executed, he said to him, that if he would recant, he still had
authority to let him go. But he refused, and would there seal his
faith with his blood, and so far as he was concerned, he said, he
might proceed. Thus he was beheaded and then burnt, and as they could
not burn him quickly enough, they cut him into pieces and burned the
pieces. When the executioner had struck off his head, so that the
same lay on the ground, his body still remained erect, with the hands
uplifted, as though he were praying, till the executioner pushed him
over with his foot. It was also said that his head and hair could not
be burned, but that it was found entire and undisfigured in the ashes,
and was thus buried. This took place on the 13th of December of said
year 1571.
When he was about to be executed, he said, his blood should be seen in
the sun. And it came to pass on the third day after, at noon that the
sun presented a blood-red appearance, and where it shown through the
windows, upon tables and other things, they seemed as though they were
standing in the fire, so that the people came together in the streets
from amazement, as those who saw it and are still living can testify.
JAN BLOCK BURNT FOR THE FAITH, AT NIMEGUEN, A. D. 1572.
About the year 1572, there was burnt at Nimeguen, a young man named
Jan Block, who had wealth, and lived of the same, so that he had
not learned any profession or trade. He associated with a brother
named Symon van Maren, a furrier, born at Hertogenbosch, with whom
he formerly was wont to go to the tavern to tipple, but who, after
he was converted, admonished him to read the New Testament, which
advice he also followed; and the good Lord so opened his heart, that
he understood from it what was right, and joined the church of God.
This done, he could not remain hid, since he led a better life than
before; so that all his property was confiscated, and a price set upon
his apprehension, that whoever would betray him, should receive for
it seventy gold reals. Then he fled out of the city, and in a village
asked a mason for work as a tender, in order that he might earn a
living, since he knew nothing else to do. The mason refused him this,
saying: “They would come here to apprehend you, and this would bring me
into trouble.” Sometime after he came into town, where he was espied by
a traitor, who went and reported it to the officer and his beadles, who
came to seek him. The woman of the house had compassion on Jan Block,
and he went and stood upon the bed behind the curtains. The bailiff
looked into the chamber, but did not search very closely, since he was
not a bloodthirsty man, and then turned back again, saying: “He is not
there.” The traitor said: “He is there; I saw him go in.” One of the
beadles went back, and raising the curtains, saw him standing there.
He was then taken along, as a malefactor. While in prison he was often
visited, and cared for by the godfearing.
Finally sentence of death was pronounced upon him, and he was condemned
to be burned at the stake as a heretic.
While this took place, one of the lords in the court, who, since Jan
Block was of high descent, had formerly associated much with him,
sought, as he pretended, to convert him to the Romish faith before his
end; to whom this valiant witness of Jesus Christ, turning around,
answered: “You should have converted me when we were formerly together
in such and such places (which he named to him) and each of us had a
harlot in his lap.”
Coming upon the scaffold, to be put to death, he showed such a joyful
countenance, as though he had come to a wedding feast or a festival;
for he went to the stake at which he was to offer up his sacrifice,
with as much alacrity as though he had made a leap.
Having arrived at the stake, he pointed out to the executioner his
carelessness, consisting in this, that the holes where he was to be
fastened were not bored at the proper place.
Shortly after this, after having commended his soul into the hands of
God, and suffering many tortures, he was burned, and an end put to his
life.
All this was so affecting, that several of the lords who had sat in
judgment over him shed tears of compassion for this innocent, but
nevertheless well-established and steadfast young man; which we have
deemed necessary to record from the testimony of those who according to
their statement were present on that occasion and witnessed it.
A LETTER WRITTEN BY JAN BLOCK.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the
salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:26.
