Chapter CXVIII: Preface: To Second Part (61)

At Ghent, in Flanders, there were imprisoned for their faith, two pious sisters, named Barbelken Goethals and Saerken van Duerhove. While confined in the convent of St. Peter, they had to resist many temptations, sufferings and vexations; but adhering nevertheless steadfastly to the divine truth, they were finally sentenced to death as heretics, and, on the 21st of November, 1570, burnt without Ghent, in consequence of which they are delivered, and shall remain so forever, from the eternal and unquenchable fire of hell.

HERE FOLLOWS A LETTER WHICH BARBELKEN GOETHALS WROTE IN PRISON, AND SENT TO JASPER N., ONE OF HER FELLOW BELIEVERS.

The abundant and unfathomable great grace peace and mercy of God our heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, his only and eternal dear and beloved Son, by whom we are redeemed and loosed from the chains of hell and the shadows of death, and reconciled through his precious blood alone; him I wish you, my dearest brother in the Lord, as the preserver of your soul; and that he would comfort you with the great consolation, joy, and gladness of the Holy Ghost, in all that may befall you yet for the true testimony of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. To this God who only is wise, be praise, glory, honor, power, strength and might, forever and ever. Amen.

After all proper, cordial and friendly salutations to you, Jasper, my dearest brother in the Lord, whom I love with godly love in the truth (2 John 1), and this for the truth’s sake, O, this the Lord knows, to whom all hearts are known, O my dear and much beloved brother in the Lord, know that it is still my purpose to fear our dear Lord from the depth of my heart, according to my weakness, all the days of my life, and hope by the help of the Lord never to separate from the truth; not for anything that is in the world, neither for riches, silver or gold, do I hope by his grace, to apostatize from our dear Lord, to which end may the almighty God strengthen me, this I pray him. O my dearest brother in the Lord, I would far rather with Susanna fall into the hands of men, than to sin in the sight of the Lord; for the pure and undefiled Susanna said: “If I do this thing, it is death unto me: and if I do it not, I cannot escape your hands. It is better for me to fall into the hands of men, and not to do it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.” Susanna 22, 23. I likewise well know, that if I forsake the truth death is unto me; but, oh no! this I hope by the grace of the Lord never to do; but it is much better for me also to fall into the hands of men, than that I should forsake the Lord my God. Oh no, my dearest brother in the Lord! O let us never depart from the truth of the Lord, for so many beautiful promises are promised us, and if we continue steadfast unto death we shall be saved. O my much beloved, dear brother in the Lord, O if we may only be saved, that is enough; which I hope by his great grace, if we continue in his word, we shall; for he is faithful that promised, who also will do it; for he says by his pious prophet Isaiah, comforting his own: Though a mother forget her own child, which she herself has brought forth, yet will I not forget thee. Isa. 49:15. Therefore, my affectionately beloved brother in the Lord, behold, how faithfully our dear Lord comforts us; hence, dear and beloved in the Lord, let us be of good courage, and willingly labor, for it (our labor) will not be in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15:58. Hence I am valiant and bold, to the Lord be praise and glory, now and forever, who so faithfully succors me according to his promise, O who should not fear such a God, who so preserves his tender branches; and I also trust valiantly in my Lord and God, that he will preserve me where I am, and, if it be his will, deliver me out of this murderer’s den.

Hence, O my dearest and much beloved brother in Christ Jesus, let us have good courage, though we meet with more adversity than the world. O let us look unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, how he went before us in much suffering and reproach. And all the holy prophets, O let us look to them, how they went before us, through so much tribulation, yea, in destitution and affliction; of whom the world was not worthy. For if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned; but now they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. Heb. 11. Thus, O Jasper, my most affectionately beloved brother in the Lord, God will also not be ashamed to be called our God, if we continue faithfully in his truth, and do not again lay the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Hebrews 6:1. O no, O no, my dearest brother in the Lord, let us not again lay the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God; but let us hold fast the faith which we have in Christ our dear Lord. O I hope by the help of God to hold fast the faith which I have in Christ Jesus; nor shall, the Lord helping me, any man separate me from the love of God, as also Paul says: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:35–39. Therefore, my dearest, beloved brother in the Lord, let us be of good courage in the Lord; for they can not hurt a hair of our head without the will of our Father. Luke 12:7.

O Jasper, my dear and beloved brother in the Lord, I am of such good cheer, the Lord be praised, that I should never be able to describe the joy which I feel in my heart. O what courage I have to fight against the princes and rulers of darkness; I think that I could say with David: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” Ps. 3:6. O what joy I have; praise, glory and honor be to God forever for the great joy that he gives me. O my dearest brother, rejoice with me, and let it strengthen you, as I hope that it will. Thus I have briefly written to my dearest brother in Christ Jesus, with the small gift that I have received through the grace of the Lord. Herewith I will commend you to our dear Lord, and to the rich word of his grace. I take leave, and say: Adieu, adieu, adieu, farewell, farewell, farewell, my dearest brother in the Lord, till we meet again. Though we must part here, and be separated by men, I hope that we shall meet again where men can part us no more.

