AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY: SUMMARY OF THE MARTYRS IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY

[In the beginning mention is made of this salutary, but bloody century, in which the pious witnesses of the Lord come in multitudes to receive the crown of martyrdom on the battlefield of Christ.

Four persons, having no good opinion of infant baptism and transubstantiation banished from the bishopric of Treves, A. D. 1105.

Some of the followers of Berengarius, in the same bishopric, follow their fellow companions, and are not only banished, but also expelled, one year after, namely A. D. 1106.

The persecutions increase in violence; some who maintained the doctrine of Berengarius, burnt alive at Treves and Utrecht, in the year 1135.

Arnald, a lector at Brescia, opposes infant baptism and the mass; on account of which he is persecuted, and, finally, having come to Rome, deprived of his life by fire, A. D. 1145.

The teacher of said Arnald, namely, Peter Abelard, follows, in the persecution, in the footsteps of his disciple, and is, by order of the pope, imprisoned in the dungeon of a monastery, where he ends his life, same year as above.

Peter Bruis, burnt at St. Giles; Henry of Toulouse, apprehended and put out of the way by the pope’s legate; also many other persons put to death at Paris, for the true evangelical doctrine, about the year 1145, 1147.

Certain peasants, called Apostolics, put to death for maintaining the doctrine of the apostles, near Toulouse in France, A. D. 1155.

Gerard, with about thirty persons, men as well as women, come to Oxford, in England, where they, for maintaining the evangelical doctrine, are branded on the forehead, and scourged out of the city, where they perish from cold, A. D. 1161.

Arnold, Marsilius, and Theodoric, together with five other men and two women, burned alive, at Cologne and Bonn, A. D. 1163.

Many pious Christians, throughout all France and England, for maintaining their true belief, cast into the fire alive, where they expire under great pain, A. D. 1182.

Many Christians in Flanders, put to death by fire for the same reason; many others miserably perish in other places, in the year 1183.

One year after the death of the last-mentioned martyrs, namely, A. D. 1184 or 1185, a decree of Pope Lucius III is published against the Waldenses, who are called by various names.

The bloody decree of Ilphons, King of Arragon, published against said Waldenses, A. D. 1194, circumstantially presented.

Origin of the inquisition, instituted by Pope In nocent III against the Waldenses and Albigenses, about the year 1198; to which end, mention is made of three letters which he wrote with regard to this matter; whereupon it followed that, A. D. 1200, five men and three women were burnt at Troyes, in Campania, and some expelled from Metz.]

Hereafter we shall not have to confine ourselves to such scanty material, in the account of the martyrs, as we have necessarily had to do in some of the preceding centuries, when we, through the absence of ancient histories and records, were frequently compelled to break off our account of the sainted confessors of Jesus Christ prematurely; which often grieved us to the heart.

Now, however, comes the salutary, though bloody century, in which abundant matter is furnished us, from which to accomplish our object; the pious witnesses of the Lord now come in multitudes, who willingly suffer themselves to be put to death for the proclamation of the only saving truth; crowns of martyrdom are now proffered to all Christian champions, who have well acquitted themselves on the field of martyrdom, under the bloody banner of Jesus Christ.

Excommunication is the beginning of their conflict; then follow fire, sword, and much other dreadful violence; in and under which, they, calling upon God, end their lives,.quit the earth, and take their rest under the wings of their Saviour, or under the altar of God, until the number of their slain brethren shall be fulfilled. We then turn, first, to the portal or entrance of the arena of the Christian martyrs, where we perceive that some persons must leave their country, and are banished -as heretics.

(Martyrs Mirror)

• Biography of Elisabeth (Betty) Alden Scott Stam 1906 ~ 1934
• FIVE MEN AND THREE WOMEN BURNT AT TROYES, IN CHAMPAGNE, A. D. 1200; AND SOME EXPELLED FROM METZ
• ARNOLD, MARSILIUS, AND THEODORIC, WITH FIVE OTHER MEN, AND TWO WOMEN, BURNED ALIVE AT COLOGNE AND BONN, A. D. 1163
• GERARD, WITH ABOUT THIRTY OTHERS, MEN AS WELL AS WOMEN, FOR MAINTAINING THE APOS TOLICAL DOCTRINE, AT OXFORD, IN ENGLAND, ARE BRANDED IN THE FOREHEAD, SCOURGED OUT OF THE CITY, AND MISERABLY PERISH WITH COLD, A. D. .1161