# How Lijsken, Jerome’S Wife, Valiantly Fought, And Confessed The Ground Of Her Faith Before All The People, Remaining Steadfast Unto The End; And How They By Night Put Her Into A Bag, And Threw Her Into The Scheldt, She Thus Sealing Her Faith With Her Death.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: HOW LIJSKEN, JEROME’S WIFE, VALIANTLY FOUGHT, AND CONFESSED THE GROUND OF HER FAITH BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE, REMAINING STEADFAST UNTO THE END; AND HOW THEY BY NIGHT PUT HER INTO A BAG, AND THREW HER INTO THE SCHELDT, SHE THUS SEALING HER FAITH WITH HER DEATH.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

Lijsken, our sister, who was in bonds for a long
time, fulfilled the time of her sojourning, continuing
most perfectly and steadfastly in the word of the
Lord unto the end, the Lord be praised forever,
and confessed her faith very frankly and unfeignedly,
in the court, before the authorities and the
common people. In the first place, they questioned
her concerning baptism, to which she replied: “I
know but one baptism, which Christ and his saints
practiced and left us.”

“What do you think of infant baptism?” asked
the bailiff?

Lijsken answered: “That it is nothing but infant
baptism, and a human institution.”

The lords then arose and put their heads together.
In the meantime Lijsken clearly confessed and
explained the ground of her faith to the people.
Thereupon they passed sentence upon her. Lijsken
thus addressed herself to the judges: “You
are judges now, but the time will come when you
shall wish that you had been shepherds;253 for there
is a Judge and Lord over us all, who will judge you
in due time; ‘but we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world.’ ”
Wis. 5; Ps. 7:11; Eph. 6:12. The lords therefore
said: “Take her out of the court.”

The people then ran together in great crowds to
see her. Lijsken boldly said to them: “Be it known
to you, that I do not suffer for theft, murder, or any
other evil deed, but solely for the incorruptible word
of God.” Thereupon they came to the Bargkerk,254
when she said: “O thou den of thieves (Matthew
21:13), how many a soul is murdered in thee!”
As she was thus going along between the servants,
though not led by them, the latter said [to the people]:
“Arise, make room.” Then Lijsken said:
“They do not hinder me; they may look on me,
and take an example from me, all who love the
word of the Lord.” Phil. 3:17.

Speaking on, she went back into prison. The common
people were greatly agitated, but the friends
rejoiced. Hence, in the afternoon, some of our
friends went to the prison to visit her, much other
people also coming. The friends talked a little with
her, and said: “It is well that you suffer only for
well-doing, and not for any evil deed.” 1 Pet. 2:20.
But she had to avoid them, on account of the other
people that were in the prison. She spoke boldly
and valiantly to the people, and sang a beautiful
hymn, so that the people were greatly astonished.
Two monks came, to torment her yet, and the three
were locked together in a room. Lijsken utterly
refused to listen to them. Once the door of the
room was opened, much people standing before it,
and Lijsken came and stood in the door, and said
to the monks: “Go away, until you are sent for;
for I will not listen to you; if I had been content
with your leaven, I should not have come to this.”
The three were again locked into the room, and
the erring spirits or stars (1 John 4:1; Jude 13)
made another attempt with their false and deadly
poison; but, God be praised, Lijsken was undaunted
and of good cheer, and commenced singing
a hymn in the presence of the monks. One of
the friends present said: Sister, fight valiantly.”
When they [the monks] heard this, they were very
angry, and said: “There is another of her people,
who encourages her, whom it were better to burn
than her.” Thus they went away in a rage; for their
voice was strange, and they were not heard there.
John 10:5.

Lijsken was then shut up alone in the room,
which fronted the street, where she used to sit; and
no one could get to her, save he that had the keys.
When the monks came out into the street, to go
away, some friends who were there asked them:
“Will she not be converted?” The monks replied:
“No; for there was one of her people there, whom
she preferred to hear.” Towards evening, the Lord
granted, that one of the friends came to the place
where Lijsken sat, and conversed with her a long
time, so that the people in the street began to hear
it, and all looked up to the place where the friend
was, so that some who were with him became uneasy,
and told him to go away; but he replied: “I
must first bid her adieu.” He then said: “Arise,
sister, show yourself, and look out at the window.”
She immediately did so, and as she looked out upon
the people standing in the street, some friends who
503were among the crowd, also called out, saying:
“Dear sister, fight valiantly; for the crown of life is
set before you.” She then said to the people:
“Drunkards, whoremongers, adulterers, all these
are tolerated; they indeed read and speak of the
Scriptures; but they that live and walk according
to the will of God, are troubled, oppressed, persecuted
and put to death.” 2 Tim. 3:12; John 16:2.
And forthwith she began to sing: “Behold, what
poor sheep we are,” etc. Rom. 8:36. Before the
hymn was finished, the lords came with the servants
into the prison. Some friends said: “Just
finish it, Lijsken.” But before she could finish the
hymn, they drew her away from the window, and
evening approaching, she was seen no more. Saturday
morning we rose early, some before daylight,
others at day break, to see the marriage which we
thought should come off. But the crafty murderers
had anticipated us; we had slept too long; for
they had perpetrated their murderous work between
three and four o’clock. They took the lamb to the
Scheldt, thrust her into a bag, and drowned her,
before the people arrived, so that but few witnessed
it. There were some, however, who saw that she
went boldly unto death, and valiantly said: “Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Thus
she was delivered up, and departed, to the praise
of the Lord; so that through the grace of God it
moved much people. When the people arrived,
and learned that she was dead already, it caused a
great commotion among them, and as much sorrow
as though she had been publicly executed; for they
said: “Thieves and murderers are brought publicly
before all men.” Thus their perfidy became the
more widely known. Some plain people asked:
“Why must this people die? for many give a good
testimony of them.” Some friends who were there
openly said to the people: “The reason is, that
they obey the commands of God more than that of
the Emperor, or of men, because they have sincerely
turned to the Lord their God; from lies to
the truth, from darkness to light, from unrighteousness
to righteousness, from unbelief to the true
faith; have thus amended their life, and, after becoming
true believers, been baptized according to
the command of Christ, and the practice of his
apostles.” They moreover showed to the people
from the word of God, that the papists are those of
whom the apostle Paul prophesied; that is, the seducing
spirits who teach the doctrines of devils; and
also, that the righteous had to suffer from the beginning,
from the time of Abel until now, even as
Christ also had to suffer, and thus enter into the
glory of his Father, leaving us an example, that we
should follow his steps; “for all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 1 Timothy
4:1; Luke 24:26; 1 Pet. 2:21; 2 Tim. 3:12.





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