bonds in the Mersey, for the testimony of Jesus Christ, and from there
sentenced to death, to be burnt to ashes at the stake, whereunto we
have willingly prepared ourselves here, this 10th of April, A. D. 1575,
in London.
Further, we poor prisoners kindly ask, that you will accept in good
part our simple writing to your Honor: for the reason that we do this,
is because we are very sorry that your Honor is not well satisfied with
the simple answer made by us; which has caused us briefly to write your
Honor, in order that you may better understand and know what views we
have in regard to it. Hence we have also briefly written our confession
concerning it.
This is the confession of our faith of God our heavenly Father.
1. We believe in one only God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven
and of the earth, as is written, Gen. 1:1; in whom Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, and all the prophets believed. Heb. 11.
2. We further believe in Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father, who
was in the beginning with God. Mic. 5:2; John 1:1; 1 John 1:1. And when
the fullness of the time was come, which God had promised, this Word
became flesh, and was born of the house of David, Rom. 1:3, of the pure
virgin Mary, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David, who is blessed above all other women. We believe that this true
Son of God, by many signs and miracles which he did, proclaimed to us
the word of his Father. And after that he was delivered up to the Jews,
he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died and was buried. Matt. 27:1;
Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1; John 18.
3. We also believe that this same Jesus Christ is true God and man, and
suffered for our sins. Isaiah 53:5. And when we were his enemies, he
suffered a bitter death for us, that those who believe in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.
4. We also believe that this our Savior was raised up from the dead,
Matt. 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6; John 20:9, even as he had foretold.
Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9; Luke 9:22. And is sitting at the right hand of
his Father. Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55.
5. We furthermore believe in the Holy Ghost, even as is written, 1
John 5:7, saying that there are three that bear record in heaven: The
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.
6. We also believe in the communion of the saints, whose prayers avail
much for us, 1 John 1:3;[341] James 5:16. We also believe in a holy
church, in which are those who believe in Jesus Christ, who by one
Spirit are baptized into one body, even as Paul says, 1 Cor. 12:13.
And Jesus Christ is the head thereof, namely of the holy church, even
as it is written, Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18.
[341] In the margin.
We believe and confess, that this holy church has power to close and to
open, to bind and to loose, and whatever is bound upon earth is also
bound in heaven, and whatever is loosed upon earth is also loosed in
heaven, Matt. 16:18,19. We also believe that God has ordained in this
holy church, apostles, prophets and teachers, 1 Cor. 12:28, bishops and
deacons. 1 Tim. 3.
7. We believe in and confess also a baptism in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, even as the Lord Jesus Christ
commanded us and ordained (Matt. 28:19), and as the apostles practiced
(Acts 2:38), and as they wrote with regard to it (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor.
12:13; Galatians 3:27; Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21). And we believe that all
those that have received this baptism are members of the body of Jesus
Christ, in the holy church. 1 Cor. 12:13.
8. As further regards the holy Supper of Jesus Christ, we believe and
confess even as Christ said with reference to it, as is written, Matt.
26:26: As they were eating the supper, Jesus took bread, and gave
thanks, and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, and said: Take,
eat; this is my body. And he also took the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it to them, saying: Drink, and divide it among yourselves; for
this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins: this do in remembrance of me. Matt. 26:26; Mark
14:24; Luke 22:17,19. We believe as Paul declares, saying: The cup
of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body
of Christ? 1 Cor. 10:16. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:54.
9. We also confess and believe in a marriage state, as being an
ordinance of God, as we read, Gen. 2:24. A man and a woman joined
together in the name of the Lord, in the holy church. 1 Corinthians
7:2. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall
be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Eph, 5:31.
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God
hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matt. 19:6. For marriage
is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and
adulterers God will judge. Heb. 13:4.
10. We further believe and confess that magistrates are appointed and
ordained of God, Wis. 6:3; Sir. 17:17; Rom. 13:1, for the punishment
of the evil, and the protection of the good; to which magistrates
we desire from the heart to be obedient, even as is written (1 Pet.
2:13): “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s
sake. For they bear not the sword in vain. Rom. 13:4. And Paul further
teaches us, that, first of all, we are to make supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, for kings, and for all that are in
authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and honesty; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who will have all men to be saved. 1 Tim. 2:1. He further
teaches us, that one should be subject to principalities and powers,
obey magistrates, and be ready to every good work. Tit. 3:1. Hence
we would kindly beg your Majesty, that you would rightly understand
our meaning: that is, that we do not despise the august, noble, and
gracious Queen, and her wise council, but esteem Her Majesty worthy of
all honor, and we also desire to be subject to her in all that we can;
for we confess with Paul as stated above; for she is the minister of
God; and that whosoever resists this power resists the ordinance of
God; for rulers are not a terror to them that do good, but to those
that do evil. Hence we confess that we owe, and are ready to give, to
the secular power, custom, tribute, honor and fear, even as Christ
himself taught us, saying: “Render unto Cæsar the things which are
Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:21. Hence,
since she is a minister of God, we would kindly entreat Her Majesty,
that she would be pleased to show mercy to us poor prisoners, even as
the heavenly Father is also merciful to us.
