Pardon Me, O My God (Invocation to Martyrs' Mirror)

Author: Tieleman Jansz van Braght, 1625-1664

Thieleman J. van Braght (29 January 1625 – 7 October 1664) was the Anabaptist author of the Martyrs Mirror or The Bloody Theater, first published in Holland in 1660 in Dutch. Van Braght was born in Dordrecht. His major work claimed to document the stories and testimonies of various early Protestants and opponents of the Roman Catholic Church who died as martyrs. The full title of the book is The Bloody Theater or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their Saviour, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660. The use of the word "defenseless" in this case refers to the Anabaptist belief in non-resistance. Wikipedia.org Go to person page >

Translator: J. F. Sohm

(no biographical information available about J. F. Sohm.) Go to person page >

Recaster: John J. Overholt

John J. Overholt was born to an Amish family of limited means in the state of Ohio in 1918. As a child he was soon introduced to his father's personal collection of gospel songs and hymns, which was to have a marked influence on his later life. With his twin brother Joe, he early was exposed to the Amish-Mennonite tradition of hymn singing and praising worship. An early career in Christian service led to a two-year period of relief work in the country of Poland following World War II. During that interim he began to gather many European songs and hymns as a personal hobby, not realizing that these selections would become invaluable to The Christian Hymnary which was begun in 1960 and completed twelve years later in 1972, with a compilati… Go to person page >

This hymn by van Braght was arranged to commemorate the 450th Anniversary of the founding of the Anabaptist-Mennonite Church (1525-1975).