In the year 1562, a man named Jan Grendel, from Kortrijck, in Flanders, came from Oudewater to Goes, and was the same evening on which he arrived in town apprehended by bailiff Vijtwijck, who, upon having taken him to his house, interrogated him concerning his faith, of which he made open confession, whereupon he was put in prison, where he lay for about a year. Bailiff Vijtwijck having, for maladministration, been deposed from his bailiwick, another named Floris Schaeck, stepped into this office, and under the latter, Jan, after many solicitations and sufferings, was publicly burnt, or put to death, in the market place, for his faith, in Lent of the year 1562.
FRANCIS VAN DER SACH AND ANTHONY WELSCH, A. D. 1562.
In the year 1562 brother Francis van der Sach, a native of Rovigo in Italy, and minister of the word of God (still on trial) and one who had been sent with him, named Anthony Welsch, were apprehended at Capo d’ Istria, about one hundred Italian miles from Venice, as they were about to return to the church in Germany, accompanied by a large number of people, who, however, were not taken along, but suffered to go. Francis was ironed on his feet like a malefactor, and they were separately confined. There at Capo d’ Istria they tempted and assailed them in a satanic manner, as they are accustomed to do at such times, and they employed all their might to entrap them into their snares, in order to cause them to stumble, and to make them despond and apostatize from God; especially was Francis severely assailed; but they valiantly resisted it all. Having been heard and examined at Capo d’ Istria concerning everything, they were left in confinement yet for three days, ironed hand and foot, and then sent to Venice. On this voyage they lay still for three days and nights, on account of the tempestuous sea, in the meantime comforting each other, and admonishing one another to constancy or steadfastness, so that it seemed as though they scarcely felt the pains resulting from the iron fetters and from other causes, which nevertheless hurt them greatly day and night.
Arriving at Venice the first day of September of said year, they were immediately separately confined in the dark dungeons of the chief senators, where they lay for a whole month, when they were brought before three Venetian secular, and also several so-called spiritual, lords, who sat there in great pomp, most magnificently arrayed, and they asked brother Francis, whether he still adhered to the belief which he had indicated to the examiners and lords who had examined him at Capo d’ Istria in regard to his doings, and whether he still held it to be the truth. He said to them: “I hold it to be the truth, and it is the truth.”
They then asked him whether he believed all that the holy, Catholic, apostolical, Christian church believes. He replied: “As far as the faith is concerned, I believe every article of the apostolical Christian faith.” They then asked him also concerning baptism, the sacrament, confession, and many other things; but when he thoroughly answered everything, they urged him very hard, berating him most severely, and then remanded him to prison. They also examined brother Anthony, who likewise made a good confession of faith to them.
Shortly after, they examined Francis again, especially in regard to infant baptism, but did not accomplish their purpose. After this, they had them brought before them several times yet, and argued with them. They also sent monks to them, who when they replied to their questions, continually called them heretics and gainsayers of so many councils, and said that if they would not desist, they should have to die, and with this they had them taken back to prison.
Soon after the lords again sent a monk, an inquisitor, to them, who was to speak with them concerning the faith. He first asked them whether they belonged to the transmontane church. Francis replied: “Yes.” Thereupon the monk said: “This is the first error;” and asked whether he had also broken bread with them. Francis answering in the affirmative, the monk said: “This also is an error.” And thus he spoke with regard to everything; no matter what they answered, the monk always said that they were heretics and deceivers.
The monk also said: “Tell me, who is the head of the church?” Francis replied: “Christ.” The monk said: “This, too, is an error.” Then Francis said: “You call us heretics, but you yourself are a heretic, and not we, for Christ is certainly the head of his church.” But the monk said: “The Pope is the head here on earth.” Francis said: “A body with two heads is a hideous thing.” Thereupon the monk again began to call him a heretic, and to admonish to him to desist. But brother Francis told him that he could not desist before he should have proved this to him by the holy Scriptures. The monk said: “We are not bound to prove this to you by the Scriptures.” They were then taken back to prison, where Francis put his confession and defense in writing, and delivered it.
After this, they lay in prison for a long time yet, in all about two years, always steadfastly continuing, in many disputations, in the truth confessed, which they had accepted, and were then sentenced to death, and, in the year 1564, cast into the sea, at Venice, and drowned. But the sea will have to give up her dead at the judgment day of the Lord, when such murderers of the pious will be dearly requited, and will see with great terror, how heinous an offense against God it is, thus to touch his believers. See Zech. 2:8; Acts 9:5.