Martyrs Mirror 565LEONHARD SCHOENER, A. D. 1528; AND AFTER HIM ABOUT SEVENTY OTHERS

In the year 1528, Leonhard Schoener of Becklasburg was apprehended. He was a minister of God, and was well versed in the holy Scriptures, and also in the Latin language. He faithfully taught the true baptism of Christ and His apostles, the true Lord's Supper, and the articles of the Christian faith; yea, the Word of God. He also testified against infant baptism, the abominable sacrament, and other abominations of antichrist. He had originally been a barefoot friar for about six years, but beholding the impurity, wantonness, hypocrisy (Matt. 7:15 ), and viciousness of the monks and priests, and judging their lives by the Word of God, he left the monastery at Judenburg, in Austria, and went to Nurenberg, learned the tailor's trade, and then traveling about as journeyman tailor, he came to Nulasberg, in Austria. There he heard of Baithasar Heubmer and his baptism, and learned that a number of the same faith formed a little society at Veyen. He sought them out, came to them, heard them, and, led thither by Oswald, was baptized. After this he went to Steyen to work at his trade; where he taught and baptized, having been elected teacher by them; and thus teaching and baptizing, he proceeded through Bavaria, as far as Rothenburg, in the valley of the Inn; where he was apprehended for his faith, disputed much with his opposers, and was examined. Previous to this he proposed: that, if they regarded his faith and doctrine as wrong and heretical, they should produce learned persons, doctors, monks and priests, to dispute with him concerning the matter. Should he, in disputing on true scriptural grounds, be found to be in the wrong, they should punish him as unrighteous; and for still further confirmation of the truth, he offered, in order to confirm his assertion and his writings, that, if any of the learned could convince him with the truth of the Word of God, that his doctrine was not conformable.to the holy Scriptures, he should, as having been vanquished be severed limb from limb by the executioner, and, when deprived of all his limbs, have the ribs torn out of his body, until he should be dead. But if he should not be able to obtain a hearing and disputation, and they should judge and put him to death unheard, he asked all the witnesses of his death, and all those standing by, that they would be his witnesses before God, in His judgment at the last day. But by virtue of the mandate of the Emperor, and the edict of the King of Hungary and Bohemia, he was condemned, delivered to the executioner, beheaded, and burnt to ashes, on the fourteenth day of January of said year; at Rothenburg, for the testimony of Christ, from which he would not depart.' After the death of this Leonhard, about seventy persons bore witness with their blood in the same' place. Leonhard Schoener, among others, left the following admonition for the consolation of all those who suffer for the name of Christ

"We beseech Thee, O eternal God, incline Thy gracious ear to us, Lord Sabaoth, Thou Prince of hosts, hear our complaint; for great distress and affliction prevails, and pride has entered into Thy heritage. And with it many supposed Christians have joined, and thus set up the abomination of desolation. Matt. 24:15 . .They rage, and destroy the sanctuary of the Christians. They have trampled' it under foot, and the abomination of des6lation is worshiped as God. II Thess. 2:4 . They have destroyed Thy holy city, overthrown Thy holy altar, and killed the servants in it, wherever they could apprehend them. And now that we remain as a little flock ( Luke 12:32 ), they have driven us with reproach and disgrace into every country. We are scattered like sheep that have no shepherd. We have to abandon house and home, and are as the, night ravens, which lodge in the rocks. Our chambers are in eaves and cliffs; and snares are laid for us as for the birds of the air. We go about in forests, and are hunted with dogs. We are led captive and bound as dumb lambs which do not open their mouth. Acts 8:32 . We are proclaimed rebels and heretics. We are led as sheep to the slaughter. Many sit in distress and bonds, and their bodies have perished. Some have been overcome by the severe sufferings, and died without any guilt. Here is the patience of the saints on earth; and thus must we be proved by suffering. Rev. 13:10 . The believers have here been hanged on trees, strangled, cut in pieces, drowned secretly and openly; not only men, but also women and maidens have testified here to the faith that Jesus Christ is the truth and the only way to eternal life. John 14:6 . Still the world is not at rest, but rages like a madman, and forges lies against us. They cease not to burn and kill. They make the world too small for us. O Lord how long wilt Thou be silent with regard to this? How long wilt Thou not judge the blood of Thy saints? Rev. 6:10 . Let it ascend before Thy throne. How precious in Thy sight is the blood of Thy saints. Therefore we have in all our distresses a comforting confidence in Thee alone, and in no other; neither have we consolation, rest or peace in the earth. But he that hopes in Thee shall never be confounded. O Lord, there is no sorrow so great that it can separate us from Thee; hence we call upon Thee without ceasing, through Christ Thy Son, our Lord, whom Thou, out of pure grace, hast given us for our consolation, and who has prepared and made known to us the narrow path and the way unto eternal life. Matt. 7:14 . Eternal glory, triumph, honor and praise be unto Thee now and in all eternity, and Thy righteousness abide forever. All nations bless

Thy holy name, through Christ, the coming righteous judge of the whole world, Amen. Acts 17:31 ."