# Veit Greyenburger, A. D. 1570.

1570 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: VEIT GREYENBURGER, A. D. 1570.

Source heading; not independently verified

In the year 1570, Veit Greyenburger, a brother,
was apprehended at Wald in Vintschgau as he was
traveling through there. He had been spied out,
and a prize set upon his capture. When he arrived
at the inn, and the peasants noticed him,
but did not well know him, they came into the
inn by night, and when they saw him pray before
eating, they put their heads together and said: “He
is the man, or he looks like him;” and acted as
though it were wrong to pray—so plainly could the
devil be seen in them. Hence they watched him
in the inn, and sent word to the judge in the castle
at Niedersol, who came with many footmen and servants,
bound his hands behind his back, and took
him to the prison in the castle of Niedersol. Very
soon after he was examined, and led back into
prison. Five weeks afterwards the Grand Bailiff
came from Saltzburg, who took him with two servants
and two footmen to the castle at Saltzburg,
and there put him in prison in chains. A long
time, namely, two years and a half, afterwards,
priests came, namely, the preacher of the Cathedral
at Saltzburg, also the ecclesiastical judge and other
fellows. Each had before him ink and paper, and
they addressed brother Veit, and urged him to make
his defense. The brother said: “What shall I say:
You are accusers and judges, and what you are not
able to carry out yourselves, the judge, the beadles,
and the executioner must do in your stead. You
tell it to the Prince, the Prince tells it to the judge,
the judge to the beadles, the beadles to the executioner,
who must finish it; this is your high priest
who helps you to gain the victory.” Among other
things the brother also said to them: “The Spirit
says plainly what you are; for Paul writes: ‘That
in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing Spirits, and doctrines of
devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience
seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry,
and commanding to abstain from meats, which God
hath created to be received with thanksgiving.’ ”
1 Tim. 4:1–3. Then one of the priests said to
him: “We do not forbid marriage; moreover, I
have eaten meat to-day.” But the brother said:
“Ah! it is well known that you forbid marriage
and permit whoredom.” But when the priest had
well bethought himself he said: “Do you know
what Christ says: The Scribes and the Pharisees sit
in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid
you observe, that observe and do”? Matt. 23:2,3.
Then brother Veit asked them: “Do you think that
you are the same?” They replied: “Yes, we are
they by the will of God.” The brother said;
“You are they indeed, since you confess it; but
Christ pronounces many woes upon them, and calls
them serpents and a generation of vipers, hypocrites,
fools and blind guides, and such are you, as your
own mouth testifies.” Matt. 23. Then he was called
an Anabaptist and the like.

Thereupon brother Veit asked them, whether
they also considered Paul an Anabaptist. They
said: “No.” Then he asked: “Why then did
he baptize again those who had already been baptized
with John’s baptism, which was certainly from
heaven, but, was nevertheless not sufficient to salvation?
How much less then can infant baptism, which
is from men, be sufficient?” Then they were silent
and brother Veit said: “You allow midwives to
baptize; where is this written?” But they did not
know, and sat there as dumb as dogs. Thereupon
they asked him, whether he belonged to the Huterite
society. He replied: “Huter was a teacher.”
They asked: “Is he then your Messiah?” He
answered: “Huter was a pious man, who was burnt
at Innsbruck for his faith and the divine truth; but
our Messiah is Christ. (John 1:21; 4:25.) But what
kind of a Messiah and father have you at Rome,
and also here in this town?” Then they said that
the Pope had nothing to do with them. Then the
brother said: “Then you have a superior here in
town?.” The priests said that he was not their
father. The brother rejoined: “You certainly said
yourselves before, that your father had sent you
forth.” Then they did not know what to say. In
this manner he was examined several times; hence,
Christ did not in vain say to his own: When they
shall bring you into their synagogues, council
houses, before magistrates, powers and the learned,
take no thought how or what ye shall say: for I will
give you a mouth and wisdom, which they shall
not be able to gainsay or resist. Luke 21:12, etc.

Having been imprisoned upward of six years at
Saltzburg, suffering much misery and tribulation,
brother Veit, in the year 1576, through the help of
God, escaped through a window of his prison. The
people in the castle said that it was beyond the
power of man to get out; but with God all things
are possible. Matt. 19:26. Thus he returned to his
brethren and the church, on the 9th of August of
said year.

805





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