The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Blessed be God, the heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in
all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in
any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of
God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted or comforted,
it is all for our good and our salvation. This salvation, except my
bonds, I wish you from the depth of my soul, for comfort and salvation
in your greatest need, when you, dear brother in the Lord, will have
need of help and comfort, as you, moved and impelled through the
operation of the Holy Spirit, have now at the right time written and
sent to me, poor prisoner at Nimeguen, for the word of our dear Lord;
by which you have done me such a great and acceptable service, that I
shall never in my life be able sufficiently to thank God my heavenly
Father, who appointed you, like Habakkuk, to bring food, by which the
pious Daniel was fed outwardly according to the flesh, through the
confidence which he had toward our God. O how great is this spiritual
food, dear brother, with which you have fed and comforted my poor,
hungry soul, which you, according to the opportunity of the past,
abundantly wrote to me in your letter from the holy word of the Lord,
for my consolation, and to incite me to take undaunted courage; for
which I, as said above, cannot sufficiently thank you. By the help of
our dear Lord I hope to do the same; through the almighty Lord I still
have the will to do well from the heart. I hope and trust in God our
heavenly Father, who shall strengthen me, poor, unworthy prisoner for
his holy word, to finish it to his holy praise, when I shall offer up
my sacrifice, as you write to me of many prophets and apostles, yea,
of Christ himself, who, for the sins of us all, out of love for us,
was led to the slaughter as a dumb lamb; how much more ought I, poor
miserable sinner, to deliver up my life for his holy name’s sake, of
which I sincerely deem myself unworthy. Yet I trust, as above, and as
you wrote to me, as the prophet Ezekiel speaks by the mouth of the Most
High, that he will remember sins no more, as we, the Lord be thanked,
well know on what condition the Lord has spoken to us. All that desire
this, and are converted from the heart, God will hear.
And such as lament and moan night and day over their great
transgression, as I poor, miserable sinner have done, he will hear,
and be gracious unto them, for he loves to forgive, so that I, as said
above, gladly surrender myself for the name of my Lord, and suffer
by his grace very patiently for my sins, and deliver up my body, as
did the seven children in Maccabees. And the pious Eleazar would
much rather die honorably, than dissimulate and set a bad example
to the young brethren. Thus, by the grace of God, is also my mind,
dear brother in the Lord. But, much beloved brother, I have such
great conflict on account of my former life, that I did not gain a
living as an honest man. But, the Lord be thanked, a little before
my imprisonment, I had resolved by the grace of the Lord, to support
myself in all humility and holiness by the labor of my hands; however,
I have not time to carry it out. Hence my mind is often troubled, and
this by the passage of Paul where he says that, Though I had faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and gave all my goods to the poor,
and gave my body to be burned, and had not charity, it were all of no
avail. And that we are to live so holy and unblamable, this causes my
heart to shrink, and my eyes daily to flow like a river, because I have
so sinfully spent my precious time; this the Lord knows, for whose word
and testimony I, miserable sinner am imprisoned; yet I would not give
my hope and faith for a thousand worlds. O dear brethren, how little
have I known, much less had, the true regeneration and new creature,
as I now feel it through the grace of God, and should gladly confess
it, if I had the time. Friends, have earnest love to one another, and
edify one another in all humility and earnestness in the exercise of
godliness, and daily exhort one another to all holiness; also that each
be the least in his own eyes, and that you do not walk so haughtily and
with such display, lest the poor, blind world, according to her doing,
surpass[328] us in many things. This view I have now, by the grace of
God, had for some little time, and if I had indeed in the beginning
felt it thus, and accepted it, as I ought to have done, and as I now,
alas! in my last time had resolved, by the grace of the Lord, to do, I
should certainly not have come to such great sorrow, which originated
in superciliousness or secret pride and an easy life. Hence, dear
brother, and dear ministers of the church of God, wherever you are,
take diligent care, as faithful laborers in the vineyard, [and direct
into the right way] the branches, which shoot up very lightly, and grow
in the fullness and vanity of their mind, who are also alienated from
the life of God. I only now begin to experience with the understanding,
what the new creature is.