O Jasper, my dearest brother in the Lord, acquit yourself valiantly unto the end in the word of God; I hope to do the same. Again I say: Adieu, adieu! farewell, farewell! we must now part. O I beseech you most affectionately, to receive my simple letter in good part, as I hope you will, since I have done it out of pure love. Written in bonds by me, your weak sister in the Lord, who lies in bonds in St. Peter’s, for the true testimony of Jesus Christ. Keep this letter in remembrance of me; I hope to seal it with my blood. Always fear God, but not men.

BARBELKEN GOETHALS.

TEN PERSONS, MEN AS WELL AS WOMEN, BURNED FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT DORDRECHT, ABOUT THE YEAR 1570.

Ancient and credible memoirs tell us as indubitable facts, that about the year of our Lord 1570, two very devout persons, a man and a woman, whose names we have not been able to ascertain, were sought for by the bailiff of the city of Dordrecht, because they were called Anabaptists, and finally found in the Marienbon street of said city, in a house from which was suspended the sign of a boot. As they steadfastly adhered to their faith, both were shortly after burnt in the market field, beyond the scales, where then was the place of execution.

Also, that seven others, men as well as women, of the same religion, who had come from Breda,[326] when they could by no means be moved therefrom, suffered like punishment, namely, by fire, until death ensued; which took place in the plain, not far from the Menne bridge, beyond the powder magazine being the other place of execution.

[326] Of these martyrs from Breda mention seems to be made also in
one of the letters of Jan Wouterss van Kuyck.

About the end of the year, namely, in the month of November, when that great and terrible flood, that came on All-saints-day (of which almost every one knows something) had come to an end, it is stated, that a certain Anabaptist widow in the Armetij street was taken from a room at the side of a stairway by the bailiff and the stadtholder; which widow some time afterwards, as she would not apostatize from her faith, also had to die in the flames.

We made search for the examinations and death sentences of the aforementioned persons, in the ordinary’s criminal city records of that time, but did not find them, nor of J. W. van Kuyck and Adriaentgen Jans van Molenaersgraef, who were put to death two years afterwards; though there were several living witnesses of it in our time, who saw the death of said persons, together with all the circumstances. This being the case it appears that the papists were ashamed to put the court proceedings and death sentences of said persons into the city records, since it seemed that the country and at the same time also this city should before long change government and religion, which about two years afterwards was accomplished through the coming of William I., prince of Orange; and thus the constraint over the faith and conscience ceased at the same time, at said place.

_Further Observation._--As regards the persons who then (in the year 1570) sat in court, and administered justice, they were, according to the record of Johan van Beverwijck, in his Register of the Magistracy of Dordrecht, as follows:

Adriaen van Bleyenbergh Adriaenss, Bailiff of said city, who had entered on his office in the year 1549, and completed his time in the year 1571.

Arent van der Mijle Sir Corneliss, Burgomaster of the community.

Together with nine judges: Gijsbrecht van Haerlem Jans; Cornelis van Diemen Jacobss; Huybrecht Jonge Adriaenss; Jan van Slingelandt Sir Ottenss; Wourick van Drenkwaert Sir Wilmss; Jan Janss Elandtss; Bondewijn Heerman Gijsbrechtss; Dierick van Beverwijck Sir Philips; Cornelis van Mosyenbroeck Sir Corneliss.

However, whether they all concurred in this sentence, or only some of them, is not known to us.

JELIS CLAVERSS, LIJSABET, WIFE OF CLAES DE VRIES, NELLEKEN JASPERS, AND WITH THEM THIRTY-THREE OTHER PERSONS, A. D. 1571.

In the year 1571, thirty-six persons were apprehended at Antwerp, in Brabant, for the truth of the holy Gospel of Christ and following the same. Among them were Jelis Claverss, Lijsabet, wife of Claes de Vries, and Nelleken Jaspers, whom we think to have also been among this number, which comprised six men and thirty women, some of whom were burnt, and some suffered drowning with great constancy. But said Lijsabet died with a screw in her mouth, by which she was prevented from speaking, that she should not tell the spectators how innocently she died; in which deed the monks and priests more than filled up the measure of their forefathers, the blood-thirsty Pharisees; for they stopped only their own ears, that the truth should not be told them by Stephen, the worthy man of God; these new Pharisees, the monks, on the other hand, caused screws to be put on the tongues of these pious and faithful witnesses of God, and the tip of the tongue touched with a red hot iron, that the swelling should prevent it from slipping out. Thus these pious persons [were put to death] not on account of any crime or uproar or fraud, nor for any heresy, but only because they had gone out of Babylon, and united with Christ, herein following the teaching of the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor. 6:17. Hence they valiantly contended for the belief of the truth, and shall, from the Prince of truth, through grace, for this short, little labor, receive the crown of eternal glory, and enjoy it forever.

