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^r-^J.^-'-^S^V^/'A
BOOK OF MAETYRS^^
A HISTORY OF THE LIVES, SUFFERINGS, AND TRIUMPHANT
^ DEATHS, OF MANY OF THE PRIMITIVE
^
PAGAN AND POPISH PERSECUTION.
'^ , PROTESTANT MARTYRS;
i 4M ^^-'^ TirB.CO:.IlfE\CEMENT OF CIIRISTIANlTy,
TO WniCH IS ADDED
AN ACCOUNT OF THE INQUISITION, THE BARTHOLO.-MEW MASSACRE IN FEANCB
THE GENERAL PERSECUTION UNDER LOUIS XIV., THE MASSACRE
IN THE IRISH EECELLION IN THE YEAR 1641-
FOURTH SEDITION.
•* And when he had opened the 5tli seal, I saw under the altar the Boub of
them that were slain for the word of God, aud lor the testimony which tlief
*»eld." — Rev. vi. 9.
NEW YORK.
CHARLES K. MOORE, 142, NASSAU STREET.
1846
Entered f.acconding^o^Act of'Qongress, in the yectr
1839, in the clerk's office of the district court of the
Northern District of New York.
PREFACE.
The basis of the following work is a volume pub-
lished as late as the year 1830. Beino^ too extensive
for general use, the editor has attempted such selec-
tion and abridgment, as, in his judgment, would
adapt it to a more-general circulation. He has aim-
ed to execute the work with fidelity, and to present
such a volume to the public, as the true history of
the times would justify. He has prefixed an intro-
duction, designed to show to the reader, that the prin-
ciples of the gospel do not justify persecution in any
form or manner whatever ; and which may serve, at
the same time, to display some of the causes which
have led pagans and papists to evince a bitter hostili-
ty to the true friends of Christianity.
No apology, it is thought, will be deemed necessary
for bringing forward such a work at this time. The
present depressed state of Popery, both in England
and on the continent, is no proof that its leading
principles have been abandoned. By means of vari-
ous revolutions, its power has been shaken, and, from
motives of policy, it has been compelled to cease from
blood ; but, in the language of a distinguished divine
of our own country, " not a principle of the system
has been abandoned. All the wiles of ages are put in
requisition now, to heal the fatal wounds which the
iV PREFACE.
beast has received, and to render the system still
more powerful and terrific."
To the American people, this subject presents it-
self with peculiar interest. Within a short period,
the attention of the Pope of Rome lias been directed
to North America, and systematic efforts are now
making, under his immediate patronage, and at his
expense, to introduce and estabhsh this corrupt sys-
tem in various parts of our land. Already Catholic
churches are erecting ; Catholic priests and emissa-
ries are arriving by scores ; publications, designed to
eulogize and recommend the system, are circulating
abroad.
The question presents itself to the American peo-
ple : " Shall this system find encouragement in the
land of the pilgrims ?" Is it not to be feared, from
all the movements of the pope at this day, influencing
monarchs under his control or influence, to send large
sums of money to Roman priests in this country,
which priests have been but a short time from Eu-
rope, to enable them to erect mass-houses, and school-
houses, to establish popery — I say, is it not to be
feared, that a deadly blow is aimed at the root of our
civil and religious principles? May not the question
be asked, — If such a thing was ever known in his-
tory, of hundreds of thousands of idolaters going into
a country, where the people professed to believe in
the Bible, and w^orshipped the only true God, creator
of heaven and earth, and making a stand, and build-
ing temples for their idols, and immediately claiming
all the privileges of citizens of the United States,
in a short time, from the constitution, notwithstand-
PREFACE. V
ing all the blood of protestants that has been shed
in the different awful massacres, the indescribable
sufferings of the Waldenses and Albigenses, the fires
at Smithfieldj and other parts of England ? Yet we
see hundreds and thousands of Roman Catholics,
from one part of our country to the other, who have
emigrated from different parts of Europe. Some pa-
rents have already begun to mourn their credulity in
committing their children to the charge of Jesuit
priests to receive an education, soon finding their love
and affection blunted, and the most endearing ties
severed, notwithstanding the most binding promise?
