"these savages; for they dug up the bodies of many eminent persons, " and either cut them to pieces and exposed them to be devoured by "birds and beasts, or hung them up in the most conspicuous places. "The city of Lesna, in this persecution, particularly suffered; for be"ing taken the inhabitants were totally extirpated.'

We have here the date when the persecutions are said to have commenced, but the rest is all assertion, and, we will add, in a great measure fiction. In the first place we must observe, that the beginners of the persecution being stated to be Cossacks and Tartars, the Catholics cannot surely be blameable for their deeds, as they were infidels or Mahometans, and the victims most probably, we believe really, were Catholics. Then the Russians carried on what was begun by the Cossacks and Tartars. Well, the Russians were not Catholics, they had seceded from the church of Rome, and therefore the professors of that church cannot consequently be made responsible for the actions of the seceders. Then the Swedes and Prussians, and the Courlanders carried fire and sword through it; here again the persecutors are not Catholics. These people were Protestants, reader; they were the childen of the reformation, so called; is it right that poor Popery should be burthened with the sins of others? Next comes the prince of Transylvania and his army of barbarians, who wasted the country, destroyed the churches, and carried total destruction before him. This prince and his barbarians were Mahometans, and by the demolition of churches we may suppose the victims were Catholics, for they were the builders of the churches. We agree with Fox, that "in no part of the world have "the followers of Christ been exempt from the rage and bitterness of "their enemies;" this was foretold by Christ, and the page of history bears testimony to the accuracy of the prophecy. The primitive Catholic Christians suffered persecution from the Pagans; they suffered from the Arians, they suffered under Mahometanism, and they felt the persecuting hand of Protestantism, whenever the latter gained the ascendency. At this very day this intolerant spirit is shewing itself in Ireland, where the unoffending Christian, who forsakes the path of error to embrace the glorious light of truth, is sure to be marked out as the victim of persecution by the Orange faction.

But to return to the Book of Martyrs. The Protestants of Poland are said to have suffered in a dreadful manner, and a brief account is given to harrow up the feelings of the reader;-but if they did suffer, they have themselves to blame, for they were the basest traitors to their country that ever a country was cursed with. From motives of revenge they introduced foreign mercenaries into their native country, created a civil war, and finally occasioned it to fall into the hands of the neighbouring powers. Poland had long been a prey to faction, from the formation of her civil constitution, and when the seeds of the reformation were sown in that country, and began to fructify, to civil faction was united religious regard on one side, and fanaticism on the other. We have now before us De la Croix's Review of the Constitutions of the principal States of Europe, from whose account of the Constitution of Poland we here make some extracts. We know not what religion this author professed, but it is clear he was not a Catholic, and therefore he could have no predilection for that faith. He writes, "The Protestant doctrines which were spread all

OF

Fox's Book of Martyrs,

CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL.

No. 25. Printed and Published by W. E. ANDREWS, 3, Chapter- Price 3d. house-court, St. Paul's Churchyard, London.

EXPLANATION OF THE ENGRAVING.-The Hugonots forced a priest, on whom they laid their hands, to celebrate mass, for no other cause than that they might make a jest of it. While celebrating the divine mysteries, the barbarous miscreants wounded the martyr in several parts of his body with their poignards, they then fastened him to a cross in the church by his hands and feet, and in that posture they shot at him till he was dead.

over Germany, had penetrated Poland, and were there opposed by "persecutions. Novelties, which would die away, if treated with in"difference, increase and multiply under intolerance. This new faith had already made such a progress, that Sigismund-Augustus, instead "of persecuting his Protestant subjects, as his father had done, took "the wiser part of granting them full liberty of exercising their religion; and admitted them, as well as those of the Greek church, and "other sectaries, to a right of suffrage in the diets; and of all the ho"nours and privileges which the Catholics were desirous of enjoying "exclusively. But this prince, worthy of the name of Augustus, dif"fused his own spirit of moderation and impartiality with such effect through the whole nation, that the people consented that no differ"ence of opinion in religious matters should produce any in civil or

