by their paftors to the magiftrates of Geneva, intirely approved the cruel ufage of Servetus; and indeed were deeply concerned in the like practices themselves.

VALENTINUS GENTILIS, a native of Confentia in Italy, had, fays my author, the misfortune to fall into fome heterodox opinions concerning the Trinity; and held, that the Father alone was God of himself, unbegotten, effentiator, the giver of effence to all other beings; but that the Son was effentiatus, of a derived effence from the Father, and therefore not God of himself, though at the fame time he allowed him to be truly God. He held much the fame as to the Holy Ghoft, making them three eternal fpirits, diftinguished by a gradual and due subordination, reserving the monarchy to the Father, whom he ftyled the one only God. Being forced to fly his native country on account of his religion, he came to Geneva as to a city of refuge, but was greatly difappointed for there he was obliged to abjure his opinions, and condemned to a severe penance; being led through all the streets of Geneva, ftripped to his fhirt, bare-footed and bare-headed, with a lighted torch in his hand, and ftrictly commanded not to depart P 2

h Chandler's Introduction, p. 69.

the

1 Ibid. p. 70.

the city without permiffion: however, he made his escape, and fought for safety in the canton of Bern, where he was still worse difappointed; for there he was feized, imprifoned, and beheaded. How was this poor heretic hunted like a partridge upon the

mountains!

INSTANCES might be given of persecution being likewife practifed by all the abovenamed proteftant churches; but one at Zurich fhall only be mentioned. A fevere edict was there published against the anabaptists, or all who should fuffer themselves to be rebaptifed: feveral of these were put to death; among the rest, one, in a ludicrous punning manner, was fentenced to be drowned, by Zuinglius, in these four words, Qui iterum mergit, mergatur: that is, "He that re-dips,

"let him be drowned."

IN Holland this perfecuting spirit raged for a long time among the reformed with great fury. At first it appeared between the Lutherans and Calvinifts, who, as Mr. Chandler

us,

fays,

* There is now, refpecting perfecution, so great an alteration for the better in Geneva, that Mr. Keyfler tells "The christian behaviour and peaceable temper of "the clergy there may ferve for a pattern to many of "their brethren. **** Both clergy and laity are averse "to any discourse on the procedures against Servetus, "and wifh the whole matter was buried in oblivion." Travels, Vol. I. p. 173.

fays, "in the very infancy of the refor"mation, condemned each other for their

supposed heterodoxy concerning the facra"ment, and looked upon compliance and "mutual toleration to be things intolerable." Afterwards much of this fiery zeal was exerted against the anabaptifts, many of whom were fined, imprisoned, or banished. Lastly, a furious controverfy between the Calvinifts and Arminians brought on a violent perfecution, which fell very heavy on the latter, who were afterwards called remonftrants.

JACOBUS ARMINIUS, one of the profeffors of divinity at Leyden, difputing about the doctrine of predeftination, differed from the opinions of Calvin on this fubject, and was warmly oppofed by Gomarus his collegue, who held, that it was appointed by an eternal decree of God, who amongst mankind fhall be faved, and who shall be damned. This being the fentiment of moft of the clergy in the United Provinces, they endeavoured with the greateft zeal to dif credit Arminius and his doctrine, refused all terms of peace, and animated the magiftrates to extirpate and deftroy the Arminians; calling them mamalukes, devils, and plagues, and crying out from the pulpits, We must go through thick and thin, without fearing to stick in the mire; we know what Elijah did

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did to Baal's priests: and when the time drew near for the election of new magistrates, they prayed to God for fuch men as would be zealous even to blood. In short, the magiftrates complying with this violent wicked temper of their paftors, the poor remonftrants were cruelly perfecuted; many of their ministers being driven out of their country fo fuddenly, that no time was allowed them, tho' earnestly requested, to fettle their affairs, or provide a little money for the fupport of themselves and families in their banishment. Many others were also banished, the learned Grotius condemned to perpetual imprifon ment, and the old advocate Barnevelt, who had been a friend to the remonftrants and their principles, was beheaded.

IT is well known that this wicked and abominable practice of perfecution prevailed much in England immediately after the reformation, and hath been several times fince revived.

IN the reign of Henry VIII, perfecution was, by that king, furnished with antwo edged fword, which alike devoured both proteftants and papifts. Edward VI, being but a youth, was very much under the direction of his council, and particularly of Cranmer, who prevailed upon this prince to fuffer feveral to be put to death for their religious

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ligious opinions; but it was with so much reluctance, that being in a manner con- ftrained by the archbishop to sign a warrant for Joan Bocher to be burnt alive for fome enthusiastical opinions about Chrift, he did it with tears in his eyes, declaring, that if he acted wrong, as it was in fubmiffion to the archbishop's authority, he should answer for it to God. As Cranmer himself in the next reign became a martyr, this fhews, that probably divers of those who have fuffered martyrdom, wanted not the will, but the only, to have made others martyrs.

power

QUEEN Elizabeth, tho' in many respects an excellent princefs, had much of her father's haughtiness and feverity of temper: and notwithstanding the faw, and in part felt the dreadful effects of perfecution during her fifter's reign, infomuch that the narrowly escaped with her own life; yet the practised the fame herself, not only towards her fubjects, but foreigners alfo who came to take refuge in her dominions, from the cruelties exercised upon them in their own countries: but they were greatly disappointed, meeting here with the fame kind of treatiment; fome being whipped, imprifoned, or banished, and others put to death; particuHarly two, one of whom had a wife and nine children: this poor man begged that he might have

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