History: The Heritage of Our Baptist Faith

In the tower of Zurich for several months, but eventually they all escaped. George Blaurock ( ? - 1529) though once a monk, had come to the con­ clusion that baptism of infants was unscriptural , and in 1525 he requested baptism at the hands of Conrad Grabel . He was opposed by the Zwingli forces, captured at Tyrol and burned at Innsbruck in 1529. Felix Manz (1490 - 1527) was a friend of Zwingli, but he began to question the state church and infant baptism in 1522. He sought to convince Zwingli of his position, but failed in his attempt. Manz was persecuted for his convictions, but continued his preaching in the fields and forests. For his preaching and baptizing of adults, he was arrested and driven from the city. He returned even though the authorities threatened his life. He was imprisoned in Zurich for a long time. His release from prison was offered if he would stop baptizing, but he refused. Eventually, he with twenty others escaped and hoped "that they would reach the red Jews across the ocean." It is interesting to note that they expected a better treatment from the Indians in America than they did from the Swiss Reformers. Manz would not change his position on baptism and was taken into custody again and executed on January 5, 1527. His executers put him on a boat, bound his hands over his knees, put a plank between his arms and legs, a black cap was put over his head, and he was placed on a hurdle and thrown into the waters of the Lake of Zurich. His property became the possession of the government. Bullinger, an hostile his­ torian, describes what happened on the day of his execution. "His mother and brother care to him and exhorted him to be steadfast, and he persevered in his folly, even to the end. When he was bound upon the hurdle and was about to be thrown into the stream by the executer, he sang with a loud voice, ‘Into thy hands, oh Lord, I commend my spirit.' and herewith was thrown into the water and was drowned." Balthasar Hubmaier (1481 - 1528) found that the loyalty to the scriptures compelled him to reject infant baptism. Hubmaier had an excellent education, receiving his Th.D. degree from the University of Inglstadt and eventually be­ came professor of theology at this university. His loyalty to the scriptures brought great persecution to him. In 1524 the Emperor demanded his surrender,