Martyrs Mirror 1325OF A CERTAIN MANDATE PUBLISHED BY THE PRINCE OF NEUBURG, AGAINST THE ANABAP; TISTS (SO CALLED), ABOUT THE YEAR 1653

Even as an innocent lamb that has escaped the wolf, at last falls into the claws of the bear, so it went also at this time; inasmuch as some of the defenseless followers of the meek Jesus, daring no longer to trust themselves to the Swiss confines, under the dominion of the Zwinglian Reformed, fled hither and thither, and thus also, as it appears, into Bergsland, the dominions of Guliche, and elsewhere, where the Roman Catholic Prince of Neuburg, William Wolfgang ruled, and where the Anabaptists had lived in peace for many years, under toleration.

But now it came to pass, about the year 1653; that the same prince, instigated, as it is supposed, by certain envious and malignant Jesuits, also opposed all those that were called Anabaptists within the limits of his dominion; insomuch that he, by a certain public mandate, banished these people, in whatever part of his dominion they were resident, however with these conditions

1. That all Anabaptists who had become such by apostatizing from the Romish religion, should have to leave without delay.

2. That all other Anabaptists, who had not apostatized from the Romanists, but had proceeded out of themselves, if they owned no real estate, should have to leave within half a year.

3. That all like . conditioned Anabaptists, who owned real estate, and were engaged in an established mercantile business, should be granted for their removing, in order first to save their property, two years, etc. All this was accompanied with certain threats.

This was executed by his order, and published without any delay in every place of his dominion where it is customary to make proclamation; however, at Glabbeeck, in the country of Guliche (from where we have received information concerning this matter), it was done on the last of January of the year 1653.

In the meantime divers supplications for mitigation of the afore mentioned edict were delivered to the prince; to which, as it appears, he would in a measure have been inclined: but before this was done, he departed this world; hence that which had already been published remained in force with his successor.

Hence the afore mentioned people had to leave those parts, and everyone had to look out where he might best go; in which the Lord God showed many of them the grace that they were peaceably and joyfully received in the places whither they went, especially in the country of Cleves, under the Elector of Bradenburg, and in the Netherlands.

"When they persecute you in this city," says the Lord, "flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come." Matt. 10:23 .