SENTENCE OF DEATH OF PIETER PIETERS BECKJEN.

Whereas Pieter Pieters, alias Beckjen, boatman, prisoner, unmindful of his soul and salvation, and of the obedience which he owed to the Lord God, and to His Imperial Majesty, forsaking our mother, the 709 holy church, and this from the time that he attained to understanding, even until now, has refused to go to the holy, worthy sacrament, despising and disregarding the same, and has in twenty years been to confession only once, contrary to the ordinance of our mother, the holy church, and, moreover, has attended the reprobated and prohibited assemblies, or conventicles, of the Mennonists, etc., and has himself, in his own boat, twice held conventicles of the aforesaid Mennonists, in which abominable and reprobated sect he so obstinately persists, that still recently before his apprehension, his wife lying in childbed, he took said child and conveyed it away, not willing to tolerate or permit that said child should be baptized according to the ceremonies of the ancient Roman Catholic and Apostolical church; in which he is still captive, persisting therein, and not willing to return to our mother, the holy church, notwithstanding he has at divers times, by various ecclesiastical persons, and also by the aldermen of this city, been admonished and urged to return and to leave this accursed sect,—all of which are crimes against the divine and the secular majesty, as said before, which disturb the peace and the common weal, and which ought therefore, for an example to others, not to go unpunished; therefore, my lords of the court, having seen the demand of my lord the bailiff, also his information, the confession of the prisoner, together with the poor defense of said prisoner, and having duly considered all, have condemned the aforesaid prisoner, as they by these presents do condemn him, to be executed with fire, according to the decrees of His Majesty; and declare his entire property confiscated for the benefit of His Majesty aforesaid, without prejudice to the privileges and all other interests of this city.

Done in court this 26th of February, A. D. 1569, in the presence of all the judges, by the advice of all the burgomasters.

How said person was condemned to the rack, and when this happened.

He was condemned to the torture, the 17th of January, A. D. 1569, and examined and threatened with torture on the same day, and in the same place, as appears from the records of the confession.

Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences, preserved in the archives of the city of Amsterdam.

N. N.