# Maeyken Boosers Burnt To Ashes For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, In The City Of Doornick, The 18th Of September, A. D. 1564.

1564 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: MAEYKEN BOOSERS BURNT TO ASHES FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, IN THE CITY OF DOORNICK, THE 18TH OF SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1564.

Source heading; not independently verified

A confession and letter of consolation of Maeyken
Boosers, imprisoned at Doornick, where she
sealed her faith with her death.

The eternal, unfathomable grace of God, and the
power of the Holy Ghost, be with you all, my beloved
friends and brethren. I let you know that I
am well according to the flesh; but according to the
spirit I might be better, for I find weakness in me;
but my hope is fixed upon God, who strengthens
the feeble, and comforts the afflicted. My heart
constantly longs to be fit in his sight, that I might
finish to his praise that which he has commenced in
me. Therefore I pray you, my beloved brethren,
not to forget me, even as I well perceive that you
do not, for which I thank you very much, and hope
that the Lord will preserve you in his holy truth.
I further inform you that the lords wanted to know
of me, who were baptized with me, and whether
none were in the city, and what were their names
and surnames. I said: “What I do not know I
cannot tell.” But it was all of no avail. They ordered
the executioner to strip me. I felt very much
ashamed, and I pleasantly entreated them to believe
me; but it was of no avail. I then said: “Your
will be done,” and undressed myself. They led me
to the rack and bound me to draw and rack me.
The commissary said that I should name them. I
told him that I could not do it: whereupon they
loosed me, without my having named any one, for
which God on high be praised. However of Pieter
and George they had knowledge already; hence I
had to name them too, but their surnames I did not
know. Herewith I will commend you to the Lord,
and to the word of his grace. May the Lord keep
us all in one faith to the end of our lives. Amen.

Another letter from Maeyken Boosers to her parents.

I greet you from my inmost heart, my beloved
father and my much beloved mother, with all that
are in your house. Please know that I am well and
unchanged in purpose, the Lord be praised forever,
as I trust through the goodness of God it is also
with you. Further, I thank you heartily for the
kind greeting you wrote me, on account of which I
greatly rejoiced, learning your feelings and affection
for me; and for remembrance’ sake I will write you
something about my imprisonment.

In the first place the commissary asked me how
old I was when I was baptized. I replied: “About
twenty-three or four years.” They asked me why
I had it done. I said: “Because God had commanded
it.” They asked me whether I did not
know that I had been baptized previously. I said:
“I know nothing of it; neither has God commanded
it.” They asked me whether I did not
have sponsors. I replied: “It may be;—they may
have died.” They then said that they should send
me learned men. I said: “You ought to be wise
enough to talk with me;” but no, they would send
learned men. They then sent the parish priest of
Our lady’s church, who came and asked me why I
had not been in his church so long, and that he had
not known of me. I told him that I had quietly kept
at home. They asked me where my church was. I
answered: “My church is not known to you; for
if you knew her, you would not let her in peace
very long.”

We had many words about baptism. I said that
Christ sent out his apostles into all the world, and
that they first taught all nations to observe all
things whatsoever he had commanded them, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Infants cannot learn; but
he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
Then they said that the apostles had baptized whole
households. I said: “Yes, then they rejoiced that
they were become believers in God; this children
cannot do. Acts 16:34. Christ called the children
to him and said that to such belonged the kingdom
of heaven, but he did not command that they
should be baptized.” They then brought forward
Adam’s sin, saying that they were born in it. I replied
that Christ had died for them. I asked them
whether they meant to remove sin by baptism;
since infants can have no sin, therefore they cannot
die unto sin, and rise through baptism into a new
life. Then the lords said: “Your doctrine is: He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, is it
not?” I said: “Yes.” They then asked whether
Christ was not of Mary’s flesh. I said that Mary
had conceived him of the Holy Ghost, even as the
angel said to her: “The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God.” Luke 1:35. They asked once more whether
he did not assume flesh from her, since he had not
brought it from above. I replied that I believed
the testimony of John, where he says: “The Word
became flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:14.
They asked whether I did not believe that he is
Mary’s son according to the flesh, and the Son
of God according to the spirit. I replied that he
was God’s own begotten and only begotten Son,
without beginning of days, nor end of life, and was
now at the last born of Mary, through the power
of the Holy Ghost. Heb. 7:3. Hence he is not
of the earth, earthy, like Adam, nor will he return
to earth [dust]; for he is the Lord from heaven.
1 Cor. 15:47. Now if he had flesh of our flesh, he
would have to see corruption, for God said: “Dust
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”; but
this was not spoken of Adam alone, but of all his
descendants. Gen. 3:19.

