and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1:5–11.
Having therefore such great and glorious promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness. 2 Cor. 7:1. As John also testifies, saying: Let us
purify ourselves from sin, even as he is pure. For whosoever committeth
sin doeth wrong; for sin is wrong. Therefore came he into the world,
that he might take away sin; for in him is no sin. Whosoever sinneth
hath not seen him, neither known him. 1 John 3:3–6. The same John
further testifies, and says: “Ye are of God, little children, [and have
overcome them:] because greater is he that is in you, than he that
is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the
world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God
heareth us; but he that knoweth not God heareth not us. Hereby know we
the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:4–6. With this
Christ agrees, saying: “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth,
because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” John 7:7.
As he further says in another place: “Father, keep through thine own
name those whom thou hast given me: thine they were, and thou gavest
them me. Not, Father, that thou shouldst take them out of the world,
but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil.” John 17:11. In another
place Christ says: “Every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” 3:20.
Thus, my much beloved friends, while we are yet in this sad world, and
the Lord still grants us time, we must take most diligent heed to the
word of the Lord, and do our very best to follow the same; for thus
Paul teaches us, saying: As many as walk according to this rule, peace
be on them, and mercy. Gal. 6:16. For thus we read in another place:
This people doth not understand, neither lay they to heart, that the
grace and mercy of God are over his chosen and over his saints; even as
Moses says, that his mercy is shown to thousands of them that love him,
and keep his commandments. Ex. 20:6. True, there are many in the world,
who say that they love the Lord; but they do not show it by their
works, for their works show well enough whom they love; for Christ
says: He that loveth me will keep my word, or obey my commandments,
These are they who can stand before him; for thus also says Christ: He
that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.
John 14:21. But he that does not keep his commandments, does also not
love him; for John in his epistle declares: “This is the love of God,
that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God.” 1 John 5:3–5. Therefore “love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, namely, the
lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1
John 2:15–17. Hence, my much beloved friends, be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good and acceptable will of God. Rom. 12:2. Even as
Paul says also in another place: Grace be to you, and peace, from God
the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our
sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world. Galatians
1:3,4. Thus, my dear friends, this grace has been given you, namely,
that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom you are come as
unto a living stone, which was disallowed of men, but before God was
chosen and precious. Therefore, be ye built up a spiritual house, and
a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
through our Lord Jesus Christ; that you may lift up holy hands to the
Lord, without strife and discord (1 Tim. 2:8), and make intercession
and give thanks for all men; and the Lord of peace shall be with you. 2
Cor. 13:11.
But if God be with you, who shall be against you, who spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all? Who shall lay anything to
the charge of his elect? It is God that justifieth them. Who shall
condemn them? It is Christ that died and is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, and also maketh intercession for us. Hence
Paul says: Who shall be able to separate us from the love of God?
tribulation, or persecution, or death, etc. Rom. 8:31.
Thus, my much beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, I will shorten
my simple letter which I have written in bonds, in which we daily look
for the redemption of our bodies. Hence receive this letter kindly, and
think of what has in times past proceeded forth from my unworthy lips
(not I, but the grace of God through me, 1 Cor. 15:10).
Herewith I bid you an eternal, Christian adieu, and expect you all in
the second resurrection, that we may meet him in the air, and ever be
with the Lord. Comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:17,18.
Once more I bid you adieu, my dear friends. Herewith I commend you to
the Lord, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up,
and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
Amen. Acts 20:32.
Written in bonds, by me, JAN THIELEMANS,
Your weak brother in Christ.
HEYNDRICK ARENTS, A. D. 1568.
Among many other true believers baptized according to the command of
Christ, who were everywhere persecuted, expelled and put to death, also
one Heyndrick Arents of Briel, about the year 1568, fell into the hands
of these persecutors. The circumstances that led to his imprisonment
were as follows: A vessel having cast anchor in the roadstead off Briel
on account of a leak which it had sprung, and said Heyndrick Arents
being a ship-carpenter in Briel, those of the vessel requested him to
calk the craft. While he was thus with them, the Lords of Rotterdam
learned that said vessel was a pirate, and sent thither a detachment
of soldiers. These captured the vessel and conducted said Heyndrick
Arents and the pirates to Delft as prisoners. And as those of Delft
refused to take them in, they were forthwith taken to Rotterdam, where
they, on account of their misdeeds, were soon sentenced to be hanged.
