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 — John Shaqi
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
This, then, was the tragedy enacted at Munster; the instigation,
progress and execution can and may not be attributed to the so-called
Anabaptists, but to the first-risen Lutherans, especially to B.
Rotman and his followers. Had this restoration been successful, the
Lutherans would not have been ashamed of it; on the contrary they
would have boasted of it, and never would have let the honor of it
remain in the hands of the Anabaptists. To this alludes the following
old ditty:
Had successful been the glorious restoration,
Never would the much-despised Anabaptists
Have obtained the honor: Luther, or some other,
By the sword of Rotman, lord would have been crowned.
[Compare tract Onnooselheyds Peyl. etc., edit. Harl. Anno 1631.
Annex Hist. Mart. a little before the introduction; with the various
attestations of Bernhard Rotman; Godfrey Stralensis, Rollins, and
other Lutheran leaders at Munster; whose writings concerning this
matter were published shortly after the transaction, and have also
come down to us. Also, the notes of Melanchton, Guido, Sleydan; and
also in the great atlas, old edition.]
Were we disposed to pay them in their own coin, we might say: The
Munsterites were fellow-members of those who sanction war and claim
that one must propagate and defend his religion with the sword. For
this is what they did; but _we_ speak against it with heart, soul, and
mind.
Nevertheless, the people were made to believe these things; and
therefore, many simple people without experience or knowledge have
adopted the above opinion, simply because their pastor, preacher, or
teacher told them so; hence, many slanders have sometimes been, and are
still, spewed out like bitter gall, against the so-called Anabaptists,
who are despised and rejected by everybody.
In order to show that the doctrines of the Anabaptists, especially
that article on account of which they are called Anabaptists, did
not originate with the Munsterites, or any other erring spirits who
have arisen in these last times, but have proceeded from the source
of truth--Christ and his apostles, we have placed their origin in the
time of Christ, and shown that at that time already, this article, with
other articles of the Christian religion, was taught and practiced; and
also after the death of the apostles, through every age, even to the
present time.
Now the point will be to give the reasons why we have called this whole
work, with all the persons contained therein, after the Anabaptists;
from which, as the second question, might be asked: whether all the
persons mentioned, confessors as well as martyrs, none excepted,
confessed the same as what the Anabaptists of this day confess? or
whether any believed, practiced, or maintained higher or lower, more or
less, in this or that article?
We shall treat these matters separately, and one after the other,
giving the _reasons_ as well as the _answers_.
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