How Lijsken, Jerome's Wife, Valiantly Fought

Lijsken, our sister, who was in bonds for a long time, fulfilled the time of her stay here, continuing most perfectly and steadfastly in the Word of the Lord to the end, the Lord be praised forever, and confessed her faith very frankly and sincerely, in the court, before the authorities and the common people. First of all, they questioned her about baptism, to which she replied: "I know only one baptism, which Christ and His saints practiced and left us."

"What do you think of infant baptism?" asked the bailiff.

Lijsken answered: "That it is nothing but infant baptism, and a human institution."

The lords then rose and put their heads together. In the meantime Lijsken clearly confessed and explained the ground of her faith to the people. Then they passed sentence on her. Lijsken addressed the judges in this way:

"You are judges now, but the time will come when you will wish that you had been shepherds,* for there is a Judge and Lord over us all, who will judge you in due time; 'but we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.'" [n728-1] Wisdom of Solomon 5; Psalm 7, verse 11; Ephesians 6, verse 12. The lords therefore said: "Take her out of the court."

The people then ran together in great crowds to see her. Lijsken boldly said to them: "Let it be known to you that I do not suffer for theft, murder, or any other evil deed, but only for the incorruptible Word of God." Then they came to the Bargkerk,* and she said: [n728-2] "O you den of thieves (Matthew 21, verse 13), how many a soul is murdered in you!" As she was going along between the servants, though not led by them, they said [to the people]: "Arise, make room." Then Lijsken said: "They do not hinder me; they may look on me, and take an example from me, all who love the word of the Lord." Philippians 3, verse 17.

Speaking on, she went back into prison. The common people were greatly stirred, but the friends rejoiced. So in the afternoon some of our friends went to the prison to visit her, and many other people came as well. The friends talked a little with her, and said: "It is well that you suffer only for doing good, and not for any evil deed." First Peter 2, verse 20. But she had to avoid them, because of the other people who were in the prison. She spoke boldly and valiantly to the people, and sang a beautiful hymn, so that the people were greatly astonished. Two monks came, to torment her still, and the three were locked together in a room. Lijsken utterly refused to listen to them. Once the door of the room was opened, with many people standing before it, and Lijsken came and stood in the doorway, and said to the monks: "Go away, until you are sent for; for I will not listen to you; if I had been content with your leaven, I would not have come to this." The three were again locked into the room, and the erring spirits or stars (First John 4, verse 1; Jude, verse 13) made another attempt with their false and deadly poison; but, God be praised, Lijsken was undaunted and of good cheer, and began singing a hymn in the presence of the monks. One of the friends present said: "Sister, fight valiantly." When they [the monks] heard this, they were very angry, and said: "There is another of her people, who encourages her, whom it would be better to burn than her." So they went away in a rage; for their voice was strange, and they were not heard there. John 10, verse 5.

Lijsken was then shut up alone in the room, which faced the street, where she used to sit; and no one could get to her except the man who had the keys. When the monks came out into the street, to go away, some friends who were there asked them: "Will she not be converted?" The monks replied: "No; for there was one of her people there, whom she preferred to hear." Toward evening the Lord granted that one of the friends came to the place where Lijsken sat, and talked with her a long time, so that the people in the street began to hear it, and all looked up to the place where the friend was, so that some who were with him became uneasy, and told him to go away; but he replied: "I must first bid her farewell." He then said: "Arise, sister, show yourself, and look out at the window." She immediately did so, and as she looked out at the people standing in the street, some friends who were among the crowd also called out, saying: "Dear sister, fight valiantly; for the crown of life is set before you." She then said to the people: "Drunkards, whoremongers, adulterers, all these are tolerated; they indeed read and speak of the Scriptures; but those who live and walk according to the will of God are troubled, oppressed, persecuted and put to death." Second Timothy 3, verse 12; John 16, verse 2. And at once she began to sing: "Behold, what poor sheep we are," and so on. Romans 8, verse 36. Before the hymn was finished, the lords came with the servants into the prison. Some friends said: "Just finish it, Lijsken." But before she could finish the hymn, they drew her away from the window, and as evening came on, she was seen no more. Saturday morning we rose early, some before daylight, others at daybreak, to see the marriage which we thought would take place. But the crafty murderers had gotten ahead of us; we had slept too long; for they had carried out their murderous work between three and four o'clock. They took the lamb to the Scheldt, thrust her into a bag, and drowned her, before the people arrived, so that only a few saw it. There were some, however, who saw that she went boldly to her death, and valiantly said: "Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit." So she was delivered up, and departed, to the praise of the Lord; so that through the grace of God it moved many people. When the people arrived, and learned that she was dead already, it caused a great commotion among them, and as much sorrow as if she had been publicly executed; for they said: "Thieves and murderers are brought publicly before everyone." So their treachery became the more widely known. Some plain people asked:

"Why must these people die? For many give a good testimony of them." Some friends who were there openly said to the people: "The reason is that they obey the commands of God more than those of the Emperor, or of men, because they have sincerely turned to the Lord their God; from lies to the truth, from darkness to light, from unrighteousness to righteousness, from unbelief to the true faith; have thus amended their life, and, after becoming true believers, been baptized according to the command of Christ, and the practice of His apostles." They also showed the people from the Word of God that the papists are those of whom the apostle Paul prophesied; that is, the seducing spirits, who teach the doctrines of devils; and also that the righteous had to suffer from the beginning, from the time of Abel until now, even as Christ also had to suffer, and so enter into the glory of His Father, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps; "for all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." First Timothy 4, verse 1; Luke 24, verse 26; First Peter 2, verse 21; Second Timothy 3, verse 12.