When Heyndrick Arents perceived this, he asked: Whether he had come
into a city of justice, or of violence--why they wanted to condemn the
innocent with the guilty? and said that he had not been apprehended
on account of any crime. If they would inquire concerning him and his
faith, they would find it to be so. Sus. 53; Ex. 23:7; 1 Peter 4:15.
Hearing this, the Governor asked: What does he say? what sort of a
heretic is this? if he is one of the Anabaptists he shall not be
hanged, but burned. Thus, he was examined concerning his faith, and
freely confessed that he had been baptized upon his faith, according to
the command of Christ; and, on the other hand, rejected usurping infant
baptism and all papal errors, but confessed the ordinances of Christ
and his apostles (which were observed by him and his fellow believers.)
Thereupon they sentenced him, and, after an imprisonment of two weeks,
he was burnt at said place, in great constancy, and confirming the
faith of the truth with his death and blood.
CLAUDINE LE VETTRE, AND WITH HER A BROTHER, A. D. 1568.
Meenen is a beautiful little town in Flanders, three leagues from
Rijssel, on the road to Bruges, built on the edge of the Leye. In
this town there lived a godfearing man, Piersom des Muliers, with
his wife, Claudine le Vettre, who through the preaching of Leenaert
Bouwens, and by reading and studying the word of God, were turned
from papal idolatry. Learning of this, Titelmannus, Dean of Ronse,
and inquisitor of the faith, came thither with bailiffs, thinking to
apprehend the aforesaid Piersom in his house. But a pious man of the
council of Meenen had warned Piersom to flee from the inquisitor, which
he did, betaking himself into a certain piece of woods not far from
his house. But his wife Claudine being engaged with her four little
children (one of whom is still living), tarried a little too long, and
had just left the house, with a child on the arm, when the bailiffs
entered, who tumultuously asked the children and the neighbors where
the husband was; and when they could not learn it they prepared to
leave. Perceiving this, one of the neighbors, kindled with an evil and
perverse zeal, said: “Men, there goes the wife with a child on her
arm.” They therefore forthwith caught her, and delivered her into the
hands of the aforesaid inquisitor. This happened in the year 1567, a
few months before the Duke of Alva’s arrival in the Netherlands. She
was taken from Meenen to Ypres, where many lay in prison for the faith,
that is, because they could not understand that there was another
Mediator and Savior than Jesus Christ alone, who was offered up for
our sins on the tree of the cross (1 Tim. 2:5; Rom. 4:25); and could
not believe that God had any pleasure in images of wood and stone, or
silver and gold, but believed rather that such worship was prohibited
in the word of God (Ex. 20:4; Deuteronomy 4:16.) And because they also
did not believe that dead men can hear our prayers and help us; but
much rather that we are to call upon no one but God alone, who alone is
the discerner of our hearts and thoughts, and knows what we shall pray
for, even before we have poured out our prayer; who exclaimed with a
loud voice: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest, etc.; to whom all the prophets and apostles point
us, and not to one of the departed saints.” Matt. 4:10; Rev. 2:13; Heb.
4:12; Matt. 6:8; Rom. 8:26; Matt. 11:28; Acts 10:43; 4:12; Jeremiah
23:5; 33:15.
All who held such faith were by Titelmannus declared heretics, and
delivered to the secular authorities, to be dealt with according to
the decrees, namely, the men to be burnt alive, and the women to be
buried alive. This severe death greatly terrified some, so that many
apostatized, in order to save their lives. For at one time a large
number broke out of prison and escaped, so that Claudine also could
have made her escape, but she would not leave her child; so also a
pious brother, who remained with her in prison unto the end, and
would not leave her, dying with her for the truth, at said place.