The above mentioned Nelleken Jaspers was a girl of seventeen years, whose memory has been much sung on the street, in these countries. She was confined in prison for about a year, so that she was about eighteen years old when she died. During her imprisonment she suffered severe temptations, by way of threats of a terrible death as well as by fair promise of an advantageous marriage, and the like. But even as Christ, her captain, had repelled and vanquished all temptations of the enemy, so also this young heroine faithfully followed unto death the footsteps of her bridegroom Christ Jesus, and continued steadfast unto death, and, through the grace of God, received the end of the faith, which is the salvation of the soul. 1 Pet. 1:9. Though some would claim Nelleken Jaspers for the Protestant religion (as they also unjustly do concerning Anneken van den Howe, who was buried alive without Brussels), this is nevertheless utterly in vain, seeing, that when this was recorded, credible persons were still living who knew better, testifying that she died in one and the same faith with these pious confessors (called Mennists). This appears also from Joost Verkindert’s letter on the 20th of June, where she is described as of like faith with Joost and Lauwerens Andries, who greet the brethren with the peace of the Lord.

DIRCK MIEUWESS, A. D. 1571.

After much persecution, murdering and burning of the true followers of Christ, there was apprehended at Vlissingen in Zealand, also a pious brother named Dirck Mieuwess, and after long imprisonment the bailiff and jailer permitted him to render them certain services for the benefits of their households, in consequence of which he, together with some of his fellow-prisoners, was frequently allowed to leave the prison. Hence, when a favorable opportunity presented itself, some of the prisoners escaped and advised said Dirck Mieuwess to flee with them, which this friend of Christ refused to do, fearing that thereby the jailer, who had permitted him to go out, should get into trouble. Thus remaining in imprisonment, he, on the 6th of March, 1570, before Easter, was sentenced to be tortured on the rack, and the following year, namely, A. D. 1571, on the 8th of May, he was burned at said place, evincing great steadfastness, and offered up his temporal and corruptible body as a sweet-smelling savor unto the Lord of heaven and earth; not suffering as a thief or murderer, nor as one that seeks other peoples’ property, but only for the truth of Christ, and a good conscience. 1 Pet. 2:19. Hence there are sure to him the promises of Christ, who has said: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:10.

ANNEKEN HEYNDRICKS, A. D. 1571.

In the year 1571, there was burnt alive, at Amsterdam in Holland, for the testimony of Jesus, a woman named Anneken Heyndricks, aged about fifty-three years. Having come from Friesland to Amsterdam, she was betrayed by her neighbor, the under-bailiff, who entered her house, in order to apprehend her. She said to him with a meek spirit: “Neighbor Evert, what is your wish? if you seek me, you can easily find me; here I am at your service.” This Judas the traitor said: “Surrender, in the name of the King.” And he bound Anneken with a rope, and led her along with him, as Judas and the scribes had done with our predecessor, Jesus. When they had arrived on the Dam, Anneken said, that they should not hesitate to look at her, since she was neither a harlot nor a thief, but a prisoner for the name of Jesus. After arriving in prison, she thanked and praised her Lord and Creator with an humble heart, for counting her worthy to suffer for his name’s sake. And she boldly confessed her faith before Pieter the Bailiff and the other lords. They greatly tormented her with Baal’s priests, in order to cause her to apostatize; but through the grace of God she valiantly resisted it. This greatly astonished the bailiff, that she did not pay more regard to his spiritual lords, and he said to Anneken: “Sir Albert, our chaplain, is such a holy fellow, that he ought to be mounted in fine gold; and you will not hear him, but make sport of him; hence you must die in your sins, so far are you strayed from God.”

Thus they suspended this godfearing aged woman (who could neither read nor write) by her hands, even as Christ had been, and by severe torturing sought to extort from her the names of her fellow-believers, for they thirsted for more innocent blood. But they obtained nothing from Anneken, so faithfully did God keep her lips. Hence the Bailiff preferred against her the charge of being infected with heresy, having forsaken the mother, the holy church, now about six years ago and having adopted the cursed doctrine of the Mennonists, by whom she had been baptized on her faith, and married a husband among them. Thereupon she was sentenced to be burnt alive. She thanked the lords, and said with humility, that if she had done amiss to any one, she asked them to forgive her. But the lords arose and made no reply. She was then tied on a ladder. Then she said to Evert the under-bailiff, her neighbor: “Thou Judas, I have not deserved it, that I should be thus murdered.” And she asked him not to do this any more, or God should avenge it on him. Thereupon Evert angrily said, that he would bring all those that were of her mind into the same trouble. Then the other bailiff came once more with a priest, tormenting her, and saying that if she did not renounce, she should go from this fire into the eternal. Thereupon Anneken steadfastly said: “Though I am sentenced and condemned by you, yet what you say does not come from God; for I firmly trust in God, who shall help me out of my distress, and deliver me out of all my trouble.” They did not let her speak any more but filled her mouth with gunpowder, and carried her thus from the city hall to the fire into which they cast her alive. This done, the traitor Evert, the under-bailiff, was seen to laugh, as though he thought he had done God an acceptable service. But the merciful God, who is the comfort of the pious, shall give this faithful witness, for this brief and temporal tribulation, an everlasting reward, when her stopped mouth shall be opened in fullness of joy, and these sad tears (for the truth’s sake) shall be wiped away, and she be crowned with eternal joy with God in heaven.

Concerning this, see a hymn in some old hymn books.

NOTE.--We have obtained the sentence of death of this pious and valiant heroine of Jesus Christ, as the same was read to her in court: as also, the record of her torture, which, as it appears, took place two weeks before her death; which we shall place here one after the other, as they were copied by the secretary from the criminal records of the city.

SENTENCE OF DEATH OF ANNEKEN HEYNDRICKS, SURNAMED DE VLASTER.

Whereas, Anna Heyndricks daughter, _alias_, Anna de Vlaster, formerly citizeness of this city, at present a prisoner here, unmindful of her soul’s salvation, and the obedience which she owed to our mother, the holy church, and to His Royal Majesty, as her natural lord and prince, rejecting the ordinances of the holy church, has neither been to confession, nor to the holy, worthy sacrament, for six or seven years since [but has dared], to go into the assembly of the reprobated sect of the Mennonists, or Anabaptists, and has also held conventicles or meetings at her house; and has further, about three years ago, forsaking and renouncing the baptism received in her infancy from the holy church, been rebaptized, and then received the breaking of bread according to the manner of the Mennonist sect, and was also married to her present husband in Mennonist manner, by night, in a country house; and though she, the prisoner, has, by my lords of the court, as well as by divers ecclesiastical persons, been urged and repeatedly admonished, to leave the aforementioned reprobated sect, she nevertheless refuses to do it, persisting in her obstinacy and stubbornness, so that she, the prisoner, according to what has been mentioned, has committed crime against divine and human majesty, as by said sect disturbing the common peace and welfare of the land, according to the import of the decrees of His Majesty, existing in regard to this; which misdemeanors, for an example unto others, ought not to go unpunished; therefore, my lord of the court, having heard the demand of my lord the Bailiff, seen the confession of the prisoner, and having had regard to her obstinacy and stubbornness, have condemned her, and condemn her by these presents, to be, according to the decrees of His Royal Majesty, executed with fire, and declare all her property confiscated for the benefit of His Majesty aforesaid. Done in court, on the 10th of November, in the year 1571, in presence of the judges, by the advice of all the burgomasters, in my knowledge, as secretary, and as was subscribed:

W. PIETERSS.

_Concerning the torturing of the aforementioned Anna Heyndricks, and when this occurred._

She was tortured on the 27th of October, in the year 1571, according to the previous sentence of the judges, as appears from the record of the confession.

Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam. Preserved in the archives there.

N. N.

WOLFGANG PINDER, A. D. 1571.

In this year 1571, brother Wolfgang Pinder was apprehended through treachery, at Scharding, in Bavaria. The chancellor of Burkhausen was at Scharding at that time; he came himself, apprehended and bound him, and took him thence to Burkhausen, where he had to resist many assaults and temptations from the host of false prophets, such as priests and others, who vehemently assailed him, in order that he should renounce his faith, and suffer himself to be instructed by them. To this end they used great diligence, and employed all manner of subtilty, to see whether they could not lead him astray, by fair, smooth words, by false doctrine, or by arrogance and threats; but he allowed himself in no wise to be moved from the known way of the truth, into which God had helped him. When the priests therefore could accomplish nothing, the executioner was on hand the following night, who had to lay hold of him, and he was vehemently tortured, racked and stretched most lamentably, so that his hands swelled greatly and he could not stand on his feet, so cruelly and unmercifully had the children of Satan treated him, according to the manner of their father, who is full of wrath against the human family, and works through his children all the works of wickedness, wherever he can.

Once two priests came to said brother; one of them talked with him, and admonished him to forsake his error and be converted; but brother Wolfgang, though still suffering great pain from the torturing and racking, said to him with a manful heart: “O you priest, do repent, and turn from your sinful life, and false doctrine; for you are a false prophet, and one of the rogues that go about in sheep’s clothing, and cover their deceitfulness and rascality with long robes; but inwardly you are ravening wolves, upon whom the Lord has pronounced many woes.” At this the priest got angry and blushed, as did also the other; and they could not accomplish their purpose with him. Finally they sent him back from Burkhausen to Scharding, where he had originally been apprehended. In both places they tried him hard, but could not accomplish their purpose with him. When he could not be moved, and would not follow their false doctrine, he had to lay down his life. They unexpectedly set a day, and he was taken out early in the morning to be executed, without any judicial sentence, which brother Wolfgang demanded. But such course of action on their part need not surprise one at all, for they have nothing to prefer against the pious, and cannot find any cause of death in them.

