Lauwerens van de Walle, Antonis Schoonvelt, Kalleken Strings, and Maeyken Kocx, in the Year 1561

In the year 1561 several brothers and sisters, after suffering much persecution, took up residence near Ypres in Flanders, at a place called ten Hoogensiecken. Having left money, property, friends and relatives to follow Christ, and to live there in quietness, working at tape weaving to earn a living by their trade, they were spied out while they sat and worked together, and the inquisitor came to arrest them. He was accompanied by a large force well supplied with sticks, swords and ropes, and they arrived just at the time when Antonis, who had paid them a visit and had taken his leave, stood at the door, ready to go.

As they arrived with great noise, Stijntgen Potvliets (who was pregnant) ran out of the house first, and was arrested. Karel N. also ran out the door, and master Klaas (who was a great persecutor, and a fellow helper of the inquisitor) chased him, struck at him with a bare sword, and though Karel was wounded by it, he still escaped. Maeyken Kocx (who was also pregnant) was attacked by the inquisitor, who held a naked sword in his hand, and as she cried out to him to spare her child, and he acted in a very bloodthirsty manner, he, like a madman, wounded himself.

Lauwerens van de Walle, Antonis Schoonvelt, and Kalleken Strings were also arrested, but Hendrick N. escaped.

While they were being bound, they comforted one another greatly with the Word of God, and when they were brought out of the house, they cheerfully spoke to the neighbors, saying: "Can anyone complain of us? It is for the name of Christ that this is inflicted on us; we need not be ashamed of it." Matthew 10, verse 22; First Peter 4, verse 16.

On their way to town, Kalleken began to sing a hymn. Then master Klaas said: "The apostles did not sing as you do; and I do not want to dance; why then do you sing?" Antonis said

"Sister, do not fear these people; just sing as much as you want to;" and Lauwerens helped her sing. When they came into the city, there was a great crowd of people, and they made known the Word of God by singing and speaking. Among other things, Lauwerens said: "That we are arrested is not because of evil doing, but because we live according to the word of God."

Kalleken Strings said: "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life (Matthew 7, verse 14); turn to it, do good and forsake evil, and do not fear the rulers of this world, but buy Testaments, read the counsel of God in them, and follow it." They were then confined in the court of the prison, where they remained for several months and days, patient and of good cheer, waiting until they should offer up their sacrifice, and being visited and comforted in the meantime by many brothers and sisters. They were also examined at times about their faith, which they freely confessed, and from which no pain or suffering could make them depart.

Finally, having suffered many tortures, on the rack as well as elsewhere, Lauwerens van de Walle, Antonis Schoonvelt, and Kalleken Strings, since they held valiantly and steadfastly to the truth, were delivered by the inquisitor into the hands of the secular authorities, to be dealt with according to the terms of the royal decree. In delivering them, the inquisitor also, in the hearing of the ignorant people, read severe charges (as he thought) against them: among other things, that they confessed the Pope of Rome to be the antichrist. First John 2, verse 18. That they held the Roman church to be the whore of Babylon. Revelation 17, verse 5. That they declared the sacrament to be an abominable idol, and so on.

Then Lauwerens began to say that he had not said or confessed this without a fuller explanation. He was instantly and savagely told to keep silent, but he said: "Thieves and murderers are allowed to have someone who speaks for them; but you have brought it about that neither a procurator nor an advocate may speak for us; so we must speak for ourselves."

Kalleken Strings also, who sat there with her head resting on her hand, exhausted from excessive torture, let her voice be heard boldly.

On the testimony of the inquisitor, Lauwerens van de Walle and Antonis Schoonvelt were both sentenced by the authorities to be publicly strangled and burned at the stake, and for this a scaffold with two stakes, as well as wood and straw, was prepared in the marketplace.

They were brought out with their arms tied together, and coming to the place where they were to be offered up, they fell down on their knees and prayed to God. When they had risen, the executioner asked their forgiveness for what he was about to do, and they kindly forgave him, according to the teaching of Christ. Matthew 6, verse 14.

Lauwerens said with a loud voice to the authorities that he would truly and gladly forgive them and all who were guilty in the matter. He also boldly said, like the third of the Maccabean brothers: "These limbs God from heaven gave; therefore I will willingly surrender them for His law's sake." Second Maccabees 7, verse 11. As they went into the hut, both cried farewell to all the brothers and sisters scattered in many countries, cities and villages, and with this, commending their spirits into the hands of God, they departed this world.

In the month of October of the same year, Kalleken Strings too, a very fine and well bred maiden, was delivered to the secular authorities. She was modest, fearless and steadfast, so that neither many fair promises of riches and money, or of temporal prosperity, nor pain or severe torments (though she was tortured to such an extent that she was taken from the rack for dead), could in any way draw her from her faith; indeed, even her mother, when she visited her in prison for this purpose, could not move her, or accomplish what she came for, but hearing and seeing her daughter's steadfastness and kind treatment of her, she said: "My daughter is better than I am."

Afterwards she too was sentenced to be strangled and burned; at which she said: "You have now sentenced me to the fire according to the Emperor's decree; fear the judgment of God, which He shall hold, to condemn you to eternal fire."

When it was thought that Kalleken was about to be executed, a great multitude of people flocked together from far and near to see it. Seeing this, and fearing a disturbance, the authorities did not have her brought out; only the executioner came out of the city hall and told the people that she was already dead. So the people went away, thinking that she had been beheaded in private.

But early the next day, unexpectedly, with no scaffold erected, but other preparations made, she was brought into the marketplace, and when she had offered up her prayer to God, and commended her spirit into His hands, the sentence was carried out on her, and so she departed this world, going with a burning lamp to meet her bridegroom. Matthew 25, verse 1.

In the meantime, Stijntgen Potvliets, not continuing steadfast, was set free; but Maeyken Kocx, who remained immovable, was held and kept until she had given birth to her child and was out of childbed, after which (though her heart clung dearly to her husband and children, yet loving God above all, and, out of love to Him, holding to the truth she knew and had accepted, valuing this precious treasure more than her own life) she was sentenced to be publicly strangled and burned at the stake, which was also carried out. Commending her spirit into the hands of God, she joyfully departed this world, knowing well that she would inherit eternal joy, and be allowed to enter in with the five wise virgins, when the cry shall be made at midnight: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him."