Sander Wouterss, of Bommel and Evert Hendricks, of Warendorp, in the Year 1575

The misery of the beloved children of God had not yet come to an end at this time, since the words spoken by the Lord: "They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the time is coming, that whoever kills you will think that he is doing God service," were still being fulfilled. This appeared, among many other instances, also in the year 1572, on the third day of September, at Amsterdam, in the case of two pious and valiant champions of Jesus Christ, named Sander Wouterss, of Bommel, and Evert Hendricks, of Warendorp, both of whom at that time voluntarily exchanged their life for death, and surrendered it to the Lord as a burnt sacrifice, the Romanistic rulers bringing this about through their malice, with fiery flames at the place of execution in front of the city hall at Amsterdam.

But between those who did this and the others who suffered it there will hereafter be a great difference, when it will be said to those who suffered it: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," but to those who did it (if they have not sincerely been converted from this wickedness): "Depart, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25. Oh, what an exceedingly great difference! Our reason is utterly powerless to grasp this; our mortal and frail tongue cannot express it.

NOTE. The sentence of death of the two persons named above was sent to us from the original book of criminal sentences of that city, through the help of the clerk of the court there; so we will add it here, just as it reads. In it may be seen how treacherously the papistic rulers of that time misinterpreted the good confession of the pious witnesses of Jesus Christ, and how dreadfully and horribly they proceeded against them and dealt with them.