# Maertens Janss, A Corn Porter, And Jan Hendrickss Of Swartewael, A Steersman, Both Put To Death At The Stake, At Delft, In Holland, A. D. 1572.

1572 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: MAERTENS JANSS, A CORN PORTER, AND JAN HENDRICKSS OF SWARTEWAEL, A STEERSMAN, BOTH PUT TO DEATH AT THE STAKE, AT DELFT, IN HOLLAND, A. D. 1572.

Source heading; not independently verified

The city of Delft, in Holland was at this time
only a burying place, yea, a dreadful murderers’
den, for the extirpation of God’s saints. This appeared
in the case of two very pious, godfearing,
and most virtuous lambs of Christ, who had betaken
themselves among the flock of the great
Shepherd of the sheep, Christ Jesus, to be led and
fed by him in the green meadows of the true evangelical
doctrine. One was named Maerten Janss,
by trade a corn porter; the other, Jan Hendrickss,
born at Swartewael, a steersman, who followed the
sea for a livelihood.

They were both imprisoned at Delft, where they,
for almost two years, suffered much affliction,
anxiety and distress, from secular as well as spiritual
[ecclesiastical] persons, to make them apostatize
from their faith. But as they were founded upon the
immovable corner-stone Christ Jesus, they could in
nowise weaken their faith, much less cause them to
apostatize entirely from it. Hence the rulers at said
place, inflamed, through the instigation of the papistic
clergy, with a bitter hatred against them, pronounced,
in court, a very cruel sentence upon both
of them, namely: That they should be tied to a
stake, upon a scaffold to be erected in the market
place, and burned until death should ensue.

Thereupon, on the fifth of February, A. D. 1572,
both were brought upon the scaffold at said place,
to die; whereupon the town clerk read to all the
people: That no one was allowed to speak to them,
on pain of forfeiting life and property.

Then Maerten Janss’ tongue was seared; yet he
nevertheless boldly said: “Thus I must now testify
to the truth; for if I had not cared for my salvation,
I would have escaped much sore conflict and obtained
pardon; but now I have fought a good fight,
finished my course, and kept the faith, and henceforth
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.”

Then he cried: “O Lord, be merciful to me poor
sinner! Who am not worthy to suffer for thy name,
but thou hast made me worthy thereto.”

Finally he exclaimed: “O Lord, receive my
spirit into thy hands.” And with this his life was
ended he thus departing this world through fire.

Jan Hendrickss was likewise gagged, to prevent
him from speaking; but when he nevertheless spoke,
namely: “Now is the time, now the truth must be
fully sealed,” etc., a great clamoring, confusion and
running arose among the people, so that the lords,
filled with fear, caused Jan Hendrickss to be brought
inside, until the commotion and turbulence of the
people had subsided.

After that he was brought forth completely gagged,
and having hurriedly been fastened to the stake, he
was deprived of this temporal life by fire, even as
his slain fellow brother.

Their dead and half consumed bodies were
brought outside of the city, to the common place
887
of execution, called Gallows Hill, where each was
separately fastened to a stake, for food to the fowls
of the air.

This was the end of the aforementioned two lambs
of Jesus, who, though a spectacle and reproach before
the world, before God became a holy and acceptable
sacrifice.

Note.—Having been furnished from the book of
criminal sentences of the city of Delft, by the secretary
there, with an authentic copy of the sentence
of death of the aforementioned friends, just as the
same was publicly read in court on the day of their
death, we deem it well to add it here, that the reader
may be fully assured of the truth of the foregoing
account. The contents thereof are word for word
as follows:





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