Part 211
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.”
Then fire was set to the wood piled around him, and this friend of God was burned, alive, as it appears, with his dead sister, to the great sorrow of many that stood around and were filled with commiseration at the sight of it.
This was the end of these two dear favorites of the Lord, of whom no one spake any evil (touching their life), but whom every one praised on account of their virtuous walk.
FURTHER OBSERVATION CONCERNING THE DEATH OF JAN WOUTERSS VAN KUYCK AND ADRIAENKEN JANS OF MOLENAERSGRAEF.
When said two persons were led forth to death, the hall bell was rung (as was generally done at executions that took place in the name of the city), in consequence of which a great concourse of the common people gathered to the place of execution.
The gates of the city were closed, or at least guarded, that no one could get out or in, except with the consent of those who kept watch there, and their names were written down after they had stated whence they came, and whither they were bound.
When they had arrived at the place of execution, which was on the northwest side of the city, close by the water’s edge, and had ascended the height, or scaffold, some among the bystanders called to these two valiant persons with a good intention, and comforted them, because of their courage, in their impending death. Jan Wouterss turned to them and exhorted them to amend their life, and to accept the true faith, declaring that they both were of good cheer and longed for this holy sacrifice.
Thereupon he was harshly reproved by the under bailiff, which displeased many, notwithstanding they had not attained to the true enlightenment.
Both of them were then stripped of their upper garments and also of their shoes, which were thrown among the common people, but picked up and taken away by a certain brother named Dirck Wouterss.
Forthwith Adriaenken Jans was first placed at the stake, and strangled without delay, seeing which and recognizing her, a certain sister of the church, whose name is well known, and who had come in the market-boat from Rotterdam, fainted away, and was therefore not able to witness the subsequent death of Jan Wouterss.
This took place as already stated. In the meantime the hall bell was still rung, until about the time that the (so-called) justice was finished.
NOTE.--We went to no little trouble to obtain at the archives of this city of Dortrecht, the old records of their examinations and death sentences, but were not able to procure them, as they are no longer extant; they were also, as it appears, never put on record in the ordinary’s book of criminal sentences, which we searched for this purpose. It is our opinion that these sentences were simply put on loose sheets of paper and thus read in court and then destroyed, so that no remembrance of it should remain, as it seemed that the city should soon change her government and religion, as actually took place about three months afterwards, through the arrival of William I., Prince of Orange.
Nevertheless, we are not without other legal testimony in regard to this matter.
Johan van Beverwijck, first physician and judge of the city of Dortrecht, writes concerning it, in the history attached to his description of Dortrecht, in the Dort edition, p. 348, for the year 1572, as follows: