian church, were martyred ; but the mode of their deaths is not specified by martyrologists. Susanna, the niece of Caius, bishop of Rome, was pressed by the emperor Diocle- sian to marry a noble pagan, who was nearly related to him. Susanna, however, refused the honor intended her, on account of her religion, which was that of a Chris- tian, which so greatly enraged the em- peror, that she was beheaded by his order. Dorotheus, the high-chamberlain of the household to Dioclesian, was a Christian, and took great pains to make converts. In his religious labors he was joined by Gor- gonius, another Christian, and one belong- ing to the palace. They were both high in the emperor's favor, but soon had an opportunity of evincing that worldly honors and temporary pleasures were nothing when set in competition with the joys of immortality ; for being informed against, they were first tortured and then strangled. Peter, a eunuch belonging to the em- peror, was a Christian of singular modesty and humility. His humility caused him to undertake any menial office to serve the afflicted ; and his benevolence occasioned him to give whatever he possessed, to those who needed assistance ; convinced that riches did not constitute happiness, and that want could give instructions-, which wealth could never bestow. fi~ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 55 Being informed against as a Christian, and confessing the charge, he was scourged till his flesh was torn in a most terrible | manner ; and then salt and vinegar were i thrown upon the wounds. Having endured i these tortures with the utmost tranquillity, j he was laid on a gridiron, and broiled I over a slow fire till he expired. l Saturninus, a priest o r Albitina, a j town of Africa, used to officiate in his clerical capacity, preach, and administer the sacrament, to a society of Christians, who privately assembled at the house of Octavius Felix ; for the severity of the times were such that they could not pub- licly perform their religious duties. Being informed against, Saturninus, with four of his children, and several other persons, were apprehended ; and that their punishment might be the more exemplary and public, they were sent to Carthage, the capital of all Africa, where they were ex- amined before Anulinus, the proconsul of that quarter of the globe. On the examination, Saturninus gave such spirited answers, and vindicated the Christian religion with such force of elo- quence, as showed that he was worthy to preside over an assembly that professed a faith of purity and truth. Anulinus, en- raged at his superior arguments, which he could not confute, ordered him to be stopped from saying any more, by being put to a variety of tortures, such as scourging, tear- ing his flesh with hooks, burning with hot irons, &c. All this he bore with the most manly patience, breathing such generous and pure sentiments as these : — " heaven-born patience, source of peace and rest, Descend ; infuse thy spirit through my breast, That I may calmly meet the hour of fate, My foes forgive, and triumph o'er their hate. This body let their engines tear and grind, But let not all their racks subdue my mind." After being tortured he was remanded to prison, and there starved to death. The four children of Saturninus,^ after being variously tormented, remained \ j steady in their faith, on which they were , sent back to the dungeon in which their \ B father was confined, and shared the very same fate as their parent. Eight other Christians were tor- tured on the same day as Saturninus, and much in the same manner. Two expired on the spot through the severity of their sufferings, and the other six being sent back to prison, were suffocated by means of the closeness of the dungeon. Victor, a native of Ancyra, was accused by the priests of Diana, of having abused their goddess. For this imputed crime he was seized upon, committed to prison, his house plundered, his family turned out of doors, and his estate confiscated. Being put to the rack, his resolution failed him, and he began to waver in his faith through the severity of the torments. Being carried back to prison, in order to make a full recantation, God punished him for his intended apostacy ; for his wounds mortified, and put an end to his life in a few days. Timothy, a worthy Christian, being carried before Urban, governor of Pales- tine, was sentenced to be burned to death by a slow fire ; which sentence was exe- cuted at Gaza, in the year 304, on the 19th day of August. Philip, bishop of Heraclea, had, in every act of his life, appeared as a good Christian ; the chief of his disciples were Severus, a priest, and Hermes, a deacon ; and these three did all in their power to promote the cause of Christianity. This worthy bishop was advised to se- crete himself, in order to avoid the storm of the persecution ; but he reproved those who counselled him so to do, telling them that their merit would be enhanced by their sufferings, and that death had no terror for the virtuous. " Him fortune can not sink, nor much elate, Whose views extend beyond this mortal state ; By age when summoned to resign his breath, Calm and serene he sees approaching death ; As the safe port, the peaceful silent shore, Where he may rest, life's tedious voyage o'er ; He, and he only is of death afraid. Whom his own conscience has a coward made ; While he who virtue's radiant course has run, Descends like a serenely-setting sun, , a 56 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. His thoughts triumphant heaven alone employs, And hope anticipates his future joys." Philip being taken to the market-place, was ordered to sacrifice to the Roman An officer named Aristomachus, being \ deities in general, and to a very handsome employed to shut up the Christian churches \ image of Hercules in particular ; to which in Heraclea, Philip took great pains to con- \ command, " Alas !" replied the prelate, | vince him that the shutting up of buildings ; " how unhappy are you, who are thus made by hands could not destroy Christi- s grossly mistaken in the nature of the deity, anity, while the living temples of the Lord ) and so ignorant in the truth, as to worship remained : for the true faith consisted not < your own workmanship : what value is in the places where God is adored, but in there in gold, silver, brass, iron, or lead, the hearts of those who adore him. which are dug out of the earth? You are Being, however, denied entrance into «- unacquainted with the divinity of Christ, the church, where he used to preach, > which is incomprehensible to human ca- Philip took up his station at the door, and > pacities ; but what power can your idols there exhorted the people to patience and / boast, which are made by base mechanics, I perseverance. j a drunken statuary, or a debauched carver, I These things caused him to be seized | and tricked up by the arts of the tailor, and and carried before the governor, who se- ? the goldsmith ? and yet these are your S verely reprimanded him, and then contin- i gods." And after some other observations \ ued to speak sternly in these words : / on the absurdities of the pagan religion, he " Bring all the vessels used in your wor- 1 concluded, that, from what he had already ship, and the scriptures which you read < said, it appeared that the heathens wor- and teach the people, and surrender them l shipped what might lawfully be trod on, to me, before you are forced thereto by tortures." — " If," replied the bishop, " you take any pleasure in seeing us suffer, we are prepared for the worst you can do. This infirm body is in your power ; use it as you please. The vessels you demand shall be delivered up, for God is not hon- ored by gold and silver, but. by the fear of his power ; the ornaments of the souls of his servants are more pleasing to him than and made gods of such things as Prov- idence had designed for their use. The governor then tried the constancy of Hermes, but finding him as inflexible as the bishop, he committed them both to prison. Soon after this, the governor's time of ruling their parts being expired, a new governor named Justin arrived ; but he was to the full as cruel as his predecessor. Philip was dragged by the feet through the decorations of churches : but as to the < the streets, severely scourged, and then sacred books, it is neither proper for me to i brought again to the governor, who charged part with them, nor for you to receive < him with obstinate rashness, in continuing them." This answer so much incensed the < disobedient to the imperial decrees, but he governor, that he ordered one Mucassor, a < boldly replied : " My present behavior i? person particularly distinguished for inhu- manity, to torture the prelate. Hermes, expressing himself freely against such barbarities, was likewise ordered to be scourged. Proceeding to the place where the not the effect of rashness, but proceeds from my love and fear of God, who made the world, and who will judge the living and the dead, whose commands I dare not transgress. I have hitherto done my duty to the emperors, and am always ready to scriptures and the church-plate were kept, j comply with their just orders, according to both were seized by the pagans ; the s the doctrine of our Lord Christ, who bids church was unroofed, the doors were 5 us give both to Crcsar and to God their walled up, the plate was embezzled, and \ due ; but I am obliged to prefer heaven to the scriptures were burned. \ earth, and to obey God rather than man." THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 59 The governor, on hearing this speech, I bad morals, and having spent his wife's and immediately passed sentence upon him to his own patrimony, he had the baseness to be burnt, which was executed accordingly, \ inform against her as a Christian, and the martyr expired, singing praises to j Publius, however, dying soon after, his God in the midst of the flames. } wife was released ; but continuing to per- Agricola, as we are informed by St. form many charitable acts to distressed Ambrose, was a Christian of so very amia- j Christians, she was again apprehended ble a disposition, that he even gained the \ and delivered up to Florus, governor of esteem and admiration of many pagans. \ Illyricum. Florus commanded that she Being apprehended as a Christian, he was should be put to the torture, when finding crucified in imitation of the death of our \ her constant in the faith, he ordered her to Savior ; and his body, together with the \ be burnt, which sentence was put in ex- cross, were buried in one grave, at Bologne, ecution on December 25, A. D. 304. The in Italy. \ event taking place about a month after the Yitalis, the servant and convert of the martyrdom of Chrysogonus her instructor, above martyr, Agricola, was seized upon < Mouris and Thea, two Christian women on the same account as his master, and < of Gaza, were martyred in that city some being put to torture, died under the hands < time in the year 304. The former died of his tormentors, through the severity of < under the hands of her tormenters, and the his sufferings. I latter perished in prison, of the wounds Victorius Carpophorus, Severus, and < she had received in being tortured Severianus, were brothers, and all four \ Amphianus was a gentleman of eminence employed in places of great trust and honor \ in Lucia, and a scholar to Eusebius ; pres- in the city of Rome. Having exclaimed \ sing through the crowd while the procla- against the worship of idols, they were ap- s mation for sacrificing to idols was read, he prehended and scourged with the plumbetae, \ caught the governor, Urbianus, by the hand, or scourges, to the ends of which were \ and severely reproved him for his impiety, fastened leaden balls. This punishment s The governor being highly incensed at was exercised with such excess of cruelty,] this freedom, ordered him to be put to the that the pious brothers fell martyrs to its i torture, and then thrown into the sea, in severity. \ the waves of which he expired. Chrysogonus, a worthy Christian of s tEdesius, brother to the above martyr, Aquileia, was beheaded by order of Dio- s was, for nearly the same offence, much clesian, for having instructed a young lady s about the same time, martyred in a similar of that city in the Christian faith. s manner at Alexandria. Anastasia, the young lady brought up j Julitta, a Lyconian of royal descent, by the foregoing martyr, was descended s but more celebrated for her virtues than from an illustrious Roman family. Her ! , noble blood, was a Christian lady of great mother, named Flavia, was a Christian, s humility. and dying while her daughter was an in- 1 When the edict for sacrificing to idols fant, she bequeathed her to the care of s was published at Iconium, she withdrew Chrysogonus, with a strict injunction to I from that city to avoid the bigoted rage of instruct her in the principles of Christian- 5 Domitian, the governor, taking with her ity. This Chrysogonus punctually per- 1 only her young son Cyricus, and two formed ; but the father of the young lady, > women servants. She was, however, seiz- who was a pagan, gave her in marriage to > ed at Tarsus, and being carried before a person of his own persuasion, named 5 Alexander, the governor, she acknowledged Publius. > that she was a Christian. The husband was of a good family, but > For this confession her son was taken H" 60 THE CHRISTIAN MAKTYROLOGY. from her, and she was put to the rack, and tian, which he had not before known, or- tortured with great severity ; but she bore \ dered him to be tortured, and then behead- all her sufferings with a true Christian for- \ ed, which was done July 27, A. D. 305. titude. I Hermolaus, a venerable and pious Young Cyricus cried bitterly to get at \ Christian of a great age, and an intimate his mother , when the governor observing acquaintance of Pantaleon's, suffered mar- ] the beauty, and being melted at the tears tyrdom for his faith on the same day, and • of the child, took him upon his knee and ', in the same manner as Pantaleon. endeavored to pacify him. Nothing, how- \ Eustratius, secretary to the governor ever, could quiet Cyricus, he still called \ of Armenia, was thrown into a fiery fur- qpon the name of his mother, and at length, > nace, for exhorting some Christians, who ', in imitation of her words, lisped out, " I '? had been apprehended, to persevere in their < am a Christian." This innocent expres- > faith. Auxeutius, and Eugenius, two of ' sion converted the governor's compassion > Eustratius's adherents, were burnt at Ni- into rage ; he lost the man in the bigot, > copolis ; Mardarius, another friend of his, \ and throwing the child furiously against \ expired under the hands of his tormentors ; \ \ the pavement, dashed out its brains. \ The mother, who from the rack beheld I the whole transaction, thanked the Al- \ mighty that her child was gone before her ; ^ and she should be without any anxiety con- and Orestes, a military officer, was, for wearing a golden cross at his breast, broiled to death on a gridiron. Theodore, a Syrian by birth, a soldier by profession, and a Christian by faith, set < cerning his future welfare, and certain that i fire to the temple of Cybele, in Amasia, < now no advantage could be taken of his i through an honest indignation at the idol- tender years, to pervert his principles, and j atrous worship practised therein : for which defraud him of his salvation. < being apprehended, he was severely I To complete the execution, Julitta had ' scourged and then burnt, February 18, A. i boiling pitch poured on her feet, her sides < D. 306. \ torn with hooks, and received the conclu- \ Dorothy, a Christian of Cappadocia, \ sion of her martyrdom by being beheaded, \ was, by the governor's order, placed under \ April 16, A. D. 305. (See engraving.) < the care of two women, who had become s Pantaleon, a native of Nicomedia, was < apostates to the faith, with a view that she i taught most branches of human learning by < might be induced to follow their example. $ his father, who was a pagan, and the pre- \ Her discourses, however, had such an ' | cepts of the gospel by his mother, who < effect upon the two apostates, that they be- i was a Christian. \ came reconverted, and were put to death < Applying to the study of medicine, he < for not succeeding. Soon after which i became eminent in the knowledge of physic, < Dorothy herself was tortured, and then be- | and in process of time was appointed phy- < headed. sician to the emperor Galerius. Pancratius, or Pancrass, was a na- His name in Greek signifies humane, and < tive of Phrygia, but being made a Chris- the appellation well suited his nature, for he I tian, and brought to Rome by his uncle, was one of the most benevolent men living. < he there suffered martyrdom, being be- He assisted the poor to the utmost, with his < headed soon after the decease of his uncle, fortune ; and, by the help of God, his skill < who died a natural death. in physic was attended with the most as- tonishing success. Basilides, Nabor, Nazarius, and Cv- I rinus, four worthy Christian officers at 5 His reputation roused the jealousy of the \ Rome, were thrown into prison for their pagan physicians, who accused him to the \ faith, and being condemned were scourged > emperor. Galerius finding him a Chris- \ with rods of wire and then beheaded. MARTYRDOr.I OF JULITTA, A LICONTAN. — PaM 61. £ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 63 PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS IN PERSIA. HE gospel having spread ] itself in Persia, the pa- s gan priests were greatly alarmed, and dreaded j the loss of that influence 5 which they had hitherto maintained over the people's minds and s properties. Hence they thought it expe- > dient to complain to the emperor that the \ Christians were enemies to the state, and \ held a treasonable correspondence with the Romans, the great enemies of Persia. The emperor, being naturally averse to ^ Christianity, easily believed what was said ] against the Christians, and gave orders to I persecute them in all parts of his empire. On account of this mandate many fell mar- tyrs to the ignorance and ferocity of the pagans, the sufferings of the most eminent of whom we shall enumerate. Simeon, archbishop of Selencia, with many other ecclesiastics, to the number of a hundred and twenty-eight, were appre- hended and accused of having betrayed the affairs of Persia to the Romans The emperor being greatly exasperated against them, ordered Simeon to be brought before him. The worthy archbishop com- ing into his presence, boldly acknowledged his faith, and nobly defended the cause of Christianity. The emperor, being offend- ed at his freedom, not only reproved him for it, but ordered him to kneel before him, as he had always done heretofore. Simeon answered, that " before, having the free admittance to his presence, he did not scruple to conform to the customary salutation of the country ; but being now brought before him a prisoner, for the truth of his religion, and the sake of his God, it was not lawful for him to kneel, lest he should be thought to worship and to betray his faith, which he was fully resolved to ) defend with his last breath." } The emperor then told him that if he did not kneel, he, and all the Christians in his dominions, should be put to death ; but Simeon rejected with disdain the proposal ;' to kneel, and told him that he would abide ? the consequences. On this reply the em- I peror ordered him to be sent to prison, till : he had considered in what manner to pun- ish him. A short time after, Simeon with his fel- low-prisoners, was again examined, and j commanded to worship the sun, agreeably J to the Persian custom ; but this they all unanimously refused. The emperor then J sentenced them to be beheaded, and they j were executed accordingly. J Usthazares, an aged eunuch, who had been tutor to the emperor, and was in great < estimation at court, on observing Simeon, < the foregoing martyr, leading to prison, < saluted him. Simeon, however (as Ustha- \ zares had formerly been a Christian, and ? turned apostate from the faith to oblige the emperor), would not return his salute, but sharply reproved him for his apostacy. < This so affected the eunuch, that he burst into tears, and exclaimed : " Ah ! wo is me ! how shall I hereafter look upon my j God, whom I have denied, when Simeon, j my old companion, and familiar acquaint- j ance, disdains to give me a gentle word, or to return my salute !" The emperor, being told that his ancient tutor was greatly afflicted, sent for him, and asked whether he desired or wanted \ anything which could be conferred upon, or procured for him. To which the eunuch * replied that there was nothing that he wanted which this earth could afford ; but \ that his grief was of another kind, and for > which he justly mourned, namely, that to 5 oblige him he had denied his God, and had j dissemblingly worshipped the sun, against \ his own conscience ; " for which," contin- \ % 64 THE CHRISTIAN MAltl\ltl)LOGY. ued he, " I am deserving of a double death, first, for denying of Christ, and secondly for dissembling with my king ; at the same time solemnly protesting that he would nevermore forsake the Creator of the world, to worship the creatures which he had made. | 'The emperor being greatly offended at \ the explanation of the cause of his grief, \ ordered Usthazares to be beheaded. While he was going to the place of execution, he desired that a messenger might be sent to the emperor, to request the favor that it might be proclaimed, that " Usthazares did not die a traitor for any crime against the king or the state : but only that being a Christian, he would not deny his God." This petition, we are informed, was grant- ed, and accordingly performed ; which was a great satisfaction to Usthazares, whose chief reason for desiring it was, be- cause his falling off from Christ had caused many others to follow his example, who now hearing that he died for no crime but his religion, they might learn, like him, to /eturn to Christ, and become fervent and constant in the faith. Usthazares, being thus satisfied, cheerfully yielded his neck xO the stroke of the executioner, and joy- fully received his crown of martyrdom. On the Good Friday, after the above ex- ecution, an edict was published, to put to death all who confessed themselves Chris- tians, on which occasion great multitudes suffered. About this time the empress of Persia falling sick, the sisters of Simeon, the archbishop, were accused by some of the magi, of being the occasion. This absurdity being believed, they were, by the emperor's order, sawed in quarters, and their quarters fixed upon poles, between which the empress passed as a charm to recover her. (See engraving.) Acepsimus, and many other clergymen, were seized upon, and ordered to adore the sun ; which refusing, they were scourged, and then tormented to death, or suffered to remain in prison till they perished. SuENEs.a Christian nobleman, refusing to deny Christ, had his wife taken from him, and given to one of the meanest of the emperor's slaves ; and what added to his mortification was, that he was ordered to wait upon his wife and the slave, which at length broke his heart. Theodoret, a deacon, was imprisoned for the space of two years, and being re- leased, was ordered not to preach the doc- trine of Christ. Disregarding, however, the order, he did his utmost to propagate the gospel of Christ ; for which being seized upon, he was miserably tormented, by having sharp reeds thrust under his nails ; and then a knotted branch of a tree was forced up his body, and he expired in the greatest agonies. Bademus, a Christian of Mesopotamia, gave away his fortune to the poor, and de- termined to devote his life to a religious retirement ; being filled with the humble sentiments thus finely described by the poet : — " Blessed be his name, whose matchless goodness sends A fund of blessings and a choice of friends : Unawed by custom, tyrant of mankind, Faithful to reason, sovereign of the mind, Serene I steer through life's tempestuous sea, My pilot faith, my chart Christianity. The wrecks of pride, the insolence of power, Earth's transient glittering bubbles of an hour; Envenomed tongues ; law with its mazy snares, The din of folly and the broil of wars, Proclaim to all, with one united voice, That humble virtue is the wisest choice." This inoffensive Christian, together with seven others, were seized upon and cruelly tortured for being Christians. The seven Christians, who were apprehended with Bademus, received the crown of martyr- dom, though the particular manner is not recorded : and Bademus himself, after having been four months in prison, was brought to the place of execution, and be- headed by Narses, an apostate Christian, who was ordered to act as the executioner of this worthy man, in order to convince the emperor that he was sincere in the renunciation of his faith. R- THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 65 THE PERSECUTIONS UNDER THE ARIAN HERETICS. HE author of the Arian her- esy was Arius, a native of Libya, and a priest of Alexandria, who, in A. D. 318, began to publish his errors. He was condemn- ed by a council of the Libyan and Egyp- \ tian bishops, and that sentence was con- \ firmed by the council of Nice, A. D. 325. After the death of Constantine the Great, the Arians found means to ingratiate them- selves into the favor of Constantius, his son and successor in the east ; and hence a persecution was raised against the or- thodox bishops and clergy. The celebra- ted Athanasius and other bishops were banished, and their sees filled with Arians. In Egypt and Libya thirty bishops were martyred, and many other Christians cru- elly tormented; and, A. D. 336, George, the Arian bishop of Alexandria, under the authority of the emperor, began a perse- cution in that city, and its environs, and carried it on with the most infernal sever- ity. He was assisted in his diabolical malice by Catophonius, governor of Egypt ; Sebastian, general of the Egyptian forces ; Faustinus, the treasurer ; and Heraclius, a Roman officer. The persecution now raged in such a manner, that the clergy were driven from Alexandria, their churches were shut, and the severities practised by the Arian here- tics were as great as those which had been practised by the pagan idolators. If a man accused of being a Christian, made his es- cape, then his whole family were massa- cred, and his effects confiscated. The orthodox Christians, being now de- prived of all places of public worship in \ the city of Alexandria, used to perform i their devotions in a desert place, at some distance from it. Assembling for this purpose on a Trinity Sunday, George, the ». 5 Arian bishop, engaged Sebastian, the gen- eral, to fall upon them with his soldiers, while they were at prayers. On this oc- casion several fella sacrifice to the popular .fury of the troops, and received the crown of martyrdom for no other offence than per- forming necessary acts of piety. The modes of cruelty were various, and the degrees different ; for they were beaten over their faces till all their features were disfigured ; then they were lashed with I twigs of palm-trees, newly cut, with such violence, that they expired under the blows, or by the mortification of the wounds. Many, whose lives had been spared, were, however, banished to the deserts of Oasis, where they suffered unspeakable hardships ; but their exile admitted of their indulgence of the most pious thoughts, and their sorrows were of a salutary nature. u Alas, how vain is happiness below, Man soon or late must have his share of wo j Slight are his joys, and fleeting as the wind, His griefs wound home, and leave a sting behind ; His lot distinguished, from the brute appears, Less certain by his laughter than his tears ; For ignorance too oft our pleasure breeds, But sorrow from the reasoning soul proceeds.'' Secuxdus, an orthodox priest, differing in point of doctrine from a prelate of the same name ; the bishop, who had imbibed all the heretical opinions of Arianism, de- termined to put Secundus to death for re- jecting opinions which he had thought proper to embrace. Taking one Stephen with him, who was as much an Arian as himself, they sought out Secundus privately, and being unable to make him change his opinion, they fell upon and murdered him ; when the holy martyr, just before he ex- pired, called upon Christ to receive his soul, and to forgive his executioners. Not content with the cruelties exercised upon the orthodox Christians in Alexandria, the principal persecutors applied to the em- peror for an order to banish them from 66 *n TIIK CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. Egypt and Libya, and to put their churches into the possession of the Arians. They obtained their request, and an or- der was sent for that purpose to Sebastian, the commander-in-chief of the Roman for- ces in those provinces. As soon as the general received the or- der, he signified the emperor's pleasure to all the sub-governors and officers, and com- manded that the mandate should be imme- diately put into execution. Hence a great number of the clergy were seized, and imprisoned for examination ; when it ap- pearing that they adopted the opinions of Athanasius, an order was signed for their banishment into the most wild, uncultivated, and desert places. Thus were the ortho- dox clergy used, and many of the laity were condemned to the mines, or compel- led to work in the quarries. Some few indeed escaped to other countries, and sev- eral were weak enough to renounce their faith, in order to avoid the severities of the persecution. Paul, the bishop of Constantinople, was a Macedonian by birth, and was designed, from his birth, for a clerical life. When Alexander, the predecessor of Paul, was on his deathbed, he was con- sulted by some of the clergy on the choice of a successor ; when, we are informed, he told them that, " if they were disposed to choose a person of an exemplary life, unexceptionable character, and thoroughly capable of instructing the people, Paul was the man ; who, though young, had all the prudence and gravity of more advanced age ; but if they had rather have a person of a well-composed appearance, acquainted with worldly affairs, and fit for the conver- sation of a court, they might then choose Macedonius, who had all the proper quali- fications. Macedonius was a deacon in the church of Constantinople, in which office he had spent many years, and gained great experience ; and the dying prelate did both him and Paul justice in their dif- ferent characters. Nevertheless, the Ari- ans, with their accustomed disingenuous- ness, gave out, that Alexander had be- stowed great commendations on Macedo- nius for sanctity, and had only given Paul the reputation of eloquence, and a capacity for business : it is true, indeed, he was a master in the art of speaking and persua- ding ; but the sequel of his life and suffer- ings sufficiently evinced the absurdity of their deeming him a man formed for the world. But, after some struggle, the ortho- dox triumphed, and Paul was consecrated. Macedonius being greatly offended at this preference, did his utmost to calumni- ate the new bishop, and was very severe upon his moral character ; but not gaining any belief, he dropped the charge, and rec- onciled himself to Paul. This, however, was not the case with Eusebius of Nico- media, who resumed the accusations under two heads, viz : — 1. That he had led a disorderly life be- fore his consecration. 2. That he had been placed in the see of Constantinople without the consent of the bishops of Nicomedia and Heraclea, two metropolitans, who ought to have been consulted upon that occasion. To support these accusations, Eusebius procured the emperor's authority, by repre- senting, that Paul having been chosen during the absence of Constantius, the im- perial dignity had been insulted. This artifice succeeded, and Paul being deposed, Eusebius was placed in his room. Paul having lost his authority in the east, retired to the territories of Constans, in the west, where he was well received by the orthodox prelates and clergy. At Rome he visited Athanasius, and assisted at a council held there, by Julius, the bishop of that see. Letters being written by this council to the eastern prelates, Paul re- turned to Constantinople, but was not re- stored to his bishopric till the death of Eusebius. The Arians, however, consti- tuting Macedonius their bishop, by the title of bishop of Constantinople, a sedition, and a kind of civil war ensued, in which, many lost their lives. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 67 The emperor Constantius, who was then at Antioch, hearing of these matters, laid the whole blame upon Paul, and ordered that he should be driven from Constanti- nople. Hermogenes, the officer, who had received the emperor's order, attempted in vain to put it into execution ; for the ortho- dox Christians rising in defence of Paul, Hermogenes was killed in a scuffle that ensued. This transaction greatly exasperated the emperor, who left Antioch though in the depth of winter, and immediately returned to Constantinople, with a design severely to punish the Christians. But their sub- mission and entreaties softened him, and he contented himself with banishing Paul and suspending Macedonius. Paul retired again to the territories of; Constans, implored the protection of that emperor, and, by his intercession, was again invested in his see. On this occa- sion, we are informed, that " his re-estab- lishment did but exasperate his enemies, who were at that time constantly employed, both in secret and open attempts against his life, against which the affections of his people were his only security ; and being convinced that the emperor had no other motive for allowing his stay at Constanti- nople, but the dread of disobliging his brother. Paul could not think himself! wholly restored to his bishopric, while things were in this situation ; and being very much concerned at what the orthodox bishops suffered from the power and malice of the Arian faction, joined Athanasius, who was then in Italy in soliciting a gen- eral council." A council was accordingly held at Sar- dica, in Illyrium, in the year 347, at which were present one hundred bishops of the western, and seventy-three of the eastern empire. But disagreeing in many points, the Arian bishops of the east retired to Philippolis, in Thrace ; and forming a meeting there, they termed it the council, of Sardica. From this place they pretend- ed to issue out an excommunication against Julius, bishop of Rome ; Paul, bishop of Constantinople ; Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria ; and several other prelates. In A. D. 350, the emperor Constans died, which gave the Arians fresh courage, and they immediately applied to the emperor, Constantius, who being an Arian in his heart, wrote an order to the prefect Philip, to remove Paul from the bishopric of Con- stantinople, and banish him again, to restore Macedonius. Being exiled to Cucucus, he was con- fined in a small, loathsome, dark dungeon, where he was kept six days without food, and then strangled. He met death with fortitude, as he was always perfectly re- signed in misfortunes, and convinced of the vanity of this transitory life, for reasons similar to those given by Solomon, in the expressive passages, which have been thus finely paraphrased : — " Ye sons of men, with just regard attend, Observe the preacher, and believe the friend, Whose serious muse inspires him to explain, That all we act and all we think is vain. That in this pilgrimage of seventy years, O'er rocks of perils and through vales of tears, Destined to march, our doubtful steps we tend, Tired with the toil, yet fearful of its end, That from the womb we take our fatal shares Of follies, passions, labors, tumults, cares : And at approach of death shall only know The truths, which from these pensive numbers flow, That we pursue false joy and suffer real wo." The Arian party now prevailing, made Gregory of Cappadocia, a very obscure per- son, bishop of Alexandria, after having de- posed Athanasius for his strict adherence to the orthodox faith. In the accomplish- ment of this affair, they were assisted by Philagerius, the governor of Egypt, who was an apostate, and who suffered them to commit all manner of outrages. Hence arming themselves with swords, clubs, &c, they broke into one of the principal churches of Alexandria, where great numbers of or- thodox Christians were assembled at their devotions ; and falling upon them in a most barbarous manner, without the least respect to sex or age, the principal part of them were murdered. ■ 68 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 3 THE PERSECUTION UNDER JULIAN THE APOSTATE. ULIAN commonly called ] clergy of the privileges granted them by the apostate, was the son \ Constantine the Great. of Julius Constantius, ^ Hence was this persecution more dan- and the nephew of Con- '/ gerous than any of the former, as Julian stantine the Great. He i aimed to sap the foundations of Christianity, studied the rudiments of \ instead of attacking the superstructure, and grammar under the inspection of Mar- < under the mask of clemency, practised the donius a eunuch, and a heathen of Con- < greatest cruelty in wishing to delude many stantinople. His father sent him some- < thousands of their eternal salvation. time after to Nicomedia, to be instructed in < The Christian faith was thus in more the Christian religion, by the bishop Euse- < danger of being subverted than it ever had bius his kinsman ; but his principles were < been before, by the means of a monarch, at corrupted by the pernicious doctrines of once witty and wicked, learned and hypo- Ecebolius the rhetorician, and Maximus critical ; who, at first, made his attempts, the magician. < not by the means of fire, sword, and poison, Constantius dying in the year 361, Julian but by flatteries, gifts, and favors ; not by succeeded him, and had no sooner attain- \ using racks and tortures, but by bestowing ed the imperial dignity, than he renoun- \ offices and dignities ; and then, by prohibit- ced Christianity, and embraced paganism, \ ing Christian schools, he compelled the which had for some years fallen into great 5 children of the gospel either to remain il- disrepute. But he again restored idola- > literate, or become idolators. trous worship, by opening the several tern- j Other methods taken by Julian were, to pies that had been shut up, rebuilding such I order that Christians might be treated cold- as were destroyed, and ordering the magis- ly upon all occasions, and in all parts of the trates and people to follow his example. > empire, and to employ several witty persons He however, made no public edicts against ) to turn them, and their principles, into ridi- ;> Christianity, but tried to do that privately cule. Many were likewise martyred in his | which other emperors had done openly, reign ; for though he did not publicly per- i He recalled all banished pagans, allowed secute them himself, he connived at their s the free exercise of religion to every sect, \ being murdered by his governors and offi- \ but deprived all Christians of offices at $ cers ; and though he affected never to pa- \ court, in the magistracy, or in the army. ? tronise them for their murders, he never \ He was chaste, temperate, vigilant, labori- j> offered to punish them for their delinquency. I ous, and seemingly pious, so that by his I We shall recount the names, sufferings, and | hypocrisy and pretended virtues he for a i martyrdoms of such as have been transmit- \ time did more mischief to Christianity than \ ted to the present times, that their example \ the most profligate libertine of his prede- \ may inspire fortitude, and their lives give ) cessors. Thus he attempted to undermine \ a useful lesson to mankind in general. > Christianity by artifice, instead of expelling \ Basil made himself first famous by his [ it by force ; and to make his measures the \ opposition to Arianism, which brought upon \ more effectual he prohibited any Christian \ him the vengeance of the Arian bishop of \ from keeping a school or public seminary \ Constantinople, who issued out an order ) of learning, and deprived all the Christian \ to prevent his preaching. He continued, '55 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 69 however, to perform his duty at Ancyra, the capital of Galatia. Enraged at his or- thodox and manly proceedings, his enemies accused him of being an incendiary, and a disturber of the public peace ; the monarch, however, was too intent on an expedition to Persia, to take notice of the accusation, and their malice at that time was disap- pointed. Basil continued to preach strenuously against the idolatry of paganism on the one hand, and the errors of Arianism on the other : and earnestly exhorted the people to serve Christ, in the purity of faith, and fer- vency of truth. By this conduct, both heathens and Arians were exasperated against him, and appeared equally desir- ous of accomplishing his destruction. Meeting one day with a number of pa- gans going in procession to a sacrifice, he boldly expressed his abhorrence of such idol- atrous proceedings, and inveighed against such absurd worship, at once in a manly and decent manner. This freedom caused the people to seize him, and carry him be- fore Saturninus, the governor, where they brought three accusations against him, viz : — 1. Reviling the gods. 2. Abusing the emperor. 3. Disturbing the peace of the city. On hearing these accusations which were equally malicious as groundless, Saturninus desired to know his sentiments from his own mouth ; when finding him a strenuous Christian, he ordered him first to be put to the rack, and then he committed him to prison. The governor wrote an account of his proceedings to the emperor, who was at this time very busy in establishing the worship of Cybele, the fictitious mother of the fabulous deities. Julian, upon re- ceiving the letter, sent Pagosus and Elpi- dius, two apostates, to Ancyra, the city where Basil was confined, to employ both promises and threats to engage him to re- nounce his faith, and in case of their fail- ure, to give him up totally to the power of the governor ; for it was the policy of Julian to appear all moderation and clemency, and to suffer others, as much as possible, to seem the ostensible persons in acts of cruelty. In this affair, however, a future circumstance made the emperor forego his usual policy, and sacrifice his affected mer- cy to his resentment. The emperor's agents in vain tampered with Basil by means of promises, threats, and racks ; he was firm in the faith, and re- mained in prison to undergo some other sufferings when the emperor came acci- dentally to Ancyra. The people no sooner knew of Julian's approach, than they met him in grand pro- cession, and presented to him their idol, the goddess Hecate. The two agents then gave the emperor an account of what Basil had suffered, and how firm he had been. Julian, on this, determined to examine Basil himself, when that holy man being brought before him, the emperor did every- thing in his power to dissuade him from persevering in the faith. Basil not only continued as firm as ever, but, with pro- phetic spirit, foretold the death of the em- peror, and that he should be tormented in the other life. Enraged at what he heard, Julian lost his usual affectation of clemency, and told Basil, in great anger, that though he had an inclination to pardon him at first, yet he had now put it out of his power to save his life, by the insolence of his behavior. He then commanded, that the body of Basil should be torn every day in seven different parts, till his skin and flesh were entirely mangled. This inhuman sentence was ex- ecuted with rigor, and the martyr expired under its severities, on the 28th day of June, A. D. 362. Donatus, bishop of Arezzo, and Hilar- inus, a hermit, suffered about the same time for the faith : the first being beheaded, and the latter scourged to death. Gordian, a Roman magistrate, having a Christian brought before him for examina- tion, was so charmed with the confession <*- 70 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. of his faith, that he not only discharged the S taking away Constantine the Great's stand- prisoner, but became himself a Christian. \ ard of the cross of Christ, threw up their \ This so enraged the Roman praefect, that < commissions. Being apprehended on ac- [ he ordered him to be scourged and behead- > count of their faith, they were carried be- \ ed ; which sentence was executed, A. D. I fore the governor of the east, who com- 362. > manded them to sacrifice to the gods, and ^ John and Paul, two brothers, of a good obey the emperor's orders ; but they re- family, and in high olfices under the em- j plied, that as they were no longer his sol- ; peror, on being accused of professing \ diers, but the soldiers of Christ, they would ' Christianity, were deprived of their posts, '< do neither. The governor had them sep- : I and allowed ten days to consider, whether > arately examined, and finding them as in- \ they would renounce their faith and be pro- \ flexible when asunder, as when together, < moted, or retain their faith and be martyred? \ he ordered Bonasus to be beaten with Making choice of the latter alternative, they \ whips that had leaden bullets at the ends of \ were both beheaded, A. D. 362. ) the thongs, and Maximilian to be scourged. \ Artemius, commander-in-chief of the Ro- > Being remanded back to prison, they $ man forces in Egypt, being a Christian, '> were allowed nothing but bread and water \ '/ had these two charges exhibited against > for subsistence, and the bread was marked , | him by the pagans. I with the seal of the emperor, the impres- ' 1. That he had formerly demolished sion of which was an idol ; on which ac- j \ several idols in the reign of Constantine / count they refused to eat it. They were I the Great. ' I soon afterward again examined, and then, i 2. That he had assisted the bishop of / according to the sentence pronounced upon j Alexandria in plundering the temples. \ them, beheaded. > On the exhibition of these charges, Juli- \ Bibiana was the daughter of Flavian / an, who was then at Antioch, ordered the l and Dafrosa, two Christians. Flavian her \ general to repair thither, in order to answer \ father, held a considerable post under the \ to them. On Artemius's arrival, he owned j government, but being banished for his j the charges, and his faith : when he was ( faith, died in exile. Dafrosa, her mother, i first deprived of his commission, then of his < was, for the same reason, ordered to be < estate, and lastly of his head. I starved ; but Apronianus, governor of Rome, 5 Cassian, a schoolmaster of Imola, in the \ thinking her too long in dying, had her be- < province of Romagna, refusing to sacrifice i headed. to the idols, was hurried before the judge ; \ Bibiana, and her sister Demetria, after ; who being apprized of his profession, and < the death of their parents, were stripped of ! informed that many of the boys had an i all their effects, and being brought before J \ aversion to him on account of the strictness the governor, were ordered to renounce their \ with which he kept them to their studies, religion. Demetria suddenly dropped down determined that they should have permis- 1 dead in the governor's presence, and Bi- : sion to murder their master. He was ac- I biana resolutely refused to renounce her '< conlingly delivered, with his hands tied > faith ; on which account she was scourged ! behind him, to the boys, who fell upon him I to death, December 2, A. D. 362. with rods, whips, sticks, and stiles, or the > The persecution raged dreadfully about j steel pencils which were then used in > the latter end of the year 363 ; but as many : writing, and murdered him. This singular > of the particulars have not been handed down s martyrdom happened on the 1 3th of August, > to us, it is necessary to remark in general, 5 A. D. 362. (See engraving.) \ that in Palestine many were burnt alive, s Bonasus and Maximilian, two officers? others were dragged by their feet through \ of the Herculean guards, upon Julian's } the streets naked till they expired ; some ' CASSIAN, A CHRISTIAN SCHOOLMASTER OF IMOLA, SCOURGED TO DEATH. — Page 7 1 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 73 were scalded to death, many stoned, and J tian officers, were put to death for reproving great numbers had their brains beaten out ? the emperor, on account of his idolatries ; with clubs.. In Alexandria innumerable but the manner of their deaths is not known, were the martyrs who suffered by the j We shall now enter upon some detach- sword, burning, crucifixion, and being j ed particulars necessary to be preserved, stoned. In Arethusa several were ripped { and finish this chapter with the conclusion \ open, and corn being put into their bellies, of the persecutions under Julian the apos- | swine were brought to feed therein, who, i tate. I in devouring the grain, likewise devoured \ Julian intending an expedition against the entrails of the martyrs ; and in Thrace, \ the Persians, set a large fine upon every Emilianus was burnt at a stake, and Do- < one who refused to sacrifice to the idols, < mitius murdered in a cave, whither he had \ and by that means got a great sum toward i fled for refuge. \ defraying his expenses from the Christians. Theodorus, for his faith, and singing \ In collecting these fines, many of the \ the praises of God, was apprehended and \ officers exacted more than their due, and | put to the tortures of a martyr, though not '. some of them tortured the Christians to | to death. After being taken from the rack, make them pay what they demanded, at the | he was asked how he could so patiently same time telling them in derision, that | endure such exquisite tortures. To which " when they were injured, they ought to I he returned this remarkable reply : " At the \ take it patiently, for so their god had com- \ first I felt some pain, but afterward there s manded them." appeared to stand by me a young man, who s The inhabitants of Caesarea were fined i wiped the sweat from my face, and fre- \ three hundred weight of gold, and several < quently refreshed me with cold water, \ of the clergy obliged to serve in the wars, '/ which so delighted me, that I regretted be- \ as a punishment for having overthrown the z ing let down from the rack." i temples of Jupiter, Apollo, and Fortune. I Marcus, bishop of Arethusa, having de- s At Meris, in Phrygia, the governor hav- stroyed a pagan temple in that city, erected s ing cleansed and opened a pagan temple, > a Christian church in its room, on which \ the Christians in the night broke in, and account he was accused to Julian, the em- \ demolished the idols. Next day the gov- peror, as a Christian. Being apprehended, s ernor ordered all Christians that accident- his persecutors had no respect to his ven- \ ally came in the way to be seized, that he erable person, but stripping him naked, ] might make examples of them, and by this most cruelly beat him. He was then i means was going to execute several inno- thrust into a filthy jake, or sink, till he \ cent persons. But those who really per- was almost suffocated ; afterward he was > petrated the fact, being too noble and just goaded with sharp-pointed sticks ; and last- > in their sentiments to suffer such an in- ly, he was hung up in a basket in the heat > justice, voluntarily delivered themselves of the sun, after having been smeared all ] up ; when they were first of all scourged over with honey, in order to be tormented I severely, and then broiled to death upon to death by wasps. As soon as he was ? gridirons. hung up, they asked him if he would rebuild? The emperor, Julian the apostate, died their temple ? To which he answered, that \ of a wound which he received in his Per- he would neither rebuild it nor advance a j sian expedition, A. D. 363, and even while single doit toward its being rebuilt ; upon s expiring uttered the most horrid blasphe- which they left him, and he fell a martyr j mies. He was succeeded by Jovian, who to the dreadful stings of those troublesome s restored peace to the church, insects. j After the decease of Jovian, Valentinian Maxentius and Juventius, two Chris- j succeeded to the empire, and associated 74 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. ■ to himself Valens, who had the command i the officer, "of the emperor's order, to put to of the east. > death all who are found there ?" — " I have," \ Valens was a great favorer of Arianism, > said she, " and for that cause I make the and so incensed against the Christians, that £ more haste." — " And whither," said the offi- he ordered, on a certain day, all of them in I cer, " do you lead that child V — " I take him I Edessa to be slain, while they were at their I with me," replied she, " that he also may be \ devotions in their churches. The officers, reckoned in the number of the martyrs." however, being more compassionate than ' Upon this the humane officer returned to the \ the emperor, privately gave notice to the '? emperor, and told him, that all the Christians < Christians, not to assemble on the day ap- ^ were prepared to die in defence of their \ pointed, so that they might escape death, ) faith, and represented to him how rash it j and themselves be excused for non-perform- / would be to murder so great a multitude, \ ance of duty. \ and entreated the emperor to drop the de- The Christians thanked the officers for \ sign, at least for the present, which he at j their advice, but disregarded both that, and ') length complied with. the emperor's menaces, sooner than they > Menedemus, Urbanus, and Theodo- '( would neglect their duty. They accord- ) rus, with several other orthodox clergymen, ingly repaired to church, and the troops \ to the number of fourscore, at Constanti- \ being compelled, by the positiveness of the \ nople, petitioned the emperor, in a most command, were put in motion to destroy \ humble manner, to relieve them from the ; them. As they marched along, a woman, ( oppressions, persecutions, and cruelties of \ with a child in her arms, broke through the ' the Arians. But the tyrant, instead of re- < ranks, when the officer ordered her to be ^dressing their grievances, ordered them to j brought before him, and asked her whither \ be all embarked in a ship, and the ship set < she was going. She replied, to church, < fire to ; when this infernal and inhuman whither others were making all the haste j order being executed, they all perished in j they could. " Have you not heard," says ' the flames. < THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHRISTIANS BY THE GOTHS, ETC. ANY of the Scythi- ? feated by the Romans, wreaked his ven- an Goths having >geance on his Christian subjects, embraced Chris- \ Sabas, a worthy Christian, upon this oc- < tianity about the I casion, was one who felt the enraged king's \ time of Constan- J| misplaced resentment. Sabas was humble tine the Great, the ? and humane, mild and modest, yet fervent light of the gospel spread itself consider- '< in worship, and zealous for the advance- j ably in Scythia, though the two kings who ment of the church. Remarkable for his j ruled that country, and the majority of the contempt of riches, and singular in shun- people, continued pagans. Fritegern, king ning every sensual enjoyment, the sanctity \ of the West Goths, was an ally to the Ro- |of his life, and purity of his manners were I mans ; but Athanarick, king of the East j such, as gave the greatest force to his doc- j \ Goths, was at war with them. The Chris- Urines. He convinced the rational, and con- j : tians, in the dominions of the former, lived I founded the obdurate : hence he became, at \ { unmolested ; but the latter, having been de- {once, famous for his piety and doctrines. ( Athanarick, in the year 370, gave orders, that all persons in his dominions should sacrifice to the pagan deities, and eat the meat which had been offered to the idols, or be put to death for disobedience. Some humane pagans, who had Christian rela- tions, endeavored to save them by offering them meat which had not received the idolatrous consecration, while the magis- trates were to be imposed on, and made to believe that all had been done according to their direction. But Sabas too well knew St. Paul's principles, to imagine that the sin lay in eating : he knew that scandali- zing the weak, and giving the enemies of the faith an advantage over them, was all that made that action criminal in Christians, neither of which consequences would have been avoided by this disguise. He not only refused to comply with what was pro- posed to him, but publicly declared, that those who sheltered themselves under that artifice, were not worthy to be called Chris- tians. Sabas being soon after apprehended on account of his faith, was carried before a magistrate, who inquired into his fortune and circumstances. Finding that what he had upon his back was the principal part of what he possessed, he was dismissed, as a person of little or no consequence. Sabas went to spend the ensuing easter with Sansala, a Christian priest of great piety : they lived in great tranquillity for three days, but on the third night they were both seized by a party of soldiers. The priest was allowed to dress himself, and to ride, but Sabas was obliged to leave his clothes behind him,' and to walk; and dur- ing the journey, they drove him through thorns and briers, beating him with great violence almost continually. This cruelty he bore without a single murmur, and in the evening they extended him between two beams, fastening his legs to the one, and his arms to the other ; and in that pos- ture left him for the night, while they re- tired to repose. The woman of the house, however, hearing how ill he had been used, went and released him ; but though he was now at liberty, and his persecutors asleep, he did not avail himself of the opportunity to make his escape. The next morning the persecutors began to practise on these two worthy Christians, and tampered with them to renounce their religion, and eat the meat consecrated* to the idols. This, however, they jointly re- fused, and positively declared, that they were ready to meet the most cruel death, rather than comply with such detestable idolatry. Sansala was at length dischar- ged, and Sabas ordered to be drowned ; which sentence was put into execution April 12, A. D. 372. Nicetas was of Gothic extraction, born near the banks of the Danube, and though he had been long a Christian, he never met with any molestation on that account, till the abovementioned persecution began by Athanarick. That monarch ordered an idol to be drawn about on a chariot, through all the places where the Christians lived : the chariot stopped at the door of everyone who professed the gospel, and the Chris- tian inhabitants were ordered to pay it adoration. Upon a refusal, the house was immediately set on fire, and all within were burnt. This was the case with Nicetas, who, on account of his religion, refusing to pay the respect demanded to the idol, had his house burnt, and himself consumed in it, September 15, A. D. 372. Eusebius, bishop of Samosata, makes a most distinguished figure in ecclesiastical history, and was one of the most eminent champions of Christ against the Arian heresy. The Arians having advanced Mi- letus to the see of Antioch, thinking him of their party, the instrument of his advance- ment was placed in the care of Eusebius. When Miletus preached his first sermon, the Arians, to their great surprise, found they had been greatly mistaken in him, for his doctrines were pure and orthodox. Enraged at thqir disappointment, they persuaded the emperor to displace him, and likewise to get the instrument out of the . ^ 76 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. hands of Eusebiws. Miletus was accord- j ingly deposed, and the emperor sent to / Eusebius to deliver the instrument. Euse- j bius's answer was, that he could not give t up a trust reposed in him by so great a \ number, without the express consent of all j concerned in it. The emperor, incensed? at this reply, wrote to him on that subject, ' and assured him he had commissioned the bearer of his letter to cut off his right hand, if he refused to surrender the instrument in j question ; which threat was artfully added only to awe him into a compliance. Eu- '( sebius, however, knew the party was capa- ble of any cruelty to promote their cause ; j but, without the least emotion, offered his t hands, and declared he would lose them < both rather than part with so flagrant a / proof of Arian injustice. The emperor j could not but be surprised at his resolu- j tion, and professed a high esteem for him ever after : so true it is that virtue can < sometimes force even its declared enemies < to love and praise it. The Arians from this time looked upon j Eusebius as a most dangerous enemy. At the time Jovian restored peace to the church, Miletus convened a council at An- tioch, which consisted of Eusebius, and twenty-five other prelates, who unanimous- ly confirmed the doctrines of the council of \ Nice. When the see of Cesarea became vacant, \ Eusebius was greatly instrumental in pro- \ moting Basil to it, on which occasion, \ Gregory the younger calls him, " The pil- \ lar of truth, the light of the world, the for- \ tress of the church, the rule of faith, the s support of the faithful, and an instrument s in the hands of God for bestowing favors s on his people." When the Arians were the most vigilant to propagate their heresy, Eusebius was exceedingly assiduous in taking measures to prevent their success ; and his zeal was always so governed by the rules of prudence, that his attempts sel- dom failed of success. It was not enough for our excellent prelate to screen his own flock from the insults of the common ene- mv, and maintain the faith in its purity against all the endeavors of such as would corrupt the people ; but knowing that sev- eral churches were, by the iniquity of the times, deprived of their pastors, he disguis- ed himself; and thus made the tour of Syria, Phenicia, and Palestine ; fortified the pure against the solicitations of the here- tics ; ordained several priests and inferior ministers, wherever they were wanting; and, when he found any orthodox prelates in his travels, assisted them in consecrating bishops for the use of the widowed churches. It was impossible to conceal the hand that every day gave some fresh stroke to the Arian party, and sunk their interest wher- ever it was employed ; so that the emperor, at their instigation, granted an order for banishing him into Thrace. He was at Samosata when the messenger came with this commission ; it was late in the even- ing, and Eusebius, who was very well-be- loved by his people, begged he would make no noise, but conceal his business ; " for," says he, " if it takes air, the people will fall on you, throw you into the river, and then I shall be charged with your death." Eusebius was calm enough to go through his usual devotions, and when the nighl was far advanced he left his house on foot, attended only by one trusty servant, who carried a pillow and one book after him. Thus accommodated he took a boat, and went to Zeugma, about seventy miles down the river. The people, however, next day, missing Eusebius, and hearing which way he was gone, followed in a great number of boats, and overtaking would have rescued him, at the same time entreating him with tears in their eyes not to abandon them. Eusebius was greatly touched with their affection, but said he must go according to the emperor's order, putting them in mind of the authority of St. Paul, for paying a due reverence, and proper submission to the civil power. Finding they could not prevail, they accommodated him with every- thing that could comfort him in his journey, m THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 77 and then left him to pursue his way to the place of destination. At this time Thrace was a scene of con- fusion, by means of the war carried on be- tween the Goths and the emperor's forces ; and in these contests, the life of Eusebius was frequently in danger. The emperor, in order to terminate the war with the greater expedition, resolved to march against the Goths in person ; but first to engage the prayers of the Christians, he gave peace to the church of Christ, and al- lowed the orthodox prelates to return to their churches. Thus was Eusebius re- stored to his see, which, however, he did not long enjoy, for an Arian woman threw a tile at him from the top of a house, which fractured his skull, and terminated his life in the year 380. Marcellus, bishop of Apamea, a prelate of great merit, was very active in attempt- ing to suppress idolatry in his diocese, on which account his life was in continual danger, till Cynegius, the praefect, arrived with a considerable body of troops, which kept the pagans in awe. This officer's de- sign was totally to abolish idolatry, to effect which he determined to destroy the temple of Jupiter; he however, found this a more difficult attempt than he had imagined, for the building was so strong, the stories so unwieldy, the cement so durable, and the iron cramps so massy, that he despaired of being able to accomplish the work ; when a poor laboring Christian, recommended by Marcellus, undertook to go through with what the praefect had given up, and the business was executed in the following manner : — ■ This person examined the situation of the edifice, and finding it surrounded by a gallery, supported by stately pillars, ten yards in circumference, he judged it would be more to his purpose to weaken the foun- dation than pretend to attack the body of the building directly ; with this view he dug at the bottom of the said pillars, and shored them with timber beams. When he had thus undermined three of the most consid- erable pillars, he set fire to the wood, which burning in sunder, the pillars fell, and drew twelve more with them, and brought down one whole side of the building ; upon which the people flocked together from all parts of the town, and praised God who had, in this signal manner, triumphed over his enemies. The bishop and prsefect continued de- stroying a great number of idol temples, when being at a town called Aulo upon this business, while the troops were busy in de- molishing the buildings, some pagans pri- vately seized upon the bishop, and burnt him, A. D. 393. THE PERSECUTIONS UNDER THE ARIAN VANDALS. pp^|ggj?HE Vandals passing from «^[ Spain to Africa in the ' fifth century, under their leader Genseric, commit- ted the most unheard-of; cruelties. They persecu- ted the Christians wherever they came, and even laid waste the country as they passed, that the Christians left behind, who had escaped them, might not be able to subsist. They plundered the churches, and mur- dered the bishops and ministers by a variety of tortures. In particular, they poured stinking oil and vinegar down the throats of some till they expired ; suffocated others by filling their mouths with mud, and mar- tyred many by stretching their limbs with cords till the veins burst, and sinews crack- ed. They also wreaked their vengeance on several of the clergy and nobility, whom 78 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. they loaded with heavy burdens, and ob- liged them to carry their baggage ; and if they did not travel fast enough, they prick- ed them on with sharp "goads, insomuch that several died under their burdens. Reverend gray hairs found no instances of mercy, and guiltless infants felt the rage of their barbarity. Stalely buildings were burned or levelled with the earth ; and the chief churches in Carthage employed to their own heretical worship, or put to pro- fane uses ; and where any castles held out against them, they brought great numbers of Christians, and slew them, leaving their dead bodies lying under the walls, that the stench thereof might force the besieged to surrender. Having seized and plundered the city of Carthage, they put the bishop, and all the clergy, into a leaky ship, and committed it to the mercy of the waves, thinking that they must all perish of course ; but provi- dentially the vessel arrived safe at Naples. Innumerable orthodox Christians were beaten, scourged, and banished to Capsur, where it pleased God to make them the means of converting many of the Moors to Christianity ; but this coming to the ears of Genseric, he sent orders, that they and their new converts should be tied by the feet to chariots, and dragged about till they were dashed to pieces. Pampinian, the bishop of Mansuetus, was tortured to death with plates of hot iron ; the bishop of Urice was burnt ; the bishop of Habensa was banished, for re- fusing to deliver up the sacred books which were in his possession ; and a whole con- gregation, who were assembled in a church at their devotions, together with the clergy- man who was preaching to them, were murdered by these barbarians breaking in upon them, and exercising the most indis- criminate cruelties. The Vandalian tyrant Genseric, having j made an expedition into Italy, and plunder- < ed the city of Rome, returned to Africa, • flushed with the success of his arms. The \ Arians took this occasion to persuade him S $to persecute the orthodox Christians, as they assured him that they were friends to the people of Rome. Armogastus was one who felt the rage of this persecution ; Victor, the learned bishop of Vita, who was personally ac- quainted with Armogastus, and who like- I wise wrote the history of this persecution, ^informs us, that " his legs were lied, and ■ his forehead bound with cords several j times ; which, though applied with no gen- \ tie hand, made not the least impression on his flesh, nor left any mark on his skin. \ After this, he was hung up by one foot ; < but in that posture seemed as much at his s ease as if reposed on a soft bed. The- jodoric, one of the king's sons, finding all I attempts on his life had hitherto proved un- \ successful, ordered his head to be struck >off. But Jocundus, an Arian priest, dis- suaded him from that resolution, by telling jhim it would be much better to destroy him S by slow and imperceptible means, and wear shim out by degrees; whereas a violent death would procure him the reputation of a martyr among those of his own opinion, which could be of no service to the oppo- site cause. The prince sent him to the mines, and sometime after removed him to a place near Carthage, where he was em- ployed in looking after cattle. "While Ar- mogastus was thus engaged, he grew ex- ceeding ill, and imagining that the end of his labors was near, he communicated his thoughts to Felix, a virtuous Christian, em- ployed in that prince's service. From him he received some consolation ; but his dis- order increasing daily soon deprived him of life, and he was buried by Felix accord- ing to his own direction." Archinimus was a devout Christian, upon whom all manner of artifices were employed, in vain, to make him renounce his faith. At length Genseric himself un- dertook to persuade him, but finding his endeavors ineffectual, he passed sentence upon him to be beheaded. He, however, privately ordered the executioner to really perform his office, if the prisoner seemed THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 79 intimidated and afraid ; " for then," said he, " the crown of martyrdom will be lost to him ; but if he seems courageous, and wil- ling to die," continued the king, " strike not the stroke ; for I do not intend that he shall have the honor of being deemed a martyr." The executioner, when they came to the place appointed, finding Archinimus re- solved, and happy in the thought of dying for the sake of Christ, brought him back unhurt. He was soon after this banished, and never heard of more, though it is con- jectured that he was murdered privately by the king's order. Dionysia, a lady of fortune, and a widow, being apprehended as an orthodox Chris- tian, was stripped naked, exposed in a most indecent manner, and severely scourg- ed. Her son, a young lad, being seized at the same time, seemed afraid of the torture, and looked pitifully at his mother, who or- dered him not to fear any torments that could be inflicted on him, but to be con- stant to the faith in which she had brought him up. When he was upon the rack, she again comforted him in these words : — " Remember, O my child, that we were baptized in the name of the ever-sacred Trinity, let us not lose the benefit thereof, lest it should hereafter be said, cast them into outer darkness, where there is weep- ing and gnashing of teeth ; for that pain which never endethis, indeed, to be dread- ed, and that life which endureth to eternity to be desired." Whereupon the youth pa- tiently persevered, and from the force of his torments resigned his soul to his God. The pious mother saw the death of her son with pleasure, and soon after received the crown of martyrdom herself. The Arian bishop of Carthage, named Cyrilla, was a most furious heretic, and a very great enemy to those Christians who professed the faith in its purity. Having gained the ear of the king, he persuaded him that he could never expect prosperity in his undertakings, or hope to enjoy his kingdom in peace, while he suffered any of the orthodox Christians to live. The weak monarch, believing all that Cyrilla told him, sent for several of the most eminent Christians, who were partic- ularly obnoxious to that prelate. He, at first, attempted to draw them from their faith by flattery, and to bribe them from the hopes of future salvation, by the promise of immediate worldly rewards. Being firm and constant in their faith, they were proof against the former, and despised the latter; declaring resolutely against Arianism, and saying : " We acknowledge but one Lord, one faith, and one baptism ; you may there- fore do whatever you please with our bodies, for it is better that we should suffer a few temporary pains, than to endure everlasting torments." The king, being greatly exasperated at this freedom, sent them to a filthy dark dungeon, and ordered them to be put into irons. The keeper, however, not being of the savage disposition too common to such as are intrusted with the care of jails, suf- fered their friends to have access to them ; by which they received great consolation, and became daily more and more confirm- ed in their resolution of dying for the sake of Christ. The king hearing of the indulgence given them by their keepers was exceedingly angry, and sent orders that they should be more closely confined, and loaded with still heavier fetters. He then began to ruminate in his mind by what means he should put them to death, and after revolving over and over all the modes of cruelty that he could recollect, he at length determined to imitate the monstrous' barbarity of the emperor Valens, who, as we have already related, caused fourscore clergymen to be burnt to- gether in a ship. Fixing upon this infernal precedent, he ordered these Christians to be put on board a ship filled with combus- tible materials, and the vessel being set fire to, they received the crown of martyr- dom. The names of seven of the principal of these Christians were, Rusticus, Se- VERUS, LlBERATUS, BoNIFACE, SEPTIMUS, Servus, and Rogatus. H 80 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. ~1B PERSECUTIONS FROM THE SIXTH TO THE TENTH CENTURIES. ROTERIUS was made a > and the prudence of the governor of Alex- priest by Cyril, bishop of' andria, whose name was Florus, soon re- \ Alexandria, who was well I stored peace to the city, acquainted with his virtues, I The discontented party, however, still be- before he appointed him to jheld Proterius with an eye of resentment ; preach. On the death of^so that he was obliged to have a guard out J Cyril, the see of Alexandria was filled by < of respect to his personal safety, and at I \ Dioscorus, an inveterate enemy both to the \ length, though naturally of a sweet and mild ; memory and family of his predecessor. <, temper, was compelled to excommunicate < \ Dioscorus, however, knowing the reputa-|some of them, and obtain their banishment j tion of Proterius, did the utmost in his from Alexandria. Ecclesiastical history, J power to gain his confidence and interest ; \ however, informs us, that, " When the em- \ \ as he thought he might be of singular ser- I peror Marcian's death, which happened vice to him in carrying on his designs. s two years after, gave a new turn to affairs, | Proterius, however, was not to be cor- \ the exiles returned to Alexandria, engaged • rupted, the welfare of the church sat next \ in their usual cabals against Proterius, and i his heart, and no prospect of worldly pre- 5 seemed resolved to be revenged on him for \ ferment could bribe him to forego his duty. \ what they had suffered in the last reign. ; Dioscorus being condemned by the coun- 1 Timothy, a priest, who was at the head of , i cil of Chalcedon, for having embraced the \ all the designs that h aftbeen formed against , | errors of Eutyches, was deposed, and Pro- I Proterius, employed every art to ruin his , \ terius chosen to fill the vacant see, and ap- > credit, drawing the people from his com- \ \ proved of by the emperor. This occasion- \ munion, and raising himself to that see. At 5 \ ed a dangerous insurrection, for the city of/ last, taking advantage of the abuse of Di- \ \ Alexandria was divided into two factions ; 5 onysius, who commanded the forces of that the one to espouse the cause of the old, > province, and was then in Upper Egypt, he \ and the other of the new prelate. A great j seized on the great church, and was unca- \ deal of mischief was done on both sides, \ nonically and sacrilegiously consecrated by \ and Proterius was in the most imminent) two bishops of his faction, that had been de- , personal danger, from a set of schismatics, > posed for heresy. The usurper went on in ! who would neither obey the decisions of a \ the exercise of all the episcopal functions, \ council nor the emperor's decree. I and used the whole rigor of his pretended I As these disorders became serious, the > authority to oppress the orthodox, till the [ governor of Thebais marched at the head commander's return, who, upon hearing the { of a body of troops, in order to quell the \ disorders that had been committed, and that < sedition. The people, however, had work- ) Timothy was the chief author of them, ed up their imaginations to a kind of /drove that incendiary out of the town." phrensy ; when they heard of the approach ? This affair so enraged the Eutychians, < of the governor, they armed themselves, j that they determined to wreak their ven- < < marched out of Alexandria, gave him battle, '< geance on Proterius, who fled to the church ; and defeated him. The intelligence of this j for sanctuary ; but on Good Friday, A. D. \ affair so exasperated the emperor, that he { 457, a large body of them rushed into the ; ' sent a detachment of two thousand men \ church, and barbarously murdered the prel- \ > against them ; the appearance of whom, \ ate ; after which they dragged the body \ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 81 through the streets, insulted, cut it to pieces burnt it, and scattered the ashes in the air. Julia, a Carthaginian lady, was taken prisoner when the Vandals sacked that that while she was permitted to enjoy her religion, she was as free as she desired to be. Felix, not being able to prevail, ordered | city. After being sold and re-sold as a > her to be severely beaten, which she bore ; slave, she became the property of a Syrian 5 with the utmost patience. Finding her ) ; pagan, named Eusebius. Her master could I still resolute, he commanded, that the hair ! not but admire a religion which inspired of her head should be pulled out by the \ such resignation and patience in vassal- j roots. This barbarity having no greater \ lage, and the most painful employments : > effect than the former, he sentenced her to I thus it is plain, that the humility and purity '■ be hanged, which sentence was immediate- i> prescribed by Christianity will attract even ' ly put into execution. the admiration of heathens. > Julia was scarce dead when Eusebius £ The master of Julia frequently took her j recovered from his intoxication. As soon I with him upon his voyages : in one of these ? as he understood what had passed, he was they touched upon the island of Corsica, \ greatly afflicted, and in the first transports 5 where Eusebius joined in an idolatrous j ; of his resentment had thoughts of complain- , ; festival ; but Julia kept at a distance. I ing to the emperor, who being a Christian, The heathens complained of this con- \ would have punished the perfidity of the \ duct as disrespectful to their gods, and in- \ governor. But reflecting again, that Felix \ formed the governor Felix of it, who sent \ had only acted with a zeal for the deities ) for Eusebius, and demanded what young \ that he himself adored, he determined to \ woman it was that had refused to join in < put up with the loss, and retire from a | worship to the gods. < place which was become so disagreeable ! Eusebius replied, that the young woman < to him. was a Christian, and that all his authority < Hermenigildus, was a Gothic prince, \ over her had proved too weak to prevail < being the eldest son of Leovigildus, king of ; with her to renounce her religion ; but that uhe Goths, in Spain. This prince, who i as she was a very diligent and faithful ser- I was originally an Arian, became a convert vant, he could not think of parting with her. \ to the orthodox faith, by means of his wife '>. Felix then pressed him to exert himself I Ingonda. When the king heard that his < on this occasion, and either to oblige her^ son had changed his religious sentiments, '' to assist at the pagan worship, or to part \ he stripped him of the command at Seville, \ with her ; and offered to give him his own \ where he was governor, and threatened to price, or four of his best female slaves in \ put him to death, unless he renounced the \ exchange for her, which Eusebius abso- \ faith he had newly embraced, lutely refused, saying, that he would not \ The prince, in order to prevent the exe- part from her for any price. I cution of his father's menaces, began to put Felix finding the master inflexible, de- s himself into a posture of defence ; and j termined to get her into his power by arti- s many of the orthodox persuasion in Spain j fice. To effect this, he invited Eusebius s declared for him. The king, exasperated < to an entertainment, and having intoxicated s at this act of rebellion, began to punish all ; him, he sent for Julia in the name of her \ the orthodox Christians who could be seiz- j master. < ed by his troops ; and thus a very se- ; The innocent slave not suspecting the s vere persecution commenced : he likewise \ trap laid for her, came immediately, when \ marched against his son at the head of a the governor told her that he would pro- s very powerful army. The prince, know- cure her liberty, if she would sacrifice to \ ing that he was unable to oppose the for- the heathen gods. To which Julia replied, \ midable force that his father was bringing | 82 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. against him, implored the assistance of the Roman troops, that were left to garrison those parts of Spain, which the emperor still possessed. The Roman commander engaged to assist Herminigildus, but being bribed by the king he broke his promise. Leovigildus then made it his business, as much as possible, to detach the orthodox Christians from the interest of his son ; and in this he had great success, for it was ef- fected in 581, by convening the Arian prel- ates at Toledo, who abolished the practice of rebaptizing those that came over to their sect, and drew up a captious profession of faith which deceived many, and prevailed upon them to quit the interest of Hermeni- gildus. The prince, thus forsaken by numbers of those whom he most confided in, was ob- liged to retreat toward Seville, in which city he soon after shut himself up, and sent to Constantinople for assistance from the emperor. The death of that monarch, how- ever, prevented him from receiving any re- lief; for Maurice, who succeeded him, found his own hands too full to afford any succor to Hermenigildus. The king, who had information of every step which his son took, proceeded to Seville, and laid seige to it. The prince defended the place with great bravery, and even held out for the space of twelve months ; but finding that the city must soon be taken, he private- ly made his escape, and fled to the Roman troops to beg protection. Being informed that they intended to give him up, he pre- cipitately retired to Corduba, and thence went to Asseto, which he fortified. After the escape of the prince from Se- ville the city surrendered, and the king having properly garrisoned it, pursued his son, laid siege to Asseto, and soon obliged it to surrender. The unfortunate prince being driven to this distress, flew to a church for sanctuary. The king having too much respect for the sanctity of the place to force him from it, sent an officer, named Reccaredus, to assure him of his pardon, upon his submitting to ask it. The i prince, believing his father to be sincere, | ] immediately went to him, and threw him- } ] self, most submissively, at his feet. The ! king, however, instead of forgiving him, ^ loaded him with chains, and carried him to Seville, where he endeavored, both by pro m- s ises and menaces, to make him renounce >, the orthodox faith. The prince remained constant to the , truth ; and at the feast of Easter, when the king sent an Arian bishop to him to ad- minister the eucharist, Hermenigildus ab- solutely refused to receive it, which so en- raged the king, that before he gave himself time to reflect, he ordered some of his guards to go and cut the prince to pieces, which they punctually performed April 13, A. D. 586. (See engraving.) Marti.v, bishop of Rome, was born at Todi, in Italy. He was naturally inclined to virtue, and his parents bestowed on him an admirable education. He had every liberal endowment that the sciences could bestow, and all the worthiness that a mortal could derive from the saving grace of the gospel. He took orders, and on the death of Theodore, bishop of Rome, was advan- ced to that important see, by a unanimous election, in which all parties gave him the fullest praises, and admitted, that he well merited a trust of such great consequence. His character has been thus drawn by a masterly hand : — " His compassion for the poor appeared j in large contributions for their relief, and I the offices of hospitality, which he perform- \ ed in favor of strangers. His fasts were < rigorous and frequent, and prayer employ- ; ed a very considerable part of his time, j He was always ready to receive returning '•> sinners ; took no small pains to lead such \ through the paths of repentance, as testified J their sorrow by tears ; and comforted them, j by letting them see what reason they had to confide in God's infinite goodness. He ' loved his clergy with a brotherly tender- ness, and honored the episcopal character wherever it was found. The first trouble he received in his epis- HERMENMGII.DUS, PRINCE OF THE GOTHS, HEWN TO PIECES. — Page 83. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 85 copal capacity, was from a set of heretics, called Monothelites ; who not daring, after the express decisions of the council of; Chalcedon, to maintain the Unity of nature in Christ, asserted, artfully, that he had but one will and operation of mind. This sect was patronised by the emperor Heraclius ; and the first who attempted to stop the progress of these errors, was Sophronius, bishop of Jerusalem. Martin, who perfectly coincided in sen- timents with the bishop of Jerusalem, call- ed a council, which consisted of one hun- dred and five bishops, and they unanimous- ly condemned the errors in question. Incensed at these proceedings, the em- peror ordered Olympius, his lieutenant in Italy, to repair to Rome, and seize the bishop, provided it could be done without causing an insurrection. The lieutenant performed the journey ; but on his arrival at Rome, he found the people too unani- mous in their opinions, and the prelate too much beloved, to attempt anything by open violence. Hence he had recourse to treach- ery, and suborned a ruffian to assassinate the bishop at the altar ; but the fellow, after promising to execute the bloody deed, was seized with such horrors of mind, that he had not the power to perform his promise. Olympius, finding it would be very difficult to perform anything against Martin, with- drew from Rome, and putting himself at the head of his troops, marched against the Saracens, who had made some inroads into Italy, but he died in the expedition. Olympius was succeeded by Calliopas, who received express orders to seize the person of Martin, which, with the assist- ance of a considerable body of troops, he performed ; at the same time showing the clergy the imperial mandate, which com- manded him to dispossess Martin of his bishopric, and carry him to Constantinople as a prisoner. After a very tedious voyage, and en- during innumerable hardships, he reached the imperial city of Constantinople, and was immediately thrown into prison. While in confinement, he wrote two epistles to the emperor to refute the calumnies forged against him, with respect to his faith and loyalty. The substance of which was, that " for a proof of the soundness of the former, he appeals to the testimony of the whole clergy, and his own solemn protestation to defend the truth as long as he lived. In answer to such objections as had been made against the latter, he declares he never sent either money, letters, or advice, to the Saracens, but only remitted a sum for the relief of poor Christians among those people : he concludes with saying, that nothing could be more false than what the heretics had alleged against him con- cerning the Blessed Virgin, whom he firm- ly believed to be the mother of God, and worthy of all honor after her divine Son. In his second letter he gives a particular account of his being seized at Rome, as already related, and his indisposition and ill usage since he was dragged from that city ; and ends with wishing and hoping his persecutors would repent of their con- duct, when the object of their hatred was removed from this world." The fatigues that Martin had undergone were so many, and his infirmities so great, that on the day appointed for his trial, he was forced to be brought out of prison in a chair, as he was unable to walk. When he was before the court, the judge ordered him to stand, which not being able to do, two men were ordered to hold him up. Twenty witnesses were produced against him, who swore as they were directed, and charged him with pretended crimes that had been invented for the purpose. Martin be- gan his defence, but as soon as he entered upon an investigation of the errors which he had combated, one of the senators stop- ped him, and said, that he was only ex- amined respecting civil affairs, and conse- quently that ecclesiastical matters had noth- ing to do in his defence. The judge then prevented him from going on, and having broke up the court, went and reported the progress of the proceedings to the emperor. ■ 86 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. Martin was now ordered to be exposed in the most public places of the town, to the ridicule of the people ; to be divested of all episcopal marks of distinction, and to be treated with the greatest scorn and se- verity. All these rigors he bore with a Christian-like patience, and a degree of fortitude, that only Heaven can inspire ; and trusted to Christ as his strength, agreeable to the prophecy, Isaiah xl. 27, 30, which $ has been thus beautifully paraphrased by a \ learned divine : — a Whence do our mournful thoughts arise? And where's our courage fled ? Has restless sin, and raging hell, Struck all our comforts dead ? u Have we forgot the Almighty name, That formed the earth and sea ? And can an all-creating arm Grow weary, or decay ? " Treasures of everlasting might In our Jehovah dwell, He gives the conquest to the weak, And treads their foes to hell. " Mere mortal power shall fade and die, And youthful vigor cease ; But we that wait upon the Lord, Shall feel our strength increase. " The saints shall mount on eagles' wings, And taste the promised bliss, Till their unwearied feet arrive, Where perfect pleasure is." After laying some months in prison, Martin was sent to an island at some dis- tance, and there cut to pieces, A. D. 655. John, bishop of Bergamo, in Lombardy, was a learned man, and a good Christian. He did his utmost endeavors to clear the church from the errors of Arianism, and joining in this holy work with John, bishop of Milan, he was very successful against the heretics. Grimoald, however, an Arian, having usurped the throne of Lombardy, the orthodox Christians feared that heresy would gain footing, once more, in Lom- bardy ; but the bishop of Bergamo used such persuasive arguments with Grimoald, that he brought him from the errors of Arianism to profess the orthodox faith. After the death of Grimoald, and his son who succeeded him, Pantharit came to the crown, and again introduced those errors which had been combated with such spirit by the orthodox clergy. The bishop of Bergamo exerted himself strenuously to prevent the heresy from spreading, on which account he was assassinated on July 11, A. D. 683. " Conscience, the guilty will control, And waken horrors in the soul ; Pursue the bloody murderer's feet, At every turn the villain meet ; And do that justice law denies, With dreadful stings, and glaring eyes." Adalbert, bishop of Prague, was a Bohemian by birth. His parents were , persons of rank, but more distinguished for their virtue and piety than for their opulence or lineage. They were happy in a son, whose dawning perfections gave them a pleasing hope, that he would one day be- come a shining ornament to his family. That he might fulfil their expectations, they gave him a complete education ; but their joy was in some measure damped, by his falling into a dropsy, from which he was with difficulty recovered. When he was effectually cured, they sent him to Magdaburg, and committed him to the care of the archbishop of that city, who completed his education, and confirm- ed him in piety and virtue. The rapid progress which Adalbert made in human and divine learning, made him dear to the prelate, who, to the authority of a teacher, joined all the tenderness of a parent for his amiable pupil. Having spent nine years at Magdaburg, he retired to his own country upon the death of the archbishop, and entered him- self among the clergy at Prague. Dithmar, bishop of Prague, died soon after the re- turn of Adalbert to that city ; and, in his expiring moments, expressed such contri- tion for having been ambitious, and solici- tous of worldly honor and riches, as sur- prised every one who heard it. Adalbert, who was among the number present, was so sensibly affected at the bishop's dying sentiments, that he received them as an admonition to the strict practice of virtue, which he afterward exercised with the greatest attention, spending his time in THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 87 \ prayer, and relieving the poor with a cheerful liberality. A few days after the decease of Dithmar, | an assembly was held for the choice of a | successor, which consisted of the clergy of < Prague, and the chief quality of Bohemia. > Adalbert's character for every virtue that < important post required soon determined l them to raise him to the vacant see, which | they did on the 19th of February, 983. ! Messengers were immediately despatched to Verona, to desire Otho II. would confirm the election. The emperor granted the request, ordered Adalbert to repair to court for investiture, gave him the ring and crosier, and then sent him to the arch- bishop of Mentz for consecration. That ceremony was performed on the 29th of: June the same year ; and he was received at Prague with all possible demonstrations of public joy. He divided the revenue of '< his see into four parts, according to the di- rection of the canons extant in the fifth century. The first was employed in the fabric, and ornaments of the church ; the second went to the maintenance of the clergy ; the third was laid out for the relief j of the poor ; and the fourth reserved for the support of himself and family ; which was always made to include twelve indigent persons, to whom he allowed daily subsist- ence. He now performed his duty with the ut- most assiduity, and spent a great portion of; his time in preaching to and exhorting the people. His conduct was discreet and hu- mane ; and his manner neither too severe nor too indulgent ; so that his flock were not terrified into despair, or flattered into presumption. But some things which he could not remedy gave him great uneasi- ness, particularly the having a plurality of; wives, and selling the Christians to the Jews, for trivial offences. Hence he de- termined to consult the pope, and made a journey to Rome. Accordingly, John, who then sat in the papal chair, received him with great cordiality, and having heard his grievance, advised him to give up his bishopric, rather than be the witness of enormities, which he could not remedy. He determined to take the pope's advice, and to devote the remainder of his days to mortification, poverty, and silence ; which design he began, by giving all his treasures to the poor. He was, however, before he entirely secluded himself from mankind, desirous of seeing the Holy Land, and set off" accordingly, with three persons in his company. In their way they arrived at Mount Cas- sino, where the heads of the monastery of that place received them in a very friendly manner, and entertained them as well as the rules of their order would admit. Be- ing apprized of the cause of their journey, when they were about to depart the supe- rior of the monastery addressed himself to Adalbert, and observed to him, that the journey he had undertaken would give him more trouble and uneasiness than he was aware of; that the frequent desire of chang- ing place and travelling, often proceeded more from a restless disposition, and eager curiosity, than real religion, or solid devo- tion. " Therefore," said he, " if you will listen to my advice, leave the world at once with sincerity, and settle in some religious community, without desiring to see more than you have already seen." Adalbert listened attentively, and came readily into the sentiments of the superior, which soon determined him to take up his residence in that monastery, where he then thought he might live entirely recluse, and, being un- known, might pass unhonored to the grave. But in the latter particular he was mis- taken ; for the priests, by accident, coming to a knowledge of the rank and former dig- nity of their colleague, began to treat him with great deference and respect, which occasioned him to leave the place. Nilus, a Grecian, was then at the head of a com- munity not far from Mount Cassino ; Adal- bert made his way to him, and begged to be received into his monastery. He as- sured him he would willingly comply with his request, if he thought the rule and K 88 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. practice of his religious family would be agreeable to a stranger; besides which, he told him that the house in which he and his people lived was given to them by those of Mount Cassino ; and therefore it might not be safe for him to receive one that had left that community. When Nilus had thus excused himself, he advised him to return to Home, and apply himself to Leo, an ab- bot of his acquaintance there, to whom he gave a letter of recommendation. Adalbert went to Rome, where he found Leo, who, before he would admit him, put his virtue and courage to proper trials, by speaking roughly to him, and giving him a terrible account of the labors and severities of the state in which he desired to engage. But, finding his resolution was not moved or weakened by the prospect of the most aus- tere mortifications, he conducted him to the pope, and, with the consent of that pontiff and the whole college of cardinals, gave him the habit on Holy Thursday in the year 990. We have already said that he had been attended only by three select persons ever since he had the pope's advice for re- signing his bishopric ; two of them left him now ; but the third, who was his own brother Gaudentius, followed his example, and engaged in the same community. Adalbert, full of the most profound humili- ty, took a particular pleasure in the lowest employments of the house, and lived here an excellent pattern of Christian simplicity and obedience. The archbishop of Mentz, as a metro- politan, was exceedingly afflicted at the dis- orders in the church of Prague, and wished for the return of the bishop, with whose re- treat he was not, for sometime, acquainted. At length, after five years' absence, he heard that Adalbert was at Rome, when he sent a deputation to the pope to press his return to his diocese. The pope summon- ed a council to consider of the deputation, and after a warm dispute between the monks and deputies, the latter carried their point, and Adalbert was ordered to return to his diocese ; but, at the same time, had permission to quit his charge again, if he found his flock as incorrigible as before. The inhabitants of Prague met him, on his arrival, with great, joy, and promised obe- dience to his directions ; but they socn for- got their promises, and relapsed into their former vices, which obliged him, a second time, to leave them, and return to his monastery. The archbishop of Mentz sent another deputation to Rome, and desired that, his suffragan might be again ordered back to his diocese. Gregory V. who was then pope, commanded him to return to Prague ; and he obeyed, though with great reluct- ance. The Bohemians, however, did not look upon him as before, but deemed him the censor of their faults, and the enemy to their pleasures, and threatened him with death upon his arrival ; but not having him yet in their power, contented themselves with falling on his relations, several of whom they murdered, plundered their estates, and set fire to their houses. Adalbert had intelligence of these out- rageous proceedings, and could not judge it prudent to proceed on his journey. He therefore went to the duke of Poland, who had a particular respect for him, and en- gaged that prince to sound the Bohemians in regard to his return ; but could get no better answer from that wretched people, than that " they were sinners, hardened in iniquity ; and Adalbert a saint, and conse- quently not fit to live among them ; for which reason he was not to hope for a tolerable reception at Prague." The bish- op thought this message discharged him from any further concern for that church, and began to direct his thoughts to the con- version of infidels ; to which end he re- paired to Dantzic, where he converted and baptized many, which so enraged the pagan priests, that they fell upon him and despatched him with darts, on the 23d of April, A. D. 997. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 89 PERSECUTIONS IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY. jjjp LPHAGE, archbishop of 5 remainder of his life in religious security ; Canterbury, was descend- ? when the following affair once more drew ed from a considerable \ him from his retreat : — family in Gloucestershire) < The see of Winchester being vacant by and received an education | the death of Ethelwold, it was no easy suitable to his illustrious matter to agree upon the choice of a suc- birth. His parents were worthy Christians, cessor to that bishopric. The clergy had and Alphage seemed to inherit all their been driven out of the cathedral for their virtues. He was prudent and humble, scandalous lives, but were admitted again pious and chaste : he made a rapid progress | by King Ethelred, upon certain terms of both in polite literature and scripture learn- 1 reformation. The monks, who had been ing, and was, at once, the admired scholar, j introduced upon their expulsion, looked and devout Christian : he strove to make upon themselves as the chapter of that the arts useful to the purposes of life, and church ; and hence arose a violent contest to render philosophy subservient to the between them, and the clergy who had been cause of religion. In order to be more at j readmitted, about the election of a bishop ; leisure to contemplate the divine perfec- I while both parties were hot, and vigurous- tions, he determined to renounce his fortune, [ ly set upon promoting each their own man. quit home, and become a recluse. He ac- This dispute at last ran so high, that Dun- cordingly retired to a monastery of Bene-^stan, archbishop of Canterbury, as primate dictines, at Deerhurst, in Gloucestershire J of all England, was obliged to interpose in and soon after took the habit. s the affair, who consecrated Alphage to the Considering that the principal business I vacant bishopric, to the general satisfaction of a Christian was to subdue his passions, I of all concerned in the election, or iuter- and mortify his appetites, he lived with the I ested in the affair. utmost temperance, and spent the greatest I Alphage's behavior was a sufficient proof part of his time in prayer. But not think- 1 of his being equal to the dignity of his vo- ing the austerities he underwent in this \ cation. Piety flourished in his diocese ; monastery sufficiently severe, he retired to I unity was established among his clergy and a lonely cell near Bath, and lived in a man- 1 people ; and the church of Winchester re- ner still more rigid and mortifying. Here I covered its lustre in such a manner, as he thought to remain unknown, but some I made the bishop the admiration of the whole devout persons finding out his retreat, his ', kingdom. austere life soon became the subject of con- 1 Dunstan had an extraordinary veneration versation in the neighboring villages, where I for Alphage, and when at the point of death, many flocked to him, and begged to be > made it his ardent request to God, that he taken under his pastoral care. He yielded > might succeed him in the see of Canter- to their importunities, raised a monastery I bury ; which accordingly happened, though near his cell, by the contributions of several I not till about eighteen years after Dunstan's well-disposed persons; formed his new > death. In the course of that period the pupils into a community, and placed a prior \ metropolitan church was governed by three over them. Having prescribed rules for ? successive prelates ; the last of whom was their regulation, he again retired to his be-\ Alfrick ; upon whose decease, in 1006, AJ- loved cell, fervently wishing to pass the \ phage was raised to the see of Canterbury. m 90 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. The people belonging to the diocese of < when his presence was more necessary- Winchester were the only persons who did < than ever, and was resolved to hazard his not sincerely rejoice at his promotion ; for < life in their defence, at this calamitous they were too sensible of the loss they sus- ^juncture. While he was employed in as- tained by his translation, not to regret his < sisting and encouraging his people, Can- removal to Canterbury. < terbury was taken by storm ; the enemy Soon after his being made archbishop he j poured into the town, and destroyed all that | went to Rome, and received the pall from i came in their way, by fire and sword. The j Pope John XVIII., and after his return to j monks did what they could to detain the •> England, labored assiduously to introduce < archbishop in the church, where they hoped s the best regulations into the church. < he might be safe. But his concern for his \ After Alphage had governed the see of < flock made him break from them, and run > Canterbury about four years, with great rep- \ into the midst of the danger. He had the ) utation to himself, and benefit to his peo- s courage to address the enemy, and offer > pie, the Danes made an incursion into s himself to their swords, as more worthy > England. Ethelred, who then reigned, i their rage than the people : he begged they ) was a prince of very weak understanding, \ might be saved, and that they would dis- t and pusillanimous disposition. Too fear- s charge their whole fury on him. Theyac- t ful to face the enemy himself, and too ir- s cordingly seized him, tied his hands, in- ; resolute to furnish others with the means i suited, and abused him in a rude and bar- \ of acting in his stead, he suffered his coun- 1 barous manner ; and obliged him to remain | try to be ravaged with impunity, and the s on the spot till his church was burnt, and greatest depredations to be committed, at 5 the monks massacred. They then deci- the option of his enemies. \ mated all the inhabitants, both ecclesiastics, The archbishop Alphage, upon this try- ', and laymen, leaving only every tenth per- ing occasion, acted with great resolution j son alive : so that they put 7,236 persons and humanity : he went boldly to the Danes, to death, and left only four monks, and 800 purchased the freedom of several whom \ laymen alive : after which they confined [ they had made captives ; found means to \ the archbishop in a dungeon, where they \ send a sufficient quantity of food to others, j kept him close prisoner for several months. \ whom he had not money enough to redeem, \ During his confinement, they proposed to \ and even made converts of some of the \ him to redeem his liberty with the sum of \ Danes: but the latter circumstance made j; .£3,000 and to persuade the king to purchase \ the Danes, who still continued pagans, <; their departure out of the kingdom with a \ greater enemies to him than they would \ further sum of jCIO.000. Alphage's cir- otherwise have been, and determined them \ cumstances would not allow him to satisfy to be revenged on him for occasioning a j the exorbitant demand: they bound him, change in the sentiments of their compan- < and put him to severe torments, to oblige ions. Edric, an English malecontent, and \ him to discover the treasure of his church ; > an infamous traitor, gave the Danes every \ upon which they assured him of his life \ encouragement, and even assisted them in < and liberty. The prelate knew, that what \ laying siege to Canterbury. When the de- < they insisted on was the inheritance of the \ sign of attacking this city was known, poor, not to be thrown away upon the bar- l many of the principal people made a preci- I barous enemies of the Christian religion ; I piuite flight from it, and would have per- \ and therefore persisted in refusing to give j Bliaded Alphage to follow their example. < them any account of it. They remanded \ But he, like a good pastor, would not listen | him to prison again, confined him six days | to such proposal ; he assured them he could \ longer, and then taking him with them to \ not think of abandoning his flock, at a time < Greenwich, brought him to a trial there. R" THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 91 i He still remained inflexible with respect to '< pleasure to find that his endeavors were not | the church treasures ; but exhorted them to i unsuccessful, for his sweetness of disposi- j forsake their idolatry, and embrace Chris- < tion won upon the people so much, that they I tianity. This so greatly incensed the \ could not help believing one whom they < Danes, that the soldiers dragged him out \ loved, or of placing a confidence in the doc- of the camp, and beat him unmercifully. \ trines of a man they had such great reason Alphage bore this usage patiently, and even \ to reverence. prayed for his persecutors. One of the > His conquests over idolatry were not soldiers, who had been converted and bap- I confined to his own diocese, but extended tized by him, was greatly afflicted, that his / to the adjacent country, where his doctrines pains should be so lingering, as he knew i successfully spread, and many became con- his death was determined on ; he, there- > verts to the pure faith of Christ. "Wher- fore, with the fury of a desperate zeal, and \ ever the faith made its way by his ministry, a kind of barbarous compassion, cut off his { he took care to establish ecclesiastical dis- head, and thus put the finishing stroke to ; : cipline for the preservation of religion, and his martyrdom, on April 19, A. D. 1012. $ made several useful regulations in the pub- This transaction happened on the very spot '/ lie service of the church. His exemplary where the church at Greenwich, which is \ conduct was at least as instructive as his dedicated to him, now stands. After his j sermons and exhortations, and went a great death his body was thrown into the Thames, j way in convincing his converts of the truth but being found the next day, it was buried \ and dignity of their new profession : for in the cathedral of St. Paul's by the bish- \ who could doubt of the excellency of a re- ops of London and Lincoln; whence it Migion, that raised him above the weaknesses was, in the year 1023, removed to Canter- \ and passions of human nature ; and appear- bury by iEthelmoth, the archbishop of that \ ed divine, by placing him at a distance from province. \ all that flatters or delights the senses ? He Gerard, a Venetian, devoted himself to l visited his diocese, and was remarkable for the service of God from his tender years ; i an uncommon tenderness for the poor, espe- entered into a religious house for some time, i cially such as had the misfortune of sick- and then determined to visit the Holy Land. \ ness, or were incapable of following their Going into Hungary, he became acquainted | accustomed employments, with Stephen, the king of that country, ? During the life of Stephen, Gerard re- who, at once, acted the parts of prince and / ceived every kind of assistance which that preacher, and not only regulated his sub- j excellent monarch could afford him ; but jects by wholesome laws, but taught them \ on the demise of Stephen, his nephew religious duties. Finding Gerard every \ Peter, who succeeded him, was of so dif- way qualified to instruct his people, he \ ferent a temper, that Gerard was greatly tried, by every means, to detain him in his l perplexed during his government, kingdom ; and, at length, founding several j At length, the tyranny of Peter exasper- churches, he made Gerard bishop of that j ated his subjects so much against him, that Chonad. i they deposed him, and placed Ouvo on the Gerard had a very difficult task to per- ^ throne. They, however, soon found, that \ form ; the people of his diocese were fond \ they had changed from bad to worse ; for » of and accustomed to idolatry ; and their ' Ouvo proved a greater monster of cruelty I perverseness was equal to their immorality. \ than his predecessor. At Easter Ouvo re- s The new bishop, however, assiduous in \ paired to Chonad, in order to receive the > his charge, and full of zeal for the salvation s crown from the hands of Gerard. When | of his flock, labored diligently to bring them j he arrived at the place, the other prelates \ \» a sense of their duty. He soon had the \ of the kingdom, who were assembled on L J ^ 92 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. that solemn occasion, assured the prince £ Stanislaus, bishop of Cracow, was de- of their affections for his person, and \ scended from an illustrious Polish family, promised to concur in his coronation ; but \ The piety of his parents was equal to their Gerard absolutely refused to pay that com- ', opulence, and the latter they rendered sub- pliment to a public and malicious enemy ; \ servient to all the purposes of charity and and took the liberty of letting the intruder \ benevolence. Stanislaus was their only know, that he could not look on Peter's ex- \ child, and consequently the sole object of elusion as regular, and consequently should ; their parental affection. When he was of not proceed to do anything to the prejudice 5 a proper age, they employed masters in of his title : he then told him, that if he \ several branches of learning to instruct persisted in his usurpation, the Divine I him, and were happy to find, that his rapid Providence would soon put an end to his '> improvement fully answered their most life and reign. Ouvo growing more insup- J sanguine expectations. He had a pene- portable than his predecessor, was brought '> trating genius, retentive memory, and solid to the scaffold in the year 1044; upon / understanding ; hence study became his which Peter was recalled, and placed on i amusement, learning his delight, and books \ the throne a second time ; but his disposi- ? his beloved companions. Nor was his dis- \ tion and retirement had made no alteration ? position inferior to his abilities ; he was < in his temper, so that he was again depriv- \ modest, mild, candid, and grave, temperate ) ed of the royal dignity after two years' pos- \ in his meals, and moderate in his sleep ; he i session. / voluntarily gave himself, in the dawn of s Andrew, son of Ladislaus, cousin-german \ youth, to such austerities, as might have to Stephen, had then a tender of the crown < given reputation to a professed hermit, made him, upon condition that he would < Having pursued his studies at home for employ his authority in extirpating the ', some years, he was sent to a seminary of Christian religion out of Hungary. The ', learning in Poland, and afterward to the ambitious prince came into the proposal, \ university of Paris, that his education might and promised to do his utmost in re-estab- \ be completed in that celebrated seat of lishing the idolatrous worship of his de- s literature. After continuing seven years at luded ancestors. Gerard, being informed i Paris, he returned to his own country, and of this impious bargain, thought his duty s on the demise of his parents became pos- obliged him to remonstrate against the s sessed of a plentiful fortune. Sensible that enormity of Andrew's crime, and persuade riches constituted no part of a Christian's hirn to withdraw his promise. In this \ happiness, any further than as they enabled view he undertook to go to that prince, at- him to assist the needy ; he devoted most tended by three other prelates, full of a like of his property to charitable uses, retaining zeal for religion. The new king was at s only a small portion for his own susten- Alba Regalis, but as the four bishops were s ance. going to cross the Danube, they were stop- I His views were now solely directed to ped by a party of soldiers posted there by s the ministry; but he remained for some- j order of a man of quality in the neighbor- 5 time undetermined, whether he should em- hood, remarkable for his aversion to the s brace a monastic life, or engage among the Christian religion, and to Stephen's memory, s secular clergy. He was at length per- They bore an attack with a shower of stones s suaded to the latter by Lambert Zula, patiently, when the soldiers proceeding to \ bishop of Cracow, who gave him holy or- greater outrages, beat them unmercifully, \ ders, and made him a canon of his cathedral. < and at length despatched them with lances. ', In this capacity he lived in a most pious < Their martyrdoms happened in the year \ and exemplary manner, and performed the j 1045. ^duties of his function with unremitting THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 93 assiduity and fervent devotion. Lambert could not help being charmed with the many virtues which so particularly distin- guished Stanislaus, and would fain have resigned his bishopric to him. The reason he alleged for such resignation was his great age, but Stanislaus absolutely refused to accept of the see, for the contrary reason, viz. : his want of years, for being then only thirty-six years old, he deemed that too early a time of life for a man to undertake the important care of a diocese. Lambert, however, made him his substitute upon various occasions, by which he became thoroughly acquainted with all that related to the bishopric. Lambert died on Novem- ber 25, A. D. 1071, when all concerned in the choice of a successor declared for Stanislaus. But his former objection re- mained, and on account of his age, he de- clined the acceptance of the prelacy. Determined, however, to conquer his scruples, the king, clergy, and nobility, unanimously joined in writing to Pope Alex- ander II. who at their entreaty sent an express order that Stanislaus should accept the bishopric. Thus commanded, he obey- ed, and exerted himself to the utmost in the improvement of his flock. He was equally careful with respect both to clergy and laity ; and exhorted the former to show a good example as much as he did the latter to imitate it. He kept a list of all the poor in his diocese, and by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and administering reme- dies to the sick, he proved himself, not only the godly pastor, but the bodily physician and generous benefactor. Bolislaus the second king of Poland had, by nature, many good qualities, but giving way too much to his passions he ran into many enormities. He daily grew worse and worse, and from being deemed a good king, at length had the appellation of cruel bestowed on him. The nobility were shocked at his conduct, but did not care to speak to him concerning it, and the clergy saw his proceedings with grief, but were afraid to reprehend him. Stanislaus alone had the courage to tell him of his faults, when taking a private opportunity he free- ly displayed to him the enormity of his crimes. The king was greatly exasperated at this freedom, but, awed by the virtues of the bishop, dissembled his resentment, and ap- pearing to be convinced of his errors promised to reform his conduct. So far, however, from designing to perform his promise, he complained to some of his sycophants of the freedom that Stanislaus had taken with him ; and they, to flatter his folly, condemned the boldness of the bish- op. The king, soon after, attempted the chastity of a married lady, who rejected his offers with disdain ; which piqued his pride so much, that he seized her by force, and violated her by compulsion. This greatly alarmed all the nobility : none knew how long his own wife, daughter, or sister, might be safe ; and each dreaded for the peace of his family. They, at length, assembled to- gether, and calling the clergy to their as- sistance, entreated Peter, archbishop of Gresne, to remonstrate to the king on the impropriety and viciousness of his conduct ; adding, that it was more particularly his business so to do, as primate of Poland. The archbishop, however, declined the dangerous task ; for though a man of some virtue, he was of a disposition uncommonly mild. Several other prelates sheltered themselves behind his refusal, and gave their fear the name of modesty, which would not permit them to undertake what their metropolitan had thought too great for his abilities. Stanislaus alone was, as be- fore, the only one who had courage, and zeal sufficient, to perform what he looked upon as a most important and indispensable duty. He, therefore, put himself at the head of a select number of ecclesiastics, noblemen, and gentlemen ; and, proceeding to court, addressed the king in a solemn and serious manner, and fully represented the heinousness of his crimes, and what would be the fatal consequences of his debauch- eries. ft' 94 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. The king had scarce patience to hear him out ; and, as soon as he had done speaking, flew into a violent passion, at once complaining of the want of respect to his royal dignity, and vowing revenge for what he called an insult to his person. Stanislaus, however, not in the least in- timidated by his menaces, visited him twice more, and remonstrated with him in a simi- lar manner, which so much exasperated the king, that he knew not how to contain him- | self. The nobility and clergy, finding that the \ admonitions of the bishop had not the de- li sired effect upon the king, thought proper : to interpose between them. The nobility ; entreated the bishop to refrain from any \ more exasperating a monarch of so fero- ' cious and untractable a temper ; and the '. clergy endeavored to persuade the king not >. to be offended with Stanislaus for his | charitable remonstrances. Neither, how- \ ever, succeeded, for the king remained as ', obstinate, and the bishops as zealous, as i ever. The haughty sovereign, at length, j determined, at any rate, to get rid of a ' prelate, who, in his opinion, was so ex- { tremely troublesome. Hearing one day | that the bishop was by himself, in the ) chapel of St. Michael, at a small distance \ from the town, he despatched some soldiers \ to murder him. The soldiers readily un- \ dertook the bloody task ; but when they came into the presence of Stanislaus, the venerable aspect of the prelate struck them with such awe, that they could not perform what they had promised. On their return, the king, finding they had not obeyed his orders, stormed at them violently, snatched a dagger from one of them, and ran furious- ly to the chapel, where, finding Stanislaus at the altar, he plunged the weapon to his heart. The prelate immediately expired, on the 8th day of May, in the year 1079, receiving a crown of martyrdom as a re- ward for his zeal, and being numbered among the glorified saints, whose blessed- ness is described in Revelation, chap, vii., v. 13, &c, which passage hath been ren- dered, by a learned divine, into English verse. " What happy men, or angels these, That all their robes are spotless white ? ] Whence did this glorious troop arrive, At the pure realms of heavenly light ? " From tottering racks, and burning fires, And seas of their own blood, they came ; But nobler blood has washed their robes, Flowing from Christ, their dying lamb. "Now they approach the Almighty throne, With loud hosannahs night and day ; Sweet anthems to the Three in One, Measure their blessed eternity. " No more shall hunger pain their souls, He bids their parching thirst be gone, And spreads the shadow of his win^s, To screen them from the scorching sun. " The lamb that fills the middle throne, Shall shed around his milder beams; There shall they feast on his rich love, And drink full joys from living streams. " Thus shall their mighty bliss renew, Through the vast round of endless years ; And the soft hand of sovereign grace Heals all their wounds, and wipes their tears." HORRIBLE MASSACRE IN FRANCE, A. D. 1572. FTER a long series of j and that by two ways : first by pretend rag troubles in France, the > that an army was to be sent into the lower I papists seeing nothing country, under the command of the admi- covdd be done against I ral, prince of Navarre and Conde ; not that the protestants by open I the king had any intention of so doing, but , force, began to devise only with a view to ascertain what force the * how they could entrap them by subtlety, \ admiral had under him, who they were, and ( a MASSACRE ON THE EVE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW. — Page 95 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYKOLOGY. 97 what were their names. The second was, a marriage suborned between the prince of Navarre and the sister of the king of France ; to which were to be invited all the chief protestants. Accordingly, they first began with the queen of Navarre ; she consented to come to Paris, where she was at length won over to the king's mind. Shortly after she fell sick, and died within five days, not without suspicion of poison ; but her body being opened, no signs thereof appeared. A certain apothecary, however, made his boast, that he had killed the queen by venomous odors and smells, prepared by himself. Notwithstanding this, the marriage still proceeded. The admiral, prince of Na- varre and Conde, with divers other chief states of the protestants, induced by the king's letters and many fair promises, came to Paris, and were received with great solemnity. The marriage at length took place on the 18th of August, 1572, and was solemnized by the cardinal of Bourbon upon a high stage set up on purpose with- out the church walls : the prince of Na- varre and Conde came down, waiting for the king's sister, who was then at mass. This done, the company all went to the bishop's palace to dinner. In the evening they were conducted to the king's palace to supper. Four days after this, the ad- miral coming from the council-table, on his way was shot at with a pistol, charged with three bullets, and wounded in both his arms. Notwithstanding which, he still remained in Paris, although the Vidam ad- vised him to flee. Soldiers were appointed in various parts of the city to be ready at a watch-word, upon which they rushed out to the slaugh- ter of the protestants, beginning with the admiral, who being dreadfully wounded, was cast out of the window into the street, where his head being struck off, was em- balmed with spices to be sent to the pope. The savage people then cut off his arms and mutilated his body, and drew him in that state through the streets of Paris, after 7 > which, they took him to the place of ex- ', ecution, out of the city, and there hanged him up by the heels, exposing his mutilated body to the scorn of the populace. The martyrdom of this virtuous man had no sooner taken place, than the armed sol- diers ran about slaying all the protestants they could find within the city. This con- s tinued many days, but the greatest slaugh- l ter was in the first three days, in which s were said to be murdered above 10,000 \ men and women, old and young, of all I sorts and conditions. The bodies of the \ dead were carried in carts and thrown into I the river, which was all stained therewith ; \ also whole streams in various parts of the city ran with the blood of the slain. In the number that were slain of the more learned sort, were Peter Ramus, Lambi- nus, Plateanus, Lomenius, Chapesius, and others. These brutal deeds were not confined ; within the walls of Paris, but extended ; into other cities and quarters of the realm, ! especially to Lyons, Orleans, Toulouse, j and Rouen, where the cruelties were un- ! paralleled. Within the space of one month, j thirty thousand protestants, at least, are \ said to have been slain, as is credibly re- J ported by those who testify of the matter. ; When intelligence of the massacre was : received at Rome, the greatest rejoicings ; were made. The pope and cardinals went I in solemn procession to the church of St. Mark to give thanks to God. A jubilee was also published, and the ordnance fired ' from the castle of St. Angelo. To the ■ person who brought the news, the cardinal •' of Lorraine gave 1,000 crowns. Like re- ' joicings were also made all over France J for this imagined overthrow of the faithful. < ■ i The following are among the particulars ; recorded of the above enormities : — In some measure to palliate their cruel- I ties, the Roman catholics, while they were j murdering the innocent people, cried out, \ " Vile wretches, this is for wanting to over- \ turn the constitution of your country ; this \ is for conspiring to murder the king." < - — 32 R 98 "3 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 'i Rank, sex, or age, were no protections ; I gentleman into the street, stabbed him with ', / nobles sunk beneath the daggers of ruffians ; I their daggers, laid his body in a stable, ; | the tears of beauty made no impression on s covered his face with manure, and the next \ \ the hearts of bigotry ; the silver hairs of I day threw him into the Seine. < venerable age, and the piteous cries of > Peter Ramus, the royal professor of > < helpless infancy, were alike disregarded. •> logic, was seized in the college over which j Superstition steeled the hearts of the pa- > he presided, for professing protestant tenets ; ) pists against the ties of humanity ; and in- > and after being murdered, his body was fatuation directed the sword of false zeal, \ thrown out of the window, and trailed about \ to pierce the bosoms of piety and inno- > the streets in derision, by several boys who \ cence. The lamentations of distress, the > were ordered so to do by their popish j shrieks of terror, and the groans of the > tutors. dying, were music to the ears of the furi- \ A pious young gentleman was killed with > ous murderers : they enjoyed the horrors \ battle-axes in his study ; two ministers > of slaughter, and triumphed over the man- \ were stabbed, and thrown into the river ; \ gled carcasses of those whom they had \ and several of the assassins, breaking into j butchered. \ the house of a jeweller, they found the | Upon this dreadful occasion, swords, / midwife with his wife, who was in labor. \ pistols, muskets, cutlasses, daggers, and \ Having murdered the jeweller, they were j other instruments of death, had been put \ proceeding to kill the wife, when the mid- into the hands of above sixty thousand > wife kneeled before them, and entreated \ furious and bigoted papists, who now, in a < permission to deliver the woman ; " for \ frantic manner, ran up and down the streets j this will be the twentieth child she has \ of Paris, uttering the most horrid blasphe- \ borne." The inhuman brutes, however, ! mies, and committing the most inhuman ] turning a deaf ear to her entreaties, spurn- j barbarities. It is almost beyond the power I ed the midwife from them, stabbed the \ of imagination to paint, or of language to woman, and threw her out of the window. \ describe, the cruelties that were acted on \ The fall forced the child from the womb, \ that fatal night, and the two succeeding who lay crying for some time, and then days. The infirm were murdered in the \ perished in the street for want of proper . bed of sickness ; the aged stabbed while \ care. tottering on their crutches ; children snatch- \ Some soldiers entering the house of a \ ed from their mothers, and tossed on the s doctor of civil law, demanded a sight of his f points of spears ; infants strangled in their I library. With this he complied, when j cradles ; pregnant women ripped open, and finding some protestant books, they took \ men indiscriminately murdered by various I him into the street, and beat his brains out \ means. The confusion and horrors of the j with a club. A cook, who had hid him- j scene were dreadful indeed ; oaths, shout- I self on the first alarm, being pressed by | ings, shrieks, and the discharge of firearms, I thirst, came from his lurking-place to pro- I | were heard in all quarters ; houses were I cure food, but was immediately murdered ; s defiled with the blood of their owners ; the I and an apothecary, who was carrying some > / streets strewed with carcases ; and the I medicines to a patient, met with the same I ) waters of the Seine appeared of a crimson s fate. ^ color, from the number of mangled bodies I Three hundred and fifty protestants were \ | which had been thrown into that river. s confined in a place called the archbishop's £ Several ruffians entered the house of I prison. To this place a number of sol- > Monsieur De la Place, president of the I diers repaired, picked their pockets of what > j court of requests, and having plundered it \ money they had, took from them such gar- ) I of above a thousand crowns, they took that \ ments as they thought proper to appropri- J p^j~>/>^>» , V>fc/WV\ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 99 ate ' to their own uses, and then drawing their swords, cut them to pieces without the least remorse. A protestant merchant, named Francis Bassu, expecting to share the fate of other protestants, thus addressed his two sons : " Children, be not terrified at what may happen : it is the portion of true believers to be hated and persecuted by unbelievers, as sheep are devoured by wolves. But remember, that if we suffer for Christ, we shall reign with him : therefore let not drawn swords terrify you, they will be but a bridge over which to pass to eternal life." He had scarce uttered these words, when the murderers broke in, and cut to pieces the father and both his sons. After the massacre had subsided, the in- human assassins paraded the streets, boast- ing that they had dyed their white cock- ades red with the blood of huguenots. On seeing a multitude of dead bodies lay about, a papist apothecary suggested that money might be made of the fat contained in them ; the plumpest bodies were accordingly se- lected, and the grease being extracted from them, was sold for three shillings per pound : a shocking instance of the most depraved cruelty ! The inhabitants of the villages which lay below Paris, on the borders of the Seine, were astonished to see the number of dead bodies that floated down the stream, and even some of the Roman catholics were so much touched with compassion, as to exclaim, " It surely could not be men, but devils in their appearance, who have transacted these cruelties." The pope's legate, soon after, gave all who were concerned in these murders a general absolution, which plainly evinces that the Roman catholics them- selves thought these transactions criminal. The king of France gave a formal ac- count to the king of Navarre, and the prince of Conde, of the whole affair, and told them, at the same time, he " expected they should renounce their religion, as he had saved their lives with that expectation only." The king of Navarre only an- swered, " I beg you will recollect our late alliance, and not think of forcing my con- science ;" but the prince of Conde, with more spirit, replied, " You may seize my estates, property, and life, but my religion is out of your power." This answer so much enraged the king, that he fell into a vehement passion, and threatened him vio- lently ; but becoming cool again, he thought proper to let his anger subside, and suf- fered his resentment to give way to policy. Occurrences supplementary to the Massacre of Paris. It was represented to the king by his council, that the massacre would be in- effectual, if it did not extend to every part of the kingdom ; for though all the protes- tants of Paris were murdered, yet if any were suffered to live in other parts of France, they would again increase in num- \ bers, and spread to the metropolis. This < occasioned the massacre to become more < general, for the king sent orders to all parts of the nation to put the protestants to death. At Meaux, the king's attorney, Cosset, having received the bloody mandate, or- dered a number of ruffians to attend him at seven o'clock in the evening. At the ap- pointed time, he commanded the city gates to be shut, and all the protestants seized. This was immediately executed ; many were murdered that night, and about two hundred of the principal persons were con- fined till the next day. On the ensuing morning, Cosset, and his murderers, went to the prison, and having a list of the prot- estant's names, called them one by one, and murdered them as they answered to the call. They then plundered the houses of those they had murdered, divided the spoils, gave an entertainment upon the oc- casion, and concluded the evening with illuminations. At Troyes the protestants were all seized, and put into dungeons. The provost then commanded the common executioner to go 8 100 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. and murder them all. Shocked, however, at the inhumanity of the thing, the execu- tioner had spirit enough to refuse, with this remarkable expression : " My office obliges me to execute none but such as are legally condemned." But this did not save the protestants, for the provost engaged the jailer to perform what the executioner had refused. They were all accordingly mur- dered, and their bodies buried in pits, dug on purpose, within the prison. While the bloody tragedy was performing, one of the ruffians struck at a protestant two or three times without killing him : the protestant then taking hold of the point of the halberd, with which he had been wounded, placed it close to the left side of his breast, and then boldly cried, " Push it to my heart, fellow, push it to my heart.'''' At Orleans, the massacre continued for a week, and a prodigious number of men, women, and children, were murdered ; the general cry being, " Kill the huguenots and take the spoil.'" Some, who were weak enough to apostatize from their faith to save their lives, had weapons put into their hands, and were compelled to kill those of the religion they had forsaken, or to be murdered themselves ; the Roman catholics crying, in derision, all the time, " Smite ''em, smite 'em, were they not your holy brothers and sisters ?" At Lyons, all the protestants houses were plundered, and the slaughter almost incredible ; at Rouen, six thousand were massacred ; at Thoulouse, about three hun- dred were martyred upon the occasion ; many were drowned at Angiers, and seve- ral were butchered at Bordeaux ; though happily, at the latter place, several got expeditiously on board a ship, and escaped to England. A curious corroboration of the foregoing account of the Parisian massacre, and the murders which immediately ensued in several parts of France. As the following narrative is extremely interesting in itself, and as it was written by a learned and sensible Roman catholic, we presume it will appear, at the conclu- sion of this chapter, with peculiar pro- priety : — " The nuptials of the young king of Na- varre with the French king's sister, were solemnized with pomp ; and all the endear- ments, all the assurances of friendship, all the oaths sacred among men, were pro- fusely lavished by Catharine, the queen- mother, and by the king ; during which, the rest of the court thought of nothing but festivities, plays, and masquerades. At last, at twelve o'clock at night, on the eve of St. Bartholomew, the signal was given. Immediately all the houses of the protes- tants were forced open at once. Admiral Coligni, alarmed by the uproar, jumped I out of bed ; when a company of assassins \ rushed into his chamber. They were { headed by one Besme, who had been bred / up as a domestic in the family of the > Guises. This wretch thrust his sword into ' ; the admiral's breast, and also cut him in \ the face. Besme was a German, and \ being afterward taken by the protestants, \ the Rochellers would have bought him, in J order to hang and quarter him ; but he was ^ killed by one Bretanville. Henry, the young duke of Guise, who afterward framed the catholic league, and was murdered at Blois, standing at the door till the horrid butchery should be completed, called aloud, " Besme ! is it done ?" Immediately after which the ruffians threw the body out of the window, and Coligni expired at Guise's feet. Count de Teligny also fell a sacrifice. He had married, about ten months before, Coligni's daughter. His countenance was so engaging, that the ruffians, when they advanced in order to kill him, were struck with compassion ; but others, more barba- rous, rushing forward, murdered him. In the meantime, all the friends of Co- ligni were assassinated throughout Paris : men, women, and children, were promis- cuously slaughtered ; every street was strewed with expiring bodies. Some • SI THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 101 & priests, holding up a crucifix in one hand, and a dagger in the other, ran to the chiefs of the murderers, and strongly exhorted them to spare neither relations nor friends. Tavannes, marshal of France, an igno- rant, superstitious soldier, who joined the fury of religion to the rage of party, rode on horseback through the streets of Paris, cry- ing to his men, " Let blood ! let blood ! Bleed- ing is as wholesome in August as in May." In the memoirs of the life of this enthusias- tic, written by his son, we are told, that the father being on his deathbed, and ma- king a general confession of his actions, the priest said to him, with surprise, " What ! no mention of St. Bartholomew's massacre ?" To which Tavannes replied, " I consider it as a meritorious action, that will wash away all my sins." Such horrid sentiments can a false spirit of religion inspire ! The king's palace was one of the chief scenes of the butchery : the king of Na- varre had his lodging in the Louvre, and all his domestics were protestants. Many of these were killed in bed with their wives ; others, running away naked, were pursued by the soldiers through the several rooms of the palace, even to the king's ante-cham- ber. The young wife of Henry of Na- varre, awaked by the dreadful uproar, being afraid for her consort, and for her own life, seized with horror, and half dead, flew from her bed, in order to throw herself at the feet of the king her brother. But scarce had she opened her chamber-door, when some of her protestant domestics rushed in for refuge. The soldiers immediately followed, pursued them in sight of the princess, and killed one who had crept under her bed. Two others, being wound- ed with halberds, fell at the queen's feet, so that she was covered with blood. Count de la Rochefaucault, a young no- bleman, greatly in the king's favor for his comely air, his politeness, and a certain peculiar happiness in the turn of his con- versation, had spent the evening till eleven o'clock with the monarch, in pleasant fa- miliarity ; and had given a loose, with the \ utmost mirth, to the sallies of his imagina- < tion. The monarch felt some remorse ; ; and being touched with a kind of compas- \ sion, hid him, two or three times, not go ' home, but lie in the Louvre. The count ; said he must go to his wife ; upon which j the king pressed him no further, but said, j " Let him go ! I see God has decreed his death." And in two hours after he was > murdered. Very few of the protestants escaped ', the fury of their enthusiastic persecutors. \ Among these was young la Force (after- \ ward the famous marshal de la Force), a \ child about ten years of age, whose de- I liverance was exceedingly remarkable. / His father, his elder brother, and himself, < were seized together by the duke of Anjou's J soldiers. These murderers flew at all three, \ and struck at them at random, when they \ all fell, and lay one upon another. The I youngest did not receive a single blow, but > appearing as if he was dead, escaped the \ next day ; and his life, thus wonderfully \ preserved, lasted fourscore and five years. > Many of the wretched victims fled to the \ water-side, and some swam over the Seine i to the suburbs of St. Germains. The mon- arch saw them from his window, which < looked upon the river, and fired upon them with a carbine that had been loaded for that / purpose by one of his pages : while the \ queen-mother, undisturbed and serene in the midst of slaughter, looking down from i a balcony, encouraged the murderers, and \ laughed at the dying groans of the slaugh- \ tered. This barbarous queen was fired | with a restless ambition, and she per- <' petually shifted her party in order to satiate \ it. She was accused of a loose commerce \ with certain gentlemen ; and was weak \ enough to believe in magic, as appeared from the talismans found after her death. Some days after this horrid transaction, \ the French court endeavored to palliate it ) by forms of law. They pretended to justify \ the massacre by a calumny ; and accused j the admiral of a conspiracy, which no one \ r~ 102 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. *■ believed. The parliament was commanded £ to proceed against the memory of Coligni : < and his dead body was hung in chains on < Montfaucon gallows. The king himself went to view this shocking spectacle ; when one of his courtiers advising him to retire, and complaining of the stench of the corpse, he replied, " A dead enemy smells well." The massacres on St. Bartholo- mew's day are painted in the royal saloon I of the Vatican at Rome, with the following inscription : " Pontifex Colignii necem pro- bat" i. e., " The pope approves of Coligni's death." The young king of Navarre was spared through policy, rather than from the pity of the queen-mother, she keeping him prisoner till the king's death, in order that he might be as a security and pledge for the submission of such protestants as might effect their escape. This horrid butchery was not confined merely to the city of Paris. The like \ orders were issued from court to the gov- \ ernors of all the provinces in France ; so { that, in a week's time, above one hundred thousand protestants were cut to pieces in different parts of the kingdom. Two or three governors only refused to obey the king's orders. One of these, named Mont- morrin, governor of Auvergne, wrote the king the following letter, which deserves to be transmitted to latest posterity : — " Sir : I have received an order under your majesty's seal, to put to death all the protestants in my province. I have loo much respect for your majesty, not to be- lieve the letter a forgery : but if (which God forbid) the order should be genuine, I have too much respect for your majesty to obey it." These barbarities inflamed such protes- tants as escaped rather with rage than terror : their irreconcilable hatred to the court supplied them with fresh vigor, and the spirit of revenge increased their strength. The king, under whose influ- ence this dreadful havoc had been com- mitted, never enjoyed his health after, but died in about two years, his blood gushing daily through the pores of his skin ; so that he expired, as it were, weltering in his own gore. " Fear haunts the guilty mind with horrid views, And Providence the murderer pursues: Those by whose means the innocent are slain, Shall live detested and expire in pain." THE SIEGE OF SANCERRE. ANCERRE, a city chiefly inhabited by protestants, was besieged A. D. 1573, by the lord of Chartres, with a considerable army. He planted his cannon judiciously, and played incessantly on the place ; so that more were wounded by the fragments of stones, and splinters of timber, broken by means of the artillery, than by the balls themselves. Besides cannonading the place almost continually, the lord of Chartres frequently gave furious assaults, in order to take it by storm ; but was as often repulsed, with loss, by the besieged. The conflict was dreadful, and each side appeared resolved in their several purposes ; the one to suc- ceed in compelling the city to surrender ; the other in defending it to the last ex- tremity ; which brings to our recollection the following admirable lines, descriptive of the horrors of a siege : — " See round the walls a steely circle stands In deep array, and spreads in radiant bands. Hark ! the shrill trumpet sends a mortal sound, And prancing horses shake the solid ground ; The surly drums beat terrible from afar, With all the dreadful music of the war : From the drawn swords effulgent flames arise, THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 103 Flash o'er the plains, and lighten to the skies. The heavens above, the fields and floods beneath, Glare formidably bright, and shine with death: In fiery storms descends a murd'rous shower, Thick flash the lightnings, fierce the thunders roar ; Swift rush the balls with many a fiery round, Tear the huge stones, or rend the steadfast mound ; Death shakes aloft her dart, and over her prey Gigantic stalking, marks in blood her way." The want of provisions seemed to threaten what the arms of the besiegers could not perform ; the long continuance of the siege had caused a great scarcity of the necessaries of life, and the bravest of the besieged began to fear they must either give up the place, or fall victims to famine. So great, indeed, were the distresses of the people, that the flesh of horses, mules, and asses, was purchased at a great price ; and many were compelled to live only upon the flesh of dogs, cats, mice, moles, &c. Even these disagreeable resources at length failed, and the severity of hunger forced them to put up with leather, parch- ment, beasts' hoofs, and horns stewed down to a jelly, or boiled sufficiently soft to be swallowed. The wild roots in the few gardens of the city, the grass and house- leek which grew on the tops of houses, walls, and sheds, were sought for with avidity, and devoured as delicacies. The substitutes for bread were dried herbs and bran, straw-meal, powdered nut-shells, and even pounded states, made into cakes with grease. During this extremity, a poor man and his wife were apprehended, for having eaten a part of their own daughter, a child of three years old, who died of hunger : they had already devoured the head and entrails, and when taken were dressing some of the limbs. In their excuse they pleaded the horrid severity of the hunger with which they were tormented, and that they had not murdered the child : it was, however, proved against them, that on the very day when they began to eat their off- spring, some humane person had charitably sent to their house a mess of pottage, made with herbs, and some wine, which might have enabled them to refrain, at least another day, from the unnatural meal. The governor, therefore, to make an example which might deter others from practisino- anything so atrocious, ordered them to be hanged. Their fate, however, drew com- passion from many, who, from what them- selves felt, and considering the desperate circumstances of the persons, could not help sympathizing with the criminals, though they abhorred their crimes. A laboring man and his wife, who had a little vineyard within the city walls, and who had fed themselves, for some time, with the leaves and branches of the vines, were found dead, and two young children crying by them. The children, however, were taken by a charitable widow, and sustained with as much care as the present circumstances would permit. Several others were found dead in their houses ; many dropped down in the streets ; the sorrow- ful lamentations of the living for the dead were equally mingled with the cries of hunger, and, in conjunction, formed the most doleful sounds of horror. A boy dropping down, through weak- ness, at the feet of his father and mother, they bitterly lamented over him ; when he heroically said : " Don't weep to see me die with hunger ; I do not ask you for food ; I know you have none to give me : it is the will of God I should die, and therefore I cheerfully submit." He expired the moment he had uttered these words, leaving his parents astonished at his forti- tude, and happy in his religious resignation. Several soldiers and citizens, rather than stay and be starved, chose to escape from the place, and run all hazards : some were immediately killed in the attempt, and the rest put into prison, tried as traitors, and afterward executed. The king of France was so much exas- perated at the long and valiant defence of the besieged, that he sent word to his general, the lord of Chartres, if he took the place, to massacre all within it ; and if he could not, to block them up till they devoured each other. But the full completion of this cruel order was providentially defeated, by £ 104 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. ] the following circumstance : there being t an election for a king of Poland, the duke of Anjou, brother to the king of France, was elected, upon condition that the king of France should cease the persecution against his protestant subjects : these con- ditions were, for political reasons, complied with ; and Sancerre, among other places, had immediate relief. Eighty-four persons were killed during the siege ; near six hundred perished by famine ; and several were so emaciated from the same cause, '{ that they died soon after the siege was } raised. Thus, when we deem ourselves £ at the very last extremity, are we some- / times suddenly relieved by the most un- ^ expected means : so inscrutable are the J ways of that Providence,. on which, in all i emergencies, we ought to depend. I " Heaven is our guard, and innocence its care, 'i Nor need the good the worst of dangers (car ; \ It pities the defenceless, poor man's grief, '/ And sends him, when he calls, help and relief; < It arms the surest succor, and the best j Delivers, and revenges the distressed." PERSECUTIONS OF THE WALDENSES IN THE VALLEYS OF PIEDMONT. ANY of the Wal- denses, to avoid the persecutions to which they were continually sub- jected in France, went and settled in the valleys of Piedmont, where they increased exceedingly, and flourished very much for a considerable time. Though they were harmless in their behavior, inoffensive in their conversation, and paid tithes to the Romish clergy, yet the latter could not be contented, but wish- ed to give them some disturbance : they accordingly complained to the archbishop of Turin, that the Waldenses of the valleys of Piedmont were heretics, for these rea- sons : — 1. That they did not believe in the doc- trines of the church of Rome. 2. That they made no offerings for prayers for the dead. 3. That they did not go to mass. 4. That they did not confess and receive absolution. 5. That they did not believe in purga- tory, or pay money to get the souls of their friends out of it. Upon these charges the archbishop or- dered a persecution to be commenced, and thousands fell martyrs to the superstitious rage of the priests and monks. At Turin, one of the reformed had his bowels torn out, and put into a basin be- fore his face, where they remained, in his S view, till he expired. At Revel, Catelin Girard being at the stake, desired the ex- ecutioner to give him up a stone ; which he refused, thinking that he meant to throw it at somebody ; but Girard assuring him that he had no such design, the execu- " tioner complied ; when Girard looking , earnestly at the stone, said : " When it is > in the power of a man to eat and digest thia solid stone, the religion for which I am < about to suffer shall have an end, and not j before." He then threw the stone on the \ ground, and submitted cheerfully to the I flames. A great many more of the re- < formed were oppressed, or put to death by various means, till the patience of the Wal- denses being tired out, they flew to arms in their own defence, and formed them- selves into regular bodies. Exasperated at this, the archbishop of Turin procured a number of troops, and sent against them ; but in most of the skir- mishes and engagements the Waldenses were successful, which partly arose from their being better acquainted with the *c MASSACRE OF THE WALDENSES IN THE VALLEYS OF PIEDMONT. — Paje 105. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 107 passes of the valleys of Piedmont than their adversaries, and partly from the des- peration with which they fought ; for they knew, if they were taken, they should not be considered as prisoners of war, but should be tortured to death as heretics. At length, Philip, the seventh duke of Savoy, and supreme lord of Piedmont, de- termined to interpose his authority, and stop these bloody wars, which so greatly disturbed his dominions. He was not wil- ling to disoblige the pope, or affront the archbishop of Turin ; nevertheless, he sent them both messages, importing, that he could not any longer tamely see his do- minions overrun with troops, who were directed by priests instead of officers, and commanded by prelates in the place of generals ; nor would he suffer his country to be depopulated, while he himself had not been even consulted upon the occasion. The priests, finding the resolution of the duke, did all they could to prejudice his mind against the Waldenses ; but the duke told them, that though he was unacquainted with the religious tenets of these people, yet he had always found them quiet, faith- ful, and obedient, and therefore he was determined they should be no longer per- secuted. The priests now had recourse to the most palpable and absurd falsehoods : they assured the duke that he was mistaken in the Waldenses, for that they were a very wicked set of people, aad highly addicted to intemperance, uncleanness, blasphemy, adultery, incest, and many other abomina- ble crimes ; that they were even monsters in nature, for their children were born with black throats, with four rows of teeth, and bodies all over hairy. The duke was not so devoid of common sense as to give credit to what the priests siid, though they affirmed, in the most solemn manner, the truth of their asser- tions. He, however, sent twelve very learned and sensible gentlemen into the Piedmontese valleys, to examine into the real characters of the inhabitants. These gentlemen, after travelling through all their towns and villages, and conversing with people of every rank among the Wal- denses, returned to the duke, and gave him the most favorable account of those people ; affirming, before the faces of the priests who vilified them, that they were harm- less, inoffensive, loyal, friendly, industrious, and pious : that they abhorred the crimes of which they were accused ; and that, should an individual, through his depravity, fall into any of those crimes, he would, by their laws, be punished in the most exem- plary manner. With respect to the chil- dren, the gentlemen said, the priests had told the most gross and ridiculous falsities, for they were neither born with black throats, teeth in their mouths, or hair on their bodies, but were as fine children as could be seen. " And to convince your highness of what we have said," continued one of the gentlemen, " we have brought twelve of the principal male inhabitants, who have come to ask pardon in the name of the rest, for having taken up arms with- out your leave, though even in their own defence, and to preserve their lives from their merciless enemies. And we have likewise brought several women, with chil- dren of various ages, that your highness may have an opportunity of personally ex- amining them as much as you please." The duke, after accepting the apology of the twelve delegates, conversing with the women, and examining the children, graciously dismissed them. He then com- manded the priests, who had attempted to mislead him, immediately to leave the court ; and gave strict orders, that the per- secution should cease throughout his do- minions. The Waldenses had enjoyed peace many years, when Philip, the seventh duke of Savoy, died, and his successor happened to be a very bigoted papist. About the same time, some of the principal Walden- ses proposed that their clergy should preach in public, that every one might know the ; purity of their doctrines ; for hitherto they 108 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. had preached only in private, and to such congregations as they well knew to con- sist of none but persons of the reformed religion. On hearing these proceedings, the new duke was greatly exasperated, and sent a considerable body of troops into the valleys, swearing, that if the people would not > change their religion, he would have them flayed alive. The commander of the troops soon found the impracticability of conquer- ing them with the number of men he had with him ; he therefore sent word to the duke, that the idea of subjugating the Wal- denses, with so small a force, was ridicu- lous ; that those people were better ac- quainted with the country than any that were with him ; that they had secured all the passes, were well armed, and resolutely determined to defend themselves ; and, with respect to flaying them alive, he said that every skin belonging to those people, would cost him the lives of a dozen of his subjects. Terrified at this information, the duke withdrew the troops, determining to act not by force, but by stratagem. He there- fore ordered rewards for the taking of any of the Waldenses, who might be found straying from their places of security ; and these, when taken, were either flayed alive or burnt. The Waldenses had hitherto had only ] the New Testament, and a few books of the > Old, in the Waldensian tongue; but they 5 determined now to have the Sacred Wri- \ tings complete in their own language. They therefore employed a Swiss printer to furnish them with a complete edition of the Old and New Testaments in the Wal- densian tongue, which he did for the con- sideration of fifteen hundred crowns of gold paid him by those pious people. Pope Paul the Third, a bigoted papist, ascending the pontifical chair, immediately solicited the parliament of Turin to perse- cute the Waldenses, as the most pernicious of all heretics. The parliament readily agreed, when S several were suddenly apprehended and burnt, by their order. Among these was Bartholomew Hector, a bookseller and stationer of Turin, who was brought up a Roman catholic, but having read some treatises written by the reformed clergy, he was fully convinced of the errors of the church of Rome ; yet his mind was, for some time, wavering, and he hardly knew what persuasion to embrace. The anguish of his soul, the palpitation of his heart, and the doubts which tormented his breast, are finely described in a poem, written by him- self, which has thus been rendered into English : — JOB XXIII., Ver. 3. " O that I knew where I might find him !" " Where shall I hide my blushing face, So full of horror and disgrace ? Or where a healing med'cine find, To ease the anguish of my mind ? " Worldlings of want and loss complain, And holy joy in Christ disdain ; An evil heart of unbelief, Fills my whole nature full of grief. " This fatal plague, this fiery dart, Gives me intolerable smart ; I pant, I weep, I groan, I cry, Pressed by exceeding misery. " Or is my stony heart so hard, Or is my conscience so much seared. That I can't drop a single tear, Through filial love, or servile fear ? " Should I to distant lands repair, My evil heart attends me there ; Should I attempt to cross the sea, From my own self I can not flee. " Where shall I go ? What shall I do ? Who will relieve my torment ? — Who ! If Jesus will not heal my wound, My place in hell will soon be found. " Did not the dear Redeemer bleed, To purchase life for all his seed ? Did he not die upon the tree, To save rebellious worms like me ? <[ When will the Prince of Peace descend, And bid my cries and conflicts end? O ! for that happy, heavenly day, When Christ shall take my sins away." Bartholomew Hector, at length, fully embraced the reformed religion, and was apprehended, as we have already mention- ed, and burnt by order of the parliament of Turin. A consultation was now held by the ■- THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. '3 109 } parliament of Turin, in which it was agreed, to send deputies to the valleys of Piedmont, with the following propositions : — 1. That if the Waldenses would come to the bosom of the church of Rome, and embrace the Roman catholic religion, they should enjoy their houses, properties, and lands, and live with their families, without the least molestation. 2. That to prove their obedience, they should send twelve of their principal per- sons, with all their ministers and school- masters, to Turin, to be dealt with at dis- cretion. 3. That the pope, the king of France, and the duke of Savoy, approved of, and authorized the proceedings of the parlia- ment of Turin, upon this occasion. 4. That if the Waldenses of the valleys of Piedmont refused to comply with these propositions, persecution should ensue, and certain death be their portion. To each of these propositions the Wal- denses nobly replied in the following man- ner, answering them respectively : — 1. That no considerations whatever should make them renounce their religion. 2. That they would never consent to commit their best and most respectable friends, to the custody and discretion of their worst and most inveterate enemies. 3. That they valued the approbation of the King of kings, who reigns in heaven, more than any temporal authority. 4. That their souls were more precious than their lives. These pointed and spirited replies greatly exasperated the parliament of Turin : they continued, with more avidity than ever, to kidnap such Waldenses as did not act with proper precaution, who were sure to suffer the most cruel deaths. Among these it unfortunately happened, that they got hold of Jeffery Varnagle, minister of Angrogne, whom they committed to the flames as a heretic. They then solicited a considerable body of troops of the king of France, in order to exterminate the reformed, entirely, from the valleys of Piedmont ; but just as the troops were going to march, the protestant j princes of Germany interposed, and threaten- ' ed to send troops to assist the Waldenses, < if they should be attacked. The king of < France, not caring to enter into a war, re- \ manded the troops, and sent word to the parliament of Turin, that he could not spare j any troops at present to act in Piedmont. ' The members of the parliament were greatly I vexed at this disappointment, and the per- \ secution gradually ceased ; for as they } t could only put to death such of the reform- j ed as they caught by chance, and as the Waldenses daily grew more cautious, their j cruelty was obliged to subside, for want of objects on whom to exercise it. " Experience teaches to be wise, While danger sharpens human eyes ; And the more hazards we have run, The more expert we are to shun." After the Waldenses had enjoyed a few ] years' tranquillity, they were again dis- \ turbed by the following means : the pope's ? nuncio coming to Turin to the duke of j Savoy upon business, told that prince, he j was astonished he had not yet either rooted ) out the Waldenses from the valleys of Piedmont entirely, or compelled them to enter into the bosom of the church of Rome, j That he could not help looking upon such \ conduct with a suspicious eye, and that he \ really thought him a favorer of those here- \ tics, and should report the affair according- j ly to his holiness the pope. X Stung by this reflection, and unwilling < to be misrepresented to the pope, the duke i determined to act with the greatest severity, \ in order to show his zeal, and to make j amends for former neglect by future cruelty. j He, accordingly, issued express orders for s all the Waldenses to attend mass regularly, > on pain of death. This they absolutely s refused to do, on which he entered the \ Piedmontese valleys, with a formidable s body of troops, and began a most furious \ persecution, in which great numbers were > Hanged, Burnt, Drowned, Stabbed, Ripped open, Racked to death, { 110 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. Tied to trees, and Crucified with their | the flames, and drove the Waldenses to the pierced with prongs, head.s downward, > woods, where they had nothing to subsist Thrown from precipies, Worried by dogs, t on but wild fruits, roots, the bark of trees, &c. (See engraving.) t &c. Those who fled had their goods plunder- i Some Roman catholic ruffians having ed, and their houses burnt to the ground : < seized a minister as he was going to preach, they were particularly cruel when they I determined to take him to a convenient caught a minister or a school-master, whom >, place, and burn him. His parishioners they put to such exquisite tortures, as are ^having intelligence of the affair, the men \ almost incredible to conceive. \ armed themselves, pursued the ruffians, and > The most cruel persecutors, upon this ', seemed determined to rescue their minister ; i occasion, that attended the duke, were three ) which the ruffians no sooner perceived, than in number, viz.: 1. Thomas Incomel, an '> they stabbed the poor gentleman, and leav- < apostate ; for he was brought up in the I ing him weltering in his blood, made a pre- ? reformed persuasion, but renounced his > cipitate retreat. The astonished parishion- \ faith, embraced the errors of popery, and ers did all they could to recover him, but in j turned monk. He was a great libertine, | vain ; for the weapon had touched the vital < given to unnatural crimes, and sordidly \ parts, and he expired as they were carry- / solicitous for the plunder of the Waldenses. \ ing him home. < 2. Corbis, a man of a very ferocious and j The monks of Pignerol having a great > cruel nature, whose business was to ex- < inclination to get the minister of a town in ( amine the prisoners. 3. The provost of < the valleys, called St. Germain, into their > ( justice, who was very anxious for the exe- \ power, hired a band of ruflians for the pur- > j cution of the Waldenses, as every execu- \ pose of apprehending him. These fellow* J tion put money into his pocket. < were conducted by a treacherous person, \ These, three persons were unmerciful to > who had formerly been a servant to the ? the last degree ; and, wherever they came, f < clergyman, and who perfectly well knew a the blood of the innocent was sure to flow. \ secret way to the house, by which he could I Exclusive of the cruelties exercised by \ lead them without alarming the neighbor- l the duke, these three persons, and the \ hood. The guide knocked at the door, and « army, in their different marches, many i being asked who was there, answered in his I local barbarities were committed. At Pig- t own name. The clergyman, not expecting < nerol, a town in the valleys, was a monas- \ any injury from a person on whom he had \ tery, the monks of which finding they might \ heaped favors, immediately opened the j injure the reformed with impunity, began \ door ; but perceiving the ruffians, he started \ \ to plunder the houses, and pull down the \ back, and fled to a back door; but they i ', churches of the Waldenses. Not meeting \ rushed in, followed, and seized him. Hav- \ with any opposition, they next seized upon \ ing murdered all his family, they made him \ the persons of those unhappy people, mur- \ proceed toward Pignerol, goading him all \ dering the men, confining the women, and \ the way with pikes, lances, swords, &c. \ putting the children to Roman catholic < He was kept a considerable time in prison, <, nurses. < and then fastened to the stake to be burnt; \ The Roman catholic inhabitants of the \ when two women of the Waldenses, who valley of St. Martin, likewise, did all they ' had renounced their religion to save their could to vex and torment the neighboring < lives, were ordered to carry fagots to the > Waldenses : they destroyed their churches, < stake to bum him ; and as they laid them s burnt their houses, seized their properties, $ down, to say, " Take these, thou wicked \ stole their cattle, converted their lands to \ heretic, in recompense for the pernicious < their own use, committed their ministers to j doctrines that thou hast taught us." These \ « 8 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. Ill words they both repeated tohiin : to which it as a rarity." He then stabbed the man, he calmly replied : " I formerly taught you < and threw him into a ditch, well, but you have since learned ill." The \ A party of the troops found a venerable fire was then put to the fagots, and he was \ man upward of a hundred years of age, to- speedily consumed, calling upon the name < gether with his grand-daughter, a maiden, of the Lord as long as his voice permitted. I of about eighteen, in a cave. They butch- As the troops of ruffians, belonging to I ered the poor old man in a most inhuman the monks, did great mischief about the s manner, and then attempted to violate the town of St. Germain, murdering and plim- > girl, when she started away, and fled from dering many of the inhabitants, the reform- > them ; but they pursuing her, she threw I ed of Lucerne and Angrogne sent some I herself from a precipice, and perished. > bands of armed men to the assistance of> The Waldenses, in order the more ef- \ their brethren of St. Germain. These > fectually to be able to repel force by force, I bodies of armed men frequently attacked '> entered into a league with the protestants < the ruffians, and often put them to the rout, > of Dauphiny, with some protestant powers which so terrified the monks, that they left \ in Germany, and with the reformed of their monastery of Pignerol for sometime, j Pragela. These were, respectively, to fur- till they could procure a body of regular nish bodies of troops ; and the Waldenses troops to guard them. j determined, when thus reinforced, to quit The duke, not thinking himself so sue- the mountains of the Alps (where they must cessful as he at first imagined he should be, j soon have perished, as the winter was greatly augmented his forces ; ordered the ^ coming on), and to force the duke's army bands of ruffians, belonging to the monks, j to evacuate their native valleys, should join him ; and commanded, that a i The duke of Savoy was now tired of the general jail delivery should take place, pro- > war ; it had cost him great fatigue and vided the persons released would bear I anxiety of mind, a vast number of men, and arms, and form themselves into light com- 1 very considerable sums of money. It had panies, to assist in the extermination of the ; been much more tedious and bloody than "\\ aldenses. j he expected, as well as more expensive The Waldenses, being informed of these \ than he could at first have imagined, for he \ proceedings, secured as much of their < thought the plunder would have discharged properties as they could, and quitting the i the expenses of the expedition ; but in this valleys, retired to the rocks and caves \ he was mistaken, for the pope's nuncio, among the Alps ; for it is to be understood, > the bishops, monks, and other ecclesiastics, that the valleys of Piedmont are situated at I who attended the army, and encouraged j the foot of those prodigious mountains, \ the war, sunk the greatest part of the \ called the Alps, or the Alpine hills. < wealth that was taken under various pre- The army now began to plunder and I tences. For these reasons, and the death burn the towns and villages wherever they < of his duchess, of which he had just re- came ; but the troops could not force the < ceived intelligence, and fearing that the passes to the Alps, which were gallantly < Waldenses, by the treaties they had en- defended by the Waldenses, who always < tered into, would become more powerful repulsed their enemies ; but if any fell into < than ever, he determined to return to Turin the hands of the troops, they were sure to < with his army, and to make peace with the \ be treated with the most barbarous severity. < Waldenses. A soldier having caught one of the Wal- < This resolution he executed, though | denses, bit his right ear off, saying, " I will < greatly against the will of the ecclesiastics, j carry this member of that wicked heretic I who were the chief gainers, and the best with me into my own country, and preserve \ pleased with revenge. Before the articles M 112 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. of peace could be ratified, the duke himself died soon after his return to Turin ; but on his death-bed he strictly enjoined his son to perform what he had intended, and to be as favorable as possible to the Wal- denses. The duke's son, Charles Emanuel, suc- '. ceeded to the dominions of Savoy, and gave a full ratification of peace to the Wal- denses, according to the last injunction of his father, though the ecclesiastics did all they could to persuade him to the con- trary. Notwithstanding the peace, the monks and inquisitors did all they could to op- press those of the reformed religion by the most insidious means ; in particular, one Bartholomew Copin, of Lucerne, goinji to Ast, to dispose of some merchandise, hap- pened to sup with some Roman catholics. One of the company, after supper, spoke with great asperity against the Waldenses, abused them in a most infamous manner, and charged them with almost every crime that could be committed. Copin was great- ly enraged to hear his religion so falsely vilified, and the innocent professors of it so scandalously accused : he therefore en- tered into a strenuous defence of both, when the papist interrupting him, said, " Pray, sir, are you a Waldensian ?" " I am," replied Copin. " Do you believe that God is in the host ?" said the other. " I do not," said Copin. "Then your religion must be false indeed ;" said the Roman catholic. " Not at all," answered Copin ; " it is as true as God from whom it pro- ceeds." The papist thought this sufficient, and therefore asked no more questions that evening ; but the next morning laid an in- formation before the bishop. Copin, being sumnif/Cec to attend the ecclesiastical court, confessed the expres- sions he was charged with, when the bishop told him he must either recant or be punished. Copin replied, he had been provoked to what he had said, yet he would abide by it with his life ; that he had property and a family, but valued nothing so much as his soul ; nor did he think that any one had a right to detain him for his opinion ; that Turks and Jews were suffered to vend their merchandise without molestation, and therefore he thought it very hard to be denied that privi- lege. The bishop committed him to prison, and the next day the secretary went to him, and told him that unless he acknowl- edged his error, his life would be in danger. To which he replied : " My life is in the hands of God, and I desire not to preserve it to the prejudice of the glory of my Re- deemer : there are but a few paces in the journey to heaven, and I pray that the Al- mighty will not suffer me once to think of turning back, when I begin to travel that way. At a second examination, great persua- sions were used to induce him to recant, but in vain ; for he said, " If I deny Christ before men, Christ will deny me to my heavenly Father." On hearing this, one of the priests present exclaimed in great wrath, " Go thy ways, thou cursed heretic, to all the devils in hell ; and when they torment thee, thou shalt be sorry for not having taken the good counsel given thee here." His wife and son had been sent for, that they might tempt him to recant; but as soon as he saw them, he exhorted them to patience and perseverance in their religion ; saying, " God will prove a better husband, and a better father, than I could ever be." After taking a tender leave he sent them home, commanding them to wait the dis- pensations of Providence, and patiently to expect the results of his fate. The bishop himself, after all, was puz- zled to know what to do with Copin ; for if he discharged him, he was apprehensive that others would be encouraged to speak their sentiments freely, thinking they might do it with impunity ; and, on the contrary, if he openly put him to death, he feared it might be deemed a violation of the treaty THE CHRISTIAN MARTY/ROLOGY. 113 m lately made between the duke and the i It evidently appeared that he had been Waldenses, and that himself might suffer strangled ; but as the murderer was Un- as the first infringer of it. He therefore 5 known, this bishop thought proper to give sent a messenger to the pope to know how \ out that he had hanged himself. to proceed ; but before his return with the \ ... ^ ■ r ill- • ,( " Where public rage, and open malice fail, directions, Lopin was lound dead in prison ! \ Secret assassination will prevail." FURTHER PERSECUTIONS IN THE VALLEYS OF PIEDMONT. IOVANNI PELANCHI- ON, for refusing to turn papist, was tied by one leg to the tail of a mule, and dragged through the streets of Lucerne, amid the acclamations of an inhuman mob, who kept stoning him, and crying out, " He is possessed with the devil, so that neither stoning nor dragging him through the streets will kill him, for the devil keeps him alive." They they then took him to the river-side, chopped, off his head, and left that and his body unburied upon the bank of the stream. Magdalen, the daughter of Peter Fon- taine, a beautiful child of ten years of age, was violated and murdered by the soldiers. Another girl, of about the same age, they roasted alive at Villa Nova ; and a poor wo- man, hearing the soldiers were coming tow- ard her house, snatched up the cradle in which her infant son was asleep, and fled toward the woods. The soldiers, however, saw and pursued her, when she lightened herself by putting down the cradle and child, which the soldiers no sooner came to, than they murdered the infant, and con- tinuing the pursuit, found the mother in a cave, where they first violated, and then cut her to pieces. Jacopo Michelino, chief elder of the church of Bobbio, and several other protes- tants, were hung up by means of hooks fixed in their flesh, and left to expire in the most excruciating tortures. " Of all the monsters that the world pollute, None is so savage as a human brute ; Man, when benevolence is once forgot, Is one gross error, one prodigious blot." Giovanni Rostagnal, a venerable prot- estant, upward of fourscore years of age, had his nose and ears cut off, and slices cut from the fleshy parts of his body, till he bled to death. Seven persons, viz. : Daniel Saleagio and his wife, Giovanni Durant, Lodwick Durant, Bartholomew Durant, Daniel Re- vel, and Paul Reynaud, had their mouths stuffed with gunpowder, which being set fire to, their heads were blown to pieces. Jacob Dirone, a schoolmaster of Ro- rata, for refusing to change his religion, was stripped quite naked ; and after hav- ing been very indecently exposed, had the nails of his toes and fingers torn off with red-hot pincers, and holes bored through his hands with the point of a dagger. He then had a cord tied round his middle, and was led through the streets with a soldier on each side of him. At every turning, the soldier on his right-hand side cut a gash in his flesh, and the soldier on his left- hand side struck him with a bludgeon, both saying, at the same instant, " Will you go to mass 1 Will you go to mass ?" He still replied in the negative to these interroga- tories, and being at length taken to the bridge, they cut off his head on the balus- trades, and threw both that and his body into the river. Paul Garnier, a very pious protestant, had his eyes put out, was then flayed alive, 114 THE CHRISTIAN MAilTYROLOGY. and being divided into four parts, his quar- ters were placed on four of the principal houses of Lucerne. He bore all his suffer- ings with the most exemplary patience, praised God as long as he could speak, and plainly evinced what confidence and resignation a good conscience can in- spire. Daniel Cardon, of Rocappiata, being apprehended by some soldiers, they cut his head off, and having fried his brains, ate them. Two poor old blind women of St. Giovanni, were burnt alive ; and a widow of La Torre, with her daughter, were driven into the river, and there stoned to death. Paul Giles, on attempting to run away from some soldiers, was shot in the neck : they then slit his nose, sliced his chin, stabbed him, and gave his carcase to the dogs. Some of the Irish troops having taken eleven men of Garcigliana prisoners, they made a furnace red-hot, and forced them to push each other in till they came to the last man, whom they pushed in themselves. Michaf.l Gonet, a man of ninety, was burnt to death ; Baptista Oudri, another old man, was stabbed ; and Bartholomew Frasche had holes made in his heels, through which ropes being put, he was dragged by them to the jail, where his wounds mortified, and killed him. Magdalene de la Peire, being pur- sued by some of the soldiers, and taken, was thrown down a precipice and dashed to pieces. Margaret Revella, and Mary Pravillerin, two very old women, were burnt alive ; and Michael Bellino, with Ann Bochardino, were beheaded. The son and daughter of a counsellor of Giovanni, were rolled down a steep hill together, and suffered to perish in a deep pit at the bottom. A tradesman's family, viz. : himself, his wife, and an infant in arms, were cast from a rock and dashed to pieces ; and Joseph Chairet, and Paul Carniero, were flayed alive. Cypriania Bustia, being asked if he would renounce his religion, and turn Ro- man catholic, replied, " I would rather re- nounce life, or turn dog." To which a priest answered, " For that expression you shall both renounce life and be given to the dogs." They accordingly dragged him to prison, where he continued a considera- ble time without food, till he was famished ; after which they threw his corpse into the street before the prison, and it was de- voured by dogs in a most shocking manner. Margaret Saretta was stoned to death, and then thrown into the river ; Antonio Bertina had his head cleft asunder ; and Joseph Pont was cut through the middle of his body. Daniel Maria, and his whole family, being ill of a fever, several papist ruffians broke into his house, telling him they were practical physicians, and would give them all present ease, which they did, by knock- ing the whole family on the head. Three infant children of a protestant, named Peter Fine, were covered with snow, and stifled ; an elderly widow, named Judith, was beheaded ; and a beautiful young woman was stripped, and had a stake driven through her body, of which she ex- pired. Lucy, the wife of Peter Besson, a woman far gone in her pregnancy, who lived in one of the villages of the Piedmontese val- leys, determined, if possible, to escape from such dreadful scenes as everywhere surrounded her : she, accordingly, took two young children, one in each hand, and set off toward the Alps. But on the third day of the journey she was taken in labor among the mountains, and delivered of an infant, who perished through the extreme inclem- ency of the weather, as did the two other children ; for all three were found dead by her, and herself just expiring, by the per- son to whom she related the above par- ticulars. Francis Gros, the son of a clergyman, had his flesh slowly cut from his body into small pieces, and put into a dish before him : two of his children were minced be- «L. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 115 fore his sight ; and his wife was fastened to a post, that she might behold all these cruelties practised on her husband and off- spring. The tormentors, at length, being tired of exercising their cruelties, cut off the heads of both husband and wife, and then gave the flesh of the whole family to the dogs. The Sieur Thomas Margher fled to a cave, when the soldiers shut up the mouth, and he perished with famine. Judith Revelin, with seven children, were bar- barously murdered in their beds ; and a widow of near fourscore years of age, was hewn to pieces by the soldiers. Jacob Roseno was ordered to pray to the saints, which he absolutely refused to do : some of the soldiers beat him violently with bludgeons to make him comply, but he still refusing, several of them fired at him, and lodged a great many balls in his body. As he was almost expiring, they cried to him, " Will you call upon the saints'? Will you pray to the saints?" To which he answered, " No ! No ! No !" when one of the soldiers, with a broad- sword, clove his head asunder, and put an end to his sufferings in this world ; for which, undoubtedly, he is gloriously re- warded in the next. A soldier, attempting to violate a beau- tiful young woman, named Susanna Giac- quin, she made a stout resistance, and in 1 the struggle pushed him over a precipice, I when he was dashed to pieces by the fall. I His comrades, instead of admiring the vir- tue of the young woman, and applauding her for so nobly defending her chastity, fell upon her with their swords, and cut her to pieces. Giovanni Pullius, a poor peasant of La Torre, being apprehended as a prot- estant by the soldiers, was ordered, by the marquis of Pionossa, to be executed in a place near the convent. When he came to the gallows, several monks attended, and did all they could to persuade him to re- nounce his religion. But he told them, he never would embrace idolatry, and that he was happy in being thought worthy to suf- fer for the name of Christ. They then put him in mind of what his wife and children, who depended upon his labor, would suffer after his decease : to which he replied, " I would have my wife and children, as well as myself, to consider their souls more than their bodies, and the next world before this : and with respect to the distress I may leave them in, God is merciful, and will provide for them while they are worthy of his protection." Finding the inflexibility of this poor man, the monks cried, " Turn him off, turn him off:" which the execu- tioner did almost immediately, and the body being afterward cut down, was flung into the river. MORE PERSECUTIONS IN THE VALLEYS OF PIEDMONT. AUL CLEMENT, an elder; of the church of Rossana, being apprehended by the : monks of a neighboring mo- ; nastery, was carried to the : market place of that town,; where some protestants having just been; executed by the soldiers, he was shown: the dead bodies, in order that the sight! might intimidate him. On beholding the shocking objects, he said, calmly : " You may kill the body, but you can not preju- dice the soul of a true believer ; but, with respect to the dreadful spectacles which you have here shown me, you may rest as- sured, that God's vengeance will overtake the murderers of those poor people, and punish them for the innocent blood they 116 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. have spilt." The monks were so exasper- ated at this reply, that they ordered him to be hung up directly ; and while he was hanging, the soldiers amused themselves in shooting at the body as at a mark. Daniel Rambaut, of Villaro, the father of a numerous family, was apprehended, and, with several others, committed to prison in the jail of Paysana. Here he was visited by several priests, who, with continual importunities, did all they could to persuade him to renounce the protestant religion, and turn papist ; but this he per- emptorily refused, and the priests finding his resolution, pretended to pity his numerous family, and told him, that he might yet save his life, if he would subscribe to the be- lief of the following articles : — 1. The real presence in the host. 2. Transubstantiation. 3. Purgatory. 4. The pope's infallibility. 5. That masses said for the dead will release souls from purgatory. 6. That praying to saints will procure the remission of sins. M. Rambaut told the priests, that neither his religion, his understanding, nor his con- science, would suffer him to subscribe any of the articles, for the following reasons : — 1. That to believe the real presence in the host, is a shocking union of both blas- phemy and idolatry. 2. That to fancy the words of consecra- tion performs what the papists call transub- stantiation, by converting the wafer and wine into the real and identical body and blood of Christ, which was crucified, and which afterward ascended into heaven, is too gross an absurdity for even a child to believe, who was come to the least glim- mering of reason, and that nothing but the most blind superstition could make the Roman catholics put a confidence in any- thing so completely ridiculous. 3. That the doctrine of purgatory was more inconsistent and absurd than a fairy tale. 4. That the pope's being infallible was an impossibility, and the pope arrogantly laid claim to what could belong to God only, as a perfect being. 5. That saying masses for the dead was ridiculous, and only meant to keep up a belief in the fable of purgatory, as the fate of all is finally decided, on the departure of the soul from the body. 6. That praying to saints for the remis- sion of sins, is misplacing adoration ; as the saints themselves have occasion for an in- tercessor in Christ. Therefore, as God only can pardon our errors, we ought to sue to him alone for pardon. The priests were so highly offended at M. Rainbaut's answers to the articles to which they would have had him subscribe, that they determined to shake his resolu- tion by the most cruel method imaginable : they ordered one joint of his fingers to be cut off every day, till all his fingers were gone ; they then proceeded in the same manner with his toes ; afterward they al- ternately cut off daily, a hand and a foot ; but finding that he bore his sufferings with the most admirable patience, increased both in fortitude and resignation, and maintained his faith with steadfast resolution, and un- shaken constancy, they stabbed him to the heart, and then gave his body to be de- voured by dogs. Peter Gabriola, a protestant gentle- man of considerable eminence, being seized by a troop of soldiers, and refusing to re- nounce his religion, they hung a great number of little bags of gunpowder about his body, and then setting fire to them blew him up. Anthony, the son of Samuel Catieris, a poor dumb lad who was extremely inoffen- sive, was cut to pieces by a party of the troops ; and soon after the same ruffians entered the house of Peter Moniriat, and cut off the legs of the whole family, leav- ing them to bleed to death, as they were unable to assist themselves, or to help each other. B y E~ — THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. n 117 | PERSECUTIONS IN GERMANY, HE persecutions in Germa- £ n;' having subsided many ? years, again broke out in \ 1630, on account of the war, between the emperor, and the king of Sweden, \ for the latter was a protestant prince, and I consequently the protestants of Germany £ espoused his cause, which greatly ex- > asperated the emperor against them. \ The imperialists having laid siege to the \ town of Passe walk (which was defended \ J by the Swedes), took it by storm, and com- \ mitted the most horrid cruelties on the oc- casion. They pulled down the churches, burnt the houses, pillaged the properties, massacred the ministers, put the garrison to the sword, hanged the townsmen, viola- led the women, smothered the children, > &c, &c. ^ A most bloody tragedy was transacted > < at Magdeburg, in the year 1631. The f > \ generals, Tilly and Pappenheim, having 5 i taken that protestant city by storm, upward ^ I of twenty thousand persons, without dis- ; tinction of rank, sex, or age, were slain j £ during the carnage, and six thousand were ? drowned in attempting to escape over the I? \ river Elbe. After this fury subsided, the remaining inhabitants were stripped, se- verely scourged, had their ears cropped, and being yoked together like oxen, were turned adrift. The town of Hoxter was taken by the popish army, and all the inhabitants as well as the garrison were put to the sword ; when the houses being set on fire, the bodies were consumed in the flames. At Griphenburg, when the imperial forces prevailed, they shut up the senators in the senate-chamber, and surrounding it by lighted straw, suffocated them. Franhendal surrendered upon articles of capitulation, yet the inhabitants were as cruelly used as at other piaces, and at Heidelburg many were shut up in prison and starved. The cruelties used by the imperial troops, under Count Tilly in Saxony, are thus enumerated : — Half-strangling, and recovering the per- sons again repeatedly. Rolling sharp wheels over the fingers and toes. Pinching the thumbs in a vice. Forcing the most filthy things down the throats, by which many were choked. Tying cords round the head so tight that the blood gushed out of the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Fastening burning matches to the fingers, toes, ears, arms, legs, and even tongue. Putting powder in the mouth and setting fire to it, by which the head was shattered to pieces. Tying bags of powder to all parts of the body, by which the person was blown up. Drawing cords backward and forward through the fleshy parts. Making incisions with bodkins and knives in the skin. Running wires through the noses, ears, lips, &c. Hanging protestants up by the legs, with their heads over a fire, by which they were smoke-dried. Hanging up by one arm till it was dis- located. Hanging upon hooks by the ribs. Baking many in hot ovens. Forcing people to drink till they burst. Fixing weights to the feet, and drawing up several with pulleys. Hanging, Strangling, Stifling, Burning, Roasting, Broiling, Stabbing, Crucifying, Frying, Immuring, J 118 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. | Racking, Poisoning, $ Violating, Cutting off tongue, 5 Ripping open, nose, ears, &c, s Breaking the bones, Sawing off the limbs, Rasping off the flesh, Hacking to pieces, Tearing with wild Drawing by the heels horses, through the streets, Drowning. These enormous cruelties will be a per- ] petual stain on the memory of Count Tilly, J who not only permitted, but even coin- \ manded his troops to put them in practice. \ Wherever he came, the most horrid bar- s barities and cruel depredations ensued : { famine and conflagration marked his prog- ] ress ; for he destroyed all the provisions \ he could not take with him, and burnt all ) the towns before he left them ; so that the i full result of his conquests were murder, \ poverty, and desolation. I An aged and pious divine they stripped, > tied him on his back upon a table, and ? fastened a large fierce cat upon his belly. 5 They then pricked and tormented the cat 5 in such a manner, that the creature, with I rage, tore his belly open, and gnawed his bowels. Another minister and his family were '< seized by these inhuman monsters ; when , they violated his wife and daughter before < his face, stuck his infant son upon the i point of a lance, and then surrounding him I with his whole library of books, they set fire | to them, and he was consumed in the midst I of the flames. In Hesse-Cassel some of the troops en- \ tered an hospital, in which were principally '' mad women, when stripping the poor \ wretches, they made them run about the < ( streets for their diversion, and then put \ them to death. I In Pomerania, some of the imperial i troops entering a small town, seized upon j \ all the young women, and girls of up- s \ ward of ten years, and then placing their < : parents in a circle, they ordered them to ;, ; sing psalms, while they violated their chil- \ dren, or else they swore they would cut s 1 them to pieces afterward. They then took \ *> all the married women who had young children, and threatened, if they did not consent to the gratification of their lusts, to burn their children before their faces in a large fire which they had kindled for that purpose. A band of Count Tilly's soldiers meet- ing with a company of merchants belong- ing to Basil, who were returning from the great market of Strasburg, they attempted to surround them : all escaped, however, but ten, leaving their properties behind. The teji who were taken begged hard for their lives ; but the soldiers murdered them, saying, " You must die because you are heretics, and have got no money." The same soldiers met with two count- esses, who, together with some young la dies, the daughters of one of them, weie taking an airing in a landau. The soldiers spared their lives, but treated them with great indecency, and having stripped them, bade the coachman drive on. ******* By the means and mediation of Great Britain, peace was at length restored to Germany, and the protestants remained un- molested for several years, till some new disturbances broke out in the palatinate, which were thus occasioned : — The great church of the Holy Ghost, at Heidelburg, had for many years been equally shared by the protestants and Ro- man catholics, in this manner : the protes- tants performed divine service in the nave or body of the church, and the Roman catholics celebrated mass in the choir. Though this had been the custom time immemorial, the elector palatine, at length, took it into his head not to suffer it any longer, declaring, that as Heidelburg was the place of his residence, and the church of the Holy Ghost, the cathedral of his principal city, divine service ought to be performed only according to the rites of the church of which he was a member. He then forbade the protestants to enter the church, and put the papists in possession of the whole. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 119 The aggrieved people applied to the 5 reason, as he well knew the impossibility protestant powers for redress, which so ? of carrying on a war against the powerful much exasperated the elector, that he sup- 1 states who threatened him. He, therefore, pressed the Heidelburg catechism. The \ agreed, that the use of the body of the protestant powers, however, unanimously ? church of the Holy Ghost should be restor- agreed to demand satisfaction, as the elec- \ ed to the protestants. He restored the tor, by this conduct, had broke an article \ Heidelburg catechism, put the protestant of the treaty of Westphalia; and the courts ministers again into possession of the of Great Britain, Prussia, Holland, &c, churches of which they had been dispos- sent deputies to the elector, to represent \ sessed, allowed the protestants to work on . the injustice of his proceedings, and to popish holydays ; and ordered, that no per- | threaten, unless he changed his behavior j son should be molested for not kneeling \ to the protestants in the palatinate, that when the host passed by. I they would treat their Roman catholic sub- These things he did through fear ; but to J jects with the greatest severity. Many i show his resentment to his protestant sub- ,' violent disputes took place between the Ejects, in other circumstances where protest- ) protestant powers, and those of the elector, \ ant states had no right to interfere, he totally \ and these were greatly augmented by the \ abandoned Heidelburg, removing all the i following accident: The coach of the \ courts of justice to Manheim, which was J Dutch minister standing before the door s entirely inhabited by Roman catholics. J of the resident sent by the prince of Hesse, s He likewise built a new palace there, i the host was, by chance, carrying to a sick \ making it his place of residence ; and, being > person ; the coachman took not the least s followed by the Roman catholics of Heidel- | notice, which those who attended the host s burg, Manheim became a flourishing place. \ observing, pulled him from his box, and s In the meantime the protestants of \ compelled him to kneel : the violence to \ Heidelburg sunk into poverty, and many '. the domestic of a public minister was high- \ of them became so distressed, as to quit ly resented by all the protestant deputies ; s their native country, and seek an asylum and, still more to heighten these differen- in protestant states A great number of / ces, the protestants presented to the depu- \ these coming into England, in the time of > ties three additional articles of complaint. > Queen Anne, were cordially received, and 1. That military executions were order- met with a most humane assistance, both > ed against all protestant shoemakers who i by public and private donations. I should refuse to contribute to the masses of ;> In 1732, about thirty thousand protestants | St. Crispin. I were, contrary to the treaty of Westphalia, | 2. That the protestants were forbid to I driven from the archbishopric of Saltzburg. > work on popish holydays, even in harvest) They went away in the depth of winter, time, under very heavy penalties, which > with scarce clothes to cover them, and with- occasioned great inconveniences, and con- 1 out provisions, not having permission to siderably prejudiced public business. / take anything with them. The cause of 3. That several protestant ministers had / these poor people not being publicly espous- been dispossessed of their churches, under ? ed by such states as could obtain them re- pretence of their having been originally ^ dress, they emigrated to various protestant [ founded, and built by Roman catholics. ? countries, and settled in places where they The protestant deputies, at length, be- \ could enjoy the free exercise of their reli- | came so serious, as to intimate to the elec- 1 gion, without hurting their consciences, and < tor, that force of arms should compel him j live free from the trammels of popish super- ( to do the justice he denied to their repre- \ stition, and the chains of papal tyranny. | sentations. This menace brought him to \ At the Hague, four Dutch clergymen 120 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. suffered death for turning protestants, after having been confined for a very consider- able space of time. (See engraving.) Their names were, Rev. Arent Vas. Rev. Adrian Jan. Rev. Sybrand Janson. Rev. Walter Simonson. They were first publicly declared here- > tics, and then degraded. The ceremony > of degradation was performed in this man- s ner : being clad in sacerdotal habits, they > were brought before a bishop, and two ab- s bots. The abbots cut off some of their i hair, scraped the crowns of their heads with j 5 a knife, and likewise scraped the tips of I I the fingers, with which they had made the ( elevation at the altar. The bishop then I ^ pulled off their habits, saying, " I strip you j \ of the robe of righteousness." To which j I one of the clergymen replied, " Not so, but rather of the robe of unrighteousness ;" and \ then looking sternly at the bishop, he went < on thus : " You knew the truth formerly yourself, but have maliciously rejected it ; \ but you must give an account of your actions j at the day of judgment." The bishop ) trembled, and the spectators were struck • with amazement, as the person who uttered the words was a learned, pious, honest, and venerable man, being seventy years of age. When the victims were delivered over to the magistrate, the bishop desired him to be as favorable as possible to them, which ridiculous affectation of kindness occasion- ed the clergyman who spoke the before- mentioned words to exclaim in Latin, " Quam Pharisaice !" implying, " How Pharisaical !" or, " How hypocritical is such behavior !" At the place of execu- tion, Adrian Jan's father cried out : " Dear son, suffer courageously, a crown of eternal life is prepared for you." The officers prevented him from proceeding, but the martyr's sister, who was in another place among the crowd of spectators, exclaimed with a loud voice : " Brother, be courage- ous ; your sufferings will not last long ; the door of eternal life is open to you." They were first strangled, and then burnt, amidst the lamentations of some thousands of spectators, who would have rescued them but for the Spanish guards ; and could not but severely regret, that men of the most unspotted characters, and inoffensive lives, should be put to violent deaths, only for differing in opinion from their persecu- tors. " But what the martyrs here sustain, Is only transitory pain : Tortures just felt, and quickly o'er, That when once past torment no more : While heavenly bliss rewards bestows, And joys eternal heal their woes. But what's the persecutor's fate ? The stings of conscience, heavenly hate ; A dreaded death for blood that's shed, With horrors planted round the bed ; A fate in endless fire to dwell, A lasting residence iu hell." PERSECUTIONS IN LITHUANIA. .HE persecutions in Lithu- ania began in 1648, and; were carried on with; great severity by the Cossacks and Tartars. The cruelty of the Cos-i sacks was such, that even the Tartars, at; last, grew ashamed of it, and rescued some! of the intended victims from their hands. The cruelties exercised were these Skinning alive. Cutting off hands. Taking out the bowels. Cutting the flesh open. Putting out the eyes. Beheading. Scalping. Cutting off feet. FOUR DUTCH PROTESTANT MINISTERS BURNT.-^Page 121. i THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 123 Boring the shin bones. Pouring melted lead into the flesh. Hanging. Stabbing, and Sending to perpetual banishment. The Russians taking advantage of the devastations which had been made in the country, and of its incapability of defence, entered it with a considerable army, and, like a flood, bore down all before them. Everything they met was an object of de- struction ; they razed cities, demolished castles, ruined fortresses, sacked towns, burnt villages, and murdered people. The ministers of the gospel were peculiarly marked out as the objects of their displeas- ure, though every worthy Christian was liable to the effects of their cruelty. Adrian Chalinsky, a clergyman vener- able for his age, conspicuous for his piety, and eminent for his learning, was suddenly seized upon in his own house, partially tried, and speedily condemned. Having his hands and legs tied behind him, he was roasted alive by a slow fire, only a few chips, and a little straw, being lighted at a time, in order to make his death more lingering. (See engraving.) A father and son, named Smolsky, both ministers near Vilna, had their heads saw- ed off. A clergyman, in the town of Haw- loczen, named Slawinskin, was cut piece- meal by slow degrees. Some perished by being exposed, during the frosty season, to the inclemency of the weather : many were flayed alive, several hacked to pieces, and great numbers sent into slavery. As Lithuania recovered itself after one persecution, succeeding enemies again de- stroyed it. The Swedes, the Prussians, and the Courlanders, carried fire and sword through it, and continual calamities, for some years, attended that unhappy dis- trict. It was then attacked by the prince of Transylvania, who had in his army, ex- clusive of his own Transylvanians, Hun- garians, Moldavians, Servians, Walachians, &c. These, as far as they penetrated, wasted the country, destroyed the churches, rifled the nobility, burnt the houses, en- slaved the healthy, and murdered the sick. A clergyman, who wrote an account of the misfortunes of Lithuania, in the seven- teenth century, says, " In consideration of these extremities, we can not but adore the Judgment of God poured upon us for our sins, and deplore our sad condition. Let us hope for a deliverance from his mercy, and wish for restitution in his benevolence. Though we are brought low, though we are wasted, troubled, and terrified, yet his compassion is greater than our calamities, and his goodness superior to our afflictions. Our neighbors hate us at present, as much as our more distant enemies did before : they persecute the remnant of us still re- maining, deprive us of our few churches left, banish our preachers, abuse our school- masters, treat us with contempt, and op- press us in the most opprobrious manner. In all our afflictions the truth of the gospel shone among us, and gave us comfort ; and we only wished for the grace of Jesus Christ (not only to ourselves, but to soften the hearts of our enemies), and the sym- pathy of our fellow Christians." The reflections of this pious minister, who imputes the sufferings of the Lithu- anian protestants to their own crimes, in not practising the truths they understood, and conforming to the gospel which they believed ; and his hopes for relief from the merits of Jesus Christ brings to our recol- lection one of the finest pieces of poetry in the French language, called the Repentant Libertine, by Monsieur Barreaux, a new translation of which we here present to our \ readers : — " Almighty God ! though you, as mankind's friend, Excuse their follies, and their joys extend, Yet my great faults thy vengeance must demand, And call for thunder even from mercy's hand : Yes, such my crimes, such my offences are, They leave not justice any room to spare ; Heaven's interest demands I should not live ; Thy clemency itself the stroke must give. Strike then the blow, o'erwhelm me with my woes, Let not my tears thy equity oppose : Then thunders roar, and forked lightnings blaze, In perishing the avenging hand I'll praise ; For wheresoever thy dreadful thunders fall, The blood of Christ redeems me from them all." 124 X THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. PERSECUTIONS IN POLAND; DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY OF LESNA. T has been the fate of many $ hazel-trees, was originally a village in Po- pious people, in all ages of? land, on the confines of the lower Silesia, the world, to bear the cross ] It rose, however, to the dignity of a city, of Christ, and suffer persecu- > and became both populous and opulent, tions on account of their opin- \ Religion was here reformed by the illus- ions ; for those who are born j trious Andrew, count palatine of Bernstein, after the flesh have always been enemies to \ according to the rights of the Bohemian such as are born after the spirit. \ confession ; and so well accepted were the The protestants of Poland were perse- \ pure doctrines of the gospel, that Lesna cuted in a dreadful manner. The ministers in particular were treated with the most unexampled barbarity ; some having their tongues cut out, because they had preached the gospel truths ; others being deprived of their sight, on account of having read the Bible ; and great numbers were cut to pieces, for not recanting. Private persons were put to death by various methods ; the most cruel being usually preferred. Women were murdered without the least regard to their sex ; and the persecutors even went so far as to cut off the heads of sucking babes, and fasten them to the breasts of their mothers. Even the solemnity of the grave did not exempt the bodies of protestants from the malice of persecutors ; for they sacrilegi- ously dug up the bodies of many eminent persons, and either cut them to pieces, and exposed them to be devoured by birds and beasts, or hung them up in conspicuous and public places. Among the devastations made by the persecutions, the most important was the became a kind of metropolis for protestant- ism in that part of the country. At the time of the Bohemian persecu- tion, in 1620, many protestants lied to Po- land, most of whom settled at Lesna. The number of these was greatly increased in A. D. 1628 and 1629, when a fierce perse- cution raged in Bohemia and Silesia. By the addition of such numbers of inhabitants, Lesna became so considerable as to have three market-places, four churches, above twenty considerable streets, and a public seminary of learning. The citizens then surrounded the city by a wall, encompassed it with a trench, erected gates for ornaments, built towers for its defence, and constructed a noble town-house for public proceedings. Hence Lesna became a mart of trade, a seat of politeness, and an asylum for the distressed : religion flourished, manufactures thrived, and industry was encouraged. The Roman catholics viewing with envy the thriving state of religion in Lesna, strove to injure that city by every means | destruction of the noble city of Lesna, in \ in their power. Their first attack was, by Great Poland. A particular and circum stantial account of the cruel transactions attending the ruin of that city, having been published by some who were witnesses of, and materially concerned in the sufferings that ensued, we shall select such parts of the narrative as are most interesting and \ consonant to the plan of our work. several accusations laid before Sigismund, king of Poland, suggesting, that " Lesna was a confluence for men of all nations, a den of outlaws, an asylum for heretics, and a receptacle of traitors to the king and gov- ernment." Luckily the king disbelieved the calum- nies, and thus the Roman catholics were I Lesna, which word implies a grove of; defeated in their malicious intentions. ADRIAN CHALINSKY ROASTED ALIVE. — Pntre 125. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. — m 1271 THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE INQUISITION IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. HEN the reformed religion began to diffuse the gospel light throughout Europe, Pope In- nocent the Third entertained great fear for the Romish church. Unwilling that the spirit of free inquiry should gain ground, or that the people should attain more knowledge than the priests were willing to admit, he de- termined to impede, as much as possible, the progress of reformation. He accord- ingly instituted a number of inquisitors, or persons who were to make inquiry after, apprehend, and punish heretics, as the re- formed were called by the papists. At the head of these inquisitors was one Dominic, who had been canonized by the pope, in order to render his authority the more respectable. Dominic, and the other inquisitors, spread themselves into various Roman catholic countries, and treated the protestants with the utmost severity. In process of time, the pope not finding these roving inquisitors so useful as he had im- agined, resolved upon the establishment of fixed and regular courts of inquisition. After the order for these regular courts, the first office of inquisition was established in the city of Thoulouse, and Dominic became the first regular inquisitor, as he had before been the first roving inquisitor. Courts of inquisition were now erected in several countries ; but the Spanish in- quisition became the most powerful, and the most dreaded of any. Even the kings of Spain themselves, though arbitrary in all other respects, were taught to dread the power of the lords of the inquisition ; and the horrid cruelties they exercised compel- led multitudes, who differed in opinion from the Roman catholics, carefully to con- ceal their sentiments. The most zealous of all the popish monks, and those who most implicitly obeyed the church of Rome, were the Dominicans and Franciscans : these, there- fore, the pope thought proper to invest with an exclusive right of presiding over, and managing the different courts of inquisition. The friars of those two orders were always selected from the very dregs of the people, and therefore were not troubled with punc- tilios of honor : they were obliged, by the rules of their respective orders, to lead very austere lives, which rendered their manners unsocial and brutish, and, of course, the better qualified them for the employment of inquisitors. The pope now thought proper to give the inquisitors the most unlimited powers, as judges delegated by him, and immedi- ately representing his person : they were permitted to excommunicate, or sentence to death, whom they thought proper, upon the most slight information of heresy. They were allowed to publish crusades against all whom they deemed heretics, and enter into leagues with sovereign princes, to join those crusades with their forces. In 1244 their powers were further in- creased by the emperor Frederic the Sec- ond, who declared himself the protector and friend of all inquisitors, and published two very cruel edicts, viz. : — 1. That all heretics, who continued ob- stinate, should be burnt : 2. That all heretics, who repented, should be imprisoned for life. This zeal in the emperor for the in- quisitors, and the Roman catholic persua- sion, arose from a report which had been propagated throughout Europe, that he in- tended to renounce Christianity, and turn Mahometan ; the emperor, therefore, at- tempted, by the height of bigotry, to con- 128 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. tradict the report, and to show his attach- ment to popery by cruelty. The officers of the inquisition are : — Three inquisitors, or judges ; A fiscal proctor ; Two secretaries ; A magistrate ; A messenger ; A receiver ; A jailer ; An agent of confiscated possessions ; Several assessors, counsellors, execu- tioners, physicians, surgeons, doorkeepers, familiars, and visiters, who are all sworn to secrecy. The principal accusation against those who are subject to this tribunal is heresy, which comprises all that is spoken, or written, against any of the articles of the creed, or the traditions of the Romish church. The other articles of accusation are, renouncing the Roman catholic per- suasion, believing that persons of any other religion may be saved, or even admitting that the tenets of any but papists are, in the least, reasonable or proper. We shall mention two other things which incur the most severe punishments, and show the inquisitors, at once, in an absurd and a tyrannical light, viz. : To disapprove of any action done by the inquisition, or disbelieve anything said by an inquisitor. The grand article heresy comprises many subdivisions ; and, upon a suspicion of any of these, the party is immediately apprehended : advancing an offensive prop- osition ; failing to impeach others who may advance such contemning church cere- monies ; defacing idols ; reading books con- demned by the inquisition ; lending such books to others to read ; deviating from the ordinary practices of the Romish church; letting a year pass without going to con- fession ; eating meat on fast-days ; neglect- ing mass ; being present at a sermon preached by a heretic ; not appearing when summoned by the inquisition ; lodging in the house of, contracting a friendship with, or making a present to a heretic ; assisting a heretic to escape from confinement, or visiting one in confinement, are all matters of suspicion, and prosecuted accordingly. Nay, all Roman catholics were commanded, under pain of excommunication, to give im- mediate information, even of their nearest and dearest friends, if they judged them to be what was called heretics, or anywise inclined to heresy. Those who give the least countenance or assistance to protestants, are called f (tu- tors, or abettors of heresy, and the accusa- tions against these usually turn upon some of the following points : comforting such as the inquisition have begun to prosecute ; assisting, or not informing against such, if they should happen to escape ; concealing, abetting, advising, or furnishing heretics with money ; visiting, writing to, or send- ing them subsistence ; secreting, or burn- ing books and papers, which might serve to convict them. The inquisition likewise takes cogni- zance of such as are accused of being Magicians ; Soothsayers ; Witches ; Wizards ; Blasphemers, Common swearers : and of such who read, or even possess the Bible in the common language, the Talmud of the Jews, or the Alcoran of the Mahom- etans. Upon all occasions the inquisitors carry on their processes with the utmost severity, and punish those who offend them with the most unparalleled cruelty. A protestanl has seldom any mercy shown him ; and a Jew, who turns Christian, is far from being secure ; for if he is known to keep com- pany with another new-converted Jew, a suspicion immediately arises that they pri- vately practise together some Jewish cere- monies ; if he keeps company with a per- son who was lately a protestant, but now professes popery, they are accused of plot- ting together ; but if he associates with a Roman catholic, an accusation is often laid against him for only pretending to be a pa- pist, and the consequence is, a confiscation of his effects as a punishment for his in- BBS. SPANISH INQUISITION — DIFFERENT MODES OF TORTURE. Page 129. S N THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 131 sincerity, and the loss of his life if he com- plains of ill usage. A defence in the inquisition is of little U3e to the prisoner, for a suspicion only is deemed sufficient cause of condemnation, and the greater his wealth the greater his danger. The principal part of the inquisi- tors' cruelties is owing to their rapacity : they destroy the life to possess the prop- erty ; and, under the pretence of zeal, plun- der each obnoxious individual. A prisoner to the inquisitors is never al- lowed to see the face of his accuser, or of the witnesses against him, but every method is taken, by threats and tortures, to oblige him to accuse himself, and by that means corroborate their evidence. If the jurisdic- tion of the inquisition is not fully allowed, vengeance is denounced against such as call it in question ; or if any of its officers are opposed, those who oppose them are almost certain to be sufferers for their temer- ity ; the maxim of the inquisition being, to strike terror, and awe those who are the objects of its power, into obedience. High birth, distinguished rank, great dignity, or eminent employments, are no protections < from its severities ; and the lowest officers < of the inquisition can make the highest characters tremble. < Such are the circumstances which sub- i ject a person to the rage of ihe inquisition, I and the modes of beginning the process are foui in number. 1. To proceed by imputation, or prose- cute on common report. 2. To proceed by the information of any indifferent person who chooses to impeach another. 3. To found the prosecution on the in- formation of those spies who are regularly retained by the inquisition. 4. To prosecute on the confession of the prisoner himself. When a prisoner is summoned to appear before the inquisition, the best method (un- less he is sure of escaping by flight) is im- mediately to obey the summons ; for though really innocent, the least delay increases his criminality in the eye of the inquisitors, as one of their maxims is, that backward- ness to appear always indicates guilt in the person summoned; and if he escapes, it is the same as perpetual banishment, for should such ever return, the most cruel death would be the certain consequence. The inquisitors never forget or forgive ; length of time can not efface their resent- ments ; nor can the humblest concessions, or most liberal presents, obtain a pardon : they carry the desire of revenge to the grave, and would have both the property and lives of those who have offended them. Hence, when a person once accused to the inquisition, after escaping, is retaken, he ought seriously to prepare himself for mar- tyrdom, and arm his soul against the fear of death. Every person, in such a situa- tion, ought to be composed for the awful occasion, without expectation of remedy ; and to adopt similar sentiments to the fol- lowing, written by a clergyman for such trying occasions :— " How shall I stand the test of fire, Or in the flames resign my breath ! Lord ! my reluctant soul inspire, Raise me above the fear of death. " Oh ! what a worldly mind have I, . How indolent, how free from care ! In sloth and carnal ease I live, Averse to abstinence and prayer. " What if the sentence now should pass, That I must die within an hour ! What paleness would o'erspread my face, What bitter grief my heart o'erpower. " How shall my pampered body bear The fiery furnace, or the stake ! Let me for Jesus' truth declare, And bid defiance to the rack. *• Recover, Lord, my strength, before You bring ine to a martyr's death ; Nor let me death's grim rage explore, Until I have a martyr's faith." When a positive accusation is given, the inquisitors direct an order under their hands to the executioner, who takes a certain num- ber of familiars with him to assist in the execution. The calamity of a man under such circumstances can scarce be descri- bed, he being probably seized when sur- rounded by his family, or in company with his friends. Father, son, brother, sister, H 132 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. ■a husband, wife, must quietly submit ; none dare resist or even speak; either would subject them to the punishment of the de- voted victim. No respite is allowed to settle the most important affairs, but the prisoner is instantaneously hurried away. Hence we may judge how critically dan- gerous must be the situation of persons who reside in countries where there is an in- quisitorial tribunal ; and how carefully cau- tious all states ought to be who are not \ cursed with such an arbitrary court, to pre- s vent its introduction. In speaking of this ' f subject, an eloquent author pathetically \ says : " How horrid a scene of perfidy and | inhumanity? What kind of community 5 must that be whence gratitude, love, and a \ mutual forbearance with regard to human > frailties, are banished! What must that | tribunal be which obliges parents not only \ to erase from their minds the remembrance ) of their own children, to extinguish all those > keen sensations of tenderness and affection I wherewith nature inspires them, but even | to extend their inhumanity so far as to force | them to commence their accusers, and con- / sequently to become the cause of the cruel- > ties inflicted upon them ! What ideas • ought we to form to ourselves of a tribunal, | which obliges children not only to stifle ? every soft impulse of gratitude, love, and | respect, due to those who gave them birth, \ but even forces them, and that under the most vigorous penalties, to be spies over their (parents, and to discover to a set of merci- less inquisitors, the crimes, the errors, and even the little lapses to which they are ex- > posed by human frailty ! In a word, a tribunal which will not permit relations, when imprisoned in its horrid dungeons, to give each other the succors, or perform the duties which religion enjoins, must be of an infernal stamp. What disorder and con- fusion must such conduct give rise to, in a tenderly affectionate family ! An expres- sion innocent in itself, and perhaps, but too true, shall, from an indiscreet zeal, or a panic fear, give infinite uneasiness to a family ; shall ruin its peace entirely, and perhaps cause one or more of its members to be the innocent unhappy victims of the most barbarous of all tribunals. What dis- tractions must necessarily break forth in a house where the husband and wife are at variance, or the children loose and wicked ! Will such children scruple to sacrifice a father, who endeavors to restrain them by his exhortations, by reproofs, or paternal corrections ? Will not they rather, after plundering his house to support their ex- travagance and riot, readily deliver up their unhappy parent to all the horrors of a tri- bunal, founded on the blackest injustice? A riotous husband, or a loose wife, have an easy opportunity, assisted by means of the persecutions in question, to rid themselves of one who is a check to their vices, by delivering him or her up to the rigors of the inquisition." When the inquisitors have taken umbrage against an innocent person, all expedients are used to facilitate condemnation ; false oaths and testimonies, founded on perjury, are directed by the virulence of prejudice to find the accused guilty ; and all laws divine and human, all institutions, moral and political, are sacrificed to bigoted re- venge. When a person accused is taken, and imprisoned, his treatment is deplorable in- deed. The jailers first begin by searching him for books or papers which may tend to his conviction, or for instruments which might be employed in self-murder, or break- ing from the place of confinement. But it is to be observed, that the obvious articles of the search are not the only things taken from a prisoner; but the conscientious jailers make free with money, rings, buckles, ap- parel, &c, under various pretences, such as, that money or rings may be swallowed, to the great detriment of the prisoner's health ; the prongs of buckles may be used to take away life ; by means of a neckcloth or a pair of garters a prisoner may hang himself, &c. Then he is robbed under the plausible pretext of humanity, and used ill through pretended tenderness. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 133 -m When the prisoner has been searched S many things concealed, and therefore must under the name of care, and robbed beneath > be remanded to your dungeon." When those the mask of justice, he is committed to j who stood mute are called for re-examina- \ prison by way of security. " Here," says l lion, if they continue silent, such tortures an authentic writer, "he is conveyed to a t are ordered as will either make them speak, dungeon, the sight of which must fill him / or kill them ; and when those who proclaim with horror, torn from his family and '/ their innocence are re-examined, a crucifix friends, who are not allowed access, or j is held before them, and they are solemnly even to send him one consolatory letter, or l exhorted to take an oath of their confession take the least step in his favor in order to '. of faith. This brings them to the test, they i prove his innocence. He sees himself in- j must either swear they are Roman catholics, \ stantly abandoned to his inflexible judges, j or acknowledge they are not. If they ac- < to melancholy and despair, and even often i knowledge they are not Roman catholics J to his most inveterate enemies, quite un- < they are proceeded against as heretics. If ) certain of his fate. Innocence on such an I they acknowledge they are Roman catho- < occasion is a weak reed, nothing being i lies, a string of accusations is brought £ easier than to ruin an innocent person." j against them, to which they are obliged to \ Death is usually the portion of a prison- > answer extempore, no time being given s er, the mildest sentence being imprison- even to put their answer into proper method, s ment for life ; yet the inquisitors proceed i After they have verbally answered, pen, s by degrees, at once subtle, slow, and cruel. < ink, and paper, are given them, in order to s The jailer first of all insinuates himself i produce a written answer, which it is re- into the prisoner's favor, by pretending to <; quired shall in every degree coincide with 5 wish him well, and advise him well, and, < the verbal answer. If the verbal and the j among other hints falsely kind, tells him j written answer, differ, the prisoners are > to petition for a hearing. I charged with prevarication, if one contains I This is the worst thing a prisoner can I more than the other with wishing to con- \ do, for the mere petition is deemed a sup- \ ceal certain circumstances ; if they both > position of guilt, and he is persuaded to it ) agree, they are accused with premeditated \ only with a view to entrap him. When I artifice. \ he is brought before the consistory, the first $ demand is, " What is your request ?" The prisoner very naturally answers that \ he would have a hearing. One of the inquisitors replies, "Your hear- \ ing is this — confess the truth— conceal j When the person impeached is con- nothing, and rely on our mercy." demned, he is either severely whipped, If the prisoner makes a confession of any violently tortured, sent to the galleys, or trifling affair, they immediately found an in- \ sentenced to death ; and in either case the dictment on it : if he is mute, they shut him 5 effects are confiscated. After judgment a up without light, or any food but a scanty procession is performed to the place of allowance of bread and water till he over- execution, which ceremony is called, an comes his obstinacy, as they call it ; and auto-da-fe, or act of faith, if he declares he is innocent, they torment? The following is an account of an auto- him, till he either dies with the torment, or da-fe, performed at Madrid in the year 1682: confesses himself guilty. j The officers of the inquisition, preceded Upon the re-examinations of such as con- j by trumpets, kettle-drums, and their banner, fess, they continually say : " You have not I marched, on the 30th of May, in cavalcade, been sincere, you tell not all — you keep \ to the palace of the great square, where " But to condemn, beneath their laws, Reason and truth are turned to flaws ; Sincerity is forced to 'bey The inquisition's tyrant sway ; Where void of justice or of might, The weak submit to lawless might." *- 134 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. they declared by proclamation, that on the 30th of June the sentence of the prisoners would be put in execution. There had not been a spectacle of this kind at Madrid for several years before, for which reason it was expected by the in- habitants with as much impatience as a day of the greatest festivity. On the day appointed, a prodigious num- ber of people appeared dressed as splendid as their respective circumstances would admit. In the great square was raised a high scaffold ; and thither, from seven in the morning till the evening, were brought criminals of both sexes ; all the inquisitions in the kingdom sending their prisoners to Madrid. Of these prisoners twenty men and women, with one renegado Mahometan, } were ordered to be burned ; fifty Jews and | Jewesses, having never before been im- \ prisoned, and repenting of their crimes, | were sentenced to a long confinement, and | to wear a yellow cap ; and ten others, in- < dieted for bigamy, witchcraft, and other | crimes, were sentenced to be whipped, and $ then sent to the galleys : these last wore < large paste-board caps, with inscriptions \ on them, having a halter about their necks, $ and torches in their hands. < The whole court of Spain was present s on this occasion. The grand inquisitor's i chair was placed in a sort of tribunal far I above that of the king. The nobles here I acted the part of the sheriff's officers in I England, leading such criminals as were \ to be burned, and holding them when fast \ bound with thick cords : the rest of the ] criminals were conducted by the familiars 1 of the inquisition. I Among those who were to suffer was a > young Jewess of exquisite beauty, and but < seventeen years of age. Being on the same \ side of the scaffold where the queen was > seated, she addressed her, in hopes of ob- > taining a pardon, in the following pathetic \ speech : " Great queen ! will not your royal \ presence be of some service to me in my | miserable condition ? Have regard to my m youth : and, oh ! consider, that I am about to die for professing a religion imbibed from my earliest infancy !" Her majesty seemed greatly to pity her distress, but turned away her eyes, as she did not dare to speak a word in behalf of a person who had been declared a heretic. Now mass began, in the midst of which the priest came from the altar, placed near the scaffold, and seated himself in a chair prepared for that purpose. The chief inquisitor then descended from the amphitheatre, dressed in his cope, and having a mitre on his head. After bow- ing to the altar, he advanced toward the king's balcony, and went up to it, attended by some of his officers, carrying a cross and the gospels, with a book containing the oath by which the kings of Spain oblige themselves to protect the catholic faith, to extirpate heretics, and support, with all their power, the prosecutions and decrees of the inquisition. I On the inquisitor's approach, and pre- ) senting this book to the king, his majesty \ rose up, bare-headed, and swore to main- j tain the oath, which was read to him by ? one of his counsellors : after which the king continued standing till the inquisitor was returned to his place ; when the secre- tary of the holy office mounted a sort of pulpit, and administered the like oath to the counsellors and the whole assembly. The mass was begun about twelve at noon, and did not end till nine in the evening, being protracted by a proclamation of the senten- ces of the several criminals, which were all separately rehearsed aloud one after the other. After this, followed the burning of the twenty-one men and women, whose in- trepidity in suffering that horrid death was I truly astonishing : some thrust their hands > and feet into the flames with the most j dauntless fortitude ; and all of them yielded j to their fate with such resolution, that many \ of the amazed spectators lamented that such > heroic souls had not been more enlightened. j The king's near situation to the criminals \ n THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 135 rendered their dying groans very audible to him : he could not, however, be absent from this dreadful scene, as it is esteemed a religious one ; and his coronation oath obliges him to give a sanction by his pres- ence to all the acts of the tribunal. Another auto-da-fe is thus described by the Reverend Doctor Gedde : " At the place of execution there are so many stakes set as there are prisoners to be burned, a large quantity of dry furze being set about them. " The stakes of the protestants, or, as the inquisitors call them, the professed, are about four yards high, and have each a small board, whereon the prisoner is to be seated within half a yard of the top. The professed then go up a ladder between two priests, who attend them the whole day of execution. When they come even with the forementioned board, they turn about to the people, and the priests spend near a quarter of an hour in exhorting them to be reconciled to the see of Rome. On their refusing, the priests come down, and the executioner ascending, turns the professed from off the ladder upon the seat, chains their bodies close to the stakes, and leaves them. " The priests then go up a second time to renew their exhortations, and if they find them ineffectual, usually tell them at part- ing that they leave them to the devil, who is standing at their elbow ready to re- ceive their souls, and carry them with him into the flames of hell fire, as soon as they are out of their bodies. " A general shout is then raised, and when the priests get off' the ladder, the universal cry is : ' Let the dog's beards be made' (which implies, singe their beards). This is accordingly performed by means of flaming furzes thrust against their faces with long poles. " This barbarity is repeated till their faces are burnt, and is accompanied with loud acclamations. Fire is then set to the furzes, and the criminals are consumed." Numerous are the martyrs who have borne these rigors with the most exemplary fortitude ; and we hope that every protestant, whose fate may expose him to the merciless tyranny of papists, will act consistent with the duty of a Christian, when they consider the great rewards that await them. " How great the Christian's portion is, What heaps of joy, what worlds of bliss, The Lord for them prepares ; Their boundless treasures who can know, For all above, and all below, And God and Christ is theirs. * There's nothing round the heavenly throne, But what the saints may call their own, And at their pleasure use ; The angels who excel in praise, Attend and guard them in their ways, Lest they their feet should bruise. " The hand of God supplies their wants, And supersedes their deep complaints, With mercies still renewed ; Though they are hurried up and down, And through a sea of troubles run, Yet all things work for good. " Jesus and all in him is theirs, They are adopted sons and heirs Of God, through grace divine ; Their sins are pardoned in his blood, And with his righteousness endowed. How glorious do they shine. " Why do we talk of earthly things, The wealth of empires, crowns of kings, Fine robes, or large estates ; Can crowns and empires be compared To that exceeding great reward Which Christian virtue waits ?" What we have alread) r said may be ap- plied to inquisitions in general, as well as to that of Spain in particular. The inquisi- tion belonging to Portugal is exactly upon a similar plan to that of Spain, having been instituted much about the same time, and put under the same regulations, and the proceedings nearly resemble each other ; we shall therefore introduce an account of it in this place. The house or rather palace of the inquisition, is a noble edifice. It contains four courts, each about forty feet square, round which are about three hundred dungeons, or cells. The dungeons on the ground floor are allotted to the lowest class of prisoners, and those on the second story to persons of superior rank. The galleries are built of freestone, and hid from view both within and without by a double wall of about fifty 136 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. feet high, which greatly increases the gloom, and darkens them exceedingly. The whole prison is so extensive, and contains so many turning and windings, that none but those well acquainted with it can find the way through its various avenues,. The apartments of the chief inquisitor are spacious, and elegant ; the entrance is through a large gate, which leads into a court-yard, round which are several cham- bers, and some large saloons for the king, royal family, and rest of the court to stand and observe the executions during an auto-da-fe. With respect to the dungeons where the prisoners are confined, they are not only gloomy in themselves, but as miserably furnished as can be imagined ; the only accommodation being a frame of wood by way of bedstead, and a straw bed, mattrass, blankets, sheets, an urinal, wash-hand I basins, two pitchers, one for clean, the } other for foul water, a lamp and a plate. A testoon, or seven-pence halfpenny English money, is allowed every prisoner daily ; and the principal jailer, accompanied by two other officers, monthly visits every prisoner, to inquire how he would have his allowance laid out. This visit, however, is only a matter of form, for the jailer usual- ly lays out the money as he pleases, and commonly allows the prisoner daily — A porringer of broth ; Half a pound of beef; A small piece of bread ; A trifling portion of cheese. The above articles are charged to the prisoner at the rate of seventeen testoons in the month ; four are allowed for brandy, or wine ; two for fruit, making in the whole twenty-three ; and the rest of the money, to make up the number of testoons for the month, are scandalously sunk in the articles of sugar and soap. Some, who find their allowance too little, petition the lords inquisitors for a greater portion, when the petition is frequently granted ; and in this particular the only mark of humanity has been casually shown : in all other circumstances they are inhuman, cruel, and severe. They not only exclude the prisoners from every in- tercourse with their relations or friends, make them suffer every inclemency of a jail, or torture them in confinement, but even prohibit them from making the least noise by speaking aloud, singing psalms or hymns, exclaiming, or even uttering the sighs which affliction naturally heaves from the breast. Guards walk about continually to listen ; if the least noise is heard they call to, and threaten the prisoner ; if the noise is re- peated, a severe beating ensues, as a pun- ishment to what is deemed the offending party, and to intimidate others. As an instance of this take the following fact : a prisoner having a violent cough, one of the guards came and ordered him not to make a noise ; to which he replied, that from the violence of his cold, it was not in his power to forbear. The cough increasing, the guard went into the cell, stripped the poor creature naked, and beat him so un- mercifully, that he soon after died of the blows. This enforced silence prevents the prison- ers from receiving any consolation, by con- versing and condoling with each other : some, indeed, who were lodged in contigu- ous cells, have contrived to make holes in the partition, and communicate their thoughts through them ; but as soon as this was dis- covered, they were removed to cells, at a greater distance from each other. In this inquisition, as in that of Spain, if the prisoners plead their innocence, they are condemned as obdurate, and their effects embezzled ; if they plead guilty, they are sentenced on their own confession, and their effects confiscated of course ; and if } they are suffered to escape with their lives j (which is but seldom the case) as penitent criminals who have voluntarily accused themselves, they dare not reclaim their effects, as that would bring on them an accusation of being hypocritical and relax- ed penitents, when a most cruel death would be the certain consequence. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 137 A prisoner sometimes passes months j exhausted to draw some secret from him. without knowing of what he is accused, or I But if he accuses himself of any crimes or having the least idea of when he is to be < follies, they are written down by the secre- tried. The jailer at length informs him, < tary, and a process extracted from them, that he must petition for a trial. This \ The inquisitors often overreach prisoners, ceremony being gone through, he is taken \ by promising the greatest lenity, and even bareheaded for examination. When they s to restore their liberty, if they will accuse come to the door of the tribunal, the jailer j themselves. The unhappy persons, who knocks three times, to give the judges no- \ are in their power, frequently fall into this tice of their approach. A bell is rung by I snare, and are sacrificed to their own sim- one of the judges, when an attendant opens s plicity,and ill-placed confidence. Instances the door, admits the prisoner, and accom- I have been known of some, who relying on modates him with a stool. I the faith of the judges, and believing their The prisoner is then ordered by the \ fallacious promises, have accused them- president to kneel down, and lay his right s selves of what they were totally innocent, hand upon a book, which is presented to s in expectation of obtaining their liberty him close shut. This being complied with, s speedily ; and thus, being duped by the the following question is put to him : " Will s inquisitors, they became martyrs to their you promise to conceal the secrets of the I own folly, and suffer death for fictitious holy office, and to speak the truth ?" s transgressions. If he answers in the negative, he is re- I Another artifice used by the inquisitors ■ manded to his cell, and cruelly treated. 5 is this : if a prisoner has too much resolu- If he answers in the affirmative, he is 5 tion to accuse himself, and too much sense ordered to be again seated, and the ex- < to be ensnared by their sophistry, they pro- amination proceeds ; when the president ceed thus : a copy of an indictment against asks a variety of questions, and the clerk j the prisoner is given him, in which, among minutes both them and the answers. < many trivial accusations, he is charged with After the examination is closed the bell j the most enormous crimes, of which human is again rung, the jailer appears, and the \ nature is capable. This, of course, rouses prisoner is ordered to withdraw, with this i his temper, and he exclaims against such exhortation : " Tax your memory, recollect falsities. He is then asked which of the all the sins you have ever committed, and j crimes he can deny' He naturally singles when you are again brought here, com- 1 out the most atrocious, and begins to ex- municate them to the holy office." \ press his abhorrence of them, when the The jailers and attendants being ap- \ indictment being snatched out of his hand, prized that the prisoner hath made an in- j the president says: "By your denying only genuous confession, and readily answered \ those crimes which you mention, you im- every question, make him a low bow, and I plicitly confess the rest, and we shall there- treat him with an affected kindness, as a \ fore proceed accordingly." reward for his candor. The inquisitors make a ridiculous affec- In a few days he is brought to a second tation of equity, by pretending that the examination, with the same formalities as prisoner may be indulged with a counsellor, before. It is then demanded of him, if he j if he chooses to demand one. Such a re- has taken a serious review of his past life, quest is sometimes made, and a counsellor and will divulge its various secrets, and j appointed, but upon these occasions, as jhe the crimes and follies into which he has trial itself is a mockery of justice, so the rin at different tiVnes. If he refuses to j counsellor is a mere cipher ; for he is not confess anything, many ensnaring questions \ permitted to say anything that might offend are put to him, and the arts of casuistry are ; the inquisitor, or to advance a syllable that 138 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. might benefit the prisoner. Amazing prof- ligacy, to turn that to a farce which ought to be reverenced as a superior virtue. " Of all the virtues justice is the best, Valor without it is a common pest ; Pirates and thieves too oft with courage graced, Show us how ill that virtue may be placed ; 'Tis our complexion makes us chaste, or brave, Justice from reason and from heaven we have ; All other virtues dwell but in the blood, That in the soul, and gives the name of good." From what has been said, it is evident, that a prisoner to the inquisitors is reduced to the sad necessity of defending himself against accusers he does not know, and of answering to the evidence of witnesses he must not see. The only person he is per- mitted to have a sight of upon his trial, ex- clusive of the judges and secretary, is the fiscal, who acts officially as the ostensible \ accuser, from the collected information of \ others. A desire of being informed of the \ real accuser's name, or to see the actual < witnesses avails nothing, those things he is | told are always kept secret. Thus is he | continued in suspense respecting his fate, { and frequently interrogated, perhaps, for ) years together, before his trial is finally concluded. When that fatal time comes, if he is condemned to die, death is deferred for a considerable time. To put him out of his misery immediately would be too \ great a favor, and prevent the inquisitors \ from indulging their sanguinary dispositions I with other sufferings which they intend to \ inflict. They begin by putting him to the s torture, under the pretence of making the I poor wretch discover his accomplices. I For this purpose the tortures are various, \ and the torments inflicted excruciating to the last degree. Well might a late writer, in speaking of these cruelties exclaim : 4i O, that I was able to give some faint idea of that variety of tortures which the misera- ble victims are here forced to suffer ; but no language can represent such a compli- cated scene of horrors. It is utterly im- \ possible for any words to describe which of them is the most cruel and inhuman. \ Every one is so exquisite in its kind as to < surpass all imagination. What detestable monsters then must those judges be who are the inventors, and perpetrators of such misery ? they are shaped it is true like other men, but surely they seem to have a different kind of souls. They appear as little affected with the groans and agonies of their fellow-creatures as the cords, chains, and racks, and tortures, which are applied to their writhing limbs. The hearts of these ecclesiastical butchers are grown cal- lous, and, like those of common butchers, are so inured to the shedding of blood, and the horrid sight of mangled carcases, as to have lost all the impressions of sensibility, and every touch and feeling of humanity. Perpetual scenes of horror and distress become so familiar to their minds, that what would rend the very heart-strings of some men, make no more impression on theirs than on a rock of adamant. Indeed, with- out such a fiend-like temper, it would be impossible for any man to act the part of an inquisitor." The inquisitors allow the torture to be used only three times, but at those three it is so severely indicted, that the prisoner either dies under it, or continues always after a cripple, and suffers the severest pains upon every change of weather. We shall give an ample description of the severe torments occasioned by the torture, from the account of one who suffered it the three respective times, but happily survived the cruelties he underwent. First Time of Torturing. On refusing to comply with the iniqui- tous demands of the inquisitors, by confes- sing all the crimes they thought proper to charge him with, he was immediately con- veyed to the torture-room, where no light appeared but what two candles gave. That the cries of the sufferers may not be heard by the other prisoners, this room is lined with a kind of quilting, which covers all the crevices, and deadens the sound. Great was the prisoner's horror on enter- ing this infernal place, when suddenly he was surrounded by six wretches, who, after THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 139 preparing the tortures, stripped him naked , to declare, that if he died under the torture to his drawers. He was then laid upon s he would be guilty, by his obstinacy, of his back on a kind of stand, elevated a few j self-murder. In short, at the last time of feet from the floor. s the ropes being drawn tight, he grew so They began the operation by putting an s exceedingly weak, by the circulation of his iron collar round his neck, and a ring to blood being stopped, and the pains he en- each foot, which fastened him to the stand. \ dured, that he fainted away ; upon which His limos being thus stretched out, they \ he was unloosed, and carried back to his wound two ropes round each arm, and two s dungeon, round each thigh ; which ropes being j Secmd Time ^ Torturing _ passed under the scaffold through holes ) , nl , , - - . . . . r _ . . ,,,-■, 1 he barbarous savages of the inquisition, made for that purpose, were all drawn tight s - ,. , ,, , . „. , , . . ' . r r , \ hnding that all the torture inflicted, as above at the same instant of time, by four of the s , ., , . , c ■ ,. , < described, instead of extorting a discovery men, on a given signal. i «. ., , , , T . b ° . . , \ from the prisoner, only served the more It is easy to conceive that the pains 5 r , . ,, .. r . £ fervently to excite his supplications to Heaven for patience and power to persevere in truth and integrity, were so inhuman, six weeks after, as to expose him to another kind of torture, more severe, if possible, which immediately succeeded were in tolerable ; the ropes, which were of a small size, cut through the prisoner's flesh to the bone, making the blood gush out at eight different places thus bound at a time. As the prisoner persisted in not making any confession of what the inquisitors required, the ropes were drawn in this manner four times successively. It is to be observed, that a physician and surgeon attended, and often felt his temples, in order to judge of the danger he might be in ; by which means his tortures were for a small space suspended, that he might have sufficient opportunity of recovering his spirits, to sustain each ensuing torture. In all this extremity of anguish, while the tender frame is tearing, as it were, in pieces, while at every pore it feels the sharpest pangs of death, and the agonizing soul is just ready to burst forth, and quit its wretched mansion, the ministers of the in- quisition have the obduracy of heart to look on without emotion, and calmly to advise the poor distracted creature to confess his imputed guilt, in doing which they tell him than the former ; the manner of inflicting which was as follows : they forced his arms backward, so that the palms of his hands were turned outward behind him ; when, by means of a rope that fastened them together at the wrists, and which was turned by an engine, they drew them, by degrees, nearer each other, in such a man- ner that the back of each hand touched, and stood exactly parallel to the other. In consequence of this violent contortion, both his shoulders became dislocated, and a considerable quantity of blood issued from his mouth. This torture was repeated thrice ; after which he was again taken to the dungeon, and put into the hands of the physician and surgeon, who, in setting the dislocated bones, put him to the most ex- quisite pain. Third Time of Torturing. Two months after the second torture, the he may obtain a free pardon, and receive < prisoner, being a little recovered, was again absolution. All this, however, was ineffec- \ ordered to the torture-room ; and there, for tual with the prisoner, whose mind was j the last time, made to undergo another kind strengthened by a sweet consciousness of < of punishment, which was inflicted twice innocence, and the divine consolation of < without any intermission. The execution- Ireligion. \ ers fastened a thick iron chain twice round While he was thus suffering, the physician j his body, which crossing upon his stomach, and surgeon were so barbarously unjust as \ terminated at the wrists. They then placed 140 *m THE CHUISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. him with his back, against a thick board, at each extremity whereof was a pulley, through which there run a rope attached *.o the ends of the chain at the wrists. The executioners then stretching the end of this rope, by means of a roller placed at a distance behind him, pressed or bruised his stomach in proportion as the i> ends of the chain were drawn tighter. They tortured him in this manner to such a degree, that his wrists, as well as his shoulders, were quite dislocated. They were, however, soon set by the surgeons ; but the barbarians, not yet satisfied with this series of cruelty, made him immediately undergo the like torture a second time ; which he sustained (though if possible at- tended with keener pains) with equal con- stancy and resolution. After this he was again remanded to his dungeon, attended by the surgeon to dress his bruises and adjust the parts dislocated ; and here he continued till their auto-da- fe, or jail delivery, when he was happily discharged. From the beforementioned relation, it may easily be judged what dreadful agony ] the sufferer must have labored under, at / being so frequently put to the torture. ; Most of his limbs were disjointed ; and so \ much was he bruised and exhausted as to ? be unable, for some weeks, to lift his hand I to his mouth ; and his body became greatly | swelled from the inflammation caused by \ such frequent dislocations. After his dis- ( charge he felt the effects of this cruelty for | the remainder of his life, being frequently seized with thrilling and excruciating pains, to which he had never been subject, till after he had the misfortune to fall under the merci- less and bloody lords of the inquisition. Females who fall into the hands of the inquisitors, have not the least favor shown them on account of the softness of their sex, but are tortured with as much severity { as the male prisoners, with the additional j mortification of having the most shocking > indecencies added to the most savage bar- '■ barities. < If the abovementioned modes of tortur- ing force a confession from the prisoner, \ he is remanded to his horrid dungeon, and \ left a prey to the melancholy of his situa- \ tion, to the anguish arising from what he \ has suffered, and to the dreadful ideas of ', future barbarities. If he still refuses to j confess, he is, in the same manner, re- \ manded to his dungeon, but a stratagem is used to draw from him what the torture i fails to do. A companion is allowed to | attend him, under the pretence of waiting upon, and comforting his mind till his ) wounds are healed : this person, who is 5 always selected for his cunning, insinuates himself into the good graces of the prisoner, laments the anguish he feels, sympathizes with him, and taking an advantage of the hasty expressions forced from him by pain, does all he can to dive into his secrets. Sometimes this companion pretends to \ be a prisoner like himself, and imprisoned for similar charges. This is to draw the unhappy person into a mutual confidence, and persuade him in unbosoming his grief, \ to betray his private thoughts. These snares frequently succeed, ^ls they are the more alluring by being glossed over with the appearance of friendship, sym- pathy, pity, and every tender passion. In fine, if the prisoner can not be found guilty, he is either tortured, or harassed to death, though a few have sometimes had the good fortune to be discharged, but not without having, first of all, suffered the most dread- ful cruelties. If he is found guilty, all his effects are confiscated, and he is condemn- ed to be whipped, imprisoned for life, sent to the galleys, or put to death. These sentences are put in execution at an auto- da-fe, or jail delivery, which is not held annually, or at any stated periods, but sometimes once in two, three, or even four years. After having mentioned the barbarities with which the persons of prisoners are treated by the inquisitors, we shall proceed to recount the severity of their proceedings against books. B' B THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 141 As soon as a book is published, it is care- 1 From what has been said, it is evident, fully read by some of the familiars belong- 1 that the inquisitors check the progress of ing to the inquisition. These wretched < learning, impede the increase of arts, nip critics are too ignorant to have taste, too > genius in the bud, destroy the national bigoted to search for truth, and too mali- > taste, and continue the cloud of ignorance cious to relish beauties. They scrutinize, ? over the minds of the people, not for the merits, but for the defects of an > A catalogue of condemned books is an- author, and pursue the slips of his pen ? nually published under the three different | with unremitting diligence. Hence they / heads of censures, already mentioned, and read with prejudice, judge with partiality, ? being printed on a very large sheet of paper, pursue errors with avidity, and strain that t is hung up in the most public and conspicu- which is innocent into an offensive mean- 1 ous places. After which, people are obliged ing. ( to destroy all such books as come under the They misunderstand, misapply, confound, < first censure, and to keep none belonging and pervert the sense ; and when they have < to the other two censures, unless the ex- gratified the malignity of their disposition, \ ceptionable passages have been expunged, charge their blunders upon the author, that \ and the corrections made, as in either case a prosecution may be founded upon their s disobedience would be of the most fatal false conceptions, and designed misinter- \ consequence ; for the possessing or reading pretations. The most trivial charge causes the cen- sure of a book ; but it is to be observed, the proscribed books are deemed very atrocious crimes. The publisher of such books is usually that the censure is of a three-fold nature, ruined in his circumstances, and some- viz. : — times obliged to pass the remainder of his 1. When the book is wholly condemned, life in the inquisition. 2. When the book is partly condemned, that is, when certain passages are pointed out as exceptionable, and ordered to be ex- punged. 3. When the book is deemed incorrect ; the meaning of which is, that a few words or expressions displease the inquisitions. These, therefore, are ordered to be altered, 1 and such alterations go under the name of corrections. " Strictures on books, when prejudice indites, Or ignorance judges of what genius writes ; When blinded zeal and rage on learning lower, And bigot dulness rills the seat of power — Well may pure truth for her hard lot repine, And on her hand her pensive head incline ; Well may fair science mourn the galling chain, Candor bewail, and innocence complain. Who curb the press with rigid bigot laws, Are foes professed to pure religion's cause ; And with the iron band of power would bind The free-born soul, and chain the human mind ; Crush generous sentiments before expressed, And fetter each emotion of the breast." THE INQUISITIONS OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, RANCIS ROMANES, a X into a protestant church, he was struck \ native of Spain, being of a < with the truths which he heard, and begin- < mercantile turn of mind, < ning to perceive the errors of popery, he [ was employed by the mer- \ determined to search further into the matter. \ chants of Antwerp, to \ Readingthe sacred Scriptures attentively, \ transact some business for < and perusing the writings of some protes- \ them at Breme. He had been educated in < tant divines, he plainly perceived how j | the Romish persuasion, but going one day \ erroneous the principles were he had for- \ « P merly embraced ; and renounced the im- positions of popery for the doctrines of the reformed church, in which religion appeared in all its genuine purity. Determiningto give over worldly thoughts, and think of his eternal salvation, he studied religious truths more than trade, and pur- chased books rather than merchandise, con- vinced that the riches of the body are tri- fling to those of the soul. He now resigned his agency to the mer- chants of Antwerp, giving them an account at the same time of his conversion ; and then resolving, if possible, to convert his parents, he went to Spain for that purpose. But the Antwerp merchants writing to the inquisitors, he was seized upon, imprisoned for some time, and then condemned to be burnt as a heretic. He was led to the place of execution in a garment painted over with devils, and had a paper mitre put upon his head, by way of derision. As he passed by a wooden cross, one of the priests bade him kneel to it ; this he absolutely refused to do, saying, " It is not for Christians to wor- ship wood." Being placed upon a pile of wood the fire quickly reached him, when he lifted up his head suddenly ; the priests thinking he meant to recant, ordered him to be taken down. Finding, however, that they were mistaken, and that he still retained his con- stancy, he was placed again upon the pile where, as long as he had life and voice re- maining, he repeated the following selected verses of the seventh psalm : — " Lord, my God, since I have placed My trust alone in thee, From all my persecutors' rage, Do thou deliver me. " To save me from my threatening foe, Lord, interpose thy power, Lest, like a savage lion, he My helpless soul devour. " Arise, and let thine anger, Lord, In my defence engage, Exalt thyself above my foes, And their insulting rage. " Awake, awake in my behalf, Thy judgment to dispense, Which thou hast righteously ordained, For injured innocence." At St. Lucar in Spain resided a carver named Rochus, whose principal business was to make images of saints and other popish idols. Becoming, however, con- vinced of the errors of the Romish persua- sion, he embraced the protestant faith, left off carving images, and for subsistence fol- lowed the business of a seal engraver only. He. had, however, retained one image of the Virgin Mary for a sign ; when an in- quisitor passing by, asked if he would sell it ; Rochus mentioned a price ; the inquisi- tor objected to it, and offered half the money : Rochus replied : " I would rather break it to pieces than take such a trifle." — " Break it to pieces !" said the inquisitor, " break it to pieces if you dare !" Rochus being provoked at this expres- sion, immediately snatched up a chisel, and cut off the nose of the image. This was sufficient ; the inquisitor went away in a rage, and soon after sent to have him apprehended. In vain did he plead that what he defaced was his own property, and that if it was not proper to do as he would with his own goods, it was not proper for the inquisitor to bargain for the image in the way of trade. Nothing, however, availed him ; his fate was decided : he was condemned to be burnt ; and the sen- tence was executed accordingly. Doctor Cacalla, his brother Francis, and his sister Blanch, were burnt at Vallodolid, for having spoken against the inquisitors. Doctor Cacalla, who was very old, when at the place of execution, repeated the words of Solomon, which have been thus beautifully translated : — " Behold where age's wretched victim lies, See his head trembling, and his half-closed eyes ; Frequent for breath his panting bosom heaves, To broken sleep his remnant sense he gives, And only by his pains, awaking, finds he lives. Loosed by devouring time, the silver cord Dissevered lies, unhonored from the board ; The crystal urn, when broken, is thrown by, And apter utensils their place supply: These things and I must share one common lot — Die, and be lost ; corrupt, and be forgot ; While still another, and another race, Shall now supply, and now give up the place. From earth all came, to earth must all return ; Frail as the cord, and brittle as the urn." At Seville, a gentlewoman with her two [ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 143 daughters, and her neice, were apprehend- ed on account of their professing the prot- estant religion. They were all put to the torture ; and when that was over, one of the inquisitors sent for the youngest daughter, pretended to sympathize with her, and pity her sufferings ; then binding himself with a solemn oath not to betray her, he said : " If you will disclose all to me, I promise you I'll procure the discharge of your mother, sister, cousin, and yourself." Made confident by his oath, and entrapped by his promises, she revealed the whole of the tenets they professed ; when the perjured wretch, instead of acting as he had sworn, immediately ordered her to be put to the rack, saying : " Now you have revealed so much, I will make you reveal more." Refusing, however, to say any- thing further, they were all ordered to be burnt, which sentence was executed at the next auto-da-fe. The keeper of the castle of Triano, be- longing to the inquisitors of Seville, happen- ed to be of a disposition more mild and humane than is usual with persons in his situation. He gave all the indulgence he could to the prisoners, and showed them every favor in his power with as much secresy as possible. At length, however, the inquisitors became acquainted with his kindness, and determined to punish him severely for it, that other jailers might be deterred from showing the least traces of that compassion which ought to glow in the breast of every human being. With this view they superseded, threw him into a dismal dungeon, and used him with such dreadful barbarity that he lost his senses. His deplorable situation, however, procur- ed him no favor, for frantic as he was, they brought him from prison at an auto-da-fe to j the usual place of punishment with a \ sambenito (or garment worn by criminals) on, and a rope about his neck. His sen- \ tence was then read, and ran thus : that i he should be placed upon an ass, led through < the city, receive two hundred stripes, and \ then be condemned six years to the galleys. \ The poor frantic wretch, just as they were about to begin his punishment, sud- denly sprung from the back of the ass, broke the cords that bound him, snatched a sword from one of the guards, and dan- } gerously wounded an officer of the inquisi- tion. Being overpowered by multitudes, he was prevented from doing further mis- chief, seized, bound more securely to the ass, and punished according to his sentence. But so inexorable were the inquisitors, that for the rash effects of his madness, an ad- ditional four years was added to his slavery in the galleys. A maid-servant to another jailer belong- ing to the inquisition was accused of hu- manity, and detected in bidding the prison- ers keep up their spirits. For these heinous crimes, as they were called, she was pub- licly whipped, banished her native place for ten years, and, what is worse, had her forehead branded by means of red hot irons, with these words : " A favorer and aider of heretics." John Pontic, a Spaniard by birth, a gen- tleman by education, and protestant by per- suasion, was, principally on account of his great estate, apprehended by the inquisitors, when the following charges were exhibited against him : — 1. That he had said he abhorred the idolatry of worshipping the host ; 2. That he shunned going to mass ; 3. That he asserted the merits of Jesus Christ alone was a full justification for a Christian ; 4. That he declared there was no purga- tory ; and 5. That he affirmed the pope's absolution not to be of any value. On these charges his effects were con- fiscated to the use of the inquisitors, and his body was burnt to ashes to gratify their revenge. John Gonsalvo was originally a priest, but having embraced the reformed religion, he was now seized by the inquisitors, as were his mother, brother, and two sisters. Being condemned, they were led to execu- tion, where they sung part of the CVIth psalm, viz. : — " render thanks to God above, The fountain of eternal love ; Whose mercy firm, through ages past Has stood, and shall for ever last. " Who can his mighty deeds express, Not only vast, but numberless ; What mortal eloquence can raise, His tribute of immortal praise. " Happy are they, and only they, Who from thy judgments never stray ; Who know what's right — not only so, But always practise what they know." At the place of execution they were ordered to say the creed, which they im- mediately complied with, but coming to these words : " The holy catholic church," they were commanded to add the mono- syllables of Rome, which absolutely refu- sing, one of the inquisitors said : " Put an end to their lives directly ;" when the exe- cutioners obeyed, and strangled them im- mediately. Four protestant women, being seized upon at Seville, were tortured, and in pro- cess of time ordered for execution. On the way thither they began to sing psalms ; but the officers of the inquisition, thinking that the words of the psalms reflected on themselves, put gags into all their mouths, to make them silent. They were then burnt, and the houses where they resided were ordered to be razed to the ground. Ferdinando, a protestant schoolmaster, was apprehended by order of the inquisi- tion, for instructing his pupils in the princi- ples of protestantism ; and, after being severely tortured, was burnt. A monk, who had abjured the errors of popery, was imprisoned at the same time as the above Ferdinando ; but through the fear of death, and to procure mercy, he said he was willing to embrace his former communion. Ferdinando, hearing of this, [ got an opportunity to speak to him, re- proached him with his weakness, and threatened him with eternal perdition. The monk, sensible of his crime, returned to, promised to continue in the protestant faith, J and declared to the inquisitors, that he / solemnly renounced his intended recanta- j tion. Sentenco of death was therefore / passed upon him, and he was burnt at the !> same time as Ferdinando. Juliano, a Spanish Roman catholic, on > } travelling into Germany, became a convert \ to the protestant religion. ) Being zealous for the faith he had em- < braced, Juliano undertook a very arduous j task, which was to convey from Germany \ into his own country, a great number of bibles concealed in casks, and packed up like Rhenish wine. This important com- mission he succeeded in so far as to dis- tribute the books. A pretended protestant, however, who had purchased one of the bibles, betrayed him, and laid an account of the whole affair before the inquisition. Juliano was immediately seized upon, and strict inquiry being made for the re- spective purchasers of these bibles, eight hundred persons were apprehended upon the occasion. They were all indiscrimi- nately tortured, and then most of them were sentenced to various punishments. Juliano was burnt, twenty were roasted upon spits, several imprisoned for life, some were publicly whipped, many sent to the galleys, and a few discharged. John Leon, a protestant tailor of Spain, travelled to Germany, and thence to Gene- \ va, where, hearing that a great number of English protestants were returning to their \ native country, he, and some more Span- < iards, determined to go with them. The Spanish inquisitors being apprized of their i intentions, sent a number of familiars so expeditiously in pursuit of them, that they overtook them at a seaport in Zealand, one of the United Provinces (which was then under the jurisdiction of Spain) just, before they had embarked. Having thus succeed- ed in their commission, the poor prisoners were heavily fettered, handcuffed, gagged, and had their heads and necks covered with a kind of iron net-work. In this miserable condition they were conveyed to Spain, thrown into a dismal dungeon, al- THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 145 most famished with hunger, barbarously- tortured, and then cruelly burnt. A young lady, having been put into a convent, absolutely refused to take the veil, or turn nun. On leaving the cloister she embraced the protestant faith, which being known to the inquisitors, she was appre- hended, and every method used to draw her back again to popery. This proving in- effectual, her inexorable judges condemned her to the flames, and she was burnt ac- cording to her sentence, persisting in her faith to the last. Christopher Losada, an eminentphysician, and learned philosopher, became extremely obnoxious to the inquisitors, on account of exposing the errors of popery, and profes- sing the tenets of protestantism. For these reasons he was apprehended, imprisoned, and racked ; but those severities not bring- ing him to confess the Roman catholic church to be the only true church, he was sentenced to the fire ; the flames of which he bore with exemplary patience, and re- signed his soul to that Creator by whom it was bestowed. Arias, a monk of St. Isidores monastery at Seville, was a man of great abilities, but of a vicious disposition. He sometimes pretended to forsake the errors of the church of Rome, and become a protestant, and soon after turned Roman catholic. Thus he continued a long time wavering between both persuasions, till God thought proper to touch his heart, and show him the great danger of inconstancy in religious matters. He now became a true protestant, and be- wailed his former errors with contrition. The sincerity of h ; s conversion being known, he was seized by the officers of the inquisi- | tion, severely tortured, and afterward burnt at an auto-da-fe. Maria de Coceicao, a young lady who resided with her brother at Lisbon, was taken up by the inquisitors, and ordered to be put to the rack. The exquisite torments she felt staggered her resolution, and she fully confessed the charges against her. The cords were immediately slackened, 10 and she was reconducted to her cell, where she remained till she had recovered the use of her limbs, and was then brought again before her tribunal, and ordered to ratify her confession, and sign it. This she absolutely refused to do, telling them, that what she had said was forced from her by the excessive pain she underwent. In- censed at this reply, the inquisitors ordered her again to be put to the rack, when the weakness of nature once more prevailed, and she repeated her former confession. She was immediately remanded to her cell till her wounds were again healed, when being a third time brought before the in- quisitors, they, in a stern manner, ordered her to sign her fiistand second confessions. She answered as before, but added : " I have twice given way to the frailty of the flesh, and perhaps may, while on the rack, be weak enough to do so again ; but depend upon it, if you torture me a hundred times, as soon as I am released from the rack I shall deny what was extorted from me by pain." The inquisitors ordered her to be racked a third time ; and, during this last trial, she exceeded even her own expecta- tions ; bore the torments inflicted with the utmost fortitude, and could not be persuaded to answer any of the questions put to her. As her courage and constancy increased, the inquisitors imagined that she would deem death a glorious martyrdom, and therefore, to disappoint her expectations, they condemned her to a severe whipping through the public streets, and to a ten years' banishment. Jane Bohorquia, a lady of a noble family in Seville, was apprehended on the informa- tion of her sister, who had been tortured, and burnt for professing the protestant re- ligion. While on the rack, through the extremity of pain, that young lady confessed that she had frequently discoursed with her sister concerning protestantism, and upon this extorted confession was Jane Bohorquia seized and imprisoned. Being enciente at the beginning, they let her remain tolerably quiet till she was delivered, when they im- 146 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. \ mediately took away the child, and put it to nurse, that it might be brought up a Ro- man catholic. The lady was not perfectly recovered from the weakness caused by her labor, when she was ordered to be racked, which was done with such severity, that she ex- pired a week after of the wounds and bruises she received. Upon this occasion the in- quisitors affected some remorse, and, in one of the printed acts of the inquisition, which they always publish at an auto-da-fe, they thus mention this young lady : — " Jane Bohorquia was found dead in prison ; after which, upon reviving her prosecution, the inquisitors discovered that she was innocent. — Be it therefore known, that no further prosecutions shall be carried on against her, and that her effects, which were confiscated, shall be given to the heirs at law. Thus have the lords of the holy office of inquisition generously restor- ed to her innocence, reputation, and estate." Strange inconsistency ! to take the proper- ty, and torture the person before conviction of guilt, and then to compliment themselves for moderation, in returning what they had no right to seize, and forgiving one, who, by their own acknowledgment, had never offended them. One sentence, however, in the above ridiculous passage wants ex- planation, viz. : " That no further prosecu- tions shall be carried on against her." This alludes to the absurd custom of prose- cuting, and burning the bones of the dead : for when a prisoner dies in the inquisition, the process continues the same as if he was living ; the bones are deposited in a chest, and if a sentence of guilt is passed, they are brought out at the next auto-da-fe ; the sentence is read against them with as much solemnity as against a living prisoner, and they are at length committed to the flames. In a similar manner are prosecutions car- ried on against prisoners who escape ; and when their persons are far beyond the reach of the inquisitors, they are burnt in effigy. Dr. Isaac Orobio, a learned physician, having beaten a Moorish servant for steal- ing, was accused by him of professing Judaism. Without considering the appa- rent malice of the servant, the inquisitors seized the master upon the charge. He was kept three years in prison before he had the least intimation of what he was to undergo, and then suffered the following six modes of torture : — 1. A coarse linen coat was put on him, and then drawn so tight that the circulation of his blood was nearly stopped, and the breath almost pressed out of his body. After this the strings were suddenly loosen- ed, when the air forcing its way hastily into his stomach, and the blood rushing into its channels, he suffered the most incredible pains. 2. His thumbs were tied with small cords, so hard that the blood gushed from under the nails. 3. He was seated on a bench with his back against a wall, wherein small iron pulleys were fixed. Ropes being fastened to several parts of his body and limbs, were passed through the pulleys, and being sud- denly drawn with great violence, his whole frame was forced into a distorted heap. 4. After having suffered for a consider- able time the pains of the last-mentioned position, the seat was snatched away, and he was left suspended against the wall in the most excruciating misery. 5. A little instrument with five knobs, and which went with springs, being placed near his face, he suddenly received five blows on the cheek, that put him to such pain as caused him to faint away. 6. The executioners fastened ropes round his wrists, and then drew them about his body. Placing him on his back with his feet against the wall, they pulled with the utmost violence, till the cords had penetra- ted to the bone. The last torture he suffered three dif- ferent times, and then lay seventy days before his wounds were healed. He was afterward banished, and in his exile wrote the account of his sufferings, from ft THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 147 which we have extracted the foregoing: particulars. An excellent penman of Toledo, in Spain, j and a protestant, was fond of producing fine specimens of writing, and having them framed, to adorn the different apartments of his house. Among other curious exam- ples of penmanship was a large piece, con- taining the Lord's prayer, creed, and ten • commandments, thrown into verse, and finely written. This piece, which hung in a conspicuous part of the house, was one j day seen by a person belonging to the in- quisition, who observed that the versifica- tion of the commandments was not accord- ing to the charch of Rome, but according ; to the protestant church, for the protestants retain the whole of the commandments as ; they are found in the Bible, but the papists omit that part of the second commandment which forbids the worship of images. The inquisition soon had information of the whole, and this ingenious gentleman was seized, prosecuted, and burnt, only for orna- menting his house with a specimen of his skill and piety. The following is a transla- tion and specimen of the manner in which this curious piece of penmanship was dis- played : — LORD'S PRAYER. " Almighty God, who art in heaven, To thee be endless praises given Let us thy joyful kingdom see, A kingdom of felicity ; Let us on earth thy sacred will, Strictly like those in heaven fulfil ; This day our daily bread bestow, Forgive, as we forgive each foe ; Let us not to temptation yield, But guard from vice, from evil shield ; For thine's the kingdom, glory, power ! And shall be to the latest hour. Amen.'' CREED. " In God the Father I believe, From whom all things did birth receive ; And in his only Son I place, My confidence of gaining grace : That Son, to whom the Holy Ghost Conception gave from heaven's high host ; Then from a Virgin he had breath, And Pontius Pilate gave him death. Three days he with the grave contends, And into hell itself descends ; On the third day again he rose, And mounts to heaven to seek repose ; On God's right hand he sits serene, Till the last judgment's awful scene. I in the Holy Ghost believe, The church as catholic receive : I hold that saints commune in heaven, And that our sins '-hall be forgiven ; That resurrection day shall come, And the soul's everlasting doom. " Amen." THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. " 1. No God thou shalt adore but me, Nor bow to other deity. 2. Thou shalt not any image made, Nor for a God an idol take ; Whether a picture it appear, Of anything in sea, earth, air, No confidence upon it place, Nor bow to anything so base : For I am jealous of that praise Which only one true God should raise, And punish all who hate or scorn, E'en in their progeny unborn. 3. Take not th' Almighty's name in vain, He will treat severely the profane. 4. Labor not on the sabbath-day, But to th' Almighty fervent pray ; Six days to labor rendered due, Suffice your business to pursue ; Then thee and thine in worth may strain, But on the sabbath day refrain ; For in six days, by God displayed, The wondrous universe was made ; On the seventh day he went to rest, And hence the sabbath-day is blest. 5. To both thy parents honor give, And long in honor thou shalt live. 6. Do not your hands in blood embrue : 7. Nor dare adultery pursue : 8. That thou stealst not take special care ; 9. Nor ever perjured witness bear : 10. Thy neighbor's house thou shalt not crave, His wife, his servant, or his slave, Or anything that he may have." THE LIVES OF DR. ^GIDIO, DR. CONSTANTINE, NICHOLAS BURTON, AND WILLIAM GARDENER. the life of dr. jEgidio. aures and school divinity. The professor R. iEgidio was educated \ of theology dying, he was elected into his at the university of Alcala, \ place, and acted so much to the satisfaction where he took his several of every one, that his reputation for learn- j degrees, and particularly i ing and piety was circulated throughout j applied himself to the ] Europe. < study of the sacred Scrip- l , His fame, on account of his theological E 148 THE CHRISTIAN MAKTYROLOGY. lectures, having attracted the notice of some Spanish grandees and principals of the church, he was sent for to Seville, and made subdean of the cathedral church in that city. But when he came to deliver his probation sermon, instead of raising admiration, he created contempt. The lectures which had formerly gained him fame he had composed with attention, and read with care ; but his sermon he was obliged to speak extempore. This mode of facing an audience staggered him. He stammered, hesitated, and at length became so confused in his words, that his meaning was scarce intelligible. This miscarriage quite disheartened him, and he had some thoughts of resigning his preferment and returning to the university ; when a friend pointed out the faults of his preaching to him, and taught him how to remedy them. He assiduously studied his friend's rules, and by punctually putting them in practice so far refined his diction, and polished his action, that he became admired for his elocution by those who had so lately despi- sed him on that account. But his friend did him a more essential service than that of making him an orator, by making him a protestant. A title which iEgidio himself thought of all others the most honorable. The light of truth began to appear in his sermons, and his doctrines contained the pure tenets of primitive Christianity. The great emperor Charles V., hearing him preach, was so pleased with the matter and manner, and thought the elocution and and doctrine so simply agreeable, thai he constituted him bishop of Dortois. True merit will excite envy. " Envy will merit like its shade pursue, But like the shadow proves the substance true." iEgidio had his enemies, and these laid a complaint against him to the inquisitors, who sent him a citation, and when he ap- peared to it, cast him into a dungeon. As the greatest part of those who be- longed to the cathedral church at Seville, and many persons belonging to the bishop- ric of Dortois, highly approved of the doc- trines of iEgidio, which they thought per- fectly consonant with true religion, they immediately petitioned the emperor in his behalf. Though that monarch had been educated a Roman catholic, he had too much sense to be a bigot ; and therefore sent an immediate order for his enlarge- ment. He subsequently visited the church of Valladolid, did everything he could to pro- mote the cause of religion, and returning home, he soon after fell sick, and died in an extreme old age. The inquisitors, having been disappoint- ed of gratifying their malice against him, while living, determined (as the emperor's whole thoughts were engrossed by a milita- ry expedition) to wreak their vengeance on him when dead. Therefore, soon after he was buried, they ordered his remains to be dug out of the grave ; and a legal pro- cess being carried on, they were condemned to be burnt, which was executed accord- ingly. THE LIFE OF DR. CONSTANTINE. Dr. Constantine, an intimate acquaint- ance of the already-mentioned Dr. JEgidio, was a man of uncommon natural abilities and profound learning, exclusive of several modern tongues ; he was acquainted with the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, and perfectly well knew, not only the sciences called abstruse, but those arts which come under the denomination of polite literature. His eloquence rendered him a pleasing, and the soundness of his doctrines a profita- ble preacher ; and he was so popular, that he never preached but to a crowded assem- j bly. He had many opportunities of rising ) in the church, but never would take advan- s tage of them ; for if a living of greater value j than his own was offered him, he would I refuse it, saying : "lam content with what \ I have." And he frequently preached so | forcibly against lewdness, that many of his \ M B~~- THE CHRISTIAN MARTY&OLOGY. 149 superiors, who were not so delicate upon the subject, took umbrage at his doctrines upon that head. Having been fully confirmed in protestant- ism by Dr. iEgidio, he preached boldly such doctrines only as were agreeable to gospel purity, and uncontaminated by the errors which had, at various times, crept into the Romish church. For these reasons he had many enemies among the Roman catholics, and some of them were fully determined on his destruction. A worthy gentleman, named Scobario, having erected a school for divinity lectures, appointed Dr. Constantine to be reader therein. He immediately undertook the task, and read lectures, by portions, on the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles ; and was beginning to expound the book of Job, when he was seized by the inquisitors. Being brought to examination, he an- swered with such precaution that they could not find any explicit charge upon him, but remained doubtful in what manner to pro- ceed, when the following circumstances occurred to determine them : — Dr. Constantine had deposited with a woman, named Isabella Martin, several books, which to him were very valuable, but which he knew, in the eyes of the in- quisition, were exceptionable. This woman having been informed against as a protestant, was apprehended, and, after a small process, her goods were ordered to be confiscated. Previous, however, to the officers coming to her house, the woman's son had removed away several chests full of the most valuable articles ; and among these were Dr. Constantine's books. A treacherous servant giving intelligence of this to the inquisitors, an officer was despatched to the son to demand the chests. The son, supposing that the officer only came for Constantine's books, said : " I know what you come for, and I'll fetch them to you immediately." He then fetch- ed Dr. Constantine's books and papers, when the officer was greatly surprised to find what he did not look for. He, however, told the young man, that he was glad these books and papers were prodviced, but nevertheless he must fulfil the end of his commission, which was, to carry him and the goods he had embezzled before the inquisitors, which he did accordingly ; for the young man knew it would be in vain to expostulate, or resist, and therefore quietly submitted to his fate. The inquisitors being thus possessed of Constantine's books and writings, now found matter sufficient to form charges against him. When he was brought to a re-ex- amination, they presented one of his pa- pers, and asked him if he knew the hand- writing 1 Perceiving it was his own, he guessed the whole manner, confessed the writing, and justified the doctrine it contain- ed ; saying : " In that, and all my other writings, I have never departed from the truth of the gospel, but have always kept in view the pure precepts of Christ, as he delivered them to mankind." After being detained upward of two years in prison, Dr. Constantine was seized with a bloody flux, which put an end to his mise- ries in this world. The process, however, was carried on against his body, which, at the ensuing auto-da-fe, was publicly burnt. " Thus death itself can not control The malice of a bigot soul ; Which more than forfeit life can crave, And seek revenge beyond the grave." THE LIFE OF MR. NICHOLAS BURTON. Mr. Burton was a merchant of London, who traded into Spain. Being at Cadiz, a familiar of the inquisition called upon him one day at his lodging, pretending that he wanted to send a quantity of merchandise to London. Having asked as many ques- tions as he though proper, he departed, and Mr. Burton was next day taken into custody by one of the inquisitorial officers. On his examination the president de- manded if he had, by words or writing, said or insinuated anything disrespectful to the Roman catholic persuasion. To this Mr. Burton replied in the nega- tive ; saying : that " he was sensible, in «' 150 1 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. whatever country we were, respect ought to be paid to the religion of that country : that such knowledge to him was essential, At the age of twenty-six years, he was, by his master, sent to Lisbon, to act as fac- tor. Here he applied himself to the study who, as a merchant, 'was obliged to visit ? of the Portuguese language, executed his various countries, and conform to the re- ( business with assiduity and fidelity, and ligious and civil ceremonies of all." behaved with the most engaging affability This defence, however, availed him to all persons with whom he had the least nothing : they proceeded to torture him, in \ concern. He conversed privately with a order to gain information. Failing in this, j few, whom he knew to be zealous protes- they condemned him for invincible obstina- | tants ; and, at the same time, cautiously cy, and at the next auto-da-fe he was burnt. \ avoided giving the least offence to any who When the flames first touched him, he bore the torments with such exemplary patience, and appeared with so smiling a counten- ance, that one of the priests, enraged at his were Roman catholics ; he had not, how- ever, hitherto, gone into any of the popish churches. A marriage being concluded between the serenity, said, with great malice and absur- \ king of Portugal's son and the infanta of dity : " The reason why he does not seem to feel, is to me very evident ; the devil has already got his soul, and his body is of course deprived of the usual sensations." (See engraving.) About the time of Mr. Burton's martyr- dom, several others of the English in Spain were put to death by the inquisitors ; par- ticularly, John Baker, William Burgate, and William Burgess, were burnt, and William Hooker was stoned to death ; freely giving up their lives for Him who shed his blood for them. Spain, upon the wedding-day the bride- groom, bride, and the whole court, went to the cathedral church, attended by multi- tudes of all ranks of people, and among the rest William Gardener, who stayed during the whole ceremony, and was greatly shocked at the superstitions he saw. The erroneous worship which he had seen ran strongly in his mind ; he was miserable, to behold a whole country sunk into such idolatry, when the truth of the gospel might be so easily obtained. He, therefore, took the inconsiderate, though laudable design, into his head, of making a reform in Portugal, or perishing in the attempt ; and determined to sacrifice his prudence to his zeal, though he became a martyr upon the occasion. To this end he settled all his worldly affairs, paid his debts, closed his books, and consigned over his merchandise. On the ensuing Sunday he went again to the cathedral church, with a New Testament in his hand, and placed himself near the altar. The king and the court soon appeared, and a cardinal began mass : at that part of the ceremony in which the people adore the wafer, Gardener cou'd hold out no William GAHDENERwas born at Bristol, I longer, but springing toward the cardinal, received a tolerable education, and was, at < he snatched the host from him, and trampled a proper age, placed under the care of a it under his feet. merchant, named Paget. j This action amazed the whole congrega- " Jesus, who dies a world to save, Revives, and rises from the grave, By his almighty power ; From sin and death, and hell, set free, He captive leads captivity, And lives to die no more. " The Lord, who spoke the world from naught, Hath for poor sinners dearly bought, Salvation by his blood ; Lo ! how he bursts the bonds of death, And reassumes his vital breath, To make our title good. u God's church is still his joy and crown, He looks with love and pity down, On those he did redeem ; lie tastes their joys, he feels their woes, Decrees that they may spoil their foes, And ever reign in him." THE LIFE OF WILLIAM GARDFNF.R. H NICHOLAS BURTON IN THE INQUISITION AT CADIZ. — PajTfc 151 Pr THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 153 i tion, and one person drawing a dagger, wounded Gardener in the shoulder, and would, by repeating the blow, have finish- ed him, had not the king called to him to desist. Gardener being carried before the king, the monarch asked him what countryman he was : to which he replied : " I am an Englishman by birth, a protestant by re- ligion, and a merchant by occupation. What | I have done is not out of contempt to your person, God forbid it should, but out of an honest indignation, to see the ridiculous superstitions and gross idolatries practised here." The king, thinking that he had been stimulated by some other person to act as he had done, demanded who was his abettor, to which he replied : " My own conscience alone. I would not hazard what I have done for any man living, but I owe that and all other services to God." Gardener was sent to prison, and a gene- ral order issued to apprehend all English- men in Lisbon. This order was in a great measure put. into execution (some few es- caping) and many innocent persons were tortured to make them confess if they knew anything of the matter ; in particular, a per- son who resided in the same house with Gardener was treated with unparalleled barbarity to make him confess something which might throw a light upon the affair. Gardener himself was then tormented in the most excruciating manner ; but in the midst of all his torments he gloried in the deed. Being ordered for death, a large fire was kindled near a gibbet. Gardener was drawn up to the gibbet by pulleys, and then let down near the fire, but not so close as to touch it ; for they burnt or rather roasted him by slow degrees. Yet he bore his sufferings patiently, and resigned his soul to the Lord cheerfully. It is observable that some of the sparks were blown from the fire (which consumed Gardener) toward the haven, burnt one of the king's ships-of-war, and did other considerable damage. The Englishmen who were taken up on this occasion were, soon after Gardener's death, all discharged, except the person that resided in the same house with him, who was detained two years before he could procure his liberty. THE PERSECUTIONS IN ITALY. E shall now enter on an account of the persecutions in Ita- ly, a country which has been, and still is : — The centre of popery. The seat of the pontiff. The source of the various errors which have spread themselves over other countries, deluded the minds of thousands, and diffused the clouds of superstition and bigotry over the human understanding. In pursuing our narrative we shall include the most remarkable persecutions which happened, and the cruelties which have been practised : — 1. 2. 3. ft. 1. By the immediate order of the pope. 2. Through the power of the inquisition. 3. At the instigation of particular orders of the clergy. 4. By the bigotry of the Italian princes. " A pleasant country, in whose fertile plains Sweet verdure smiles, and endless plenty reigns ; But reigns in vain, while bigotry's control, With tyrant power enchains the human soul j And superstition lords it o'er the mind, Deludes the sense, or keeps the reason blind. The haughty pope, with triple honors crowned, In error's clouds diffuses darkness round ; And pampered priests without remorse deceive, While bigot minds implicitly believe ; Credit whatever their wily teachers say, And, by command, think, act, speak, fast, or pray, But priests, to no austerities confined, Mind not the rules by which they others bind , They leave to vassal laymen worldly cares, Sharp penance, meager abstinence, and prayers ; In open air for venal sins to lie, To dress in sackcloth, or the scourge to ply. 154 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. i Let pining anchorets in grottoes starve, Who from the liberties of nature swerve ; Who, curbed by moderation, Bparing eat, And by false zeal deceived, abstain from meat. Italian priests their appetites will please, And live in luxury and pampered ease ; But if their power enormous you'd control, A fury rises in the bigot soul ; Malicious r:vj;c strains superstition's throat, And blood for heresy is all the note. ' Use every instrument they loud exclaim, To darken truth, and render reason tame. Let the inquisition rage, fresh cruelties Make the dire engines groan with tortured cries ; Let Campo Flori every day be strewed With mangled carcases, and clotted blood ; Repeal again Lombardian slaughter o'er, And Piedmont valleys drown with floating gore. Swifter than murdering angels, when they fly On errands of avenging deity ; Fiercer than storms let loose, with eager haste Lay cities, countries, realms, whole nature waste ; Sack, ravish, massacre, destroy, burn, slay, Act what you will, so popery makes its way.' Bach are the thoughts that fill each popish mind, And such the enmity they bear mankind." THE FIRST PERSECUTIONS UNDER THE PAPACY IN ITALY. N the twelfth century the first persecutions under the papacy began in Italy, at the time that Adrian, an Englishman, was pope, being occasioned by the following circumstances : — A learned man, and an excellent orator of Brixia, named Arnold, came to Rome, and boldly preached against the corruptions and innovations which had crept into the church. His discourses were so clear, consistent, and breathed forth such a pure spirit of piety, that the senators, and many of the people, highly approved of, and ad- mired his doctrines. This so greatly enraged Adrian, that he commanded Arnold instantly to leave the city, as a heretic. Arnold, however, did not comply, for the senators and some of the principal people took his part, and re- sisted the authority of the pope. Adrian now laid the city of Rome under an interdict, which caused the whole body of clergy to interpose ; and, at length, per- suaded the senators and people to give up the point, and suffer Arnold to be banished. This being agreed to, he received his sen- tence of exile, and retired to Germany, where he continued to preach against the pope, and to expose the gross errors of the church of Rome. Adrian, on this account thirsted for his blood, and made several attempts to get him into his hands ; but Arnold, for a long time, avoided every snare laid for him. At length, : Frederic Barbarossa arriving at the imperial dignity, requested that the pope would crown him with his own hand. This Adrian com- plied with, and at the same time asked a fa- vor of the emperor, which was, to put Arnold into his hands. The emperor very readily delivered up the unfortunate preacher, who soon fell a martyr to Adrian's vengeance, being hanged, and his body burnt to ashes, at Apulia. The same fate attended several of his old friends and companions. Encenas, a Spaniard, was sent to Rome, to be brought 'up in the Roman catholic faith ; but having conversed with some of the reformed, and read several treatises which they had put into his hands, he be- came a protestant. This, at length, being known, one of his own relations informed against him, when he was burnt by order of the pope, and a conclave of cardinals. The brother of Encenas had been taken up about the same time, for having a New Testament, in the Spanish language, in his possession ; but before the time ap- pointed for his execution, he found means to escape out of prison, and returned to Germany. Faninus, a learned layman, by reading controversial books, became of the reformed religion. An information being exhibited against him to the pope, he was apprehend- ed, and cast into prison. His wife, children, relations, and friends, visited him in his > confinement, and so far wrought upon his . mind, that he renounced his faith, and ob- > THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 155 tained his release. But he was no sooner free from confinement, than his mind felt the heaviest of chains — the weight of a guilty conscience. His horrors were so great, that he found them insupportable, till he had returned from his apostacy, and de- clared himself fully convinced of the errors of the church of Rome. To make amends for his falling off, he now openly and strenuously did all he could to make con- verts to protestantism, and was pretty suc- cessful in his endeavors. These proceed- ings occasioned his second imprisonment ; but he had his life offered him if he would recant again. This proposal he rejected with disdain, saying, that he scorned life upon such terms. Being asked why he would obstinately persist in his opinions, and leave his wife and children in distress ; he replied : " I shall not leave them in dis- tress, I have recommended them to the care of an excellent trustee." — " What trustee ?" said the person who had asked the ques- tion, with some surprise : to which Fa- ninus answered : " Jesus Christ is the trustee I mean, and I think I could not com- mit them to the care of a better." On the day of execution he appeared remarkably cheerful, which one observing, said : " It is strange you should appear so merry upon such an occasion, when Jesus Christ him- self, just before his death, was in such agonies, that he sweated blood and water." To which Faninus replied : " Christ sus- tained all manner of pangs and conflicts, with hell and death, on our account ; and thus, by his sufferings, freed those who really believe in him from the fear of them." He was then strangled, and his body being burnt to ashes, they were scattered about by the wind. Dominicus, a learned soldier, having read several controversial writings, became a zealous protestant, and retiring to Placen- tia, he preached the gospel in its utmost purity, to a very considerable congregation. At the conclusion of his sermon one day, he said : " If the congregation will attend to-morrow, I will give them a description of anti-Christ, and paint him out in his proper colors." A vast concourse of people attended the next day ; but just as Dominicus was be- ginning his sermon, a civil magistrate went up to his pulpit, and took him into custody. He readily submitted ; but as he went along with the magistrate, made use of this ex- pression : " I wonder the devil hath let me alone so long." When he was brought to examination, this question was put to him : " Will you renounce your doctrines ?" To which he replied : " My doctrines ! I maintain no doctrines of my own ; what I preach are the doctrines of Christ, and for those I will forfeit my blood, and even think myself happy to suffer for the sake of my Redeemer." Every method was taken to make him recant from his faith ; but when persuasions and menaces were found in- effectual, he was sentenced to death, and hanged in the market-place. Galeacius, a protestant gentleman, was apprehended on account of his faith. Great endeavors being used by his friends, he recanted, and subscribed to several of the superstitious doctrines propagated by the church of Rome. Becoming, however, sensible of his error, he publicly renounced his recantation. Being apprehended for this, he was condemned to be burnt ; and, agreeably to the order, was chained to a stake, where he was left several hours be- fore the fire was put to the fagots, in order that his wife, relations, and friends, who surrounded him, might induce him to give up his opinions. Galeacius, however, now retained his constancy of mind, and en- treated the executioner to put fire to the wood that was to burn him. This, at length, he did, and Galeacius was soon consumed in the flames. Soon after this gentleman's death, a great number of protestants were put to death in various parts of Italy, on account of their faith, giving a sure proof of their sincerity in their martyrdoms : — " Resigning freely transitory breath, To shun the shades of everlasting death." THE PERSECUTIONS IN CALABRIA. N the fourteenth century, many I of the Waldenses of Pragela > and Dauphiny emigrated to< Calabria, and settling in some \ waste lands, by the permission I of the nobles of that country, they soon, by the most industrious cultiva- tion, made several wild and barren spots appear with all the beauties of verdure and ? fertility. The Calabrian lords were highly pleased 5 with their new subjects and tenants, as > they were honest, quiet, and industrious ; > but the priests of the country exhibited several negative complaints against them ; foe not being able to accuse them of any- '> thing bad which they did do, they founded accusations on what they did not do, and \ charged them : — ) With not being Roman catholics ; making any of their boys priests ; making any of their girls nuns ; going to mass ; giving wax tapers to the priests as offerings : — going on pilgrimages ; ■ bowing to images. The Calabrian lords, however, quieted the priests, by telling them, that these people were extremely harmless ; that they gave no offence to the Roman catholics, and cheerfully paid the tithes to the priests, Avhose revenues were considerably in- creased by their coming into the country ; and who, of consequence, ought to be the last persons to complain of them. Tilings went on tolerably well after this for a few years, during which the Walden- ses formed themselves into two corporate towns, annexing several villages to the jurisdiction of them. At length, they sent to Geneva for two clergymen ; one to preach in each town, as they determined to make a public profession of their faith. Intelligence of this affair being carried to ] Pope Pius the Fourth, he determined to exterminate them from Calabria. To this end he sent Cardinal Alexandrino, a man of a very violent temper, and a furi- ous bigot, together with tv"o monks, to Calabria, where they were to act as in- quisitors. These authorized persons came to St. Xist, one of the towns built by the Waldenses, and having assembled the people, told them, that they should receive no manner of injury, or violence, if they would accept of preachers appointed by the pope ; but if they would not, they should be deprived both of their property and lives ; and that their intentions might be known, mass should be publicly said that afternoon, at which they were ordered to attend. The people of St. Xist, instead of at- tending mass, fled into the woods with their families, and thus disappointed the cardinal and his coadjutors. The cardinal then proceeded to La Garde, the other town be- longing to the Waldenses, where, not to be served as he had been at St. Xist, he ordered the gates to be locked, and all the avenues guarded. The same proposals were then made to the people of La Garde as had been made to the inhabitants of St. Xist, but with this additional piece of arti- fice : the cardinal assured them, that the inhabitants of St. Xist had immediately come into his proposals, and agreed, that the pope should appoint them preachers. This falsehood succeeded ; for the people of La Garde thinking what the cardinal had told them to be truth, said they " would exactly follow the example of their brethren of St. Xist." The cardinal having gained his point by deluding the people of one town, sent for two troops of soldiers, with a view to mur- der those of the other. He, accordingly, despatched the soldiers into the woods, to hunt down the inhabitants of St. Xist like THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 157 ; wild beasts, and gave them strict orders to i embrace the Roman catholic persuasion, ; spare neither age nor sex, but to kill all they \ themselves and families should not be in- | came near. The troops entered thewoods, jjured, but their houses and property should I and many fell a prey to their ferocity, be- < be restored, and none would be permitted fore the Waldenses were properly apprized I to molest them ; but, on the contrary, if of their design. At length, however, they < they refused this mercy (as it was termed) determined to sell their lives as dear as \ the utmost extremities would be used, and possible, when several conflicts happened, < the most cruel deaths the certain conse- in which the half-armed Waldenses per- quence of their non-compliance, formed prodigies of valor, and many were \ Notwithstanding the promises on one side, slain on both sides. The greatest part of and menaces on the other, these worthy the troops being killed in the different people unanimously refused to renounce rencounters, the rest were compelled to \ their religion, or embrace the errors of retreat, which so enraged the cardinal, that i popery. This exasperated the cardinal he wrote to the viceroy of Naples for rein- \ and viceroy so much, that thirty of them forcements. \ were ordered to be put immediately to the The viceroy immediately ordered a pro- \ rack, as a terror to the rest, clamation to be made throughout all the \ Those who were put to the rack were Neapolitan territories, that all outlaws, i treated with such severity, that several died deserters, and other proscribed persons, \ under the tortures ; one Charlin, in particu- should be freely pardoned for their respec- \ lar, was so cruelly used, that his belly burst, tive offences, on condition of making a \ his bowels came out, and he expired in the campaign against, the inhabitants of St. \ greatest agonies. These barbarities, how- Xist, and continuing under arms till those s ever, did not answer the purposes for which people were exterminated. s they were intended ; for those who remain- Many persons, of desperate fortunes, came s ed alive after the rack, and those who had in upon this proclamation, and being formed not felt the rack, remained equally constant into light companies, were sent to scour the in their faith, and boldly declared, that no woods, and put to death all they could meet I tortures of body, or terrors of mind, should with of the reformed religion. The vice- I ever induce them to renounce their God, or roy himself likewise joined the cardinal, at > worship images. the head of a body of regular forces ; and, Several were then, by the cardinal's in conjunction, they did all they could to-order, stripped stark naked, and whipped harass the poor people in the woods. Some j to death with iron rods ; some were hack- they caught, and hanged up upon trees, cut I ed to pieces with large knives ; others were down boughs, and burnt them, or ripped \ thrown down from the top of a large tower; them open, and left their bodies to be de- \ and many were covered over with pitch, and voured by wild beasts, or birds of prey. <; burnt alive. Many they shot at a distance, but the < One of the monks who attended the car- greatest number they hunted down by way < dinal, being naturally of a savage and