accorded to the brave and triumphant warriors, who, risking their lives
in the land of the enemy, conquered, and carried off the victory.[12]
Thus _Homer_, the foremost of the writers of heroic poetry in Greece,
has, in twenty-four books, extolled and embellished with many eulogies
the warlike deeds of Ulysses. _Quintus Curtius_ described, in ten
books, the deeds of Alexander, the son of Philip of Macedonia: how
triumphantly he conquered and subjugated Europe, Asia, India, and the
countries bordering on the eastern Ocean, till he ultimately lost his
life in Babylonia. _Plutarch_ composed a voluminous work devoted to
the praise of illustrious and valiant men. _Titus Livius_ has written
of the Roman heroes, how praiseworthily they acquitted themselves in
behalf of the country of Romulus. _Virgilius Maro_ and others eulogized
the emperor Augustus. And this usage has obtained from ancient times,
and obtains yet, in every land, yea, throughout the whole world.
[12] The victors at the Olympic games (so called from Mount Olympus
in Greece, where they were held) were crowned with wreaths of oak and
laurel, which was considered a great honor.
We say nothing of the honor and praise, which, many years after their
death, was bestowed in public theatres, upon those who had been
sacrificed to idols, for the narration of it would consume too much
time.
But God, in his word, goes higher and farther yet, in this respect.
He has caused the conflict, the sufferings, and the triumphs of his
spiritual courageous heroes, children and favorites to be written, in
language the most touching, glorious and triumphant, as an everlasting
memorial for their descendants, and not only this, but as a full
assurance of their happiness; so that they should always be remembered,
and never forgotten. Yea, the whole volume of holy Scriptures seems
to be nothing else than a book of martyrs, replete with numerous,
according to the flesh, sorrowful, but according to the spirit, happy,
examples of the holy and steadfast martyrs, whose sufferings, conflicts
and triumphs have been recorded in as holy and worthy a manner as it is
possible to imagine. However, they are variously spoken of, according
to the importance of their merits. Some of them suffered and fought
much, but not unto blood, nor unto death; there victory and their honor
are, therefore, not represented as of the highest degree. Others,
however, suffered and fought not only unto blood and death, for the
Lord’s name, but even to the greatest pain and most bitter death. We
shall first speak of the former class, and then of the latter; yet the
last shall surpass the first. _Abraham_, the father of the faithful,
and _Isaac_ and _Jacob_, to whom God had promised the possession of
the land of Canaan, lived, nevertheless, as strangers in the land of
promise, and, sometimes, had to endure hunger, thirst and oppression.
Compare Gen. 12:10; 26:20; 31:22,23 with Hebr. 11:9.
_Moses_, the friend of God, had to flee from Pharaoh into the land of
Midian, where he sat down by a well. Ex. 2:15. Afterwards he came very
near being stoned by the disobedient in Israel. Ex. 17:4.
_David_, a man after God’s own heart, was several times in peril of
being transfixed to the wall by a javelin, 1 Sam. 18:11; 19:10; yea,
his life was in such danger, that he complained to Jonathan: “There
is but a step between me and death.” 1 Sam. 20:3. For this reason he
often called upon God for help, that he might not meet with an untimely
death. Among other things he says: “Consider and hear me, O Lord my
God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Ps. 13:2.
In the days of Ahab and Jezebel _a hundred prophets of the Lord_ had to
flee on account of persecution, and were hid in a cave, and fed with
bread and water, by one Obadiah. 1 Kings 18:13.
_Elijah_, for the same reason, was compelled to turn eastward and hide
himself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 1 Kings 17:3.
His life was afterwards made so bitter to him, that he fled into the
wilderness by Beer-sheba, sat down under a juniper tree, and prayed, “O
Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings
19:4.
When Elisha, the servant of Elijah, proclaimed the word of the Lord in
the city of Samaria, the king of Samaria swore, that the head of Elisha
should not stand on him that day. 2 Kings 6:31.
