Then follow so great multitude of professors of Christ, who gave their lives for His name's sake; as well as so great a number of accounts of bloody decrees, examinations, sentences, and memorable memoirs, that it is impossible to enumerate them. From the year 1524 until 1597, almost until theclose of the century, the pious martyrs were apprehended, tormented, and put to death by fire, water, sword, burying alive; with which last manner of death this century is concluded.]
A great door is opened unto us to the arena of the martyrs and blessed followers of Jesus. None of the previous persecutions endured by the orthodox martyrs are to be compared to the present one. We have come through the time of fifteen centuries, each consisting of one hundred consecutive years; but we must confess that we did not meet with what we have seen, or, at least, that which we shall see here. The length of the time, the severity of the persecution, and the number of the martyred persons shall testify to this.
It is true, that fifteen hundred years extend over a longer period of time than about a hundred and fifty of like years; and that the persecutions which occurred during this long time, when put in the balance, would be heavier than this last one, as well as the number of the persons who were persecuted; but never in the preceding fifteen centuries did any persecution continue for so long a time without alleviation; never was there in so short (though actually long) a time so much innocent blood shed; never were there in so small a space so many dark prisons, deadly tribunals, scaffolds, fiery stakes, and. other instruments of death erected and made use of as were at this time in Germany and in the Netherlands.
