Reyer Dircks, a Boatman, Burnt after Dreadful Torture

At this time also Reyer Dircks, a pious hero and valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, though of small account in the eyes of the world, who earned his living with a little boat on the river Amstel, enlisted under the bloody banner of his Savior, and joined the cross-bearing church, contemptuously called Anabaptists. Having been with them about three years, he truly experienced that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and that the violent take it by force; for he could not enter the spacious halls of the blessed palace of God without pressing through the strait gate, so that his flesh, indeed the whole body, remained on the posts, and this in the fire, as food for the birds and wild beasts.

He was imprisoned at Amsterdam, in Holland, and though he was most miserably tortured, he still refused to depart from his faith, and from the promise he had made to God in baptism. He was then condemned to death as a heretic, and very cruelly executed with flaming fire.

All this may be clearly seen from the following sentence, which was read on the day of his death, in the court at Amsterdam, by the ecclesiastical rulers.

Sentence of Death of Ryer Dircks

Whereas Ryer Dircks, boatman, citizen of this city, about three years ago embraced the doctrines, errors, sects, and heresies of the Anabaptists, and holds harmful views concerning the sacraments of the holy church, contrary to the holy Christian faith, the ordinances of the holy church, and the written laws and decrees of his Imperial Majesty, our gracious lord, and moreover persists in his errors and heresies, despite the instruction given him in the true faith; therefore my lords of the court, having heard the demand made by my lord the bailiff, in the name of his Imperial Majesty, concerning the aforementioned Ryer Dircks, and also his confession, and having duly considered the circumstances of the case, condemn the said Ryer Dircks, in accordance with the aforesaid decrees, to be executed with fire by the executioner; and further declare his property confiscated for the benefit of his Imperial Majesty, as Count of Holland, without derogation and prejudice to the privileges of this city.

So pronounced, and handed over to the executioner for execution, this sixteenth day of August, in the year 1550, in the presence of the bailiff, all the burgomasters, and all the judges, except Jan Dunen.

Ryer Dircks was examined by torture on the ninth of July, in the year 1550.

Taken from the book of criminal sentences, kept by the secretary of the city of Amsterdam.

N. N.