The prophet _Micaiah_, who had foretold in the name of the Lord the
truth to the king of Israel, had to eat the bread of sorrow, and drink
the water of sadness, in the prison in which he was confined, until the
king was slain in a battle. 1 Kings 22:27–37.
_Jeremiah_ was cast into a mire-pit, in which he sunk down so deeply
that he was in danger of death, until he was saved through Ebed-melech,
the Ethiopian. Jer. 38:6–13.
Amos was called a conspirator, and forbidden not only the city in which
he prophesied, but also the land of the ten tribes of Israel. Amos
7:10–13.
All these, and many more, endured much suffering and many conflicts yet
not unto blood or death. But those of whom we shall speak now, suffered
the bitterness of death, and are therefore, in this respect, of higher
rank than they who have preceded, just as the loss of life is a severer
test than to suffer in the body or to lose temporal possessions; which
is the only difference between the two classes named.
This bloody army of the spiritual champions, who fought unto blood
and death for the Lord, commenced with the beginning of the world, as
though God’s saints were born to suffer and fight; and as though God
had designed, that his church should be tried from the beginning and
all through, even as gold in the furnace that her purity might become
the more manifest.
In the beginning we see, Abel who, having in faith offered unto God a
lamb as a sacrifice, was slain in the field by Cain, his brother. Gen.
4:8; 1 John 3:12.
In the days of Ahab and Jezebel _many prophets of God_ were slain by
the sword of the rebellious and disobedient in Israel, so that Elijah
thought he alone was left. 1 Kings 19:14.
When the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada,
so that he said to the disobedient people: “Why transgress ye the
commandments, of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have
forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you,” they took stones and
killed him at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of
the Lord. 2 Chron. 24:21.
When _Urijah_, the son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-jearim prophesied in the
name of the Lord against the city of Jerusalem, his life was sought, so
that he fled into Egypt. But Jehoiakim the king sent men who fetched
him back, and he slew him with the sword, and buried his dead body
among the common people. Jer. 26:20–23.
The god-fearing young men, named _Shadrach_, _Meshach_ and _Abed-nego_,
who refused to worship the image of King Nebuchadnezzar, were cast,
bound, in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other
garments just as they were, into a fiery furnace, in which they would
have been immediately consumed, if God had not preserved them. Dan.
3:21–23.
The prophet _Daniel_, because he would not worship king Darius, but
only the true God of Israel, was cast into a den of lions, to be torn
by them; but God protected him as he did those mentioned before. Dan.
6:16.
_Onias_, the high priest, who, in a very praiseworthy and peaceful
manner, led and kept the people at Jerusalem, so that foreign kings
were moved to honor the city and the temple of God with gifts, was
falsely accused by Simon the Benjamite, removed from his office by
Jason, his own brother, and stabbed to death without regard of justice
and equity by perjured Andronicus; for the which cause not only the
Jews, but also many gentiles took great indignation. Compare 2 Macc.
3:1,2 with 4:1,34.
_Two women_, who had their children, circumcised according to the law
of God, were led round about the city, with their babes tied to their
breasts, and then cast down headlong from the wall. 2 Maccabees 6:10.
Some who had hid themselves in caves, to keep the Sabbath or day of
rest of the Lord, and who would not defend themselves against the
enemies, when it was discovered to Philip the tyrant, were burned. 2
Macc. 6:11.
Eleazar, an old man of ninety years, because he would not sin against
the law of God by eating forbidden meat, nor set an evil example to
young persons, nor dissimulate, had to carry his hoary hairs with blood
to the grave, and die a cruel death through many stripes. 2 Macc.
6:27–31.
_Seven brethren_, for the same cause, were scourged with rods and
thongs, had their tongues cut out, their hands and feet cut off, and
were roasted in pans, and killed in this terrible manner to the last
one, together with their mother, who had witnessed it all, and likewise
refused to depart from the law of God. 2 Macc. 7.
This last mentioned class, from Abel to the Maccabees, are the true
army of God and the heroes of the old covenant who, for the honor of
God and the law of their fathers, did not spare their lives.
