The Huguenot Bartholomew Dupuy and his descendants

PERSECUTION OF REFORMERS. 27
courts to combine for the detection and introd,
punishment of Reformers. Persons convicted
of the reformed faith were to be denied
the right of appeal from the decision of
these courts. Persons suspected were to be
exchided from every public preferment and
all academic honors. Heavy penalties were
to be imposed upon any who should harbor
Reformers, connive at their escape, or present
petitions in their behalf. Informers were to
be awarded one-third part of the goods of
those informed on. All heretical books from
abroad were forbidden, and a rigid censorship
of the home press was established to
prevent the publication of such works. But
notwithstanding these harsh repressive measures
the Reformers continued to increase.
In 1553, Henry II. permitted the martyr- ^sssdom
of five young men, in Lyons, Southeast ^lo^J'
France. They were arrested for maintaining in Lyons
the doctrines of the Reformation— that man is
saved by faith alone in Christ, that the Scriptures
were sufficient without tradition, and
that a reform of the Romish Church was
needed, and in default of that a Reformed
French Church. On their way to the place of
execution they sang one of Marot^s Psalms in
French, recited the Apostle's creed in sentences,
one after the other in turn, and before
execution prayed and kissed each other. A
chain bound all five to a stake and a rope was
arranged around their necks to strangle and
spare them the suffering of burning alive, but
the flames soon burned the cord, and they died
crying to each other in the midst of the flames,
**
Courage brother!" Multitudes in Lyons
immediately imbibed the courage with which
they died, and soon professed faith in the Re-
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