On the 13th of January, A. D. 1589, at ten o’clock in the night, there were apprehended at Ghent, in Flanders, for the practice of the truth and following Christ, two brethren and one sister, namely, Joost de Tollenaer, Michiel Buyse, and Sijntgen Wens; who, after much temptation and torment (in which they constantly remained steadfast), were finally publicly sentenced to death as heretics, but secretly, with locked doors, in the count’s castle, strangled at the stake, after which the two brethren were suspended from the gallows without, and the woman buried under it, which happened on the 13th of April of the aforesaid year 1589.
And as several letters of Joost de Tollenaer have come to our hands, we have added them here, for the benefit of the reader.
Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ his beloved Son, our Lord and Savior; may he, Lowijs, my dear brother in the Lord, and also Janneken, Jacomijntgen, and Sijntgen, my dear sisters in the Lord, together with all beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, strengthen and confirm you with his Holy Spirit in the inner man, so that you may obtain the end of your faith, to the salvation of your souls, and to the praise, glory, honor of, and gratitude to, him that lives forever and ever. Amen.
After all affectionate and Christian salutation to you my dear brethren and sisters in the Lord, I inform you, that I am in good health according to the flesh, the Lord be thanked; and according to the spirit, my mind is fixed, by the grace of the Lord, to adhere to the holy Christian truth, since there is no other salvation to be obtained, neither in heaven nor upon earth, than through Jesus Christ, who is the truth and the life. Hence, know, my dear brethren and sisters, that I am of very good cheer in the Lord, with my fellow prisoners, though all three of us are confined separately, and the jailer has strict orders, not to allow us to come together, nor to speak. It is a little close now, but there are Habakkuks who sometimes assist us, and though it is a little distressing, we have a very great consolation, namely, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, the same helper and succorer that comforted the holy apostles in their tribulation. Hence, I pray and supplicate day and night to the Lord my God, that he would graciously assist me, and help me to triumph, so that his holy name may be eternally praised through me poor one; and that he would take from me that which might hinder me; and thus I have committed myself to the eternal, almighty, strong God, through Jesus Christ our eternal Savior.
Thus, my dearest friends, the Lord has heard my voice, and looked upon me miserable, imperfect man, who am but dust and ashes, and too unworthy for all this mercy, that he has called me to have tribulation, bonds, affliction, and temptation for his name; so that I have such courage and joy, that I could not express to you with the mouth the joy and gladness which the Lord is giving me by his Spirit, so that I often think in my heart: “O Lord, is this sorrow and tribulation, affliction and bonds, or grief?” For in all the time that I unworthily walked in the truth, I never had such joy and gladness. But when I think of the eternal joy, of the great and comforting promises of happiness, which the Lord has prepared for his chosen, and for all those that continue steadfast unto the end--that they shall follow the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus, with shining white raiment, and branches of palm in their hands, and shall moreover be crowned with the crown of eternal life; that he shall lead them to the fountain of eternal life, and thus wipe away all tears from our eyes; then it seems that my heart would burst with joy, when I behold all this in the spirit; so mighty is the Lord, and so can he comfort those that surrender themselves with all their hearts. For, friends, it has now come so far, that I count all that is temporal and perishable loss for Christ’s sake; and the Lord has given me grace, so that I am not hindered by temporal affairs, which I accept as a great gift from the Lord.