Quirinus Pieters of Groeningen, in the Year 1545

When the constraint of conscience and faith did not cease, but increased and broke out more and more through the adherents of popery, against the pious Christians who, according to the command of Christ, had been baptized upon their faith, it happened that a certain pious brother named Quirinus Pieters, a native of Groeningen, also separated from popery and joined the cross-bearing church of Jesus Christ, called Baptists, or, contemptuously, Anabaptists, having been received into the church through baptism upon confession of his faith, by Menno Simons, who was at that time one of the most eminent teachers in Friesland.

But when he, about six years ago, went to Holland and settled down at Amsterdam, there to live in quiet according to his faith and conscience, he was very quickly discovered by the authorities, arrested, and finally, since he would not apostatize, sentenced to death on the sixteenth of April, in the year 1545, namely, to be burned to death; and this dreadful and severe punishment this pious hero of Christ steadfastly endured, having commended his soul into the hands of God.

All of this we have taken from the following sentence, which was publicly read to him on the day of his death by the rulers of darkness, and a true copy of which, taken from the book of criminal sentences, has now been sent to us through the secretary there. The contents of it, except for the title, are as follows:

Sentence of death pronounced upon Quirinus

Pieters of Groeningen

Whereas Quirinus Pieters, a native of Groeningen, has embraced the unbelief and heresy of the Anabaptists, having been rebaptized about six years ago by Menno Simons, a teacher of the aforesaid sect; and whereas he holds harmful views concerning the sacraments of the holy church, and, moreover, has led others into such unbelief and errors, persuading them into it, directly contrary to the holy Christian faith, the ordinances of the holy church, and the decrees of his Imperial Majesty, our gracious lord; and whereas he stubbornly continues in the aforesaid unbelief: therefore my lords the judges, having heard the demand made by my lord the bailiff concerning the aforesaid Quirinus Pieters, as also his answer and confession, and having fully considered the circumstances of the said matters, sentence the aforesaid Quirinus Pieters to be burned by the executioner; and furthermore declare his property confiscated for the benefit of the exchequer of his Imperial Majesty. Pronounced this sixteenth of April, in the year 1545, in the presence of the entire bench of judges, except Sir Henry Dirks, Burgomaster.

In accordance with this sentence, Quirinus Pieters was put to death by the executioner on the same day.

All of this was taken from the book of criminal sentences, in the keeping of the secretary of the city of Amsterdam. N. N.