Thieleman J. van Braght · 92 of 210

Old Book of the Martyrs Mirror · Part 30

The priest was disconcerted, and said: "Tell us the truth about your church; for no one knows where to find it; if it were good, it would certainly come to the light; you people have neither head nor authority, nor do you know one another; this is a strange thing." Claes. "Paul teaches us in his epistle to the Ephesians, concerning the true church, which Christ has presented to Himself, that it is glorious, holy and without blemish, without spot or wrinkle; that they are baptized together into one Spirit, and into one body, the head of which is Christ, and are joined together as members of His body. These have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father, of us all, who is through us all, and in us all. This is the true temple of God, in which dwells the Spirit of God. This church Christ has bought and redeemed with His blood." Eph. 5:27; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5, 6; I Cor. 6:19, 20; I Pet. 1:19. Priest. "Did not Christ redeem all men, but only these?" Claes. "It is written in divers places, that the unbelieving shall be damned; how then will the death of Christ benefit them? or what will it avail.them that Christ died? It is to be feared that they will regret it, that Christ died. But those who have believed in the Word of the Lord, and followed it, they are the ones who will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and triumph with the Lord on mount Zion, who have death, devil, hell and the world under their feet, though the world in her frenzy hastens to tear, devour and destroy them. If they were of the world, the world would love them; but because they are not of the world, therefore the world hates them, as Christ said." John 15:19. Priest. "You people don't believe that Christ is God and man." Claes. "I believe that Christ is true God and man." Priest. "Do you not believe that Christ is man from Mary's flesh?" Claes. "No; for if He had become man from. Mary's natural flesh and blood, He must have had His beginning with Mary; but it is written that He has neither beginning of days, nor end of life. Heb. 7:3. And the Word would not have become flesh, if He had assumed flesh from Mary; nor would He have come in the flesh, as John declares; but He would have come from the flesh, had He assumed it from Mary. John 1:14; II John 7. And it is written: `He that confesseth not that Christ is come in the flesh, is that spirit of antichrist.' I John 4:3. And if He were such a carnal man, He could not have ascended to heaven; for it is written (I Cor. 15:50) that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God." Priest. "Still, did not the angel Gabriel say to Mary

'Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son?' " Luke 1:31; Isa. 7:14. Claes. "Well, understand the word rightly; for he said: 'Thou shalt conceive, and bring forth;' now, what Mary conceived, could not grow from her." Priest. "What word became flesh?" Claes. "The same word of which John testifies to us, in his first epistle, saying

`That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested.' I John 1:1; John 9:37; 20:27. What else do you want to know?'.' Priest. "Where did Christ assume His flesh, in heaven, or on earth?" Claes. "That which I cannot prove with Scriptures, I will not say." Priest. "Don't you believe anything but what is written?" Claes. "No." Priest. "You certainly believe that you have a soul; but what do you know as to what your soul is, how large, how long, how wide, or of what color it is?" Claes. "What does that concern me? my salvation does not lie in that." Priest. "You believe that the dead will rise; but how can any one comprehend that what has perished will rise and become alive?" Claes. "I am well satisfied with the explanation Paul has written," I Cor. 15. Priest. "Do you not .believe that Mary is mother and virgin?" Claes. "Yes." The priest smote his hand upon the table, drew himself up to his full height, and said: "This you cannot prove to me; we find nothing of this kind written in the Scriptures." Claes. "The prophet Isaiah prophesied that He should be born of a virgin. Isa. 7:14. Again, when Gabriel said to Mary: 'Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son;' Mary answered: `How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?'" Luke 1:31, 34. Priest. "Yes, thus you may glean it here and there; but that she remained virgin until her death?" Claes. "This I do not say." Priest. "That is what I mean. And what do you think of the Supper? do you not believe that when Christ took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, saying

`Take, eat; this is my body;' He gave them His natural flesh and blood?" Claes. "No." Priest. "Did He not say; `Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you?' And did He not say that this was the true heavenly bread, which came down from heaven?" John 6:53, 51. Claes. "The bread of which Christ speaks (John 6), is this the bread which you give the people to eat, namely, which you people call the sacrament?" Priest. "Yea, it is the same which He left us." Claes. "According to this, then, no one will .be damned of all those that eat of it; for Christ said: `If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; but now everyone comes, whores, knaves, thieves, murderers, of whom it is written that they shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.' " Gal. 5:21. Priest. "They have sorrow for their sins, before they receive it; and the Lord said: `If the sinner sighs over his transgression, I will remember it no more forever."' Ezek. 18:21.