[328] Walk, move more circumspectly.--_Trans._
O dear brethren and watchmen over the house of the Lord, do not regard
the person; for those that are young in the understanding of the
Christian life can be ruined in no way more effectively, than by not
diligently exhorting them with the word of the Lord, to become new
creatures, and to humility, and to lead a godly life. O how I have
experienced this within my own self, that so few are found at this
time who are truly converted and renewed, and rightly follow the life
and the footsteps in which Christ went before us. O if they felt it,
as I now in my last time feel it, they would be afraid of speaking
or thinking of anything, except chiefly of the law of the Lord. O
dear friends, now only I understand it, and very often think of one
of our three sisters, who wrote her son Tobias a testament, in which
she speaks, I think, of improving our time, and that we shall deplore
nothing more, than that we have so little improved our time, but often
spent it in frivolity. O dear friends, I would from the heart, that
those that are guilty in this matter, or are found slothful, could
feel their present time as I now feel in my heart my past time, and am
accused [in my conscience] concerning it; you would certainly be found,
in godly exercise, to be renewed in the power of the Spirit, into a
new, spiritual life, which is like the image of him, who poured out
his holy blood for us poor sinners; then we should indeed show forth
the mind and nature of Christ in words and in works. We should then,
according to Matt. 5, so let our light shine, and be such a salt of
the earth, that we should indeed have the greater praise before this
adulterous generation; yea, we should shine forth with a clear light
in the church of God. Even as the light of the candle is improved by
trimming it, so if we would in our short time, trim our body in word
and deed from our carnal body, in words and in works, yea, in dress and
worldliness, then our lights would certainly be found to give forth a
clearer light. Hence since every one sees, how many there are found
to be darkness, to the reproach of the Gospel, we see here, that so
many in this last time, without affliction, become alienated from God,
and wax cold; that, as the Lord says, when the Son of man shall come,
whether he shall then find faith on the earth. O dear friends, though
one may guard himself so as not to be punished with excommunication,
do you think that one is then also a new creature before God, truly
according to his Father’s image, truly dead unto all sin? O no; I think
differently; and this through the grace of the Lord. But this is my
last time, to all appearance, and I also make no other calculation,
than to surrender my body from day to day for the testimony of the word
of our dear Lord, to suffer a little through his grace, and to strive
manfully, even unto death, yea, unto the death by fire, or whatever my
enemies will, as the Lord permits them. I have commended myself to the
Lord of my salvation and strength, and my helper in time of need.
O dear brother and sister in the Lord, I have written this letter, my
little gift, to you most beloved, with abundant tears, out of love. In
short, I beseech you, dear brother, and my cordially beloved sisters
in the Lord, from the depth of my soul, that you will everywhere with
one accord, bow your knees before God, and lift up holy hands to the
Lord, and entreat the almighty Father for me poor weak servant, that
he will give me strength, that I may finish it joyfully, to his holy
praise, and to my salvation, undismayed unto death, as I hope and
trust, without my knowledge. And it behooves you to write, according
to ancient, holy custom, that the strong pray for the weak, especially
in peril of death. I pray the almighty Lord according to my weak
ability for you dear brethren and sisters in the Lord, that he will
keep you that are still in a good state; and those who have erred or
sinned in anything, that they may truly confess their sins before
God, with weeping, and be converted in time. My cordially beloved
fellow believers and dear brethren and sisters in the Lord, I your
poor unworthy brother--yet through the grace of the Lord I hope to be
worthy--would have written you concerning what happened to me before
the lords; but I cannot put it all here, nor have I much to write
concerning it; for, after I had been confined for a week, they had me
brought above; then I confessed my faith; since that time I have had
very great conflict, and shall have as long as I am in this tabernacle.
I hope to write you more. Dear brethren, if you should find any words
that may lack a letter or two, or if the spelling or writing be bad,
excuse me, for my reason and memory have lately left me much, and this
through great sorrow, to state the reason is not necessary; but my mind
is firm and of good cheer in the Lord, and I am as courageous as a
young lion. I cannot thank the Lord enough for his great goodness which
he daily sends me, sometimes by great sorrow, and sometimes by great
joy, yea, that I at times think that I am in heaven; however, for the
most part I have tribulation, the Lord be thanked for it. Dear brethren
and sisters in the Lord, heartily pray the Lord for me; by the grace of
God I shall do likewise, according to my small ability.
Written by me at the Nimeguen in prison, where I unworthy one was
confined for the word of our dear Lord, which is tried and pure. The
almighty Lord mightily strengthen my mind by his grace, when I shall
have to render up my life, who have not the strength to finish it to
the praise of my Lord before wicked men. Adieu, my dear brethren and
sisters in the Lord. I bid you most beloved good night, to wait for you
all where I hope to get by the grace of the Lord, in the eternal joy.
