The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians / who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their savior, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660
Transcriber’s notes :
The cover image of the book was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
who baptized only upon Confession of Faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their Savior, from the time of Christ to the year A. D. 1660.
COMPILED FROM VARIOUS AUTHENTIC CHRONICLES, MEMORIALS, AND TESTIMONIES, BY
THIELEM J. van BRAGHT.
Translated from the original Dutch or Holland language from the Edition of 1660, BY JOSEPH F. SOHM.
ILLUSTRATED.
ELKHART, INDIANA. MENNONITE PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1886.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1886, by Mennonite Publishing Company, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
As the English language, year by year, becomes more prevalent among our Mennonite people, the necessity of presenting to them in that language the doctrines, teachings and practices, as well as the story of the sufferings, the faithful endurance and the final triumphant deaths, of those of like faith with us who lived in the earlier ages of Christianity, becomes apparent to every reflecting mind.
These doctrines, teachings and practices together with the examples of faithful devotion to Christ and his word, and the unfaltering endurance under the severest persecution, are powerful incentives to Christians to-day, to inspire many sincere souls to live a more consecrated life, to practice greater self-denial, to live more separated from the world, and show a greater zeal in the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls; and they are especially precious to us, as Mennonites, because through these people it pleased God to hand down to us the living exemplification of the peculiar tenets and doctrines which we hold and practice at the present day.
The reading of books of this kind will also help us to appreciate more highly the privileges with which God has blessed us above our forefathers. While they oftentimes were not permitted to have permanent places of abode, and were driven about and hunted down like wild beasts, compelled to dwell in caves and mountains, and other secluded places, hold their meetings in secret, and suffer every imaginable form of injustice and persecution, because to be a true follower of Christ in those days was considered the very worst of crimes, we enjoy all the privileges of citizenship and are protected in the fullest enjoyment of our religion and forms of worship.
Thieleman J. van Braght
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THE BLOODY THEATRE, OR MARTYRS MIRROR OF THE DEFENSELESS CHRISTIANS,
Contents.
Translator’s Preface.
Invocation.
Preface.
TO MY BELOVED FRIENDS AND COMPANIONS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR SAVIOR.
TO THE READERS IN GENERAL.
Introduction.
SUMMARY OF THE FOLLOWING WORK.
OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD, ITS ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND IMMOVABLE STABILITY, THROUGH ALL TIMES.
OF THE UNGODLY AND FALSE CHURCH, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, AND THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS AND SUCCESSION OF THE SAME THROUGH ALL TIMES.
POEMS IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE.
First Part.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM OF THE MARTYRS IN THE FIRST CENTURY,
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PIOUS MARTYRS AND WITNESSES OF JESUS CHRIST WHO SUFFERED DURING THE FIRST CENTURY:
AN ACCOUNT OF THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY MARTYRS IN THE SECOND CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SECOND CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM OF THE MARTYRS IN THE THIRD CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PIOUS MARTYRS AND WITNESSES OF JESUS CHRIST WHO SUFFERED IN THE THIRD CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM OF THE MARTYRS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM OF THE MARTYRS IN THE FIFTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE FIFTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM OF THE MARTYRS IN THE SIXTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SIXTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE NINTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE NINTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE TENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE TENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
Second Part.
To my beloved Friends and Fellow-Believers in Christ Jesus our Savior.
Preface to Second Part.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
ENLARGED AND IMPROVED FROM VARIOUS CREDIBLE CHRONICLES, MEMOIRS, TESTIMONIES, ETC.
AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY,
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