Hans Van Overdam Put To Death At Ghent; Also His Confession, Written In Prison, And Afterwards Sealed With His Blood, In The Year 1550.

The Lord then, according to his promise, gave us a mouth, to speak boldly, and we requested to be allowed publicly to defend ourselves with the word of God. They replied to us, that they would send us learned men, who would instruct us; whereupon we were taken below again.

Shortly after, I was taken above into another room, to two councilors and a clerk. There they interrogated me very closely, where I had been, and if I knew that I had been banished six years ago, in the time of Martin Huereblock, and where we had held our meetings; all of which they knew, for the traitor had already told them. I said: “Why do you ask me, who have come from foreign countries?” (For I purposely did not wish to ask much, that, in case I should be apprehended, I might not have much to answer.) “Why do you question me so closely? have you not yet enough innocent blood to shed? do you thirst for still more?” “Ask as 471 closely as you want to,” said I; “the righteous Judge shall ask you again, if you do not repent.”

They then asked me still more, and adjured me by my baptism, that I should tell them; “For,” said they, “we know that you people do not lie; hence tell us.”

I said: “That you know that we do not lie, is to us a testimony of salvation, but to you of perdition (Phil. 1:28), because you put such to death; but your adjuration has no power against the truth.”

All that I said was written down, and they threatened to torture me if I would not tell them everything. I said: “I can not tell you what I do not know.” Thus they tormented me for a very long time. Thereupon I was taken below again. In this manner they dealt with all our friends, with each separately.

One Saturday I was taken above again into the same room. Four monks were present; the guardian of the Minorites, with another, and the Superior of the Jacobines, with another. With me there came a young brother, who had not yet received baptism, but was ready for it.

When I had seated myself, I asked them what they wished. They said they were sent by the lords, to instruct us, and to converse with us concerning the ground and articles of faith. I replied that I was ready to be instructed with the word of God, and to hold converse concerning the ground and articles of faith, and this publicly, in the presence of the judges who were to judge us, and of our brethren and sisters that were imprisoned with us.

Ans. “This they will not permit.”

Hans van Overdam. “Well, let them do what they please; we will not dispute secretly and alone, lest our words be perverted behind our backs.”

Ans. “We will not pervert your words.”

Hans. “No, we know you well.”

Ques. “What do you take us for? what evil did we ever do you? pray, tell us what evil do you know of us?”

Hans. “If you would know it then; I regard you as false prophets and seducers.”

Here we got into a dispute concerning their spiritual semblance, and the command of the Pope regarding the purity of the priests and monks, and why they were called spiritual, and others secular, when all ought to be spiritual.

They then said: “This is not profitable; let us dispute about the articles of faith.”

Thereupon I said: “What I have said I have said.”

They replied that they would tell it to the lords. Thus we separated, having disputed with each other for fully two hours. Two days after, Hansken and I were summoned before the lords; the four monks were present, and attempted to engage us in a disputation.

I then said to the lords: “My lords, I ask you, in what house are we, in a house of justice, or of violence?”

Ans. “In a house of justice.”

Hans. “God grant that it be so; but, my lords, of what do you accuse us, that you keep us imprisoned and confined like thieves and murderers? Have we wronged any one, or do you charge us with violence, murder, or roguery?”

Ans. “No; we know no such thing of you.”

Hans. “Well, my lords, why then have you imprisoned us?”

Ans. “Your adversaries will tell you that.”

Hans. “Are you our adversaries?”

Ans. “No, but we are judges.”

I then said to the monks: “Are you our adversaries?”

Ans. “No.”

Hans. “Well, if no one is our adversary, why are we imprisoned?”

A councilor then said: “The Emperor is your adversary.”

Hans. “We have not offended against his Imperial Majesty according to the power which he has received from God, and will obey him in every ordinance, as far as we can do so consistently with the truth.”