PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Fox's Book of Martyrs
Foxe, John · 264,474 words · 368 reading sections
Preface.
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net 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 Shi…
739 wordsSECTION 2Preface.
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 priesthoo…
890 wordsSECTION 3The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
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 scatteri…
288 wordsSECTION 4An Account Of The Persecutions In Italy, Under The Papacy.
Persecutions under the Arian heretics 45 Persecution under Julian the Apostate 46 Persecution of the Christians by the Goths and Vandals 47 Persecutions from about the middle of the Fifth, to the conclusion of the Seventh century 48 Persecutions from the early part of the Eighth, to near the conclusion of the Ten…
255 wordsSECTION 5Persecutions In England During The Reign Of Queen Mary.
Persecution of John Huss 150 Persecution of Jerom of Prague 154 Persecution of Zisca 157 An account of the persecutions in the Netherlands 174 An account of the persecutions in Japan 181 Persecutions against the Christians in Abyssinia or Ethiopia 182 Persecutions against the Christians in Turkey 182 Persecution…
461 wordsSECTION 6Asaad Shidiak.
The destruction of the Armada 298 A conspiracy by the Papists for the destruction of James I, commonly known by the name of the Gunpowder Plot 310 RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE PROTESTANT RELIGION IN IRELAND WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE BARBAROUS MASSACRE OF 1641 315 An account of the persecutions of Friends in the United St…
293 wordsSECTION 7Chapter I.
Removal of the prisoners to Oung-pen-la--Mrs. Judson follows them 430 Case of Rev. John Smith 449 Persecutions of the Wesleyan Methodists in St. Domingo 450 Persecutions at Port au Prince 450 Persecutions in the Pays de Vaud 461 John Wickliffe 464 Martin Luther 468 John Calvin 473 Agency of Calvin in the death…
694 wordsSECTION 8Chapter I.
About two thousand christians, with Nicanor, one of the seven deacons, suffered martyrdom during the "persecution which arose about Stephen." _II. James the Great._ The next martyr we meet with, according to St. Luke, in the History of the Apostles' Acts, was James the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of John, and a…
673 wordsSECTION 9Chapter I.
_X. Paul_, The great apostle of the Gentiles, was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, and before his conversion was called Saul. After suffering various persecutions at Jerusalem, Iconium, Lystra, Phillippi and Thessalonica, he was carried prisoner to Rome, where he continued for two years, …
340 wordsSECTION 10The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
_The First Persecution under Nero, A. D. 67._ The first persecution of the church took place in the year 67, under Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for the space of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious bar…
658 wordsSECTION 11The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
The sanctity of his conversation, and the purity of his manners, recommended him so strongly to the christians in general, that he was appointed bishop of Athens. Nicodemus, a benevolent christian of some distinction, suffered at Rome during the rage of Domitian's persecution. Protasius and Gervasius were martyred at…
660 wordsSECTION 12The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
At the martyrdom of Faustines and Jovita, brothers and citizens of Brescia, their torments were so many, and their patience so great, that Calocerius, a pagan, beholding them, was struck with admiration, and exclaimed in a kind of ecstacy, "Great is the God of the christians!" for which he was apprehended, and suffered…
652 wordsSECTION 13The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Justin, the celebrated philosopher, fell a martyr in this persecution. He was a native of Neapolis, in Samaria, and was born A. D. 103. Justin was a great lover of truth, and a universal scholar; he investigated the Stoic and Peripatetic philosophy, and attempted the Pythagorean; but the behaviour of one of its profess…
719 wordsSECTION 14The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
When the christians, upon these occasions, received martyrdom, they were ornamented, and crowned with garlands of flowers; for which they, in heaven, received eternal crowns of glory. The torments were various; and, exclusive of those already mentioned, the martyrs of Lyons were compelled to sit in red-hot iron chairs…
681 wordsSECTION 15The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Basilides being, as an officer, required to take a certain oath, refused, saying, that he could not swear by the Roman idols, as he was a christian. Struck with surprise, the people could not, at first, believe what they heard; but he had no sooner confirmed the same, than he was dragged before the judge, committed to …
664 wordsSECTION 16The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
The tyrant Maximinus dying, A. D. 238, was succeeded by Gordian, during whose reign, and that of his successor Philip, the church was free from persecution for the space of more than ten years; but A. D. 249, a violent persecution broke out in Alexandria, at the instigation of a pagan priest, without the knowledge of t…
650 wordsSECTION 17The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Lucian and Marcian, two wicked pagans, though skilful magicians, becoming converts to christianity, to make amends for their former errors, lived the lives of hermits, and subsisted upon bread and water only. After some time spent in this manner, they became zealous preachers, and made many converts. The persecution, h…
