And I was reminded of the brief section in Fox's Book of
Martyrs dealing with Venice and the Inquisition of 1542. There are a couple of
moving tales. Antonio Ricetti and Francesco Spinola died defending the
doctrines of Christ. If you have a copy, give it a read. If you know Christ you
will meet them someday.
I remember years ago reading that passage while sitting
along one of the canals in the city. Venice has always been intriguing but it
was especially so in centuries past...before the days of the tourist economy.
During an age of persecution its cosmopolitan venue was a
haven and refuge for the Medieval Underground....for Christian dissenters who
refused to submit to the Papacy. In the post-Hildebrand era when the Roman
power was ascendant, and hiding places were less frequent, Venice was still a safe
haven. At least most of the time.
Why? Ironically Venice could be said to have been more
secular than other parts of Western Europe. The Venetians cared far more about
making money and their civil interests than enforcing Romanist doctrine.
Christians have always preferred to live under secular governments or outright
pagans than false tyrannical pseudo-Christian systems. Better the Turk than the
Habsburg.