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which he now learnt to regard as the only fountain of religious truth . After devoting * himself for some time to this employment , he arose from his selfimposed task , convinced of the error of his former creed , and of the truth
of the system of faith which Martyr was promulgating . His conversion is assigned to the year 1541 , which was the twentv-fourth of his ai > e . The gaining over such a proselyte was naturally a source of high gratification to the friends of the
Reformation , who were forward to offer him their congratulations on the occasion . But the event was regarded with very different feelings by his own immediate connexions ; and they spared no pains to induce him to retrace his steps .
His father viewed the proceeding with peculiar regret and alarm . He anticipated from it tiie alienation and loss of a son , through whom he had hoped that the honours of his house would pass to a long posterity ; and he was justly apprehensive that tiie Emperor ,
when apprised of the circumstance , would be incensed , and be likely to give vent to his displeasure in some act of vengeance upon the unoffending branches of the fiunily . The young Marchioness , also , who was tenderly attached to her husband , and who had
borne him six children , viewed his conversion with the most painful sensations . She felt she could not quit the religion in which she had been educated , and by sucli a stop share the lot of her husband ; and the thought of losing him was insupportable agony . These circumstances operated as a severe trial to the young Caraccioli * who found himself assailed on
* The writer of the Life of Caraeeioli piously ascribes this and the other trials to which the constancy of tlie young convert was exposed , to the machinations of tlie devil . He ascribes to this powerful agent some trials which are not noticed in the text , but which I shall here insert in the words of the English translation . " But above all these , " ( lie is speaking of the temptations arising from the
solicitations of his family , ) " Satan had one assault strongest of all , whereby he attempted to seduce him from the true and sincere religion of God . About that time the realm of Naples was sore pestered wjth Arians and Anabaptists , who daily broched their heresies amongst the corn-
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all hands by the affectionate importunities of the friends whom he most mon people , colouring them over with glorious shows . These fellows perceiving Galeacius not fully settled as yet in religion , nor yet sufficiently grounded in the Scripture , tlyed all means they could
to entangle him in their errors and blasphemous fancies ; wherein the mighty work of God was admirable toward him for he being a youth , a gentleman , but a mean scholar , and little studied , and but lately entered into the school of Christian religion , who would have thought that ever he could have resisted and
escaped the snares of those heretics , many of them being great and grounded scholars , and throughly studied in the Scripture ? Notwithstanding , by the sincere simplicity and plainness of God ' s truth , and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost , he not only descried the fondness of their heresies , but even untied the knots , and
brake their nets and delivered himself , and mightily confuted them ; yea , such was the working of God , as being sometime in their meetings , he was strongly confirmed in the doctrine of the truth by seeing and hearing them . Thus , by God ' s mercy , he escaped , and was conqueror in this fight .
" But the devil had not so done with him , for another more dangerous battel presently followed . The IValdesians , of whom we spake before , " ( when mentioning the first conversion of Caraccioli , ) < l were at that time in Naples in good number . With them did Galeacius daily
converse , their courses of life and study being not far unlike . These disciples oi Waldesius knew as yet no more in religion but the point of justification , and misliked and eschewed some ahuses ot Popery , and nevertheless still frequented Popish Churches , heard masses , and vve e present ordinarily at vile idolatries . G >
leaeius for a time conversed with these men , and followed their way ; which course doubtless would have spoiled him , as it did a great sort of them ; wll ° afterward being taken and committed for the truth , were easily brought torecant their religion , because they wanted the chief and the most excellent points ,
nor were not sufficiently setled ; and yet afterward again , not daring to forsake their hold in justification , and therefore coming to it again , were taken as relapsers and backsliders , and put to extreain torments and cruel death . In y * like danger had Galeacius been , but that the good providence of ^ God otherwise disposed and better provided for him , that is , by sending him into Germany i "
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3 ^ 2 Italian Reformation
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1822, page 322, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2513/page/2/
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