064]

Brandt, in his History of the Reformation, has collected many
particulars respecting the persecution, especially in his own province
of Holland, during that "reign of terror." Men of lower consideration,
when dragged to prison, were often cruelly tortured on the rack, to
extort confessions, implicating themselves or their friends. The modes
of death adjudged by the bloody tribunal were various. Some were
beheaded with the sword,--a distinction reserved, as it would seem, for
persons of condition. Some were sentenced to the gibbet, and others to
the stake.[1065] This last punishment, the most dreadful of all, was
confined to the greater offenders against religion. But it seems to have
been left much to the caprice of the judges, sometimes even of the
brutal soldiery who superintended the executions. At least we find the
Spanish soldiers, on one occasion, in their righteous indignation,
throwing into the flames an unhappy Protestant preacher whom the court
had sentenced to the gallows.[1066]

The soldiers of Alva were many of them veterans who had borne arms
against the Protestants under Charles the Fifth,--comrades of the men
who at that very time were hunting down the natives of the New World,
and slaughtering them by thousands in the name of religion. With them
the sum and substance of religion were comprised in a blind faith in the
Romish Church, and in uncompromising hostility to the heretic. The life
of the heretic was the most acceptable sacrifice that could be offered
to Jehovah. With hearts thus seared by fanaticism, and made callous by
long familiarity with human suffering, they were the very ministers to
do the bidding of such a master as the duke of Alva.

The cruelty of the persecutors was met by an indomitable courage on the
part of their victims. Most of the offences were, in some way or other,
connected with religion. The accused were preachers, or had aided and
comforted the preachers, or had attended their services, or joined the
consistories, or afforded evidence, in some form, that they had espoused
the damnable doctrines of heresy. It is precisely in such a case, where
men are called to suffer for conscience' sake, that they are prepared to
endure all,--to die in defence of their opinions. The storm of
persecution fell on persons of every condition; men and women, the
young, the old, the infirm and helpless. But the weaker the party, the
more did the spirit rise to endure his sufferings. Many