cution for conscience sake," says Dr. Doddridge, "is every way inconsistent, because, 1. It is founded on an absurd supposition that one man has a right to judge for another in matters of religion.2. It is evidently opposite to that fundamental principle of morality, that we should do to others as we could reasonably desire they should do to us.-3. It is by no means calculated to answer the end which its patrons profess to intend by it.-4. It evidently tends to produce a great deal of mischief and confusion in the world.-5. The Christian religion must, humanely speaking, be not only obstructed, but destroyed, should persecuting principles universally prevail.-6. Persecution is so far from being required or encouraged by the Gospel that it is most directly contrary to many of its precepts, and indeed to the whole of it."

The chief objects who have fell a prey to this diabolical spirit have been Christians; a short account of whose sufferings we shall here give, as persecuted by Jews, Heathens, and those of the same

name.

I. Persecution of Christians by the Jews. Here we need not be copious, as the New Testament will inform the reader more particularly how the first Christians suffered for the cause of truth. Jesus Christ himself was exposed to it in the greatest degree. The four evangelists record the dreadful scenes, which need not here be enlarged on. After his death, the apostles suffered every evil which the malice of the Jews could in

vent, and their mad zeal execute. They who read the Acts of the Apostles, will find that, like their Master, they were despised and rejected of men, and treated with the utmost indignity and contempt.

II. Persecution of Christians by the Heathen., Historians usually reckon ten general persecutions, the first of which was under the emperor Nero, thirty-one years after our Lord's ascension, when that emperor, having set fire to the city of Rome, threw the odium of that execrable action on the Christians. First, those were apprehended who openly avowed themselves to be of that sect; then by them were discovered an immense multitude, all of whom were convicted. Their death and tortures were aggravated by cruel derision and sport; for they were either covered with the skins of wild beasts, and torn in pieces by devouring dogs, or fastened to crosses, and wrapped up in combustible garments, that, when the day-light failed, they might, like torches, serve to dispel the darkness of the night. For this tragical spectacle Nero lent his own gardens; and exhibited at the same time the public diversions of the circus; sometimes driving a chariot in person, and sometimes standing as a spectator, while the shricks of women burning to ashes supplied music for his cars.-2. The second general persecution was under Domitian, in the year 95, when 40,000 were supposed to have suffered martyrdom.-3. The third began in the third year of Trajan, in the year 100, and was

sides 700,000 that died through the fatigues of banishment, or the public works to which they were condemned.

III. Persecution of Christians by those of the same name. Numerous were the persecutions of different sects from Constantine's time to the reformation; but when the famous Martin Luther arose; and opposed the errors and ambition of the church of Rome, and the sentiments of this good man began to spread, the pope and his clergy joined all their forces to hinder their progress. A general council of the clergy was called: this was the famous council of Trent, which was held for near eighteen successive years, for the

carried on with great violence for || ten years, houses filled with Chrisseveral years.-4. The fourth was tians were set on fire; and whole under Antoninus, when the Chris-droves were tied together with tians were banished from their ropes, and thrown into the sea. houses, forbidden to shew their It is related that 17,000 were heads, reproached, beaten, hurried slain in one month's time; and from place to place, plundered, that, during the continuance of imprisoned, and stoned.-5. The || this presecution, in the province fifth began in the year 197, under of Egypt alone, no less than Severus, when great cruelties were 144,000 Christians died by the committed. In this reign hap-violence of their persecutors; bepened the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas, and their companions. Perpetua had an infant at the breast, and Felicitas was just delivered at the time of their being put to death. These two beautiful and amiable young women, mothers of infant children, after suffering much in prison. were exposed before an insulting multitude, to a wild cow, who mangled their bodies in a most horrid manner: after which they were carried to a conspicuous place, and put to death by the sword.-6. The sixth began with the reign of Maximinus, in 235.-7. The seventn, which was the most dreadful ever known, began in 250, under the emperor Decius, when the Chris-purpose of establishing popery in tians were in all places driven greater splendor, and preventing from their habitations, stripped of the reformation. The friends to their estates, tormented with racks, the reformation were anathematiz&c.-8. The eighth began in 257, ed and excommunicated, and the under Valerian. Both men and life of Luther was often in danger, women suffered death, some by though at last he died on the bed scourging, some by the sword, and of peace. From time to time insome by fire.-9. The ninth was numerable schemes were suggestunder Aurelian, in 274; but this ed to overthrow the reformed was inconsiderable, compared with church, and wars were set on foot the others before-mentioned.-10. for the same purpose. The inThe tenth began in the nineteenth || vincible armada, as it was vainly year of Dioclesian, 303. In this called, had the same end in view. dreadful persecution, which lasted | The inquisition, which was estab

