# Confession Of Claes De Praet Who For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, And His Word Was Imprisoned And Burnt At Ghent, And Laid Down His Life As A Burnt Offering Unto The Lord A. D. 1556. · Page 6 of 8 [Previous page: CONFESSION OF CLAES DE PRAET WHO FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS WORD WAS IMPRISONED AND BURNT AT GHENT, AND LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AS A BURNT OFFERING UNTO THE LORD A. D. 1556.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la/part-5/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: CONFESSION OF CLAES DE PRAET WHO FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS WORD WAS IMPRISONED AND BURNT AT GHENT, AND LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AS A BURNT OFFERING UNTO THE LORD A. D. 1556.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la/part-7/) The third day after this, the jailer came once more for me, and I went down very willingly. He directed me to go into a certain room. When I entered it, there were sitting there the chief Judge with another Judge, and a pastor or priest, who was exceedingly bent upon examining our friends, and very mordacious in his words, so that he could listen to nothing that was said, without interrupting it. But one of the Judges had never been a Judge before, and he constantly forbade him; for he paid very close attention. When I entered the room, I did the lords great reverence, and they did the same to me. 1 Pet. 2:17. I took a seat at the table, and the priest made a lengthy harangue, as had the dean; I kept silent till I was asked. When he had ended his sermon, he asked me: “Why did you suffer yourself to be seduced so miserably from the faith into error?” Claes. “I have not been led into error, but from error into the true Christian faith.” Priest. “What then is your faith; let us hear?” Claes. “I believe that Jesus Christ is the true, living Son of God, and that there is no other salvation either in heaven or on earth, either under it or above it.” Chief Judge. “This we all likewise believe in our church.” The priest laughed, saying: “This I also preach; tell us something else, and speak freely; for Christ said: When you are brought before kings, and princes, and magistrates, fear not what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour, of my heavenly Father, what ye shall 537 speak; yea, my spirit shall speak through your mouth. Matt. 10:19. Now, if you have received the Holy Spirit, speak freely through the Holy Spirit.” And the chief Judge sat there and kept nodding his head, and smiling, and saying: “Yes, yes, Claes, yes;” before I could say a single word. The priest continued instantly. “Christ promised his church, that he would be with them unto the end of the world. Matt. 28:20. And I can find none among you that can tell me of a longer existence of your church than about thirty years; for before that it did not exist; or do you know of any books of your people, that are older, then name them to us.” Claes. “Since Christ promised his church, that he should be with her unto the end of the world, I doubt not that he has been the preserver of his body, and is yet, and will be as long as the world will endure, according to his promise, Matt. 28:20; Eph. 5:23. Although she was sometimes extirpated in some countries, through bloodshed and persecution, and through the false doctrine of the Roman Empire, or otherwise; she was therefore not annihilated throughout the world; for the world is great, and she could linger in some corner of the world, and from one to the other, without perishing utterly. And as to your asking me to name to you any books of our church, the Bible is our book, which has reigned in the church from of old.” Priest. “Is it big enough for you people, and have you enough with one?” Claes. “Yes; it is too big yet for us.” The priest laughed and said: “What becomes then of all the books written from the time of the apostles by learned men, who also received the Spirit of God, as well as the apostles? have they all written in vain; as Jerome, Gregory, Augustine, and Ambrose; these were certainly good and virtuous men, were they not?” Claes. “Were these the four pillars upon which your church is founded?” Priest. “Yes.” Claes. “I did not know them, only by hearsay; they were pious scullions, if they founded your church as it yet is as may be seen.” The priest drew back, and said: “Why, why!” I said: “Christ did not thus found his church, neither did Peter, Paul, Stephen, and John; they rather received rods on the back, stones on the head, and the sword in the neck, and so forth.” 2 Cor. 11:25; Acts 7:58; 12:2. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_537) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: CONFESSION OF CLAES DE PRAET WHO FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS WORD WAS IMPRISONED AND BURNT AT GHENT, AND LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AS A BURNT OFFERING UNTO THE LORD A. D. 1556.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la/part-5/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: CONFESSION OF CLAES DE PRAET WHO FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS WORD WAS IMPRISONED AND BURNT AT GHENT, AND LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AS A BURNT OFFERING UNTO THE LORD A. D. 1556.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la/part-7/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la/part-6/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Confession+Of+Claes+De+Praet+Who+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%2C+And+His+Word+Was+Imprisoned+And+Burnt+At+Ghent%2C+And+Laid+Down+His+Life+As+A+Burnt+Offering+Unto+The+Lord+A.+D.+1556.+%C2%B7+Page+6+of+8&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AConfession+Of+Claes+De+Praet+Who+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%2C+And+His+Word+Was+Imprisoned+And+Burnt+At+Ghent%2C+And+Laid+Down+His+Life+As+A+Burnt+Offering+Unto+The+Lord+A.+D.+1556.+%C2%B7+Page+6+of+8%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la%2Fpart-6%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-confession-of-claes-de-praet-who-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-and-his-word-was-imprisoned-and-burnt-at-ghent-and-la--b00037-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1556%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.)