Thus the executioner came, and removed the collar from his neck, but he seized him with fear and trembling. Brother Wolfgang knelt down, and commended his spirit into the hands of his Lord and God. The executioner handled him very badly; he could not strike him properly, nor execute him with dispatch; he finally, while he was lying on the earth, had to hack or cut off his head as best he could; so that he himself was in great fear, and in great peril of his life from the people present, so that he vowed, never again in his life to execute any brethren. There were many people present who saw how valiant, and brave he was. This occurred shortly after Candlemas, in the year 1571. After he had been imprisoned almost half a year, he had thus to shed his blood for the faith in Jesus Christ, and passed over to the Lord’s host, who must in faith, by patient suffering, take possession of the kingdom of joy. The traitor who had informed against him, subsequently fared very badly, as did also the chancellor, who had apprehended him; their good days soon came to an end, as it generally goes with such Judases, who sin against the pious, innocent sheep of the Lord, and thirst for their blood: misfortune overtakes them through the wrath of God, and does not suffer them to remain long at ease.

JOOST VAN DER STRATEN, A. D. 1571.

Joost van der Straten, born at Teems in the district of Waes, in Flanders, a chairmaker by trade, was, when he was about seventy years old, taken from his work, and apprehended with his whole household, outside of Antwerp, on the Kiel (where now the fort stands), and they were, by the Spaniards, who apprehended them, brought to Antwerp. His wife and daughter, however, belonging to no religion; were released in course of time; but upon Joost many tortures were inflicted, in order to make him apostatize. But as he remained steadfast, after an imprisonment of three days, on Shrove Tuesday, A. D. 1571, his mouth was screwed open, and he was thus burnt alive in the market place, before the city hall, and then suspended from a stake in the gallows-field. The Duke of Alva was in Antwerp at that time.

HANS VAN DER STRATEN, A. D. 1571.

Shortly after Shrove Tuesday, in the year 1571, the Duke of Alva removed from Antwerp to Brussels, taking with him all the prisoners, those of the reformed as well as those of the Anabaptistic religion, among which prisoners there were also this Hans van der Straten, aged about thirty-one years, born at Kortrijck, and his wife Tanneken, aged past seventeen years, born at Mechlin. As Hans firmly adhered to his faith and the divine truth, he was sentenced to death, and conducted outside of Brussels with his mouth screwed open, and there burnt alive to ashes, about the middle of Lent, in the year 1571. But his wife, to whom he had been married only six weeks, and who was still very young, finally, through many vexations and tortures, apostatized from her faith, and was put into a convent at Breda, from whence, at a favorable opportunity, she escaped, and went to Danswijck, where she, after having fully repented of her apostasy, again united with the church, and thereafter always led a pious life until her godly death.

GERRIT CORNELISS, A. D. 1571.

In the year 1571, there was apprehended at Amsterdam in Holland, for the truth’s sake, as he was standing and working in a lighter-boat, a young brother, named Gerrit Corneliss. The Bailiff bound him, and led him to the city hall, where, the next day, he was examined, and interrogated concerning his faith, which he freely confessed; but when they wanted him to name some of his fellow believers, he would not do it, and hence had to suffer the torture. When he had been tortured once, and was dressed again, his eyes were blindfolded with a cloth, and his hands having been tied together, he was drawn up by them, and left thus suspended, whereupon he was again stripped, and severely scourged with rods; but no matter how he was tortured, he did not name any one. He was then laid upon the rack again, and while lying upon it, they caused him to be scourged with rods, urine poured into his mouth, and burning candles held under his arms; whereupon, having been stripped naked again, and his shirt bound before his nakedness, he was as before drawn up by his hands, with a weight attached to his feet, and leaving him thus suspended they went out, and returning after some time, they spitefully said to him, that if he would name no one, they should thus deal with him in this manner all day: but God (whom he thanked for it) kept his lips, that no one was brought into trouble by his speaking. In short, he was so tortured, that he could not walk, but had to be carried in a chair.

