# EXTRACT FROM A WRITING BY GERRIT VAN BYLER’s OWN HAND, HANDED TO US BY HIS SON JAN VAN BYLER; WRITTEN IN PRISON, AT LONDON, AND CONFIRMATORY OF THE FOREGOING. · Page 1 of 2 [Previous page: TWENTY PERSONS AT LONDON, IN ENGLAND, NAMELY, FOURTEEN WOMEN DRIVEN FROM THE CITY: A YOUTH SCOURGED BEHIND A CART; ONE DIED IN PRISON; TWO, NAMED HENDRICK TERWOORT AND JAN PIETERSS, BURNT ALIVE AND TWO OTHERS, AFTER ENDURING MUCH MISERY, ESCAPED FROM PRISON; ALL OF WHICH TOOK PLACE UNDER THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, IN THE YEAR 1575.](/en/stories/mm-twenty-persons-at-london-in-england-namely-fourteen-women-driven-from-the-city-a-youth-scourged-behind-a-cart-one-died-i/part-3/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: EXTRACT FROM A WRITING BY GERRIT VAN BYLER’s OWN HAND, HANDED TO US BY HIS SON JAN VAN BYLER; WRITTEN IN PRISON, AT LONDON, AND CONFIRMATORY OF THE FOREGOING.](/en/stories/mm-extract-from-a-writing-by-gerrit-van-bylers-own-hand-handed-to-us-by-his-son-jan-van-byler-written-in-prison-at-london-a/part-2/) First of all he states that they, more than twenty-five of them being assembled in prayer to God, on Easter-day, were surprised, apprehended, and put into the Queen’s prison, where they were confined till the third day, that they had to give bail for a large amount of money, etc., some one going security 959 for it; and we, writes G. van Byler, kept our word. (From here on we shall follow G. van Byler’s own words.) We were then brought before Her Majesty’s Bishop, to confess our faith, which we did. When we came before the bishop, there were assembled there: Mr. George, James King, John Wheelwright, two aldermen, and a French preacher. Again: we came before the lords and their servants; they presented to us four questions, and thereupon said: “Say yes or no.” 1. Ques. Whether Christ had not assumed his flesh and blood from the virgin Mary? We replied: That he is the Son of the living God. 2. Ques. Whether infants must not be baptized? We replied: That we could not understand it so, since we had not found it in the holy Scriptures. 3. Ques. Whether a Christian may administer the [criminal] office of the magistracy? We replied: That our conscience did not allow it, but that we recognized it as the servant of God, as we read. 4. Ques. Whether a Christian, in case of necessity, may not swear? We replied: That our conscience did likewise not allow it, because Christ, in Matthew, had said: “Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay.” Then we kept silence. The bishop said that our crimes therein were very great, so that we should not inherit the kingdom of God. O Lord, do not avenge it! The bishop then said to us all, that they should conduct us back into the Mersey, whence we had come out, and keep us confined there. A young brother, who being questioned first, boldly declared the truth, was severely accused for it, and taken from us to Westminster, where he was confined by himself, which grieved us greatly. While we were thus imprisoned, Mr. George came, and said: That if we would adhere to the Church, he would release us, and free us from our bonds, to which end, he said, he had orders from the bishop. But we adhered valiantly to the truth of Jesus Christ; he is our Captain, and no other; yea, in him is all our trust. My dear brethren and beloved sisters, let us courageously persevere, till we are taken hence. The Lord shall give us to drink of the new wine. O Lord, strengthen our faith! As we have received the Lord Jesus Christ, so let us go on, valiantly trusting in him. When we thought that the conflict was almost over, it was only the beginning of it. We were put in irons, and each separately confined, with fetters on our legs. This lasted a little more than three weeks. In the mean time we had to appear before the lords again, when we were told that we should be burnt, which was grievous for the flesh; but we called to God in our distress, that he would strengthen us, as he had strengthened Israel. On the morning of the day before Whitsuntide we were two and two coupled together, and brought before the lords (which was the fourth time), and we remembered the word of the Lord: “When ye are brought before lords and princes, fear not what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that hour.” Hence we trusted in the Lord. When we had been brought there, the lords again presented to us the aforementioned four questions, and urged us to sign them. But we said, we would adhere to the word of the Lord. We were then taken away and each separately confined, and fettered as previously. The women and one young brother were taken to Newgate, whence they were conducted on board a vessel, and carried away; and the brother was tied to a cart and whipped out of the city. We were then released from our fetters for about five days, which, however, were put on us again, and then we looked for the end. After this, two Dutch preachers, sent by the bishop, came and gave a letter to the jailer. Thereupon, on the 2d of June, we were bound again, led forth, and brought before the lords, who again presented to us the aforementioned four questions, and after this had been done, they sent us into Newgate prison, where the other friends had been confined. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_959) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: TWENTY PERSONS AT LONDON, IN ENGLAND, NAMELY, FOURTEEN WOMEN DRIVEN FROM THE CITY: A YOUTH SCOURGED BEHIND A CART; ONE DIED IN PRISON; TWO, NAMED HENDRICK TERWOORT AND JAN PIETERSS, BURNT ALIVE AND TWO OTHERS, AFTER ENDURING MUCH MISERY, ESCAPED FROM PRISON; ALL OF WHICH TOOK PLACE UNDER THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, IN THE YEAR 1575.](/en/stories/mm-twenty-persons-at-london-in-england-namely-fourteen-women-driven-from-the-city-a-youth-scourged-behind-a-cart-one-died-i/part-3/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: EXTRACT FROM A WRITING BY GERRIT VAN BYLER’s OWN HAND, HANDED TO US BY HIS SON JAN VAN BYLER; WRITTEN IN PRISON, AT LONDON, AND CONFIRMATORY OF THE FOREGOING.](/en/stories/mm-extract-from-a-writing-by-gerrit-van-bylers-own-hand-handed-to-us-by-his-son-jan-van-byler-written-in-prison-at-london-a/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-extract-from-a-writing-by-gerrit-van-bylers-own-hand-handed-to-us-by-his-son-jan-van-byler-written-in-prison-at-london-a/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+EXTRACT+FROM+A+WRITING+BY+GERRIT+VAN+BYLER%E2%80%99s+OWN+HAND%2C+HANDED+TO+US+BY+HIS+SON+JAN+VAN+BYLER%3B+WRITTEN+IN+PRISON%2C+AT+LONDON%2C+AND+CONFIRMATORY+OF+THE+FOREGOING.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AEXTRACT+FROM+A+WRITING+BY+GERRIT+VAN+BYLER%E2%80%99s+OWN+HAND%2C+HANDED+TO+US+BY+HIS+SON+JAN+VAN+BYLER%3B+WRITTEN+IN+PRISON%2C+AT+LONDON%2C+AND+CONFIRMATORY+OF+THE+FOREGOING.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-extract-from-a-writing-by-gerrit-van-bylers-own-hand-handed-to-us-by-his-son-jan-van-byler-written-in-prison-at-london-a%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-extract-from-a-writing-by-gerrit-van-bylers-own-hand-handed-to-us-by-his-son-jan-van-byler-written-in-prison-at-london-a%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.)