how wonderfully God wrought with them; how manfully, constantly and
patiently they fought, through the effective and ardent love of God,
confirming the truth of what is said in Cant. 8:6, namely, that ‘Love
is strong as death, and jealousy cruel as the grave.’ For, here you see
as in a mirror, that neither conjugal longing and love, nor parental
affection and solicitude, nor the desirable company of near and
confiding friends, nor anything which God has put into his creatures,
for the delight of man, could move or restrain these heroes; but
that they, contemning all this, and separating from wife, children,
relatives and friends, house and property, they gave themselves up to
severe bonds and imprisonment, to every adversity and hardship, to
cruel tortures and martyrdom, undaunted by the threats of the most
awful death on the one hand, and unmoved by the many fair promises, to
forsake the wholesome truth, the love of God, and the blessed hope on
the other; so that they could freely say with the holy apostle Paul:
‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?’
Romans 8:35. But they found and showed it to be true that according
to the testimony of the apostle, neither death, nor life, nor things
present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Verses 38 and 39. Through this
love they overcame all things, and performed glorious deeds beyond the
power of man. Weak women exhibited more than manly strength. Maidens
and young men in the bloom of youth were enabled, by the help of God,
to despise the alluring world, with all her fair and great promises;
and these young and tender branches, by faith and patience, conquered
the mighty of this world; the simple and unlearned confounded the
sage doctors; so that these, silenced frequently through the truth,
disputed with threats of fire and sword, and, though in vain, defended
themselves thereby; manifesting in this manner their impotence and
malice. Christ strikingly fulfilled in them the promise made to his
disciples, Matt. 10:19, namely, that he would give unto them what they
should speak in that hour when they should be brought before kings and
governors. In sight of scaffolds and wheels, of fire and sword, they
fearlessly confessed the truth, so that the judges and inquisitors
were sometimes astonished, sometimes confounded, and sometimes enraged
and startled. Of this boldness, the martyrs themselves boasted in
their letters, thanking God, for, knowing their own weakness, they
experienced the strength of God in the cross, so that they could take
upon themselves with a composed, yea, with a joyful mind, that from
which human nature beyond measure seemed to recoil and flee. Yea, they
were filled with such an exuberant and great joy, begotten in them
through the unhindered contemplation of the heavenly glory in faith and
hope, that they would have preferred no royal banquet to this parting
feast.
They were endowed with such strength that even cruel and inhuman
torture could not extort from them the names of their fellow brethren,
so that, filled with divine and brotherly love, they sacrificed
their bodies for their fellow believers. The brotherhood in general
was thereby so enkindled with zeal and love, that each, despising
the earthly and regarding the heavenly, prepared his heart for the
sufferings to which his brethren were subjected, and by which he
himself was daily threatened. They shunned no danger, in the way
of sheltering their fellow believers, visiting them in prison,
calling boldly to them in the place of execution, and comforting
and strengthening them with words of Scripture. The tyrants found
themselves deceived in their design; they thought they could cause
these Christians to apostatize; they put them into assurance of their
salvation; they supposed they could destroy and extirpate those who
opposed them, but, on the contrary, they raised up more opponents;
for many of the spectators, at the said spectacle of killing people,
who were harmless and of good name and report, yea, who would rather
die than do ought by which they supposed to offend God, were thereby
brought to reflection, and thus to investigation, and ultimately to
conversion.
Besides these noble examples of love, patience and constancy, we
find in their writings many devout lessons, edifying teachings
and comforting admonitions, written in dark prisons, hurried and
negligently indeed, and on account of inconvenience and with poor
materials, but sealed with the most glorious mark, their own blood.
