Ans. “My baptism I hold to be good and right; but your adjuration I do not regard.”
They then read to me the names and surnames of all that had been baptized with me and said: “Assuerus has confessed it to us.” I then said: “It is true.”
Ques. “Who baptized you?”
Ans. “It does not behoove me to tell.”
Ques. “We shall make you tell.”
Ans. “My flesh is before you; do with it as you please.”
WILLEM THE CABINET-MAKER, BEHEADED IN CLEVES; WINDEL RAUENS ALSO PUT TO DEATH THERE, A. D. 1551.
(Copied from an old Writing[255])
Willem, the cabinet-maker, resided in Weesz, a village belonging to the country of Cleves; he was a very peaceable and pious man, who on account of the Christian faith had to leave his native country, and when he would not conform to the world, he was brought prisoner from Weesz to Cleves, and having there been imprisoned for about a year, finally beheaded. He wrote several letters from prison.
When Willem the cabinet-maker was to be condemned by the judges at Cleves, Claes Meselaer, one of them, would not sit in the court to condemn him, but pretended sickness and went to bed. The Burgomaster, therefore, with the six judges, came to his bedside, to obtain his assent to the sentence. He said he did not want to condemn so pious a man. Thereupon the Burgomaster said; “By this you will incur the great displeasure of our gracious Prince and lord.” Claes replied “I will rather incur the displeasure of Duke William, than of the Most High.” “Then I will take it upon myself,” said the Burgomaster, who was afterward visited by the avenging hand of the Lord, so that he was tormented by lice, and lost his speech for a time, and thus died in great misery. But Claes Meselaer resigned his office of judge, and died a brother in the church. Besides him, another brother, named Windel Rauens, was put to death at Cleves; who like the aforesaid, exchanged his life for death, after he had commended his soul into the hands of God.