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FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS
OR
A HISTORY OF THE
LIVES, SUFFERINGS, AND TRIUMPHANT DEATHS
OF THE
PRIMITIVE PROTESTANT MARTYRS
FROM THE
INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY
TO THE
LATEST PERIODS OF PAGAN, POPISH, AND INFIDEL
PERSECUTIONS
EMBRACING, TOGETHER WITH THE USUAL SUBJECTS CONTAINED IN SIMILAR WORKS
The recent persecutions in the cantons of Switzerland; and the
persecutions of the Methodist and Baptist Missionaries in the West
India Islands; and the narrative of the conversion, capture, long
imprisonment, and cruel sufferings of Asaad Shidiak, a native of
Palestine.
LIKEWISE
A SKETCH OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
AS CONNECTED WITH PERSECUTION
COMPILED FROM FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS, AND OTHER AUTHENTIC SOURCES
THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO.
CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA TORONTO
PREFACE.
This work is strictly what its title page imports, a COMPILATION. Fox's
"Book of Martyrs" has been made the basis of this volume. Liberty,
however, has been taken to abridge wherever it was thought
necessary;--to alter the antiquated form of the phraseology; to
introduce additional information; and to correct any inaccuracy
respecting matters of fact, which had escaped the author of the original
work, or which has been found erroneous by the investigation of modern
research.
The object of this work, is to give a brief history of persecution since
the first introduction of christianity, till the present time. In doing
this, we have commenced with the martyrdom of Stephen, and following the
course of events, have brought the History of persecution down to the
year 1830. In all ages, we find that a disposition to persecute for
opinion's sake, has been manifested by wicked men, whatever may have
been their opinions or sentiments on religious subjects. The intolerant
jew, and the bigoted pagan, have exhibited no more of a persecuting
spirit, than the nominal professor of christianity, and the _infidel_
and the avowed _atheist_. Indeed, it seems to be an "inherent vice," in
unsanctified nature to endeavour by the pressure of physical force, to
restrain obnoxious sentiments, and to propagate favourite opinions. It
is only when the heart has been renewed and sanctified by divine grace,
that men have rightly understood and practised the true principles of
toleration. We do not say that none but real christians have adopted
correct views respecting civil and religious liberty;--but we affirm
that these views owe their origin entirely to christianity and its
genuine disciples.
Though nearly all sects have persecuted their opponents, during a brief
season, when men's passions were highly excited, and true religion had
mournfully declined, yet no denomination except the papal hierarchy, has
adopted as an article of religious belief, and a principle of practical
observance, the right to destroy heretics for opinion's sake. The
decrees of councils, and the bulls of popes, issued in conformity with
those decrees, place this matter beyond a doubt. Persecution, therefore,
and popery, are inseparably connected; because claiming infallibility,
what she has once done is right for her to do again; yea, must be done
under similar circumstances, or the claims of infallibility given up.
There is no escaping this conclusion. It is right, therefore, to charge
upon popery, all the persecutions and horrid cruelties which have
stained the annals of the papal church during her long and bloody career
of darkness and crime. Every sigh which has been heaved in the dungeons
of the Inquisition--every groan which has been extorted by the racks and
instruments of torture, which the malice of her bigoted votaries,
stimulated by infernal wisdom, ever invented, has witnessed in the ear
of God, against the "Mother of Harlots;" and those kings of the earth,
who giving their power to the "Beast" have aided her in the cruel work
of desolation and death. The valleys of Piedmont, the mountains of
Switzerland, the vine crowned hills of Italy and France--and all parts
of Germany and the low countries, have by turns, been lighted by the
fires of burning victims, or crimsoned with the blood of those who have
suffered death at the hands of the cruel emissaries of popery. England
too, has drunken deep of the "wine of the fierceness of her wrath," as
the blood of Cobham, and the ashes of the Smithfield martyrs can
testify. Ireland and Scotland, likewise, have each been made the theatre
of her atrocities. But no where has the system been exhibited in its
native unalleviated deformity, as in Spain, Portugal and their South
American dependencies. For centuries, such a system of police was
established by the _Holy Inquisitors_, that these countries resembled a
vast whispering gallery, where the slightest murmur of discontent could
be heard and punished. Such has been the effect of superstition and the
terror of the Holy Office, upon the mind, as completely to break the
pride of the Castillian noble, and make him the unresisting victim of
every mendicant friar and "hemp-sandaled monk."
Moreover, the papal system has opposed the march of civilization and
liberty throughout the world, by denouncing the circulation of the
Bible, and the general diffusion of knowledge. Turn to every land where
popery predominates, and you will find an ignorant and debased
peasantry, a profligate nobility, and a priesthood, licentious,
avaricious, domineering and cruel.
