Francis van der Sach and Anthony Welsch, in the Year 1562

In the year 1562 Brother Francis van der Sach, a native of Rovigo in Italy, and minister of the Word of God (still on trial), and one who had been sent with him, named Anthony Welsch, were arrested at Capo d'Istria, about one hundred Italian miles from Venice, as they were about to return to the church in Germany. They were accompanied by a large number of people, who, however, were not taken along, but were allowed to go. Francis had irons put on his feet like a criminal, and they were confined separately. There at Capo d'Istria they tempted and assailed them in a satanic manner, as they are accustomed to do at such times, and they used all their might to trap them in their snares, in order to make them stumble, and to make them lose heart and fall away from God; Francis especially was severely assailed; but they bravely resisted it all. Having been heard and examined at Capo d'Istria about everything, they were left in confinement for three more days, in irons hand and foot, and were then sent to Venice. On this voyage they lay still for three days and nights, because of the stormy sea, comforting each other in the meantime, and urging one another to constancy, or steadfastness, so that it seemed as though they scarcely felt the pains that came from the iron fetters and from other causes, which nevertheless hurt them greatly day and night.

Arriving at Venice on the first day of September of that year, they were immediately confined separately in the dark dungeons of the chief senators, where they lay for a whole month. Then they were brought before three Venetian secular lords, and also several so-called spiritual lords, who sat there in great pomp, most magnificently dressed; and they asked Brother Francis whether he still held to the belief which he had stated to the examiners and lords who had examined him at Capo d'Istria in regard to his doings, and whether he still held it to be the truth. He said to them: "I hold it to be the truth, and it is the truth."

They then asked him whether he believed everything that the holy, Catholic, apostolic, Christian church believes. He replied: "As far as the faith is concerned, I believe every article of the apostolic Christian faith." They then also asked him about baptism, the sacrament, confession, and many other things; but when he answered everything thoroughly, they pressed him very hard, berating him most severely, and then sent him back to prison. They also examined Brother Anthony, who likewise made a good confession of faith to them.

Shortly after, they examined Francis again, especially in regard to infant baptism, but did not accomplish their purpose. After this they had them brought before them several more times, and argued with them. They also sent monks to them, who, when they answered their questions, kept calling them heretics and opposers of so many councils, and said that if they would not give up, they would have to die; and with that they had them taken back to prison.

Soon after, the lords again sent a monk, an inquisitor, to them, who was to speak with them about the faith. He first asked them whether they belonged to the transmontane church. Francis replied: "Yes." Then the monk said: "This is the first error;" and asked whether he had also broken bread with them. When Francis answered that he had, the monk said: "This also is an error." And so he spoke about everything; no matter what they answered, the monk always said that they were heretics and deceivers.

The monk also said: "Tell me, who is the head of the church?" Francis replied: "Christ." The monk said: "This, too, is an error." Then Francis said: "You call us heretics, but you yourself are a heretic, and not we, for Christ is certainly the head of His church." But the monk said: "The pope is the head here on earth." Francis said: "A body with two heads is a hideous thing." Then the monk began again to call him a heretic, and to urge him to give up. But Brother Francis told him that he could not give up until the monk had proved this to him by the holy Scriptures. The monk said: "We are not bound to prove this to you by the Scriptures." They were then taken back to prison, where Francis put his confession and defense in writing, and handed it in.

After this they lay in prison for a long time yet, about two years in all, always standing firm, through many disputations, in the truth they had confessed and accepted; and they were then sentenced to death and, in the year 1564, thrown into the sea at Venice, and drowned. But the sea will have to give up her dead on the judgment day of the Lord, when such murderers of the godly will be dearly repaid, and will see with great terror how heinous an offense against God it is to touch His believers in this way. See Zechariah 2, verse 8; Acts 9, verse 5.