# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1848 03 01_S124
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

who was otherwise a venomous enemy of the Word of God, felt pity, and commanded that he should be let go, [saying] he would surely follow. Balke Johann was ordered to lead him, who rather dragged him than led him.

Having arrived at Hemmingstet, Heinricus was asked how he had come into the land and what he sought there. He answered his tormentors the truth in so friendly a manner that they were moved by it. But they themselves stifled again this stirring of pity, crying out: "Away with him! If we listened to him much longer, we too would become heretics."

Then he asked that they would set him upon a horse, because he was very weary and faint, and his feet were quite sore. For he had gone the whole night naked and barefoot through the cold and over the ice. When they heard this, they mocked and jeered at him, and said: "Should one keep horses for a heretic? Let him run well enough on foot." So they dragged him through the night as far as the heath. There they wished to bring him into the house of a man named Raldenes, and hang upon him a stick with iron chains. But the master of the house had pity and would not allow it. Then they brought the good Heinricus into the house of a priest, Reymer Hotzecken, who was a servant of the official of Hamburg, shut him in a cellar, and gave him over to the drunken peasants to guard, who mocked and derided him the whole night long. Two popish priests also came, Simon of Altenworden and Christian of Neuenkirchen, both very unlearned persecutors of the Word of God, who asked him for what reason he had laid aside the holy habit. He answered them lovingly out of Holy Scripture, but they did not understand what he said.

Thereupon Master Günther asked him whether he wished to be sent to the bishop of Bremen, or would rather receive his reward in Dithmarschen. Heinricus answered: "If I have taught or done anything unchristian, then you may well punish me for it; God's will be done." Then Master Günther cried: "Hear, dear friends, he wishes to die in Dithmarschen." But the people spent the whole night in drinking. In the morning, at eight o'clock, they gathered in the marketplace and took counsel as to what should be done. Then the drunken peasants cried: "Only let him be burned! To the fire with him! So we shall win honor today before God and men; for the longer we let him live, the more he will spread his heresy about. What use is much deliberation? He must die anyway!" So the good Heinricus was condemned to the fire unheard. Thereupon it was proclaimed: "All who had helped to capture him should escort him to the fire with their weapons." The gray friars, or barefoot friars, also went about, encouraging the poor people and saying: "Now you are truly pursuing the matter rightly!" and further incited the wretched, drunken mob.

Then they took Heinricus and bound him at neck, feet, and hands, and led him to the fire with great outcry. As this took place, a woman stood in her house door, saw this misery and great distress, and began to weep bitterly. The good Heinricus said to her: "Dear woman, weep not for me!"

When he now came to the place where the fire was prepared, he sat down, from great weakness. Then there stepped forward the bailiff, Schösser Mars, bribed with money, as one may justly suppose, and condemned the good Brother Heinricus to the fire with this sentence: "This evildoer has preached neither the Mother of God nor the Christian faith; therefore I condemn him, on behalf of my gracious lord, the bishop of Bremen, to the fire." "That is not true," answered Heinricus, "yet, Lord, thy will be done." And he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: "Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Thy name alone is holy, heavenly Father!"

Then there came forward a good Christian woman, Claus Jungenfrau, named Wibe, a sister of Peter Nannen, resident at Meldorf; she stepped before the fire and offered that they should scourge her, so that their wrath might be satisfied thereby, and in addition offered to give a thousand guilders, if they would only release the man free again until the following Monday, so that he might first be examined by the whole territory and then be burned. When they heard this, they became raving and senseless, threw the woman to the ground, and trampled her underfoot.

Thereupon they struck the good martyr of Christ with all violence. One struck him with his rapier into the skull. But Johann Holm of Neuenkirchen struck him with a war-hammer. The others stabbed him in his sides, in the back, in the arms, wherever they could reach him; and not only once, but as often as he began to speak. And in addition Master Günther incited the people yet further, crying: "Freely on, dear fellows, here God himself dwells!" Afterward he brought a gray friar to Heinricus, that he should hear his confession. But the martyr asked him: "Brother, have I ever done you any wrong, or ever angered you?" "No," answered the friar. "What, then, should I confess to you," replied the good Brother Heinricus, "that you should forgive me?" Then the gray friar was ashamed, and drew back.

But the fire would not burn, however often they kindled it. Nonetheless they carried out their violence upon him, striking him with spears and halberds. This went on for a good two hours, during which the martyr stood naked before his enemies with his eyes turned toward heaven. At last they took a ladder, to which they bound him very hard and fast, in order thus to throw him into the fire.

Then the martyr began to confess his faith. But one struck him with his fist in the face and said he should first burn, and afterward he might pray as much as he liked. Then another trod him so hard upon the breast with his foot, and bound his neck so fast to a rung of the ladder, that the blood streamed from his mouth and nose. For he wished to choke him, seeing that he could not die of so many wounds.

Thereafter they lifted him up with the ladder. But one set his halberd against the ladder in order to set it upright. It slipped, however, and the holy martyr was pierced through the middle by it. So they threw him, ladder and all, upon the wood. But it fell to the side again. Then Johann Holm ran up with the war-hammer, and struck him upon the breast so long, until he died and moved no more. And since the fire still would not burn, they roasted him upon coals.

This is the story of the holy martyr Heinrich of Zütphen, of whom Luther writes:

"And now there returns the form of a true Christian life, which, in suffering and persecution, appears horrible before the world, but precious and dear before the eyes of God, as the Psalter says: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints; and again, Psalm 71: Their blood is precious in his sight."

Hermann Fick.

(Contributed.)
The Martyr, Heinrich of Zütphen.

Now he has overcome,
the holy martyr;
in his last hours
the Lord strengthened him.

The papists hated him,
he taught God's Word;
with cunning they dragged him
by night away to death.

He had to walk naked
through the ice to the place of fire;
and yet could scarcely stand,
already so faint from pain.

Yet though he was struck hard,
he bore it with patience,
and forgave, without complaint,
his murderers their guilt.

How gently and mildly
he stood amid their raging!
His face turned upward,
silently praying.

When from his many wounds
his blood already streamed,
he was bound yet fast
to a rung of a ladder.

And when he had thus suffered
much bitter distress and pain,
a lance pierced
into his faithful heart.

Then the grim enemy's hand
cast him into the flames;
so he sank down:
slain and burned.

O Heinrich, most faithful warrior!
The fairest lot became yours:
upon a ladder to heaven
you entered into heaven.

There you now live in peace,
and shine in the victor's crown;
your name lives here below
in eternal glory's splendor.

H. Fick.