cruel of sport. A kw hid themselves in caves - t < disposition, requested of him, that he might but famine destroyed them in their retreat ; < shed some of the blood of these poor people and thus all these poor people perished, by j with his own hands ; when his request be- various means, to glut the bigoted malice s ing granted, the barbarous man took a large, of their merciless persecutors. I sharp knife, and cut the throats of four- The inhabitants of St. Xist were no I score men, women, and children, with as sooner exterminated, than those of La Garde little remorse as a butcher would have killed engaged the attention of the cardinal and \ so many sheep. Every one of these bodies viceroy. It was offered, that if they would \ were then ordered to be quartered, the ~a. 158 THE CHRISTIAN MAIITYROLOGY. quarters placed upon stakes, and then fixed in different parts of the country, within a circuit of thirty miles. The four principal men of La Garde were hanged, and the clergyman was thrown from the top of his church steeple. He was terribly mangled, but not quite killed, by the fall ; at which time the viceroy passing by, said : " Is the dog yet living ? Take him up, and give him to the hogs ;" when, brutal as this sentence may appear, it was executed accordingly. Sixty women were racked so violently, > that the cords pierced their arms and legs j quite to the bone : when, being remanded ] to prison, their wounds mortified, and they \ died in the most miserable manner. Many ) others were put to death by various cruel $ means ; and if any Roman catholic, more > compassionate than the rest, interceded for > any of the reformed, he was immediately j apprehended, and shared the same fate. The viceroy being obliged to march back to Naples, on some affairs of moment which required his presence, and the cardinal hav- ing been recalled to Rome, the marquis of Butiane was ordered to put the finishing > stroke to what they had began ; which he, < at length, affected, by acting with such barbarous rigor, that there was not a single j person of the reformed religion left living \ in all Calabria. \ Thus were a great number of inoffensive and harmless people deprived of their pos- sessions, robbed of their property, driven from their homes, and, at length, murdered, by various means, only because they would not sacrifice their consciences to the super- stitions of others, embrace idolatrous doc- trines which they abhorred, and accept of teachers whom they could not believe. Tyranny is of three kinds, viz. : that which enslaves the person, that which seizes the property, and that which prescribes and dictates to the mind. The first two sorts may be termed civil tyranny, and have been practised by arbitrary sovereigns in all ages, who have delighted in tormenting the per- sons, and stealing the property of their un- happy subjects. But the third sort, viz., prescribing and dictating to the mind, may be called ecclesiastical tyranny ; and this is the worst kind of tyranny, as it includes the other two sorts ; for the Romish clergy not only torture the bodies, and seize the effects of those they persecute, but take the lives, torment the minds, and, if possible, would tyrannize over the souls of the un- happy victims. " Thus rage, by superstition led, Strikes innocence and virtue dead ; While bigotry would reason blind, Enthrall the sense, and chain the mind ; Its errors fix in bloody streams, And spread, with fire, its fatal dreams." INDIVIDUALS MARTYRED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF ITALY, OHN MOLLIUS was born at Rome, of reputable parents. At twelve years of age they placed him in the monastery of Gray Friars, where he made such a rapid progress in arts, sciences, and languages, that at eighteen years of age he was permitted to take priest's orders. He was then sent to Ferrara, where, after pursuing his studies six years longer, he was made theological reader in the uni- versity of that city. He now, unhappily , exerted his great talents to disguise the gospel truths, and to varnish over the errors of the church of Rome. After some years' residence at Ferrara, he removed to the ; university of Bononia, where he became a i professor. Having read some treatises : written by ministers of the reformed re- MiKTYRDO.M OF FRANCIS GAMBA. A LOMBARD. — Page 159. R THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 161 ligion, he grew fully sensible of the errors of popery, and soon became a zealous prot- estant in his heart. He now determined to expound, accord- ing to the purity of the gospel, St. Paul's Epistles to the Romans, in a regular course of sermons. The concourse of people that continually attended his preaching was sur- prising ; but when the priests found the tenor of his doctrines, they despatched an account of the affair to Rome ; when the pope sent a monk, named Cornelius, to Bononia, to expound the same epistles ac- cording to the tenets of the church of Rome. The people, however, found such a dis- parity between the two preachers, that the audience of Mollius increased, and Corne- lius was forced to preach to empty ben- ches. Cornelius wrote an account of his bad success to the pope, who immediately sent an order to apprehend Mollius, who was seized upon accordingly, and kept in close confinement. The bishop of Bononia sent him word, that he must recant, or be burnt: but he appealed to Rome, and was removed thither. At Rome he begged to have a public trial, but that the pope absolutely denied him, and commanded him to give an account of his opinions in writing, which he did under the following heads : — Original sin. Mass. Free-will. Auricular confession. The infallibility of Prayers for the dead. the churchof Rome. The host. The infallibility of Prayers to saints. the pope. Goingon pilgrimages. Justification by faith. Extreme unction. Purgatory. Performing service in Transubstantiation. an unknown tongue, &c. And all these he confirmed from scrip- ture authority. The pope, upon this occa- sion, for political reasons, spared him for the present, but soon after had him appre- hended, and put to death; he being first hanged, and his body burnt to ashes, A. D. 1553. | The year after Francis Gamba, a Lorn- : > bard, of the protestant persuasion, was ap- ; i prehended, and condemned to death by the ; j senate of Milan. At the place of execu- ; I tion, a monk presented a cross to him ; to ] whom he said : " My mind is so full of the ; j real merits and goodness of Christ, that I : ', want not a piece of senseless stick to put ' me in mind of him." For this expression : his tongue was bored through, and he was afterward burnt. (See engraving.) A. D. 1555, Algerius, a student in the university of Padua, and a man of great learning, having embraced the reformed re- ! ligion, did all he could to convert others. For these proceedings he was accused of heresy to the pope, and being appre- hended, was committed to the prison at Venice, where being allowed the use of pen, ink, and paper, he wrote to his con- verts at Padua the following celebrated epistle : — " Dear Friends : I can not omit this opportunity of letting you know the sincere pleasures I feel in my confinement ; to suf- fer for Christ is delectable, indeed ; to un- dergo a little transitory pain in this world, j for his sake, is cheaply purchasing a rever- sion of eternal glory, in a life that is ever- lasting. " Hence, I have found honey in the entrails of a lion ; a Paradise in a prison ; tranquillity in the house of sorrow : where ; others weep I rejoice ; where others trem- ; ble and faint, I find strength and courage. The Almighty alone confers these favors : on me ; be his the glory and the praise. " How different do I find myself from what I was before I embraced the truth in its purity : I was then dark, doubtful, ; and in dread ; I am now enlightened, cer- i tain, and full of joy. He that was far from j me is now present with me ; he comforts | my spirits, heals my griefs, strengthens my mind, refreshes my heart, and fortifies my i soul. Learn, therefore, how merciful and ■> amiable the Lord is, who supports his ser- 5 j vants under temptations, expels their sor- i rows, lightens their afflictions, and even 162 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. visits them with his glorious presence, in j to judge of my sensations upon the occa- $ the gloom of a dismal dungeon. " Your sincere friend, " Algerius." sion ; my tears now wash the paper upon which I give you the recital. Another tiling I must mention, the patience with The pope, being informed of Algerius's j which they met death : they seemed all great learning, and surprising natural abili- I resignation and piety, fervently praving to ties, thought it would be of infinite service j God, and cheerfully encountering their fate, to the church of Rome, if he could induce < I can not reflect, without shuddering, how him to forsake the protestant cause. He, ' the executioner held the bloody knife be- therefore, sent for him to Rome, and tried, \ tween his teeth; what a dreadful figure heap- by the most profarue promises, to win him \ peared, all covered with blood, and with what to his purpose. But finding his endeavors \ unconcern he executed his barbarous office." ineffectual, he ordered him to be burnt, j A young Englishman, who happened to which sentence was executed accordingly. j be at Rome, was one day passing by a John ALLOYSius,beingsent from Geneva church, when the procession of the host to preach in Calabria, was there apprehend- \ was just coming out. A bishop carried ed as a protestant, carried to Rome, and the host, which the young man perceiving, burnt by order of the pope ; and James s he snatched it from him, threw it upon the Bovellus, for the same reason, was burnt at s ground, and trampled it under his feet, cry- Messina, s ing out : "Ye wretched idolators, that neg- A. D. 1560, Pope Pius the Fourth order- Meet the true God to adore a morsel of ed all the protestants to be severely perse- 1 bread." This action so provoked the cuted throughout the Italian states, when > people, that they would have torn him to great numbers of every age, sex, and con- > pieces upon the spot ; but the priests per- dition, suffered martyrdom. Concerning I suaded them to let him abide by the sentence the cruelties practised upon this occasion, > of the pope, a learned and humane Roman catholic thus speaks of them, in a letter to a noble lord : " I can not, my lord, forbear disclosing my sentiments, with respect to the persecution now carrying on : I think it cruel and un- When the affair was represented to the pope, he was so greatly exasperated that he ordered the prisoner to be burnt imme- diately ; but a cardinal dissuaded him from this hasty sentence, saying, it was better necessary; I tremble at the manner of I to punish him by slow degrees, and to tor- putting to death, as it resembles more the slaughter of calves and sheep, than the execution of human beings. I will relate to your lordship a dreadful scene, of which I was myself an eyewitness: seventy protestants were cooped up in one filthy dungeon together ; the executioner went ture him, that they might find out if he had been instigated by any particular person to commit so atrocious an act. This being approved, he was tortured with the most exemplary severity, notwith- standing which they could only get these words from him : " It was the will of God in among them, picked out one from among that I should do what I did." the rest, blindfolded him, led him out to an The pope then passed this sentence upon open place before the prison, and cut his < him : — throat with the greatest composure. He 1. That he should be led by the execu- then calmly walked into the prison again, j tioner, naked to the middle, through the bloody as he was, and with the knife in his. j streets of Rome ; hand selected another, and despatched him 2. That he should wear the image of the j \ in the same manner ; and this, my lord, he < devil upon his head ; \ repeated, till the whole number were put to > 3. That his breeches should be painted j \ death. I leave it to your lordship's feelings \ with the representation of flames ; j HL THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 163 4. That he should have his right hand cut off; 5. That after having been carried about thus in procession, he should be burnt. When he heard his sentence pronounced, he implored God to give him strength and fortitude to go through it. As he passed through the streets he was greatly derided by the people, to whom he said some severe things respecting the Romish superstition. But a cardinal, who attended the proces- sion, overhearing him, ordered him to be j gagged. When he came to the church door, where he trampled on the host, the hangman cut off his right hand, and fixed it on a pole. Then two tormentors with flaming torches, scorched and burnt his flesh all the rest of the way. At the place of execution he kissed the chains that were to bind him to the stake. A monk presenting the figure of a saint to him, he struck it aside, and then being chained to the stake, fire was put to the fagots, and he was soon burnt to ashes. A little after the last-mentioned execu- tion, a venerable old man, who had long been a prisoner in the inquisition, was con- demned to be burnt, and brought out for execution. When he was fastened to the stake a priest held a crucifix to him, on which he said : " If you do not take that idol from my sight, you will constrain me to spit upon it." The priest rebuked him for this with great severity ; but he bade him remember the first and second com- mandments, and refrain from idolatry, as God himself had commanded. He was then gagged, that he should not speak any more, and fire being put to the fagots, he suffered martyrdom in the flames. THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE MARQUISATE OF SALUCES, HE nrarquisate of Saluces, on the south side of the valleys of Piedmont, was in A. D. 1561, princi- pally inhabited by prot- estants ; when the mar- quis, who was proprietor of it, began a prosecution against them at the instigation of the pope. He began by banishing the ministers, and if any of them refused to leave their flocks they were sure to be im- prisoned, and severely tortured ; however, he did not proceed so far as to put any to death. Soon after the marquisate fell into the possession of the duke of Savoy, who sent circular letters to all the towns and villages, that he expected the people should all con- form to go to mass. The inhabitants of Saluces, upon re- ceiving this letter, returned for answer the following general epistle : — " May it please your highness : We humbly entreat your permission to continue in the practice of the religion which we have always professed, and which our fathers have professed before us. In this we shall acquit our consciences, without offending any ; for we are sensible that our religion is founded on the Holy Scriptures, i by whose precepts we are commanded not to injure our neighbors. " We likewise implore your protection ; for as Jews, infidels, and other enemies to Christ, are suffered to live in your dominions unmolested, we hope the same indulgence may be granted to Christians, whose very faith obliges them to be harmless, honest, inoffensive, and loyal. " We remain your highness's respectful, obedient, and faithful subjects, " The Protestant Inhabitants of the Marquisate of Saluces." The duke, after reading this letter, did not interrupt the protestants for some time ; but, at length, he sent them word, that they must either conform to go to mass, or leave -35 164 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. his dominions in fifteen days. The prot- estants, upon this unexpected edict, sent a deputy to the duke to obtain its revocation, or at least to have it moderated. But their remonstrances were in vain, and they were given to understand that the edict was ab- ] solute. Some were weak enough to go to mass, in order to avoid banishment, and preserve their property ; others removed, with all their effects, to different countries ; and many neglected the time so long, that they were obliged to abandon all they were worth, and leave the marquisate in haste. Those, who unhappily stayed behind, were seized, plundered, and put to death. THE PERSECUTIONS IN THE VALTOLINE. HIS fine district belonged to the Grison lords, who, as pretty sovereigns, had granted several decrees in favor of the protestants. The papists, however, of the Valtoline, bore them great malice, which first appeared publicly at the village of Tell, where they broke into a protestant congregation while the minister was preach- ing, and murdered several of the people. They afterward surrounded the village, and guarded all the avenues : then parading the streets, if any protestants made their appearance, they were shot immediately. Many that were sick were strangled in their beds ; others had their brains beat out with clubs : and several were drowned in the river Alba. A nobleman, who had hid himself, being discovered, he implored their pity on ac- count of his family, having a number of children. This papists, however, told him, that this was no time for mercy, unless he would renounce his faith. To which he replied : " God forbid, that to save this temporary life, I should deny my Redeem- er, and perish eternally." These words were scarcely out of his mouth, when they fell upon him, and cut him to pieces. The chief magistrate of the village being a protestant, they broke into his house, and murdered him and his whole family. Wo- men and girls they put to death by various means, viz.: — Hanging. Frying in a dry pan. Broiling. Stabbing. Ripping open. Beheading. Cutting the throat. Stoning. a most shocking manner. Jaded with run- ning, and fatigued with the weight of the feathered creatures tied to him, he sunk to the ground, and fell a victim to the wounds he received from the devouring jaws of the dogs, who, in biting and snapping at what they thought their prey, worried and tore him to death. (See engraving.) PERSECUTIONS IN BOHEMIA. T the commencement of the reign of Uladislaus, king of Bohemia, a learn- ed pastor drew up an apol- ogy for the Picards, and having inscribed it to the king made it public. As this work caused many to embrace the opinions of the Picards, it gave the Romish clergy great offence. To coun- teract its effects, they contrived one of the most artful and at the same time infamous schemes that could enter into the imagina- tion. This was to suborn a cunning and abandoned villain to pretend he was a Picard, and had been an elder among the people of that denomination, but shocked with their abominable practices, had quitted both their religion and rocks, and came to Prague to embrace the Roman catholic persuasion. This impostor made a pretended abjura- tion of protestantism in the cathedral church of Prague, and then inveighed bitterly against the Picards, pretending great contrition for having been one of their sect. The priest likewise published his cure, containing his reasons for leaving the Picards, and his charges against them, which were as fol- low : — 1. That they were guilty of blasphemy ; 2. Prayed not to the Virgin Mary ; 3. Abused the saints ; 4. Traduced the sacraments ; 5. Mingled themselves incestuously ; 6. Committed fornication ; 7. Were guilty of adultery ; 8. Thought murder no crime ; A PROTESTANT MINISTER IN HUNGARY TORN TO PIECES BY DOGS. — Pasre 167. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 169 9 9. Were thieves ; < Immediately after the publication of the 10. Practised lying ; < edict, six protestants were seized at Prague, 11. Encouraged perjury; < and condemned to the flames. When the^ 12. Took a pride in drunkenness j came to the place of execution, the presi- j To add to the atrociousness of the trans- < ding officer, having a friendship for one of | action, this scandalous impostor was con- \ the prisoners, entreated him to recant, and \ ducted through most of the cities and towns, offered to give him a year's time to consider ] and his case read in all the popish churches i of it, if he would promise his endeavors to of Bohemia. This scheme might have had abjure protestantism. The prisoner, hov- a dangerous effect, had not its contrivers I ever, nobly refused his offer, and exclaimed, ] defeated themselves. Happily for the Pi- l " A year's time ! It is too much, too much cards, neither the priest who drew up the ', by such delay, to lose the company of these case, nor the impostor himself, knew any- '/ worthy companions." Then walking bold- j thing of the country people they pretended j ly up to the stake, he was fastened with the to describe and abuse : so that the publica- rest, and they were all burnt together. tion of a modest answer to the case, by a j A gentleman of opulence, who resided \ Picard pastor, undeceived the public, and \ at a beautiful villa, in a town on the con- > even convinced the most prejudiced that j fines of Bohemia, made his house an asy- ' the whole was a fiction, fabricated by the < lum for distressed protestants. Some pa- } priests, to answer the most cruel and in- < pists hearing of this, broke in, and murder- f > famous purposes. i ed all the concealed protestants and ser- j The impostor himself was, at length, so < vants ; after which, five of the ruffians i tormented by his conscience, that he open- j found the gentleman in a room to which he < ly recanted his pretended abjuration, turned \ had retired, when they suddenly twisted a protestant in reality, confessed all he had rope round his neck, and strangled him. ( said to be a forgery, and publicly declared, < A venerable and learned man, with bis j "he had never been among the rocks where \ landlady, a widow of sixty, were both < the Picards resided, or conversed with a ', burnt together, with all their books. Many \ Picard in his life." < were tortured to death upon the rack, some j This affair, instead of injuring, served \ hanged, and others drowned. X the cause of protestantism ; for many pa- < A man and his wife being sentenced to I pists, perceiving what engines were set at \ death, were condemned to suffer by ex- j work against the Picards, began to inquire s tremes ; that is, the one was ordered to be j minutely into their tenets, when finding the i burnt, and the other drowned : so that the \ purity of the doctrines they professed, it two who were joined by marriage might \ induced several to renounce the Roman | perish by different elements,^re and water. > catholic persuasion, and embrace their opin- \ Many of the nobles and senators, who '> ions. | had signed the edict for the persecution of In the year 1510, an edict was prepared s the protestants, meeting with fatal accidents, for ordering an immediate and general \ and untimely deaths, those occurrences massacre of all the protestants that could \ were deemed very singular, and, at length, be found in Bohemia. This edict was pre- \ by their frequency, became so particularly sented to the assembly of states at Prague remarked, that they gave birth to a proverb by two bishops, but several of the Bohe- which still subsists, not only in Bohemia, mian nobility opposing it, eighteen months \ but most other parts of Germany ; and expired before it could be brought to a j implies : — determination. At length, the chancellor^ " If some evil you'd know, carried it through the assembly, and it was \ To the Pi cards turn foe -" signed by the king for publication. \ The emperor Charles V., in the year 170 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 1547, ordered, that all the decrees of the council of Trent, against the protestants, should be put in force with the utmost rigor, | in every part of his extensive dominions. This severe order occasioned a most \ dreadful persecution throughout the great- I est part of Europe ; for, as the emperor's ; ' power was very extensive, so the cruelties \ practised were almost innumerable. None, \ however, suffered more than the protestants ! of Bohemia ; for the nobles had their I estates sequestered ; the rich merchants and traders were fined so heavily, that their ruin ensued ; and the poor, who had no money to pay by way of mitigation, for thinking and acting right, were — Racked, Hanged, Burnt, Drowned, Sawed asunder, Stabbed, Thrown from rocks, Boiled in oil, Torn by wild horses, Cut to pieces, Immured and starved, Beheaded, | had boiling lead poured down their throats, \ were thrown on spears, hung up by the ribs, | or crucified with their heads downward. The king of Bohemia, to complete what '> the emperor Charles V. had begun, issued a / proclamation, containing four clauses, viz : — 1. To shut up all protestant churches ; 2. To banish all protestant nobles; 3. To burn all protestant clergymen; 4. To hang all protestant schoolmasters. Upon this proclamation, several protes- \ tants, who had escaped the persecution by , hiding themselves, determined to withdraw ' from IJoheinia, and seek an asylum in some ;, other country. An uninhabited part of 1 Poland was fixed upon as the place of re- \ treat, and they removed to it, with all possi- < ble secrecy, in three bands ; quitting the place of their nativity to enjoy their reli- | gion in quiet, and follow the dictates of their • consciences without molestation. < " Hut oh ! when from our country wo depart, ', The native fondness dings around the heart ; That charm that seems where'er we drew our breath, ' And makes our birthplace haum us e'en to death.'' But when these worthy wanderers arri- ved in Poland they were greatly disap- i pointed ; for though the spot they had fixed upon for their residence was uninhabited, and uncultivated, yet the bishop of that part of the country, who deemed it in hisdiocese, procured an order from the king to drive them thence. This mandate he executed with rigor, and the poor protestants pro- ceeded to ducal Prussia, where Albert, duke of Brandenburg, to whom that country belonged, appointed them a district to in- habit in the diocese of a protestant bishop, named Paul Speratus, who very kindly re- ceived them, and assisted them till they had built houses for their residence, and cultiva- ted lands for their subsistence. Several protestants, however, still re- mained in the rocks, woods, and caves of Bohemia, which the king well knowing, ordered rewards to be set upon their heads, but more particularly for apprehending the clergy. But his endeavors were so little successful, that in the course of several months he could only procure three clergy- men, and seven or eight of the laity, to be taken. One of the clergymen escaped, in a most singular manner, from a strong dun- geon in the castle of Prague, and got safe to Prussia, where he joined the protestants who had emigrated to that country. Anoth- er was three times racked, and then having been imprisoned seventeen years, fell a mar- tyr to the hardships of his confinement ; and the third was burnt for refusing to recant. The baron of Scanaw was apprehend- ed, and charged with being a heretic, and with having a treasonable design to subvert the government. Being condemn- ed to the rack, before the executioners had time to fasten the cords, he suddenly cut out his own tongue, and then wrote upon a piece of paper these words : " I did this extraordinary action, because I would not, by means of any tortures, be brought to accuse myself,or others, as I might, through the excruciating torments of the rack, be impelled to utter falsehoods." This singu- lar occurrence surprised all present, but did not save the baron from the rack, who was tormented with such severity, that he soon expired. (See engraving.) THE BARON OF BCANAW RACKED TO DEATH. Page 171. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 173 ) PERSECUTIONS IN BOHEMIA, AFTER THE INSTITUTION OP THE HIGH COURT OP REFORMERS. HE emperor Ferdinand, whose hatred to the Bo- hemian protestants was without bounds, not think- ing he had sufficiently oppressed them, institu- ted a High Court of Reformers upon the plan of the inquisition, with this difference, that the reformers were to remove from place to place, and always to be attended by a body of troops. These reformers consisted chiefly of Jesuits, and from their decisions there was no appeal, by which it may be easily con- jectured, that it was a dreadful tribunal indeed. This bloody court, attended by a body of; troops, made the tour of Bohemia, in which they seldom examined or saw a prisoner, suffering the soldiers to murder the protes- tants as they pleased, and then to make a report of the matter to them afterward. The first victim of their cruelty was an aged minister, whom they killed as he lay sick in bed ; the next day they robbed and murdered another, and soon after shot a third, as he was preaching in his pulpit. A nobleman and a clergyman, who re- sided in a protestant village, hearing of the approach of the high court of reformers and the troops, fled from the place, and secreted themselves. The soldiers, how- ever, on their arrival, seized upon a school- master, and asked him where the lord of that place and the minister were conceal- ed, and where they had hid their treasures. The schoolmaster replied, he could not answer either of the questions. They then stripped him naked, bound him with cords, and beat him most unmercifully with cudgels. This cruelty, not extorting any confession from him, they scorched him in s various parts of his body ; when, to gain a respite from his torments, he promised to show them where the treasures were hid. The soldiers gave ear to this with pleasure, and the schoolmaster led them to a ditch full of stones, saying, " Beneath those stones are the riches ye seek for." Eager after money, they went to work, and soon re- moved those stones, but not finding what they sought after, beat the schoolmaster to death, buried him in the ditch, and covered him with the very stones he had made them remove. Some of the soldiers ravished the daugh- ters of a worthy protestant before his face, and then tortured him to death. A minister and his wife they tied back to back, and burnt. Another minister they hung upon a cross beam, and making a fire under him, broiled him to death. A gentleman they hacked into small pieces ; and they filled a young man's mouth with gunpowder, and setting fire to it, blew his head to pieces. As their principal rage was directed against the clergy, they took a pious prot- estant minister, and tormented him daily for a month together, in the following man- ner, making their cruelty regular, systematic, and progressive : — 1. They placed him amidst them, and made him the subject of their derision and mockery, during a whole day's entertain- ment, trying to exhaust his patience, but in vain, for he bore the whole with a true Christian fortitude. 2. They spit in his face, pulled his nose, and pinched him in most parts of his body. 3. He was hunted like a wild beast, till ready to expire with fatigue. 4. They made him run the gantlope be- tween two ranks of them, each striking him with a twig. 174 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 5. He was beat with their fists. 6. He was beat with ropes. 7. They scourged him with wires. 8. He was beat with cudgels. 9. They tied him up by his heels with his head downward, till the blood started out of his nose, mouth, &c. 10. Theyhunghimup by therightarm till it was dislocated, and then had it set again. 11. The same was repeated with his left arm. 12. Burning papers, dipped in oil, were placed between his fingers and toes. 13. His flesh was torn with red hot pin- cers. 14. He was put to the rack. 15. They pulled off the nails of his right hand. 16. The same repeated with his left hand. 17. He was bastinadoed on his feet. 18. A slit was made in his right ear. 19. The same repeated on his left ear. 20. His nose was slit. 21. They whipped him through the town upon an ass. 22. They made several incisions in his flesh. 23. They pulled off the toenails of his right foot. 24. The same repeated with his left foot. 25. He was tied up by the loins, and suspended for a considerable time. 26. The teeth of his upper jaw were pulled out. 27. The same was repeated with his lower jaw. 28. Boiling lead was poured on his fingers. 29. The same repeated with his toes. 30. A knotted cord was twisted about his forehead in such a manner, as to force out his eyes. During the whole of these horrid cruel- ties, particular care was taken that his wounds should not mortify, and not to in- jure him mortally till the last day, when the forcing out his eyes proved his death. Innumerable were the other murders and depredations committed by these unfeeling brutes, and shocking to humanity were the cruelties which they inflicted on the poor Bohemian protestants. The winter being far advanced, however, the high court of reformers, with their infernal band of mili- tary ruffians, thought proper to return to Prague ; but on their way meeting with a protestant pastor, they could not resist the temptation of feasting their barbarous eyes with a new kind of cruelty, which had just suggested itself to the diabolical imagina- tion of one of the soldiers. This was to strip the minister naked, and alternately to cover him with ice and burning coals. This novel mode of tormenting a fellow-creature was immediately put in practice, and the unhappy victim expired beneath the tor- ments, which seemed to delight his inhu- man persecutors. GENERAL PERSECUTIONS IN GERMANY. ift^^jHE general persecutions in Germany were principally occasioned by the doctrines and ministry of Martin Lu- ther. Indeed, the pope was so terrified at the success of that courageous reformer, that he deter- mined to engage the emperor, Charles the Fifth, at any rate, in the scheme to attempt their extirpation. To this end : — 1. He gave the emperor two hundred thousand crowns in ready money. 2. He promised to maintain twelve thou- sand foots, and five thousand horses, for the space of six months, or during a campaign. 3. He allowed the emperor to receive | one half of the revenues of the clergy of > the empire, during the war. \ 4. He permitted the emperor to pledge H -a THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 175 the abbey-lands for five hundred thousand ; Voes. In the Old and New Testaments. ) crowns, to assist in carrying on hostilities I Priest. Do you believe in the writings > against the protestants. I of the fathers, and the decrees of the \ Thus prompted and supported, the em- \ councils 1 peror undertook the extirpation of the prot- 1 Voes. Yes, if they agree with scripture. \ estants, against whom, indeed, he was par- ' Priest. Did not Martin Luther seduce I ticularly enraged himself ; and, for this you both 1 j purpose, a formidable army was raised in i Voes. He seduced us even in the very \ Germany, Spain, and Italy. \ same manner as Christ seduced the apostles; \ The protestant princes, in the mean- \ that is, he made us sensible of the frailty < time, formed a powerful confederacy, in of our bodies, and the value of our souls. order to repel the impending blow. As This examination was sufficient; they \ great army was raised, and the command >, were both condemned to the flames, and, \ given to the elector of Saxony, and the I soon after, suffered with that manly forti- ) landgrave of Hesse. The imperial forces I tude which becomes Christians, when they ', were commanded by the emperor of Ger- 1 receive a crown of martyrdom. < many in person, and the eyes of all Europe \ Henry Sutphen, an eloquent and pious 5 were turned on the event of the war. > preacher, was taken out of his bed in the \ At length their armies met, and a despe- > middle of the night, and compelled to walk \ rate engagement ensued, in which the > barefoot a considerable way, so that his I protestants were defeated, and the elector > feet were terribly cut. He desired a horse, '/ of Saxony, and landgrave of Hesse, both / but his conductors said, in derision, " A I taken prisoners. This fatal blow was sue- < horse for a heretic ; no, no, heretics may \ ceeded by a horrid persecution, the sever- ] go barefoot." When he arrived at the \ ilies of which were such, that exile might / place of his destination, he was condemned $ be deemed a mild fate, and concealment in I to be burnt ; but, during the execution, i a dismal wood pass for happiness. In such o many indignities were offered him, as those £ times a cave is a palace, a rock a bed of \ who attended, not content with what he \ down, and wild roots delicacies. \ suffered in the flames, cut and slashed him j Those who were taken experienced the \ in a most terrible manner. > most cruel tortures that infernal imagina- \ Many were murdered at Halle ; Middle- $ tions could invent ; and, by their constancy \ burg being taken by storm, all the protes- | evinced, that a real Christian can surmount \ tants were put to the sword, and great num- ? every difficulty, and despise every danger, bers were burned at Vienna, to acquire a crown of martyrdom. \ An officer being sent to put a minister to \ Henry Voes and John Esch, being ap- j death, pretended, when he came to the j prehended as protestants, were brought to j clergyman's house, that his intentions were • examination ; when Voes, answering for only to pay him a visit. The minister, not \ himself and the other, gave the following suspecting the intended cruelty, entertained j answers to some questions asked by a < his supposed guest in a very cordial man- i priest, who examined them by order of the I ner. As soon as dinner was over, the '; magistracy: — j officer said to some of his attendants. < Priest. Were you not both, some years < " Take this clergyman, and hang him." I ago, Augustine friars ? j The attendants themselves were so shock- ' Voes. Yes. i ed, after the civility they had seen, that 1 Priest. How came you to quit the bosom | they hesitated to perform the commands of of the church of Rome ? < their master ; and the minister said, "Think ; Voes. On account of her abominations. ', what a sting will remainon your conscience, \ Priest. In what do you believe ? \ for thus violating the laws of hospitality." j a 17G THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. The officer, however, insisted upon being obeyed, and the attendants, with reluctance, performed the execrable office of execu- tioners. Peter Spengler, a pious divine, of the town of Schalet, was thrown into the river, and drowned. Before he was taken to the >, banks of the stream, which was to become ; his grave, they led him to the market-place, that his crimes might be proclaimed ; which were, not going to mass, not making con- < fession, and not believing in transubstantia- < tion. After this ceremony was over, he < made a most excellent discourse to the < people, and concluded with a kind of hymn ' of a very edifying nature, which it would ; be unnecessary to translate, as the follow- ; ing poem, in the English language, on the ; same subject, and from the same text, per- : fectly preserves the sentiments : — THE CHRISTIAN UNION. " That they all may become as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee ; that they also may become in US." — John, xvii. 21. " Jesus, thy name is sweet to me, For worlds I would not part from thee ; Of all the names in heaven above, There's none replete like thine with love. " In THEE, immortal beauties shine, In THEE, th' united brethren join ; In THEK, all ransomed souls delight, In THEE, thy people's hearts unite. " Thou art our God, and thou alone, May we in spirit all be one : One with each other let us be, And one with Christ eternally. u Thy people, Lord, are of one mind, And each to each in hearts conjoined ; Nor earth, nor hell, nor depth, nor height, Their fellowship can disunite. " Jesus, Jehovah's only Son, With God the Father thou art one ; So are thy children one with thee, In sweet and endless unity. " The world may all to pieces break, The earth and seas endure a rack ; The church of Christ for ever stands, Immoveable in Jesus' hands." A protestant gentleman being ordered to lose his head for not renouncing hisreligion, went cheerfully to the place of execution. A friar came to him, and said these words in a low tone of voice: " As you have a great reluctance publicly to abjure your faith, whisper your confession into my ear, and I will absolve your sins." To this the gentleman loudly replied: " Trouble me not, friar, I have confessed my sins to God, and obtained absolution through the merits of Jesus Christ." Then turning to the ex- ecutioner, he said: " Let me not be pester- ed with these men, but perform your duty." On which his head was struck off at a single blow. Wolfgang Scuch and John Huglin, two worthy ministers, were burned, as was Leonard Ke^ser, a student of the university of Wertemburgh : and George Carpenter, a Bavarian, was hanged for refusing to re- cant protestantism. PERSECUTIONS IN ENGLAND DURING THE REIGN OF HENRY IV, ;HAT we may not lead the reader into confusion, or perplex his memory, we shall defer what we have to say concerning the persecutions in Scotland and Ireland, till we have treated of those in England. And here it is necessary to take notice of some things, without the knowledge of which the reader will not be able to comprehend the nature of this work. It is an established maxim, that those who acquire fortunes by cruelty or any act of injustice, enjoy those fortunes with pain rather than with pleasure. Whatever a man obtains by honest industry, he spends it under the smiles of a sincere conscience; j whereas the person who either cheats or robs his neighbor has two things to fear : j first, the vengeance of civil power, under a \ variety of different shapes ; and secondly, \ the torturing agonizing pains of a guilty < conscience. \ a THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 177 This leads to the commission of new crimes ; for as the man who has once told a lie generally tells a hundred more to support the assertions in the first, so ill- gotten riches, power, or honor, stand in need of the same support, and guilt being the 1 foundation, the superstructure is raised by an accumulation of crimes. These observations will in some measure apply to the subject we are now upon ; and > here we must have recourse to history to ,' explain that bloody act, by which many I pious Christians suffered death. Richard II. of England was a weak \ prince, and governed by favorites, many of I whom were foreigners : he had disgusted j the ancient nobility, who, by the nature of I the feudal law, were impatient of control. > He had given to some of these foreigners > the wardships of the young nobility, and > this was sufficient in itself to create a vast ) number of enemies. A restless nobility, ? endowed with greater powers than is con- 1 sistent with the state of a free government, j entered into cabals among themselves, and I invited over from France, Henry, son of< John of Gaunt, and made him an offer of > the crown, upon condition he would redress < those grievances they complained of. Rich- 1 ard was then in Ireland, but landing soon <, afterward, in Wales, he was taken prisoner < and brought up to London. A parliament met at Westminster, in which Richard signed a formal revocation of all pretensions to the crown; and Henry, duke of Lancaster, was crowned under the title of Henry IV. This happened in 1399, and the captive king was sent prisoner to the castle of Pomfret, in Yorkshire : that he was murdered in that castle can not be doubted, but the time is uncertain. The generality of our historians make him a prisoner above two years ; but this is in our opinion improbable, for as Charles I. said : " There are but few steps between the prisons and the graves of princes." Richard had always been much favored \ by the nobility of Yorkshire, and of the other northern counties, so that they did \ i 12 not approve of the revolution that had taken place, especially as Henry was of a sour, morose, and cruel disposition The crown sat tottering on his head, and many conspiracies were formed against his government. Some pretended that Richard was still alive, although nothing can be more certain than that he had been mur- dered some time before, and undoubtedly soon after his imprisonment. Henry was now in a dismal situation indeed, there were few of the nobility he could place any trust in, and his temper was not such as to induce them to esteem and obey him from motives of love. His mind was tinctured with superstition, and he had recourse to the clergy, that dead weight to the constitution, and at all times the friends of arbitrary power. The followers of Wickliffe, then called Lollards, were become extremely numer- ous, and the clergy were vexed to see them increase, whatever power or influence they might have to molest them in an underhand manner, they had no authority by law to put them to death. However, the clergy embraced the favorable opportunity, and prevailed upon the king to suffer a bill to be brought into parliament, by which all Lollards who remained obstinate, should be delivered over to the civil power and burnt as heretics. This act was the first in this island for the burning of people for their religious sentiments ; it passed in the year 1401, and was soon after put into execution. The first person who suffered in conse- quence of this cruel act was William San- tree or Sawtree (for he is called by both names), formerly parish priest of the church of St. Margaret, in the parish of Lynn, in Norfolk, but afterward of St. Osyth, in London. It appears from Dr. Fuller's church history, that he had formerly abjur- ed those articles (for which he suffered death), before the bishop of Norwich. Therefore, he was adjudged to be degraded and deprived, which was done in the fol- lowing manner : — i 178 ■ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. First, from the order of priest, by taking from him the paten, chalice, and plucking the chasule from his back. ; Secondly, deacon, by taking from him the New Testament, and the stole ; Thirdly, subdeacon, by taking from him the alb and maniple; Fourthly, acolyte, by taking from him the candlestick and taper ; Fifthly, exorcist, by taking from him the book of constitutions ; Sixthly, sexton, by taking from him the key of the church-door and surplice. To all these indignities this pious man submitted with patience, and sealed his testimony with his blood, at a stake erected for that purpose in Smithfield, where he was burnt to death with many circumstan- ces of cruelty, to the no small pleasure of the corrupted clergy. It is necessary in this place to observe, that although this cruel act continued in force till the year 1732, yet it was not, properly speaking, a law binding on the subject. That it never passed through the house of commons the author of this can assert, from the records now in the British Museum. The commons entered a protest against it, and so did several of the liege nobility ; but as there were no less than twenty-six mitred abbots in parliament, be- sides the bishops, the king gave his assent, which in violent times was not much at- tended to. Historical integrity obliges us to take notice of all the consequences of this bloody act, down as far as our account of the pe- riod mentioned in this chapter reaches, and therefore we are led to mention the fate of Sir John Oldcastle, Lord Cobham. Soon after the bloody statute already mentioned had passed, Thomas Arundal, archbishop of Canterbury, convened a gen- eral assembly of the clergy in the church of St. Paul's, in London, to consult of mat- ters relating to the church, and more equally how to suppress the Lollards, who follow- ed the doctrines of Wickliffe ; 'and their opinions and books of Wickliffe were, by this synod, said to contain heresy. The persons who made any use of them were denominated heretics, or Lollards, a term we have already explained. The bishops and dignified clergy looked upon the doc- trines and practices of the Lollards as destructive of church power ; and therefore they found themselves under the necessity of doing all they could to suppress them. In order thereunto there were twelve priests chosen out of the university of Ox- ford, who were to make diligent search after, and apprehend all such heretics as they could lay hold of. Arundel, the archbishop, already men- tioned, was of such a haughty disposition, and so much in love with religious popular applause, that he ordered that the bells of London should not be rung for one whole week ; however, he was not treated with that respect he thought his dignity becoming when he came into that city. Such acts of exorbitant clerical power were common enough in that age, but even those acts paved the way for that reformation uuder which we now live. It is impossible, in a proper manner, to form any just idea of the corrupt state of the clergy at this time. There were three popes together, which occasioned the call- ing the council of Constance, to consider of these abuses. Happy would it have been, had this council confined themselves to those duties that became their characters; but this was not to take place. It would have been meritorious in them to have deposed all the three popes, and appointed a new one: but what laughing-stocks would they then have made themselves to the people ! About this time thirty-six persons, de- nominated Lollards, suffered death in St. Giles', for no other reason than professing their attachment to the doctrines of Wick- liffe. They were hung on gibbets, and fagots being placed under them, as soon as they were suspended, fire was set to them, so that they were burnt while hang- ing. (See engraving.) EXECUTIONS OF THE LOLLARDS IN ST. GILES' FIELDS.— PiUTe 179. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 181 THE LIFE, SUFFERING, AND MARTYRDOM, OF HUGH LATIMER, BISHOP OF WORCESTER. stition. However, the unaffected piety of Mr. Bilney, and the cheerful and natural eloquence of honest Latimer, wrought great- ly upon the junior students, and increased the credit of the protestants so much, that the papist clergy were greatly alarmed, and, according to their usual practice, called aloud for the secular arm. Under this arm Bilney suffered at Nor- wich : but his sufferings, far from shaking the reformation at Cambridge, inspired the leaders of it with new courage. Latimer began to exert himself more than he had yet done ; and succeeded to that credit with his party, which Bilney had so long sup- ported. Among other instances of his zeal and resolution in this cause, he gave one which was very remarkable : he had the courage to write to the king (Henry VIII.) against a proclamation, then just published, forbidding the use of the Bible in English, and other books on religious subjects. He had preached before his majesty once or twice at Windsor ; and had been taken notice of by him in a more affable manner, than that monarch usually indulged toward his subjects. But whatever hopes of pre- ferment his sovereign's favor might have raised in him, he chose to put all to the hazard, rather than omit what he thought his duty. His letter is the picture of an honest and sincere heart : he concludes in these terms : " Accept, gracious sovereign, without displeasure, what I have written ; I thought it my duty to mention these things to your majesty. No personal quarrel, as God shall judge me, have I with any man : 1 wanted only to induce your majesty to consider well, what kind of persons you have about you, and the ends for which they counsel. Indeed, great prince, many of them, or they are much slandered, have very private ends. God grant your majesty UGH LATIMER was born of mean parents at Thirkeston, in Leices- tershire, about the year 1475, who gave him a good education, and sent him to Cambridge, where he showed him- self a zealous papist, and inveighed much against the reformers, who, at that time, began to make some figure in England. But conversing frequently with Thomas Bilney, the most considerable person at Cambridge of all those who favored the reformation, he saw the errors of popery, and became a zealous protestant. Latimer being thus converted, labored, both publicly and privately, to promote the reformed opinions, and pressed the neces- sity of a holy life, in opposition to those outward performances, which were then thought the essentials of religion. This rendered him obnoxious at Cambridge, then the seat of ignorance, bigotry, and super- S' 182 ■ J THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. may see through all the designs of evil > carefully, and God grant, that at our next \ men, and be in all things equal to the high J meeting we may find each other in better \ office, with which you are intrusted. Where- '/ temper." fore, gracious king, remember yourself;.; The next, and several succeeding meet- j have pity upon your own soul, and think \ ings, the same scene was acted over again. \ that the day is at hand, when you shall give j He continued inflexible, and they continued account of your office, and the blood which \ to distress him. Three times every week hath been shed by your sword : in the < they regularly sent for him, with a view which day, that your grace may stand stead- either to draw something from him by cap- \ fastly, and not be ashamed, but be clear \ tious questions, or to teaze him at length and ready in your reckoning, and have your into compliance. Tired out with this usage, pardon sealed with the blood of our Savior \ after he was summoned at last, instead of Christ, which alone serveth at that day, is \ going he sent a letter to the archbishop, in my daily prayer to him, who suffered death s which, with great freedom, he told him : for our sins. The spirit of God preserve I " That the treatment he had lately met with you." I had fretted him into such a disorder as Lord Cromwell was now grown up into I rendered him unfit to attend that day ; that [ power, and being a favorer of the reforma- 1 in the meantime he could not help taking \ tion, he obtained a benefice in Wil shire for > this opportunity to expostulate with his ' Latimer, who immediately went thither and \ grace for detaining him so long from his j resided, discharging his duty in a very con- j duty ; that it seemed to him most unac- | scientious manner, though persecuted much \ countable, that they, who never preached \ at the same time, by the Romish clergy ; \ themselves, should hinder others ; that, as who, at length, carried their malice so far \ for their examination of him, he really as to obtain an archiepiscopal citation for > could not imagine what they aimed at; his appearance in London. His friends \ they pretended one thing in the beginning, would have had him fly ; but their persua- and another in the progress ; that if his sions were in vain. He set out for London \ sermons were what gave offence, which he j in the depth of winter, and under a severe \ persuaded himself were neither contrary to i fit of the stone and colic ; but he was most? the truth, nor to any canon of the church, \ distressed at the thoughts of leaving his ? he was ready to answer whatever might be \ parish exposed to the popish clergy. On \ thought exceptionable in them ; that he \ his arrival at London, he found a court of t wished a little more regard might be had bishops and canonists ready to receive him ; i to the judgment of the people ; and that a where, instead of being examined, as he ' distinction might be made between the or- expected, about his sermons, a paper was ( dinances of God and man ; that if some put into his hands, which he was ordered abuses in religion did prevail, as was then to subscribe, declaring his belief in the \ commonly supposed, he thought preaching efficacy of masses for the souls in purgatory, \ was the best means to discountenance of prayers to the dead saints, of pilgrimages >. them ; that he wished all pastors might be to their sepulchres and reliques, the pope's \ obliged to perforin their duty ; but that, power to forgive sins, the doctrine of merit, > however, liberty might be given to those the seven sacraments, and the worship of who were willing; that as to the articles images ; which, when he refused to sign, \ proposed to him, he begged to be excused the archbishop, with a frown, begged he i subscribing to them; while he lived, he would consider what he did. " We intend \ never would abet superstition ; and that, not," said he, " Mr. Latimer, to be hard s lastly, he hoped the archbishop would ex- upon you ; we dismiss you for the present ; s cuse what he had written ; he knew his take a copy of the articles ; examine them \ duty to his superiors, and would practise it; . A THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 183 but in that case, he thought a stronger ob- < the rest, the bishop of Worcester, being ligation laid upon him." < then in town, waited upon the king, with I The bishops, however, continued their < his offering ; but instead of a purse of gold, \ persecutions, but their schemes were frus- < which was the common oblation, he pre- j trated in an unexpected manner. Latimer < sentedaNewTestament,with a leaf doubled | being raised to the see of Worcester, in the < down in a very conspicuous manner, to this i year 1533, by the favor of Ann Boleyn, \ passage : "Whoremongers and adulterers 5 then the favorite wife of Henry, to whom, s God will judge." ', most probably, he was recommended by s In 1539 he was summoned again to at- s Lord Cromwell, he had now a more exten- \ tend the parliament : the bishop of Win- < sive field to promote the principles of the I chester, Gardiner, was his great enemy ; > reformation, in which he labored with the > who, upon a particular occasion, when the > utmost pains and assiduity. All the histo- \ bishops were with the king, kneeled down I rians of those times mention him as a per- I and solemnly accused Bishop Latimer of a \ son remarkably zealous in the discharge ) seditious sermon preached at court. Being \ of his new office ; and tells us, that in \ called upon by the king, with some stern- \ overlooking the clergy of his diocese, he \ ness, to vindicate himself, Latimer was so ! was uncommonly active, warm, and resolute, \ far from denying and palliating what he had [ and presided in his ecclesiastical court with < said, that he boldly justified it ; and turning ; the same spirit. In visiting, he was fre- > to the king, with that noble unconcern, \ quent and observant; in ordaining, strict > which a good conscience inspires: "I i and wary ; in preaching, indefatigable ; ? never thought myself worthy," said he, > and in reproving and exhorting, severe and £ " nor did I ever sue to be a preacher before > persuasive. j your grace ; but I was called to it, and In 1536 he received a summons to at- j would be willing, if you mislike it, to give \ tend the parliament and convocation, which \ place to my betters : for I grant, there may ) gave him a further opportunity of promoting be a great many more worthy the room than ) the work of reformation, whereon his hearty I am. And if it be your grace's pleasure > was so much 3et. Many alterations were < to allow them for preachers, I can be con- \ made in religious matters, and a few months '. tent to bear their books after them. But > after the Bible was translated into English, | if your grace allow me for a preacher, I i and recommended to a general perusal, in < would desire you to give me leave to dis- | October, 1537. < charge my conscience, and to frame my \ Latimer, highly satisfied with the pros- doctrine according to my audience. 1 had \ pectof the times, now repaired to hisdiocese, \ been a very dolt, indeed, to have preached \ having made a longer stay in London than I so at the borders of your realm, as I preach I was absolutely necessary. He had no tal- I before your grace." The greatness of his | ents, and he pretended to have none for \ answer baffled his accuser's malice; the I state affairs. His whole ambition was to severity of the king's countenance changed | discharge the pastoral functions of a bishop, > into a gracious smile, and the bishop was \ neither aiming to display the abilities of a' dismissed with that obliging freedom, which \ statesman, nor those of a courtier. How i this monarch never used but to those he ? very unqualified he was to support the latter I esteemed. ? of these characters, the following story will I However, as the bishop could not give 1 prove : it was the custom in those days > his vote for the act of the six papistical ? for the bishops to make presents to the > articles, drawn up by the duke of Norfolk, I king on new-year's day, and many of them > he thought it wrong to hold any office in a > would present very liberally, proportioning ] church where such terms of communion \ their gifts to their expectances. Among I were required, and therefore he resigned I 184 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. his bishopric, and retired into the country, where he purposed to live a sequestered life. But in the midst of his security, an unhappy accident carried him again into the tempestuous weather, which was abroad : he received a bruise by the fall of a tree, and the contusion was so dangerous, that he was obliged to seek, out for better as- sistance than could be afforded him by the unskilful surgeons of those parts. With this view he repaired to London, where he had the misfortune to see the fall of his patron, the lord Cromwell : a loss which he was soon made sensible of; for Gar- diner's emissaries quickly found him out in his concealment, and something, which somebody had somewhere heard him say, against the six articles, being alleged against him, he was sent to the tower ; where, without any judicial examination, he suffered, through one pretence or another, a cruel imprisonment for the remaining six years of King Henry's reign. On the death of Henry, the protestant interest revived under his son Edward ; and Latimer, immediately upon the change of the government, was set at liberty. An address was made by the protector, to re- store him to his bishopric : the protector was very willing to gratify the parliament, and proposed the resumption of his bishop- ric to Mr. Latimer ; who now thinking him- self unequal to the weight of it, refused to re- sume it, choosing rather to accept an invi- tation from his friend, Archbishop Cranmer, and to take up his residence with him at Lambeth ; where his chief employment was to hear the complaints, and redress the grievances of the poor people ; and his character, for services of this kind, was so universally known, that strangers from every part of England would resort to him. In these employments he spent more than two years, during which time he as- sisted the archbishop in composing the homilies, which were set forth by authori- ty, in the first year of King Edward : he was also appointed to preach the Lent sermons before his majesty, which office he also performed during the first three years of his reign. Upon the revolution, which happened at court after the death of the duke of Somer- set, he retired into the country, and made useof the king's license as ageneral preach- er in those parts, where he thought his la- bors might be most serviceable. He was thus employed during the re- mainder of that reign, and continued the same course, for a short time, in the begin- ning of the next ; but as soon as the re- introduction of popery was resolved on, the first step toward it was the prohibition of all preaching, and licensing only such as were known to be popishly inclined. The bishop of Winchester, who was now prime-minister, having proscribed Mr. Lat- imer from the first, sent a message to cite him before the council. He had notice of this design some hours before the mes- senger's arrival, but he made no use of the intelligence. The messenger found him equipped for his journey, at which, ex- pressing his surprise, Mr. Latimer told him, that he was ready to attend him to Lon- don, thus called upon to answer for his faith, as he ever was to take any journey in his life ; and that he doubted not but that God, who had enabled him to stand before two princes, would enable him to stand before a third. The messenger then acquainting him, that he had no orders to seize his person, delivered a letter and departed. However, opening the letter, and finding it a citation from the council, ho resolved to obey it, and set out imme- diately. As he passed through Smilhfield, he said, cheerfully : " This place of burn- ing hath long groaned for me." The next morning he waited upon the council, who having loaded him with many severe re- proaches, sent him to the Tower, whence, after some time, he was removed to Ox- ford. MARTVRIIOM OF BISHOPS LATIMER AND RIDLEY. Page 185. THE LIFE, SUFFERINGS, AND MARTYRDOM, OF NICHOLAS RIDLEY, BISHOP OF LONDON, catholic religion, but was brought over to that of the reformed by means of reading Bertram's book on the Sacrament ; and he was confirmed in the same by frequent conferences with Cranmer and Peter Mar- tyr, so that he became a zealous promoter of the reformed doctrines and discipline during the reign of King Edward. On the accession of Queen Mary he shar- ed the same fate with many others who professed the truth of the gospel. Being accused of heresy, he was first removed from his bishopric, then sent prisoner to the Tower of London, and afterward to Bocardo prison, in Oxford ; whence he was committed to the custody of Mr. Irish, mayor of that city, in whose house he re- mained till the day of his execution. On the 30th of September, 1555, these two eminent prelates were cited to appear before the divinity-school at Oxford. Agreeable to this citation, they both ap- peared on the day appointed. Dr. Ridley was first examined, and severe- ly reprimanded by the bishop of Lincoln, because, when he heard the cardinal's grace, I and the pope's holiness mentioned in the > commission, he kept on his cap. The words of the bishop were to this effect : " Mr. Ridley, if you will not be uncovered, in respect to the pope, and the cardinal his legate, by whose authority we sit in com- mission, your cap shall be taken off." The bishop of Lincoln then made a formal harangue, in which he entreated Rid- ley to return to the holy mother-church, insisted on the antiquity and authority of the see of Rome, and of the pope, as the immediate successor of St. Peter. Dr. Ridley, in return, strenuously oppo- sed the arguments of the bishop, and boldly vindicated the doctrines of the reformation. After much debate, the five following ICHOLAS RIDLEY, bishop of London, re- ceived the earliest part of his education at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whence he was remov- ed to the university of Cambridge, where his great learning, and distinguished abili- ties, so recommended him," that he was made master of Pembroke-hall, in that uni- versity. After being some years in this office he left Cambridge, and travelled into various parts of Europe for the advancement of knowledge. On his return to England he was made chaplain to King Henry VIII., and bishop of Rochester, from which he was translated to the see of London by King Edward VI. In private life he was pious, humane, and affable ; in public he was learned, sound, and eloquent ; diligent in his duty, and very popular as a preacher. He had been educated in the Roman 188 B THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. articles were proposed to him, and his im- I to Dr. Ridley were read to Mr. Latimer, mediate and explicit answers required : — I and he was required to give a full and 1. That he had frequently affirmed, and I satisfactory answer to each of them, openly maintained and defended, that the > His replies not being satisfactory to the true natural body of Christ, after consecra- > court, he was dismissed ; but ordered to tion of the priest, is not really present in I appear in St. Mary's church, at the same the sacrament of the altar. > time with Dr. Ridley. 2. That he had often publicly affirmed, > On the day appointed the commissioners and defended, that in the sacrament of the > met, when Dr. Ridley being first brought altar remaineth still the substance of bread ' before them, the bishop of Lincoln stood and wine. j up, and began to repeat the proceedings of 3. That he had often openly affirmed, ? the former meeting, assuring him that he and obstinately maintained, that in the mass '< had full liberty to make what alterations he is no propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and / pleased in his answers to the articles pro- the dead. \ posed to him, and to deliver the same to the 4. That the aforesaid assertions have \ court in writing. been solemnly condemned by the scholasti- \ After some debate, Dr. Ridley took out cal censure of this school, as heretical, and < a paper, and began to read ; but the bishop contrary to the catholic faith, by the pro- \ interrupted him, and ordered the beadle to locutor of the convocation-house, and sundry \ take the writing from him. The doctor learned men of both universities. < desired permission to read on, declaring the 5. That all and singular the premises < contents were only his answers to the arti- are true, and notoriously known, by all \ cles proposed ; but the bishop and others, near at hand, and in distant places. < having privately reviewed it, would not per- To the first of these articles Mr. Ridley \ mit it to be read in open court, replied, that he believed Christ's body to \ When the articles were again admin- be in the sacrament, really, by grace and \ istered, he referred the notary to his wri- spirit effectually, but not so as to include a s ting, who set them down according to the lively and moveable body under the forms \ same. of bread and wine. \ The bishop of Gloucester affecting much To the second he answered in the af- \ concern for Dr. Ridley, persuaded him not formative. \ to indulge an obstinate temper, but recant Part of the fourth he acknowledged, and \ his erroneous opinions, and return to the part he denied. \ unity of the holy catholic church. To the fifth, he answered, that the premi- Mr. Ridley coolly replied, he was not ses were so far true, as his replies had set \ vain of his own understanding, but was forth. Whether all men spake evil of them \ fully persuaded, that the religion he pro- be knew not, because he came not so much \ fessed was founded on God's most holy and abroad to hear what every man reported, s infallible church ; and, therefore, he could He was then ordered to appear the fol- \ not abandon or deny the same, consistent lowing day in St. Mary's church, in Ox- \ with his regard for the honor of God, and ford, to give his final answer ; after which the salvation of his immortal soul. he was committed to the custody of the \ He desired to declare his reasons, where- mayor. \ fore he could not, with a safe conscience, When Latimer was brought into court, admit of the popish supremacy, but his re- the bishop of Lincoln warmly exhorted him I- quest was denied. to return to the unity of the church, from > The bishop finding him inflexible in the which he had revolted. \ faith, according to the doctrine of the ref- The same articles which were proposed \ ormation, thus addressed him : " Dr. Rid- ley, it is with the utmost concern that I observe your stubbornness and obstinacy, in persisting in damnable errors and heresies ; but unless you recant, I must proceed to the other part of my commission, though very much against my will and desire." Mr. Ridley not making any reply, sen- tence of condemnation was read ; after which he was carried back to confinement. When Mr. Latimer was brought before the court, the bishop of Lincoln informed him, that though they had already taken his answers to certain articles alleged against him, yet they had given him time to consider on the same, and would permit him to make what alterations he should deem fit, hoping, by that means, to reclaim him from his errors, and bring him over to the faith of the holy catholic church. The articles were again read to him, but he deviated not, in a single point, from the answers he had already given. Being again warned to recant, and re- voke his errors, he refused, declaring, that he never would deny God's truth, which he was ready to seal with his blood. Sen- tence of condemnation was then pronounced against him, and he was committed to the custody of the mayor. A few days after this they were both solemnly degraded by the bishop of Glouces- ter, and the vice-chancellor of Oxford; after which they were delivered over to the secu- lar power. The 16th of October, 1555, was the day appointed for their execution, and the place Townditch, behind Baliol college. Mr. Latimer went to the stake in an humble plain lay-dress, and Dr. Ridley in his ecclesiastical habit, which he wore when a bishop. They embraced each other on the melancholy occasion ; and Dr. Ridley encouraged his fellow-laborer, and fellow-sufferer, in the cause of Christ, to be of good cheer, assuring him that God would either assuage the fury of the flames, or enable them to endure them. Our martyrs then kneeled down, and, with great earnestness, prayed to Almighty God to enable them to sustain the fiery trial that awaited them. When they arose from prayer, one of the popish priests, in an occasional sermon, upbraided them with heresy and departure from the church of Christ. Dr. Ridley was desirous of vindicating himself from the aspersion of the priest, but was denied that liberty, and commanded to prepare immediately for the fire, unless he would recant, and abjure his heretical opinions ; without hesitation, therefore, he took off his clothes, distributed them among the popu- lace, and, together with Latimer, was chained to the stake. Latimer soon expired, crying: "0 Father of heaven receive my soul." But Ridley, by reason of the fire burning low, and not flaming about his body, endured the most exquisite torture, leaping in the fire, and begging, for Christ's sake, that the flames might surround him ; till, at length, some of the spectators having taken off part of the fagots, the fire had vent, and the bag of gunpowder that was fastened to his neck exploded, after which he was not seen to move, but fell down at the feet of his fel- low-sufferer. (See engraving.) Thus did these two pious divines, and steadfast believers, testify, with their blood, the truth of the everlasting gospel, upon which depends all the sinner's hopes of salvation ; to suffer for which was the joy, the glory of many eminent Christians, who, having followed their dear Lord and Mas- ter, through much tribulation in this vale of tears, will be glorified for ever with him, in the kingdom of his Father and our Father, of his God and our God. Mr. Latimer, at the time of his death, was in the eightieth year of his age, and preserved the principles he had professed with the most distinguished magnanimity. He had naturally a happy temper, formed on the principles of true Christianity. Such was his cheerfulness, that none of the ac- cidents of life could discompose him: such was his fortitude, that not even the severest trials could unman him ; he had a collected 190 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. spirit, and on no occasion wanted a re- j distressed. He persevered, to the last, in source ; he could retire within himself, and that faith he had professed, and cheerfully hold the world at defiance. resigned up his life in defence of the truth Mr. Ridley was no less indefatigable in of the gospel, promoting the reformed religion, than his A few days after Latimer and Ridley fellow-sufferer Mr. Latimer. He was nat- suffered, John Webb, George Roper, and urallyof a very easy temper, and distinguish- > Gregory Parke, shared the like fate, for ed for his great piety and humanity to the j professing the truth of the gospel. HIS THE LIFE, SUFFERINGS, AND MARTYRDOM, OF THOMAS CRANMER, THE FIRST PROTESTANT ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. he became celebrated for his great learning and abilities. In 1521 he married, by which he for- feited the fellowship of Jesus college ; but his wife dying in child-bed within the year, he was re-elected. This favor he most gratefully acknowledged, and chose to de- cline an offer of a much more valuable fel- lowship in Cardinal Wolsey's new semina- ry at Oxford, rather than relinquish friends who had treated him with the most dis- tinguished respect. In 1523 he commenced doctor of divini- ty; and being in great esteem for theologi- cal learning, he was chosen divinitylecturer in his own college, and appointed, by the university, one of the examiners in that science. In this office he principally in- i culcated the study of the Holy Scriptures, \ eminent prelate was < then greatly neglected, as being indispensa- \ born at Aslacton, in Not- < bly necessary for the professors of that di- tinghamshire, on the 2d of < vine knowledge. July, 1489. His family I The plague happening to breakout at ] was ancient, and came in \ Cambridge, Mr. Cranmer, with some of his \ with William the Con- \ pupils, removed to Waltham abbey, where, ^ queror. He was early deprived of his father j falling into company with Gardiner and ) Thomas Cranmer, Esq., and after no ex- \ Fox, one the secretary, the other almoner ) traordinary education, was sent by his moth- \ of King Henry VIII., that monarch's in- \ er to Cambridge, at the age of fourteen, j tended divorce of Catharine his queen, the i according to the custom of those times. j common subject of discourse in those days, \ Having completed his studies at the uni- ! came upon the carpet : when Cranmer ad- s versity, he took the usual degrees, and vising an application to our own, and to the s was so well beloved that he was chosen ) foreign universities, for their opinion in the ; *• a. fellow of Jesus college ; soon after which i case, and giving these gentlemen much j £ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 191 ) satisfaction, they introduced him to the ? Catherine : and the next in joining his king, who was so pleased with him, that hands with Anne Boleyn, the consequence he ordered him to write his thoughts on the subject, made him his chaplain, and admit- ted him into that favor and esteem, which he never afterward forfeited. In 1530 he was sent by the king, with a solemn embassy, to dispute on the sub- of which marriage was the birth of the glorious Elizabeth, to whom he stood god- father. As the queen was greatly interested in the reformation, the friends to that good work began to conceive high hopes ; and, ject of the divorce at Paris, Rome, and indeed, it went on with desirable success, other foreign parts. At Rome he delivered \ But the fickle disposition of the king, and his book, which he had written in defence j the fatal end of unhappy Anne, for a while, of the divorce, to the pope, and offered / alarmed their fears, though, by God's provi- to justify it in a public disputation : but dence, without any ill effects. The pope's after various promises and appointments \ supremacy was universally exploded; mon- none appeared to oppose him; while in j asteries, &c, destroyed, upon the fullest de- private conferences he forced them to con- < tection of the most abominable vices and fess that the marriage was contrary to the I inordinances : that valuable bo@k of the law of God. The pope constituted him \ erudition of a Christian man was set forth penitentiary general of England, and dis- i by our great archbishop, with public authori- missed him. In Germany he gave full < ty : and the Sacred Scriptures, at length, to satisfaction to many learned men, who were < the infinite joy of Cranmer, and the worthy before of a contrary persuasion : and pre- < Lord Cromwell, his constant friend and vailed on the famous Osander (whose niece < associate, were not only translated, but in- he married while there) to declare the king's ^ troduced into every parish. The transla- marriage unlawful. tion was received with inexpressible joy : During the time he was abroad, the great | every one, that was able, purchased it, and Archbishop Warham died : Henry, con- \ the poor flocked greedily to hear it read : vinced of Cranmer's merit, determined that '/ some persons in years learned to read on he should succeed him : and commanded s purpose, that they might peruse it : and him to return for that purpose. He sus- \ even little children crowded with eager- pected the cause, and delayed : he was ness to hear it ! We can not help reflect- desirous, by all means, to decline this high ing, on this occasion, how much we are station ; for he had a true and primitive \ bound to prize this sacred treasure, which sense of the office. But a spirit so different \ we enjoy so perfectly: and how much to from that of the churchmen of his times \ contend against every attempt of those stimulated the king's resolution ; and the \ enemies and that church, which would de- more reluctance Cranmer showed, the \ prive us of it, and again reduce us to legends greater resolution Henry exerted. He was \ and schoolmen, to ignorance and idolatry ! consecrated on March 30, 1533, to the of- Cranmer, that he might proceed with fice ; and though he received the usual l true judgment, made a collection of opinions bulls from the pope, he protested, at his \ from the works of the ancient fathers and consecration, against the oath of allegiance, \ later doctors ; of which Bishop Burnet saw &c, to him. For he had conversed freely \ too volumes in folio ; and it appears, by a with the reformed in Germany, had read I letter of Lord Burleigh's, that there were Luther's books, and was zealously attached I then six volumes of Cranmer's collections to the glorious cause of reformation. < in his hands. A work of incredible labor, The first service he did the king, in his < but vast utility, archiepiscopal character, was, pronouncing < A short time after this, he gave a shining the sentence of his divorce from Queen ' proof of his sincere and disinterested con- 192 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. stancy, by his noble opposition 10 wbat are commonly called King Henry's six bloody articles. IIowev r er, lie weatbered the J storm ; and published, with an incompara- l ble preface written by himself, the larger j bible ; six of which, even Bonner, then < newly consecrated bisbop of London, caused I to be fixed, for the perusal of the people, in his cathedral of St. Paul's. The enemies of the reformation, how- ever, were restless : and Henry, alas ! was no protestant in his heart. Cromwell fell a sacrifice to them ; and they aimed every possible shaft at Cranmer. Gardiner in particular was indefatigable : he caused \ him to be accused in parliament, and sev- j eral lords of the privy council moved the ' king to commit the archbisbop to the Tow- / er. The king perceived their malice; and > one evening, on pretence of diverting him- | self on the water, ordered his barge to be | rowed to Lambeth side. The archbishop, \ being informed of it, came down to pay his respects, and was ordered, by the king, to come into the barge and sit close by him. Henry made him acquainted with the ac- cusations of heresy, faction, &c, which were laid against him ; and spoke of his opposition to the six articles ; the arch- bishop modestly replied, that he could not but acknowledge himself to be of the same opinion, with respect to them ; but was not conscious of having offended against them. The king then putting on an air of pleasant- ry, asked him, if his bed-chamber could stand the test of these articles ? the arch- bishop confessed, that he was married in Germany, before his promotion ; but assur- ed the king, that on passing that act, he had parted with his wife, and sent her abroad to her friends. His majesty was so charm- ed with his openness and integrity, that he discovered the whole plot that was laid against him ; and gave him a ring of great | value to produce upon any future emer- gency. > A few days after this, Cranmer's enemies / summoned him to appear before the coun- ', cil. He accordingly attended, when, they » .. suffered him to wait in the lobby among the footmen, treated him on his admission with haughty contempt, and would have sent him to the Tower. But he produced the ring ; and gained his enemies a severe reprimand from Henry, and himself the highest degree of security and favor. On this occasion he showed that lenity and mildness for which he was always so much distinguished : he never persecuted any of his enemies ; but on the contrary, \ freely forgave even the inveterate Gardiner, \ on his writing a supplicatory letter to him ;; for that purpose. The same lenity he ; showed toward Dr. Thornton, the suffragan \ of Dover, and Dr. Barber, who, though I entertained in his family, and intrusted with 5 bis secrets, and indebted to him for many ' favors, had ungratefully conspired with \ Gardiner to take away his life. ! When Cranmer first discovered their > treachery, he took them aside into his '/ study, and telling them, that he had been \ basely and falsely accused by some, in '/ whom he had always reposed the greatest / confidence, desired them to advise him how ? he should behave himself toward them ? ( They, not suspecting themselves to be con- i cerned in the question, replied that " such < vile, abandoned villains, ought to be prose- cuted with the greatest rigor; nay, deserved to die without mercy." At this the arch- bishop, lifting up his hands to heaven, cried out : " Merciful God ! whom may a man trust ?" And then taking out of his bosom the letters, by which he had discovered their treachery, asked them, if they knew those papers ? When they saw their own letters produced against them, they were in the utmost confusion ; and falling down upon their knees, humbly sued forgiveness. The archbishop told them that " he for- gave them, and would pray for them ; but that they must not expect him ever to trust them for the future." As we are upon the subject of the arch- bishop's readiness to forgive and forget in- juries, it may not be improper here to relate a pleasant instance of it, which hap- THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 193 pened some time before the above circum- stances. The archbishop's first wife, whom he married at Cambridge, was kinswoman to the hostess at the Dolphin-inn, and boarded there ; and he often resorting thither on \ that account, the popish party had raised a \ story, that he was ostler to that inn, and I never had the benefitof a learned education. \ This idle story a Yorkshire priest had, with great confidence, asserted, in an alehouse which he used to frequent ; railing at the archbishop, and saying, that he had no more learning than a goose. Some people of the parish informed Lord Cromwell of this, and the priest was committed to the Fleet prison. When he had been there nine or ten weeks, he sent a relation of his to the archbishop to beg his pardon, and to sue for a discharge. The archbishop in- stantly sent for him, and, after a gentle reproof, asked the priest, whether he knew him. To which he answering, No, the archbishop expostulated with him, why he should then make so free with his charac- ter. The priest excused himself, by say- ing he was disguised with liquor : but this Cranmer told him was a double fault. He then said to the priest, if he was inclined to try what a scholar he was, he should have liberty to oppose him in whatever science he pleased. The priest humbly asked his pardon, and confessed himself to be very ignorant, and to understand nothing but his mother-tongue. "No doubt, then," said Cranmer, " you are well versed in the English Bible, and can answer any ques- \ tions out. of that ; pray tell me, who was David's father ?" The priest stood still for some time to consider ; but, at last, told the archbishop he could not recollect his name. "Tell me, then," says Cranmer, " who was Solomon's father ?" The poor priest replied, that he had no skill in genealogies, and could not tell. The arch- bishop then advising him lo frequent ale- houses less, and his study more, and ad- monishing him not to accuse others for want of learning, till he was master of some 2 13 himself, discharged him out of custody, and sent him home to his cure. These may serve as instances of Cran- mer's clement temper. Indeed, he was much blamed by many for his too great lenity ; which, it was thought, encouraged the popish faction to make fresh attempts against him : but he was happy in giving a shining example of that great Christian virtue which he diligently taught. The king, who was a good discerner of men, remarking the implacable hatred of Cranmer's enemies toward him, changed his coat-of-arms from three cranes to three pelicans, feeding their young with their own blood : and told his grace that " these birds should signify to him, that he ought to be ready, like the pelican, to shed his blood for his young ones, brought up in the faith of Christ ; for, said the king, you are like to be tried, if you will stand to your tackling at length." The event proved the king to be no bad prophet. In 1546, King Henry experienced the impartiality of death ; and left his crown to his only son Edward, who was godson to Cranmer, and had imbibed all the spirit of a reformer. This excellent young prince, influenced no less by his own inclinations than by the advice of Cranmer, and the other friends of reformation, was diligent, in every endeavor, to promote it. Homilies were composed by the archbishop, and a catechism : Erasmus's notes on the New Testament translated, and fixed in church- es ; the sacrament administered in both kinds ; and the liturgy used in the vulgar tongue. Ridley, the archbishop's great friend, and one of the brightest lights of the English reformation, was equally zeal- ous in the good cause : and with him the archbishop drew up the forty-two articles of religion, which were revised by other bishops and divines ; as, through him, he had perfectly conquered all his scruples, respecting the doctrine of the corporeal presence, and published a much esteemed treatise, entitled : " A Defence of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament ? 