The Little Season of Rev. 6:11.
By Uriah Smith
AFTER speaking of the martyrs who had fallen under the long period of papal persecution, John says in Rev. 6:11:— “And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” In Thoughts on the Revelation, pp. 105, 106, this verse is explained as follows:— “The white robes. These were given as a partial answer to their cry, ‘How long, O Lord, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?’ How was it? They had gone down to the grave in the most ignominious manner. Their lives had been misrepresented, their reputations tarnished, their names defamed, their motives maligned, and their graves covered with shame and reproach, as containing the dishonored dust of the most vile and despicable characters. Thus the church of Rome, which then molded the sentiment of the principal nations of the earth, spared no pains to make her victims an abhorring unto all flesh.” But the Reformation begins to work. It begins to be seen that the church is the corrupt and disreputable party, and those against whom it vents its rage are the good, the pure, and the true. The work goes on among the most enlightened nations, the reputation of the church going down, and that of the martyrs coming up, until the corruptions of the papal abomination are fully exposed, and that huge system of iniquity stands forth before the world in all its naked deformity; while the martyrs are vindicated from all the aspersions under which that Antichristian church had sought to bury them. Then it was seen that they had suffered, not for being vile and criminal, but “for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.” Then their praises were sung, their virtues admired, their fortitude applauded, their names honored, and their memory cherished. White robes were thus given unto every one of them. “The little season. The cruel work of Romanism did not instantly cease as the light of the Reformation began to dawn, Not a few terrible outbursts of Romish hate and persecution were yet to be felt by the church. Multitudes more were to be punished as heretics and join the great army of martyrs. The full vindication of their cause was to be delayed a little season. And during this time, Rome added hundreds of thousands to the vast throng of whose blood she had already become guilty. See Buck’s Theological Dictionary, Art., Persecution. But the spirit of persecution was finally restrained, the cause of the martyrs vindicated, and the little season of the fifth seal came to a close.” A brother writes from Greenville, Mich., under date of Dec. 17, 1873: “Some claim that the prediction concerning their brethren being killed, has not been fulfilled this side the Reformation, but is to be fulfilled in the time of trouble yet future. Can you give any history showing that Christians were put to death between the opening of the Reformation and the end of papal supremacy in 1798?” In the extract given above from Thoughts on the Revelation, “Buck’s Theological Dictionary, Art., Persecution,” is quoted as authority for the statements there made. As these seem to be questioned, we transcribe the following from Mr. Buck’s testimony relative to persecutions that have been inflicted upon Protestants since the Reformation:— “Persecution of Christians by those of the same name. Numerous were the persecutions of different sects from Constantine’s time to the Reformation; but when the famous Martin Luther arose, and opposed the errors and ambition of the church of Rome, and the sentiments of this good man began to spread, the pope and his clergy joined all their forces to hinder their progress. A general council of the clergy was called; this was the famous council of Trent, which was held for nearly eighteen successive years, for the purpose of establishing popery in greater splendor, and preventing the Reformation. The friends to the Reformation were anathematized and excommunicated, and the life of Luther was often in danger, though at last he died on the bed of peace. From time to time, innumerable schemes were suggested to overthrow the reformed church, and wars were set on foot for the same purpose. The invincible armada, as it was vainly called, had the same end in view. The inquisition, which was established in the twelfth century against the Waldenses (see Inquisition) was now more effectually set to work. Terrible persecutions were carried on in various parts of Germany, and even in Bohemia, which continued about thirty years, and the blood of the saints was said to flow like rivers of water. The countries of Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary, were in a similar manner deluged with Protestant blood. In and in the other Low Countries, for many years the most amazing cruelties were exercised under the merciless and unrelenting hands of the Spaniards, to whom the inhabitants in that part of the world were then in subjection. Father Paul observes that these Belgic martyrs were 50,000; but Grotius and others observe that there were 100,000 who suffered by the hand of the executioner. Herein, however, Satan and his agents failed of their purpose; for in the issue, a great part of the Netherlands shook off the Spanish yoke, and erected themselves into a separate and independent State, which has ever since been considered as one of the principal Protestant countries of the universe.” “No country, perhaps, has ever produced more martyrs than this. After many cruelties had been exercised against the Protestants, there was a most violent persecution of them in the year 1572, in the reign of Charles IX. Many of the principal Protestants were invited to Paris under a solemn oath of safety, upon occasion of the marriage of the king of Navarre with the French king’s sister. The queen dowager of Navarre, a zealous Protestant, however, was poisoned by a pair of gloves before the marriage was solemnized. Coligny, admiral of France, was basely murdered in his own house, and then thrown out of the window to gratify the malice of the Duke of Guise; his head was afterward cut off, and sent to the king and queen mother; and his body, after a thousand indignities offered to it, hung by the feet on a gibbet. After this, the murderers ravaged the whole city of Paris, and butchered, in three days, above ten thousand lords, gentlemen, presidents, and people of all ranks. A horrible scene of things, says Thuanus, when the very streets and passages resounded with the noise of those that met