PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians
Braght, Thieleman J. van (Thieleman Janszoon) · 1,152,781 words · 1675 reading sections
The First Letter Of Hansken Van Den Wege.
I wish you, my cordially beloved and chosen sister, whom I love from the very depth of my heart, the unfathomable, abundant, great grace and mercy of the eternal and almighty God, the heavenly Father; and also the great humility and meekness, and the great peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only and true Son of the li…
1,095 wordsSECTION 1262The First Letter Of Hansken Van Den Wege.
Let us therefore well consider this, that we may not err; for we would indeed be willing that men should show us much favor and mercy, and always live peaceably with us; hence let us also always show much favor and mercy to all men, and do them many kindnesses, thus showing love to them, and seek to live in peace and l…
819 wordsSECTION 1263The Second Letter From Hansken Van Den Wege.
Written out of great, fervent, brotherly love, to you Cijntgen, my dearly beloved chosen sister, as a perpetual and blessed memorial in the Lord, by Hansken, your poor, miserable and weak brother, who is imprisoned at Ghent, in the Sausselet, for the true word of the Lord. Remember me in your prayers to God, so that th…
1,397 wordsSECTION 1264The Third Letter Of Hansken Van Den Wege.
[325] _Of the Spirit_, in the original. Herewith, I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. Amen. Written by me, Imprisoned for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. My blessed wish, holy salutation and perpetual memorial to you, Claerken, my dear sister, is, that you may live holy, and die happy, a…
683 wordsSECTION 1265The Fourth Letter Of Hansken Van Den Wege.
Adieu, adieu, dear mother, dear mother, farewell, farewell; O yes, blessed, blessed. Amen, amen. The unfathomable and abundant great grace and mercy of God our heavenly Father, given and bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ the Son of the true and living God, and Jesus Christ, with all his humility, meekness, and gre…
971 wordsSECTION 1266Barbelken Goethals, And Saerken Van Duerhove, A. D. 1570.
Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the rich word of his grace. Amen. Always remember us in your holy prayers to God, as Paul says: Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them. Heb. 13:2. For we also remember you for the best in our prayers, according to our weak ability, for it is written: All things wha…
852 wordsSECTION 1267Barbelken Goethals, And Saerken Van Duerhove, A. D. 1570.
Hence, O my dearest and much beloved brother in Christ Jesus, let us have good courage, though we meet with more adversity than the world. O let us look unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, how he went before us in much suffering and reproach. And all the holy prophets, O let us look to them, how th…
719 wordsSECTION 1268Barbelken Goethals.
TEN PERSONS, MEN AS WELL AS WOMEN, BURNED FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT DORDRECHT, ABOUT THE YEAR 1570. Ancient and credible memoirs tell us as indubitable facts, that about the year of our Lord 1570, two very devout persons, a man and a woman, whose names we have not been able to ascertain, were sought for by…
848 wordsSECTION 1269Dirck Mieuwess, A. D. 1571.
The above mentioned Nelleken Jaspers was a girl of seventeen years, whose memory has been much sung on the street, in these countries. She was confined in prison for about a year, so that she was about eighteen years old when she died. During her imprisonment she suffered severe temptations, by way of threats of a terr…
461 wordsSECTION 1270Anneken Heyndricks, A. D. 1571.
In the year 1571, there was burnt alive, at Amsterdam in Holland, for the testimony of Jesus, a woman named Anneken Heyndricks, aged about fifty-three years. Having come from Friesland to Amsterdam, she was betrayed by her neighbor, the under-bailiff, who entered her house, in order to apprehend her. She said to him wi…
669 wordsSECTION 1271Sentence Of Death Of Anneken Heyndricks, Surnamed De Vlaster.
Concerning this, see a hymn in some old hymn books. NOTE.--We have obtained the sentence of death of this pious and valiant heroine of Jesus Christ, as the same was read to her in court: as also, the record of her torture, which, as it appears, took place two weeks before her death; which we shall place here one after…
427 wordsSECTION 1272Wolfgang Pinder, A. D. 1571.
