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. 1660Braght, Thieleman J. van (Thieleman Janszoon)
History
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
Braght, Thieleman J. van (Thieleman Janszoon)
Anabaptists -- Europe -- Biography; Christian martyrs -- Biography; Persecution
Probus answered: “I desire neither honor from the emperors nor thy
friendship; for not small was the wealth which I forsook, in order
faithfully to serve the living God.”
The Proconsul commanded them, to take his cloak off him, strip him,
rack him, and scourge him with raw thongs. While they scourged him,
Demetrius, the captain, said: “O wretched man! behold, how thy blood is
spilled upon the earth.”
Probus replied: “My body is in your hands; but all these torments are a
precious balm to me.”
After he was scourged, the Proconsul said to him: “Thou wretch! wilt
thou not yet cease from thy folly? and dost thou still persist in thy
obstinacy?”
Probus answered: “I am not vain, but more courageous in the Lord, than
you people are.”
The President said to his servants: “Turn him over, and scourge him on
his stomach.”
Probus prayed, saying: “O Lord, come and succor thy servant.”
Maximus, the Proconsul, said to the executioners: “While you scourge
him, ask him, saying: ‘Where is thy helper?’”
Probus replied as they scourged him: “He has helped me, and shall still
help me.”
The President said: “Thou wretched man! do spare thine own body; for
the earth is soaked with thy blood.”
Probus answered: “Be assured, the more my body suffers for the name of
Christ, the more my soul is healed and quickened.”
After he had been thus scourged and tortured, the Proconsul commanded
them to fetter his hands and feet with irons, and thus keep him in
prison; however to bring before him another.
_Andronicus examined._--Demetrius, the Centurion, placed Andronicus
before Maximus’ judgment seat, saying: “Sir, here is the third one.”
The Proconsul said: “What is thy name?”
Andronicus answered: “Wouldst thou openly know who I am? I am a
Christian.”
Maximus said: “Those who have preceded thee have gained nothing by
this name; therefore thou must answer me aright.”
Andronicus replied: “Men generally call me Andronicus.”
Maximus asked him of what nationality he was.
Andronicus answered: “Of noble blood.”
Maximus said: “Spare thyself, and hearken to me, as to thy father; for
those who have prated such nonsense before thee have gained nothing by
it. But honor thou the princes and the fathers, and be obedient to our
gods.”
Andronicus replied: “Thou didst well call them fathers; for thou art
of the father, the devil, and, having become one of his children, thou
doest his works.”
Maximus said: “Wilt thou, a stripling, despise and mock me? Knowest
thou not, what torments are ready for thee?”
Andronicus said: “Dost thou think I am a fool, that I should be willing
to be found inferior to my predecessors, in suffering? I stand prepared
to endure all thy torments.”
The Proconsul commanded that he should be stripped, ungirded, and
suspended to the torture-stake. Demetrius, the Captain, moved by pity,
said: “Listen to me, wretched man, before thy body be racked.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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