In the year of our Lord 1551, Jerome Segers, with his wife Lijsken Dircks, and Big Henry fell into the hands of the tyrants, for the testimony of Jesus, at Antwerp in Brabant. They suffered many severe torments and sharp examinations, but, through the grace of God, endured them all. And as they, through faith, were so firmly bound to their Captain Christ Jesus, that nothing could induce them to apostatize, they brought Jerome Segers and Big Henry to the slaughter, on the second day of September, A. D. 1551. Both, each at a stake, surrendered their bodies in great steadfastness to God as a well pleasing sacrifice. Lijsken Dircks, the wife of Jerome Segers, who was pregnant, was (after her delivery) thrust into a bag early in the morning, between three and four o’clock, and murderously thrown into the Scheldt and drowned, before people were up. Nevertheless; there were some that saw it, who testified to her firm and steadfast faith unto death. They now rest together under the altar. Read the following beautiful letters written by them, which attest their strong faith, firm hope and ardent love to God and his holy truth.
A LETTER FROM JEROME SEGERS, WRITTEN IN THE PRISON AT ANTWERP, TO HIS WIFE LIJSKEN, WHO WAS ALSO IMPRISONED THERE, A. D. 1551.
_Always fear God._
In narrow prison walls I lay, well guarded and confined; Because for Christ I testified, sore troubles I did find; But it cometh from the Lord, Who to me doth strength afford.
Grace, peace, joy, gladness, consolation, a firm faith, and good assurance, together with an ardent love to God, I wish to you, my most beloved wife, Lijsken Dircks, whom I wedded before God and his holy church, and thus took to wife, according to the command of the Lord; may consolation, gladness and joy be increased and multiplied to you my dear wife.
I earnestly pray the Lord, that he will comfort you, and remove from you that which is too grievous. I well know, my chosen lamb, that you are in great sorrow on my account; but lay aside all sorrow, and look to Jesus the Captain and Finisher of our faith, and let us henceforth walk in all righteousness and holiness, as children of peace, and let us make good use of the time of grace, and consider what great mercy the Lord has shown us. O my dear wife, remember how faithful a God we serve; he will not let us be confounded. Remember how faithfully he led the children of Israel with an outstretched arm, from Pharaoh’s house of bondage, and out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and remember how they had to prepare themselves, before they could go out, and how they did eat the paschal lamb with unleavened bread. They had to eat the paschal lamb standing, and the unleavened bread which they had, they bound up in their clothes, and began to go out to the wilderness. And the angel of the Lord went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, and thus he gave them light. But when they were closely pressed by Pharaoh and his host, the people began to murmur against Moses; for they had not firm confidence in the Lord, that he would lead them out. But the Lord told Moses, what he would do, and how he would show his power on Pharaoh and his host; and he commanded Moses, to take the rod and smite the sea; and when Moses smote the sea, it dried up, and the waters were divided, and stood like walls to the right and to the left, so that they went through the sea on dry ground. Pharaoh followed with his host, and was drowned, with all his lords and people; but Israel passed through unharmed, and praised and thanked God, that he had delivered them from Pharaoh’s house of bondage. But they were not yet in the promised land; they came into the dreadful wilderness, where there was no bread. The bread which they had brought from Egypt, was but a small quantity; it was the unleavened dough which they had bound up in their clothes, when they left Egypt. Then they were troubled, because they had nothing to eat; but the Lord fed them with bread from heaven.