# Jan Wouterss Van Kuyck And Adriaenken Jans Of Molenaersgraef, Both Burnt For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, At Dortrecht, A. D. 1572.

1572 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: JAN WOUTERSS VAN KUYCK AND ADRIAENKEN JANS OF MOLENAERSGRAEF, BOTH BURNT FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT DORTRECHT, A. D. 1572.

Source heading; not independently verified

In the year of our Lord 1572, the lords of justice
at Dortrecht in Holland, laid their hands on two
very meek and dear friends of God, who followed
their Savior, the slain Lamb of the cross, Jesus
Christ, and were not of the least of the members
of the church of the Lord scattered abroad in all
countries, in showing forth, as lights in this world,
their eminent virtues among this evil and perverse
generation. They were both taken out of the fold
like lambs for the slaughter, the circumstances
being as follows:

First, Adriaenken Jans’ daughter was suddenly
apprehended. She resided at Molenaersgraef, in the
Papendrecht district; which was under the jurisdiction
of the city of Dortrecht, and because she
was said to be a heretic, she was seized and imprisoned
in the Vuylpoort.

After that the plan was formed to capture Jan
Wouterss van Kuyck, who resided in the city, but
frequently changed his abode, so as not to be so
easily recognized. To this end, the Bailiff, having
learned where he resided (namely, in the street leading
to the Rietdijck, near the New Gate, in a room
which was reached from the street by a flight of
stairs), came with his beadles and unexpectedly, and
without asking anything, ascended the stairs, where
Jan Wouterss met him just as he opened the door.
The Bailiff said, since he did not know him: “Does
Jan van Kuyck reside here?” to which this good,
upright and very sincere man, not willing to speak
contrary to the truth, answered yes, adding that it
was he himself.

These words he spoke very loudly, in order that
his dear wife, who was back in the room, should
hear it and flee, which she did: his only daughter,
however, a child of only about seven years,
remained in the room and saw her father apprehended,
to which no attention was paid. The ministers
of justice immediately laid their hands upon
this friend of God, and forcibly bound him, whereupon
he said: “O my lords, how you bind me, as
though I were a wicked man; however, you bind
not me, but yourselves.” Then a great lamentation
arose among them; however, they proceeded, and
led him, as a defenseless lamb that is overcome by
wolves, from the Rietdijck to the Vuylpoort, about
half an hour’s walk through the city, where they
put him into another cell than the one in which
Adriaenken Jans was confined, though within the
same walls and under the same roof of said prison.

In the meantime both had to suffer much temptation,
according to the body as well as in regard to
the soul; several times they were severely tortured,
stripped and scourged, so that almost the entire
city spoke about their sufferings and misery, as Jan
Wouterss subsequently also indicated in one of his
letters.

The papist clergy also assailed them much according
to the soul, in order to deprive them, by
many wiles and snares, of the treasure of a true faith;
but they were not able to accomplish anything with
either of them; hence they [the two martyrs], were
finally sentenced to death in open court, to be executed
with fire, on the water front of the city, near
a certain lime kiln, where now the new fortification
is, between the mill that stands upon the bastion,
and the rampart; however, with the condition, that
Adriaenken Jans should not really die by fire, but
should prior to her burning be strangled at the stake,
which lesser penalty of death we do not find to have
been executed on Jan Wouterss.

In the meantime both prepared themselves for
death with great desire and inward joy, unable sufficiently
to praise God that they had been counted
worthy to deliver up their bodies as a sacrifice for
his holy name’s sake.

When the hour of their departure had come, both
were tied together; however, they fell upon their
knees, and quietly offered up, before they were led
forth, an earnest prayer to God the Lord, that he
would strengthen them in their impending suffering,
to persevere unto the end.

Thereupon their mouths (for fear that they should
speak something to the people), were gagged with a
piece of wood, or some other instrument made for
this purpose, and they were thus led from the prison
which presented a pitiful sight. Jan Wouterss, however,
pulled out the piece of wood, or instrument,
with one hand, which it appears was not bound,
and cried with a loud voice: “O Lord, strengthen
thy feeble servant: and thy poor hand-maiden. It is
for thy name’s sake that we have come to this for
which we have willingly prepared ourselves.”

When he had said this, one of his fellow-believers,
whose heart, as it seems, had been set aflame hereby
mightily pressed his way through the people, and
coming before him, said: “Strive valiantly, dear
brother, you will suffer no more hereafter.”

Thereupon Jan Wouterss instantly pulled open
his jacket and showed him his breast bloody from
the scourging inflicted upon him in prison and said:
“I already bear in my body the marks of the Lord
Jesus;” and he lifted up his eyes to heaven, looking
longingly as it were to the heavenly resting place.

In the meanwhile, before all this was properly
noticed, because of the surging crowd, said person
went out of sight and disappeared among the people;
whereupon some of the servants of justice murmured
and sternly asked, where this man was. This
occurred near the swine-market, close by the New
Haven.

They went on and soon arrived at the place of execution,
where two stakes stood erected near, and
around which an innumerable multitude was gathered.

Having arrived there, they ascended the height,
or erected scaffold, where they on their knees again
quietly prayed to God, though Jan Wouterss only
was able to speak, since the mouth of Adriaenken
Jans was well gagged with the previously mentioned
piece of wood, or instrument.

When they had risen, preparations were first
made to strangle Adriaenken Jans, whereupon she
placed herself at the stake.

856

Then Jan Wouterss said: “This is the day of
salvation.” But the under bailiff, hearing this,
sternly cried: “Be silent.” Thereupon Jan Wouterss
said: “Why should I keep silent; I certainly
speak nothing that is evil.”

In the meantime Adriaenken Jans was strangled,
who, according to the testimony of those who witnessed
it, previous to her burning, remained standing
at the stake a little while, dressed in a red petticoat.

The servants of justice then turned to Jan Wouterss,
who cheerfully, yea, with a smiling countenance,
placed himself at the other stake, which stood
close by, where he while being fastened to it, noticed
that some of his fellow-believers stood among the
people, to see his end; to whom, without naming
any one, he cried aloud: “Adieu and farewell, my
dear brethren and sisters, I will herewith commend
you to the Lord, to the Lord who shed his blood
for us.” With this he made haste and prepared
himself for death, commending his soul to God in
these words: “O God, who art my strength, I
commend my spirit into thy hands.”

Then fire was set to the wood piled around him,
and this friend of God was burned, alive, as it appears,
with his dead sister, to the great sorrow of
many that stood around and were filled with commiseration
at the sight of it.

This was the end of these two dear favorites of
the Lord, of whom no one spake any evil (touching
their life), but whom every one praised on account
of their virtuous walk.





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