Hugo Jacob Kraen, and his Wife Mary, in the Year 1532

When the Word of God, through the grace of the Lord, came to the light again, and was accepted with great desire by many, and attested and confirmed by the life and death of a great number, this same Word of God was also received and accepted (Acts 8, verse 14; Acts 17, verse 11) by one Hugo Jacob Kraen of Assersouw, his wife Mary, and two others, whose names we have not learned. And as it was foretold by Paul, that "all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (Second Timothy 3, verse 12); and by Isaiah that: "He who departs from evil makes himself a prey" (Isaiah 59, verse 15); so it was seen also in the case of these people; for as soon as they renounced this dark world (Ephesians 6, verse 12; First John 1, verse 5), with its carnal walk, and false, invented worship, and sought and followed the eternal light and glory of Christ Jesus (Matthew 19, verse 28), they were hated, and persecuted to death, by the children of darkness and Belial. John 15, verses 18 and 19. Finally Mary, the wife of Hugo Jacob, was arrested at Haarlem, and after suffering many trials, was drowned at that place, in the year 1532, enduring it with great steadfastness; thus confirming with her death the truth she had accepted. Revelation 2, verse 10. But Hugo Jacob Kraen, with two of his fellow believers, were brought as prisoners into Gravenhage, where they had to suffer much for the truth. But as they were founded upon a rock (Matthew 16, verse 18), no torments could bring them to apostatize. Therefore the servants of antichrist condemned them to die, and this, such a terrible death, that all who saw it must justly have pitied them! For, in the year 1532, at that place, they were chained to stakes, a great fire was built around them, and in this manner they were roasted until they died. And as they did not love their lives here, but obediently gave them up for the testimony of Jesus, and died steadfastly: they, at the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, shall, in place of this mortal garment of the flesh, be clothed with the immortal, and be rewarded by God with the crown of everlasting glory. Revelation 12, verse 17; Revelation 2, verse 13; Second Timothy 1, verse 8; Acts 22, verse 18; Acts 23, verse 11; Second Thessalonians 1, verse 7; Philippians 3, verse 21; Wisdom 5, verse 16; Second Esdras 2, verse 43; First Corinthians 9, verse 25; First Peter 5, verse 4; James 1, verse 12; Revelation 2, verse 10.