718 wordsSECTION 18The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, about this time was cast into prison on account of his religion, where he died through the severity of his confinement. Julianus, an old man, lame with the gout, and Cronion, another christian, were bound on the backs of camels, severely scourged, and then thrown into a fire and consume…
678 wordsSECTION 19The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Rufina and Secunda, two beautiful and accomplished ladies, daughters of Asterius, a gentleman of eminence in Rome. Rufina, the elder, was designed in marriage for Armentarius, a young nobleman; Secunda, the younger, for Verinus a person of rank and opulence. The suitors, at the time of the persecution's commencing, wer…
664 wordsSECTION 20The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
About the year 246, Coecilius, a christian minister of Carthage became the happy instrument of Cyprian's conversion: on which account, and for the great love that he always afterward bore for the author of his conversion, he was termed Coecilius Cyprian. Previous to his baptism, he studied the scriptures with care, and…
651 wordsSECTION 21The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
After having kept him for the space of seven years in this abject state of slavery, he caused his eyes to be put out, though he was then 83 years of age. This not satiating his desire of revenge, he soon after ordered his body to be flayed alive, and rubbed with salt, under which torments he expired; and thus fell one …
667 wordsSECTION 22The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
This second severity made no more impression than the first had done; the soldiers preserved their fortitude and their principles, but by the advice of their officers they drew up a loyal remonstrance to the emperor. This, it might have been presumed, would have softened the emperor, but it had a contrary effect: for, …
697 wordsSECTION 23The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
The publication of this edict occasioned an immediate martyrdom for a bold christian not only tore it down from the place to which it was affixed, but execrated the name of the emperor for his injustice. A provocation like this was sufficient to call down pagan vengeance upon his head; he was accordingly seized, sever…
730 wordsSECTION 24The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Victor was a Christian of a good family at Marseilles, in France; he spent a great part of the night in visiting the afflicted, and confirming the weak; which pious work he could not, consistently with his own safety, perform in the daytime; and his fortune he spent in relieving the distresses of poor christians. He w…
676 wordsSECTION 25The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
A pagan gentleman applied to Cyprian, to promote his suit with the beautiful Justina; this he undertook, but soon himself became converted, burnt his books of astrology and magic, received baptism, and felt animated with a powerful spirit of grace. The conversion of Cyprian had a great effect on the pagan gentleman who…
651 wordsSECTION 26The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Timothy, a deacon of Mauritania, and Maura his wife, had not been united together by the bands of wedlock above three weeks, when they were separated from each other by the persecution.--Timothy, being apprehended as a christian, was carried before Arrianus, the governor of Thebais, who, knowing that he had the keeping…
706 wordsSECTION 27The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Quirinus, bishop of Siscia, being carried before Matenius, the governor, was ordered to sacrifice to the pagan deities, agreeably to the edicts of various Roman emperors. The governor, perceiving his constancy, sent him to jail, and ordered him to be heavily ironed; flattering himself, that the hardships of a jail, som…
838 wordsSECTION 28The Ten Primitive Persecutions.
At length, Constantine the Great, determined to redress the grievances of the christians, for which purpose he raised an army of 30,000 foot, and 8000 horse, which he marched towards Rome against Maxentius, the emperor; defeated him, and entered the city of Rome in triumph. A law was now published in favour of the chri…
255 wordsSECTION 29Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia.
The gospel having spread itself into Persia, the pagan priests, who worshipped the sun, were greatly alarmed, and dreaded the loss of that influence they had hitherto maintained over the people's minds and properties. Hence they thought it expedient to complain to the emperor, that the christians were enemies to the st…
794 wordsSECTION 30Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia.
Donatus, bishop of Arezzo, and Hilarinus, a hermit, suffered about the same time; also Gordian, a Roman magistrate. Artemius, commander in chief of the Roman forces in Egypt, being a christian, was deprived of his commission, then of his estate, and lastly of his head. The persecution raged dreadfully about the latter…
668 wordsSECTION 31Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia.
The Vandalian tyrant Genseric, having made an expedition into Italy, and plundered the city of Rome, returned to Africa, flushed with the success of his arms. The Arians took this occasion to persuade him to persecute the orthodox christians, as they assured him that they were friends to the people of Rome. After the …
666 wordsSECTION 32Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia.
