Wednesday, March 10, 2010

On this day in 1528

482 years ago on March 10, 1528 Balthasar Hubmaier was martyred by burning in Vienna. His crime? Advocating against the baptism of infants. His executors likewise martyred his wife Elisabeth by tying a stone around her neck and tossing her from a bridge three days later, an incredibly cowardly act. Balthasar Hubmaier, like so many of the Anabaptists, was killed by the unholy union of the church and the state for a practice that we take for granted in America. We still read about our brothers and sisters being martyred today in far off lands but what makes this event and others like it so tragic is that Hubmaier was killed by people who claimed to be Christians over a doctrinal disagreement.

(Thanks for the reminder to Tom Ascol)



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4 comments:

Seth said...

Arthur,
Based on your recent posts, you may have already read this author, but I wanted to recommend him to you anyway. Leonard Verduin wrote "The Reformers and Their Stepchildren" and "An Anotomy of a Hybrid." Both of these books deal with the Anabaptists in history and the legacy they give us today. I'd highly recommend them. He uses many original sources, especially in the first book with regard to how the Reformers treated the Anabaptists.

Arthur Sido said...

Seth,

I have read most of The Reformers and their Stepchildren. Good stuff, portrays a very different picture of the reformers and anabaptists than what one hears in many Reformed circles (i.e. the White Horse Inn)

Seth said...

Yeah I agree. I haven't read the While Horse Inn, but I do know what you mean. From what I've seen, most Reformed types are largely unknowledgeable of the darker side of the Reformation.

Arthur Sido said...

Seth,

We would all be better off if we looked at figures in the past like the flawed men that they were and appreciate how God used them instead of trying to deify the Reformers (or the Anabaptists for that matter!)