Of a Certain Prohibition Published by Those of Aerdenborgh Against the Anabaptists, and What Was Done by the Lords States General for the Abolishment of the Same, in the Year 1615

At Aerdenborgh in Flanders, too, they began to carry out various measures for the oppression of the Anabaptists who lived there and had escaped the claws of the Romish wolf. The cause of this was a certain prohibition issued by the bailiff and the council of that city, in which these people were, in the first place, refused liberty in the practice of their religion, so that they were not allowed to assemble for this purpose, either in the city or within the limits of its jurisdiction.

Then they began to afflict these innocent and defenseless people, not only with heavy fines, but also with arrest and imprisonment.

To all appearance this sad beginning would have led to greater harm to the aforesaid people, if their High Mightinesses, the Lords States General of the United Netherlands, who had received word of it, had not opposed it with a certain mandate. By this mandate those who were the cause of that oppression were kept from carrying out their aforementioned prohibition, and on the other hand liberty of religion was granted to those who were oppressed. The contents of the aforementioned mandate are as follows:

The States General, and so on, to the Bailiff, Burgomasters and Judges of Aerdenborgh.

Honorable, and so on: We have learned with surprise that, contrary to our resolution announced to Your Honor by our order through the clerk, Jan Bogaerd, you still hinder the members of the community called Anabaptists or Mennonists, who live in Aerdenborgh and the parts under its jurisdiction, in the freedom of their assembling and the exercise of their religion in Aerdenborgh, and that you trouble and oppress them by prohibiting their assembling, by arrests, and by fines.

Since we desire that the aforesaid members of the community belonging to the Anabaptist persuasion be allowed to enjoy just as much freedom, with all quietness and modesty, in their mind, conscience, assembling, and exercise of their religion in Aerdenborgh as is the case everywhere else in the provinces, cities, and places of the United Netherlands, without any contradiction or resistance, except that you may exercise an oversight over their gatherings, as far as they deem it well, and that they, to this end, may inform you every time that they desire to assemble. Therefore we command you to govern yourselves exactly in accordance with this, for the better maintenance of tranquility, peace and unity in the aforesaid city, without having the aforesaid members arrested or prosecuted for any fine or contravention because of previous gatherings. On this we shall rely, and so on. Given this 1st of May, 1615.

This agrees with the minutes kept in the rolls of their High Mightinesses. Signed,

N. RUYSCH.