[298] That no one say: We cannot be perfect; except to those who say that they are perfect. There is nothing so good as that men will not contradict it, even with the Scriptures.
“The fourteenth week of my imprisonment, the first day of January, so called, A. D. 1568. I trust that the present year will not pass like the former. Watch and pray, for you know neither the day nor hour; but the godfearing may consider whether this is the year in which the Lord will deliver his elect and believers; let every one take warning.”
JAN THIELEMANS AND JOB JANS, BURNT TO DEATH FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, IN THE HAGUE, IN HOLLAND, IN THE YEAR 1568.
Hands were now laid in the Hague, on the beloved friends of the Lord, so that they did not hesitate to deprive them of their lives with flaming fire.
This became apparent in the case of two very pious and godfearing men, one of whom was named Jan Thielemans, the other Job Jans. To both of them, at that place, because they faithfully adhered to the Lord their God, and could by no torture be moved from the steadfastness of their faith, their sentence of death was read in court, namely, that, in pursuance with the decrees of the Emperor, and the King of Spain (who called himself Count of Holland), they should be put to death with fire as heretics; which was executed on the 18th of December, A. D. 1568, on both of them, after they had committed their souls into the hands of God.
_Further observation, concerning the death sentences of the aforementioned martyrs._
We have this year, 1659, on this occasion, through some of our friends in the Hague, requested by way of authenticated copy, the use of the proceedings of the court, from the criminal records of the year 1568, but especially of the death sentences of the aforementioned martyrs (as recorded by the papists), which, as appears, are still extant in the original; but as A. D. 1648 peace was made with Spain, with condition of forgiving each other all previous wrongs, and consequently, to mention them no more, the actuary was afraid to make out a copy of these particulars, as well as concerning others of our fellow believers that were put to death during the papistical reign, fearing it might tend to their reproach, and prove detrimental to the peace concluded.
This aim of the actuary was not bad, since it springs from carefulness in regard to a matter of great importance; but in the meantime these holy martyrs must suffer abridgment, since their matters, which otherwise necessarily (even out of the mouth of their adversaries, might be made known to every one), must thereby remain hid. This by way of notice.
_The first letter which Jan Thielemans wrote in prison._
I wish you, my dear friends, grace and peace from God the heavenly father, through Jesus Christ his dear Son our Lord, as a friendly greeting. Amen.
Further, after all good and proper greetings that are Christian-like, I, in my unworthiness, have felt greatly prompted in my spirit, to write you something yet, since I cannot orally converse with you all; seeing I had laid the first foundation in some of you (1 Cor. 3:10), and, according to my humble gift, withheld nothing from you, and though I am now removed from you, I have nevertheless, because of the great love which we in great fellowship and peace have mutually had, remembered you in my last adieu with a little draught out of my rivulet, from which I have poured out for you; yet not I, but the grace of God through me. For thus it is written, Gen. 17, that God spake to our father Abraham, saying: “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me, and thee, and will multiply thee accordingly, so that kings shall come out of thee. And I will give unto thy seed the land of Canaan for an inheritance. And this is my covenant which I will make with you: Every man-child ye shall circumcise.” Thus Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. James 2:23. So God then gave Abraham a son, who was called Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. And the Patriarchs envied Joseph, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and he found favor in the sight of king Pharaoh, and became governor over the land of Egypt. And it happened that there came a dearth over Egypt, so that Jacob and his sons found no sustenance. And they heard that corn was sold in Egypt. Hence Jacob sent out his sons the first time; and the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. And Joseph sent for his father Jacob. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and with him threescore and fifteen souls; and he dwelt in Egypt, and he and his sons died there. Acts 7:4, etc.