SECTION IV.

GENERAL PERSECUTIONS IN GERMANY.

MARTIN LUTHER, by unmasking popery, and by the vigour with which he prosecuted his doctrines, caused the papal throne to shake to its foundation. So terrified was the pope at his rapid success, that he determined, in order to stop his career, to engage the emperor, Charles V., in his scheme of utterly extirpating all who had embraced the reformation. To accomplish which, he gave the emperor 200,000 crowns; promised to maintain 12,000 foot, and 5000 horse, for six months, or during a campaign; allowed the emperor to receive one half of the revenues of the clergy in Germany during the war; and permitted him to pledge the abbey lands for 500,000 crowns, to assist in carrying on hostilities. Thus prompted and supported, the emperor, with a heart eager, both from interest and prejudice, for the cause, undertook the extirpation of the protestants; and, for this purpose, raised a formidable army in Germany, Spain, and Italy.

The protestant princes, in the mean time, were not idle; but formed a powerful confederacy, in order to repel the impending blow. A great army was raised, and the command given to the elector of Saxony, and the landgrave of Hesse. The imperial forces were commanded by the emperor in person, and all Europe waited in anxious suspense the event of the war.

At length the armies met, and a desperate engagement ensued, in which the protestants were defeated, and the elector of Saxony, and landgrave of Hesse, both taken prisoners. This calamitous stroke was succeeded by a persecution, in which the most horrible cruelties were inflicted on the protestants, and suffered by them with a fortitude which only religion can impart.

The persecutions in Germany having been suspended many years, again broke out in 1630, on account of a war between the emperor. and the king of Sweden; the latter being a protestant prince, the protestants of Germany, in consequence, espoused his cause, which greatly exasperated the emperor against them.

The imperial army having laid siege to the town of Passewalk, (then defended by the Swedes,) took it by storm, and committed the most monstrous outrages on the occasion. They pulled down the churches, pillaged and burnt the houses, massacred the ministers, put the garrison to the sword, hanged the townsmen, ravished the women, smothered the children, &c. &c.

In 1631, a most bloody scene took place at the protestant city of Magdeburg. The generals Tilly and Pappenheim, having taken it by storm, upwards of 20,000 persons, without distinction of rank, sex, or age, were slain during the carnage, and 6000 drowned in attempting to escape over the river Elbe. After which, the remaining inhabitants were stripped naked, severely scourged, had their ears cropped, and being yoked together like oxen, were turned adrift.

On the popish army's taking the town of Hoxter, all the inhabitants, with the garrison, were put to the sword.

When the imperial forces prevailed at Griphenburgh, they shut up

the senators in the senate chamber, and, surrounding it by lighted straw, suffocated them.

Franhendal, notwithstanding it surrendered upon articles of capitulation, suffered as cruelly as other places; and at Heidelburg, many were shut up in prison and starved.

To enumerate the various species of cruelty practised by the imperial troops, under Count Tilly, would excite disgust and horror. That sanguinary monster, in his progress through Saxony, not only permitted every excess in his soldiers, but actually commanded them to put all their enormities in practice. Some of these are so unparalleled, that we feel ourselves obliged to mention them.

In Hesse Cassel some of the troops entered an hospital, in which were principally mad women, when stripping all the poor wretches naked, they made them run about the streets for their diversion, and then put them to death.

In Pomerania, some of the imperial troops entering a small town, seized upon all the young women, and girls upwards of ten years, and then placing their parents in a circle, they ordered them to sing psalms, while they ravished their children, or else they swore they would cut them to pieces afterwards. 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 Tilly's soldiers met with a company of merchants belonging to Basil, who were returning from the great market of Strasbourg, and attempted to surround them; all escaped, however, but ten, leaving their property behind. The ten 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."

Wherever Tilly came, the most horrid barbarities and cruel depredations ensued: famine and conflagration marked his progress. He destroyed all the provisions he could not take with him, and burnt all the towns before he left them; so that murder, poverty, and desolation, followed him.

Peace, at length, chiefly through the mediation of England, was restored to Germany, and the protestants, for several years, enjoyed the free exercise of their religion.

