Pierijntgen Loosveldt, or Neckers, in the Year 1572

At the close of the year 1572, there was arrested at Meenen, in Flanders, for the truth and the Word of God, a spinster about forty-three years old, named Pierijntgen Loosveldt, or Neckers. While she was kindly caring for a sick person, she was out walking at a certain time when she met the chief bailiff, Joncker Jan de Carmago, who arrested her and asked where she lived. She answered pleasantly that she did not live very far off, and gave him the fairest words, in order to be released. But it was all of no use; she had to go to prison, and on the second day, when she had not had much time to think it over, she was summoned before the lords and examined about her faith, which she freely confessed.

In the first place she was accused of having attended improper assemblies, contrary to the emperor's decree. But Pierijntgen held that she had used diligence to follow Christ, and to shun the evil, and go out from them, and join the good, knowing that Christ says: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." Matthew 18, verse 20. And these assemblies she could not forsake, though it should cost her her life.

In the second place she was asked whether she had not had herself rebaptized. She confessed that she had let herself be baptized according to the command of Christ, which they considered Anabaptism, paying no regard at all to the instance of the disciples who, though they had received John's baptism, nevertheless, after they had heard the preaching of Paul, let themselves also be baptized in the name of Jesus. And that one must first believe in Jesus Christ, and be baptized upon such faith, according to the teaching of the Scriptures, which also say that baptism is a burial of sin and the answer of a good conscience.

When they asked her who was present when she was baptized, she did not tell them, however hard she was threatened.

In the third place they asked her whether she did not regard the priests as the vicars of Christ, who had power to forgive sin; and that whatever they bound or loosed had to remain bound or loosed. But she could not confess that they are such vicars of Christ who are not minded as He is; for He is the true Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep, while the priests do the very opposite. He is the true Mediator between God and men (First Timothy 2, verse 5), and His Father's vicar. He is the open, clear Fountain (Zechariah 13, verse 1), who calls to Him all those who are burdened and laden with sin. He is the true pool with five entrances, of which John tells (John 5, verse 2), and all who truly repent shall receive the forgiveness of their sins. Luke 24, verse 47. No one was found worthy to open the book with seven seals, but the Lamb Jesus Christ. Revelation 5, verse 1. He is the right door; it is of no use whether anyone opens or shuts, the ungodly must remain outside. John 10, verse 9; Revelation 22, verse 15.

In the fourth place she was asked whether she did not confess that the body of Christ was in the sacrament, or wafer, when the priest had pronounced the words over it and consecrated it in the mass. But she could regard the mass, with all that belonged to it, as nothing more than a plant planted by men, which God would root up. Matthew 15, verse 13. But she confessed that Christ had left us the Supper to be kept in remembrance of Him, according to Paul's teaching, and by it to show the Lord's death. First Corinthians 11, verses 25 and 26.

In the fifth place she was also asked whether she did not confess that infant baptism was necessary for salvation, and for the washing away of the original sin which has clung to us from Adam. But her confession was that one can receive only one baptism, and that only those are worthy of it who forsake sin, or repent, and believe in the name of Jesus Christ; and that it was also not a washing away of sin, but the answer of a good conscience, and that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Ephesians 4, verse 5; Acts 2, verse 38; First Peter 3, verse 21; First John 1, verse 7.

In the sixth place she was asked whether she did not believe that Christ had taken His flesh from Mary. But she confessed that He was from above, and had come down from the Father; that the Word had become flesh, even as John says: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life." And as He Himself says, that He is the bread which came down from heaven. That He was also the only reconciler, redeemer and advocate. To investigate further was not necessary to her salvation. John 8, verse 23; chapter 1, verse 14; First John 1, verse 1; John 6, verse 31; Romans 5, verse 10; First John 2, verse 1.

