Further Observations Concerning the Above-Mentioned Martyrs

Here we must break off our account of the martyrs of this century, since the ancient writers have left us no further information about this matter; at least we have found nothing more that would shed light on the subject. However, it will be enough for the defense of the cross-bearing church of the Anabaptists and defenseless Christians; for though among the great number of martyrs we have noted there are found only a few open professors of the faith, this lessens neither the respectability nor the truth of that cross-bearing church; since already in our account of baptism throughout this century various, yes, many, professors of that faith have been presented, and different means were frequently used to prevent and oppose them. See the account of baptism for the years 610, 682, 699, and so on.

Moreover, it hardly seems possible that all those who, in such great numbers, it appears, were called Anabaptists in the fifth century, and against whom bloody decrees were issued in the year 413, should all have been killed and exterminated so that none were left remaining. This, we say, hardly seems possible, since even in the severest persecutions the persecuted, especially if their number is great, cannot be spied out so closely that it is impossible for any to escape, or that one or another will not be able to hide. This being so, those who remained (for it can scarcely have been otherwise) let the living faith that was in them show and work out its power, in order to plant in the people of that age, but especially in their children and descendants, the belief and doctrine that they themselves professed, and for the sake of which they had put their lives in danger, yet escaped death through the grace of God.

It certainly appears that in the following (sixth) century there were again people of such belief and doctrine; and not only that, but people who, to honor Christ their Savior, did not hesitate, as true martyrs, to pour out their blood like water. Concerning this, both as to the confession and the martyrdom, reference may be made to our observations on the sixth century.