Even as late as 1732, above 30,000 protestants were, contrary to the treaty of Westphalia, driven from the archbishopric of Saltzburg, in the depth of winter, with scarce clothes to cover them, and without provisions. These poor people emigrated to various protestant countries, and settled in places where they could enjoy the free exercise of their religion, free from popish superstition, and papal despotism.

SECTION V.

PERSECUTION IN THE NETHERLANDS.

The glorious light of the gospel spreading over every part of the continent, and chasing thence the dark night of ignorance. increased

the alarm of the pope, who urged the emperor to commence a persecution against the protestants; when many thousands fell martyrs to superstitious malice and barbarous bigotry: among whom were the following.

A pious protestant widow, named Wendelinuta, was apprehended on account of her religion, when several monks unsuccessfully endeavoured to persuade her to recant. Their attempts, however proving ineffectual, a Roman Catholic lady of her acquaintance desired to be admitted to the dungeon in which she was confined, promising to exert herself towards inducing the prisoner to abjure her religion. On being admitted to the dungeon, she did her utmost to perform the task she had undertaken; but finding her endeavours fruitless, she said, "Dear Windelinuta, if you will not embrace our faith, at least keep the things which you profess secret within your own bosom, and strive to prolong your life." To which the widow replied, "Madam, you know not what you say; for with the heart we believe to righteousness, but with the tongue confession is made unto salvation." Still holding her faith against every effort of the powers of darkness, her goods were confiscated, and she was condemned to be burnt. At the place of execution a monk presented a cross to her, and bade her kiss and worship God. To which she answered, "I worship no wooden god, but the eternal God, who is in heaven." She was then executed, but at the intercession of the before mentioned lady, it was granted, that she should be strangled before the faggots were kindled.

At Colen, two protestant clergymen were burnt: a tradesman of Antwerp, named Nicholas, was tied up in a sack, thrown into the river, and drowned: and Pistorius, an accomplished scholar and student, was carried to the market of a Dutch village, and burnt.

A minister of the reformed church was ordered to attend the execution of sixteen protestants who were to be beheaded. This gentleman performed the melancholy office with great propriety, exhorted them to repentance, and gave them comfort in the mercies of their Redeemer. As soon as they were beheaded, the magistrate cried out to the executioner, "There is another remaining; you must behead the minister: he can never die at a better time than with such excellent precepts in his mouth, and such laudable examples before him." He was accordingly beheaded, though many of the Roman Catholics themselves reprobated this piece of treacherous and unnecessary barbarity.

George Seherter, a minister of Saltzburg, was committed to prison for instructing his flock in the truth of the gospel. While in confinement he wrote a confession of his faith; soon after which he was condemned, first to be beheaded, and afterwards to be burnt to ashes, which sentence was accordingly put in execution.

Percival, a learned man of Louvinia, was murdered in prison; and Justus Insprag was beheaded, for having Luther's sermons in his possession.

Giles Tolleman, a cutler of Brussels, was a man of singular humanity and piety. He was apprehended as a protestant, and many attempts were made by monks to persuade him to recant. Once, by accident, a fair opportunity of escaping from prison offered itself to him, but of which he did not avail himself. Being asked the reason,

he replied, "I would not do the keepers so much injury; as they must have answered for my absence had I got away." When he was sentenced to be burnt, he fervently thanked God for allowing him, by martyrdom, to glorify his name. Observing at the place of execution a great quantity of faggots, he desired the principal part of them might be given to the poor, saying, "A small quantity will suffice to consume me." The executioner offered to strangle him before the fire was lighted, but he would not consent, telling him that he defied the flames; and, indeed, he gave up the ghost with such composure amidst them, that he hardly seemed sensible of pain.

In Flanders, about 1543 and 1544, the persecution raged with great violence. Many were doomed to perpetual imprisonment, others to perpetual banishment: but the greater number were put to death, either by hanging, drowning, burning, the rack, or burying alive.

