# Of The Destruction Of Some Tyrants Of This Last Persecution. · Page 1 of 5

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We will abridge this century with which formerly
also our old Offerboeck was concluded; showing
1037
the destruction of some tyrants, who were no
small cause of this last and severest persecution
of all.

Even as the old man whom King Antiochus had
sent out to Jerusalem, notwithstanding he set up
many abominations, and tyrannized against the law
of God, could nevertheless not suppress the people
of God and his law, but had to behold their increase
[even] under the persecution, and besides see that
the country was full of wars and commotions and
resisted the king; even so it also came to pass with
the aged Ferdinand Alvares de Toledo (also called
Duke of Alva), whom King Philip II had sent
from Spain into these Netherlands; however much
he endeavored to make every one accept the abomination
of idolatry, above God and his word, and
however dreadfully he raged, utterly to exterminate
the true lovers of the divine truth, and ardent followers
of the holy gospel, yet he could not, to the
satisfaction of his furious and blood-thirsty disposition,
accomplish his presumptuous undertaking.

For under his severe and bloody persecution, the
church of the godfearing, the pure bride of Christ,
still constantly bloomed as a beautiful rose among
pricking thorns, and was fruitful, to the praise of
the Most High.

But he himself, who sought to rule over all
Netherland lords, and to oppress others, met with
resistance from some of those whom he sought to
exterminate, who, however, were not of the defenseless
sheep of Christ, so that, after he had for about
seven years indulged his desire for bloodshed, slaying
and murdering for the faith (when the country
was full of war on his account), he had to depart in
disgrace, and with him one John Vergas, who was
a member of his council of blood; which many regarded
as a punishment of God for his wickedness.
But a still severer fate awaited Jacob Hessel, one of
the chief members of his deadly court, and Jan de
Vis, Bailiff of Ingelmunster; who, some time afterwards,
were taken out of prison, without previous
announcement, or sentence having been pronounced
conducted without the city of Ghent, and hanged
to a tree. And even as they had sentenced many
others to death unexpectedly, so they also had to
yield up their lives unexpectedly, and thus there
was meted to them with the same measure with
which they had measured to others. From this we
can easily perceive God’s just punishment upon
those who persecute and kill Christ and his members.
Likewise in the case of the high Bailiff of
Halewijn, named George de la Rave, who also participated
in the tyranny over the children of God,
by persecuting, dispersing and apprehending them,
and otherwise. In the year 1571 he assisted in apprehending,
among others, one Adriaen Jans Hoedmaecker
(who was burnt at Rijssel on account of
his faith), and in the year following, on the same
spot where Adriaen had been apprehended, he met
together with some intoxicated persons, with whom
he and his servants fell into an altercation and fight
in which he was wounded to such an extent, that
he had to lie in bed with the wound for a long time
and finally died a painful death in great distress of
mind. Hence he had several confessors come to
him, who could nevertheless not rid him of the
gnawing worm of a torturing conscience; but he
had to end his life as a tyrant in misery.

But especially can it be seen, how hard it is to
kick against the goads, in the case of one Pieter
Titelman, the Dean of Ronse, who was probably
the chiefest inquisitor in Flanders. He was about
this time in Kortrijck, smitten with a severe disease
by God, lice growing out of his wicked body
so abundantly, that he could not be kept clean
therefrom, notwithstanding he was supplied with
clean linen, and otherwise cleansed two or three
times a day. No remedy could be procured and he
died a most distressing and miserable death.

Concerning this Dean of Ronse it is also written,
that having gone forth on a certain occasion with a
small number of men, to apprehend these witnesses
of God, and thus to deliver them into the hands of
the torturers and slayers, he came; at evening, into
an inn, where he met a bailiff, who had gone out
with a great number of beadles, to apprehend vagrants
and wicked men. The bailiff asked Ronse
with surprise, how he dared trust his body with so
few servants, to apprehend other people; for if I
were to do so, said he, I would soon lose my life.
Thereupon Ronse replied, that he had no fear in
this respect, since he had gone out to catch only
good men, from whom he had no danger to apprehend.
Upon this the Bailiff, particularly reflecting
upon Ronse’s words, answered: “If you arrest the
good people, and I the bad, who then shall remain
free?” Hereby this Dean of Ronse certainly bore
testimony of himself, that he had laid his hands
on the just, who had not resisted him. So it
can also be perceived from this bailiff’s remark, that
he himself well knew that the magistracy’s power
ought to be used only for the punishment of the
evil, and the protection of the good; and that therefore
this Ronse and his adherents shamefully abused
their authority on these people.



## Original source

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