# Confession Of A Woman Called Claesken, Who Laid Down Her Life For The Testimony Of Jesus, A. D. 1559. · Page 7 of 7 [Previous page: CONFESSION OF A WOMAN CALLED CLAESKEN, WHO LAID DOWN HER LIFE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-a-woman-called-claesken-who-laid-down-her-life-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-a-d-1559/part-6/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: JELIS DE GROOT, AND MAHIEU VAN HALEWIJN, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-jelis-de-groot-and-mahieu-van-halewijn-a-d-1559/) Since that time, my husband and our brother appeared once before the pastor of the Old Court, and on Sunday in Lent all three of us were before the steward, our brother first; he had a long conversation with him; and proved it to him with the Scriptures, so that he could not say a word against it, except that it was from the devil, since there were many in hell, and that ours were the worst; thereupon my husband was brought before him, and then I. When I appeared before him, he began to speak of infant baptism, of my baptism, the necessity of eating the flesh of Christ, and many other things. I said: “You need not bring these matters up; it is not given me to dispute with you. I tell you flatly, I will adhere to that wherein the Lord has called me.” He replied that the devil had called me. I said: “Is it the nature of the devil now, to desist from evil, and do good? It is with us as the prophet says: He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. Is. 59:15. Thus it has gone with us; from the first day that we forsook our vain, wicked life, we were hated of every one, as Christ says: ‘Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.’ ” Matt. 10:22. He says: Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do; but fear him which hath power to cast soul and body into hell. Luke 12:4,5; Is. 51:7. Yes, him alone we fear. He insisted that I should express myself with regard to infant baptism, and the eating of the flesh of Christ. I said: “It is not worth while for me to answer your questions; they are so useless. I have told it to you enough; I shall tell you no more;. we have had enough of it.” I said: “Wake up, and give heed; you certainly see that it is not in human power what the Lord enables us to do, that we can leave our dear children, yea, joyfully resign our lives, for the honor of God.” I said: “Take heed what you do, we are God’s holy people, his chosen. Though all your learned men in the whole world should agree, they cannot prove to us with the word of the Lord, that we believe or act contrary to the Word.” He said that we at least did not believe that the apostles ate the flesh of Christ, and drank his blood, and Christ says: “Take, eat, this is my body.” I said: “Christ took the bread, gave thanks, brake it, and gave it to his apostles. When he took the bread, brake it, and gave it to them, the bread was certainly no flesh; he surely did not give them his living body to eat, when he stood alive among them; but he gave his body for redemption, not for them alone, but for all who should believe in him.” However, he was not to be convinced, but held to his old tune. Our brother had proved everything to him so clearly with the Scriptures, that he could not say a single word against it. Our brother spoke very loud in order that those who stood without the chancery should hear how clearly he proved it to him. I also spoke as loud as I could, with a glad heart; whatever the Lord gave me to utter I spoke fearlessly; to relate all of which would take too long. He constantly reiterated that we had the devil in us, that the devil transformed himself into an angel of light in us, that we were possessed of the devil of pride, and that we must forever go into the abyss of hell. Thus he did every time we were before him. I said: “As lightly as you consign us to the abyss of hell, so highly are we exalted with the Lord.” As regards infant baptism he knew nothing to say, except Christ says: You must be born again of 593 water and of the Spirit. John 3:5. I said: “Children cannot understand the new birth; Christ said this to the adult; hence we have put off our old life, and put on a new life. We well know that our children are saved before the Lord.” He then cited David, how he was born in sin. Ps. 51:7. Our brother had explained it to him clearly, yet he remained as ignorant as ever. When we had ended our conversation, I asked him what my husband said. He replied: “Your husband also persists in his views.” I said: “What will you do with my poor husband, who cannot read a word?” He replied: “Your damnation will be greater than that of your husband; because you can read, and have seduced him.” With this I left him. Afterwards Claesken, her husband, and brother Jacques were drowned, for the testimony of the truth, at Leeuwarden, in Friesland, in March 1559. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_593) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: CONFESSION OF A WOMAN CALLED CLAESKEN, WHO LAID DOWN HER LIFE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-a-woman-called-claesken-who-laid-down-her-life-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-a-d-1559/part-6/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: JELIS DE GROOT, AND MAHIEU VAN HALEWIJN, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-jelis-de-groot-and-mahieu-van-halewijn-a-d-1559/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-confession-of-a-woman-called-claesken-who-laid-down-her-life-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-a-d-1559/part-7/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Confession+Of+A+Woman+Called+Claesken%2C+Who+Laid+Down+Her+Life+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus%2C+A.+D.+1559.+%C2%B7+Page+7+of+7&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AConfession+Of+A+Woman+Called+Claesken%2C+Who+Laid+Down+Her+Life+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus%2C+A.+D.+1559.+%C2%B7+Page+7+of+7%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-confession-of-a-woman-called-claesken-who-laid-down-her-life-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-a-d-1559%2Fpart-7%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-confession-of-a-woman-called-claesken-who-laid-down-her-life-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-a-d-1559--b00063-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1559%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.)