But Claudine did not apostatize, notwithstanding manifold assaults,
continuing one year, but remained steadfast in the faith, refuting,
from the word of God, all that the priests and monks were able to bring
forward against her, as appeared from divers letters which she wrote to
her husband from prison.[301] Finally, when they could not prevail upon
her, they endeavored to move her by her maternal love for her infant,
which hitherto had been nourished at its mother’s breast in prison. The
child therefore was taken from her and put out to a wet-nurse, which
was the greatest affliction she suffered during her imprisonment, and
on account of which she wept many a tear, constantly praying God for
power and strength against such temptation and assault of the flesh,
in order that she might not fall, even as many of her fellow believers
fell in her presence. God Almighty heard her prayer, for the Duke of
Alva, having in the meantime entered the country, and commanded to
clear all prisons from heretics, she also was crowned with the crown of
the godly, without Ypres, A. D. 1568; and with her a brother, who was
also burnt for the truth, at said place.
[301] Respecting said letters it has not been possible for us to
obtain any of them.
Her husband, Piersom, often said of his aforesaid wife that it was
astonishing how well she was versed in the Scriptures. For whenever he
could not find a passage, he would ask his wife Claudine, who would at
once clearly indicate to him what he sought.[302]
[302] Piersom was a teacher [minister] of the church of God called
Mennists.
It is understood that the child which was taken from her in prison was
from that time on seen no more, without the father and the friends ever
knowing what became of it.
Piersom had formerly lived with his wife Claudine, in Bruges, where the
same thing had happened to him, namely, that he with his wife escaped
from the inquisitor, through the friendly warning of a councillor of
the city. However he had to leave behind everything he had, as was also
the case at Meenen. But the pious man of Meenen who had warned him,
concealed Piersom’s books and part of his household goods, and saw that
they were again taken to the place where the books belonged. But the
bad neighbor, who had betrayed Claudine, fell into such detestation
with the town’s people that he had to leave the place, after the rabble
of the town had demolished and ruined his shop, calling after him,
Judas! Judas, the traitor!
Meenen was at that time an open city, without walls and gates, and
hence Titelmannus did not dare trust his prisoners there: it would have
gone with them as it did in another small town of Flanders, where on a
set day the peasants came in great numbers, broke open the prison, and
liberated about four hundred persons who had been imprisoned for the
same cause.
The friends had Piersom’s children baptized by the pastor of Meenen,
as Margriete, the oldest of the children, who subsequently died, at the
age of sixteen, in Calais, was wont to relate.
The remainder were three sons, named Pieter, Nicolaes and Jan, the last
mentioned being the infant which was nourished at the mother’s breasts
in prison. Pieter died during his mother’s imprisonment.
Piersom subsequently married a woman by the name of Peronne Hennebo,
who died at Leyden, A. D. 1589, leaving two daughters, Maria and
Martha, both born at Hoorn. This Martha was the wife of Doctor Dirk
Volkertsz Velius, who wrote the Chronicles of Hoorn, and the mother of
Pieter Velius of Hoorn.
Piersom’s third wife was Habeau de la Motte, mother of Margriete des
Muliers, who resided at Gonda.
Piersom fell asleep in the Lord in Leyden, in the year 1591, leaving
a son by his first wife Claudine, two daughters by his second wife
Peronne, and a daughter by his last wife, as already said.
Claudine was beautiful of person, and a good singer, so that she moved
the bystanders by her singing. Especially on the last day of her life,
people stood before the prison, to hear her sing with a joyful heart,
when death was announced to her. One who related it to me had heard her
sing with a clear, strong voice the 27th psalm of David:
_Le Seigneur est la clarte qui m’addresse._
And the people firmly believed that if they had not gagged her when
they brought her to the place of execution, she would have departed
life singing and praising God.
This account we received from D. N. M., the son of Piersom and
Claudine, by the help of D. D. V., Claudine’s brother-in-law.
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE AFORESAID CLAUDINE LE VETTRE.