Then the words have power and weight, when their truth is confirmed and
attested by the deed. Seneca, in his epistles, censures philosophising
with words, and not with life, as something shameful. Here you find
words which devotion has penned, which the pressure of suffering has
extorted from the inmost of the heart; words which have not been warped
or bent by worldly considerations or carnal passions; but which were
sincerely and unfeignedly spoken to their friends, at the end of life,
as a last will, and confirmed with death. Husbands in tribulation
consoled their wives, admonished them to godliness, and incited them
to steadfastness. Parents gave useful instructions to their children,
presented to them the changeableness, vanity and perishableness of
visible things; they taught, counseled and commanded them to forsake
the world and the lusts thereof, and to cleave to and alone serve God,
the supreme and only good. You perceive here how they were sometimes
assaulted with many temptations and enticements, not only of wicked
men, but of the devil; how the enemy of souls, bringing them upon the
pinnacle of the temple, as it were, showed them the splendor and glory
of this world, in order to entice them to worship this; Matt. 4:5,8.
How he sometimes, with the terror of impending suffering, assailed the
soul with fearfulness, and how, by false imaginations, he endeavored
to bring the minds to apostasy, despondency and despair; which these
pious heroes, arming themselves with watching and constant prayer to
God, valiantly overcame, fighting manfully through all temptations,
promises and threats, even unto death, and gaining the victory.
Now, even as the reading of, and meditating upon, the pious fathers, is
very profitable in every case, so these persons stand as instructive
and consoling examples, for all who are visited with crosses and
temptations. Here manifest themselves shining beacons of living faith,
of sure hope, and ardent love. Here is seen the positiveness of God’s
promises, in fearless and joyful hearts, in the midst of suffering.
Matt. 10:19. Here is the steadfastness of the saints, whom Christ
crowns with salvation. Matt. 24:13. It is true, by the worldly-minded
they are accounted as filth and offscouring (1 Cor. 4:13), and their
actions stigmatized as sheer folly and madness; but they comfort
themselves in God, and rely on his promises. They have learned that the
cross must thus be taken up, if one would be worthy of Christ. Matt.
10:38. They know that they are strangers and pilgrims in this world,
1 Pet. 2:11, and remember the words of their Master, who says: “If ye
were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are
not of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19. They
are confident that if they lose their life here, they shall find it
again hereafter. Matt. 10:39. They believe that we must confess the
name of Christ, if we would have him confess us before his heavenly
Father. Matt. 10:32. They know that their Lord and Master suffered
himself, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps; who
was thus minded, that when he was reviled, he reviled not again, and
when he suffered, threatened not, but prayed for his enemies. 1 Peter
2:21,23. They hold that if they would reign with Christ, they must
here suffer with him. 2 Tim. 2:12. They are mindful of the words of
Christ, that the servant is not greater than his master, Matt. 10:24,
and that therefore, as Christ suffered, they must arm themselves with
the same mind. 1 Peter 4:1. They know themselves to be defenseless
sheep, a prey to the devouring wolves. But they do not fear them, who
can kill only the body, but him who holds body and soul in his hand.
Matt. 10:28. They learned long ago that all that will live godly shall
suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3:12. Christ foretold them that they should
be hated of all men for his name’s sake, yea, should be delivered
into tribulation, and be killed; and what is still more, that those
killing them should think that they do God service. Hence, they think
it not strange when they are tried by suffering; but rejoice that they
are partakers of the sufferings of Christ, knowing that, when his
glory shall be revealed, they shall also rejoice with him. 1 Peter
4:12,13. They glory in tribulation (Rom. 5:3), believing that thereby
their faith is tried and refined. 1 Pet. 1:7. They experience that
patient suffering begets a glad and constant hope, and that the cross,
which to those who perish, is foolishness, is to them the power of
God unto salvation (1 Cor. 1:18), and esteem it as the grace of God,
when for conscience they suffer wrongfully. 1 Pet. 2:19. And though
they be troubled, persecuted and cast down here, yet they are not in
despair, forsaken, or destroyed; but with holy Paul, they always bear
about in their bodies, the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life
also of the Lord Jesus might be made manifest in their bodies. 2 Cor.
4:8–11. They feel in the abounding of the sufferings of Christ, an
abounding consolation through Christ. 2 Cor. 1:5. They believe that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
future glory. Rom. 8:18. Hence they arm themselves for tribulation and
suffering, as true heroes of their captain, Jesus Christ. They have
before them a great brotherhood, who finished their course in this way.