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political rights: in consequence of which, one of the articles inserted "in the pacta conventa, which the successors of Sigismund have been obliged to subscribe, imports that the subscriber shall maintain peace among the dissenters: by this word dissenters is understood all who "differ in religious opinions." Here it is stated that the Protestant religion was opposed by persecution, but he does not say how it came to be so opposed; we must therefore leave that part of the question, and come to their subsequent conduct. After the death of Sigismund, Henry of Valois wished to avoid subscribing to this article of toleration, and was threatened with the loss of his crown: the result was, he consented to sign it. Soon after a persecution is said to have been entered into against the Arians, of which seet there were many in that kingdom; which persecution was not confined to the Catholics, but Protestants and Greeks took a part in it. In 1733, the Catholics gained an ascendency, and excluded the Protestants from the diet or parliament. This exclusion, which the Catholics of this country have borne for upwards of two hundred years, with exemplary patience, was resented by the Protestants of Poland with the deepest rancour. They formed confederacies with foreign powers, and particularly with Russia, which in the end, as we have before stated, laid the independence of their country prostrate. This base abandonment of duty is thus recorded by the author of the above-named Review: "The Catholics of "Poland were the original aggressors. One of their fundamental laws "directed that, without paying regard to religious opinions, every citizen, duly qualified to enter into the diets, should be admitted there, and parti"cipate the honours and dignities of the republic: and this law ought to "have remained inviolable. But the dissenters were guilty of a still "greater wrong, by calling foreign troops to their aid, and drawing the fury of civil war upon their country, because they were excluded " from those situations and honours in which they had a right to share. "In the year 1764, when the Protestants made their last demand, there were only two hundred churches in Poland: but they were every "where permitted the free exercise of the Protestant religion in their "houses; their property was respected; and they held, in common "with the Catholics, not only the starosties, but all military appoint"ments. What more was necessary for them, if they had confined "their views to the single object of rendering, to the Supreme Being, "the adoration which they believed most worthy of him? Could they "not have made the sacrifice of some vain honours to the Power whom "they worshipped? If they had not set a higher value on these honours than on their religion, they would have resigned them, rather "than shed the blood of their unjust brethren, or do an injury to pub"lic liberty, and subject their country to foreign despotism.'

Fox, in the former part of his book, takes notice of the miserable end of the Roman emperors, who were persecutors of the Christians. It is not a little remarkable that the Protestants of Poland, who were so instrumental in selling their country, because they were excluded, against the fundamental laws of the kingdom, from their seats in the diet, did not gain their wishes. On the dismemberment of their country, they were left unprotected by the power to whom they sold them

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selves. "The court of Russia," says M. De la Croix, " appeared satis"fied that they were granted the use of their churches, though on con"dition of their not using bells to assemble the congregations: that they were permitted to perform their religious duties, and have seminaries: and that they might sit in the inferior courts of justice. "They were also allowed to claim the admission of three dissenters, as jurors in the tribunals before which any cause respecting religion "should be brought by appeal. Such were the fruits which the dissenters reaped from the troubles excited by them in Poland. Nor will it be for"gotten that they enjoyed, before these troubles, the free exercise of "their religion: that the grand object of their desires was to be admitted "to the diets: and that thus, after having brought foreign troops into the kingdom; after having involved their country in all the horrors of civil war; after having proved the occasion of part of their fellow-citizens "being subjected to the dominion of their three powerful enemies, they 66 were themselves disappointed of the advantage they expected to de"rive from their measures. What a lesson does this afford to the

peo

ple, among whom are found some individuals, so affected by the loss "of certain privileges, as to demand the assistance of foreigners for "reclaiming them!" A lesson, indeed! A lesson, indeed! And here we may leave the events represented to be a religious persecution, but which is evidently the struggle of political faction under the guise of religion. Had Fox, instead of telling his readers that "Lithuania no sooner recovered it. "self from one persécution than succeeding enemies again reduced it," stated that Poland no sooner recovered from one faction, than another succeeded in embroiling her again in trouble, till the Protestant faction caused her to be erased from the list of nations, he would have come much nearer the truth. That however is not the end he purposed in penning his Book of Martyrs, nor the "few plain Christians" in republishing it.

