# Title pages, contents, and publisher’s preface · Page 1 of 2

[Previous page: Edition notice](/en/stories/mm-edition-notice/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: Title pages, contents, and publisher’s preface](/en/stories/mm-front-matter/part-2/)

Transcriber’s notes:

Several volunteers have worked on the post-processing of this
complex e-book and I acknowledge the efforts of those who preceded me
with respect to correcting spelling and other errors. A limited list
of such corrections is [appended](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-18/#Spelling_corrections).
The original presentation of the book was not entirely consistent in
the formating of headings, subheadings, etc. and cannot be truly
replicated for digital reading devices, but the textual content has
been faithfully preserved including inconsistent punctuation and other
flaws. The original table of contents, which was located at the end of
the book, was incomplete and inconsistent with respect to the hierarchy
of headings. It has been modified to be of of greater assistance
to the reader and has been repositioned to the more usual location
at the beginning. Some illustrations have been moved nearer to the
relevant text. Footnotes have been numbered and
collated as endnotes that follow the comprehensive index. In
this transcription a black underline indicates a hyperlink to a page,
illustration or footnote.

The cover image of the book was created by the
transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

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 Savior, from
the time of Christ to the year A. D. 1660.

COMPILED FROM VARIOUS AUTHENTIC CHRONICLES, MEMORIALS, AND
TESTIMONIES, BY

THIELEM J. van BRAGHT.

Translated from the original Dutch or Holland language from the Edition of 1660,

BY JOSEPH F. SOHM.

ILLUSTRATED.

ELKHART, INDIANA.

MENNONITE PUBLISHING COMPANY.

1886.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1886,

by Mennonite Publishing Company,

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

Contents.

PAGE.

 PUBLISHER’S PREFACE,
[3](/en/stories/mm-front-matter/#Page_3)

 TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE,
[4](/en/stories/mm-front-matter/part-2/#Page_4)

 INVOCATION,
[5](/en/stories/mm-translators-preface/#Page_5)

 AUTHOR’S PREFACE,
[6](/en/stories/mm-invocation/part-2/#Page_6)

 TO THE READERS IN GENERAL,
[11](/en/stories/mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4/part-4/#Page_11)

 INTRODUCTION,
[15](/en/stories/mm-to-the-young-the-middle-aged-and-the-old/#Page_15)

 OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD, ITS ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND IMMOVABLE STABILITY, THROUGH ALL TIMES,
[20](/en/stories/mm-valedictory/#Page_20)

 POEMS IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE,
[58](/en/stories/mm-conclusion-of-the-matters-here-related/#Page_58)

FIRST PART.

ACCOUNT OF HOLY BAPTISM IN THE 
FIRST
CENTURY,
[61](/en/stories/mm-first-part/#Page_61)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
SECOND
"
[97](/en/stories/mm-of-different-other-persons-who-were-slain-for-the-name-of-christ-about-a-d-100/#Page_97)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
THIRD
"
[114](/en/stories/mm-alcibiades-a-pious-christian-martyred-at-lyons-in-france-about-the-year-179/#Page_114)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
FOURTH
"
[148](/en/stories/mm-an-account-of-the-death-of-the-aforementioned-martyrs-written-by-some-christian-brethren-who-witnessed-it/#Page_148)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
FIFTH
"
[181](/en/stories/mm-some-pious-people-who-in-accordance-with-the-doctrine-of-christ-refused-to-engage-in-warfare-very-cruelly-put-to-death-b/#Page_181)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
SIXTH
"
[195](/en/stories/mm-the-bloody-oppression-of-the-believers-which-it-appears-occurred-in-the-time-of-the-teacher-fulgentius-a-d-498/#Page_195)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
SEVENTH
"
[206](/en/stories/mm-golauduch-a-christian-woman-of-persia-much-tortured-and-put-to-death-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-about-a-d-598/#Page_206)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
EIGHTH
"
[212](/en/stories/mm-of-eight-severe-persecutions-instituted-against-christian-believers-from-a-d-622-to-the-close-of-this-century/#Page_212)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
NINTH
"
[224](/en/stories/mm-severe-and-lamentable-persecution-instituted-by-mady-king-of-the-arabians-against-the-christian-believers-in-the-east-ab/#Page_224)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
TENTH
"
[238](/en/stories/mm-further-observation-touching-the-history-itself-according-to-the-account-of-carion-p-melancthon-and-c-peucer/#Page_238)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
ELEVENTH
"
[249](/en/stories/mm-a-miserable-persecution-of-the-christians-caused-by-udo-the-prince-of-the-slaves-slavonians-a-d-950/#Page_249)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
TWELFTH
"
[260](/en/stories/mm-bruno-bishop-of-angiers-and-berengarius-his-deacon-condemned-in-several-councils-through-the-roman-pope-on-account-of-th/part-2/#Page_260)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
THIRTEENTH
"
[288](/en/stories/mm-origin-of-the-inquisition-against-the-waldenses-and-albigenses-by-pope-innocent-iii-a-d-1198/#Page_288)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
FOURTEENTH
"
[309](/en/stories/mm-gerard-sagarellus-burnt-in-the-city-of-parma-for-the-faith-of-the-waldensian-anabaptists-a-d-1285/#Page_309)

