Foxe - The Book of Martyrs
The mystery of history is not completely dark, since it is a veil which only partially conceals the creative activity and spiritual forces and the operation of spiritual laws. It is commonplace to say that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church yet what we are asserting is simply that individual acts of spiritual decision bear social fruit …For the great cultural changes and historic revolutions that decide the fate of nations or the character of an age is the cumulative result of a number of spiritual decisions … the faith and insight, or the refusal and blindness, of individuals. No one can put his finger on the ultimate spiritual act that tilts the balance, and makes the external order of society assume a new form… Persecution, powerless to destroy or even to shake this new community, made it only the more sensible of its own strength, and pressed it into a more compact body.
The mystery of history is not completely dark, since it is a veil which only partially conceals the creative activity and spiritual forces and the operation of spiritual laws. It is commonplace to say that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church yet what we are asserting is simply that individual acts of spiritual decision bear social fruit …For the great cultural changes and historic revolutions that decide the fate of nations or the character of an age is the cumulative result of a number of spiritual decisions … the faith and insight, or the refusal and blindness, of individuals. No one can put his finger on the ultimate spiritual act that tilts the balance, and makes the external order of society assume a new form… Persecution, powerless to destroy or even to shake this new community, made it only the more sensible of its own strength, and pressed it into a more compact body.
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<strong>Foxe</strong>’s <strong>Book</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Martyrs</strong><br />
to torment the neighboring Waldenses: they destroyed their churches, burnt their houses,<br />
seized their properties, stole their cattle, converted their lands to their own use, committed<br />
their ministers to the flames, and drove the Waldenses to the woods, where they had nothing<br />
to subsist on but wild fruits, roots, the bark <strong>of</strong> trees, etc.<br />
Some Roman Catholic ruffians having seized a minister as he was going to preach,<br />
determined to take him to a convenient place, and burn him. His parishioners having<br />
intelligence <strong>of</strong> this affair, the men armed themselves, pursued the ruffians, and seemed<br />
determined to rescue their minister; which the ruffians no sooner perceived than they stabbed<br />
the poor gentleman, and leaving him weltering in his blood, made a precipitate retreat. <strong>The</strong><br />
astonished parishioners did all they could to recover him, but in vain: for the weapon had<br />
touched the vital parts, and he expired as they were carrying him home.<br />
<strong>The</strong> monks <strong>of</strong> Pignerol having a great inclination to get the minister <strong>of</strong> a town in the<br />
valleys, called St. Germain, into their power, hired a band <strong>of</strong> ruffians for the purpose <strong>of</strong><br />
apprehending him. <strong>The</strong>se fellows were conducted by a treacherous person, who had formerly<br />
been a servant to the clergyman, and who perfectly well knew a secret way to the house, by<br />
which he could lead them without alarming the neighborhood. <strong>The</strong> guide knocked at the<br />
door, and being asked who was there, answered in his own name. <strong>The</strong> clergyman, not<br />
expecting any injury from a person on whom he had heaped favours, immediately opened<br />
the door; but perceiving the ruffians, he started back, and fled to a back door; but they rushed<br />
in, followed, and seized him. Having murdered all his family, they made him proceed<br />
towards Pignerol, goading him all the way with pikes, lances, swords, etc. He was kept a<br />
considerable time in prison, and then fastened to the stake to be burnt; when two women <strong>of</strong><br />
the Waldenses, who had renounced their religion to save their lives, were ordered to carry<br />
fagots to the stake to burn him; and as they laid them down, to say, "Take these, thou wicked<br />
heretic, in recompense for the pernicious doctrines thou hast taught us." <strong>The</strong>se words they<br />
both repeated to him; to which he calmly replied, "I formerly taught you well, but you have<br />
since learned ill." <strong>The</strong> fire was then put to the fagots, and he was speedily consumed, calling<br />
upon the name <strong>of</strong> the Lord as long as his voice permitted.<br />
As the troops <strong>of</strong> ruffians, belonging to the monks, did great mischief about the town <strong>of</strong><br />
St. Germain, murdering and plundering many <strong>of</strong> the inhabitants, the reformed <strong>of</strong> Lucerne<br />
and Angrogne, sent some bands <strong>of</strong> armed men to the assistance <strong>of</strong> their brethren <strong>of</strong> St.<br />
Germain. <strong>The</strong>se bodies <strong>of</strong> armed men frequently attacked the ruffians, and <strong>of</strong>ten put them to<br />
the rout, which so terrified the monks, that they left the monastery <strong>of</strong> Pignerol for some time,<br />
until they could procure a body <strong>of</strong> regular troops to guard them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> duke not thinking himself so successful as he at first imagined he should be, greatly<br />
augmented his forces; he ordered the bands <strong>of</strong> ruffians, belonging to the monks, to join him,<br />
and commanded that a general jail-delivery should take place, provided the persons released<br />
would bear arms, and form themselves into light companies, to assist in the extermination <strong>of</strong><br />
the Waldenses.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Waldenses, being informed <strong>of</strong> the proceedings, secured as much <strong>of</strong> their properties<br />
as they could, and quitted the valleys, retired to the rocks and caves among the Alps; for it<br />
is to be understood that the valleys <strong>of</strong> Piedmont are situated at the foot <strong>of</strong> those prodigious<br />
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