Adoption of the Schleitheim Confession
Michael Sattler and a small group of Swiss Brethren secretly gather to finalize and adopt the Schleitheim Confession, a radical Anabaptist document outlining their beliefs and separation from both the
Setting
A modest, timber-framed meeting hall hidden in the outskirts of Schleitheim, Switzerland. The room is small and dimly lit, with heavy wooden beams supporting the low ceiling. The walls are adorned with simple religious tapestries, and a large wooden table dominates the center of the room.
Characters
Michael Sattler
primary
A lean man in his late 30s with a gaunt, ascetic face framed by a short, well-trimmed beard. His deep-set eyes burn with quiet intensity, and his hands bear the calluses of both scholar and laborer. His posture suggests a man accustomed to both monastic discipline and the hardships of persecution.
Swiss Brethren Leader
primary
A stout man in his late fifties with a weathered face marked by deep lines of contemplation and hardship. His gray-streaked beard is neatly trimmed, and his piercing blue eyes convey both warmth and unwavering conviction. His hands, rough from years of labor, rest firmly on the table as he speaks.
Young Disciple
secondary
A lean young man in his early twenties, with a clean-shaven face and short, dark brown hair. His earnest blue eyes are wide with attention, and his hands are slightly calloused from both writing and manual labor.
Weaver
secondary
A middle-aged man with a wiry build, his hands calloused from years at the loom. His sun-weathered face is framed by a short, untrimmed beard streaked with gray. Deep-set brown eyes show quiet intensity beneath thick brows.
Watchman
background
A middle-aged man with a wiry build and a weathered face, his hands calloused from years of labor. His dark hair is streaked with gray, tied back loosely with a leather cord. His eyes are sharp and wary, constantly scanning for danger.
Dialog
Michael Sattler
Brethren, hear the words of Paul—'one loaf, one body'—our communion must be pure, reserved for those who truly walk in Christ's light.
Swiss Brethren Leader
Yet if we exclude the unbaptized, shall we not splinter the flock when unity is most needed? The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Young Disciple
Brother Michael, do you think... if it please you... might not even the unbaptized hunger for the true bread?
Michael Sattler
The wheat fears not the winnowing fork, young brother. Christ's table is for those who have put on His righteousness—no other garment will suffice.
Swiss Brethren Leader
Then let it be written thus in the Confession—the Supper is the covenant of the faithful, not the curiosity of the crowd.