    "    "   "     "    "  "
FIFTEENTH
"
[321](/en/stories/mm-thirty-six-persons-called-waldenses-burnt-for-the-faith-at-bingen-a-d-1390/#Page_321)

ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE
FIRST
CENTURY,
[65](/en/stories/mm-of-the-testimony-of-the-fathers-concerning-this-article-who-lived-from-the-decease-of-the-apostles-to-the-end-of-the-fir/part-2/#Page_65)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
SECOND
"
[101](/en/stories/mm-further-remarks-concerning-baptism-in-this-century/#Page_101)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
THIRD
"
[121](/en/stories/mm-touching-different-points-of-the-doctrine-of-origen-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck/part-3/#Page_121)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
FOURTH
"
[166](/en/stories/mm-the-conversion-of-euvodius-who-from-a-worldly-warrior-became-a-soldier-of-christ-in-the-time-of-augustine/part-2/#Page_166)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
FIFTH
"
[190](/en/stories/mm-touching-some-other-points-of-cyrils-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-chron-5th-book-page-152-col-1/part-5/#Page_190)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
SIXTH
"
[202](/en/stories/mm-summary-of-baptism-in-the-sixth-century/part-9/#Page_202)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
SEVENTH
"
[209](/en/stories/mm-summary-of-baptism-in-the-seventh-century/part-4/#Page_209)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
EIGHTH
"
[219](/en/stories/mm-summary-of-baptism-in-the-eighth-century/part-9/#Page_219)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
NINTH
"
[231](/en/stories/mm-the-views-of-rabanus-maurus-concerning-various-other-articles-of-his-faith-according-to-the-aforementioned-author/part-4/#Page_231)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
TENTH
"
[245](/en/stories/mm-further-observations-concerning-the-deplorable-state-of-the-worship-of-god-in-this-century/part-7/#Page_245)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
ELEVENTH
"
[254](/en/stories/mm-summary-of-baptism-in-the-eleventh-century/part-6/#Page_254)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
TWELFTH
"
[279](/en/stories/mm-how-the-waldenses-were-unjustly-accused-by-their-inquisitors-and-accusers/#Page_279)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
THIRTEENTH
"
[292](/en/stories/mm-of-the-true-baptism/part-2/#Page_292)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
FOURTEENTH
"
[314](/en/stories/mm-of-charles-bishop-of-milan/#Page_314)

    "    "   "    "    "   "  "
FIFTEENTH
"
[327](/en/stories/mm-conclusion-to-the-fifteenth-century-a-d-1500/#Page_327)

SECOND PART.

 TO MY BELOVED FRIENDS, ETC.,
[341](/en/stories/mm-second-part/#Page_341)

 PREFACE TO SECOND PART,
[343](/en/stories/mm-to-my-beloved-friends-and-fellow-believers-in-christ-jesus-our-savior/part-2/#Page_343)

 ACCOUNT OF HOLY BAPTISM IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY,
[351](/en/stories/mm-preface-to-second-part/part-11/#Page_351)

 ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY,
[395](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-faith-according-to-the-holy-word-of-god/part-43/#Page_395)

 OLD BOOK OF THE MARTYRS MIRROR,
[398](/en/stories/mm-of-the-decree-which-by-the-romanists-was-published-in-the-netherlands-about-the-year-1521-against-all-who-believed-other/#Page_398)

 ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY,
[1042](/en/stories/mm-conclusion-of-the-sixteenth-century/part-2/#Page_1042)

 INDEX
[1081](/en/stories/mm-index/#Index)

3

As the English language, year by year, becomes more prevalent among our Mennonite
people, the necessity of presenting to them in that language the doctrines, teachings and practices, as
well as the story of the sufferings, the faithful endurance and the final triumphant deaths, of those of
like faith with us who lived in the earlier ages of Christianity, becomes apparent to every reflecting mind.

These doctrines, teachings and practices together with the examples of faithful devotion to
Christ and his word, and the unfaltering endurance under the severest persecution, are powerful incentives
to Christians to-day, to inspire many sincere souls to live a more consecrated life, to practice greater
self-denial, to live more separated from the world, and show a greater zeal in the work of the Lord and
the salvation of souls; and they are especially precious to us, as Mennonites, because through these
people it pleased God to hand down to us the living exemplification of the peculiar tenets and doctrines
which we hold and practice at the present day.

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/i0002.jpg)

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/bar58x6.png)

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/bar58x6.png)

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/bar58x6.png)

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/bar58x6.png)

## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Transcribers_notes)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

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