"SECTION VII.

"PERSECUTIOns in China and Japan.”

From Lithuania we are carried by Fox into China and Japan, and it is not a little singular that the pretended persecutors in Europe and the really persecuted in China and Japan, professed the very same faith, that is, Catholicism. Fox carefully abstains from telling his readers what kind of Christianity was established in these Pagan countries; he contents himself with using a general term, leaving the uninformed and prejudiced reader to suppose that the Christianity alluded to must be that system, if such it can be called, falsely represented as the light of the gospel" spread by a specious set of reformers of religion, who ought rather to be called deformers of Christianity. The time of this attempt on the part of the Catholic missionaries is said to be the commencement of the 16th century, that is soon after Martin Luther commenced his dogmatizing. After the doctrines of Martin and of the other spoilers of the Christian system had made some progress in the different states of Europe and produced rebellions and civil wars, the Catholic sovereigns, as we have before proved, found it necessary to arm themselves in defence of public security, and the punishment inflicted on the rebellious

and seditious delinquents, the violaters of law and justice, was perversely represented to be a religious persecution. While these transactions were going on between the Catholic and Lutheran party, a new religious order was established by a Spaniard of a noble and ancient family named Ignatius of Loyola. He had, in the early part of his life followed the military service, but serious reflection induced him to change his habits, and devote himself to the service of God and religion. Far different from Martin Luther, who, on claiming an evangelical mission, threw off his monastic habits and restraints, to follow a life of voluptuousness and intemperance, Ignatius laid aside that disorderly conduct almost inseparable to a military life, and became a pattern of abstemiousness and piety. Beholding the dreadful havock which heresy and schism were making in the Catholic church, he cast his eyes on the immense countries in America and Asia, and glowed with the desire of carrying the true light of the gospel into those infidel and distant regions. Nor did he neglect the state of religion in Europe; but the plans he had in contemplation were too extended to be carried into effect by one man. He therefore communicated his ideas to a few others, and in the year 1534, Ignatius and nine of his disciples consecrated themselves to the cause of God, and the salvation of souls. In 1537 they repaired to Rome, and made an offer of service to the pope, Paul III, who made a trial of their virtue in the hospitals of the capitol, before he formally accepted their tender. In the year 1540, however, his holiness felt himself so satisfied of the utility of these disinterested men, that he erected them into a religious order under the title of the Society of Jesus. The end of this society was not confined to the sanctification of its own members, by following the evangelical counsels, but they bound themselves, each in his respective sphere, to preach the word of God, to combat vice in all its hideous forms, and to teach the principles and practices of true religion. This was the origin of the Jesuits, who are known only in this country, among the generality of Protestants, as a body of men influenced by the most artful cunning and chicanery, and devoid of all moral rectitude. The progress this society of men made on the continent, by the force of their eloquence and the unspotted purity of their lives, alarmed the blind followers of error; the establishment of a college abroad for the English students to become missionaries here, struck terror into the adherents of the new church, and it was made high treason for any Englishman to become a Jesuit. To make a cloak for so cruel an enactment, plots were hatched to keep the people in alarm, and the Jesuits were made the framers, the directors and the actors in them. By such means were the people instigated to look upon the new order as a set of monsters; and whenever a member of the body appeared in this island, the yell of Jesuitism was instantly raised; he was hunted like a wolf night and day; his pursuers never relaxed from the chase, until he fled the kingdom, or expiated by an ignominious death the crime of having sought to reconcile his repentant countrymen to the faith of the primitive Christians and martyrs. Nay, at this very day, when a man is guilty of acting treacherously or playing a double part, his conduct is called Jesuitical, from the supposition that the system of the Jesuits is one of deceit and perfidy, than which nothing is more false. We have thought it necessary to make these prefatory observations to enable