Hans Bret, A. D. 1576.

Hans Bret, who was about twenty-one years old, and the son of one Thomas Bret, an Englishman, was (besides his daily labor which he performed in the service of his master) very diligently concerned and engaged with the study of the word of the Lord, in which he constantly exercised himself in the morning and evening also, generally, exhorting with edifying, profitable and instructive passages from the holy Scriptures, those with whom he had intercourse, to a virtuous and godly life. He would also not spend Sunday idly, but truly sanctifying and observing it, generally sought together a number of new converts, to whom he diligently went in all kindness, giving out to them in the fear of God some edifying questions from the Scriptures, whereby he exhorted them to repent and desist from their sinful life, showing them the indignation which God shall pour out upon the children of unbelief and unrighteousness, and the gracious promises of salvation which are promised in eternal life to the penitent children of faith. This his exhorting he did with such becoming earnestness and edifying doctrine, that many sought to be with him, perceiving in him the powerful work of God and his advancement in the knowledge of Christ, with which he, though so young in years, was very richly filled, and which he also did not keep to himself alone, but allowed it to break forth and flow from him without fear, to the profit and advantage of his neighbor. 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 3:8; 1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Cor. 10:33.

But the devil, the enemy of righteousness, and envier of the increase of virtue and of the church of Christ, could not long tolerate or endure this; for, perceiving in this servant the godly zeal in the truth, and assiduity to convert the erring, he, by his instruments (blood-thirsty men, who always have dishonored the temple of God, murdered his sheep, slain his saints, shed their blood, and given their flesh as meat to the beasts of the field), sought to trouble this servant of God with affliction, and to hinder the brightness of his light, which he also partly effected and accomplished; for about two months after he had been baptized upon the confession of his faith, according to the command of Christ, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, there came, on the sixth day of May, in the year 1576, about nine o’clock in the evening, the Bailiff of Antwerp, with many servants, to the house of Hans Bret’s master, who had been betrayed with all his household. They closely guarded this house from behind, where it had two exits, as well as in front, with armed men and beadles, and then knocked at the front door, which Hans Bret came to open (not knowing that those who thirsted for the blood of his master and his household, and for his own, stood before it), and asked who was there. They said: “Open,” and pretended that they wanted to buy something. In the meantime, hearing that they had inserted an instrument in the door, to open it from the outside, he began to think that they were the wolves and tyrants, who came to devour the innocent and harmless sheep of Christ, and did not open the door to them; but they managed to open it from without, which perceiving, Hans Bret ran into the house, where his master with his wife and several other women sat eating, and warned them of it, who all quickly rose up and ran to the rear, thinking (as also Hans Bret) to escape by the back door; but when they opened this, the Bailiff’s beadles showed themselves with great cruelty, speedily apprehending and capturing all whom God permitted them, among whom there was also this servant of God; but his master and several others with him were wonderfully and remarkably delivered and preserved through the hand and assistance of God. Jer. 1:8; Acts 26:17. Behold, thus did this innocent sheep of Christ fall into the hands of the wolves, and was confined in prison, only for the faith in the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the practice of the same.

Now, how he conducted himself in his bonds; how they, through wiles and snares, fair promises and severe threats, sought to move him from, and despoil him of, the salvation of his soul; and how they, because he had written some letters to his brethren and friends, cast him into a loathsome dungeon; together with the various disputations which he had with the priests and soul-seducers, and also how he answered them, and what boldness he manifested through the help of God; all this you will find fully treated and revealed in the following letters written by him.

When he had been confined about eight months, the tyrants finally went to the utmost of their power in the case of this servant of God and faithful follower of Christ, and, on Friday before Derthien-Avondt, in the year 1577, had him brought into court, whither he went very boldly, since his bonds were not for any crime, evil, or unrighteousness, but for the doctrine of his Lord and Master, Jesus 985 Christ, for righteousness and truth, for which the children of God have always had abundantly to suffer, who have helped Christ to bear his cross, as a true ensign that they are Christ’s servants, disciples and followers.

Being brought before the lords and judges, he was asked, whether he had been baptized upon his faith, which he finally confessed and acknowledged, not ashamed of what he had done by the command of his Lord and Master Christ Jesus, though he certainly knew that they did not ask him to be taught of him, but only to get a word from his mouth by which they might sentence him to death. When the lords and criminal judges had heard this Christian confession, they rose up and went to sentence him to death; and having returned from their evil consultation, they pronounced and declared their sentence over this servant of God: that he should publicly be burnt alive at the stake till death should ensue.