Killien was born in Ireland, and received from his parents a pious and christian education. He obtained the Roman pontiff's license to preach to the pagans in Franconia, in Germany. At Wurtzburg he converted Gozbert, the governor, whose example was followed by the greater part of the people in two years after. Persuadi…
664 wordsSECTION 33Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia.
In the reign of Theophilus, the Saracens ravaged many parts of the eastern empire, gained several considerable advantages over the christians, took the city of Armorian, and numbers suffered martyrdom. Flora and Mary, two ladies of distinction, suffered martyrdom at the same time. Perfectus was born at Corduba, in Sp…
822 wordsSECTION 34Persecutions Of The Christians In Persia.
Gerard, a Venitian, devoted himself to the service of God from his tender years: entered into a religious house for some time, and then determined to visit the Holy Land. Going into Hungary, he became acquainted with Stephen, the king of that country, who made him bishop of Chonad. Ouvo and Peter, successors of Stephe…
512 wordsSECTION 35Papal Persecutions.
Thus far our history of persecution has been confined principally to the pagan world. We come now to a period, when persecution under the guise of christianity, committed more enormities than ever disgraced the annals of paganism. Disregarding the maxims and the spirit of the gospel, the papal church, arming herself wi…
818 wordsSECTION 36Papal Persecutions.
_Persecutions of the Albigenses._ The Albigenses were a people of the reformed religion, who inhabited the country of Albi. They were condemned on the score of religion, in the council of Lateran, by order of Pope Alexander III. Nevertheless, they increased so prodigiously, that many cities were inhabited by persons o…
680 wordsSECTION 37Papal Persecutions.
Francis Bribard, secretary to cardinal de Pellay, for speaking in favour of the reformed, had his tongue cut out, and was then burnt, A. D. 1545. James Cobard, a schoolmaster in the city of St. Michael, was burnt, A. D. 1545, for saying "That mass was useless and absurd;" and about the same time, fourteen men were burn…
662 wordsSECTION 38Papal Persecutions.
At Orleans, a thousand were slain of men, women, and children, and 6000 at Rouen. At Meldith, two hundred were put into prison, and brought out by units, and cruelly murdered. At Lyons, eight hundred were massacred. Here children hanging about their parents, and parents affectionately embracing their children, were p…
779 wordsSECTION 39Papal Persecutions.
"Count de la Rochefoucault, a young nobleman, greatly in the king's favour for his comely air, his politeness, and a certain peculiar happiness in the turn of his conversation, had spent the evening till eleven o'clock with the monarch, in pleasant familiarity; and had given a loose, with the utmost mirth, to the salli…
716 wordsSECTION 40Papal Persecutions.
Many who gave great sums of money for their ransom were immediately after slain; and several towns, which were under the king's promise of protection and safety, were cut off as soon as they delivered themselves up, on those promises, to his generals or captains. At Bordeaux, at the instigation of a villanous monk, wh…
745 wordsSECTION 41Papal Persecutions.
It is a remarkable interference of Providence, that, in all this dreadful massacre, not more than two ministers of the gospel were involved in it. The tragical sufferings of the protestants are too numerous to detail; but the treatment of Philip de Deux will give an idea of the rest. After the miscreants had slain thi…
769 wordsSECTION 42Papal Persecutions.
Instantly the troops seized the gates and avenues of the cities, and placing guards in all the passages, entered with sword in hand, crying, "Die, or be catholics!" In short, they practised every wickedness and horror they could devise, to force them to change their religion. They hung both men and women by their hair…
970 wordsSECTION 43Papal Persecutions.
_Martyrdom of John Calas._ We pass over many other individual martyrdoms to insert that of John Calas, which took place so lately as 1761, and is an indubitable proof of the bigotry of popery, and shows that neither experience nor improvement can root out the inveterate prejudices of the Roman catholics, or render the…
822 wordsSECTION 44Papal Persecutions.
The poor father, overwhelmed with grief for the loss of his child, was advised by his friends to send for the officers of justice to prevent his being torn to pieces by the catholic multitude, who supposed he had murdered his son. This was accordingly done, and David, the chief magistrate, or capitoul, took the father,…
815 wordsSECTION 45Papal Persecutions.
The popular outcry against this family was so violent in Languedoc, that every body expected to see the children of Calas broke upon the wheel, and the mother burnt alive. Young Donat Calas was advised to fly into Switzerland: he went, and found a gentleman who, at first, could only pity and relieve him, without darin…
453 wordsSECTION 46An Account Of The Inquisition.