In the seventh place she was also asked whether she did not confess that three persons made up one true God. Then she confessed that there were three names in one Divine Being, namely, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. But the Father who sent the Son she could not regard as a person; for heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool; Christ also calls Him a Spirit, and a spirit, He says, has neither flesh nor bones. The Holy Ghost, who showed Himself upon Christ in the form of a dove, and upon the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, and sat upon each of them, Him she also could not understand to be a person. But the Son, who became man for us, was visible, could be touched, and could suffer; He walked much among the Jews, did many signs, suffered hunger and thirst, wept, and so on. Him she could indeed confess to be a person. First John 4, verse 9; Isaiah 66, verse 1; John 4, verse 24; Luke 24, verse 39; Matthew 3, verse 16; Acts 2, verse 3; Matthew 17, verse 12; chapter 11, verse 5; chapter 21, verse 19; John 19, verse 28; Luke 19, verse 41.

In the eighth place they asked her whether one might not swear, or take an oath, before the authorities, to defend justice and establish the truth; but she valued Christ's commandment more than that of men, for He teaches: "I say to you, Do not swear at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your words be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatever is more than these comes of evil." Matthew 5, verses 34 to 37.

In the ninth place she was told that good works do avail, also for those who had died. But she maintained that neither soul masses, funeral rites, pilgrimages, the burning of candles, nor anything else could help or benefit the dead; for the Scripture says: "If the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be." Ecclesiastes 11, verse 3. Christ also tells of ten virgins, of whom the five who had wisely kept their lamps burning, and had provided their vessels with oil, went in with Him; but the others, who had neglected their time, had to remain outside. Even as the angel said, that after this there shall be time no longer. Revelation 10, verse 6.

In the tenth place she was asked whether the saints had not ascended up to heaven. But she confessed that no one has ascended up to heaven but Christ our Protector and Savior, not even Mary His mother; but that they all rest in the hand of God, waiting for the judgment of the last day. John 3, verse 13; Acts 1, verse 10; Wisdom 3, verse 1. As the Scripture says, that the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear the voice of God, and those who have done good shall enter into life eternal, but the ungodly into eternal damnation. John 5, verses 28 and 29. The resurrection is for both the just and the unjust, as Paul says: We must all appear before the judgment seat of the Lord, to be rewarded according to our works. Acts 24, verse 15; Second Corinthians 5, verse 10. We also read of the souls of the righteous that are under the altar, and wait until the number of their brothers and sisters shall be fulfilled. Revelation 6, verses 9 and 11.

After she had thus been examined most rigidly, they sought through the learned of this world to instruct her, in order to make her recant; but when neither pleading nor threats could move her, and she declared that she was willing rather to die than to fall away, she had to go upon the rack stripped of everything but an apron. There she was severely racked, with a stick in her mouth, so that her teeth broke in pieces; but she would not recant, nor betray any of her fellow members. And when she asked that the torture be stopped, the burgomaster said that she should recant and confess. But God kept her lips, and helped her so that she was released from the torture; for she would rather die this temporal death with old Eleazar than forfeit His eternal kingdom by denying Christ. Several times they threatened her with death, but this could not frighten her. Sometimes she was afraid that, because she was very sad, she might not be able to keep from weeping when she was led out to die; so she turned to God in prayer, and He did not leave her prayer unheard, for when she received word that she would have to die, her heart was especially filled with joy and good cheer. On the morning when she was to die, the bailiff asked her whether she had not yet thought the matter over. But she said:

"He who would win the precious prize that is set before us must run without ceasing." First Corinthians 9, verse 24. She was then brought into court and sentenced to death. In her sentence the ten foregoing articles were read against her, and that she should therefore, and because of her stubbornness, be burned as a heretic. This did not make her downcast, but she thanked the Lord, and wished them grace from God, that they might turn from idolatry to the true worship of God. First Thessalonians 1, verse 9.

When she came out and went forth to death, she said to the people: "Go, buy Testaments, and read in them, so that you may find why I am sentenced to death and have to die." Then the executioner, greatly angered, and threatening to strike her, told her to be silent, and without saying much more she went into the hut, where the executioner hurried his work, and commending her spirit into the hands of God, she was burned, on the eve of Epiphany 1573, and prepared herself to go forth with the wise virgins to meet the Bridegroom.

The burgomaster, or president of the court, at Meenen, named Jan de Drijver, who had pronounced the sentence on Pierijntgen, was afterwards severely punished by God; his flesh decayed, so that as a result one ear dropped from his head, and he died a most miserable death.