# Jan Wouterss Van Kuyck And Adriaenken Jans Of Molenaersgraef, Both Burnt For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, At Dortrecht, A. D. 1572. · Page 1 of 2

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In the year of our Lord 1572, the lords of justice
at Dortrecht in Holland, laid their hands on two
very meek and dear friends of God, who followed
their Savior, the slain Lamb of the cross, Jesus
Christ, and were not of the least of the members
of the church of the Lord scattered abroad in all
countries, in showing forth, as lights in this world,
their eminent virtues among this evil and perverse
generation. They were both taken out of the fold
like lambs for the slaughter, the circumstances
being as follows:

First, Adriaenken Jans’ daughter was suddenly
apprehended. She resided at Molenaersgraef, in the
Papendrecht district; which was under the jurisdiction
of the city of Dortrecht, and because she
was said to be a heretic, she was seized and imprisoned
in the Vuylpoort.

After that the plan was formed to capture Jan
Wouterss van Kuyck, who resided in the city, but
frequently changed his abode, so as not to be so
easily recognized. To this end, the Bailiff, having
learned where he resided (namely, in the street leading
to the Rietdijck, near the New Gate, in a room
which was reached from the street by a flight of
stairs), came with his beadles and unexpectedly, and
without asking anything, ascended the stairs, where
Jan Wouterss met him just as he opened the door.
The Bailiff said, since he did not know him: “Does
Jan van Kuyck reside here?” to which this good,
upright and very sincere man, not willing to speak
contrary to the truth, answered yes, adding that it
was he himself.

These words he spoke very loudly, in order that
his dear wife, who was back in the room, should
hear it and flee, which she did: his only daughter,
however, a child of only about seven years,
remained in the room and saw her father apprehended,
to which no attention was paid. The ministers
of justice immediately laid their hands upon
this friend of God, and forcibly bound him, whereupon
he said: “O my lords, how you bind me, as
though I were a wicked man; however, you bind
not me, but yourselves.” Then a great lamentation
arose among them; however, they proceeded, and
led him, as a defenseless lamb that is overcome by
wolves, from the Rietdijck to the Vuylpoort, about
half an hour’s walk through the city, where they
put him into another cell than the one in which
Adriaenken Jans was confined, though within the
same walls and under the same roof of said prison.

In the meantime both had to suffer much temptation,
according to the body as well as in regard to
the soul; several times they were severely tortured,
stripped and scourged, so that almost the entire
city spoke about their sufferings and misery, as Jan
Wouterss subsequently also indicated in one of his
letters.

The papist clergy also assailed them much according
to the soul, in order to deprive them, by
many wiles and snares, of the treasure of a true faith;
but they were not able to accomplish anything with
either of them; hence they [the two martyrs], were
finally sentenced to death in open court, to be executed
with fire, on the water front of the city, near
a certain lime kiln, where now the new fortification
is, between the mill that stands upon the bastion,
and the rampart; however, with the condition, that
Adriaenken Jans should not really die by fire, but
should prior to her burning be strangled at the stake,
which lesser penalty of death we do not find to have
been executed on Jan Wouterss.

In the meantime both prepared themselves for
death with great desire and inward joy, unable sufficiently
to praise God that they had been counted
worthy to deliver up their bodies as a sacrifice for
his holy name’s sake.

When the hour of their departure had come, both
were tied together; however, they fell upon their
knees, and quietly offered up, before they were led
forth, an earnest prayer to God the Lord, that he
would strengthen them in their impending suffering,
to persevere unto the end.

Thereupon their mouths (for fear that they should
speak something to the people), were gagged with a
piece of wood, or some other instrument made for
this purpose, and they were thus led from the prison
which presented a pitiful sight. Jan Wouterss, however,
pulled out the piece of wood, or instrument,
with one hand, which it appears was not bound,
and cried with a loud voice: “O Lord, strengthen
thy feeble servant: and thy poor hand-maiden. It is
for thy name’s sake that we have come to this for
which we have willingly prepared ourselves.”



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_855)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

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