# Confession Of Jacques D’Auchy, Made Before The Commissary And The Inquisitor. · Page 1 of 27

[Previous page: JACQUES D’AUCHY, IMPRISONED A. D. 1558, BUT PUT TO DEATH AT LEEUWARDEN, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1559.](/en/stories/mm-jacques-dauchy-imprisoned-a-d-1558-but-put-to-death-at-leeuwarden-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-in-the-year-of-our-l/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: CONFESSION OF JACQUES D’AUCHY, MADE BEFORE THE COMMISSARY AND THE INQUISITOR.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-jacques-dauchy-made-before-the-commissary-and-the-inquisitor/part-2/)

When I had been in prison ten weeks, my first
examination took place. On the third day of January,
A. D. 1558, reckoning the beginning of the
year from New Year’s day, the jailer came to me in
the afternoon, saying that I had to appear before
the commissary, in order to be examined concerning
my faith. I was ready with a glad heart, and
went thither with the jailer. When I entered the
room where the commissary sat, I humbly saluted
him. He returned my salutation, and said: “Jacques,
is your name Jacques d’Auchy?”

Jacques. “Yes, my lord.”

Com. “Jacques, I have come here commissioned
by the King, and the Procurator General, to examine
you with regard to the articles of faith.”

Jacques. “Well, my lord, be it done then in the
name of the Lord.”

After we had had many words together concerning
the faith, he began to ask me regarding the
place of my nativity, my residence, and my life from
my youth up to the present time; all of which I
confessed to him. Thereupon I was led back to
prison by the jailer.

In the afternoon of the next day, namely, the
fourth of January of the same year, I was again
brought before the same commissary. As I stood
before him, he commenced to revile, vituperate and
blaspheme the pastors and the flock of Christ, saying:
“Is it not a pity that we suffer ourselves to be
so deceived?”

Jacques. “Yes, my lord.”

Com. “I speak of you and others, who forsake
our mother the holy church, and suffer yourselves
to be deceived by a set of mischievous idlers and
vagabonds.”

Jac. “I have not suffered myself to be deceived
by such.”

Com. “No! when you believe such accursed villains
and beggars as Menno, Leenaert, Henderick
van Vreden, Frans de Kuyper, Jelis of Aix-la-Chapelle,
and other such rascals, and forsake us and
the true word of God, do you not then suffer yourselves
to be deceived?”

Jac. “I have not forsaken the word of God; for
my faith is founded upon the word of God, and not
upon men, nor upon the doctrines of men, since the
prophet Jeremiah exclaims: “Cursed be the man
that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.”
Jer. 17:5.

A little after this the commissary cried out, saying:
“O the miscreants, such as Menno and Leenaert,
how many have they deceived and led to all
the devils and into perdition.”

Jac. “My lord, I entreat you not to say such
words; for it would be difficult and hard for you
to prove that they are such as you assert them to
be. And, again: They have not deceived, but have
clearly taught the word of God. And I do not believe
that those who have believed in the word of
God, will go into perdition; but the Lord shall
judge all things well.”

Com. “I will not dispute; for I myself receive
instruction from those that are taught in the holy
church. But I well know the character of you people,
and of your doctrine: had you but the power,
you should gladly cut our throats, which, as has
been seen, you people have done at Munster, Amsterdam,
and other places.”

Jac. “O my lord, don’t say such words against
your own conscience; for I am persuaded that you
know much better, since you have been in the
council here for twenty years, as you say (this he
had told me before); hence it seems to me that you
know us better; for if we had such wicked hearts
as to intend murdering people, we should not thus
deliver ourselves into your hands; for were we only
to speak against our conscience, and conceal the
truth from you, you would have no power over us,
since you can find no one that can accuse us with
truth of having wronged or injured any one.”

Com. “Whence then originate so many sects
and heresies? whence springs so much uproar and
mutiny?”

Jac. “As far as the sects and heresies that are
in the world are concerned; as those of Munster or
Amsterdam, or elsewhere, we have in no manner
fellowship or part with their works, nor with their
doctrines, but we regard them as doctrines of devils.
All these things cannot prevent the truth from being
truth, and the Christians from being true Christians,
any more than could in the days of the apostles all
the sects and heresies that were round about them,
and had some semblance of the word of God.”

After these and many other words which we had
together, he began to get milder in his manner, and
said to me: “You must not study so high, but suffer
yourself to be instructed by those who are more
learned and wise than you, and you must believe
in the word of God.”



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_570)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

[Previous page: JACQUES D’AUCHY, IMPRISONED A. D. 1558, BUT PUT TO DEATH AT LEEUWARDEN, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1559.](/en/stories/mm-jacques-dauchy-imprisoned-a-d-1558-but-put-to-death-at-leeuwarden-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-in-the-year-of-our-l/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: CONFESSION OF JACQUES D’AUCHY, MADE BEFORE THE COMMISSARY AND THE INQUISITOR.](/en/stories/mm-confession-of-jacques-dauchy-made-before-the-commissary-and-the-inquisitor/part-2/)

---

Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-confession-of-jacques-dauchy-made-before-the-commissary-and-the-inquisitor/

[Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Confession+Of+Jacques+D%E2%80%99Auchy%2C+Made+Before+The+Commissary+And+The+Inquisitor.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+27&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AConfession+Of+Jacques+D%E2%80%99Auchy%2C+Made+Before+The+Commissary+And+The+Inquisitor.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+27%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-confession-of-jacques-dauchy-made-before-the-commissary-and-the-inquisitor%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-confession-of-jacques-dauchy-made-before-the-commissary-and-the-inquisitor%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+16th+century+%28source+section%29%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.)