When the reformed religion began to diffuse the gospel light throughout church. He accordingly instituted a number of inquisitors, or persons who were to make inquiry after, apprehend, and punish, heretics, as the reformed were called by the papists. At the head of these inquisitors was one Dominic, who had been canon…
777 wordsSECTION 47An Account Of The Inquisition.
When the person impeached is condemned, he is either severely whipped, violently tortured, sent to the galleys, or sentenced to death; and in either case the effects are confiscated. After judgment, a procession is performed to the place of execution, which ceremony is called an AUTO DE FE, or act of faith. The follow…
669 wordsSECTION 48An Account Of The Inquisition.
At the first time of torturing, six executioners entered, stripped him naked to his drawers, and laid him upon his back on a kind of stand, elevated a few feet from the floor. The operation commenced by putting an iron collar round his neck, and a ring to each foot, which fastened him to the stand. His limbs being thus…
734 wordsSECTION 49An Account Of The Inquisition.
He then well perceiving that they were not able to burden or charge him that he had written, spoke, or done any thing there in that country against the ecclesiastical or temporal laws of the same realm, boldly asked them what they had to lay to his charge that they did so arrest him, and bade them to declare the cause,…
788 wordsSECTION 50An Account Of The Inquisition.
At length, after he had spent four whole months in suits and requests, and also to no purpose, he received this answer from them, That he must show better evidence, and bring more sufficient certificates out of England for proof of this matter, than those which he had already presented to the court. Whereupon the party…
659 wordsSECTION 51An Account Of The Inquisition.
_Some private Enormities of the inquisition laid open, by a very singular occurrence._ When the crown of Spain was contested for in the beginning of the present century, by two princes, who equally pretended to the sovereignty, France espoused the cause of one competitor, and England of the other. The duke of Berwick…
728 wordsSECTION 52An Account Of The Inquisition.
This insinuation was meant to terrify the French commander, whom the inquisitors imagined would not dare to be so profane as to wish for the possession of the precious idols. He, however, sent word that the silver images would make admirable substitutes for money, and would be more in character in his possession, than…
752 wordsSECTION 53An Account Of The Inquisition.
In the mean time, M. De Legal's secretary set open all the doors of the inquisition, and released the prisoners, who amounted in the whole to 400; and among these were 60 beautiful young women, who appeared to form a seraglio for the three principal inquisitors. This discovery, which laid the enormity of the inquisito…
719 wordsSECTION 54An Account Of The Inquisition.
I was going to ask some questions, but she told me she must not answer any thing more till the next day, but assured me that nobody would come to disturb me. I am going, she said, about a little business but I will come back presently, for my bed is in the closet next yours, so she left me for about a quarter of an hou…
664 wordsSECTION 55An Account Of The Inquisition.
She said she was glad of my humble submission, and ran to acquaint Don Francisco with it. In a few minutes she returned, with joy in her countenance, telling me his lordship would honour me with his company to supper. "And now give me leave, madam, (said she) to call you mistress, for I am to wait upon you. I have been…
691 wordsSECTION 56An Account Of The Inquisition.
Early the next morning Mary said, that as nobody was stirring, if I would promise her secrecy, she would show me the dry pan and gradual fire; so taking me down stairs, she brought me to a large room, with a thick iron door, which she opened. Within it was an oven, with fire in it at the time, and a large brass upon it…
722 wordsSECTION 57An Account Of The Inquisition.
In a few minutes a great number of very beautiful young ladies, richly dressed, entered my room, and successively embracing me, wished me joy. I was so surprised, that I was unable to answer their compliments: which one of the ladies perceiving, said, "Madam, the solitude of this place will affect you in the beginning,…
730 wordsSECTION 58An Account Of The Inquisition.
My perplexity and vexation were inexpressible: but my new companion, whose name was Leonora, prevailed on me to disguise my uneasiness from Mary. I dissembled tolerably well when she came to bring our dinners, but could not help remarking, in my own mind, the difference between this repast, and those I had before parto…
710 wordsSECTION 59An Account Of The Inquisition.
This discourse of Leonora greatly affected me; but I found everything to be as she told me, in the course of time, and I took care to appear as cheerful as possible before Mary. In this manner I continued eighteen months, during which time eleven ladies were taken from the house; but in lieu of them we got nineteen new…
725 wordsSECTION 60An Account Of The Inquisition.
The prince, indeed, had what was termed an indulgence; that is, he was permitted to choose the manner of his death. Roman like, the unfortunate young hero chose bleeding and the hot bath; when the veins of his arms and legs being opened, he expired gradually, falling a martyr to the malice of the inquisitors, and the s…
667 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.