# Gerrit Corneliss, A. D. 1571.

1571 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: GERRIT CORNELISS, A. D. 1571.

Source heading; not independently verified

In the year 1571, there was apprehended at Amsterdam
in Holland, for the truth’s sake, as he was
standing and working in a lighter-boat, a young
brother, named Gerrit Corneliss. The Bailiff bound
him, and led him to the city hall, where, the next
day, he was examined, and interrogated concerning
his faith, which he freely confessed; but when they
wanted him to name some of his fellow believers,
he would not do it, and hence had to suffer the
torture. When he had been tortured once, and was
dressed again, his eyes were blindfolded with a
cloth, and his hands having been tied together, he
was drawn up by them, and left thus suspended,
whereupon he was again stripped, and severely
scourged with rods; but no matter how he was tortured,
he did not name any one. He was then laid
upon the rack again, and while lying upon it, they
caused him to be scourged with rods, urine poured
into his mouth, and burning candles held under his
arms; whereupon, having been stripped naked
again, and his shirt bound before his nakedness,
he was as before drawn up by his hands, with a
weight attached to his feet, and leaving him thus
suspended they went out, and returning after some
time, they spitefully said to him, that if he would
name no one, they should thus deal with him in
this manner all day: but God (whom he thanked
for it) kept his lips, that no one was brought into
trouble by his speaking. In short, he was so tortured,
that he could not walk, but had to be carried
in a chair.

Some days after, having been brought into court,
he was mockingly crowned with a hat of flowers,
and sentenced to be strangled and burned. While
listening to this sentence he evinced joyfulness and
patience, until he arrived at the stake, where he
very fervently prayed after this manner: “O Father
and Lord, be gracious unto me; let me be one
of your least lambs, or the least member of your
body. O Lord, who lookest down here from on
high, and art a discerner of the hearts and of every
hidden thing, before whom all things are to be
accounted as nothing, thou knowest my simple love
towards thee; accept me, and forgive them that inflict
this suffering upon me.” Having risen, he
cried to the people: “O men, eternity is so long,
O yes, eternity is so long; but these sufferings here
are over very soon. But the conflict here is so
fierce and severe; O how fearful I am yet; O flesh,
bear and resist a little longer, for this is the last
conflict.” When the rope had been placed around
his neck, he cried: “O heavenly Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit;” and with this he
sweetly died and was then burnt. Thus he offered
up his sacrifice, boldly standing up for the name
of Christ, not fearing pain, suffering, shame, nor
these worldly lords, but constantly striving valiantly
unto death; hence there shall also, at the last day,
when the Lamb that was slain shall open the books
of life, his name be found therein: but the apostate
shall be written in the earth, and the earth, with
the works that are therein, shall be burned. Revelation
2:10; 5:6; 20:12; 3:5; Jer. 17:13; 2 Peter
3:10.

Note.—As we have obtained a true copy, from
the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam,
of the death sentence as well as of the two
torturings which this friend of God endured before
his death, together with clear information when all
this occurred, we deem it well to add the same
here, so that no one may in any wise doubt the
truth of what has been related, but may be fully assured
of it.





---

Page: http://history.truechristian.church/stories/mm-gerrit-corneliss-a-d-1571/

[Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Gerrit+Corneliss%2C+A.+D.+1571.&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AGerrit+Corneliss%2C+A.+D.+1571.%0A%0APage%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fstories%2Fmm-gerrit-corneliss-a-d-1571%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-gerrit-corneliss-a-d-1571%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1571%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.)