# Hans De Vette, And Eleven Others, Put To Death For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, At Ghent, In Flanders, A. D. 1559. · Page 1 of 4 [Previous page: ADRIAEN PAN AND HIS WIFE, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-adriaen-pan-and-his-wife-a-d-1559/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: HANS DE VETTE, AND ELEVEN OTHERS, PUT TO DEATH FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT GHENT, IN FLANDERS, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-hans-de-vette-and-eleven-others-put-to-death-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-ghent-in-flanders-a-d-1559/part-2/) A confession written by Hans de Vette, at Ghent, where he was imprisoned with eleven others, in the year 1559, touching his examination. On the first Friday after Whitsuntide there were imprisoned at Ghent for the word of the Lord, the following named persons: Pieter Coerten of Meenen, Kaerle Tanckreet of Nipkerck, with Proentken, his wife, of Belle, Jacob Spillebout, Abraham Tanckreet, and Maeyken Floris of Nipkerck, Anthonis van Cassel, Hans de Smit, Marcus his brother, Hans de Vette, with Maritgen, his wife, of Waesten, and Tanneken, the wife of J. de S. These had been delivered by treachery to the Procurator General, who, with three thief-catchers, took them away prisoners from their lodging place, in the evening. The next day we were visited by the authorities, who asked us, each separately, for our names, and where we came from, which we told them. They then asked us whether we confessed another baptism than infant baptism, and whether we had also received another. We all renounced idolatrous infant baptism, and confessed that we had received Christian baptism, except Marcus de Smit, who confessed that he had not yet received it, but that if he had opportunity, he wished to receive it with all his heart. They then asked us whether we desired learned men to instruct us; that they would send us some, and just such as we wanted, ecclesiastics or secular men; they also said that they should not hurry us. But since they almost always asked us separately the same questions, I, the writer of this, said that by the grace of the Lord I wanted no other instruction than I had received, though an angel should come from heaven. Gal. 1:8. Besides this, they nevertheless, about eight days afterwards, sent one Friar Peter de Backer (who had partly spied us out), with one of his companions,—two false prophets, called Jacobines, as I believe. After we had appeared before them, and exchanged a few words, we came to infant baptism, which he declared to be a divinely instituted doctrine, saying that circumcision was a figure of it; also, that the apostles had baptized entire households, and that Christ had commanded it, John 3. But when I had proven to him, that he had not spoken the truth, and that the apostles had baptized none without faith, as is clearly found in the Acts of the Apostles, he endeavored to speak about another article, saying that we should not be able to agree. But I told him that I desired to see the first finished before proceeding further, and begged him to repent, proving to him, that their worship was a rotten and putrid idolatry, contrary to all the commandments of God, and a human plant; and that God’s commandments were sufficient for us, that no lies need be added to them, and that it availed nothing to regard what God has not commanded. Then he said that I was deceived, and had looked too much at their abuses: that it was true there were some abuses in their church, but that the principal of what was observed in it, was good. After many words we parted. A few days afterwards the Dean of Ronse, an inquisitor in the country of Flanders, came, and with him, said Peter de Backer, who had visited us first, and other false prophets. When I appeared before them, the Dean asked my name. I replied that my name was Hans de Vette. Then he asked me whether I was married. I replied: “Yes.” He then asked me whether my wife was also of Waesten. I replied: “Yes.” He asked me how long I had been married. I said: “Not very long.” He asked me, in what church and by what parish priest I had been married. I asked him whether we found anything said in the Scriptures, that a parish priest was required for it. He said that in the world whores and knaves come together without parish priests. Then I said that I had done this according to the direction of the Scriptures, as permitted by Paul, in order to avoid fornication, it being better to marry than to burn (1 Cor. 7:2,9); whores and knaves on the contrary will much rather burn than marry, as is abundantly seen and heard in this wicked world in many thousands of instances. He then said that this was a small matter, and that if I had done nothing more, it could easily have been arranged; however, I should only tell him where it took place. I told him that I did not intend to tell him. Then he adjured me by the living God, that I should tell him; but I made no reply. Thereupon he asked me why I had not continued in the faith of the Roman church, and in her worship. My reply was, that I had separated from her so as not to become a partaker of her plagues, since darkness can have no communion with light, nor Christ with Belial, nor the righteous with the unrighteous, etc. Hence we must come out from among her. Rev. 18:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14,17. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_596) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: ADRIAEN PAN AND HIS WIFE, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-adriaen-pan-and-his-wife-a-d-1559/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: HANS DE VETTE, AND ELEVEN OTHERS, PUT TO DEATH FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT GHENT, IN FLANDERS, A. D. 1559.](/en/stories/mm-hans-de-vette-and-eleven-others-put-to-death-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-ghent-in-flanders-a-d-1559/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-hans-de-vette-and-eleven-others-put-to-death-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-ghent-in-flanders-a-d-1559/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Hans+De+Vette%2C+And+Eleven+Others%2C+Put+To+Death+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%2C+At+Ghent%2C+In+Flanders%2C+A.+D.+1559.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+4&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AHans+De+Vette%2C+And+Eleven+Others%2C+Put+To+Death+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%2C+At+Ghent%2C+In+Flanders%2C+A.+D.+1559.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+4%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-hans-de-vette-and-eleven-others-put-to-death-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-ghent-in-flanders-a-d-1559%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-hans-de-vette-and-eleven-others-put-to-death-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-ghent-in-flanders-a-d-1559%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.)