They then asked me whether I did not believe
that in the sacrament there were Christ’s flesh and
blood. I said: “No; he is ascended, and sits on
the right hand of God his Father.” They then asked
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me whether I would not believe that all the saints
are in heaven. I said: “What I have not read I
cannot answer; but this much I have read; The
souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and
the torment of death shall not touch them.” Wisdom
3:1. To this they did not say much, but asked
what I held with regard to Mary. I replied that she
was a pure and holy vessel, and blessed above all
women, since she was worthy to conceive and give
birth to the Son of God.

They asked whether I did not confess that there
is a purgatory. I said: “I find two ways on record,
the one very broad and leading to damnation, the
other very narrow and leading to eternal life.” They
also asked what I held in regard to the Pope. I
said: “The Pope I do not know; but if this is his
doctrine, which is observed here, I hold him to be
like his doctrine.” Much more was spoken, but I
only write this to while away time. Farewell.

Another letter from Maeyken Boosers, to the
brethren.

My dearest and much beloved brethren in the
Lord, I let you know that my heart is of good cheer
and courage, the Lord be forever praised, for he
preserves us by his right hand, and delivers us out
of the midst of our enemies, for without him I would
be lost, since they, both spirituals and seculars, come
to assail me in manifold ways, as could be seen this
Sunday, when Mr. Massaert, with a judge and a
secular, a learned man, held me to be the vilest sect
that ever was under heaven. But when I told them
my faith, I moved them all to tears, so that they
could scarcely speak, and ultimately left me in a
friendly manner.

No more for the present, except that I commend
you to the Lord; may he constantly keep and preserve
you in his holy truth. I hope it will soon be
over with me; for I desire nothing so much, than
that I might please the Lord, and die a blessed
death. Amen.

A testament from Maeyken Boosers to her children.

A heartfelt and affectionate greeting to you, my
beloved children. Give ear to your mother, who
is now in bonds for the truth; for it has pleased
God, that all who will live godly must suffer persecution.
Hence I am well satisfied and of good cheer,
that the servant must follow his lord. His blessed
will be done with me; if it had been his pleasure,
he would have prevented these bonds. My dear
children, it has been so from the beginning, that
the righteous must suffer, and that the unrighteous
always prevail. But their day shall soon come, that
they will lament and cry out in their distress:
“Mountains, fall on us, and hills, cover us from the
face of the Lord.” Luke 23:30. Alas! when the
righteous shall shine forth as the sun, and the ungodly
shall go into eternal fire. O beloved children,
search the Scriptures, and conform to them, that
you may hear the blessed words: Come, ye blessed,
inherit the kingdom of my Father. Pray the Lord
for wisdom, and learn to fear God, and you will
get true understanding. Do not conform to the
world, in pride, dancing, running, and idle gossip;
but evince by your walk a godly life, adorn yourselves
like the holy women, accept the Scriptures
and live according to them, that your souls may be
saved, and that we may meet hereafter. May the
Almighty God, the King of kings, grant you his
grace according to the riches of his goodness, to be
strengthened in the inner man, and that Christ may
dwell in your hearts; and may he guide you into
all truth. I pray you, my dear children, be peaceable
among yourselves, for this is a fruit of the
Spirit. Willingly help one another, without gainsaying,
and always remember the poor; communicate
willingly of all that you have; make yourselves
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; love
that which is eternal, and not what is temporal;
seek the heavenly, and not the earthly, for all flesh
is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower
of grass, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into
the oven; the glory of man perisheth, but the word
of the Lord abideth forever. Isa. 40:6. Love not
the world, neither the things that are in it, namely,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are
not of God, but of the world; and the world shall
perish, with all that is in it; but he that doeth the
will of the Father abideth forever. 1 John 2:15;
1 Cor. 7:31.

