while on a journey, was apprehended in the Pusterthal, for the faith
and testimony of Jesus Christ. Nearly a league from the castle, he
met the Judge, who not knowing him, rode past him, and saluted him,
Hans Brael thanking him: but the actuary rode up to him, and asked him:
“Where are you going and what have you been doing here?” He replied
that he had been with his brethren. The actuary asked him whether the
Baptists were his brethren. “Yes,” he replied. He then seized him,
and the judge turned about, dismounted, and taking the brother’s own
girdle from his body, bound him with it and made him walk like a dog
alongside of his horse, through mud and mire, for a whole league, until
they arrived in the castle. He was so fatigued from walking, and from
being bound so hard, that he could stand no longer, but fell down in
the field, so that even the lord of the castle reproved the Judge for
having bound him so hard. There they examined him, taking from him
whatever they found on his body, and put him into prison. The next
day he was forthwith brought out, and the lord of the castle examined
him himself, and asked him concerning his faith and baptism, and what
he thought of the sacrament. When he made confession of his faith and
the divine truth, they abandoned everything, and pressed him hard to
recant. But when he plainly told them, not to count on his renouncing
the truth confessed, they brought him back into prison.
Eight days after, he was brought out again, and the lord with six
others examined him; but being unable to accomplish anything, they
remanded him to prison. After another eight days they arraigned and
examined him before the whole council, and the Judge called his faith
a delusion, and his church a sect. Acts 24:14. But Hans said: “It
is neither a sect nor a delusion; but it is the church of God.” The
Judge said: “It may be the devil’s; how could it be God’s church?”
and became angry over it and said again. “On what account should it
be called the church of God?” But brother Hans boldly adhered to it,
that it was the church of God. Then said the Judge: “Since he knows
who has come from the seignioralty of Innsbruck, we also want to know
where those are whom they send out into this country, what their names
are, who has fed and harbored them; all this we want to know.” But he
answered them: “We are not sent out to the harm or detriment of any
one; but our calling is, that we shall seek the salvation of men and
exhort them to repentance and reformation (Matt. 10:5; Acts 2:38); but
the things that are asked here are not articles of faith, nor are they
necessary to know; hence I do not wish to tell them, nor to accuse
any one.” The Judge admonished him urgently, to spare himself, since
his body should be tortured, if he refused to name the persons, and
to confess who had harbored him. Hans asked the Judge and the whole
council, whether he could be considered good if he adopted the proposed
means, and betrayed those who had shown him such kindness, by feeding
and lodging him. The members of the council looked at each other, and
said themselves that they should not consider it good, if it were done
to them. But the Judge became enraged, and asked whether he meant to
charge the honorable council with requiring treachery of him, and
again admonished him very solemnly, to spare himself, or they should
deal very severely with him. But as he would not confess to them, they
remanded him again to prison, to see what he should resolve upon.
After this they brought him forth again, and took him to the rack,
where he himself took off his clothes, lay down before them, and
patiently submitted to the torturing ropes, so that the eyes of the
bystanders filled with tears, and they could not refrain from weeping.
The executioner suspended him by the rope, but the Judge earnestly
admonished him to spare himself, and to indicate the persons required;
but he said he would betray no one but would bide whatever God
permitted them to inflict upon him. Then they tied a large stone to
his feet. The Judge became angry, when he perceived that he could
accomplish nothing, and said: “You swear to each other that you will
not betray one another.” He replied: “We do not swear, but we do not
betray any one, because it would be wrong.” Then the Judge said: “You
are a rogue; I have detected you in a lie; why will you suffer yourself
to be tortured.” The brother said: “I am no rogue, and in what lie have
you detected me?” The Judge said: “You said that you were no teacher,
but we find that you certainly are one.” He answered: “I am no teacher;
but if I were one, I would not be ashamed of it; for it is an honorable
thing before God.” 1 Tim. 3:1.