_Concerning the torturing of the aforementioned Anna Heyndricks, and when this occurred._ She was tortured on the 27th of October, in the year 1571, according to the previous sentence of the judges, as appears from the record of the confession. Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterd…
744 wordsSECTION 1273Hans Van Der Straten, A. D. 1571.
Joost van der Straten, born at Teems in the district of Waes, in Flanders, a chairmaker by trade, was, when he was about seventy years old, taken from his work, and apprehended with his whole household, outside of Antwerp, on the Kiel (where now the fort stands), and they were, by the Spaniards, who apprehended them, b…
320 wordsSECTION 1274Gerrit Corneliss, A. D. 1571.
In the year 1571, there was apprehended at Amsterdam in Holland, for the truth’s sake, as he was standing and working in a lighter-boat, a young brother, named Gerrit Corneliss. The Bailiff bound him, and led him to the city hall, where, the next day, he was examined, and interrogated concerning his faith, which he fre…
652 wordsSECTION 1275Sentence Of Death Of Gerrit Corneliss, Surnamed Boon.
Whereas Gerrit Corneliss, alias Gerrit Boon, boatman, citizen of this city, at present a prisoner here, unmindful of his soul’s salvation, and the obedience which he owed to our mother the holy church, and to His Imperial Majesty, as his natural lord and prince, rejecting the ordinances of the holy church, has been nei…
354 wordsSECTION 1276N. N.
THE TWO TORTURINGS OF GERRIT CORNELISS, ACCORDING TO THE RECORD IN THE BOOK OF CRIMINAL SENTENCES AT AMSTERDAM. He was tortured twice, namely, on the 27th of April, and on the 3d of May, A. D. 1571, according to the sentence of the judges, as appears from the record of the confession. Thus extracted from the book of …
1,268 wordsSECTION 1277N. N.
At another time they took Maeyken alone, but had me come too. When I came, and was there, I perceived that they showed us great friendship and promised much to set us into the street as free as we had ever been, for which they would pledge their souls; so that I finally became frightened, fearing that I might be led as…
433 wordsSECTION 1278Another Letter From Hendrick Verstralen To His Wife.
O my dearest wife, my flesh, my bone, my dear friend, my lamb, not on my heart, but in my heart, and henceforth my poor widow, whom I must leave according to the pleasure, goodness, will and counsel of God, who has deemed it well that I should according to his pleasure lie in bonds here for his eternal truth’s sake, wh…
1,013 wordsSECTION 1279Another Letter From Hendrick Verstralen To His Wife.
O my dear wife, think of the words of Paul: The time is short; I would fain spare you; they that are married must be as though they were not. 1 Corinthians 7:29. Thus, my dear sister in the Lord, Janneken Verstralen, the end of all things is now at hand, says Peter; the heavens shall be rolled together, and pass away a…
824 wordsSECTION 1280Another Letter From Hendrick Verstralen To His Wife.
Hence, my dear lamb, I will commend you to the Lord, our God and helper in distress, and further to his holy church; may they together open their fatherly heart over you, my poor widow and young orphans. I further desire, my dear wife, that wherever it is convenient you greet the godfearing brethren and sisters much in…
677 wordsSECTION 1281A Letter From Hendrick Verstralen, Written To His Brethren And Sisters.
By me Hendrick Verstralen, in bonds for the testimony of the truth, on Palm Sunday, A. D. 1571. We prisoners and bound in the Lord for the eternal truth’s sake, Hendrick Verstralen and Maeyken Deynoots, your very weak brother and sister in the Lord, wish our very dear and affectionately beloved brethren and sisters, w…
972 wordsSECTION 1282A Letter From Hendrick Verstralen, Written To His Brethren And Sisters.
We prisoners in the Lord, and bound for the eternal truth’s sake and the testimony of Jesus, Maeyken Deynoots, and Hendrick Verstralen, herewith greet all our brethren and sisters in the Lord, and send you this brief letter from the depth of our heart, as our last adieu; hereby taking affectionate leave from all dear b…
772 wordsSECTION 1283Another Letter From Maeyken Deynoots, To Her Brother And Sister.
I prisoner of the Lord salute you from the inmost of my heart, my very dear and affectionately beloved brother and sister J. and Andries who are now in great tribulation and sorrow on account of the sad parting. O be patient in all your tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, and rejoicing in hope, which maketh not …
618 wordsSECTION 1284Maeyken Deynoots.