was now more effectually set to work. Terrible persecutions were carried on in various parts of Germany, and even in Bohemia, which continued about thirty years, and the blood of the saints was said to flow like rivers of water. The countries of Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary, were in a similar manner deluged with Protestant blood. In

HOLLAND,

lished in the 12th century against || the marriage of the king of Nathe Waldenses (see INQUISITION)|| varre with the French king's sister. The queen dowager of Navarre, a zealous Protestant, however was poisoned by a pair of gloves before the marriage was solemnized. Coligni, admiral of France, was basely murdered in his own house, and then thrown out of the window to gratify the malice of the duke of Guise: his head was afterwards cut off, and sent to the king and queen-mother; and his body, after a thousand indignities offered to it, hung up by the feet on a gibbet. After this the murderers ravaged the whole city of Paris, and butchered, in three days, above ten thousand lords, gentlemen, presidents, and people of all ranks. An horrible scene of things, says Thuanus, when the very streets and passengers resounded with the noise of those that met together for murder and plunder: the groans of those who were dying, and the shrieks of such as were just going to be butchered, were every where heard; the bodies of the slain thrown out of the windows; the courts and chambers of the houses filled with them; the dead bodies of others dragged through the streets; their blood running down the channels in such plenty, that torrents seemed to empty themselves in the neighbouring river: in a word, an innumerable multitude of men, women with child, maidens, and children, were all involved in one common destruction; and the gates and entrances of the king's palace all besmeared with their blood. From the city of Paris the massacre spread throughout

and in the other low countries, for many years the most amazing cruelties were exercised under the merciless and unrelenting hands of the Spaniards, to whom the inhabitants of that part of the world were then in subjection. Father Paul observes, that these Belgic martyrs were 50,000; but Grotius and others observe that they were 100,000, who suffered by the hand of the executioner. Herein, however, Satan and his agents failed of their purpose; for in the issue great part of the Netherlands shook off the Spanish yoke, and erected themselves into a separate and independent state; which has ever since been considered as one of the principal Protestant countries of the universe.

FRANCE.

No country, perhaps, has ever produced more martyrs than this. After many cruelties had been exercised against the Protestants, there was a most violent persecution of them in the year 1572, in the reign of Charles IX. Many of the principal Protestants were invited to Paris under a solemn oath of safety, upon occasion of VOL. II.

I i

the whole kingdom. In the city || the Christian world; and that, on the Monday after, solemn mass should be celebrated in the church of Minerva, at which the pope, Gregory XIII, and cardinals were present; and that a jubilee should be published throughout the whole Christian world, and the cause of it declared to be, to return thanks to God for the ex

truth and church in France. In the evening the cannon of St. Angelo were fired to testify the public joy; the whole city illuminated with bonfires; and no one sign of rejoicing omitted that was usually made for the greatest victories obtained in favour of the Roman church!!!