Thereupon they left him hanging by the rope, and went away; but the
executioner staid with him. In the meantime the officers assembled,
and he was admonished to confess: or they would not cease racking him
until they should have rent his limbs asunder. He replied that he would
bide what God should permit them to inflict upon him, since they could
do no more than God permitted them. The executioner said: “Are you not
a fool, to think that God looks down to see what we are doing in this
hole; for this would be ridiculous.” Then the council returned and said
that the lady of the castle had interceded for him, that they should
torture him no longer, and, hence, they would let it rest; and they
sent him back to prison.
Thereupon the lord very joyfully rode to Innsbruck, to the government,
and when he returned, he had the priests dispute with and examine Hans
for two days in succession, namely Saturday and Sunday, he himself
being present. But when they could accomplish nothing by their various
disputations, and false and deceitful doctrine, which it would take too
long to relate, and he remained steadfast, and constantly confessed
that that in which he stood, and would remain steadfast, by the
protection and help of God, was the truth, the lord at last became
exasperated at him, and said: “O you obdurate dog, I have tried all
possible means and ways with you, and will still do so, and place you
on a sharp pile, and see how you will trust your God in this trial,”
But he answered: “I shall not suffer on account of any wrong-doing,
but only for the truth and the faith; and God will overlook no wrong.”
After three days they put him into a deep, dark and filthy tower, where
he could see neither sun nor moon, nor daylight, so that he did not
know whether it was day or night, only he perceived now and then that
it was night, when it was a little colder in the tower than at other
times. It was also so moist and damp in the tower, that his clothes
rotted on his body, so that he became almost naked, and was without a
single garment for a long time, only he had a coarse blanket that had
been given him, which he wrapped around his body and thus sat in misery
and darkness. The shirt on his body had so rotted, that he had not a
shred left of it, except the collar, which he hung on the wall.
At one time when these children of Pilate had him brought out to try
him whether he would not apostatize, the light so hurt his eyes, that
he was glad when they let him down again into the dark tower. There
also proceeded such a fetid stench from the filth that was in this dark
hole, that no one could stay in his presence; when they brought him in,
they instantly had to go away from him again; yea, the councilors said
themselves, that they had never smelled such a horrible stench. Thus he
lay in this filthy tower, in which were also many vermin and loathsome
reptiles, so that at first he for a long time protected his head with
an old hat, which had been thrown to him out of pity. The tower,
for a long time had not had an occupant; hence the vermin were very
numerous, and they caused him much terror, until he got used to it.
The vermin sometimes also ate his food, so that when they let down his
food, he had to eat it all up, before he set down the dish; otherwise
the vermin so covered it, that he could not well eat it. When he got
a dish of soup, and set it down but once, they ate it up in a moment.
In short, he could keep neither bread nor anything else; for as soon
as the vermin smelled it, instantly they were at it. However, this was
his least care, inasmuch as he was so tormented with hunger, no great
abundance being given him so that he could easily eat it up, if he was
only well. The vermin sometimes got also in his drink, and drowned
therein, until he finally obtained a large stone, which he placed on
top of his pitcher.
His chief affliction, however, in this great trial was, that he could
get no tidings from the church or the brethren. At that time there was
in the high country one Hans Mein, a servant of the Lord, who also
had a great desire to hear some tidings from him. He sent word to
him in the tower, that if it were still well with him, and his heart
adhered firmly to God and his church, he should send him a certain
token: and if he had nothing else, he should send him a little bit of
straw, however little it might be. But such was the misery and poverty
in which he sat that he could not even find that much in the tower.
Then he bethought himself of his rotten collar which he had hung on
the wall; he was glad of it, and took the collar and sent it from the
tower to his brother, as a token that he was still unchanged in his
faith in God, and in peace with the church. When the brother received
the collar, and thereby perceived his misery and poverty, he and his
church felt great compassion for him, and after weeping bitterly and
sorrowfully, they sent word back to him, that they were very willing
to send him clothes or anything else, in his great poverty, if he
only could get it. But he would not have it, because that if they had
discovered it, they would have thrown him on the rack and tortured him
again, in order to get the names of others. Hence he sent them word,
that he should let the garment of patience do him.
