Of the Inauguration of the Last Swiss Persecution

The blooming rose of the church of God in the Swiss countries had now enjoyed tolerable peace for about twenty-one years; for it appears that the thorns which had grown up over it before and about the year 1614, to oppress it, were satisfied with the blood of the last named Hans Landis. This lasted until, in the year of our Lord 1635, the old hatred of the misnamed Reformed broke out again in those parts, and principally in the city of Zurich, which already one hundred and ten years before, namely, in the year 1525, in the time of Zwingli, when their church was but five years old (as was shown on folio 80, column 2), had begun with public decrees against the Anabaptists.

This arose principally from the conversion of a certain influential, rich, and respected man in the city of Zurich, named Henry F., who, having been chosen ensign by the authorities there, found his soul troubled with anguish and distress, and became unwilling to be used in the war in which he was now to serve; and so, seeking advice with the church of the defenseless Christians, or Anabaptists, he entered into the convent, and forsaking war, was there accepted through baptism, and recognized as a dear brother of that church. [n1229-1] This, through the instigation of the learned there, was very ill received by the authorities in the aforementioned city; the more so, since he continued to live undisturbed on the borders of their territory, and this directly opposite their adversaries, namely, the Roman Catholics.

Then it followed that the magistrates issued a command, that all the Baptists (who were contemptuously called Anabaptists) would have to go to church with them and attend their worship, if they wished to keep their liberty.

But when they could not do this with a good conscience, and therefore refused to comply with it, the magistrates, incensed at this, toward the close of the year 1635 had many of them arrested. All of them except three escaped (since the prison was not strong) and fled from the hands of the persecutors. The other three, however, namely, Rudolf Egli, Uhbi Schmied and Hans Muller, remained, and were each imprisoned separately in the council house, where they held out about twenty weeks, amid much conflict, hardship and temptation, inflicted on them in order to make them apostatize from their faith.

But when they would in no way apostatize, and their adversaries could accomplish nothing with them; since they did indeed promise, if they should be released, to render their authorities, as they had done before, all proper honor, subjection, and taxes, but that they would in no way go to their church, nor attend their worship (which was the principal point); they were ordered that, in order to come to a decision, they should deliberate and take advice with their brothers; and so they were released for the time being from their imprisonment and bonds for a month.

Afterwards, when they returned, according to the charge given them and their promise, and still could not with a good conscience consent to or follow what the authorities demanded of them concerning their religion, they were again confined in prison.

But when, as before, their good resolution and firm faith could not be changed, they were finally released again on the aforementioned condition; but afterwards, having learned by experience what they had to expect, they did not appear before them again without safe conduct. But all these things were only the beginning of sorrows. Compare Tract, Jer. Mang., after the preface, folio 1, A., with Tract, M. Meyli, folio 2, A.