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

Noble, honorable, highly respected Lords, esteemed Friends: It is but a few days ago, that there was presented to us, from the elders of the church, which, from their predecessor,[361] Menno, is called the church of the Mennonites, a request, in the name of said church, containing long complaints; that their fellow-believers, under the odious name of Anabaptists, are proceeded against with such fury in your E. E. city, that, in consequence of the edicts, they are not allowed (though they are harmless and not accused of any crimes), to remove with their possessions and temporal effects out of your E. E. city and jurisdiction, and go elsewhere, yea, that some, solely out of hatred against their faith, are deprived of their goods, and confined in prison.

They the supplicants, request, that we, through our intercession, should endeavor, to avert, if possible, the punishments decreed against their brethren; which their request, being founded upon just arguments, if they at all are founded on truth, we, by virtue of our duty and office, could not ignore.

Hence we request your E. E. Highly-esteemed Lords, yea, we beg your E. E., for the sake of religion and the faith in Christ; which we have in common with your E. E., that your E. E. would be pleased, either utterly to abolish the aforesaid exceedingly severe decrees enacted against the innocent, erring or wandering ones, or, if your E. E. should not deem this compatible with the situation of your State, of which the judgment belongs to your E. E., would at least permit, that the afflicted people, after selling their real estate, and arranging their matters, may remove with their means to where they may expect more tranquillity and safety.

As far as we are concerned, Honorable Lords, we have ever since the foundation of this city held, that this class of people can quite safely be tolerated in the state, without injury to the Republic.[362]

And for this our judgment we have to thank Prince William of Orange, of blessed memory, who through his valor established for us freedom of conscience, whom the entreaties and perverse zeal of a class of evil disposed men never could move, to refuse the Mennonites any civil privileges. And, truly, we have not yet regretted it, having never found, that the Mennonites, under the cloak of religion (which alone is pernicious for all Republics), have ever sought to brew any thing in the state; but, on the contrary, that they have always with a cheerful and willing mind rendered custom and taxes, and all that a subject owes to his prince, yea, that they relieved, with their very liberal contributions, the Reformed that were elsewhere suffering trouble for their faith, and again recently, the Vaudois, our fellow-believers, when they, upon the instigation of the pope’s ministers, were miserably maltreated by the duke of Savoy.

It is not hid from us, highly esteemed Lords, that certain madmen, through a wrong and perverse zeal, endeavor to persuade your E. E. by arguments that the tolerating of the Mennonites is injurious for the Republic; but they do this with such arguments, the weight of which was never sufficient to induce us, to oppress the Mennonites with any severe edicts.

For, that they do not consider the office of magistracy lawful for a Christian, and religiously abstain from the swearing of oaths (with which two points they are principally charged), this cannot be detrimental to the Republic; seeing they do not refuse obedience to the magistrates, to whom, though they command something onerous, they, constrained by their conscience, consider themselves in duty bound to obey; and will be so bound to their naked declaration, that, when convicted of broken faith and of falsehood, they are willing to submit to the punishment of perjurers.

Which things, as long as they continue unchanged we cannot see, what harm the Republic has to expect therefrom.

That some, through pious, or even superstitious, fear, abstain from the magisterial office, and from the swearing of oaths, what will those say against it, who under the truly glorious name of Reformed, follow the tyranny of the Pope, and under the favor of the excellent titles of reformation and purity of faith introduce popery, with regard to the cruelty of which, as it was practiced in former times, in this city, especially against the Mennonites, as often as the remembrance of it, preserved in our records, burdens our thoughts, our souls are seized with horror and we rejoice that through the blood shed in former times our necks have been freed from the yoke of the furious harlot.

All of which, highly esteemed Lords, if it is properly considered by your Excellencies, we indulge the hope, that your E. E. will either abolish the severe decrees against the Mennonites, or, at least, after the example of those of Schaffhausen, one of the Swiss cantons, and the example of the Roman Catholic Prince of Neuburg, grant the afflicted, erring (or wandering) ones sufficient time to arrange their affairs, and to settle down elsewhere.