Thus he lay in this filthy tower all summer, until after Michaelmas, in
autumn, when they saw that the frost was approaching; then they took
him out, and put him into another prison, which could likewise not have
been worse. There he had to sit, with one hand and one foot in the
stocks, for thirty-seven weeks, being unable to lie or sit properly,
but only to stand; besides, he had to endure much reproach and ridicule
from the ungodly, who said: “There lies a holy man; nobody is as wise
as he; there he sits as a light of the world, and as a witness of the
people of God and his church,” and such like taunting remarks.
Again, since he could get no comforting tidings from the church, God so
ordered it that he was comforted by the unbelieving; for on a certain
occasion a nobleman came to comfort him, telling him to be courageous,
and not to suffer himself to be intimidated since he well knew that he
had the truth on his side, and that his faith was the true one, but
that it were impossible to follow it, or to suffer what he suffered;
whereupon the brother earnestly admonished him. Once it also happened
that his soul was kindled in God, and he sent for the actuary who had
apprehended him, that he should come to him in prison. The latter very
quickly came to him, sat down, and asked him what he wished, that he
had sent for him. The brother said: “The sole reason is, that I cannot
forbear showing you, that, as you well know, that you are the chief
cause of my imprisonment and miserable sufferings, though I have never
in all my life done you an injury.” The actuary sat there frightened
and dumb, saying not a word, save that he had to do it. The brother
said: “Yes, the judgment of God impelled you to it; because you were
so bloodthirsty against the pious, it also fell to your lot to fulfill
your judgment thereby. You have incurred a heavy judgment; God will
certainly find you for this, require it at your hands, and punish you
for your sins.” The actuary was dumbfounded and could not utter a
word; so frightened was he; and thus he went away. About a fortnight
afterwards he died very suddenly in the night, being both well and dead
within a quarter of an hour. God had smitten him with great fear, so
that he cried and moaned terribly, and lamented that he had done wrong
and sinned.
Thus it goes with those, who will serve the devil and his minions.
I say nothing of the fact that he was severely reprehended for this
by his master and his mistress, and reaped the devil’s thanks for it
from his own; for they said to him, so loud that the brother heard it
himself: “How came the devil so to possess you, that you would not let
this man go, though you might easily have done so?” and they wished
that the devil rather had carried him off, since he had committed this
deed, for which he at last had to pay so dearly.
In the same night that he died, a great joy came over the brother,
so that with praying and thanksgiving he could not praise God
sufficiently; for on that night it came into his mind that he should
yet return to the brethren and the church. In the morning a servant
came to him, and told him, that the actuary had died very terribly and
suddenly during the night. Ps. 73:18. This having transpired with the
actuary, the lord and his spouse were seized with great terror.
About eight days afterwards, the servant who attended to the tillage
of the land came into the castle, and, towards evening, came to the
brother, with the keys, and asked whether he hoped to get out. He
replied: “I will see what you will do with me.” The servant wanted to
open the stocks, but could not find the right key. The brother told him
not to do it, since it might go ill with him. But when he could not
find the right key, he told him that he could set him at liberty, but
it would probably not be at that time. The lady of the castle also sent
a servant before the prison, who called to the brother, and said: “The
gracious lady would have me tell you, that she will send for the judge
and the jurate, and if you will say but two words, that you will suffer
yourself to be instructed, and confess that you have erred, you will
be set at liberty, and she will take upon her the sin which you commit
by it, so that no guilt will fall upon you.” But he replied: “She has
sins enough already, let her desist from them; she needs no sins from
others. 1 Tim. 5:22,1. Hence he had to lie in prison and sorrow for
another winter.
Then an order came from Innsbruck, from the council, which the lords
came to read to him. It contained the following: Since he was so
obdurate, and would receive no instruction, he should be sent to sea;
and thither he should go the next morning; there he should find out,
how evildoers are stripped and scourged. But he replied that he would
trust in God his Lord, who was on sea as well as on the land, to help
him, and give him patience. 2 Cor. 1:9; Matt. 14:31.
They then let him out of prison, and walk about in the castle for two
days, that he should learn to walk again; for he was not well able to
walk, so greatly had he become impaired in the use of his limbs by
imprisonment, stocks, fetters and bonds, in which he had lain for two
years, less five weeks, having not seen the sun for about a year and a
half.