Some days after, having been brought into court, he was mockingly crowned with a hat of flowers, and sentenced to be strangled and burned. While listening to this sentence he evinced joyfulness and patience, until he arrived at the stake, where he very fervently prayed after this manner: “O Father and Lord, be gracious unto me; let me be one of your least lambs, or the least member of your body. O Lord, who lookest down here from on high, and art a discerner of the hearts and of every hidden thing, before whom all things are to be accounted as nothing, thou knowest my simple love towards thee; accept me, and forgive them that inflict this suffering upon me.” Having risen, he cried to the people: “O men, eternity is so long, O yes, eternity is so long; but these sufferings here are over very soon. But the conflict here is so fierce and severe; O how fearful I am yet; O flesh, bear and resist a little longer, for this is the last conflict.” When the rope had been placed around his neck, he cried: “O heavenly Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit;” and with this he sweetly died and was then burnt. Thus he offered up his sacrifice, boldly standing up for the name of Christ, not fearing pain, suffering, shame, nor these worldly lords, but constantly striving valiantly unto death; hence there shall also, at the last day, when the Lamb that was slain shall open the books of life, his name be found therein: but the apostate shall be written in the earth, and the earth, with the works that are therein, shall be burned. Revelation 2:10; 5:6; 20:12; 3:5; Jer. 17:13; 2 Peter 3:10.

NOTE.--As we have obtained a true copy, from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, of the death sentence as well as of the two torturings which this friend of God endured before his death, together with clear information when all this occurred, we deem it well to add the same here, so that no one may in any wise doubt the truth of what has been related, but may be fully assured of it.

SENTENCE OF DEATH OF GERRIT CORNELISS, SURNAMED BOON.

Whereas Gerrit Corneliss, alias Gerrit Boon, boatman, citizen of this city, at present a prisoner here, unmindful of his soul’s salvation, and the obedience which he owed to our mother the holy church, and to His Imperial Majesty, as his natural lord and prince, rejecting the ordinances of the holy church, has been neither to confession nor to the holy sacrament for ten years past, and has further dared repeatedly to go into the assembly of the reprobated sect of the Mennonists or Anabaptists, and has also, about eight years ago, renouncing and forsaking the baptism received by him in his infancy from the holy church, been rebaptized, and afterwards repeatedly received the breaking of bread according to the manner of the aforesaid sect, and also attended the assembly of the aforesaid sect, without speaking to them when they met together; and though he, the prisoner, has, by my lords of the court as well as by divers ecclesiastical persons, been urged, and repeatedly admonished, to forsake the aforementioned reprobated sect, and to return to our mother, the holy church, he nevertheless refuses to do it, persisting in his obstinacy and stubbornness, so that he, the prisoner, according to what has been mentioned, has committed crime against divine and human majesty, as by said sect perturbing the common peace and welfare of the country, according to the import of the decrees of His Majesty existing in regard to this; which misdemeanors, for an example unto others, ought not to go unpunished; therefore, my lords of the court, having heard the demand of my lord the bailiff, and seen the confession of the prisoner, and having had regard to his obstinacy and stubbornness, have condemned said prisoner, and by these presents, do condemn him to be executed with fire, according to the decrees of His Royal Majesty, and declare all his property confiscated for the benefit of His Majesty aforesaid. Done in court, on the 26th of June, A. D. 1571, in the presence of all the judges, by the advice of Cornelis Jacobss Brouwer, and Hendrick Cornelis, burgomasters; I being present as secretary. Subscribed.

W. PIETERSS.

THE TWO TORTURINGS OF GERRIT CORNELISS, ACCORDING TO THE RECORD IN THE BOOK OF CRIMINAL SENTENCES AT AMSTERDAM.

He was tortured twice, namely, on the 27th of April, and on the 3d of May, A. D. 1571, according to the sentence of the judges, as appears from the record of the confession.

Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, preserved in the archives there.

N. N.

A LETTER FROM HENDRICK VERSTRALEN TO HIS WIFE, WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1571, IN PRISON AT RIJPERMONDE, WHERE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD.

The abundant great grace of God, that comes to us from the Father, through Christ his only Son; and the immeasurable riches of the Holy Ghost, whereby we are now kept unto eternal life, among this wicked and perverse generation, this only and eternal God of all grace keep you, my dearest wife and sister in the Lord, my flesh, my bone, the dearest among all creatures on earth. For this I have confessed more than once before the lords, if the whole world were mine, I would give it, if I could keep my wife and children with a good conscience; but for the Lord’s sake I must now contrary to nature forsake everything--the spirit must overcome the flesh. O my Janneken, my lamb, how hard it is for me to part from you and the children; O how deep you are buried in my heart; which is now a great conflict for me; may the Lord help me to gain the victory, so that the crown of life may be prepared for me, with all the elect saints of God; who have forsaken everything for the Lord’s sake. O my dear wife, my lamb, my love, I thank you from the depths of my soul, for your consoling letter, which you sent me; and may the Lord grant his eternal life to all those that by counsel or deed lent their aid in the matter. The letter removed a greater weight from my heart, than all the riches on the face of the earth are worth. O what a good thing it is, to remember the prisoners; how welcome came this Habakkuk to me, who fed me poor prisoner in my soul, here in the lion’s den; for a little morsel that comes from without strengthens me ten times more than what I have with me. Hist. of the Drag. 33, etc.