ADRIAEN JANSS HOEDEMAECKER, AND JELIS DE BACKER, BOTH BURNT ALIVE AT THE SAME STAKE, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, IN RIJSSEL, A. D. 1570.--THREE LETTERS OF ADRIAEN JANSS HOEDEMAECKER, WRITTEN IN PRISON AT RIJSSEL. _The first letter from Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker, to his wife._ The love of God the Father, the grace of…
991 wordsSECTION 1285Maeyken Deynoots.
My dear and in God beloved wife, faint not at my tribulation, which ought to be a comfort to you, that the Lord has called me hereunto, that he wants to magnify his name by me, and that I am counted worthy to suffer shame for his name, and to seal his word with my blood before this wicked and adulterous generation. I h…
804 wordsSECTION 1286Adriaen Janss.
Herewith adieu, my dear wife in the Lord, adieu, till we get in the kingdom of God to our heavenly Father. Written with tears by me, Greet the friends much in my name, especially my S. J. I would write more, but there is no good opportunity here for writing. Written to my dear wife. _The third letter from Adriaen Jan…
816 wordsSECTION 1287Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker.
Written by me, imprisoned for the true testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. TWELVE CHRISTIANS AT DEVENTER: YDSE GAUKES, DIRCK VAN WESEL, WITH ANNEKEN AND JANNEKEN, THEIR WIVES; HARMEN THE DYER, BRUYN, ANTHONIS THE WEAVER, CLAES OPREYDER, LIJSBET AND CATHARINA SOMERHUYS, LIJNTGEN JORIS, AND TRIJNTGEN HER DAUGHTER, A. D.…
947 wordsSECTION 1288Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker.
Thus these two were brought upon the scaffold, and they frequently smiled and nodded to those whom they knew, and who stood before them. Harmen then fell upon his knees and prayed to the Lord; but as he made it too long for them, the executioner pulled him up, and he boldly placed himself at the stake. While the execut…
1,321 wordsSECTION 1289Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker.
A LETTER FROM YDSE GAUKES, SKIPPER, WHICH HE WROTE IN PRISON, AT DEVENTER, TO HIS BROTHER, AND TO THE FRIENDS, ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT. Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, this I wish to all my dear brethren and sisters in the Lord, and especially to you, my brother according to the flesh, and your beloved w…
800 wordsSECTION 1290Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker.
They then drew me up, about a foot from the ground, and in this manner left me suspended. I suffered great pain; I had intended not to open my mouth, but I cried out thrice, and then kept silence. This is only child’s play, they said, and letting me down again they placed me in a chair, and neither asked nor said anyth…
680 wordsSECTION 1291The Second Letter Of Ydse Gaukes.
Written by me, your dear brother, from prison, the twentieth day of our imprisonment. We prisoners in the Lord for the testimony of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, of which we are not worthy to boast ourselves; grace and peace from our dear Lord Jesus Christ be with our very dear and chosen, beloved brethren and sisters, …
856 wordsSECTION 1292The Second Letter Of Ydse Gaukes.
[327] Nuns of the order of St. Bega. I can also not hide from you, how unmercifully they dealt with our sister: they tied her clothes together in the middle, but completely bared the upper part of her body. Then said our sister (who is still a young girl): “Never yet was such shame inflicted upon me.” “You inflict it …
862 wordsSECTION 1293The Second Letter Of Ydse Gaukes.
Thus, my much beloved, now that you know that the day is approaching when you must have it, take earnest heed lest you lose it; for if you should lose it the last day, it could avail you nothing; though one had kept it a hundred years, it could not avail him anything; as the prophet says: “If a man hath done good all h…
532 wordsSECTION 1294The Third Letter Of Ydse Gaukes, Written In Prison In Deventer.
The grace of God our heavenly Father, who created and made heaven and earth; and the love of his beloved Son, our Lord, Redeemer and Savior, which is Jesus Christ, by whom he has delivered us from eternal enmity and the torment of hell; and the power of the Holy Ghost, who works in all his elect; this we wish all our k…
858 wordsSECTION 1295The Third Letter Of Ydse Gaukes, Written In Prison In Deventer.
