Elizabeth, A. D. 1549.
Elizabeth was apprehended on the 15th of January, 1549. When those who had come to apprehend her entered the house in which she lived, they found a Latin Testament. Having secured Elizabeth, they said: “We have got the right man; we have now the teacheress;” adding: “Where is your husband, Menno Simon, the teacher?”
They then brought her to the town-house. The following day two beadles took her between them to prison.
She was then arraigned before the council, and asked upon oath, whether she had a husband.
Elizabeth answered: “We ought not to swear, but our words should be Yea, yea, and Nay, nay; I have no husband.”
Lords: “We say that you are a teacher, and that you seduce many. We have been told this, and we want to know who your friends are.”
Elizabeth: “My God has commanded me to love my Lord and my God, and to honor my parents; hence I will not tell you who my parents are; for what I suffer for the name of Christ is a reproach to my friends.”
Lords: “We will let you alone in regard to this, but we want to know whom you have taught.”
Elizabeth: “Oh no, my lords, let me in peace with this, but interrogate me concerning my faith, which I will gladly tell you.”
Lords: “We shall make you so afraid, that you will tell us.”
Elizabeth: “I hope through the grace of God, that he will keep my tongue, so that I shall not become a traitoress, and deliver my brother into death.”
Lords: “What persons were present when you were baptized?”
Elizabeth: “Christ said: Ask them that were present, or who heard it.” John 18:21.
Lords: “Now we perceive that you are a teacher; for you compare yourself to Christ.”
Elisabeth: “No, my lords, far be it from me; for I do not esteem myself above the offscourings which are swept out from the house of the Lord.”
Lords: “What then do you hold concerning the house of God? do you not regard our church as the house of God?”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords, for it is written: Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them.” 2 Corinthians 6:16.
Lords: “What do you hold concerning our mass?”
Elizabeth: “My lords, of your mass I think nothing at all; but I highly esteem all that accords with the word of God.”
Lords: “What are your views with regard to the most adorable, holy sacrament?”
Elizabeth: “I have never in my life read in the holy Scriptures of a holy sacrament, but of the Lord’s Supper.” (She also quoted the Scripture relating to this.)
Lords: “Be silent, for the devil speaks through your mouth.”
Elizabeth: “Yea, my lords, this is a small matter, for the servant is not better than his lord.”
Lords: “You speak from a spirit of pride.”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords, I speak with frankness.”
Lords: “What did the Lord say, when he gave his disciples the Supper?”
Elizabeth: “What did he give them, flesh or bread?”
Lords: “He gave them bread.”
Elizabeth: “Did not the Lord remain sitting there? Who then would eat the flesh of the Lord?”
Lords: “What are your views concerning infant baptism, seeing you have been rebaptized?”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords, I have not been rebaptized. I have been baptized once upon my faith; for it is written that baptism belongs to believers.”
Lords: “Are our children damned then, because they are baptized?”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords, God forbid, that I should judge the children.”
Lords: “Do you not seek your salvation in baptism?”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords, all the water in the sea could not save me; but salvation is in Christ (Acts 4:10), and he has commanded me to love God my Lord above all things, and my neighbor as myself.”
Lords: “Have the priests power to forgive sins?”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords; how should I believe this? I say that Christ is the only priest through whom sins are forgiven.” Heb. 7:21.
Lords: “You say that you believe everything that accords with the holy Scriptures; do you not believe the words of James?”
Elizabeth: “Yea, my lords, why should I not believe them?”
Lords: “Does he not say: Go to the elder of the church, that he may anoint you, and pray over you?” James 5:14.
Elizabeth: “Yea, my lords; but do you mean to say that you are of this church?”
Lords: “The Holy Ghost has saved you already; you need neither confession nor sacrament?”
Elizabeth: “No, my lords, I acknowledge that I have transgressed the ordinance of the Pope, which the Emperor has confirmed by decrees. But prove to me that I have transgressed in any article against my Lord and my God, and I will cry woe over me, miserable being.”
The foregoing is the first confession.