The descendants of Piersom, the husband of Claudine le Vettre, claimed
to have received, by way of tradition, that this Piersom at the time of
the imprisonment of his aforementioned wife betook himself to a miller
who lived in or near his mill, which stood close under the walls of
Ypres, in order to be able there daily to get tidings from his beloved
wife, which, gleaned from street rumors, were brought to him by the
miller’s wife, as often as she returned from town, though without
knowing that it was his wife, or that he was an Anabaptist.
She judged Claudine not to be in her right mind, because she had
allowed herself to be rebaptized, and let so many sufferings be
inflicted upon her on this account, and would rather die, than do
what the priests said. This every time pierced Piersom’s heart like a
dagger, and often compelled him to step aside to give vent to the deep
feelings of his heart.
The day when Claudine was to be offered up, the miller’s wife, desirous
of seeing her being executed, asked Piersom whether he did not wish
to go along and behold the scene, which he declined, requesting her
kindly to pay strict attention to everything, in order to give him an
account of it afterwards. When she returned home she related to Piersom
how valiantly and undauntedly Claudine went to death, what she said,
and how she conducted herself; everything, however, with the idea, that
Claudine had not acted rationally. Thereupon Piersom, having warmed up,
took heart and discovered himself to the miller and his wife, saying
that he was of the same belief, and that the one put to death was his
beloved and very rational wife, and upon what foundations of truth they
founded their doctrine and life. This so deeply affected the miller
and his wife, that they also resolved to amend their life. They were
baptized upon their faith, and shortly after sealed the truth with
their blood.
PIETER PIETERS BECKJEN, BURNT ALIVE AT AMSTERDAM, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF
JESUS CHRIST, ON THE 26TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, A. D. 1569.
The dreadful murdering, burning and killing of the innocent and upright
followers of Jesus Christ were not sufficient at this time to deter
from the true confession and practice of the Christian faith a certain
pious brother and faithful witness of the Lord, named Pieter Peters
Beckjen, by trade a boatman on the Amstel, and so zealous, that at
divers times he gathered the little flock of the oppressed pious who
lived about Amsterdam, into his boat, in order to edify one another
with the word of God, and to strengthen one another in the accepted
faith.
And when it came to pass that his dear wife bore him a child, he, from
Christian carefulness, took said infant with him to a place where it
might be secure from the superstition of the papists, and from being
baptized.
In short, he manifested his zeal in every respect, notwithstanding
the cruelty of the rulers of darkness, and this with a sincere and
good intention, till finally he was, on that account, denounced to the
magistrates of the city of Amsterdam, apprehended, dreadfully tortured,
and, at last, when he would not apostatize, sentenced to death, and
burnt alive, as appears from the sentence, which, for confirmation of
said matter, was faithfully and correctly sent to us from the hands of
the Secretary there. In it can be seen, on the one hand, the steadfast
confession of this martyr, and on the other hand, how awfully the
rulers of darkness misinterpreted the same, and construed it to an
evil, shameful and terrible end.
SENTENCE OF DEATH OF PIETER PIETERS BECKJEN.
Whereas Pieter Pieters, _alias_ Beckjen, boatman, prisoner, unmindful
of his soul and salvation, and of the obedience which he owed to the
Lord God, and to His Imperial Majesty, forsaking our mother, the holy
church, and this from the time that he attained to understanding, even
until now, has refused to go to the holy, worthy sacrament, despising
and disregarding the same, and has in twenty years been to confession
only once, contrary to the ordinance of our mother, the holy church,
and, moreover, has attended the reprobated and prohibited assemblies,
or conventicles, of the Mennonists, etc., and has himself, in his own
boat, twice held conventicles of the aforesaid Mennonists, in which
abominable and reprobated sect he so obstinately persists, that still
recently before his apprehension, his wife lying in childbed, he took
said child and conveyed it away, not willing to tolerate or permit
that said child should be baptized according to the ceremonies of the
ancient Roman Catholic and Apostolical church; in which he is still
captive, persisting therein, and not willing to return to our mother,
the holy church, notwithstanding he has at divers times, by various
ecclesiastical persons, and also by the aldermen of this city, been
admonished and urged to return and to leave this accursed sect,--all of
which are crimes against the divine and the secular majesty, as said
before, which disturb the peace and the common weal, and which ought
therefore, for an example to others, not to go unpunished; therefore,
my lords of the court, having seen the demand of my lord the bailiff,
also his information, the confession of the prisoner, together with the
poor defense of said prisoner, and having duly considered all, have
condemned the aforesaid prisoner, as they by these presents do condemn
him, to be executed with fire, according to the decrees of His Majesty;
and declare his entire property confiscated for the benefit of His
Majesty aforesaid, without prejudice to the privileges and all other
interests of this city.
