Vilgard and Caspar of Schoeneck

These two were beheaded for the truth at Ries, in the Fluchtthal, near Brixen, and so died as faithful witnesses of Christ, leaving the following admonition to their brothers:

"Listen, all of you, and take to heart that God will visit all sinners, great and small, who now despise Him and revile His name, and give no thought to their sinful life. God will soon awake and deliver His children. If we consider the teaching of the prophets, we see that this is the last time, and that in this time God calls on all people to turn to Him (Isaiah 45, verse 22), to live according to His will, and to keep His commandments; and that if they do this, His wrath will cease, and He will be their God and Father; for God, because of His great goodness, is longsuffering in His judgment; therefore beware of sin, and do not follow the devil, but free yourselves from unrighteousness, and your God will not forsake you in this last hour; for God is rich and gracious, and with Him there is much grace; He willingly forgives the sinner who will forsake his sins, who believes in Christ, and calls on His name; to such a one He will not only remit his sins through grace, but also freely give him the eternal reward. Heed these things well, O all of you who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, and have become children of God. Praise God with shouting, young and old, great and small; you who have believed His Word, love God as His dear children, and walk before Him with pure hearts, and you will never be forsaken, but He will always preserve you. O God, who are rich in grace, keep us Your children, that we may hold to You, and that those who have come to You may not be put to shame; lead them diligently with Your right hand into the promised land, the eternal heavenly kingdom. O God, honor be to You in Your high throne, You who have given us Christ Your Son, and imparted divine grace to us, by which we now confess You with heart and mouth, and are not ashamed to call them our brothers who call on You in truth as their Father. Praised be Your holy name. Amen."

NOTE. Sebastian Franck relates that the Anabaptists in the beginning increased by many thousands, so that the world feared they would cause an uproar; but of this, as I hear, he writes, they were found innocent, and were persecuted with great tyranny, first especially in popedom. They were forcibly imprisoned, and tormented with the sword, fire, water, and many kinds of imprisonment, so that within a few years very many were put to death. Some reckon the number of those put to death at far more than two thousand. They were put to death in many places; at Ensisheim alone about six hundred were slain, all of whom patiently and steadfastly suffered as martyrs.

Compare the account of Seb. Franck, Chron., folios 55 and 109, with the old Offer boeck, book 1. Leonh., book 7; also Chron. van den Ondergang, page 1025. [n593-1]