In regard to this we had much discussion; but it is too long to write. At last I asked the priest, whether he believed that when he takes the host into his mouth, he receives Christ's body, in flesh and blood, as large as He hung on the tree of the cross? Priest. "Yes." Claes. "When you swallow Him, where does He go then?"' The priest was highly offended. The chief judge asked me: "Why could you not be satisfied with your first baptism, but had yourself baptized a second time?" Claes. "I know of but one baptism." Eph. 4:5. Priest. "Your sponsors well know that you, were baptized once! you can ask them." Claes. "Though I had known that I was baptized, yet I now know that it was done without faith; but it is written (Romans 14:23): `Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."' Chief Judge. "Your sponsors believed." Claes. "I do not know that the apostles baptized any one, unless he himself believed, and confessed his faith. But what did I confess when I was baptized in infancy?" Priest. "Ask your sponsors. And what do you think of our father the pope, and his dominion?" Claes. "The pope, with all his trumpery, and mass, and all that is therein, is good for nothing, bag and baggage. You priests sell masses to the people, by the dozen, by twenties. and thirties at a time; they have neither edge nor point; they neither cut nor stab; and yet you promise the people that they are good and effectual is this not deception? You preach to the people, that one should not drink to excess, and you go about the streets, as drunk as hogs. You preach that one ought not to be covetous; but where is more covetousness than in the priests and monks? You preach that one ought not to be idle; but where is more idleness than among you? You will rather tramp from door to door with a bag or basket, than work, as may be seen." The priest was angry, rose, and said: "This is the first thing you teach each other, to reveal the failings of your neighbor. Claes. "Why should we not apply the knowledge Christ has given us, when He says that the tree shall be known by its fruit?" Priest. "This is to be spiritually understood;" and he went out of the room.

The chief judge asked me whether I would renounce my second baptism, and all that I had said. I replied: "No, my lords, I will in no wise deny that which was administered to me in the name of the Lord." Hearing this, the chief judge arose. Then they rose and began to go out. I then thanked them, that they, had been molested with me. The chief judge turned around and asked me again, whether I would renounce; or I should see what should result to me from it. Then my heart was enkindled to tell him and the other judges, that they should take heed what they were doing, and I said: "My lords, renounce I will in no wise, and what will result to me from it, according to the imperial mandate, I well know; but there are two mandates, the one from the supreme King, the other from the mortal emperor, and these two run counter to each other; the one says that both are to be let grow, the good with the bad; the other that the tares are to be rooted up. .Therefore, my lords, I pray you, to warn the other judges, that they consider what is the best; for you have not received the sword, to punish the innocent." I told them a great deal, as the Lord gave me utterance. He stood there, with his cap in his hand, as did also the other judge, and the jailer, and they kept very silent. Finally they prayed God, that He would grant me my greatest happiness, and went away.

Thus I greet the whole church, scattered in every country, with the peace of the Lord; for I now expect from day to day, to offer up my sacrifice. Pray God to keep me steadfast unto the end. I pray daily for you.

WRITTEN IN BONDS.

GERRIT HASEPOOT BURNED, A. D. 1556

In the summer of 1556 there was in the city of Nimeguen, a faithful brother, named Gerrit Hasepoot, a tailor by trade. Having fled from the city, on account of severe persecution, he secretly returned, since his wife and children were still living there. He was seen by the bailiff's guard, who reported it to their master. The bailiff, a very bloodthirsty man; immediately went after him, and took him with him. Thus this friend of Christ had to separate from his wife and children, and go into prison, tribulation and misery, for the name of Jesus. When very severely examined by the lords of this world, he freely confessed his faith, and was not ashamed of the truth. Rom. 1:16. He was therefore sentenced to death by them, that is, to be burnt at the stake, which sentence he received very bravely. This having taken place, his wife came to him, into the city hall, to speak with him once more, and to take leave and bid her dear husband farewell. She had in her arm an infant, which she could scarcely hold, because of her great grief. When wine was poured out to him, as is customary to do to those sentenced to death (Prov. 31:6), he said to his wife: "I have no desire for this wine; but I hope to drink the new wine, which will be given to me above in the kingdom of my Father." Thus the two separated with great grief, and bade each other adieu in this world; for the woman could hardly stand on her feet any longer, but seemed to fall into a swoon through grief. When he was led to death, and having been brought from the wagon upon the scaffold, he lifted up his voice, and sang the hymn

"Father in heaven, I call

Oh, strengthen now my faith."