My children, do according to the will of the Lord;
I, your mother, hope to walk the way before you.
Mark wherein and how I go before you, and regard
not the honor of the world, but esteem it an honor,
to suffer for the name of our God. For he who was
King over all was not ashamed to leave his glory,
and came into the world, and suffered the most
ignominious death for us, and, though he was innocent,
was beaten and marred, that there remained
not one sound spot on his blessed body. Thus did
he love us, thereby leaving us an example that we
should follow his steps. He is the light that came
into the world, that all who follow him should not
walk in darkness, but have the light of life. John
8:12. The Lord grant that that light shine also
around you, and that you walk in it. Amen.

Another, short letter from said mother to her
children.

My children, I greet you most cordially, and
send you back your letters, that you may fulfill the
promises you therein made to me. Always be subject
to those who instruct you in righteousness, and
reprove you when you transgress. Farewell, and
herewith adieu to you in this world. My dear children,
fear God, and eschew all evil.

Another letter from Maeyken Boosers, to her father
and mother.

My most beloved father and mother, I commend
myself to you from my inmost heart, praying the
Lord that he will comfort you and me with the
consolation of the Holy Ghost—the promise of the
Lord,—whom he promised to send to his disciples,
saying: “I go unto the Father, and shall send you
another Comforter, whom the world cannot receive,
for it knoweth him not.” John 14:16,17. Hence,
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my dear father and mother, be of good cheer and
await with patience what the Lord wills to do with
me. I, too, wait patiently for his comfort. What
has passed I esteem not more than a breath of air,
and it gives me no trouble, the Lord, in whom
I hope, be praised; for he it is who comforts the
humble, and puts down the proud from their seats.
Luke 1:52. Though there is now tribulation before
us, yet we know full well that the day of the Lord
will soon come, and that all ungodliness will be
brought to nought. And God shall judge them
without respect of persons, and reward every one
according to his works. Therefore, my dear and
much beloved father and mother, worry not on my
account; let the Lord finish his work. I hope that
he has predestinated me poor unworthy one for an
offering acceptable unto him, for I have hoped in
his mercy; and that he will not enter into judgment
with me, for if he should judge me according to
my deserts, I should be worthy of eternal death;
but the Lord, I hope, will have mercy upon me.

I further let you know that I was brought before
the Dean once more, but neither of us yielded, and
as he was leaving he said to me: “If you persist
in this belief, you are eternally damned.” I said:
“How can you speak so? seeing God shall judge.”
“Yes,” said he, “I dare indeed say it, for it will
be so.” Then Master Klaes followed me and asked:
“Where have you kept yourself so long? I have
long sought you.” I replied: “You have me now,
sure.” “I have not,” he said; “if you were in our
hands, we should keep you longer than these will,
I think.” Herewith, my dear father and mother,
I will commend you to the Lord; may he preserve
you and me unto the end. Grieve not for me, but
rejoice that the Lord counts me worthy; for I will
cheerfully resign for his sake these my members,
which he has given me. Farewell always.

Another letter from Maeyken Boosers to her brethren
and sisters.

O my dearest and much beloved brethren and
sisters in the Lord, I greet you once more with the
peace of the Lord, that the same may remain with
you forever. Amen.

I let you know that these my enemies still keep
tormenting me about baptism; but of the incarnation
of Christ they say nothing to me. The Dean told
them my faith, and they asked me nothing except
whether I believed that Christ was David’s son.
I replied that he was the Son of the living God.
“Oh! oh!” said the Dean. The lords asked: “Is
it not written: Out of the seed of David according
to the flesh?” Acts 13:23. The Dean answered
them, for there was no hearing; he frequently told
me I lied, because I withstood him, that he could
not show me that the apostles had baptized children.
They all fell upon me at once, and said that no one
could enter the kingdom of heaven, except he were
born of water and of the Spirit. They hastily asked
me whether I did not confess this too. I said: “This
Scripture belongs not to children, but to the adult,
who have ears to hear.” Then they arose and said:
“You labor under an opinion.”

Thus, my dear friends, I expect to be brought
before them once more to-morrow. Hence I pray
you to entreat the Lord for me, that he would direct
my mouth to his praise and glory. Herewith I will
commend you forever into the hands of God, and
kindly ask you to receive my simple writing in good
part, for I seek nothing but to please God, from the
simplicity of my heart; and I wish nothing, alas!
save, that I might please the King of kings and
Lord of lords in my calling; then I should indeed
have been born at a blessed time. Herewith peace;
farewell; nothing more after this. Take this for an
eternal adieu.

After this, Maeyken Boosers was burnt to ashes,
at Doornick, having commended her soul into the
hands of the Lord.





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