For more than 1,600 years these defenceless Baptists were distressed by persecution, imprisonment, beside all kinds of torment and torture, and finally killed by fire, sword, hunger and drowning. Nevertheless, through all the centuries from the apostles’ time on, there were many Baptists who maintained, preached and practised the pure teachings of Christ, in spite of every bloody persecution.

The year 1160 for a long time has been noted with joy by many pious and kind Christians. For, at that time, and especially soon after, the holy truth lifted its head joyfully and shone as if victorious. The doctrine against child baptism, against the swearing of oaths and against warfare was now openly and without timidity preached, defended and maintained.

The beginning of this was made by Peter Waldo, of Lyons, which later was carried on by his followers.

T. J. von Braght writes in his Martyrs’ Mirror, page 275, Part 1, as follows:

About the year 1160, several principle citizens were assembled at Lyons in France, discussing many different subjects. It happened that one of their number suddenly fell to earth and died before their eyes.

At this terrible happening and example of the mortality of man, one of them named Peter Waldo, a very rich merchant, was frightened. He took it to heart and decided (lead by the Holy Spirit) to repent and practice living zealously in the fear of God. He began to admonish his household and others who chanced to come to him, to amend their ways to true Godliness.

As he now had done much good for the poor for some time, the people gathered about him more and more. Therefore he began to present the Holy Scripture to them and to expound and explain it in the French language.

He adhered strictly to the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and sought to imitate the manners and customs of the early Christians. His confession of faith corresponded with that of the Baptists. He declared himself to be for the baptism of adults and regarded the swearing of oaths and participation in war as forbidden.

His followers were called Waldensians, Albigensians, the poor of Lyons, etc., and later received various other names, according to the country they lived in, and the preachers they had.

The teaching of Waldo found much favour in France and Italy. However, its dissemination was opposed with severe measures. Therefore many Waldensians  were forbidden citizenship, and many suffered martyrdom. Many fled in large groups to different countries. Their departure from Lyons, their journeyings in strange countries and cities, their innocent and patient suffering, their steadfastness unto death, and all these without any resistance, revenge, or self-defence, amply proved what faith they had and by what spirit they were led.

Sebastian Frank divided the Waldensians into three parts. Those, who acquired their name from Peter Waldo and followed his teachings, he says, conform in all matters with the Baptists for they baptize no children, moreover they take oath in no way whatsoever, and indeed believe that such is improper for Christians. They tolerate no beggars among themselves, but they give to one another and help each other in a brotherly fashion and lead a very Christian and unstained life, etc. These are the true Waldensians, who have confirmed the name with acts, in faith as well as in mode of living, so that they are real Christians and are to be the subject of our description.

The second part are such who have departed from the teachings of their founder and accepted other doctrines, but still retained the name of Waldensians.

A third party was unfairly called Waldensians, or Albigensians for this reason only, because they tolerated and protected some of them who lived among them.

T. J. von Braght (Martyr’s Mirror, page 278, col. 1, printed in 1938, in Scottdale, Pa.) recounted that Jacob Mehring in his writings had noted with what names the non-resistant Christians were called. Among us German (he writes), they are scornfully called anabaptists. In the Netherlands, however, they are called Mennonites, after Simon Menno, one of their foremost preachers, etc. However their rightful proper and true name is, and justly so, Christians or baptizers in Christ’s way, because they, according to Christ’s command and ordinance, baptize none other than those who recognize Christ aid his order of baptism from his holy Gospel and believe on Him and in such faith let themselves be baptised properly in the name of the Father, and the San and the Holy Ghost.

From these Waldensians or Baptists there came John Koch and Leonard Meister, two excellent and learned men who sought to spread the teachings of the Baptists. They were, however, arrested for it and executed in the year 1524, at Augsburg. Besides these there were at the same time more witnesses for the truth, who spread the work of the Reformation, namely Felix Manz, who likewise helped to bring about the Reformation of the Faith in Germany. But in the year 1526 he finally was drowned at Zurich.

The highly educated and steadfast Michael Sattler was, in the year 1527, torn with red hot tongs and finally burnt at Horb in Germany.

Leonard Kaiser, a very zealous preacher at Scharding in Bavaria, was sentenced in the year 1527 to be burned. He was bound upon a ladder and thereupon was thrust into a big fire to be burnt to ashes. But when the wood was burnt, they took him out of the fire unburnt. Thereupon, other wood was taken and a big fire was made, and when it was burned up, and his body was sought in the ashes, they found it was still smooth and clear. Then they cut him to pieces alive and threw the pieces into the fire, but they could not burn them, and finally threw them into the river Inn. This was a miracle of God and could well serve those bloodthirsty so-named Christians as a warning.