Martyrs Mirror 633GREAT PERSECUTION IN AUSTRIA, A. D. 1539

In said year, 1539, the church having dwelt for a little while at Steinborn, in Austria, and having begun to increase there, the old serpent, the envious and arch wicked satan, who so miserably tormented the pious, could not endure or overlook it, but in his wrath stirred up the children of wickedness, especially the priests, who in all this are his agents and executors; so that they constantly filled the ears of King Ferdinand with their unjust accusations of the pious, and instigated him, so that he complied with their demand, and sent his Marshal from Vienna, with provosts and a number of horsemen, who unexpectedly came to Falkenstein, whence they took with them a great mob, and fell upon the church at Steinborn, on the 6th day of December, in the evening or at night, in the abovementioned year. All the men whom they found, they put into one room, and thus they also did with the women and maidens. With great tumult and noise they kept watch during the night, and brought in all whom they could find. Their chief intention was to apprehend the elders and ministers of the church, hoping to obtain much money from their people, and thus deprive the poor people of their sustenance, notwithstanding God would severely punish such wickedness. But God through His providence prevented them, so that they could not find a single minister. In every nook and corner they rummaged for the sustenance of widows and orphans, and persevered greatly in their ungodly assiduity. But God. brought to naught and folly their counsel, when they thought to find wealth among the poor. In their tyranny they apprehended sick people, children, and pregnant women, so that it could have moved a heart of stone to the deepest, and enduring compassion.

The imprisoned brethren and sisters made themselves ready to offer up their bodies and lives unto God, whether through fire or through the sword. On the evening when this persecution took place, some men of Philip's people had also come, with the intention of making known to them the ground of the church, and of their whole life. Thus as many as a hundred and fifty brethren were together apprehended, and, well guarded, were brought up to the,castle of Falkenstein. Among their number there were some who had not yet received the baptismal covenant of grace; as also some who had apostatized from the truth, and were now penitents. Having all arrived in the castle of Falkenstein, they conferred with those who had not yet bound themselves in the faith. These they asked what they purposed to do in this tribulation, and told them that, if they, for the testimony and honor of God, would firmly adhere; in all suffering, to the Lord Christ, whatever distress and anguish might befall them, they would consider them fellow companions in the kingdom of Christ, and hope that God would be gracious to them however, with this understanding, that with those who through the providence of God should be released, and return to the church,. the latter should have authority, by virtue of the Lord's command, to deal according to their confession,,in the proper measure and order; and since .they had this intention and resolution, they would write to the elders and the churches, and afterwards give them full information.

Thereupon they all indicated their willingness, and, with a joyful heart and great thankfulness, desired to accept this covenant as a grace of God. Immediately upon this, the church was informed of it by letter. A written answer speedily came, that all the believers were well satisfied with this resolution; since such as had not yet been incorporated, according to divine ordinance, into the church, but agreed with it in all things, and desired to show forth an honest testimony of the truth, ,to suffer with it and to give their lives for it in this extremity, might well be received as fellow believers.

When they were again informed of the decision of the church, they willingly entrusted themselves to the Lord, manifested, patience in all tribulation, as others of .the pious, and made a good confession before many witnesses. While they were yet at Falkenstein, King Ferdinand sent his Marshal, several doctors from among the priests; and the executioner, that, they should go to them. These; on Christmas night, which is customarily celebrated in every country, began to deal with much craftiness with the imprisoned witnesses of the truth; they also put subtle questions to some of them, as to what was their ground and hope, and where their treasure or money was. Thereupon they confessed in truth, that Christ was their Lord and Saviour, their only comfort, their only hope, their dearest heart treasure and best portion, in whom .they received God's help and grace. They also treated with them about other articles, and wanted to instruct, teach, and convert them, as they said, especially with regard to their sacrament, which they highly extolled, and would have them believe that the flesh.and blood of Christ were present in it, and that it was our Lord God, as they said but the brethren answered that it was a dumb god, and that the Lord's Supper had quite a different signification than, they perversely represented, tnus shamefully deceiving and seducing the world. With these and many other contessions the king's messengers returned to Vienna; but these imprisoned brethren remained in custody in the castle of 1~ alkenstem.

Thus it continued until the beginning of the year 154U, when the kings marshal came, together with a Spaniard, the Provost of the Empire, and other horsemen with their equipments. ~I hese further examined the imprisoned Brethren, and those who did not comply with their demands, but held to the truth contessed, they speedily laid in iron chains and bonds, coupling them two and two together by their hands. In the meantime many of the sisters, their fellow believers, came into the castle of Ealkenstein, when the prisoners were to be taken to the sea; some were waiting' for the imprisoned brother Eegmachel, and others were particularly engaged in earnest and fervent prayer and supplication to God Almighty, that He would keep them from all wrong and sinful action, on sea as well as on land, and also give them a steadfast mind, and grant that they might persevere in the With unto the end. Alter this prayer, a Spaniard was commanded to send all of them away. Hence they began to take leave from one another, with many scalding tears and weeping eyes, affectionately admonishing each other, that each should firmly and unfalteringly adhere to the Lord and the truth confessed. Time and again they commended each other to the gracious protection of God, not knowing whether in their lifetime they should ever see each other again with their bodily eyes. Thus man and wife had to separate from each other, and leave their little children; which flesh and blood would not have been equal to, had it not been done through the power of God, and for His sake. This leave taking was so pitiful, that the king's marshal, and others like him, could not keep back their tears. When everything was arranged, and the escort was ready, the pious went forth, firmly trusting in God, that .He would aid and deliver them. Thus they were brought from the tower, two and two together, ninety in all, after having been confined five weeks and a half in Falkenstein; but the sisters had to remain in the castle, and from the walls, looked after the brethren, with much sighing and sorrow, as long as they could see them.

