Persecution by Heretics
Persecution of Catholics by Protestant/heretical forces — destruction of property, imprisonment, and desecration during the religious wars of the Low Countries. In 1572 and 1580, heretics seized Mechlin, imprisoned Van der Burch's father, pillaged his house. In 1604, Dutch cavalry attacked the shrine of Our Lady of Aspromont, "laying everything waste with sword and fire." Heretics also attacked Basil for establishing monasteries.
Preliminaries
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— In 1572, heretics seized Mechlin, imprisoned Van der Burch's father, and nearly killed him; in 1580 they pillaged his house again and demanded ransom for his wife.
"in the year 1572, when the heretics seized Mechlin by surprise, he was cast into a degrading prison, subjected to many hardships, and also endured a severe loss of fortune... Then in the year 1580, when the same city was again occupied by the heretics, his house was pillaged once more"
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THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS A LAPIDE.
— Dutch cavalry attacked the shrine of Our Lady of Aspromont in 1604; Lapide carried the Eucharist out "lest it be profaned by heretics."
"a Dutch cavalry unit fell upon the place unexpectedly on the very feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, laying everything waste with sword and fire"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Heretics attacked Basil for establishing monasteries, accusing him of introducing novelties.
"The heretics attacked him on this account, as though he had turned out to be an inventor of novelties"