See, my dear, beloved brethren and sisters, if we trust in the word of the Lord, and keep his commandments, and always walk according to the Lord’s rule, and call upon the Lord day and night, he will fight for us. Yea, our enemies shall not be able to harm us, but they shall be confounded. But if the righteous forsake …
818 wordsSECTION 1296Douwe Eeuwouts, A. D. 1571.
Now, my dear brother Bauke and your wife, your mother and sister, and I your brother, salute you and all acquaintances most cordially; I send you our last salutation here, and may the Lord make us worthy, that hereafter we may meet one another again with joy. Claes greets you very cordially, and we also greet much all …
565 wordsSECTION 1297Hans Misel, A. D. 1571.
In the year 1571, Hans Misel, a weaver, who was yet a young man, at Langensmeer in Swabia, was asked by some persons to read and speak from the word of the Lord; and as he declared to them the way of the truth, he was betrayed, and reported at Warthausen. The lady who then resided there, sent her clerk thither, who cam…
708 wordsSECTION 1298Hans Misel, A. D. 1571.
The executioner said: “This man is bolder than we all.” When he had finished praying, he came forward again to the people with smiling lips, and was willing to die. The confessor of Warthausen went with him when he was taken out, and wanted that he should renounce, and have mercy on himself. But he said, that they sho…
315 wordsSECTION 1299Jan Block Burnt For The Faith, At Nimeguen, A. D. 1572.
About the year 1572, there was burnt at Nimeguen, a young man named Jan Block, who had wealth, and lived of the same, so that he had not learned any profession or trade. He associated with a brother named Symon van Maren, a furrier, born at Hertogenbosch, with whom he formerly was wont to go to the tavern to tipple, bu…
589 wordsSECTION 1300A Letter Written By Jan Block.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:26. The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Blessed be God, the heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our …
1,024 wordsSECTION 1301A Letter Written By Jan Block.
[328] Walk, move more circumspectly.--_Trans._ O dear brethren and watchmen over the house of the Lord, do not regard the person; for those that are young in the understanding of the Christian life can be ruined in no way more effectively, than by not diligently exhorting them with the word of the Lord, to become new …
1,021 wordsSECTION 1302Heyndrick Van Eckelo, A. D. 1572.
Written by me at the Nimeguen in prison, where I unworthy one was confined for the word of our dear Lord, which is tried and pure. The almighty Lord mightily strengthen my mind by his grace, when I shall have to render up my life, who have not the strength to finish it to the praise of my Lord before wicked men. Adieu,…
314 wordsSECTION 1303A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
After the offering up of the aforementioned friend of God, Jan Block, a young man who maintained the truth of the slain martyr, and made the same confession, traveled from Nimeguen to Hertogenbosch, but being spied out, was apprehended by the Bailiff there, and taken to the place where it was customary to imprison thos…
695 wordsSECTION 1304A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
The papist clergy also assailed them much according to the soul, in order to deprive them, by many wiles and snares, of the treasure of a true faith; but they were not able to accomplish anything with either of them; hence they [the two martyrs], were finally sentenced to death in open court, to be executed with fire, …
726 wordsSECTION 1305A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
Then fire was set to the wood piled around him, and this friend of God was burned, alive, as it appears, with his dead sister, to the great sorrow of many that stood around and were filled with commiseration at the sight of it. This was the end of these two dear favorites of the Lord, of whom no one spake any evil (to…
664 wordsSECTION 1306A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
“But the monks did nothing but vehemently preach against this slackness, and hesitated not to proclaim from the pulpit, that the Bailiff had apprehended him merely to have himself painted by him. “Hence, this poor man, after many tortures, inflicted upon him in order to extort from him the names of his master and comr…
780 wordsSECTION 1307A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
In the same hymn is also mentioned, how their mouths were gagged, how they prayed to God, how they prepared themselves for death at the place of execution, etc.; but we deem the foregoing sufficient for a memorial of their sacrifice. NOTE.--As there have come into our hands all the letters, testaments and confessions,…
669 wordsSECTION 1308A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