194 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. of the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ." But this happy scene of prosperity was not to continue : God was pleased to de- prive the nation of King Edward, in 1553, designing, in his wise providence, to per- fect the new-born church of his son Jesus Christ in England, by the blood of martyrs, as at the beginning he perfected the church in general. Anxious for the success of the reforma- tion, and wrought upon by the artifices of the duke of Northumberland, Edward had been persuaded to exclude his sisters, and to bequeath the crown to that duke's amiable and every way deserving daughter, the Lady Jane Gray. The archbishop did his utmost to oppose this alteration in the succession ; but the king was overruled ; the will was made, and subscribed by the council and < the judges. The archbishop was sent for I last of all, and required to subscribe ; but I he answered, that he could not do it with- s out perjury ; having sworn to the entail S of the crown on the two princesses Mary and Elizabeth. To this the king replied : " that the judges, who being best skilled in the constitution, ought to be regarded in this point, had assured him, that notwith- standing that entail, he might lawfully be- queath the crown to Lady Jane." The archbishop desired to discourse with them himself about it ; and they all agreeing, that he might lawfully subscribe the king's will, he was at last prevailed with to resign his own private scruples to their authority, and set his hand to it. Having done this, he thought himself obliged in conscience to join the Lady Jane : < but her short-lived power soon expired, < when Mary and persecution mounted the < throne, and Cranmer could expect nothing | less than what ensued: attainder, imprison- < ment, deprivation, and death. s He was condemned for treason, and par- < doned ; but to gratify Gardiner's malice, | and her own implacable resentment against him for her mother's divorce, Mary gave s orders to proceed against him for heresy. His friends, who foresaw the storm, had advised him to consult his safety by retiring beyond sea ; but he chose rather to con- tinue steady to the cause, which he had so nobly supported hitherto ; and preferred the probability of sealing his testimony with his blood, to an ignominious and dishonor- able flight. The Tower was crowded with prisoners; insomuch that Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, and Bradford, were all put into one cham- ber ; which they were so far from thinking an inconvenience, that, on the contrary, they blessed God for the opportunity of conversing together ; reading and compar- ing the Scriptures, confirming themselves in the true faith, and mutually exhorting each other to constancy in professing it, and patience in suffering for it. Happy society ! blessed martyrs ! rather to be envied, than the purpled tyrant, with the sword deep-drenched in blood, though in- circled with all the pomp and pageantry of power. In April, 1554, the archbishop, with Bishops Ridley and Latimer, was removed from the Tower to Windsor, and thence to Oxford, to dispute with some select per- sons of both universities ! But, alas ! what farces are disputations, where the fate of men is fixed, and every word is miscon- strued ! And such was the case here : for on April the 20th, Cranmer was brought to St. Mary's, before the queen's commis- sioners, and refusing to subscribe to the popish articles, he was pronounced a heretic, and sentence of condemnation was passed upon him. Upon which he told them, that he appealed from their unjust sentence to that of the Almighty ; and that he trusted to be received into his presence in heaven for maintaining the truth, as set forth in his most holy gospel. After this his servants were dismissed from their attendance, and himself closely confined in Bocardo, the prison of the city of Oxford. But this sentence being void in law, as the pope's authority was wanting, a new commission was sent from Rome in THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 195 1555 ; and in St. Mary's church, at the high altar, the court sat, and tried the al- ready-condemned Cranmer. He was here well nigh too strong for his judges ; and if reason and truth could have prevailed, there would have been no doubt, who should have been acquitted, and who condemned. The February following, a new com- mission was given to Bishop Bonner and Bishop Thirlby, for the degradation of the archbishop. When they came down to Oxford he was brought before them ; and after they had read their commission from the pope (for not appearing before whom in person, as they had cited him, he was declared contumacious, though they them- selves had kept him a close prisoner) Bon- ner, in a scurrilous oration, exulted over him in the most unchristian manner, for which he was often rebuked by Bishop Thirlby, who wept, and declared it the most sorrowful scene he had ever beheld in his whole life. In the commission it was declared, that the cause had been im- partially heard at Rome; the witnesses on both sides examined, and the archbishop's counsel allowed to make the best defence for him they could. At the reading this, the archbishop could not help crying out, " Good God ! what lies are these ; that I, being continually in prison, and not suffered to have counsel or advocate at home, should produce witnes- ses, and appoint my counsel at Rome ! God must needs punish this shameless and open lying !" V, hen Bonner had finished his invective, they proceeded to degrade him ; and that they might make him as ridiculous as they could, the episcopal habit which they put on him was made of canvass and old rags. Bonner, in the meantime, by way of triumph and mockery, calling him Mr. Canterbury, and the like. He bore all this treatment with his wonted fortitude and patience ; told them, " the de- gradation gave him no concern, for he had long despised those ornaments :" but when they came to take away his crosier, he held it fast, and delivered his appeal to Thirlby, saying : " I appeal to the next general council." When they had stripped him of all his habits, they put on him a poor yeoman- beadle's gown, thread-bare and ill-shaped, and a townsman's cap; and in this manner delivered him to the secular power to be. carried back to prison, where he was kept entirely destitute of money, and totally se- cluded from his friends. Nay, such was the iniquity of the times, that a gentleman was taken into custody by Bonner, and basely escaped a trial, for giving the poor archbishop money to buy him a dinner. Cranmer had now been imprisoned al- most three years, and death should have soon followed his sentence and degradation : but his cruel enemies reserved him for greater misery and insult. Every engine that could be thought of was employed to shake his constancy ; but he held fast to the profession of his faith. Nay, even when he saw the barbarous martvrdom of his dear companions Ridley and Latimer, he was so far from shrinking, that he not only prayed to God to strengthen them, but also, by their example, to animate him toapatient expectation and endurance of the same fiery trial. The papists, after trying various severe ways to bring Cranmer over without effect, at length determined to try what gentle methods would do. They accordingly re- moved him from prison to the lodgings of the dean of Christ church, where they urged ever} r persuasive and affecting argument to make him deviate from his faith ; and, in- deed, too much melted his gentle nature, by the false sunshine of pretended civility and respect. The unfortunate prelate, however, with- stood every temptation, at which his enemies were so irritated, that they removed him from the dean's lodgings to the most loath- some part of the prison in which he had been confined, and then treated him with unparalleled severity. This was more than the infirmities of so old a man could sup- ■ 196 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. \ port : the frailty of human nature prevail- i At length, being called upon by Cole to j ed ; and lie was induced to sign six differ- j declare his faith and reconciliation with ,' ent recantations, drawn from him by the I the catholic church, he rose with all possi- malice and artifices of his enemies. s ble dignity ; and while the audience was This, however, did not satisfy them : s wrapped in the most profound expectation, ,' they were determined not to spare his life, s he kneeled down, and repeated the follow- \ Nothing less than his death could satiate S ing prayer : — \ the gloomy queen, who said, that, " as he I " Father of heaven ! O Son of God, ; had been the promoter of heresy, which ', Redeemer of the world ! Holy Ghost ! \ had corrupted the whole nation, the ab- j proceeding from them both; three persons, • juration, which was sufficient in other cases, | and one God, have mercy upon me, most should not serve his turn ; for she was re- > wretched and miserable sinner ! I, who ) solved he should be burned." According- \ have offended both heaven and earth, and i ly, she sent orders to Dr. Cole to prepare i more grievously than any tongue can ex- ; a sermon on the occasion of his death, press, whither then may I go, or where ! which was fixed to be on the 21st of March, s shall I fly for succor ? To heaven I may The archbishop had no suspicion that \ be ashamed to lift up mine eyes, and in 5 such would be his fate, after what he had > earth I find no refuge : what shall 1 then i done ; but he soon found his mistake. I do ? shall I despair ? God forbid ! O good The papists, determined to carry their > God, thou art merciful ! and refusest none \ resentment to the most extravagant length, > who come to thee for succor: to thee, there- < thought to inflict a further punishment on I fore, do I run : to thee do I humble myself, i him, by obliging him to read his recantation '/ saying, O Lord God, my sins be great, but I publicly in St. Mary's church ; and on this '> yet have mercy upon me, for thy great iner- • they proposed to triumph in his death: but \ cy! God, the Son, thou wast not made £ their base intentions werehappily frustrated. *> man, this great mystery was not wrought, \ On the morning of the day appointed for < for few or small offences ! nor thou didst i his execution, he was conducted between $ give thy Son unto death, God the I two friars to St. Mary's church. As soon i Father, for our little and small sins only, < as he entered, Dr. Cole mounted the pulpit, j but for all the greatest sins of the world, I and the archbishop was placed opposite to \ that the sinner may return unto thee with a $ it on a low scaffold, a spectacle of contempt \ penitent heart, as I do here at this present ; | and scorn to the people ! < wherefore have mercy upon me, O Lord ! Cole magnified his conversion as the < whose property is always to have mercy : immediate work of God's inspiration ; ex- s for although my sins be great, yet thy mercy horted him to bear up with resolution s is greater ! I crave nothing, Lord ! for against the terrors of death; and by the s my own merits, but for thy name's sake, that example of the thief on the cross, encour- s it may be glorified thereby, and for thy dear !aged him not to despair, since he was re- > Son, Jesus Christ's sake. And now, there- turned, though late, into the bosom of the I fore, Our Father," etc. , church. lie also assured him, that dirges I He then rose up, exhorted thf people to / and masses should be said for his soul in s a contempt of this world, to obsdience to / all the churches of Oxford. their sovereign, and to mutual love and As soon as the archbishop perceived, charity. He told them, that being now on \ from Cole's sermon, what was the bloody | the brink of eternity, he would declare unto I decree, struck with horror at the base in- them his faith, without reserve or dissimula- \ humanity of such proceedings, he gave, by tion: he then repeated the apostle's creed, and \ all his gestures, a full proof of the deep < professed his belief thereof, and of all things \ anguish of his soul. i contained in the Old and New Testament MARTYRDOM OF ARCHBISHOP CRANMER. Page 1 1> S~ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 8 199 \ By speaking thus in general terms, the attention of the audience was kept up ; but amazement continued that attention, when they heard him, instead of reading his re- cantation, declare his great and unfeigned repentance, for having been induced to subscribe the popish errors ; he lamented, with many tears, his grievous fall, and de- clared that the hand which had so offended, should be burned before the rest of his body. He then renounced the pope in most ex- press terms, and professed his belief con- cerning the eucharist to be the same, with what he had asserted in his book against Gardiner. This was a great disappointment to the papists : they made loud clamors, and charged him with hypocrisy and falsehood : to which he meekly replied, that " he was a plain man, and never had acted the hypo- crite, but when he was seduced by them to a recantation." He would have gone on further, but Cole cried, " Stop the heretic's mouth, and take him away." Upon this the monks and friars rudely pulled him from the scaffold, and hurried him away to the stake (where Ridley and Latimer had before been offered up), which was at the north side of the city, in the ditch opposite Baliol college. But if his enemies were disappointed by his behavior in the church, they were doubly so by that at the stake. He approached it with a cheerful countenance ; prayed and undressed himself; his shirt was made long down to his feet, which were bare, as was his head, where a hair could not be seen. His beard was so long and thick that it covered his face with wonderful gravity ; and his reverend countenance moved the hearts both of friends and enemies. The friars tormented him with their ad- monitions ; vvhile Cranmer gave his hand to several old men, who stood 'by, bidding them farewell. When he was chained to the stake, and the fire kindled, he seemed superior to all sensation but of piety. He stretched out the offending hand to the flame, which was seen burning for some time before the fire came to any other part of his body ; nor did he draw it back, but once to wipe his face, till it was entirely consumed : saying often, "This unworthy hand, this hand hath i offended ;" and raising up his eyes to » heaven, he expired with the dying prayer \ of St. Stephen in his mouth, " Lord Jesus, I receive my spirit !" (See engraving.) He burned, to all appearance, without pain or motion ; and seemed to repel -the torture by mere strength of mind, showing a repentance and a fortitude, which ought to cancel all reproach of timidity in his life. Thus died Archbishop Cranmer, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, and the twenty-third of his primacy ; leaving an \ only son, of his own name, behind him. PERSECUTIONS IN ENGLAND DURING THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY. The Martyrdoms of Agnes Potten, an d Uion of heresy, they were brought before Joan Trunchfield, who were both burnt the bishop of Norwich; who examined together at Ipswich in Suffolk. them concerning their religion in general, and their faith in the corporeal presence of ^HESE two advocates and Christ, in the sacrament of the altar in par- sufferers for the pure gospel ) ticular. of Christ, lived in the town \ With respect to the latter article, they of Ipswich, in the county | both delivered it as their opinion, that in of Suffolk. Being both ap- the sacrament of the Lord's supper, there prehended on an informa- \ was represented the memorial only of T-HE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. Christ's death and passion, saying, that, according to the Scriptures, he was ascend- ed up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God the Father ; and therefore his body could not be really and substantially in the sacrament. A few days after this they were again examined by the bishop, when both of them still continuing steadfast in the profession of their faith, sentence was pronounced against them as heretics, and they were delivered over to the secular power. On the day appointed for their execution, which was in the month of March, 1556, they were both led to the stake, and burnt in the town of Ipswich. Their constancy was admired by the multitude who saw them suffer ; for as they undressed, and prepared themselves for the fire, they earn- estly exhorted the people to believe only in the unerring word of the only living and true God, and not regard the devices and inventions of men. They both openly declared that they despised the errors and superstitions of the church of Rome, and most patiently sub- mitted to the acute torments of devouring flames, calling upon the God of their salva- tion, and triumphing in being deemed wor- thy to suffer for the glorious cause of Jesus Christ, their lord and master. The Persecutions and Martyrdoms of Rich- ard Spurg, John Cavill, Robert Drake, and William Tims. These four pious Christians resided in the county of Essex, and diocese of Lon- don. Being accused of heresy, they were all apprehended, and sent by Lord Rich, and other commissioners, at different times, > to Bishop Gardiner, lord chancellor of Eng- $ land ; who, after a short examination, sent > the first two to the Marshalsea prison in $ the Borough, and the last two to the King's I Bench, where they continued during the \ space of a whole year, till the death of j Bishop Gardiner. When Dr. Heath, archbishop of York, \ succeeded to the chancellorship, two of these persecuted brethren, namely, Richard Spurg and John Cavill, weary of their tedious confinement, presented a petition to the lord chancellor, subscribing their names, and requesting his interest for their enlargement. A short time after the delivery of this petition, Sir Richard Read, one of the offi- cers of the court of chancery, was sent by the chancellor to the Marshalsea, to ex- amine them. Richard Spurg, the first who passed examination, being asked the cause of his imprisonment, replied, that he, with several others, being complained of by the minister of Bocking for not coming to their parish church, to Lord Rich, was thereupon sent up to London by his lordship, to be ex- amined by the late chancellor. He acknowledged that he had not been at church since the English service was changed into Latin (except on Christmas day twelvemonth) because he disliked the same, and the mass also, as not agreeable to God's holy word. He then desired that he might be no further examined concerning this matter, until it pleased the present chancellor to inquire his faith concerning the same, which he was ready to deliver. John Cavill likewise agreed in the chief particulars with his brethren ; but further said, the cause of his absenting himself from church was, that the minister there had advanced two doctrines contrary to each other ; for first, in a sermon he delivered when the queen came to the crown, he exhorted the people to believe the gospel, declaring it to be the truth, and that if they believed it not, they would be damned ; and that, secondly, in a future discourse, he declared that the New Testa- ment was false in forty places, which con- trariety gave him much disgust, and was, among other things, the cause of his ab- senting himself from church. Robert Drake was minister of Thun- j dersly, in Essex, to which living he had THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 201 ■: been presented by the Lord Rich in the 5 The bishop began his examination with reign of Edward VI., when he was ordain- > Tims, whom he called the ringleader of the ed priest by Dr. Ridley, then bishop of mothers: he told him, that he had taught London, according to the reformed English / them heresies, confirmed them in their service for ordination. i erroneous opinions, and endeavored, as far On the accession of Queen Mary to the \ as in him lay, to render them as abominable throne of England, he was sent for by \ as himself; with many other accusations Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, who de- < equally false and opprobrious, manded of hiin whether he would conform, He was then asked by the bishop what like a good subject, to the laws of the realm < he had to say in his own vindication, in then in force. He answered, that he would j order to prevent him from proceeding against abide by those laws that were agreeable to I him as his ordinary. To which he replied the laws of God ; upon which he was im- < as follows: — mediately committed to prison j " My lord, I am astonished that you William Tims was a deacon and curate should begin your charge with a falsehood ; of Hockley, in Essex, in the reign of Ed- you aver that I am the ringleader of the ward VI., but being deprived of his living < company now brought before you, and have soon after the death of that monarch, he taught them principles contrary to the Rom- absconded, and privately preached in a ish church, since we have been in confine- neighboring wood, whither many of his j merit ; but the injustice of this declaration flock attended to hear the word of God. < will soon appear, if you will inquire of In consequence of these proceedings he \ these my brethren, whether, when at liber- was apprehended by one of the constables, < ty, and out of prison, they dissented not and sent up to the bishop of London, by s from popish principles as much as they do whom he was referred to Gardiner, bishop s at present ; such inquiry, I presume, will of Winchester, and lord-chancellor, who s render it evident, that they learned not their committed him to the King's Bench s religion in prison. prison. s " For my own part, I declare I never A short time after his confinement, he |> knew them, till such time as I became their (with the others beforementioned), was or- 1 fellow-prisoner, how then could I be their dered to appear before the bishop of Lon- 1 ringleader and teacher ? With respect to don, who questioned them in the usual man- > the charge alleged against me, a charge ner, concerning their faith in the sacrament ) which you endeavor to aggravate to the of the altar. I highest degree, whatever opinion you main- Mr. Tims answered, that the body of \ tain concerning me, I am well assured I Christ was not in the sacrament of the altar, hold no other religion than what Christ really and corporeally, after the words of \ Jesus preached, the apostles witnessed, consecration spoken by the priest; and < the primitive church received, and of late that he had been a long time of that opinion, \ the apostolical and evangelical preachers ever since it had pleased God, of his in- of this realm have faithfully taught, and finite mercy, to call him to the true knowl- \ for which you have cruelly caused them to edge of the gospel of his grace. \ be burnt, and now seek to treat us with the On the 28th of March, 1556, these four j like inhuman severity. I acknowledge you persons were all brought into the consistory j to be my ordinary." court, in St. Paul's church, before the bishop j The bishop, finding it necessary to come of London, in order to be examined, for the I to a point with him, demanded, if he would last time ; who assured them, that if they j submit himself to the holy mother church, did not submit to the church of Rome, they s promising, that if he did, he should be kind- should be condemned for heresy. > ly received ; and threatening, at the same H 202 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. time, that if he did not, judgment should be pronounced against him as an heretic. In answer to this, Tims told his lordship he was well persuaded that he was within the pale of the catholic church, whatever he might think ; and reminded him, that he hud most solemnly abjured that very church to which he since professed such strenuous allegiance ; and that, contrary to his oath, he again admitted, in this realm, the authority of the pope, and was, there- fore, perjured and forsworn in the highest degree. He also recalled to his memory, that he had spoken with great force and perspicuity against the usurped power of the pope, though he afterward sentenced persons to be burnt, because they would not acknowledge the pope to be the supreme head of the church. To this Bonner sternly demanded, what he had written against the church of Rome? Mr. Tims pertinently answered : " My lord, the late bishop of Winchester wrote a very learned treatise, entitled, De vera Ohedicntia, which contains many solid argu- ments against the papal supremacy: to this book you wrote a preface, strongly inveigh- ing against the bishop of Rome, reproving his tyranny and usurpation, and showing that his power was ill-founded, and contrary both to the will of God, and the real interest of mankind." The bishop, struck with the poignancy of this reproof, evasively told him, that the bishop of Winchester wrote a book against the supremacy of the pope's holiness, and he wrote a preface to the same book, tend- ing to the same purpose : but that the cause of the same arose not from their disregard to his holiness, but because it was then deem- ed treason by the laws of the realm to main- tain the pope's authority in England. He also observed, that at such time it was dangerous to profess to favor the church of Rome, and therefore fear compelled them to comply with the prevailing opinions of the times : for if any person had conscien- tiously acknowledged the pope's authority in those days, he would have been put to tleath : but that since the queen's happy I accession to the throne, they might boldly \ speak the dictates of their consciences ; \ and further reminded him, that as my lord > of Winchester was not ashamed to recant \ his errors at St. Paul's cross, and that he ] himself had done the same, every inferior I clergyman should follow the example of \ their superiors. \ Mr. Tims, still persisting in the vindica- > tion of his own conduct, and reprehension j of that of the bishop, again replied, " My lord, that which you have written against \ the supremacy of the pope may be well \ proved from Scripture to be true; that which \ you now do is contrary to the word of God, I as I can sufficiently prove." Bonner, after much further conversation, 5 proceeded to form of law, causing his arti- ^ cles, with the respective answers to each, I to be publicly read in court. Mr. Tims acknowledged only two sacra- > merits, Baptism and the Lord's Supper; com- > mended the bishop of Winchester's book De \ vera Obedientia, and the bishop of London's > preface to the same. He declared that the > mass was blasphemy of Christ's passion and \ death ; that Christ is not corporeally but < spiritually present in the sacrament, and I that as they used it, it was an abominable j idol. Bonner exhorted him to revoke his errors - and heresies, conform to the church of > Rome, and not abide so strenuously by the j literal sense of the Scriptures, but use the i interpretation of the fathers. Our martyr frankly declared he would not conform thereunto, notwithstanding the execrations denounced against him by the church of Rome, and demanded of the bishop what he had to support the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the sacra- ment of the altar, but the bare letter of scripture. On the bishop's replying, the authority of the holy catholic church, Tims informed him that he had the popish church, for which he was perjured and forsworn, de- claring that the see of Rome was the see THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 203 ) of antichrist, and therefore he would never ; before Maurice, bishop of Rochester, their \ consent, to yield obedience to the same. J diocesan. The bishop, finding Mr. Tims so inflexi- Joan Beach was first taken before the < ble in his adherence to the faith he pro- bishop for examination, when the following fessed, that every attempt to draw him from articles were exhibited against her : — it was vain and fruitless, read his definitive j 1. That living in the parish of Tunbridge ; sentence, and he was delivered over to the \ she belonged to the diocese of Rochester, secular power. < This she granted. Bonner then used the same measures > 2. That all people who preach, teach, with Drake as he had done with Tims ; ) believe, or say otherwise, or contrary to j but Drake frankly declared, that he denied > their mother, the holy catholic church, are < the church of Rome, with all the works ? excommunicated persons and heretics, thereof, even as he denied the devil, and > This she acknowledged to be true, but j all his works. < added withal, that nevertheless, she be- \ The bishop, perceiving all his exhorta- 5 lieved not the holy catholic church, to be ' tions fruitless, pronounced sentence of con- 1 her mother, but believed only the father of \ demnation,and he was immediately deliver- < heaven to be her father, ed into the custody of the sheriffs. < 3. That she had affirmed, and did affirm, ;,' After this, Richard Spurg, and John i maintain, and believe, contrary to the said ] Cavill, were separately asked, if they would < mother-church of Christ, that in the blessed \ forsake their heresies, and return to the < sacrament of the altar, under form of bread catholic church. They both refused con- < and wine, there is not the very body and \ senting to the church of Rome ; but said, < blood of our Savior Christ in substance, \ they were willing to adhere to the true \ but only a token and memorial thereof, and S catholic church, and continue in the same. \ that the very body and blood of Christ is > Bonner then read their several definitive \ in heaven, and not in the sacrament, sentences, after which he committed them s 4. That Christ, being in heaven, could J to the custody of the sheriffs of London, by I not be in the sacrament. ? whom they were conducted to Newgate. I To this she answered, that she had, and \ On the 14th of April, 1556, the day ap- 1 did verily believe, hold, and affirm, that, in \ pointed for their execution, they were all > the sacrament of the altar, under the forms j led to Smithfield, where they were chained ) of bread and wine, there was not the very < to the same stake, and burnt in one fire, ) body and blood of our Savior in substance, patiently submitting themselves to the flames,-? but only a token and remembrance of his and resigning their souls into the hands of? death to the faithful receiver, and that his \ that glorious Redeemer, for whose sake they ) body and substance is only in heaven, and \ delivered their bodies to be burned. The Examinations and Martyrdoms of Joan Beach, Widow, of Tunbridge, and John Harpole, of the City of Rochester. not in the sacrament. 5. That she had been, and then was, among the parishioners of Tunbridge, noted and strongly suspected of being a sacra- mentary and a heretic. To this she answered, that she did not know how she had been, or was reputed \ Information being laid against these < among the parishioners of Tunbridge, nor \ two persons for heresy, they were appre- < was their opinion of any avail to her im- l bended, and by the magistrates of the re- \ mortal state. I spective places where they lived, commit- \ The bishop finding her inflexible in the \ ted to prison. After being some time in < faith she professed, strongly urged her to i confinement, they were separately examined \ preserve her life by renouncing her errors; Jjf ^^^ V ^ £ 204 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYIIOLOGY. which she peremptorily refusing, he pro- nounced sentence on her, and she was delivered over to the secular power. John Harpole, being next examined before the same bishop, articles of a similar nature were exhibited against him as his j fellow-sufferer, Joan Beach. His answers to all of them were much < to the same import with hers ; upon which j the bishop pronounced sentence of death oo him in the usual form. These two faithful followers of Christ were burnt together in one fire, in the city of Rochester, about the latter end of April, 1556. They embraced each other at the stake, and cheerfully resigned their souls into the hands of their Redeemer ; after repeatedly singing hallelujahs to the praise and glory of his name. The Persecutions and Sufferings >f Chris- topher Lister, John Mace, John Spencer, Simon Joyn, Richard Nich- ols, and John Hammond ; who were all burnt together at Colchester in Essex, for professing the truth of the Gospel. These six persons being all apprehend- ed on a charge of heresy, were brought before Bishop Bonner at his palace at Ful- ham ; where articles were exhibited against them of the same nature, and in the usual form, as those against others on the like occasion. 1. To the first article, namely, that there was one holy catholic church on earth, in which the religion and faith of Christ is truly professed, they all consented and agreed ; but John Spencer added, that the church of Rome was no part of Christ's catholic church. 2. To the second, concerning the seven 6acraments, they answered, that in the true catholic church of Christ, there are but two sacraments, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. 3. To the third, they unanimously agreed and confessed, that they were baptized in the faith and belief of the catholic church, and that their godfathers and godmothers had promised and professed for them, as contained in the article administered. 4. To the fourth article, concerning their continuance in that faith and profession into which they were baptized, they agreed that they did so continue ; Nichols observed that he had more plainly learned the truth of his profession, by the doctrine set forth in the days of King Edward the sixth, that thereupon he had built his faith, and would continue in the same by the grace of God to his life's end. 5. Concerning swerving from the cath- olic faith, they declared that they had not swerved, nor departed in the least from the faith of Christ. They unanimously confessed that they had disapproved of and spoken against the sacrifice of the mass, and the sacrament of the altar, affirming, that they would not come to hear, nor be partakers thereof; that they had believed and then did believe, that they were set forth and used contrary to God's word and glory. They granted also that they had spoken against the usurped authority of the bishop of Rome, who was an oppressor of the holy church of Christ, and ought not to have any power in England. 6. Concerning their reconciliation to the unity of the church, they said, that they never refused, nor did then refuse to be reconciled to the unity of Christ's catholic church ; but declared they had, and then did, and would for ever hereafter, refuse to come to the church of Rome, or to ac- knowledge the authority of the papal see ; but did utterly abhor the same for rejecting the book of God, the Bible, and setting up the mass, with other ridiculous and anti- christian ceremonies. 7. That disapproving the mass and sacra- ment of the altar, they had refused to come to the parish church, &c. This they all granted, and Simon Joyn added moreover, that the cause wherefore he refused to be partaker of their trumpery, d THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 205 was, because the commandments of God were there broken, and Christ's ordinances changed, and the bishop of Rome's ordi- nances put up in their stead. Christopher Lister affirmed, that in the sacrament of the altar, there is the substance of bread and wine, as well after the words of consecration as before, and that there is not in the same the very body and blood of Christ, really, substantially, and spiritual- ly, by faith in the faithful receiver, and that the mass is not a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead, but mere idolatry and abomination. They then said, that they were sent to Colchester prison, by tbe king and queen's commissioners, because they would not come to their parish churches : that what was contained in the premises was true ; and that they belonged to the diocese of London. On the close of this examination the bishop dismissed them, but ordered them to attend again in the afternoon. This order they obeyed, when the articles and answers of the first examination were read to them ; and they resolutely persisted in the profes- sion they had made. After various endeavors to bring them to i recant, without the least effect, sentence of < death was pronounced against them, and < they were all delivered over to the secular < power. The writ for their execution being made out, they were removed to Colchester, where, on the 28th of April, 1556, they were fastened to two stakes, and burnt in one fire. They all cheerfully met their fate, giving glory to God in the midst of the flames, and encouraging others, for the truth of the gospel, to follow their example. The Martyrdoms of Hugh Laverock, an old decrepit Man, and John Apprice, a blind Man. The former of these martyrs was by trade a painter, and lived in the parish of; Barking in Essex. At the time of his ap- prehension he was in the 68th year of his age, and very helpless from the natural in- firmities of life. Being however accused of heresy by some of the popish emissaries in his neighborhood, he, with his fellow- sufferer was taken before Bonner to be ex- amined with respect to their faith. The bishop laid before them the same articles as mentioned in the former lives ; and they returned answers much to the same effect with other advocates for the truth of the gospel. On the 9th of May, 1556, they were both brought into the consistory court at St. Paul's, where their articles and answers were publicly read; after which the bishop endeavored to persuade them to recant their opinions concerning the sacrament of the altar. Hugh Laverock declared, that by the grace of God he would stand to the profes- sion he had already made, for he could not find the least authority in the word of God for approving the doctrine of the corporeal presence in the sacrament. The bishop then addressed himself to John Apprice, and demanded what he had to say in his defence ? The honest blind man answered the haughty prelate, that the doctrine he set forth and taught was so conformable to the world, that it could not be agreeable to the Scripture of God ; and that he was no member of the catholic church of Christ, seeing he made laws to kill men, and made the queen his execu- tioner. The first examination being over, they were for the present dismissed, but ordered to appear the next day at the bishop's palace at Fulham. Being accordingly conducted there, the bishop, after some discourse with them, and finding them steadfast in their faith, pronounced the definitive sentence ; when, being delivered over to the secular power, they were committed to Newgate. On the 15th of May, they were convey- ed to Stratford-le-Bow, the place appointed for their execution. As soon as they arrived at the stake, Laverock threw away B 206 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. his crutch, and thus addressed his fellow- ? of consecration spoken by the priest, the sufferer : — \ very natural body of Christ, and no other "John Apprice, be of good comfort, j substance of bread and wine, to be in the brother, for my lord of London is our good j sacrament of the altar, physician : he will cure us both shortly, j 4. That they believed it to be idolatry to thee of thy blindness, and me of my lame- \ worship Christ in the sacrament of the altar, ness." \ 5. That they took bread and wine in re- After this they both knelt down, and >. membrance of Christ's passion, prayed with great fervency, that God would 6. That they would not follow the cross enable them to pass, with Christian resolu- j in procession, nor be confessed to a priest. They all acknowledged the justness of I those articles, in consequence of which they t ( were condemned by the chancellor, who first endeavored to reclaim them from their tion, through the fiery trial, the substance of which may be thus expressed : — " Now pain and anguish seize me, Lord, All my support is from thy word; My soul dissolves for heaviness, Uphold me with thy strength'ning grace. The proud have framed their scoffs and lies, They've watched my feet with envious eyes, And tPinpt my soul to snares and sins ; Yet thy commands I ne'er decline. They hate me, Lord, without a cause, They hate to see me love thy laws ; But 1 will trust and fear thy name, While they shall live and die in shame." opinions, and bring them over to the church of Rome ; but all his admonitions and ex- hortations proved ineffectual. On the 21st of May, 1556, these three pious Christians were led to the stake in the town of Beccles, amidst a great num- These two steadfast believers in Christ \ ber of lamenting spectators. As soon as were both chained to one stake. They < they arrived at the place of execution they endured their sufferings with great fortitude, ( devoutly prayed, and repeated the articles and cheerfully yielded up their lives in < of their faith. When they came to that testimony of the truth of their Redeemer. < article concerning the holy catholic church, Sir John Sillard, the high sheriff, thus ad- Account of the Examinations and Suffer- \ dressed them : " That is well said, sirs ; I ings of Thomas Spicer, John Denny, < am glad to hear you say you believe the and Edmund Poole, all of the County \ catholic church ; this is the best expression of Suffolk. < I ever heard from you yet." These three persons were apprehended To this Poole answered, that though they by the justices of the county in which they believed the catholic church, yet they be- lived, and committed to prison, for not at- tending mass at their parish church. After being some time in confinement, they were brought before the chancellor of Norwich, and the register, who sat at the lieved not in their popish church, which is no part of Christ's catholic church, and, therefore, no part of their belief. When they arose from prayer they went joyfully to the stake, and being chained to town of Beccles, to examine them with it, and the fagots lighted, they praised God respect to their faith. The articles alleged \ with such cheerfulness in the midst of the against them were as follow : — < flames, as astonished the numerous specla- 1. That they believed not the pope of j tors. Rome to be supreme head immediately un- < Soon after they were fastened to the der Christ, of the universal catholic church. \ stake, several bigoted papists, called to the 2. That they believed not holy bread ( executioner to throw fagots at them, in and holy water, ashes, palms, and other j order to stop their mouths; but our martyrs, like ceremonies used in the church, to be I disregarding their malice, boldly confessed good and laudable for stirring up the people ', the truth with their latest breath, dying, as to devotion. \ they had lived, in certain hopes of a resur- 3. That they believed not after the words i rection to life eternal. ■ B \ The Sufferings and Martyrdoms of Cath- s arine Hot, Joan Hornes, and Eliza- beth Thackvill. \ These three pious women being appre- • hended on suspicion of heresy, were car- \ ried before Sir John Mordaunt and Edmund j Tyrrel, justices of the peace for the coun- | ty of Essex, who sent them prisoners to j the bishop of London, for not con r orming to the order of the church, and not believ- ing the real presence of Christ's body in the sacrament of the altar. Being brought before the bishop, he ex- hibited to them the articles usual on the occasion ; to which they answered as fol- lows : — To the first, concerning their belief, that there was a catholic church of Christ up- on earth, they all assented. To the second, relating to the seven sac- raments, they said they did not understand properly what they were. To the third, concerning their baptism, they replied they believed they were bap- tized, but knew not what their godfathers and godmothers promised for them. To the fourth, about their continuance in the faith into which they were baptized, until they arrived at the age of fourteen years, or the age of discretion, without dis- approving the same ; they granted it to be true. To this article Catharine Hut observed, that at that time she did not understand what she professed. Joan Hornes added, that in the days of King Edward VI. she learned the faith that was then set forth, and still continued in the same ; and would, with God's assist- ance, continue the remainder of her life. \ To the fifth article, concerning the mass * and the sacrament of the altar, they said, > they could discern no excellence in the \ mass, nor could they believe but that Christ's natural body was in heaven, and not in the sacrament of the altar. Concerning the see of Rome, they ac- knowledged no supremacy in the same, nor would they adhere to it. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY 207 To the sixth article of their reconcilia- tion to the church of Rome, they refused to be reconciled to the same. To the seventh, of their disapproving the service of the church, and not frequenting their parish church, they acknowledged it to be true. Catharine Hut alleged, as the cause of her absenting herself from church, that she neither approved the service in Latin, the mass, matins, or even song ; nor were the sacraments used and administered accord- ing to God's word. She declared, more- over, that mass was an idol, neither was the true body and blood of Christ in the sacrament of the altar, as they compelled persons to believe. To the eighth article, they declared, that they were all sent up to the bishop of Lon- don, by Sir John Mordaunt and Edmund Tyrrel, justices of the peace for the coun- ty of Essex, because they could not believe the presence of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament of the altar, and for absent- ing themselves from their parish church. To the ninth article, that they were of the diocese of London, they all assented, except Catharine Hut, who said she was of the parish of Bocking, in Essex, which is of the peculiar jurisdiction of Canter- bury, and not under that of the diocese of London. On the 13th of April they were again brought before the bishop, and the respec- tive articles, with their answers, publicly read in court, in order to their final judg- ment. Catharine Hut, being first examined, was required to declare her opinion of the sacrament of the altar, and to return to the catholic faith. To this she replied that the sacrament, as enforced by the papists, was not truly God, but a dumb god, made with men's hands ; upon which she received sentence of death. Joan Hornes was next examined, and being charged that she did not believe the sacrament of Christ's body and blood to be Christ himself, said, "If you can make your a 208 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. | god to shed blood, or show any sign of a ) true, living body, then will I believe you : i but it is bread as to the substance, and that i which you call heresy is the manner in which I trust to serve my God to the end of my life. " Concerning the bishop and see of Rome, I detest them as abominations, and desire ever to be delivered from the same." In consequence of these answers, sen- tence of condemnation was immediately pronounced on her. Elizabeth Thackvill continuing stead- fast in her former confessions, and refusing to recant, shared the same fate with the other two ; when they were all delivered over to the secular power, and committed to Newgate. On the 16th of May, the day appointed for their execution, they were conducted to Smithfield, where, being all fastened to one stake, and the fagots lighted, their bodies were soon consumed, after they recom- mended their spirits into the hands of that God, for the truth of whose word they joy- fully suffered death, in hopes of obtaining life everlasting. On the same day these three were exe- cuted in Smithfield, two others suffered at Gloucester, namely, Thomas Drowry, a blind boy ; and Thomas Croker, a brick- layer. They both submitted to their fate with great fortitude and resignation, cheerfully yielding up their souls to Him who gave them. The persecutions and sufferings of William Fetty, a lad of twelve years of age, who was so barbarously scourged in Bishop Bonner's Palace in London, that it occa- sioned his death. If dying innocently in the cause of; Christ, and his religion, constitutes the character of a martyr, no one can be more entitled to a place in our catalogue than this youth, who was unmercifully scourged to death, at the instigation of the relentless ; and cruel Bonner. . Among those who were persecuted and ; imprisoned for the profession of Christ's j gospel, and yet delivered by the providence ; of God, was John Fetty, the father of the i lad under consideration. He had been ac- < cused, by his own wife, to the minister of the parish in which he lived, of absenting i himself from church, the sacrament of the > altar, confession, and other ceremonies, for neglect of which he was apprehended by one of the officers employed for that purpose. Immediately after his apprehension his wife grew delirious, in consequence of which, though they were regardless of him, pity toward that ungrateful woman, wrought upon them so sensibly, that, for the sake of the preservation and support of her and her children, they discharged him, with a compulsion that he should continue in his own house. Notwithstanding the ingratitude of his wife, he provided for her in such a manner, that within the space of three weeks, she had, in some measure, recovered her sen- ses. But such was the disposition of this wicked woman, that, notwithstanding this instance of his conjugal affection, she laid a second information against him ; upon which he was apprehended, and carried before Sir John Mordaunt, one of the queen's commissioners, by whom, after ex- amination, he was sent to Lollard's tower, where he was put into the stocks, and had a dish of water set by him with a stone in it, to point out to him, that it was the chief sustenance he might expect to receive. After he had been in prison for the space of fifteen days (the greatest part of which time he was kept in the stocks, sometimes ] by one leg, and sometimes the other), Wil- l liam Fetty, one of his sons, came to the I bishop's palace, in order to obtain permis- \ sion to see him. j When he arrived there, one of the bish- op's chaplains asked him his business ; the / boy replied, he wanted to see his father, at ) VIEW or THE INTERIOR of lollard's tower.— Page 209. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 211 i the same time shedding tears, and expres- sing the greatest unhappiness. The chap- lain asked who was his father ; and when the boy told him, he pointed toward Lol- lard's tower, intimating that he was there confined. The chaplain then told him his father was a heretic, to which the boy (who was of a bold and forward spirit, and had been instructed by his father in the reformed re- ligion) answered, " My father is no here- tic, but you have Balaam's mark." On this the incensed priest took the boy by the hand, and led him to a large room in the palace, where he scourged him in the most severe and unmerciful manner ; after which he ordered one of his servants to carry him in his shirt to his father, the blood running down to his heels. As soon as he saw his father he fell on <' his knees, and craved his blessing. The poor man beholding his child in so dread- ful a situation, exclaimed, with great grief, " Alas ! son, who hath thus cruelly treated you"?" The boy replied, " Seeking to find you out, a priest, with Balaam's mark, took me into the bishop's house, and treated me in the manner you see" The servant then seized the boy with great wrath, and dragging him from his fa- ther, led him back to the place where he had been scourged by the priest. Here he was kept three days, in the course of which his former punishment was several times repeated, though not in so severe a manner as before. At the expiration of that time, Bonner, in order to make some atonement for this cruel treatment of the boy, and to appease the father, determined to release both of them. He therefore, ordered the latter to be brought before him, in his bed-chamber, early in the morning. When the poor man came before the bishop, he said, " God be here and peace." To which the bishop replied, " That is neither God speed, nor good-morrow." One of the bishop's chaplains stand- ing by, reviled Fetty for the speech he had made ; when he, after looking about, and spying a bundle of black beads, and a small crucifix, said, " As Christ is hero handled, so you deal with Christ's chosen people." The bishop was so enraged at this, that he called him a vile heretic, and said, "I will burn thee, or spend all I possess." However, in a little time his passion cooled, and thinking of the consequences, that might arise from scourging the child, he or- dered them both to be discharged. The father immediately went home with his son, but the poor boy, from an extraor- dinary effusion of blood, and a mortification which ensued, died a few days after, to the great grief of his persecuted and indulgent parent. The old man remained, without further persecution, during the residue of his life, often praising God for delivering him out of the hands of his enemies, and expres- sing the sense he had of the divine protec- tion in words to the following effect : (see engraving.) To heaven I lift my waiting eyes, There all my hopes are laid ; The Lord, who built the earth and skies. Is my perpetual aid. Their feet shall never slide or fall, Whom he designs to keep ; His ear attends the softest call, His eyes can never sleep. He will sustain my weakest powers, With his almighty arm, And watch my most unguarded hours Against surprising harm. He guards my soul, he keeps my breath, Where thickest dangers come : I go and come, secure from death, Till God commands me home. a. < 212 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. PERSECUTIONS IN SCOTLAND DURING THE REIGN OF HENRY VIII. ;HOUGII the persecutions against the protestants in Scotland were not so prev- alent, or carried on with such vigor as in England, yet there were many inno- cent people who fell victims to bigoted ma- levolence, and cheerfully resigned up their souls in testimony of the truth of that gos- pel to which they had strenuously and re- ligiously adhered. The first person we meet with who suf- fered in Scotland on the score of religion, was one Patrick Hamilton, a gentleman of an independent fortune, and descended from a very ancient and honorable family. Having acquired a liberal education, and being desirous of further improving himself in useful knowledge, he left Scotland, and went to the university of Wirtemberg, in Germany, in order to finish his studies. During his residence here, he became intimately acquainted with those eminent lights of the gospel, Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon ; from whose writings and doctrines he strongly attached himself to the protestant religion. After staying some time at Wirtemberg, he left that place, and went to the univer- sity of Marburgh, which was then but lately established by one Philip, landgrave of Hesse. Here he formed an intimacy with several distinguished characters who were friends to the reformation, among whom was Francis Lambert. From this person Mr. Hamilton received such enlightened assistance that he set up public disputations on religion at Marburgh, and from the solidity of his arguments, joined to his well-known piety, and regular conduct in life, he soon obtained a number of followers, who were happy in having the \ opportunity of hearing the true gospel of Christ displayed in its proper colors. After laboring here some time in the vineyard of his Redeemer, he determined to return to his own country, and there ex- ert himself in behalf of the protestant re- ligion. He accordingly went thither, and from his great diligence, as well as singu- lar abilities as a preacher, soon became popular, and was followed by great numbers of advocates for the cause of Christ The archbishop of St. Andrew's (who was a rigid papist) hearing of Mr. Hamil- ton's proceedings, cited him to appear be- fore him at his palace, where, after several conferences with him on different points of religion, he was dismissed, the bishop seeming to approve of his doctrines, and acknowledging, that in many particulars there needed a reformation in the church. This, however, was all hypocrisy and deceit ; the bishop's intentions were to make a sacrifice of Mr. Hamilton, but he was fearful that his attempts would prove abortive by Mr. Hamilton's being acquaint- ed with many personages who had free ac- cess to the king, and that if he should con- vict him of heresy, he would escape by means of their intercession. To obviate this difficulty, the bishop, who had great ascendency over the Scottish king, persuaded him to go on a pilgrimage to St. Dothesse, in Rosse. The king, who was a strong bigot, readily took the bish- op's advice, and a few days after set out on his journey, little suspecting the bishop's intentions. The very next day after his departure, the bishop caused Mr. Hamilton to be seized, and being brought before him, after a sbort examination relative to his religious principles, he committed him a prisoner to the castle, at the same time ordering him to be confined in the most loathsome part of the prison. The next morning Mr. Hamilton was THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 213 $ brought before the bishop, and several oth- $ ers, for examination, when the principal ar- ticles exhibited against him were, his pub- licly disapproving of pilgrimages, purgato- ry, prayers to saints, for the dead, &c. These articles Mr. Hamilton acknowl- edged to be true, in consequence of which he was immediately condemned to be burnt, and that his condemnation might have the greater authority, they caused it to be sub- scribed by all those of any note who were ) present, and to make the number as con- ] siderable as possible, even admitted the i subscription of boys who were sons of the < nobility. I So anxious was this bigoted and perse- ? cuting prelate for the destruction of Mr. < Hamilton, that he ordered his sentence to I be put in execution on the afternoon of the \ very day it was pronounced. He was ac- > cordingly led to the place appointed for the I I horrid tragedy, and was attended by a pro- 5 digious number of spectators. The great- > est part of the multitude would not believe I it was intended he should be put to death, i but that it was only done to frighten him, 5 and thereby bring him over to embrace the | principles of the Romish religion. But < they soon found themselves mistaken. When he arrived at the stake he knelt '< down, and, for some time, prayed with the \ greatest fervency. After this he arose, and | was accosted by a priest, who told him that if he would recant, his life should be spared, \ but our martyr was so furnished with god- ■■ ly strength, that neither the love of life, nor fear of the most cruel death, could in \ the least move him to deviate from the truth [ of that gospel he had so religiously pro- l fessed, and for which he was determined ) ', to relinquish a miserable existence. Having finished his devotions, he took \ J off his gown, coat, cap, and other garments, ) > and delivered them to a faithful servant that ; attended him, saying, " These will not prof- | it in the fire, but they will profit thee ; af- ! ter this, of me thou canst receive no com- \ I modity except the example of my death, > i which I beg thee to bear in mind, for though I it be bitter to the flesh, and fearful before men, yet it is the entrance into eternal life, which none shall possess who deny Christ Jesus before this wicked generation." After this he was fastened to the stake, and the fagots placed round him. A quan- tity of gunpowder having been fastened under his arms, was first set on fire, which scorched his left hand and one side of his face, but did him no material injury, nei- ther did it communicate with the fagots. In consequence of this, more powder and com- bustible matter was brought, which being set on fire took effect, and the fagots being kindled, he called out, with an audible voice, " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ! How long shall darkness overwhelm this realm ? and how long wilt thou suffer the tyranny of these men ?" The fire burning slow put him to great torment, but he bore it with Christian mag- nanimity. What gave him the greatest pain, was the clamor of some wicked men set on by the friars, who frequently cried out, " Turn, thou heretic ; call upon our lady ; say, Salve Regina" &c. To whom he replied, " Depart from me, and trouble me not, thou messengers of Satan." One Campbell, a friar, who was the ringleader, still continuing to interrupt him by oppro- brious language, he said to him, " Wicked man, God forgive thee." After which, being prevented from further speech by the violence of the smoke, and the rapidity of the flames, he resigned up his soul into the hands of him who gave it. This steadfast believer in Christ suffered martyrdom in the year 1527. Campbell, the friar, who had so inter- rupted him at the place of execution, af- terward ran distracted, and died within the year. These two circumstances put to- gether, made an impression upon the peo- ple, and as these points began to be in- quired into, many embraced the new opin- ions. This execution is ascribed by Drum- mond, to a revenge of a private quarrel against the earl of Arran. After which \ 214 -a THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. several persons, in all parts of the kingdom, began to inquire into the articles for which Mr. Hamilton had been so inhumanly treat- ed. Many entertained favorable sentiments concerning them, insomuch that several of \ the friars, from that time, declaimed openly against the lewd behavior of their brethren the clergy ; and particularly that in Lent, one Seton, confessor to the king, presumed to recommend some of the new doctrines from the pulpit, and to set forth to the peo- ( pie, the virtues which St. Paul requires in a good minister. This freedom was not a little grating to most of the clergy, and they found less dif- ficulty to bring Seton into discredit at court, as he had used much freedom in reproving the king. Mr. Seton, however, perceiving his majesty's countenance was changed, and dreading the power and influence of the clergy, retired from court, and went to London, after having wrote a letter to the \ king. One Henry Forest, a young inoffensive I Benedictine, being charged with speaking respectfully of the above Patrick Hamilton, ;> was thrown into prison ; and, in confessing himself to a friar, owned that he thought Hamilton a good man, and that the articles, for which he was sentenced to die, might be defended. This being revealed by the friar, it was received as evidence, and the poor Benedictine was sentenced to be burnt. While consultation was held with regard to the manner of his execution, John Lind- say, one of the archbishop's gentlemen, of- fered his advice to burn Friar Forest in some cellar, for, said he, " The smoke of Pat- trick Hamilton, hath infected all those on whom it blew." This advice was taken, and the poor vic- tim was rather suffocated than burnt. The next who fell victims for professing the truth of the gospel, were David Strat- \ ton and Norman Gourlay. The first of J these was by trade a fisherman, and a very | illiterate person, paying little regard either j to morality or religion. S3— The bishop one day sent to Stratton, and demanded of him a tithe of the fish he caught ; to which he returned for answer, that if they would have tithe of what his servants took in the sea, they should re- ceive it in the place where it was caught, and immediately ordered the men to carry every tenth fish, and throw it into the sea. Though the bishop was greatly irritated at the behavior of Stratton, yet he took no notice of him for the present, but deter- mined to be revenged on him at some fu- ture opportunity. In the meantime, Stratton having acci- dentally fallen into the company of some godly and Christian people, he was so struck with their conversation, that it im- pressed on his mind that sense of his duty to which he had hitherto been a stranger. From this period he attended, with the greatest diligence, to hear the word of God, which before he had despised, and in a short time became so serious a convert, that he exhorted others to follow his exam- ple, and not to fix their minds only on the concerns of the world. The lord of Dun Areskin, who had been enlightened with the truth of the gospel, endeavored to propagate it to others, and for that purpose frequently expounded the Scriptures to such as would attend to hear him. Among these were our two martyrs, who never let any opportunity slip where- by they might receive Christian knowledge, and it was from their constant attendance here, that they became, not only good Chris- tians, but the most sincere friends, and were never so happy as when in company with each other. Attending one day, as usual, to hear the lord of Dun Areskin, he took for his text the following words : " He that denieth me before men, or is ashamed of me in the midst of this wicked generation, I will de- ny him before my father, and his holy an- gels." Stratton was so sensibly struck at hear- ing these words, that he immediately fell on his knees, and steadfastly lifting up his THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 215 \ eyes and hands to heaven, thus exclaimed : " O Lord, I have been wicked, and justly mayest thou withdraw thy grace from me : but, Lord, for thy mercy sake, let me nev- er deny thee, nor thy truth, for fear of death, or any corporeal pain." The great attention these two persons paid to the duties of religion, made them so distinguished, that an information of her- esy was laid against them by their enemies before the archbishop, who now determined to punish Stratton for the treatment he had received from him before his conversion. They were accordingly both apprehend- ed and committed to prison, where they were confined for some weeks, during which they were very cruelly treated. They had scarce sufficient refreshment al- lowed them to preserve their miserable ex- istence, nor were they suffered to be seen by any of their friends or acquaintances. At length they were brought before the archbishop, at Holy-Rood house, for exam- ination, the king himself being present on the occasion. Several articles of heresy were exhibit- ed against them, all which they answered with great fortitude and composure of mind. The archbishop endeavored to prevail on them to recant their errors, and return to the mother-church ; but they denied having committed any offence, and said they were determined to preserve their religious sen- timents, in opposition to every effort that might be offered to make them alter their opinions. In consequence of this the archbishop pronounced on them the dreadful sentence of death, which was that they should be first hanged, and then burnt ; and in the af- ternoon of the same day they were led to the place appointed for their execution. As soon as they arrived at the fatal spot, they both kneeled down, and prayed for some time, with great fervency. They then arose, when Stratton addressing himself to the spectators, exhorted them to lay aside their superstitious and idolatrous notions, and employ their time in seeking the true light of the gospel. He would have said more, but was prevented by the officers, at the desire of the archbishop, who attended. Their sentence was then put into execu- tion, and they cheerfully resigned up their souls to that God who gave them, hoping, through the merits of the great Redeemer, for a glorious resurrection to life immortal. They suffered in the year 1534. The martyrdoms of the two before-men- tioned persons were soon followed by that \ of Mr. Thomas Forret, who, for a consid- erable time, had been a dean of the Romish church. This person, having himself been en- lightened with the truth of the gospel, was desirous of conveying the knowledge of it to others. To effect this he preached ev- ery sabbath to his parishioners, from the epistles and gospels of the day, which highly offending the friars (who claimed that privilege to themselves only) they ac- cused him of heresy, and laid an informa- tion against him before the bishop of Dun- keld. Though the bishop would willingly have avoided concerning himself in this matter, yet, from the persons who laid the infor- mation, he thought it most prudent to take some notice of it. He accordingly ordered Dean Forret to appear before him, which being immediately complied with, the fol- lowing dialogue ensued : — Bishop. My good dean, I love you well, and therefore I must give you counsel how to govern yourself. I am informed that you preach the epistle and gospel every Sunday to your people, and that you take not your dues from them, which is very prejudicial to the churchmen. Therefore, my good dean Thomas, I would advise you to take your dues, otherwise it will be too much to preach every Sunday ; for by so doing you make the people think we should do the same. It is enough for you, when you find a good epistle or gospel, to set forth and preach the liberty of the ho- ly mother-church. Dean. My lord, I presume none of my JT 216 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. parishioners complain for my not taking my dues. And whereas, you say it is too much to preach every Sunday, I think it is too little, and wish your lordship would follow my example. Bishop. Nay, nay, Dean Thomas, let that be, for we are not ordained to preach. Dean. My lord, you told me to preach when I meet with a good epistle and gos- pel ; I have read them all over, and I know no bad ones among them, but when your lordship shows me such I will pass by them. Bishop. I thank God I never knew what the Old and New Testaments were, and I desire not to know anything more than my pontifical. Go your ways, and lay aside all these fancies ; for if you persevere herein, you will repent when it is too late. Dean. I trust my cause is good and just in the presence of God, and therefore I care not what follows. The dean then took leave of the bishop, but was, a short time after, summoned to appear before Cardinal Beaton, archbishop of St. Andrew's, by whom, after a short ex- amination, he was condemned to be burnt as a heretic. The like sentence was pronounced, at the same time, on four others, namely, Kil- lor and Beverage, two blacksmiths ; Dun- can Simson, a priest ; and Robert Forrest- er, a gentleman. They were all burnt to- gether, on the castle hill, at Edinburgh, the last day of February, 1538. They endured their sufferings with great fortitude, and died in the most lively exer- cise of faith in Christ, to obtain eternal life in that glorious state, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. The year following the martyrdoms of the before-mentioned persons, viz., 1539, two others were apprehended on a suspi- cion of heresy : namely, Jerom Russel, and Alexander Kennedy, a youth about eighteen years of age. These two persons, after, being some time confined in prison, were brought be- fore the archbishop for examination. Ken- nedy's tender years inclining him to pusil- lanimity, he would at first have recanted ; but being suddenly refreshed by divine in- spiration, and feeling himself, as it were, a new creature, his mind was changed, and falling on his knees, he, with a cheerful countenance thus expressed himself: — " O eternal God ! how wonderful is that love and mercy thou bearest unto mankind, and to me, a miserable wretch above all others ! for even now, when I would have denied thee, and thy son our Lord Jesus Christ, my only Savior, and so have cast myself into everlasting damnation, thou, by thine own hand, hast pulled me from the very bottom of hell, and made me to feel that heavenly comfort which has taken from me that ungodly fear wherewith I was be- ) fore oppressed. Now I defy death ; do \ with me as you please ; I praise God I am | ready." In the course of their examination, Rus- sel, being a very sensible man, reasoned learnedly against his accusers. They, in return, made use of very opprobrious lan- guage ; to which Russel replied as follows : " This is your hour and power of darkness : now ye sit as judges, and we stand wrong- fully accused, and more wrongfully to be condemned ; but the day will come when our innocence will appear, and ye shall see your own blindness, to your everlasting confusion. Go on, and fill the measure of your iniquity." The examination being over, and both of them deemed heretics, the archbishop pronounced the dreadful sentence of death, and they were immediately delivered over to the secular power in order for execution. The next day they were led to the place appointed for them to suffer ; in their way to which Russel, seeing his fellow-sufferer have the appearance of timidity in his coun- tenance, thus addressed him : " Brother, fear not ; greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. The pain that we are to suffer is short, and shall be light ; but our joy and consolation shall never A WOMAN TIED IN A BACK, AND FOUR MEN HUNG. Page 217. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 219 have an end. Let us, therefore, strive to 2 enter into our Master and Savior's joy, by i the same strait way which he hath taken ( before us. Death can not hurt us, for it is l already destroyed by him, for whose sake / we are now going to suffer." < When they arrived at the fatal spot, they > both kneeled down and prayed for some < time ; after which, being fastened to the stake, and the fagots lighted, they cheer- fully resigned their souls into the hands of Him who gave them, in full hopes of an ev- erlasting reward in the heavenly mansions. In 1543, the archbishop of St. Andrew's made a visitation into various parts of his diocese, where several persons were in- formed against at Perth for heresy. Among these the following were condemned to die, viz., William Anderson, James Finlayson, Robert Lamb, James Hunter, James Ravel- son, Helen Stark. The accusations laid against these re- spective persons were as follow : — The first four were accused of having hung up the image of Sir Francis, nailing ram's horns on his head, and fastening a cow's tail to his back ; but the principal matter on which they were condemned, was having regaled themselves with a goose on a fast day. James Ravelson was accused of having adorned his house with the three-crowned diadem of Peter, carved in wood, which the archbishop conceived to be done in mockery of his cardinal's cap. Helen Stark was accused of not having accustomed herself to pray to the virgin Mary, more especially during her confine- ment. On these respective accusations they were all found guilty, and immediately re- | ceived sentence of death ; the four men for \ eating the goose to be hanged ; James Ravelson to be burnt ; and the woman, with her sucking infant, to be put into a sack, and drowned. The four men, with the woman and child, suffered at the same time ; but James Rav- elson was not executed till some day6 after. On the day appointed for the execution of the former, they were all conducted, un- der a proper guard, to the place where they were to suffer, and were attended by a pro- digious number of spectators. As soon as they arrived at the place of execution, they all prayed fervently for some time ; after which Robert Lamb ad- dressed himself to the spectators, exhort- ing them to fear God, and to quit the prac- tice of papistical abominations. The four men were all hanged on the same gibbet ; and the woman and her sucking child were conducted to a river adjoining, when, being fastened in a large sack, they were thrown into it, and drowned. They all suffered their fate with becom- ing fortitude and resignation, committing their departing spirits to that Redeemer who was to be their final judge, and who, they had reason to hope, would usher them into the realms of everlasting bliss. When we reflect on the sufferings of these persons, we are naturally induced, both as men and Christians, to lament their fate, and to express our feelings by drop- ping the tear of commiseration. The mur- dering four men, for little other reason than that of satisfying nature with an article sent by Providence for that very purpose (mere- ly because it was on a day prohibited by ridiculous bigotry and superstition), is shocking indeed ; but the fate of the inno- cent woman, and her still more harmless infant, makes human nature shake, and al- most tremble, to think there is such a being as man. horrid bigotry, to what lengths wilt thou not go ! What sacrifice wilt thou not make, to gratify the basest and most inhuman of passions! (See engraving.) Many others were cruelly persecuted du- ring the archbishop's stay at Perth, some being banished, and others confined in loathsome dungeons. John Rogers, a pi- ous man, was murdered in prison, and his body thrown over the walls into the street ; after which the archbishop caused a report to be spread, that he. had met with his death by attempting to make his escape. m ' 220 'M THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. THE LIFE, SUFFERINGS, AND MARTYRDOM, OF GEORGE WISHART. EORGE WISHART was hhe town any more, for he was determined born in Scotland, and af- j not to suffer it. ter receiving a grammat- ] This sudden rebuff greatly surprised ical education at a pri- \ Wishart, who, after a short pause, looking vate school, he left that sorrowfully on the speaker and the audi- place, and finished his ence, said, " God is my witness, that I nev- studies at the university of Cambridge. In er minded your trouble but your comfort ; order to improve himself as much as possi- < yea, your trouble is more grievous to me ble in the knowledge of literature, he trav- i than it is to yourselves : but I am assured, elled into various parts abroad, where he to refuse God's word, and to chase from distinguished himself for his great learning you his messenger, shall not preserve you and abilities, both in philosophy and divin- from trouble, but shall bring you into it : ity. His desire to promote true knowledge for God shall send you ministers that shall and science among men, accompanied the fear neither burning nor banishment. I profession of it himself. He was very ready have offered you the word of salvation, to communicate what he knew to others, With the hazard of my life I have remained and frequently read various authors both in •> among you : now ye yourselves refuse me ; his own chamber, and in the public schools, j and I must leave my innocence to be de- After being some time abroad he returned < clared by my God. If it be long prosper- to England, and took up his residence at ous with you, I am not led by the spirit of Cambridge, where he was admitted a mem- j truth : but if unlooked-for trouble come up- ber of Bennet college. Having taken up \ on you, acknowledge the cause, and turn his degrees, he entered into holy orders, to God, who is gracious and merciful, and expounded the gospel in so clear and But if you turn not at the first warning, he intelligible manner, as highly to delight his will visit you with fire and sword." At numerous auditors. I the close of this speech he left the pulpit, Being desirous of propagating the true I and retired, gospel in his own country,he left Cambridge > After this he went into the west of Scot- in 1544, and in his way thither preached > land, where he preached God's word, which in most of the principal towns, to the great > was gladly received by many ; till the arch- pleasure of himself, and the satisfaction of bishop of Glasgow, at the instigation of his hearers. > Cardinal Beaton, came with his train, to On his arrival in Scotland he preached > the town of Ayr, to suppress Wishart, and first at Montrose, and afterward at Dundee. I insisted on having the church himself to In this last place he made a public exposi- ? preach in. Some opposed this ; but Wis- tion of the epistle to the Romans, which i hart said, " Let him alone, his sermon will he went through with such grace and free- l not do much hurt ; let us go to the market dom, as greatly alarmed the papists. I cross." This was agreed to, and Wishart In consequence of this (at the instigation \ preached a sermon that gave universal sat- of Cardinal Beaton, the archbishop of St. \ isfaction to his hearers, and at the same Andrew's), one Robert Miln, a principal time confounded his enemies, man at Dundee, went to the church where I He continued to propagate the gospel Wishart preached, and in the middle of his to the people with the greatest alacrity, discourse publicly told him not to trouble > preaching sometimes in one place, and THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 221 sometimes in another; but coming to Mack- l them. After this the plague abated ; though, lene, he was, by force, kept out of the I in the midst of it, Wishart constantly vis- church. Some of his followers would have j ited those that lay in the greatest extremi- broken in ; upon which he said to one of j ty, and comforted them by his exhortations, them, " Brother, Jesus Christ is as mighty j When he took leave of the people of in the fields as in the church ; and himself: often preached in the desert, at the sea-side, and other places. The like word of peace God sends by me : the blood of none shall be shed this day for preaching it." Dundee, he said, that " God had almost put an end to that plague, and he was now \ called to another place." He went thence to Montrose, where he sometimes preached, but spent most of his He then went into the fields, where he his time in private meditation and prayer. preached to the people for above three hours ; and such an impression did his ser- mon make on the minds of his hearers, that one of the most wicked men in all the coun- try, the lord of Sheld, became a convert to the truth of the gospel. A short time after this, Mr. Wishart re- It is said, that before he left Dundee, and while he was engaged in the labors of love to the bodies, as well as to the souls of those poor afflicted people, Cardinal Beaton engaged a desperate popish priest, called John Weighton, to kill him ; the attempt to execute which, was as follows : one day, related to him, he, notwithstanding the im- portunity of his friends to detain him, de- termined to go thither, saying, " They are now in troubles, and need comfort. Per- haps this hand of God will make them now ceived intelligence that the plague was < after Wishart had finished his sermon, and broke out in Dundee. It began four days \ the people departed, the priest stood wait- after he was prohibited from preaching < ing at the bottom of the stairs, with a na- there, and raged so extremely, that it was < ked dagger in his hand under his gown, almost beyond credit how many died in the < But Mr. Wishart, having a sharp, piercing space of twenty-four hours. This being < eye, and seeing the priest as he came from the pulpit, said to him, " My friend, what j would you have ?" And immediately clap- 5 ping his hand upon the dagger, took it from \ him. The priest being terrified, fell on his j knees, confessed his intention, and craved \ to magnify and reverence the word of God, < pardon. A noise being hereupon raised, t which before they lightly esteemed." < and it coming to the ears of those who I Here he was with joy received by the < were sick, they cried, " Deliver the traitor > godly. He chose the east gate for the place j to us, we will take him by force ;" and they \ of his preaching ; so that the healthy were \ burst in at the gate. But Wishart, taking | within, and the sick without the gate. He \ the priest in his arms, said, " Whatsoever took his text from these words, " He sent \ hurts him shall hurt me ; for he hath done > his word and healed them," &c. In this > me no mischief, but much good, by teach- \ sermon he chiefly dwelt upon the advantage s ing me more heedfulness for the time to and comfort of God's word, the judgments s come." By this conduct he appeased the that ensue upon the contempt or rejection \ people, and saved the life of the wicked of it, the freedom of God's grace to all his S priest. people, and the happiness of those of his > Soon after his return to Montrose, the elect, whom he takes to himself out of this 5 cardinal again conspired his death, causing miserable world. The hearts of, his hear- \ a letter to be sent to him, as if from his fa- ers were so raised by the divine force of j miliar friend, the laird of Kinnier, in which this discourse, as not to regard death, but > he was desired with all possible speed to to judge them the more happy who should \ come to him, because he was tak?n with a then be called, not knowing whether they ) sudden sickness. In the meantime, the car- might have such a comforter again with \ dinal bad provided sixty men armed, to lie 222 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. in wait within a mile and a half of Mon- trose, in order to murder him as he passed that way. The letter coming to Wishart's hand by a boy, who also brought him a horse for the journey, Wishart, accompanied by some honest men, his friends, set forward ; but something particular striking his mind by the way, he returned back, which they wondering at, asked him the cause ; to whom he said : " I will not go ; I am for- bidden of God ; I am assured there is treason. Let some of you go to yonder place, and tell me what you find." Which doing, they made the discovery : and hast- ily returning, they told Mr. Wishart : whereupon he said: " I know I shall end my life by that bloodthirsty man's hands j but it will not be in this manner." A short time after this he left Montrose, and proceeded to Edinburgh, in order to propagate the gospel in that city. By the way he lodged with a faithful brother, called James Watson, of Inner-Goury. In the middle of the night, he got up, and went into the yard, which two men hearing, they privately followed him. While in the yard, he fell on his knees, and prayed for sometime with the greatest fervency ; after which he arose, and re- turned to his bed. Those who attended him, appearing as though they were igno- rant of all, came and asked him where he had been : but he would not answer them. The next day they importuned him to tell them, saying, " Be plain with us, for we heard your mourning, and saw your ges- tures." On this he, with a dejected countenance, said, " I had rather you had been in your beds." But they still pressing upon him to know something, he said, " I will tell you ; I am assured that my warfare is near at an end, and therefore pray to God with me, that I shrink not when the battle wax- eth most hot." When they heard this they wept, saying, " This is small comfort to us." Then, said he : " God shall send you comfort after me. This realm shall be illuminated with the light of Christ's gospel, as clearly as any realm since the days of the apostles. The house of God shall be built in it ; yea, it shall not lack, in despite of all enemies, the top-stone ; neither will it be long be- \ fore this be accomplished. Many shall not / suffer after me, before the glory of God > shall appear, and triumph in despite of Sa- j tan. But, alas, if the people afterward j shall prove unthankful, then fearful and j terrible will the plagues be that shall fol- , low." The next day he proceeded on his jour- ; ney, and when he arrived at Leith, not i meeting with those he expected, he kept himself retired for a day or two. He then I grew pensive, and being asked the reason, he answered : " What do I differ from a dead man ? Hitherto God hath used my labors for the instruction of others, and to the dis- closing of darkness ; and now I lurk as a man ashamed to show his face." His friends perceived that his desire was to I preach, whereupon they said to him, " It is < most comfortable for us to hear you, but be- > cause we know the danger wherein you \ stand, we dare not desire it." — " But," said j he, " If you dare hear, let God provide for j me as best pleaseth him ;" after which it l was concluded, that the next day he should i preach in Leith. His text was of the par- \ able of the sower, Matt. xiii. The sermon ended, the gentlemen of Lothian, who were \ earnest professors of Jesus Christ, would < not suffer him to stay at Leith, because the s governor and cardinal were shortly to come to Edinburgh ; but took him along with ; them; and he preached at Branstone, Long- ' niddry, and Ormistone. He also preached at Inveresk, near Muselburgh : he had a ' great concourse of people, and among them Sir George Douglas, who after sermon said publicly: " I know that the governor and cardinal will hear that I have been at \ this sermon ; but let them know that I will avow it, and will maintain both the doc- \ trine, and the preacher, to the uttermost of \ my power." J R' THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 223 -9 j Among others that came to hear him I world, because he saw that men began to i preach, there were two Gray-friars, who, < be weary of God : " For," said he '■' the j standing at the church door, whispered to \ gentlemen of the west have sent me word, < such as came in ; which Wishart observ- < that they can not keep their meeting at I ing, said to the people, " I pray you make \ Edinburgh." \ room for these two men, it may be they < Knox, wondering he should enter into ' come to learn ;" and turning to them, he < conference about these things, immediate- \ said, " Come near, for I assure you you < ly before his sermon, contrary to his usual \ shall hear the word of truth, which this \ custom, said to him, " Sir, sermon-time ap- jj day shall seal up to you either your salva- \ proaches ; I will leave you for the present \ tion or damnation :" after which he pro- < to your meditations." \ ceeded in his sermon, supposing they would I Wishart's sad countenance declared the be quiet ; but when he perceived that they i grief of his mind. At length, he went in- still continued to disturb the people that \ to the pulpit, and his auditory being very stood near them, he said to them the sec- 1 small, he introduced his sermon with the \ ond time, with an angry countenance : " O j following exclamation : " Lord ! how | ministers of Satan, and deceivers of the long shall it be, that thy holy word shall \ souls of men, will ye neither hear God's be despised, and men shall not regard their truth yourselves, nor suffer others to hear \ own salvation ? I have heard of thee, O \ it ? Depart, and take this for your portion ; s Haddington, that in thee there used to be \ God shall shortly confound and disclose \ two or three thousand persons at a vain and \ your hypocrisy within this kingdom ; ye \ wicked play ; and now, to hear the mes- \ shall be abominable to men, and your pla- 1 senger of the eternal God, of all the par- | ces and habitations shall be de-solate." He I ish can scarce be numbered one hundred i spoke this with much vehemency ; then \ present. Sore and fearful shall be the ', turning to the people, said, " These men > plagues that shall ensue upon this thy con- \ have provoked the spirit of God to anger ;" > tempt. With fire and sword shalt thou be \ after which he proceeded on his sermon, > plagued ; yea, thou Haddington in special, \ and finished it highly to the satisfaction of ) strangers shall possess thee ; and you, the \ his hearers. > present inhabitants, shall either in bondage 5 From hence he went and preached at I serve your enemies, or else you shall be | Branstone, Languedine, Ormistone, and In- \ chased from your own habitations ; and \ veresk, where he was followed by a great \ that because you have not known, nor will j concourse of people. He preached also in \ know, the time of your visitation." divers other places, the people much flock- \ This prediction was, in a great measure, ing after him ; and in all his sermons he I accomplished not long after, when the foretold the shortness of the time he had to < English took Haddington, made it a garri- travel, and the near approach of his death. < son, and forced many of the inhabitants to When he came to Haddington, his audi- < fly. Soon after this, a dreadful plague broke tory began much to decrease, which was < out in the town, of which such numbers thought to happen through the influence of < died, that the place became almost depop- the earl of Bothwel, who was moved to { ulated. oppose him at the instigation of the cardi- I Cardinal Beaton, archbishop of St. An- nal. Soon after this, as he was going to j drew's, being informed that Mr. Wishart church, he received a letter from the west j was at the house of Mr. Cockburn, of Or- country gentlemen, which having read, he mistone, in East Lothian, he applied to the < called John Knox, who had diligently wait- I regent to cause him to be apprehended; \ ed upon him since his arrival at Lothian ; \ with which, after great persuasion, and < to whom he said he was weary of the i much against his will, he complied. %, X * >' 224 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. The earl accordingly went, with proper attendants, to the house of Mr. Cockburn, which he beset about midnight. The laird of the house being greatly alarmed, put himself in a posture of defence, when the earl told him that it was in vain to resist, ] for the governor and cardinal were within a mile, with a great power; but if he would { deliver Wishart to him, he would promise > upon his honor, that he should be safe, and j that the cardinal should not hurt him. Wishart said, " Open the gates, the will of God be done ;" and Bothwel coming in, Wishart said to him : " I praise my God, j that so honorable a man as you, my lord, receive me this night ; for I am persuaded that for your honor's sake, you will suffer j nothing to be done to me but by order of ', law : I less fear to die openly, than secret- ly to be murdered." Bothwel replied, " I will not only preserve your body from all violence that shall be intended against you without order of law ; but I also promise I in the presence of these gentlemen, that \ neither the governor nor cardinal shall have \ their will of you ; but I will keep you in I my own house, till I either set you free, or I restore you to the same place where I re- i ceive you." Then said the laird, "My lord, if you make good your promise, which 5 we presume you will, we ourselves will j not only serve you, but we will procure all the professors in Lothian to do the same." This agreement being made, Mr. Wis- hart was delivered into the hands of the earl, who immediately conducted him to Edinburgh. s As soon as the earl arrived at that place, I he was sent for by the queen, who being \ an inveterate enemy to Wishart, prevailed I on the earl (notwithstanding the promises > he had made) to commit him a prisoner to I the castle. The cardinal being informed of Wis- hart's situation, went to Edinburgh, and immediately caused him to be removed thence to the castle of St. Andrew's. The inveterate and persecuting prelate, having now got our martyr fully at his own ', disposal, resolved to proceed immediately to try him as a heretic ; for which pur- pose he assembled the prelates at St. An- drew's church on the 27th of February, 1546. At this meeting the archbishop of Glas- gow gave it as his opinion, that application should be made to the regent, to grant a commission to some nobleman to try the prisoner, that all the odium of putting so popular a man to death might not lie on the clergy. To this the cardinal readily agreed ; but upon sending to the regent, he received the following answer, that he would do well not to precipitate this man's trial, but delay it until his coming ; for as to himself, he would not consent to his death before the cause was very well examined ; and if the cardinal should do otherwise, he would make protestation, that the blood of this man should be required at his hands. The cardinal was extremely chagrined at this message from the regent ; however, he determined to proceed in the bloody \ business he had undertaken ; and therefore sent the regent word, that he had not writ- ten to him about this matter, as supposing himself to be any way dependent upon his authority, but from a desire that the prose- cution and conviction of heretics might have a show of public consent ; which, since he could not this way obtain, he would proceed in that way which to him appeared the most proper. In consequence of this, the cardinal im- mediately proceeded to the trial of Wishart, against whom no less than eighteen articles were exhibited, which in substance were as follows : — 1. That he had despised the holy mother-church, and had deceived the peo- ple ; and that when he was ordered to de- sist from preaching at Dundee, by the gov- ernor, he would not obey, but still perse- vered in the same. 2. That he had said, the priest standing at the altar, and saying mass, was like a fox wagging his tail. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 225 3. That he had preached against the sacraments, saying, that there were not seven, but two only, viz., baptism and the supper of the Lord. 4. That he had taught, that auricular confession was not a blessed sacrament ; and had said confession should be made to God only, and not to a priest. 5. That he had said it was necessary for every man to know and understand his baptism, contrary to the established max- ims of the Roman catholic church. 6. That he had said the sacrament of the altar was but a piece of bread baked upon the ashes ; and the ceremonies attending it was but a superstitious rite, against the commandment of God. 7. That he had said extreme unction was not a sacrament. 8. That holy water was equally simple and insignificant as water not consecrated ; and that he had said the curses of the Ro- mish clergy availed nothing. 9. That he had said every layman was a priest ; and that the pope had no greater authority or power than another man. 10. That he had said a man had no free will, but was like the stoics, who said, that it was not in man's will to do anything, but that all concupiscence and desire came from God, of what kind soever it might be. 11. That it was as lawful to eat flesh on a Friday as on a Sunday. 12. That the people should not pray to saints, but to God only. 13. That in his preaching he had said that there was no purgatory, and that it was a false conception to imagine there was any such thing after death. 14. That he had taught plainly against the vows of monks, friars, nuns, and priests ; and had said, that whoever was bound to such vows, they vowed themselves to the state of damnation. Moreover, that it was lawful for priests to marry, and not to live single. 15. That he had spoken disrespectfully of the general and provincial counsels. 16. That he had said, it was in vain to 15 build costly churches to the honor of God, seeing that he remained not in churches made with men's hands ; nor yet could God be in so small a space as between the priest's hands. 17. That he had despised fasting, and had taught the people to do the like. 18. That in his preaching he had said the soul of man should sleep till the last day, and should not obtain immortal life till that time. Mr. Wishart answered these respective articles with great composure of mind, and in so learned and clear a manner, as great- ly surprised most of those who were pres- ent. A bigoted priest, at the instigation of the archbishop, not only heaped a load of cur- ses on him, but also treated him with the most barbarous contempt. He used a lan- guage fit only for the most complicated in- fidel ; and, not satisfied with that, he spit in his face, and otherwise maltreated him. On this Mr. Wishart fell on his knees, and after making a prayer to God, thus ad- dressed his judges : — " Many and horrible sayings unto me a Christian man, many words abominable to hear, have ye spoken here this day ; which not only to teach, but even to think, I ever thought a great abomination." After the examination was finished, the archbishop endeavored to prevail on Mr. Wishart to recant ; but he was too firmly fixed in his religious principles, and too much enlightened with the truth of the gos- pel, to be in the least moved. In consequence of this, the archbishop pronounced on him the dreadful sentence of death, which he ordered should be put into execution on the following day. As soon as the archbishop had finished this cruel and melancholy ceremony, our martyr fell on his knees, and thus ex- claimed : — " O immortal God, how long wilt thou suffer the rage, and great cruelty of the ungodly, to exercise their fury upon thy servants, which do further thy word in this 226 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. s world ? Whereas they, on the contrary, '/ remember that Christ died for us, and s seek to destroy the truth, whereby thou t feed on it spiritually." Then taking the s hast revealed thyself to the world, &c. O \ cup, he drank, and bade them " remember s Lord, we know certainly that thy true ser- i that Christ's blood was shed for them," &c. \ vants must needs suffer, for thy name's '> After this he gave thanks, prayed for some ! sake, persecutions, afflictions, and troubles, < time, took leave of his visiters, and retired > in this present world ; yet we desire, that > to his chamber. > thou wouldst preserve and defend thy < On the morning of his execution there ■> church, which thou hast chosen before the ) came to him two friars from the cardinal ; I foundation of the world, and give thy peo- • one of whom put on him a black linen coat, | pie grace to hear thy word, and to be thy < and the other brought several bags of gun- 5 true servants in this present life." s powder, which they tied about different \ Having said this, he arose, and was im- parts of his body. > mediately conducted by the officers to the s In this dress he was conducted from the \ prison whence he had been brought, in the room in which he had been confined, to the I in the castle. s outer chamber of the governor's apartments, \ In the evening he was visited by two > there to stay till the necessary preparations v friars, who asked him to make his confes- 1 were made for his execution. sion to them ; to whom he said, " I will not I The windows and balconies of the cas- make any confession to you ;" on which > tie, opposite the place where he was to suf- they immediately departed. > fer, were all hung with tapestry and silk Soon after this came the sub-prior, with I hangings, and with cushions for the car- whom Wishart conversed in so feeling a > dinal and his train, who were thence to J manner on religious matters as to make him > feast their eyes with the torments of this ; weep. When he left him, he went to the 5 innocent man. There was also a great cardinal, and told him, he came not to in- 1 guard of soldiers, not so much to secure tercede for Wishart's life, but to make 5 the execution, as to show a vain ostentation known his innocence to all men. At these > of power ; besides which, brass guns were \ words, the cardinal expressed great dissat- 1 placed on different parts of the castle, isfaction, and forbid the sub-governor from > The necessary preparations being made, < again visiting Wishart. \ our martyr, after having his hands tied be- <■ Toward the close of the evening, our I hind him, was conducted to the fatal spot. < martyr was visited by the captain of the > In his way thither, he was accosted by two castle, with several of his friends ; who > friars, who desired him to pray to the Vir- s bringing with them some bread and wine, > gin Mary, to intercede for him. To whom j asked him if he would eat and drink with j he meekly' said, " Cease; tempt me not, I I them. "Yes," said Wishart, "very wil- entreat you." lingly, for I know you are honest men." As soon as he arrived at the stake, the \ In the meantime he desired them to hear | executioner put a rope round his neck, and I him a little, when he discoursed with them a chain about his middle ; upon which he \ on the Lord's supper, his sufferings and j fell on his knees, and thus exclaimed : — j death for us, exhorting them to love one " O thou Savior of the world, have mer- I another, and to lay aside all rancor and < cy upon me! Father of heaven, I com- 1 malice, as became the members of Jesus j mend my spirit into thy holy hands." Christ, who continually interceded for them < After repeating these words three times with his Father. After this he gave thanks s he arose, and turning himself to the spec- { to God, and blessing the bread and wine, j tators, addressed them as follows : — ' he took the bread and brake it, giving some j " Christian brethren and sisters : I be- | to each, saying, at the same time, "Eat this, j seech you be not offended at the word of ffv THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 227 \ God for the torments which you see pre- pared for me ; but I exhort you, that ye love the word of God for your salvation, and suffer patiently, and with a comforta- ble heart, for the word's sake, which is your undoubted salvation, and everlasting comfort. I pray you also, show my breth- ren and sisters, who have often heard me, that they cease not to learn the word of God, which I taught them according to the meas- ure of grace given me, but to hold fast to it with the strictest attention ; and show them, that the doctrine was no old wives' fables, but the truth of God ; for if I had taught men's doctrine, I should have had greater thanks from men : but for the word of God's sake, I now suffer, not sorrowful- ly, but with a glad heart and mind. For this cause I was sent, that I should suffer this fire for Christ's sake ; behold my face, you shall not see me change my counten- ance : I fear not the tire ; and if persecu- tion come to you for the word's sake, I pray you ' fear not them that can kill the body, and have no power over the soul.' " After this he prayed for his accusers, saying : " I beseech thee, Father of heaven, forgive them that have, from ignorance, or an evil mind, forged lies of me : I forgive them with all my heart. I beseech Christ to forgive them, that have ignorantly con- demned me." Then, again turning himself to the spec- tators, he said : " I beseech you, brethren, exhort your prelates to learn the word of God, that they may be ashamed to do evil, and learn to do good ; or also there will shortly come upon them the wrath of God, which they shall not eschew." As soon as he had finished this speech, the executioner fell on his knees before him, and said, " Sir, I pray you forgive me, for I am not the cause of your death." In return to this, Wishart cordially took the man by the hand, and kissed him, say- ing, " Lo, here is a token that I forgive thee : my heart, do thine office." He was then fastened to the stake, and the fagots being lighted, immediately set fire to the powder that was tied about him, and which blew into a flame and smoke. The governor of the castle, who stood so near that he was singed with the flame, exhorted our martyr in a few words, to be of good cheer, and to ask pardon of God for his offences. To which he replied : " This flame occasions trouble to my body, indeed, but it hath in no wise broken my spirit. But he who now so proudly looks down upon me from yonder lofty place," pointing to the cardinal, " shall, ere long, be as ignominiously thrown down, as now he proudly lolls at his ease." When he had said this, the executioner pulled the rope which was tied about his neck with great violence, so that he was soon strangled ; and the fire getting strength, burnt with such rapidity that in less than an hour his body was totally consumed. Thus died, in confirmation of the gospel of Christ, a sincere believer, whose forti- tude and constancy during his sufferings, can only be imputed to the support of di- vine aid, in order to fulfil that memorable promise, " As is thy day, so shall thy strength be also." The prediction of Mr. Wishart, concern- ing Cardinal Beaton, is related by that great historian, Buchanan, as also by Arch- bishop Spotwood, and others ; but it has been doubted, by some later writers, wheth- er he really made such prediction or not. Be that as it may, however, it is certain that the death of Wishart did, in a short time after, prove fatal to the cardinal him- self ; the particulars of which it may not be improper here to subjoin. Soon after the death of Mr. Wishart, the cardinal went to Finhaven, the seat of the earl of Crawford, to solemnize a mar- riage between the eldest son of that noble- man, and his own natural daughter, Mar- garet. While he was thus employed, he received intelligence that an English squad- ron was upon the coast, and that conse- quently an invasion was to be feared. Up- on this he immediately returned to St. An- drew's, and appointed a day for the nobility 228 a THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. and gentry to meet, and consult what was proper to be done on this occasion. But as no further news was heard of the Eng- lish fleet, their apprehensions of an inva- sion soon subsided. In the meantime, Norman Lesley, eldest son of the earl of Rothes, who had been treated by the cardinal with injustice and contempt, formed a design, in conjunction with his uncle John Lesley, who hated Beaton, and others who were inflamed against him on account of his persecution of the protestants, the death of Wishart, and other causes, to assassinate the prelate, though he now resided in the castle of St. Andrew's, which he was fortifying at great expense, and had, in the opinion of that age, already rendered it almost impregna- ble. The cardinal's retinue was numerous, the town was at his devotion, and the neighboring country full of his dependants. However, the conspirators, who were in number only sixteen, having concerted their plan, met together early in the morning, on Saturday the 29th of May. The first thing they did, was to seize the porter of the castle, from whom they took the keys, and secured the gate. They then sent four of their party to watch the cardinal's cham- ber, that he might have no notice given him of what was doing ; after which, they went and called up the servants and attendants, to whom they were well known, and turned them to the number of fifty, out of the gate, as they did also upward of a hundred workmen, who were employed in the forti- fications and buildings of the castle ; but the eldest son of the regent, who lodged also in the castle, they kept for their own security. All this was done with so little noise, that the cardinal was not waked till they knocked at his chamber door ; upon which he cried out, " Who is there ?" John Les- ley answered, " My name is Lesley." "Which Lesley?" replied the cardinal; " Is it Norman ?" It was answered that he must open the door to those who were there ; but instead of this he barricaded the door in the best manner he could. However, finding that they had brought fire in order to force their way, and they having, as it is said by some, made him a promise of his life, he opened the door. They im- mediately entered with their swords drawn, and John Lesley smote him twice or thrice, as did also Peter Carmichael ; but James Melvil (as Mr. Knox relates the affair), perceiving them to be in anger, said, " This work and judgment of God, although it be secret, ought to be done with greater grav- ity :" and presenting the point of his sword to the cardinal, said to him : " Repent thee of thy wicked life, but especially of the shedding of the blood of that notable in- strument of God, Mr. George Wishart, which, albeit the flame of fire consumed it before men, yet cries for vengeance up- on thee ; and we from God are sent to re- venge it. For here, before my God, I pro- test, that neither the hatred of thy person, the love of thy riches, nor the fear of any trouble thou couldst have done to me in particular, moved or moveth me to strike thee ; but only because thou hast been, and remainest, an obstinate enemy of Ghrist Jesus, and his holy gospel." Having said this, he with his sword run the cardinal twice or thrice through the body ; who on- ly said, "I am a priest! Fy ! Fy ! all is gone !" and then expired, being about fifty- two years of age. Thus fell Cardinal Beaton, who had been as great a persecutor against the prot- estants in Scotland, as Bonner was in Eng- land ; and whose death was as little re- gretted by all true professors of Christ's gospel. The character of this distinguished ty- rant, is thus given by a celebrated writer : — " Cardinal Beaton," says he, " had not used his power with moderation equal to the prudence by which he obtained it. Notwithstanding his great abilities, he had too many of the passions and prejudi- ces of an angry leader of a faction, to gov- ern a divided people with temper. His re- sentment against one part of the nobility, THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 'i-::> his insolence toward the rest, his severity I and of primitive sanctity, wore out the pa- to the reformers, and above all, the barba- 1 tience of a fierce age ; and nothing but ;i rous and illegal execution of the famous j bold hand was wanting, to gratify the pub- George Wishart, a man of honorable birth, \ lie wish by his destruction." PERSECUTIONS OF PROTESTANTS IN IRELAND, DURING THE IRISH MASSACRE. HOUGH the various at- tempts made by the Irish against the English usu- ally go under the name of rebellion, yet they de- serve more properly the epithet, persecution, as all their destructive efforts were particularly levelled at the prot- estants only, whom they were determined, if possible, totally to extirpate from the kingdom. They had, indeed, hitherto mis- carried ; but they at length hit upon a proj- ect that succeeded to their wishes, and pro- duced a catastrophe that will remain in characters of blood to the latest posterity. That the Romish clergy of Ireland were the principal fomenters of the rebellions in that kingdom, is evident from their treach- erous and disloyal behavior under Queen I Elizabeth and King James I., they contin- < ually urging to the people the lawfulness \ of killing all protestants, who supported \ the right of the crown of England to Ire- ? land ; and assuring them that all papists \ who should die fighting against the protes- \ tants, would go immediately to heaven. \ These Irish ecclesiastics, under Charles ) I. were greatly increased by titular Romish \ archbishops, bishops, deans, vicars-general, 5 abbots, priests, and friars ; for which rea- > son, in 1629, the public exercise of the po- \ pish rites and ceremonies was forbidden. \ But notwithstanding this, soon after the I Romish clergy erected a new popish uni- versity in the city of Dublin. They also proceeded to build monasteries and nun- neries in various parts of the kingdom ; in which places these very Romish clergy, and the chiefs of the Irish, held frequent meetings ; and thence used to pass to and ; fro, to France, Spain, Flanders, Lorraine, < and Rome; where the detestable plot of ; 1641 was hatching by the family of the ; O'Neals, and their followers. A short time before the horrid conspira- ; cy broke out, which we are now going to ; relate, the papists of Ireland had presented ; a remonstrance to the lords-justices of that ; kingdom, demanding the free exercise of \ their religion, and a repeal of all laws to • the contrary ; to which both houses of par- < liament in England solemnly answered, < that they would never grant any toleration J to the popish religion in that kingdom. This further irritated the papists to put i in execution the diabolical plot, concerted < for the destruction of the protestants ; and < it failed not of the success wished for by { its malicious and rancorous projectors. The design of this horrid conspiracy was, that a general insurrection should take j place at the same time throughout the king- \ dom ; and that all the protestants, without \ exception, should be murdered. The day j fixed for this horrid massacre, was the 23d j of October, 1641, the feast of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits ; and the chief conspirators, in the principal parts of ! the kingdom, made the necessary prepara- ] tions for the intended conflict. In order that this detested scheme might ( the more infallibly succeed, the most dis- j tinguished artifices were practised by the < papists ; and their behavior, in their visits < to the protestants at this time, was with s more seeming kindness than they had hith- I erto shown, which was done the more com- <, pletely to effect the inhuman and treacher- s .a | 230 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. j ous designs then meditating against them. J first assault : destruction was everywhere j \ The execution of this savage conspiracy > let loose, and met the hundred victims at \ i was delayed till the approach of winter, j every turn. In vain was recourse had to re- i that the sending troops from England might < lations, to companions, to friends : all con- > be attended with greater difficulty. Cardi- <; nexions were dissolved, and death was dealt > rial Richelieu, the French minister, had I by that hand, from which protection was \ promised the conspirators a #3itsiderable < implored and expected. Without provoca- > supply of men and money ; and many < tion, without opposition, the astonished \ Irish officers had given the strongest as- \ English, living in profound peace, and, as '/ ': surances, that they would heartily concur \ they thought, full security, were massacred > > with their catholic brethren, as soon as the I by their nearest neighbors, with whom they I '< insurrection appeared. \ had long maintained a continued intercourse > The day preceding that appointed for \ of kindness and good offices. Nay, even \ I carrying this horrid design into execution > death was the slightest punishment inflicted ? \ was now arrived, when, happily for the by these monsters in human form : all the \ £ metropolis of the kingdom, the conspiracy \ tortures which wanton cruelly could invent, i \ was discovered by one Owen O'Connelly, \ all the lingering pains of body, the anguish \ } an Irishman, for which most signal service > of mind, the agonies of despair, could not \ \ the English parliament voted him 500Z. > satiate revenge excited without injury, and \ i and a pension of 200/. during his life. > cruelly derived from no cause whatever. < So very seasonably was this plot dis- \ Depraved nature, even perverted religion, \ > covered, even but a few hours before the > though encouraged by the utmost license, <, t city and castle of Dublin were to have \ can not reach to a greater pitch of ferocity \ \ been surprised, that the lords-justices had <; than appeared in these merciless barbarians. \ \ but just time to put themselves, and the ^ Even the weaker sex themselves, naturally \ < city, in a proper posture of defence. The \ tender to their own sufferings, and com- ', \ Lord M'Guire, who was the principal leader \ passionate to those of others, here emulated > '< here, with his accomplices, were seized i their robust companions in the practice of > ', the same evening in the city ; and in their i every cruelty. The very children, taught , \ lodgings were found swords, hatchets, pole- 1 by example, and encouraged by the ex- j > axes, hammers, and such other instruments <; hortation of their parents, dealt their feeble / | of death as had been prepared for the de- > blows on the dead carcases of defenceless '< > struction and extirpation of the protestants \ children of the English. '/ ; in that part of the kingdom. \ Nor was the avarice of the Irish suffi- \ Thus was the metropolis happily pre- \ cient to produce the least restraint on their j \ served; but the bloody part of the intended cruelty. Such was their phiensy, that the ( I tragedy was past prevention. The con- < cattle they had seized, and by rapine had ] ; spirators were in arms all over the king- < made their own, were, because they bore ; dom early in the morning of the day ap- 1 the name of English, wantonly slaughtered, < pointed, and every protestant who fell in \ or, when covered with wounds, turned loose I their way was immediately murdered. No > into the woods, there to perish by slow and j age, no sex, no condition, was spared. The < lingering torments. I wife weeping for her butchered husband, < The commodious habitations of the plant- ; and embracing her helpless children, was < ers were laid in ashes, or levelled with the i pierced with them, and perished by the < ground. And where the wretched owners \ same stroke. The old, the young, the \ had shut themselves up in the houses, and I vigorous, and the infirm, underwent the 5 were preparing for defence, they perished | same fate, and were blended in one com- £ in the flames, together with their wives and ] mon ruin. In vain did flight save from the \ children. ■ R" THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 231 Such is the general description of this $ some papists were merry over their cups, unparalleled massacre ; but it now remains, \ who were come to congratulate their wick- from the nature of our work, that we pro- j ed brethren for their victory over these un- ceed to particulars. < happy creatures, those protestants who sur- The bigoted and merciless papists had l vived were brought forth by the White- no sooner began to embrue their hands in < friars, and were either killed, or precipita- blood, than they repeated the horrid trage- \ ted over the bridge into a swift water, where dy day after day; and the protestants in < they were soon destroyed. It is added, all parts of the kingdom fell victims to their { that this wicked company of Whitefriars fury by deaths of the most unheard-of na- I went some time after, in solemn proces- ture. s sion, with holy water in their hands, to The ignorant Irish were more strongly \ sprinkle the river ; on pretence of cleans- instigated to execute the infernal business \ ing and purifying it from the stains and by the Jesuits, priests, and friars, who, when pollution of the blood and dead bodies of the day for the execution of the plot was \ the heretics, as they called the unfortunate agreed on, recommended, in their prayers, > protestants who were inhumanly slaughter- diligence in the great design, which they I ed at this very time. said would greatly tend to the prosperity i At Kilmore, Dr. Bedell, bishop of that of the kingdom, and to the advancement I see, had charitably settled and supported a of the catholic cause. They everywhere s great number of distressed protestants, who declared to the common people, that the ;> had fled from their habitations to escape protestants were heretics, and ought not to < the diabolical cruelties committed by the be suffered to live any longer among them ; > papists. But they did not long enjoy the adding, that it was no more sin to kill an > consolation of living together ; the good Englishman than to kill a dog ; and that ) prelate was forcibly dragged from his epis- the relieving or protecting them was a > copal residence, which was immediately crime of the most unpardonable nature. I occupied by Dr. Swiney, the popish titular The papists having besieged the town > bishop of Kilmore, who said mass in the and castle of Longford, and the inhabitants > church the Sunday following, and then of the latter, who were protestants, sur- , seized on all the goods and effects belong- rendering on condition of being allowed 5 ing to the persecuted bishop, quarter, the besiegers, the instant the towns- > Soon after this the papists forced Dr. people appeared, attacked them in the most '> Bedell, his two sons, and the rest of his unmerciful manner, their priest, as a signal \ family, with some of the chief of the prot- for the rest to fall on, first ripping open the > estants whom he had protected, into a ruin- belly of the English protestant minister ; < ous castle, called Lochwater, situated in a after which his followers murdered all the lake near the sea. Here he remained with rest, some of whom they hung, others were his companions some weeks, all of them stabbed or shot, and great numbers knock- daily expecting to be put to death. The ed on the head with axes provided for the greatest part of them were stripped naked, purpose. by which means, as the season was cold The garrison at Sligo was treated in like (it being in the month of December) and manner by O'Connor Slygah ; who, upon the building in which they were confined the protestants quitting their holds, prom- open at the top, they suffered the most se- ised them quarter, and to convey them safe vere hardships. over the Curlew mountains, to Roscom- \ They continued in this situation till the mon. But he first imprisoned them in a j 7th of January, when they were all re- most loathsome jail ; allowing them only leased. The bishop was courteously re- grains for their food. Afterward, when 1 reived into the house of Dennis O'Sheridan, ] 232 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. f one of his clergy, whom he had made a s convert to the church of England ; but he ) did not long survive this kindness. \ During his residence here, he spent the ) .... . . ; whole of his time in religious exercises, ■s the better to fit and prepare himself, and \ his sorrowful companions, for their great < change, as nothing but certain death was perpetually before their eyes. He was at this time in the 71st year of his age, and being afflicted with a violent ague caught in his late cold and desolate habitation on the lake, it soon threw him > into a fever of the most dangerous nature. \ Finding his dissolution at hand, he received > it with joy, like one of the primitive martyrs I just hastening to his crown of glory. After \ having addressed his little flock, and ex- horted them to patience, in the most pathet- ic manner, as they saw their own last day approaching ; after having solemnly bless- ed his people, his family and his children, he finished the course of his ministry and life together, on the 7th of February, 1642. His friends and relations applied to the intruding bishop, for leave to bury him, which was with difficulty obtained ; he, at first, telling them, that the church-yard was holy ground, and should be no longer de- i filed with heretics : however, leave was, at last granted, and though the church . funeral service was not used at the solemni- £ ty (for fear of the Irish papists), yet some $ of the better sort, who had the highest ; veneration for him when living, attended \ his remains to the grave. At his inter- \ ment, they discharged a volley of shot, \ crying out, " Requiescat in pace, ullimus ) Anglorum :" that is, " May the last of the \ English rest in peace." Adding, that as he was one of the best, so he should be \ the last English bishop found among them. His learning was very extensive; and ] he would have given the world a greater \ proof of it, had he printed all he wrote. > Scarce any of his writings were saved ; s the papists having destroyed most of his \ papers, and his library. He had gathered a vast heap of critical B expositions of scripture, all which, with a great trunk full of his manuscripts, fell into the hands of the Irish. Happily his great Hebrew MS. was preserved, and is now in the library of Emmanuel College, Oxford. In the barony of Terawley, the papists, at the instigation of their friars, compelled above forty English protestants, some of whom were women and children, to the hard fate either of falling by the sword, or of drowning themselves in the sea. These choosing the latter, were accordingly forced, by the naked weapons of their in- exorable persecutors, into the deep, where, with their children in their arms, they first waded up to their chins, and afterward sunk down and perished together. In the castle of Lisgool upward of 150 men, women, and children, were all burnt together ; and at the castle of Moneah not less than 100 were all put to the sword. Great numbers were also murdered at the castle of Tullah, which was delivered up to M'Guire on condition of having fair quarter ; but no sooner had that base villain got possession of the place, than he order- ed his followers to murder the people, which was immediately done with the great- est cruelty. Many others were put to deaths of the most horrid nature, and such as could have been invented only by demons instead of men. Some of them were laid with the centre of their backs on the axle-tree of a car- riage, with their legs resting on the ground on one side, and their arms and head on the other. In this position one of the sar- ages scourged the wretched object on the thighs, legs, &c, while another set on fu- rious dogs, who tore to pieces the arms and upper parts of the body ; and in this dreadful manner were they deprived of their existence. Great numbers were fastened to horses' tails, and the beasts being set on full gallop by their riders, the wretched vic- tims were dragged along till they expired. Others were hung on lofty gibbets, and a fire being kindled under them, they fin- SCENES IX THE IRISH MASSACRE. Pa<*e 233. ft ■ THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 235 islied their lives, partly by hanging, and 5 such as attempted to reach the shore were ! partly by suffocation. Nor did the more tender sex escape the knocked on the head. In the same part of the country, at least \ least particle of cruelty that could be pro- \ four thousand persons were drowned in jected by their merciless and furious perse- ? different places. The inhuman papists, af- cutors. Many women, of all ages, were \ ter first stripping them, drove them like put to deaths of the most cruel nature. ? beasts to the spot fixed on for their destruc- Some in particular were fastened with their \ tion ; and if any, through fatigue, or natu- backs to strong posts, and being stripped \ ral infirmities, were slack in their pace, they to their waists, the inhuman monsters cut \ pricked them with their swords and pikes ; off their right breasts with shears, which, \ and to strike a further terror on the multi- of course, put them to the most excrucia- \ tude, they murdered some by the way. ting torments; and in this position they \ Many of these poor wretches, when thrown were left, till, from loss of blood, they ex- \ into the water, endeavored to save them- / pired. selves by swimming to the shore ; but their Such was the savage ferocity of these \ merciless persecutors prevented their en- < barbarians, that even unborn infants were ? deavors taking effect, by shooting them in I dragged from the womb to become victims \ the water. ; to their rage. Many unhappy mothers, \ In one place one hundred and forty Eng- | who were near the time of their delivery, j lish, after being driven for many miles J were hung naked on the branches of trees, 1 stark naked, and in the most severe weath- $ and their bodies being cut open, the inno- 1 er, were all murdered on the same spot, i cent offsprings were taken from them, and < some being hanged, others burnt, some shot, > thrown to dogs and swine. And to in- < and many of them buried alive ; and so crease the horrid scene, they would oblige $ cruel were their tormenters, that they would the husband to be a spectator before he s not suffer them to pray, before they robbed them of their miserable existence. Other companies they took under pre- suffered himself. (See engravings.) At the town of Lissenskeath they hanged above one hundred Scottish protestants, \ tence of safe-conduct, who, from that con- showing them no more mercy than they did I sideration, proceeded cheerfully on their to the English. \ journey ; but when the treacherous papists M'Guire going to the castle of that town, > had got them to a convenient spot, they butchered them all in the most cruel man- ner. One hundred and fifteen men, women, and children, were conducted, by order of Sir Phelim O'Neal, to Portendown bridge, desired to speak with the governor, when being admitted, he immediately burnt the records of the county, which were kept there. He then demanded .£1,000 of the governor, which having received, he imme- diately compelled him to hear mass, and to \ where they were all forced into the river, swear that he would continue so to do. \ and drowned. One woman, named Camp- > And to complete his horrid barbarities, he ) bell, finding no probability of escaping, sud- t ordered the wife and children of the gov- \ denly clasped one of the chief of the pa- > ernor to be hung up before his face ; be- \ pists in her arms, and held him so fast, > sides massacring at least one hundred of I that they were both drowned together, the inhabitants. j In Killoman they massacred forty-eight j Upward of one thousand men, women, \ families, among whom twenty-two were £ and children, were driven, in different com- 1 burnt together in one house. The rest l panies, to Portendown bridge, which was \ were either hanged, shot, or drowned, broken in the middle, and there compelled \ In Kilmore the inhabitants, which con- I I to throw themselves into the water ; and \ sisted of about two hundred families, all \ K- 236 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. fell victims to their rage. Some of them they sat in the stocks till they confessed where their money was ; after which they put them to death. The whole county was one common scene of butchery, and many thousands perished, in a short time, by sword, famine, fire, water, and all other the most cruel deaths, that rage and malice could invent. These bloody villains showed so much favor to some as to despatch them imme- diately ; but they would by no means suf- fe~ them to pray. Others they imprisoned in filthy dungeons, putting heavy bolts on their legs, and keeping them there till they were starved to death. At Casel they put all the protestants into a loathsome dungeon, where they kept them together, for several weeks, in the greatest misery. At length they were released, when some of them were bar- barously mangled, and left on the high- ways to perish at leisure ; others were hanged, and some were buried in the ground upright, with their heads above the earth, the papists, to increase their misery, treating them with derision during their sufferings. In the county of Antrim they murdered nine hundred and fifty-four protestants in one morning ; and afterward about twelve hundred more in that county. &t a town called Lisnegary, they forced twenty-four protestants into a house, and then setting fire to it, burned them togeth- er, counterfeiting their outcries in derision to others. Among other acts of cruelty, they took two children belonging to an English- woman, and dashed out their brains before her face ; after which they threw the moth- er into a river, and she was drowned. They served many other children in the like manner, to the great affliction of their parents, and the disgrace of human nature. In Kilkenny all the protestants, without exception, were put to death ; and some of them in so cruel a manner, as, perhaps, was never before thought of. They beat an Englishwoman with such savage barbarity, that she had scarce a whole bone left ; after which they threw her into a ditch ; but not satisfied with this, they took her child, a girl about six years of age, and after ripping up its belly, threw it to its mother, there to languish till it perished. They forced one man to go to mass, after which they ripped open his bodv, and in that manner left him. They sawed another asunder, cut the throat of his wife, and after having dashed out the brains of their child, an infant, threw it to the swine, who greedily devoured it. After committing these, and many other horrid cruelties, they took the heads of seven protestants, and among them that of a pious minister, all which they fixed up at the market cross. They put a gag into the minister's mouth, then slit his cheeks to his ears, and laying a leaf of a bible before it, bid him preach, for his mouth was wide enough. They did several other things by way of derision, and expressed the greatest satisfaction at having thus murdered, and exposed the unhappy prot- estants. It is impossible to conceive the pleasure these monsters took in exercising their cruelty, and to increase the misery of those who fell into their hands, when they butch- ered them they would say, " Your soul to the devil." One of these miscreants would come into a house with his hands embrued in blood, and boast that it was English blood, and that his sword had pricked the white, skins of the protestants, even to the hilts. When any one of them had killed a protestant, others would come and receive a gratification in cutting and mangling the body ; after which they left it exposed to be devoured by dogs ; and when they had slain a number of them they would boast, that the devil was beholden to them for sending so many souls to hell. But it is no wonder they should thus treat the innocent Christians, when they DRAGGING PROTESTANTS THROUGH BOGS IN IRELAND. Page 237. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 239 hesitated not to commit blasphemy against God, and his most holy word. In one place they burnt two protestant bibles, and then said they had burnt hell- fire. In the church at Powerscourt, they burnt the pulpit, pews, chests, and bibles, belonging to it. They took other bibles, and after wetting them with dirty water, dashed them in the faces of the protestants, saying, " We know you love a good lesson ; here is an excel- lent one for you ; come to-morrow, and you shall have as good a sermon as this." Some of the protestants they dragged by the hair of their heads into the church, where they stripped and whipped them in the most cruel manner, telling them, at the same time, that " if they came to-morrow, they should hear the like sermon." In Munster they put to death several ministers in the most shocking manner. One, in particular, they stripped stark na- ked, and driving him before them, pricked him with swords and darts till he fell down and expired. In some places they plucked out the eyes, and cut oft* the hands of the protestants, and in that manner turned them into the fields, there to wander out a miserable existence. They obliged many young men to force their aged parents to a river, where they were drowned : wives to assist in hanging their husbands ; and mothers to cut the throats of their children. In one place they compelled a young man to kill his father, and then immediate- ly hanged him. In another they forced a woman to kill her husband, then obliged the son to kill her, and afterward shot him through the head. At a place called Glaslow, a popish priest, with some others, prevailed on forty protestants to be reconciled to the church of Rome. They had no sooner done this, than they told them they were in a good faith, and that they would prevent their fal- ling from it, and turning heretics, by send- ing them out of the world, which they did by immediately cutting their throats. In the county of Tipperary upward of thirty protestants, men, women, and chil- dren, fell into the hands of the papists, who, after stripping them naked, murdered them with stones, pole-axes, swords, and other weapons. In the county of Mayo, about sixty prot- estants, fifteen of whom were ministers, were, upon covenant, to be safely con- ducted to Galway, by one Edmund Burk and his soldiers : but that inhuman mon- ster by the way drew his sword, as an in- timation of his design to the rest, who im- mediately followed his example, and mur- dered the whole, some of whom they stabbed, others were run through the body with pikes, and several were drowned. In Queen's county, great numbers of prot- estants were put to the most shocking deaths. Fifty or sixty were placed togeth- er in one house, which being set on fire, they all perished in the flames. Many were stripped naked, and being fastened to horses by ropes placed round their middles, were dragged through bogs till they expired. Some were hung by the feet to tenter- hooks driven into poles ; and in that wretch- ed posture left till they perished. Others were fastened to the trunk of a tree, with a branch at top. Over this branch hung one arm, which principally supported the weight of the body ; and one of the legs was turned up, and fastened to the trunk, while the other hung straight. And in this dreadful and uneasy posture did they remain, as long as life would permit, pleasing spectacles to their blood-thirsty persecutors. (See engraving.) At Clownes 17 men were buried alive ; and an Englishman, his wife, five children, and a servant maid, were all hung together, and afterward thrown into a ditch. They hung many by the arms to branch- es of trees, with a weight to their feet; and others by the middle, in which postures they left them till they expired. Several were hung on windmills, and before they were half dead, the barbarians 240 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. | cut them in pieces with their swords. I Others, both men, women, and children, ' they cut and hacked in various parts of their ; bodies, and left them wallowing in their ; blood, to perish where they fell. One poor / woman they hung on a gibbet, with her I child, an infant about a twelvemonth old, I the latter of whom was hung by the neck | with the hair of its mother's head, and in i that manner finished its short but miserable \ existence. In the county of Tyrone no less than 300 I protestants were drowned in one day ; and ; many others were hanged, burned, and j otherwise put to death. Dr. Maxwell, rector of Tyrone, lived at '■ this time near Armagh, and suffered greatly ; from these merciless savages. This clergy- ! man, in his examination, taken upon oath . before the king's commissioners, declared, ; that the Irish papists owned to him, that | they had destroyed in one place, at Glyn- ; wood, 12.000 protestants, in their flight ; from the county of Armagh. As the river Bann was not fordable, and ; the bridge broken down, the Irish forced ! thither, at different times, a great number z of unarmed, defenceless protestants, and > with pikes and swords violently thrust above 5 1,000 into the river, where they miserably '/ perished. Nor did the cathedral of Armagh escape | the fury of these barbarians, it being ma- I liciously set on fire by their leaders, and > burnt to the ground. And to extirpate, if J possible, the very race of those unhappy protestants, who lived in or near Armagh, the Irish first burnt all their houses, and then gathered together many hundreds of those innocent people, young and old, on pretence of allowing them a guard and safe- conduct to Coleraine ; when they treacher- ously fell on them by the way, and inhu- manly murdered them. The like horrid barbarities with those we have particularized, were practised on the wretched protestants in almost all parts of the kingdom ; and, when an estimate was afterward made of the number who were 't sacrificed to gratify the diabolical souls of \ I the papists, it amounted to 150,000. But j '■ it now remains that we proceed to the par- j '/ ticulars that followed. I These desperate wretches, flushed and ' grown insolent with success (though at- | tained by methods attended with such ex- ' cessive barbarities as perhaps are not to be $ equalled), soon got possession of the castle \ of Newry, where the king's stores and am- \ munition were lodged ; and, with as little i difficulty, made themselves masters of Dun- i dalk. They afterward took the town of I Ardee, where they murdered all the prot- s estants, and then proceeded to Drogheda. i The garrison of Drogheda was in no condi- Ition to sustain a siege ; notwithstanding which, as often as the Irish renewed their attacks, they were vigorously repulsed, by > a very unequal number of the king's forces, I and a few faithful protestant citizens, under > Sir Henry Tichborne, the governor, as- : I sisted by the lord viscount Moore. The j I siege of Drogheda began on the 30th of < November, 1641, and held till the 4th of \ March, 1642, when Sir Phelim O'Neal, and j the Irish miscreants under him, were forced j to retire. In the meantime 10,000 troops were sent j from Scotland to the relief of the remaining j protestants in Ireland, which being proper- \ ly divided into various part of the kingdom, > !> happily suppressed the power of the Irish i i savages ; and the protestants, for several j years, lived in tranquillity. After James II. had abandoned England, * he maintained a contest for sometime in \ Ireland, where he did all in his power to carry on that persecution which he had been happily prevented from persevering in, in England : accordingly, in a parlia- ment held at Dublin, in the year 1689, great numbers of the protestant nobility, \ clergy, and gentry of Ireland, were attainted \ of high treason. The government of the \ kingdom was, at that time, invested in the j earl of Tyconnel, a bigoted papist, and an j inveterate enemy to the protestants. By \ his orders they were again persecuted in j 8 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 241 s various parts of the kingdom. The reve- -, \ nues of the city of Dublin were seized, \ I and most of the churches converted into \ ■> prisons. And had it not been for the res- \ I olution and uncommon bravery of the gar- \ > risons in the city of Londonderry, and the I I town of Inniskillen, there had not one place \ I remained for refuge to the distressed prot- s I estants in the whole kingdom ; but all must > j have been given up to King James and to $ 5 the furious popish party that governed him. :> 5 The remarkable siege of Londonderry \ ; was opened on the 18th of April, 16S9, by < ! 20,000 papists, the flower of the Irish ar- I ; my. The city was not properly circum- \ stanced to sustain a siege, the defenders i consisting of a body of raw undisciplined \ protestants, who had fled thither for shel- ' ter, and half a regiment of Lord Mountjoy's \ '■ disciplined soldiers, with the principal part ^ of the inhabitants, making in all only 7,361 fighting men. \ The besieged hoped, at first, that their £ | stores of corn, and other necessaries, would i I be sufficient ; but by the continuance of the \ i siege their wants increased ; and these at < ; last became so heavy, that, for a consider- able time before the siege was raised, a pint s of coarse barley, a small quantity of greens, '< a few spoonfuls of starch, with a very mod- ; erate portion of horse-flesh, were reckoned a week's provision for a soldier. And ) they were, at length, reduced to such ex- \ tremities, that they devoured dogs, cats, and I mice. \ Their miseries increasing with the siege, 5 many, through mere hunger and want, pined \ and languished away, or fell dead in the ', street ; and it is remarkable, that when <; their long-expected succors arrived from \ \ England, they were upon the point of being s • reduced to this alternative, either to pre- c serve their existence by eating each other, j or attempting to fight their way through i the Irish, which must have infallibly pro- | duced their destruction. I These succors were most happily brought ( . by the ship Mountjoy, of Derry, and the ; Phoenix, of Coleraine, at which time they had only nine lean horses left, with a pint of meal to each man. By hunger, and the fatigues of war, their 7,361 fighting men were reduced to 4,300, one fourth part of whom were rendered unserviceable. As the calamities of the besieged were very great, so likewise were the terrors and sufferings of their protestants friends and relations ; all of whom (even women and children) were forcibly driven from the country thirty miles round, and inhu- manly reduced to the sad necessity of con- tinuing some days and nights, without food or covering, before the walls of the town ; and were thus exposed to the continual fire both of the Irish army from without, and the shot of their friends from within. But the succors from England happily ar- riving, put an end to their affliction ; and the siege was raised on the 31st of July, having been continued upward of three months. The day before the siege of Londonder- ry was raised, the Inniskilleners engaged a body of 6,000 Irish Roman catholics, at Newton Butler, or Crown castle, of whom near 5,000 were slain. This, with the defeat at Londonderry, so much dispirited the papists, that they gave up all further attempts at that time to persecute the prot- estants. In the year following, 1690, the Irish who had taken up arms in favor of James II., were totally defeated by William III. ; and that monarch, before he left the coun- try, reduced them to a state of subjection, in which they very long continued, at least so far as to refrain from open violence, al- though they were still insidiously engaged in increasing their power and influence ; for, by a report made in the year 1731, it appeared, that a great number of ecclesias- tics, had, in defiance of the laws, flocked into Ireland ; that several convents had been opened by Jesuits, monks, and friars ; that many new and pompous mass-houses had been erected in the most conspicuous parts of their great cities, where there had not been anv before ; and that such swarms 242 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. ; of vagrant, immoral Romish priests had ap- > benofits will arise from the establishment \ peared, that the very papists themselves j of protestant schools in various parts of the \ considered them as a burden. \ kingdom, in which the children of the Ro- But, notwithstanding all the arts of priest- { man catholics are instructed in religion and \ craft, all the tumid and extravagant har- ' literature, whereby the mist of ignorance ; angues of Hibernian orators, and the gross ; is dispelled, which was the great source of i and wilful misrepresentations of their self- s the cruel transactions that have taken I styled liberal abettors, the protestant reli- > place, at different periods, in that king- >, gion now stands on a firmer basis in Ire- ' dom ; and this is sufficiently proved by the ; land than it ever before did. The Irish, \ fact, that those parts of the country which ' who formerly led an unsettled and roving < have been disgraced by the most horrible ; life, in the woods, bogs, and mountains, < outrages, are those in which the most pro- ' and lived on the depredation of their neigh- 1 found ignorance and bigotry still prevail. J bors ; they who in the morning seized the | In order to preserve the protestant inter- \ j prey, and at night divided the spoil, have, \ est in Ireland upon a solid basis, it behooves < > for many years past, become comparatively I all in whom power is invested to dis- \ ( quiet and civilized. They taste the sweets < charge their respective duties with the ; of English society, and the advantages of j strictest assiduity and attention ; tempering '{ civil government. > justice with mercy, and firmness with con- i The heads of their clans, and the chiefs > ciliation. They should endeavor rather to ' of the great Irish families, who cruelly op- j gain the hearts of the people by kindness > pressed and tyrannized over their vassals, > than to enslave them by fear ; and to show I $ are now dwindled, in a great measure, to ij them that the ministers of the protestant re- • I nothing ; and most of the ancient popish '> ligion are more estimable, instead of more \ ( nobility and gentry of Ireland have re- i powerful, than the Romish clergy. A sin- j I nounced the Romish religion. \ gle voluntary proselyte is worth a thousand \ I It is also to be hoped, that inestimable < converts to " the holy text of pike and gun." \ POPISH CRUELTIES IN MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA. 9^»T v |> < iW»,a^HE bloody tenets of the Ro- il;^ '^"^rvfesjt^i IlFrl:'' :-v^ y '--' I man catholic persuasion, j, 'J S&C? etch * * v and the cruel dispositions ( } of the votaries of that H» church, can not be more amply displayed, or truly depicted, than by giving an authentic and simple narrative of the horrid barbarities exercised by the Spaniards on the innocent and unoffending inhabitants of America. In- deed, the barbarities were such, that they! would scarcely seem credible from their enormity, and the victims so many, that they would startle belief by their numbers, if the facts were not indisputably ascer- tained, and the circumstances admitted by their own writers, some of whom have \ even glorified in their inhumanity, and, as j Roman catholics, deemed those atrocious \ actions meritorious, which would make a i protestant shudder to relate, so that we j may well exclaim with the poet: — " Bigot* will draw, wherever poppry reigns, The streaming blood from pious martyr's veins ; Alike in Europe, or th<> eastern parts, Their cruel tortures, and internal arts, Alike in polished, or unpolished climes, Their superstition) prejudice, and crimes. The murders, Lisbon or Madrid can show, Are matched in Goa, and in INIkxico; \\ bile Romish malice hears triumphant sway, To cloud the splendor of the gospel day ; While barb'rous nun with truth and sense at strife, \ Deprive the just and innocent of life." The Spanish historians in general, and most of the theological writers admit, that ] B THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 243 I the Spaniards were guilty of the barbarities of which they are accused. Indeed, the whole is amply displayed by a writer, who In justice, however, to the great com- mander who conducted the expedition, it is necessary to observe, that historians ad- had the most authentic authority for all he > mit, " When Christopher Columbus sat out 1 asserts, and was an eye-witness of many > upon his discovery, under Ferdinand and \ of the cruelties he describes. The person alluded to is the celebrated Bartholomeo de las Casas, bishop of Chiapa, a town and province of Mexico, or New Spain. A portrait of this famous prelate is thus drawn by an able French writer : " The celebrated Bartholomeo de las Casas was a virtuous ecclesiastic, whom the desire of converting infidels had invited into America. He possessed most of the talents which form the truly apostolic man ; a strong zeal, an ardent charity, a perfect disinterestedness, an irreproachable purity Isabella, king and queen of Spain, he was exhorted to behave with all possible hu- manity toward such nations as he might arrive among ; and that he complied exact- ly with those instructions, but was ill sec- onded by his companions. Most of these were men, who being voluntary exiles from their native country, hoped thereby to es- cape the punishment justly due to their crimes, and who, at the hazard of dying an honorable death, thirsted after the riches of the New World." Columbus first landed in a place, to of manners, and a robust constitution, which which he thought proper to give the ap- ; enabled him to undergo the greatest fa- pellation of Port Royal. The neighbor- \ tigues. His enemies could reproach him hood, or district, to which this spot apper- < with nothing but a too great vivacity of tained, or belonged, was governed by a \ temper ; but then his virtue, his under- powerful cacique, or chief, called Guacan- ; standing, and the singular talents by which aric. This prince appeared serene in his \ he won the confidence of the Americans, \ air, affable in his manner, and mild in his \ made him a very respectable character." < disposition ; and his subjects, though great- \ From this prelate's writings, who was a ly surprised at the first appearance of the < Roman catholic, and consequently can not Spaniards, soon contracted a great familiari- be supposed to speak, with prejudice against ty with, and gave them ample demonstra- \ those of his own persuasion, and some \ lions of their hospitable tempers, other authentic materials, we shall select i The avarice of the Spaniards soon be- 5 the ensuing particulars. \ coming conspicuous, and their thirst after J The West Indies, and the vast continent 5 gold appearing to the natives, they readily \ of America, were discovered by Columbus, s parted from their golden trinkets, bracelets, J in 1492. This distinguished commander &c, to the Spaniards, in exchange for a \ landed first in the large island of St. Do- few glass beads, or brass bells, or some I mingo, or Hispaniola, which was at that s other such inconsiderable baubles, time exceedingly populous ; but this popu- 5 The opinion entertained by the His- ; lation was of very little consequence, the paniolans of the Spaniards who visited ' inoffensive inhabitants being murdered by ? them, was rather romantic ; for they look- j multitudes, as soon as the Spaniards gained \ ed upon them to be descended from heaven, ; : a permanent footing in the island. Blind and to have a command of the elements. \ superstition, bloody bigotry, and craving \ This exalted idea of their new guests oc- { avarice, rendered that, in the course occasioned them to imitate all their actions, j years, a dismal desert, which, at the arrival \ and to copy every ceremony they saw the j of the Spaniards, seemed to appear as an \ Spaniards perform, without having the earthly paradise; so that at present there is j least conception of its meaning. \ scarce a remnant of the ancient natives re- 1 While this good correspondence lasted, > maining i Columbus's ship foundered in a storm, and j 244 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. consequently himself and his crew were ? among other things, several women. This at the mercy of the Hispaniolans. The < outrage, however, did not go unpunished, friendly cacique, however, administered { for the cacique of the country so ravaged, every consolation in his power, sent canoes '< whose name was Caunabo, inspired with to succor the ship, and attended in person, indignation at their behavior, attacked them that his subjects might not plunder it. He j in their retreat, recovered the women and built warehouses by the sea-side to secure s spoils, and cut the invaders to pieces, the goods, was so much affected that he s Flushed with this success, Caunabo pro- shed tears at the Spaniards' loss, and even I ceeded immediately to the fort, which was offered Columbus his whole possessions, \ only defended by a few Spaniards. He if he would remain in that country. \ invested it with the soldiers under his A caraval, or galley, having escaped the \ command, but the Spaniards defended them- storm, Columbus determined to venture in \ selves with such bravery, that the natives that to Spain, in order to give an account > were repulsed. This determined Caunabo of his discovery. He, therefore, thanked \ to act by stratagem ; he, accordingly, with- the cacique, told him he must return to drew his army in the daytime, and sent a Spain, but that he would leave part of his \ chosen detached body in the night, who, countrymen with him. \ swimming across the ditch, set fire to the On this intimation the cacique built a >> fort, which was entirely consumed, together commodious house for the residence of his I with the Spaniards. It is here requisite guests, and, with the wrecks of the ship, > to mention, that a few days before the fort raised them a kind of fort, which he fur- > was burnt, the cacique, Guacanaric, still ther secured by sinking a ditch round it. > friendly to the Spaniards, attempted to In this fort, Columbus, at his departure for !