29 Other Martyrdoms at the hand of the Prostants

Other Martyrdoms at the Hand of the Protestants

Servetus was only one of a vast multitude who were martyred at the hands of the Calvinistic Reformers. The Roman Catholic Inquisitors had been their teachers, and they had learned their lessons well.

Hassell points out that the Presbyterian Church is largely the creature of John Calvin, but it was at the first “founded by [Ulrich] Zwingli, and [only] afterwards completed by Calvin.” It “was established by law in the Canton of Zurich, May, 1524, when a decree was made, by the Council, abolishing masses, images, relics, and, afterwards, crosses and organs from places of worship” (pg. 500, footnote)

Some historians refer to Zwingli as a Baptist, and it is true he had earlier argued that infant baptism was an error, but he turned against the Anabaptists, and proved he could be just as vicious as any of the Reformers.

One year after Zwingli began the Presbyterian Church at Zurich, the magistrates issued an edict in favor of infant baptism and against rebaptism.Five years later the Presbyterians at Zurick made rebaptism punishable by death. Zwingli was killed in battle with the Catholics the next year.

Crosby goes on to record the persecution of Anabaptists by the Presbyterians during and just following the ministry of Ulrich Zwingli, “This opinion [anabaptism] prevailed so fast, that to prevent the growth of it, the magistrates of Zurich published a solemn edict against it in 1525, requiring all persons to have their children baptized, and forbidding rebaptization (sic), under the penalty of being fined, banished, or imprisoned. Another was put forth in 1530, making it punishable with death” (Crosby, vol. 1, pg xxix).

Crosby quotes from Hooke’sApology, “In the year 1528, Hans Shaeffer, and Leonard Freek, for opposing infants baptism, were beheaded at Schwas in Germany; and Leo-pald Suyder at Augsburg for the same.

“At Saltzburg, eighteen persons of the same faith were burnt; and twenty five at Waltsen the same year.”

“Anno 1533, twenty of them were put to death in the Palatinate; and three hundred and fifty at Altze in Germany. The men were for the most part beheaded, and the women drowned.”

“Anno 1533, Hugh Crane, and Margaret his wife, with two more, were martyred at Harlem; the woman was drowned, the three men were chained to a post, and roasted by a fire, at a distance, till they died. This was the very same year that the rising was at Munster.”

“Likewise in the Protestant Cantons in Switzerland, they were used as hardly, about the same time.”

“Anno 1526, one Felix Mentz, a Baptist minister, was drowned at Zurich.”

“Anno 1530, two of the baptized brethren were burnt.”

“Anno 1531, six more of the congregation of Baptists were martyred in the same place.”

“Anno 1533, two persons, Lodwick Test, and Catherine Harngen, were burnt at Munster” (Crosby vol. 1, ppg xxix,xxx).

Crosby goes on to show that theseAnabaptists, who suffered so at the hand of the Protestants, taught essentially the same as the Primitive Baptists of our day.

“There is a part of a letter, preserved in an author not to be suspected, that was written to Erasmus, out of Bohemia, dated October 10, 1519, in which an account is given of the sect then in being, and which had been in that country for above ninety years, who by the character given of them, appear to beAnabaptists; and were not only long beforeStorkandMuncer, but also beforeLutherandCalvin, who set themselves to oppose the church of Rome. The letter describes them thus:

“‘These men have no other opinion of the Pope, cardinals, bishops, and other clergy, than as of manifest antichrists. They call the Pope sometimes the beast, and sometimes the whore, mentioned in theRevelations. Their own bishops and priests they themselves do choose for themselves; ignorant and unlearned laymen, that have wife and children. They mutually salute one another by the name of brother and sister. They own no other authority than the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. They slight all the Doctors, both ancient and modern, and give no regard to their doctrine. Their priests, when they celebrate the offices of the mass [or communion] do it without any priestly garments; nor do they use any prayer or collects on this occasion, but only the Lord’s prayer, by which they consecrate bread that has been leavened. They believe or own little or nothing of the sacraments of the church. Such as come over to their sect, must every one be baptized anew, in mere water. They make no blessing of salt, nor of water; nor make any use of consecrated oil. They believe nothing of divinity in the sacrament of the Eucharist, only that the consecrated bread and wine do by some occult signs represent the death of Christ; and accordingly, that all that do kneel down to it, or worship it, are guilty of idolatry. That that sacrament was instituted by Christ to no other purpose but to renew the memory of his passion, and not to be carried about, or held up by the priest to be gazed on. For that Christ himself, who is to be adored and worshiped with the honor ofLatreia, sits at the right hand of God, as the Christian church confesses in the creed. Prayers to saints, and for the dead, they count a vain and ridiculous thing; as likewise auricular confession and penance, enjoined by the priest for sins. Eves and fast-days are, they say, a mockery, and the disguise of hypocrites. They say, the holy days of the virginMary,, and the Apostles, and other saints, are the invention of idle people; but yet they keep theLord’s Day,andChristmas, andEaster, andWhitsuntide, etc.’”

“This description does almost in everything fit the modern Anabaptists, especially those inEngland. Their saluting one another by the name of brother and sister; their choosing their own ministers, and from among the laity; their rejecting all priestly garments, and refusing to kneel at the sacrament; their slighting all authorities but that of the scriptures, but especially their baptizing again all that embraced their way, does certainly give theBaptistsa better right than any other Protestants, to claim these people for their predecessors” (Crosby, ppg xxx-xxxii).

I have tried to be fair, but to be clear, in dealing with the doctrines and history of Calvinism. It has been my deepest desire to deal with the subject in a manner that will not injure the feelings of those who are involved in that system. Whether I have been successful in that endeavor will be for others to judge. I pray that those who read these lines will accept them in the spirit in which they are sent forth.

I must say in closing that for the most part, the Presbyterians in America were friends of liberty from the outset. In Europe and in England they had themselves been brutal in their persecution of those who differed with them. But when they made their way to America, they found themselves in the minority, and their conduct in America has been very different. Both before and during the Revolution, they cast their lot with the persecuted Baptists, and their help made an enormous difference in turning the tide of persecution.

We have limited our comments to Calvinism as it was developed by Augustine and the Protestant Reformers. We are presently putting together a second book which we have tentatively entitledThe London Confession: was it divinely inspired? At this point, it is about 50% complete, and we expect it to be available some time next year (2007). In that book we will deal with Calvinism in England and America.

It has been my experience that I am much more likely to finish reading a 200 page book than I am a 400 page book. I suppose many of you have had the same experience. We have written the book to be read, so we are saving at least one half of the material for the next book. If you are interested in that book, send us your name and address, and we will notify you as soon it is available.