to make no attempt to change their religion. Thus
tender, unguarded youth and children, have been, by
their own tender parents, g^iven over into the hands
of their destroyers. But some have come away and
exposed them. And shall such a root of bitterness
be planted here ? A holy vigilance should guard v/ell
the approaches of an enemy, whose triumphs here
would be the ruin of that fair fabric which cost our
fathers so much toil to erect. What friend of Zion
does not tremble at only a possibility that papal dark-
ness and papal thraldom may over:>pread even a part
of our country? It can by no means be believed,
that the wise men who framed our excellent consti-
tution, meant by toleration to tolerate a band of rob-
bers or murderers, (for an inquisition can be consid-
ered no better,) who united together to murder and
rob other people, however religious they might pre-
tend to be ; but they intended to tolerate all persons
in their religious opinions, that did not injure or mo-
dest any other person in property or in person : so
1*
VI PREFACE.
that the constitution secures the privilege to any per-
son to worship as he pleases, so long as he does not
infringe on the privileges of others, to believe and
worship as they think best. The constitution de-
clares equal rights and privileges to all sects, to wor-
ship and believe as they please, while they injure no
other sects or persons. Then, most certainly, an in-
quisition was not intended to be tolerated by our good
and wholesome constitution ; since it will be seen at
once, that if an inquisition was tolerated, no other
sect could be tolerated ; and should papists get the
ascendency, we should soon see what the conse-
quence would be. The great question is before the
American people, — Does our constitution tolerate an
inquisition ? If it does not, whatever appears to ad-
vocate it, or has any dangerous appearance to the
liberty of any person, or are there suspicions that
there are instruments of torture secreted in cells un-
der mass-houses, have not the American people a
good right to examine ? Have they not a right to
search and investigate all these things? If it is an
extraordinary thing for hundreds and thousands of
Roman Catholic emigrants to be among us, should
we not be on our watch? The question may be
asked, — Have not tlie most powerful kingdoms and
empires of Europe been shaken and brought into
subjection by the intrigues and plots of Jesuit priests ?
and emperors suffering their necks to be trodden upon
by the pope, through fear of their lives, by the pope's
declaring their subjects free from allegiance to their
sovereigns ? And are they not aiming the blow at
our republican institutions, to undermine our civil
PREFACE. VU
and religious rights and privileges ? Is it not time
to be on our guard, before they shall gain the ascen-
dency? and we should look around us — the beasts
of prey all about us — and already beginning to seize
their victims — and we should then exclaim with sor-
row, how have we been asleep while surrounded by
our enemies ! and now we cannot prevent the evil.
The following work, it is believed, will present an
antidote to the insidious poison, attempted to be in-
fused into the minds of the unestablished and igno-
rant, by the professors of popery and its self-styled
" liberal ahcttorsP It is only necessary that the vol-
ume should be carefully and candidly read to con-
vince us that the papal system is not that harmless,
innocent thing, which some would represent. We
wish not, indeed, that the papists should be perse-
cuted ; we would say, protect them in their private
capacity, wherever they exist in the land ; but beware
of so encouraging them, as to bring the American
people under their temporal and spiritual domination.
It may be said, indeed it is said, that the perse-
cuting spirit of popery has passed away. But let it
be remembered that persecution is inseparable from
it — is its very essence. A Church, which pretends
to be infallible^ will always seek the destruction of
those who dissent from it. Until some further proof
is given to the world, than has yet been given of the
more mild and pacific spirit of popery, we shall be-
lieve that it is still as intolerant as when it spread its
desolating ravages through the unoffending valleys
of Piedmont ; or, at a subsequent period, lighted up
the consu miner fires of Smithfield.
INDEX.
A.
Abyssinia, persecutions in, 206.
Africa, persecutions in, 67, 81, 95.
Alban, first British martyr, 88.
Albigenses, persecutions of, 138, — success of, 148.
Alphage, account of, 125.
Apostles, lives, sufferings, and martyixioin of the, 46.
Arian heretics, persecutions by the, 112.
Arras, martyrdom at, 157.
Articles, act of the six, 281.
Askew, Anne, martyrdom of, 285.
Assassination plot, account of the, 427.
Auto da Fe at Madrid, 166, 169.
B.
Bax-bary, persecutions in the states of, 211,
Bezieres, siege of, 141.
" courage of the earl of, 142.
Bible, attempts to suppress the, 282.
Bohemia, persecutions in, 190.
Boleyn, Anne, coronation of, as queen of England, 270.
Bonner, bishop, scourging of Thomas Hinshaw by, 362.
Boralli, avarice and injustice of, 134,
Calabria, persecutions in, 212,
Catherine, Infanta of Spain, marriage of, with Henry VIII., 266.
— legality of her marriage doubted by that monarch, 267.
— appeal of, to the pope, 2G8
Christians, a general sacrifice of, 90.
Constantine, vision of, 104, — victory of, 105, — letter of, to the king
of Persia, in favour of Christians, 111.
Coo, Roger, martyrdom of, 336.