O my dear wife and sister in the Lord, I pray you for the Lord’s sake, who am now bound for his sake, adhere to the truth, as the church at Antwerp and Ghent stands. Keep with them that truly fear God, and the God of all comfort will be with you, yea, God and his holy church shall feed you, and my young lambs, of this I have no doubt. If you continue in the fear of the Lord, and cast all your care upon him, though you are now poor; my sister and beloved wife, you will have much wealth, if you fear God and eschew sin, as I trust you will. Tob. 4:21.

I further pray you; my dearest wife, take care as long as you live, of my young lambs, my Susanneken, my Abrahamken, and my Isaaken, that they may be brought up in the fear of God. O with what scalding tears do I pray to my God, to let them grow up in his fear, or to take them to him in their youth.

O my dearest love on earth, Janneken Verstralen, kiss all my children once for me, and tell my Susanken, that it is her father’s wish, that she be obedient to her mother in the fear of God; and learn to be diligent to help her dear mother, to earn bread for her little brothers, and you my Janneken, my love, remember me your imprisoned husband, and bound for the eternal truth, and for the sake of the testimony of Jesus, in your prayers. This I pray you and all godfearing brethren and sisters, to help us pray to God, that we may gain the victory of a good fight, that God will now teach my fingers to war and my arm to bend the bow of steel, so that by faith I may break through a troop, and leap by my God over a wall (Ps. 18:34,29); so that we may say with Paul: The fight is fought, the course is finished, the crown of life is laid up for us. 2 Tim. 4:8. Maeyken and I are determined to use such force in order to take the kingdom of God, that flesh and blood shall remain on the posts and stakes. We are not permitted to stay together; however we have been together three times, yet through strategy; the first time, when the disputer came from Ghent. Then all the lords came too, and I began to say to them with what calamity they should be punished who now imbrued their hands in the blood of the innocent. Then they cast down their eyes; but a flatterer began to speak, saying, that I had most gravely accused all the lords. In short, I felt that he was the one who was to dispute with me; hence I finally feigned as though I could not defend myself, and spoke pleasantly to the lords, and requested that they should let Maeyken hear it; “for I see, said I, that you are anxious to help me, and in this wise you will have the trouble only once; if you help one you help them both.” They therefore consented to it; then we began to defend ourselves, and it lasted until long in the afternoon. After dinner we met again, but Maeyken was not allowed to come to me. We then began to have some very sharp words; hence they changed their tactics, and began to speak pleasantly, saying, whether I dared not do like Paul, and, contrary to my views, circumcise Timothy, and shave my head; yea, secretly he said, whether I dared not with Judith cut off Holofernes’ head, though it were not the truth, that I should do all that I should promise; whether it were not the same God, and whether one might now not lie as well as then, for the sake of some good end; for it is written, he said: “If it be possible, live peaceably with all men.” Rom. 12:18. I requested time for consideration, whether I could do it with truth and a good conscience. We then parted, and they said they desired nothing else. They returned another time, and asked to what conclusion I had come; and I constantly sought to be with Maeyken; but it could not well be. I then said: “Let us come together; I hope always to do what is possible.” Then Maeyken came to me, and I presented the matter to her as they had done to me, whereupon she said: “How should this be? should the dog return to his own vomit?” 2 Peter 2:22. I then told them, that they should let me speak with Maeyken alone, and they permitted it. I then told Maeyken, that no man living should persuade me of this, that the priests’ matters are right, “they know it well,” said I, “but they seek to be rid of us; but we will live and die together.” Thus we said that we should consider the matter, with which they were satisfied.

At another time they took Maeyken alone, but had me come too. When I came, and was there, I perceived that they showed us great friendship and promised much to set us into the street as free as we had ever been, for which they would pledge their souls; so that I finally became frightened, fearing that I might be led astray by their fair speeches. They also had more hope of winning me, than Maeyken; hence I fell upon my knees, and entreated them, not to trouble themselves any more with us; for I have besought my God with many tears day and night, that he would keep me in his truth; and hence I would live or die with the Lord. Then Maeyken leaped up for joy, for she had thought that I had given it up, since I had come in with a sad countenance. “Now I am glad,” she said, “for I thought, that I should have to die alone.” But when I perceived that Maeyken had such thoughts concerning me, I fell upon my knees, and said: “I am very sorry for this.” Thus we shook hands, and kissed each other, and rejoiced greatly together, but our adversaries were greatly grieved. I would have written these things more neatly, but I cannot make these writing materials do good service.

