The aforesaid Paul and his wife had an infant of nine months, which was still unbaptized; this they took from the mother in prison and baptized it. Lord Philip van Doorn, dean of St. John, Postulia, wife of Sir John van der Stegen, and Anna, wife of Sir Goosen van der Stegen acted as sponsors to said child.
All of them were then put to death, and on the fourteenth of September, at six o’clock in the morning, a young man of the above named sect was also beheaded.
Thus far the old document sent to us from Friesland. Compared with the account in the History van den Opgang van’s Hertogenbosch, by Borre van Uytrecht, concerning the persons who were brought thither as prisoners.
Note.—It appears that the entire above account was written by some one who had not yet come to the faith; since he calls the true faith of said persons who were put to death a sect; of whose death he seems to have been an eye witness; hence we can assume this with the greater confidence, since it is certain that the opponent of a belief will not embellish, but much rather speak against it.
LEONHARD LOCHMAIR, AND OFFRUS GREIZINGER, A. D. 1538.
In the year 1538, Brother Leonhard Lochmair, a minister of the word, in the Earldom of Tyrol, was apprehended, and taken to Brixen, where a great number of priests practiced all manner of craftiness with him, until they caused him to apostatize. They then demanded of him, that he should go about the country for a whole year, with Doctor Gallius, and preach against and renounce the divine truth. This he would not do; hence they confined him in prison: for he had been a priest before he became a brother. He came to himself and repented of his apostasy, and great fear came upon him, for the judgment of God pressed upon him; but since God knew his sorrowful heart, he so ordered it that he was restored again, as will follow in the sequel.
In the same year, 1538, Offrus Greizinger, also a minister of the word in the Earldom of Tyrol, was apprehended. He was sought on the mountains and in the valley, and spied on bridges and elsewhere. A large sum of money was also offered for his apprehension, and spies and traitors were sent out, who pretended to have a desire to become pious. When they had apprehended him, he was also brought to Brixen and put in prison there, his apartment being so near to that of Leonard Lochmair’s, that they could converse together. There Leonhard greatly deplored his apostasy to Offrus, and sorrowed greatly on account of it. Offrus then gave him much consolation, when, after genuine sorrow and true repentance, he proclaimed to him the remission of his sins in the name of the Lord; yea, through his intercession, re-established him in his faith, and received him again as a fellow member and brother.
Not long after, when Brother Offrus, the faithful servant of the Lord and his church, was sorely tried in manifold ways, and much threatened with the torture, if he would not point out to them his brethren who had not yet been driven away, especially those who had harbored him, and done good to him, he said to them: “I have resolved to endure all pain and suffering which man can endure, even unto death, through the power of God, before I shall tell you this, and become a traitor. I well knew beforehand that this would be my fate. You have me in your power, do whatever God will permit you to do; if you want to tyrannize over me, you may do so; God will find you. I have nothing to say or to show.” They then assailed him with threats, and urged him that if he had the truth, they would admonish him in the name of the truth, to show and speak the truth. Then Brother Offrus said: “I know you and your truth; you have heard what I said.”
They also asked him whether it was not true that if our numbers should increase, we would rise up against and kill them, if they would not come over to our side? He told them that if we should do this, we would not be Christians, but only such in name; adding: “If you were true Christians you would not torture or kill any one.” Hence they bound him, and drew him up, but speedily let him down from the torture, and threatened him, asking why he would have his members thus torn asunder. He replied: “I am in your hands; do with me whatever God will permit you to do; you can take from me no more than my life.” They then despaired of accomplishing anything with him.
Eight days after, they again drew him up, this time twice, yet more gently: but he said: “I have told you once what I can tell, and be it known to you that God will find you for your tyranny.” They again despaired, and thenceforth left him alone, torturing him no further. He was sick in consequence of the torture, so that he said the less.