ligion, he grew fully sensible of the errors The year after FRANCIS GAMBA, a Lomof popery, and soon became a zealous prot-bard, of the protestant persuasion, was apestant in his heart. prehended, and condemned to death by the He now determined to expound, accord-senate of Milan. At the place of execuing to the purity of the gospel, St. Paul'stion, a monk presented a cross to him; to Epistles to the Romans, in a regular course whom he said: " My mind is so full of the of sermons. The concourse of people that {real merits and goodness of Christ, that I continually attended his preaching was sur- want. not a piece of senseless stick to put prising; but when the priests found theme in mind of him." For this expression tenor of his doctrines, they despatched an his tongue was bored through, and he was account of the affair to Rome; when the afterward burnt. (See engraving.) pope sent a monk, named Cornelius, to A. D. 1555, ALGERIUS, a student in the Bononia, to expound the same epistles ac-university of Padua, and a man of great cording to the tenets of the church of Rome. learning, having embraced the reformed reThe people, however, found such a dis-ligion, did all he could to convert others. parity between the two preachers, that the For these proceedings he was accused audience of Mollius increased, and Corne- of heresy to the pope, and being apprelius was forced to preach to empty ben-hended, was committed to the prison at ches. Venice, where being allowed the use of pen, ink, and paper, he wrote to his converts at Padua the following celebrated epistle : 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. "DEAR FRIENDS: I can not omit this opportunity of letting you know the sincere pleasures I feel in my confinement; to suffer for Christ is delectable, indeed; to undergo a little transitory pain in this world, for his sake, is cheaply purchasing a reversion of eternal glory, in a life that is everlasting. "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, certain, and full of joy. He that was far from me is now present with me; he comforts my spirits, heals my griefs, strengthens my mind, refreshes my heart, and fortifies my And all these he confirmed from scrip ture authority. The pope, upon this occasion, for political reasons, spared him for the present, but soon after had him appre-soul. hended, and put to death; he being first hanged, and his body burnt to ashes, A. D. 1553. Learn, therefore, how merciful and amiable the Lord is, who supports his servants under temptations, expels their sorrows, lightens their afflictions, and even } visits them with his glorious presence, in to judge of my sensations upon the occathe gloom of a dismal dungeon. "Your sincere friend, "ALGERIUS." sion; my tears now wash the paper upon which I give you the recital. Another thing I must mention, the patience with which they met death: they seemed all resignation and piety, fervently praying to God, and cheerfully encountering their fate. I can not reflect, without shuddering, how the executioner held the bloody knife between his teeth; what a dreadful figure heap} peared, all covered with blood, and with what unconcern he executed his barbarous office." A young Englishman, who happened to be at Rome, was one day passing by a church, when the procession of the host This action so provoked the people, that they would have torn him to pieces upon the spot; but the priests persuaded them to let him abide by the sentence of the pope. The pope, being informed of Algerius's great learning, and surprising natural abilities, thought it would be of infinite service to the church of Rome, if he could induce him to forsake the protestant cause. He, therefore, sent for him to Rome, and tried, by the most profane promises, to win him to his purpose. But finding his endeavors ineffectual, he ordered him to be burnt, which sentence was executed accordingly. JOHN ALLOYSIUS, being sent from Geneva 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 he snatched it from him, threw it upon the Bovellus, for the same reason, was burnt at ground, and trampled it under his feet, cryMessina. ing out: "Ye wretched idolators, that negA. D. 1560, Pope Pius the Fourth order-lect the true God to adore a morsel of ed all the protestants to be severely perse-bread." cuted throughout the Italian states, when great numbers of every age, sex, and condition, suffered martyrdom. Concerning the cruelties practised upon this occasion, 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 unnecessary; I tremble at the manner of 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 in among them, picked out one from among the rest, blindfolded him, led him out to an open place before the prison, and cut his throat with the greatest composure. He then calmly walked into the prison again, bloody as he was, and with the knife in his hand selected another, and despatched him in the same manner; and this, my lord, he repeated, till the whole number were put to death. I leave it to your lordship's feelings When the affair was represented to the pope, he was so greatly exasperated that he ordered the prisoner to be burnt immediately; but a cardinal dissuaded him from this hasty sentence, saying, it was better to punish him by slow degrees, and to torture 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, notwithstanding which they could only get these words from him: It was the will of God that I should do what I did.” The pope then passed this sentence upon him :— 1. That he should be led by the execu tioner, naked to the middle, through the streets of Rome; 2. That he should wear the image of the devil upon his head ; 3. That his breeches should be painted with the representation of flames; } 4. That he should have his right hand the stake. A monk presenting the figure cut off; 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. 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 procession, overhearing him, ordered him to be 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 A little after the last-mentioned execution, a venerable old man, who had long been a prisoner in the inquisition, was condemned 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 commandments, 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 marquisate of Saluces, in the practice of the religion which we on the south side of the have always professed, and which our fathers have professed before us. In this we shall acquit our consciences, without pally inhabited by prot-offending any; for we are sensible that our estants; when the mar-religion is founded on the Holy Scriptures, quis, who was proprietor of it, began a by whose precepts we are commanded not prosecution against them at the instigation to injure our neighbors. of the pope. He began by banishing the ministers, and if any of them refused to leave their flocks they were sure to be imprisoned, and severely tortured; however, he did not proceed so far as to put any to death. Soon after the marquisaté 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 conform to go to mass. The inhabitants of Saluces, upon receiving this letter, returned for answer the following general epistle : "May it please your highness: We humbly entreat your permission to continue "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 his dominions in fifteen days. The prot-in order to avoid banishment, and preserve Some were weak enough to go to mass, seized, plundered, and put to death. T THE PERSECUTIONS IN THE VALTOLINE. } HIS fine district belonged Hanging. to the Grison lords, who, Broiling. as pretty sovereigns, had { Ripping open. 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 preaching, 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 account of his family, having a number of children. This papists, however, told him, that was no time for mercy, unless he woul enounce his faith. To which he replied. "God forbid, that to save this temporary life, I should deny my Redeemer, and perish eternally." These words were scarcely out of his mouth, when they fell upon him, and cut him to pieces. Cutting the throat. Frying in a dry par Beheading. Stoning. In short, in Tell and its neighborhood there only escaped, with their lives, thre persons, who happily passed the Alps, and secured themselves in Rhetia. The papists, having thus exterminated the protestants at Tell, now marched in triumph to a town at some miles' distance and persuading the popish inhabitants to join them, they determined to repeat the same bloody tragedy. Being informed, by two friars, that a protestant congregation was then assembled in the town, they went to the place, surrounded it, shot many through the windows, knocked others on the head who attempted to run out, and then setting the place on fire, burnt the rest. After thus destroying those who had met together to serve God, they visited the private houses of protestants, and having murdered all they could find, proceeded with drums beating, and colors flying, to The chief magistrate of the village being the town of Sondress. On their approach, a protestant, they broke into his house, and the papists of the town pretended, they did murdered him and his whole family. Wo-not approve of the proceedings of those men and girls they put to death by various who were coming; and, therefore, if the means, viz.:protestants thought proper to put confidence 1 |