Hendrick Sumer and Jacob Mandel, in the Year 1582

In the year 1582, in the first week of September, the dear and faithful brother Hendrick Sumer, a minister of the Word of God, still under trial, and with him Jacob Mandel, were arrested for their faith and the testimony of Jesus Christ, at Torzag, in Switzerland. They were then taken into the town of Baden, where the high bailiff of the country and the judges examined them publicly in the presence of the people, in the council house, and questioned them about their faith, which they freely confessed. At this examination twenty-four priests were present, who tried whether they could not make them fall away and go astray in their faith; but they could accomplish nothing, nor were they able to convict them of any wrong or error, much less see in them any just cause for death.

Now when these brothers and Christian heroes stood quite steadfast in the faith, and boldly testified and proved by the Word of God that they were on the true, narrow way of the truth to eternal life in Christ Jesus, from which they would in no way depart, though it should cost them their lives, then the priests were at their wits' end, and said to the councilors that they could do nothing further; since these men remained obstinate, they must now deal with them as they thought proper.

They were then to be sentenced to death; but the councilors could not agree, for some among them would not take the responsibility of their death upon themselves, nor be guilty of it, because it was a matter of faith, and they knew them to be good men. But since the majority of the votes were for putting them to death, they determined that the sentence should go forward; and when the brothers learned that their time had come to depart out of the world, they rejoiced from the heart, and were glad and of good cheer. They also said that it was a greater joy to them than if they were going to a wedding; indeed, they were of very good cheer that God had counted them worthy to glorify His name through such a righteous death, as many righteous ones and friends of God had done before them, and had thus obtained the heavenly crown.

When they were led out, they spoke boldly to the people, and exhorted the great crowd that had gathered to repent and turn from their sinful life to God; and then both joined their voices in raising a joyful, sweet, and heartfelt song of praise to the Lord.

A great number of people were present, and many among them shed tears when they heard them sing and saw that they were of such good cheer in the hour of death. But eternal joy was before their eyes, and they rejoiced in the inner man, that they should go to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, to all the patriarchs and the whole number of the saints, to all the prophets and the apostles of the Lord, and to their pious fellow brothers and sisters who had recently died; indeed, to Jesus Christ Himself, their Savior. So they sang until they were close to the water's edge, where they were to be drowned.

When they came outside, Hendrick said: "Now, my brother Jacob, since we have traveled together so long, let us now also journey on together, through this temporal death into eternal life." Brother Jacob Mandel was the first one. The executioner took him and drowned him in the water. When he was dead, he drew him out and laid him before Hendrick's eyes, and said: "My dear Hendrick, look at your brother, who lost his life, and renounce even now, or you will have to die too; there is no other choice." But he said: "You need not think that I will renounce and forsake the divine truth; I will hold to it, though it cost body and life." A priest also begged him very earnestly and said: "O my dear Hendrick, give up this new unbelief, and this evil sect." But brother Hendrick turned to him and said: "What sect? I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and in His holy Word and divine commandment; in this I stand. Do you consider this a sect? Do you dare call the true Christian faith a sect? What kind of faith do you have, then? If you have another faith, then you yourself are in a sect and in a new faith; give it up, and forsake your sinful, vicious and ungodly life." So the priest was put to shame and ridicule, and had to keep silent. When they saw that he remained steadfast, the executioner took him and drowned him too, like the other. This took place on the 9th of October of that same year, 1582, at Baden, in Switzerland, after they had been in prison four and a half weeks.