An Account Of The Persecution In Italy Under The Papacy


We shall now enter on an account of the persecutions in Italy, a country

which has been, and still is,



1. The centre of popery.



2. The seat of the pontiff.



3. The source of the various errors which have spread themselves over

other countries, deluded the minds of thousands, and diffused the clouds

of superstition and bigotry over the human understanding.



/> In pursuing our narrative we shall include the most remarkable

persecutions which have happened, and the cruelties which have been

practised,



1. By the immediate power of the pope.



2. Through the power of the inquisition.



3. At the instigation of particular orders of the clergy.



4. By the bigotry of the Italian princes.



In the 12th century, the first persecutions under the papacy began in

Italy, at the time that Adrian, an Englishman, was pope, being

occasioned by the following circumstances:



A learned man, and an excellent orator of Brixia, named Arnold came to

Rome, and boldly preached against the corruptions and innovations which

had crept into the church. His discourses were so clear, consistent, and

breathed forth such a pure spirit of piety, that the senators, and many

of the people, highly approved of, and admired his doctrines.



This so greatly enraged Adrian, that he commanded Arnold instantly to

leave the city, as a heretic. Arnold, however, did not comply, for the

senators, and some of the principal people, took his part, and resisted

the authority of the pope.



Adrian now laid the city of Rome under an interdict, which caused the

whole body of clergy to interpose; and, at length, persuaded the

senators and people to give up the point, and suffer Arnold to be

banished. This being agreed to, he received the sentence of exile, and

retired to Germany, where he continued to preach against the pope, and

to expose the gross errors of the church of Rome.



Adrian, on this account, thirsted for his blood, and made several

attempts to get him into his hands; but Arnold, for a long time, avoided

every snare laid for him. At length, Frederic Barbarossa arriving at the

imperial dignity, requested that the pope would crown him with his own

hand. This Adrian complied with, and at the same time asked a favour of

the emperor, which was, to put Arnold into his hands. The emperor very

readily delivered up the unfortunate preacher, who soon fell a martyr to

Adrian's vengeance, being hanged, and his body burnt to ashes, at

Apulia. The same fate attended several of his old friends and

companions.



Encenas, a Spaniard, was sent to Rome, to be brought up in the Roman

catholic faith; but having conversed with some of the reformed, and read

several treatises which they had put into his hands, he became a

protestant. This, at length, being known, one of his own relations

informed against him, when he was burnt by order of the pope, and a

conclave of cardinals. The brother of Encenas had been taken up much

about the same time, for having a New Testament, in the Spanish

language, in his possession; but before the time appointed for his

execution, he found means to escape out of prison, and retired to

Germany.



Faninus, a learned layman, by reading controversial books, became of the

reformed religion. An information being exhibited against him to the

pope, he was apprehended, and cast into prison. His wife, children,

relations and friends, visited him in his confinement, and so far

wrought upon his mind, that he renounced his faith, and obtained his

release. But he was no sooner free from confinement, than his mind felt

the heaviest of chains; the weight of a guilty conscience. His horrors

were so great, that he found them insupportable, till he had returned

from his apostacy, and declared himself fully convinced of the errors

of the church of Rome. To make amends for his falling off, he now openly

and strenuously did all he could to make converts to protestantism, and

was pretty successful in his endeavours. These proceedings occasioned

his second imprisonment, but he had his life offered him if he would

recant again. This proposal he rejected with disdain, saying, that he

scorned life upon such terms. Being asked why he would obstinately

persist in his opinions and leave his wife and children in distress, he

replied, I shall not leave them in distress; I have recommended them to

the care of an excellent trustee. What trustee? said the person who had

asked the question, with some surprise: to which Faninus answered, Jesus

Christ is the trustee I mean, and I think I could not commit them to the

care of a better. On the day of execution he appeared remarkably

cheerful, which one observing, said, it is strange you should appear so

merry upon such an occasion, when Jesus Christ himself, just before his

death, was in such agonies, that he sweated blood and water. To which

Faninus replied; Christ sustained all manner of pangs and conflicts,

with hell and death, on our accounts; and thus, by his sufferings, freed

those who really believe in him from the fear of them. He was then

strangled, and his body being burnt to ashes, they were scattered about

by the wind.



Dominicus, a learned soldier, having read several controversial

writings, became a zealous protestant, and retiring to Placentia, he

preached the gospel in its utmost purity, to a very considerable

congregation. At the conclusion of his sermon one day, he said, "If the

congregation will attend to-morrow, I will give them a description of

Anti-christ, and paint him out in his proper colours."



A vast concourse of people attended the next day, but just as Dominicus

was beginning his sermon, a civil magistrate went up to the pulpit, and

took him into custody. He readily submitted; but as he went along with

the magistrate, made use of this expression: I wonder the devil hath let

me alone so long. When he was brought to examination, this question was

put to him: Will you renounce your doctrines? To which he replied: My

doctrines! I maintain no doctrines of my own; what I preach are the

doctrines of Christ, and for those I will forfeit my blood, and even

think myself happy to suffer for the sake of my Redeemer. Every method

was taken to make him recant from his faith, and embrace the errors of

the church of Rome; but when persuasions and menaces were found

ineffectual, he was sentenced to death, and hanged in the market-place.



Galeacius, a protestant gentleman, who resided near the castle of St.

Angelo, was apprehended on account of his faith. Great endeavours being

used by his friends he recanted, and subscribed to several of the

superstitious doctrines propagated by the church of Rome. Becoming,

however, sensible of his error, he publicly renounced his recantation.

Being apprehended for this, he was condemned to be burnt, and agreeable

to the order, was chained to a stake, where he was left several hours

before the fire was put to the faggots, in order that his wife,

relations, and friends, who surrounded him, might induce him to give up

his opinions. Galeacius, however, retained his constancy of mind, and

entreated the executioner to put fire to the wood that was to burn him.

This at length he did, and Galeacius was soon consumed in the flames,

which burnt with amazing rapidity and deprived him of sensation in a few

minutes.



Soon after this gentleman's death, a great number of protestants were

put to death in various parts of Italy, on account of their faith,

giving a sure proof of their sincerity in their martyrdoms.



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