First Version, According to the Account of Sebastian Franck, in His Chronijk, 1563, Fol. 136, Col. 3.
“The most important matter in this transaction” he writes, “is the imperial code, which contains cap. 1, lib. 2, an edict issued by the Emperors Theodosius and Honorius, which reads thus: “If any minister of the Christian church is found guilty of having rebaptized any one, he, together with the person thus rebaptized, provided the latter is proved to be of such an age as to understand the crime, shall be put to death.”
SECOND VERSION, ACCORDING TO THE ANNOTATION OF MARTIN BELLIUS, IN THE TRACT, VAN DE KETTERS, EN OF MAN DE SELVE SAL VERVOLGEN, DEDICATED TO CHRISTOPHER, DUKE OF WURTEMBERG, PAGE 53.
“Since we must speak,” he writes, “of that imperial code, we will relate the following, namely, about the law contained in the first codex prohibiting rebaptism. Joined to the other, it reads thus:
The Emperors, Honorius and Theodosius, to A. A. Antonius, the magistrate:
If information is obtained that any one has rebaptized a servant of the Catholic [general] religion, he shall be put to death, together with the latter, who has committed a punishable crime, provided he is of an age admitting of the capability, to commit such (and has been instructed concerning the matter).”