Part 2-096-OF THE MANDATE PUBLISHED AGAINST THE ANABAPTISTS IN THE DUCHY OF PRUSSIA (BUT NOT UNTO...

OF THE MANDATE PUBLISHED AGAINST THE ANABAPTISTS IN THE DUCHY OF PRUSSIA (BUT NOT UNTO DEATH), ON THE 12TH OF NOVEMBER, A. D. 1516
When on account of the terrible burning and scorching of the pious witnesses of Jesus that were called by the name of Anabaptists, many of them went from papistic regions, where the distress was greatest, to the Prussian countries, in the hope that the rulers there, who boasted of greater discretion and mercy than those of general popery, should grant them liberty to live according to their conscience, it came to pass, that when they came there they found themselves deceived in their opinion, inasmuch as the prince of that country, who then reigned at Brandenburg, ordered them, by a public mandate, to leave.
Concerning this, P. J. Twisek has given this account:
George Frederick, Margrave'of Brandenburg, commanded in a public mandate, on the 12th of November, A. D. 1586, that the Anabaptists must leave this whole Duchy of Prussia. Chron. van den Ondergang, edition 1620, 2d part, 16th book, for the year 1586, p. 1401, Colossians 1.
CHRISTIAN GASTEYGER, A. D. 1586
In the year 1586, an the Friday after Whitsuntide, which was the 3rd of June, Christian Gasteyger, a blacksmith, was imprisoned, at Ingolstadt in Bavaria. On the following Sunday two Jesuits, with their town judge came to him, and talked with him concerning his faith; but they soon left him again, for they could not agree with him. Nine days after, the two Jesuits came again to talk with him, and began with many words to revile the church; but the brother contradicted them, and thus they spent almost an hour and a half together, and then left him with dissatisfaction. Three weeks afterwards, again two Jesuits came to him, who wanted to instruct him; but when he would not dance as they piped, they left him again; and after two days the judge came to him, with a .doctor in the Scriptures, to speak with him concerning infant baptism. They said: “Children were damned, if they were not brought to baptism.” Thereupon, brother Christian replied: “They are not damned therefore;” and he proved it to them with many Scriptures which he adduced. On this account they called him a heretic and said further: “Children have the devil in them; hence they must be baptized.” Then he asked how the devil got into the children. They said: “He comes into the child from the mother.” But he contradicted them also in this.
Nine days afterwards the judge and his council came to him, and they said: “You are well aware why you are imprisoned here; you have been confined here for some time already, and priests have came to you; but you would not hearken to them, for I have been told by them, that there is no hope of you any more; and'the order has come, that I am to speak with you once more, and that if you will not be converted to that which your parents believed, you shall be placed upon a stack of wood and burnt; and let us see then how God will be with you.” But he replied: “I am ready every day to die, and I hope to God in heaven, that He will keep me valiant and faithful unto the end, so that I shall not depart from the truth; and may His will be done concerning me.”
The next day again two Jesuits came to dispute with hm, and asserted that he had no faith. They also began of infant baptism, saying that the child had to be baptized, else it were damned. But he contradicted them. And when they had spent three hours with him, and he had sufficiently replied to them and valiantly resisted their false doctrine, they left him. He also let us know that, as he was now imprisoned for the truth's sake, he would also firmly adhere to the truth; though it should cost him his life, he should not depart from it; they should have all good confidence concerning him, for he would valiantly fight for the eternal crown, and he well perceived that God faithfully succored him in his bonds, for which he also praised and thanked Him, and prayed that He would keep him even unto his temporal death. He moreover sent us and all believers a Christian greeting. Afterwards, when he had been confined for over twelve weeks at Ingolstadt, and all the priests and Jesuits there had become tired of him, and yet could accomplish nothing with him, he was, on the 25th of August, placed upon a cart and conducted from Ingolstadt to Munich.
