NOTE—The very severe decree of Emperor Charles V., made in September A. D. 1550, and renewed and confirmed six years afterwards by Philip II., King of Spain, against the Baptists (as we have circumstantially shown for the year 1556), was now, A. D. 1560, again renewed by said Philip II., and proclaimed everywhere in the Netherlands. See aforementioned defense of William I., Prince of Orange, against his adversaries, edition 1569, page 165, extracted from the large book of decrees of Ghent, etc.
It appears that in consequence thereof the bloodshedding, slaying and burning of the saints increased the more, as is evident from the following martyrs.
ANTHONIS CLAES, JORIS TIELEMAN, AND HANS DE BACKER, A. D. 1560.
In the year 1560 three brethren, named Anthonis Claes, Joris Tieleman, and Hans de Backer, were apprehended, examined and tortured; but they adhered unswervingly to their faith and the truth they had learned and accepted, and thus walked in the narrow path to the new Jerusalem; wherefore they were condemned to death by the enemies of the truth, and drowned in a tub. But even as they had to drink in the temporal death, so eternal life will be poured out to them by God.
PETER OF SPAIN, GOMER THE MASON, AND JACOB THE GOLDSMITH, A. D. 1560.
In the same year three other pious brethren sealed the truth with their death at Antwerp. One of them was Peter, a Spaniard, to whom, a few years previously, while yet in Spain, a brother from Amsterdam, named Jacob Jans Ruytenburgh, had spoken, and conversed with him different times about God and his word. He finally came with the brother, by ship, to Antwerp, leaving his wife and children at St. Lucas, with the intention of returning to them after a while, or to come and get them. After his arrival at Antwerp, he, through ignorance, was at first shunned by the brethren, who feared treachery, since he was a Spaniard; however, upon sufficient examination and instruction, he was admitted not only to the assembly, but also as a brother and fellow-member of the church of God, and received baptism upon confession of his faith, which he truly and frankly declared before the congregation. Shortly after, when he was about to return to Spain, to gain his wife and children, as also, some of his friends and acquaintances, and to bring them to the true knowledge of the truth, he was apprehended by the Margrave, who was himself astonished to have a Spaniard fall into his hands. He was kept imprisoned for a long time, and the Spaniards took great pains with him; but he, orally as well as in writing, clearly demonstrated the truth to them, in his own language, notwithstanding which they sought to induce him to apostatize. But as nothing could move him, remaining steadfast, he finally boldly sealed the truth and his love to God with his death, with Gomer the mason and Jacob the goldsmith, who were together drowned in a tub, for the name of Christ.
DEAF BETGEN, BETGEN OF GHENT, AND LIJSKEN SMITS, A. D. 1560.
A. D. 1560, also three imprisoned sisters, namely, Deaf Betgen, Betgen of Ghent, and Lijsken Smits, were sentenced to death and drowned in a tub, in the city of Antwerp, because they could not be brought from the truth and the love of their Savior.
LENAERT PLOVIER, JANNEKEN AND MAEYKEN OF AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, A. D. 1560.
There was a pious man named Lenaert Plovier, about thirty-six years of age, who was a native and resident of Meenen, in Flanders, and by occupation a woolen-draper; and as he was a man of good report among all, he was elected appraiser of woolen cloths.