This was dangerous in 1569, especially in the little town of asperen, holland. But the abundant power of god is stronger than our sin. Suddenly he saw a hand reaching for him and a voice telling him to hold on and to be calm. Martyrs mirror academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Nov 28, 2017 dirk willems, mennonite martyr rosthern junior college. But from the first time i began to read the story of dirk willems, and my nieces. But most mennonites continue to use at least one narrative from the martyrs mirrorthe dirk willems story, where a runaway anabaptist willems returns to save the life of his captor who is drowning while trying to cross a river in pursuit of willems.
Dirk willems was a dutch martyred anabaptist, most famous for escaping from prison and turning back to rescue his pursuerwho had fallen through thin ice while chasing willemsto be recaptured and killed for his faith. Model martyrs christian history christianity today. When i think of what i was without him, it hardly seems possible. Today his book is a traditional mennonite or amish wedding gift, but few have. Dirk willems saving his captors life 741 jacob do roore. Dirk himself was imprisoned in a castle for the same reason. This book was an attempt to collect together all faithful and holy christian martyrs who have died for christian faith and ideals throughout 17 centuries, their names and what has remained of their lifestories and views and teachings. Anabaptist dirk willems rescues his pursuer and is subsequently burned at the stake in 1569 martyrs mirror or the bloody theater, first published in holland in 1660 in dutch by thieleman j.
Many of his friends there had given their lives for their faith. Dirk was caught, tried and convicted as an anabaptist in those later years of harsh spanish rule under the duke of alva in the netherlands. The full title of the book is the bloody theater or martyrs. An etching of dirk willems by dutch artist jan luyken. Dirk willem burned after rescuing pursuer 15011600. Each member of our delegation received a silver medallion. Dirk willems, 1569 from martyrs mirror in the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of jesus christ, named dirk willems, was apprehended at asperen, in holland, and had to endure severe. May 04, 2017 martyr s mirror is one of the central texts for amish and other anabaptist communities. The anabaptist martyrs mirror in the past and for today. The martyrs mirror and the ephrata cloister duration. However, the guard pursuing him broke through the ice and was drowning.
However, almost nothing is known about willems life prior to his arrest and being burned at the stake. And today, translations in more than a dozen languages serve congregations across the globe. Iconic image in one of the most famous martyrs mirror illustrations, dirk willems rescues his pursuer. In the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of jesus christ, named dirk willems, was apprehended at asperen, in. It is an account of the numerous anabaptists, spiritual predecessors of the amish, who perished on account of their faith. Stories of anabaptist martyrs retold from martyrs mirror by neta jackson. At every turn, martyrs mirror has functioned, and con tinues to function, as a measure. The account of dirk willems in the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of jesus christ, named dirk willems, was apprehended at asperen, in holland, and had to endure severe tyranny from the papists. To this day, dirk willems is remembered in the netherlands not so much as an anabaptist. It is a remarkable example of setting sainthood and martyrdom into the modern experience of christianity. Martyrs mirror and herewith give it to the public, in the hope that it may be the means of promoting the glory of god and of doing much good among the children of men.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. It includes only notable people with wikipedia articles. If youre not familiar with the dirk willems story, it is a story from the 1500s that is. Anabaptist history and thought contemporary anabaptist theology, a. Offers a selection of short tales that highlight the lives and faith of twentythree martyrs. In turn, i presented the holy father with an icon of dirk willems, written by iconographer jivko donkov, 1 based on the copper etching by jan luyken of the sixteenthcentury anabaptist martyr that appears in the martyrs mirror. Willems was born in asperen, gelderland and was baptized as a young man, thus rejecting the infant baptism practiced at that time by both catholics and established. These stories, including those of michael sattler, elizabeth dirks, and dirk willems, reflect a crosssection of the thousands of men and women who lost their lives because of their faith during the 16th century. When selling books in amish communities, im often asked if i carry the martyrs mirror. The martyrs mirror or the bloody theater, first published in 1660 in dutch by thieleman j.
Mar 26, 2018 the willems story, more than any other in the martyrs mirror, induces social and theological conformity in mennonite churches. Dirk leaps how did you come to believe, brother dirk. Dirk willems warns mennonites not to expect to be rewarded for good works a sharp contradiction to the american gospel of success. Oct 12, 2015 iconic image in one of the most famous martyrs mirror illustrations, dirk willems rescues his pursuer. Here is an online searchable complete text of the english version of the martyrs mirror. Slowly but surely dirk pulled him from the water and to the safety of the ponds edge. The mennonites chose to present the pope with an image of dirk willems, perhaps the most wellknown and highly regarded of all anabaptist martyrs. Dirk willems saves his pursuer in this etching from the 1685 edition of martyrs mirror. Martyr s mirror is one of the central texts for amish and other anabaptist communities.
