Wesley Corpus

Instances of the former abound all over Italy, Spain, and Portugal; and the frequency of shedding blood has taken away all that horror which otherwise might attend it. Take one instance of a thousand: An English gentleman was, some years ago, at an entertainment in Brescia, when one who was near him whispered a few words in his ear, which he did not well understand. He asked his host, “What did that gentleman mean by these words?” and was answered, “That he will mur der you: And an Italian is never worse than his word in this. You have no way but to be beforehand with him.” This he rejected with abhorrence. But his host, it seems, being not of so tender a conscience, sent a stranger to him in the morn ing, who said, “Sir, look out of your window;--I have done his business. There he lies. You will please to give me my pay.” He pulled out a handful of money, in great disorder, and cried, “There, take what you will.” The other replied, “Sir, I am a man of honour; I take only my pay;” took a small piece of silver, and retired. This was a man of honour among the Christians of the Romish Church ! And many such are to be found all over Italy, whose trade it is to cut throats; to stab for hire, in cool blood. They have men of conscience too. Such were two of the Catholic soldiers, under the famous Duke of Alva, who broke into the house of a poor countryman in Flanders, butchered him and his wife, with five or six children; and after they had finished their work, sat down to enjoy the fruit of their labour. But in the midst of their meal con science awaked. One of them started up in great emotion, and cried out, “O Lord! what have I done? As I hope for salvation, I have eaten flesh in Lent l” The same sort of conscience undoubtedly it was, which con strained the late Most Christian King, in defiance of the most solemn treaties, yea, of all ties, divine and human, most gra ciously to murder so many thousands of his quiet, unresisting subjects; to order his dragoons, wherever they found the Pro testants worshipping God, to fall in upon them, sword in hand, without any regard to sex or age.