Cain could not bear his brother’s piety and favor with God, and slew
him. Gen. 4:8. Violence and oppression ruled the first world. Gen.
6:13. Pious Lot had to be the sport and lust of the Sodomites. Gen. 19.
David had to flee before Saul. The prophet Isaiah lamented already in
his time that he who departed from evil had to be everyone’s prey and
derision. Many holy prophets and men of God had to endure persecution
and martyrdom from the wicked, as holy Zacharias, Amos, Micah,
Jeremiah, Daniel, and the three young men, Eleazar, the mother with her
seven sons, and others, who need not be mentioned, since the time and
age of the New Testament, furnish abundant material in this respect.
John, the forerunner of Jesus, had to offer his neck to the sword, in
prison. Matt. 14:10. Our captain of the faith, Jesus Christ, had to
enter into his glory through much derision, ignominy and suffering, and
ultimately through the most shameful death of the cross. His apostles
and disciples, as the chronicles state, followed their Master. Peter
and Paul were put to death by Emperor Nero. James, the brother of John,
was killed with the sword by Herod. Acts 12:2. Matthew was nailed to
the earth, in India. Bartholomew was flayed. Andrew was crucified.
Thomas was thrust through with darts. Philip was nailed to a cross, and
then stoned to death. Simon Zelotes was scourged and crucified. James,
the son of Alpheus, was cast down from the temple, at Jerusalem, and
then beaten to death with sticks. Judas Thaddeus was killed, in Persia,
by wicked heathen priests. Matthias also obtained the martyr’s crown.
Mark, the evangelist, was dragged about by a cord around his neck, at
Alexandria, till he died. John, the apostle, banished in the island
of Patmos, adorned the Gospel with suffering [as is circumstantially
recorded in the first book, first century, in the account of the
martyrs]. This was the way of the holy prophets. This is the path which
our Savior and his messengers, and afterwards many disciples, trod.
Polycarp, the disciple of John, was burnt alive at Smyrna. Ignatius,
bishop of Antioch, was torn by wild beasts [as is stated in the second
century]. Even the Roman bishops, in the first three hundred years,
were mostly all martyred, and subjected, with the common Christians, to
persecution by the heathen Emperors [these, however, we commit to God].
Under the Emperor Diocletian, there was such an awful persecution that
it seemed as though the Christian name would be utterly extirpated;
so that the first churches at the time of Emperor Constantine were so
accustomed to persecution, that they deliberately prepared themselves
for suffering.
Since, then, the godfearing who are visited with the cross, have so
many holy martyrs as predecessors; and since the cross is foretold
them; yea, since such glorious promises are given to those who suffer,
it is a little thing for them that they, who gladly acknowledge
themselves soldiers under the bloody banner of Christ, are therefore
aspersed and ridiculed as fools. The Christian reader may here perceive
and firmly conclude that the cross is also the ensign of those who
serve and follow Jesus Christ, the captain of the faith; and that, on
the contrary, those who afflict others with crosses and sufferings,
do not belong to this captain, but are under another leader. For the
true Christians have never persecuted the innocent, but were always
persecuted themselves; and in the primitive church, even in the time
of Constantine, when the bishops began to rise a little higher in
the world, and were protected by the Emperor, it was considered an
abomination to persecute any one; they, however, suffered persecution
themselves. It was then deemed such a detestable thing, to put to
death or persecute any one for heresy, that Bishop Ithacius was
excommunicated and separated from the church, because he, through the
tyrant Maximus, had brought about the death of Priscilian, the heretic;
as the Roman cardinal, Cesar Baronius, very plainly describes in his
church history, for the year 385.
He also states further, that it is utterly incompatible with the
meekness of a pastor. Again, that none of the holy fathers even
commended it, that an ecclesiastic should seek to bring a heretic
to his death. So that, according to him, St. Martin would have no
fellowship with the aforesaid Ithacius or his adherents, because their
hands were stained with the blood of Priscilian. And though, induced
by the threats of the tyrant Maximus, St. Martin feigned to have
fellowship for an hour with Ithacius, he nevertheless subsequently
manifested great regret for it, since he felt that in consequence of
his dissimulation, the gift of healing was partly taken from him.
