Maerten and Beliken van der Straten.
WILLEM DE RIJCKER, AND CHRISTOFFEL FIERENS, A. D. 1572.
At Meenen, in Flanders, on the 5th of December, A. D. 1572, there were sentenced to death as heretics, two pious witnesses of God, named Willem de Rijcker and Christoffel Fierens. When they were brought out to die, they came fearlessly, like two sheep for the slaughter. A brother said to Willem: “Dear brother, strive valiantly for the truth.” And a sister also cried: “O yes, dear brethren, strive valiantly.” Christoffel said: “O men, think of your salvation; for this is the way of truth unto life.” They were quickly conducted to the hut, without being able to speak much; but they cried to God for help and assistance, and said: “What we suffer is for the right truth.” Christoffel also said: “Sell your clothes, and buy Testaments; attend therein to the words of God: for therein you will find life; and fear not them that kill the body, but fear him that hath power to cast soul and body into hell.” He also thanked God, that he had permitted him to see this day, for which he had so greatly longed, and said further: “These members, which thou, O Lord hast given me, I will gladly deliver up again for thy doctrine.” Willem said: “I have been in many perils by sea and by land, and God has always helped me; hence I trust that he will also not leave me in this extremity, but succor me unto death.” They then offered up their prayer to God, in which they said with Stephen: “O Lord, forgive them what they do unto us, and do not lay this sin to their charge.” Willem then said: “I have now with Paul fought a good fight, kept the faith, finished my course,” etc. Finally they cried: “O heavenly Father, into thy hands we commend our spirits.” Many other words were spoken, which have partly been forgotten, and it would also take too long to write them all. The executioner then asked, whether they were ready; whereupon Christoffel replied: “Yes, my dear friend.” While Christoffel was being strangled, Willem cried: “O dear friends, my brother is now forbidden to speak.” After that he cried once more to the Lord, and then also inherited the crown of life. Thus did these two die for the name of the Lord, being first strangled, and then burnt, after Willem had been confined in prison for more than twenty-two months; and thus they became heirs of the promised land, in which all those that here lay down their lives for the word of God shall find it again.
During the time that Willem was imprisoned, one Cornelis van Eeckhoute was burgomaster at Meenen, who would very gladly have seen him released; he therefore sought to persuade the priest and others, that he [Willem] was half-witted, whereupon Willem was examined once, and his views asked respecting purgatory. Willem answered that he had once lived in a convent, where on Saturday always meat and other things were cooked for Sunday, and that the monks, sweeping together the fire by which they had cooked, called it purgatory.[335] Then the burgomaster said: Do you see my lords, by this you may perceive that the man is only half-witted, for these are not the words of a reasonable man. But Willem said that he did not want to be released from prison as half-witted, but that they should ask him concerning his faith, and that he should confess it to them reasonably enough. Thereupon he had to remain in confinement, and was finally, as already stated, sentenced to death, this burgomaster pronouncing the sentence. This man, some time after, driven away through war, fled to Bruges, where he, however rich he was, had to live very frugally, and nearly all the time borrow money to defray his household expenses, which when it became too great a vexation for him, he resolved to go home to Meenen, but he died very suddenly on the way.
JAN SMIT, A. D. 1572.
About the year 1572 there was also another pious, godfearing brother, named Jan Smit, a native of the county of Marck, but at that time residing in North Holland, near Munnekendam; he was afterwards brought a prisoner to Munnekendam, for the testimony of Jesus. But when after a certain time Munnekendam was taken by the Protestants, he was released by one of their captains. When subsequently engaged in a boat, on the Zuyder Zee, he was again apprehended by a Spanish captain, and brought to Amsterdam. There he remained in confinement, until it was determined, that these prisoners should be used as oarsmen on the Haarlem Lake, against those of Haarlem. But when this pious Jan Smit came to the place where he was to row, he declared that he did not feel free in his conscience, thus to row, seeing he had no enemies; they might deal with him according to their pleasure. Thereupon he was brought into the camp before Haarlem, where he was sharply examined in the faith, and found to be of the Mennonistic religion. And as examinations and severe threats could not move him to apostatize, since he was founded upon the firm Rock, and therefore overcame all by faith, Don Frederick, son of the Duke of Alva, sentenced him, there to be suspended by one leg to the gallows, which was done, till death ensued. And thus this hero and soldier of Jesus Christ, by saving faith, overcame the world, sin, flesh and blood, and all tyrants, and, through God’s grace, obtained the crown of eternal glory.
This account we received from old Simon Fijtsoon, teacher [minister?] and elder of the church of Tessel. He declares that this Jan Smit was his special friend.
PIERIJNTGEN LOOSVELDT, OR NECKERS, A. D. 1572.
At the close of the year 1572, there was apprehended at Meenen, in Flanders, for the truth and the word of God, a spinster, about forty-three years old, named Pierijntgen Loosveldt, or Neckers. While kindly ministering to a sick person, she was walking out at a certain time, when she met the chief Bailiff, Joncker Jan de Carmago, who apprehended her, and asked where she resided. She pleasantly replied that she did not live very far off, and gave him the fairest words, in order to be released. But it was all of no avail; she had to go to prison, and on the second day, when she had not had much time for consideration, she was summoned before the lords, and examined concerning her faith, which she freely confessed.
In the first place she was accused that she had attended improper assemblies, contrary to the Emperor’s decree. But Pierijntgen held that she had used diligence to follow Christ, and to shun the evil, and to go out from them, and join the good, knowing that Christ says: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:20. And these assemblies she could not forsake, though it should cost her her life.