John de Boscane, a zealous protestant, was apprehended in the city of Antwerp. On his trial he undauntedly professed himself to be of the reformed religion, on which he was immediately condemned. The magistrate, however, was afraid to execute the sentence publicly, as he was popular through his great generosity, and almost universally revered for his inoffensive life and exemplary piety. A pri vate execution was, therefore, determined on, for which an order was given to drown him in prison. The executioner, accordingly, forced him into a large tub; but Boscane struggling, and getting his head above the water, the executioner stabbed him in several places with a dagger till he expired.

John de Buisons, on account of his religion, was, about the same time, secretly apprehended. In this city the number of protestants being great, and the prisoner much respected, the magistrates, fearful of an insurrection, ordered him to be beheaded in prison.

mans.

In 1568 were apprehended at Antwerp, Scoblant, Hues, and CooThe first who was brought to trial was Scoblant, who, persisting in his faith, received sentence of death. On his return to prison, he requested the gaoler not to permit any friar to come near him; saying, "They can do me no good, but may greatly disturb me. I hope my salvation is already sealed in heaven, and that the blood of Christ, in which I firmly put my trust, hath washed me from my iniquities. I am now going to throw off this mantle of clay, to be clad in robes of eternal glory. I hope I may be the last martyr of papal tyranny, and that the blood already spilt will be sufficient to quench its thirst of cruelty; that the church of Christ may have rest here, as his servants will hereafter." On the day of execution he took a pathetic leave of his fellow-prisoners. At the stake he uttered with great fervency the Lord's prayer, and sung the fortieth psalm; then commending his soul to God, the flames soon terminated his mortal existence.

A short time after, Hues died in prison: upon which occasion Coomans thus vents his mind to his friends: "I am now deprived of my friends and companions; Scoblant is martyred, and Hues dead by the visitation of the Lord; yet I am not alone: I have with me the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; he is my comfort, and shall be my reward." When brought to trial, Coomans freely confessed himself of the reformed religion, and answered with a manly firmness to every charge brought against him, proving his doctrine

from the gospel. "But," said the judge, "will you die for the faith you profess?" "I am not only willing to die," replied Coomans, "but also to suffer the utmost stretch of inventive cruelty for it; after which my soul shall receive its confirmation from God himself, in the midst of eternal glory." Being condemned, he went cheerfully to the place of execution, and died with Christian fortitude and resignation.

Assassination of the Prince of Orange.

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Baltazar Gerard, a native of Franche Compte, a bigoted and furious Roman Catholic, thinking to advance his own fortune and the pish cause by one desperate act, resolved upon the assassination of the prince of Orange. Having provided himself with fire-arms, he watched the prince as he passed through the great hall of his palace to dinner, and demanded a passport. The princess of Orange, observing in his tone of voice and manner something confused and singular, asked who he was, saying, she did not like his countenance. The prince answered, it was one that demanded a passport, which he should have presently. Nothing further transpired until after dinner, when on the return of the prince and princess through the same hall, the assassin, from behind one of the pillars, fired at the prince; the balls entering at the left side, and passing through the right, wounded in their passage the stomach and vital parts. The prince had only power to say, "Lord have mercy upon my soul, and upon this poor people," and immediately expired.

The death of this virtuous prince, who was considered as the father of his people, spread universal sorrow throughout the United Provinces. The assassin was immediately taken, and received sentence to be put to death in the most exemplary manner; yet such was his enthusiasm and blindness for his crime, that while suffering for it, he coolly said, "Were I at liberty, I would repeat the same.

In different parts of Flanders, numbers fell victims to popish jealousy and cruelty. In the city of Valence, in particular, fifty-seven of the principal inhabitants were butchered in one day, for refusing to embrace the Romish superstition; besides whom, great numbers suffered in confinement, till they perished.

SECTION VI.

PERSECUTIONS IN LITHUANIA.

The persecutions in Lithuania began in 1648, and were carried on with great severity by the Cossacks and Tartars. The cruelty of the former, was such, that even the Tartars, at last, revolted from it, and rescued some of the intended victims from their hands.

The Russians perceiving the devastations which had been made in the country, and its incapability of defence, entered it with a considerable army, and carried ruin wherever they went. Every thing they met with was devoted to destruction. The ministers of the gospel were peculiarly singled out as the objects of their hatred, while every Christian was liable to their barbarity.