> relieve the place ; but Caunabo, having Spain, left behind him forty men, a gunner, > a superior army, engaged, and defeated a carpenter, a surgeon, a few field-pieces, '> him. and a quantity of ammunition. \ Soon after these transactions, Columbus The command was given to Diego Do- \ returned from Spain with a strong force, ranna, and strict orders left to behave well \ and a powerful fleet. With prudent man- to the natives. i agement things might have been happily Columbus, however, was no sooner de- \ adjusted, but this fleet was manned by the parted, than the Spaniards left behind ] refuse of all the prisons in Spain, by wretch- totally changed their conduct, and became < es without principles, feelings, or humanity, at once robbers and libertines, plundering the natives of their wealth upon every oc- casion, debauching their wives and daugh- and officered by persons of a most mer- cenary disposition : so that Columbus could not act agreeable to the dictates of his own ters, and acting with such an excess of \ heart, without hazarding a mutiny, barbarous rapacity, that they soon changed s Under pretence of revenging the deaths those sincerest of friends into the bitterest \ of those Spaniards who had been killed of enemies. Guacanaric, that tender and S during the absence of Columbus, the new- humane cacique, expostulated in vain with < comers began to ravage and plunder the the Spaniards, on the impropriety and cru- \ country, concealing their avarice and cruel- elty of their practices : they laughed at his ty under the pretended mask of a generous remonstrances, rejected his advice, and still { resentment, continued their depredations. At length they became so bold, that a party of the Spaniards went armed from the fort, attacked a neighboring district, ' Thus, by their artifices, hiding shame, And, under vices, stealing virtue's name." A desperate war was kindled, and car- ried on with the most bloody barbarity, for carrying off a great deal of plunder, and, \ the space of three years, without intermis- THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 245 < sion. The natives had numbers and cour- age: the Spaniards, though inferior in num- bers, had equal courage, greater discipline, and the invincible assistance of firearms. Urged by avarice, and prompted by cruelty, they spared neither age nor sex. Six caciques, or sovereign princes, brought their forces into the field to op- pose these invaders. Their endeavors were, however, in vain ; the skill, disci- pline, and firearms of the Spaniards still prevailed, and the Hispaniolan caciques were glad to agree to a cessation of hostil- ities, which was chiefly brought about by the good offices of Guacanaric, who still continued firm in his attachment to the Spaniards, and had accompanied them in all their expeditions. Notwithstanding the truce, the Spaniards continued their rapacious depredations as before, and put to death the natives wher- ever they met them. The repeated mur- ders of the poor natives, and the endless persecutions and violence of the Spaniards, at length determined the caciques, and principal people, not to suffer any more maize, or Indian corn, and manioc, a root of which bread is made, to be planted, thinking thus to starve out their tyrants, while they retired with their people to the woods and mountains. The Spaniards, however, had corn of their own to sow, and were well supplied with provisions from Europe, so that they felt but little inconvenience from this reso- lution of the natives, whom they pursued to their recesses, and penetrated into pla- ces before judged inaccessible : till being harassed from mountain to mountain, and wood to wood, more perished by fatigue and hunger than by the sword and firearms. In this lamentable situation the remnant thought proper to submit, and were treated with the most inhuman rigor. Ferdinand, king of Spain, indeed, sent orders to treat the natives with all possible humanity, and to make converts of them by the mildest means ; but these orders were neglected, through the avaricious barbarity of his subjects ; and even in his own ; council some bigoted papists proposed to ; enslave the people entirely, and to divide : them among the Spaniards, who should em- ploy them to work in the mines, or other- wise, as they might think proper. The pretence of endeavoring to establish the Romish religion made the groundwork of this project ; the promoters of it insinua- ting, that the natives would never be pre- vailed upon to become good catholics, so long as they should be permitted to exer- cise their superstitions, and escape a saluta- ry violence. At the same time it was urged that this would be of the highest advantage in a political view, as the natives, by being thus shackled, would be no longer able to rebel. This matter was argued at the court of Spain, and at length it was inhumanly agreed upon, that the natives of Hispaniola should be divided among the conquerors, and become their slaves. At the time of the division of the natives, those unhappy people were reduced to the number of sixty thousand, and these being ruled with a rod of iron, and barbarously persecuted by their inhuman masters, were, in the space of only five years, diminished to fourteen thousand : so that allowing one thousand for natural deaths during that time, forty-five thousand fell martyrs to others' cruelty, and their own anguish. The inhumanity of these transactions raised at once the indignation, and excited the compassion, of that elegant writer, and humane prelate, the celebrated Bartholomeo de las Casas, who, full of horror at what he had seen, took shipping for Europe, and repaired to the court of Spain, where he made a just and candid representation of the whole affair, and pleaded strongly in favor of the poor natives of Hispaniola. This worthy gentleman was opposed at the Spanish court by some of those mer- cenary wretches who were partly proprie- tors of the conquered lands, and consequent- ly of the enslaved natives on them. He, however, continued assiduous in his en- deavors, and indefatigable in his labors to 246 & THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. effect his point. Urged by a most benev- olent spirit, he passed several* times back- ward and forward, from Europe to Ameri- ca, and from America to Europe : in both \ places, however, he met with strong oppo- ; sition ; in Europe from the king's council, \ and in Hispaniola from a council called the j council of the Indies. | These impediments determined the wor- X thy prelate, Las Casas, to lay the whole mat- j ter before Prince Charles (afterward the i renowned emperor, Charles V.), and who, 2 at this time, was, in right of the queen, his \ mother, governor of the new-discovered \ countries. The bishop of Darien, or Span- > ish Terra Firma, was employed by the en- > slavers of the poor natives (a practice at i, that time general throughout all the West \ Indies), to oppose Las Casas. As the bish- op of Darien was a man of a disposition totally contrary to that worthy and humane prelate, he did all he could to prevent his success. The prince, however, determined to hear both parties, and named a day for the matter to be solemnly argued before him. At the time appointed, the prince being seated on a kind of throne, and the proper attendants and officers present, the bishop of Darien was ordered to deliver his senti- ments, and explain his motives for wishing to continue the slavery of the native Amer- icans ; when that dissembling, artful, and inhuman prelate, addressed himself thus to the prince : — " Most August Prince, " It is very extraordinary that a point should still be argued, which hath been so frequently decided in the councils of the catholic kings, your august ancestors. \ Doubtless, the sole reason why the Amer- X icans have at last been treated with so much i severity, is from a mature reflection on their $ dispositions and manners. Need I set be- \ fore you the treacheries and rebellions of \ the worthless Hispaniolans 1 Was there a I possibility of ever reducing them except j by violent methods 1 Have they not set \ every engine to work to destroy their mas- ters, in hopes thereby to free them from their new government ? If we allow free- dom to these barbarians, it will be giving up the conquest of America, and all the ad- vantages to be expected from it ? But wherefore should any one find fault with their being made slaves ? Do not those who conquer barbarous nations reduce them to a state of captivity 1 And is not this the privilege of the victors ? Did not the Greeks and Romans often treat thus the rude people whom they subdued by force of arms ? If ever any nation merited harsh treatment, it must be these Americans, who resemble brutes more than rational crea- , tures ! How shocking are their crimes, at '■ which nature herself blushes ! Do we discover the least traces of reason in them ? Do they follow any other laws than those of their brutal passions 1 But it will be objected, that their insensibility and savage disposition prevent their embracing our religion ; but what do we lose by this ? We want to make Christians of those who are scarce human creatures. Let our mis- sionaries declare what fruit they have reaped by their labors, and how many of these people are sincere proselytes. But here it will be objected, that the Hispani- olans are souls for whom our blessed Sa- vior died on the cross : I grant it, and God forbid that I should desire to have them abandoned. Eternally be praised the zeal of our pious monarch, for winning over these infidels to Christ. But then I affirm that the most effectual way of doing this, will be by enslaving them ; and I add, that this is the only method that can be employed. " Being so ignorant, stupid, and vicious, will it ever be possible to instil into their minds the necessary knowledge, except by keeping them in perpetual bondage ? Equally desirous of renouncing the Chris- tian religion, as of embracing it, they often, a moment after their baptism, return to their native superstitions." The bishop of Darien having concluded his sophistical and fallacious harangue, 8 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 247 Bartholomeo de las Casas rose, and made the following reply : — "Illustrious Prince: I was one of! the first who went to America, when it was discovered under the reign of the invin- cible monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, your majesty's predecessors. Neither curiosity nor interest prompted me to undertake so long and dangerous a voyage, the saving of the souls of heathens being my sole ob- ject. Why was I not allowed to labor as assiduously as the ample harvest required ? Why was I not permitted, even at the ex- pense of my blood, to ransom so many thousand souls, who fell unhappy victims to avarice or lust ? Some Avould persuade us that barbarous executions were neces- sary, in order to punish or check the re- bellion of the Americans : but let us inquire to whom they are owing. Did not these nations receive the Spaniards, who came among them, with gentleness and humani- ty ? Did they not show more joy in pro- portion, in lavishing treasures upon them, than the Spaniards did greediness in re- ceiving them ? But our avarice was not yet satiated : though they gave up to us their lands, their settlements, and their riches, we also would tear from them their wives, their children, and their liberties. Could we imagine them so miserable as not to show any resentment, though we hanged and burnt them ? " To blacken these unhappy people, their enemies assert, that they are scarce human creatures : but it is we who ought to blush, for havingbeen less men, and more barbarous than they. What have they done ? only defended themselves when attacked, and repulsed injuries and violence by force of! arms. Despair always furnishes those who are drove to the last extremity with weap- ons ; but the Romans are instanced to give a sanction to our enslaving these nations. The person who speaks thus is a Christian, and a bishop. Is this gospel ? What right have we to enslave a people who were born free, and whom we disturbed, though they never offended us 1 If they must be our vassals, even let them be so ; the law of the conqueror indeed authorizes thus ; but then what have they done to deserve slavery ? He adds, that they are stupid, brutal, and addicted to vices of every kind ; but is this to be wondered at? Can better things be expected from a nation deprived of gospel light ? Let us pity, but not op- press them ; let us endeavor to instruct, enlighten, and reform them ; let us disci- pline, but not plunge them into despair. All this time religion is used as a cloak to cover such crying acts of injustice. How! shall chains be the first fruits which these people reap from the gospel ? But will it be possible for us to inspire them with a love for its dictates, now they are so en- venomed by hatred, and exasperated at their being dispossessed of that invaluable blessing, LIBERTY? Did the apostles employ such methods in their conversion of the gentiles ? They themselves sub- mitted to chains, but loaded no man with them ; Christ came to free, not to enslave us ; submission to the faith he left us ought to be a voluntary act, and should be propa- gated by persuasion, gentleness, and reason ; violence and force will make hypocrites only, but never true worshippers. " Permit me now to ask the bishop, whether the Americans, since their being enslaved, have discovered a stronger desire to become Christians ? Whether their several masters have endeavored to dispel their ignorance, by pouring instruction into their minds ? And what advantage have either religion or the state reaped, from this distribution of the slaves ? At my first arrival in Hispaniola, it contained mill- ions of inhabitants, and there now remain scarce an hundredth part of them. " Thousands have perished by want, fatigue, merciless punishments, cruelty, and barbarity : these men are murdered in sport ; they are dragged into dreadful cav- erns, and there denied the light of the skies, and that of the gospel. If the blood unjustly shed of one man only, calls loudly for vengeance, how strong must be the 248 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. cry of that of so many unhappy creatures, which is shedding daily ? I therefore humbly implore your highness's clemency, for subjects so unjustly oppressed, and take the liberty to declare, that if you do not afford them the relief in your power, heaven will, one day, call you to an account for the numberless acts of cruelty which you might have prevented." Prince Charles highly applauded the good bishop's zeal, and promised to redress the grievances complained of. His prom- ise, however, appeared to be that of a \ courtier, rather than of a generous prince ; for he totally forgot to perforin : so that the poor Hispaniolans dwindled away be- neath oppression and barbarity, or if they fled to the woods or mountains, were hunted and destroyed like wild beasts. While the poor people of Hispaniola were thus oppressed, the Spaniards rev- elled in luxuries, and lived in the utmost splendor, till the mines were drained of their treasures, and most of the natives were worn out by working them, or had fallen martyrs to the cruelty of their ty- rants. The natives of Guatemala, a country of America, were used with similar barbarity. As these people were exceedingly numer- ous, viz., at the rate of a thousand to one with respect to the Spaniards who settled there, the latter, for fear they should grow ) too powerful, refused them the use of any weapons, more particularly their bows and arrows, in the use of which they were very expert. The natives were formerly active and valiant, but from ill-usage and oppression grew slothful, and so dispirited, that they not only trembled at the sight of firearms, but even at the very looks of a Spaniard. Some were so plunged in despair, that j after returning home from laboring hard for ^ their cruel task-masters, and receiving only £ contemptuous language and stripes for their > pains, they have sunk down in their cabins, \ with a full resolution to prefer death to such \ slavery ; and, in the bitterness of their anguish, have refused all sustenance till they perished. If an American attempted to run away, he was brought, if caught, to the next mar- ket-place, and there scourged almost to death ; but if an American made a com- plaint against a Spaniard, it was not at- tended to in the least. In every respect the Spaniards treated these miserable sons of bondage with the greatest barbarity. Many of the Spanish writers confess, that their tyrannical countrymen were fre- quently mean enough to steal the tools and implements of the poor natives, in order to deduct half their week's scanty allowance of provisions for restoring them. Some let them out to work to other mas- ters, who never failed to make them earn what they paid for their hire. Others were let out to travellers, who harassed them in long journies, and through rugged ways, with heavy burdens on their backs, till they frequently fainted, and sometimes ex- pired on the road ; for the life of the na- tive was not in the least considered, if the person who hired him made satisfaction to his master. Many were compelled to carry burdens of an enormous weight for three days to- gether : the load was fastened to their head and shoulders by means of a leather strap, which crossed the forehead, and the pres- sure of which frequently made the blood to gush from the eyes and nostrils, and leave a frightful scar in the forehead. With such loads they travelled barefooted through all kinds of roads, and in all seasons. By repeated barbarities, and the most execrable cruelties, the vindictive and mer- ciless Spaniards not only depopulated His- paniola, Porto-Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahama islands, but destroyed above twelve millions of souls upon the continent of America, in the space of forty years. The cruel methods by which they mas- sacred and butchered the poor natives, were innumerable, and of the most diabolical nature. THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 249 Incredible as the following circumstances < put to death, and destroyed, eight hundred $ may appear, they are as well authenticated s thousand of the inhabitants of that country. 5 as any facts that ever were delivered by \ Between the years 1523 and 1533, five \ the pen of history, and are even attested s hundred thousand natives of Nicaragua \ by many of the Roman catholic missiona- s were transported to Peru, where they all ; ries themselves, as well as by the before- \ perished by incessant labor in the mines. \ mentioned Bartholomeo de las Cases, viz: — s In the space of twelve years, from the \ 1. The Spaniards stripped a large and ; first landing of Cortez on the continent of < very populous town of all its inhabitants, \ America, to the entire reduction of the \ whom they drove to the mines, leaving all s populous empire of Mexico, the amazing the children behind them, without the least \ numberof four millions of Mexicans perish- < ) idea of providing for their subsistance, by \ ed, through the unparalleled barbarity of the ( which inhuman proceeding six thousand I Spaniards. To come to particulars, the < helpless infants perished. 5 city of Cholula consisted of thirty thousand ) 2. As the Spaniards were marching tow- > houses, by which its great population may ' ard a large town, the inhabitants came > be imagined. The Spaniards seized on <^out to meet them with refreshments, not- \ all the inhabitants, who refusing to turn ■; withstanding which they fell upon these > Roman catholics, as they did not know the < defenceless people, and put them all in- / meaning of the religion they were ordered < discriminately to the sword. I to embrace, the Spaniards put them all to 3. A Spanish officer, having three hun- > death, cutting to pieces the lower sort of ; dred Americans allotted to him as slaves, I people, and burning those of distinction. i he, in only three months, killed two hun- 1 Pedro de Alvarado, one of the officers I dred and sixty of them, by excessive labor, I under the command of Cortez, laid waste < and hard living, in the mines. j a whole province, and committed innumera- ' 4. A Spanish commander, in 1514, de- \ ble murders and barbarities on the poor \ stroyed all the inhabitants of a tract of land j defenceless natives. I of above five hundred miles in length. \ In the province of Honduras, near two ) \ 5. An officer, under the above com- \ millions of the natives perished, the Span- < ' mander, murdered above two thousand \ iards setting fire to the towns, and burning i I persons in one expedition. ' the inhabitants in their houses. ', Whenever the people of any town had I Sometimes the Spaniards spared the < 't the reputation of being rich, an order was ', handsomest American women, not through ; 't immediately sent, that every person in it i motives of humanity, but merely to gratify \ \ should turn Roman catholic : if this was their lusts, or make them domestic drudges. \ \ not directly complied with, the town was \ Exasperated at the cruelties exercised on } \ instantly plundered, and the inhabitants \ them, some of the Mexicans dug pits across < \ murdered ; and if it was complied with, a \ the public roads, in which they set sharp 'i ) pretence was soon after made to strip the \ stakes, and then covered them slightly over 5 '/ inhabitants of their wealth. i I so artfully, that the danger could not be f One of the Spanish governors seized > perceived. A few of the Spanish horse J upon a very worthy and amiable Indian \ falling into these holes, the Spaniards were / prince, and in order to extort from him I so enraged, that they seized a great num- < where his treasures were concealed, caused I ber of the natives, filled the pits with them, < his feet to be burnt till the marrow dropped I and buried them alive. < } I from his bones, and he expired through the I One of the Spanish commanders, in a ' i extremity of the torments he underwent. I few years, destroyed eight thousand Mexi- j | In the interval, between the years 1514 > cans, by half starving them, and making j ; and 1522, the governor of Terra Firma I them work hard, to build him a superb j 250 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. palace, and lay out elegant gardens to it. Twenty thousand of the natives being em- ployed to carry the baggage of the Span- iards upon an expedition, all except two hundred were harassed to death by their cruel masters, before the return of the troops. The governor of Jucatan, in 1526, not finding any gold in that province, seized upon a great number of the inhabitants, and sold them for slaves, to make amends for his disappointment. To account for these cruelties, the Spaniards absurdly al- ledged : " That the inhuman butcheries formerly committed by the Americans, in sacrificing so many rational creatures to their wicked idols, was a sufficient war- rant to justify those who should divest thern of their country." — " But (says an intelligent writer) the same argument might, with much greater reason, be urged against the Spaniards themselves, who sacrificed so many millions of Indians to their darling idol, gold." The Spanish officers, upon their first entering into any country, or province, began their operations by summoning the people to submit to the pope, and the king of Spain, and to turn Roman catholics. The people, not knowing who the pope and the king of Spain were, not understanding what was meant by the Roman catholic persuasion, very naturally refused. The refusal was immediately made a handle of by the Spaniards, who thereupon seized their persons, plundered the houses, ran- sacked the temples, murdered many of the inhabitants, and enslaved the rest. Romish missionaries have been continual- ly sent to America, not so much (in reality) to propagate religion, as to aggrandize the papal power ; for, on the first discovery of America, the pope invested the kings of Spain with the sovereignty of it, under the title of the royal patrimony, upon condition that the catholic monarchs should main- tain a multitude of priests, friars, Jesuits, &c, in America, to fascinate the people, and advance the power and authority of the Roman pontiffs. Multitudes of secular priests in South America, live with all the splendor of men of the greatest opulence. In some towns they have had such pow- er as frequently to reverse the sentence of the civil magistrate, whether it related to fines, imprisonment, whipping, or death ; and if the civil magistrates appeared in the least refractory, these ecclesiastical tyrants would imprison them for contempt of the church. JUDGMENTS OF GOD ON PERSECUTORS. ^HOUGH the Omnipotent, through his mercy and justice, does not always punish in this world those who have, in the most;, flagrant manner, offended his holy ordinances, but reserves to himself^ their punishment in a future state ; yet thej numerous instances that might be brought, 1 where it has, even in this life, pleased his divine will to show us his terrible judg- ments on such offenders, may serve to \ deter us, by these dreadful examples of his Almighty displeasure, from such actions as our consciences tell us must certainly offend his holy laws. In scarcely any instance has this been more remarkably conspicuous, than the punishments he has thought proper to in- flict on those who have been the persecu- tors of his children in holiness and truth. Many examples may be produced from history, both sacred and profane, of all ages, some of the most distinguished of which we shall lay before our readers. The examples of this kind to be deduced THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 251 from the Holy Scriptures, as of Pharaoh, Saul, Jezebel, with many others in the Old Testament, and of Herod, Judas, Pi- late, &c, in the New, are, we trust, so generally known in this Christian country, as not to need particularizing. Waving, therefore, a further mention of; the sacred histories, we shall examine the profane. In the Roman history, what can be more striking on this subject than the miserable end of the emperor Nero, that bitter persecutor of Christianity, whose agonies were so great, from the shocking barbarity with which he was treated, even by his own subjects, that he, in vain, im- plored to be eased by death from his suf- ferings ; and when he could find neither friend nor enemy to grant even this request, he added the crime of suicide to his enor- mous vices, and, unlamented, perished by his own hand. The two emperors, Diocletian and Maxi- minian, rigid enemies to the Christian faith, after abdicating, through vexatious circum- stances, their thrones, both died unhappily : the latter, in particular, in his attempting to restore himself, unnaturally falling by the means of his own son Maxentius, who likewise came to as untimely an end as his parent, being drowned, in the prime of his life, and the very meridian of his sins and impieties. The example of the emperor Maximinus, another persecutor of Christ's church, de- serves recital. Soon after his setting forth his impious decrees against the unoffending Christians, which were engraved in brass, he was, by the just judgment of the Most High, afflicted with a dreadful and unnat- ural disease, having lice, and other shock- ing vermin, crawling from his very entrails, in so terrible a manner, as to render abor- tive every method to afford him relief; and attended with so horrid a putrescent stench, that for several days before his death no person would hazard their lives to give him the least assistance. To leave the Roman history, and turn our eyes on transactions nearer the present period, let us take notice of the hand of God on Sigismund, emperor of Germany, for his unjustifiable treatment of John Huss, and Jerome of Prague. After the martyr- dom of those eminent lights of the reforma- tion, by his orders, nothing he took in hand succeeded, but a series of the most unhappy events attended him and his family, which, in one generation, became extinct : he, in his wars, was ever the loser ; and his empress Barbara turned out so infamously lewd, as to be a lasting in- famy to her family, and disgrace to her sex. In the reign of Henry II. of France, jhe Chancellor Oliver, who, at the instigation of Cardinal Lorrain, brother to that im- placable enemy of the gospel the duke of Guise, had stretched the authority of the laws to bring many worthy persons to utter destruction, for their adherence to the truth : this unjust judge, being struck with great remorse and self-conviction of his misdeeds, fell sick, and so great were the horrors of his tormented conscience for his cruel de- crees against the righteous, that he could not rest day or night, for the torture of his wounded mind, but shortly expired, horri- bly shrieking out with a loud cry, in his last moments : " Oh ! cardinal, thou wilt make us all to be damned," with which words he gave up the ghost. Neither did the cardinal himself, nor his brother the duke of Guise, long triumph in the success of their bloody machinations, as the former shortly after died, and the latter fell a sacrifice to the daggers of his exasperated countrymen. Hoimeister, an arch papist, and a chief pillar of the pope's anti-christian doctrine, as he was proceeding on his journey to Ratisbon, to be present at a council held there, and to defend the Roman supersti- tions against the defenders of Christ's gospel, was prevented from executing his impious purpose, being suddenly seized in his progress, near the city of Ulmes, with an extreme illness, of which he almost instantly expired, in great agonies, crying out in the most horrid manner. 2A w !52 THE CHRISTIAN MAIITYROLOGY. > The following tragedy, which happened J tion for him, because he had, against the | in the university of Louvaine, will likewise \ positive conviction of his own conscience, | exemplify our subject : a learned person \ withstood the truth of God, and Christ's \ in the above seminary, who was reader of * holy word;" and thus shortly ended his \ divinity to the monks of St. Gertrude, and \ wretched life, with all the violence of the \ had violently maintained the corrupt errors j most furious insanity. ; of popery, at length, falling extremely ill, '• A Dominican friar, of Munster, as he < and perceiving no hopes of recovery, he \ was inveighing in the pulpit against the \ regretted, with the greatest perturbation of j protestant religion, which was then spring- ; mind, his manifold sins, but more particu- \ ing up, was suddenly struck with a flash of \ larly his having so warmly espoused the j lightning, which immediately deprived him \ cause of idolatry, &c, in opposition to the I of life. divine truths of the gospel ; an offence, he j A popish gentleman in Germany, hear- said. of so heinous a nature, as to be too ing one of the reformed sing : " Our only great to expect God's pardon. Continually hold or fortress is our God ;" immediately repeating this terrible expression, he ex- 5 answered ( pired in all the horrors of desperation. ; . Jacob Latomus, who was president of a college at Louvaine, is another instance of the dreadful judgments of God, on persons offending against his most holy word. Latomus went to Brussels, to make a long / will help to shoot against thy stay, or fortress, or else I will not live ;" and within three days he expired, without the least signs of repentance. Ponchet, archbishop of Tours, made ap- plication to have a court erected, called Chamber Ardent, wherein to condemn the oration against the reformed religion, and \ protestants to the flames ; but soon after ) to vindicate popery, which he did before ) obtaining permission to execute his cruel \ the emperor ; but so little to the purpose, < intentions, he was struck with a disease, as to verify the common observation, that \ called the Fire of God, which began at his \ a bad advocate does much more harm than j feet, and ascended upward with so torment- I good to any cause. The Romish clergy, jj ing a burning, that he was obliged to have > and indeed the whole court, seem to have i one member cut off after another, and thus > been of this opinion, as he returned to j miserably ended his days. Louvaine, despised and ridiculed by those, | In the history of Switzerland is a mem- ) who plainly saw he had vainly attempted '■', orable incident of the divine justice on ) to defend a train of absurdities, which re- < popish perfidy, and unjust barbarity. A \ quired the utmost sophistry to vindicate ; \ consul of that republic, an inveterate ene- > and whether it might proceed from the < my to the reformed, being a man of im- > mortification he felt, at the indifferent re- j mense fortune, purposing to erect a mag- \ ception his pious falsehoods met with at I nificent edifice, to convey the dignity of | Brussels, or whether his own conscience j his family to posterity, was assiduously plainly pointed out to him his impious con- 1 diligent to procure the most ingenious \ duct (the latter, indeed, seems to be more \ artificers, in every department, to conduce probably the case) he, very soon after his \ thereunto. Among others, being informed \ return, fell into an open fury of madness, \ that at the city of Trent resided a most at the very instant he was giving his public singular excellent carver, named John, he j lectures, and was forced to be conveyed, was very desirous of procuring the assist- S raving with lunacy, to a close room, and \ auce of his ingenuity, to the decoration of \ fastened down therein ; and from that pe- 1 his intended mansion. But an obstacle \ riod to his last breath, his whole cry was, \ occurred that seemed, for a time, to prevent j that "he was damned, and rejected ol\> his purposed intention. John was a man, j God, and that there was no hope of salva- i who, to his other excellent qualities, added %■ ffi THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. 253 the most sincere and immovable attach- ment to the purity of the gospel, and uuly commendable abhorrence of popish idola- try ; and well knowing the character of the consul to be that of one of the blindest bigots to his superstition, very prudently, for a time, refused to put his personal safety in the hands of those, whose religion adopts the infamous maxim, to hold no faith with those they cjhoose to denominate heretics ; and honestly and ingenuously declaring, that as he could not behold the impious idolatry which the people of the consul's city were so addicted to, but with contempt, and as any token of that con- tempt might be the utter destruction of him, he rather chose to decline the ad- vantageous offers made him, than to accept of them at the hazard of his life. These motives, for a time, induced him to resist the tempting proffers to engage in this business ; but, at length, overcome by the deluding offers, and solemn promises of unlimited protection made him, as to his faith, this unhappy victim of papal treachery consented to give his assistance on this occasion, and accordingly repaired to the consul's house, to exert his ingenu- ity in the embellishment thereof. But what indignation must it create in the mind of every good man, to reflect on the barbarous return made to this worthy sufferer for the truth, who, after having finished his performance with the greatest skill and ingenuity, instead of receiving the recompense due to his great merit and industry, was, by this infamous consul, ac- cused of having spoken irreverently of the Romish faith, and under that pretext, by him cruelly condemned to be beheaded, which barbarous sentence was accordingly executed, but not till the much-injured mar- tyr, naturally shocked at the inhumanity and treachery of the villanous consul, had, with a most affecting and solemn delivery, made a noble speech, reciting the treacher- ous conduct of his detestable betrayer, and concluding with citing him to appear, with- in three days, at the tribunal of the Most \ High, to answer for the unjust murder he I was about to commit. The consul, though at that time in perfect health, and in the bloom of youth, suddenly dropped dead on the third day after this pious martyr had (by his wickedness) been thus barbarously sacrificed. A detestable proof of the little regard to be paid by protestants to the faith- ^ less asseverations of catholics in general, \ who never scruple violating the most '/ solemn engagements to promote, what they jterm, the service of the holy mother- 5 church ! / Thus having presented our readers with > some remarkable instances of supernatural ^justice, and divine retaliation, in foreign ; nations, we shall next proceed to lay be- l fore them such examples of a similar na- l ture, that have occurred, at different periods, I in the history of England. t That furious destroyer of God's children in purity, the bigoted Mary, found but little comfort during the short space she dis- graced the British throne, by embruing her merciless hands in the blood of so many of her truly protestant subjects, as the people of that realm had great reason to rejoice at the conclusion of a reign, diametrically the contrary of what is al- ways wished to attend the reigns of good princes, viz., to be long and happy, hers being equally unsuccessful, and of short duration. Disappointed of almost every purpose, and mortified with a train of events the most contrary to her expectations, she, at length, fell a sacrifice to pining grief and vexation ; and even owned herself, that she died of that corrosive and mental torture, a broken heart. And perhaps there is not a more contrasting parallel, either in the British, or any other history, than the glorious and long-continued reign of that noble vindicator of the reformed re- ligion, the ever-to-be-honored queen Eliza- beth, and the unauspicious tyranny of her sanguinary sister ; as the one will be hand- ed down to posterity with immortal honor, while the other will ever be reflected on with abhorrence ! .» 254 THE CHRISTIAN MARTYROLOGY. The wretched end of that arch-persecu- tor Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, almost immediately on his closing his bloody pro- ceedings, with the sacrificing of those two eminent martyrs, Ridley and Latimer, has something in it remarkably striking. The fatal day on which these martyrs suffered at Oxford, the old duke of Norfolk paid a visit to Bishop Gardiner, at his house in London, in consequence of his 5 being invited to dine with him at that time. 5 But so eager was this bloody prelate to 't glut his ears with the news of the absolute '/ destruction of these two pious sufferers, ^ that he postponed his usual time of dining, \ saying, he would not eat till he received 't f positive assurance of the execution of the \ barbarous sentence he knew was to be put | in practice that day at Oxford. \ Accordingly, as soon as the messenger > arrived, which was not till four o'clock, | and had given him the assurance of his 5 cruel wishes being completed, he ordered | dinner to be ushered in, and setting down \ to it with great apparent satisfaction, said : ; " Now, my lord duke, we can set down to \ refresh ourselves with pleasure." But ob- s serve the hand of God on this impious : priest : no sooner had he swallowed a few morsels, but he was suddenly seized with ■ so violent a fit of illness, that he was ob- liged to be taken from table, and from that moment to the last of his life, never was free from the greatest misery and torture ; for fifteen days and nights did he languish, not being able to evacuate, which caused such a terrible inflammation in his body, as if he were, in a manner, burning alive. ) By the raging fire in his intestines his body \ was miserably swollen and black ; his tongue s thrust at last out of his mouth : he expired I a shocking spectacle, and with a most \ nauseous and unendurable effluvia : a prop- er end to so inhuman a persecutor of the righteous. Dr. Dunning, the bloody chancellor of Norwich ; Berry, ecclesiastical commis- sary in Norfolk ; and Thornton, bishop of Dover, all rigid persecutors, suddenly fell down dead within a little space of one an- other ; and the next that succeeded Thorn- ton in the bishopric of Dover, broke his neck down stairs at Greenwich, just after receiving the blessing of Cardinal Poole. We have shown in the preceding pages some of the many barbarous persecutions practised by the church of Rome against our Christian brethren in all ages : it has ever exerted its utmost efforts to overturn a divine system, which is as much calcula- ted to destroy sin, as to promote true piety and godliness. Let us, therefore, hope, that the many examples of the severe per- secutions against Christianity which have been recorded, may serve to unite Chris- tians of every denomination more strongly in the bands of brotherly love, and uni- versal benevolence : — " O bigotry ! in whose dark train The furies, with their horrors, reign; The basis of whose empire's built On streams of blood, and stores of guilt : In future may thy hands be bound, Thy croaking voice confined from sound, Till innocence no longer bleeds, Till soft humanity succeeds ; Till far as distant winds can blow, Or surging waters ebb or flow ; The great Redeemer's words are known, And all men gospel blessings own." THE END. Please give this Circular a careful examination. HISTORICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND MISCELLANEOUS PUBLISHED BY LEAHY PHILADELPHIA. C7" The Works embraced in this Catalogue the publisher hopes may find their way into the hands of every family. The greatest care has been taken, that while they should be eminently instructive, interesting, and some of them even amusi7ig, they should contain nothing in any manner the least injurious in their tendency, or censurable in their character. ID" Please pre&rve this Circular, as it will be called for, and a copy of each of the works presented for examination. If they are not as represented in every respect, no subscriber will be under any obligation to take them. g-P^§^ jSt RI |9 One of the most Interesting Works published ! PROFESSOR FROST'S NEW HISTORICAL WORK. REMARKABLE EVENTS HISTORY OF AMERICA, FROM THE DISCOVERY TO THE PRESENT TIME. COMPILED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES BY J. FROST, LL.D. EMBELLISHED WITH SEVEN HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS, FROM DESIGNS OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS. The demand of the public for Historical Works, and especially for those which relate to the history of our own country, has increased so rapidly of late, that HISTORY may now be pronounced the leading department of literature. Not only classical histories, but every other description of books which may be expected to throw light upon history, are eagerly demanded. Biographies and Memoirs of Distinguished Men, local Histories, Historical and Topographical accounts of States, Historical Collections, Correspondence of Generals, Com- modores, and Statesmen, State papers, and documents of all kinds, old and new, find a ready sale as soon as they are published. This decided taste of the public for historical reading, whilst it is hailed by the patriot and the friend of sound popular education aa an evidence of increased intelligence among the people, points out distinctly the duties of authors and pub- lishers, to contribute their best efforts towards the substitution of books of real utility, instead •f the lighter and less useful publications, which have heretofore had too free a currency. The work here announced is intended to embrace a view of the most REMARKABLE EVENTS Which have transpired since the DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. It includes an account of THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, by Herman Cortes. THE CONQUEST OF PERU, by Pizarro and Almagro. THE CONQUEST OF FLORIDA, by De Soto. THE DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT OF THE U. STATES AND CANADA. KING PHILIP'S WAR, and THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR, which terminated in the Conquest of Canada. The Leading Incidents of THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, and THE WAR OF 1812, WITH GREAT BRITAIN. THE WAR WITH THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. THE SEVERAL INDIAN WARS, and THE LATE WAR WITH MEXICO. This work fills 1600 pages, and is very richly embellished throughout. It presents a great variety of REMARKABLE INCIDENTS, and brings to view a great number of Distinguished Characters, including DISCOVERERS, CONQUERORS, GENERALS, STATESMEN, AND HTERARY CHARACTERS, and will serve to gratify, in a high degree, the prevailing taste for Historical Beading. The Publisher has spared no expense to render this work in all respects worthy of public patronage. The Publisher relies on the liberality and discernment of the public for remuneration for the great expense which an undertaking of this magnitude has necessarily involved. The work is bound in a neat arabesque style, in one very large volume, and is sold at the extremely low price of THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY GENTS A COPY! LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Strut, Philadelphia. ROTTEGK'S p. HISTORY OF THE 'WORLD. MAGNIFICENTLY ILLUSTRATED ! 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We have works entitled " Histories of the World," or "' Universal Histories," it is true ; but all of them (we mean those in a small form, and such as are within the reach of the generality of readers) are sadly deficient, ill-selected, and worse arranged : they eould not, accord- ing to the ideas of the author of this work, be considered, strictly speaking, General Histories of the World. The author of this History is celebrated throughout Europe as a scholar, as a states- man, and as a bold defender of liberty ; and this reputation will certainly be an excel- lent recommendation of his work to the American public. Although born in Ger- many, educated in its far-famed halls of learning, and breathing a German atmos- phere, he is not a German alone ; he is a man whom the world may claim. He is no mystic, full of unintelligible, useless theories ; but a man devoted to practicable objects, to the welfare of his race, and to pure religion and morality. 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" We welcome this fine edition of a very superior historical work. On the conti- nent of Europe it holds the highest place as a true and faithful account of the World's History, His liberal ideas have, it is true, brought upon him the wrath of royalty, nobility, and aristocracy, but they will win for him, in this country, the highest praise ; even in Germany, where the government looked coldly upon Rotteck, 100,000 copies of his history have been sold within a few years.- It contains an immense amount of information, compressed within a moderate space; and yet, while it avoids diff'useness, it is sufficiently elaborate, and in the work of condensation, nothing material is lost. Rotteck's work brings down the History of the World to the year 1840. The events of the succeeding period of ten years, up to the present day, are given in a continua- tion, so that for present readers, there is no omission of a single historical event." — \_Evt7iing Bulletin. 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THE LIFE OF OUR LORD AND SAYIOUR JESUS CHRIST; CONTAINING A FULL, ACCURATE, AND UNIVERSAL HISTORY, FROM HIS TAKING UPON HIMSELF OUR NATURE, TO HIS CRUCIFIXION, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION: TOGETHER WITH THE £to£0, 8tamscutioti0, anb ©ufferings OF HIS AND OTHER PRIMITIVE MARTYRS. AND A HISTORY OF THE JEWS, BROUGHT DOWN TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. BY REV^SISETOOD, D.D. TO WHICH IS ADDED A C-OXTINUATIOJT OF THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS, FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM TO THE PRESENT TIME; EXHIBITING A VIEW OF THE Various Prophecies Relating to this Remarkable People, AND THE STRIKING FULFILMENT OF THEM, PARTICULARLY OF THOSE RELATING TO THEIR PRESENT CONDITION. This work, it is confidently believed, (from the nature and character of it,) will find its way into the hands of every family ; containing, as it does, a full Life of our Sa>iour and of the Apostles. LEARY & GETZ, PuMUKeri, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. 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The author, in this truly valuable work, has presented a collection of the Lives of persons who were eminent for learning, science, ability, or philanthropy ; those who had attracted attention by their eminence in some of the paths which lead to high distinction among mankind, and who, at the same time, were remarkable for true Christian piety ; admitted on all hands to be good, as well as great. In following out this plan he had presented the Lives of a great number of the most eminent Christians of the world ; among the number of which may be found John Wlcllf, John Husk, Jerome of Prague, Glrolamo Savonarola, John Craig, Hugh Latimer, Admiral Coligny, John Hooper, Theodore Beza, Catharine of Arragon, King Edward the Sixth, John Milton, Sir Henry Vane, Hngo Grotlug, George Pox, Cotton Mather, Richard Baxter, Thomas Fowell Bmton, Timothy Dwlglit, Blaise Pascal, Sir DIathew Hale, William Penn, John Wesley, Joseph Addison, Hugh Blair, William Law, William C'owper, Charles Wesley, Edward Young, Charles Chauncy, Hannah More, Matthew Henry, James Sanrln, William Romaine, Robert Lowth, Anne Letitia Barbauld, William Carey, George Lord Lyttleton, Henry Martyn, John Frederick Ober- lin, Thomas Chalmers, Robert Hall, Dr. Thomas Arnold, James Montgomery, Joseph Lancaster, Sir Thomas More, Martin Luther, Philip Melancthon, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Isabella, of Castile, Frederic, Elector of Saxony, John Calvin, Roger Williams, John Winthrop, Lady Jane Grey, I'lric Zwingle, John Knox, John Eliot, Increase Mather, John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Taylor Cole- ridge, Gustavus Adolphns, Jeremy Taylor, Archbishop Fenelon, Samuel Johnson, George Whitehead, Elizabeth Rowe, Archbishop Tenison, John Howard, James Hervey, Humphrey Prideanx, Isaac Watts, Philip Doddridge, Sir Isaac Newton, Henry Scougal, Sir William Jones, Robert Barclay, Anne Haseltine Judson, Reginald Heber, Dr. Marshman, Beilby Porteus, "William Wilberforce, Henry Klrke White, Elizabeth Fry, Thomas Clarkson, Legh Richmond, Jane Taylor, Joseph John Gnrney, &C, &.C., &C. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second St., Philadelphia. Price only $2.50. NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION J '• •MIS OR, A TREATISE OX THE PRETENTION AND CURE OF DISEASES, BY REGIMEN AND SIMPLE MEDICINES. WITH THE LATEST CORRECTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS, AND PULL DIRECTIONS IN REGARD TO AIR, EXERCISE, BATHING, CLOTHING, SLEEP, DIET, &.C. &.C. AND THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OP THE DISEASES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. TO WHICH IS ASNEXID A COMPLETE FAMILY DISPENSATORY, FOR THE USE OP PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS. BY WILLIAM BUCHAN, M.D. Cntaenta^ntntt) Smcricart, from trje 5Last Hontoon (Erjittan, WITH CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS BY AN AMERICAN PHYSICIAN. JQ£g- This work, it is confidently believed (from the nature and character of It) will find its way into the hands of every family. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. "*BP ■EVE- PLATTS' BOOK OF CURIOSITIES : CONTAINING TEN THOUSAND WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF NATURE AND ART, And of Remarkable and Astonishing Places, Beings, Animals, Customs, Experiments, Phenomena, etc., of both Ancient and Modern Times, on all Parts of the Globe. BY THE REV. I. PLATTS. FZRST AMERICAN EDITION. Complete in one octavo volume of 952 pages, handsomely and strongly bound. PRICE ONLY $2.50. Comprising authentic accounts of the most Wonderful Freaks of Nature, and Arts of Man, among which will be found ing, etc. ; Funeral Ceremonies, Christmas Customs, Romish Indulgences. Ignis Fatuus, Electricity, surprising effect of extreme Heat and Cold, Fairy Rings, Parhe- lia or Mock Suns, Aurora Borealis, Shooting Stars, Galvanism, Magnetism. Buntzlau Curiosities, Automata. Wonderful Inventions, relating to all trades and professions. Sketches of Historical Facts, Man in the Iron Mask, Gipsies, Priests, Free Masons, Peep- ing Tom of Coventry, Plague of Marseilles, Ceremonies at Queen Elizabeth's Dinner. Curious account of the scarcity of Books, cele- brated Libraries, Book of Blunders, Origin of Newspapers. Explanation of Letters on Gold Coin, Inven- tion of Cards. Singular names of the English during Crom- well's time. Beautiful Love Letter. Creed of the Jews. Human Monstrosities, Centaurs and Lapithso. Spontaneous Combustion. Extraordinary Echoes and Whispering Places. Perpetual Fires, and Remarkable Lamps. Curious Experiments and Amusing Recreations. Sketches of curious Personages, and a whimsical Encyclopaedia of Manners and Customs of the Nineteenth Century, illustrating Life and manners at the present day, etc. etc. The Human Body, and all its wonderful mech anism. Extraordinary acquirements and performances of Men, Women, and Children of all nations. Startling and surprising adventures and char- acteristics concerning the Mammoth, Ele- phant, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Unicorn, Whale, Walrus, Kraken or Dragon of the Sea, American Sea Serpent, Boa Constrictor, Fas- cinating Serpents, Silk Worms, Reptiles, Vul- ture, Ostrich, Eagle, Bird of Paradise, Hum- ming Bird, Bees, Ants, Spiders, Locusts, Butterflies, Aphis, Death Watch, Bread Fruit Tree, Fountain Tree, Paper Tree, Upas or Poison Tree, The 44,000 Plants of the Earth, and everything in the vegetable kingdom. Minerals, Meteoric Stones, Asbestos, Diamonds, etc. Mountains of the Moon, Andes, Alps, Him- alaya, Spectre of the Brocken, Mont Blanc, Vesuvius, Etna, Grottos, Caves, and Subter- raneous Passages. Gold, Silver, Load, Copper, Iron, and Coal Mines. Maelstrom, Burning Springs, Earthquakes, Sandfloods, Avalanches, and Freshets. Ruins of ancient cities, the Herculancum, Al- hambra, etc. Curiosities respecting tho various customs of mankind, Cannibalism, Fomalo Beauty, Mar- riage Ceremonies, Feasting, Fasting, Pray, i^EJTS- LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia msM THE LIFE AND SP OF HENRY CLAY, WITH A AND A View of the Birth-Place of Mr. In one handsome large octavo volume of over 1200 pages, handsomely bound in cloth, gilt. Price only Three Dollars, OR BOUND IN TWO VOLUMES, CLOTH, GILT, $3.50, The Biography of this most distinguished and honored Statesman is eminently fraught with encouragement and hope for aspiring youth — especially for those who enter upon the stage of active life, unportioned and unheralded by the partial voice of powerful friends and kindred. Henry Clay was one of the many among our eminent men who, besides the disadvantages of poverty and obscurity, were fated to encounter that of early orphanage. Yet his subsequent career empha- tically teaches that no one who is conscious of possessing the requisite qualities need ever apprehend that humility of origin or obscurity of position will deprive him of opportunities to serve and honor his country. The work here presented is intended to trace clearly the career of Mr. Clay, from his entrance on the stage of public life down to the period of his death — mainly by the right of his own lofty, persuasive, and impassioned eloquence. 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Whitefield's works will be welcomed by many who have heard and read incidents connected with his life — a life of toil — a life lived for others and not for himself; but going about doing good, following the example of his Master, having crossed the ocean thirteen times, and preached over eighteen thousand sermons to audiences reaching sometimes ten and fifteen thou- sand persons. Rev. Dr. Edwards says : " The ardent love he bore to the Lord Jesus Christ was remarkable. This divine principle con- strained him to an unwearied application in the service of the Gospel ; and transported him at times, in the eyes of some, beyond the bounds of sober reason. He was content to be a fool for Christ's sake; to be despised so Christ might be honored ; to be nothing that Jesus might be all in all." One octavo volume of 666 pages, illustrated, well bound. Price only 02.50. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. Frost's Life of Washington. OF GEORGE WASHINGTON: EMBRACING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF The Seven Years' War; the Formation of the Federal Constitution, and the Adminis- tration of "Washington. BY J. FROST, IL®, AUTHOR OF THE "PICTORIAL HISTORY OP AMERICA," ETC. One splendid large octavo volume, with upwards of ONE HUNDRED ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS. PRICE ONLY THREE DOLLARS, In handsome Arabesque Morocco Binding. Whoever has occasion to examine carefully into the history of the period in which Washington lived, will find his reverence for the character of that illustrious man always increasing. The more intimately one becomes ac- quainted with the facts, the more firmly he becomes convinced that Washing- ton was, throughout the whole forming period of the Republic, the grand moving power. Every thing seems to have depended on him. The leaders of popular opinion looked to him for advice ; the Congress for direction. While the war was raging he guided every movement, repressed all discon- tent, infused the breath of life into inert masses, and created the means of efficient warfare. When the war was ended, and a new form of government became necessary, he guided the deliberations on which it was founded. When its strength and efficiency were to be tested by experiment, the sove- reign power was placed in his hands, which steered the new ship of the State through the most perilous storms, and conducted her into the secure haven of national prosperity. He was present in every creative movement. The impress of his mind is stamped upon every great national institution. Never did any great benefactor of mankind more faithfully earn his titles, than the PATHER OP HIS COUNTRY— THE FOUNDER OP THE REPUBLIC. S^ This is one of the most beautifully illustrated Books published in the United States. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, iVb. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. ELEGANT TEMPERANCE BOOK, FAMILY FIRE-SIDE BOOK; OR, MONUMENTS OF TEMPERANCE. This is one of the most beautiful works on Temperance Subjects ever issued from the American press. It contains a large variety of TALES, ESSAYS, POETRY, AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES Of some of the most prominent of the great Temp among -which aret ierance Reformers, NEAL DOW, THOMAS P. HUNT £. C. DELE VAN, J. B. O'NEALL, CHARLES JEWETT, J. H. COCKE, F. W. KELLOGG, J. TUPPER, PHILIP S. WHITE, JOHN B. GOtJGH, C> N. OLDS, E> L. SNOW, W. B. STACY, NATHANIEL HEWITT, JOHN CHAMBERS, B. S EDWARDS, RUSH VAN DYKE, A. B. MOREAU, T. M. 6ALLY, S. M. HEWLETT, E. DILLAHUNTY, MOSES GRANT, &c &C. WITH ELEGANTLY ENGRAVED PORTRAITS Of a number of the above prominent Temperance Ohampions. This work is comprised in an elegant octavo volume of 800 pages, beautifully , printed, and handsomely bound in Arabesque, gilt. Price only $2.50. Elegant bound in red morocco, gilt edges. $3. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. — ■ ! 5 b *■•■■■ = ESS PRICE, ONLY $2,50. A BOOK FOR ALL. THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OP THE TED STATES BY C. B. TAYLOR. In One handsome Octavo Volume, of over Six Hundred pages. Bound in Arabesque, and ILLUSTRATED BY ONE HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS. Historical knowledge in relation to our great and glorious country, cannot be too widely disseminated, and the above has been brought out by the Publishers as a good and reliable History to suit the general reader at a very Low Price. It embraces a General History from the DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO THE FORMATION OF THE STATES, And from thence, giving every historical minutia down to the present time. LEAHY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. The best Collection of Sermons published ! SERMONS OF TMAS EVANS. A NEW TRANSLATION FROM THE WELSH. Memoir and Portraiture of the Author. BY REV. JOSErH CROSS. Rev. Christmas Evans was one of the most pious and useful preachers of his day. He was exceedingly methodical and clear in his arguments — his thoughts never confused and mingled together. His order was so natural that it was very easy to follow him ; and his manner so impressive that it was nearly impossible to forget him. This collection of the Sermons of this worthy and pious man breathe the true spirit of Christian excellence, and are well calculated to make all who read them both wiser and better. No family should be without this good book. Tins is a large Octavo volume, printed on fine paper, with Tivo Elegant Steel Plates, and bound in a durable and handsome style, and is sold at the extremely low price of Only One Dollar and Fifty Gents. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. JFAKMERS' BAEN-BOOKf BY CLATER, YOUATT, SKINNER, AND MILLS. CONTAININCJ THE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENT OF ALL THE DISEASES INCIDENT TO OXEN, SHEEP, AND SWINE ; THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF NEAT CATTLE; WITH AN ESSAY ON THE USE OF OXEN AND THE BREED OF SHEEP. STABLE MANAGEMENT, TREATMENT OF THE DISEASES OF HORSES; PLAIN AND PBACTICAL DIRECTIONS IN THE Choice and Purchase of Horses; DIRECTIONS HOW TO ASCERTAIN THE GOOD QUALITIES, AND DETECT THE FAULTS OF CARRIAGE, CART, AND SADDLE HORSES. One large 12mo. volume, neatly and strongly bound, and Illustrated with Numerous Engravings. And sold at the low price of ONE DOLLAR AND TWENTY-FIVE CENTS A COPY. This is one of the most useful works for the agriculturist that has ever been pub- lished in this country. On the score of self-interest alone, the most calculating, it may be supposed, will not hesitate to provide himself with a book, which, in teaching him the important practical facts contained herein, may enable him to save the life even of the meanest animal on his estate. The want of such a book would be an obvious defect in every farmer's house ; and this is one of the highest and most recent authority. J@" Let no farmer who values his own interest, neglect to procure a copy of it. - JLEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. | THE CHRISTIAN'S LEGACY; OR, BIBLE DIRECTORY. BY THE REV. WILLIAM JACKSON. TIIE CHRISTIAN'S LEGACY having gone through 10 editions, in a short space of time, the writer haf no other apology to offer for the 11th edition, than a belief of its proving useful to all Christians of every denomination. A conviction that a knowledge of the Bible, above all other books, is calculated "to make one wise f and that an advantage is given to the enemy by not attending to our Lord's admonition, " Search Ute Scrip- tures," led to an attempt to assist the inquirer in his " Search " after truth. The design of the work is, to make the reading and study of the Holy Scriptures more easy and delight- ful ; especially to those who have but few helps, little time for studying, or are young in years. The plan is new ; and the arrangement so simple, that no one, not even a child, need mistake it ; but may, without knowing a word of the Bible beforehand, find whatever the Scriptures contain on any subject, as readily as though he knew the whole Bible by heart. It is a handsome volume of 420 full pages, printed with good type, on clear, fine white paper; is hand- somely bound and lettered, with a striking likeness of the author. - The first 310 pages contain as many subjects, adapted to every state and condition of the Christian in Life, Death, the Grave, and beyond the grave, as far as the Bible goes but no farther: for there is not a sectarian expression to be found in the work. Each Page is complete of itself. The last 110 pages contain a compendium of every book in the Bible, with the history of the several writers, Ac. ; together with the character of the first Christians — the example — miracles — parables — and remarkable discourses of Christ — the prophecies with their fulfillment — figurative and symbolical language of the Bible, alphabetically arranged, with the import of each word — a description of the Jewish offerings ; and the different Sects mentioned in the Scriptures— Scriptural difficulties accounted for — fate of the Evangelists and Apostles — Hebrew offices — a Pronouncing Dictionary of the " hard names " in the Old and New Testament, 4c. An alphabetical Index is placed in the former part of the book, and by consulting which, the reader may readily find an answer to any question, that may be asked him by any Bible question-book, or individual ■ providing, that it is a question that would benefit any one to have answered, is not Sectarian, and is one that the Bible can answer. The following are only a few of the names and residences of the Clergy, of various denominations, whi have patronized and recommended the Christian's Legacy : Providence, R. I.: Rev. Messrs. Tucker, Vinten, Mackreading, Dowling, Taylor, Ilall. — Newport, R. I . : Rev. Messrs. Watson, Vinten, Smith. — Pawtuckett, R. I. : Rev. Mr. Gonsalves. — Lowell, Mass. : Rev. Messrs Blanchard, Hanks, Burnap, Edson, McCoy, Sarjent, Brewster, Hoes, Porter, Woodman, Thurstan, Cole. New Bedford, Mass. : Rev. Messrs. Knight, Hawley, Howes, Dawes. — Fall River, Mass. : Rev. Messrs. Fow- ler, Russell, Taylor.— Charlestown, Mass. : Rev. Mr. Greene. — Brookline, Mass.: Rev. Mr. Shailer. — Nlw- burtport, Mass. : Rev. Messrs. Campbell, Stemes, Pike. — Grafton, Mass. : Rev. Mr. Richards. — Cabotstille, Mass.: Rev. Mr. Scott. — Taunton, Mass. : Rev. Mr. Eldridge. — Miliord, Mass. : Rev. Messrs. Long, Tozer. — Holliston, Mass. : Rev. Messrs. Matlack, Rice. — Pocasset, Mass. : Rev. Mr. Wallen. — Rochester, Mass. : Rev. Mr. Clarke. — Mansfield, Mass.: Rev. Messrs. Culver, Latham. — Upton, Mass.: Rev. Messrs. Wood, Billiard, Eastman. — Dorchester, Mass.: Rev. Mr. Boyden. — E. Cambridge, Mass. Rev. Mr. Wilson. — Haverhill, Mass. : Rev. Mr. Plummer. — Malden, Mass.: Rev. Mr. McLeisb. — Hartford, Conn.: Rev. Messrs. Hodgson, Eaton. — New Haven, Conn.: Rev. Messrs. Teasdale, Law. — Portsmouth, N. H. : Rev. Messrs. Davis, Harris. — Dover, N. II.: Rev. Sir. Mason. — Brooklyn, N. Y. : Rev. Messrs. Youngs, Burnett. — Williamsburg, L. I.: Rev. Mr. Roberts. — Newark, N. J.: Rev. Messrs. Whittaker, Lenhart. — Elizabethtown, N.J. : Rev. Messrs. Magie, Greene. — Boston, Mass. : Rev. Messrs. Meyrell, Russell, Kartoll, Winslow, Phelps, Kirk, Pierce, Huested, Clarke, Sharpe, Raymond, Read, Motte, Sarjent, Pierpont, Parkbam, Barrett, Gannett, Gray, Robbins. — New York . Rev. Messrs. Bond, Levings, Hangs, Stocking, Nichols, Cheney, Bangs, Seney, Withey, Martyn, Ja- cobs. — Philadelphia, Pa. : Rev. Messrs. Burrows, Lincoln, Suddards, McKnight, Onins, Cooper, Stockton, Keller, Ewell.White. — Lancaster, Pa. : Rev. Mr. Gerry.— Reading, Pa. : Rev. Mr. Schoch. — Columbia, Pa. : Rev. Mr. Humphrey. Published by LEARY & delphia. Price only $1.25. GETZ, 138 North Second Street, Phil* — SIMM'S LIFE OF GENERAL GREENE, THE LIFE OF NATHANAEL GREENE, MAJOR-GENERAL IN THE ARMY OF THE REVOLUTION. BY W. GILMORE SIMMS, Author of "LIFE OF MARION," "CAPT. JOHN SMITH," etc., etc This work is compiled from the most authentic sources, and contains in- teresting and authentic accounts of some of the most important events in the Revolutionary Struggle. In one handsome 12mo. volume, bound in Arabesque, and Illustrated with numerous Engravings. PRICE only $1.25. THE LIFE m ADVENTURES OP T OiW THUM B. This is a New and Enlarged Edition of this popular Tale for little Boys and Girls, with new and beautiful Illustrations, making it an attractive and desirable acqui- sition to the Juvenile Library. In one 16mo. volume, cloth binding. PRICE only 50 CENTS. STORIES OF THE Wars of 1812 and Mexico. A NEW and attractive Juvenile volume, in which we have endeavored to make the Stories of these Wars suffi- ciently attractive to win that degree of attention and interest which will insure a future study of American his- tory. In one 16mo. voL, elegantly Illustrated, cloth. Only 50 CENTS. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia. THE Historical Cabinet, CONTAINING AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS OF MANY REMARKABLE AND INTERESTING EVENTS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN MODERN TIMES. Carefully collected and compiled from various authentic sources, and not to be found in any one work hitherto published. In one volume 12mo. of 516 pages, with numerous Engravings* Price $1.25. THE FAMILY SABBATH-DAY MISCELLANY: COMPRISING OVER THREE HUNDRED RELIGIOUS TALES AND ANECDOTES, ORIGINAL AND SELECT. WITH OCCASIONAL REFLECTIONS, ADAPTED TO THE USE OF FAMILIES ON THE LORD'S DAY. BY €. A. GOODRICH. 1 vol. 12mo., 540 pages, illustrated. Price $1.25. TRULY INT EREST ING TALES. ARTHUR'S SIX NIGHTS "WITH THE WASHINGTONIANS. These Tales are told in Arthur's best style* and are much admired by all who read them. Illustrated with Cruikshank's eight Plates of THE BOTTLE, Which are of themselves worth the cost of the book. 18mo. cloth, 277 pages. Price 50 cents. LEAHY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street, Philadelphia -... .». a ..*. THE WARS OF 1812 AND WITH MEXICO ! TO MATCH THE HEROES _ OF THE REVOLUTION. 51 Price only Two Dollars and Fifty Cents. THE BES T HISTORY OF THESE WARS EVER PU BLISHED, THE MILITARY HEROES OP THE WAS OF 1812, AND THB WAR WITH MEXICO: WITH HISTORICAL NARRATIVES OF THOSE WARS. BY CHARLES J, PETERSON. THE MILITARY HEROES OF THE WARS OF 1812 AND MEXICO ^ CONTAIN Complete Histories of those Wars; is of the causes which gave rise to them, the;' CELEBRATED BATTLES ♦Giving authentic narratives of the causes which gave rise to them, their progress and tarmination, with vivid descriptions of the Tippecanoe, Detroit, Fort HarrUon, Queenstoton, Lundy's Lane, Yorktown, LaJce Erie, Tke Thames, Talluskatchee, Emuckfato, Fort Erie, Neto -Orleans, dec*, dec. Palo Alto, Resaca de la Paltna, Fort Brown, Monterey, Buena Vista, Puebla de Taos, Los Angelas, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Gontreras, Chvrubusco, Chapultepec, Molino del Bey, Huamantla, dec, £c. TO THE CAPITULATION OF THE CITY OF MEXICO TOGETHER WITH IMPARTIAL BIOfiRAFHIES Of an the prominent actors engaged in these wars, among which will be found William Hull James Winchester, Zebulon BI. Pike, Henry Dearborn, Jamks Wilkinson, John Armstrong George Croghan, Wm. H. Harrison, Richard M. Johnson, Isaac Shelby, Jacob Brown, E. W. Ripley, James Miller, Nathan Towson, Thomas S. Jessup, E. P. Gaines, Peter B. Por- ter, Alexander Macomb, Samuel Smith, Andrew Jackson, fee. Zachary Taylor, Samuel Ringgold, Charles May, Wm. O.Butler, Wm. 5 . Worth, John E. Wool, Stephen W.Kearny John C. Fremont, A. W. Doniphan, Samuel H. Walkek, Winfield Sc#tt, David E. Twiggs Robert Patterson, Persifef. F. Smith, James Shields, James Duhcan, BenneT Riley, John A. Quitman, Joseph Lans, Gideon J. Pillow, George Cadwalader, Wm. S. Harney, Frank- lin Pierce, Rt>GER Jones, &c. And is illustrated with the following ELEGANT LARGE ENGRAVINGS. Portraits of Generals Scott, Brown, Jackson, Taylor, Butler, Worth, Shie.ds, Quitman, Cadwa lader, and Captain Walker. Battles of Plattsburg, The Thames, New Orleans, Resaca de Ja PaJma, Mon- terey, Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, and Churubusco, &c. And more than TWO HUNDRED OTHER FINE ENGRAVINGS, Comprising Portraits of Generals Pike, Dearbcrn, Wilkinson, Armstrong, Harrison, Shelby, Ripley, Miller, Towson, Gaines, Porter, Macomb, and Smith, Santa Anna, Paredes, Wool, Kearny, Twiggs, Patterson, Pillow, and Jones. Colonels R. M. Johnson, Croghan, Fremont, Cross, May, and Majors Ringgold, M*Cnllogh, Sec. All the important Battles, Views of Cities, Forts, and every other object wort£7 of notice. LEARY & GETZ, Publishers, No. 138 North Second Street , PhUadelvhi*. Just published Complete, in Two Imperial Octavo V Volumes, of S40 Pages each, CHAMBERS'S OR, POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA, EMBRACING ALL THE BRANCHES OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO CONSTITUTE A WELL INFORMED MAN. "1 Thx Work has bbk» Edited bt ah accomplish-to American Sch»l*r, who, without impairing in the slightest degree the integrity of the original text, has added such notes, and made such corrections and additions as were necessary to adapt it to the wants of the American public. The plan on which the work is formed, was to select only the subjects on which it is important that a people, who feel the value of sound education, should be well informed. The minutvz of biography, topography, scientific technicalities, and other matters to which there may be only need for occasional reference, are dismissed, and thus what usually fills the greater part of an Encyclopaedia is at once got rid of. There only remains a series of articles on the MOST IMPORTANT BRANCHES OF SCIENCE, PHYSICAL, MATHEMATICAL, AND MORAL; NATURAL HISTORY, POLITICAL HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND GENERAL LITERATURE. All is given Which, if studied and received into the mind, would make an individual, in the common walks of life, A WELL INFORMED MAN. While. With a few exceptions, only that is omitted which is not needed as a part of the standing knowledge of any person whatever, besides those for whom it may have a professional or local interest. INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE, Therefore, is an ENCYCLOPAEDIA including such knowledge only as tends to improve every mind possessing it — such knowledge as expands, liberalizes, and fertilizes. The ruling objects of the accom- plished authors, the Messrs. Chambers, have been to give what may be expected to prove the means of SELF-EDUCATION to the people generally, whether enjoying the means of academic instruction or not. AIW'ORG THE SUBJECTS TREATED ARE Astronomy, Geography, Geology. Physical Hist'y of Man, Ancient History — Egypt, Arabia-Petraa, History of the Jews — Palestine, History of Greece and Rome, History of the Middle Ages, History of Great Britain and Ireland, Constitution and Resour- ces of the British En> Descriptions of— England, London, Scotland, Ireland, British America, United States, Australia, Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand, South America, West Indies, East Indies, China andtheTeaTrade, Ocean — Maritime Discovery, Navigation, The Whale- Whale Fisheries, Conveyance — Roads, Canals, Railways, Zoology, Account of the Human Body, Vegetable Physiology, Botany. Natural Theology, History of the Bible — Christianity, Private Duties of Life Public and Social Duties of Life, Life and Maxims of Franklin, Preservation of Health, Commerce — Money, Banks, History and Nature of Laws. 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ILLUSTRATED CHRISTIAN MARTYROLO BEING AN AUTHENTIC AND GENERAL HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE PMJrCIPAL, PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE (1HURCH OF CHRIST, IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD, COMPILED FROM THE LATEST SOURCES, BY REV. C. SPARRY. ILLUSTRATED WITH 24 FINE ENGRAVINGS, And handsomely bound in Arabesque gilt. Price $1.50. In red morocco, full gilt sides and back, and gilt edges, $2.00. This valuable work contains a History of the The Lives of Doctor JSgidio, Doctor Cons tan- tine, Nicholas Burton, and Wm. Gardener. The Persecutions in Italy. The Persecutions in Calabria. Individuals Martyred in different parts of Italy. The Persecutions of the Marquisate of Saluces. The Persecutions in the Valtoline. Persecutions in Bohemia. General Persecutions in Germany. Persecutions in England during the rei<*n of Henry IV. Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London. Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Arch- bishop of Canterbury. 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