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

by Thieleman J. van Braght

Now when they could in no wise accomplish their purpose with them, there came, after much proceeding, an order from the government at Berckhausen, that they should be executed with the sword, and then burnt with fire.

When they arrived at the place of execution, brother Marcus requested the executioner, that he should first execute Hans, which he also did; and when this had been done, Marcus said to the people, of whom there were many present: “God be praised, my brother has overcome; and I will do likewise.” After these words brother Marcus was also beheaded, whereupon both were burnt together. This occurred on the twenty-sixth day of the month of August of the aforesaid year. The executioner had received orders, that if he should perceive that one of them wanted to recant, though he should already have drawn forth the sword, he should yet forbear and not proceed with it; but in this hope they were disappointed. Thus these two brethren testified to the faith and the divine truth valiantly and steadfastly unto death, with their blood; God, who gave them power and strength thereto, be praised and thanked forever.

The following brief account, which is found in the Chronijck van den Ondergang, page 1590, col. 2, will serve as a confirmation of the foregoing.

In the year 1605 (says the writer), on the 24th day of April, Marcus Eder and Hans Poltzinger, Anabaptists, were apprehended for the faith, at Nimback, in Bavaria, and taken prisoners to Riet, where they remained in confinement until the fifteenth week.

When they could neither by the Jesuits, nor by the priests, move them from the faith, they gave them over to the executioner to try his skill on them, and had them tortured twice very cruelly, wanting to know of them, who had lodged them, and who they were to whom they wanted to go; but the brethren would not tell them. Thereupon both of them were executed with the sword, and their bodies burnt together, on the 26th of August, of the same year. Compare the aforementioned chronicle with Jac. Th. Dal., and W. Att. letters.

HANS LANDIS, A. D. 1614.

That the bloody constraint or dominion over the consciences of men still obtains, is a sad thing, and especially is it to be deplored, that those who boast of being, more than others, followers of the defenseless Lamb, have not more the nature of the lamb, but much rather that of wolves in them. It certainly cannot stand as an excuse, that such a course is conducive to the maintenance of purity of the church; but it appears to be a hot zeal to weed out the tares (or what they judge to be tares); whereas the servants of the lord, when their zeal urged them to root out the tares, did not venture to do it: but asked permission, and when they were forbidden to do it, they forbore. If these would also ask, or examine the law book of their Lord, they would find there, that the Shepherd does not teach his flock to devour, but sends them as sheep among wolves; that it is also not his will, that the erring should be destroyed, but that they should be guided into the true way; and that he also does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should repent and live. And many other similar doctrines, all of which tend to the salvation and not the destruction of men. But it is very evident that there is still a veil before their hearts, so that they cannot understand this; or that a frantic zeal has inflamed their hearts to such blood-thirst, that they cannot tolerate it, that any one should walk the way to heaven in any other manner than just as they have chosen it, and in which they want to compel every one to walk, as was seen in the year 1614, at Zurich, in Switzerland, in the case of a pious witness of the divine truth, named Hans Landis, a teacher and minister of the gospel of Christ, who had gone up the river Rhine, where he had his place of residence, to feed and refresh with the word of the Lord some souls that were hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

When the council at Zurich learned of this, they, instigated by the disposition of the envious scribes and Pharisees, could not tolerate this, but instantly caused it to be forbidden him, as though they had thought thereby to hinder the true progress of the word of the gospel. But he, who knew with Peter, that we must obey God’s commands more than the commandments of men, had such love to the truth, and to the young suckling’s on Zion’s breasts, that no human threats could induce him to forbear feeding them with the true food of the soul. Hence the enviers of the same apprehended him, and sent him ironed from Zurich to Solothurm, to the papists, expecting that he should forthwith be sent to sea or upon the galleys; but through the help of good-hearted people he was there released; but subsequently apprehended again and taken to Zurich, where he was rigorously examined concerning his doctrine, and when he would in no wise desist from his godly purpose or from his faith, they showed in him, that their decree of eighty-four years previous was not yet forgotten, neither had the spirit of it died of old age; for, according to the import of the same, they sentenced him from life to death, and hence, in the month of September of the aforesaid year, 1614, for the sake of the truth he was beheaded as a true follower of Christ. Which they nevertheless would not acknowledge, but pretended, and persuaded the common people, to deceive them, that he was not punished and put to death for his religion, but for his obstinacy and disobedience to the authorities.

In this they evinced their old nature of Pharisees; who, when they condemned to death the innocent Lamb, the Savior of us all, did not say that it was for his virtuous doctrine by which he converted man to God, but that he had to die for his blasphemy. And this is the nature of all tyrants, to heap upon the innocent, besides sufferings and death, also false accusations. But when the last day of judgment shall come, when they must also expect and shall receive a sentence for their inconsiderate sentences, and shall lament in amazement: “Behold, these whom we once had in derision, and a proverb of reproach, how are they now exalted;” then they shall too late repent of their wicked course, and lament it forever with gnashing of teeth.

But on the other hand, this pious martyr and witness of God, and all the righteous that are still under the altar and wait for the fulfillment of the number of their brethren who shall also make their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, shall receive a glorious reward, and shall then together, in shining raiment, with great boldness, as valiant heroes and confessors of Christ, with the wise virgins, be admitted by the Bridegroom to his marriage, where they shall enjoy eternal happiness, and possess the kingdom of the Father, prepared for them from the beginning. Amen.