Coi-neford, John, and others, martyrdom of, 363.
Cranmer, Thomas, account of, 268, — made Archbishop of Canter-
bury, 270, — designs against, 295,— character of, 349, — re-
cantation of, 354— -death of, ib.
Crete, persecutions in, 75.
Cyprian, account of, 81.
Cyril, martyrdom of, 74.
X INDEX.
D.
Dauphiny, persecutions in, 135.
Dominic, author of the inqviisition, 133,
Dominicans and Franciscans, the most zealous friends of the in-
quisition, 159.
R
Earl Simon defeated by the Albigenses, 153.
Edward VI., progress of the Reformation in the reign of, 318 — sick-
ness and death of, 321.
Eliz'ibeth, princess, birth of, 271, — miraculous preservation of, 360.
triiiand, prof^ress of the Reformation in, in the reign of Henry
^ yiIL,261. ' ° ^
F.
Fabian, martyrdom of, 72.
Ferdinand, emperor, persecution by, 192.
France, persecution in, 129, — horrible massacre in. A, D, 1572,
183 — persecutions in, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centu-
ries, 242.
^'
George, St., martyrdom of, 103.
Georgia and Mingrelia, persecutions in, 211.
Germany, persecutions in, 190, 202, 253.
Gore, James, death of, 348,
Goths and Vandals, persecutions by, 119,
Grey, Lady Jane, declaration of, as queen, 323,
Gunpowder plot,.by the Papists, account of the, 392.
H.
Henry IV., submission of; to pope Gi-egory, 251.
Henry VIIL, history of his marriage with Catherine, 26(5, — with
Anne Boleyn, 269, — sickness and death of, 298.
Hunt, John, condemnation of, 365.
Huss, John, life, sufferings, and martyrdom of, 193.
I.
Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, martyrdom of, 57.
Images, impostures of, discovered, 279.
Inquisition, origin of, 133, 159, — mode of torturing in, 173, — bar-
barities of, in Spain and Portugal, 178,
Inquisitor, horrid treachery of an, 179.
Ireland, rise and progress of the protestant religion, and account of
the barbarous massacre in, 401.
Italy, martyrdoms in various parts of, 227.
J,
John, king, surrender of his crown to the pope, 252.
INDEX. XI
Julian, the apostate, persecutions under, 117.
Justin, martyrdom of, G3.
L.
Lateran, council of, 152.
Latimer, Hugh, life, sufferings, and martyrdom of, 337, — burning
of, 342.
Laurence, St., martyrdom of, 80.
Lincolnshire, rebellion in, 279.
Lollards, persecution of, 263. :
Louis XIV., inhuman conduct of, 245,
Luther, progress of the doctrines of, 264,
M.
Mahomet, account of, 206.
Mary, accession of, to the throne of England, 321, — coronation of,
326, — sanguinary proceedings of, ib. — death of, 367 — charae-
ter of, 36S.
Massacre, horrible, of Christian soldiers, 86, — barbarous, of protest-
ants in Ireland, 401.
Maximus and Licinius, death of, 105.
Molinos, Michael de, persecution of, 236, — sentence against, 24L
Monasteries, general visitations of the, 277.
N.
Naples, martyrdom in, 102.
Netherlands, persecutions in the, 203.
Northumberland, duke of, beheaded, 327.
Orange, assassination of the prince of, 204.
Origen, account of, 77.
P.
Paul, persecution of, 114.
Perpetua, singular fortitude of, 67.
Persecution, the first primitive, under Nero, 53, — second, imder Do-
mitian, 54, — third, under the Roman emperors, 56, — fourth,
under the same, 59, — fifth, 66, — sixth, 70, — seventh, 71,
eighth, 78,— ninth, 84,— tenth, 89.
Persecutors, vengeance of God towards, 106.
Persia, persecutions in, 108.
Piedmont, persecutions in the valleys of, 217, — in the 17th cen-
tury, 231.
Policy, Margaret, first female martyr in England, 333.
Polycarpus, martyrdom of, (>0.
Pope, power of, rejected by the English Parliament, 275.
Popes, causes of their great ascendency, 243.
Portugal, inquisition of, 170.
a.
Quietists, persecutions of the, 240.
Xll INDEX.
R.
Reformation, progress of the, in the reign of Henry VIII., 261, —
advocates of, favoured by the English court, 27G, — progress
of, in the reign of Edward VI., 318.
Rhodes, attack on, 208.
Ridley, Nicholas, martyrdom of, 337, — burning of, 342.
Rogers, John, martyrdom of, 328,
S.
