Beziers was taken by storm in 1209. When the doubt occurred to the besiegers, how they should know the papists in the town from the heretics,— Arnold, the papal missionary, exclaimed, "Kill them all; God will know his own." The council was embraced. Every soul was put to the sword. The blood ran in torrents down the streets. Mezerai estimates the slain at sixty thousand.

Lavaur was stormed in 1211. The governor was hanged on a gibbet, his body thrown into a well, and covered with stones. Eighty gentlemen, who had surrendered, were put to death in cold blood. Four hundred of the inhabitants, who had escaped the general carnage, were afterwards burned alive.

Under these inflictions, Languedoc became a desert. Its cities were burned, its inhabitants swept away with fire and sword. An hundred thousand Albigeois were computed to have fallen in one massacre.

At a later day the Vaudois shared the same fate. Oppeda ravaged their country with unsparing ferocity. Twenty-four towns were ruined, and the inhabitants massacred. Every variety of cruelty was practised against these unhappy people. Yet Pope Paul IV. conferred on the monster who had perpetrated these atrocities the rank of Count Palatine, and the knighthood of St. John; "reckoning," says Gaufrid, the papal historian, "the fire and sword well employed which extinguished Waldensianism.”

Spain followed in the same course. The inquisition, in that country, effectually kept down the growth of heresy. Philip II. superintended the burning of as many as twenty-eight of the Spanish nobility at one auto da fe. Torquemada, on being made inquisitor-general, signalized his entrance on the office, by burning in one day no less than two thousand persons! And Mr. Blanco White informs us, that "from the most moderate calculations, founded on authentic papers and sure data, it appears that in Spain, between 1481 and 1809, no fewer than thirty-one thousand nine hundred and twelve persons had been burned at the stake; while two hundred and ninety

one thousand four hundred and fifty, having recanted, were condemned to lesser punishments, involving, however, utter ruin and destitution!"

In the Low Countries, the Duke of Alva boasted of having put to death eighteen thousand Protestants, and Grotius reckons the whole number of martyrs at a hundred thousand.

At Paris, in 1572, on St. Bartholomew's day, the tocsin tolled, at midnight, the signal of destruction. The carnage continued seven days. The Seine was covered with dead bodies, floating down its stream. Bossuet reckons the victims at six thousand; Davila at ten thousand. The king and queen personally superintended the massacre with great delight. Special messengers were despatched through the provinces, and forty thousand more were added to the list of the slain. The news was received at Rome with unspeakable joy. The Pope went in procession to the church of St. Louis, to return thanks; and instructed his legate to congratulate the king on the success of a scheme, "so long meditated, and so happily executed, for the good of religion."

In England, in 1605, a considerable body of Papists, of rank and education, acting under the advice of a Jesuit, and in obedience to the Papal bulls, deliberately planned the massacre of the king, the royal family, and the whole of the nobility at one blow. Forty years after, in Ireland, about fifty thousand Protestants were massacred in the course of a few weeks.

Thus we see, that from the first moment of the consolidation of the power of the Roman see, after emerging from the confusion of the dark ages, the apostate church has fully maintained its character, as "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." So horrible a picture of human nature; so dreadful a specimen of something almost resembling demoniacal possession, is not to be found in the whole history of man, as is furnished by the wars termed "religious," instigated by the "Holy see." But we are sometimes told, that

all this has passed away; that religious persecution was merely the common error of a half-enlightened age; and that now, amid the light and moderation of the nineteenth century, no one, whether Protestant or Papist, would ever dream of reviving it.*

This is a deceit; and it can scarcely ever happen that the party offering such an argument, does not know it to be a deceit.

Popery is now checked in her career of persecution by a variety of causes which deprive her of her former power. One of these is the prevalence of infidelity on the continent of Europe. The indifference and scepticism which so generally prevails on the continent, permits popery to exist in a moderated form; but it would not bear the revival of active persecution. Perhaps we might more correctly say, that the terms of agreement between popery and infidelity, for the extirpation of Christianity, are not yet finally agreed upon, and that, till that treaty is concluded, infidelity will not permit religious persecution.

But the main hinderance to the exertion of Papal power in the suppression of heresy is, under God, the strength and power with which he has been pleased to endow Protestantism in the world.

In the days of Elizabeth, her life alone seemed to constitute the obstacle to the complete revival of Papal power. Hence the rage shown, and the plots perpetually formed against her.

Yet France and Spain believed that she must soon fall. Hence they delayed not the massacre of St. Bartholomew, or the persecution of the Protestants in France, and the Netherlands, and Spain, on her account. But now the case is entirely altered. England is the greatest power in Europe, and offers a refuge to the persecuted, wherever they may be. To attempt

*The Romish doctrine of infallibility is utterly repugnant to this excuse. Leo X. by his bull, Exsurge Domine, condemned Luther for teaching that "it is contrary to the will of the Spirit to burn heretics." Surely an infallible church is always enlightened!!—[Am.

Ed.]

another crusade against religious liberty on the continent now, would only be to call forth the Protestant feeling of England, and to drive a body of valuable citizens to her shores. Hence it is that religious persecution is now both inexpedient and impracticable.

But all that Popery can do, it does. Whenever it can venture to do so without fear of consequences, it sheds blood. An auto da fe, in which a poor man was burned to death, took place at Valencia, in Spain, no longer back than the 31st of July, 1826. And when Dr. Buchanan was at Goa, about the year 1808, the inquisition in that country was in full activity.

Between Protestantism and Popery, where both are genuine and sincere, there must ever subsist an irreconcilable feud. The only difference is, that the Protestant will mingle his hatred to the idolatry with love to the soul of the deluded idolater, and will not even wish his bodily injury. Whereas the Romanist will combine his bitter detestation of heresy with an equal abhorrence of "the heretic;" and will show that abhorrence, whether by the faggot or the pitch-fork, whenever he can find a convenient opportunity.

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XXI. DESTINY OF ROMANISM.

THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE PAPACY.

WE have heretofore dealt with the Papal system in detail, discussing point by point of the multifarious aggregate, and disproving the unscriptural and unreasonable assumptions of that domineering church. We have reserved to the close one great argument, both because, to have adduced it at the opening of the discussion might have seemed to betoken a wish to close up the question, and to avoid the consideration of the several points therein contained; and also because, from its awful and momentous character, it leaves nothing to be said in addition.

COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, AND THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES.

SHE SHALL BE UTTERLY BURNED WITH FIRE; FOR STRONG IS THE LORD GOD WHO JUDGETH HER. (Rev. xviii. 4, 8.)

Protestants hold that these words refer to the church of Rome. If they are right in this view, then not another word need be said. But if they are wrong, or even if they have taken up this idea on insufficient grounds, then it is high time that their error should be admitted and repented of. Let us, then, with all seriousness, and looking up for divine direction, enter upon the consideration of this most solemn question.

A most clear and emphatic exhortation is here given to God's people, to come out from some city called "Babylon," and thus to save themselves from the terrible judgments which God purposes to bring