In the year 1539, one sister Apollonia, wife of Leonard Seyle, having been with him in the upper country, was apprehended in the Earldom of Tyrol, and brought to Brixen; but, through the immutable grace and power of God, who valiantly aided her womanly heart, she constantly and firmly continued in the true faith, and in what she had promised God in Christian baptism, and would depart neither to the right nor to the left. Hence she was then sentenced to death, and drowned, thus receiving the martyrs’ crown.
In said year, 1539, the church having dwelt for a little while at Steinborn, in Austria, and having begun to increase there, the old serpent, the envious and arch-wicked satan, who so miserably tormented the pious, could not endure or overlook it, but in his wrath stirred up the children of wickedness, especially the priests, who in all this are his agents and executors; so that they constantly filled the ears of King Ferdinand with their unjust accusations of the pious, and instigated him, so that he complied with their demand, and sent his Marshal from Vienna, with provosts and a number of horsemen, who unexpectedly came to Falkenstein, whence they took with them a great mob, and fell upon the church at Steinborn, on the 6th day of December, in the evening or at night, in the above-mentioned year. All the men whom they found, they put into one room, and thus they also did with the women and maidens. With great tumult and noise they kept watch during the night, and brought in all whom they could find. Their chief intention was to apprehend the elders and ministers of the church, hoping to obtain much money from their people, and thus deprive the poor people of their sustenance, notwithstanding God would severely punish such wickedness. But God through his providence prevented them, so that they could not find a single minister. In every nook and corner they rummaged for the sustenance of widows and orphans, and persevered greatly in their ungodly assiduity. But God brought to naught and folly their counsel, when they thought to find wealth among the poor. In their tyranny they apprehended sick people, children, and pregnant women, so that it could have moved a heart of stone to the deepest, and enduring compassion.
The imprisoned brethren and sisters made themselves ready to offer up their bodies and lives unto God, whether through fire or through the sword. On the evening when this persecution took place, some men of Philip’s people had also come, with the intention of making known to them the ground of the church, and of their whole life. Thus as many as a hundred and fifty brethren were together apprehended, and, well guarded, were brought up to the castle of Falkenstein. Among their number there were some who had not yet received the baptismal covenant of grace; as also some who had apostatized from the truth, and were now penitents. Having all arrived in the castle of Falkenstein, they conferred with those who had not yet bound themselves in the faith. These they asked what they purposed to do in this tribulation, and told them that, if they, for the testimony and honor of God, would firmly adhere, in all suffering, to the Lord Christ, whatever distress and anguish might befall them, they would consider them fellow-companions in the kingdom of Christ, and hope that God would be gracious to them; however, with this understanding, that with those who through the providence of God should be released, and return to the church, the latter should have authority, by virtue of the Lord’s command, to deal according to their confession, in the proper measure and order; and since they had this intention and resolution, they would write to the elders and the churches, and afterwards give them full information.
Thereupon they all indicated their willingness, and, with a joyful heart and great thankfulness, desired to accept this covenant as a grace of God. Immediately upon this, the church was informed of it by letter. A written answer speedily came, that all the believers were well satisfied with this resolution; since such as had not yet been incorporated, according to divine ordinance, into the church, but agreed with it in all things, and desired to show forth an honest testimony of the truth, to suffer with it and to give their lives for it in this extremity, might well be received as fellow believers.