Thereupon he fell upon his knees, and fervently prayed to God. Having been placed at the stake, he kicked his slippers from his feet, saying: "It were a pity to burn them for they can be of service still to some poor person." The rope with which he was to be strangled, becoming a little loose, having not been twisted well by the executioner, he again lifted up his voice, and sang the end of said hymn

"Brethren, sisters, all, good bye!

We now must separate,

----

----

Till we meet beyond the sky,

With Christ our only Head

For this yourselves prepare,

And I'll await you there."

The executioner again twisting the rope, this witness of Jesus fell asleep in the Lord, and was burnt, voluntarily surrendering for the truth, his perishable body, which he had received from God, and thus fought the fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, and there is now laid up for him the crown of eternal glory.

Previous to the year 1557, under the reign of the Palsgrave of the Rhine, several of those baptized according to the ordinance of Christ were cast into prison, and exiled from the country, as appears from the preface to the Frankenthalische Gespraech, and also in the preface to the Oude O,ferboeck, of the year 1616, letter Y, on the other side.

From this it appears that the Baptist Christians at this time had to suffer not only f rom the Romanists, but also from those who had forsaken the Roman church and many of her superstitions; from which it may be seen what great distress the church of God then had to suffer, insomuch that freedom of conscience was nowhere to be found, since among the papists they were deprived of their lives, and among other denominations of the liberty to practice their religious worship.

HANS BRAEL SEVERELY PERSECUTED A. D. 1557

In the year 1557, a few days before Ascension Day, Brother Hans Brael, while on a journey, was apprehended in the Pusterthal, for the faith and testimony of Jesus Christ. Nearly a league from the castle, he met the judge, who not knowing him, rode past him, and saluted him, Hans Brael thanking him: but the actuary rode up to him, and asked him: "Where are you going and what have you been doing here?" He replied that he had been with his brethren. The actuary asked him whether the Baptists were his brethren. "Yes," he replied. He then seized him, and the judge turned about, dismounted, and taking the brother's own girdle from his body, bound him with it and made him walk like a dog alongside of his horse, through mud and mire, for a whole league, until they arrived in the castle. He was so fatigued from walking, and from being bound so hard, that he could stand no longer, but fell down in the field, so that even the lord of the castle reproved the judge for having bound him so hard. There they examined him, taking from him whatever they found on his body, and put him into prison. The next day he was forthwith brought out, and the lord of the castle examined him himself, and asked him concerning his faith and baptism, and what he thought of the sacrament. When he made confession of his faith and the divine truth, they abandoned everything, and pressed him hard to recant. But when he plainly told them, not to count on his renouncing the truth confessed, they brought him back into prison.

Eight days after, he was brought out again, and the lord with six others examined him; but being unable to accomplish anything, they remanded him to prison. After another eight days they arraigned and examined him before the whole council, and the judge called his faith a delusion, and his church a sect. Acts 24:14. But Hans said: "It is neither a sect nor a delusion; but it is the church of God." The judge said: "It may be the devil's; how could it be God's church?" and became angry over it and said again, "On what account should it be called the church of God?" But Brother Hans boldly adhered to it, that it was the church of God. Then said the judge: "Since he knows who has come from the seignioralty of Innsbruck, we also want to know where those are whom they send out into this country, what their names are, who has fed and harbored them; all this we want to know." But he answered them: "We are not sent out to the harm or detriment of any one; but our calling is, that we shall seek the salvation of men and exhort them to repentance and reformation (Matt. 10:5; Acts 2: 38); but the things that are asked here are not articles of faith, nor are they necessary to know; hence I do not wish to tell them, nor to accuse any one." The judge admonished him urgently, to spare himself, since his body should be tortured, if he refused to name the persons, and to confess who had harbored him. Hans asked the judge and the whole council, whether he could be considered good if he adopted the proposed means, and betrayed those who had shown him such kindness, by feeding and lodging him. The members of the council looked at each other, and said themselves that they should not consider it good, if it were done to them. But the judge became enraged, and asked whether he meant to charge the honorable council with requiring treachery of him, and again admonished him very solemnly, to spare himself, or they should deal very severely with him. But as he would not confess to them, they remanded him again to prison, to see what he should resolve upon.