Saluces, persecutions in the marquisate of, 230.
Saviour, history of, 41.
Savoy, noble conduct of the duke of, 218.
Schism in the Church of Rome, 255.
Scotland, persecution in, 801.
Simeon, martyrdom of, 109.
T.
Theodotus, martyrdom of, 97.
Thomas Tomkins, martyrdom of, 331.
Toulouse, earl of, persecuted, 139, — excommunicated, 147, — treach-
erously seized, 144, — surrender of, 149, — recovery of, 153.
V.
Valerian, emperor, fate of, 83.
Venice, persecutions in, 22G.
Vienna, siege of, 209.
W.
Waldenses, persecutions of the, in France, 129, — tenets of, 131,"
suffer mgs of, 136.
Waldo, Peter, account of, 130.
Wickliffe, account of, 254, — translation of the Bible by, 257.
Wickliffites, burning of, 259.
Wiseman, William, death of, 348.
Wishart, George, life, sufferings, and martyrdom of, 301.
Wolsey, cardinal, character of, 262, — disgraced, 269.
X.
Xist, St., affecting history of the inhabitants of, 213.
Y.
Yorkshire, rebellion in^ 279.
THE LIFE
REV. JOHN FOX
John Pox was born at Boston, in Lincolnshire, in
1517, where his parents are stated to have hved in
respectable circnmstances. He was deprived of his
father at an early age ; and notwithstanding his mo-
ther soon married again, he still remained under the
paternal roof. From an early display of talents and
inclination to learning, his friends were induced to
send him to Oxford, in order to cultivate and bring
them to maturity. During his residence at this place,
he was distinguished for the excellence and acuteness
of his intellect, which was improved by the emulation
of his fellow-collegians, united to an indefatigable
zeal and industry on his part. -, These qualities soon
gained him the admiration of all ; and as a reward for
his exertions and amiable conduct, he was chosen
fellow of Magdalen college ; which was accounted a
great honour in the university, and seldom bestowed
unless in cases of great distinction. It appears that
the first display of his genius was in poetry ; and that
he composed some Latin comedies, which are still
extant. But he soon directed his thoughts to a more
serious subject, the study of the sacred Scriptures :
to divinity, indeed, he applied himself with more fer-
vency than circumspection, and discovered his par-
tiality to the Reformation, which had then commenc-
ed, before he was known to its supporters or to those
who protected them ; a circumstance which proved
to him the source of his first troubles.
He is said to have often affirmed, that the first
matter which occasioned his search into the popish
14 LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN FOX.
doctrine, was, that he saw divers things, most repug-
nant in their nature to one another, forced upon men
at the same time : upon this foundation his resokition
and intended obedience to that church were some-
what shaken, and by degrees a dishke to the rest took
place.
His first care was to look into both the ancient and
modern history of the church ; to ascertain its begin-
ning and progress ; to consider the causes of all those
controversies which in the mean time had sprung up,
and diligently to weigh their effects, solidity, infirm-
ities, &c.
Before he had attained his thirtieth year, he had
studied the Greek and Latin fathers, and other learn-
ed authors, the transactions of the councils, and de-
crees of the consistories, and had acquired a very
competent skill in the Hebrew language. In these
occupations he frequently spent a considerable part,
or even the whole of the night ; and in order to un-
bend his mind after such incessant study, he would
resort to a grove near the collage, a place much fre-
quented by the students in the evening, on account
of its sequestered gloominess. In these solitary wall{:s
he has been heard to ejaculate heavy sobs and sighs,
and with tears to pour forth his prayers to God.
These nightly retirements, in the sequel, gave rise to
the first suspicion of his alienation from the church
of Rome. Being pressed for an explanation of this
alteration in his conduct, he scorned to call in fiction
to his excuse; he stated his opinions; and was, by
the sentence of the college, convicted^ condemned as
an heretic, and expelled*
His friends, upon the report of this circumstance,
were highly offended, and especiall)^ his father-in-
law, who was now grown altogether implacable, ei-
ther through a real hatred conceived against him for
this cause, or pretending himself aggrieved, that he
might now, with more show of justice, or at least
with more security, withhold from Mr. Fox his pa-
LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN FOX. 15
ternal estate ; for he knew it could not be safe for
one publicly hated, and in danger of the law, to seek
a remedy for his injustice.
"When he was thus forsaken by his own friends, a
refuge offered itself in the house of Sir Thomas Lucy,
of Warwickshire, by whom he was sent for, to in-
struct his children. In this house he afterwards mar-
ried. But the fear of the popish inquisitors hasten-
ed his departure thence ; as they were not contented
to pursue pubhc offences, but began also to dive into
the secrets of private families. He now began to
consider what was best to be done to free himself
from farther inconvenience, and resolved either to
go to his wife's iiither, or to his father-in-law.
