ABSTRACT
This chapter examines both types of stories from Martyrs' Mirror and other related materials, trying to develop a new perspective on early modern Anabaptism in terms of religious conflict, toleration, and reconciliation. The Anabaptists were targets of zealous persecution for the sixteenth century, both in Catholic and Protestant areas of Europe. The Netherlands and Moravia belonged to a few exceptional states/regions that tolerated the Anabaptists and other religious radicals. After overseeing the execution by fire of Anabaptist Georg Wagner at Munich in 1527, a sheriff named Eisenreich von Landsberg, while returning home from the place of execution, traveling on horseback; purposing to apprehend others of the brethren, died suddenly in the night, and was found dead in his bed in the morning, having thus been removed through the wrath of God. The Anabaptists believed that the Lord gave "free will" to human beings both before and after the Fall so that they could accept/reject the offer of God's grace.
