Leonhard Lochmair, and Offrus Greizinger, in the Year 1538

In the year 1538, Brother Leonhard Lochmair, a minister of the Word in the Earldom of Tyrol, was arrested and taken to Brixen, where a great number of priests practiced every kind of craftiness with him, until they caused him to apostatize. They then demanded that he go about the country for a whole year with Doctor Gallius, and preach against the divine truth and renounce it. This he would not do; so they shut him up in prison, for he had been a priest before he became a brother. He came to himself and repented of his apostasy, and great fear came upon him, for the judgment of God pressed upon him; but since God knew his sorrowful heart, He so ordered it that he was restored again, as will follow later.

In the same year, 1538, Offrus Greizinger, also a minister of the Word in the Earldom of Tyrol, was arrested. He was sought on the mountains and in the valley, and watched for on bridges and elsewhere. A large sum of money was also offered for his arrest, and spies and traitors were sent out, who pretended to have a desire to become pious. When they had arrested him, he too was brought to Brixen and put in prison there, his room being so near to Leonhard Lochmair's that they could talk together. There Leonhard greatly lamented his apostasy to Offrus, and grieved deeply over it. Offrus then gave him much comfort, when, after genuine sorrow and true repentance, he proclaimed to him the remission of his sins in the name of the Lord; indeed, through his intercession he reestablished him in his faith, and received him again as a fellow member and brother.

Not long after, when Brother Offrus, the faithful servant of the Lord and of His church, was severely tried in many ways, and much threatened with the torture, if he would not point out to them his brothers who had not yet been driven away, especially those who had sheltered him and done good to him, he said to them: "I have resolved to endure all the pain and suffering that a man can endure, even to death, through the power of God, before I will tell you this and become a traitor. I well knew beforehand that this would be my fate. You have me in your power; do whatever God will permit you to do. If you want to tyrannize over me, you may do so; God will find you. I have nothing to say or to show." They then assailed him with threats, and urged him that if he had the truth, they would admonish him in the name of the truth to show and speak the truth. Then Brother Offrus said: "I know you and your truth; you have heard what I said."

They also asked him whether it was not true that if our numbers should increase, we would rise up against them and kill them, if they would not come over to our side. He told them that if we did this, we would not be Christians, but only such in name; adding: "If you were true Christians you would not torture or kill anyone." So they bound him and drew him up, but quickly let him down from the torture, and threatened him, asking why he would have his limbs torn apart like this. He replied: "I am in your hands; do with me whatever God will permit you to do; you can take no more from me than my life." They then gave up hope of accomplishing anything with him.

Eight days later they drew him up again, this time twice, yet more gently; but he said: "I have told you once what I can tell, and let it be known to you that God will find you for your tyranny." They again gave up hope, and from then on left him alone, torturing him no further. He was sick as a result of the torture, so that he said the less.

After another eight days they came to him again, and called him before them twice, but did not stay with him long, because he set before their eyes their rascality, roguery, and unrighteousness.

After much suffering and tribulation he was then sentenced to death by the children of Pilate, placed alive into the fire, and burned to ashes; thus valiantly and steadfastly, as a Christian hero, testifying to and sealing his life and doctrine with his blood, on Halloween, in the year 1538. And though he had wrestled hard with death beforehand, yet when he went out to death he was glad and joyful in his heart.

But since Leonhard Lochmair had formerly been a priest, the priests kept him from dying together with Offrus; for they intended first to strip him of their accursed ordination. In this, to bring their plan to nothing, God so ordered it that the suffragan who was to do this died. [n642-1] So he was executed with the sword a few days after Offrus, and, as a true priest, offered up and gave himself as an acceptable offering to God, and testified to His truth to death. Romans 12, verse 1; Second Timothy 4, verse 6.