He was then given in the custody of one of the servants, who was
to take him to the sea. Hence he took leave from every one in the
castle, and exhorted them to repentance. The lady of the castle sent
word to him that he should come to her, which he did. She called him
into her study, where he took leave from her, and exhorted her also
to repentance, and entreated her not to molest the pious (who do no
hurt), in the exercise of their religion, and not to apprehend any
more of them, to which she consented, and began to weep, so that the
tears flowed down her cheeks, and said: “Never more in my life shall
I lay hands upon them.” She gave him some money for the journey, and
dismissed him.
This servant then took him away with him. The servant was a wicked man;
he called the brother a rogue on every occasion, or applied some other
opprobrious epithet to him.
Having led him two days, the servant so filled himself with wine, in
a tavern, at Niederdorf (for those present had so often drank his
health), that, instead of going to bed to sleep, he stretched himself
upon the table, and instantly falling asleep like a dumb beast, he
rolled off the table.
Seeing this, the brother opened the door of the room, and also that of
the house, locked them again, and went away.
Thus did God help him to make his escape that night, which took place
in the year 1559, and thus he returned in peace and with joy to the
church of the Lord, his brethren. Subsequently he again went up into
the country, several times, as the ministry of the divine word had been
committed to him.
From this it may be seen how God succors and helps his own, and how he
can give to those who cleave to him with a true heart, much strength
and patience in suffering, through their strong faith, which would
otherwise be impossible. 2 Tim. 4:17; Philip. 4:13; Matt. 17:20. And it
is also seen how he casts out his enemies and adversaries, and knows
where to find them; for not only did the actuary die a very dreadful
death, as has already been stated; but, while Hans Brael yet lay in
prison, the lord of the castle died suddenly; and the servant who was
to take Hans to the sea, also died miserably, even before the brother
left the country; and about two years afterwards also the Judge died,
yet not an ordinary, but a most miserable death. 2 Macc. 9:5.
JANNEKEN WALRAVEN BURNED, A. D. 1557.
In the year 1557, on Pentecost eve, there was burnt alive, at Antwerp,
in Brabant, for the immovable foundation of the truth, and the
testimony of Jesus Christ, Janneken Walraven, the mother of Jacques
Walraven, who was a minister of the word at Amsterdam, among the
Baptists, and, consequently, well known to many. His mother, though
one of the weaker vessels, 1 Pet. 3:7, was nevertheless not weak in
faith, but valiant and steadfast, and fought the good fight of faith,
and gained the victory, through the grace of God, who never forsakes
his own, but succors them, and goes with them through water and fire,
lest they should suffer detriment to the salvation of their souls.
Therefore, since she conquered with her bridegroom, by suffering and
dying for his holy name, her immortal soul is under the altar with all
the holy martyrs, and is patiently waiting for full salvation at the
coming of her Bridegroom, when he shall appear in the clouds of the
sky, to unite and glorify body and soul, and to make them like unto his
own glorious body, that she may rejoice with him forever.
JORIAEN SIMONS, CLEMENT DIRKS, AND A WOMAN NAMED MARY JORIS, A. D. 1557.
At this time three other pious witnesses of the truth fell into the
hands of the tyrants, at Haarlem, in Holland. They were Joriaen Simons,
Clement Dirks, and a woman named Mary Joris. They all, as faithful
servants, through the grace of God, steadfastly endured, at said place,
hard imprisonment and severe examinations for the truth of Christ,
and did not, with the slothful servant, hide the talent which they
had received, into the earth, but did very earnestly put it out upon
usury, and boldly proclaimed from the door of their prison the word
of the Lord to the edification of every one, and, moreover, through
a hymn composed by them, made known the cause of their imprisonment;
namely, that they did not suffer as thieves and murderers, or as such
as coveted other men’s property, but that they suffered only for the
faith of the truth, and a pure conscience; and that they, on the other
hand, because of the pure fear of God, could not follow falsehood. Of
this they set forth the principal points in a hymn, as follows:
1. That they with all true witnesses of God believe and confess, by
virtue of the holy Scriptures: That Jesus Christ, blessed forever, came
from above from heaven, and proceeded from God his heavenly Father,
and is therefore pure and spotless, and is not of Adam’s sinful and
corruptible nature.
