The Martyrs Mirror is a massive compilation of accounts and stories of Christians dying for their faith at the hands of antagonistic governments over the course of seventeen centuries. First published in 1660 by a Dutch Mennonite pastor named Thieleman Jansz van Braght, this volume recounts the suffering and ultimately triumphant deaths of more than 4000 Christians, beginning with Jesus and His Apostles, continuing through the Roman persecution of the Early Christian Church, the persecution of dissidents during the Middle Ages, and the persecution of the Anabaptists during the Reformation era.
Thieleman van Braght anchored his work in two bedrock doctrines of the Anabaptists: believers' baptism and a Christian life of peace (often called nonresistance). The accounts of martyrs from each century are prefaced by essays about these two doctrines. He also included letters, prayers, confessions of faith, and songs written by Anabaptist martyrs. While the Martyrs Mirror was not the first compilation of Anabaptist martyr stories, it was by far the longest and most complete, and quickly became a prized spiritual resource for Mennonites, Amish, and other related groups.
In 1685, a Dutch edition was published with 56 engravings by Jan Luyken, a noted Dutch Mennonite artist. These illustrations have become an integral part of the Martyrs Mirror. When the book was translated into English by Joseph Sohm in 1886, the illustrations were included.
- Martyrs Mirror by Thieleman Jansz van Braght, translated by Joseph Sohm
- ISBN 9780836113907
- Hardcover
- 1,160 pages
- 56 classic engravings by Jan Luyken
- Accounts of more than 4000 Christian martyrs from the time of Christ to 1660
- Beloved by Amish & Mennonites