Martyrs 1a: Heinrich von Zuetphen (Luther/H. Fick: Martyrs of the Lutheran Church)

Pastor C.J. Hermann Fick

[2019-11-16: added note at bottom on false judgment against Fick's work; 2019-01-30: added link to Fick bio; 2017-12-10: added Archive copy of Vol. 2; 2017-09-27: added photo of Pastor Fick]
One of the better writers from the old (German) Missouri Synod was Pastor C.J. Hermann Fick. I have already published his book Life and Deeds of Dr. Martin Luther, an English translation from his original German.   But the dear Pastor Fick also wrote many articles for C.F.W. Walther's Der Lutheraner magazine.  Walther highly prized Pastor Fick and produced a series of articles himself (after Fick's death) in July-September issues of 1886's Der Lutheraner (vol. 42) entitled "In Memory of our Unforgettable Fick." [2019-01-30 see later blog series] —  One of Fick's articles was recently translated into English by Pastor Joel Baseley in his "Time in a Bottle Newsletter". And this one made me sit up in my chair, for it tells the story of a Christian martyr, a Lutheran martyr – Heinrich von Zuetphen (de.wikipedia).  Baseley's newsletter announced these articles in the following way:

Heinrich von Zuetphen

"Luther's account of the 16th century Lutheran martyr, Heinrich von Zuetphen is begun in this issue (p. 116), and to be continued."

"The conclusion of the account of Heinrich von Zuetphen's martyrdom is related (p. 122f), concluding with a Hermann Fick hymn of commemoration."

Pastor Baseley shines as he produces English verse from Fick's German poetical verses that follow the final installment.  I invite the reader to subscribe to Pastor Baseley's newsletter especially to get the marvelous translation of Pastor Fick's hymn to Heinrich von Zuetphen, whose martyrdom was so highly extolled by Martin Luther. — But I could not just pass on by this article because:

1. Although its gruesome details almost turn the stomach, so harsh were the torments that Heinrich suffered, yet Luther uses this to point to the words of Holy Scripture for the spiritual lesson of true Christian martyrs.
2. Fick later (1854) published a book (in 2 volumes) on the martyrs of the Reformation – Die Märtyrer der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche, (Google Bks: Volume 1, Volume 2 or much better Archive copy). Although there are other books about the martyrs, notably Foxe's Book of Martyrs with its Reformed judgments, they are not as pure in theological teaching as that of Martin Luther or this book by Hermann Fick.  Lutherans need something better...

I wonder sometimes whether Fick influenced Walther or Walther influenced Fick to write about these martyrs.  To begin this series of blog posts bringing Fick's accounts of the Martyrs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, I want to first reproduce Baseley's current translation of Zuetphen's story.  Then I intend to serialize several others.  A pair of other martyrs was covered by Walther in the very first issue of Der Lutheraner and already has some translation history:

Heinrich Voes and Johannes Esch – History of 2 Lutheran Martyrs

by C.F.W. Walther – Der Lutheraner, vol. 1, pgs 26-28 [2024-11-25 updated link]; 

J. Baseley English translation ==>>  here. 

Translation by Erika Bullmann Flores for Project Wittenberg – here. (formerly here)

And as a proper preface to this series, I quote Walther's counsel to Lutherans from the end of his article:

Therefore, dear Lutheran Christian, thank God that you belong to a church which has not sullied herself with the blood of alleged or actual heretics, but has gloriously adorned herself with the martyr-blood of many of her best witnesses. Thank God that He has rescued you from a church against which testifies the innocent blood of countless executed witnesses to the truth. Their blood continues to cry out to the Avenger of innocence to take revenge.

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TO:  Edward Engelbrecht
General Editor The Lutheran Difference,  Preface page xvi:

Walther is saying the Lutheran martyrs' blood continues to testify to the truth against the church of Rome, the church that is sullied with the blood of alleged or actual heretics, and that their blood continues to cry out against the church of "Vatican II" which upheld the Council of Trent's anathema of the Christian faith.  That means their blood continues to testify against your claim that Vatican II produced "substantive changes" to the papal church.  Even Pope Benedict confirmed anew that your claim is false.  But I suppose you won't take his testimony but would rather dream on of the "substantive changes" in the church of the Antichrist.

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Note to Pastor Joel Baseley:

There are a few items highlighted indicating corrections to probable misspellings that you may want to change before final publication in print of your fine work of translation.
Underlining added to correspond with emphasis in original German text.


Indeed, Dr. Luther, these times are the times of most perilous tribulation... when (we think) there is no tribulation in America because of its "freedom of religion".  Today's LC-MS is my best witness to this fact.

In the next part 1b, I will give Fick's Foreword and the list of martyrs from both volumes of his book.  Then later, Caspar Tauber's story.  —  I hesitated to bring the stories of the martyrs on my blog, but then Martin Luther, Hermann Fick, and C.F.W. Walther encouraged me to, for the martyrs testified, with their blood, to the Lutheran Doctrine of Justification (LDJ).
  ---------   Table of Contents   ---------
Part 1a: Intro & Heinrich von Zuetphen
Part 1b: Fick's Foreword and Table of Contents
Part 1c: Caspar Tauber
Part 2 : Wolfgang Schuch
Part 3 : Peter Spengler
Part 4 : Johannes Heuglin
Part 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e: Leonhard Kaiser
Part 6 : Widow Wendelmut
Part 7 : Georgius Schärer of Salvelden.
Part 8 : Wilhelm of Zwolle
Part 9 : Maria and Ursula von Becken
Part 10: Two German Craftsmen
Part 11a: Adolph Clarenbach, Peter Flysteden
Part 12: Heinrich Voes & Johannes Esch
Part 13: Lambert Thorn
Part 14: Johann Herrgett [Herrgott]
Part 15: Nicolaus of Antwerp
Part 16: Matthias Waibel
Part 17: Uebelacker & a Leipzig Ringsmith
Part 18: Johann Reichel
Part 19: Georg Winkler
Part 20: Heinrich
Part 21: Magdeburg school children
Part 22: Juan Diaz– Intro (a); Chapter 1, Chpt 2,   3,   4,   5,   6,  7, Annotations/Sources, Postscript
Part 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d : Francisco San Roman
Part 24a, 24b: Auto da fé in Valladolid
= = = = = = = = = = = =


2019-11-16: An essayist for January/April 2019 Concordia Theological Quarterly made the following judgement against Fick's listing of Lutheran martyrs above, page 7, footnote 18:

"Likely based on John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments of the Church, one finds Anabaptists among the Lutheran martyrs."

The author admits his assertion is only "likely" and provides no substantiation for this charge.  If there are martyrs above who are questionable as Lutherans, he should read Walther's pure history of the first "Lutheran" martyrs in the Americas – Calvinists who were martyred as Lutherans.