After this they brought him forth again, and took him to the rack, where he himself took off his clothes, lay dawn before them, and patiently submitted to the!torturing ropes, so that the eyes of the bystanders filled with tears, and they could not refrain from weeping.

The executioner suspended him by the rope, but the judge earnestly admonished him to spare himself, and to indicate the persons required; but he said he would betray no one but would bide whatever God permitted them to inflict upon him. Then they tied a large stone to his feet. The judge became angry, when he perceived that he could accomplish nothing, and said: "You swear to each other that you will not betray one another." He replied: "We do not swear, but we do not betray any one, because it would be wrong." Then the judge said: "You are a rogue; I have detected you in a lie; why will you suffer yourself to be tortured." The brother said: "I am no rogue, and in what lie have you detected me?" The judge said: "You said that you were no teacher, but we find that you certainly are one." He answered: "I am no teacher; but if I were one, I would not be ashamed of it; for it is an honorable thing before God." I Tim. 3:1.

Thereupon they left him hanging by the rope, and went away; but the executioner staid with him. In the meantime the officers assembled, and he was admonished to confess; or they would not cease racking him until they should have rent his limbs asunder. He replied that he would bide what God should permit them to inflict upon him, since they could do no more than God permitted them. The executioners said: "Are you not a fool, to think that God looks down to see what we are doing in this hole; for this would be ridiculous." Then the council returned and said that the lady of the castle had interceded for him, that they should torture him no longer, and, hence, they would let it rest; and they sent him back to prison.

Thereupon the lord very joyfully rode to Innsbruck, to the government, and when he returned, he had the priests dispute with and examine Hans for two days in succession, namely Saturday and Sunday, he himself being present. But when they could accomplish nothing by their various disputations, and false and deceitful doctrine, which it would take too long to relate, and he remained steadfast, and constantly confessed that that in which he stood, and would remain steadfast, by the protection and help of God, was the truth, the lord at last became exasperated at him, and said: "O you obdurate dog, I have tried all possible means and ways with you, and will still do so, and place you on a sharp pile, and see how you will trust your God in this trial." But he answered: "I shall not suffer on account of any wrong doing, but only for the truth and the faith; and God will overlook no wrong." After three days they put him into a deep, dark and filthy tower, where he could see neither sun nor moon, nor daylight, so that he did not know whether it was day or night, only he perceived now and then that it was night, when it was a little colder in the tower than at other times. It was also so moist and damp in the tower, that his clothes rotted on his body, so that he became almost naked, and was without a single garment for a long time, only he had a coarse blanket that had been given him, which he wrapped around his body and thus sat in misery and darkness. The shirt on his body had so rotted, that he had not a shred left of it, except the collar, which he hung on the wall.

At one time when these children of Pilate had him brought out to try him whether he would not apostatize, the light so hurt his eyes, that he was glad when they let him down again into the (lark tower. There also proceeded such a fetid stench f rom the filth that was in this dark hole, that no one could stay in his presence; when they brought him in, they instantly had to go away from him again; yea, the councilors said themselves, that they had never smelled such a horrible stench. Thus he lay in this filthy tower, in which were also many vermin and loathesome reptiles, so that at first he for a long time protected his head, with an old hat, which had been thrown to him out of pity. The tower, for a long time had not had an occupant; hence the vermin were very numerous, and they caused him much terror, until he got used to it. The vermin sometimes also ate his food, so that when they let down his food, he had to eat it all up, before he set down the dish; otherwise the vermin so covered it, that he could not well eat it. When he got a dish of soup, and set it down but once, they ate it up. in a moment in short, he could keep neither bread nor anything else; for as soon as the vermin smelled it, instantly they were at it. However, this was his least care, inasmuch as he was so tormented with hunger, no great abundance being given him so that he could easily eat it up, if he was only well. The vermin sometimes got also in his drink, and drowned therein, until he finally obtained a large stone, which he placed on top of his pitcher.

