Testing Faith in the Fire

On February 25, 1536 Jakob Hutter was burned at the stake in Innsbruck. “Come closer, those of you who contradict me!” he called out. “Let us test our faith in the fire. This fire will harm my soul as little as the fiery furnace harmed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”

Jacob Hutter (c. 1500 – 25 February 1536, A Tyrolean (now part of Italy) leader in the Anabaptist movement. Anabaptists were long and heavily persecuted starting in the 16th century by both Protestants and Roman Catholics, largely because of their belief that water baptism was only for believers who have confessed their faith in Christ, which put them at odds with those practicing infant baptism).