Furthermore, my dearest wife, my lamb, my love, I inform you, that I am little burdened in my conscience, the Lord be forever praised for it; but all my sadness is caused by the bitterness of our parting. But, my dear lamb, this I would like to ask of you, because you have such a good nature that you could well live without a husband, that you henceforth stay only with my children; for often great sorrow arises from marrying again. And wherein I ever grieved you through my weakness, I ask your forgiveness, for the sake of the Lord’s deep wounds and innocent death. Greet much all the godfearing, and the babes that are nourished at the breasts of Zion in my name with the peace of the Lord. Serres, you broken bone-head, and J. van G. help to care for my poor widow and little orphans, knowing, that therein you will not serve man, but God. I much greet H. C. M. and A. and L. and C. O how gladly I would write neatly, had I good materials. Adieu, my flesh and blood; kiss Susanneken for me. O adieu for me, adieu, adieu, my dear wife. Pray our dear Lord for me for a blessed end.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM HENDRICK VERSTRALEN TO HIS WIFE.

O my dearest wife, my flesh, my bone, my dear friend, my lamb, not on my heart, but in my heart, and henceforth my poor widow, whom I must leave according to the pleasure, goodness, will and counsel of God, who has deemed it well that I should according to his pleasure lie in bonds here for his eternal truth’s sake, which, my dear wife and sister in the Lord, I hope by the grace of God to seal with my death, to pay now the obedience which we owe to God, that is, the denying of ourselves, that we may love nothing above him, neither father, nor mother, nor wife, nor child, nor our own life; or God threatens us with his eternal judgment. He that loveth aught more than me can not be my disciple, much less my son; and they that are not sons are bastards, who shall have neither part nor inheritance with God. Eph. 5:5. And this is the reason, my dear wife, that, though you and my little children lie so deeply in my heart, you must, against my nature, be cast out from it; for you may not be an idol to me, nor I to you, as much as we love our dear-bought souls. 1 Cor. 6:20. Hence know by this, my dearest wife, that I will commend you and my little children to the great, almighty, and eternal God, who is rich in mercy over all them that fear and love him, that through his goodness and great power he will bring you to the eternal, glorious and undefiled inheritance among all them that are sanctified. The God of all comfort, and Father of all grace, who is called the true Father in heaven or upon earth, the same grant you, my dear wife, Janneken Verstralen, that through his unfathomable mercy, and immeasurable goodness, and the riches of his grace, may be strengthened by his Holy Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ, his blessed Son, may dwell in your heart by faith (Ephesians 3:16,17), that you, my love, may be clothed with the cloak of righteousness and have the loins of your mind girt about with the girdle of truth, and the bond of love (6:14; Col. 3:14); yea, that the basket of grapes and the bundle of myrrh may hang between both your breasts, in your heart, namely, Christ Jesus, whereby you may be preserved from the pestilence that walketh in darkness (Ps. 91:6), and thus shine with an eternal crowns as a daughter born of royal seed, the living word of God, and may gain the victory of a good fight: may this be done to the praise and glory of the almighty God, and to the salvation of your soul. Amen.

This I, Hendrick Verstralen, your husband, prisoner in the Lord for the eternal truth’s sake and the testimony of Christ, send to you, my beloved wife and sister in the Lord, as a salutation and good wish of my heart, and as my last adieu. Adieu my dearest on earth; adieu, sister in the Lord. O strong is the truth; it conquers all things, 1 Esd. 4:35. O my own rib, who are taken out of the middle of my body, how should I not love you, you my wife, who loves my soul more than my body, as I understand from your letter, which is a great joy to me, and a perpetual comfort; I have read it with many tears. I thank you much, my lamb, for your earnest solicitude for me. I further pray you, my dear wife, whom I have wedded honorably before God and his church, now that our parting is at hand, help us and all the godfearing to pray and supplicate to God for a little while yet, until Maeyken, our dear sister, and I your husband, who now are still in our greatest conflict, under the bloody banner which Christ, the author of faith, and chief captain, has borne himself in the midst of his saints, that with him, we may through our death, overcome our enemies, with God nail our flag to the mast, and with peace and rest enter into our chambers (Isaiah 26:20), and wait for the coming of our Lord, who shall through his grace raise us up from the earth unto life eternal. And, my dear lamb, my flesh, my blood, be patient in your tribulation; continue now with Judith and Anna the prophetess instant in prayer, serving your God day and night, in the house of the Lord, which is his church. See, my dear wife, I hope that you will do according to Paul’s advice (1 Cor. 7:32), now that you are unmarried; that you will serve the Lord unhindered, and seek to please him, and to be holy in soul and body. Hearken, my wife, my dearest love on earth, follow my advice for the Lord’s sake; go and sell all that you can spare, which is little, and live as plainly as possible, for a widow can get along with very little; and seek an honorable, quiet girl that does not keep company with youthful companions; and flee youthful lusts, and do the best with my little children. The Lord shall care for you; he who gives the wild ass his food in the wilderness, when he cries for thirst, and who feeds the young ravens that cry unto God, as David says (Psalm 147:9), will also feed you, my dear lamb, when you, my widow, my chosen lamb, shall with my young orphans cry to God. Though your tears fall here upon earth, they shall not cease until they penetrate the clouds and appear before God. Then shall you find consolation, as David says: “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles; yea, the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him from the heart.” Ps. 34:17,7.