Hans Landis, in the Year 1614

That the bloody constraint, or dominion over the consciences of men, still continues is a sad thing, and it is especially to be lamented that those who boast of being, more than others, followers of the defenseless Lamb have not more of the nature of the lamb in them, but much rather that of wolves. It certainly cannot stand as an excuse that such a course helps to maintain the purity of the church; but it appears to be a hot zeal to weed out the tares (or what they judge to be tares), whereas the servants of the Lord, when their zeal urged them to root out the tares, did not venture to do it, but asked permission, and when they were forbidden to do it, they held back. If these men would also ask, or examine the law book of their Lord, they would find there that the Shepherd does not teach His flock to devour, but sends them as sheep among wolves; that it is also not His will that those who err should be destroyed, but that they should be guided into the true way; and that He also does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should repent and live. And many other similar doctrines, all of which tend to the salvation of men and not to their destruction. But it is very evident that there is still a veil before their hearts, so that they cannot understand this; or that a frantic zeal has inflamed their hearts to such bloodthirst that they cannot bear it that anyone should walk the way to heaven in any other manner than just as they have chosen it, and in which they want to compel everyone to walk, as was seen in the year 1614, at Zurich, in Switzerland, in the case of a pious witness of the divine truth named Hans Landis, a teacher and minister of the Gospel of Christ, who had gone up the river Rhine, where he had his place of residence, to feed and refresh with the Word of the Lord some souls that were hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

When the council at Zurich learned of this, they, driven by the disposition of the envious scribes and Pharisees, could not tolerate it, but instantly had it forbidden him, as though they had thought that they could thereby hinder the true progress of the word of the Gospel. But he, who knew with Peter that we must obey God's commands rather than the commandments of men, had such love for the truth, and for the young sucklings at Zion's breasts, that no human threats could induce him to stop feeding them with the true food of the soul. So those same enviers arrested him and sent him in irons from Zurich to Solothurm, to the papists, expecting that he would at once be sent to sea or to the galleys; but through the help of goodhearted people he was released there. Afterward he was arrested again and taken to Zurich, where he was rigorously examined concerning his doctrine, and when he would in no way give up his godly purpose or his faith, they showed in him that their decree of eighty-four years before was not yet forgotten, nor had the spirit of it died of old age; for, according to the import of that decree, they sentenced him from life to death, and so, in the month of September of the aforesaid year, 1614, he was beheaded for the sake of the truth as a true follower of Christ. This, however, they would not acknowledge, but pretended, and persuaded the common people, in order to deceive them, that he was not punished and put to death for his religion, but for his obstinacy and disobedience to the authorities.

In this they showed their old nature of Pharisees, who, when they condemned to death the innocent Lamb, the Savior of us all, did not say that it was for His virtuous doctrine, by which He converted men to God, but that He had to die for His blasphemy. And this is the nature of all tyrants, to heap upon the innocent, besides sufferings and death, false accusations as well. But when the last day of judgment comes, when they too must expect, and shall receive, a sentence for their thoughtless sentences, and shall lament in amazement: "Behold these whom we once had in derision, and a proverb of reproach, how are they now exalted" ; then they shall repent too late of their wicked course, and shall lament it forever with gnashing of teeth.

But on the other hand, this pious martyr and witness of God, and all the righteous who are still under the altar and wait for the fulfillment of the number of their brothers and sisters who shall also make their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, shall receive a glorious reward, and shall then together, in shining garments, with great boldness, as valiant heroes and confessors of Christ, with the wise virgins, be admitted by the Bridegroom to His marriage, where they shall enjoy eternal happiness, and possess the kingdom of the Father, prepared for them from the beginning. Amen.