# Thomas Van Imbroeck, The 5th Of May, In The Year 1558. · Page 1 of 6 [Previous page: EXAMINATION, TORTURE, AND SENTENCE OF ANNETGEN ANTHEUNIS, STIJNTGEN JANS, EVERT NOUTS, AND PIETER VAN EYNOVEN, AT ROTTERDAM, IN THE YEAR 1558.271](/en/stories/mm-examination-torture-and-sentence-of-annetgen-antheunis-stijntgen-jans-evert-nouts-and-pieter-van-eynoven-at-rotterdam-in/part-5/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THOMAS VAN IMBROECK, THE 5TH OF MAY, IN THE YEAR 1558.](/en/stories/mm-thomas-van-imbroeck-the-5th-of-may-in-the-year-1558/part-2/) At Cologne, on the Rhine, a godfearing brother, named Thomas van Imbroeck, a printer’s servant, was apprehended for the truth, in the year 1557, and imprisoned in a tower. When afterwards examined in regard to baptism and marriage, he met them with the word of God, in such a manner that they desisted from examining him further and put him into another tower. His wife wrote him a letter exhorting him to fight valiantly, and to adhere firmly to the truth. For these comforting words he affectionately thanked her, and showed by many Scriptures that the righteous have always suffered, and that he stood with a good conscience void of offense before God, to follow them, forsake wife, children, and all visible things, and take up the cross of Christ, and follow him, for which he prayed God that he might be found worthy. Afterwards there came to him two priests, who disputed with him concerning infant baptism; but they disagreed among themselves; for the one would have that the infants that died unbaptized were damned, while the other admitted that they were saved. They insisted that he should become converted. But he said: “That which I maintain, the Scriptures have taught me, and if any one will teach me a better way from the Scriptures, I will gladly follow him.” They said: “You despise our church, and refuse to be taught by us.” He replied: “That I contemn your church and do not come under your communion, is for the reason that you do not keep your church pure; for perjurers, whoremongers, and the like are pious brethren among you.” They also asked him why he did not have his children baptized. He answered: “The Scriptures teach no infant baptism, and those that are to be baptized according to the word of God, must first believe.” Then they said that he was a heretic, but were not able to prove it. He was then brought to the rack, where he was sharply examined, but not tortured, though the executioner had everything ready for it; for the lords were not agreed among themselves. This happened three different times. After this he was brought into the house of the count, who would gladly have set him at liberty had he not so greatly feared the imperial decree and the displeasure of the bishop. Thomas, however, was bold, of good cheer, and ready to lay down his life for the name of Christ, and to adhere so firmly to the truth and the love of God, that neither fire, water, sword, nor any other thing should move him therefrom. When they took him away from the house of the count, he suffered much temptation all night from the count’s people and others, who undertook to teach and instruct him, but all in vain; for they were such as were themselves not instructed or taught of God. Finally he was brought before the high court, where he was condemned to death, in presence of the count, who then; for the first time, pronounced judgment, staining his staff with Christian blood. Thus he was beheaded, as a pious witness of Jesus Christ, for his steadfast continuance in the faith, on the 5th day of March, 1558, being twenty-five years old. From his prison he wrote letters to his wife and brethren, and also a confession of his faith regarding baptism, of which a special book has been published, all of which is very instructive and comforting for the godfearing, as you shall see by the following part, which is here presented to you. A letter by Thomas van Imbroeck, written from prison to his wife and brethren. Much grace and peace from God the heavenly Father, who is a true Father; for he shows his fatherly faithfulness to all his children, according to his promise, when he says: I will be a Father unto them, and they shall be my sons and daughters. May this Father so speak to your hearts, that you may believe me with a good conscience, that you are his children, and it will not fail you. This grace I wish you, my dear wife, and also the wife of my Lord (you understand whom I mean), through the Author and Finisher of life, Jesus, to whom alone we must take refuge, that we may become conformed to him in this world, according to the words of the prophet, who says: “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him.” Is. 53:23. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_556) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: EXAMINATION, TORTURE, AND SENTENCE OF ANNETGEN ANTHEUNIS, STIJNTGEN JANS, EVERT NOUTS, AND PIETER VAN EYNOVEN, AT ROTTERDAM, IN THE YEAR 1558.271](/en/stories/mm-examination-torture-and-sentence-of-annetgen-antheunis-stijntgen-jans-evert-nouts-and-pieter-van-eynoven-at-rotterdam-in/part-5/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THOMAS VAN IMBROECK, THE 5TH OF MAY, IN THE YEAR 1558.](/en/stories/mm-thomas-van-imbroeck-the-5th-of-may-in-the-year-1558/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-thomas-van-imbroeck-the-5th-of-may-in-the-year-1558/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Thomas+Van+Imbroeck%2C+The+5th+Of+May%2C+In+The+Year+1558.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+6&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AThomas+Van+Imbroeck%2C+The+5th+Of+May%2C+In+The+Year+1558.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+6%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-thomas-van-imbroeck-the-5th-of-may-in-the-year-1558%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-thomas-van-imbroeck-the-5th-of-may-in-the-year-1558%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1558%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)