Christian Gasteyger, in the Year 1586

In the year 1586, on the Friday after Whitsuntide, which was the 3rd of June, Christian Gasteyger, a blacksmith, was imprisoned at Ingolstadt in Bavaria. On the following Sunday two Jesuits came to him with their town judge, and talked with him about his faith; but they soon left him again, for they could not agree with him. Nine days later the two Jesuits came again to talk with him, and began with many words to revile the church; but the brother contradicted them, and so they spent almost an hour and a half together, and then left him in dissatisfaction. Three weeks afterwards two Jesuits came to him again, who wanted to instruct him; but when he would not dance as they piped, they left him again; and after two days the judge came to him, with a doctor in the Scriptures, to speak with him about infant baptism. They said: "Children were damned if they were not brought to baptism." Then brother Christian replied: "They are not damned for that reason;" and he proved it to them with many Scriptures which he brought forward. For this they called him a heretic, and said further: "Children have the devil in them; therefore they must be baptized." Then he asked how the devil got into the children. They said: "He comes into the child from the mother." But he contradicted them in this also.

Nine days afterwards the judge and his council came to him, and they said: "You are well aware why you are imprisoned here; you have been confined here for some time already, and priests have come to you; but you would not listen to them, for I have been told by them that there is no hope of you any more; and the order has come that I am to speak with you once more, and that if you will not be converted to what your parents believed, you shall be placed upon a stack of wood and burned; and let us see then how God will be with you." But he replied: "I am ready every day to die, and I hope to God in heaven that He will keep me valiant and faithful to the end, so that I shall not depart from the truth; and may His will be done concerning me."

The next day two Jesuits came again to dispute with him, and asserted that he had no faith. They also began on infant baptism, saying that the child had to be baptized, or else it was damned. But he contradicted them. And when they had spent three hours with him, and he had answered them fully and valiantly resisted their false doctrine, they left him. He also let us know that, since he was now imprisoned for the truth's sake, he would also hold firmly to the truth; though it should cost him his life, he would not depart from it; they should have every good confidence concerning him, for he would fight valiantly for the eternal crown, and he clearly perceived that God faithfully helped him in his bonds, for which he also praised and thanked Him, and prayed that He would keep him even to his temporal death. He also sent us and all believers a Christian greeting. Afterwards, when he had been confined for over twelve weeks at Ingolstadt, and all the priests and Jesuits there had grown tired of him, and yet could accomplish nothing with him, he was placed upon a cart on the 25th of August and taken from Ingolstadt to Munich.

Finally, on the 13th of December, sentence was requested concerning him. The prince was not at home, and the supreme judge had died; the under judge would have had to pronounce the sentence; but he would not, and said that it was not his office. The burgomaster and several others in the council would also not consent to it, but the Jesuits insisted upon it strenuously, so that the sentence went forward nevertheless.

He was led out from prison before the council house, and sentenced to the sword. He was then led to death, and since he was very joyful and of good cheer, and spoke a great deal to the people, the Jesuits became very angry and spat into his face, so that the executioner himself wiped it off. The Jesuits also held an idolatrous crucifix before him and spat into his face again, which greatly angered the people.

When he arrived at the place of execution, he was very joyful, because he saw that he had so nearly gained the crown.

The executioner stood there with the drawn sword, afraid and begging him to renounce. But he told the executioner to carry out his sentence on him; and to the Jesuits he said

"Though there were a thousand of you here, and thousands upon thousands, you would not be able to seduce me." Then the executioner executed him with the sword, and so he persevered, steadfast and joyful in the faith.