But as he had founded his faith not upon the drifting sand of human commandments, but upon the firm foundation stone. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading martyrs mirror. A christian, so compassionate that he risked recapture in order to save the life of his drowning pursuer, stimulates respect and memory. Meditation on the last picture in the martyrs mirror. Dirk willems died 16 may 1569 also spelled durk willems was a dutch martyred anabaptist. Brother dirk and other stories from martyrs mirror. The story of mennonite martyr dirk willems, who saved the life of. As they began to clamor for another story about the brother dirk people every time i got into their van for a trip, i realized to my surprise that this. What follows below is not the complete original book. Anyone who has read his story in the martyrs mirror cannot help but be moved by it. In the anabaptist tradition especially, stories of the boldness and steadfastness of early christian and reformationera martyrs have been handed down from one generation to the next through books such as thieleman van braghts martyrs mirror 1660. The bloody theater of 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.
The book, whose featured martyrs are mostly dutch mennonites, marked the zenith of various collections of martyr stories published in the netherlands shortly after the onset of religious freedom. The story about the first german printing of the martyrs mirror. Dave jackson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Martyrs mirror wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The willems story, more than any other in the martyrs mirror, induces social and theological conformity in mennonite churches. The witness of dirk willems slouching towards emmaus. Wildest of all is dirk cat and mouse, which portrays willems and pursuer as cartoon characters tom and jerry, whos using a fishing rod to haul the icecubeencapsulated cat from the pond. Not all christian denominations accept every figure on this list as a martyr or christian.
Dirk and other stories from the 17th century anabaptist classic martyrs mirror. Mennonite library and archives martyrs mirror images. Brother dirk and other stories from the 17th century anabaptist classic martyrs mirror. Willems saves his captors life, but the latter turns around and has him arrested and killed. A secondedition martyrs mirror published in 1685 in amsterdam. Mennonite historical society will auction two unusual martyrs mirror books march, including a second edition of the original dutch published in 1685 in amsterdam. Anabaptist dirk willems rescues his pursuer and is subsequently burned at. The unreadable book even now, i can hardly bear to open it. Arrested for his christian beliefs, he escaped from the castle dungeon and dashed across the frozen moat to safety. See also the kauffman museums mirror of the martyrs exhibit web site.
Martyrs mirror kindle edition by van braght, thieleman j. A secondedition martyrs mirror published in 1685 in amsterdam sits open to the illustration of dirk willems. It first appeared in the 1685 edition of the martyrs mirror. Copy of martyrs mirror has interesting inscription news. Media in category martyrs mirror the following 26 files are in this category, out of 26 total. Dirk willems, asperen, 1569 no story of an anabaptist martyr has captured the imagination more than the tale of dirk willems. The stories of 15 anabaptist martyrs are retold by dave and neta jackson from martyrs mirror. Despite his act of christian love, the catholic authorities still ordered the deputy to arrest dirk, who they later burned at the stake. But from the first time i began to read the story of dirk willems, and my nieces and nephews immediately became silent which doesnt happen naturally, i knew something special was happening. The church, now dutch reformed, and the pond are still there. A recent lecture he gave at the young center at elizabethtown college examined how modernday old orders read and think about the book. Martyrs mirror, originally written in 1660, is a very old and significant book for anabaptist christians. While the book contains martyr stories going all the way back to.
Dirk willems is one of the bestknown anabaptist martyrs of all time. Messiah college professor david weaverzercher has devoted much time lately to the martyrs mirror. Weaverzercher argues that martyrs mirror was designed to teach. Oyer and robert kreider, mirror of the martyrs good books, 1990, p. The mennonite encyclopedia article martyrs mirror vol. It depicts the remarkable story of martyr dirk willems.
Martyrs mirror or the bloody theater, first published in holland in 1660 in dutch by thieleman j. Probably no scene from the martyrs mirror is quite as memorable as that of dirk willems turning to save the life of the drowning deputy who had been sent to arrest him. One of the most remarkable is that of dirk willems. You can even see some of the remains of the castle, which was destroyed with dynamite by the french during the napoleonic wars in the early 1800s. In the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of jesus christ, named dirk willems, was apprehended at asperen, in holland, and had to endure severe tyranny from the papists. Dirk willems saves his pursuer ultimate love shown by a martyr. As far as i can tell with the help of amish historian and publisher david luthy, dirk willems first appeared in print outside martyrs mirror in 1940, in j.
The first english edition of martyrs mirror, translated from the german, was published in 1837 at lampeter square, lancaster county, pa. Traditionminded anabaptists and the use of martyrs mirror assimilated mennonites and the dilemma of martyrs mirror the most usable martyr. Dirk had been arrested for the crime of rebaptism and imprisoned at asperen, in holland, 1569. The translation of this work was made from the dutch edition of 1660, and where questions of doubt occurred, the edition of 1685 as well as the german editions were. Run copies of drawing compassion for the enemy from mirror of the martyrs by oyer and kreider. Recognizing that martyrs mirror now functions mostly as a treasured, if unread, object. The story of dirk willems rescuing his pursuer who fell through the ice is one of the bestknown stories in the martyrs mirror. Dirk willems, mennonite martyr rosthern junior college. Dirk willem burned after rescuing pursuer 15011600 church. The reading of books of this kind will also help us to appreciate more highly the privileges with. Dirk willems died 16 may 1569 also spelled durk willems was a dutch martyred anabaptist who is most famous for escaping from prison and turning back to rescue his pursuerwho had fallen through thin ice while chasing willemsto then be recaptured. Martyrs mirror images mennonite library and archives. The full title of the book is the bloody theater or martyrs mirror of the defenseless christians who baptized.
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