Geschichte der Märtyrer
Geschichte der Märtyrer oder kurze historische Nachricht von den Verfolgungen der Mennoniten (printed by G. L. Hartung, Königsberg, 1787). The preface (31 pages) was written in 1782. Although the author and compiler of this abridged history of the martyrs, based on Tieleman J. van Braght, does not give his name in the book, it is known that it was Isaac van Dühren (1724-1800). He states (p. 191) that the selection of the stories is not only based on the Martyrs' Mirror by van Braght, but also that they are taken in the order in which they appeared in the large volume. Investigation as to selective process, abbreviation, and presentation of the material has not yet been made. The book consists of 190 pages of text not including the preface and index, and has on its title page a vignette consisting of a mirror, lights, books, and a laurel wreath. The introduction gives an account of church history dealing mostly with the introduction of infant baptism at the time of Cyprian. The author claims that the Mennonites are descendants of the Waldensians and opposes the claim that they were followers of Thomas Müntzer or stemmed from the Münsterites. The first part of the book treats the persecution of the Mennonites by the Catholics; the second, a much smaller part, the persecution by the Lutherans; and the third part, by the Reformed. In an appendix the commonly used, arguments for infant baptism are refuted.
It appears that two editions of the book must have appeared in succession—the first 4n 1787 and the second in 1788. An edition, with a special 6-page extra preface, published mainly for.the Mennonites of Russia, appeared in 1863 (printed by J. F. Steinkopf, Stuttgart, Germany). The appendix is followed by a poem. These editions were widely used among the members of the Kleine Gemeinde. In 1939 a fourth edition "of the Mennonite congregations in Manitoba" appeared at Winnipeg (printed by the Rundschau Publishing House) with a special preface.
See also Isaac van Dühren and Kleine Gemeinde
Bibliography
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 91.
| Author(s) | Cornelius Krahn |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Krahn, Cornelius. "Geschichte der Märtyrer." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Geschichte_der_M%C3%A4rtyrer&oldid=94795.
APA style
Krahn, Cornelius. (1956). Geschichte der Märtyrer. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Geschichte_der_M%C3%A4rtyrer&oldid=94795.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 507. All rights reserved.
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