Finally, on the 13th of December, sentence was requested concerning him. The prince was not at home, and the supreme judge had died; the under judge would have had to pronounce the sentence; but he would not, and said that it was not his office. The burgomaster and several others in the council would also not consent to it, but the Jesuits strenuously insisted upon it, so that the sentence proceeded nevertheless.
He was led forth from prison before the council house, and sentenced to the sword. He was then led to death, and since he was very joyful and of good cheer, and spoke very much to the people, the Jesuits became very angry and spat into his face, so that the executioner himself wiped it off. The Jesuits also held before him an idolatrous crucifix and spat again into his face, which vexed the people greatly.
When he arrived in the place of execution, he was very joyful, because he saw that he had so nearly gained the crown.
The executioner stood there with the drawn sword, afraid and begging him to renounce. But he said to the executioner that he should execute his sentence on him; and to the Jesuits he said
“Though there were a thousand of you here, and multiplied thousands, you should not be able to seduce me.” Then the executioner executed him with the sword, and thus he persevered steadfast and joyful in the faith.
CONCERNING THE DECREE EMITTED AGAINST THE ANABAPTISTS IN THE JURISDICTION OF-KOENIGS BERG AND ITS CITIES AND SUBURBS, ON PAIN OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND LOSS OF THEIR PROPERTY, A. D. 1587
Even as it had gone the year before in Prussia, with the Anabaptists, so it went now also in the dominion of Koenigsberg, which was carried out by the same prince, who was also the lord of this territory.
The afore-mentioned author, having related their departure from Prussia, immediately adds that on the 1st of March, A. D. 1587, they were ordered to leave not only the liberties of Koenigsberg and the cities and suburbs of that country, but also all the territories and dominions belonging under the reign of George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg, and this on pain of corporal punishment and loss of their property.
This was done because they spoke most offensively [forever] (as it was said) of infant baptism (which the learned of that country considered the door and entrance into the kingdom of God). Compare the sixteenth book of Chron. vary den Ondergang, 2d part, edition 1620, page 1501, Colossians 2, with Johan. Behin, fol. 72, 73.
MICHAEL VISCHER, A. D. 1587
In the year 1587, about Whitsuntide, Michael Vischer was imprisoned for the faith, at Ingolstadt, in Bavaria, and when he had been confined about twelve weeks, and much had been tried with him by monks, Jesuits and otherwise, and he would also not follow their false doctrine and idolatry, but firmly persevered in the faith which he had accepted, acknowledged and confessed, he was finally sentenced to death, that he should be executed on Friday the 6th of August, if he would not renounce; but since he looked for a better and eternal life, he continued immovable and steadfast in the faith. Thus he was on the afore-mentioned day, about eight o'clock in the morning, brought from the prison before the council house, and sentence was there read to him, that since this anabaptist had for about twenty years adhered to Anabaptism (so they call it), and also seduced several others thereto, and would in no wise allow himself to be moved from it, he must die for it. For the imperial mandate and decree is, that such shall not be suffered or tolerated, but punished with fire and sword. Thereupon he was led out to the place of execution, to which he was willing and ready, going there with alacrity. A Jesuit and a monk went with him, and wanted to instruct him; however, he did not hearken to them, but told them to go away from him. Thus they went in advance to the place of execution, and there said to him, that since he had to die, he should prepare himself for it, and they held a crucifix before his face, saying, that he should behold Him that had died for us. But he shook his head and said: “Christ my Redeemer is in heaven; therefore I deny all human handiwork.” He also said to the executioner: “Come hither; there is nothing else left to do, I will valiantly adhere to the faith and die upon it.” And with this he knelt down, boldly and undismayed. God granted him such power and strength, that he persevered steadfastly unto the end, in the way of truth unto eternal life in Jesus Christ. The executioner became terrified by his undauntedness, so that he could not properly execute him, but had to cut off his head as it were, [As distinguished from severing it with one stroke.-Tr.] in consequence of which he was in no small peril of his life.