Done in court this 26th of February, A. D. 1569, in the presence of all
the judges, by the advice of all the burgomasters.
_How said person was condemned to the rack, and when this happened._
He was condemned to the torture, the 17th of January, A. D. 1569, and
examined and threatened with torture on the same day, and in the same
place, as appears from the records of the confession.
Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences, preserved in the
archives of the city of Amsterdam.
N. N.
LAUWERENS VERKAMER, A. D. 1569,
In the year 1569 there was apprehended in ’s-Hertogenbosch, in Brabant,
a pious follower of Christ, named Lauwerens Verkamer, for the single
reason that he could not follow the Romish priests and monks in their
self-invented idolatry, but separated therefrom, and united with
the true members of our Lord Jesus, seeking to observe and practice
with them in true obedience, his holy commandments For this reason
he was persecuted in a very hostile manner by the _papistical_ and
_anti-Christ-minded_, so that he, with many others, in the beginning
of January, left Antwerp, with the intention of taking up residence at
Nimeguen. But though the rest went to Holland, he, while on the journey
to Nimeguen, was apprehended by the sheriff of ’s-Hertogenbosch, and
brought to that place a prisoner on the 5th of January, and suffered
very severe and tyrannical imprisonment, none of his good friends being
allowed to visit him, nor might he indicate by letter his distress
and severe imprisonment to any one--thus unmercifully and malignantly
was he kept. For as he was a man of distinguished family and large
means, and had with him many books of his temporal affairs, these
blood-thirsty men could ascertain his circumstances, which tended to
aggravate his situation. But his firm unwavering steadfastness in the
true saving faith was manifested in him; for in the year 1569, about
the end of June, he was burnt by the enemies of the truth, in great
constancy, and sealed the faith of the eternal truth with his death and
blood, and put off this mortal clothing of the flesh in true obedience,
for which, at the last day, he shall be clothed by the true Bridegroom
Christ Jesus with the immortal clothing, and be rewarded with the crown
of eternal glory. 2 Esdr. 2:45; 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Tim. 4:8.
SIJNTGEN VERCOILGEN, A. D. 1569.
As in the time of Ishmael and Isaac, he that was born after the
flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit (Gal. 4:29), so
it still goes in these latter days. For the ministers of the Roman
antichrist imprisoned at Kortrijck, in Flanders, a godfearing lamb of
Christ named Sijntgen Vercoilgen, the mother of Jan Vercoilgen, and
after many temptations, she was put to death at said place, in great
steadfastness, for the testimony of Jesus, in the year 1569, on the 9th
of March, having put off her womanly weakness, and in place of it, by
the grace of God, received through the illumination of the Holy Spirit
in her heart a manly courage; and testified and sealed the belief of
the truth with her death, and blood, as a memorable example to all
followers of Christ.
LIPPIJNTGEN STAYERTS, A. D. 1569.
In the year 1569 there was put to death, at Ghent, in Flanders, by the
maintainers of the Roman antichrist, for the genuine truth and the
practice of it, a woman by the name of Lippijntgen Stayerts, the wife
of Pieter Stayerts, about St. Peter’s day, not on account of any crime,
but only for the sure truth, as she had renounced the world and all its
false, invented lies, and submitted herself to the prince of truth,
Christ Jesus, hearkening with obedient ears to the blessed voice of
truth, and shunning all strangers contrary to it, wherefore she shall
also, with all the obedient sheep that have heard and followed this
voice, at the revelation of his glory, hear the words: Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning.
Matthew 25:34.
MAERTEN PIETERS AND GRITGEN JANS, A. D. 1569.