As I kept silent, I was scourged with rods, and the stripes fell mostly on my abdomen. Having been thus treated, I was let down and again asked; but the Lord be praised, they obtained nothing from me, though I had drank that bitter cup. I was then drawn up again, and scourged as before. O flesh, you must suffer now, I …
692 wordsSECTION 1309A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
They said: “You can; we take that upon ourselves.” I said: “Every one must stand for himself.” They said: “How can your master or your wife get into trouble; for they are gone already; what harm can it do the place where you were baptized?” “I think,” said the Bailiff, “that it took place at your master’s; but I do not…
678 wordsSECTION 1310A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
When the Bailiff heard this, he said to me: “You are worse than a rogue; for these have sinned, but you have apostatized from God, and denied him; hence he forsakes you in your distress.” I said: “If this is true, I am a poor man; but I have a better hope.” “Yea,” said he, “you are a strayed sheep; the wolves have take…
872 wordsSECTION 1311A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
Now when I had thus prepared myself, I heard that they were torturing our beloved sister, my fellow-prisoner. It seemed to me, that she was also drawn up, and let down again. When she would not confess, she was drawn up again, and was then also made fast below by her feet. When she had suffered the anguish for a while,…
718 wordsSECTION 1312A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
Hence, all you that believe the Lord’s promise, continue steadfastly. O that no one from despondency may keep back from any calling or ministry of the saints, according to ability; for no one may live to himself, or withhold himself; so that the work of the Lord may always be carried on with readiness; and help bear on…
721 wordsSECTION 1313A Young Man From Nimeguen Burnt At Hertogenbosch, A. D. 1572.
Furthermore, it is necessary and very profitable, to write comforting letters and send them to the miserable, forsaken ones, for they are greatly comforted thereby. Let every one do his diligence in this respect, as much as possible, and put forth your best endeavors herein, and pray the Lord for suitable means, withou…
275 wordsSECTION 1314Jan Van Kuyck.
THE SECOND LETTER FROM JAN WOUTERSS, WRITTEN TO HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTERS. The eternal and merciful God grant you, my only brother and my beloved sisters, his grace through Jesus Christ, that you may together get a desire, taste and longing for your salvation, unto the end of your life. O that this would happen, dea…
695 wordsSECTION 1315Jan Van Kuyck.
But, my dear brother, think not that something new has happened to me, just as though it had not always been thus. Read of righteous Abel, and you will understand the word of Christ, that the servant is not better than his lord. Matt. 10:24; John 13:16. Dear brother, the head, which is Christ, suffered himself; the me…
701 wordsSECTION 1316Jan Van Kuyck.
Written the second day after Matthew, in Lent, on which day I was again suspended twice and once scourged; but, my only brother, the strong God again kept my lips. Hence I pray you, rejoice with me, and praise the Lord, since I have great joy now; and be not dismayed in your mind because my flesh has suffered a little …
779 wordsSECTION 1317Jan Van Kuyck.
But, dear brother, the apostle testifies, and I unworthy one also, that we wrestle not only against the rulers of the world, but also against the spirits that are under heaven (Eph. 6:12), and as Christ says, that in the latter days many false Christs shall arise. Matt. 24:5,11. This I have also espied for you; for in …
666 wordsSECTION 1318Jan Van Kuyck.
Adieu, my only brother on this earth; with Christ I will await you. I wrote the first page just after I had been tortured; hence it is somewhat badly written. Now my hand is a little better, but I still have the marks of the sufferings of Christ; his name be praised forever. This I have written you in my bonds, the se…
789 wordsSECTION 1319Jan Van Kuyck.
It does not care for your person, but because the truth is in you, which the darkness, that is the world, tramples under foot, wherefore you become a prey to every one. But fear not therefore; O thou warrioress, go on to your promised reward; the truth that is in you shall overcome, for it is the strongest. O thou fair…
716 wordsSECTION 1320Jan Van Kuyck.
Hence I am of good cheer in all that comes upon me, for I find our Lord very faithful; that he is a true helper in time of need, who does not forsake his own; for I have now by the help of the Lord striven unto blood, kept the faith, and received great consolation in my heart, so that I can rejoice in my suffering, and…
647 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.