View source for Brötli, Johannes (before 1494-1528)

Johannes Brötli, (also called Panicellus), originally from [[Grisons (Switzerland)|Grisons]], once a pastor at Quarten, moved to the vicinity of [[Zürich (Switzerland)|Zürich]] as an assistant preacher in [[Zollikon (Switzerland)|Zollikon]], and instructed the peasants in the Gospel, "following Paul's example, not living on tithes and offerings, but by the work of his hands" (Cornelius II, 17). He was preacher in Zollikon (canton of Zürich) and joined the [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist]] movement immediately after its inception. He was one of the signatories of the second letter of the [[Swiss Brethren|Swiss Brethren]] to [[Müntzer, Thomas (1488/9-1525)|Thomas Müntzer]] of 5 September 1524. On account of a quarrel with the assistant at the Grossmünster he was questioned by the city council, 21 December 1524. On the day after the first Anabaptist disputation (17 January 1525) he was expelled from the city and canton of Zürich, and went to [[Hallau (Schaffhausen, Switzerland)|Hallau]] in the canton of [[Schaffhausen (Switzerland)|Schaffhausen]]. On 4 April 1525, the city council sent a letter to Schaffhausen, warning the authorities against Brötli, stating that he had by his rejection of [[Infant Baptism|infant baptism]] and introduction of re-baptism misled the poor, simple populace and created a noticeable restlessness in the city and canton, which, if it had not been suppressed, might have led to the abolition of all government; they had therefore banished Brötli from the city's jurisdiction with [[Reublin, Wilhelm (1480/84-after 1559)|Wilhelm Reublin]], [[Haetzer, Ludwig (1500-1529)|Ludwig Haetzer]], and [[Castelberger, Andreas (ca. 1500-after 1531) |Andreas Castelberger]] on 21 January 1525, and did not want to conceal this from the Schaffhausen authorities, for they had heard that three persons had gone to Hallau behind their backs to testify that Brötli had conducted himself honorably in Zürich (Stähelin, <em>Briefe </em>I, 344). From Hallau Brötli sent two epistles to his former congregation in [[Zollikon (Switzerland)|Zollikon]] in February and March of 1525 (published in [[Füsslin, Johann Conrad (1704-1775)|Füsslin]] I, 201-227).

With Reublin, Brötli worked in Hallau with great success for the Anabaptist movement. Nearly the entire community was baptized and protected its preacher from the council in Schaffhausen. They were supported by [[Waldshut (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Waldshut]]. But when the latter city passed into Austrian hands the Swiss Brethren were also suppressed in Hallau. Most of them fled. Of Brötli it is asserted <em>([[Martyrs' Mirror|Martyrs' Mirror]]</em>) that he was burned at the stake in 1528 (he is called Hans Pretle here; see Füsslin I, 201, note). Details of his death are unfortunately not given.
= Bibliography =
Braght, Thieleman J. van. <em>Het Bloedigh Tooneel of Martelaers Spiegel der Doopsgesinde of Weereloose Christenen, Die om 't getuygenis van Jesus haren Salighmaker geleden hebben ende gedood zijn van Christi tijd of tot desen tijd toe. Den Tweeden Druk</em>. Amsterdam: Hieronymus Sweerts, …, 1685: Part II, 17.

Braght, Thieleman J. van. <em>The Bloody Theatre or Martyrs' Mirror of the Defenseless Christians Who Baptized Only upon Confession of Faith and Who Suffered and Died for the Testimony of Jesus Their Saviour . . . to the Year A.D. 1660.</em> Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1951: 427. Available online at: [http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/index.htm http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/index.htm].

Cornelius Carl Adolf. <em>Geschichte des Münsterischen Aufruhrs in drei Büchern.</em> Leipzig: T.O. Weigel, 1855-1860: v. II, 17.

Egli, Emil. <em>Die Züricher Wiedertäufer zur Reformationszeit. </em>Zürich, 1878.

Füsslin, J. <em>Beyträge zur Erläuterung der Kirchenreformationsgeschichten des Schweitzerlandes, </em>5 vols. Zürich, 1741-1753.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. <em>Mennonitisches Lexikon</em>, 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 275.

Stähelin, Ernst. <em>Briefe und Akten zum Leben Oekolampads. </em>Leipzig, 1927. Reprinted New York: Johnson Reprint, 1971: v. I.

Stähelin, Rudolf.<em> Huldreich Zwingli: sein Leben und Wirken. </em>Basel: Schwabe, 1895-1897: v. I, 473 ff.

Zimmermann, Joachim. <em>Thomas Münzer: ein deutsches Schicksal. </em>Berlin: Verlag Ullstein, 1925: 150
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