together for murder and plunder, the groans of those who were dying, and the shrieks of those who were just going to be butchered, were everywhere heard; the bodies of the slain thrown out of the windows; the courts and chambers of the houses filled with them; the dead bodies of others dragged through the streets; their blood running through the channels in such plenty that torrents seemed to empty themselves in the neighboring river; in a word, an innumerable multitude of men, women with child, maidens, and children, were all involved in one common destruction; and the gates and entrances of the king’s palace all besmeared with their blood.” “From the city of Paris, the massacre spread throughout the whole kingdom. In the city of Meaux they threw above two hundred into gaol; and after they had ravished and killed a great number of women, and plundered the houses of the Protestants, they executed their fury on those they had imprisoned; and calling them one by one, they were killed, as Thuanus expresses, like sheep in a market. In Orleans they murdered above five hundred men, women, and children, and enriched themselves with the spoil. The same cruelties were practiced at Angers, Troyes, Bourges, la Charité, and especially at Lyons, where they inhumanly destroyed above eight hundred Protestants: children hanging on their parents’ necks; parents embracing their children; putting ropes about the necks of some, dragging them through the streets, and throwing them, mangled, torn, and half dead, into the river. According to Thuanus, above 30,000 Protestants were destroyed in this massacre; or, as others affirm, above 100,000.” “But what aggravates these scenes with still greater wantonness and cruelty, was the manner in which the news was received at Rome. When the letters of the pope’s legate were read in the assembly of the cardinals, by which he assured the pope that all was transacted by the express will and command of the king, it was immediately decreed that the pope should march with his cardinals to the church of St. Mark, and in the most solemn manner give thanks to God for so great a blessing conferred on the see of Rome and the Christian world; and that, on the Monday after, solemn mass should be celebrated in the church of Minerva, at which the pope, Gregory XIII., and cardinals were present; and that a jubilee should be published throughout the whole Christian world, and the cause of it declared to be, to return thanks to God for the extirpation of the enemies of the truth and church in France. In the evening, the cannon of St. Angelo were fired to testify the public joy; the whole city illuminated with bonfires; and no one sign of rejoicing omitted that was usually made for the greatest victories obtained in favor of the Roman church.” “But all these persecutions were, however, far exceeded in cruelty by those which took place in the time of Louis XIV. has also been the seat of much persecution. Though Wickliffe, the first Reformer, died peaceably in his bed, yet such was the malice and spirit of persecuting Rome that his bones were ordered to be dug up, and cast upon a dunghill. The remains of this excellent man were accordingly dug out of the grave, where they had lain undisturbed four-and-forty years. His bones were burnt, and the ashes cast into an adjoining brook. In the reign of Henry VIII., Bilney, Bayman, and many other reformers, were burnt; but when queen Mary came to the throne, the most severe persecutions took place. Hooper and Rogers were burnt in a slow fire. Saunders was cruelly tormented a long time at the stake before he expired. Taylor was put into a barrel of pitch, and fire set to it. Eight illustrious persons, among whom was Ferrar, bishop of St. David’s, were sought out, and burnt by the infamous Bonner in a few days. Sixty-seven persons were this year, A. D. 1555, burnt, among whom were the famous Protestants, Bradford, Ridley, Latimer, and Philpot. In the following, 1556, eighty-five persons were burnt. “James I. succeeded Elizabeth. He published a proclamation, commanding all Protestants to conform strictly, and without any exception, to all the rites and ceremonies of the church of England. Above five hundred clergy were immediately silenced, or degraded, for not complying. Some were excommunicated, and some banished the country. The Dissenters were distressed, censured, and fined, in the Star-chamber. Two persons were burnt for heresy, one at Smithfield, and the other at Litchfield. Worn out with endless vexations and unceasing persecutions, many retired into Holland, and from thence to America. It is witnessed by a judicious historian that, in this, and in some following reigns, 22,000 persons were banished from England by persecution to America.” has likewise been drenched with the blood of the Protestants, forty or fifty thousand of whom were cruelly murdered in a few days, in different parts of the kingdom, in the reign of Charles I. It began on the 23d of October, 1641. Having secured the principal gentlemen, and seized their effects, they murdered the common people in cold blood, forcing many thousands to fly from their houses and settlements naked into the bogs and woods, where they perished with hunger and cold.” The authorities which Buck cites in support of his statements are as follows: “Limborch’s introduction to his History of the Inquisition; Memoirs of the Persecutions of the Protestants in France, by Lewis De Enarolles; Comber’s History of the Parisian Massacre of St. Bartholomew; A. Robinson’s History of Persecution; Lockman’s History of Popish Persecution; Clarke’s Looking Glass for Persecutors; Doddridge’s Sermon on Persecution; Jortin’s ditto, ser. 9, vol. iv; Bowers’ Lives of the Popes; Fox’s Martyrs; Woodrow’s History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland; Neale’s History of the Puritans and of New England; and History of the Bohemian Persecution.” It is evident that no part of the events to transpire under the fifth seal are yet future; for they have all been fulfilled, and we are now living under the sixth seal. The opening of this seal was marked by the great earthquake of Nov. 1, 1755. The great feature of the fifth seal was the Reformation, from its first inauguration till the power of persecution was fully broken, during which time many of the fellow-servants of the great army of martyrs which had gone before, were, according to the foregoing historical statements, put to death, as they had been.