Afterwards she was again brought before the council, and led into the torture chamber, Hans, the executioner, being present. The lords then said: “We have thus long dealt with you in kindness; but if you will not confess, we will resort to severity with you. The Procurator General said: “Master Hans, seize her.”
Master Hans answered: “O no, my lords, she will voluntarily confess.”
But as she would not voluntarily confess, he applied the thumb-screws to her thumbs and forefingers, so that the blood squirted out at the nails.
Elizabeth said: “Oh! I cannot endure it any longer.”
The lords said: “Confess, and we will relieve your pain.”
But she cried to the Lord her God: “Help me, O Lord, thy poor handmaiden! for thou art a helper in time of need.”
The lords all exclaimed: “Confess, and we will relieve your pain; for we told you to confess, and not to cry to God the Lord.”
But she steadfastly adhered to God her Lord, as related above; and the Lord took away her pain, so that she said to the lords: “Ask me, and I shall answer you: for I no longer feel the least pain in my flesh, as I did before.”
Lords. “Will you not yet confess?”
Elizabeth. “No, my lords.”
They then applied the screws to her shins, one on each.”
She said: “O my lords, do not put me to shame; for never a man touched my bare body.”
“The Procurator General said: “Miss Elizabeth, we shall not treat you dishonorably.”
She then fainted away. They said to one another: “Perhaps she is dead.”
But waking up, she said: “I live, and am not dead.”
They then took off all the screws, and plied her with entreaties.
Elizabeth. “Why do you thus entreat me? this is the way to do with children.”
Thus they obtained not one word from her, detrimental to her brethren in the Lord, or to any other person.
Lords. “Will you revoke all that you have previously confessed here?”
Elizabeth. “No, my lords, but I will seal it with my death.”
Lords. “We will try you no more; will you voluntarily tell us, who baptized you?”
Elizabeth. “O no, my lords; I have certainly told you, that I will not confess this.”
Sentence was then passed upon Elizabeth, on the 27th of March, 1549; she was condemned to death—to be drowned in a bag, and thus offered up her body to God.
SIX BRETHREN AND TWO SISTERS, NAMELY: PIETER JANS, TOBIAS QUESTINEX, JAN PENNEWAERTS, GIJSBERT JANS, ELLERT JANS, LUCAS MICHIELS, BARBARA THIELEMANS, AND TRUYKEN BOENS, ALL BURNT ALIVE AT THE STAKE ON THE SAME DAY, AT AMSTERDAM, ON THE 20TH OF MARCH, 1549.
In the year 1549 there were imprisoned at Amsterdam, for the truth of Jesus Christ, about twenty persons, men as well as women, all of whose names are not known, especially since some of them escaped from prison in the following manner: One of the prisoners had two brothers living in Waterlandt, who were rough fellows, and spent much of their time in taverns. So at a certain time it happened, that as they were sitting in the tavern, they began to think of their imprisoned brother, and supposing that the time when he should be offered up, was drawing nigh, they deliberated among themselves, how they could best liberate him, and swore an oath that they would shrink from neither labor nor peril, even though it should cost their lives; in confirmation of which they held up their fingers, tossed their hats in the air, and called God to witness. In the morning, when they were awake and had become sober, their perilous plan somewhat troubled them; but remembering the solemn oath which they owed to God, as also the sad departure of their dear brother, they manifested the firmness of Romans, and proceeded in the following manner. They took a rope with a block, which had been well greased, so that the dry block should make no noise. This they packed into a basket, and took it to the house of Jan Jans, who lived opposite the prison, in the crescent, and said to him: “Jan Jans, may we leave this basket here, and call for it late in the evening, as it may suit us?”
Jan Jans assented, without ever thinking of the dangerous plan, till they came to get their basket.
