Maertens Janss, a Corn Porter, and Jan Hendrickss of Swartewael, a Steersman, in the Year 1572

The city of Delft, in Holland, was at this time only a burying place, indeed, a dreadful murderers' den, for the rooting out of God's saints. This appeared in the case of two very pious, God fearing, and most virtuous lambs of Christ, who had joined themselves to 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 living.

They were both imprisoned at Delft, where for almost two years they suffered much affliction, anxiety and distress, from secular as well as spiritual [ecclesiastical] persons, to make them fall away from their faith. But since they were founded upon the immovable cornerstone, Christ Jesus, these persons could in no way weaken their faith, much less make them fall away from it entirely. Hence the rulers of that place, inflamed with a bitter hatred against them through the instigation of the papistic clergy, 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 followed.

Thereupon, on the fifth of February, in the year 1572, both were brought upon the scaffold at that 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: "So 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 from now on 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 Your name; but You have made me worthy of it."

Finally he exclaimed: "O Lord, receive my spirit into Your 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," and so on, a great clamoring, confusion and running arose among the people, so that the lords, filled with fear, had Jan Hendrickss brought inside, until the commotion and turbulence of the people had subsided.

After that he was brought out completely gagged; having hurriedly been fastened to the stake, he was deprived of this temporal life by fire, just as his slain fellow brother was. [n1068-1]

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

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

NOTE. The secretary of the city of Delft has furnished us, from its book of criminal sentences, with an authentic copy of the aforementioned friends' death sentence, just as it was publicly read in court on the day of their death. We think it well to add it here, so the reader may be fully assured that the foregoing account is true. The contents of it are word for word as follows: