# Confession Of A Woman Called Claesken, Who Laid Down Her Life For The Testimony Of Jesus, A. D. 1559.

1559 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: CONFESSION OF A WOMAN CALLED CLAESKEN, WHO LAID DOWN HER LIFE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, A. D. 1559.

Source heading; not independently verified

Questions and answers between the commissary and
Claesken.

The commissary first interrogated me concerning
my name, the place I was from, my age, and other
like things. He then asked me: “Are you baptized?”
Claesken. “Yes.” Com. “Who baptized
you?” Cl. “Jelis of Aix-la-Chapelle.” Com. “The
deceiver; he himself has renounced his belief. How
did he do when he baptized you?” Cl. “He baptized
me in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost.” Com. “Where did you receive
baptism?” Cl. “At Workum, in the field.” Com.
“Were there others present?” Cl. “Yes.” Com.
“Who were they?” Cl. “I have forgotten.” Com.
“What brought you there?” Cl. “I have forgotten.”

I could truthfully give this answer both times.

Com. “Are your children not baptized?” Cl.
“My youngest two are not.” Com. “Why did you
not have your children baptized?” Cl. “Because
I was satisfied with them as the Lord had given
them to me.” Com. “Why were you so satisfied
with Abraham and Sicke, and not with Douwe;
you had Douwe baptized?” Cl. “I did not know it
then.” Com. “What did you not know then?”
Cl. “What I know now.” Com. “What do you
know now?” Cl. “What the Lord has given me
to know.” Com. “What has the Lord given you
to know?” Cl. “That I cannot find it in the Scriptures,
that this ought to be.” Com. “How long
have you not been to church?” Cl. “Not for nine
or ten years.”

These are the questions which he put to me; but
he used far more words, and when I did not readily
answer him, he said that I had a dumb devil in me,
that the devil transformed himself into an angel of
light in us, and that we were all heretics. He then
read to me the articles I had confessed, and said it
should come before the lords, and that if I desired
it, he would write it differently. I replied: “You
need not change anything.”

Questions and answers between the inquisitor and
Claesken.

Inquisitor. “Why did you have yourself baptized?”
Claesken. “The Scriptures speak of a new
life. John first calls to repentance, Christ himself
also, and afterwards the apostles; they taught the
people to repent and reform, and then to be baptized.
Thus did I repent and reform, and was baptized.”
Against this he did not say much. Inq.
“Why did you not have your children baptized?”
Cl. “I cannot find in the Scriptures that this ought
to be.” Inq. “David says: ‘I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.’
Ps. 51:5. Since children are born with original sin,
they must be baptized, if they are to be saved.”
Cl. “If a man can be saved by an external sign,
then Christ has died in vain.” Inq. “It is written,
John 3:5, that we must be born again, of water and
of the Spirit; hence, children must be baptized.”
Cl. “Christ does not say this to children, but to
the adult; therefore did I become regenerated. We
know that the children are in the hands of the Lord.
The Lord said: ‘Suffer little children to come unto
me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ ” Matthew
19:14. Inq. “The household of Stephanas was
baptized, which probably also included children.”
1 Cor. 1:16. Cl. “We do not depend on probabilities;
we have the certain assurance.” He did not
say much against this either. Inq. “What do you
think of the holy church?” Cl. “I think much of
it.” Inq. “Why then do you not go to church?”
Cl. “I think nothing of your church-going.” Inq.
“Do you believe that God is Almighty?” Cl. “Yes,
I believe this.” Inq. “Do you then also believe that
Christ consecrates himself, and is present in the
bread? Paul says: ‘The bread which we break, is
it not the communion of the body of Christ? And
the cup which we bless, is it not the communion of
the blood of Christ?’ ” 1 Cor. 10:16. Cl. “I well
know what Paul says, and believe it, too.” Inq.
“Christ said: ‘Take, eat; this is my body;’ and
Paul likewise.” Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:24. Cl. “I
well know what Christ and Paul say, and thus I believe.”
Inq. “Do you believe that Christ consecrates
himself, and is present in the bread?” Cl.
“Christ sitteth at the right hand of his Father; he
does not come under men’s teeth.” Inq. “If you
continue in this belief, you will have to go into the
abyss of hell forever. It is what all heretics say.
Jelis of Aix-la-Chapelle has deceived you; he himself
has renounced his belief, because he saw that
he had erred.” Cl. “I do not depend on Jelis, or
any other man, but only on Christ; he is our foundation,
upon whom we have built ourselves, even
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as Christ teaches us in his Gospel: Whosoever heareth
my words, and doeth them, I will liken him
unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock;
and though storms come, and beat against the
house, yet it will not fall. Matt. 7:24. These now
are the storms that beat against our house; but
Christ is our stronghold, and he will preserve us.”
Inq. “You do not understand it; there are many
other writings, of which you know nothing.” Cl.
“We need no other writings than the holy Gospel,
which Christ himself, with his blessed mouth, has
spoken to us, and sealed with his blood; if we can
observe that, we shall be saved.” Inq. “You should
suffer yourself to be instructed; the holy fathers
instituted churching278 fifteen hundred years ago.”
Cl. “The holy fathers did not have this holiness;
these are human commandments and institutions.
Neither did the apostles practice this holiness; I
never read it.” Inq. “Are you wiser than the holy
church?” Cl. “I do not wish to do anything against
the holy church; I have yielded myself to the obedience
of the holy church.” Inq. “You should think:
Do I know better than the holy fathers fifteen hundred
years ago? You should think that you are
simple.” Cl. “Though I am simple before men,
I am not simple in the knowledge of the Lord. Do
you not know that the Lord thanked his Father,
that he had hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and had revealed them to the simple and
unto babes?” Matt. 11:25.

At one time there were also two monks with him,
who were to instruct me. They had but little to
say, only that we were people of corrupt minds,
reprobate concerning the faith, ever learning, and
never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 3:7,8. I replied: “When the
day of the Lord will come, you will find it to be
otherwise; take heed lest you then be of those who
will say: ‘These are they whom we had in derision;
behold, how they are now numbered among the
children of God, and their lot is among the saints.’
Wis. 5:3,5. Then they said: “Behold, she judges
us.” I replied: “I do not judge you; but I tell you
to take heed unto yourselves. Now our life is accounted
madness, and our end to be without honor;
but when the day of the Lord comes, it will be
found quite different.” The sum of the matter was,
that I had a devil, and was deceived. I said: “Is
Christ then a deceiver?” He replied: “No; Christ
is no deceiver.” I said: “Then I am not deceived;
I neither seek nor desire anything else than to fear
the Lord with all my heart, and (knowingly) not
to transgress one tittle of his commandments.”
After he had talked to me still further, he said:
“I can tell you nothing else; you may consider the
matter.” I replied: “I need not consider it otherwise;
I know full well that I hold the truth.”

When I came before him again, he said: “Claesken,
to what conclusion have you come?” Cl. “I
have concluded to adhere to that to which the Lord
has called me.” Matt. 20:1. Inq. “The devil has
called you, who transforms himself into an angel of
light in you people.”

When he examined me the sixth time, he asked
me: “When Christ held his supper with his apostles,
did he not give them his flesh to eat, and his
blood to drink.” Cl. “He gave them bread and
wine, and he gave them his body for redemption.”
Inq. “Christ certainly clearly says: ‘Take, eat; this
is my flesh;’ you certainly cannot contradict this.”
Cl. “Paul says: ‘I have received of the Lord that
which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord
Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed,
took bread: and when he had given thanks, he
brake it, and gave it to his apostles, and said, Take,
eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this
do in remembrance of me. After the same manner
also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying,
This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this
cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.’
1 Cor. 11:23–26. Thus Christ left us his supper,
that we should remember his death by it, that he
gave his body and shed his blood for us. This
supper I want to hold with the people of God, and
no other.”

He held to his twaddle: that we must eat Christ’s
flesh, and drink his blood, since this were clearly
implied by the words of Christ and of Paul.

Cl. “Since the words are so plain, I can well
understand them; but it is as Paul says: that those
who do not turn to the Lord, have a vail before
their hearts; but those who turn to the Lord, from
their hearts the vail is taken away. 2 Cor. 3:14–16.
We have turned to the Lord; nothing is hid to us.”
Inq. “In the 6th chapter of John (verse 53) Christ
also clearly says that we must eat his flesh, and
drink his blood.” Cl. “It is also written there:
‘Then the Jews murmured, and said: How can this
man give us his flesh to eat? Then Christ said:
Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, ye have
no life in you.’ Again, he says: ‘Whoso eateth my
flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.’
He also said: ‘Flesh and blood profit nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they are life.’ Those who believe in God, and walk
in all righteousness, they are temples of God, in
whom God will dwell and walk, as Paul testifies.”
2 Cor. 6:16.

When he examined me the seventh time, he said:
“Do you not believe that the apostles ate the
flesh of Christ?” Cl. “Christ took the bread, gave
thanks, brake it, and gave it to his disciples, and
his body he gave for their redemption.” Inq. “Do
you not believe otherwise?” Cl. “I do not believe
otherwise than Christ has spoken.” Inq. “Then I
declare unto you, that I am clear of your blood;
your blood be upon your own head.” Cl. “I am
well satisfied with this.” Inq. “Herewith I commit
you to the lord.”

He afterwards examined me once more, and
asked me: “Do you not yet believe that the apostles
ate the flesh of Christ?” Cl. “I have told you.”
Inq. “Tell it now.” Cl. “I will not tell it again.”
Inq. “Do you still persist in your views respecting
baptism?” Cl. “You certainly well know that the
penitent ought to be baptized.” Inq. “This is true
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enough, if for instance a Jew comes, who is not
baptized yet. Are you still of the same opinion in
regard to infant baptism?” Cl. “Yes.” Inq. “Do
you not believe otherwise?” Cl. “I do not believe
otherwise than Christ has commanded.” Inq.
“Then I declare unto you, that you will be tormented
forever in the abyss of hell.” Cl. “How
dare you judge me so awfully, seeing judgment belongs
to the Lord alone? Acts 17:31. I am not
terrified by this; I know better, when the day of
the Lord comes, it will be found different.”

I then asked him: “What does my husband
say?” Inq. “Your husband also still persists in his
views; may the Lord enlighten you.” Cl. “We are
already enlightened, the Lord be praised.”

Concerning my baptism he did not say much, nor
about infant baptism; but the whole of his talk was
that we must eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his
blood, and that this had been instituted fifteen hundred
years ago, and that I was simple and had hardly
once read the Testament through. I said: “Do you
think that we run on uncertainties? We are not ignorant
of the contents of the New Testament. We
forsake our dear children, whom I would not forsake
for the whole world, and we stake upon it all
that we have—should we run on uncertainties yet?
we seek nothing but our salvation; you certainly
cannot prove to us by the Scriptures, that we practice
and believe one tittle against the word of the
Lord.” But he only said that we had all from the
devil, and that we were possessed of the devil of
pride. I said: “We know that the proud are cast
down from their seats.” Luke 1:52. He talked so
long, that he sometimes already fancied that I would
heed him; hence I had to speak now and then, because
I did not want him to think this; I could not
bear to hear him speak so awfully against the truth.

A letter by Claesken to her friends according to the
flesh, and also according to the spirit, written in
prison, the 14th of March, A. D. 1559, at
which time, or thereabouts, she, her dear husband,
and her brother Jacques, were put to
death for the testimony of Jesus.

The Lord, through his great grace and mercy,
grant that all those who hunger and thirst after
righteousness may be filled.

My dearly beloved friends, N., my heartfelt prayer
and request of you is once more, that you will peruse
and search the holy Scriptures, and learn to
fear the Lord from the heart; for “the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Prov. 9:10.
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the
streets; she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in
the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth
her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will
ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their
scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at
my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto
you, I will make known my words unto you. Because
I have called, and ye refused: I have stretched
out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have
set at nought all my counsel and would none of my
reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will
mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh
as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a
whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon
you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not
answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not
find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not
choose the fear of the Lord: they would none of my
counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore
shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be
filled with their own devices . . . but whoso
hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be
quiet from fear of evil. Prov. 1:20–31, 33; Isaiah
65:12; Ps. 2:4; Job 27:6.

Behold, my dear friends, lay this to heart, that
the Lord will not hear those who do not fear him
now (John 9:31); and how precious the fear of the
Lord is to him that will choose it; for nothing is to
be compared to her. The fear of the Lord is honor,
and glory, and gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.
The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and
giveth joy, and gladness and a long life. Whoso
feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the
last, and he shall find favor in the day of his death.
The love of God is honorable. Those to whom wisdom
showeth her face, love her through seeing her,
and in the knowledge of her benefits. The fear of
God is the beginning of wisdom; and the fear of the
Lord is true religion. The knowledge of religion
shall keep the heart, and justify it; it shall give joy
and gladness. The godfearing shall prosper in the
day of life, and at his end he shall be blessed. To
fear the Lord is fullness of wisdom. The fear of God
is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect
health to flourish. The root of wisdom is to fear the
Lord: but unto the sinner wisdom is a curse. The
fear of the Lord driveth out sin; for he that is without
fear cannot be justified. Sir. 1:11. Be not faithless;
for into a malicious soul wisdom shall not
enter, nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin.
John 20:27; Wis. 1:4.

My beloved friends, lay it to heart, how great a
difference there is between those who fear the Lord,
and them that do not fear him. Mal. 3:18. Search
well the Scriptures, that you will not be like the
cities concerning which Christ says in the gospel,
that because they did not lay to heart his mighty
works, which were done in their presence, it should
be more tolerable for those of Sodom and Gomorrah
at the day of judgment, than for them. Matthew
11:20. Therefore dear friends, the Lord does yet
even now show such mighty works through us before
your eyes; let it strengthen you, as Paul says
that many of the brethren waxed confident in the
Lord by his bonds, and were much more bold to
speak the word without fear. Philip. 1:14. My
dear friends, consider well, when the Lord did his
mighty works, he did not do them for the sake of a
single individual, as we read in John, when he raised
Lazarus from the dead (John 11:42), but that the
people should see his mighty deeds, and believe in
him, though only some believed in him, and some
were offended at him, and said: Could not this man,
which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused
that even this man should not have died? Thus it is
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also at the present day with those who do not believe;
for though they well see how strong and
mighty the Lord is with us, yet they are offended at
it, and say that we do this from stubbornness. And
when we say that the righteous must suffer persecution,
they say that we are persecuted for anabaptism.
Thus it is to them a cause of offense; but those
who believe God well know that we must suffer for
righteousness sake; these, I hope, it will strengthen,
and to us, be a trial unto our eternal salvation,
through the grace of God. 1 Pet. 2:6,8; Matthew
5:10.

My dear friends, lay to heart how great glory is
promised to those who fear the Lord with the whole
heart, and what great anguish shall come upon
every soul of man that has not obeyed the gospel;
these shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord. 2 Thessalonians
1:8,9. Therefore become obedient to the truth, and
be transformed in your mind, that you may prove
what is that acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 Pet. 1:22; Rom. 12:2. Meditate day and night in
the law of the Lord, and do not suffer yourselves
to be prevented from praying without ceasing, as the
Scriptures teach us in many places; He that asketh
receiveth: to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Ps. 1:2; 1 Thess. 5:17; Matt. 7:8. Hence, my dear
friends, have your hearts transformed, and the Lord
will give you even before you ask him; for blessed
are those who are of a good will. Luke 2:14.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matt. 5:6.

Therefore desire with a sorrowful heart for the
Lord, and say: Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach
me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I
wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender
mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have
been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my
youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy
mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake.
Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he
teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide
in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
Ps. 25:4–9. Therefore, my dear friends, repent
sincerely, and confess your sins before the Lord
with all your heart; the Lord is found of them that
are of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Is. 66:2.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty
hand of God; that you may be exalted in eternity.
1 Pet. 5:6. Herewith I commend you to the Lord;
may he guide you into all truth.

My dearly beloved friends, lay it to heart, for it
is done out of sincere, ardent love, which I have for
your souls, because I am certain and assured, that
there is no other way by which we can be saved;
hence I warn you out of a pure heart, and it will
never be found otherwise. Therefore, though some
have much to talk or say, they do this because they
do not want to take upon them the cross of Christ,
and be persecuted for it, as Paul says (Gal. 6:12);
but [let us] take for an example, that we are to follow
Christ’s steps, and that all the Scriptures constrain
us, to submit ourselves to and prepare for
suffering, even as also Paul says: “If we suffer with
him, we shall also rejoice with him; and as the sufferings
of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ; and we also read that all
the holy men of God were tried by many tribulations
and sufferings (Judith 8:25), and how that
they would joyfully receive sufferings; yea, that
they greatly rejoiced that they were counted worthy
to suffer for the name of God; but those who do
not truly love the Lord want to be exempt from
suffering, and love this temporal life more than their
Lord and God, although Christ says: Whosoever
shall seek to save his life shall lose it; but whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s,
the same shall save it forever. Mark 8:35. Not
that we must all die for the word of the Lord; but
the mind must be in such a state, that we would
rather die, than once knowingly and willingly transgress
one of the Lord’s commandments; hence
Christ says: “He that loveth aught more than me
is not worthy of me.” Matt. 10:37.

Therefore, my dearest friends, whom I love with
all my heart, do not regard what men say, but look
only to Christ Jesus, how he went before us in tribulation
and suffering. Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your power and
strength; yea, though the whole world should rise
up against and assail you, no one can harm you,
if you have God for your Father, and if you have
true love to God and his saints; for love can do all
things (1 Cor. 13:7); but where there is no true
love, there will soon be confusion, when persecution
and distress come (Matt. 13:21); but for him
that commits himself to the Lord, and is possessed
of love, nothing is difficult; had I not experienced
this myself, it were impossible for me to know that
it is so easy. Hence Christ says: “My yoke is easy,
and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:30. Yes, dear
friends, thus I am still minded, and I so love my
Lord and God, that if I could save my life by a
thought, and would know that it did not please the
Lord, I would rather die than think such thought.
Not that I am boasting; the Lord well knows how
vile I have shown myself before him; but it is
through the great grace and mercy and love shown
us that we are elected to his heavenly kingdom.
Eph. 2:7. Now only do I feel within me the inexpressible
grace and mercy of God, and his love,
and how we therefore ought to love him in return
(1 John 4:19); yea, this grace and love are so great
before my eyes, that my sorrow is turned into joy.

I must further relate to you something of the sorrow
which I had before I was apprehended. Now I
remember the words of the apostle, that I have had
godly sorrow, and that godly sorrow worketh repentance
to salvation. 2 Cor. 7:10. Yea, I had
such sorrow at times, that I did not know whither
to turn, and sometimes cried to the Lord with a
loud voice, saying: “O Lord, crush my old heart,
and give me a new heart and mind, that I may be
found upright before thine eyes.” Ezek. 36:26. I said
to my dear husband: When I apply the rule of the
Scriptures to my life, it seems to me as though I
must perish. Well may I say with David: “Mine
iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden
they are too heavy for me.” Ps. 38:4. I said:
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“My dear husband, pray the Lord for me; I am so
harassed—the more I direct my thoughts to the
Lord, the more the tempter assails me with other
thoughts.” 1 Pet. 5:8. Thus I cried to the Lord,
and said: “O Lord, thou surely knowest that I desire
nothing but to fear thee.” My husband would
comfort me sometimes; it seemed to him that I did
nothing but what could stand in the sight of the
Lord. I said: “I have not my first love” (Rev. 2:4);
therefore I grieve, so that I cannot sleep. There is
no hope to die unto sin, I apprehend to live a long
time yet; though I strive never so much to reform,
yet I remain as vile as ever: “O wretched man that
I am, whither shall I go?” Rom. 7:24.

I should have written more to you, but the messenger
came and informed me that we were to go
[die]. My dearly beloved friends, such was the
joyful sentence my husband, and I, and our brother
heard: we showed each other such love, and had
such a glad heart. I thanked the Lord so greatly,
that the lords all heard it. They bade me keep
silence, but I spoke fearlessly. When we had heard
our sentence, all three of us spoke, and said that
they had condemned righteous blood, and other
words. My dear husband spoke so friendly, and
said so often, with a glad countenance, that all the
people beheld it: “Yes, we thank the Lord!”

Herewith I commend you to the Lord. Hasten
to come to us, and that we may live with each other
in eternity.

Another letter or confession of Claesken.

When we were before the full council, we were
addressed by the Procurator General of the council,
who presented to the lords a general statement of
what we had confessed before the commissary, and
made a long speech, how long we had not been to
church, that we had not had our children baptized,
and that we were Anabaptists, and said that according
to the decree we had forfeited our lives, and
that our property had lapsed into the hands of the
King. Thus he accused us before the lords, and
harangued us upon life and property, and when he
had related how and where we had received our
baptism, he asked us whether we would adhere to
our baptism. We boldly and fearlessly said with a
glad heart, that we had received one baptism according
to the command of the Lord. Our brother
Jacques said that if the contrary could be proven to
him with the word of the Lord, he did not want to
act contrary to his word.

My husband said that he would adhere to his
baptism. And I said, as our brother had said, that
we had received one baptism according to the word
of the Lord. Every time he said: “Just as you
think.” He then asked us, whether we did not wish
an advocate. Our brother said: “The Lord is our
Advocate.” 1 John 2:1. With this we went away.
We went from the council glad and joyful, though
it was to cost our lives. Acts 5:41.

Since that time, my husband and our brother appeared
once before the pastor of the Old Court, and
on Sunday in Lent all three of us were before the
steward, our brother first; he had a long conversation
with him; and proved it to him with the Scriptures,
so that he could not say a word against it, except
that it was from the devil, since there were
many in hell, and that ours were the worst; thereupon
my husband was brought before him, and then
I. When I appeared before him, he began to speak
of infant baptism, of my baptism, the necessity of
eating the flesh of Christ, and many other things. I
said: “You need not bring these matters up; it is
not given me to dispute with you. I tell you flatly, I
will adhere to that wherein the Lord has called me.”
He replied that the devil had called me. I said: “Is
it the nature of the devil now, to desist from evil,
and do good? It is with us as the prophet says:
He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
Is. 59:15. Thus it has gone with us; from the first
day that we forsook our vain, wicked life, we were
hated of every one, as Christ says: ‘Ye shall be
hated of all men for my name’s sake.’ ” Matt. 10:22.
He says: Be not afraid of them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do; but
fear him which hath power to cast soul and body
into hell. Luke 12:4,5; Is. 51:7. Yes, him alone
we fear. He insisted that I should express myself
with regard to infant baptism, and the eating of the
flesh of Christ. I said: “It is not worth while for
me to answer your questions; they are so useless. I
have told it to you enough; I shall tell you no more;.
we have had enough of it.” I said: “Wake up, and
give heed; you certainly see that it is not in human
power what the Lord enables us to do, that we can
leave our dear children, yea, joyfully resign our
lives, for the honor of God.” I said: “Take heed
what you do, we are God’s holy people, his chosen.
Though all your learned men in the whole world
should agree, they cannot prove to us with the
word of the Lord, that we believe or act contrary to
the Word.” He said that we at least did not believe
that the apostles ate the flesh of Christ, and drank
his blood, and Christ says: “Take, eat, this is my
body.” I said: “Christ took the bread, gave
thanks, brake it, and gave it to his apostles. When
he took the bread, brake it, and gave it to them,
the bread was certainly no flesh; he surely did not
give them his living body to eat, when he stood
alive among them; but he gave his body for redemption,
not for them alone, but for all who should believe
in him.” However, he was not to be convinced,
but held to his old tune.

Our brother had proved everything to him so
clearly with the Scriptures, that he could not say a
single word against it. Our brother spoke very loud
in order that those who stood without the chancery
should hear how clearly he proved it to him. I also
spoke as loud as I could, with a glad heart; whatever
the Lord gave me to utter I spoke fearlessly;
to relate all of which would take too long. He constantly
reiterated that we had the devil in us, that
the devil transformed himself into an angel of light
in us, that we were possessed of the devil of pride,
and that we must forever go into the abyss of hell.
Thus he did every time we were before him. I said:
“As lightly as you consign us to the abyss of hell,
so highly are we exalted with the Lord.”

As regards infant baptism he knew nothing to
say, except Christ says: You must be born again of
593
water and of the Spirit. John 3:5. I said: “Children
cannot understand the new birth; Christ said
this to the adult; hence we have put off our old life,
and put on a new life. We well know that our
children are saved before the Lord.” He then cited
David, how he was born in sin. Ps. 51:7. Our
brother had explained it to him clearly, yet he remained
as ignorant as ever. When we had ended
our conversation, I asked him what my husband
said. He replied: “Your husband also persists in
his views.” I said: “What will you do with my
poor husband, who cannot read a word?” He replied:
“Your damnation will be greater than that of
your husband; because you can read, and have seduced
him.” With this I left him. Afterwards
Claesken, her husband, and brother Jacques were
drowned, for the testimony of the truth, at Leeuwarden,
in Friesland, in March 1559.





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Page: http://history.truechristian.church/stories/mm-confession-of-a-woman-called-claesken-who-laid-down-her-life-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-a-d-1559/

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