Zurich’s “Third Baptism” Decree (1526)

On March 7, 1526, the Zurich council ordered that those who persisted in “rebaptism” should be executed by drowning. The grim sentence was nicknamed a “third baptism.” It arose in the tense years after the Swiss Reformation began in Zurich under Huldrych Zwingli, when city leaders sought religious unity as a foundation for civic stability. In practice, the decree fused church reform with state power, turning theological disagreement into a capital crime.

The Swiss Brethren and Believers’ Baptism

The early Swiss Brethren—often called Anabaptists by opponents—insisted that baptism belongs to those who personally repent and confess faith in Christ. In Zurich, this conviction took public shape in January 1525, when Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock upon his confession of faith, and others followed. Leaders such as Felix Manz, a gifted scholar of Scripture, became known for preaching, teaching, and gathering believers in homes and countryside meetings around Zurich and along the Limmat River.

Martyrdom at the Limmat

The decree’s most famous victim was Felix Manz, drowned in the Limmat in January 1527 after repeated warnings and imprisonment. His death displayed a quiet heroism: not bravado, but steadfastness formed by prayer, Scripture, and a conscience captive to God. Others, including Blaurock, suffered beatings, exile, and eventual execution elsewhere. These were ordinary believers who chose fidelity over reputation and safety, bearing witness that Christ’s kingdom advances by truth and love rather than force.

A Warning Against Coercion, A Call to Christlike Faithfulness

Zurich’s law stands as a sobering lesson in how quickly religious authority can become coercive, even when claiming reform. The suffering of these believers calls the church to hold truth without cruelty—patient, humble, and unafraid. “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And when faith brings loss, Christ’s promise remains: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).