We hereby do not consent at all to those who would resist the higher
powers, but confess with all our heart, that one must be obedient and
subject to them, as we have stated above.
11. Furthermore, to the question put to us, whether we would not be
willing to swear any oath, we reply: That we do not find ourselves
free in our conscience, that we may do this, because, as is written,
Christ says (Matt. 5:33): “Ye have heard that it hath been said by them
of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto
the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither
by heaven; for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth; for it is his
footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one
hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay:
for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Further, also James
teaches us (Jas. 5:12), saying: “But above all things, my brethren,
swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay. For these
reasons we dare in no wise swear.
12. We further believe in the resurrection of the dead, as is written
Isa. 26:19: Job 19:25; Daniel 12:2; John 5; 1 Cor. 15:12; 1 Thess.
4:16. That men shall rise from the dead in their own body, Job 19:26;
Isa. 26:19; 1 Cor. 15, when the Lord shall come in the clouds, with his
angels, when he shall judge every man according to his deeds, Matthew
25:31; Rom. 2:6.
13. We furthermore believe all that is contained in the holy
Scriptures, both in the Old and New Testament. And we poor prisoners
make humble entreaty, if we have in any wise done amiss to Her Majesty,
or her subjects, praying them, to forgive us for it, and be merciful
unto us, even as the heavenly Father is merciful; for we are a poor,
simple people, of humble knowledge and understanding, and we are sorry
that we cannot write more courteously. Hence we beg your Highness, that
your Majesty would accept our simple writing in good part.
Herewith we will commend your Royal Majesty to the Lord for this time;
the Lord be with you and us all. Amen.
Written in our imprisonment, in London, on the 21st of July, in the
year of our Lord 1575, by
HENDRICK TERWOORT, JAN PIETERS.
_A clear account of the foregoing matters is contained in the following
letter, written by one Jaques de Somere (a member of the Calvinistic
church, resident at that time in London), and sent to his mother,
Tanneken van der Varent, residing at Ghent, in Flanders; in which city
he subsequently became a pensionary, while the Reformed ruled at Ghent,
before the city was delivered up to the [Duke of] Parma, in the year
1584._
A LETTER FROM JAQUES DE SOMERE, SENT TO HIS MOTHER, AT GHENT.
Venerable and beloved mother, after most humbly commending myself to
you, please let me inform you, that we are well, God be praised, even
as we, not without great joy, learned from father’s letter, that this
is also the case with you. I dare say that I never read a letter from
my father without anxiety and fear, until the end of the same assures
me of your health, since I, aware of the weakness and infirmity of your
nature, and in constant dread, lest you might have fallen into some
severe sickness, which would cause me greater grief, than if I myself
were in the greatest distress and pain.
But God be praised for his goodness, that he does not visit you more
grievously, nor lay upon you a greater burden, than you, by his help
and the consolation of his word, and the hope of the life to come, are
able to bear; and permits me to enjoy the greatest joy which a good
child might wish in this world, namely, to see my father and mother
attain to a good old age, and bear me such solicitude, love and favor
as I could possibly expect from the most solicitous and benevolent
parents, for which I owe you eternal gratitude.
Further, my beloved mother, as regards the particulars of the execution
of the Anabaptists, though I doubt not but you have already heard much
concerning it from the accounts of others, and I do not like to write
of this matter, of which I can never think without great sadness;
yet, since you desire it of me, and I perhaps know more about it than
the common people, as I was often with them, and took a memorandum
of everything, I would not forbear to write you such information as
I have with regard to it; and I will also send you some copies of
their confession, upon which they died (though some of them are still
imprisoned), together with a supplication, which they presented to Her
Majesty, but which was not accepted.
The matter was as follows: On Easter-day, the 3d of April, A. D. 1575,
there were gathered in a house beyond Aldgate (on the way leading
to Mirror Court), thirty Anabaptists, men as well as women, for
the purpose of exhortation and prayer. But being discovered of the
neighbors, nearly all of them were led from there to prison, with so
few beadles, that part of them could easily have escaped, had they felt
free in their conscience to run. After they had fallen into the hands
of the magistrates, they were brought to the house of the bishop of
London, in order to be examined by him (through the mouth, however, of
the Dutch and French preachers, since the bishop did not understand
their language), concerning their faith, which they delivered in
writing, and which was of such a character, that it contained nothing
but what I myself would have dared subscribe to, excepting only the
article touching the oath, in which they openly confessed that they
believed that one might not swear in any wise.
