Page 372spiritual ark of Noah, of which Christ is the true householder, as is written of Him (this He says of His church), "Behold, here am I, and the children (the true believers) which thou hast given me." See in Martyrs Mirror, page 537, col. 2, 3, and afterwards, in the Account of the Martyrs, for the year 1569. It is not necessary here to say anything more; since the views of this man, regarding this matter, are well known and in the memory of almost everyone. Hence we will conclude this, and proceed to others of like confession. A. D. 1572.-At this time there was imprisoned at Dort, in Holland, a man of great virtue and piety, named John Wouterss van Kuyck, who, in a letter written to his wife, relates what happened to him in prison on account of the faith. Among other things he speaks of what the bailiff, in his presence, demanded of the judges, namely: That pursuant to the decree of the king, he should be burnt alive at the stake; because he had departed from the Roman Catholic faith, and had (as he said), been rebaptized by the Anabaptists. Thereupon this pious witness of Jesus answered as he further writes, saying, "Then I replied: I have never departed from the Christian faith; and I know no Anabaptists. I have been baptized only once upon my faith; infant baptism I do not consider a baptism; and when I was a child, I did as a child, as my parents led me. See in the last-mentioned Martyrs' Mirror, page 692, col. 2, also in the following account of the martyrs, for the year 1572. In another letter delivered by him to the bailiff and the council of said city, he makes this confession of his own baptism, "Faith and inward baptism constrained me to obedience toward His word, to fulfill His righteousness. Hence I confess, that I was baptized upon my faith, and this on my request, according to the command of Christ, renouncing the devil, the world, etc." Sane book, page 701. Thus, this witness of Jesus openly, boldly, and unfeignedly declared the truth of God in this matter, according to the testimony of the Word of God, and his conscience; to show which has here been our sole aim. A. D. 1586.-At Ingolstadt, in Bavaria, one Christian Gasteiger, after suffering. much onset and opposition from the Jesuits, was, among other things, also assailed in regard to his belief respecting baptism; since he held that it should be administered to none but the believing and penitent. On a certain day, therefore, there came to him, where he was imprisoned, two of that order, saying: That a child had to be baptized or it would be damned. But he contradicted them with arguments and the authority of the holy Scriptures. This belief he held fast to the end, since he died thereupon, as shall appear more fully in the account of the martyrs, regarding his death, for he year 1586. Also, in Mart. Mir., page 886, col. 2. A. D. 1592-We find, that besides a disputation held against some papists who maintained infant baptism, Bartholomew Panten, a pious brother, also left, before his departure from this world, a testament, as a last farewell, to his little daughter; in which he, among other things, admonishes her, how she, when arriving at maturity, should act with regard to this matter, saying, "My dear child, take this to heart, and when you attain your understanding, my paternal request to you is, to join those who fear God, who are by far the least among all people, but who are nevertheless the true congregation and church of God; who practice their rule according to the ordinance of the Lord, and the practice of the apostles, namely, a baptism which is founded upon faith, and must be received as Christ has commanded, and as is written in Matthew."; Then; treating of the words of the holy evangelists, respecting the unprepared condition in which the Pharisees came to the baptism of John, and that the latter rebuked them, saying, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance," he says by way of explanation, "Here it is to be well understood, that confession is not sufficient, but that also sorrow of heart, and good works, must be evinced. For; all outward actions, without renewing the spirit, cannot please God." See the before-mentioned Mart. Mirr., p. 924, col. 1. This matter will be shown more circumstantially in the account of his martyrdom, for the year 1592. NOTE.-We could have filled this century with a very great number of salutary confessors respecting this article, had we not deemed this unnecessary and to no purpose; for no one who has but a little experience in history, will doubt it; since this was not one of the least points, on account of which an almost countless number of persons lost their lives in the last persecution, early in this century, and throughout to the close. AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: SUMMARY OF THE MARTYRS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY [Mention of the inquisition which from the year 1492 continued to 1660. It is noticed for the year 1501.
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