This Jan Jans had a cousin among the prisoners, named Ellert Jans, who had a wooden leg and was a tailor whom the Bailiff had taken from his shop on the new dyke. Therefore these two brothers availed themselves of a dark evening, and brought a boat hook with them, which they thrust into the window, and then climbed up by it. They then made fast a rope, and broke open the windows with a crow-bar. Having thus effected their purpose, they let their brother down from the window with a rope, and forthwith, went to other prisoners, all of whom they let down through the window, except Ellert Jans, who refused to go out, telling them as his reason, that he was of such good cheer to offer his sacrifice, and felt so happy that he did not expect even through a long life to become any better, since he feared that on the way through the long desert his courage might fail him, and thus he would never get across the Jordan, and reach the promised land. He also said that he was too well known by his wooden leg, so that he could easily be described for the purpose of apprehension.
But Tobias, Pieter, Grietgen, Jan, Lyntgen and Barbartgen were confined in other dungeons, where they could well hear, but not get to, them. They remained in confinement till the time of their offering up was fulfilled, except Lyntgen, who was spared on account of her pregnancy. She also gave birth to a child while in bonds; but the pain of delivery so affected her, that she became utterly deranged in her mind; after this she laid yet for a long time at Amsterdam, in a little house, in which she also died.
When the day had arrived, on which the aforementioned persons were to offer up their sacrifices, said Jan Jans stationed himself close to the tribunal, to see what spirit his cousin Ellert Jans would show in the last hour of his life. As soon as Ellert Jans perceived his cousin, he addressed him with such a happy countenance that all the hearers listened with astonishment. He also handed him a testament through the iron bars of the tribunal; but the Bailiff cried out like a ferocious lion: Where is the book? but could not find it out.
With many good arguments he admonished every one, principally his cousin Jan Jans, that he should no longer suffer himself to be seduced by the adorned woman, the whore of Babylon, but should enter upon the way to the city of all good things. Yea, he said, that he never had lived a happier day; which Jan so took to heart, that he afterwards also took upon him the burthen of the cross. Thus all the aforementioned friends ended their lives in great joy, and were burnt alive. Shortly after a lover of the truth composed a hymn in remembrance of them, the first letter of each verse of which accords with the first letter of the names. It is found in the old hymn book, and is the first of those beginning with T: “’Tis nu schier al vervult,” etc.
The sentence of these six brethren and two sisters, we obtained from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, through the secretary of said place; excepting the title which reads as follows:
SENTENCE OF DEATH OF PIETER JANS, TOBIAS QUESTINEX, JAN PENNEWAERTS, GIJSBERT JANS, ELLERT JANS, LUCAS MICHIELS, BARBARA THIELEMAUS, AND TRUYKEN BOENS.
Whereas Pieter, son of Jans, a native of Lininckhuysen, Tobias Questinex, citizen of this city, shoemakers by trade; Jan Pennewaerts of Loenen, Gijsbert Jans of Woerden, Ellert Jans, also citizen of this city, tailors, Lucas Michiels of Dortrecht, glazier by trade, Barbara Thielemaus of Dortrecht, and Truyken Boens, daughter of William Boens of Antwerp, have been rebaptized by one Giles of Aix-la-Chapelle, and have joined the sect and heresy of the Anabaptists, holding pernicious views with regards to the sacraments of the holy church, contrary to the holy Christian faith, the ordinances of said holy church, and the written laws and decrees of his Imperial Majesty, our gracious lord; and, moreover, obstinately persist in their unbelief, errors and heresies; therefore, my lords the Judges, having heard the demand made by my lord the Bailiff concerning said persons, together with their confession, and having duly considered the circumstances of said case, condemn said persons to be burnt by the executioner; and, furthermore, declare all their property confiscated for the benefit of his Imperial Majesty, as Count of Holland and our gracious lord, without prejudice to the privileges of this city. So pronounced and ordered to be executed, this 20th day of March, 1549, in the presence of the Bailiff, Egbert Gabriels and Joost Buyck, Burgomasters, and all the Judges.
Of these delinquents three were subjected to the torture, namely, Tobias Questinex, on the 14th of February, Pieter Jans, on the 15th of the same month, and Ellert Jans on the 8th of the present month, March.
Extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, in the keeping of the secretary there.
N. N.