Not satisfied with this confession, the bishop laid before them four
articles, which they were to sign, or, if they remained obstinate, be
burnt alive; declaring that he had received this commission from the
Court.
The articles were: 1. That they should desist from, renounce and
forsake all errors, sects and heresies of the accursed sect of the
Anabaptists, and confess that they had been seduced thereto by the
devil; and further believe and confess with heart and mouth, that
Christ had assumed his flesh and blood from the substance of the
flesh and blood of Mary. 2. That infants ought to be baptized. 3.
That a Christian might administer the office of magistracy. 4. That a
Christian might swear an oath.
Thereupon they replied that they could not believe this in their
consciences, and that they would hold to their first confession. Hence
they were from there conducted back to prison; but on the way ten or
twelve of them (seeing in what danger they were, and that they had a
good opportunity to escape, since only one or two beadles went with
them), escaped, all of whom, however, in a day or two, of their own
accord, returned to the prison, partly to release their bail, who were
bound in the sum of a hundred pounds; and partly, because the Bishop,
as a man of honor, promised them with an oath, that he should release
all of them together in four or five days, if they returned; if not, he
should keep the others in confinement till Christmas.
Shortly after, five of the men (through the much disputing of our
Netherlanders, who belonged to the [Calvinistic] church), before
they were condemned as heretics became converted. And yet they were
made to stand, in St. Paul’s church-yard, in a full assembly of many
thousand Englishmen, in front of the pulpit (mark), each with a fagot
on his shoulder, as a token that they had merited the fire; and much
other loss and ignominy was inflicted upon them, though the bishop had
promised them, that he should forthwith acquit them of everything, and
release them without any trouble, if they would only sign the four
articles; but the contrary was evident.
This occurred on the twenty-fifth day of May, A. D. 1575.
A few days afterwards, when the bishop saw that the rest would not
depart from their faith, he condemned them all to death, in the
ecclesiastical court in St. Paul’s church (where the papistic bishop in
Queen Mary’s time was wont to sentence the Christians), and delivered
them over to the secular judge, by whom the women, tied hand to hand,
were conducted to Newgate (which is the prison of those confined for
capital crimes); together with one of the men, whom they considered
to be the youngest and most innocent. But the rest of the men were
taken back to their old place of confinement of the bishop’s prison,
so that it was thought that the women were to be executed first, even
as they also daily came and threatened them, holding up death before
their eyes, if they should not renounce; so that for five or six days
they suffered great distress and temptation, expecting from day to
day to be burnt, and this was done even on the very day when their
sentence of banishment had arrived from the Court; for at ten o’clock
in the evening the Bailiff and his beadles came into prison, to make an
inventory of all their property, and to apprise them, that they should
prepare themselves to die the next day, which he did, in order to see
whether none of them would renounce through fear. But when he saw that
they all remained steadfast, he announced to them, that the Queen would
show them mercy, and only banish them from the country, and cause the
youth to be scourged behind a cart.
Thus, within five or six days afterwards, fourteen women or
thereabouts, were conducted, by the officers of justice, from the
prison which stands near St. Martin’s Church, to St. Catharine’s
on ship board, and the youth was scourged behind a cart that went
immediately in front; and thus all were banished from the country, on
pain of death, and they are now residing in Holland and Zealand.
A few days afterwards, the five men who were still confined in the
bishop’s prison were likewise sentenced by the bishop, and brought
to Newgate, where one of them, through the poverty and hardship of
the severe confinement, died in prison. The others, fearing that the
extreme penalty should be inflicted upon them, since they had so
rigorously dealt even with the women; and hearing that the Queen and
the entire council were so incensed against them, that hardly any
one dared intercede for them, because of an evil report that they
denied God and Christ, and rejected all government and authority of
magistrates and higher powers as ungodly and unchristian; ventured to
present a supplication, together with their confession concerning the
four articles that had been laid before them (copies of which I send
here), to Her Majesty, who was so incensed against them that she would
not even receive it, but severely reprimanded the maids of honor who
presented it to her, as they themselves reported to those that had
delivered it to them.
When they saw this they changed said articles and supplication to some
extent and delivered it to My Lord of Bodley, who, having conferred
with the bishop about the matter, returned them the following day with
the answer that he was sorry for their sakes, but that there was no
hope at all of mercy, except they were willing to sign the articles,
and renounce their heresy. In the meantime, the bishop, in behalf of
Her Majesty, issued several articles, one of which was That a Christian
magistrate might punish obstinate heretics with the sword; commanding
all strangers to subscribe to the same, or if not, to give sufficient
bail that whenever it shall please the bishop they will appear before
him and the Queen’s commissioners, to be more fully examined and
punished according to the finding. Hence, nearly all the strangers,
more through fear than otherwise, signed the same, except some who
would rather be in danger, than, against their conscience, sanction, by
their handwriting, the killing of the poor people; how it will end with
them, is not yet known.
