# Five Letters Of Clement Hendrickss, Sent From His Prison In Amsterdam, Where He Laid Down His Life For The Knowledge Of The Truth; Together With Jan Krijnss And Cornelis Janss Mentioned Above. · Page 5 of 7 [Previous page: FIVE LETTERS OF CLEMENT HENDRICKSS, SENT FROM HIS PRISON IN AMSTERDAM, WHERE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH; TOGETHER WITH JAN KRIJNSS AND CORNELIS JANSS MENTIONED ABOVE.](/en/stories/mm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th/part-4/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: FIVE LETTERS OF CLEMENT HENDRICKSS, SENT FROM HIS PRISON IN AMSTERDAM, WHERE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH; TOGETHER WITH JAN KRIJNSS AND CORNELIS JANSS MENTIONED ABOVE.](/en/stories/mm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th/part-6/) Furthermore, my dear and much beloved father and mother, I inform your love, how they dealt with me when I was first apprehended. I had been invited out in the evening, which was on a Wednesday, and we were speaking of going home. Then the watch met us, and we had no light with us, whereupon we were taken up above by the watch, where sat Floris den Bral, who asked us, whence we came, whether we had not been at a meeting of the new religion. We said: “No.” He asked whether we would substantiate this with our oath. I said to him: “Will you not believe my word; I mean to tell you the truth.” But he insisted on the oath, and we would not swear, then he said: “Take them back below.” And we were forthwith taken in the rear, into the dungeon, as though we had been thieves or rogues. The next morning we were taken above, and they brought me first before the lords, having bound my hands behind my back, as though I had been a thief. Then the bailiff asked me and said: “Clement.” And I said: “Sir Bailiff.” He asked: “How many times have you attended the meetings of the Mennists?” I kept silence and gave him no answer. And he insisted hard upon knowing it, whereupon I was led away into a room by myself. Then the others were brought before the lords, and asked concerning their faith. They confessed their faith, and then I was again brought before the lords, and he again asked me, how often I had attended the meetings. He wanted to know whether I had been there ten times. I said: “No.” Eight times? “No.” Seven times? “No.” Three times? “Yes.” Then he asked me, who had been the preacher. I said: “I am not minded to tell it.” He also wanted me to tell in what house I had been, and what people had been there. I told him that I was not minded to tell him. He said that he should make me tell it. I was then taken back into the dungeon. The day following I was again taken up before the lords, and the Bailiff asked me, whether I would not yet tell him, who had been the preacher, where it had been, and what people had been present. I told him that I was not yet minded to tell it, and said: “I am in trouble, and I do not wish to bring any one else into trouble; you have me here, deal with me according to your pleasure.” Jeremiah 26:14. Then the Bailiff said to the judges: I demand him to be put on the rack, in order to learn all the particulars. And he said: “Take him to the rear;” and I was taken to the rack, where I was stripped, and my shirt tied before my body. Thus I was placed in a sitting posture on the rack, and my eyes blindfolded. Then the Bailiff came to me, and asked me whether I would not yet tell it. I told him that I was not yet minded to tell it. Thereupon I was laid upon the rack, and tied to it with seven ropes. On my head there were two knots, which lay on my forehead; and a cord on each of my great toes, and the others around my body. The ropes were twisted together with billets of wood, and I expected nothing else but that he would twist in pieces the ribs in my body. Urine was also poured into my mouth, and as I lay there in pain, I was also scourged on my breast. The Lord knows how they dealt with me. Through the severe pain I named four persons; but I hoped that they were not in town. This lasted about half an hour. I said to them, that they should put a rope around my throat, and dispatch me at once. When they loosed the ropes, I was not able to get up by my own efforts; the servants had to help me up. I was then taken back into a dungeon. The next day I was again brought above before the lords, and if it had 803 not been for Joost Buyck, I would have been tortured again, though I was scarcely able to walk. Then the Bailiff asked me, whether I would not have a monk to come and see me. I said, that he might stay away. He said: “You have to hear a dog bark; can you not hear a man talk?” I was then taken back into the dungeon, and a priest and a monk came to dispute with me. They began to prate much of this and that, and to tell many fables; but I kept silence, and let them prate on; and they got angry because I did not reply to them more, and one of them said that I had the devil in me. Four days after I was taken above again, when they told me that I should prepare myself against Saturday. I said: “Whenever it pleases the Lord I am ready.” I was then taken back into the dungeon, and expected nothing else than that I should offer up my sacrifice on Saturday, and even on Saturday I had no other expectation but of offering up my sacrifice. There came a priest to me, and would have me confess to him. I said that I did not want to confess to him, since he could not forgive my sins; I said: The best confession is to confess to the Lord my God. Then the Bailiff with two judges came to me, and said, that they would wait with me two weeks yet; but I was of such good courage to offer up my sacrifice, as though I had known nothing of death. Phil. 2:17. And so I am still of such good courage, as though I knew nothing of imprisonment. It began to vex me that it is deferred so long. I long to be out of the flesh, and am quite cheerfully resigned to offer up my sacrifice; the Lord does not forsake his own who trust in him. Furthermore, my dear and much beloved father, I inform you, that I received your letter, and I was rejoiced to learn that you are so well content herein. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_803) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: FIVE LETTERS OF CLEMENT HENDRICKSS, SENT FROM HIS PRISON IN AMSTERDAM, WHERE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH; TOGETHER WITH JAN KRIJNSS AND CORNELIS JANSS MENTIONED ABOVE.](/en/stories/mm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th/part-4/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: FIVE LETTERS OF CLEMENT HENDRICKSS, SENT FROM HIS PRISON IN AMSTERDAM, WHERE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH; TOGETHER WITH JAN KRIJNSS AND CORNELIS JANSS MENTIONED ABOVE.](/en/stories/mm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th/part-6/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th/part-5/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Five+Letters+Of+Clement+Hendrickss%2C+Sent+From+His+Prison+In+Amsterdam%2C+Where+He+Laid+Down+His+Life+For+The+Knowledge+Of+The+Truth%3B+Together+With+Jan+Krijnss+And+Cornelis+Janss+Mentioned+Above.+%C2%B7+Page+5+of+7&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AFive+Letters+Of+Clement+Hendrickss%2C+Sent+From+His+Prison+In+Amsterdam%2C+Where+He+Laid+Down+His+Life+For+The+Knowledge+Of+The+Truth%3B+Together+With+Jan+Krijnss+And+Cornelis+Janss+Mentioned+Above.+%C2%B7+Page+5+of+7%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th%2Fpart-5%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-five-letters-of-clement-hendrickss-sent-from-his-prison-in-amsterdam-where-he-laid-down-his-life-for-the-knowledge-of-th--b00045-o000000%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.)