From this it is clearly manifest, how falsely they boast of being the
successors of Christ and his apostles, and of the primitive church,
who have so abominably stained their hands with the blood of innocent
people, people who only confessed and practiced the Gospel according to
the full dictates of their conscience; yea, concerning whom the tyrants
themselves frequently testified, that their life was pious; that they
would not willingly lie, or speak against their conscience; and that
they were not apprehended on account of any misdeeds, but only because
they did not obey the mother, the holy church, and the decree of the
Emperor. It is so far from such being the true and apostolical church,
that there is no surer mark of the false and antichristian church, than
the killing of heretics, or rather, so-called heretics; for however
abominable heresy may be, this is the most abominable of all. For what
indeed is more opposed to the peaceable, meek, merciful, forgiving,
and revengeless character of Christ, than to persecute any one for his
faith? What can we conceive of that militates more against the holy
laws and commandments of Christ, which chiefly consist in love, peace,
humility, meekness, lowliness, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, etc. If
Christians are called (as they do) to requite hatred with love, evil
with good, cursing with blessing; yea, must they, according to the
doctrine of Christ, pray for them who oppress and persecute them; how,
then, is it possible that they can remain Christians and themselves
oppress and persecute others who have never laid a straw in their way?
Can we believe, that any trace, yea, any true knowledge of the spirit
and word of Christ remains where there is such a direct antichristian
disposition and action? If, according to Christ, false prophets are
to be known and judged from their fruits (Matt. 7:16), there can be
nothing by which they may, more readily, be distinguished, than from
their persecuting others; for they are witnesses unto themselves, as
Christ said to the Pharisees, that they are the children of them who
killed the true prophets, and who fill up the measure of their fathers.
Our Savior compares them to serpents and a generation of vipers, who
cannot escape the damnation of hell. Matt. 23:31–33. The disciples
of Christ, who still entertained the hope of the establishing of an
external and carnal Israel, asked their Lord, whether they should,
according to the example of Elias, command fire to come down from
heaven, upon those who did not receive him. Whereupon Christ earnestly
rebuked them, saying: “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save
them.” Luke 9:54–56. But these heretic-killers, who boast of being
the vice-regents and followers of Christ, yea, doctors of divinity,
dare, not only without asking Christ, but even against his express
prohibition and example, whet the sword, and stir up the fire, not to
murder those who refuse to receive Christ, but those who are ready
to adhere to and follow him even unto death. By this they clearly
indicate, first, that they are governed and impelled by the spirit not
of Christ, but of the devil (who was a murderer from the beginning,
John 8:44); and, secondly, that they do not come like Christ and his
followers, to save men’s souls, but to destroy them; since they kill
not only the bodies of the innocent, thus dishonoring the image which
is created after God (Gen. 5:1), and making themselves guilty of
the mortal sin of blood-shedding (Gen. 9:6) but, O awful deed! they
purposely and as much as lies in their power, also endeavor to kill
their souls, whom, being considered by them in a state of damnation,
they suddenly cut off from the time of repentance. Matt. 26:52. They
would presumptuously teach Christ, the perfect wisdom; for he deemed
it well, and commanded his disciples, to let the tares grow until
the harvest, lest they should root up the wheat with the tares, but
these teach and do the opposite. Weeding contrary to the command of
Christ, they root up not only the tares, but, passing by bad, unchaste,
extravagant, pompous, avaricious, mendacious, deceitful, envious,
hateful, and vindictive men, they also, from the field of the world,
root out the purest grain.