These the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews has in view when he
speaks of the great cloud of witnesses, who, looking through faith
for the fulfillment of the promises of God and the coming of the Son
of God, in the flesh endured all sufferings, conflicts, and, at last,
death, bravely and with an undismayed heart. But the others, says
he, meaning the steadfast saints of God of whom we have spoken, had
trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and
imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted,
were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and
goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was
not worthy. Heb. 11:36–38.
Hence the whole volume of holy Scriptures, especially the Old
Testament, seems to be almost exclusively, a book of martyrs, as we
have stated in the beginning; appearing from the examples which we
have adduced, and of which we could point out many more, if it were
necessary.
As regards the heroes of the new covenant, that is, those who since
the advent of Christ, and for the testimony of the holy gospel, have
fought the good fight, even unto blood, yea, death; have finished their
course; and steadfastly kept the faith, notwithstanding the various
horrible torments; it would be impossible to speak briefly of it here,
and do the subject full justice; for which reason we have done this in
the following two books, to which we would refer the reader.
All this was written for a perpetual remembrance of the steadfast and
blessed martyrs; concerning whom it is the will of God that they should
not only always be remembered here among men, but whom he himself
purposes never to forget but to remember them with everlasting mercy.
THE SEQUEL COMPARED WITH THE BEGINNING OF THIS HISTORY.
We have already spoken of the great honor which custom conferred upon
the brave and triumphant warriors; yet not one of all these, however
great, mighty, valiant and victorious he may have been, or how great
the honor and glory with which he may have been hailed, could in any
wise be compared with the least martyr who suffered for the testimony
of Jesus Christ.
Even aged and feeble persons, youths and maidens, and such as were
not noticed, yea whom the world did not esteem at all, did infinitely
more through the power of their faith, their ardent love to God, and,
especially, their steadfastness unto death, whereby they were enabled
to forsake, yea, despise, all visible things, and to put entirely out
of their thoughts, forget, and bid, as it were, eternal adieu to,
until the consummation of all things, money, property, houses, farms,
brothers, sisters, parents, children, dear friends and relatives, yea
their own bodies and lives, and everything pleasing and delightful
according to the flesh; whereas others, if possible, gladly enjoyed and
retained all this, and would fain have retained it always, or still
retain it.
The honor, therefore, which is due to the holy martyrs, is infinitely
greater and better than that of earthly heroes; just as the fight they
fought, was infinitely more profitable, and their victory, as coming
from the hand of God, infinitely more praiseworthy and glorious.[13]
[13] God is worthier than the creatures; heaven is worthier than the
earth; and the soul is more excellent than the body; in the same
manner the divine, heavenly and spiritual warfare is worthier and
more excellent than the creatural, earthly and corporeal warfare;
this is beyond contradiction. “He that is slow to anger is better
than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
city.” Prov. 16:32. Of this the apostle Paul glories, when he says:
“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one
that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection,” etc. 1 Cor. 9:26,27. This praiseworthy fight, when he
had brought it to a good end, caused him to say about the time of
his death: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day,” etc. 2 Tim. 4:7,8.
Through earthly wars countries and their inhabitants are destroyed,
the innocent killed, the fugitive robbed of their property, and much
weeping and mourning caused among those who remain. But through the
warfare of the martyrs, at least through the martyrs themselves, the
prosperity of countries and their inhabitants was promoted because of
the fervent prayers offered up by the martyrs to God for those who did
them harm and for the common welfare of all the inhabitants.
The life of the innocent, who otherwise would have had to die, yea,
their spiritual and eternal life, was obtained and preserved through
the medicine of their good teachings, admonitions, examples, and
unwavering continuance to the end of life.
The estates of men generally, both according to the soul and the body,
they improved and multiplied, causing them to increase thirty, sixty,
and even a hundred fold, by their uprightness, fidelity, benevolence,
compassion, and incomparable mercifulness toward their fellow men.
They caused no one to lament or weep, by doing him the least damage or
injury, but they greeted everybody, even their enemies, with kindness,
embraced them with the arms of love, and gave them cause to rejoice and
be glad, outwardly as well as inwardly, bodily and spiritually, here
and (God granting them mercy) also hereafter.
