About the year 1553 there was at Bergen op Zoom, in Brabant, a shop-keeper, named Simon, who stood in the market place, to sell his wares. When the priests passed him with their idol, this Simon did not dare give divine honor to this idol made by human hands (Dan. 3:18), but, according to the testimony of God presented in the holy Scriptures, would worship and serve only the Lord his God. He was therefore apprehended by the maintainers of the Roman antichrist, and examined in the faith, which he freely confessed, rejecting their self-invented infant baptism together with all human commandments, and holding fast only to the testimony of the word of God; hence he was sentenced to death by the enemies of the truth, and was thus led without the city, and burnt for the testimony of Jesus. Many of the people present were therefore greatly astonished when they beheld the great boldness and steadfastness of this pious witness of God, who thus through grace obtained the crown of eternal life.
The Bailiff who had him executed, on returning home from this deed, was laid upon a bed of severe sickness, and constantly exclaimed with sorrow and remorse: “O Simon, Simon!” and although the priests and monks sought to absolve him, they were nevertheless not able to give him the least comfort, but he soon died in despair, an instructive and memorable example to all tyrants and persecutors. 2 Macc. 9:9,28; Acts 12:23.
JOOS KINDT, A. D. 1553. A LETTER OR CONFESSION OF JOOS KINDT, IMPRISONED AT KORTRIJCK, WHERE HE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST HIS LIFE AT THE STAKE, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, A. D. 1553, RECKONING THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR FROM NEW YEAR’S DAY.
Grace be with you, and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ; may he comfort and strengthen us with his Holy Spirit, that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the devil, who, as Peter says, walketh about us, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and resist him with a firm faith. Know then, dear friends, that I have such a conflict against the carnal lords, insomuch that they assail me with their sophistries, seeking to draw me from the obedience of our dear Lord; however, I trust that the Lord will succor me, which I do not doubt; for God, comforting his own, says through the prophet Isaiah (49:15): “Though a mother forsake her child, yet will I not forsake thee;” which the Lord shows in me in a wonderful manner--let every tongue praise him. Yea, if I had as much paper as I ever wrote on, and time to write, I could not describe the joy and gladness I experience; yea, my joy is unspeakable.
But N. is sick, and asks that you would diligently entreat the Lord for him; for he is ready to go into the fire, but he cannot resist the enemies of the cross; for they assail him with sophisms, for their teacher, the devil, knows much sophistry, which he showed when he came to tempt our Savior in the wilderness, as is written in the Gospel. Now, if he employed his sophistry on our Savior, I am not cast down, though I have a little of conflict; for, dear friends, they could easily be resisted if they used arguments, but they assail him altogether with lies. Since their father is a liar, as our Savior also told them, they have the nature of their father, which they partly manifested with regard to me, all of which I cannot communicate to you; but I hope that the Lord will give me so much grace that I may write a little about the disputation with the carnal.
Know then, that Ronse and Polet came into the prison on Saturday afternoon, and summoned me before them. When I came to them, I asked them what they wished of me. They replied: “This will be told you.” They inquired how old I was. I replied: “That I do not know; if you want correct information on this point, you must ask my mother.”