About the year 1538, a college or school was opened at Strasburg, a free imperial city upon the Rhine. This college soon attained great celebrity. Among those drawn thither by its character was Peter Brulius, and he was for some time pastor of the church of which Calvin had been pastor before him. About this time, there prevailed throughout the Netherlands a great desire to be instructed in the reformed religion; and some people of Tournay having heard of Brulius, sent to Strasburg, and invited him to settle among them. Ready in every good word and work, this excellent man complied with their request, and arrived in Tournay in September, 1544, and was most joyfully received by those who had sent for him. After staying some time, he made an excursion to Lisle, in Flanders, in order to propagate the truth, and having accomplished his purpose, he returned to Tournay. The Romish governors, having heard of his business, ordered the gates of the city to be shut, and strict search to be made for him. In this imminent danger, as there was no possibility of concealing him longer, his friends, in the night, let him down over the wall by a rope. When he had reached the ground, he sat down to take a little rest; but one of those who assisted in the escape, leaning as far as he could over the wall, that he might softly bid him farewell, forced out a loose stone with his foot, which fell upon Brulius’s leg and broke it. The pain occasioned by this wound, and the severe cold of, the night, extorted such loud groans from the good man, as alarmed the watch, who soon seized the prey and committed him to prison.

The afflicting news soon reached Germany, but no efforts of his friends could procure his release, and soon after, he was put to death. The manner of his execution was severe, his body being burned b\r a slow fire, for his greater torment. But nothing could triumph over his faith, for he stood to the truth of God to his last breath, and exhorted, by letter, many of his friends who were imprisoned for the gospel’s sake, to hold fast their profession. Before his death, he underwent an examination before his accusers, in which he made a glorious confession of Christ. Some day before he was brought to trial, he wrote of all his sufferings and of his examination, to his wife and friends, who had earnestly requested an account of his treatment.

The last letter which he wrote must have been a most affecting one indeed. It was written to his wife the day before he suffered. He gave her an account of the kind of death he was to endure on the ensuing day, and filled his letter with pious exhortations and consolations to her; concluding, that she ought not to be grieved for his sake, but' to rejoice, since this whole dispensation was an honour that his heavenly Father conferred upon him, and that Jesus Christ had suffered infinitely more for him.