O most delightful warfare, which did injury to none, but good to all.
O ye blessed heroes, who fought this fight! No princes or kings
can be compared to you; for all the honors won by earthly heroes on
earth shall vanish with the earth; but your honor is an everlasting
honor; your glory shall never cease, yea, shall endure, as long as God
endures, whom you served.
ADDRESS TO THE WORLDLY-MINDED.
Come now, ye earthly-minded and ungodly, and learn here to become
heavenly and godly-minded; ye impenitent, learn here to repent, and
believe in Jesus Christ. Hither must come also all the self-willed,
who, from a prejudiced opinion of their own do not consider the
external commandments and ordinances of Christ as necessary, saying
that there is not more required than repentance and faith, or a
so-called irreproachable civil life. These shall learn here that the
external commandments of Christ must be united with the internal, that
is, the signs with the things signified; or, to express it clearly:
one must be baptized on his faith and repentance; must keep the Lord’s
Supper in remembrance of him, etc.; for herein the holy martyrs were to
them an example.[14]
[14] As we cannot look at heaven and earth at the same time, nor
stand at once upon the mountain and in the valley, even so it is
impossible to serve God and the world at the same time. Our Savior
says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” Matt. 22:37. Concerning this it
should be observed that if we must love God with all our heart, then
no love for the world or sinful flesh may remain.
Here the passionate must learn patience and meekness from the most
patient and meek, who endured without murmuring the greatest reproach
and ignominy, yea, even death. Here the unmannered are taught modesty;
the proud, humility; the discontented, contentment; the avaricious,
benevolence; the insatiably rich, voluntary poverty; those who
live after their lusts, the forsaking of all carnal desires; the
irreligious, piety; and the wavering and inconstant, steadfastness unto
the end in all these things.
All this can be learned here, not so much by words as by deeds, from
those who not only commenced the above virtues, but continued in them
unto the end, yea, confirmed them through their death, and sealed them
with their blood.
TO THE YOUNG, THE MIDDLE-AGED, AND THE OLD.
Besides, persons of every age may enter this school of practice in
virtue; the young, the middle-aged and the old, all shall be led to
true godliness by the living examples of those who went before them.
The young people who live after their lusts, and have not come to
the light, will see here, that many of their equals, yea, who were
only fourteen, fifteen, eighteen, twenty years old, or even younger,
had at that age already forsaken the vanities of the world and the
lusts of youth; nay, some so early that they had not yet come to know
them, much less to practice, them; but that, on the contrary, as soon
as they reached their understanding, they remembered their Creator
and Savior, bowed their youthful members under his yoke, accepted
his commandments, obeyed him with all their heart, and surrendered
themselves willingly to him, so that they, for his sake, did not spare
their lives unto death. Ecc. 12:1; Prov. 23:26.
The middle-aged, who, like the firmly-rooted oaks of Bashan, are so
deeply engrossed in, and joined to, earthly affairs and household
cares, that it is next to an impossibility to detach them therefrom
because of their inseparable desire for the goods of this world; will
see here people in the flower and prime of life, who might have gained
much, but sought it not, because they would not miss the heavenly gain.
These had a contented heart; they were clothed with coats of skins,
only against cold and nakedness; they lived in huts or plain cottages,
to be sheltered from rain, wind, hail and snow; they ate bread to
satisfy their hunger, and drank water to quench their thirst; more they
had not.[15]
[15] Surely no man in the world can derive advantage from the
abundance of his temporal possessions over and above the necessaries
of life. Why then, the manifold anxieties and cares to provide for
the future in regard to the things which concern the body; since
nature is so soon separated by death from all this? “Seek ye first
the kingdom of God.” Matt. 6:33. “Casting all your care upon him,”
(the Lord) etc. 1 Pet. 5:7.
