When they were led forth, they spoke boldly to the people, and exhorted the great multitude that had gathered, that they should repent and turn from their sinful life to God, and then both joined their voices in raising a joyful, sweet, and heartfelt song of praise to the Lord.
There was present a great number of people, and many among them shed tears, when they heard them sing and saw that they were of such good cheer in the hour of death. But the eternal joy was before their eyes, and they rejoiced in the inner man, that they should go to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, to all the patriarchs and the whole number of the saints, to all the prophets and the apostles of the Lord, and to their pious fellow-brethren and sisters that had recently died, yea, to Jesus Christ himself, their Savior. Thus they sang till close to the water’s edge, where they were to be drowned.
When they came outside, Hendrick said: “Now, my brother Jacob, since we have traveled together so long, let us now also journey together further, through this temporal death into eternal life.” Brother Jacob Mandel was the first one. The executioner took him and drowned him in the water. When he was dead, he drew him out and laid him before Hendrick’s eyes, and said: “My dear Hendrick, behold thy brother who lost his life, and renounce yet, or you will have to die too, there is no other choice.” But he said: “You need not think that I shall renounce, and forsake the divine truth; I will adhere to it though it cost body and life.” A priest also begged him very earnestly and said: “O my dear Hendrick, desist from this new infidelity, and from this evil sect.” But brother Hendrick turned to him and said: “What sect? I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and in his holy word and divine commandment; in this I stand—do you consider this a sect? Dare you call the true Christian faith a sect? what kind of a faith have you then? If you have another faith, you are in a sect and in a new faith yourself; desist from it, and forsake your sinful, vicious and ungodly life.” Thus the priest was put to shame and ridicule, and had to keep silence. When they saw that he continued steadfast, the executioner took him and drowned him too, like the other. This took place on the 9th of October of the aforesaid year 1582, at Baden, in Switzerland, after they had been imprisoned four weeks and a half.
MELCHOIR PLATSER, A. D. 1583.
In the year 1583, on the Friday after Whitsuntide, Melchoir Platser, who had been an apothecary, was apprehended for the faith’s sake, in the village of Rankweil, in the Feldkirch, bailiwick. There he was put in irons and taken to Feldkirch into the castle, and imprisoned in a deep tower, whence he was several times taken before the authorities and the priests. He was always prepared to give an answer concerning his faith and to resist their false doctrine.
There was then brought to him from the town of Bregenz a special priest, whom they regarded as very wise and learned. He undertook to dispute publicly with brother Melchoir, hoping to get honor and glory by it; but he was very soon put to shame, so that he himself said: “Did the devil bring me here for this purpose, that I should be convinced by an Anabaptist?” Now when they could accomplish nothing with him, they sent (since that region is completely papistic) for Lutheran parsons, and brought them to him, [to see] whether they could instruct him. But they were no better in his eyes; he convinced them, that they were both in unrighteousness and unjustly upheld and maintained their doctrine. This is the cause why at the present day all sin, vice, and idolatry are so prevalent, because the priests themselves are the greatest rogues and knaves.
Now when they could in no wise seduce or deceive him, they delivered him over to the authorities and accused him as a traitor that had merited death. However, they offered him that, if he desired mercy, and would swear an oath that he would leave their land and dominion, they would suffer him to live and go away. But he answered: Before he would swear such an oath to them, and consent to renounce, he would rather await what God should permit them to do with him, though it should cost his body and life. He also told them that their threats did not terrify him, and that he did not care for it, for at all events he had once to die.
Then the lord at Feldkirch was touched, and requested that they should conduct him back to Rankweil, into the same village where they had apprehended him, as though he thereby wanted to wash his hands in innocence from his blood.
When they came to Rankweil, they held a court over him, pursuant to the order of the great Hannibal, to whom he had been delivered by the prince of Innsbruck, to deal with him according to his pleasure. There they passed sentence, that he should be put to death.
When the brother heard that he was to depart out of this world, he faithfully thanked God the heavenly Father, and rejoiced that God was willing to make him worthy, that he should testify to the truth with his blood, which he regarded as a great benefit from God.