After this, the sisters were all sent away from the castle to the place where they resided; but the brethren whom they did not want to take to the sea; on account of infirmity or sickness, and some because of their youth, they retained as prisoners in the castle; now and then they gave some of the young lads as slaves to Austrian nobles; however, nearly all of them returned to the church; the others remained in the castle, and for them God also wrought a gracious deliverance.

The cause of this great distress of the pious was solely, that in antichristendom they testified against the idolatrous and unrighteous life and ways of the priests, for which, as an abomination, God should once severely punish them, and make an end with them and their sins. Hence, King Ferdinand gave the crew of priests, who are a band of robbers, and delight in killing and slaying, power to do with them as they pleased. These condemned them as worthy of death, that they should not be tolerated on the earth, but should be sent to sea, thus to wear out their lives in much anguish and distress, as a warning to other brethren; and that the other three should be delivered into the hands of the Admiral of the Armada on the sea, and be employed on the galleons, in pillaging and waging war against the Turks and other enemies; though these imprisoned brethren previously told the messengers of the king, that they would not go against the enemy, to pillage and wage war, neither would they consent to do wrong on the sea just as little as on the land, nor sin against God in heaven; and that, since it was contrary to their faith and conscience, God through His unconquerable power, and His grace, could preserve them on the sea as well as on the land. Nevertheless, these witnesses of the divine truth were led, through the king's messengers and his strict command to the authorities, through cities, towns and villages, to be brought from one court to another. In this they suffered much and manifold adversity and great sorrow; but God always granted them gracious means, particularly in this, that every morning and evening they could all unmolestedly pray to God, and that one brother could without hindrance comfort the other; which they accepted very gratefully as a special grace and gift of God.

By this and the ordering of their whole life they convinced the people in many places, so that many who at their arrival regarded them as malefactors, had great compassion on them. Moreover, the king's servants, their conductors, frequently bore them testimony, and told them that they should not pass silently through the cities and towns, but should make their faith known by singing or otherwise.

Thus the faithful company was led, like a flock of sheep, through countries and cities, to the sea; journeying from the castle of Falkenstein to Vienna, thence to Neustadt and Schottwien, over the Semmering, to Bruck on the Mur, to the borders of Bavaria, to Luebeck and Marburg, to Tiele, to Stein, in Carniola, over the Save to Laibach, but still no comfort came. During their imprisonment there they had to suffer much hunger and distress; they were fed with the bread of anguish, and had to drink the water of sorrow; but thus it was the will of God to reveal His Word and truth in every place and country, and to make it known to the nations that were ignorant of it, and to let them hear the sound thereof; even as He always provides gracious means to lure men away from unrighteousness, so also here, where these witnesses of the faith and the divine truth were led to many and various places, and also to places where strange languages were spoken, where the truth had not been heard, and where it was unknown and hidden among the nations. They caused some from Carniola to search after the truth, and thereby some attained to a knowledge of it, who are still at this day serving God with a sincere heart. But how these captive brethren, while on their journey, were treated in many places, how they were beaten, driven, and coupled together with ropes and chains, and what resulted to them from this, would be too long to write; still, however great the tribulation they suffered, God always comforted them in their hearts.

But since God always remembers His own for the best, even when in the greatest fear, and never entirely forgets them, He strengthened some in their imprisonment, so that they trusted in God with a good assurance and hope, that He would work for and show them a deliverance. Therefore they prayed with the others in the fear of God, though they were firmly resolved to suffer for the truth of God, and to die rather than to participate in wicked piracy; yet they had reason enough, constantly to persevere in prayer to God, with heartfelt lamentation and sighing, that He would promote His divine honor in them. In this God showed them, how they should hold proper converse with each other, the strong care for the weak, and assist one another. And though they had but very little sustenance, yet they trusted in the Lord, that He would provide for them, so that they should not have to beg for their bread. Then, on the twelfth night, at Trieste, they were all delivered from their chains and bonds, and went out of prison. Through the providence of God a place was shown them, where they all in the same hour let themselves down by cords from the walls of the city. Thus the very bonds in which they had been brought thither as prisoners, had to minister to their deliverance.

From this it can be seen, that; though the ungodly devise many things against the pious, God always turns it for the best to His people. Thus, through the providence of God, fney escaped from the hands of their enemies, in spite of the watchful guards whom they had placed in the city and upon the walls; for God changed their prudence to folly, so that they escaped over the walls right near the guardhouse.

When all of them, both sick and well, had escaped over the walls a good many of them gathered together, knelt down, and together offered praise and thanks to God. God thus sped them on their way, that the greater part of them returned with joy and glad hearts to the church in Moravia. Twelve of them, however, were recaptured by the wicked, who pursued them, and, together with the other three, they were delivered to the Emperor's Admiral over the Armada, taken to sea, and brought upon the galleons, with the intention of employing them as pirates, but the pious risked their lives, and would rather be scourged. But as to the end of each one of these nothing certain is yet known, but, it is to be supposed that, if they constantly adhered. to the Lord, they did not have many good days while they lived. But the abovementioned brethren whom God had delivered, when they, about the year 1540 returned from Trieste to the church in Moravia, they were received with great joy and gratitude, as a gift from God.