Foxs Book of Martyrs | Page 3

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
CHAPTER II.
THE TEN PRIMITIVE PERSECUTIONS.
The first persecution under Nero, A. D. 67 19 The second persecution under Domitian, A. D. 81 19 The third persecution under Trajan, A. D. 108 20 The fourth persecution under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, A. D. 162 22 The fifth persecution commencing with Severus, A. D. 192 25 The sixth persecution under Maximinus, A. D. 235 27 The seventh persecution under Decius, A. D. 249 27 The eighth persecution under Valerian, A. D. 257 31 The ninth persecution under Aurelian, A. D. 274 34 The tenth persecution under Diocletian, A. D. 303 36
CHAPTER III.
PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHRISTIANS IN PERSIA.
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 Tenth century 49 Persecutions in the Eleventh century 51
CHAPTER IV.
PAPAL PERSECUTIONS.
Persecution of the Waldenses in France 53 Persecutions of the Albigenses 55 The Bartholomew massacre at Paris, &c. 57 From the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, to the French Revolution, in 1789 62 Martyrdom of John Calas 65
CHAPTER V.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE INQUISITION.
An account of the cruel handling and burning of Nicholas Burton, an English merchant, in Spain 73 Some private enormities of the Inquisition laid open by a very singular occurrence 76 The persecution of Dr. ?gidio 88 The persecution of Dr. Constantine 89 The life of William Gardiner. 90 An account of the life and sufferings of Mr. Wm. Lithgow, a native of Scotland 92 Croly on the Inquisition 101
CHAPTER VI.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PERSECUTIONS IN ITALY, UNDER THE PAPACY.
An account of the persecutions of Calabria 107 Account of the persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont 110 Account of the persecutions in Venice 117 An account of several remarkable individuals who were martyred in different parts of Italy, on account of their religion 119 An account of the persecutions in the marquisate of Saluces 122 Persecutions in Piedmont in the Seventeenth century 122 Further persecutions in Piedmont 126 Narrative of the Piedmontese War 134 Persecution of Michael de Molinos, a native of Spain 144
CHAPTER VII.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PERSECUTIONS IN BOHEMIA UNDER THE PAPACY.
Persecution of John Huss 150 Persecution of Jerom of Prague 154 Persecution of Zisca 157
CHAPTER VIII.
GENERAL PERSECUTIONS IN GERMANY.
An account of the persecutions in the Netherlands 174
CHAPTER IX.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PERSECUTIONS IN LITHUANIA AND POLAND 178
CHAPTER X.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PERSECUTIONS IN CHINA AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES.
An account of the persecutions in Japan 181 Persecutions