JAN BLOCK.
HEYNDRICK VAN ECKELO, A. D. 1572.
In the year 1572 there was also imprisoned at Ghent in Flanders,
for the testimony of Jesus, a young man by the name Heyndrick the
Shoemaker, because he had turned his ear to the voice which calls,
saying: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her
sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18:4. Hence he
separated from Babylon, and united with Christ, in consequence of which
he was tried with very many odious and severe threats by the ministers
of Babylon or antichrist. But the trial of his faith, being thus
purified, was found much more precious than of gold which perisheth,
though it be tried with fire (1 Pet. 1:7); so that he patiently bore
all for the name of Jesus. And as no tortures could move him to
apostatize, for he was founded upon the rock, he was therefore put to
death with the sword at said place, in the Friday market, and thus died
steadfastly, and, through grace, obtained the crown of eternal glory,
and now rests under the altar, Christ Jesus.
This hero and warrior of Jesus Christ composed in his bonds the
beautiful hymn which is found in the Tafereel hymn-book, and commences
thus:
“Since nature this doth teach me.”
A YOUNG MAN FROM NIMEGUEN BURNT AT HERTOGENBOSCH, A. D. 1572.
After the offering up of the aforementioned friend of God, Jan Block,
a young man who maintained the truth of the slain martyr, and made the
same confession, traveled from Nimeguen to Hertogenbosch, but being
spied out, was apprehended by the Bailiff there, and taken to the place
where it was customary to imprison those that had forfeited their
heads, and securely confined there.
Not long after, the mint master of the city of Nimeguen, having heard
of it, came to Hertogenbosch, in order, if possible, to rescue and
ransom him from death, who was one of his faithful servants.
To this end he paid down to the Bailiff there a thousand florins,
thinking thereby to have made satisfaction and achieved his purpose:
but when the Bailiff had received this sum, he would not grant it,
declaring that the prisoner had to die nevertheless, according to the
imperial decree.
The result was, that shortly after his trial was concluded, his death
sentence was announced to him, namely, that he was to be executed with
fire, or burned in the market place; which was carried into execution
in said city, to the heartfelt sorrow of many spectators.
JAN WOUTERSS VAN KUYCK AND ADRIAENKEN JANS OF MOLENAERSGRAEF, BOTH
BURNT FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT DORTRECHT, A. D. 1572.
In the year of our Lord 1572, the lords of justice at Dortrecht in
Holland, laid their hands on two very meek and dear friends of God,
who followed their Savior, the slain Lamb of the cross, Jesus Christ,
and were not of the least of the members of the church of the Lord
scattered abroad in all countries, in showing forth, as lights in this
world, their eminent virtues among this evil and perverse generation.
They were both taken out of the fold like lambs for the slaughter, the
circumstances being as follows:
First, Adriaenken Jans’ daughter was suddenly apprehended. She resided
at Molenaersgraef, in the Papendrecht district; which was under the
jurisdiction of the city of Dortrecht, and because she was said to be a
heretic, she was seized and imprisoned in the Vuylpoort.
After that the plan was formed to capture Jan Wouterss van Kuyck, who
resided in the city, but frequently changed his abode, so as not to be
so easily recognized. To this end, the Bailiff, having learned where
he resided (namely, in the street leading to the Rietdijck, near the
New Gate, in a room which was reached from the street by a flight of
stairs), came with his beadles and unexpectedly, and without asking
anything, ascended the stairs, where Jan Wouterss met him just as he
opened the door. The Bailiff said, since he did not know him: “Does Jan
van Kuyck reside here?” to which this good, upright and very sincere
man, not willing to speak contrary to the truth, answered yes, adding
that it was he himself.
These words he spoke very loudly, in order that his dear wife, who was
back in the room, should hear it and flee, which she did: his only
daughter, however, a child of only about seven years, remained in the
room and saw her father apprehended, to which no attention was paid.
