The Benefit of Christ’s Death was first printed in Venice, Italy in 1543 at printing press of Bernardo de' Bindoni. It was immediately a huge success, and a reprint was issued the same year, just a few months later. As the historian Salvatore Caponetto notes, "the short book was amongst the best-sellers of the sixteenth century" (p.8).
Read MoreIt is very certain that there were the elements of a great Reformation in Italy, during the forenoon of the sixteenth century. Italy had a roll of noble reformers contemporary with Luther and Calvin. To Italy was given the Bible in the language of the people; a gospel literature began to spring up on their soil. Mighty men labored to bring the Italian church back to the ancient faith that existed when Paul preached, Nero persecuted, and Ignatius suffered. Yet how little is known of them!
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