There they shall see that these contented people surrendered to God the
strength of their bodies, their station in life, and whatever they had;
so that they, having become members of his church, esteemed it greater
riches to suffer with the same the reproach of Christ, nay death
itself, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
The aged, who have neglected their youth and middle life, and are now
come to the eleventh hour,[16] and yet are still not working in the
Lord’s vineyard, may here behold persons whose hoary head is a crown of
glory, since they are found in the way of righteousness; who devoted
their feeble powers, the short span of their life, yea their last
breath, to the service and praise of their God and Savior, watching
and waiting for the hour of their departure and the day of their
redemption, that they might become an acceptable offering to the Lord.
They longed for the clock to strike twelve, so as to be admitted by the
Lord and be seated at his glad feast.
[16] Though it is not advisable in temporal things to put off doing
the day’s labor until evening, yet it is better late than never. This
holds good also in spiritual things.
When two of our last martyrs, Jan Claess of Alckmaer, and Lucas
Lamberts of Beveren, an old man of eighty-seven years, received their
sentence of death, at Amsterdam, Holland, in the forenoon of a certain
day in the year 1544, Jan Claess said to the old man, Lucas Lamberts:
“My dear brother, fear now neither fire nor sword. O what a glad feast
shall be prepared for us, before the clock strikes twelve.” See II
Book, year 1544.
All this and infinitely more the worldly-minded, ignorant and
unbelieving are taught here. O that each of them would consider this
well!
Men are more easily converted by good examples than by good teachings,
because examples are more impressive; yet here you have both.
Let every one come hither, therefore; and no one remain behind; all
have need to be taught in the way of salvation; no one would choose
to be unsaved. Here you shall see the patience, the faith, and the
constancy of the saints. Have compassion upon your own poor souls, whom
the Lord loves so dearly, seeking to lead them to heaven; yea for whom
the Son of God has shed his precious blood, thus purchasing them with
so great a price. We would commend this matter most urgently to you as
well as to ourselves. O Lord, help! O Lord, let it prosper!
But it is now time that we turn our attention to giving instructions
concerning the proper understanding and use of this work.
TH. J. VAN BRAGHT.
_Dort_, July the 27th, 1659.
Introduction.
SUMMARY OF THE FOLLOWING WORK.
This work comprises two books, each of them containing a different and
independent topic. The first is a treatise of the holy baptism and of
that which pertains to it. The second is a historical account of the
holy martyrs who suffered on account of baptism, or, generally, for the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
These two topics have been briefly, yet not less clearly, treated,
throughout, in every century, from the days of Christ up to our present
time; and this order has been followed: through every century first
an account is given, through faithful and authentic authors, of the
subject of holy baptism, and the proper administration of the same
during that time; to which we have each time added our own comments,
explanations, refutations of objections, etc., then every century is
again taken up, and an account given of the holy martyrs who suffered
during that time. So that each century treating of holy baptism is
followed by a century treating of the holy martyrs; and thus from
beginning to end.
This, then, is a summary and the order of the following work; which we
shall directly explain more fully, and give our reason for doing so.
OF THE TITLE OF THIS WORK: THE BLOODY THEATRE OF THE ANABAPTISTS, etc.
The first part of the title, consisting of the words, THE BLOODY
THEATRE, will, we think, not be subjected to any serious criticism,
since no one can dispute that all that is treated here, so far as the
martyrs are concerned, is a representation or exhibition of the blood,
suffering, and death of those who, for the testimony of Jesus Christ,
and for their conscience’ sake, shed their blood exchanging their life
for a cruel death.
But the second part, consisting of the words, “OF THE ANABAPTISTS,”
may easily meet with some opposition, because some will not admit
that the Anabaptists, or those who maintain such a confession as they
do, have existed through every century, from the days of Christ up to
the present time; and, what is still more, that they have had their
martyrs. But in order to treat the matter systematically and in the
best manner, we shall first speak of the name, and then of the thing
itself.
OF THE NAME: ANABAPTISTS.[17]
[17] The word _Anabaptist_ is here used to signify the same as
_Taufgesinnte_ in the German, and _Doopsgesinde_ in the Dutch
language, for which the English language affords no better term, the
literal signification of _Doopsgesinde_ being _baptism-minded_.