The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians / who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their savior, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660

by Thieleman J. van Braght

EXTRACT FROM THE COURT RECORDS OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL MATTERS OF THE CITY OF ANTWERP.

The bailiff vs. Olivier Wilhemssen, of Nimeguen, since he has dared attend divers forbidden conventicles, to sell books that are proscribed, and to have himself, in said forbidden conventicles, rebaptized, though he received baptism in his infancy, all of which is contrary to the prohibitions and decrees of His Majesty; concludit capitaliter, that the defendant be punished according to the aforesaid decrees, the defendant having openly confessed that with which he was charged by the Bailiff. Judicatum, that the plaintiff have his full demand granted.

This copy having been compared, by us the undersigned, secretary of the city of Antwerp, with the aforesaid court records, is found to accord with it.

Ph. Valckenissen.

The words, concludit capitaliter, translated into Dutch [English], means substantially, that the bailiff demands [the prisoner’s] life and property forfeited in his behalf. The word judicatum means, that the lords pass sentence. This certifies the same.

Ph. Valckenissen.

Note.—I have another authentic copy of this demand made by the Bailiff of the judges, against Oliver Willemss, on which is inscribed in the margin, Executio: as though it were said: Execute, or punish, him according to your demand, that is, burn him alive, for this was the punishment of steadfast Anabaptists, according to the imperial decree; upon which the Bailiff had founded his demand.

JACOB THE COBBLER AND HIS WIFE, GRIETJEN VAN BRUYSSEL, ANNEKEN VAN BRUYSSEL, TANNEKEN WALRAVEN, A. D. 1575.

In the year 1575, on the eve of Whitsuntide, there were also burnt alive, with their tongues screwed fast, at Antwerp, in Brabant, the following witnesses of Jesus: Jacob the Cobbler and his wife; Grietjen van Bruyssel, a widow; Anneken van Bruyssel, a young maiden; and Tanneken Walraven, the mother of Jacques Walraven, of Amsterdam. These died together, except the wife of Jacob the Cobbler, who, being enciente, had to wait until her delivery, and thus following the footsteps of her husband, she willingly delivered up her life for the testimony of Jesus.

Every reader ought further to notice, how directly these papists followed the footsteps of the envious and truth-hating scribes and Pharisees, who stopped their ears, that they should not hear the words of truth which were declared to them by that faithful witness of God, Stephen. So did also these scribes, with still greater tyranny deal with these friends of God, taking instruments invented for this purpose by the monks, in which they screwed fast the tongues of these prisoners, to deprive them of the power of speech, that they, on their way to death, should not be able to proclaim to the by-standing people the truth from the word of God, and the innocence of their death. How will these persecutors answer for their course before the judgment-seat of Christ, who knowing that Christ pronounced so many woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, who killed and stoned the prophets sent to them, nevertheless followed their works; hence they may expect the same reward from the righteous Judge, who shall reward every one according to his works.