# Aeltgen Baten, And Maeyken Wouters, A. D. 1595. · Page 1 of 2 [Previous page: MATTHEUS MAIR, A. D. 1592.](/en/stories/mm-mattheus-mair-a-d-1592/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: AELTGEN BATEN, AND MAEYKEN WOUTERS, A. D. 1595.](/en/stories/mm-aeltgen-baten-and-maeyken-wouters-a-d-1595/part-2/) Aeltgen Baten was an aged woman, and Maeyken Wouters a young woman of about twenty-four years. Both were born at Sonhoven, in the seignioralty of Vogelsanck, belonging under the territory of Luyck, and resided there. Through the grace of God they obtained the true knowledge of the holy gospel, believed the same, amended their lives, according to its requirements, and had themselves baptized upon the faith in Jesus Christ, according to his divine commandment and the practice of his dear apostles. As this however could not be tolerated, complaints were entered against them at Luyck, where the Court is held, and where orders were given to bring them thither as prisoners, which was done in the following manner: The lords of Luyck have certain beadles, called trappers, whom they send through the country whenever they want to have any one apprehended. They sent fourteen of these trappers from Luyck to Sonhoven, to apprehend these two women, or any others, and to 1034 bring them to Luyck. They first captured Aeltgen, and afterwards Maeyken and her brother (who was still very young), who had made themselves ready and it was the intention of both of them, if their father should have been taken, to go with him and not to forsake him; but as they did not catch the father, her brother also escaped the trappers. Thus they began to conduct these two lambs to Luyck; but as they, on their way to Luyck, had to pass through Hasselt, a town about a league distant from Sonhoven, these two lambs were spoken to by many of their acquaintances at Hasselt, and it was greatly lamented, that they had to go to Luyck, into prison, and much sympathy and solicitude was expressed for them. Maeyken said to them: “If the Lord has so ordered it, I would rather go to Luyck (namely, for the testimony of Christ), than home. And thus they proceeded through the city, and went to Luyck, in all a distance of about eight leagues. When they got there, they were imprisoned ten weeks in the official’s tower. During this time, they showed each other great love, tending as it appears, much to edification and encouragement; for the young sister would gladly have borne in her own body, if it had been possible to do so, all the hardships which her dear, old sister suffered. They endured much vexation, being threatened, frightened, and also entreated, in order to turn them from the faith. Once the bishop’s chaplain came to the young sister, with bland words, and brought a can of wine with him, in the hope that he should overcome her. With words of greatest suavity he presented to her the matter; yea, he got down upon his knees, and with folded hands begged her to recant and to believe the Romish church. But Maeyken proved herself faithful, and repelled the devil’s deceit, so that the tempter went away. On another occasion, a man from her village, who was acquainted with her, came to Luyck. He had heard that it was reported that she should have to die, and his soul was set on fire, and the matter excited his carnal sympathy, thinking: “And must that young girl die?” Hence he thought with himself, that he would talk with her, in order to see whether he might not move her. He therefore went to her in prison, and called Maeyken out alone, and said: “My dear Maeyken, O that you would obey, and yield a point, to be released from these bonds. When you get out, you can live as before.” Thereupon she replied: “My dear friend (calling him by name), would you advise me this, that I should forsake God and become a child of the devil?” The man said: “Then you will have to die.” Thereupon Maeyken said: “I should rather have this come to pass with us, than enjoy the light of day.” When the man heard this, he became silent, so that he turned around with weeping eyes, and said nothing more to her. They were both tortured and suspended on Thursday night; but they remained silent and fainted away. Then they poured water over Maeyken, upon which she cried aloud; but more than that they did not obtain from either. During the night they lay together quietly. On Friday night they sang with great joy. Having been thus imprisoned for a long time, they were finally brought into the official’s court, and condemned according to their spiritual law. When they heard their sentence, they thanked the Lord with a joyful heart, yea, with a laughing mouth. They then delivered these two persons over to the secular judge, who received them, and placed them again in his prison, in which they suffered great distress for a few days, on account of the uncomfortable condition of the prison. However the Lord ordered it, so that they took consolation and courage in the Lord, and Aeltgen’s husband sent her money and blankets for her needs, for which she thought she had no further use, and hence refused it altogether. She asked her dear sister Maeyken, whether she would have it. Maeyken said: “I have as little need of it as you, my dear sister;” for they trusted soon to live in all fullness and joy with the Lord. “Yes,” said Aeltgen, “if the door stood open, I should not wish to go away.” And since in all their sufferings they were so joyful in God, they thanked God in heaven in their hearts, and sang praises to him in prison. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_1034) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: MATTHEUS MAIR, A. D. 1592.](/en/stories/mm-mattheus-mair-a-d-1592/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: AELTGEN BATEN, AND MAEYKEN WOUTERS, A. D. 1595.](/en/stories/mm-aeltgen-baten-and-maeyken-wouters-a-d-1595/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-aeltgen-baten-and-maeyken-wouters-a-d-1595/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Aeltgen+Baten%2C+And+Maeyken+Wouters%2C+A.+D.+1595.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AAeltgen+Baten%2C+And+Maeyken+Wouters%2C+A.+D.+1595.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-aeltgen-baten-and-maeyken-wouters-a-d-1595%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-aeltgen-baten-and-maeyken-wouters-a-d-1595%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1595%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)