MAERTEN BOSSIER SUFFERED, A. D. 1558.
About the same time there was apprehended at Werwijck, in Flanders, for the truth, one brother Maerten Bossier, who, after much temptation and trial, also had to suffer temporal death (by burning); but now the second death shall have no power over him.
ABSALOM VAN TOMME, OR THE SINGER, A. D. 1558.
All that would follow Christ, must take his cross upon them; this was experienced by one brother Absalom van Tomme, or the Singer, who was apprehended for the truth, at Kortrijck, in Flanders, in the year 1558. After he had been examined, and had made confession of his faith, he was severely assailed with threats and tortures, in order to cause him to apostatize; but he remained steadfast in everything, and firmly trusted in God, so that he was sentenced to death, and burned, showing himself a good disciple or servant of Christ, who did not wish to be above his Master, but like him, namely, to suffer with him, in order to enter into the kingdom of God, even as Christ had to suffer, to enter into his glory.
WILLEM VAN HAVERBEKE, A. D. 1558.
Willem van Haverbeke also not only suffered persecution for the name of the Lord, but also suffered himself to be apprehended, and to be led before lords and princes, where he freely confessed his faith, and steadfastly continued in the same, no amount of suffering, pain or torment being sufficient to cause him to apostatize, so great was the love of God shed abroad in his heart; hence he was finally condemned, and confirmed the same with his death, at Kortrijck, in Flanders, in the year 1558.
DANIEL VERKAMPT, A. D. 1558.
About this time, also a young man named Daniel Verkampt, after suffering much persecution, was apprehended at Kortrijck, in Flanders, for living truly according to the word of God. Being sharply examined by the deans of Ronse and Polet, he willingly and freely confessed his faith, and said that he would firmly adhere to it even unto death; but of his fellow-believers he would betray no one.
Thereupon Ronse and Polet summoned the mother of this young man before them. She was a little old woman, and walked with a staff. When she appeared before them, they told her with severe words, that according to the imperial decree she had forfeited life and property, for having harbored her son, whom they had found to be a heretic.
To this she meekly replied: “My lords, shall I forfeit life and property, for having now and then given shelter to my own son in his distress—whom I carried under my heart, brought forth in pain, and nourished in affliction—when he is neither a thief nor a rogue, but is called the most excellent young man of our village; and this merely because you say that he is a heretic? I think that if the Emperor were present, from whom you say you have a decree, he would say that you abuse his decree against me, and he would commend me, that the mother’s heart was moved with compassion for her child, that has never merited anything else. Truly, my lords, this is contrary to your proper wisdom and urbanity; for, know, that if in that hour when you came to apprehend him, I could have concealed him from you in my body, by carrying him again for nine months, giving him birth, and raising him, as I have done once, God knows how gladly I would have done it.” This she said with such pathos, that all the lords who were present and sat in court declared her innocent, and said that she had not acted contrary to the nature of a true mother’s heart; and hence the mother was set at liberty, but the son had to purchase with fire the constancy of his faith, and the love of God, with which he was inflamed, and was burnt for the testimony of Jesus Christ, who will make him free forever.