The ministers of justice immediately laid their hands upon this friend
of God, and forcibly bound him, whereupon he said: “O my lords, how
you bind me, as though I were a wicked man; however, you bind not me,
but yourselves.” Then a great lamentation arose among them; however,
they proceeded, and led him, as a defenseless lamb that is overcome by
wolves, from the Rietdijck to the Vuylpoort, about half an hour’s walk
through the city, where they put him into another cell than the one in
which Adriaenken Jans was confined, though within the same walls and
under the same roof of said prison.
In the meantime both had to suffer much temptation, according to the
body as well as in regard to the soul; several times they were severely
tortured, stripped and scourged, so that almost the entire city spoke
about their sufferings and misery, as Jan Wouterss subsequently also
indicated in one of his letters.
The papist clergy also assailed them much according to the soul, in
order to deprive them, by many wiles and snares, of the treasure
of a true faith; but they were not able to accomplish anything with
either of them; hence they [the two martyrs], were finally sentenced
to death in open court, to be executed with fire, on the water front
of the city, near a certain lime kiln, where now the new fortification
is, between the mill that stands upon the bastion, and the rampart;
however, with the condition, that Adriaenken Jans should not really die
by fire, but should prior to her burning be strangled at the stake,
which lesser penalty of death we do not find to have been executed on
Jan Wouterss.
In the meantime both prepared themselves for death with great desire
and inward joy, unable sufficiently to praise God that they had been
counted worthy to deliver up their bodies as a sacrifice for his holy
name’s sake.
When the hour of their departure had come, both were tied together;
however, they fell upon their knees, and quietly offered up, before
they were led forth, an earnest prayer to God the Lord, that he would
strengthen them in their impending suffering, to persevere unto the end.
Thereupon their mouths (for fear that they should speak something to
the people), were gagged with a piece of wood, or some other instrument
made for this purpose, and they were thus led from the prison which
presented a pitiful sight. Jan Wouterss, however, pulled out the piece
of wood, or instrument, with one hand, which it appears was not bound,
and cried with a loud voice: “O Lord, strengthen thy feeble servant:
and thy poor hand-maiden. It is for thy name’s sake that we have come
to this for which we have willingly prepared ourselves.”
When he had said this, one of his fellow-believers, whose heart, as it
seems, had been set aflame hereby mightily pressed his way through the
people, and coming before him, said: “Strive valiantly, dear brother,
you will suffer no more hereafter.”
Thereupon Jan Wouterss instantly pulled open his jacket and showed him
his breast bloody from the scourging inflicted upon him in prison and
said: “I already bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus;” and
he lifted up his eyes to heaven, looking longingly as it were to the
heavenly resting place.
In the meanwhile, before all this was properly noticed, because of the
surging crowd, said person went out of sight and disappeared among the
people; whereupon some of the servants of justice murmured and sternly
asked, where this man was. This occurred near the swine-market, close
by the New Haven.
They went on and soon arrived at the place of execution, where two
stakes stood erected near, and around which an innumerable multitude
was gathered.
Having arrived there, they ascended the height, or erected scaffold,
where they on their knees again quietly prayed to God, though Jan
Wouterss only was able to speak, since the mouth of Adriaenken Jans was
well gagged with the previously mentioned piece of wood, or instrument.
When they had risen, preparations were first made to strangle
Adriaenken Jans, whereupon she placed herself at the stake.
Then Jan Wouterss said: “This is the day of salvation.” But the under
bailiff, hearing this, sternly cried: “Be silent.” Thereupon Jan
Wouterss said: “Why should I keep silent; I certainly speak nothing
that is evil.”
In the meantime Adriaenken Jans was strangled, who, according to the
testimony of those who witnessed it, previous to her burning, remained
standing at the stake a little while, dressed in a red petticoat.
The servants of justice then turned to Jan Wouterss, who cheerfully,
yea, with a smiling countenance, placed himself at the other stake,
which stood close by, where he while being fastened to it, noticed that
some of his fellow-believers stood among the people, to see his end;
to whom, without naming any one, he cried aloud: “Adieu and farewell,
my dear brethren and sisters, I will herewith commend you to the Lord,
to the Lord who shed his blood for us.” With this he made haste and
prepared himself for death, commending his soul to God in these words:
“O God, who art my strength, I commend my spirit into thy hands.”