2. Because they were baptized upon their faith, according to the
ordinance of Christ, and, on the contrary, confessed that infant
baptism was not of God, but contrary to his word; and that it is well
known, from Christ’s own words, that infants are fully in the grace of
God, and in a saved condition, without baptism or any other ceremony
having to be administered to them, they therefore hold, that all that
is done by such means, as being necessary for the salvation of infants
is nothing but vain human presumption.
3. Concerning the Lord’s Supper, they confess, that they also
observed it, according to the command of the Lord, and according to
the institution of Christ, as he, blessed forever, held it with his
apostles; in which each is to examine himself well, before he goes to
this table, and that Christ did not hold his supper with drunkards
and adulterers, or with such of whom evil things were known, as is
customary with the papists.
4. On the contrary, they emphatically rejected the papists’ little
piece of baked bread, or consecrated host, which they recommend to
people as the true, essential Son of God, from whom to entreat grace
and salvation in time of need; and confessed that they do grossly err,
who worship such bread, or put any divine confidence in it.
5. Because they could not recognize the Pope and the Roman church as
the church of God, but opposed it and all its ceremonies; neither could
they hold the traffic which they carry on therein, to be of God.
6. Because they recognized no other punishment of transgressors in the
church, than evangelical separation; by which the evil can be kept
away from the good, in order to present to the Lord a pure church, in
which none that are unclean or polluted may dwell, but from which they
are expelled. This church they confess to be the queen and bride of
Christ.
By this and the like the fire of the Gospel burned so mightily in
Haarlem, notwithstanding the violence of these tyrants, that in the
very night when they were thus accused, a glorious exhortation was
fearlessly preached to the edification of all, by the godfearing Bouwen
Lubberts, in Schouts’ street; which exhortation did much good.
When, on the 26th of April 1557, the abovementioned Joriaen and Clement
were brought forth to death, the common people greatly commiserated
them; but they said: “Weep not for us, but for your sins, and repent
truly.” After they had offered up their prayer to God with a fervent
heart, each was placed at a stake, and they said: “We suffer not for
evil-doing, but only for the obedience of the truth.” And having, with
a firm trust, commended their spirits or souls into the hands of God,
they courageously offered their necks for the truth, and were first
strangled, and then burnt; and thus they, to the consolation and joy of
many pious persons, continued steadfast unto the end in the accepted
truth of the holy Gospel.
When they had finished their tyranny by strangling and burning, they,
in order to quench their doctrine, also thought to burn their books
(for as old writers tell us, Joriaen Simons was engaged in selling
books); but when the books were perceived to be on fire, there arose
such an uproar among the people, that the lords took to flight,
whereupon the books were thrown among the multitude, who reached for
them with eagerness; so that, through divine providence, the truth,
instead of being quenched, as it was sought to do, was spread the more,
by the reading of so great a number of these books.
The abovementioned Mary Joris also remained faithful in this trial,
and likewise confessed her faith boldly before the lords, and was
ready to surrender her life, together with her brethren, for the name
of the Lord. But being pregnant, she had to wait until her delivery;
however, the Lord ordered it otherwise--she died in travail, and was
thus released from the flesh, so that these tyrants could not fulfill
their desire with her. And thus she fell asleep in the Lord, with her
brethren.
If any desire, let him read this account in the old hymn book, as put
into verse by these witnesses themselves, in prison, as also by the
pious Bouwen Lubberts.
A TESTAMENT LEFT BY JORIAEN SIMONS TO HIS SON SIMON, WHEN HE WAS
IMPRISONED FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD, AT HAARLEM, WHERE HE WAS
AFTERWARDS PUT TO DEATH, ON THE 26TH OF APRIL, IN THE YEAR 1557.
May God through his great mercy grant to my son Simon, to grow
up virtuously, and if the Lord permit him to reach the years of
understanding, to confess him, and having learned his will, to order
his life in accordance with it, in order to obtain eternal salvation,
through his beloved Son Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
My child and dear son, incline your ears to the admonition of your
father, and hearken to my account, how and in what manner he commenced
and finished his life.