Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, preserved in the archives of said city.
CORNELIS JANSS OF HAERLEM, A SAILOR, BURNT FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT AMSTERDAM, ON THE 12TH OF MARCH, A. D. 1569.
At the same time, and in the same court, there also received his sentence of death, Cornelis Janss, a sailor, a native of Haerlem according to the body, but born again of God from heaven according to the soul. However, he had not yet received baptism upon his true faith, which (though he had not been able to find an opportunity for it) he greatly deplored even at his very last, since the Lord has said: “Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Matt. 3:15.
In short, sentence was pronounced upon him, that he should like the preceding martyrs (Willem Janss and Jan Quirijnss) be put to death with fire; concerning which we have obtained, from the book of criminal sentences, of the city of Amsterdam, a true copy of his sentence of death, as also, how he was twice examined by torture, or on the rack, and when all this took place; which copy we will faithfully annex here, for the greater confirmation of this matter: it reads as follows:
_Sentence of death of Cornelis Janss of Haerlem, sailor._
Whereas Cornelis Janss, sailor, born at Haerlem, citizen of this city, at present a prisoner here, unmindful of his soul’s salvation,[316] and the obedience which he owed to our mother, the holy church, and to His Imperial Majesty, as his natural lord and prince, has apostatized from the holy church, so that he, despising her ordinances, has never in his life been to confession, nor to the holy worthy sacrament; and has also several times attended the assembly of the reprobated and accursed sect of the Mennonists, in this city, as well as lately, before the last frost, in the town of Middleburgh, in Zealand, being then so hardened in said sect, that he still, as prisoner, declares that he regrets that he is not rebaptized, and has not received the breaking of bread, adding that he would have done this if he had had a convenient time for it; to which reprobated and accursed sect, he, the prisoner, still persistently clings, refusing to return to our mother, the holy church, notwithstanding he has repeatedly, by divers clerical persons, and also by the court of this city, been urged thereto, and instructed; so that he, the prisoner, according to what has been mentioned, has committed crime against divine and human majesty, as disturbing the common peace and welfare; therefore, my lords of the court, having heard the demand of my lord the Bailiff, and seen the confession of the prisoner, and having had regard to his great stubbornness and obstinacy, have condemned said prisoner, and by these presents do condemn him to be executed with fire, according to the decree of His Majesty; and declare his property confiscated without prejudice to the privileges of this city in all other matters. Done in court, in presence, etc.
[316] A great calumny which the writer of this sentence cast upon this good man, as though he had been forgetful of his soul’s salvation.
_Touching the two torturings of the aforesaid martyr, according to the record in the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam._
The aforesaid person was twice tortured, according to the sentence of the judges, namely, on the fourth and the sixth of March, A. D. 1569, as appears from the records of the confession.
Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, preserved in the archives of said place.
CLEMENT HENDRICKSS, A SAIL-MAKER, BURNT FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT AMSTERDAM, ON THE TWELFTH OF MARCH, IN THE YEAR 1569.
The awful fury and blood-thirstiness of the papistic rulers in the city of Amsterdam continued, and on the same day pronounced sentence of death upon a fourth person of said Anabaptistic religion, named Clement Hendrickss, a sail-maker by trade.