His chief affliction, however, in this great trial was, that he could get no tidings from the church or the brethren. At that time there was in the high country one Hans Mein, a servant of the Lord, who also had a great desire to hear some tidings from him. He sent word to him in the tower, that if it were still well with him, and his heart adhered firmly to God and his church, he should send him a certain token: and if he had nothing else, he should send him a little bit of straw, however little it might be. But such was the misery and poverty in which he sat that he could not even find that much in the tower. Then he bethought himself of his rotten collar which he had hung on the wall; lie was glad of it, and took the collar and sent it from the tower to his brother, as a token that he was still unchanged in his faith in God, and in peace with the church. When the brother received the collar, and thereby perceived his misery and poverty, he and his church felt great compassion for him, and after weeping bitterly and sorrowfully, they sent word back to him, that they were very willing to send him clothes or anything else, in his great poverty, if he only could get it. But he would not have it, because that if they had discovered it, they would have thrown him on the rack and tortured him again,. in order to get the names of others. Hence he sent them word, that he should let the garment ,of patience do him.

Thus he lay in this filthy tower all summer, until after Michaelmas, in autumn, when they saw that the frost was approaching; then they took him out, and put him into another prison, which could likewise not have been worse. There he had to sit, with one hand and one foot in the stocks,.for thirtyseven weeks, being unable to lie or sit properly, but only to stand; besides, he had to endure much reproach and ridicule from the ungodly, who said

"There lies a holy man; nobody is as wise as he; there he sits as a light of the world, and as a witness of the people of God and His church," and such like taunting remarks.

Again, since he could get no comforting tidings from the church, God so ordered at that he was comforted. by the unbelieving; for on a certain occasion a nobleman came to comfort him, telling him to be courageous, and not to suffer himself to be intimidated since he well knew that he had the truth on his side, and that his faith was the true one, but that it were impossible to follow it, or to suffer what he suffered; whereupon the brother earnestly admonished him. Once it also happened that his soul was kindled in God, and he sent for the actuary who had, apprehended him, that he should come to him in prison. The latter very quickly came to him,, sat down, and asked him what he wished, that he had sent for him. The brother said: "The sole reason is; that I cannot forbear showing you, that, as you well know, that you are the chief cause of my imprisonment and miserable sufferings, though I have never in all my life done you an injury." The actuary sat there frightened and dumb, saying not a word, save that he had to do it. "The brother said: `Yes, the judgment of God impelled you to it; because you were so bloodthirsty against the pious, it also fell to your lot to fulfill your judgment thereby. You have incurred a heavy judgment; God will certainly find you for this, require it at your hands, and punish you for your sins."' The actuary was dumbfounded and could not utter a word; so frightened was he; and thus he went away. About a fortnight afterwards he died very suddenly in the night, being both well and dead within a quarter of an hour. God had smitten him with great fear, so that he cried and moaned terribly, and lamented that he had done wrong and sinned.

Thus it goes with those, who will serve the devil and his minions. I say nothing of the fact that he was severely reprehended for this by his master and his mistress, and reaped the devil's thanks for it from his own; for they said to him, so loud that the brother heard it himself: "How came the devil so to possess you, that you would not let this man go, though you might easily have done so?" and they wished that the devil rather had carried him off, since he had committed this deed, for which he at last had to pay so dearly.

In the same night that he died, a great joy came over the brother, so that with praying and thanksgiving he could not praise God sufficiently; for on that night it came into his mind that he should yet return to the brethren and the church. In the morning a servant came to him, and told him, that the actuary had died very terribly and suddenly during the night. Ps. 73:18. This having transpired with the actuary; the lord and his spouse were seized with great terror.

About eight days afterwards, the servant who attended to the tillage of the land came into the castle, and, towards evening, came to the brother, with the keys, and asked whether he hoped to get out.. He replied: "I will see what you will do with me." The servant wanted to open the stocks, but could not find the right key. The brother told him not to do it, since it might go ill with him. But when he could not find the right key, he told him that he could set him at liberty, but it would probably not be at that time. The lady of the castle also sent a servant before the prison, who called to the brother, and said: "The gracious lady would have me tell you, that she will send for the judge and the jurate, and if you will say but two words, that you will suffer yourself to be instructed, and confess that you have erred, you will be set at liberty, and she will take upon her the sin which you commit by it, so that no guilt will fall upon you." But he replied: "She has sins enough already, let her desist from them: she needs no sins from others." I Tim. 5:22, 1. Hence he had to lie in prison and sorrow for another winter.