Trijnken Keuts was a widow who lived in the city of Maestricht. Having come to the knowledge of the divine truth through the holy gospel, she in her simplicity laid the matter to heart, and continued day and night in earnest prayer, until the Lord further enlightened her with the clear, shining light of his divine grace, and endowed her with power of faith, so that she, believing and penitent, had herself baptized, upon the true faith, in the name of Jesus Christ, a member of the body and church of Jesus Christ; and as she lived according to her faith and no longer resorted to the papal idolatries, but abstained from every abomination, and entered upon a new life, the venomous beast could not endure this, and she was therefore accused and reported as a heretic to the authorities of said city. Thereupon the burgomasters cited her to appear in the Landtskroon (the house in which the burgomasters and the council hold their court). When she received this summons, through a servant of the burgomasters, she went to the Landtskroon. Arriving there, she was asked and examined by the burgomasters, in regard to what had been reported to them, as to whether it was so with her; and when she frankly answered them, and confessed the truth, they imprisoned her there. Having been confined for a time, in the meanwhile undergoing many importunities and conflicts, she was finally caused to be rigorously examined by the priests (one of whom was a Dominican monk), before whom she freely confessed her faith. When asked whether she was rebaptized, she replied: “I was baptized upon my faith according to the doctrine of Christ;” in regard to which they had yet many more words together; but she adhered to the truth. The priests also questioned her concerning the sacrament, whether she did not believe that when the priest had pronounced five words over the bread, Christ was present in it, essentially with flesh and blood, just as he had hung on the cross. Trijne said that she believed that Christ had ascended to heaven, and was sitting on the right hand of God, his heavenly Father. And she asked, saying: “How should he come into the bread?”
When she thus steadfastly adhered to the truth, these priests condemned her to be burnt to ashes here, and to burn forever in hell. Trijne said: “When you, in a few days, will follow me before the judgment seat of God, you will find it to be otherwise.” Upon this judgment, Trijne was delivered to the Bailiff and the Judges, by whom she was sentenced, that she should be led forth, according to the imperial mandate, and be burnt to ashes; which Trijne gratefully received, willingly submitting to it. She was therefore, with her mouth gagged, led to the Vrijthof, where she put off her tabernacle, and was burnt to ashes, having commended her soul into the hands of God. 1 Pet. 1:14. This occurred in the year 1559, on Palm-eve, in Lent.
It was currently reported as true, that one of the aforementioned priests, namely, the Dominican monk, three days after Trijnken was offered up and burnt, was unexpectedly (he not having been known to be sick), and secretly found dead in his cell, and that he was being eaten up by lice; but what part God had in this matter, this we leave to his righteous judgment, who will give to every one his merited reward.
FRANSKEN VROEVROUWE, NAENTGEN LEERVERKOOPSTER AND PLEUNTGEN VAN DER GOES, A. D. 1559.
There were also at Antwerp three sisters, namely, Fransken Vroevrouwe, Naentgen Leerverkoopster, and Pleuntgen van der Goes, who were kindled with the love of God, and, as lambs and sheep of Christ, heard and followed the voice of their Shepherd, so that, having been apprehended on this account in the year 1559, they steadfastly adhered to the truth amidst all solicitations, tortures and sufferings; hence all of them finally died for the name of Christ, being drowned in a vat, in the prison.