# The Above Edict, According To The Annals Of Cardinal Cesar Baronius, In His Chronicles, A. D. 413, Number 6.

413 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE ABOVE EDICT, ACCORDING TO THE ANNALS OF CARDINAL CESAR BARONIUS, IN HIS CHRONICLES, A. D. 413, NUMBER 6.

Source heading; not independently verified

In that year, he writes, the Emperor Theodosius
issued an edict against the Anabaptists, commanding
that they should be put to death.

This was subsequently also quoted by the inquisitor
of Leeuwærden, in his controversy with
Jacques d’Auchi, in the year 1558. See register of
the 2d book, on the name Jacques. Also, Introduction,
fol. 47, col. 2.

These several versions of the edict of Honorius
and Theodosius unanimously indicate three things:
1. That at that time, A. D. 413, there were people
who were called Anabaptists. 2. That on account
of this matter of rebaptizing, these people were exceedingly
hated by the world, especially by the
great. 3. It is shown how they were hated, namely,
unto death, so that the command was given, that
they should be punished with death. However,
intelligent people well know, that Christ, our Savior
192
predicted long before, that such things would befall
his disciples and followers. Matt. 10:22; 24:9;
Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12; John 15:19; 16:2.

Moreover, that the aforementioned people, against
whom said edict was issued, were not strange, unknown,
erring spirits, but such people as are also
in our day styled Anabaptists; this not only the
inquisitor of Leeuwærden, A. D. 1558, readily admitted,
as has been shown in the proper place, but
all the particulars of the last mentioned authors
make it almost as clear as the sun at midday, that
this is the general opinion of the Romanists. Nay,
it appears that the edict of Honorius and Theodosius
was carried into execution, not only A. D.
413, and in some of the subsequent years, but that
it was no small cause of the last great persecution
of the Anabaptists, which began about A. D. 1524,
through the strong urging of the Papists, especially
of their clergy, who, to all appearance, by it induced
the Emperor, Charles V., to renew said edict
against the Anabaptists of their time, as being an
identical people, and of the same faith, with those
who lived in the time of Honorius and Theodosius.
At least, that many papistic magistrates put to
death innumerable pious Anabaptist Christians, by
virtue of said ancient edict of A. D. 413, appears
with such certainty from various authors, that it
cannot, with truth, be denied. Compare Seb. Franck,
fol. 136, col. 3, with Martin Bellius, page 53.

Now the couplet of Prosperus was verified,
namely, that baptism did indeed sanctify the true
candidate in some measure, but that all this was
perfected by the crown of martyrdom. This was
afterwards rendered in German, by Jacob Mehrning,
thus:

“Was heylligs bringt die Tauffe schon:

Solchs gants erfuellet der Martrer chron.”117

Bapt. Hist., 2d part, page 413, ex Prosp. in Epigramm.

He means to say, that those who were then baptized,
had to expect martyrdom. We shall therefore
show what persons suffered at this time for the
testimony of Jesus Christ, either by virtue of the
abovementioned edict, or otherwise.





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