They usurp the office of the Most High, and would command and compel
the souls who are not under them, but under the sceptre of Jesus Christ
(Matt. 10:28); yea, they set themselves not only beside, but above
the Divine Majesty, demanding that men should obey them rather than
God. God has commanded that we should serve him with all our hearts
(Deut. 6:5), but these prohibit men from serving God in this manner,
and constrain them contrary to the convictions of their consciences to
follow their laws and institutions. Matt. 21:37. Christ constrained the
people to conversion, by words of admonition, persuasion and reproof,
and of those who were offended at his doctrine, he only said: “Let them
alone: they be blind leaders.” Matt. 15:14. But these compel with fire
and sword, so that they deliver to the executioner those who embrace
the doctrine of Christ according to all their ability, and do not feel
themselves at liberty to follow these blind leaders; bringing them into
a strait, where they cannot without danger, escape either to the right
or to the left; for, if they obey these, they fall into the hands of
God; and if they adhere to God, they cannot escape the cruelty of these
men.
Now, in order to give a semblance and gloss to their unchristian and
ungodly punishments of heretics, they befoul these pious people with
the stain of disobedience, and, washing their hands, as it were,
from innocent blood, lay the guilt upon the edicts, which, however,
were devised, and are daily executed, through their bloody advice
and instigation. But, pray, who has given them power to make edicts
against souls and consciences, to reign thereby in the kingdom of
Christ, in which they themselves can be but subjects and servants?
Will this excuse them? By no means. The Jews who sought to bring the
innocent Jesus to death, also said like these: “We have a law, and by
our law he ought to die.” John 19:7. They know, or ought to know, that
at the tribunal of Christ judgment will be rendered, not according
to human edicts, but according to the divine word. “The word that I
have spoken,” said the Lord, “the same shall judge him in the last
day,” (John 12:48), and, therefore, every one is necessarily bound
more to the law of Christ, than to their laws and edicts; yea, an
account will have to be given of these edicts, at that tribunal, and
that whereby they sentenced the innocent wrongfully to death, will
then justly aggravate their own sentence. What will they offer as an
excuse, when an account will be demanded of them, why they exercised
such blood-thirsty tyranny over souls? why they wrested the sceptre out
of the hand of Christ, and usurped his seat? why they made themselves
masters in that kingdom in which they, as servants, must themselves
give an account of their actions? why they, as evil servants, treated
and beat their fellow servants so cruelly; though he (Christ) had
warned and threatened, to cut such asunder, and to appoint them their
portion with the hypocrites, where there is weeping and gnashing of
teeth (Matt. 24:45,51)? why they did not consider, that those shall
have judgment without mercy, who have showed no mercy (Jas. 2:13)? What
terror, what anxious remorse and fleeing will it cause when, to convict
them of their wickedness, there shall come forth those whom they
fettered, chained, beat, killed and martyred, whom they then accounted
fools and madmen, and whom they now behold in such great glory and
esteem with God.
In that day, when all hidden things must come to light, such empty and
artificial excuses will not avail. Hence, now is the time to consider
how unchristian it is, to persecute Christians; how much deserving of
death it is, to shed innocent blood; how culpable it is, to dishonor
the image of God; how perverse and vain it is, to fight against
spiritual truth with carnal weapons; how unnatural and unreasonable it
is, to do unto another that which we would not have done to ourselves,
and who of all would like to be forced in the convictions of his
conscience. How presumptuous it is, to usurp the seat of God, and to
wish to rule over the conscience, whereas Christ commanded, to render
unto Cesar the things which are Cesar’s, and unto God the things that
are God’s. Matt. 22:21. They should bear in mind, that Christ prayed
for his persecutors, and learn from it, how unbecoming it is, that
those who would be Christians, persecute others, who pray for them.
Luke 23:34; 1 Pet. 2:19. They should contemplate, how great an evil it
is, to compel any one’s conscience by the terrors of fire, rope and
sword, when Paul so strictly forbids to wound the weak conscience of
the brethren. Rom. 14:15. They should remember, that, since the holy
apostle commands no greater punishment for heretics, than to shun them,
they also need, yea may, use no greater. Tit. 3:10. Surely, if they
would well examine themselves, they would not so readily proceed to
condemn, but would suffer themselves to be restrained, since Christ
declares that with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us
again. Matt. 7:2. They would fear, if they knew themselves aright, that
in condemning another they might condemn themselves; since it might
easily be the case, that before God the judge was as culpable as the
one judged.