When he had received his sentence, he was conducted back to prison, undismayed and of good courage, where he doubtless addressed some Scriptural remarks to the common people, as setting forth the cause of his imprisonment and suffering not to be any evil or crime, but the faith of the pure and saving truth, which the world cannot endure. Romans 10:9.

Thus he (Hans Bret) was brought back from the court into prison, and confined and held there till the following day, which was Saturday; then, in the morning, the executioner came to him into prison, in order to screw fast his tongue, close his mouth, and prevent his speaking. O miserable work!

Murderers, and the very worst criminals have the privilege and permission of freely using their tongue; but, behold here a follower of Christ, a child of God, a servant of faith, one separated from the world, in whom dwells righteousness and no cause of death is found—behold, how he is prepared for death by closing his mouth and screwing fast his tongue, that the truth may not be proclaimed, righteousness not heard, nor any testimony be given of the name of Christ. O Christ, look down, and succor thy saints.

When the executioner had come to him, he commanded him to put out his tongue, which he (faithful and pious servant of God), willingly did, since he had not a member on his body, which he was not willing to deliver up to suffering for the name of Christ, being well assured that all the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the joy and glory which God has promised them that overcome. Matt. 10:22; Romans 8:18; Rev. 2:7.

And when he put out his tongue, the executioner fastened it with a piece of iron, and screwed it very tight with a vise or screw, and then touched the end of the tongue with a hot iron, that swelling, the screw might not slip off or become loose. O bitter cruelty and great tyranny.

When they had thus closed his mouth, and screwed fast his tongue, the fire with which he was to be offered up being already prepared in the market place, they led him forth, with his hands tied together, from prison, and placed him into a wagon, to convey him to the market place, to the spot where his sacrifice for the word of truth was to take place.

It is said that they took this wagon for the reason that the way that leads from the prison to the market place, could not well be walked, because of the burnt houses which had been set on fire by the Spaniards, at the taking of Antwerp.

When he stepped into the wagon, he saw several persons of his acquaintance, whom he boldly and joyfully beheld, showing by his actions the desire which he had to come to the place where his sacrifice was to take place. He affectionately bowed his head, and greeted divers persons with the head, expressing and manifesting his steadfastness by his countenance and actions, all to the praise of God, who bestows such strength and power upon his saints, as being their protector, refuge, help, power, strength, and strong bulwark in all distress, tribulation, sorrow, and suffering inflicted upon them by the world for the true saving faith in Jesus Christ. Matt. 28:20; Ps. 18:2; Matt. 16:16.

When he had been brought into the market place, near the stake and the fire, he lifted himself up, and being clothed with Christian glory, descended from the wagon, being of good courage in God, strong in faith, and persevering in the conflict. With folded hands, he bowed his knees to the earth, humbly casting his eyes up to heaven, thus preparing himself to worship his Lord and God, and to commend himself to him, even as behooves every Christian believer. Luke 23:46. But when those blood-thirsty men saw this, they could not tolerate or endure it (which they nevertheless permit criminals to do, who are put to death for their evil deeds); but very hurriedly and quickly pulling him up from the ground, they prevented him from calling to God upon his knees, and with great cruelty conducted him to the stake. To suffer all this, he went into the hut (constructed of straw and wood), humbly and meekly stepping to where they placed him at the stake, and made him fast by putting chains around his body, all of which he endured with great steadfastness for the word and truth of Christ. And as he thus stood in the hut, at the stake, they finally kindled the fire, thus burning alive and devouring this lamb, whose body, indeed, was burnt, but whose soul was received into paradise, into joy and blessed rest, because he confessed Christ, who has promised salvation to them that endure.

Thus did this young and pious Christian, aged about twenty-one years, end his life, and offer and deliver up his body for the word of God, in the year 1577, on Derthien-Avondt, and thus he became a witness among the witnesses of Jesus, a confessor among the confessors of Christ, a Christian conqueror among the soldiers of the Lord, a soul among the souls of Christ at rest under the altar, a faithful servant among the servants of Christ, whose reward is the crown of eternal, imperishable life.

Here follow some letters which Hans Bret wrote during his imprisonment.

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