His wife's father v/as a citizen of Coventry, whose
heart was not alienated from him, and he was more
likely to be well entertained, for his daughter's sake.
He resolved to go first to him ; and, in the mean-
while, by letters, to try whether his father-in-law
would receive him or not. This he accordingly did,
and he received for answer, '• that it seemed to him
a hard condition to take one into his house whom he
knew to be guilt3^ and condemned for a capital of-
fence ; neither was he ignorant what hazard he should
undergo in so doing ; he would however, shovvr him-
self a kindsman, and neg-lect his own danorer. If he
would alter his mind, he might come, on condition
to stay as long as he himself desired ; bat if he could
not be persuaded to that, he mast content himself
with a shorter stay, and not bring him and his mother
into danger."
No condition was to be refused ; besides, he was
secretly advised by his mother to come, and not to
fear his father-in-law's severity ; " for that, perchance,
it was needful to write as he did, but when occasion
should be offered, he would make recompense for
his words with his actions." In fact, he was better
received by both of them than lie had hoped for.
16 LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN F i.
By these means he kept himself concealed, for
some time, and afterwards made a journey to London,
in the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII. Here,
hejpg unknown, he was in much distress, and was
even reduced to the danger of being starved to death,
had not Providence interfered in his favour, in the
following manner:
One day as Mr. Fox was sitting in St. Paul's church,
exhausted with long fasting, a stranger took a seat by
his side, and courteously saluted him, thrust a sum of
money into his hand, and bade him cheer up his spirits;
at the same time informing him, that in a few days
new prospects would present themselves for his fu-
ture subsistence. Who this stranger was, he could
never learn ; but at the end of three days, he receiv-
ed an invitation from the duchess of Richmond to
undertake the tuition of the children of the earl of
Surrey, who, together with his father the duke of Nor-
folk, was imprisoned in the Tower, by the jealousy
and ingratitude of the king. The children thus con-
fided to his care were, Thomas, who succeede'd to
the dukedom ; Henry, afterwards earl of Northamp-
ton ; and Jane, who became countess of Westmore-
land. In the performance of his duties he fully satis-
fied the expectation of the duchess, their aunt.
These halcyon days continued during the latter
part of the reign of Henry VIII. and the five years of
the reign of Edward VI. till Mary came to the crown^
who, soon after her accession, gave all power into thf
hands of the papists.
At this time Mr. Fox, who was still under the pro
tection of his noble pupil, the duke, began to excitf
the envy and hatred of many, particularly Dr. Gar
diner, then bishop of Winchesterj who, in the sequel
became his most violent enemy.
Mr. Fox, aware of this, and seeing the dreadfu.
persecution then commencing, began to thing of qui',
ting the kingdom. As soon as the duke knew his ii, •
tention, he endeavoured to persuade him to rem. 3jj
LIFE OP THE REV. JOHN FOX. 17
and his arguments were so powerful, and given with
so much sincerity, that he gave up the thought of
abandoning his asyhim for the present.
At that time the bishop of Winchester was very i^i-
timate with the duke, (by the patronage of whose
family he had risen to the dignity he then enjoyed,)
and frequently waited on him to present his service ;
when he several times requested that he might see his
old tutor. At first the duke denied his request, at
one time alleging his absence, at another, indisposi-
tion. At length it happened that Mr. Fox, not know-
ing the bishop was in the house, entered the room
where the duke and he were in discourse ; and see-
ing the bishop, withdrew. Gardiner asked who that
was, the duke answered, " his physician, who was
somewhat uncourtly, as being new come from the
university." — " I like his countenance and aspect
very well," replied the bishop, " and when occasion
offers, I will send for him." The duke understood
that speech as the messenger of some approaching
danger ; and now he himself thought it high tim€
for Mr. Fox to quit the city, and even the country.
He accordingly caused every thing necessary for his
flight to be provided in silence, by sending one of his
servants to Ipswich to hire a bark, and prepare all
the requisites for his departure. He also fixed on
the house of one of his servants, who was a farmer,
where he might lodge till the wind became favoura-
ble ; and every thing being in readiness, Mr. Fox
took leave of his noble patron, and Avith his wife,
who was pregnant at the time, secretly departed for
the ship.
The vessel was scarcely under sail, when a most
violent storm came on, which lasted all the day and
night, and the next day drove them back to the port