Hans De Vette, And Eleven Others, Put To Death For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, At Ghent, In Flanders, A. D. 1559.

He then asked me, who had baptized me. And when he could not learn it from me, he adjured me, but I did not tell him. Then his secretary said: “I will wager you a pot of wine, that you will tell it before a fortnight has passed;” but I would not bet. He then asked me how often I had observed the Supper. I replied that I had sometimes observed it, when opportunity offered itself, with many dear brethren and sisters. He asked: “With whom? what are their names?” I gave him the name of one of them, whom he specially named in his question. He then inquired concerning others, whether I regarded them as my brethren, or whether they were only friends or novices; “for I have learned all this Flemish,” said he, “about novices [aencomelingen, i. e. newcomers], friends and brethren.” I said: “I thought you were from Brabant; do you understand so much Flemish?” “I hardly know what I am.” he said; “perhaps I am a foundling.” “Yes,” said I, “John’s Revelation (13:1) speaks of a beast, which rose up out of the sea; you may belong to that race.”

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He then asked me whether I did not believe that Jesus Christ had assumed flesh and blood from Mary. I replied that I believed that the Word which was in the beginning with God, and by which the world was created, became flesh. Then he said that according to the flesh he was David’s son. I replied: “If he is David’s son, Christ himself says: How then doth David call him Lord?” He said that Christ only adduced this to the Pharisees by way of argument; but Matthew, said he, describes his generation from Abraham to Mary. I replied, that Matthew traces the generation of Christ only to Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom Christ was born; and Luke says that Jesus was supposed to be the son of Joseph. “But,” said he, “do you not believe that Mary is the mother of Christ?” I said: “Yes; Christ says: ‘Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same is my mother, sister and brother.’ ” Matt. 12:50.

He then said that Christ was of the seed of the woman. But I told him, that women had no seed themselves: for as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman. 1 Cor. 11:12. Then he said that he was of Mary’s substance and blood. But I replied that Christ said to the Jews, that he was from above, but they from beneath; “ye are of this world,” he said; “I am not of this world.” John 8:23. Moreover, the apostle says: “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” 1 Cor. 15:47. I then told them that they should repent of their unrighteousness, persecution, and false, idolatrous doctrine. They said: “We have the true doctrine.” I said that Paul nevertheless commands us to avoid such as command to abstain from meats, which God has created for the use of them that believe; and who forbid to marry, and have their conscience seared with a hot iron; for it is better to marry than to burn; but you people, contrary to the Scriptures, command to abstain from meats, and forbid to marry, and will rather burn than marry. 1 Tim. 4:2,3; 1 Cor. 7:9.

Dean. “We do not forbid to marry.”

Hans. “Certainly you do; you know that because of your commandment a person may neither eat meat nor marry, in Lent, and on many other days; and you have entered into a covenant that restrains you from marrying; but you commit such fornication that it is a shame to speak of it, as is daily seen from the bastards that are brought to your houses, and Paul says that we shall not eat with such, namely, fornicators, drunkards, etc., but that they are to be delivered unto Satan, for the destruction of their flesh.” 1 Cor. 5:5.

Dean. “We are not so bad; we do not want to deliver them to Satan, we are so much the better.”

Hans. “Poor man, would you be better than Paul? But all that is told you is of no avail; for you will not repent; but if you want to dispute with us in the market or any other public place, we are ready, in hopes that some of the ignorant might be drawn thereby.”

Dean. “This shall not be; who should judge there? boatmen, fish-mongers, and the like? That would be just the way to excite a tumult; but we are fools that we dispute so much with you; the proper way to do would be, simply to tell you our faith, and if you will not believe it, pass sentence.”