Fox's Book of Martyrs: Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant; Deaths of the Primitive Protestant MartyrsFoxe, John
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Fox's Book of Martyrs: Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant; Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs
Foxe, John
Church history; Martyrs; Persecution
This being approved, he was tortured with the most exemplary severity,
notwithstanding which they could only get these words from him, It was
the will of God that I should do as I did.
The pope then passed this sentence upon him.
1. That he should be led by the executioner, naked to the middle,
through the streets of Rome.
2. That he should wear the image of the devil upon his head.
3. That his breeches should be painted with the representation of
flames.
4. That he should have his right hand cut off.
5. That after having been carried about thus in procession, he should be
burnt.
When he heard this sentence pronounced, he implored God to give him
strength and fortitude to go through it. As he passed through the
streets he was greatly derided by the people, to whom he said some
severe things respecting the Romish superstition. But a cardinal, who
attended the procession, overhearing him, ordered him to be gagged.
When he came to the church door, where he trampled on the host, the
hangman cut off his right hand, and fixed it on a pole. Then two
tormentors, with flaming torches, scorched and burnt his flesh all the
rest of the way. At the place of execution he kissed the chains that
were to bind him to the stake. A monk presenting the figure of a saint
to him, he struck it aside, and then being chained to the stake, fire
was put to the fagots, and he was soon burnt to ashes.
A little after the last mentioned execution, a venerable old man, who
had long been a prisoner in the inquisition, was condemned to be burnt,
and brought out for execution. When he was fastened to the stake, a
priest held a crucifix to him, on which he said "If you do not take that
idol from my sight, you will constrain me to spit upon it." The priest
rebuked him for this with great severity; but he bade him remember the
first and second commandments, and refrain from idolatry, as God himself
had commanded. He was then gagged, that he should not speak any more,
and fire being put to the fagots, he suffered martyrdom in the flames.
_An Account of the Persecutions in the Marquisate of Saluces._
The Marquisate of Saluces, on the south side of the valleys of Piedmont,
was in A. D. 1561, principally inhabited by protestants, when the
marquis, who was proprietor of it, began a persecution against them at
the instigation of the then pope. He began by banishing the ministers,
and if any of them refused to leave their flocks, they were sure to be
imprisoned, and severely tortured; however, he did not proceed so far as
to put any to death.
Soon after the marquisate fell into the possession of the duke of Savoy,
who sent circular letters to all the towns and villages, that he
expected the people should all conform to go to mass.
The inhabitants of Saluces, upon receiving this letter, returned a
general epistle, in answer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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