Shortly after, an order from the Court came to the sheriff or bailiff
of London, that he should execute the oldest two, according to their
sentence. One of them named Jan Pieterss, was a poor man, more than
fifty years of age, with nine children. His first wife had previously
likewise been burnt for her religion, here in Ghent in Flanders. And
he was now married to a woman whose husband had also previously been
burnt at Ghent for his religion. Hence both, on account of persecution,
had fled to England, thinking that they should be able to live there
without peril in the liberty of their conscience. All this he stated to
the bishop, and asked for mercy to leave the country with his wife and
children; but it was not granted him.
The other, named Hendrick Terwoort, was a handsome, wealthy man of
thirty-five or six years, a goldsmith by trade, and had only been
married eight or ten weeks previous to his apprehension.
These two, as no disputing of the Dutch and French preachers could
move them to subscribe the articles, but were much rather confirmed in
their views through the cruelty and unchristian proceeding of those
who boast themselves of the gospel and the true faith, notwithstanding
that many Englishmen as well as Dutchmen solicited pardon for them,
were, nevertheless, the 22d of July, at six o’clock in the morning;
in Smithfield (where they formerly used to burn persons belonging to
our religion) most miserably burnt alive at a stake, till consumed to
ashes, without any strangling or gun-powder, according to the custom
of the country, on the Friday after that on the preceding Tuesday the
stake had been erected. I doubt not but that the Queen consented to it
with reluctance, but was persuaded thereto by some papists or other
perverse persons and enemies of the truth, of whom there are many here;
who made her believe that the Anabaptists (which religion is unknown
to this nation), not only deny God and Christ; and thus overthrow the
salvation of souls, but that they also reject all secular politics,
laws and authorities, and instigate the people to sedition and
rebellion, teaching that the office of the magistracy is ungodly and
unchristian, whereby mostly, I doubt not, she became incensed against
them, so that she would not even receive their supplication.
May the Lord forgive those who were the cause and authors of this, and
so greatly slandered these poor people before Her Majesty, as you may
judge from this their confession, which they subscribed in my presence,
with their own hands: which though it does not satisfy me in every
respect, and I greatly fear that they labor under a misapprehension
as regards the point of Christ’s first conception and the origin of
his flesh; yet, since they with expressed words confess in a Christian
manner, and have often orally confessed in my presence, that Christ is
true God and true man, like unto us in flesh and blood and all other
things, except sin alone; I am so far from deeming them worthy of any
capital punishment, that I would not hesitate to recognize them as
brethren and do not doubt their salvation, provided they have feared
the Lord, and walked before him in a good conscience; for our God is
a merciful and gracious God, who does not condemn men for this or
that misapprehension and error, but much rather graciously forgives
their weakness and infirmity, for his Son Christ Jesus’ sake, if it
does not arise from stubbornness, but from pure ignorance, even as
Paul says of himself, that he obtained mercy with God, because he had
sinned ignorantly (1 Timothy 1:13); and the error does not concern the
fundamental doctrines of the faith, but the accessories of it, as is
the case with these Anabaptists.
As regards the two young men that are still left, they continue as firm
and steadfast as ever, and daily expect to have the same punishment
inflicted upon them.
Lucas and I sought, if it were possible, to help them out of prison
(four days after the others had been executed), and had with much
talking brought the matter so far that they subscribed the confession
(a copy of which I herewith send you), hoping that the bishop should
be satisfied with it; who, when he had read it, found it good enough,
but would nevertheless not accept it graciously, except they would
subscribe the first four articles without any contradiction, and
unite with the Dutch church, which they had resolved not to do, even
though they were entirely and in every respect of our belief because
they would thereby have to condemn the two executed, and all others
of their fellow-believers (who died or still live in the same faith),
and confess that they had been led into damnable heresy by the devil,
the spirit of lies and error, in which they say that they, in their
consciences, in no wise believe, but that they are much more assured of
their salvation in Christ, who is true God and true man, and because
they would greatly offend God, as they say by saying all these things
against their conscience.
Hence there is nothing known but that they will have to suffer the same
punishment which their associates suffered; and this the more, because
they attempted to break out of prison, by filing off an iron bar from a
window, for which reason they are now also fettered much more heavily
than ever before, and should consider themselves fortunate, if they,
the sooner the better, could be released through death from the great
poverty and misery of the imprisonment, since they are both confined
apart, so that they cannot comfort each other, and no one may come
there and speak to them, on pain of being held himself.