of Meaux they threw above two hundred into gaol; and after they had ravished and killed a great number of women, and plundered the houses of the Protestants they executed their fury on those they had imprisoned; and calling them one by one, they were killed, as Thuanus expresses, like sheep in a market. In Orleans they mur-tirpation of the enemies of the dered above five hundred, men, women, and children, and enriched themselves with their spoil. The same cruelties were practised at Angers, Troyes, Bourges, La Charite, and especially at Lyons, where they inhumanly destroyed above eight hundred Protestants; children hanging on their parents necks; parents embracing their But all these persecutions were, children; putting ropes about the however, far exceeded in cruelty necks of some, dragging them by those which took place in the through the streets, and throwing time of Louis XIV. It cannot be them, mangled, torn, and half pleasant to any man's feelings, dead, into the river. According who has the least humanity, to to Thuanus, above 30,000 Pro- recite these dreadful scenes of testants were destroyed in this horror, cruelty, and devastation; massacre; or, as others affirm, but to shew what superstition, above 100,000. But what aggra- bigotry, and fanaticism, are cavated these scenes with still great-pable of producing, and for the er wantonness and cruelty, was, purpose of holding up the spithe manner in which the news rit of persecution to contempt, was received at Rome. When the letters of the pope's legate were read in the assembly of the cardinals, by which he assured the pope that all was transacted by the express will and command of the king, it was immediately decreed that the pope should march with his cardinals to the church of St. Mark, and in the most solemn manner give thanks to God for so great a blessing conferred on the see of Rome and

we shall here give as concise a detail as possible. The troopers, soldiers, and dragoons went into the Protestants' houses, where they marred and defaced their household stuff; broke their looking glasses and other utensils; threw about their corn and wine; sold what they could not destroy; and thus, in four or five days, the Protestants were stripped of above a million of money. But this was not the worst: they turned the

by the hair, and some by their feet, on hooks in chimneys, and smoked them with wisps and wet, hay till they were suffocated. They tied some under the arms with ropes, and plunged them again and again into wells; they bound others, put them to the tor

with wine till the fumes of it took away their reason, when they made them say they consented to be Catholics. They stripped them na

nities, stuck them with pins and needles from head to foot. In some places they tied fathers and husbands to their bed-posts, and,

wives and daughters with impunity. They blew up men and women with bellows till they burst them. If any, to escape these barbarities, endeavoured to save themselves by flight, they pursu

dining rooms of gentlemen into stables for horses, and treated the owners of the houses where they quartered with the greatest cruelty, lashing them about, not suffering them to eat or drink. When they saw the blood and sweat run down their faces, they sluiced them with water, and putting overture, and with a funnel filled them their heads kettle-drums turned upside down, they made a continual din upon them till these unhappy creatures lost their senses. At Negreplisse, a town near Mon-ked, and after a thousand indignitaubon, they hung up Isaac Favin, a Protestant citizen of that place, by his arm-pits, and tormented him a whole night by pinching and tearing off his flesh with pin-before their eyes, ravished their cers. They made a great fire round about a boy, twelve years old, who, with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven cried out, "My God, help me!" and when they found the youth resolved to die rather than renounce his reli-ed them into the fields and woods, gion, they snatched him from the where they shot at them like wild fire just as he was on the point of beasts, and prohibited them from being burnt. In several places the departing the kingdom (a cruelty soldiers applied red hot irons to never practised by Nero and Diothe hands and feet of men, and clesian), upon pain of confiscation the breasts of women. At Nantes, of effects, the galleys, the lash, and they hung up several women and perpetual imprisonment. With maids by their feet, and others by these scenes of desolation and their arm-pits, and thus exposed horror the Popish clergy feasted them to public view stark-naked. their eyes, and made only a matThey bound mothers, that gave ter of laughter and sport of them! suck, to posts, and let their sucking ENGLAND infants lie languishing in their sight for several days and nights, crying and gasping for life. Some they bound before a great fire, and, being half roasted, let them go; a punishment worse than death. Amidst a thousand hideous cries, they hung up men and women

has also been the seat of much persecution. Though Wickliffe, the first reformer, died peaceably in his bed, yet such was the malice and spirit of persecuting Rome, that his bones were ordered to be dug up, and cast on a dung-hill. The remains of this excellent man