But it may be asked, is popery the same system now as in the days of
Cardinal Bonner and the "Bloody Mary." We answer yes. It is the boast of
all catholics that their church never varies, either in spirit or in
practice. For evidence of this, look at the demonstrations of her spirit
in the persecutions in the south of France, for several years after the
restoration of the Bourbons, in 1814. All have witnessed with feelings
of detestation, the recent efforts of the apostolicals in Spain and
Portugal, to crush the friends of civil and religious liberty in those
ill-fated countries. The narrative of Asaad Shidiak, clearly indicates
that the spirit of popery, has lost none of its ferocity and
bloodthirstiness since the Piedmontese war, and the Bartholomew
massacre. Where it has power, its victims are still crushed by the same
means which filled the dungeons of the inquisition, and fed the fires of
the _auto de fe_.
This is the religion, to diffuse which, strenuous efforts are now making
in this country. Already the papal church numbers more than half a
million of communicants. This number is rapidly augmenting by emigration
from catholic countries, and by the conversion of protestant children
who are placed in their schools for instruction. The recent events in
Europe, will, no doubt, send to our shores hundreds of jesuit priests,
with a portion of that immense revenue which the papal church has
hitherto enjoyed. Another thing, which will, no doubt, favour their
views, is the disposition manifested among some who style themselves
_liberalists_, to aid catholics in the erection of mass houses,
colleges, convents and theological seminaries. This has been done in
numerous instances; and when a note of warning is raised by the true
friends of civil and religious liberty, they are treated as bigots by
those very men who are contributing of their substance to diffuse and
foster the most intolerant system of bigotry, and cruel, unrelenting
despotism, the world has ever seen. Other sects have persecuted during
some periods of their history; but all now deny the right, and reprobate
the practice except catholics. The right to destroy heretics, is a
fundamental article in the creed of the papal church. And wherever her
power is not cramped, she still exercises that power to the destruction
of all who oppose her unrighteous usurpation. All the blood shed by all
other christian sects, is no more in comparison to that shed by the
papacy, than the short lived flow of a feeble rill, raised by the
passing tempest, to the deep overwhelming tide of a mighty river, which
receives as tributaries, the waters of a thousand streams.
We trust the present work, therefore, will prove a salutary check to the
progress of that system whose practical effects have ever been, and ever
must be, licentiousness, cruelty, and blood.
The narratives of Asaad Shidiak, Mrs. Judson, the persecutions in the
West Indies, and in Switzerland, have never before been incorporated in
any book of Martyrs. They serve to show the hideous nature of
persecution, and the benefit of christian missions.
At the close of this volume will be found a sketch of the French
revolution of 1789, as connected with persecution. It has long been the
practice of infidels to sneer at christianity, because some of its
nominal followers have exhibited a persecuting spirit. And although they
knew that christianity condemns persecution in the most pointed manner,
yet they have never had the generosity to discriminate between the
system, and the abuse of the system by wicked men. Infidelity on the
other hand, has nothing to redeem it. It imposes no restraint on the
violent and lifelong passions of men. Coming to men with the Circean
torch of licentiousness in her hand, with fair promises of freedom, she
first stupefies the conscience, and brutifies the affections; and then
renders her votaries the most abject slaves of guilt and crime. This was
exemplified in the French revolution. For centuries, the bible had been
taken away, and the key of knowledge wrested from the people. For a
little moment, France broke the chains which superstition had flung
around her. Not content, however, with this, she attempted to break the
yoke of God: she stamped the bible in the dust, and proclaimed the
jubilee of licentiousness, unvisited, either by present or future
retribution. Mark the consequence. Anarchy broke in like a flood, from
whose boiling surge blood spouted up in living streams, and on whose
troubled waves floated the headless bodies of the learned, the good, the
beautiful and the brave. The most merciless proscription for opinion's
sake, followed. A word, a sigh, or a look supposed inimical to the
ruling powers, was followed with instant death. The calm which
succeeded, was only the less dreaded, because it presented fewer objects
of terrific interest, as the shock of the earthquake creates more
instant alarm, than the midnight pestilence, when it walks unseen,
unknown amidst the habitations of a populous city.
The infidel persecutions in France and Switzerland, afford a solemn
lesson to the people of this country. We have men among us now, most of
them it is true, vagabond foreigners, who are attempting to propagate
the same sentiments which produced such terrible consequences in France.
Under various names they are scattering their pestilent doctrines
through the country. As in France, they have commenced their attacks
upon the bible, the Sabbath, marriage, and all the social and domestic
relations of life. With flatteries and lies, they are attempting to sow
the seeds of discontent and future rebellion among the people. The
ferocity of their attacks upon those who differ from them, even while
restrained by public opinion, shews what they would do, provided they
could pull down our institutions and introduce disorder and wild
misrule. We trust, therefore, that the article on the revolution in
France, will be found highly instructive and useful.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS TO THE FIRST GENERAL PERSECUTIONS UNDER
NERO.
PAGE
Martyrdom of St. Stephen, James the Great, and Philip 16
Matthew, James the Less, Matthias, Andrew,
St. Mark and Peter 17
Paul, Jude, Bartholomew, Thomas, Luke, Simon,
John, and Barnabas 18